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THE CATTLE PLAGUE.
495 considered the teeth to be mammalian (as the fangs are imfrom the form of the mutiteeth submitted to him, gave to the fossil the name
planted in distinct sockets), and,
lated
Zeuglodon.
Mr. Koch also found in America a number of fossil bones, with which he constructed a prodigious form, about 100 feet long, which traversed Europe for exhibition. At Berlin, Prof. John Miiller, detecting its true nature and proportions (really some fifty or sixty feet in length), first gave to the world a description of parts of the skeleton of this very remarkable fossil, the Zeuglodon. The vertebral column is quite cetacean in character, except that the cervical vertebrae are free, though very greatly flattened antero-posteriorly. The cranium, however, resembles that of the Pinnipedia in many respects, the parietals being medianly united, the nasals well developed, the supraorbital The jawprocesses, though large, yet not exceedingly so, &c. bones, however, are more cetacean in form, and the mandible much resembles that of Platanista. The teeth, again, are almost altogether seal-like, and there was a first and second dentition. 1-11 3-3 5-5 The dental formula is-i. The 33 —3’ - 3’ 1-1’ 1 —1 5 —5 limbs are still more seal-like than the skull, the humerus having a pulley-joint at its distal end, and the carpal bones having been evidently movable, as also, probably, the digits. Professor Van Beneden has quite recently discovered in Miocene and Pleiocene strata a to which he has given the name Squalodon, and which is a further link between Zeuglodon and the Cetacea, and has multiplied, though still differentiated teeth. On the whole, the affinities between the different groups of Pinnipedia and Cetacea may perhaps be best expressed thus :-
c.
g. 5 - 5.
fossil,
THE ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL. IN the year 1859 the West Surrey and Guildford Dispensary established with the object of supplying out-door relief to the poor of the neighbourhood, who, until then, had been dependent upon the gratuitous services of the medical profession during the necessities of their sickness. It very soon became patent to the honorary medical staff of the charity that many of the cases which presented themselves could not be treated efficiently as out-door dispensary cases; two or three of the medical men connected with the institution, therefore, suggested the advantage which would accrue to the poor by the establishment of a few beds for the more satisfactory treatment of the severe ailments which from time to time might occur amongst their patients. In pursuance of this suggestion negotiations were commenced for the purchase of a house of some size in the town; but this idea soon expanded itself into a determination to attempt the foundation of an institution of greater magnitude and wider usefulness in the shape of a hospital, which might become available for the accommodation of the sick and maimed poor of the whole of the county of Surrey. Accordingly, four years ago a meeting was convened was
at Guildford, presided over by S. Gurney, Esq., the sheriff for the year, at which the Bishop of Winchester and many of the influential people of the county were present, and at which the subject was discussed, and it was determined to carry the project into execution. A sum of about two thousand pounds was collected, and an active canvass for donations was commenced. When the subscription list had reached four thousand pounds, for the new hospital having been furnished by Edward Lower, Esq., architect of St. Catherine’s, Guildford, a contract was taken for the erection of the building by Mr. Barnes, of Medfield, Reigate, at the sum of jEl 1,303; R. J. Shepard, the hon. treasurer, signed it on behalf of the committee, thus upon himself the responsibility of providing the whole of the remainder of the money, but with the faith that the opulent county of Surrey would not fail to provide the funds for the furtherance of so benevolent an undertaking. The foundation stone was laid by Lewis Loyd, Esq., on the 26th of July, 1863, and the committee have worked most assiduously since, in completing the building. Much thought has been bestowed upon its construction, so as to ensure its completion in accordance with the most approved rules of modern hospital arrangements. It is believed that the committee have succeeded in this endeavour in every respect. It is not necessary to refer to these arrangements, as descriptive particulars of the building were published in THE LANCET a few weeks ago. The entire cost of the building, including contract price, fire-proof floors, water and gas supply, architect’s fees, charges of the clerk of the works, &c. &c., amount to £15,015, exclusive of the site, which was given by Earl Onslow. The furnishing is estimated at £2000, but it is anticipated that this sum will be in excess of the real cost. The income, arising from donations, legacies already paid, a bed fund, instituted by the Rev. J. Godwin Hatchard, £535 ;£320 handed over by the West Surrey and Guildford Dispensary; and £1904, the proceeds of a bazaar held in the hospital last autumn, amounts to £18,206 ; thus a balance of about X1200 remains to the credit of the committee after the payment of all charges. Annual subscriptions to the amount of £900 have been contributed ; this sum must, however, be supplemented by additional subscriptions of a like amount to carry out the objects of the charity to their full efficiency. The hospital was opened, formally, on Tuesday, the 27th of April, by the Bishop of Winchester, in the presence of a large number of persons of distinction from various parts of the county. A short religious ceremony, dedicatory of the building to its future uses, formed the commencement of the proceedings, at the conclusion of which the Bishop made a short address, during which he set forth the importance of the institution, in respect of the benefits it would afford to the sick poor of the surrounding rural districts, and urged upon those present the claims it possessed to their support. At the conclusion of his address his lordship directed the bust of his Royal Highness the late Prince Consort, presented by the Queen, to be unveiled. The bust is an admirable likeness of the late Prince, chiselled, by the Queen’s command, by Theed, out of a block of the purest Carrara, placed upon a plinth of rose-coloured Portuguese marble, the whole supported by a pedestal of gray Sicilian marble. After the ceremony a large number of ladies and gentlemen partook of a sumptuous luncheon in the large east ward of the building, at which the high sheriff of the county presided. After luncheon the usual loyal and other toasts were given, and responded to by various speakers, amongst whom was the Rev. T. Godwin Hatchard, the rector of the parish in which the hospital is built, who, in the course of his address, informed the company that her Majesty the Queen had graciously condescended to allow herself to be named the patron of the hospital, and had contributed a donation of £105. Patients were received into the house on the 3rd inst. Thus the Royal
plans
taking
Surrey County Hospital May it flourish !
is launched upon its benevolent mis-
sion.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. A REPORT on the origin, propagation, nature, and treatment of the cattle plague has been laid before Parliament, drawn up from the information received at the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council Office, by Mr. Williams, the secretary to the department. No little labour has been given to the compilation of the report, but an error of conception as to the
496
objects of such a document has to a great extent it deprived of any real value. The primary object of a report of this kind should be carefully to record the trustworthy facts relating to the subject to which it refers. Upon the manner in which this is effected the value of the report must depend. In preparing the report in question, Mr. Williams unquestionably had to deal with data, as a rule, of a most unsatisfactory character. To collate, arrange, and reduce to anything like order the multifarious and often conflicting documents submitted to him must have been a task of great difficulty, and have required no ordinary patience and care. That Mr. Williams was equal to the task and executed it with great ability his report fully shows ; but in dealing with the results of his own labours he has not done justice to himself. The Veterinary Department of the Privy Council Office alone possesses the materials for a trustworthy history of the origin and progress of the cattle plague in England. To it we must look for a careful and systematic detail of all the ascertained facts bearing upon the subject. Such a detail, it might have been presumed, would have formed the most important portion of this report. This, however, is not the case. It is true that a brief summary is given of the date and mode of commencement of the epizootic in different counties-a summary without order, and requiring to be systematised before becoming useful. But where this systematic history should stand, we have simply some crude general observations on the outbreak, of no value, and out of place in the history of a special epizootic. Mr. AVilliains’s observations on the propagation and nature of the epizootic are open to a like objection. The section on the treatment should have been altogether suppressed. The materials furnished to the Office clearly could not yield any information on the subject worthy of confidence, and an’attempt to classify them only makes confusion worse confounded. For example, what good could arise from a classification of which this is a sample: " Tonics and stimaclants; occasionally combined with carminatives, styptics, I nature and
THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE. as well as the interest of the medical profession concerned in the successful progress of the Royal Medical Benevolent College. Founded by the profession as an asylnm for those of their brethren who, from ill-health, want of pro. fessional success, or other adverse influences, have sunk into poverty, and for the widows of medical men, it represents claims which come home to every working member amongst us. Nor do its objects end here. With it is combined a school in which a liberal education is given to 200 boys, the sons of medical men, forty of whom (the foundation scholars) are educated, boarded, clothed, and maintained entirely at the expense of the institution, whilst the remainder are charged
THE honour
are
at the lowest
practicable rate. It provides, besides, annuities, occasional pecuniary assistance, to medical men in distressed circumstances. It is evident that such an extended sphere of operations signifies a very large outlay, and it behoves the profession generally to take care that the working of the insti. tution shall not languish for want of the necessary funds. There arefew of us, who, looking into the future, can feel that we may have no personal need, for ourselves or our families, of such assistance, and none who can conscientiously leave to others a duty which is incumbent upon all. The fourteenth annual festival of this excellent institution was held at Willis’s Rooms on Thursday week, under the presidency of Sir William Fergusson, Bart. The chairman was supported on his right by the Rev. Sir John Hayes, Bart., and on his left by Colonel Brownrigg, C.B., who returned thanks for the army. There were present nearly 140 friends of the institution. Among the members of the profession we observed Drs. Sibson, Sieveking, Tuke, Hood, Wharton Hood, Stilwell, Murray, Merriman, Dickson, Cormack, Dale, Niell; Messrs. or
Propert,
John
Propert, Critchett, Hancock, Solly, Curling,
Wilson, Headland, Hird, G. C. Jonson, Sterry, Mr. Propert read in the course of the evening Blenkarne, &c. two lists of subscriptions, amounting in all to nearly £900, the chairman heading the list with E21, his fifth donation. Erasmus
The Chairman, in proposing the’ toast of the evening, said counter-irritants, rubefacients, laxatives, astringents, diapho- that it was very remarkable that the medical profession should retics, depletives, dietetics, disinfectants, febrifuges, antacids, not have established an institution like the present at an alteratives, sedatives, diuretics, and prophylactics." It is not earlier period, inasmuch as medicine and benevolence had ever enough, for the purpose sought, that the heading should to a gone together hand in hand. He did not think there was a great extent "represent the general mode of treatment, whilst man in the profession who had not given half his energies to the subsidiary terms show the combinations." the welfare of his poorer brethren. Medical men were exposed The following statements may, however, be quoted from to death in thousands of ways, and the hazards of death were this section :-" On the total of the cases throughout Great greater, perhaps, than those of any other profession; yet, until Britain, the per-centages of’recovered’ have been increasing, during the last fifteen years they had never thought of an without exception, week by week, and after thekilled’ and institution like this. The worthy baronet pointed out that remaining’ have been deducted, have risen gradually from medical men often sacrificed their own comforts, and even in 2’484 per cent. in the third week of July to 14’373 per cent. some cases their lives, for the benefit of their fellow-men, and for the week ending the 30th December," (p. 10.) The success urged, therefore, that no class institution was more worthy of of isolation " is well illustrated by the effects of the order in public sympathy. It had been objected, he went on to say, council of November 3rd, applying to the north-western dis- to the College, that much money had been expended in rearing trict of Scotland. No case of cattle plague had occurred in the building, but it must be remembered that a College was Of what had been desired, and the building was indeed worthy of this district up to the date of this report," (p. 11.) " stamping out," Mr. Williams writes : " So far as an isolated the institution. Moreover, the possession of such a structure district in an infected country is concerned, this process appears was of the greatest possible advantage, for it served to keep to have had a fair trial in Aberdeenshire, and the result arrived the subject before the eyes of those from whom support was to at does not appear so thoroughly successful as could be wished, be obtained. Many institutions had suffered from the want of a there having been up to the present time eight outbreaks of building identified with them. Amongst others the University disease in this county, and nearly 500 animals slaughtered. In of London had been subjected to many unnecessary difficulties ,
an uninfected country, as France, where this process has been carried out on the first appearance of the disease, and where " stringent regulations have been enforced, the " stamping out to have been hitherto attended with success," (p. 11.) appears The summary of the origin, propagation, and progress of the disease in the different counties, already referred to, and a series of very useful maps showing the area of prevalence of the disease from month to month in England, are the valuable portions of this report. But the summary is a poor substitute for a systematic history of the epizootic, based on the facts in the possession of the Veterinary Department. Certainly most of the circumstances known respecting the origin of the outbreak in London have been already given by the head of the department, Professor Simonds, in evidence before the Royal Commission on the Cattle Plague. But a careful and .authoritative account of the whole of the facts relating to the commencement of the epizootic, not only in London, but also in the different counties of the kingdom, is still wanting.
because it had not a " local habitation" as well as "a name." The work of building was now over, and all that was wanting was to carry on the work of organization. He congratulated his hearers upon having helped to rear a structure which in future years would be looked upon with pride and satisfac-
tion. The other toasts were-"The Chairman;" "Treasurer;" "Medical Corporations of London," responded to by Dr. Sieveking ; "The Head Master ;" " The Honorary Local Secretaries," to which Mr. Manby, of Rudham, Norfolk, replied ; " The Press ;" " The Stewards ;" and " The Ladies." The meeting was a very pleasant one, and the speeches were very good. They would have been still better had some of the speakers remembered that great intellectual exertion is not conducive to digestion, and spared themselves the trouble of speaking at a length, which might be necessary in a debate upon the Reform Bill, but was singularly out of a place on an occasion of this kind.
planted in distinct sockets), and,
lated
Zeuglodon.
Mr. Koch also found in America a number of fossil bones, with which he constructed a prodigious form, about 100 feet long, which traversed Europe for exhibition. At Berlin, Prof. John Miiller, detecting its true nature and proportions (really some fifty or sixty feet in length), first gave to the world a description of parts of the skeleton of this very remarkable fossil, the Zeuglodon. The vertebral column is quite cetacean in character, except that the cervical vertebrae are free, though very greatly flattened antero-posteriorly. The cranium, however, resembles that of the Pinnipedia in many respects, the parietals being medianly united, the nasals well developed, the supraorbital The jawprocesses, though large, yet not exceedingly so, &c. bones, however, are more cetacean in form, and the mandible much resembles that of Platanista. The teeth, again, are almost altogether seal-like, and there was a first and second dentition. 1-11 3-3 5-5 The dental formula is-i. The 33 —3’ - 3’ 1-1’ 1 —1 5 —5 limbs are still more seal-like than the skull, the humerus having a pulley-joint at its distal end, and the carpal bones having been evidently movable, as also, probably, the digits. Professor Van Beneden has quite recently discovered in Miocene and Pleiocene strata a to which he has given the name Squalodon, and which is a further link between Zeuglodon and the Cetacea, and has multiplied, though still differentiated teeth. On the whole, the affinities between the different groups of Pinnipedia and Cetacea may perhaps be best expressed thus :-
c.
g. 5 - 5.
fossil,
THE ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL. IN the year 1859 the West Surrey and Guildford Dispensary established with the object of supplying out-door relief to the poor of the neighbourhood, who, until then, had been dependent upon the gratuitous services of the medical profession during the necessities of their sickness. It very soon became patent to the honorary medical staff of the charity that many of the cases which presented themselves could not be treated efficiently as out-door dispensary cases; two or three of the medical men connected with the institution, therefore, suggested the advantage which would accrue to the poor by the establishment of a few beds for the more satisfactory treatment of the severe ailments which from time to time might occur amongst their patients. In pursuance of this suggestion negotiations were commenced for the purchase of a house of some size in the town; but this idea soon expanded itself into a determination to attempt the foundation of an institution of greater magnitude and wider usefulness in the shape of a hospital, which might become available for the accommodation of the sick and maimed poor of the whole of the county of Surrey. Accordingly, four years ago a meeting was convened was
at Guildford, presided over by S. Gurney, Esq., the sheriff for the year, at which the Bishop of Winchester and many of the influential people of the county were present, and at which the subject was discussed, and it was determined to carry the project into execution. A sum of about two thousand pounds was collected, and an active canvass for donations was commenced. When the subscription list had reached four thousand pounds, for the new hospital having been furnished by Edward Lower, Esq., architect of St. Catherine’s, Guildford, a contract was taken for the erection of the building by Mr. Barnes, of Medfield, Reigate, at the sum of jEl 1,303; R. J. Shepard, the hon. treasurer, signed it on behalf of the committee, thus upon himself the responsibility of providing the whole of the remainder of the money, but with the faith that the opulent county of Surrey would not fail to provide the funds for the furtherance of so benevolent an undertaking. The foundation stone was laid by Lewis Loyd, Esq., on the 26th of July, 1863, and the committee have worked most assiduously since, in completing the building. Much thought has been bestowed upon its construction, so as to ensure its completion in accordance with the most approved rules of modern hospital arrangements. It is believed that the committee have succeeded in this endeavour in every respect. It is not necessary to refer to these arrangements, as descriptive particulars of the building were published in THE LANCET a few weeks ago. The entire cost of the building, including contract price, fire-proof floors, water and gas supply, architect’s fees, charges of the clerk of the works, &c. &c., amount to £15,015, exclusive of the site, which was given by Earl Onslow. The furnishing is estimated at £2000, but it is anticipated that this sum will be in excess of the real cost. The income, arising from donations, legacies already paid, a bed fund, instituted by the Rev. J. Godwin Hatchard, £535 ;£320 handed over by the West Surrey and Guildford Dispensary; and £1904, the proceeds of a bazaar held in the hospital last autumn, amounts to £18,206 ; thus a balance of about X1200 remains to the credit of the committee after the payment of all charges. Annual subscriptions to the amount of £900 have been contributed ; this sum must, however, be supplemented by additional subscriptions of a like amount to carry out the objects of the charity to their full efficiency. The hospital was opened, formally, on Tuesday, the 27th of April, by the Bishop of Winchester, in the presence of a large number of persons of distinction from various parts of the county. A short religious ceremony, dedicatory of the building to its future uses, formed the commencement of the proceedings, at the conclusion of which the Bishop made a short address, during which he set forth the importance of the institution, in respect of the benefits it would afford to the sick poor of the surrounding rural districts, and urged upon those present the claims it possessed to their support. At the conclusion of his address his lordship directed the bust of his Royal Highness the late Prince Consort, presented by the Queen, to be unveiled. The bust is an admirable likeness of the late Prince, chiselled, by the Queen’s command, by Theed, out of a block of the purest Carrara, placed upon a plinth of rose-coloured Portuguese marble, the whole supported by a pedestal of gray Sicilian marble. After the ceremony a large number of ladies and gentlemen partook of a sumptuous luncheon in the large east ward of the building, at which the high sheriff of the county presided. After luncheon the usual loyal and other toasts were given, and responded to by various speakers, amongst whom was the Rev. T. Godwin Hatchard, the rector of the parish in which the hospital is built, who, in the course of his address, informed the company that her Majesty the Queen had graciously condescended to allow herself to be named the patron of the hospital, and had contributed a donation of £105. Patients were received into the house on the 3rd inst. Thus the Royal
plans
taking
Surrey County Hospital May it flourish !
is launched upon its benevolent mis-
sion.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE. A REPORT on the origin, propagation, nature, and treatment of the cattle plague has been laid before Parliament, drawn up from the information received at the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council Office, by Mr. Williams, the secretary to the department. No little labour has been given to the compilation of the report, but an error of conception as to the
496
objects of such a document has to a great extent it deprived of any real value. The primary object of a report of this kind should be carefully to record the trustworthy facts relating to the subject to which it refers. Upon the manner in which this is effected the value of the report must depend. In preparing the report in question, Mr. Williams unquestionably had to deal with data, as a rule, of a most unsatisfactory character. To collate, arrange, and reduce to anything like order the multifarious and often conflicting documents submitted to him must have been a task of great difficulty, and have required no ordinary patience and care. That Mr. Williams was equal to the task and executed it with great ability his report fully shows ; but in dealing with the results of his own labours he has not done justice to himself. The Veterinary Department of the Privy Council Office alone possesses the materials for a trustworthy history of the origin and progress of the cattle plague in England. To it we must look for a careful and systematic detail of all the ascertained facts bearing upon the subject. Such a detail, it might have been presumed, would have formed the most important portion of this report. This, however, is not the case. It is true that a brief summary is given of the date and mode of commencement of the epizootic in different counties-a summary without order, and requiring to be systematised before becoming useful. But where this systematic history should stand, we have simply some crude general observations on the outbreak, of no value, and out of place in the history of a special epizootic. Mr. AVilliains’s observations on the propagation and nature of the epizootic are open to a like objection. The section on the treatment should have been altogether suppressed. The materials furnished to the Office clearly could not yield any information on the subject worthy of confidence, and an’attempt to classify them only makes confusion worse confounded. For example, what good could arise from a classification of which this is a sample: " Tonics and stimaclants; occasionally combined with carminatives, styptics, I nature and
THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE. as well as the interest of the medical profession concerned in the successful progress of the Royal Medical Benevolent College. Founded by the profession as an asylnm for those of their brethren who, from ill-health, want of pro. fessional success, or other adverse influences, have sunk into poverty, and for the widows of medical men, it represents claims which come home to every working member amongst us. Nor do its objects end here. With it is combined a school in which a liberal education is given to 200 boys, the sons of medical men, forty of whom (the foundation scholars) are educated, boarded, clothed, and maintained entirely at the expense of the institution, whilst the remainder are charged
THE honour
are
at the lowest
practicable rate. It provides, besides, annuities, occasional pecuniary assistance, to medical men in distressed circumstances. It is evident that such an extended sphere of operations signifies a very large outlay, and it behoves the profession generally to take care that the working of the insti. tution shall not languish for want of the necessary funds. There arefew of us, who, looking into the future, can feel that we may have no personal need, for ourselves or our families, of such assistance, and none who can conscientiously leave to others a duty which is incumbent upon all. The fourteenth annual festival of this excellent institution was held at Willis’s Rooms on Thursday week, under the presidency of Sir William Fergusson, Bart. The chairman was supported on his right by the Rev. Sir John Hayes, Bart., and on his left by Colonel Brownrigg, C.B., who returned thanks for the army. There were present nearly 140 friends of the institution. Among the members of the profession we observed Drs. Sibson, Sieveking, Tuke, Hood, Wharton Hood, Stilwell, Murray, Merriman, Dickson, Cormack, Dale, Niell; Messrs. or
Propert,
John
Propert, Critchett, Hancock, Solly, Curling,
Wilson, Headland, Hird, G. C. Jonson, Sterry, Mr. Propert read in the course of the evening Blenkarne, &c. two lists of subscriptions, amounting in all to nearly £900, the chairman heading the list with E21, his fifth donation. Erasmus
The Chairman, in proposing the’ toast of the evening, said counter-irritants, rubefacients, laxatives, astringents, diapho- that it was very remarkable that the medical profession should retics, depletives, dietetics, disinfectants, febrifuges, antacids, not have established an institution like the present at an alteratives, sedatives, diuretics, and prophylactics." It is not earlier period, inasmuch as medicine and benevolence had ever enough, for the purpose sought, that the heading should to a gone together hand in hand. He did not think there was a great extent "represent the general mode of treatment, whilst man in the profession who had not given half his energies to the subsidiary terms show the combinations." the welfare of his poorer brethren. Medical men were exposed The following statements may, however, be quoted from to death in thousands of ways, and the hazards of death were this section :-" On the total of the cases throughout Great greater, perhaps, than those of any other profession; yet, until Britain, the per-centages of’recovered’ have been increasing, during the last fifteen years they had never thought of an without exception, week by week, and after thekilled’ and institution like this. The worthy baronet pointed out that remaining’ have been deducted, have risen gradually from medical men often sacrificed their own comforts, and even in 2’484 per cent. in the third week of July to 14’373 per cent. some cases their lives, for the benefit of their fellow-men, and for the week ending the 30th December," (p. 10.) The success urged, therefore, that no class institution was more worthy of of isolation " is well illustrated by the effects of the order in public sympathy. It had been objected, he went on to say, council of November 3rd, applying to the north-western dis- to the College, that much money had been expended in rearing trict of Scotland. No case of cattle plague had occurred in the building, but it must be remembered that a College was Of what had been desired, and the building was indeed worthy of this district up to the date of this report," (p. 11.) " stamping out," Mr. Williams writes : " So far as an isolated the institution. Moreover, the possession of such a structure district in an infected country is concerned, this process appears was of the greatest possible advantage, for it served to keep to have had a fair trial in Aberdeenshire, and the result arrived the subject before the eyes of those from whom support was to at does not appear so thoroughly successful as could be wished, be obtained. Many institutions had suffered from the want of a there having been up to the present time eight outbreaks of building identified with them. Amongst others the University disease in this county, and nearly 500 animals slaughtered. In of London had been subjected to many unnecessary difficulties ,
an uninfected country, as France, where this process has been carried out on the first appearance of the disease, and where " stringent regulations have been enforced, the " stamping out to have been hitherto attended with success," (p. 11.) appears The summary of the origin, propagation, and progress of the disease in the different counties, already referred to, and a series of very useful maps showing the area of prevalence of the disease from month to month in England, are the valuable portions of this report. But the summary is a poor substitute for a systematic history of the epizootic, based on the facts in the possession of the Veterinary Department. Certainly most of the circumstances known respecting the origin of the outbreak in London have been already given by the head of the department, Professor Simonds, in evidence before the Royal Commission on the Cattle Plague. But a careful and .authoritative account of the whole of the facts relating to the commencement of the epizootic, not only in London, but also in the different counties of the kingdom, is still wanting.
because it had not a " local habitation" as well as "a name." The work of building was now over, and all that was wanting was to carry on the work of organization. He congratulated his hearers upon having helped to rear a structure which in future years would be looked upon with pride and satisfac-
tion. The other toasts were-"The Chairman;" "Treasurer;" "Medical Corporations of London," responded to by Dr. Sieveking ; "The Head Master ;" " The Honorary Local Secretaries," to which Mr. Manby, of Rudham, Norfolk, replied ; " The Press ;" " The Stewards ;" and " The Ladies." The meeting was a very pleasant one, and the speeches were very good. They would have been still better had some of the speakers remembered that great intellectual exertion is not conducive to digestion, and spared themselves the trouble of speaking at a length, which might be necessary in a debate upon the Reform Bill, but was singularly out of a place on an occasion of this kind.