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aeclimatisation is not commonly reckoned with, and the

man or woman tresh from a holiday plunges with renewedenergy and the fullest confidence in medias res. He

flings himself into the occupations and anxieties of his

business or profession, she slips into the hundred tasks of

a busy domestic existence, forgetful of the sudden transitionfrom the complete leisure of the holiday to this turmoil ofthe town. Thus any baneful effect of changed environmentis helped by the sudden over-exercise of mind and bodyrecently accustomed to only the easiest and most pleasantexertions. We believe that many a disappointment, tran-

sient, perhaps, but temporarily at any rate often keen

enough, might be averted if people so contrived theirreturn from a holiday that a few days’ interval was

allowed before the real work of life was resumed. In

these few days the system is, so to speak, comfortablyswitched on to the old lines again and the human engine ispermitted to run the better for the acquired and properlystored vigour of the holiday.

DINNER TO MR. ALFRED WILLETT.

MR. ALFRED WILLETT, who has recently retired from thepost of surgeon to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, was on theevening of Tuesday, Sept. 30th, presented with his bust andentertained at dinner by his old house surgeons. DuringMr. Willett’s term of office 44 men have held the post ofhouse surgeon and of these 28 attended to do honour totheir old chief. Of the others two are dead, some are inIndia, some are in South Africa, and the rest were preventedfrom coming owing to professional engagements. The bust

is the work of Mr. Hope Pinker and is an admirable like-ness. The presentation was made on behalf of his colleaguesby Dr. W. S. A. Griffith who was in the chair. Mr. Willett,in acknowledging the gift, expressed his pleasure in beingonce more in the midst of his house surgeons and saidthat he was rightly proud of the positions which they nowoccupied. No man could have had more loyal assistantsand his relations all the years during which he had pos-sessed a house surgeon had been of the most pleasantdescription. "I should like," adds a correspondent whowas present, "to say that everybody who had the

privilege of working for Mr. Willett always felt that

he was working for a great man. He was always justand always generous. He never tolerated slackness, but

although he expected and obtained hard work no one wasmore ready to give a man credit for that which he did or

tried to do." The arrangements for the dinner and the

organisation of the gathering were excellently carried out byMr. W. G. Spencer, Mr. F. C. Wallis, and Mr. H. J.Paterson. The dinner was held at the Imperial Restaurant.

THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE : ITS PAST ANDPRESENT HISTORY.

THE Asiatie Quarterly Review published this monthcontains an elaborate and interesting article by Surgeon-General W. B. Beatson, I.M.S. (retired), late DeputySurgeon-General, Lahore Division, on the "Indian MedicalService, Past and Present." It is the purpose of thearticle to trace out in continuity the evolution of the

present medical service in India and the sundry andmanifold changes through which it has passed from a

very elementary and initial stage to that of its latest

development and organisation with the prestige which

rightly belongs to it. Surgeon-General Beatson has hadrecourse to ,the records left by early writers and

explorers, because, as he rightly says, the originatorsof the existing Government medical service in Indiamust be sought for among the English adventurers whoduring the latter part ,Qf the sixteenth century, fol-

lowed in the footsteps of .European traders who werethe

geographical discoverers of the period. The romantic-stories and glowing accounts of the riches of the.

’,gorgeous East" brought home by travellers who followedin the footsteps of the Portuguese first attracted notice

in this country and led to ambassadors being sent to

Akbar, the greatest and most enlightened of the MoghulEmperors of India. Between the years 1610 and 1620 both

English and Dutch traders were permitted to establish fac-tories at Surat, very much to the disgust of the Portuguesewho had been settled on the western coast of India for

nearly a century. Surgeon-General Beatson’s article beingmainly historical and extending to 48 pages does not readilylend itself to an analysis and summary statement, but it willsuffice to say that those who are desirous of ascertaining-the very influential part which members of the medical

profession have played in the history of our rule in Indiawill thank us for calling attention to it.

HONG-KONG COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FORCHINESE.

A MEETING of the General Council and students of this

} college was held on August 28th in the Legislative Council} Chamber, when Sir W. J. Gascoigne, K.C M.G., officer

administering the Government, presented the diploma of thecollege to five students who had completed the curriculum

, of study and passed the professional examinations. Amongthose present were the Hon. F. H. May, C. M. G. (rector ofthe college), Dr. Francis W. Clark (dean), Dr. J. C.

Thomson (honorary secretary), Dr. Ho Kai, C.M.G., Dr.

, R. McLean Gibson, Dr. Hunter, Dr. G. H. Bateson Wright,Major M. J. Whitty, R.A.M.C., and Major S. F. Clark,R.A.M.C. The names of the licentiates, according to the-Hong Kong Daily Press, were Mr. Tee Han Kee, Mr. Lau

Lai, Mr. Ho Ko Tsun, Mr. Lee Yin Sze, and Mr. Chan FaiKwong. In presenting the students to Sir W. J. GascoigneDr. Francis Clark said that the fact of Chinamen attendinga course of training in Western medicine was a proof ofthe foresight of the founders of the college, of whom

Dr. Patrick Manson, C.M.G., was one. The diploma was inthe following form :-We, the Dean, Lecturers, and Examiners of the Hong-Kong College

of Medicine for Chinese, hereby declare that -, having attendedcourses of lectures during a period of five years in the various depart-ments of professional study required by the College, has been examinedand duly satisfied the Examiners in each of those subjects; that he isqualified to practise Medicine, Surgery, and Midwifery; and that byauthority of the Court of the. College he is hereby granted the title ofLicentiate in Medicine and Surgery of the Hong-Kong College ofMedicine for Chinese. [L.M.S.H.]In witness whereof we have hereto set our signatures on this

28th day of August in the year Nineteen Hundred and Two, being theyear of the Chinese Cycle Yam Yan.

THE PATHOLOGICAL ANATOMY OF TUBERCU-LOUS AND OTHER FORMS OF MENINGITIS.

IN a communication published in Le Progrès Medicalof August 23rd last Dr. Faure and Dr. Laignet-Lavastinegive an account of the pathological changes observed micro-scopically in 17 cases of tuberculous and other forms of

meningitis examined at Professor Ballet’s laboratory. Thecases included 13 of tuberculous meningitis, two cases of

meningitis due to the pneumococcus, and one each of

meningitis due to the enterococcus and Eberth’s bacillus.The pathological changes observed may be summarised asfollows. Apart from the appearances of perivascular exuda-tion of serum and leucocytes into the meshes of the pia-arachnoid membranes, which changes could also be tracedalong the perivascular channels of the blood-vessels penetrat-ing the cortex, the cortical nerve-cells themselves were fullof powdery materials or grains which produced a "dusty"appearance. Many of the cells appeared to be globular orswollen. The cell-nuclei often looked as though they weredried up or "calcined," while ,the protoplasmic prolonga.tions (dendrites) were pale apd. the outlines’of several of the

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cell-bodies seemed to be eroded and roughened. These

lesions were especially marked in cases of tuberculous

meningitis of the classical form, but they were slight andinconspicuous in those cases where the disease hadrun avery rapid conrce of from 24 to 48 hours.

ALCOHOL-CONTAMINATED AIR.

THERE can be little doubt that the air of distilleries, wineand spirit vaults, and drinking saloons must at times containappreciable amounts of alcohol and the question has arisenas to whether air containing traces of alcohol would be

prejudicial to health. Our attention has been drawn by acorrespondent to one instance in which definite steps weretaken to ascertain whether the air of an office in a wineand spirit warehouse contained alcohol vapour. It is well

known, of course, that where wines and spirits are storedthere is invariably a sort of alcoholic smell, and it has beenstated that a walk through the cellars at the London Docks,where large quantities of spirits are stored, has at first a

peculiarly stimulating effect followed by depression andheadache and nausea. In the same way the stranger onhis first visit to the great sherry bodegas in the

south of Spain experiences at first a decided sense

of exhilaration with quickening of the pulse, followed by anarcotic effect, a feeling of languor, and headache. In the

great brandy stores at Cognac, again, to some people the air

is sickening. It might be naturally expected that the morevolatile constituents of wines and spirits would be the first toevaporate into the air and possibly the volatile ethers wouldthus prevail. We have heard it said that the effect of

inhaling the air of the sherry vaults is more marked thanwhen other spirituous liquids are kept in the store. It is,of course, well known that sherry is a highly ethereal wine.There would, therefore, appear to be some ground for con-cluding that when air is impregnated with the volatile

vapours of spirits or wines it has a marked effect uponhealth. Whether this effect would be pronounced or not uponthose inhaling the air day by day does not appear to have

been ascertained with certainty. It is probable, however,that at any rate some slight deterioration of health would

take place. It is pretty commonly asserted that publicansand barmaids experience ill-effects from the constant inhala-tion of an alcohol-contaminated air, but their environment,of course, provides a combination of unhealthy factors.

According to an examination made of the air of a distilleryit would appear that no less than an ounce of proof spiritor half an ounce of absolute alcohol may be present in fivecubic feet of air. It is obvious from this result, we think,that a very appreciable amount of alcohol would be inhaledduring a stay, say, of eight hours in such air. And since the

alcohol by the medium of the lungs would rapidly gainaccess to the circulation the conclusion must be in favourof the view that such air would in the long run be detri-mental to health, and therefore that in such a case specialarrangements for particularly efficient ventilation are in-

dicated. ____

THE PRESENCE OF SPERMATOZOA INHYDROCELE FLUID.

EXAMINATION of the cells contained in pathological fluids I(cytology) is a means of investigation only recently intro-duced into clinical medicine and one much more extensivelyemployed in France than in this country. In the Bulletin

de la Société Médicale des Hôpitaux de Lyon for June

M. F. Barjon and M. A. Cade have published a curious factwhich their investigations into the cytology of hydrocelefluid has brought to light-the frequent presence of

spermatozoa. As very few spermatozoa may be presentcareful search with an immersion objective should be

made. Out of eight cases of ordinary (idiopathic) hydrocele

spermatozoa were found in five, whereas they were not foundin four cases of symptomatic hydrocele, due to orchitis,tuberculosis, and syphilis. In three of the cases of ordinaryhydrocele puncture had previously been performed. In

none of these were spermatozoa found, but they werefound in the remaining Jive cases in which puncture hadnot been performed. In these latter cases the hydrocelewas carefully incised under anmsthesia, and the spermatozoacould not have been introduced from a wound of the

testicle or epididymis. Spcrmatoioa were not foundin the other three cases, probably because they wereremoved at the previous operations. The spermatozoafound were dead and showed histological changes indicativeof prolonged sojourn in the hydrocele fluid. Sometimes thetail was shortened, truncated, or even absent ; sometimes

the head was deformed. Frequently endothelial cells hadacted as phagocytes on the spermatozoa, as on the red bloodcorpuscles. The presence of the spermatozoa has an im-portant bearing on the difficult question of the pathogenesisof hydrocele. The old hypothesis, originated by Morgagniand adopted by Geuzmer and Volkmann, that hydroceleoriginates in the accidental rupture of little cysts of thetesticle or epididymis into the tunica vaginalis is supported.Further, Panas and other surgeons have found slight lesionson the surface of the testicle and epididymis, which,perhaps, were the result of cicatrisation of ruptured cysts.

CHOLERA IN EGYPT.

THE Director-General of the Sanitary Department of

Egypt states that throughout Egypt during the week endingSept. 15th, 9466 cases of cholera were reported. 4681 ofthese persons were found dead out of hospital and 3597deaths took place in hospital. During the week 120 casesoccurred in Cairo and 300 in Alexandria, against 131 in Cairoand 133 in Alexandria during the previous week. Up to thepresent 1557 towns, villages, and ezbehs have been notifiedas infected throughout Upper and Lower Egypt.

I THE annual meeting of the Incorporated Society of

Medical Officers of Health will be held at the Hotel Russellat 5 P. M. on Friday, Oct. 10th. The president of the

society, Dr. J. Spottiswoode Cameron, will deliver an

address, entitled, "Sanitary Progress during the Last 25Years-and in the Next." The annual dinner of the societywill be held at the Hotel Russell at 7 30 P.M., under the

presidency of Dr. Cameron. Communications with regardto the dinner should be made to Dr. Henry Kenwood, 9,Adelphi-terrace, London, W.C.

THE annual medical service at St. Paul’s Cathedral

organised by the Guild of St. Luke will take place this

year on Oct. 22nd, at 7.30 P.M., when the Bishop of

Kensington will preach the sermon. A choir of over 200voices provided by the London Gregorian Choral Associa.tion will render the music. Many members of the medicalprofession have intimated their intention of attending inacademic robes. Admission to the space under the domewill be by tickets only.

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THE Huxley Lecture was delivered at the Charing CrossHospital Medical School by Professor W. H. Welch, M.D.,of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, on Wednesday,October lst, at 4 P. M. The full text of Professor Welch’s

interesting lecture will be published in our columns nextweek.

___

Mr, Rickard W. Lloyd, President of the West London

Medico-Chirurgical Society, will give the opening address onthe Field of View of the Anaesthetist at the meeting of the