1583IRELAND.-PARIS.

in 1875, taking his M.D. 20 years later. In his earlyprofessional career he was surgeon on board the Polar

exploration vessel Victory. Dr. Murison then took up generalpractice at Walls, Shetland. Once he nearly lost his lifethrough being attacked by enteric fever, a virulent epidemicof which he was fighting. His devotion won him the gratitudeof a large number of the inhabitants of Shetland, amongwhom he was always welcomed on his visits to the island inlater years. Nov. 22nd.

IRELAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Maintenance of Lunatics.THE failure of the Treasury to pay the usual capitation

grants for the maintenance of lunatics has naturally causedmuch anxiety throughout the country. As recorded inTHE LANCET of Oct. 29th (p. 1313), an influential deputa-tion, representing the various local authorities, waitedon Mr. Birrell a few weeks ago to press the matteron the attention of the Government. In reply, theChief Secretary asked for suggestions how to deal withthe lunacy problem as a whole. At a conference in theDublin city hall last week of representatives of the Irishcounty and borough councils, the Lord Mayor of Dublin pre-siding, certain resolutions were passed, and a deputation wasappointed to convey to Mr. Birrell the views of the confer-ence upon the questions dealt with. In the meantime, in theHouse of Commons Mr. Birrell, when questioned on the

subject by Captain Craig, declared himself unable to makeany promise of a minimum capitation grant, while Mr.

Lloyd George informed Mr. Lonsdale that the questionwould be considered in connexion with the generalproblem of local and imperial taxation with which theGovernment was pledged to deal at the earliest opportunity.

Question of Suicidal Ward in Richmond Asylum.A suicide having occurred some weeks ago in the Richmond

Lunatic Asylum, the Inspectors of Lunatics made certain

suggestions as to exercising greater care with regard to

patients known to have suicidal tendencies. The most

important of these suggestions was that a special suicidal "

ward should be established. In a special report to his com-mittee of management, the resident medical superintendentof the asylum, Mr. J. O’C. Donelan, argued strongly againstsuch a plan. He points out that the accumulation togetherof a number of acute melancholic patients would militateagainst their recovery. He also objects to giving writteninstructions on special points to attendants, as it tends tolimit their attention to such points. Mr. Donelan in his

management of the asylum follows the same principles ashis predecessor and former chief, Dr. Conolly Norman.

Clinical Teacki7ig in Dublin.In the many discussions on medical education which have

taken place in Dublin in the last few years there has beenevident a certain discrepancy between the aims of theclinical teachers and those of the teachers of science. Someof the clinical teachers have been inclined to suspect adisposition on the part of their colleagues in the schoolsto trespass on the time set apart for hospital attendance.In Dublin clinical instruction begins each day at 9, andlasts till 11 or later. There has always, therefore, beenan understanding that formal lectures in the schools shouldnot begin earlier than noon. Breaches have been made inthis understanding of late years, and in spite of assurancesgiven by the school authorities to the hospitals two yearsago, certain of the professors continue to lecture at hourswhich render regular hospital attendance impossible. Theclinical authorities now threaten to invoke the assistance ofthe General Medical Council, but it is doubtful whether thatbody has power to interfere. The matter should be capableof ready settlement,

The Belfast Medical Students’ Association.At the inaugural meeting of the present session, held on

Nov. 15th, the incoming President, Dr. W. W. D. Thomson,delivered an address on " The Country Doctor," and ProfessorJ. A. Lindsay delivered an address on the Prospect before theMedical Student To-day, which has already been publishedin your columns.

, Ulster Medical Society.The annual dinner of the Ulster Medical Society took

place in the Medical Institute, Belfast, on Nov. 18th. Dr.J. S. Morrow, the senior vice-president, in the absencethrough ill health of the president, occupied the chair.The chairman proposed The King "and "The Lord Lieu-tenant and Prosperity to Ireland," to which the Lord Mayorof Belfast replied. Sir John Byers proposed" The Guests,"to which His Honour the Recorder, Judge McIlroy, K.C., theVice-Chancellor of the Queen’s University of Belfast, and thePresident of the Ulster branch of the British Medical Associa-tion, Dr. W. Calwell, responded. Professor T. Sinclair gavethe last toast-the health of the chairman, to which Dr.Morrow replied. Good musical selections were renderedduring the evening.

Public Health in Belfast.The Belfast corporation is promoting an omnibus Health

Bill, and has given notice that in the ensuing session it willintroduce the Bill. Among the clauses are a number of veryimportant ones dealing with public health and sanitary pro-visions ; some to obtain better control of women practisingmidwifery in the city of Belfast, others to confer furtherpowers on the corporation with respect to meat inspectionand for the better regulation of slaughter-houses, and for theseizure of tuberculous carcasses of meat.

Local Government Board Inspector.Dr. Brian O’Brien has been appointed Local Government

Board medical inspector in place of Dr. C. J. Clibborn, whoshortly retires under the 65 years age limit. For Dr. O’Brien’sposts in Belfast-divisional surgeonship of the constabulary,surgeonship to the Queen-street Children’s Hospital, andmedical attendant to Guinness’s employees-there is a vigorottscontest amongst the younger practitioners.

Surgeon-Major-General Jumes Sinclair, M.D. Edin., BonoraryPhysician to H.M. the King.

On Monday, Nov. 21st, Surgeon-Major-General JamesSinclair, M.D., a distinguished officer in the Army MedicalStaff Corps, died at his residence, Cliftonville, Belfast, frombronchitis and heart failure at the advanced age of 79 years.Throughout his lengthened career in the army he was held inthe highest esteem by all ranks, while in civilian life he wasgreatly liked for his social qualities. The funeral, withmilitary honours, took place on Wednesday, Nov. 23rd.Nov. 23rd.

_________________

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Disorderly BeTiczvie2cr of Medical Students.DISTURBANCES similar to those of last year have occurred

during the anatomical lectures of Professor Nicolas in the ‘

Paris Faculty of Medicine and have been carried so far thatthe professor was unable to make himself heard. Anofficial notice has therefore been displayed on the wallsof the buildings stating that the Dean of the Facultyof Medicine was making a final appeal to the studentswho have created disturbances in this lecture-roomsince the reopening of the classes, and that he was atthe same time giving them a final warning. The deanassured the students that those of them who wished to workwould be enabled to do so, that the authority of the pro-fessors would be fully maintained, and that he would takeall the steps necessary for having offenders dealt with by theUniversity Council. This notice had the effect of imme-diately putting an end to the disturbances, and M. Nicolas isnow able to lecture without interruption.

The Dietetic and Physical Treatment of Epilepsy.At a meeting of the Therapeutical Society held on Nov. 9th

M. Deschamps described the dietetic and physical treatmentof epilepsy. He said that since the time when auto-intoxica-tion came to be regarded as a factor in the causation ofepilepsy it had been recognised that bromides were not apanacea for the disease, that dietetic measures for thecounteraction of auto-intoxication were valuable, and that anefficient action of the digestive organs was not less important.A further improvement was to supplement dietetic treatmentby galvanisation and faradisation of the abdominal walls andto give baths of running water gradually cooled.

1584 -PARIS.-BERLIN.

Action for Damages against a Mediaal Man.Some months ago a married woman brought an action

against Dr. Doyen, claiming 30,000 francs damages on

account of an operation for spasmodic torticollis which hehad performed on her gratuitously. The court having decidedagainst her, she lodged an appeal, and when this was heardon Nov. 16th her counsel raised objections against themedical examination of the patient already made by threeexperts who had reported that she was recovered. He askedthat there should be a fresh examination by other experts, butthe court refused this request, and upheld the decision arrivedat in the previous trial.

The Depopulation of F’ranee.At a meeting of the Société de l’Internat, held on Oct. 27th,

M. Jayle, after describing the progressive diminution of theFrench population from the eighteenth century to the presentday, said that the chief causes of it were the constant carebestowed on persons suffering from physical defects, togetherwith systematic inattention to the interests of those whowere healthy. Children of good constitution did not receivethe same care and protection as sickly ones did, and the resultwas racial deterioration with a diminution in the number ofchildren. Next in order of causation were certain social orindustrial advantages which childless persons had over

parents. Children were considered as a burden to be avoided ;persons who had none were to this extent better able toengage in the struggle for existence, and obtained goodsituations more easily than heads of families did. A thirdcause of depopulation was the high mortality of thechildren of the poorer classes. M. Jayle consideredthat the best means of remedying these evils wouldbe the imposition of a tax which he called the

inapot du sang transmis. The efEect of this would be that

every man in fairly comfortable circumstances must, if hehad not got three children, pay a yearly sum equivalent tothe maintenance of one or more children in the class of

society to which he belonged. A State institution for theassistance of families would have the duty of dealing withthe funds raised in this way ; the greater part of them wouldbe distributed to poor families having three or more children,and the remainder would be applied for the benefit of variousorganisations for the protection of children. Another recom-mendation was that childless persons, who might on anaverage amount to one-fourth or one-fifth of the number ofparents, should not be permitted to take more than one-

fourth or one-fifth of the situations which were open to befilled.

The Rise of the Seine.The river Seine has risen still further this week, but on

Nov. 20th its level remained stationary or even fell a little.It was indeed high time, for notwithstanding all the measuresof precaution that have been hastily taken, the flood water hasdone immense damage in the banlieue. Near the Austerlitzrailway station the water has by degrees reached the line toOrleans. Thick walls which were built for the purposeare keeping back the rush of water, but there is more leakagethan the pumps can remove. The water is steadily rising inthe basement of the Palais de Justice, so that to get tothe heating apparatus the attendants have to crawl alonggangways almost touching the ceilings.Nov. 21st.

_________________

BERLIN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Paying Ti’ards in Public Hospitals.As already mentioned in these columns, a proposal was

recently made in the town council to the effect that payingwards should be instituted in the municipal hospitals. Thematter was then referred to a commission of the council, andaccording to the daily newspapers this commission has

adopted the proposal and recommended that 7 marks50 pfennigs (= 7s. 6d.) should be charged daily for eachpatient—1s. 6d. of this sum to be given to the physician orsurgeon of the hospital in charge of the patient and theremainder being applied in repayment of the hospital expen-diture on the case. For operations the surgeons should beentitled to charge a fee not exceeding 100 marks (E5). Themedical officers of the municipal hospitals, on being heard

betore the commission, unanimously declined to accept thiscurious scheme, which they said would be prejudicial to theinterests of the profession. It was probable that in theevent of such wards being established in the municipalhospitals many patients of the middle, and even of the

wealthy, classes would seek admission, knowing that theywould be attended or even operated upon by leading phy-sicians and surgeons of Berlin at ridiculously low fees, andin this way a good deal of practice among the middle classeswould be withdrawn from the Berlin practitioners. It is not

very likely that the proposals will be ultimately adopted bythe municipal authorities.Cases and Specimens shown before the Berlin Medical Society,At a recent meeting of the Berlin Medical Society

Professor Bockenheimer reported a case of extra-uterine

pregnancy in which the patient complained of severe

pains in the anus. On examination a small piece of a

pointed bone was found penetrating the anterior wall of the,lower part of the rectum, and a large cavity filled with boneswas found in the pouch of Douglas. On a free incisionbeing made, nearly the whole skeleton of a foetus was thenremoved by the anal route. The patient made a goodrecovery. Professor Orth showed specimens of a case ofextra-uterine pregnancy where an adhesion between thefoetal sac and the jejunum had formed; the legs of thefoetus had perforated the jejunum and the patient diedfrom perforative peritonitis. Dr. Milchner showed a

patient suffering from polycythsemia megalosplenica. Hesaid that of 7000 patients examined in the out-patients’department of the Royal Medical Clinic three were casesof this disease. The patient shown at the meeting had aremarkable red colour of the face ; it was not, however, forthis that he sought advice but because he complained ofdyspnoea and pains in the left hypochondriac region.Venesection proved useless, the numbers of erythrocytesincreasing again after several hours ; the application ofX rays to the spleen was likewise unsuccessful, but underthe use of a dietary containing as little ferruginous materialas possible the quantity of iron in the urine, which had beeneight times the normal amount, decreased and the patient’sgeneral state became better. The polycythasmia, however,remained the same as before.

Improvements in the Wassermann Reaetion.Speaking at a recent meeting of the Berlin Medical

Society Dr. Saalfeld suggested that the requisites for theWassermann reaction, which were of an inconstant com-

position, should be prepared in a central laboratory underState control. He alluded to the cases reported lately byDr. Freudenberg in this society where the results of thereaction in tests made on the same patients and about the sametime in different laboratories showed great discrepancies. Hefurther reported that unqualified persons advertise in the

daily newspapers that they were prepared to perform thereaction on application. He thought that these unfortunateoccurrences would be avoided if the reagents used forthe process were controlled by a competent authority on’behalf of the State in the same way as the law directedwith regard to antidiphtheda serum. In the discus-sion Professor von Wassermann said that there were some

points of difference between the antidiphtheria serum andthe extracts used for his reaction, because the former wereof constant composition, whilst the latter were variablefrom one day to another. The extracts must therefore beexamined every day. He had found a way of meeting therequirements of practitioners who were somewhat alarmedby the uncertain results obtained by incompetent examiners.He had made an arrangement with a chemical factory toprepare the extracts in question and to issue them to themedical profession. Examinations of these extracts will bemade in his laboratory every day, and the factory will beinformed as soon as a certain extract has proved inefficacious,so that the sale of it may be stopped. To prevent thereagents being spoiled by being kept too long after deliveryonly a very small quantity, sufficient for ’not more than fivereactions, will be supplied to each purchaser. Several othermembers spoke against Dr. Saalfeld’s motion, which wasultimately referred to a commission of the society for furtherinquiries.

Multiple Births in Germany.According to the Statistical Year Book of the German

Empire, quoted in the Deutsche Medizinische Vochereaehreft,