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THE VALUE OF A CHILD’S LEG.

At Stockton County Court last week a case was heard,referred from the High Court of Justice, wherein MargaretBennett, a little girl, through her father, sued a contractorto recover compensation for injuries sustained through thenegligence of one of defendant’s workmen, a carter, result-ing in the loss of her left leg. A verdict was given for £75for the leg (to be invested in the Post Office Savings Bank),£3 10s. for money out of pocket, and costs in addition.

TYNEMOUTH.

To-day is to be marked at our "Northern Brighton" asone of much rejoicing, the corporation having set aparta portion of land for public use as a park, within theborough. This has been supplemented by a gift of elevenacres by the Duke of Northumberland, making in all a

handsome park and recreation ground free for ever. TheDuke is to open the park. Thus Tynemouth has anotheraddition made to its attractions and health resources.Newcastle-on-Tyne, Aug. llth.

EDINBURGH.

(From our own Cor.respondent.)

THE LATE MB. WILLIAM WALKER.

IT will cause deep regret to many who were his oldstudents in the eye wards of the Royal Infirmary to hearof the death of the veteran Edinburgh oculist, Mr. Walker.By his long connexion with the staff of infirmary teachers,extending over a period of thirty-three years, he had becomeclosely identified with the clinical teaching of this school,and many noted oculists in this and other countries are in-debted to him for their first lessons on the surgery of theeye. Mr. Walker was born in Dumfriesshire in 1814, but hisname as a professional man has always been connected withEdinburgh, where he has lived most of his life, and wherehis advice as a specialist has been sought by patients fromall parts of the country. He was at one time President ofthe Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and has beenfor some years oculist to Her Majesty the Queen for Scot-land, Mr. Walker’s most active years belonged to a periodin which the fame of Edinburgh as a teaching school wasgreatly augmented, and he was closely connected as a

colleague with the teachers of that period; whilst to themembers of the younger school he has always held the rela-tion of an honoured master, whose ripe experience assuredto him the position of a mentor in all professional questions.The deceased gentleman was warmly interested in philan-thropic work, and in any measures aimed at social improve-ments. He was gifted with ready wit and a dry veinof humour, which made him a specially valued member ofthe circle in which he moved; and many of his bon motsand jokes will be long remembered, associated with therecollection of his commanding figure, which was well knownin the streets of the Scottish metropolis.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.

At a meeting of the lecturers of the College held recently,Dr, George A. Gibson was elected Lecturer on MateriaMediea and Therapeutics to the College. Dr. Gibson is agraduate of Edinburgh University, from which he holds thedegrees of M.D. and D.Sc. He is also a Fellow of the RoyalSociety and of the College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Hewas formerly assistant-physician to the Birmingham GeneralHospital, and a lecturer on Medical Diagnosis in the Edin-burgh Medical School. For some years he has been one ofthe medical tutors in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Heis the author of numerous articles on medical and biologicaltopics, chiefly on questions connected with the physiologyand pathology of the circulatory system, and with diseasesof the chest. In the domain of the physical sciences he hasdone valuable work in investigating the geological forma-tions found in some of the northern regions of this country.

HEALTH OF EDINBURGH.

Dr. Littlejohn’s weekly bill of health for the city shows amortality of 84, giving a death-rate of 17 per 1000, which isabout the average for this city, although it is a little higherthan that registered here during the last few weeks. Of 47cases of zymotic diseases intimated to the authorities under

the provisions of the Police Act, 17 were cases of fever, 6 0diphtheria, 8 of scarlatina, and 16 of measles; and of thesecases 6 proved fatal,-viz., those reported as diphtheriaDuring the week there have been 9 fatal cases of diarrhoeaOf a total of 123 births registered, 9 were illegitimate.

IRELAND.

(From our own Correspondent.)

A CASE of sporadic cholera of an aggravated characteroccurred at Dungannon on the llth inst., and terminatedfatally after twelve hours’ illness. The facts of the case areas follows :-The patient, a strong, healthy man aged thirty-five, a flax-dresser, returned about a week previous to hisattack from England, where he had been working at histrade. As his friends did not attach much importance tohis illness, no medical advice was obtained for some hours;but Dr. Browne, medical officer of health, saw him aboutthree hours before death, when he was in a state of collapseand presented all the symptoms of a severe form of cholera.Dr. Browne regarded the case as one of sporadic cholera of avery aggravated type. All the necessary sanitary precau-tions were taken as if the case were one of an infectivecharacter, and it is satisfactory to find that a similar attackhas not taken place in the locality.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD FOR IRELAND.

In the last annual report attention was drawn to the factthat the returns for the year ended February, 1884, showeda decrease in the average daily number of persons relieved inthe workhouses as compared with the number so relievedin the preceding year, but that there had been an increasein the number of persons who received out-door relief. Thereturns for the year just ended show a still further declinein the number of persons relieved in the workhouses,whilst there is also a considerable diminution in the averagedaily number of persons who received out-door relief, as

compared with either of the preceding four years. Duringthe twelve months ending on the 17th of January last thetotal number of deaths in the workhouses amounted to11,238, being a decrease of 1167 as compared with the pre-vious return. Deaths by fever were 510, as against 594; bylung disease, 1929, as against 2213; and deaths by small-pox, 1, as against 11 in the previous year. As regards thenumber of cases in which medical relief was afforded underthe Medical Charities Act, it appears that there was a de-crease of 17,312, including those prescribed for at dis-pensaries and attended at their own homes, as comparedwith the year preceding. During the year ended Septem-ber 30th, 1884, there were 102,548 persons vaccinated, beinga decrease of 3523 as compared with 1883. The total ex-penditure of poor-rates for poor relief, medical relief, burial-grounds, sanitary measures, superannuation, uc., was in 1884.El,286,735, being a decrease of £40,228 as contrasted with1883. The sanitary expenditure for the year was £58,844.

NORTH DUBLIN UNION.

The guardians last week appointed a medical officer toCabra Auxiliary. There were two candidates-Drs. Maguireand Kenny-for the post, both being medical officers of theunion. A letter was received from Dr. Maguire offering toperform the duties at S50 per annum, but notwithstandingthis the guardians appointed Dr. Kenny at an annual salary of£75. The choice of the guardians may no doubt beaccounted for on political and religious grounds. Dr.Maguire is a Protestant, and Dr. Kenny a Roman Catholic,who has identified himself with the Land League agitation.

Dr. Charles F. Knight was a candidate for a seat on theSenate of the Royal University of Ireland at the meeting ofConvocation held last week; but as a sufficient number werenot present, the election has been postponed to Oct. 18th.Dublin, August 18th.

INVENTIONS EXHIBITION. - Messrs. Wm. Woollamsand Co., of High-street, near Manchester-square, W., theoriginal makers of non-arsenical paper-hangings, have beenawarded a bronze medal at the Inventions Exhibition forspecimens of "embossed leather" and "tergorine," lacqueredand decorated, for scenes, wall-hangings, &c.