OPHTALMIA AT HANWELL SCHOOLS.

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debater, quick at retort, and his extensivereading made B his speeches very effective. Careful, painstaking, constaniin attendance, his opinion was sought for and highly valued, The Hon. P. 0. Fysh, in his speech at the unveiling of th( statue, said of him: " He was thorough in what he under - took; his perseverance, enterprise, and skill had left for hiu a name in the community, and lie knew of no other name which was more respected throughout the colony, and nom i more worthy of being held in perpetual remembrance.’ The pedestal on which the statue is placed bears the following inscription: " Erected by a grateful public, and sincere personal friends, to perpetuate the memory and long and zealous political and professional services rendered in this colony by William Lodewyk Crowther, sometime Premier of Tasmania. Born April 15th, 1817. Died " April the 12th, 1885." .

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the devising of means to meet it, much good will be done both to the profession and to the institutions themselves. It is high time that some system of inspection should be adopted to remedy these abuses, and protect the more deserving poor in the administration of medical charity. TAPPING THE CEREBRAL VENTRICLES.

AT a recent meeting of the Philadelphia County Medical Society (Medical News, March 9th), Dr. Keen, the president, read a preliminary report on a case of tapping and irrigation of the ventricles, a procedure which he had advocated last autumn, and which he had since learnt had been suggested by Wernicke in 1881. The case in question was one of marked double choked disc, with complete blindness, dating from Christmas. He tapped the ventricle five weeks before reporting the case, reaching it by the " lateral route," POISONING BY CHLORODYNE. at a depth of an inch and three-quarters from the dura mater. A CASE of suicide which was recently the subject of From two to four ounces of fluid escaped daily at first, inquiry at South Shields merits note from the remarks con- but the discharge became freer when a rubber tube was cerning the sale of chlorodyne made by the doctor who gave substituted for the horsehair drain at first employed. He evidence at the inquest. He drew the attention of the jury explored the left occipital lobe with a probe, and also the to the fact that the bottle in which it had been sold did not cerebellum, but could find no tumour; and subsequently bear a label marked " Poison," though there was a Govern- he tapped the opposite ventricle and washed both ventricles ment stamp upon the bottle. The coroner also remarked out with boracic solution. The sequel of the case is to that the law as to the sale of poisons wanted thoroughly come, as indeed are the full details of the symptoms and revising, since, as shown in the case then under investiga- treatment of the case. The publication of these will be tion, a person could purchase chlorodyne without even a awaited with interest. question being asked. It was stated that the bottle would conRESULTS OF THE BRISTOL FLOODS. tain one ounce, which, according to the British Pharmacopoeia formula for chlorodyne, would represent a grain of morphine, THE recent disastrous floods at Bristol have evidently put thirty minims of dilute hydrocyanic acid, a drachm of chloro- a number of dwellings to the test in so far as concerns form and fifteen minims of ether, besides other, but harmless, their stability and their sanitary state. Rotten bricks are ingredients. It is certainly an anomaly that there should crumbling under the effects of the water ; and mortar, in be no check upon the sale of such a compound. In other the composition of which road rubbish has had a share, has respects the case followed the usual course. A young man been washed out or irremediably saturated. So, also, of twenty-five had three weeks before been in very low cellars hitherto made the receptacles for tons of refuse spirits and complaining of having nothing to do with his have, since the admixture of water and sewage with the time; he had not been troubled by sleeplessness, hence the accumulated stuff, become so unwholesome that, according reason for purchasing chlorodyne was sufficiently obvious to the .B/’M -fcrcM/’y, no less than six hundred tons of the after the event. refuse have already been carted off. In these ways some lesson, it may be hoped, has been taught those who live in DEATH OF PROFESSOR DONDERS. jerry-built houses and those who are careless of the comof WE regret to learn that the illness Professor Donders, monest known principles of health. Rigid inspection can of which we last week gave some particulars, terminated get rid of the evil resulting from the storage of refuse in fatally on the 24th inst. We hope to give in a future cellars; but it is difficult in the extreme to touch the work number a sketch of the career of the eminent ophthal- of thejerry builder if he is once allowed to enter on his task. Nothing but well-considered bye-laws, enforced by an mologist. officer having ample time to look after the details of all THE "ABUSE OF HOSPITALS." buildings in process of construction, can free a district from A PRELIMINARY MEETING, called at the instance of the mischief wrought by the jerry builder. Mr. E. Chesshire, F.R.C.S., and presided over by that gentleman, to consider this subject, was held at the BirOPHTHALMIA AT HANWELL SCHOOLS. mingham Medical Institute on the 25th inst. lZx. F. Marsh, THE Special Committee of the Central London School F.R.C.S., acted as lion. secretary pro !’6?K.. There was a fair attendance of the profession. Some remarkable in- District, appointed to inquire into the question of the stances were given of the extent to which deception is chronic prevalence of ophthalmia amongst the children of carried in order to profit by the gratuitous advice given at the school at Hanwell, have recommended that it should the Queen’s Hospital. One applicant whose parents farmed be authorised to negotiate with Messrs. Debenham and 170 acres of land near the town was rejected; also another, Tewson in regard to the purchase of an eligible site near a lady who drives a carriage and pair, who sought treat- Epsom Downs Station for the erection of an isolation ment under similar conditions of assumed inability to pay; school, on the ground that complete isolation is the only and it was reported that last year 136 cases were rejected method of successfully coping with the malady. Without where the circumstances of the applicants did not justify taking exception to the very positive view expressed in the the reception of such relief. A committee was formed to last few lines, it may be pointed out that the isolation organise opinions upon the subject, and to gain information building will soon be rendered unnecessary if due care be from the number of hospitals in the town. It appeared to taken that fresh cases are not introduced from without. In be clear that the special hospitals suffered most in this the case of schools of this character, every child should be respect, and if some practical outcome from this meeting most carefully examined before being allowed to mix with results in calling attention to the abuse, and still more in those who are healthy, and appropriate treatment should ____

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648 be commenced on the appearance of the slightest symptom of discharge. It is satisfactory to find that the recommendation of the committee has been adopted.

FOREIGN UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. Bologna.--Dr. Poggi has been appointed Extraordinary Professor of Surgical Pathology. Dr. Loreta, Professor of Clinical Surgery, has resigned. Bo-raoz.-Dr. F. Miiller, assistant in the Second Medical Clinic, has been offered a post as Extraordinary Professor. Fi-eibiti,,q.-Dr. W. Wiedow, prucct-docr,zzt, has been appointed Extraordinary Professor of Gynaecology and Mid-

ASSOCIATION OF FELLOWS OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND. of the Committee of this Association was held Wednesday, the 27th inst., at 36, Grosvenor-street, W., Mr. Macnamara in the chair. The attendances were numerous and representative, amongst them being Mr. Crosse of Norwich and Mr. Steele of Clifton. An important resolution relating to the Draft Bill was unanimously passed, and was directed to be forwarded to the secretaries of the Association of Members. This resolution will be published on the receipt of the reply from the Asso ciation of Members. It was also unanimously agreed: "That Mr. John Tweedy be requested to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate for election on the Council of the College in the coming July." A

MEETING

on

ENDOCARDITIS AND URETHRITIS.

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wifery. l 6nigsbeiq. -Professor Nauwerck of Tulingen has been appointed Prosector of the Pathological Institute. Pavia. -Dr. Silva has been appointed Extraordinary Professor of Special Pathology. Rostock.—Dr. H. Aubert, Professor of Physiology, who has been Rector since 1870, has been again chosen for the coming academical year. -

DEATHS OF EMINENT FOREIGN MEDICAL MEN. THE deaths of the following eminent foreign medical men are announced :-Dr. Ferdinand Keil, the Senior Bath Physician in Friedrichroda; Dr. J. Peyritsch, Professor of Botany in Innsbruck.

DR. JOHN S. ELY (new York Medical Record, March 16th) relates a case of malignant endocarditis in a man aged THE HOUSE OF LORDS’ COMMITTEE ON twenty-eight years, which apparently was secondary to urethritis. There were recent vegetations on the mitral THE SWEATING SYSTEM. valve, and numerous splenic and renal infarcts, mostly suppurating. By Gram’s method, masses of micrococci were WE have dealt so extensively with the evils arising from found in the vegetations and abscesses, resembling some the sweating system, and the Special Reports we have found in the pus from the urethra, where also a few forms like published on this question have attracted so large a share Neisser’s gonococcus were detected. In a survey of litera- of public notice, that it was only natural one of our Special ture, the writer finds recorded at least nine cases of pyaemia Sanitary Commissioners should be called upon to givee or malignant endocarditis where the urethra seemed to be evidence on this subject before the House of Lords’ Comthe point of entrance of the infective agent, and he alludes mittee on Sweating. The sanitary condition of the nail and to the fact that pyyogenic bacteria present both in pyaemia chain makers was under investigation, and this was a and malignant endocarditis have been found along with question recently treated in our columns. Consequently, gonococci in gonorrhceal pus. on Friday, March 22nd, Mr. Adolphe Smith, one of our Special Sanitary Commissioners, was summoned before the METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD. House of Lords’ Committee, and, after having made a stateTHE final meeting of the Board of Managers was held on ment, was submitted to a thorough examination. Many and general statements had been made as to the unSaturday last, in the Board-room, Spring Gardens. There vague wholesome nature of the work, and the insanitary condition This being the last of the nail and chain makers’ district. Mr. was a large attendance of members. Adolphe Smith occasion upon which Sir Edwin Galsworthy would preside was able to deal with the question on more precise data. at the Board, as then constituted, a motion gracefully re- The following was his first statement :" Though the general death-rate in the nail and chain cognising his valuable services during the three years he districts is not very high, the death-rate returns all show had held the office of chairman was unanimously adopted, infant mortality. Taking the last average of the exceptional and a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. J. Talbot, M.P. ten years for all England, out of 100 deaths the proportion (the deputy chairman). Some routine business followed, of infants dying under one year of age was 14’2. In 1887 it and the Board separated. was 14’5. In the Worcester portion of the sanitary district, which includes Cradley, there were 557 deaths in 1887; out of these 213 were infants under one year of age. This THE ARMY AND NAVY MEDICAL SERVICES. is something over 38 per cent., instead of being 14-5 per THE meeting of the committee appointed by the Secretary cent., which is the average of all England. At Birmingham, of State for War to consider the pay, status, and conditions where there is at present an outcry concerning the excessive of service of the medical officers of the army and navy, held infant mortality, it amounted to 17’8 per cent. in 1887 of of their first meeting, under the presidency of Lord Camper- the total deaths, a figure which is still much below that the Cradley district. The mortality of children under five down, on Thursday, the 21st inst., at which the preliminaries years of age in England, as given by the Registrar for the of the investigation were arranged. On Monday and five years 1881 to 1885, was on an average 5’7 per 1000 of the Thursday last other meetings were held, at which evidence population, while at the same time the general death-rate for all ages for all England was equal to 19’3. Thus the was taken bearing on the inquiry. child mortality (I call child mortality the mortality of children under five years of age) is less than a third of the total mortality. Now if we take the Rowley Regis district, DEATH OF DR. C. J. B. WILLIAMS. which includes Cradley Heath, we find the death-rate in WE regret to have to record the death of Dr. C. J. B. 1886 under five years of age equal to 9’6 in the 1000 of the Williams, which took place at Cannes on Sunday last. ’ population, and the general death-rate 16-5. In 1887 the Dr. Williams was in his eighty-fifth year, and the imme- proportion was 8’9 for children and the general death-rate diate cause of his decease was congestion of the lungs rapidly 16’3; in 1888 the proportion was 10’0 for children and 18’2 the general death-rate per 1000. Consequently the child supervening on a cold contracted on the previous Tuesday. mortality is considerably over half the total death-rate, We shall, in our next number, bring under the notice of our instead of under a third of the total deaths." being readers the important work effected in medical literature When asked by Lord Dunraven, president of the Comand practice by this distinguished physician. mittee, what were the principal causes of this excessivee -