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existence of pulmonary cavities in all the cases in whichthe symptoms of epileptoid clonic trembling were observedsuggests the question whether such symptoms were dueto the action on the spinal cord of toxins produced by themicro-organisms in the lungs. M. Levi and M. Follet do notbelieve that the symptoms belong to the class of phenomenaknown as idio-muscular contraction. While admitting that’’ epileptoid trembling " indicates a condition of excitationof the pyramidal tracts which, however, does not result indegeneration of the nerve fibres, they incline to the beliefthat the trembling is due to the action of toxins of tuber-culous or para-tuberculous origin. The symptoms, in short,indicate the presence of the " mixed infection " which super-venes in the progress of pulmonary tuberculosis.

ENDOWMENT OF A LECTURESHIP AT GUY’SHOSPITAL.

IT was announced a few months ago that a generous donorhad presented to the governors of Guy’s Hospital the sum of6000, the interest of which was to be used for the purposeof medical education and research. The question of thebest means of utilising the benefaction was referred to

the staff of the medical school and with the approval ofthe donor it has been decided to endow a lectureship inexperimental pathology. The holder of the appointmentwill be known as the Gordon lecturer, to commemorate thefact that the endowment is due to the generosity of Mr.Robert Gordon. It will be a matter for general satisfac-tion that so important an addition has been made tothe extremely small number of endowed lectureshipsin connexion with medical education in London. It is

particularly appropriate that this addition should have beenmade at the moment when the metropolitan medical schoolshave become affiliated to the University of -London. It is

confidently hoped that the reconstitution of the Universitymay do much to improve medical education in London, butwithout money substantial reforms are with difficulty carriedout. If Mr. Gordon’s example is followed by other wealthymen who appreciate the great benefit to mankind of theincrease and dissemination of medical knowledge, the

Faculty of Medicine of the University of London will

approach its labours in the cause of reform with a lightheart.

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COLORIMETRY IN WATER ANALYSIS.

THERE is little doubt that with greater attention to

colorimetry this convenient method of diagnosing the

quality of water for drinking purposes will become moreaccurate and reliable. The colour of water itself is someindication of its purity and origin while the approximatedetermination of the degree of turbidity is valuable in thesame direction. The value of observations on colour and

turbidity depends largely upon the standards adopted. Thestandards must of course be unvarying and uniform. It maybe noticed that in the monthly reports of the chemists to theLondon water companies the colour of the water is

recorded in degrees of brown and blue based respectivelyupon solutions of standard bichromate of potassium andcopper sulphate. Both these salts are permanent and aretherefore very convenient and accurate for the purpose.Blue, of course, is the normal colour of pure water, the

degree of brown indicating more or less organic matter.It has been shown that the degree of brown varies directlywith the proportion of organic carbon in water. In Americathe determination of the yellowish-brown colour of waterhas been based upon a standard of Nesslerised ammonia.But better than this standard is that obtained by mixingsolutions of a definite strength of potassium platinic chlorideand cobaltous chloride. This standard appears to be perfectlyuniform and practical and accurate for the determination of

the colour in water. It is known as Hazen’s platinum cobaltstandard. As regards turbidity, permanent standards aremade containing a weighed amount of kaolin to distilledwater. Permanent standards may be obtained in the caseof determining the nitrogen in nitrates in water withoutrecourse to artificial colours ; for the production of a yellowcolour by the action of nitric acid upon phenol, as is

depended upon in the analysis of water, is quite permanent.Permanent ammonia standards for both free and albuminoidforms may be prepared with the cobalt platinum solutionalready mentioned. In the case of the estimation of nitrites

depending upon the production of a pink colour with

sulphanilic acid and naphthylamine hydrochlorate, this maybe matched perfectly with a cobalt copper solution. In the

same way the iron in waters, converted into the ferric form

by suitable means, may be exactly measured by means of amixture of standard platinum and cobalt solution. The

permanency of a standard solution is an immense advantageand all contributions to our knowledge relating to thesefactors in analysis will be welcomed. The latest contri-

bution, upon which some of the above statements are

founded, is from the Mount Prospect Laboratory in

Brooklyn, New York, by Mr. Daniel E. Jackson, and hisobservations will be read with interest by all those con-

cerned in the analysis of potable water.

MASQUERADING AS A MAN.

I ON March 2nd a person described on the charge-sheet as" Catherine Coome, aged 66, house decorator, of no fixedhome," appeared in connexion with a case of alleged fraud.She appeared in court dressed as a man and, according toher own story, she was married at 15 years of age. Havingserved as a schoolmistress she went to Birmingham whereshe determined to personate a man, as she thought shewould get on better. She served for two years on boardof a Peninsular and Oriental liner as ship’s cook and

became acquainted with the maid of a lady who lived atHampton Court. This maid she "married" and they livedtogether for 14 years. The "husband" then returned to

London, where, on account of meeting with severe injuries,she had to enter the workhouse, where her sex was dis-

covered. The story is strange enough, but there is nothingparticularly new about it. Besides such heroes of romanceas Billy Taylor, the immortal Rosalind, and the love-sickcrew who (according to Mr. Gilbert) shipped with LieutenantBelay, there are historical instances of women who have

passed their lives as men. Such a one was Christina Davis,who died in July, 1739, after having served many years inthe 2nd Dragoons, afterwards the Scots Greys. She wasborn in 1667, and when quite a young woman marrieda man named Welsh. One day Welsh was forciblyrecruited and sent to serve in Holland in Lord Orrery’sregiment. Christina thereupon dressed herself as a man

and enlisted as a foot soldier so as to find her husband.After many adventures, during which she served in thebattle of Landen, was wounded, taken prisoner, exchanged,and fallen in love with, on account of which last affair shehad to fight a duel, she enlisted in the cavalry and waspresent at the siege of Namur. After the peace of Ryswickshe returned to Ireland without having found her husband,but on war being again declared she took up service again.After the battle of Blenheim she was on prisoners’ guard

and there met her husband, who had long thought her to be. dead. They decided to pass as brothers and continued tor serve. At Ramillies she was severely wounded and her

sex was discovered. Her husband was killed at Malplaquet,. but she was twice married afterwards. At her deathi she was buried in the grounds of Chelsea Hospital, with military honours. Two other remarkable women: were Anne Bonney and Mary Read, who’lived about 200