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Notes, Short Comments, and Answersto Correspondents.

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I should be obliged for your advice on the following. I was

attending a postman, X, as a private patient and I had no connexion,official or otherwise, with the Post Office. After the man had beenill a few days the postmaster here said that the Post Office required amedical certificate of the man’s state, and asked me to furnish one. Isent him the required certificate. A month or two later he asked me ifthe man would be able to resume his work, and I informed him that hewould be permanently disabled. He then said that the Post Office

required a medical certificate to that effect so that they might appointa permanent postman instead of a substitute, and asked me to givehim one. I sent him the required certificate. At no time was anyreference made to the patient-i.e., that he should supply thecertificate-nor was the patient consulted about the certificates, thoughI subsequently mentioned to him that I had so certified. On July lstI sent the postmaster here a bill for 10s. 6d. for the two certificatesand asked him to forward it to the proper quarter. He to-day returnedmy bill with a curt note that

" I am instructed to inform you that Xhas no claim on the Post Office Department." I made the bill out tothe Postmaster-General. Is my bill a fair one? and is the amount due

by, and recoverable from, the Postmaster-General ? I do not claim theamount from the patient X. An answer in your columns will oblige.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,July llth, 1901. H. P. A.

*** We cannot undertake to give legal advice nor could a lawyer do sowithout fuller details as to the precise circumstances attending eachof the two requests for a certificate. All such cases if they arebrought into courts of law depend upon the several facts proved withregard to them and no two cases are alike. Speaking from H. P. A.’sletter we do not see that he has much to complain of on generalgrounds as to the first certificate, at any rate. An employ desiringto be excused from work can hardly expect his employer to pay forthe medical certificate which obtains him leave to be absent. It is,however, important in all cases where doubt may arise that themedical practitioner should ascertain definitely beforehand who willbe liable to repay him for his services. The making of the necessaryinquiry or the stating of the conditions upon which he will act cannotbe more disagreeable than having to enter into a discussion, andpossibly litigation, afterwards.-ED. L.

THE PRINTER AGAIN.

OUR esteemed contemporary, the JoicrnaL of the American MedicalAssociation, in its issue of July 6th, 1901, has on its contents pageunder the heading "Addresses,"the following startling title, " Povertyand Pregnancy: their Cause, Prevention, and Cure.’’ That poorpeople do sometimes attempt by various measures, some of which areunpleasant, some of which are injudicious, and some of which areillegal, to escape the responsibilities while enjoying the privileges ofmatrimony is well known. But it is so contrary to the medical viewof what is right publicly to advocate the prevention of pregnancy asa cure of poverty that we turned to the article with apprehension.Yet we might have guessed to whose jocosity we had fallen a victim.It was the merry printer. Within the pages of the journal thearticle receives its proper heading-viz., " Poverty and Degeneracy :their Cause, Prevention and Cure."

DUTCH WOMEN AND CHILDREN FUND, VICTORIA LEAGUE.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-At the invitation of the Victoria League a committee has beenformed of a number of well-known ladies and gentlemen of both

political parties who have joined together to give their help for therelief of the sick women and children in the Boer concentration camps.The committee has been appointed with the full approval of the Secre-tary of State for War.The aims of the committee are purely philanthropic, absolutely non-

political. There is at present undoubtedly much sickness in the Boerconcentration camps, particularly amongst the women and children.The British officers in charge of the camps and their civilian assistants,under difficult conditions, are doing their utmost for the people undertheir care, but the numbers with which they have to deal are large andsome suffering is unavoidable. If by well-directed private effort extracomforts and clothing could be distributed to those women andchildren who are most in want much of this suffering might be pre-vented. It is thoroughly appreciated by the Government that thereis in the concentration camps considerable scope for the exercise of

properly regulated private charity, and ladies are now being appointedby the War Office who will visit the camps and will give their help inthe distribution of gifts from private sources. A considerable sum hasalready been subscribed, but much more is needed. The committee ofthe " Dutch, Women and Children Fund " is therefore obliged to call onthe generosity of the British people, and it confidentlylappeals to men

and women of all opinions to give their help liberally to this work of paci- fication, of simple charity and humanity. Pecuniary help will be mostuseful and the most appreciated. All cheques should be sent to Miss

’

Talbot, Honorary Treasurer, Dutch Women and Children Fund, VictoriaLeague, Dacre House, Victoria- street, S.W. Cheques should be marked" Dutch Women and Children Fund," and crossed " London and West-minster Bank, Limited." For private individuals it is not advisable to buyclothing or hospital comforts for presentation to the committee, but frommerchants and manufacturers, and from working parties, gifts of newclothing, material, medicine, and hospital comforts will be gratefullyreceived. A memorandum of directions, as a guide to those who wishto make gifts in kind, is being circulated. All packages intended for" The Dutch Women and Children Fund " should be sent, carriage paid,to Messrs. Barnes and Co., Limited, Battle Bridge-lane, Tooley-street,S.E., who have kindly consented to act as agents and shippers tothe committee. All communications and inquiries should be addressedto the Honorary Secretary.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,,

G. BONHAM-CARTER, Honorary Secretary.Dutch Women and Children Fund, Victoria League,

Dacre House,Victoria-street, S.W., July 13th, 1901.

** Pressure on our space compels us to omit the names of the membersof the committee.-ED. L.

THE WEIR-MITCHELL TREATMENT.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I shall feel much obliged to any of your readers for informa-tion respecting either a private home or an institution where a littlegirl, aged eight years, can be received for treatment mainly uponthe lines of the Weir-Mitchell plan ? The parents are in a position topay a fair remuneration but not very high charges.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,July 15th, 1901. SPES.

NOTE ON LARGE F(ETUS.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-On the 4th of this month I delivered Mrs. - of a malechild weighing 16 pounds. It was of the length and size of a child sixor seven months old. Owing to the difficulty in extracting theshoulders it was stillborn.-I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

J. McCONNELL, M.B. R.U.I., M.R.C.S.Eng.Battersea-rise, S.W., July 9th, 1901.

"THE FREAKS OF MEMORY."

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-In reply to your correspondent A. Pariss in THE LABCET ofJuly 13th, p. 116, I think he will find similar cases to substantiate the

very interesting one he quotes recorded in the late Professor Sir T. Grainger Stewart’s book on Nervous Diseases.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,JOHN ROI3ER’1 WILLIAMS, M.B.Edin.

Penmaenmawr, July 14th, 1901.

A NEW ADHESIVE TAPE PLASTER.

WE have received from the St. Ilelens Cable Co. a sample of a new

rubber tape which is prepared by coating one side of a sheet of pre-viously vulcanized rubber with a facing of pure Para rubber. The

pure rubber remains very adhesive, and the tape if wrapped round thefinger or over any bandage or dressing forms a perfectly water-tightcovering. It is sold at 5s. 6d. per lb.

GERMAN HEALTH RESORTS.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-Can any of your readers oblige me by informing me ofthe best route either to Nordrach or Nauheim, or both places, with thecost of journey for two medical men ? I wish to combine the pleasureof a holiday with the profit of a personal visit to the sanatoria for con-sumption and heart disease. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Kent, July 16th, 1901. VIATOR.

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R. K.-If our correspondent inquires of his usual medical attendant he-will obtain the information which he desires.

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

M E T E O R O L O G I C A L READINGS.(Taken daily at 8.30 a.m. by Steward’s Instruments.)

THE LANCET Office, July 18th, 1901.