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during 24 hours he was treated with trional to the total Both cases were, it seems, regarded with suspicion, and extent of 117 grains. After this he went to sleep for about as the restrictions sought to be imposed upon the Ormwz 20 hours. Henceforth from time to time he was given large at Marseilles were somewhat onerous, the captain elected to. doses of the same drug, while the strongest stimulants were forthwith proceed to sea. Both patients have now, we under- given hypodermically to keep his failing heart up to its work, stand, been isolated in the port sanitary hospital at Plymouth,. especially as the patient had suffered for over a year from a and, although the local bacteriologist has had some sus- weak heart which at one time caused much anxiety when he picions as to the real nature of the disease, it is not was undergoing a surgical operation a year previously. After improbable that the cases may eventually be regarded in a a period of six weeks of the above treatment he recovered, negative light. However this may be, the patients are his body-weight, however, showing a loss of about 30 pounds. comfortably housed, or rather shipped, in Plymouth Sound, The temperature during the earlier half of the period varied and are not likely to be the means of infecting the town. from 101° to 103° F. No bad effect was observed from itself. single ____ the large doses of trional with which he was treated, the aggregate quantity administered up to the beginning of THE Royal Commissioners appointed in 1898 to inquire into, as of and convalescence being several ounces. From the above and a and to report to what methods treating disposing of number of other cases Dr. Beebe concludes that "if attention sewage may properly be adopted have issued a preliminary document in which deal with some of the more is paid to elimination, if liquid foods are freely and regularly they urgent used, and if the heart is kept in the best possible condition," questions- on the subject. With certain reservations they doubt if for trional will prove successful in the treatment of such cases any land is entirely useless the purpose. They ar& as the above. satisfied that satisfactory effluents can be produced by ____ bacteriological methods in many instances without interpos- IS ICE INNOCENT? ing land treatment. They suggest the creation of a new department of the Local Government Board- a ALLEGATIONS have from time to time been made against supreme rivers authority "-to deal with the pollution and purifica- ice as a possible source of infection, and in 1893 we tion of rivers and to keep local authorities up to a strict instituted a practical inquiry upon the subject so far as it sense of their duty in these matters. related to the London ice-supply. The results on the whole were of a reassuring character in the light both of chemical THE deaths are announced of two noteworthy medical and bacteriological examination. It was shown that < men. The name of Mr. Carsten who died in his certainly not less than nine-tenths of the ice sold in London Holthouse, stood first on the list of the were obtained from small lakes and ponds in Norway,ninety-first year, chronological Fellows of the of of Dr. situated in such solitary and secluded sites as to render Royal College Surgeons . E. S. was a in Blackburn and any contamination with animal matters highly improbable. Morley prominent practitioner was an elder brother of the Hon. John M.P. According to a fresh inquiry commenced last week, we still Right Morley, find that most of the ice supplied in London shops is We hope to publish obituary notices of both these gentlemen in a future issue. Norwegian ice and, moreover, that it is of excellent quality, ____ pure, sparkling, and clean. There might, of course, be ex- A DINNER was in honour of Professor Robert Koch, ceptions to this. The water which was yielded on melting con- given the Institute of Public Health at the Hotel tained less than a grain per gallon of dissolved mineral matter,M.D., by Royal on 24th. The Harben Gold Medal and the no nitrogen either in organic or mineral shape, and but a Metropole July trace of chlorides. In short, the composition of the ice-water Honorary Fellowship of the institution were presented to Professor Koch in of his notable scientific approached very nearly to that of distilled water or of the recognition many researches. water of mountain streams. It was very soft and ____ There were a few and harmless very pure. ordinary MR. MALCOLM MORRIS will deliver the Lane Lectures at. species of water bacteria present. These results are, San Francisco in the first week in on the subject excellent and show that the Norwegian ice-supply is highly September of( Skin Diseases. satisfactory and that no harm is likely to accrue even when the ice is consumed as it is when placed in beverages for cooling purposes. One curious fact came to COUNTY OF DURHAM MEDICAL UNION. light during our experiments and that was that if the ice be allowed to melt in a leaden vessel the resulting water was THE third annual meeting of this union was held in the found to contain a very appreciable amount of the poisonous Mayor’s Chamber at the Town Hall, Durham, on June 28th, metal. This is not surprising when we consider how very Alderman E. JEPSON, M.D. Durh., the President, being soft Norwegian ice-water is, but it affords the important in the chair. There was a large attendance of members lesson that care should be taken not to keep melting ice in from Durham, , Whickham, , . leaden vessels or to allow it to come into contact with lead in ,( Bishop Auckland, , West Hartlepool, any way. - Stockton-on-Tees, Wingate, Stanley, Howden-le-Wear,, Sedgefield, Willington, Ryton-on-Tyne, Washington, Sher- THE SUSPECTED CASES OF PLAGUE AT burn, Easington, and Spennymoor. PLYMOUTH. The PRESIDENT, in opening the meeting, congratulated the. THE circumstances connected with the arrival of the Ornz2cz members11 on this being the third annual meeting. He said thatt some had an decline for their but at Marseilles were sufficient to raise a suspicion that there predicted early union, ratherr; than decline or signs of decay there were indications. had been, or were, cases of plague on board. The Ormuz left aand evidences of more stability. It was true that they were on June 8th and touched on her homeward Sydney journeynota engaged in any sharp conflict at that time, but the- at the usual ports of call. She carried a crew of 160 unionu had gradually asserted itself in many places and Europeans and 174 passengers. It appears that on a higher rate of pay had become recognised in many of the The July 5th a coal-trimmer who had shipped at Sydney partsP county. position of those directly to the union was buboes and certain other opposed becoming worse every day. developed inguinal symptomsThe President further stated that he and Dr. Alfred of bubonic and on 17th suspicious plague, July another CCox (Gateshead) had been invited to a meeting of the- of the crew noticed an axillary swelling, which, however, HartlepoolF Medical Society to explain to the members of that may have had as its cause a burn on the finger. societys, the objects and aims of the union with a view to. 225 their affiliation with them, and that they attended and so general practitioner thus displayed by the General Medical far pleaded their case that two days since he had received Council, and it was unanimously resolved, on the motion of a letter from Dr. H. Schmitz, the secretary of the Hartlepool Mr. ATTwATER, seconded by the VICE-PRESIDENT, and Medical Society, to say that that society had unanimously supported by Dr. ARMSTRONG, Dr. CHARLES, and Mr. resolved to become affiliated to the union. This, he con- ARTHUR, that the resolution should be again sent to the sidered, was very gratifying, and pointed distinctly to growth General Medical Council and that Mr. G. Brown, Mr. Victor and strength in the union. He added that he had repeatedly Horsley, and Dr. J. G Glover should be specially asked to tried to induce the Darlington Medical Society to become give it their support. affiliated with them, but hitherto without success. That day, A reprint of the rules with the amendments made since the however, he had had a letter from Dr. J. Hern to sav that first issue was ordered ; and on the motion of the PRESIDENT, the matter would be further considered in October. There seconded by Dr. ARMSTRONG, it was agreed that a half- was one more society to be wooed and won, and that was yearly letter or report should be sent out in the months of the Gateshead Medical Association. When these two societies March and October to all the members, giving a short state- had joined them the county union would be nearly complete. ment as to the work which had been done and of the meetings In conclusion, he thanked them for their kindness and .held, and as to any resolutions, &c., passed, so as to keep the courtesy during the past year, and begged them most members in touch with the executive. to use a free and mind in Considerable interest was evinced in the of the earnestly open performing thei question duty of electing his successor. fees paid by insurance companies for medical examinations Dr. J. F. ARMSTRONG (South Shields) said that he had very and it was decided that the matter should be further con- great pleasure in moving the re-election as President of Dr. sidered at the next meeting. The PRESIDENT said that he Jepson who had been a great power and help to the society. would give notice of a proposition which he would move on He had spared neither time nor trouble in furthering their the subject. interests. A liearty vote of thanks to the President brought a Mr. W. GALLOWAY (Low Fell) seconded the motion which successful meeting to a close. was carried unanimously. The PRESIDENT, in returning thanks, said that he did not believe in repeated re-elections, but he could not resist their kindness and would do all in his power to help on the union. VITAL STATISTICS. On the motion of Mr. M. A. WARDLE (Bishop Auckland) and Mr. A. W. Attwater (Whickham), Dr. James Murphy HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS. (Sunderland) was unanimously re-elected Vice-President. IN 33 of the largest English towns 6377 births and 3927 The were elected members of the Council: Dr. following deaths were the week 20th. Dr. Cox Mr. registered during ending July Armstrong (South Shields), (Gateshead), The annual rate of in these towns, which had been Dr. J. H. Hunter Dr. mortality Galloway (Low Fell), (South Shields), 15’1 and 15’6 1000 in the two weeks, further R. S. Mr. R. E. per preceding Hubbersty (Sunderland), Ingram-Johnson rose to 17 ’9 1000 last week. In London the death-rate Dr. C. F. G. Mann Dr. G. V. per (South Moor), (Washington), was while it 19’0 in the 32 Miller Dr. A. Dr. J. 16-2, averaged large provincial (Stockton), Mackay (Crook), Taylor towns. The lowest death-rates in these towns were 7’7 in Mr. (Chester-le-Street), R. Stuart (Durham), Mr. Wardle 84 in 11-9 in and 12-0 in Mr. E. S. Davis Mr. Croydon, Brighton, Hull, Cardiff ; (Bishop Auckland), (Hartlepool), the rates were 22’5 in 29’1 in Birkenhead Dr. G. Mr. highest Blackburn, Arthur (Wingate), Stephen (West Auckland), and in and 30-5 in The 3927 deaths K. C. Hill Dr. J. Charles Mr. Attwater Sheffield, Liverpool. (Jarrow), (Stanley), in these towns last week included 897 which were Dr. R. S. Anderson Dr. A. D. M. (Whickham), (Spennymoor), referred to the Dr. D. Wilson Mr. A, A. D. principal zymotic diseases, against McIntyre (Blackhill), (Birtley), 431 and 567 in the two of Parker Dr. takes the of Mr. H. preceding weeks ; these, (Easington). Taylor place Lyon 616 resulted from diarrhceal 103 from Smith who is the Mr. Davis takes the diseases, measles, leaving district, place 62 from diphtheria, 49 from whooping-cough, 35 from of Mr. W. Nisbet who has retired from " (Thornley) practice, "fever" 32 from scarlet fever, and Mr. Arthur takes the place of Dr. W. A. G. Russell who (principally enteric), and not one from small-pox. No death from any of these it was at the seat of war in South Africa. Messrs. was, stated, diseases was last week in in the other Graham and were re-elected registered Brighton ; Shepherd (Sunderland) joint towns caused the lowest death-rates in Wolver- and solicitors. Dr. C. D. Hill they Croydon, secretaries, treasurers, Drury and Hull, and the in Birkenhead, , hampton, highest Liverpool, Dr. Hern Dr. David V. , (Darlington), (Darlington), McIntyre and Sheffield. The greatest from measles occurred and Mr. Davis were elected mortality (Brandon), (Hartlepool) in Leeds and Birkenhead ; from scarlet fever in Blackburn ; members. from in Newcastle and Swansea ; and from The treasurers’ a balance of Z66 3s. ld. whooping-cough statement, showing diarrhoea in Preston, Leeds, Birkenhead, Sheffield, and in favour of the union, was submitted and A sum adopted. Liverpool. The from " fever " showed no marked of £50 was ordered to be to the secretaries on account mortality paid excess in any of the towns The 62 deaths from diph- of the balance due to them. were made large Reports by theria in the 33 towns included 30 in five in from London, Leicester, representatives Sunderland, Chester-le-Street, Stanley, five in Manchester, five in Salford, and four in West Ham. Jarrow and Consett, Trimdon, and , Stockton, No fatal case of was in any of the 3a which were small-pox registered generally very satisfactory. towns ; five were admitted into the Metro- Some as of a minimum small-pox patients discussion took place to the fixing politan Asylums during the week, and 14 remained fee for the and Mr. ATTWATER - hospitals midwifery county, (Whick- under treatment on 20th. The number of notice that at the next he would Saturday, July ham) gave meeting bring scarlet fever patients in these hospitals and in the London forward a motion the minimum fee at 15s. fixing midwifery Fever at the end of the week was Mr. ATTWATER moved :- Hospital 2907, against numbers increasing from 1522 to 2918 on the 12 preceding That in consequence of the great difficulty frequently experienced in Saturdays ; 371 new cases were admitted during the week, obtaining a reliable assistant or locum tenens we ask Messrs. Graham and 324 in the three weeks. and to act as for the and for against 408, 363, preceding Shepherd agents purpose also negotiating, the sale and purchase of medical practices. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in London, which had been 165 and 133 in the two preceding Several members expressed themselves i-i favour of the weeks, rose last week to 135, but were 35 below the of such an attached to the desirability agency being union,, corrected average. The causes of 49, or 1’2 per cent., and the motion was carried unanimously. of the deaths in the 33 towns were not certified, either Mr. on behalf of his to SHEPHERD, firm, promised give by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner. All the matter careful consideration. He an off thought agency the causes of death were duly certified in Bristol, Salford, the kind would be a most useful adjunct to the union. Bradford, Cardiff, Sunderland, and Oldham, and in 10 other The SECRETARIES reported that the resolution unanimously smaller towns ; the largest proportions of uncertified deaths. at the on Feb. 5th the passed general meeting requesting were registered in Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, and General Medical Council to remove from the Register any Liverpool. - medical practitioner who countenanced or encouragedi canvassing by any union or association of working men andI HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS. others on his behalf had been brought before the Executive Committee of the General Medical Council on June 3rd, butt The annual rate of mortality in the eight Scotch that no action was taken thereon. Great disappointment wass towns, which had been 19-0 and 17-2 per 1000 in the expressed at the lack of interest in matters affecting thee two preceding weeks, rose again to 18-4 per 1000 during