539SOME DISADVANTAGES ATTENDING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS.

the instrument for the buzzing of the female is probable,seeing that the notes emitted were practically identical.

Here, then, is a new phase of sexual selection which is

likely in the hands of the electrician to lead rather to theextinction than the perpetuation of the species. But doubt-

less there would arise some discriminating males who,refusing to be attracted to electrocution, would survive toimpregnate the superabundant females. Sir Hiram Maxim

suggests an interesting experiment. "If," he says, "youobtain a tuning-fork which emits a note as near to that ofa female mosquito as possible (.and strike this fork within 20feet of a male mosquito, he will at once turn about, facethe music, and erect the two little feathers of his head,something after the manner of a cockatoo."

THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLAGUE.

As regards Egypt, during the week ending Feb. 9th 8 casesfrom plague and 8 deaths from the disease have been reportedfrom all Egypt. 4 cases and 6 deaths occurred at Tantah,3 cases and 1 death at Abousir, and 1 case and 1 death atKafr Enan near Ziftah. Tantah has shown a marked

improvement during the week, as only 4 of the cases

mentioned above ’were fresh cases, 2 being admitted to

hospital and two being found dead out of hospital. As

regards The Mauritius, a telegram from the Governorreceived at the Colonial Office on Feb. 14th states that

for the week ending Feb. 13th there were 15 cases of plague,of which 9 proved fatal.

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SOME DISADVANTAGES ATTENDING ELECTRICSYSTEMS.

WE anticipated at the time when the electric undergroundrailways were started in London that sooner or later, owingto their peculiar construction, better means would have tobe devised for providing these tuhes" with fresh air. We

were pretty freely criticised by those responsible for the con-struction of these railways for entertaining such" exagge-rated" notions. We are face to face with the fact now

that the air at least of one "tube"—namely, the CentralLondon Railway-is foetid and poisonous. Numerous lettershave appeared recently in the daily press complaining of thisobjectionable and growing characteristic, so that, in spite ofthe undoubted convenience of the tube, many persons arebeing deterred already from travelling by it on account of thenauseating effect of the air in the tunnels and even at

the booking offices. To not a few the preliminary greetingof bad air as each lift discharges its load at the groundlevel is enough. There is no doubt that the manage-ment of this railway is face to face with a difficultywhich, in the interests of the public and therefore of them- selves and their shareholders, must be overcome. Under

the present conditions, and especially in a time of epidemic,the tube may easily become a disease-disseminating channel.There can be no difficulty in providing a remedy-namely, bypumping fresh air through the tunnels. We are glad to notethat some efforts are being made to avoid the possibility ofdanger connected with short-circuiting on electric railways.It appears, however, that at present there seems to beno sure way of preventing short-circuiting, so that the nextbest thing is to provide against its effects when it happens.Insulation apparently may be perfect at the start, but thereare countless agencies which conspire to break it down, atany rate as it is carried out at the present time. There isno doubt that for their own sakes those whosebusiness it is to distribute the electric current would

prefer to do it safely and free from the chances of

short-circuiting. Short-circuiting is a source of dangerto the public and a decided loss to the electric com-

panies. We cannot help thinking, however, that in view ofso many short-circuiting occurrences electrical engineers

must own that it is a contingency which baffles them.

This week, at about 10 A. M. on Monday, an accident

occurred in connexion with the electric lighting cables closeby our offices. By some it was attributed to the upsettingof a spirit lamp during repairs, although what followed wasanalogons to previous outbreaks of fire in electric boxes in

which short-circuiting was the undoubted cause. Dense

black fumes suddenly belched forth from a "box" " in thepavement just outside the Adelphi Theatre and later the

dense fumes were accompanied by fierce flames several feethigh. The event was evidently sufficiently alarming to

bring a large number of fire-engines upon the spot withina few minutes of the outbreak. Subsequently the outbreakwas subdued by choking the cavity with sand and closing thecrevices with sacking. We noted that the intelligence of the-firemen was displayed in the fact that not until the currentwas cut off was water poured into the hole, otherwise it-is possible that an inflammable mixture would have been.generated and a serious explosion might have ensued. No

great damage appeared to have been done and by prompt.work the company was able to supply the current to itsconsumers again before dark. It was fortunate that the-

accident did not happen on a dark foggy day. We still

believe that short-circuiting would happen less frequently;if greater and better attention were given to the requirements.of efficient insulation.

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THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDONAND THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

OF ENGLAND.

THE following resolution of a special committee was-

unanimously adopted by the Council of the Royal College ofSurgeons of England on Feb. 13th, and at an extraordinary-meeting of the Comitia of the Royal College of Physicians of-London on Feb. 18th, namely :-This Committee recommends the two Royal Colleges to consider and

develop a scheme for investigation into the causes, prevention, thetreatment of cancer, and that for this purpose delegates be appointedby the two Royal Colleges (who shall have power to add to theirnumber) to draw up a detailed scheme.

In pursuance of this resolution the following delegates wereappointed to draw up a detailed scheme for systematicinvestigation into the causes, prevention, and treatment ofcancer, viz. :-As representing the Royal College of Physi-cians of London: Sir William Selby Church, Bart., Pre-

sident ; Sir William H. Broadbent, Bart., K.C.V.0. ; Dr’P. H. Pye-Smith, Dr. Whipham, Dr. Payne, Dr. J. Rose

Bradford, and Dr. J. F. W. Tatham. As representing theRoyal College of Surgeons of England : Mr. H. G. Howse,President ; Mr. J. Langton, Mr. H. Morris, Mr. H. T. Butlin,Mr. W. Watson Cheyne, C.B., and Mr. R. J. Godlee.

APPENDICULAR COLIC FROM THREAD-WORMSIN THE VERMIFORM APPENDIX.

IN the Intercolonial Medical Journal of Australasia for-December Mr. R. Hamilton Russell has recorded a case of this

rare and interesting condition. A boy, aged nine years, was.taken to hospital with the following history. From two to.

three years before he began to complain of abdominal painswhich appeared to be excited or aggravated by going up and’down stairs. Sometimes the pains were so severe that he-was carried by his companions. He was also frequentlyseized with abdominal pains when in bed and was sometimesawakened by them. He was unable to run about and

to play with his schoolfellows and a day rarely passed-’without an attack of pain which he always referred to-’

the umbilicus, where there was a small hernia. He was:

admitted with a view to operation on the latter, but.

as he had no attacks of pain in hospital the operation.was not performed. Seven months later he was readmittedwith the history that the symptoms had become worse.There was no tenderness in the region of the appendix,but after the abdomen had been under examination for