1612 a legacy of Z500 to the "Royal Home for Incu’abks, Streatham, S.W." She had subscribed during her lifetime to the "British Home and Hospital for Incurables" at Streathamandalsoto the "Royal Hospital for Incurables" at Putney. In her diary she had described the former as the British Home for Incurables and the latter as the Royal Home for Incurables and there was evidence as to her subscriptions of varying amounts to the two institutions which had to be considered in order to ascertain her probable wishes. The executors had paid the amount named to the Royal Hospital for Incurables at Putney, but Mr. Justice Kekewich was able to come to the conclusion from the facts laid before him that the British Home and Hospital for Incurables at Streatham was in- tended, in which, taking the indication of locality into con- sideration, he was pretty clearly right and the legacy will now go to that institution. It is a matter of regret that litigation should be necessary upon such a subject. In this particular case and in others the circumstances of necessary haste in which wills sometimes have to be made may account for errors and excuse them. Solicitors, however, who have any leisure to draft a will properly should take the opportunity to verify all names of charities sub- mitted to them as objects of the testator’s benevolence. With their accuracy in other matters we are not con- cerned. Hospitals and benevolent institutions of all kinds ’, are properly described in the Annual Charities Register II’ and Digest" (published for the Charity Organisation I Society by Messrs. Longmans and Co.) and in other I accessible works of reference. Testators are known to be inaccurate, almost unaccountably so; they have at times described their relatives by wrong or by wrongly combined names, they have called their first cousins once removed second cousins and their step-children their children. It may sometimes be possible and desirable for the secretary to a charitable institution to whom a subscription is paid which is wrongly addressed, or accompanied by a letter describing the charity under a wrong name, to call attention to the error without giving offence. A Dead Body as a Bequestfor Anatomaieal Purposes. There is no "property" or right of ownership in a human body and no man consequently can own the dead body of his relative or of any other person in such a way as to be able to sell it or to leave it by his will to anyone so as to make it that person’s. property. He cannot even so dispose of his own remains by any bargain or will made during his life but when he is dead it will be the duty of his executors to afford his body such burial as is suitable to his estate. There is an apparent exception to this created by the Anatomy Act (2 & 3 William IV., c. 75). The seventh section of this statute makes it lawful for an executor or any other person, not an undertaker, having lawful possession of a dead body to permit it to undergo anatomical examination unless either the deceased has in his lifetime desired otherwise or l his surviving relatives object, and by the eighth section, "if any person either in writing at any time during his life, or verbally in the presence of two or more witnesses during the illness whereof he died, shall direct that his body ,1 after death shall be examined anatomically, or shall nominate any party...... to make such an examination ...... then the party having lawful possession of the dead body shall direct such examination to be made" unless a husband or wife or other near relative shall object. Recently at an inquest in London a document left by the deceased was read which expressed his desire that his body should be banded to the authorities at St. George’s Hospital for dissection in the medical school and the coroner made the observation that the gift was invalid and that the deceased could not leave his body as he wished. The section quoted was apparently overlooked by the coroner and the man who said in his letter expressing his wish, 11 I have the right to dispose of my body," was right so far as the particular mode of disposition selected by him was concerned. There does not appear to be any recorded case where anyone to whom a body should have come for anatomical purposes under Section .8 ever sought to enforce that right against an unwilling executor, but the wording of the section appears to leave the executor ro choice in the matter o long as the relatives do not object. The phra-eulogy used would apparently include pr’ht-moitem examinations made for the purpose of elucidating the cause of death (but not ordered by a coroner) as well as the handi[1g over of a body for dissection in a medical school. LEEDS MEDICAL SCHOOL: A SMOKING CONCERT. A SMOKING concert was recently given by the Leeds Medical School under the chairmanship of Mr. W. H. Brown I when a programme of 17 items, all songs but fonr, was successfully carried out. The bill of the evening was very happily drawn by Mr. Fred. Reynolds, as may be seen by our reproduction of the principal figure upon it. VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS. IN 76 of the largest English towns 7950 births and 5092 deaths were registered during the week ending Nov. 28th., The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which had been 16 2, 17 9, and 17’ 4 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, increased again last week to 17’ 6 per 1O00 In London the death-rate was 17’4 per 1000, while in the 75 other large towns it averaged 17’ 7 per 1000. The lowest death- rates in these towns last week were 8’ 0 in Hornsey, 8’1 1 in Wallasey, 8 ’7 7 in Hastings, 9 ’0 0 in Stockton-on-Tees, 9 3 in Waltham-tow, 9’7 in Leyton, 10’3 in Croydon, and 10’6 6 in Smethwick; the highest rates were 23-0 in Coventry,. 23 . in Bootle, 23-b in Warrington, 23’ in Preston, 24 7 in York, 25-1 in Swansea, 26’ in Burnley, and 29 6 in Sunderland. The 5092 deaths in these towns last week included 430 which were referred to the principal infectious diseases, against 419, 432, and 436 in the three preceding weeks ; of these 430 deaths, 114 resulted from measles, 99 from diphtheria, 92 from whooping-cough, 49 from diphtheria, 42 from "fever" (principally enteric), 30 from scarlet fever, and four from small-pox. No death from any of these diseases was re- gistered last week in Croydon, Hornsey, Hastings, Bourne- mouth, Norwich, Devonport, Handsworth, Smethwick, Grimsby, Wallasey, Huddersfield, Middlesbrough. 8tocton- on Tees, or Tynemouth ; while the highest death-rates from the principal infectious diseases occurred in Willesdun,
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a legacy of Z500 to the "Royal Home for Incu’abks,Streatham, S.W." She had subscribed during her lifetimeto the "British Home and Hospital for Incurables" atStreathamandalsoto the "Royal Hospital for Incurables"at Putney. In her diary she had described the former asthe British Home for Incurables and the latter as the RoyalHome for Incurables and there was evidence as to her
subscriptions of varying amounts to the two institutionswhich had to be considered in order to ascertainher probable wishes. The executors had paid theamount named to the Royal Hospital for Incurables atPutney, but Mr. Justice Kekewich was able to come tothe conclusion from the facts laid before him that the BritishHome and Hospital for Incurables at Streatham was in-tended, in which, taking the indication of locality into con-sideration, he was pretty clearly right and the legacy willnow go to that institution. It is a matter of regret thatlitigation should be necessary upon such a subject. In this
particular case and in others the circumstances of necessaryhaste in which wills sometimes have to be made may accountfor errors and excuse them. Solicitors, however, whohave any leisure to draft a will properly should takethe opportunity to verify all names of charities sub-mitted to them as objects of the testator’s benevolence.With their accuracy in other matters we are not con-cerned. Hospitals and benevolent institutions of all kinds ’,are properly described in the Annual Charities Register II’and Digest" (published for the Charity Organisation ISociety by Messrs. Longmans and Co.) and in other Iaccessible works of reference. Testators are known to beinaccurate, almost unaccountably so; they have at timesdescribed their relatives by wrong or by wrongly combinednames, they have called their first cousins once removedsecond cousins and their step-children their children. It
may sometimes be possible and desirable for the secretary toa charitable institution to whom a subscription is paid whichis wrongly addressed, or accompanied by a letter describingthe charity under a wrong name, to call attention to the errorwithout giving offence.
A Dead Body as a Bequestfor Anatomaieal Purposes.There is no "property" or right of ownership in a human
body and no man consequently can own the dead body of hisrelative or of any other person in such a way as to be able tosell it or to leave it by his will to anyone so as to make itthat person’s. property. He cannot even so dispose of hisown remains by any bargain or will made during his life butwhen he is dead it will be the duty of his executors to affordhis body such burial as is suitable to his estate. There is an
apparent exception to this created by the Anatomy Act(2 & 3 William IV., c. 75). The seventh section of thisstatute makes it lawful for an executor or any other person,not an undertaker, having lawful possession of a dead bodyto permit it to undergo anatomical examination unlesseither the deceased has in his lifetime desired otherwise or l
his surviving relatives object, and by the eighth section,"if any person either in writing at any time during hislife, or verbally in the presence of two or more witnessesduring the illness whereof he died, shall direct that his body ,1after death shall be examined anatomically, or shall nominateany party...... to make such an examination ...... then theparty having lawful possession of the dead body shalldirect such examination to be made" unless a husbandor wife or other near relative shall object. Recently atan inquest in London a document left by the deceasedwas read which expressed his desire that his body shouldbe banded to the authorities at St. George’s Hospital fordissection in the medical school and the coroner made theobservation that the gift was invalid and that the deceasedcould not leave his body as he wished. The section quotedwas apparently overlooked by the coroner and the man whosaid in his letter expressing his wish, 11 I have the right todispose of my body," was right so far as the particular modeof disposition selected by him was concerned. There doesnot appear to be any recorded case where anyone to whom abody should have come for anatomical purposes under Section.8 ever sought to enforce that right against an unwillingexecutor, but the wording of the section appears to leave theexecutor ro choice in the matter o long as the relativesdo not object. The phra-eulogy used would apparentlyinclude pr’ht-moitem examinations made for the purpose ofelucidating the cause of death (but not ordered by acoroner) as well as the handi[1g over of a body for dissectionin a medical school.
LEEDS MEDICAL SCHOOL: A SMOKINGCONCERT.
A SMOKING concert was recently given by the Leeds
Medical School under the chairmanship of Mr. W. H. Brown
Iwhen a programme of 17 items, all songs but fonr, wassuccessfully carried out. The bill of the evening was veryhappily drawn by Mr. Fred. Reynolds, as may be seen by ourreproduction of the principal figure upon it.
VITAL STATISTICS.
HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.
IN 76 of the largest English towns 7950 births and 5092deaths were registered during the week ending Nov. 28th.,The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which had been16 2, 17 9, and 17’ 4 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks,increased again last week to 17’ 6 per 1O00 In London thedeath-rate was 17’4 per 1000, while in the 75 other
large towns it averaged 17’ 7 per 1000. The lowest death-rates in these towns last week were 8’ 0 in Hornsey, 8’1 1 inWallasey, 8 ’7 7 in Hastings, 9 ’0 0 in Stockton-on-Tees, 9 3 inWaltham-tow, 9’7 in Leyton, 10’3 in Croydon, and 10’6 6in Smethwick; the highest rates were 23-0 in Coventry,.23 . in Bootle, 23-b in Warrington, 23’ in Preston,24 7 in York, 25-1 in Swansea, 26’ in Burnley, and29 6 in Sunderland. The 5092 deaths in these townslast week included 430 which were referred to the
principal infectious diseases, against 419, 432, and436 in the three preceding weeks ; of these 430 deaths,114 resulted from measles, 99 from diphtheria, 92from whooping-cough, 49 from diphtheria, 42 from "fever"(principally enteric), 30 from scarlet fever, and four fromsmall-pox. No death from any of these diseases was re-
gistered last week in Croydon, Hornsey, Hastings, Bourne-mouth, Norwich, Devonport, Handsworth, Smethwick,Grimsby, Wallasey, Huddersfield, Middlesbrough. 8tocton-on Tees, or Tynemouth ; while the highest death-rates fromthe principal infectious diseases occurred in Willesdun,
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Walsall, Bootle, Warrington, Bury, Preston, York, Sunder-land, and Rhondda. The greatest proportional mortalityfrom measles occurred in Willesden, Ipswich, West Brom-wich, Warrington, Preston, York, and Sunderland ; from
whooping-cough in Walsall, Bootle, Warrington, and
York ; and from diarrhoea in Preston and York. The
mortality from scarlet fever, from diphtheria, andfrom fever" showed no marked excess in any ofthe large towns. Of the four fatal cases of small-poxregistered in these eight towns last week one belongedto London, one to Coventry, one to Newcastle- on- Tyne,and one to Tynemouth. The number of small-pox patientsunder treatment in the Metropolitan Asylums hospitals,which had been 43, 51, and 47 at the end of the three
preceding weeks, had further declined to 40 at the end oflast week; five new cases were admitted during the week,against five, 16, and five in the three preceding weeks. Therewere 1770 scarlet fever cases in these hospitals and in theLondon Fever Hospital on Saturday last, Nov. 28th, against1854, 1824, and 1833 on the three preceding Saturdays ;157 new cases were admitted during last week. against224, 185, and 191 in the three preceding weeks. Thedeaths referred to pneumonia and diseases of the respiratorysystem in London, which had been 271, 339, and 325 inthe three preceding weeks, rose again last week to 399and were 18 above the number in the corresponding periodof last year. The causes of 57, or 1’1 per cent., of thedeaths in the 76 towns last week were not certifiedeither by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner.All the causes of death were duly certified in West Ham,Bristol, Leicester, Leeds, Hull, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and in 44other smaller towns ; the largest proportions of uncertifieddeaths were registered in Birmingham, Grimsby, Notting-ham, Liverpool, St. Helens, Preston, Barrow-in-Furness,Sheffield, and Gateshead.
HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.
The annual rate of mortality in eight of the principalScotch towns, which had been 15 8, 17’ 4, and 17’ 4 per1000 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 18’7 7 per1000 during the week ending Nov. 28th and was 1’1 per1000 in excess of the mean rate during the same period inthe 76 large English towns. Among these Scotch towns thedeath-rates ranged from 9’ 3 in Perth and 11’ 6 in Aberdeen,to 20 - 8 in Glasgow and 22 7 in Paisley. The 611 deathsin these towns included 22 which were referred to diarrhoea,17 to measles, nine to whooping-cough, five to diphtheria,four to "fever," three to small-pox, and two to scarletfever. In all, 92 deaths resulted from these principalinfectious diseases last week, against 53, 49, and 61 inthe three preceding weeks. These 62 deaths were equalto an annual rate of 1’9 per 1000, which was 0 4 per 1000above the mean rate last week from the same diseases in the76 large English towns. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, whichhad been 0 in each of the two preceding weeks, increasedlast week to 22, of which 12 occurred in Glasgow, five in
Edinburgh, two in Aberdeen, and two in Paisley. The deathsfrom measles, which had been 19, 10, and 13 in the three pre-ceding weeks, rose again to 17 last week and were all regis-tered in Glasgow. The fatal cases of whooping-cough, whichhad been four and seven in the two preceding weeks, furtherrose last week to nine, of which seven’occurred in Glasgow.The deaths from diphtheria, which had been four and sevenin the two preceding weeks, declined again to five last weekand included two in Glasgow. The fatal cases of I fever,"which had been ten and six in the two preceding weeks,further declined last week to four, of which three were re-corded in Glasgow, where the three deaths from small-poxalso occurred. The deaths referred to diseases of the respira-tory organs in these towns, which had been 107, 129, and136 in the three preceding weeks, further rose last week to148, and were 13 in excess of the number in the correspond-ing period of last year. The causes of 14, or more than2 per cent., of the deaths registered in these eight townslast week were not certified.
HEALTH OF DUBLIN.
The death-rate in Dublin, which had been 21’7, 20-9. and24 . per 1000 in the three precering weeks. further roseto 24 8 per 10C0 during the week ending Nov. 28th. Duringthe past four weeks the death-rate has averaged 23 0 per1000, the rates during the same period being 16 7 inLondon and 17’ 0 in Edinburgh. The 180 deaths of perscns
belonging to Dublin registered during the week undernotice were slightly in excess of the number in the precedingweek and included 11 which were referred to the prin-cipal infectious diseases, against two, seven, and ninein the three preceding weeks ; of these, four resultedfrom "fever," three from whooping-cough, three from diar-rhoea, and one from diphtheria, but not any from small-pog;measles, or scarlet fever. These 11 deaths were equal to anannual rate of 1’5 per 1000, the death-rates last weekfrom the principal infectious diseases being 1’3 in Londonand 11 1 in Edinburgh. The fatal cases of "fever, whichhad been one, three, and one in the three preceding weeks,rose last week to four. The deaths from whooping-cough,which had been three and two in the two preceding weeks,rose again to three last week. The three fatal cases ofdiarrhoea showed a slight decline from the number in the pre-ceding week. The 180 deaths in Dublin last week included48 of children under one year of age and 47 of persons aged60 years and upwards ; the deaths of infants were 17 in ex-cess of the number in the preceding week, while those ofelderly persons showed a slight decline. One death fromviolence and four inquest cases were registered, and 54, or-
nearly one-third, of the deaths occurred in public institutions.The causes of ten, or nearly 6 per cent., of the deathsregistered in Dublin last week were not certified.
THE SERVICES.
ROYAL NAVY MEDICAL SERVICE.
Fleet Surgeon Christopher Pearson has been promoted tothe rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and!Fleets in His Majesty’s Fleet (dated Oct. 10th, 1903).The undermentioned gentlemen have been appointed
Surgeons in His Majesty’s Fleet, viz :-Walter Perceval
Yetts, Norman Sinclair Meiklejohn, Thomas Dixon Liddle,William Perceval Hingston, Guy Leslie Buckeridge, ArthurHenry Sims Richardson, Henry ’ood5, George Herbert.
Stephens Milln, Charles James Boucher, Reginald HughSt. Bernard Ellis Hughes, Frederick Morton Vincent Smith,George .Deleval Walsh, David Haddon Vickery, Palmer-
Devoy Ramsay, Walter Graham Moore Anderson, ArthurRobertson Davidson, Edward Bryan Kenny, James ErnestJohnston, James Campbell Bring an, Francis Jollie Gowans,John Shipsey, Lionel Coldbeck Hsmonde Murphy, FrederickCock, Evelyn Richard Townsend, Arthur Dillon Croker-Cummins, Charles Murray Woods, Arthur Reginald Schofield,Thomas Walter Jeffery, Edward Postle Gwyn Causton, andBertram Raleigh Bickford (dated Nov. 23rd, 1903).The following appointments are notified :-Fleet Sur-
geon E. B. Townsend to the Momltouth. Staff Surgeons =-J. D. Hughes to the Pioneer and W. R. M. Yourg to theVenus. Surgeons : J. Macdonald to the Hibernia for theMaine and A. D. Spalding to the Jackal.
ARMY MEDICAL STAFF.Colonel J. D. Edge, C.B., Roval Army Medical Corp?, to
be Surgeon-General, vice G. J. H. Evatt, C.B., retired(dated Nov. llth, 1903).
ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE.
Surgeon-General Thomas O’Farrell is placed on retired pay(dated Nov. 20th, 1903).
ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL UORPS.Lieutenant-Colonel J. J. Morris to be Colonel, vice J. D.
Edge (dated Nov. llth, 1903). Lieutenant-Colonel H. Grier-is placed on temporary half-pay on account of ill-health
(dated Nov. 20th, 1903).VOLUNTEER CORPS.
Rifle: lst Volunteer Battalion the EaSt Lancashire Regi-ment : Surgeon-Lieutenant A. Foster resigns his commission(dated Nov. 28th, 1903). 1,t Bucks: Surgeon-Captain J.Shaw resigns his commission (dated Nov. 28th, 1903).lst Notticghamhhire (Robin Hood) : Captain R. P Shearerresigns his commissinn and is appointed Surgeon-Lieutenant.(dated Nov. 28th, 1903). lst Tower Hamlets : Surgeon-Lieutenant J. F. F. Parr to be Surgeon-Captain (datedNov. 28th, 1903).
ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS (VOLUNTEERS).The E linburgh Company : Major D. Hepburn resigns his
commission with permission to retain his rank and to wear-
