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The Scottish Corporations are more quiet, and seem to leavethe fighting to the Irish bodies, who seem actually to enjoyit. We cannot pretend to divine the reason for the compara-tive passiveness of the Scottish bodies, who doubtless lookfor a full share in the wider recognition of diplomas.We notice that one witness before the Lords’ Com-mittee on Hospitals tells their lordships that the Fellow-ships of the Scottish Corporations are still given AoMexamination. We do not pretend to know how theexamination for the Fellowship of the Edinburgh Collegeof Surgeons or of the Faculty of Glasgow would comparewith that for the Fellowship of the English or the IrishCollege. But we suspect that this witness’s statementsare in this instance inaccurate. Still, the Corporationsof Scotland owe it to themselves to prove that such

statements, true not many years ago, are very muchthe reverse now. If they do not, they leave the ad-vocates of narrowness and exclusiveness an easy argu-ment against their opponents, and may indefinitely post-pone the abolition of territorial distinctions. The Irish

College of Surgeons makes a point of its having invitedthe General Medical Council to inspect the examinationsfor its higher qualifications. This is a false point. The Irish

College, however, knows that such inspections would be verycostly, and that the Council, unfortunately, has no authorityto "inspect" the examinations for higher diplomas. Thereis much to be said for the Irish and Scotch colleges pro.curing, at their own expense, impartial reports on theirhigher examinations. But there is a dash of humour in

inviting the Medical Council to undertake this duty.

PHENACETIN IN TYPHOID FEVER.

DR. SOMMER has used phenacetin with great success inthe treatment of typhoid fever, thus confirming the favour-able views of its action which have been expressed by ’,Masius and others. The dose employed for adults was ’

four grains, which was repeated from two to four timesduring the twenty-four hours. Children were given onlyhalf this dose. No less than sixty cases were treated inthis way, with but one fatal case, about which it is notedthat the patient was not subjected to phenacetin treatmentuntil three weeks from the commencement of the attack.In no case were there any serious complications.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS.

DR. ISAMBARD OWEN has published, in the form of a

brochure, a paper on the Construction of Educational

Systems, which he recently read before the Cambrian

Society of South Wales and Monmouthshire. Within the

space of twenty pages he deals of necessity very cursorilywith a large topic, but his short paper is very full of

suggestion. He strongly advocates, and with great forceof argument, the inclusion of drawing as a compulsorysubject in elementary education for the sake of its value asa discipline in the practice of accurate observation. Thevalue of the faculty is a point upon which we have fre-quently insisted in these columns, but it cannot be too oftenor too constantly pressed home. Indeed, our sense of theimportance of the principle disposes us to be a little criticalof the way in which it is enforced, and, therefore, inclinedto call in question some of the illustrations in which Dr.Owen has expressed his meaning. He is very severe, for

example, upon vague colloquialisms, such as "some con-siderable time,"and the like, which he would desire to replaceby definite measures of duration or other exact expres-sions. But it is quite possible to be over precise in lan-guage, and to sacrifice accuracy or even truth to precision.The man who will not have recourse to vague and generalterms when his ideas or recollections are indefinite is not onlyone of the worst sinners against propriety of expression,

but also one of the most helpless victims of mental obscura-tion. To say "seven" " when one means "many " is graphic,but it is not exact; on the contrary, it is as inapt a figure ofspeech as the reciprocal fault of using indefinite languageto express definite ideas, against which Dr. Owen inveighs.The fact is that it is easy to make even a strong point toostrongly ; but if due regard be had to the exigencies ofthought, it is perhaps impossible to exaggerate the import-ance of cultivating those habits of clear perception andsharp definition which are naturally associated with exactand concrete forms of expression. Dr. Owen’s discoursehas been written with a view to influencing the minds ofthose who will have to shape the curriculum of the con-templated Welsh University if and when that hoped forinstitution comes to be a realised fact. It certainly appearsto us that his distinct perception of the utilities of thevarious systems of education, and his broad-minded appre-ciation of what is of solid excellence in them all qualifyhim in a high degree to speak with authority and persuasiveforce upon the subject which he has taken in hand.

TYPHOID FEVER AT MILAN.

THE note of warning addressed last week to the travellingpublic in the Alta Italia as to the grave prevalence of

enteric fever at Milan came not an hour too soon. The

Nazione, reporting on the sanitary condition of that much-frequented tourist entrepot, says: "Typhoid, diphtheria,and scarlatina have appeared in force over a great part ofMilan, but especially in the quarter of the Porta di Genova.The health of the city is more than usually compromised.The water-supply, as we have from time to time pointedout, is clearly to blame for this state of things, so discredit-able to an industrial centre boasting the wealth andenlightenment of the Lombard capital. Wells sunk in thesubsoil of the level plain on which it stands become easilyimpregnated with organic impurities, and make the drinkingwater supplied from them to the hotels and pensions a readysource of disease and death. Milan, on the admission ofher best sanitary engineers, can avert this danger bybringing her water-supply from the neighbouring Alps bymeans of an aqueduct; and no satisfactory reason has yetbeen put forth for the postponement of so urgent an under-taking.

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THE REGULATION OF OVERHEAD WIRES.

THE regulations issued by the Board of Trade with regardto the management of electric cables and conducting wireshave given rise to considerable dissatisfaction among thefirms engaged in this branch of industry. At a meetinglately called to discuss the matter it was agreed to petitionthe Board to reconsider its decision, the present arrange-ment being, it was alleged, such as to threaten very seriousinjury to trade interests without ensuring any adequategain on the side of public security. The rules particularlyobjected to were Nos. 9 and 12, which refer to high-pressureaerial conductors. The former provides for each conductora minimum thickness of one-tenth of an inch of protectedinsulating material, to be increased in proportion to theelectric pressure. The latter requires that every conductorshall be fixed by non-metallic ligaments to suspendingwires, so that there may be no stress upon it in the directionof its length ; that it shall be received at points of supportby highly insulating material, and so attached that ifbroken it shall not fall clear of the support. The costentailed by these arrangements will indeed be no trifle, andwe cannot therefore wonder at the protest issued by thecompanies interested. At the same time the Board ofTrade can hardly be blamed for using every precautionto prevent the possiblility of accident. The matter is

clearly one for mutual reconsideration ; but if after