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clerk said that in this case the difference between thestandard and the analysis return was very small. " Farmershad protested against the order because the quality of milkvaried so much according to the feeding, the weather, orwhether the cow was in good, bad, or indifferent health."The milk from two cows in equally good health and condi-tion, with the same feeding and surroundings, may alsodiffer considerably in quality and that constantly. Thedefendant said the milk had deteriorated because he hadbeen unable to buy food and he had given up selling milk-not apparently any too soon In these circumstancesthe case was withdrawn. It almost seems as if the smallcow-keeper will be unable to maintain his position.

" Herbal Trecctment."An inquest was held about ten days ago at Moston, a

suburb of Manchester, which shows the strong hold thatirregular treatment has on the minds of a certain class ofLancashire people. In this case, however, there was inaddition neglect amounting to cruelty. A girl, aged 15years, a worker in a mill, had been ailing for eightmonths. She had unfortunately a stepmother who wasoften advised by a neighbour to call in a medicalman, but she was met with the reply that the girl waslazy and her illness a pretence. No medical man was calledin and the girl died. Now comes the characteristic feature ofthe case. The father told the coroner that he did not sendfor a medical man as he thought his daughter was onlysuffering from indigestion. It seems that, like many ofthese people, he had an old book, I I a medicine-book whichhe had bought 20 years ago."

" He said it had been hiscustom to treat ailments from prescriptions in this book andhe gave his daughter "a decoction of herbs" for six weeks." He did not know what the properties of the herbswere." Dr. McLean stated in evidence that the girl hadbeen badly nourished and had died from peritonitis, thatshe must have been in great pain for months, and thatproper medical treatment, though it might not havesaved her life, would have prolonged it and wouldhave alleviated her sufferings. The coroner spoke stronglyof the conduct of the father and stepmother and the jury,who returned a verdict of death from natural causes, askedthat they should be censured. It is difficult in such casesas these (which are far too frequent, not so much among thevery poor as among those a little above them in the socialscale, who may have had all the advantages of a boardschool education) to know how the various factors that causesuch pitiful suffering are proportioned. Ignorant self-conceit, penurious dislike to paying even the smallest fees,suspicion, evidently strong in the stepmother, that this poorgirl was malingering, and credulous trust in the prescriptionsof the old medicine-book all had a share. The only satis-factory point in this case is that a Lancashire jury of thesame class as the father and the stepmother agreed that theydeserved censure.

River Purifacation.At the last monthly meeting of the Mersey and Irwell

Joint Committee an estimate of the expenditure for the yearending March 31st, 1905, was presented. The total is-a netsum of .E4524, which will be raised by calls upon the localauthorities.

Moss Side to be Prosecuted.At the same meeting Moss Side, a suburb which may be

said to be in Manchester, though not of it, came under animad-version and legal proceedings are to be taken against theurban council. For the chief inspector found on a visit onApril 19th about one-third of the whole volume of tankeffluent passing directly to the Mersey through a hole cutin the ground communicating with the drains underneath.This hole was filled with paving stones, which, of course,provided a very effective way of not treating the sewage.

Sir Henry Roscoe’s Beport.In Sir Henry Roscoe’s report on the sewage effluents from

the works of local authorities it is stated that of 41 samples22 were good, eight were fair, two were unsatisfactory, andnine were bad. The Bolton corporation was to be informedthat the effluent from its Rhodes farm was unsatisfactory.The purification of our rivers is a terribly slow process andwe are paying heavily in money as well as in other ways forour own carelessness and for the neglect of our predecessors.

Mid-Cheshire Hospital Scheme. ‘

The Cheshire county council has applied for the sanctionof the Local Government B]ard to borrow jSM.500 for the

, erection of an infectious diseases hospital to serve the; districts of the Northwich rural and the Northwich,

Winsford, and Middlewich urban councils. The district.has a population of 54,735 and the hospital will accom-modate 16 scarlet fever and ten typhoid fever patients..Eight other beds will be provided in an observation block.There will also be accommodation for a staff of 15 persons.The total c )st is "estimated " at £14, 235.

Ophthahnia in a Derbyshire Village.The village of Staveley in Derbyshire is reported to be

suffering from an epidemic of acute ophthalmia. The countymedical officer reports that fully 200 children and theirparents have been attacked within the past two months.The rural authorities have given notice that ’’ unless medicalattention be immediately sought by those affected a loss ofeyesight will surely result."May 17th.

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WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Bridgend Workhouse.AN extension of the Bridgend workhouse has been fre-

quently urged upon the board of guardians during the past,ten years, not only by the medical officer (Mr. WyndhamRandall) but also by the Poor law inspector of the Local,Government Board. The latter official reported to theguardians in 1902 that on going through the home on oneoccasion he had found in the sick wards 38 patients in 3Lbeds and that there were no women’s receiving ward, nosuitable lying-in ward, and no proper vagrant wards. As

recently as March last it was reported that there were not.enough beds to accommodate all the inmates, so that oneman had to sit up all night and another slept on a bench,and it was suggested that beds should be put up in thedining rooms. Plans for the provision of a new infirmary,casual wards, a porter’s lodge, and other minor buildings.were prepared some time ago and have been approved by theLocal Government Board, but on several occasions the-

guardians have refused to carry out the work although the-total estimated cost of £13,500 would only involve an

annual expenditure for 30 years of a rate equal to id. inthe pound. The opposition to the scheme has at lengthbeen overcome and on May 14th it was decided by 42 votes.to 20 to apply to the Local Government Board for sanctionto borrow the sum named.

Proposed Beduetion of the Salary of a Medical Officer ofHealth.

Allusion was made in THE LANCET of Jan. 23rd,,p. 261, to the extraordinary proposal of the Aberavontown council to reduce the salary of the medical officerof health (Dr. J. Arnallt Jones) by including in the

amount- £ 50 per annum -all fees to which he is entitledunder the Infectious Disease (Notification) Acts. The

assumption that the Local Government Board would notconsent to this proposal has been bnrne out and it is to be

hoped that the Board will not sanction the alternative pro-posal of the council to appoint a medical officer of health atthe reduced salary of f:Z5 per annum. Some years ago thesanitary committee of the Cornwall county council recom-mended that the minimum yearly remuneration of districtmedical officers of health in the county should be upon thisbasis-a preliminary fee of f:1O for each district, with anadditional f:5 for every 1000 of population and an additional£2 for each 10,000 acres after the first 10,000. The popu-lation of Aberavon is about 8,000 and the area is 2211 acres,.so that upon the Cornwall basis the minimum salary should’be £50 per annum.

Cardiff Seamen’s Hospital.The new building which is to take the place of the hulk

Hamadryad is now completed and only requires furnishingto be ready for occupation. There is accommodation for 60patients. Of the £30,000 which the building has cost thelate Marquis of Bute gave f:20, 000. A portion of this sumwas given during hi3 lifetime and the remainder wasbequeathed. His trustees were directed upon the completionof the hospital to arrange that the sick received in thehospital should be served by sisters of some Roman Catholicreligious order if such arrangements could be made. Thequestion of giving effect to this clause in the will of the

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late marquis has been before the hospital committee morethan once. In June of last year the trustees were in-formed that provision would be made for Roman Catholicpatients having nurses of their own faith and RomanCatholic priests would be given the same free access to

patients in the new hospital as they are now given in the)7amad,ryad hospital ship. The trustees do not appear toconsider that this would sufficiently carry out the wishesof the testator which they believe were that the indooradministration of the hospital should be intrusted to tomeRoman Catholic sisterhood competent to provide duly quali-fied nurses. When this view was placed before the com-mittee on May 12th it was pointed out that the generalpublic had subscribed to the building fund of the hospitalon the understanding that it was to be administered onunsectarian lines and one member of the committee saidtha’i they might just as well close the wards as place themexclusively in charge of Roman Catholic nurses. Ultimatelythree members of the committee were deputed to conferwith the trustees and it is confidently believed that a solutionof the difficulty will be arrived at.Medical and Surgical Degrees for the University of Wales.It is proposed by the court of the University of Wales to

apply for a supplemental charter for the creation of affiliatedcolleges. This is the outcome of an appeal from the SwanseaTechnical College to have the right to present candidatesfor degrees at the University. At the court held at Holyheadon May 13th Sir Isambard Owen, the senior deputy chancellor,moved that there should be contained in the supplementalcharter power to grant degrees in medicine and surgery.In a communication supporting this suggestion Sir JohnWilliams said it was not fair to students that they should beobliged to go elsewhere for a degree in medicine nor was itfair to the University, for it is deprived of the credit whichwould accrue to it from a distinguished roll of medicalgraduates. The proposal was unanimously adopted by thecourt.

The Prevention of Tubereulosis.The annual meeting of the Gloucester, Somerset, and

Wilts branch of the National Association for the Preventionof Consumption and other Forms of Tuberculosis was held atthe Council House, Bristol, on May 13th under the presidencyof Sir John Dickson Poynder, M.P. The chairman statedthat the funds at their disposal had permitted the executivecommittee to extend operations in connexion with theWinsley Sanatorium. The original block of the buildingwas practically completed and the second block which wouldenable them to take the full number of 60 patients was wellin hand. Dr. L A. Weatherly (chairman of the executivecommittee) said that £16,660 had been already received forthe building and .f:2275 per annum for the maintenance fund.£6256 had still to be collected. The Bristol city councilhas now the right of nomination for 20 beds, havingrecently increased its subscription. All the beds of thesanatorium with the exception of five are now allotted to

public bodies or private individuals. The institution willnot be opened for the admission of patients until the end ofNovember when the whole building will be completed.May 16th.

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SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Glasgow and District Branch of the National Association forthe Prevention of Consumption and other Forms of

Tuberculosis.THE third annual meeting of this branch was held on

May 12th in the Religious Institution rooms, Glasgow, whenthe Hon. the Lord Provost (Sir John Ure Primrose) presided.The council submitted the annual report on the procedureadopted for the year preceding March 31st last, in whichit was stated that there have been a gradual and decidedextension and development of the various methods by whichthe prevention, suppression, and treatment of consumptionin the city and district can be successfully attained. Thecouncil reported especially on the distribution of pamphletsand literature and the holding of public meetings in thevarious districts of the city as a means of educating thepublic on the subject. With the view of arousing theinterest of the members of the various benefit and friendly

societies in the city and district in the proposed sana-torinm at Lanark Dr. Alfred P. Hillier, secretary of theNational Association, London, at the request of the councildelivered an address at the annual public meeting heldin November last on the Advantages of SanatoriumTreatment to Benefit and Friendly Societies. The lecturerdwelt on the position of friendly and benefit societiesin Germany towards sanatoriums and discussed how farthese societies in Great Britain might advantageouslyfollow their example. The council was well satisfied withthe success of that meeting. In connexion with the treat-ment of advanced cases the council regrets that meantimeit is quite unable to undertake this part of the work.It has, however, been in conference with the sub-committee of the town council on tuberculosis and hassuggested that the latter body might experimentally, at

least, provide some hospital accommodation for such cases.This matter is still under consideration. With regard tosanatorium treatment, it was stated that plans had beenadopted and approved by the county council for the erectionof a pavilion and five double sleeping chalets. These arenow in course of erection at Bellefield, Lanark, by Messrs.Speirs and Co., contractors, and will provide accommodationfor 30 male patients as early, it is hoped, as June. It is ex-

pected that additional accommodation will be provided at novery distant date. Special reference was made to the valuableaid rendered by the editor and staff of the Glasgow EveningNews in establishing and working up the People’s Fund,"now exceeding £7400, also to the handsome donation of.&5000 by the corporation of Glasgow towards the erectionof the sanatorium. Graceful reference was also made tothe practical interest taken by Lady Ure Primrose who twodays before had invited and entertained to afternoon tea.in the Royal Institute of Fine Arts those interested in themovement with the view of considering what part should betaken by the ladies of the city in the crusade against con-sumption. The council records with regret the death duringthe past year of Sir John Muir, Bart., and Mr. WilliamQuarrier, two of the honorary vice-presidents of the branch.By the death of Mr. Quarrier, who was the pioneer inthe adoption of sanatorium treatment for consumptives inScotland, the branch has lost much valuable help.

Opening of Lanjine Home for Consumptives at Brroomkill,Glasgow.

On May 14th the Duchess of Montrose opened theLanfine Home for Consumptives. Sir James King, Bart.,who opened the proceedings, said the new Home for Con-sumptives was an institution built by the generous be-quest of an Ayrshire lady, Miss Martha Brown. Itwas noteworthy that this gift was the indirect resultof the influence and advice of a lady whose name wouldever be honoured at Broomhill, Miss Beatrice Clugston, whosome 25 years ago had interested Miss Brown in theBroomhill Home. Together with Miss Clugston MissBrown had formulated a scheme much like that now beingcarried out and at her death left to the institution the sumof £21,000 Of that sum £1000 went to aid outside

pensioners, .E5000 to erect the consumptive home, and theremaining .S15.000 towards its annual endowment. Theannual interest on the money left would be quite insufficientto provide for the maintenance of the new institution, forthere would be a dt-ficit of .f.500 per annum. As the ordinaryrevenue of Broomhill was during the past year &700 short ofthe expenditure it followed that £ 1200 more per annum wouldbe required. Her Grace the Duchess of Montrose. in formallydeclaring the home open, said she considered it an honourand a privilege to be in some way associated with such aninstitution as the Lanfine Home. Miss Clugston was thesource of inspiration for the home and with Miss Brown hadconferred permanent benefits on humanity.Aberdeen Royal Infirmary : Limited Accommodation for

’ Patients.The directors have issued the following circular to medical

practitioners, public officials, and others, drawing attentionto the limited accommodation at the hospital : " Owing tothe limited accommodation in the infirmary (especially inthe surgical side), the board of directors hereby intimateto all medical practitioners and others that before send-ing patients to the hospital it is necessary to com-

municate with the medical superintendent of the infirmary,with the view of ascertaining if accommodation beavailab’e. At the same time there should be forwardeda short statement as to the nature and urgency of