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furnace. My suggestion was greeted with laughter and theassurance that the marine store-dealers and rag merchantstook better care of the education of the stokers and firemen.The latter have long ago learnt that instead of throwingthese things into the furnace they could be put aside to pro-vide an easy source of pin-money. Dr. Parsons, in his

report, mentions the presence of rags soiled with blood orexcrement, but he did not hear of poultices or bandages fromhospitals. Obviously, he was not fully acquainted with theactivities of the rag and bone merchants. The photographhere reproduced (Fig. 3) shows a few sacks of rags at theFreshford Mills, in which it so happens there was an extrasupply of the fragmentary remains of very filthy, worn-outfustian trousers. Amidst a confused medley of rags, chintz,curtains, and underlinen there is a fairly sound hand-knittedcotton sock. Then there may be noted a greasy crumpled-upfelt hat, a dirty corset or two abundantly stained with

perspiration, foul slippers, and all sorts of worn-out dis-carded fragments coming from many houses, many persons ;altogether a pitiable wreckage of what was once clothes orthe furniture used in homes that in some cases were cleanand prosperous and in too many other cases were unspeak-ably miserable and filthy. In summer time especially lice,fleas, and maggots abound amid this horrible refuse ; andyet, in spite of its filthy, unwashed, verminous condition,it is all pushed into the " devil " where it is torn and cardedand comes out as flock that is sold to stuff furniture andmattresses.The beating and the tearing of these dirty rags

create a vile dust and the hope might possibly be Ientertained that some of the worse filth would beeliminated in the form of dust. This, however, is but a vainhope, for the tremendous strife due to competition has led tothe utilisation even of this obnoxious dust. It is not allowedto escape into the open air but is collected in large chamberswhere the heavier particles settle down on to the noor. Onlythe very finest dust escapes ultimately into the outer air.The heavier dust contains fine vegetable and animal woolfibre which when mixed with oil sticks together again. To

give it more body the greasy waste from cloth mills is addedin the proportion of 10 per cent. Thus the cheapest sort offlock is produced and this is used for the lowest classbedding and furniture. Some of the very finest dust towhich it is impossible to give any consistency or body is soldfor the manuring of the hop fields at the rate of Pl a ton.Of course, it pays very much better to sell this hop manurefor bedding.Worse, perhaps, than all this is the gross deception which

I am assured is practised on the public. There are bedmanufacturers who will not pay the price for washed flockand yet they advertise their wares as pure or sanitarybedding. Sometimes when a customer offers to pay a higherprice so as to have absolutely clean bedding he is suppliedwith a better tick but the flock which it contains is the sameunwashed and dangerous stuff used in the cheaper beds.Thus to save 2s. per bed the public is compelled to sleepon bedding that is more filthy than crude sewage. Thehealth of the nation is endangered so that these tradesmenmay make an extra 2s. When a patient’s ill-health is difficultto explain it might be well to investigate the nature of thebedding on which he sleeps. The public on its side musttake the matter in its own hands. In buying mattresses orupholstered furniture a written guarantee must be de-manded. Then some of the wool or flock must be takenout and examined. It suffices to put some in a smallbowl or tumbler and pour boiling water over it. If theflock is unwashed the water will extract dust, &c., andbecome highly coloured. There will also, and in all proba-bility, be an unpleasant smell. Appended are some of theresults obtained in THE LANCET Laboratory of an examina-tion of some samples of unwashed and washed materials.15 grammes of the wool or other material were placed in500 cubic centimetres of water and allowed to soak. After

shaking several times the water was poured off and filteredand examined for dissolved matter, organic and inorganic.The series is not exhaustive, but it will be seen that wash-ing exercises a considerable purification of the material.A few prosecutions for selling foul flock would do

much to reform the trade. Even under the exist-ing law, considering the vile material with which flockis made, it should be illegal to sell it in an unpurifiedcondition. This might be considered as creating a nuisance

Extract in Water obtained from Washed Materials.

or as obtaining money under false pretences, for no trades-man would admit that he was selling stuff which underanalysis has been proved to be more filthy than crudesewage. It seems extraordinary that such a business cannotat once be stopped. Now that the Local Government Boardhas caused yet another report to be prepared on this subject,it is to be hoped that its publication will be followed byimmediate, energetic, and effective action.

BRISTOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Annual Dinner of the University College Colston Society.THE Colston Society, which exists for the promotion of the

interests of university education in Bristol, met for its annualdinner in the large hall of the College on Jan. 14th, underthe presidency of Principal C. Lloyd Morgan, to whom, withSir Arthur W. Rucker, the guest of the evening, fell the re-

sponsibility for the chief speeches. The President answeredthe questions, ’’ What will the University be and what willit do ?" by saying that it lay with the citizens ofBristol to shape the future of their University. In thecourt-the supreme legislature-the city would be fullyrepresented ; subject to this, executive power would restwith the council. He regarded it as supremely importantthat the city should send worthy representatives to the

council, as in other places,- notably Liverpool, the influenceof such men had been highly beneficial. The Universityeducation would be thrown open to all who were able to useit profitably without respect of class or rank ; for those lessable to pay the fees there would be not only free student-ships but bursaries and scholarships so far as means wouldallow. He claimed that Mr. H. 0. Wills’s gift was moneywell invested ; "if the nation could purchase a potentialWatt, Davy, or Faraday, he would be cheap at the price, forthese three men had produced untold millions of wealth."In answer to the question, ’’ What will the University teach?" Principal Lloyd Morgan hoped to see agriculture, fisheries,and commerce all finding in the University of Bristol a centrefor the solution of their various problems, and suggested thatsome one should establish a Cabot chair of geography. He con-cluded by hinting at the close intimacy between universityand city which would be brought about by the establishment ofa centrally situated university hall and eventually a settlement.Sir Arthur W. Rueker in a most interesting speech outlinedhis views as to the destiny of the modern university. Itsduties, he said, were threefold: to teach, to investigate, andto foster the academic spirit. He emphasised the need formaking university students masters of their mother tongue,spoke of the great advantages derived from the mingling ofmen pursuing knowledge along the separate paths of science,art, and commerce, and drew a graphic picture of thesaturation of civic life with university ideals such as mightbe expected in Bristol’s future years. The Lord Mayor, Mr.Edward Robinson, who succeeds Principal Lloyd Morgan aspresident of the society, also spoke, as well as the Sheriffof Bristol and the President of the Chamber of Commerce.Mr. H. C. Trapnell, President of the Bristol Law Society,expressed the hope that the University would include a

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faculty of law. During the past 12 months over £500 havebeen added to the society’s funds.

ne Health of Bristol in 1907.The medical officer of health, Dr. D. S. Davies, has just

issued a detailed report for 1907. This includes as a specialfeature an account of the investigations into I carrier" "

typhoid made by Dr. Davies in conjunction with ProfessorI. Walker Hall. There is no need to give an account oftheir findings, as these have already been fully described inTHE LANCET.l Quite a number of ° records " were brokenduring 1907. The death-rate, 13’ 3. is the lowest everrecorded in Bristol, and compares favourably with that ofthe 76 large towns during 1907 (15-4). The death-rate from

epidemic diseases and the infant mortality-rate are betterthan in any previous year, 0. 8 and 100’ 9 respectively.’Comparative charts show that the fall in infantile mortalityin Huddersfield during the three years 1905-07, which hasbeen ascribed to the adoption of special measures, is scarcelymore marked than that occurring during the same period inBristol where no special methods are in use. Against thesefavourable features of 1907 must be set the fact that thebirth-rate reached its lowest, 24 2, having decreased steadily- since 1882. There is a voluntary notification system for

pulmonary tuberculosis in Bristol; in 1907 542 cases werenotified, as against 703 in 1906, while the death-rate hasonly fallen from 404 to 384 in the same time.

The Bristol Eye Hospital.The annual meeting of the subscribers to the Bristol Eye

Hospital was held on Jan. 13th under the presidency of theLord Mayor. The medical report stated that during 1908513 in-patients had been admitted, compared with 454 in1907. The out-patients numbered 7387, an increase of 592on the previous year. The financial statement showed thatthe income falls short of the expenditure and that the presentdeficit balance of the institution was S641. In 1910 thecommittee hopes to celebrate the centenary of the hospitaland although nothing definite has been decided uponsome suggested improvements in the building are underconsideration.

The Bristol Dispensary.The annual meeting of the subscribers to the Bristol

Dispensary was held on Jan. 8th. The medical report showedthat during 1908, 10,957 patients had been treated-a con-siderable increase on previous years. The report added thatduring the year the institution had lost the services ofDr. A. Carling, Dr. E. G. Hall, and Mr. J. B. Webb, after com-pleting their full term of 15 years’ service, and of Dr. A. W. C.Richardson who retired after two years’ service from ill-health and who had recently died. The committee statesthat it is glad to place on record its appreciation of thegood work done by these gentlemen.

Jan. 19th. __________________

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Caisson Disease.ON Thursday last in the medical theatre of the College of

Medicine Sir Thomas Oliver delivered the annual address tothe members of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Clinical Society.The subject selected by Sir Thomas Oliver was the Physiologyand Pathology of Work in Compressed Air (Caisson Disease),with especial reference to the Building of the New HighLevel (King Edward VII.) Bridge. As the text of theaddress is shortly to appear in your columns I say no moreabout it in this letter.

ne Annacal Dinner of the Clinical Society.Sir Thomas Oliver was subsequently entertained to dinner

by the members of the Clinical Society on the occasion oftheir annual meeting. There was a very large attendance ofmembers of the profession from the city and district. TheLord Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the High Sheriff ofNorthumberland, Sir Walter Runciman, Bart., and AldermanT. Richardson, D.C.L., were among the guests of the society.Dr. A. J. Collis, the President of the society, proposed thehealth of the guest, Sir Thomas Oliver. Dr. Collis reviewed

1 THE LANCET, Nov. 28th, 1908, p. 1585.

Sir Thomas Oliver’s work, especially that part of it which hadto do with industrial diseases, remarking particularly uponthe good which had resulted to workers in lead andphosphorus from Sir Thomas Oliver’s investigations andrecommendations, and concluded by saying that theKing, recognising what Sir Thomas Oliver had donefor that class of his subjects, had on their behalf rewardedhim with the honour of knighthood. Sir Thomas Oliver,who was received with long-continued applause, repliedin a very happy speech. He thanked those present forthe very hearty welcome which he had received and saidthat though he had been singled out for recognition he wasnot the only member of the profession who devoted timeand energy for the alleviation of the suffering of his fellowcreatures. The amount of work done by every general medicalpractitioner without hope of reward of any sort and donein a quiet, unobtrusive manner was enormous. Sir IsambardOwen, principal of Armstrong College, proposed the toast ofthe College of Medicine and the Royal Victoria Infirmary.He said that there were no institutions in the world to whichhe hoped greater success. As regards the College of Medicineit could not be too widely known that the fine building inwhich the College is now accommodated, together with theample equipment to be found therein, were the result of theefforts of the members of the profession alone without anyhelp whatsoever from outside. In his opinion no boundsshould be put upon the limits of ambition of the College.Newcastle was a natural centre of medical education andthere was facility for the highest medical training and heconcluded by saying that he thought they were justified inbringing the claims of the College of Medicine before bothpublic and private benefactors and before the responsiblegovernors and administrators of the finances of the city.Jan. 18th.

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WALES AND WESTERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Sewering of the Monmouthshire Valleys.THE Monmouthshire coalfield includes what are known

locally as the western and the eastern valleys. The westerndistrict terminates a few miles to the north of Newport andthe southern extremity of the eastern valleys is at Ponty-pool. Although in many parts there is almost a continuityof inhabited localities the sanitary administration is underthe control of a large number of distinct local authorities,differing in this way from the conditions to be found in theGlamorgan coalfield where the area and population of thesanitary districts are very great. The difficulties of adminis-tration must always be increased when there is a multiplica-tion of governing bodies which often have, or think they have,conflicting interests. It is all the more gratifying, therefore,to be able to record the completion of the large outfallsewer which has been constructed by all the district councils(excepting that of Brynmawr) of the western valleys. The

total length of the sewer is 35 miles, and it is intended that asecond sewer now being constructed in the adjoining Sirhowyvalley shall discharge into the lower portion of that whichis now completed. The total cost of the entire 50 miles ofsewer will be rather more than about £300,000, and it is saidthat this will be the longest trunk sewer in this country,being some 15 miles longer than the Rhondda valley sewerswhich were constructed nearly 20 years ago. In connexionwith the completion of this great undertaking it is impossiblenot to recall the part which was taken in its initiation by thelate Mr. T. W. Thompson who inspected the district for theLocal Government Board in 1895-96 and whose last report-a voluminous one of over 50 pages-recorded the result ofhis inspection. It will be remembered that he had

barely completed his investigations and was actuallystaying in one of the colliery villages when he was attackedwith the illness which in a few days proved fatal. Therecord of his work in Monmouthshire is a monument of pains-taking industry, and although between the date of his

untimely death and that of the decision to construct thework now completed many schemes were propounded, it isdue to his memory to remind some of those who may have

forgotten that he distinctly favoured some such scheme asthat which was finally decided upon in preference to

separate or piecemeal undertakings for the different