914 NOTES COMMENTS AND ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

METEOROLOGICAL READINGS.(Taken daily at 8.80 a.m. by S’teward’e Instruments.)

THE LANCET Office, April 5th, 1894.

Medical Diary for the ensuing Week.OPERATIONS.

METROPOLITAN HOSPITALS.MONDAY.-London (2 P.M.). St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s

(3.30 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), St. Mark’s (2 P.M.), Chelsea(2p.M.),Samaritan (Gynecological, by Physicians, 2 P.M.), Soho.square(2 P.M.), Royal Orthopaedic (2 P.M.).

TUESDAY. -London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 PM.), Guy’s(1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), WestLondon (2.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.),St. Mary’s (1.30 P.M.). St. Mark’s (2.30 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.).

WEDNESDAY. -St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), University College(2 P.M.), Royal Free (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing-cross(3 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), London (2 p.M ), Great NorthernCentral (2.30 P.M.) King’s College (2 P.M.). National Orthopaedic(10 A.M.), St. Peter’s (2 P.M.), Samaritan (2.30 P.M.), Great Ormond-street (9.30 A.M.).

THURSDAY.-St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.),University College (2 P.M.), Charing-cross (3 P.M.), St. George’s(1 P.M.), London (2 P.M), King’s College (2 P.M.), Middlesex (2 P.M.),Chelsea (2 P.M.), Soho-sq. (2 P.M.), North West London (2 P.M.)

FRIDAY.-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s(3.30 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Charing.cross (3 P.M.), St. George’s(1 P.M.), King’s College (2 P.M.).

SATURDAY.-Royal Free (9 A.M. and 2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.),St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), London (2 P. M.), University College (9.15 A.M.),Charing-cross (3 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.).

At the Royal Eye Hospital (2 P.M.), the Royal London Ophthalmic(10 A.M.), the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic (1.30 P.M.), and theCentral London Ophthalmic Hospitals operations are performed daily.

SOCIETIES.TUESDAY.—ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY (20, Hanover-

square, W.).—Mr. Herbert E. Dutham : Un Persistence of the Thyreo-glossal Duct, with Remarks on Median Cervical Fistulæ and Cystsdue to Embryonic Remnants (communicated by Mr. Arthur EDurham).-Dr. Ernst Michels : Case of Supra-peritoneal Vesical

Hernia (communicated by Mr. R. W. Parker)WEDNESDAY.-LARYNGOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON (20, Hanover-

square, W.).-5 P.M. Discussion on the question of Anaesthetics inOperations for Post-nasal Adenoid Growths.

THE SANITARY INSTITUTE (Parkes Museum, Margaret-street, W.).-8 P.M. Mr. Lewis H. Isaacs : The Construction of Roads andStreets from a Sanitary Point of View. The paper will be followedby a Discussion.

HUNTERIAN SOCIETY.—8.30P.M. Clinical Evening. Dr.William Ettles:Buphthalmia.—Dr. Arnold Chaplin: General Glandular Enlarge-ment.-Dr. Arthur Davies: Leucodermia.—Dr. Fred. J. Smith:(1) Charcot’s Joint Disease; (2) Cerebral Tumour.-Sir Hugh R.Beevor: Myxœdema.-Dr. Stowers : Unusual Syphilitic Eruption.-Mr. J. F. Woods: Cases illustrating Treatment by Suggestion.The President will also show cases.

THURSDAY.-NORTH LONDON MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY(New Board Room, Great Northern Central Hospital, Holloway-road, N.).-9 P.M. Dr. C. E. Beevor: On a case of Cerebral Tumour,with Remarks on certain Degeneration of Nerves and ConsequentSymptoms (with lantern illustrations).-Mr. C. B. Lockwood: Acase of Enterectomy and Intestinal Suture after StrangulatedHernia; Recovery.

FRIDAY.—BRITISH LARYNGOLOGICAL AND RHINOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION(11,Chandos-street).—2P.M. Dr.J.Macintyre: The Use of the Phono-graph in Teaching and Practice. Mr. Geo. Stoker will open a Dis-cussion upon the Expediency of Tracheotomy as a Preliminary toThyrotomy for the Removal of Foreign Bodies from the Larynx.Cases will be shown by Dr. W. M. Whistler, Mr. F. Marsh, Mr. J. C.Wilkin, and Mr. Mayo Collier. Pathological Specimens will beshown by Dr. J. Macintyre and Mr. Wyatt Wingrave.

CLINICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.-8.30 P.M. Dr. Finlay: A case ofAbscess of the Spleen.-Dr. T. J. Maclagan: Cases of Myocarditis.—Mr. Arbuthnot Lane : Cases illustrating a more Effectual andScientific Treatment of Fracture of the Tibia and Fibula thanthat in common use. -Mr. G. R. Turner: A case of Pelvic Enchon-droma.-Mr. R. W. Parker : A case of Strangulated Femoral Herniacomplicated by Volvulus; with especial reference to the Continua-tion of Obstruction after Herniotomy.

LECTURES AND ADDRESSES.TUESDAY. - ROYAL INSTITUTION. - 3 P.M. Prof. J. A. Fleming:Electric Illumination.WEDNESDAY.—WEST LONDON HOSPITAL (Hammersmith, W.).-5 P.M.

Mr. MacAdam Eccles : Head Injuries. (Post graduate Lecture.)THURSDAY.-ROYAL INSTITUTION.-3 P.M. Mr. F. Seymour Haden :

The Etching Revival.FRIDAY.-ROYAL INSTITUTION.-9 P.M. Prof. J. J. Thomson: Some

’ - Properties of the Electric Discharge through Gases.SATURDAY.—ROYAL INSTITUTION.-3 P.M. Mr. John Alfred Gray:

Life among the Afghans.

Notes, Short Comments & Answers toCorrespondents.EDITORIAL NOTICE.

IT Is most important that communications relating to thaEditorial business of THE LANCET should be addressedexclusively II To THE EDITORS," and not in any case to anygentleman who may be supposed to be connected with theEditorial staff. It is urgently necessary that attention begiven to this notice. -It is especially requested that early intelligence of local events

having a medical interest, or which it is desirable to bringunder the notice of the profession, may be sent direct to thisOffice.

Lectures, original articles, and reports should be written on mwside only of the paper.

Letters, tvhether intended for insertion or for private informa-tion, must be authenticated by the names and addresses oftheir writers, not necessarily for publication.

We cannot prescribe or recommend practitioners.Local papers containing reports or news paragraphs should be

marked and addressed To the Sub-Editor."Letters relating to the publication, sale and advertising de.

partments of THE LANCET s.hould be addressed "To tluPublisher. "

We cannot undertake to return MSS. not used.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE.Ix order to facilitate the work of reference to the volumes

of THE LANCET, we have arranged to publish duplicatecopies of the Index to each half-yearly volume in a form inwhich they may be subsequently filed or bound together.Those of our subscribers who may wish to be supplied withloose copies can obtain the same (without extra charge) onmaking application to the Publisher of THE LANCET.

ENGLISH MEDICAL EDUCATION IN PARIS.

IN reply to more than one correspondent seeking information on theabove subject, we may say that since the promulgation of the newlaw on Dec. 1 st, 1893, persons desiring to practise on French territorymust hold the M.D. degree of a French faculty. Graduation involvea

passing five examinations and sustaining a thesis. Not more than thefirst three examinations may be passed in certain cases, but thisfavour will, perhaps, be more grudgingly accorded than in pasttimes.The total fees amount to about £60.

Mr. 2’. A. Buck.-We are clearly of opinion that in the event of amember of a hospital staff being unable to respond to a call forhis services, his place should be taken by one of his colleagues onthe staff, and not by any one unconnected with the hospital. No

doubt a combined protest would have the effect of preventing anyfurther cause for complaint.

Cards should consult a solicitor. We do not think he has any remedy.

ESSENCE OF COFFEE IN NARCOTIC POISONIifG."To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—In reference to Dr. Campbell’a suggestion, contained inTHE LANCET of March 2 itch, that essence of coffee may be used in placeof the ordinary article in cases of opium poisoning, I would like to quote

,

the words of Mr. Thurber, of the well-known firm of Thurber, Why’-land, and Co , of New York. He says :

" What is generally known asessence of coffee, in common parlance, is a coffee-colouring substancemade from burnt sugar or molasses. The name essence of coffee is a

misnomer." I fear that Dr. Campbell’s suggestion is a very dangerousone, for there is no reason to suppose that any of the so-called11 essences " or " extracts" have any of the anti-narcotic properties 01the genuine article. If coffee be added to the extract at all, there isonly just enough of it to give a coffee-like smell to the mixture.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Brixton-road, S.W., March 26th, 1894. DUNCAN SMYTH, M.D.

*** Although our correspondent’s letter contains statements of such

sweeping condemnation regarding the genuineness of coffee

essences we think it right that it should have publicity. Accord-

ing to the works of reference we have consulted there is reallyvery little information about the composition of coffee essences.

However, we are loth to believe that the manufacturers of coffeeextracts &c. invariably supply a sophisticated article, and we shallbe glad, therefore, to receive from such manufacturers samples,which we will submit to analysis in THE LANCET Laboratory,with the view, subsequently, of placing the results before ourreaders.-ED. L