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THE GERMAN EMPEROR.

WE regret to confirm from information supplied to us by Aa special correspondent at Berlin the intelligence of the grave illness of the German Emperor, which the majority of our readers will have familiarised themselves with from the daily press. On the 3rd inst. His Majesty began to suffer from a general cold, combined with an affection of ,the mucous membrane of the throat and an irritation of .the eyelids. In addition to these symptoms, he has sincethen been frequently troubled by acute abdominal pains, forwhich morphia injections have been used. Since the 6th inst.his appetite has considerably fallen off, a loss doubtless dueto the morphia used to dull the illustrious and venerablepatient’spain. No improvement of any moment has, accordingto our latest information, been observed, and the condition ofthe sufferer sometimes approaches to coma. He has passeda very restless night, and continues very weak. Wecannot but regard his state as critical, and the Germanpeople in this, the hour of their twofold affliction, havethe sympathy of the civilised world.Since the above was written we learn with infinite

regret, though without surprise, that the illness of His

Imperial Majesty has terminated fatally.

THE POOR CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY.

THE Society which bears the above title cannot lay claim to a venerable antiquity, having now been in existence for somewhat more than a year. It has during this period, how-ever, done excellent service in the cause of charity. BetweenJanuary and December, 1887, and with an income of .S1300,it established in London forty-eight centres, at which 83,127free meals were distributed, at a cost of from id. 2 to 2d. each,and 100 clothing centres, at which 1025 children were suit-ably clad. Free letters of recommendation to hospitals andconvalescent homes have also been issued in a number of

cases, and good work has been done by sending delicatechildren to enjoy the benefits of country air for twoor three weeks at a time. This latter undertaking,which has absorbed much of the philanthropical in-

dustry of the metropolis during the past few years,is not the least important part of the Society’s work, andopens up a very avenue of health to many prisoners in cityair. During the past two months of the present year thelabour and cost of gratuitous feeding and clothing havegreatly increased, and the necessity for hospital relief insickness continues as great as ever. The promoters of thismovement, therefore, trust that public benevolence will notbe backward in assisting a work so practically useful. Theyhave been at some pains to explain the details of their

scheme, and have used, with apparently complete success,elaborate precautions to prevent any possible misdirectionof their charitable purpose. We may add that the office ofthe Society is at 3, Agar-street, Strand.

SUCCI: THE FASTING MAN.

AN Italian correspondent writes :-On the night of the1st inst., immediately after the clock struck 12, Signor Succi,in presence of the representatives of the Accademia Medico-Fisica of Florence, began his thirty days’ fast. BesidesProfessors Luciani and Filippi, there was a considerableattendance of prominent Florentine physicians, with a largenumber of medical students, lay citizens, and newspaperreporters. By one minute after midnight the patient, or, asothers prefer to call him, the experimentalist, had beeninducted into his proper bedroom, weighed, his temperaturenoted, and every condition put en règle, as he lay down torest. The apartment had been minutely and carefullyexamined so as to exclude even the suspicion of any

alimentary substance having been secreted, after which thekey was turned in the lock of the door, the door itselfsealed, and two watchers left alone in the room with SignorSucci. These gentlemen had been chosen from the com-mittee of those interested in science, who had volunteeredtheir services ad hoc. At 8 A.M. next morning (the 2nd inst.)the two watchers gave their report, and were then relievedby two others. Between 8 and 9 o’clock of the same

morning Professor Luciani and Dr. Baldi, on behalf of theAccademia Medico-Fisica, made a series of physical or phy-siological observations, the results of which appear in thefollowing bulletin :-

8 A.M.Puisations ........................... 70

Respirations ........................... 22

Temperature ........................... 36.5° C.

Weight after having emptied the bladder ...... 66.610 chilogr.Height .............................. 1-642 metre.Pressures: right hand ......... 40 chilogr. Maximum.

" left hand ......... 26 , JWith sixty-five pressures at intervals of two seconds themuscular exhaustion of the left hand was reached.

Urine {Quantity..... 1690

Density 1023

Signor Succi is in the best possible spirits, and is quitesanguine as to his extending his fast over the time imposedon him. The result is watched with special interest by .Italian surgeons and physicians anxious to get some scientific

evidence of the time during which the chylo-poietic viscerar can remain undisturbed by the ingestion of food-a point of

the highest importance in abdominal surgery or in bowelhæmorrhage from perforation. The substances stipulated, between Signor Succi and the Accademia as available by7 him for use are—(1) a saline purgative, to be agreed on

beforehand; (2) an alkaline beverage; (3) water for washingout the stomach and for drinking purposes; (4) olive oil, inan inconsiderable quantity, for embrocation.

CARDIOPATHY.

EVERYONE admits that the muscle of the heart is of more

importance than the valves of the heart, even though diseaseof the former is generally at the mercy of disease of thelatter. Doubtless we must recognise valvular cardiopathy,but it seems also clear that we can overestimate this formof heart disease and neglect the vascular or arterial cardio-pathy. Not while M. Ruchard lives, however, shall we beallowed to pass by the importance of the coronary arteries.He has written of late numerous papers, the latest beingone on primary" " coronaritis" with partial atrophy of theheart. It may be found in the Bulletins de la SociétéMedicale des Hôpitaux de Paris, No, 3.

THE NEW SALFORD INFECTIOUS HOSPITAL.

THE site proposed for the new Salford infectious hospitalbids fair to become an important battle-ground. Allega-tions as to its unsuitability, both as regards prospects ofthe spread of certain contagia and by reason of its soil,elevation, and proximity to sewage works, have beensomewhat numerously made, and to many of these con-tentions Dr. Tatham now makes answer in a carefullycompiled report. He alleges that the district in which thesite is situated is a healthy one, having had during aspecified five years an average general mortality of lessthan 14 per 1000. As to proximity to dwellings, theexperience of the present hospital is brought forward, theWilton hospital being on one side close to a large numberof dwellings. Fever alone appears to be here in question,and hence the results compiled by Mr. Murphy as to theLondon Fever Hospital are also referred to as disprovingthe alleged danger. As to the position of the sewage