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1225 eligible, were also elected Fellows of the College :-Edward Granville Browne, M. B. Camb., F.B.A.; and Sir David Bruce, M. B. Edin., C. B., F. R. S. The following communications were received : 1. From the secretary of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, re- porting proceedings of the Council of the College on Feb. 9th, March 9th, and April 6th. 2. From the Home Office (dated March 2nd), re the labelling of patent medicines. The matter was referred to the Censors’Board, but it was resolved that it should be recommended to the Home Secretary that it should be compulsory for the ingredients of all patent medicines to be placed on the bottle. 3. From the secretary of the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption, re an International Tuberculosis Congress at Rome in September next. The President was requested to nominate delegates to represent the College. 4. From the Master of the Apothecaries’ Society, intimating that the Society will apply for power to issue diplomas in Public Health and in Tropical Medicine, and expressing the hope that the College would not oppose this application. It was resolved that no opposition should be offered at present. 5. From the Royal Statistical Society, re a " definition of still births." It was left to the President to nominate a small committee to consider the matter. Dr. Norman Moore was re-elected the representative of the College on the General Medical Council, Dr. Frederick Taylor was re-elected the representative of the College on the Senate of the University of London, and Dr. F. W. Andrewes was re-elected the representative on the Council of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine. Dr. F. E. BATTEN proposed, and Dr. E. FARQUHAR BUZZARD seconded, the following resolution, which was adopted :- That in view of the infectivity of acute poliomyelitis and polio- encephalitis, its annual occurrence in London, and the crippling effects of the disease upon children and others, the College do recommend to the London County Council that poliomyelitis and polioencephalitis be included among the notifiable diseases in order to diminish and, if possible, eliminate its incidence on the population. After some further formal business the PRESIDENT dis- solved the Comitia. VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS. In 77 of the largest English towns 8389 births and 4695 deaths were registered during the week ending April 29th. ’, The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which had been equal to 15’9 9 and 15’4 per 1000 in the two preceding weeks, further declined to 14 - 3 in the week under notice. During the first four weeks of the current quarter the annual rate in these towns averaged 15-2 per 1000. In London during the same period the recorded annual rate did not exceed 14-7 per 1000. The annual death-rates last week in the 77 large towns ranged from 7’6 in Grimsby, 7.7 in Newport (Mon.), 8’2 in Coventry, and 8’4 in Smethwick, to 21.0 in Rhondda, 21.5 in Swansea, 21.8 in Stoke-upon- Trent, and 22-0 in Tynemouth. The 4695 deaths from all causes in the 77 towns last week showed a further decline of 365 from the numbers returned in the two preceding weeks, and included 448 which were referred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numbers steadily declining from 702 to 538 in the seven preceding weeks; of these 448 deaths, 223 resulted from measles, 118 from whooping-cougb, 53 from infantile diarrhoea, 31 from diphtheria, 14 from scarlet fever, and 9 from enteric fever, but not one from small-pox. The mean annual death-rate from these epidemic diseases in the 77 towns was equal to 1 - 4 per 1000, and was lower than in any week since January last. The fatal cases of measles in the 77 towns, which had steadily declined in the seven preceding weeks from 474 to 268, further fell last week to 223 ; the highest annual ,death-rates from this disease among these towns last week were 1.9 in Yarmouth, 2.3 in Tottenham, 2.5 in West Ham, and 4.1 in Rhondda. The 118 deaths from whooping- cough showed a decline of 16 from the number in the previous week, and caused the highest death-rates of 1-4 in Burnley, 1-9 in Blackburn, and 2’4 in Middles- brough. The 53 deaths, under two years of age, attri- buted to diarrhcea were fewer by 10 than those in the previous week, and included 16 in London, 5 in Liverpool, and 4 in Birmingham. The deaths referred to diphtheria, which had been 50 and 44 in the two previous weeks, declined to 31 last week, and were fewer than in any previous week of this year; they included 11 in London and, its suburban districts, 3 in Manchester, and 2 both in Liver- pool and in Birmingham. The 14 fatal cases of scarlet lever-- corresponded with the low number in the previous week, and included 5 in Liverpool and 2 both in London and Stockton- on-Tees. The deaths referred to enteric fever, which had been 18 and 15 in the two preceding weeks, further fell to last week, and were fewer than in any previous week of this year. The number of scarlet fever patients unde treatment in the metropolitan asylums and the London Fever Hospital,. which had been 982 and 995 on the two preceding Satur- days, had further increased to 1037 at the end of last week ; 141 new cases of this disease were admitted to these hospitals during last week, against 125 and 155 in the twor- preceding weeks. These hospitals also contained 829 cases of measles, 307 of whooping-cough, 22 of enteric fever, and 9 of small-pox on Saturday last. The 1280 deaths. from all causes in London last week showed a decline of 208 from the number in the previous week, and included 268 which were referred to diseases of the respiratory system, against 279 and 323 in the two previous weeks; - 12 deaths were directly referred to influenza, showing a decline of 7 from the number in the previous week. In the 77, towns, 167 deaths were attributed to different forms of violence, fewer by 31 than those in the previous week ; and 361 inquest cases were registered. The causes of 37, or 0’ 8 per cent., of the deaths registered in the 77 towns during the week were not certified ei-iiher by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner, All the causes of death were duly certified in Leeds, Bristol West Ham, Bradford, Leicester, Salford, and in 50 other smaller towns ; the 37 uncertified causes of death in the 77 towns last week included 6 in Liverpool, 5 in Birmingham, 4 in Gateshead, and 3 in Stoke-upon-Trent.. HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS. In Glasgow 487 births and 281 deaths were registered’ during the week ending April 29th; the deaths slightly exceeded the number in the previous week, but were 10, below the average number in the first three weeks of the- current quarter. As the results of the recent Census appear to show that the population of this city has recently been, largely over-estimated, it must be presumed that the birth- - rates and death-rates therein have both been considerably understated in recent returns. The 281 deaths in Glasgow last week from all causes included 40 which were referred to the principal epidemic diseases, against 47 and 41 in the two pre= - ceding weeks ; of these 40 deaths 24 resulted from whooping- cough, 6 from measles, 5 from infantile diarrhœa, 4 from, diphtheria, and 1 from enteric fever, but no fatal case of scarlet fever or small-pox was registered. The fatal eases of whooping-cough, which had been 27 and Z8 in the two previous weeks, declined to 24 last week, but the 6 deaths. from measles exceeded the number in the previous week by- 3 ; the number of deaths from infantile diarrhcea and from diphtheria differed but slightly from those in the previous week. The 281 deaths in the city included 96, or 34 per cent., which were recorded in public institutions. In Edinburgh 130 births and 121 deaths were registered during last week, the deaths showing an increase of 5 upon the number in the previous week. It appears that the official estimate of the recent population of this city, as well as of’ Glasgow, has considerably exceeded the number enumerated, at the recent Census, which implies that the recently published rates of births and of deaths have been under- stated. The 121 deaths registered in Edinburgh last week from all causes included 7 which were referred to the prin- cipal epidemic diseases, against 14 in the previous week ; 3 resulted from measles, 3 from whooping-cough, and 1 from diphtheria, but not one from scarlet fever, infantile diarrheea, enteric fever, or small-pox. The fatal cases of whooping- cough were fewer by 5 than those in the previous week, but those of measles showed a slight increase. The 26 deaths. of infants under one year of age exceeded the numbers in any recent week. The 12’1 deaths from all causes included 40, or 33 per cent., which occurred in public institutions, and the- causes of 5, or 4.1 per cent., of the registered deaths were-: uncertified.
