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burial. There is a repetition of the measures, includingthat of necropsy where necessary, by which the Societyguards itself against any criminal misuse of its methods,a catalogue of the literature, ancient and modern, whichbears on cremation and on burial, and an argumentativesegment represented by three ably reasoned speechesdelivered in 1884 by Drs. Cameron and Farquharson andSir L. Playfair, in support of the former practice. Into thedetails of these, which have been already a frequent themeof discussion, we need not enter at length. They agree inimpressing the need of careful and conclusive certificationin cases of death, and may, we consider, be taken to

establish the position of cremation thus guarded to a placeamong the allowed and regular customs of funeral pro-cedure.

’

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CHOLERA INTELLIGENCE.

Ir is again announced that cholera is assuming activityin Persia. The two towns especially referred to in thisconnexion are Hamadan, which was some months back aseat of the disease, and Tabriz. The importance attachingto this news is especially significant as regards the lattertown, because of its position to the extreme north-east ofPersia, not far from that portion of the boundary of Russiawhich takes a sudden dip to the south between the Blackand the Caspian Seas. We are not surprised to learn that,in view of this prevalence and of the uncertainty as to theamount of cholera at the present moment in Mesopotamia,the Russian Government are making local medical inquiryas to the extent to which the disease is prevailing, and thatthey have forbidden Russian Mussulman subjects from

undertaking any pilgrimages into either Persian or Turkishterritory.

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THE VITALITY OF KOCH’S CHOLERA BACILLUSIN WATER.

PROFESSOR SIRENA of Palermo publishes in La RifonnaMedica his lectures on Koch’s bacillus, embodying someinteresting experiments made by himself on its vitality inwater of different kinds. He finds that in drinking water(from the Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy) the commabacillus dies in from five to six days; in spring water infrom five to eight days; and in well water in from twenty-four hours to six days. In water which has been distilledand sterilised, or sterilised only, the comma bacillus livessome months, occasionally for some days over three months.In water from the river Oreto it lives from two to three days.On the other hand, in the same water when sterilised itsometimes preserves its vitality for over three months. In

sea-water it lives on an average till the fourth day ; while inea-water rendered impure by the discharge of sewage itsurvives only from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Thisobservation is not in accordance with the observations ofNicati and Rietsch, who assert that they found the commabacillus alive after eighty-two days in the harbour of Mar-seilles. While placing entire confidence in those observers,Professor Sirena thinks he can explain this apparent dis-crepancy by the fact that if there is a continuous inflow of newmatter containing cholera germs, they succeed in obtaining apermanent footing in the given liquid. In the water of thesewers Professor Sirena finds that the comma bacillusremains alive for two or three days. Its duration of life inwater and in moist or liquid substances generally dependsupon the presence of saprophytes and other microbes whichare found therein. The richer these substances are in putre-faction microbes, the sooner do the comma bacilli dis-

appear. It is owing to the fact that in drinking water thecomma bacillus lives for several days that the rapid spread ofcholera infection is explained, as thus the infection can by;simple and direct methods penetrate into the system. Tl.e

consequences may be imagined when the sewage or thesurface drainage percolates into the water owing to defectsin the construction of the sewers and drain-pipes. ProfessorSirena suggests that in this case, by reason of the continualinflow, the comma bacilli obtain a permanent footing,and especially so because, as is well known, the destruc-tion of Koch’s bacillus is effected in liquids in which thereis active multiplication of putrefaction germs by sapro-phytes, while in the soil the reproduction and prejudicialinfluence of the saprophytes are suppressed; hence it isthat very often pure cultures of the comma bacillus areobtained from earth. Owing to the same fact, pools ofwater stagnating in the open air are naturally more danger-ous during a cholera epidemic. Changes in the atmospherealso appear to destroy the comma bacillus. The disappear-ance of the comma bacillus from a broth culture is frequentlyshown by the appearance of a greenish tinge in the broth orother liquid employed. The chemical composition of waterhas no influence on the vitality of the comma bacillus.Finally, Professor Sirena finds that a low temperaturerenders it torpid, but does not destroy it.

AMERICAN AND BRITISH PHYSICIANS INVIENNA.

THE recent formation of an Anglo-American ViennaMedical Association should prove a great boon to all

English-speaking medical men and students desirous of

pursuing their studies in that famous centre. The Asso-ciation has issued a leaflet calling attention to the greatfacilities enjoyed by the Vienna student in the centralisa-tion of clinical teaching in one quarter of the city-theGeneral Hospital, with its 2000 beds and numerous depart-ments, the Polyclinic and the Children’s Hospital beingin close proximity to each other. The organisation of post-graduate instruction is also very complete. The Association,which is under the patronage of the British and Americanrepresentatives at the Austrian Court, has an office nearthe General Hospital, where is kept a register of lodgingsand pensions; whilst the new-comer may procure an intro-duction to a member of the committee (which is repre-sentative of different branches of medical study), who willgive him all the information he requires. No charges aremade, but anyone may become a member, the entrance feebeing one gulden. The office address is 12, LandesgerichtsStrasse.

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THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS IN

HONG-KONG.

’, A MEMORIAL from the civil medical practitioners inHong-Kong, protesting against the recent repeal of the

Contagious Diseases Acts and urging upon the Govern-ment their reapplication, has been numerously signed andsent to the Colonial Secretary for the information ofhis Excellency the Governor. This memorial pointsout very forcibly the effects of the repeal of the Acts,and the reasons of the memorialists for hoping that theapplicability of the Contagious Diseases Acts to Hong-Kong may be reconsidered. First and foremost comes

the increase of disease, which, in the words of the

memorialists, "can only be expressed as enormous." Thisis given as from observations in civil practice only ;but the statistical accounts in the medical reports of the

Army and Navy bear out these observations completely.Secondly, the increase of disease is considered to be directlyconnected with the abolition of the Act. This was fullyforetold by all acquainted with the nature of the populationof Hong-Kong. The many different races and nationalitiesmet with, represented by both sexes, render it improbablethat any common spontaneous action would be taken forself-protection, and the result has justified the preconceived-

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belief. Thirdly, it is shown that the conditions of life inHong-Kong give to it a special stamp, one which must beborne in mind while considering the applicability to it ofthe Contagious Diseases Act. Marriage is in many iiier-cantile houses disallowed ; the expenses of living are sohigh as almost to preclude marriage ; while the enormoustravelling and seafaring population constantly passingthrough combines with these other causes to favour thepresence and growth of prostitution. Fourthly, thememorialists say, " We shall welcome the renewal of the

Contagious Diseases Acts in the most rigorous form. Wecannot with anything but sorrow see the havoc lie abolitionof the Contagious Diseases Act is causing to the health of theyouth of Hong-Kong, and from the situation of Hong-Kongin the maritime highway we are conscious of the evils beingwrought in other towns and countries from disease caughthere." Fifthly, it is pointed out that the only persons whowould be pecuniarily affected to their hurt would be the pro-curesses. If those in their charge were compelled to lie upwhen suffering from illness, such a course would be a greatboon to the sufferers themselves. " By enforced rigorousexamination by an honest and capable medical man, a checkis immediately given to a form of slavery viciousin its idea and practice, but still more vile in thatit is the chief cause whereby venereal disease is spread.Still more markedly do the above remarks apply to

Chinese women in brothels, who are to a great extentabsolute slaves to their mistress even in this colony Iunder British rule. The abolition of compulsory exaniina-tion withdrew the last chance of a certain degree of protec-tion from their being compelled to practise prostitutionwhilst suffering from disease." The memorialists add thattheir medical brethren in Singapore and the Straits Settle-ments generally have come forward to request, from ahygienic standpoint, that the Contagious Diseases Act bereapplied. They also urge in conclusion that "it seemsfutile to attempt to legislate for Eastern races in thesematters in the same way as for Europeans, and the localknowledge derived from the benefits of the Act should

weigh against enforced legislation, which, as the colony hasnot been practically consulted in the matter, must neces-sarily be empirical."

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IMMEDIATE TORSION OF TEETH.

THERE have been but few cases published of so-calledimmediate or forcible torsion of teeth to correct mal-

position. In the current number of the Dental RecordMr. Scott Thomson relates one which was successful in a

girl fifteen years of age. The teeth of the upper jaw wereregular, with the exception of the lateral incisors, whichwere twisted through the segment of a circle, the lingualsurfaces looking towards the central incisors, as is usual inthese cases; the teeth were small, and the necks of nearlycylindrical form. As there was not sufficient time duringwhich the patient could be under observation to treat thecase by mechanical means, immediate torsion was decidedupon. Previously to the operation an impression was

taken, and the right lateral sawn off the plaster model andreplaced in the desired position in the arch, and a vulcaniteframe with a gold cap to fit over this tooth was con-

structed. Gas being administered, the right lateral wasgrasped with forceps and rotated, but considerable forcehad to be used, the tooth becoming elongated and loose.The plate was at once adjusted. Not thinking it advisableto operate on the other side until he saw the result of this,and yet not wishing to lose time, Mr. Scott Thomson com-menced to treat the other mechanically. Without goinginto details, it is sufficient to say that in three weeks theleft lateral was only a quarter of a circle out of position, thetooth operated on being firmer, andneither painful nortender.

A second operation easily brought the left lateral into good’position, and a retaining plate with caps for both teethwas at once applied. The patient was seen two monthslater, when the rightlateral was still a little long, but firmer,its colour being as good as its neighbours, and it wa!---

translucent by electric transillumination, showing that the-pulp was living ; the left was almost normal in everyway. The points which seemed to the writer noteworthy in.this case were : first, the age at which the operation was.undertaken, it being laid down as a rule that it should onlybe performed between the ages of eight and ten--that is,before the roots and sockets are fully developed, althoughin this respect it is not a unique ease; and secondly, the-difficulty of the first as contrasted with the second torsion,,the ease of the latter being doubtless due to the three weeks’mechanical treatment having enlarged the socket. The-

dangers necessarily incurred in this operation of fracturingthe tooth with the forceps, or of rupturing or strangulating-the vessels entering the pulp, make it one, Mr. ScottThomson thinks, not lightly to be entered upon-in fact,only to be performed as a dernier ressort.

GERMAN MEDICAL CONGRESS.

THE forthcoming meeting of the International MedicabCongress at Berlin will in no way apparently detract fromthe extent and interest of the proceedings of the ninth

meeting of the Congress fiir innere Medicin, which,however, will be held this year at Vienna (and not at

Wiesbaden, as commonly) from April 15th to the 18th.The president is Professor Nothnagel, and set discussionswill take place on - (1) the Treatment of Empyema, to.b3 opened by Dr. Immermann (Basle) and Dr. Schede

(Hamburg); (2) on Influenza, opened by Dr. Baumler-

(Freiburg) ; and (3) the Treatment of Chronic Nephritis,opened by Professor v. Ziemssen (Munich) and Professor-Senator (Berlin). Papers are also announced by-Dr. Unna.(Hamburg), on Physiology of the Skin ; Dr. Mosler

(Greifswald), on Pemphigus ; Dr. E. Gans (Carlsbad), onthe Gastric Functions in Diabetes Mellitus; Dr. Furbringer(Berlin), Clinical Contributions to the Forms of Osteitis ofTyphoid Origin; Dr. Stadelmann (Dorpat), on the Action ofAlkalies upon Tissue Metabolism ; Dr. v. Liebig (Reichen-hall), on the Mountain Disease ; Dr. v. Frey (Leipsic), onthe Relation between Forms of Pulse and Valve e Closure z.

Dr. Schott (Nauheim), on Forms of Acute Overstrain of the-Heart and their Treatment; Dr. Sternberg (Vienna), on,

Tendon Reflexes; Dr. H. Cursehmann (Leipsic), on the-

Pathology of Floating Kidney ; Dr. G. Cornet (Berlin), oruTuberculosis ; besides many other papers.

SUFFOCATED BY FOUL AIR.

IT will readily be believed that the interiors of many, ifnot all, barge cabins are often far from perfect as to sanitaryconditions. Small, ill-ventilated, badly lighted, and in closeproximity to a miscellaneous cargo, it is a matter of surprisethat their inmates thrive as well as they do. In order to"account for this we need not do more than mention two>

saving conditions. One consists in the purity of the sur-rounding atmosphere; the other, a more dubious one, in thedegree of care taken by the inmates to avoid overcrowding.Removal of or serious interference with either of these’needful safeguards is in such a case particularly dangerous.No more striking illustration of the truth of these con-siderations could be found than that afforded by a sad.incident which lately occurred in Millwall Docks. In this.case the death of a child from suffocation was, in the’absence of any other known cause, attributed to the fact

that the already close cabin-her only home-was furtheri incommoded by the gratuitous intrusion of another inmates