egypt

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symptom is intense itching. The cause of the complaint isfound in a small parasite about 1 mm. long, consisting often segments ; the mouth is surrounded by comparativelylarge hooklets, and is armed with what appears to be twosuckers. Each segment is outlined by a fringe of smallbooklets or projections. At the anal end are two large pro-jections. By transmitted light two transversely stripedtubes and other internal organs are seen. A fuller de-

scription of the parasite is promised later. In additionto the full-grown parasite, which, it should be stated,is not found in the thin red lines, but about -- cm. fromtheir ends in the still healthy skin, Dr. Sokolof hasbeen able to find in every case at a distance of about twofingers’ breadth from the end of the red line a number of’small black nits or eggs. These are very firmly adherent tothe fine hairs of the skin or to the eyebrows or eyelashes.The worm appears to escape from the bottom of the eggs,which are always found empty. It is suggested that theeggs are laid by some kind of fly, of which the worm is thelarval form. The eggs have been found in patients seekingtreatment for some other complaint and bearing no signs ofthe buried larvm.

The Changes in the M. D. Degree. ,

The scheme of proposed changes in the Russian degree of Doctor of Medicine, already described in THE LANCET, hasnot yet become law. The Medical Council after reconsider-

ing it have again returned it to the Medical Department ofthe Ministry of the Interior, and it will probably be sub-mitted in the spring to the Imperial Council of Ministers.

Cholera in St. Petersburg.With slight variations from week to week the cholera

remains almost stationary in St. Petersburg. In the weekending Dec. 23rd (Jan. 4th) there were reported in thecapital 28 cases of cholera and 19 deaths, in the followingweek 50 cases with 21 deaths, and in the week endingJan. 5th (17th) 35 cases with 13 deaths. On the last-nameddate there remained 35 cholera patients under treatment.Between the 5th (17th) and 12th (24th) of January therewere 16 fresh cases of cholera and 6 deaths. At noon on thet2th 18 cholera patients remained in hospital.Jan. 15th (27th), 1896.

EGYPT.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Cholera News.

DURING the last fortnight there have been thirty-two newcases with twenty-seven deaths in Lower Egypt, but duringthe last three days only one case has been discovered. SinceJan. 6th Alexandria has furnished nine cases and nine deaths,all among the poorest natives. One of the last cases was thatof a beggar who lived chiefly on cannabis indica, and had nohome and no means of subsistence, living on the charity ofthose who frequented hasheesh dens .and the prostitutes’quarter. Cairo also has furnished one case, the importationof which is difficult to prove. The man was an ex-railwayemployé and was transferred, pending bacteriological re-

search, to the infectious hospital at Abbassiyeh, where hedied. The total number of cases has now reached 1148, andthe total deaths are 955.Cairo, Jan. 22nd.

Obituary.JOHN STRAHAN, M.D. R.U.I.

IT is with sincere regret that we announce the death ofone of the most able and promising Belfast physicians,Dr. John Strahan, which took place in that city on Jan. 23rdFrom pneumonia, a disease very prevalent in Belfast at present.Dr. Strahan, a member of a family distinguished for theirscholastic attainments, was the son of a Belfast man, andwas educated at the Royal Academical Institution and after-wards at Queen’s College, where he had a very distinguishedcareer. In 1872, he graduated M.D. with honours in theQueen’s University. He then for,a time was resident surgeonin the Belfast Union Infirmary and Fever Hospital, assistant

surgeon to the Aughnacloy Fever Hospital, and afterwardssurgeon on the " White Star

" line of transatlantic steamers.He then settled down in Belfast, where for a time he held adispensary appointment, which he subsequently resigned inorder to devote himself to private practice. Dr. Strahan,who was just forty-four years of age at the time of hisdeath, was a man of very great abilities and thorough know-ledge of his profession, and extremely popular with his medicalbrethren and with his patients. He was a frequent con-tributor to medical literature. In 1886 he was awarded theFothergill gold medal by the Medical Society of London foran essay on the Nature of Fevers Usually Termed in thisCountry Febricula ; Simple, Combined, and ModifiedTyphoid. In 1889 the College of Physicians of Philadelphiagave him the Jenks Memorial Prize for a brochure on theDiagnosis and Treatment of Extra-uterine Pregnancy, andin 1892 he obtained the Warren Prize, Boston, for an Essayon Rickets. Dr. Strahan was a very popular lecturer, andhis services were much sought by many of the societiesin Belfast, where his addresses on medical subjects weregreatly appreciated. Dr. Strahan was unmarried, and, aswe have said, he was a member of a very able family ; oneof his brothers is Professor of English Law in Queen’sCollege, Belfast, another (Dr. S. A. K. Strahan) is a dis-tinguished alienist and barrister, while a third is a leadingsolicitor in the city of Belfast. Dr. Strahan’s early deathis much deplored by a very large circle of friends. Thefuneral took place on Jan. 25th.

DEATHS OF EMINENT FOREIGN MEDICAL MEN.-Thedeaths of the following eminent foreign medical men are

announced :-Dr. Kuchin, Emeritus Professor of Histologyand Embryology in the University of Warsaw.-Dr. Labric,Honorary Physician to the Hospitals of Paris.-Dr. Fienga,privat-docent in Physiology in Naples.

Medical News.FOREIGN UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.-Amster-

drzm Dr. Straub has been promoted to the Ordinary Pro-fessorship of Ophthalmology.-Bahia: Dr. F. B. Pareirahas been promoted to the Professorship of Clinical Medicine.- Berlin : Dr. Stadelmann, formerly of Dorpat, has beenrecognised as privat.docent in Internal Medicine.-Berne.Dr. Leon Ascher has been recognised as privat-docent inPhysiology.-Brussels : Dr. Lavisé has been appointed Pro-fessor ag2ege of Surgery and Dr. Houzé Professor agrégé ofAnthropology.-Königsberg: Dr. Eiselsberg of Utrecht hasbeen appointed to the chair of Clinical Surgery.-Leipzig: :Dr. Jarisch of Vienna has been appointed Director of thenew Dermatological Clinic.-Rome: Dr. Semo has beenrecognised as privat-docent in Medical Pathology.-Rostock : :Dr. Korner has declined the invitation to Heidelberg asExtraordinary Professor of Ear and Throat Diseases.

FARNHAM AND AN INFECTIOUS HOSPITAL.-Aproposal to establish an infectious isolation hospital to beused by authorities jointly in the neighbourhood of Farn-ham has been discussed for a long period, but the com-mittee originally appointed have met with many difficulties,chiefly from the secession of one public body after anotherfrom the scheme whicli was propounded. A weighty reportwhich was presented to the Farnham urban council recently,however, seems likely to revive interest. The death-rate,Mr. S. G. Sloman, jun., reported, had not been heavy forDecember, but there had been several cases of infectiousdisease, chiefly scarlet fever, and some of them had beenremoved to the workhouse isolation wards. One, however,was not able to be removed because there was not a singlevacant bed, and he asked the council to consider the

danger which would arise from, say, an epidemic of diph-theria if this be the normal condition. In addition tothis Mr. Sloman condemned as "disgraceful" a cottagewhere two cases of fever occurred ; it was, he said, impos-sible to isolate, and a husband, wife, and five childrenoccupied a house unfit for human habitation. There is muchopposition to a hospital for the Farnham district only, andon the assurance that the joint committee had the matter inhand the discussion was adjourned.

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