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products will be liable to produce the drugs and compoundsin their shops, laboratories, and branch establishments. The

inspection will be exclusively in the hands of qualifiedpharmacists.

A New Researok on Cancer.At the Biological Society on July 25th a very interesting

series of researches was communicated by Dr. Doyen. Herecalled first the importance of Professor Metchnikoff’s dis-covery of the role of the phagocytic cells in defending theorganism against infective bacteria. Whilst studying in acomparative manner the phagocytosis of the micro-organismwhich he has discovered in cancer and the staining ofsections of cancerous tumours by a new method of silverimpregnation, Dr. Doyen observed that the bacteria in ques-tion not only penetrate into the substance of the phagocyticcells but also into their nuclei, which digest them rapidly.On the other hand, in sections treated by the silver processthe bacterium is found in the nuclei of the cancer cells. Thecells under this irritation develop in an abnormal mannerand destroy the healthy tissues, which they replace. In thisdestructive action on the tissues they seem to act like truephagocytes. In this manner Metchnikoff’s discovery affordsa clue, Dr. Doyen thinks, to a series of pathologicalphenomena which hitherto have been inexplicable. The

parasitism of cancerous cells and their multiplication wouldthen be nothing but a defensive reaction against the patho-genic micro-organism.

Cocaine Anæsthesia in tke Treatment of Fractures.M. Quenu has used local cocaine anaesthesia for this

purpose on several occasions. At the Chirurgical Society onJuly 22nd he described several cases in point, including oneof a young man, 25 years of age, who had sustained a

Dupuytren’s fracture. M. Quenu injected three centigrammesof cocaine, two centigrammes at the level of the malleoliand one centigramme at the seat of the fracture. Three orfour minutes later he reduced the fracture and put the limbup in plaster without the patient feeling any pain. In 14other cases of various fractures he employed the same methodand in the whole series of 15 he only had one failure onaccount of too little of the anæsthetic having been used.M. Quenu is accordingly of the opinion that the methoddeserves recommendation.

Medical Men and the Income-tax.A group of medical men in Parliament has met at the

Chamber on July 9th under the presidency of Senator Labbeand considered the consequences to the medical profession ofthe income-tax. After a prolonged discussion, in the courseof which delegates from the medical societies of France andof the Seine were heard, it was decided to support amend-ments demanding amongst other things that returns for thetax upon income derived from the practice of the liberal pro-fessions shall be made annually after the deduction of profes-sional expenses and that in case of any dispute either as tothe amount declared or as to the tax itself it shall be in-cumbent upon the collector to prove that an incorrect returnhas been made.August 3rd.

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BERLIN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Treatment of Prostatic Enlargement by Roentgen Rays.Professor Caspar has lately read an interesting paper on

the treatment of prostatic enlargement by Roentgen rays.He said that the power of the x rays to produce a decreaseof glandular substance in the spleen and elsewhere sug-gested the trial of the treatment in prostatic enlargement.Professor Caspar has applied x rays in five cases wheretwo of the patients had occasional complete retention, twocould discharge the urine rather freely but showed a

tendency to relapse into acute retention, while the fifthpatient suffered from a condition of tenesmus, but withoutresidual urine, and due to irritation of the bladder.The result of the Roentgen treatment was that in neither ofthe cases of complete retention was any change effected ;the cases of incomplete retention seemed to improve at first,but on longer observation the improvement proved to betemporary only ; while the fifth case was not influenced atall. The result of the Roentgen treatment was thus quite anegative one. The cause of this failure is, according to

Professor Caspar, that the enlarged prostate consists not ofglandular but of fibro-myomatous tissue, and for this reasonthe castration and the excision of the vas deferens recom-mended a few years ago are also of no use. He concludesthat suprapubic prostatectomy is the proper treatment.

Opercctions nithouct the Consent of the Patients.A verdict lately given by the Imperial Court of Leipsic,

the highest judicatory authority of Germany, is of great.importance to the medical profession. A boy suffering fromcongenital dislocation of the hip had been brought by hisfather to the private clinic of a well-known professor oforthopaedic surgery at Heidelberg. It was understood thatthe case should be treated by orthopasdic procedure, but theprofessor without giving previous notice to the father per-formed an operation. The father accordingly brought an actionfor damages against the professor, demanding compensationfor the pain caused by the operation and an annuity for thepatient whose health was alleged to have been prejudiced.The Heidelberg court gave a verdict against the plaintiff buton appeal the Imperial Court of Leipsic granted to plaintiffa sum of 5000 marks (£250) for the pain, declining, however,to grant any annuity. The court held that the operation hadbeen performed according to the principles of medicalscience and that although no remarkable improvement hadbeen obtained the state of the patient was in no way worsethan before the operation. The court also held that the

operator had exceeded the discretion that should be allowedto medical men in operating without express consent as there-was no emergency in the case. This decision has caused acertain stir, as hitherto the Imperial Court had granteddamages only where negligence could be proved.

The Consumption of Spirits in Berlin.According to statistics recently published by Dr. Hirsch-

feld there are in Berlin 13,193 restaurants, bars, andother public houses, or one for each 157 inhabitants.In these public-houses 438,939,582 litres of beer, 24,704,525litres of brandy, and 19,956,062 litres of wine were con-sumed within a year, and over 200,000,000 of marks werereceived in payment, 153’5 millions marks being spent onbeer, 26 ’ 7 millions on brandy, and 25’ 5 millions on wine.This means an annual consumption of 215 litres of beer,= 78 marks and 18 pfennigs, 12.1 litres of brandy, = 13marks and 14 pfennigs, and 9’ 6 litres of wine, = 9 marks52 pfennigs, for each inhabitant, women and childrenincluded ; the average quantity of alcoholic liquors perannum is thus about 236 ’ 5 litres, and the sum spent for them100 marks and 85 pfennigs for each inhabitant. As the

average income is 683 marks 20 pfennigs for each Berliner,the seventh part of the income is thus spent on alcoholicliquors. The sequel is that, for instance, in the Charlotten-burg Municipal Hospital in 1904 20 per cent., and in 190630 per cent., of the patients showed symptoms of alcoholism,and of 1419 men received in the Berlin Municipal LunaticAsylum at Dalldorf 540 were alcoholics. The late Dr. Baer,medical officer to the Ploetzensee prison, found that of 3227prisoners more than one-third were alcoholics. This is thepresent position, although the temperance and abstinencemovement has made a marked progress throughout Germany.August 3rd.

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ITALY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Autumn in Midsummer.NOVEMBER in July ! Such has been our portion during-

the month just closed. Grey skies ; showers torrentialif intermittent ; cold, necessitating a return to winterraiment,-this autumnal intermezzo in midsummer beganthree weeks ago with a nubifragio or waterspout which,exploding over Tuscany, descended on city, suburb, andcampagna in a mitrailleuse of hail, to the destruction of-

vineyard, olive-grove, and field crop, giving the countrythe appearance of having been shelled" from one7

of the airy navies" anticipated as a force in inter-national warfare. Florence was exposed to the fullviolence of the " cannonade," insomuch that there is.

scarcely a verandah, greenhouse, or skylight that has notbeen smashed to splinters, to say nothing of the cases ofwounds, contused, lacerated, or incised, that have throngecithe out-patient department of the hospitals. The hailstones.