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medical man has written letters to the friendly societies

asking them to appoint him as their medical officer, though,of course, he knew that the post was already filled. In theface of such competition how is it possible to ask that the3s. 6d. now paid should be increased ? The pay, whateverit is, must be accepted, otherwise it will go to the new-comer ; and in such districts there is very little else to bedone but club work. Indeed, it is better that the minersshould belong to clubs, otherwise their medical attendantwill get no pay at all. A penny, twopence, and evensixpence a week can be obtained without difficulty, butshilling fees or eighteen-penny fees with medicine includedare never paid. On these terms my informant had out-standing bills due to him to the amount of about £200, andhe looked upon this money as lost. Therefore, it was pre-ferable that this class of patients should belong to a club ;but there ought to be better means of controlling themembers who are in clubs, so that the medical man mightknow whether he really obtained all the money that wascollected, and there should be a wage limit. With a wagelimit there would be some chance of a little private practicein these neighbourhoods. Any attempt, however, to bringabout improvements on these lines is foredoomed to failureso long as speculating companies introduce new men readyto accept work on any terms.

(To be continued.)

LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Hospital Sunday.SUNDAY, the 12th, was the twenty-sixth anniversary of

Hospital Sunday in Liverpool, and was duly observed inalmost all the churches and chapels in and around Liver-

pool. The weather was much less inclement than in recent

years, people not being prevented by this cause from attend-ing their usual places of worship. The full results are notknown yet, but it is hoped that they will not be less thanthose of last year.

The Liverpool Northern Hospital.At the annual meeting of the Northern Hospital last week

a donation of .E5000 towards the erection of the newhospital was announced. The donor was Mr. Henry Tate,whose munificence has shown itself on many previousoccasions. The new hospital will occupy its present sitewith a greatly enlarged area, and every effort will be made tosecure a hospital which shall in all respects be fully up todate. Liverpool will then possess four general hospitals withaccommodation for 700 in-patients-not too large a numberfor so vast a city.

T7te Alleyed Murder by a Dentist.Herbert Westworth, dentist, was yesterday fully committed

for trial at the next assizes for the wilful murder of his wifeon the night of the 12th ult. Death was shown to have beencaused by severe internal injuries.Tan 9.1 Bt

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Meeting of Contributors to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.AT an adjourned meeting of contributors to the Edinburgh

Royal Infirmary, held on Jan. 20th in the council chambers,the report of the contributors’ committee appointed to con-sider the annual report of the managers was presented byMr. James Haldane, C.A., ’convener ;of the committee.

During the year ending Oct. 1st, 1895, the total number ofpatients treated had been between 35,000 and 36,000.As regards the ordinary receipts, the accounts showedan increase of £1400, the total amounting to .631,086,as against .12.29,686 in 1894. The larger part of thedifference was due to the fact that the miners,having made no contribution during 1894, the year ofthe coal strike, had in the past year sent two years’ con-tributions. The expenditure for the year, which amountedto .639,395, showed, after making allowance for fewerpatients daily in the wards, a reduction of .&2135, a reduc-tion which arose to a large extent on medical expenditure,and for which the thanks of the contributors were due to Surgeon-Major-General Lithgow for his careful supervision

in that connexion. The extension scheme which had been inabeyance was now to be proceeded with under a modifiedform. They would receive on May 15th a bequest by theEarl of Moray of .c60,000 and one of .625,000 by Mr.Peter Waddell of Leith. Special donations for the extension-fund had been received to the amount of about 6’14,800, andhad been applied towards the purchase of property costing£30,350, on which the new buildings were to be erected.The infirmary was in debt altogether about £43,000, whichdebt they proposed to clear out of the above-mentionedbequests, leaving a surplus of about £32,000. The new

buildings were estimated to cost from £50,000 to 660,000.The modified scheme included the erection of a new pavilion,containing eighty-four beds, and a new laundry. There wasalso under consideration special provision for the use ofelectricity, improvement of the operating theatres, a bathingdepartment, isolation wards, and ;arrangements for the-

teaching and use of massage. The committee expressedtheir satisfaction with the management of the affairs of theinfirmary during the past year.

Edinburgh University Lectureship.At a meeting of the University Court last week approval

was expressed of the manner in which Dr. Argyll Robertsonhad performed the duties of the Lectureship on Ophthal-mology during his tenure of office, and Mr. George A. Berry,M.B., F.R.C.S. Edin., senior ordinary ophthalmic surgeonto the Royal Infirmary, was elected to the vacant post.

Disease among Cattle near Edinburgh.A species of so-called cow itch or scabies has appeared

among cattle in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and hasbeen communicated in some cases to persons working about.the cattle. Orders have been issued under the EdinburghMunicipal and Police (Amendment) Act, 1891, to stop the-supply of milk from premises where this disease exists, butwhether this is true scabies as it occurs in the human subjectis very gravely doubted by competent authorities.

uficroscopicccl Society of Glasgow.At an exhibition of specimens of interest on the 17th inst.

a number of Microphotographs showing the Different Stagesof Nuclear Division in Epithelial Cells from the Conjunctiva,. ’and prepared by Dr. Thomas Reid, were exhibited by Dr.Bell Todd.

Legal Action for Medical Fees.An action recently raised in the Ayr Sheriff Court by

Dr. Charles Stewart against the Garnock Shipping Com-

pany is of some importance. Dr. Stewart had been called into attend one of the firemen who had been injured whilst onboard a vessel lying at Glasgow, and claimed for this a feeof a guinea. The defenders denied liability on the groundthat the ship lying in a home port the master was not liableto pledge the shipowner’s credit for such surgical attend-ance. The sheriff, however, decided that the MerchantShipping Act, which enacts that " the expense of allmedicines and medical and surgical advice and attendancegiven to any master, seaman, or apprentice whilst on boardhis ship applied to the present case, and accordingly hegave decree for the medical man’s fee with expenses againstthe shipping company.

Glasgow Royal Asylum for Lunatics.The annual meeting of contributors to this institution was.

held on Jan. 17th. The report stated that at the com.mencement of the year the asylum contained 495 patients.The directors are continuing their policy of graduallyexcluding all pauper patients, of whom the asylum now onlycontains sixty-five. At the same time they have increasedthe accommodation for private patients who are only able to,pay a limited sum for board. In this way the asylum will,it is hoped, be of special value to a class whose positiondemands consideration.

Aberdeen Water.Supply-Purification of the 1?,iver -Dee.Up to Dec. 31st, 1895, the Aberdeen town council had

expended the sum of £4089 8s. 2d. on wages, materials, &c.,in connexion with the sewage irrigation works at KincardineO’Neil, Aboyne, Ballater, and Braemar, above the intake ofAberdeen waterworks. During last quarter Mr. ThomasJamieson, F.I.C., city analyst, examined seventeen samplesof the water-supply from the Dee. He reports as follows:"All good quality. Free ammonia ’001 to ’021, albuminoidammonia -058 to -088 parts per 100,000."

Public Healt7t Matters in Aberdeen during 1895.During 1895 the sanitary inspector seized 30,949 lb. beef,

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5831b. mutton, 997 Ib. pork, 232 Ib. veal, 281b. of rabbits,46171b. of "offal," 1242lb. tinned meat, 146 Ib. fruit, and26,6181b. of fish, amounting to 29 tons 4 cwt. in all ; 5424nuisances were registered and 4362 abated ; 583 patientswere removed to hospitals, and 4932 patients were supervisedby the sanitary staff at home. There were 2818 deaths fromall causes during the year, being a death-rate of 21’07 per1000 inhabitants.

Jan. 22nd. _____________

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Coming Examination at the Army Medical Board.THE announcement of seventeen vacancies in the Army

Medical Service to be competed for next month has naturallyattracted some attention among young and recently qualifiedmedical men. There used to be a regular Army class ofmen preparing at the Dublin schools for competition atthe Army and Naval Medical Boards, but it has ceasedto exist within the last few years, and the reason is notfar to ,seek. Irish candidates have, for some reason, begunto suspect (doubtless without sufficient cause) that the

phrase "No Irish need apply" holds good in their case.

’fhis idea owes its origin, probably, to some remarks whichhave occasionally appeared in some of the servicejournals. For example, in the Broad Arrow, a leadingarticle appeared some months ago calling attention to thefact that competition for entry into the Naval MedicalService was not as keen as it should be, and that the numberof candidates from Ireland had notably fallen off. Thewriter went on to remark :-"Formerly a considerable

portion of candidates were men who qualified at Irishcentres, but Hibernian degrees are no longer regarded favour-ably by the examiners." Imagine the feelings of men holdingthe qualifications of the University of Dublin or the RoyalUniversity of Ireland when they find themselves thus

spoken of.Deatla of Dr. CiurTston of Ballyclare.

I regret to have to announce the death of Dr. Clugston,which took place at his residence, Ballyclare, county Antrim,on January 15th, at the age of sixty-eight years, after a veryshort illness. Dr. Clugston studied in Edinburgh, where hegraduated M.D. in 1853 ; he was also L.R.C.S. Edin. He wasmuch respected in his district, where he had resided for morethan forty years, and enjoyed an extensive practice.

Visit of the Lord-Lieutenant to Queen’s College, Belfast.His Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant (Earl Cadogan),

who has been staying in the North of Ireland, paid astate visit to Queen’s College, Belfast, on January 18th,and received a most enthusiastic reception. On arriving atthe College he was received by the President and professors,who conducted him to the examination hall (which wascrowded with students and invited guests). Here he receivedtwo addresses, one from the President and council of theCollege, and the other from the students. In the former the

interesting fact was brought out that the College has on itsbooks the names of 5563 students who have receivedtheir education within its walls. His Excellency madea most courteous reply to both, and then proceededto the site of the new Students’ Union buildings,where he laid the foundation stone and was presentedwith a handsome trowel and mallet. This new buildingwill occupy a site in the College grounds at the junction ofUniversity-square and Botanic-avenue. In the basementthere will be apartments for caretaker, kitchen, offices, andheating chamber. There will be a two-table billiard-room(40 ft. by 30 ft.), and adjoining lavatories, baths, &c. Onthe principal floor will be the" McMordie " Hall (40 ft. by 30 ft.), with accommodation for 400 persons on floor andgallery. It is to be used as a reading-room and debatingball. There will be a refreshment-room (30 ft. by 24 ft.),and it is served by lifts from the kitchen, over which it isplaced. The upper floor will contain a smoking-room anda chess-room, and there is also a committee-room. Thebuilding will be of brickwork, and sandstone for groins andwindow joints, &c. The architectural style chosen is asomewhat free treatment of the Tudor Gothic, in harmonywith the existing College building.

Irish University Education. ’

Renewed interest has been aroused in this question owingto remarks made by his Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant

of Ireland during his visit to Belfast last week. Atthe Lord Mayor’s luncheon he said that the questionof education is one which the Government were boundto consider, and they would have to deal with itin its various aspects of primary education, universityeducation, and technical education. Again, at his visitto Queen’s College, Belfast, in reply to a sentence in theaddress presented to him hoping that in any arrangementswhich the Government may find desirable to make in

university education in Ireland the interests of the Collegewould be looked after, he said the College merits the

highest eulogium which can be pronounced upon it, and hehad no. doubt that, in the event of any new legislativearrangements being made with regard to university educationin Ireland, the interests of this great College would be safe-guarded. These utterances of Earl Cadogan may be inter-preted variously, but in Belfast a good many think theyindicate very probably a Catholic university being founded inDublin and a northern university in Belfast, with the conse-quent extinction of the present Royal University of Ireland.This would be, considering everything, the best settlementof the question.Jan. 21st.

_______ ______

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Protective Measures at the Paris Faculty.. I HAVE already informed your readers of the new regulation} Acts excluding foreigners unprovided with the French degree} of Bachelier from the Paris Faculty of Medicine and of thel relegation of these aspirants to provincial Faculties. The- motive alleged for this extreme measure is the overcrowdingr , of the dissecting-rooms, laboratories, and wards. The reall motive would appear to be jealousy of foreign medical men,; who after graduation settle in France and so deprive

indigenous practitioners of practice that would, theyimagine, otherwise be theirs. That this latter is the realreason is apparent from articles written in this sense bywriters in various medical journals. I have before me

: such an article published in the Presso Medicale of the, 18th inst. Here the writer advocates in unmistakable; terms the absolute exclusion of foreign graduates of} a French Faculty unless they have passed subsequently

to their graduation an examination equivalent to theGerman Staats-examen and serve three years in theFrench army. For this writer the choice is plain-naturalisation or exclusion from practice. And this is by

, no means an isolated view of the case; the same solution ofthe problem has been proposed by other medical journalists.This is protection with a vengeance. But do these reformers (1)really imagine that the average travelling Briton, for ex-

’ ample, not to mention the invalid, would deliberately payperiodical visits to French health resorts were he aware that,in case of necessity, he had to have recourse to the servicesof a French medical man whose knowledge of British modesof living, nursing, &c., must needs, in such an untravelledcommunity, be quite conjectural ? The average French

practitioner still regards tea more as a medicine than as anordinary beverage, and his notions regarding that veryBritish product, whisky, are the most hazy. For instance,in a case of peripheral neuritis of alcoholic origin occurringin an English lady I had occasion to consult a Paris

hospital physician who is an acknowledged authority onalcoholism. He immediately suggested to the patient thatshe had been in the habit of consuming vermout, amerPicon, or absinthe, and when I informed him that thepoison was whisky he asked what that beverage was madeof. It is useless to expect the Englishman to forego hisnationality, and I am confident that were such an illiberalregulation suggested by these writers adopted Frenchhealth stations would suffer from such a degree of inanitionthat the law would soon have to be revoked. It is only rightto say that the writer of the article alluded to is strongly infavour of opening the doors of the Paris Faculty to allcomers on the condition that the degree granted be purelyhonorary. He also makes some sensible suggestions as toreforms in the teaching, which he would like to see assimi-lated to that provided at Vienna, where, unlike Paris, the staffearns a large income derived from students’ fees. Thecumbrous system of concoitps, with its attendant favouritismand loss of valuable years and energy, should be abolished ;