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for the bacteriological examination of patients at thedifferent hospitals under the Board, but until these havebeen at work for some time and until it is seen how the

personal element enters into the equation of obtaining com-parable results in the different hospitals we should have Ithought that it would have been better to continue the

arrangement entered into with the Royal Colleges. At

present the statistics as regards bacteriological diagnosisfrom the various hospitals are all based on a common

method of examination by one set of investigators, whilstunder the new system there will, if former experienceis to serve as any guide in the matter, be as manykinds of statistics as there are hospitals. In saying this wedo not even wish to hint that the work will not be well done,but that it can be based on a common standard is out of the

question; it must vary according to the experience andknowledge of the worker, so that even for statistical purposesthe value of the figures obtained must be considerably modi-fied, whilst as regards diagnosis different results must neces-sarily be obtained in different hospitals according to the bentof mind and preconceived notions of those who are entrustedwith a new piece of work. In a matter of this kind whichis of such importance to the public it would be well couldeverything but a desire for the welfare of the communitybe entirely eliminated, but we are afraid that in this

case the question has not been decided entirely on

such high grounds, though most of those who havedecided this matter would be very much astonished to betold so. We understand that when the work was firstundertaken by the Colleges it was in the hope that thesystem then inaugurated might gradually he extended andperfected until something corresponding to what is carriedon in the United States and on the Continent might be seton foot in London. The idea originally kept in view has,however, not been carried out. After setting an examplewhich has been followed in some of the large provincialtowns the Board has taken a backward step instead of follow-ing to its logical conlcusion what had already been done.

THE METHODS OF OUR ANCESTORS.

OUR ancestors were in many ways better off than we are.

Democracy, in its modern sense of being a state of affairswhere everyone can interfere with everyone else, had notcome into vogue, and generally people took life much moreeasily. A peer or a governor really was a governorand could do pretty well as he liked. We are ltdto these remarks by a passage in a delightful book

called "The Girlhood of Maria Josepha Holroyd."The lady in question was a daughter of Lord Sheffield,who was President of Guy’s Hospital. Miss Holroydrelates in one of her letters an instance of what would now

be called a flagrant hospital abuse, and we give the story inher own words: "...... Papa has got into Guy’s Hospitalfour Frenchmen, gentlemen and officers, who perhaps youmay recollect something of their having been a long timeconfined on board a ship and at last escaped by swimmingto shore; I forget the particulars. How melancholy to thinkthat these gentlemen are most thankful for admittanceto the hospital ; but one of them, a very genteelyoung man, is almost eat up by the Itch,’ and as it isa very extraordinary complaint, and they had no other proper place to put him into he is now in the same apartment

I

with the lunatics. They have hardly a Shirt to theirbacks and neither Shoes nor Stockings. With the greatestdifficulty they (four in a hackney coach) collected amongstthem twopence to pay the turnpike. James went to the

hospital to receive them and recommend them to the

steward and offered them money by papa’s desire. Theyefused accepting it, saying they should want for nothingthere. What uncommon generosity of mind, for men

who are not above entering into an hospital cannot

be accused of false pride. Papa has sent Walpole to-dayto get a lodging for the Itchy Man if he finds himself

at all incommoded by his situation among the madmen. It

really makes one’s blood run cold to think what extremitieshundreds are reduced to and what a number of melancholystories there are that come to our ears." What a howl wouldbe raised to-day were such a thing to be done. But it is a

charming story and one hardly knows whom to pity most-the itchy man or the madmen. Perhaps the former is themore fit subject for compassion, for a lunatic ward at the endof the eighteenth century was not a desirable habitation.

OXFORD GRADUATES’ MEDICAL CLUB.

THE winter dinner of this club took place at Limmer’sHotel on Nov. 19th, Dr. Henry Sutherland being in thechair. The club was declared to be in a prosperous con.

dition, the number of members being at the present time180. Two toasts only were proposed-"The Queen" and" Success to the Club, with a welcome to Visitors "-an

example which might well be followed by other societies,The club was founded in 1884 and is a means of bringirg oldOxford University men and fellow students pleasantly andconveniently together twice in the year.

PUBLIC VACCINATORS AND THE NEWSUPERANNUATION BILL.

THE absorbing nature of our professional calling often

prevents us from looking after our interests as a class, andthus it happens that when any fresh legislation is enacted inwhich we are concerned we not infrequently go to the wall.The Poor-law Superannuation Act, which has just becomelaw, makes provision for all Poor-law officers to receive a

pension when, through age or infirmity, they are no longerfit for work. Section 19 defines the word "officer" as

including "every officer in the service of an authority towhom this Act applies, whether his whole time is devoted tothe duties of his office or not." Now superintendent registrarsand registrars of births and deaths are appointed by theguardians, but inasmuch as they are paid under contractwith the Board at so much per registration, it was

thought that these officials might not come within the

meaning of that definition. These posts are generally heldby clerks to guardians, and so these gentlemen, in promotingthe Bill, took good care that the office of registrar shouldbe included, and consequently Section 19 expressly adds:" and for the purposes of this Act, superintendent registrars,and registrars of births and deaths ...... are deemed to be inthe service of the guardians of the union in which theirdistricts are situated." District medical officers come underthe Act in the same way as clerks to guardians do, and theyvery frequently hold the office of public vaccinator as well,which is a post held under contract to do certainwork at so much per successful vaccination. Their

position, therefore, corresponds, in a word, preciselywith Clerks who are also Registrars, and it wouldseem a grave injustice if they be not enabled to counttheir vaccination fees as a basis for superannuation,in the same way as the other officers mentioned. In ourissue of Nov. 7th, p. 1320, we pointed out the grounds forthat statement. But unfortunately district medical officersdid not take such an active part in the framing of thisstatute as the other officers named, and consequentlypublic vaccinators are not precisely and expressly mentioned.The Local Government Board has now expressed the

opinion to one of our correspondents 1 that a publicvaccinator cannot be regarded as an officer as defined by"the Act. It is provided in Section 18 that the decision

1 THE LANCET, Nov. 21st, 1896, p. 1493.