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that the quarters of Paris deriving their supply from thissource have escaped the typhoid infection, while those deriv-ing their supply from the Vanne have exhibited a high death-rate. The remedy is simple ; the most complete precautionsmust be taken to prevent contamination of the head-watersor their tributaries and accurate chemical and biologicalexaminations should be made. If any source of contamina-tion is recognised the gathering ground must be removed toa point above it.

The French Edition of the « Index Medicus."

Last week there occurred in Paris an event the interest ofwhich extends far beyond the frontiers of France-namely,the appearance of the first number (that for January, 1900)of Bibliographia Medica a work which it is intendedshall carry on in Europe the traditions of the IndexMedicus, the well-known publication of American biblio-

graphers which was formerly published at Washingtonbut ceased some six months ago. For the first time,not in France alone but also in Vienna and Berlin,there has been set on foot a bibliographical review com-parable to the great work of Flechter and Billings, whileit may even be adduced that the present work is

superior in one way-namely, in the system of classifica-tion adopted. This great effort could not have met withsuccess but through the International Institute ofScientific Bibliography at Paris, of which the directoris Dr. Marcel Baudouin, the well-known journalist. The

January number, which appeared on Feb. 15th, containsthe greater part of the international bibliography of themedical sciences for January, 1900, and such a completetour de force of editing and printing could not havebeen carried through except by using a staff ofmore than 150 persons who are employed in thepress of the Institute of Bibliography at Paris. Thenew publication, which will deal with the whole ofthe international bibliography of the medical sciences, isfounded on principles analogous to those of the AmericanIndex Medicus and will carry on the remarkable scientifictraditions of that work which was so valuable. Thanksto the directors, Dr. C. Potain, member of the Instituteand professor of the Faculty of Medicine at Paris, andDr. Charles Richet, who is also a professor, notable

improvements have been made in the editing and inthe classifying of the subjects - which last is now

practically perfect, so that search for any particularsubject is rendered easy and rapid. The work, whichwill be issued monthly, as was the Index Medicus willcontain some 4000 references per number of 80 pagesat least, so that the number of references for the year will be about 50,000. The editors contemplate issuingspecial bibliographies as yearly and not monthly publi-cations. These numbers, of which only a few copieswill be issued, will be published by subscription. All themost modern methods of typography will be employed andthe composition will be done by a machine, a method whichoffers great advantages for certain kinds of printing, butshould occasion arise no extra expense will be spared. ’ Theannual subscription will be 50 francs a year for France and60 for foreign countries, in place of 125 francs which wasthe subscription for the last American edition.

Feb. 27th ______________

BERLIN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Strophanthus as a Sedative.DR. FEILCHENFELD writing to the Centralblatt fiir

Chirurgie recommends the administration of tincture ofstrophanthus previously to the production of anaesthesia bychloroform, as pre-anassthetic excitement is thereby avoided.This is the case not only in cardiac failure but also inneurasthenic patients who are very much afraid of under-going an operation. He gives five drops of tincture ofstrophanthus on two evenings and on the morning before theoperation. Strophanthus is preferable to the bromide ofpotassium commonly used in these cases.

Collective Investigation on Carcinoma.On the invitation of Professor von Leyden a committee

lately met in Berlin in order to arrange a great collectiveinvestigation on carcinoma. The committee, which is still

in process of formation and will be augmented by othermembers, included representatives of the Imperial HealthOffice, the Government Medical Department, and theStatistical Office. Professor von Leyden was elected chair-man and Dr. George Meyer and Dr. Kirchner were electedsecretarief.

A Radical, Cure for Erysipelas.A curious case is reported by Dr. Mosbacher of Bochum in

the Münchener Medicinische Wochenschrift. He was con-

sulted by a workman for erysipelas of the face and prescribedan ointment of 10 per cent. ichthyol. The next morningthe wife of the patient (a Pole) came to Dr. Mosbachercomplaining that the medicine had produced such severe

diarrhoea and colic that her husband was unable to perseverewith it. Dr. Mosbacher, greatly astonished, went to thehouse and found that instead of using the ointment in theordinary way the man had taken it by the mouth. Theerysipelas had nearly disappeared and the patient in brokenGerman expressed his gratitude for the somewhat strong butvery efficacious medicine which had done him so much good.Dr. Mosbacher adds that notwithstanding this success he hasrefrained from administering ichthyol internally.

Medical Congresses.The Congress of Internal Medicine will, as you have

already announced, meet this year in Wiesbaden underthe presidency of Professor von Jakach of Prague.The principal subjects to be discussed are : the Treat-ment of Pneumonia (introduced by Professor Korányi of

Budapest and Professor Pel of Amsterdam) and Endo-carditis (introduced by Professor Litten of Berlin).-Themeeting of the Balneological Society will be held fromMarch 8th to 13th at Frankfort. Professor Winternitz willread a paper on Phototherapy, Professor Schott of Nauheimon the Treatment of Diabetic Diseases of the Heart,Dr. Groedel of Nauheim on the Balneological Treatmentof Diseases of the Kidney, Dr. Pariser of Homburgon Chronic Nervous Diarrhcea, Professor Kisch of Marienbadon Cardiac Complaints consecutive to Diseases of the Uterus,and Dr. Abbee of Nauheim on Arterio-sclerosis and AnginaPectoris.-The Surgical Congress will meet as usual in Berlinin the week following Easter, Professor von Bergmann ofBerlin in the chair. Professor Czerny will read a paper on theTreatment of Unoperable Carcinoma, Professor Kronlein onthe Results of Operations for Carcinoma of the Intestines,Professor Rehn on Resection of the Anus, ProfessorIsrael on Operations for Renal and Ureteral Calculi,and Professor Augerer on Operations for AbdominalContusions.-The German Committee for the InternationalMedical Congress at Paris has been formed. ProfessorVirchow will be the chairman, Dr. Posner and Dr. Eulenburgwill be the secretaries, and Dr. Bartels will be the treasurer.The other members are Dr. Aub of Munich (President of thePractitioners’ Association), Professor von Bergmann of Berlin,Professor von Bruns of Tiibingen, Dr. von Coler (general-staff-surgeon of the army), Dr. Curschmann of Leipsic, Pro-

, fessor Erb of Heidelberg, Dr. Ewald of Berlin, Dr. Leut of: Cologne (President of the Committee of Medical Chambers),. Professor von Leyden, Professor Liebreich and Professor

Waldeyer of Berlin, Professor Ziemssen of Munich, andothers.

The late Professor Meyer.Dr. Ludwig Meyer, professor of psychiatry and director of

the University Lunatic Asylum at Gottingen, died in thatcity on Feb. 8th. Professor Meyer, who was born in 1826,was one of the leading specialists for mental diseases and wasthe founder of the modern treatment of lunatics in Germany.After holding the appointment of assistant physician to thelunatic department of the Charité Hospital in Berlin he wentfrom there to Hamburg as chief physician to the lunaticdepartment at the General Hospital. He was one of theearliest and most fervent advocates of the non-restraint systemin Germany, and very soon after entering on his Hamburgappointment he sold by public auction all the appliancespreviously used for the restraint of lunatics. He alsoallowed free visiting of the lunatics by their friends, just asin the case of patients of other classes. It was under hisauspices that the great asylum at Friedrichsberg, near

Hamburg, was established and at a later period the asylumat Gottingen, where he was appointed professor. Heheld that a modern asylum ought to be built according tothe principles of a hospital and not of a gaol. Apart fromhis labours on behalf of the insane he did much work inthe pathology of mental diseases and in conjunction with

661

the late Professor Griesinger he edited the Archier fürPsyochiatrie.

The late Professor Leichtenstern.Professor Leichtenstern, the chief physician to the Cologne

General Hospital, died from influenza on Feb. 23rd. Thoughnot on the staff of a university he did much work in hisspecial branch, internal medicine. His principal subject wasthe ankylostomum duodenale which he was the Jirst to

observe in Germany. He published numerous articles in themedical journals on the antitoxin treatment of diphtheria,on tuberculin, on cerebro-spinal meningitis, and many othertopics. He was co-editor of Ziemssen’s Handbooks ofGeneral and Special Therapy and of Gerhard’s Handbook ofthe Diseases of Children. Professor Leichtenstern was themost distinguished consultant in Cologne.Feb.26th.

_______________

ROME.

(FROM OUR OWN UORRESPONDENT.)

Alice under the Cofiin--Ti(l!I MAKE no apology for returning to this ghastly theme,

The tragic "case in point" reported in THE LANCET ojFeb. 24th from Lecce (Apulia) has thrilled the kingdom witbhorror "from the Alps to Etna"-horror shared by theforeign resident who may, as the result of illness, be equallythe victim of Italian usage which makes burial follow so

closely on death, real or apparent. Popular interest in thetheme is now accentuated by indignation, combined withpanic, and increased vigilance over the circumstancesintervening between the death certificate and the offices ofthe undertaker is leading to the discovery of cases only lessgruesome than that of the Apulian peasant woman. Thelatest of these comes from no less a quarter than theLigurian Riviera, that lovely stretch of coast indented withsun-traps of which Genoa and Spezia are the chief towns.In the village of Roccabruna near Porto Maurizio an oldcountryman, Raffaele Rainoldi by name, fell ill, failed to

recover, was certified as dead, and was laid in the coffin, withthe despatch characteristic of Italian use and wont on suchoccasions. The lid over him was actually being screwed downwhen he was felt to move and then heard to speak. Medicalaid was at once invoked by the family, half beside itselfwith mingled joy, surprise, and horror; and, thanks torestoratives skilfully applied, the old man came round,recovered full consciousness, and inspired hopes of his

recovery. These, however, were not realised. He lingeredfor two days and then died, death being this time not

"apparent" but real. Coincident with the chronicling ofthese cases the lay press is opening its columns to the dis-cussion of the familiar devices-some of which are actuallyin force in mortuary chapels on both sides of the Alps-by which the individual laid out as dead and even enclosedin the coffin can still have air to breathe and the power toattract notice and assistance. But none of these methods areof other than doubtful efficacy-the apparatus, for one

thing, being too delicate and complicated not to get easilyunworkable. A better " device " would be the insistence ona reasonable interval-such as prevails in England-betweenthe death certificate and burial or cremation, and also ona more careful and less haphazard examination of the"dead" before certifying him as such.

The Cr2csade against Tuberculosis.All the omens augur favourably for the success of the

"Congresso contro la Tubercolosi" to be held at Naplesbetween April 25th and 28th next. In the first place, thereis a widespread, intelligent, and even enthusiastic publicsympathy with its object. This feeling is fostered by theGovernment, which through the Minister of the Interiorhas announced a competition, open to all the engineersof Italy, for the best plan for a sanatorium designedfor the tuberculous poor. The competitors must lodgetheir plans at the Ministry of the Interior not laterthan April 30th, 1900, at 12 o’clock noon, and the authorof the first-best" " plan will receive 5000 lire ( £ 200) andthe author of the second-best 3000 lire (£120). Again, as tothe Congress itself, no effort has been spared to render it aworthy sequel to its predecessors held at Paris and Berlin.Queen Margherite is its high patroness and the Minister ofPublic Instruction is its president. Its organising committee,presided over by Dr. Enrico De Renzi, Professor of Clinical

Medicine in the University of Naples, includes some of themost authoritative names in Italy. Its programme, finally,of which I have been favoured with an early copy, attests thecare with which the whole subject has been surveyedand its discussion apportioned among those best fittedto undertake it. The Congress will consist of foursections, the first dealing with Etiology and Prophylaxis,having the Rector Magnificus of Padua (Dr. De Giovanni) aspresident, with such men as Murri of Bologna, Celli ofRome, Manfredi of Naples, and others hardly less dis-tinguished to assist him. The second section takes up thepathological and clinical side of the subject and is appro-priately presided over by Professor Maragliano of Genoa,also adequately reinforced by no less authorities thanGrocco of Florence, Bizzozzero of Turin, Marchiafava ofRome, and Senise of Naples. The third section devotesitself to Therapeutics and has for its president Professor E.I)e Renzi, who will have as assessors Queirolo of Pisa,

Cervello of Palermo, and Galvagni of Modena. Thefourth section deals with Sanatoria and its presidentis Professor D. Capozzi of Naples, also worthily sup-ported by men like Forlanini of Turin, Rummo ofPalermo, Carlo Fedeli of Pisa, and others of "light andleading" in that métier. All physicians, nature-students,sanitary engineers, promoters of public hygiene, and socialphilanthropists will be welcome at the Congress, and haveonly indeed to send in their names to the Segreteria delComitato, nella Prima Clinica Medica, Ospedale di Gesùe Maria, Naples," whence they"will receive a ticket ofadmission, price 20fr., which entitles them to the 11 Atti "and other publications of the Congress, to ieductions in therailway and steamboat fares, to the trips to Pompeii, the Gulfof Naples and Palermo, and to all the privileges open to the" Congressisti," Italian and foreign. In connexion with the

Congress the magnificent "Esposizione d’Igiene," under thepatronage of the Prince of Naples, will also be open-acollection unrivalled, I believe, in richness and variety,representing the high water-mark of modern hygienicresource.

Feb. 27th. _______________

NEW YORK.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Department of Agriculture on the Production of Mil7e.MAJOR ALVORD, chief of the dairy division of the Bureau

of Animal Industry, Washington, states that since July, 1895,there has been a dairy division under his care, the functionof which is to acquire and disseminate information useful todairymen. Up to this time there has been but little surplusdairy products in the United States with the exception ofcheese, but the prospect of a greater surplus in the future beinggood this division has been looking for foreign markets. It

proposes to make a good display at the Paris Exposition thisyear. The first attempt to count the cows in the UnitedStates was made in 1840, and though this attempt has beenmade at each decennial census no approximate total has beenreceived. A great effort will be made at the next censusto make a fairly accurate count. It is probable that thereare from five to five and a half millions of cows kept inthe States for the purpose of producing milk for food, orabout one cow to every 14 persons of all ages. Milk is betterhandled now than it was a few years ago, especially inthe matter of transportation and distribution ; and milkhas improved as to quality, as shown by the proportionof butter fat and total solids and its greater freedomfrom bacterial contamination. This improvement is attri-buted to individual dairymen and companies ratherthan to legislation. There has been some unnecessaryalarm concerning the danger of milk as a food. A carefulstudy of the milk-supply of the United States as a wholehas convinced Major Alvord that the actual presence ofdisease germs in such milk-supply is very rare and that thecases of real injury from these germs are rarer still; mostof the evidence on this subject is negative and in favour ofmilk rather than against it. It is generally conceded thatthe adding of preservatives to milk is most undesirable, asthe process puts a premium on carelessness and dishonesty.Major Alvord affirms that he is strongly disposed to makethe same statement regarding sterilisation and Pasteurisa-tion ; these methods may be employed on occasions but