845 hereditary tendency in the offspring, and in this way many fellow graduates and friends that the time was come to-do cases of congenital deafness arise. In dealing with sug- him some honour, and it was decided that the presentation gestions for prevention Dr. Love remarked that this aspect of his picture should be made. This has been painted by of the question was dominated by the fact that the tendency Mr. Harris Brown, and has been handed over by the was a family one, and that nothing short of repressive recipient to the authorities of Queen’s College, Belfast. The measures was therefore likely to be successful. He advo- President of Queen’s College, who occupied the chair, cated the appointment of a Commission to inquire into the having opened the proceedings, the Marquis of Dufferin whole subject. and Ava, who was chairman of the Portrait Com- March 16th. mittee, in unveiling the picture, made one of thosee neat, diplomatic, and complimentary speeches for which he is so famous, and referred in very happy terms to Sir IRELAND. William MacCormac’s distinguished career which had (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.) culminated in his election to the high office of President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Sir William Mac Cormac made a feeling reply, in which he briefly Accidental Poisoning by Arsenic. traced his career, and pointed out that he was, he ANOTHER case of accidental poisoning has just occurred believed, the only Irishman not educated at a London school in Dublin, in which some carelessness was fairly attributed who had ever attained to the position of President of the by the verdict of the coroner’s jury to the manufacturers of Royal College of Surgeons of England. The portrait re- a special sort of rat poison. The facts were shortly as presents the distinguished surgeon in his official robes> follows. A boy named Hardman obtained a package of In the evening Sir William Mac Cormac was entertained cakes labeled Hammond’s Patent Rat Poison," and used to a banquet (held in Queen’s College) by the members some of them on three occasions for poisoning rats. One of the medical profession in Belfast. About seventy day he carelessly left a portion of a cake in his topcoat gentlemen sat down to dinner, among them being a pocket before going to school. Some three of his school- considerable number of guests, the President of Queen’s fellows subsequently obtained possession of it and ate it, College, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sir W. Stokes with the result that all three suffered from symptoms of (Dublin), Sir James Musgrave, B.Lit., D.L., Sir W. irritant poisoning, while the boy George Taaffe, aged ten McCammond, and a number of the professors of the Arts years, died in about twelve hours. It appeared at the Faculty. Professor Cuming occupied the chair; and the inquest on the 15th that the cakes resembled common meal President proposed the following toasts: "The Queen," cakes, and that there was nothing, in the absence of the "The Prince of Wales and other Members of the Royal- special wrapper, to warn people that they were poisonous. Family," and "The Lord-Lieutenant and Prosperity to The manufacturers of the were communicated Ireland " (to which the Lord Mayor of Belfast responded). patent poison 11 with by telegraph and stated that its chief ingredient was In giving the toast of Our Guest," Professor Cuming spoke arsenic. The jury found that the deceased died from acci- in complimentary terms of Sir W. Mac Cormac’s career from dentally eating Hammond’s Rat-cake Poison, and they con- the time he was a student, an undergraduate of that College, demned the &hape of the cakes as sold to the public, until now. Sir William Mac Cormac very happily replied. inasmuch as they resembled common brown cakes. The next toast, I I Queen’s College, Belfast," was proposed by Sir W. Stokes (Dublin), and to this the President of Queen’s Deat7i of Surgeon Thomas Gibbons, 1?.Ar. 11 College replied. The last toast, The Chairman," was pro Surgeon Thomas Gibbons, whose tragic death by drowning posed by Sir W. Mac Cormac, and Professor Cuming responded. took place in Kingstown harbour on the 14th inst., was a Dr. McKisack and Dr. John were secretaries of the of Dublin where he obtained his medical Campbell graduate University, banquet and to them largely its success was due. degrees in 1892, and was only twenty-seven years of age. The deceased, accompanied by Lieutenant Ellison and two other Sad Deatla of a Medical Man. officers of H.M.S. reached from Dublin Jason, Kingstown by Some years ago Mrs. Riordan instituted proceedings against the last train on Saturday night and hired a boat to put her husband, Mr. Riordan, medical officer of the Cloyne them on board their vessel. It was a calm perfectly night, Dispensary District, for the purpose of procuring a judicial but, as at the the boat filled and foundered appeared inquest, separation. He entered a counter-plea charging her with in mid-harbour, leaving its six occupants struggling in the adultery. The jury exonerated Mrs. Riordan and the Court water. Sad to say, Surgeon Gibbons and the two boat- decided that her husband should provide her with separate men were drowned. An ominous circumstance overshadows maintenance. Lately, owing to some complaints as to the this lamentable in the fact that some two’ fatality years ago manner in which Mr. Riordan had his duties, the brothers of the deceased boatmen lost their lives while discharged Local Government Board called on him to resign his position, some of H.M.S. Belleisle to their rowing bluejackets Ship as dispensary medical officer. This fact and the conviction to their and also were, Something happened boat, they that he had made an unfounded accusation against his wife drowned in the harbour. It would seem time that some preyed very much on his mind, and he endeavoured to should be exercised the authorities; superintendence by proper make reparation to her by handing over the title deeds over boats which for hire at in ply Kingstown, especially of some property he held to her solicitor for the reference to to six men. punts permitted carry purpose of having the property conveyed to her. He on and as were The Union Hospital Belfast. died very suddenly the 16th ult., there .rumours in the locality that he had committed suicide The has been made on the Belfast Union following report the coroner considered it to hold an Mr. the Local Government Board in- by poisoning prudent Hospital by Agnew, - inquest last Wednesday. The evidence of his daughter was "This is in of a and spector : hospital charge visiting most pathetic. She stated that he was constantly expressing resident medical officer. There were cases on ninety-one sorrow for the accusations he had made against her mother. the date of my inspection; the nursing staff consists of a Describing his final illness, which occurred at the breakfast- superintendent, four day nurses, and three night nurses, all table, she said: " Whilst to him I noticed that his trained and efficient. This about 4500 speaking building, including eyes were getting dilated and he stared at me. After taking on it in recent has cost almost Thls3 spent years, £30,000. a mouthful of bread and he looked at me and said with its efficient and medical tea, again hospital, highly nursing staff,, to me, ‘ Don’t get excited.’ He moved then towards the is suited for the treatment of infectious cases.. admirably end of the table and came back again. I said, My God, The wards are clean, and well ventilated.. bright, cheery, you are dying. Tell me what is up with you, Father.’ He The beds are comfortable, bedclothes clean and sufficient, said, There is the matter with me.’ I then put my and suitable. The are well attended nothing dietary ample patients arms around him, crying, when he said, ° Don’t fret; it is to. from Belfast and 1 " Most respectable people neighbourhood apoplexy.’" The in a verdict of death tbe- come to this as it is the one in the which jury brought hospital, only city result of apoplexy, and expressed their most sincere con- possesses anything approaching the requirements of a fever " dolence with the relatives of the deceased gentleman. hospital." March l7th. Sir W.MacCormac and Queen’s College, Belfast. On the afternoon of March 15th, in the presence of a large company, Sir W. Mac Cormac was paid a high com- FOOTBALL CASUALTY.—During a match on the’ pliment in the library of Queen’s College, Belfast, his 10th inst. at Reading, between Woolwich Arsenal and native city. When he was made President of the Royal Reading, the captain of the visitors’ team fractured a bone College of Surgeons of England it was decided by his of his left hand.