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tived by this communicating duct, and Dr. Billings is not yetable to advise the committee on this matter. He has latelybeen travelling in Europe to obtain information on this point.The out-patient department and the operating theatre forma separate building. The latter is very complete in itsarrangements, and comprises waiting-rooms, etherising-rooms, consultation-rooms, and recovering-rooms, besidesthe ordinary arena and gallery. The autopsy building is like-wise very complete, and includes, in addition to the ordinaryconveniences, special rooms for microscopy and photo-graphy.The hospital will be fitted throughout with the means of

electric communication, and it is intended that the tem-perature of each ward and the rate of influx of air shall berecorded at the central office of the superintendent. In onething the committee are most wise. They have printedand circulated very widely the plans of the proposedbuilding, and invite criticism before the building operationscommence. They may fairly hope one day to possess thefinest hospital in the world.

ARMY MEDICAL SCHOOL, NETLEY.

PRESENTATION OF THE SIR RANALD MARTIN MEMORIAL

GOLD MEDAL.

THis interesting ceremony took place on the 5th inst. inthe lecture hall of the Army Medical School. The occasionbrought together a very distinguished assembly. The

Secretary for War was unable from the pressure of publicbusiness to attend, and Lord Salisbury, for obvious reasons,could not be present. His lordship’s place was taken bySir Garnet Wolseley, who, being now a member of theCouncil of India, represented the Secretary of State on theoccasion. Sir William Muir, K.C.B., and Sir JosephFayrer, K.C.S.I., physician to the Council of India, and ex-officio member of the Senate of the Army Medical School,and a large number of military officers of distinction, werepresent. Two of the sons of the late Sir Ranald Martincame from distant parts of the country to witness the firstpresentation of a prize intended to perpetuate the greatservices rendered to military medicine by their distinguishedfather.

Professor Maclean opened the proceedings by reading outthe results of the final examination at Netley for the threeservices, from which it appeared that Dr. Moorhead, ofH.M. Indian Army, who had taken the highest place at theLondon examination in August last, had maintained it atNetley, and after a severe contest was thus the winner ofthe Herbert prize, the highest honour the school has tobestow. Dr. Maclean then explained that nine candidatesfrom the British, the same number from the Indian Ser-vices, and eight belonging to the Royal Navy, had competedfor the Martin Prize. The contest, however, finally laybetween Dr. Allin, the first man in the British Army, andDr. Moorhead, the first in the India list. The marks gainedin Military Medicine at the general examination were addedto those awarded for the special paper set for this competi-tion-" On the laws which appear to govern the propagationof Asiatic cholera." The medal was awarded to Dr. Moor-head, who, however, had only a majority of twenty marksover his close competitor. The announcement was hailedwith loud and hearty applause by the other young medicalofficers.

Sir Garnet Wolseley then addressed the candidates. Heexplained that he was there as the representative of theCouncil of India, in the absence of Lord Salisbury. SirGarnet then said that when he entered on his own pro-fession, it was with a determination to succeed, and todevote to this end all the energies of his mind and body;he urged the young men before him just entering on theircareer to do the same. He ridiculed without mercy thewhole tribe of "unsuccessful men" in all branches of thepublic service, who frequent clubs and are to be met with insociety, who are grumblers by profession, and never ceaseto pour their grievances into the ears of their friends." Such men," said the speaker, " if you could only get at

the truth, were the architects of their own misfortunes."He pointed to the useful and honourable career open tomedical officers in the three services, and the amount ofgood they might do-to the, in his opinion, superior plea-sures of a varied and adventurous life over 11 the humdrumexistence of life in England." Turning to the specialbusiness of the day, he gave a sketch of the life and servicesof Sir Ranald Martin, and insisted much on his many claimsto be honourably remembered by the army, and moreespecially by the medical officers of the three services forwhom he so long and so unselfishly laboured, holding himup as a bright example to be followed by the young medicalofficers before him. Grasping the hand of Dr. Moorhead,Sir Garnet congratulated him on the distinction he hadattained, and expressed an earnest hope that his futurecareer would be as successful as its honourable beginning,and, amid the hearty applause of the audience, presentedthe medal.The guests then adjourned to the mess-room, where an

elegant and substantial luncheon concluded the business ofthe day.

THE SMALL-POX EPIDEMIC.

THE fatal cases of small-pox registered among the urbanpopulation of nearly eight millions of persons living withinthe area embraced by the Registrar-General’s Weekly Re-turn, which had been 123 and 124 in the two weeks ending20th and 27th January, further rose to 142 during the sevendays ending Saturday, the 3rd inst. These 142 deaths in-cluded 115 in London and its suburban districts, 19 inLiverpool, and 8 in Manchester and Salford. It is satisfac-

tory to find that sixteen of the twenty largest English townscontinue free from small-pox fatality. The deaths from

small-pox have shown an increase during recent weeks bothin London and Manchester. The annual death-rate fromthe disease during the first five weeks of this year was equalto 2’4 per 1000 persons living in Salford, 1’4 both in Londonand Liverpool, and 0’7 in Manchester.The deaths from small-pox in and around London during

the week ending 3rd inst. were 115, against 89 and 97 inthe two preceding weeks. Of these 115,103 occurred withinregistration London, and 12 in the suburban districts; ofthe latter, 3 occurred in Barnet, 2 in Croydon and Mitcham,2 in West Ham, 2 in Ilford, and 1 each in Kingston, Totten-ham, and Walthamstow. The 103 in London proper in-cluded 42 in public institutions, and 61, or 59 per cent. of thetotal cases, in private dwellings. The week’s returns bearevidence of the result of the recent deficiency of hospitalaccommodation for small-pox patients provided in themetropolis by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and the localsanitary authorities. The proportion of deaths in privatedwellings showed a marked increase, which augurs un-favourably for the future of the epidemic, when it is con-sidered that home-isolation is almost invariably an impossi-bility among the class to which the prevalence of small-poxis principally confined. After distributing the 42 deaths ininstitutions, it appears that 11 of the deceased small-poxpatients had resided in the west, 32 in the north, 3 in thecentral, 26 in the east, and 31 in the south groups of dis-tricts. The fatal cases showed a marked increase in NorthLondon, especially in Hackney and Islington, and were alsomore numerous in West and East London. The annualdeath-rate from small-pox last week exceeded 2 per 1000,both in North and East London. In East London the dis-ease showed fatal prevalence in Poplar, Bow, and Bethnal-green ; in South London the greatest fatality occurred inSouthwark.

During the week under notice the Metropolitan AsylumsBoard brought the hospital at Limehouse for small.pox con-valescents into requisition; it has accommodation for 177patients, and contained 39 on the 3rd inst., who had beentransferred from other hospitals. The total accommoda-tion now provided by the Board is 1077 beds; of the 900available for new cases, 799 were occupied on the 3rd inst.,and it is reported that no less than 239 new cases wereadmitted during the week ending on that day, against 170 inthe preceding week.