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Notes, Short Comments, and Answersto Correspondents.

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND THEIR MEDICAL OFFICERS.

A CORRESPONDENT has forwarded to us four issues of the Eastern DailyPress-namely, those of Nov. 5th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. In the issueof Nov. 5th appeared an annotation by " Our Friendly SocietiesEditor" concerning the "relationship between the doctors and thefriendly societies," pointing out that in Norwich the relationshipwas not strained but that in the North of England, and especially inPreston, there was a good deal of friction. So much so is this the

case, says the Friendly Societies Editor, that owing to the Prestonfriendly societies’ medical officers having combined to raise their

charges by 25 per cent. the societies have determined on a countercombination. One society is stated to have " already its ownsalaried doctor- and has announced its willingness to take inthe members of other friendly societies for medical treat-ment at 2s. 10d. per member per year for four years and2s. 4d. afterwards. The new terms of the combining doctors are2s. 6d. per year for juveniles and 4s. for adults." The editor goeson to say that he does not think that the medical men have been

overpaid, but that he can understand the resentment shown by thesocieties. He then quotes with approval some remarks by a writerin the Leeds IFeeMy Budget, who says that the medical men are toblame, that formerly they were glad to get a club, but that of late theprofession has become overcrowded. In answer to this, a corre-spondent of the Eastern Daily Press, sigoing himself "Justitia,"writes in the issue of Nov. 14th pointing out that mejical officers offriendly societies desire a rise owing to the great increase in the costof medical education, surgical appliances, and expenses of living.Wages have risen but the medical officers’ fees remain much thesame as in the past. In the issue of the Eastern DailyPres8 for Nov. 16th the Friendly Societies Editor has a longletter in which he argues that the Medical Institute ofNorwich pays its medical men a net income of .B280 with B25for rent. Further, " these gentlemen have no establishment

charges, no drugs to buy, no surgical appliances to furnish, no chargefor horse-keeping, and no bad debts. Yet 3s. per member is found tobe ample to provide the lot." All we can say is that if the pay men-tioned is not exceptional but is the average pay for a year, themedical officers of the Norwich Medical Institute are better off than

many of their brethren. As a rule, however, the "club doctor’’has, we believe, to provide his own dressings and they cost nolittle sum.

AN INCOME-TAX GRIEVANCE.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I have been in practice in a small country town for a shorttime and have been assessed by the surveyor of taxes at a much

higher figure than I earn. On my writing to him he informs me thatI must bring my case before the commissioners at the local court.

Now one of the commissioners is a fellow practitioner in the town.My solicitor writes: "It is, as you say, an undoubted hardship thatone medical man should be enabled as a commissioner of taxes to

make himself cognisant with all the details of his rival’s practice."I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

Nov. 25th, 1906. MEDICO.

*** Unless our correspondent is claiming exemption he should appealto the Special Commissioners instead of to the General Commis-sioners. This would obviate the difficulty which he raises.-ED. L.

BODIE AGAIN.

THE irrepressible " Dr." Bodie was, we learn from the RhonddaLeader of Nov. 23rd, about to favour Tonypandy with a visit thisweek. The Rhondda Leader gives him a half-page obvious

advertisement, a third of a column is devoted to setting forth thevirtues of his "Electric Liniment," and a whole column all but 11line3 is given up to an announcement of his coming to Tonypandy,to what a wonderful person he is, and to a testimonial from a personsigning himself Daniel Hughes, Minister, Church of Christ, UpperParliament-street, Liverpool. This last column is writte as aneditorial. Quackery seems to flourish in the Rhondda if we ma.yjudge by sundry other advertisements dealing with herbal recipes,lightning cough cures, bile beans, zambuk, Mrs. Slater who professesto cure women’s inward weakness without operation or inwardinstruments, and Jalal Deen, the Indian oculist and piles specialist.The popular belief in all forms of quackery from " Christian Science

"

down to electric belts is amazing and would be comic were it not soserious. But so long as an enlightened Government, whether Toryor Whig, permits quackery we must make allowances for the innatefolly of human nature.

THE REMOVAL OF TATTOOING.

PEOPLE who in their youth have been foolish enough to submit totattooing are often anxious, when they have attained to years of

discretion, to have the marks obliterated. In the Archives deThérapeutique for May Dr. Variot describes his method of pro-cedure in such cases. In the first place the site should be freelylaved with a concentrated solution of tannin, while wads of cotton-wool steeped in the same solution are made ready in order to insureasepsis and to arrest the flow of blood. Secondly, the operator,employing an instrument resembling that used by tatooers, whichconsists of three or four fine needles fixed evenly in a suitable

handle, should transfix the tattooed skin in an oblique direction andby a turn of his wrist bring the points of the needles out throughthe epidermis. Thirdly, as soon as the surface of the designhas been thoroughly pricked and torn a pencil of nitrate ofsilver should be rubbed over it pretty freely. Lastly, the

resulting superficial eschar should be sprinkled with powderedtannin and left undisturbed and unwashed for about ten days. Thedermis will then fall, bringing with it the tattooing and leaving onlya red mark which speedily blanches and before long disappearsalmost entirely. There should be no suppuration.

THE LATE DR. J. P. MAGUIRE.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.SIRS,-In sending you the concluding list of subscribers to the

Maguire Fund, which is now closed, I wish to repeat my expressionsof thanks to you and to the generous subscribers. The fund realised inall B63 12s. 6d , a sum sufficient for all present requirements.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Ballinrobe, co. Mayo, Nov. 25th, 1907. R. B. MAHON.

* Mr. Elliott, with kind forethought, wishes 10s. 6d. to go to the littleboy as a Christmas present.

DIAGNOSIS BY FINGER-NAILS.A CORRESPONDENT forwards the following letter, which he receivedfrom Budapest, for the consideration of our readers :-

Dear Sir !-Some time ago I read in the papers about a London

physician by name of " Dr. Blake," I believe, who owns a systemof diagnose from the finger nails.We have a man here in Hungary who is reading people’s diagnose

from their finger nails with a perplexing accuracy that borders hardon second sight 1

I have observed this man and his doings on people up to thehighest stands for years and taken such an interest in the casethat I am anxious to get into contact with your "Dr. Blake," inorder to correspond with him on the subject.

I don’t know if I am addressing this to the right place, but Icertainly hope that you will have the kindness to assist me in myendeavour to find out this gentleman. My letter to him came backas insufficiently addressed.

If such physician exists thereabouts at all you will greatly obligeme by forwarding to him these lines. If not, please inform me ofit in a few words.With most sincere thanks beforehand, I am, dear Sir, yours

very respectfully,Budapest, Hungary, 25 Oct., 1907.

M.A.-We do not agree with our correspondent. Treatment by corre-spondence must always be dangerous and unscientific even thoughin an occasional case good rather than harm may follow uponobedience to the written advice.

F. W. Thomas.-The subject has not been discussed at length in anyparticular issue of THE LANCET tor our readers, who are membersof the medical profession, have no need of such a debate.

COMMUNICATIONS not noticed in our present issue will receive attentionin our next.

Daring the week marked copies of the following newspapershave been received;-Rhondda Leader, Surrey Advertiser,Eastern Daily Press, North Mail, Daily Telegraph, Newcastle

Chronicle, Kent Herald, Pall Mall Gazette, Irish Independent,Newcastle Chronicle, Furnitiere Record, No!ts Evening New-3,Manchester -Dispatch, Daily Chronicle, The 1ribune, SouthportGuardian, Manchester Daily Dispatch, Montreal Star, GlasgowEvening Times, Bristol Times, Peebles Advertiser, BradfordTelegraph, Wolverhampton Chronicle. Farm and Home, MorningLeader, Veterinary Record, East Anglian Times, RichmondGazette, &e.