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CONSTANTINOPLE.
BERLIN.-CONSTANTINOPLE. In trials such cases as have no exceptional character. carried out in /o7"m pauperis the circular requests that all medical men in place of coming themselves to court to give their report should send this by post to the president of the court. This measure is not a very happily conceived one, for often it happens that objection is taken to the evidence of the medical men and in this case there will be no oppor. tunity of hearing their answers to such objections. August 20th.
BERLIN.
(FROM
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
6 Serum Treatment of P1te1’peral Fever. Professor Martin of Greifswald, writing to the Berliner Xlinische Woohenschrift, says that of the two modern principles of treating puerperal fever-namely, by surgical methods and by injections of antitoxin-the former is available only in clinics and hospitals, whilst the latter may be carried out by any practitioner. Opinions, however, differ greatly as to the efficacy of serum treatment owing to the want of a satisfactory system of comparing cases. Professor Martin has endeavoured to arrive at a definite result by tabulating the incidence of pyrexia in puerperal patients according as they were treated with or without serum. He said that since June lst, 1905, all cases of puerperal fever under his care have been treated by antitoxin and he compares the cases which occurred from that date till June lst, 1906, with the corresponding numbers of the previous year when serum treatment was not yet in use. In the administration of the antitoxin 20 cubic centimetres were injected when the rectal temperature was higher than 38’ 50 C. ; if the temperature was over 38° C. on the following day a second injection and perhaps even a third injection were given. When the temperature did not fall another series of injections was begun on the sixth day. The statistical tables compiled by Professor Martin show that temperatures from 38’ 50 to 38’ 90 were attained in 25’ 6 per cent. of the cases treated without serum and in 28 per cent. of those treated with serum ; temperatures from 39° to 39’ 4° were attained in 23 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 32 per cent. of those treated with serum ; temperatures from 39’ 50 to 39 9° were attained in 20’ 5 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 24 per cent. of there treated with serum; temperatures from 40° to 40’ 40 were attained in 23’ 5 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 8 per cent. of those treated with serum ; and temperatures from 40’ 5° to 41° were attained in 7’ 6 per cent. of those treated without Temserum and 8 per cent. of those treated with serum. peratures over 40°, therefore, occurred in 31 per cent. of the cases treated without serum but in only 16 per cent. of those treated with it ; in the latter the pyrexia was also of shorter duration. Professor Martin therefore recommends that serum treatment should be employed in every case. The Comparative Freq1teney of Appendicitis in Men and in TVomen. The above question is discussed by Dr. Karrenstein of Altona in the Deutsche Medizinisehe Woehenschr’ift. In the
surgical text-books appendicitis is said to be much more frequent in the male than in the female sex, the proportion varying according to the different statistics from 74 to 53 per cent. for males. Dr. Karrenstein, however, maintains that false conclusions have been drawn from the facts. As the statistics are based on hospital cases and as men are admitted to hospitals in much greater numbers than women it is obvious that more men must be treated for appendicitis than women. It was not the absolute number but the frequency of appendicitis in each 1000 men and 1000 women that should be compared. When this was done it was found that in Berlin the numbers of men and women suffering from appendicitis were nearly equal and that in 1899 even more women than men were received, the proportions being 2’ 99 per 1000 men and 4’ 20 per 1000 women. In Hamburg a considerable and permanent preponderance of appendicitis in the female sex was found to exist. The University of Greif,wald. The University of Greifswald in Pomerania lately celebrated its 450th anniversary with great display. Prince August Wilhelm, representing the Emperor, the Minister of Education, and many representatives of the authorities
I
529
attended the proceedings, which began with Divine service in the cathedral. At a formal meeting of the four faculties, presided over by the rector, Professor Bonet, and in the presence of many official personages and visitors, honorary degrees were conferred on several men of science. The recipients of the honorary degree of M.D. included Professor William Keen of Professor Roux of the Pasteur Institute at Paris, and Professor Snellen of Utrecht. Considerable sums have been placed at the disposal of the University by some wealthy families of Pomerania for the purpose of providing the university clinics with means for scientific research and for the reception of indigent patients. A special number, consisting exclusively of articles contributed by members of the Greifswald Medical Faculty, has been issued by the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift. Practical Joking by Students. A paragraph was lately inserted in some daily newspapers to the effect that the medical students of the University of Gottingen had passed a resolution condemning vivisection. It was said in the resolution that vivisection was censurable from the ethical and moral point of view, that it demoralised the teachers as well as the studentq, and that the students assembled in meeting declined to attend the lectures on physiology and pharmacology as long as experiments on animals were performed. This report caused a great sensation and received the hearty approval of the adherents of "natural" medicine, antivivisectionists, and so on, but their joy was short-lived, for it soon became known that a party of medical students, exhilarated by good German beer, had constituted themselves an antivivisectionists’ committee, and that the report of the proceedings at the alleged meeting was the product of their imagination. August 20th.
Philadelphia,
_________________
CONSTANTINOPLE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Recent Illness of the Sultan. ALL sorts of alarming rumours concerning the recent illness of the Sultan have been circulating in the Ottoman metropolis and doubtless have found their counterpart elsewhere. Last Friday, when Abdul Hamid did not appear to perform the traditional religious ceremony of the so-called Selamlik, it was said that he was already dead, some affirming their knowledge that he was poisoned, having The cause of fallen a victim to a palace revolution. these extraordinary false rumours is the great secrecy which surrounds all things concerning Yildiz-Kiosk, The fact and especially the person of the Sultan. that the Padishah did not attend the Friday Selamlik ceremony was certainly an unusual occurrence, it being the first time during the long reign of Abdul Hamid that this religious military pageant was dispensed with, and no explanation for the departure was too violent for the imagination. The facts concerning the Sultan’s illness are as follows and I believe that I have gathered them from trustworthy sources. Abdul Hamid suffers from a chronic enlargement of the prostate gland with all the consequent train of symptoms associated with this malady. As he is over 60 years of age it is not surprising that sometimes these symptoms become more acute. The first manifestations of the condition began to trouble the Sultan about ten years ago, when a German surgeon who was called in recommended operative treatment. The Sultan, however, declined to submit to operation and it is very doubtful if he would be of a different opinion now if Professor Bergman comes to Constantinople, as is stated to be probable. In the meantime the Sultan is undoubtedly better and the chief chamberlain has made a formal announcement that he has completely recovered (the italics are mine). The Civil Medical School at ])amascus. This school was founded three years ago and is doing good work. It contains at present 102 students of whom more than half are studying the practice of medicine. The remainder devote their time particularly to chemistry. The last summer examinations have been brought to a close some days ago. It is intended to enlarge the buildings of the school as the number of students is steadily increasing. A Laboratory of Chemical Analysis. It is intended to erect at the prefecture of the capital
CANADA.-AUSTRALIA.
530
laboratory of chemical analysis. The cost has been estimated to amount to 400 Turkish liras. Tenders will be invited for the supply of the necessary appliances. August 15th,
bacteriologist, the medical inspector, the provincial chemist, provincial analyst, whilst an advisory council, consisting of medical men in various parts of the province, would be called together in grave cases of danger to the health of the province.
a
and
Britisth Columbia Canned Salmon.
CANADA. (FROM
OUR OWN
Owing to the recent attempt to slander British Columbia salmon in the English market Dr. C. J. Fagan, has recently made a tour of the canneries of the Fraser River to study conditions during the packing season. His report sets at rest the slightest doubt as to the cleanliness of the operations. He says that of 25 canneries on the river every one is strictly complying with the regulations of the Board of Health of British Columbia. There is no offal in the build-
CORRESPONDENT.)
Five- Year Medical O01trSe at Mc Gill University. corporation of McGill University of Montreal has approved of a resolution sent on from the medical faculty thereof advising that the present four-year medical course should be extended to one of five years. It is likely that the change will come into effect in the session of 1907-08. The University of Toronto will probably soon join in making the five-year course compulsory, and the University of Manitoba may do the same. The Medical Council of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons has been requiring a five-year course for several years past. Tuberulosis in British Columbia. Recently sites have been inspected near Kamloops for the purposes of a consumption sanatorium, in which inspection the provincial officer of health, Dr. C. J. Fagan, Victoria, took a prominent part. The Anti-Tuberculosis Association of British Columbia has also recently made a personal appeal. to the residents of the province. In a letter bringing the matter to their attention it is stated that 12,000 die annually in Canada from tuberculosis and over 200 in British Columbia. It is estimated that there are 60,000 invalids in Canada from this disease, and that 1000 of them are in British Columbia.$100,000 are required for the purposes of the above institution. Annual Meeting of the Ontario Medical Council. At the annual session of the Ontario Medical Council, held in Toronto in July, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year :-President : Dr. W. H. Moorhouse, London, Ontario. Vice-President: Dr. Spankie, Wolfe Island. Registrar: Hon. Dr. R. A. Pyne, M.P.P., Toronto. Treasurer: Dr. H. Wilberforce Aikins, Toronto. A practitioner of the province had his name erased from the Register for unprofessional conduct, his offence consisting in advertising that he had a remedy to cure influenza in two hours, which would also cure pneumonia and other diseases. The lay press took great umbrage over this gentleman’s case, urging that he had been unduly dealt with by the council, and deprived of earning his livelihood on a trivial charge. The president of the council has made a communication justifying the council in protecting the public from fraud. Race Suicide in Ontario. to the recent report of the registrar-general for According Ontario for the year 1904, when there was a population in Ontario of 2,203,768, the births numbered 50,265, which included 1690 still-births. The birth-rate was therefore 22’ 8 per 1000, an increase of 0 - 7 over 1903. Still-births are steadily growing in number in Ontario, as the following will show : in 1897 there were 435 ; 1898, 532 ; 1899, 419 ; 1900, 578; 1901, 780 ; 1902, 823 ; 1903, 933; and 1904, 1690. In the face of the fact that all the still-births are not registered the many instances of infanticide unearthed by the police of Ontario during the last two or three years lead to the suspicion on the part of the provincial authorities that there has been a sort of campaign of murder, and the matter is now receiving investigation at the hands of the law officers of the province. The number of children born out of wedlock in 1904 was 798. There were fewer marriages than in the previous year, the total number being 19,789. The report, which deals so strongly with infantile mortality, also referred to the deaths in the province in 1904, which numbered 30,920, a rate of 14.1per 1000. Reorganisation of the Ontario Board of Health. Owing to the recent deaths of two members of the Ontario Board of Health, no appointments having been made in their stead by the Government, it is understood that reorganisation is to take place. The board as at present constituted is chosen from physicians in different sections of THE
ings and rules of cleanliness are rigidly enforced. The Medical Building of Queen’s University destroyed by Fire. It has already been reported in English papers that on the morning of July 4th Queen’s Medical College building at Kingston, Ontario, was entirely destroyed by fire. The total financial loss is now found to be about$75,000. Only$22,000 insurance was carried on the building. All that was saved was the secretary-treasurer’s books. Valuable medical apparatus and specimens which cannot be replaced became a prey to the flames. The provincial (eastern) bacterio. logical and public health laboratories were also completely wiped out. It is only a short time ago that an extra storey was added at a cost of$11,000 and plans were being pre. pared for the complete renovation of the building. The work of reconstruction is already well under way and the College will be rebuilt in time for the coming session in the ’
fall. DeatA of Dr. Robert Craik. There died recently in Montreal one of the noted members of the medical profession in Canada, Dr. Robert Craik, formerly dean of the medical faculty of McGill University. He was born on April 22nd, 1829, and graduated from McGill with high honours in 1854. He immediately became house surgeon to the General Hospital in that city, and had charge of the city arrangements against the cholera epidemic which took place in Montreal at that time. He was first appointed to the McGill faculty in 1856, and became dean in 1889, holding the post for 11 years, when he was succeeded by Dr. Roddick. Within the last week the board of governors of both the General Hospital and McGill University placed resolutions on their books speaking in the highest terms of praise of the work of Dr. Craik. Toronto, August 13th.
AUSTRALIA. (FROM
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
Bubonic Plague. BUBONIC plague continues in Sydney and three fatal cases of the pneumonic form have occurred as well as several non-fatal cases of the ordinary form. The " contacts," 24 in number, removed to the quarantine station from the pneumonic cases fortunately have not developed the disease and have been released. Plague-infected rats and mice continue to be caught about the wharves in Darling harbour. The ’’ contacts" from plague cases have all been treated with preventive serum from the Lister Institute. The first case of the pneumonic form worked on a coastal steamer berthed at wharves where infection has been. This is the first time the pneumonic form has occurred in New South Wales, but a small outbreak of it occurred at Bundaberg in Queensland about two years ago. On the arrival of the P. and 0. mail steamer Britannia at Adelaide it was found that a member of the crew was suffering from bubonic plague. The passengers for Adelaide were landed and placed in quarantine for five days and the patient was also landed.
Proposed Destmuotion of Rabbits by Disease. Danysz, who has come to Australia for the purpose of trying to destroy the rabbits by inoculating them with the microbe of hæmorrhagic septicæmia. has not met with a very favourable reception. The Federal Government the province, and attached to them are a secretary, a has issued a proclamation prohibiting the importation of the bacteriologist, a medical inspector, a provincial chemist, microbes except under certain conditions-viz., that the and a provincial analyst. The proposition is to constitute packages containing them be handed unopened to Dr. F. the board, with the present secretary as chairman, from the Tidswell, the State bacteriologist of New South Wales, and Dr.
BERLIN.
(FROM
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
6 Serum Treatment of P1te1’peral Fever. Professor Martin of Greifswald, writing to the Berliner Xlinische Woohenschrift, says that of the two modern principles of treating puerperal fever-namely, by surgical methods and by injections of antitoxin-the former is available only in clinics and hospitals, whilst the latter may be carried out by any practitioner. Opinions, however, differ greatly as to the efficacy of serum treatment owing to the want of a satisfactory system of comparing cases. Professor Martin has endeavoured to arrive at a definite result by tabulating the incidence of pyrexia in puerperal patients according as they were treated with or without serum. He said that since June lst, 1905, all cases of puerperal fever under his care have been treated by antitoxin and he compares the cases which occurred from that date till June lst, 1906, with the corresponding numbers of the previous year when serum treatment was not yet in use. In the administration of the antitoxin 20 cubic centimetres were injected when the rectal temperature was higher than 38’ 50 C. ; if the temperature was over 38° C. on the following day a second injection and perhaps even a third injection were given. When the temperature did not fall another series of injections was begun on the sixth day. The statistical tables compiled by Professor Martin show that temperatures from 38’ 50 to 38’ 90 were attained in 25’ 6 per cent. of the cases treated without serum and in 28 per cent. of those treated with serum ; temperatures from 39° to 39’ 4° were attained in 23 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 32 per cent. of those treated with serum ; temperatures from 39’ 50 to 39 9° were attained in 20’ 5 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 24 per cent. of there treated with serum; temperatures from 40° to 40’ 40 were attained in 23’ 5 per cent. of those treated without serum and in 8 per cent. of those treated with serum ; and temperatures from 40’ 5° to 41° were attained in 7’ 6 per cent. of those treated without Temserum and 8 per cent. of those treated with serum. peratures over 40°, therefore, occurred in 31 per cent. of the cases treated without serum but in only 16 per cent. of those treated with it ; in the latter the pyrexia was also of shorter duration. Professor Martin therefore recommends that serum treatment should be employed in every case. The Comparative Freq1teney of Appendicitis in Men and in TVomen. The above question is discussed by Dr. Karrenstein of Altona in the Deutsche Medizinisehe Woehenschr’ift. In the
surgical text-books appendicitis is said to be much more frequent in the male than in the female sex, the proportion varying according to the different statistics from 74 to 53 per cent. for males. Dr. Karrenstein, however, maintains that false conclusions have been drawn from the facts. As the statistics are based on hospital cases and as men are admitted to hospitals in much greater numbers than women it is obvious that more men must be treated for appendicitis than women. It was not the absolute number but the frequency of appendicitis in each 1000 men and 1000 women that should be compared. When this was done it was found that in Berlin the numbers of men and women suffering from appendicitis were nearly equal and that in 1899 even more women than men were received, the proportions being 2’ 99 per 1000 men and 4’ 20 per 1000 women. In Hamburg a considerable and permanent preponderance of appendicitis in the female sex was found to exist. The University of Greif,wald. The University of Greifswald in Pomerania lately celebrated its 450th anniversary with great display. Prince August Wilhelm, representing the Emperor, the Minister of Education, and many representatives of the authorities
I
529
attended the proceedings, which began with Divine service in the cathedral. At a formal meeting of the four faculties, presided over by the rector, Professor Bonet, and in the presence of many official personages and visitors, honorary degrees were conferred on several men of science. The recipients of the honorary degree of M.D. included Professor William Keen of Professor Roux of the Pasteur Institute at Paris, and Professor Snellen of Utrecht. Considerable sums have been placed at the disposal of the University by some wealthy families of Pomerania for the purpose of providing the university clinics with means for scientific research and for the reception of indigent patients. A special number, consisting exclusively of articles contributed by members of the Greifswald Medical Faculty, has been issued by the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift. Practical Joking by Students. A paragraph was lately inserted in some daily newspapers to the effect that the medical students of the University of Gottingen had passed a resolution condemning vivisection. It was said in the resolution that vivisection was censurable from the ethical and moral point of view, that it demoralised the teachers as well as the studentq, and that the students assembled in meeting declined to attend the lectures on physiology and pharmacology as long as experiments on animals were performed. This report caused a great sensation and received the hearty approval of the adherents of "natural" medicine, antivivisectionists, and so on, but their joy was short-lived, for it soon became known that a party of medical students, exhilarated by good German beer, had constituted themselves an antivivisectionists’ committee, and that the report of the proceedings at the alleged meeting was the product of their imagination. August 20th.
Philadelphia,
_________________
CONSTANTINOPLE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Recent Illness of the Sultan. ALL sorts of alarming rumours concerning the recent illness of the Sultan have been circulating in the Ottoman metropolis and doubtless have found their counterpart elsewhere. Last Friday, when Abdul Hamid did not appear to perform the traditional religious ceremony of the so-called Selamlik, it was said that he was already dead, some affirming their knowledge that he was poisoned, having The cause of fallen a victim to a palace revolution. these extraordinary false rumours is the great secrecy which surrounds all things concerning Yildiz-Kiosk, The fact and especially the person of the Sultan. that the Padishah did not attend the Friday Selamlik ceremony was certainly an unusual occurrence, it being the first time during the long reign of Abdul Hamid that this religious military pageant was dispensed with, and no explanation for the departure was too violent for the imagination. The facts concerning the Sultan’s illness are as follows and I believe that I have gathered them from trustworthy sources. Abdul Hamid suffers from a chronic enlargement of the prostate gland with all the consequent train of symptoms associated with this malady. As he is over 60 years of age it is not surprising that sometimes these symptoms become more acute. The first manifestations of the condition began to trouble the Sultan about ten years ago, when a German surgeon who was called in recommended operative treatment. The Sultan, however, declined to submit to operation and it is very doubtful if he would be of a different opinion now if Professor Bergman comes to Constantinople, as is stated to be probable. In the meantime the Sultan is undoubtedly better and the chief chamberlain has made a formal announcement that he has completely recovered (the italics are mine). The Civil Medical School at ])amascus. This school was founded three years ago and is doing good work. It contains at present 102 students of whom more than half are studying the practice of medicine. The remainder devote their time particularly to chemistry. The last summer examinations have been brought to a close some days ago. It is intended to enlarge the buildings of the school as the number of students is steadily increasing. A Laboratory of Chemical Analysis. It is intended to erect at the prefecture of the capital
CANADA.-AUSTRALIA.
530
laboratory of chemical analysis. The cost has been estimated to amount to 400 Turkish liras. Tenders will be invited for the supply of the necessary appliances. August 15th,
bacteriologist, the medical inspector, the provincial chemist, provincial analyst, whilst an advisory council, consisting of medical men in various parts of the province, would be called together in grave cases of danger to the health of the province.
a
and
Britisth Columbia Canned Salmon.
CANADA. (FROM
OUR OWN
Owing to the recent attempt to slander British Columbia salmon in the English market Dr. C. J. Fagan, has recently made a tour of the canneries of the Fraser River to study conditions during the packing season. His report sets at rest the slightest doubt as to the cleanliness of the operations. He says that of 25 canneries on the river every one is strictly complying with the regulations of the Board of Health of British Columbia. There is no offal in the build-
CORRESPONDENT.)
Five- Year Medical O01trSe at Mc Gill University. corporation of McGill University of Montreal has approved of a resolution sent on from the medical faculty thereof advising that the present four-year medical course should be extended to one of five years. It is likely that the change will come into effect in the session of 1907-08. The University of Toronto will probably soon join in making the five-year course compulsory, and the University of Manitoba may do the same. The Medical Council of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons has been requiring a five-year course for several years past. Tuberulosis in British Columbia. Recently sites have been inspected near Kamloops for the purposes of a consumption sanatorium, in which inspection the provincial officer of health, Dr. C. J. Fagan, Victoria, took a prominent part. The Anti-Tuberculosis Association of British Columbia has also recently made a personal appeal. to the residents of the province. In a letter bringing the matter to their attention it is stated that 12,000 die annually in Canada from tuberculosis and over 200 in British Columbia. It is estimated that there are 60,000 invalids in Canada from this disease, and that 1000 of them are in British Columbia.$100,000 are required for the purposes of the above institution. Annual Meeting of the Ontario Medical Council. At the annual session of the Ontario Medical Council, held in Toronto in July, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year :-President : Dr. W. H. Moorhouse, London, Ontario. Vice-President: Dr. Spankie, Wolfe Island. Registrar: Hon. Dr. R. A. Pyne, M.P.P., Toronto. Treasurer: Dr. H. Wilberforce Aikins, Toronto. A practitioner of the province had his name erased from the Register for unprofessional conduct, his offence consisting in advertising that he had a remedy to cure influenza in two hours, which would also cure pneumonia and other diseases. The lay press took great umbrage over this gentleman’s case, urging that he had been unduly dealt with by the council, and deprived of earning his livelihood on a trivial charge. The president of the council has made a communication justifying the council in protecting the public from fraud. Race Suicide in Ontario. to the recent report of the registrar-general for According Ontario for the year 1904, when there was a population in Ontario of 2,203,768, the births numbered 50,265, which included 1690 still-births. The birth-rate was therefore 22’ 8 per 1000, an increase of 0 - 7 over 1903. Still-births are steadily growing in number in Ontario, as the following will show : in 1897 there were 435 ; 1898, 532 ; 1899, 419 ; 1900, 578; 1901, 780 ; 1902, 823 ; 1903, 933; and 1904, 1690. In the face of the fact that all the still-births are not registered the many instances of infanticide unearthed by the police of Ontario during the last two or three years lead to the suspicion on the part of the provincial authorities that there has been a sort of campaign of murder, and the matter is now receiving investigation at the hands of the law officers of the province. The number of children born out of wedlock in 1904 was 798. There were fewer marriages than in the previous year, the total number being 19,789. The report, which deals so strongly with infantile mortality, also referred to the deaths in the province in 1904, which numbered 30,920, a rate of 14.1per 1000. Reorganisation of the Ontario Board of Health. Owing to the recent deaths of two members of the Ontario Board of Health, no appointments having been made in their stead by the Government, it is understood that reorganisation is to take place. The board as at present constituted is chosen from physicians in different sections of THE
ings and rules of cleanliness are rigidly enforced. The Medical Building of Queen’s University destroyed by Fire. It has already been reported in English papers that on the morning of July 4th Queen’s Medical College building at Kingston, Ontario, was entirely destroyed by fire. The total financial loss is now found to be about$75,000. Only$22,000 insurance was carried on the building. All that was saved was the secretary-treasurer’s books. Valuable medical apparatus and specimens which cannot be replaced became a prey to the flames. The provincial (eastern) bacterio. logical and public health laboratories were also completely wiped out. It is only a short time ago that an extra storey was added at a cost of$11,000 and plans were being pre. pared for the complete renovation of the building. The work of reconstruction is already well under way and the College will be rebuilt in time for the coming session in the ’
fall. DeatA of Dr. Robert Craik. There died recently in Montreal one of the noted members of the medical profession in Canada, Dr. Robert Craik, formerly dean of the medical faculty of McGill University. He was born on April 22nd, 1829, and graduated from McGill with high honours in 1854. He immediately became house surgeon to the General Hospital in that city, and had charge of the city arrangements against the cholera epidemic which took place in Montreal at that time. He was first appointed to the McGill faculty in 1856, and became dean in 1889, holding the post for 11 years, when he was succeeded by Dr. Roddick. Within the last week the board of governors of both the General Hospital and McGill University placed resolutions on their books speaking in the highest terms of praise of the work of Dr. Craik. Toronto, August 13th.
AUSTRALIA. (FROM
OUR OWN
CORRESPONDENT.)
Bubonic Plague. BUBONIC plague continues in Sydney and three fatal cases of the pneumonic form have occurred as well as several non-fatal cases of the ordinary form. The " contacts," 24 in number, removed to the quarantine station from the pneumonic cases fortunately have not developed the disease and have been released. Plague-infected rats and mice continue to be caught about the wharves in Darling harbour. The ’’ contacts" from plague cases have all been treated with preventive serum from the Lister Institute. The first case of the pneumonic form worked on a coastal steamer berthed at wharves where infection has been. This is the first time the pneumonic form has occurred in New South Wales, but a small outbreak of it occurred at Bundaberg in Queensland about two years ago. On the arrival of the P. and 0. mail steamer Britannia at Adelaide it was found that a member of the crew was suffering from bubonic plague. The passengers for Adelaide were landed and placed in quarantine for five days and the patient was also landed.
Proposed Destmuotion of Rabbits by Disease. Danysz, who has come to Australia for the purpose of trying to destroy the rabbits by inoculating them with the microbe of hæmorrhagic septicæmia. has not met with a very favourable reception. The Federal Government the province, and attached to them are a secretary, a has issued a proclamation prohibiting the importation of the bacteriologist, a medical inspector, a provincial chemist, microbes except under certain conditions-viz., that the and a provincial analyst. The proposition is to constitute packages containing them be handed unopened to Dr. F. the board, with the present secretary as chairman, from the Tidswell, the State bacteriologist of New South Wales, and Dr.