963

is 1016, but it is pale, limpid, and colourless, markedlyacid, without either albumen or sugar, and does not presentany appreciable quantity of uric acid.

It appears to me that, à propos of your article, this casemay be of interest, and I therefure send you details to

publish if you think fit.T am. Sir. vnnrs faithfully.

KENNETH W. MILLICAN, B.A. Cantab., M R.C.S.

THE RECENT BANQUET TO THE MEDICALOFFICERS FROM EGYPT.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—You will greatly oblige me by kindly inserting this Iin your next issue to prevent any misunderstanding in whatI meant to say about my Division at the banquet given bythe profession to the medical officers of the Egyptian Expe-dition. It should have run thus :-" The death-rate (fromclimate) was nil from August 21st to October 16th. Wehadan admirable ambulance corps, of which we were able tolend 400 to the Army Medical Department to carry off thewounded at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, and they did theirwork admirably. We gave them also an ambulance columnof ninety-six dandies (stretchers), which, however, did notarrive in time for the battle, &c."

I remain. Sir. vnnra f:J.ithfnl1v.COLVIN SMITH, M.D.,

Deputy Surgeon-General Madras Army, lately P.M.O.,Indian Division, Egyptian Expedition.

N E W C A S T L E - O N -T Y N E.

(From our own Correspondent.)

AT Sunderland the high death-rate - viz., 47’7 per1000 by the latest returns-now prevailing is producingsome anxiety in the minds of the authorities. It is,no doubt, principally owing to a very severe epidemicof measles, which is causing a mortality of about twelvechildren weekly. Scarlet fever is slightly in excess,and there is also typhus existing to a considerable degree.The authorities are fully alive to the matter, and are doingwhat they can to prevent the spread of the disease. Thereis another matter which may make the Sunderland death-rate appear higher than it really is, and that is that thepopulation is believed to be in excess of the Registrar-General’s estimate, for when the census was taken therewere about 1453 houses uninhabited, whereas, owing totrade revival, there are now only 150 unoccupied. Theoccupied houses are also more crowded from the increase inemployment, and more than three hundred new houses havebeen built, so that the population of the borough is nowbelieved to be 130,143 at least. The death-rate frommeasles for a considerable time has been 5’0 per 1000 in-habitants. The typhus fever has not assumed an epidemicform, it has been principally among the Irish population,and occurring iu tenemented houses ; the same remarkapplies to small-pox, and prompt measures having beentaken as to isolation and disinfection there has been nodeath so far from it. Much good has followed the ’,,free distribution of handbills and placards instructing thepoor as to disinfection and isolation of zymotic diseases.South Shields, considering the communication constantlygoing on between it and Newcastle and Sundedand, wouldappear, as has been frequently noticed before, to enjoysome degree of immunity from epidemics ; the mortalityfrom autumn diarrhoea, which was somewhat high, has nowdisappeared. There is some prevalence of scarlet fever, butit has been hitherto of a mild type, and unaccompanied byany serious fatality.The last returns of zymotic diseases notified by prac-

titioners in Newcastle show, during the fortnight end-ing Nov. llth, the presence of 109 cases of infectiousdisease, inclusive of thirty-six cases of small-pox. As re-gards the last disease there is reason to fear that thesenumbers are not to be accepted as a complete account of theprevalence of this disorder; for I was told by a practitionerof good standing here that in a single street in Newcastle

there had been sixteen cases of small-pox, not one of whichad been attended by a medical man, and were, as a matteof course, unnotified. Poor people, from prejudice, concealthe disease if at all possible, and through ignorance, for theyfear medical attendance leads to compulsory removal to thehospital, followed by destruction of their bedclothes. Thesecases were "prescribed" for by chemists, grocers, and oldwomen, and were, of course, mild, or concealment wouldhave been impossible. But what about the spread of thedisease ?The subject of bridge accommodation in Newcastle has

been much mooted lately in public meetings, and otherwiseit is one that immediately affects practitioners here whocannot, without much loss of time, pass over to Byker, adistrict of the borough containing a population of 30,000,without paying toll going and returning. A bridge over aravine of the Ouseburn was constructed by a private com-pany ; the people now reasonably ask for the purchase ofthe bridge by the Corporation, seeing that they contiibuteso largely to the rates, and are likely to do more so in thefuture provided the bridge is made free. Newcastle andGateshead, so far as regards medical practice, may be con-sidered one town, for Newcastle men visit a good deal inGateshead, and our Gateshead neighbours return the com-pliment, perhaps with "interest," yet there is no practicalway of passing between the towns, without much loss oftime and some risk from dangers of heavy traffic, exceptby taking choice of two bridge tolls. It is not too much tohope that the inhabitants of both great towns may bestirthemselves before long, and ask for freedom of communi-cation. But would you believe it? There is actually amediaeval impost also kept up, by which small articles ofmerchandise and food are taxed by the Corporation of New-castle. This relic of "the dark ages" is called "the throughtoll ;" and to see a poor man’s catt stopped, and the trafficthereby impeded while the search goes on, makes a strangerdoubt his whereabouts, the impost and custom so muchresemble the octroi of continental towns.The photographic art has attractions for some of our prac.

titioners as a useful amusement, as was evidenced by themeeting of the Newcastle and Northern Counties’ Photo-graphic Society held here the other day, Dr. G. Berwickof Sunderland presiding. Dr. G. Berwick has himselffollowed the art as an amateur with not a little success,and has made it subservient in portraying forms of para-sitic disease. I saw a very nice picture by him, whichwas developed two years atter exposure; the character ofthe work spoke well in the durability of effects for the careexercised by the operator.

It may interest those of your readers who are chess-playersto know that we are having a visit from Mr. J. H.Blackburne, the great player; and on Friday last heplayed eight simultaneous games blindfolded, in which hewas pitted against some of our crack players, with the resultof winning five, two were drawn, and he lost only one.Was not this a physiological as well as an intellectual feat,as during the battle, which lasted several hours, he sus-tained himself solely by a cup of coffee and an occasionalhavannah ?Newcastle-on-Tyne, Nov. 2Sth, 1882.

SCOTTISH NOTES.

(From our own Correspondent.)

I HAVE so recently had something to say regarding theposition occupied by Professor Pirrie, at Aberdeen, thatI do not now wish to say more than his loss, had it comebefore his day’s work was welt done, would have been quiteirretrievable. His whole soul was engaged in his work as ateacher; and old students everywhere will feel his death asa great personal grief.So far as yet ascertained, the number of matriculated

students of medicine at Aberdeen University for the presentwinter session is 314, an advance d 23 upon last year’saggregate.Interest attaches to the report of Mr. Turn bull, M.B.,

superintendent of the Fife Asylum, chiefly from theenthusiasm with which he, aided largely by Dr. Fraser,Deputy Commissioner in Lunacy, carried out the system ofboarding out his chronic cases. Year by year there is a

stronger tendency on the part of superintendents to adopt this