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THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE MEDICAL PRESS HELD AT PARIS, JULY, 1900.
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE MEDICAL PRESS.
347
de Havilland Hall, M.D.Lond., Herbert Isambard Owen, the importance of the medical press, as there were now M.D. Cantab., Percy Kidd, M.D. Oxon., John Abercrombie, actually 300 medical papers published in France. It is to be M.D. Cantab., Nestor 1. C. Tirard, M.D. Lond., Donald hoped that on this occasion Professor Cornil omitted to menMacAlister, M.D.Cantab., and William Hale White, M.D. tion that the medical press had 30,000 readers, for as this Lond. Midwifery and Diseases peculiar to Women : Charles would mean an average of only 100 readers per journal it James Culling worth, M.D.Durh., John Phillips, M.D. does not say much for at least some of these publications. Cantab., Amand J. McConnel Routh, M.D. Lond., C. Professor Cornil was more happy when he described the Montagu Handfield.Jones, M.D. Lond., and Robert BoxaU, practical services of the medical press and how Berlin owed M.D Cantah Public Health : Part I., James Lane Notter, its sewers and its sewage:farms to the active press propaganda led by Professor Virchow. M.O. Dub. ; Part II., William Henry Corfield, M, D. Oxon. Both M. GRÉBAUVAL and M. LÉPINE made suitable replies Professor Clifford Allbutt, Regius Professor of Physic at Cambridge, will deliver the Harveian Oration on Oct. 18th and then led the delegates to a well-supplied buffet. (St. Luke’s Day). Dr. Henry Head has been appointed NEWSPAPER PUFFS. the Goulstonian Lecturer, Dr. J. F. Payne the Lumleian the Croonian Halliburton and Dr. W. D. Lecturer The Congress began business on Friday morning in the Lecturer, for 1901, and Dr. J. W. Washbourn the Croonian Lecturer great amphitheatre of the Ecole Pratique at the Faculty of for 1902. Medicine. Professor CORNIL was in the chair. The Government delegates of the foreign medical press were first called upon to speak, and Dr. MENDIZABAL, of the Gaceta Medica THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS of Mexico ; Dr. GALLET, in the name of the Belgian medical press; Dr. DIAKONOW, for the Russian medical press ; ProOF THE MEDICAL PRESS HELD fessor BRossi for Italian journals ; Dr. HANSSON for the AT PARIS, 1900. Norwegians ; Dr. EHLERS for the Danes ; and Dr. POSNER for the German medical journals, all made short congratulatory OUR SPECIAL _____________
JULY,
(FROM
CORRESPONDENT.)
speeches.
Dr. MARCEL BAUDOUIN then described his system of and registering all scientific publications in a manner that greatly facilitated researches. This was followed by a discussion on the sort of advertisements that might be published in a medical paper. The great question related to what is known in France as a rgelame, a term which may be generally taken to mean a puff. Of course, it is easy in discussing to confuse the issue. Notices and criticisms even when favourable to an article which has a commercial value may be quite legitimate. What is illegitimate is that such notices should be paid for as if they were advertisements. Dr. POSNER protested that such réclames were unknown in Germany. In France, to make matters worse, papers redolent with réclames were now being distributed gratuitously to the members of the profession. A report on Gratuitous Medical Journals by Dr. LABORDE and Dr. ROMME was read in which they urged that advertisements must be relegated to a special distinct part of the and not inserted in all directions. The discussion was adjourned till the next day. Dr. BLONDEL urged that medical papers should not publish advertisements of drugs if these were likewise advertised in the general political press. After discussing without coming to any particular decision the question of newspaper exchanges Dr. DE MAURANS read a paper urging that efforts should be made to adopt a unique international classification for scientific terms. The morning sitting was terminated by Dr. DOYEN who reproduced by a kinematograph several operations which he had performed. This exhibition excited much interest and admiration ; its practical utility, especially for students, was
tabulating
THE OPENING CEREMONIES. ON Thursday afternoon, July 26th, the inaugural ceremony of this Congress was held at the Press Pavilion on the exhibition grounds. Detained at the International Congress of Deontology I could not be present, but from what I heard from those who attended and from papers remitted to me I am able to give some account of the proceedings. It appears that there was -quite a demonstration when Professor Virchow of Berlin arrived. Everyone rose and sought to manifest his respect for the eminent German qavant. Professor CORNIL opened the proceedings. He welcomed Professor Virchow who for 60 years had grouped in his Archives the writings of the most learned Germans. In France also the medical press had grown and could now boast of some 30,000 readers. It reflected medical life and should help to teach medical men what were their duties and what were their rights. Modern progress had been achieved by two scientific revolutions, first the pathological conception , of the cellules, and secondly the Pasteur doctrines. The ’, medical press had largely contributed to spread these new
paper
teachings. M. MILLERAND,
Minister of Commerce, who had entered while Professor Cornil was speaking, now rose and claimed that he also had been a member of the press and would doubtless return to journalism when his Ministerial career was at an end. If to-day they had scientific journalism as distinct from ordinary journalism, this was due to the natural economic evolution which classified and sub-divided labour. Besides many of the questions to be discussed interested the entire press, such as, for instance, the division between legitimate publicity and that form of publicity which tended to degrade the journalistic profession. It would be a great honour for the Congress should it be able to deal with such delicate matters. He concluded in welcoming all the foreign delegates and especially Professor
Virchow.
Professor LANDOUZY recalled the fact that the first newspaper published in France was founded by a medical man and that Renaudot’s Journal sometimes dealt with medical matters. The press, he said, was the most universal of universities and it would be the mission of the medical press to aid the Government to solve all matters affecting the interests of the profession. Professor VIRCHOW congratulated the Association of the French Medical Press on having taken the initiative in organising an international congress of the medical press. He was happy to think that the creation of an international association might result from the Congress and thought that it was quite right for the medical press to meet apart from the Medical Congress. After the election of the officers for the Congress all the members went by a special steamer to the Hotel de Ville, where they were received by M. Grebauva.1, President of the Paris Municipal Council, and by M. Lepine, Prefect of the Police. Professor CORNIL introduced the delegates and pointed out
highly appreciated.
At the afternoon sitting Professor C. RICHET spoke on the of decimal classification of periodic journals. In the 16 volumes of the Index Catalogue, which dates back 20 years, there were already 1,097,535 separate titles of articles. The decimal system consists of placing in nine separate categories all phases of human knowledge. Each of these would be subdivided into another nine. This was followed by the reading of a paper on the Question of Copyright by M. POUILLET, M. ROCHER, and Dr. DE MAURANS. After a few words of discussion Dr. MARCEL BAUDOUIN followed with his paper on the Property of the Idea. A summary of both these papers was published in THE LANCET of July 21st last and therefore 1 need not refer to them again. As a result of the discussion that followed on the reading of these papers the Congress adopted a resolution to the effect that Article 7 of the Literary Convention of Berne should apply to the medical press. As for the property of the idea, after some discussion this complex question was referred to future congresses. After another and long discussion on the copyright of newspaper articles, a resolution was carried to the effect that newspaper articles, criticisms, &c., should not be quoted without mentioning the name of the author and the publication. With regard to the reproduction of lectures delivered before learned societies the general custom was to ask the professor
necessity
VITAL STATISTICS.-THE SERVICES.
348 to rule such
permission
print
as a
requests
some
account of what he had not refused.
said, and
were
This concluded the day’s sitting and the members of the Congress were conducted to Professor Richet’s laboratory, where they took wine together.
(To be continued.)
VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.
IN 33 of the largest English towns 6531 births and 4313 deaths were registered during the week ending July 28th. The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which had increased from 14-5 to 16-4 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 19-4 last week. In London the rate was 21’0 per 1000, while it averaged 18-3 in the 32 provincial towns. The lowest death-rates in these towns were 11-1 in Derby, 11-4 in Bolton, 11-5 in Huddersfield, and 11-6 in Bristol; the highest rates were 22’0 in Leeds, 22-1 in Sheffield, 24-1 in Salford, and 28-0 in West Ham and in Liverpool. The 4313 deaths in these towns included 944 which were referred to the principal zymotic diseases, against 427 and 555 in the two preceding weeks ; of these 662 resulted from diarrhoea, 88 from whooping-cough, " 76 from measles, 66 from diphtheria, 27 from "fever (principally enteric), 24 from scarlet fever, and one from small-pox. The lowest death-rates last week from these diseases occurred in Wolverhampton, Bristol, Burnley, and Gateshead, and the highest rates in West Ham, Liverpool, Salford, Leeds, and Sheffield. The greatest mortality from measles occurred in Brighton, Swansea, Derby, and Huddersfield, ; from scarlet fever in Blackburn; from whooping-cough in West Ham and Sheffield ; from " feverin Portsmouth ; and from diarrhoea in West Ham, Liverpool, Salford, Leeds, and Sheffield. The 66 deaths from diphtheria included 27 in London, 10 in Leicester, six in Sheffield, five in West Ham, and four in Leeds. One fatal case of small-pox was registered in Blackburn, but not one in any other of the 33 towns. The number of small-pox patients in the Metropolitan Asylums Hospitals, which had been 17, 17, and 14 at the end of the three preceding weeks, had further declined to 11 on Saturday last, July 28th : three new cases were admitted during the week, against four, four, and one in the three preceding The number of scarlet fever patients in these weeks. hospitals and in the London Fever Hospital at the end of the week was 1859, against numbers increasing from 1754 to 1877 on the seven preceding Saturdays; 207 new cases admitted during the week, against 229, 208, were and 222 in the three preceding weeks. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in London, which had been 160 and 169 in the two preceding weeks, further rose to 196 last week, and were 19 above the corrected average. The causes of 54, or 1-2 per cent., of the deaths in the 33 towns were not certified either by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner. All the causes of death were duly certified in Bristol, Leicester, Bradford, Hull, and in eight other smaller towns; the largest proportions of uncertified deaths were registered in West
Ham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle. HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.
The annual rate of mortality in the eight Scotch towns. which had been 17-2 and 19-0 per 1000 in the tw( preceding weeks, declined again to 17-5 during the weel ending July 28th, and was 1-9 per 1000 less than the mean rat4 during the same period in the 33 large English towns. Th4 rates in the eight Scotch towns ranged from 10’6 in Leith an( 13-0 in Dundee to 18-9 in Glasgow and 19-3 in Paisley The 541 deaths in these towns included 36 which wer referred to diarrhoea, 24 to measles, nine to scarlet fever nine to whooping-cough, six to "fever." two to small-pox and one to diphtheria. In all 87 deaths resulted from thes, principal zymotic diseases, against 73 and 102 in the tw preceding weeks. These 87 deaths were equal to an annua rate of 2-8 per 1000, which was 1-4 per 1000 below the mea] rate last week from the same diseases in the 33 larg English towns. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, whicl had been 23 and 38 in the two preceding weeks, decline again last week to 36, of which 23 occurred in Glasgow and six in Aberdeen. The deaths from measles, which ha
been 17 and 18 in the two preceding weeks, further rose to 24 last week, and included 18 in Glasgow and five in Edinburgh. The fatal cases of scarlet fever, which had been seven and five in the two preceding weeks, rose again Last week to nine, of which five were registered in Glasgow and three in Paisley. The deaths from whooping-cough, which had been 21 and 22 in the two preceding weeks, declined to nine last week, and included eight in Glasgow. The six deaths referred to different forms of " fever" showed a decline of five from the number in the preceding week, and included three in Glasgow and two in Dundee, The fatal cases of small.poa, which had been two, one, and two in the three preceding weeks, were again two last week, and were both recorded in Glasgow. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in these towns, which had been 71 and 80 in the two preceding weeks, declined again last week to 67, but slightly exceeded the number in the corresponding period of last year. The causes of 31, or nearly 6 per cent., of the deaths in these eight towns last week were not certified. HEALTH OF DUBLIN.
The death-rate in Dublin, which had increased from 17’8 to 23-4 per 1000 in. the three preceding weeks, declined again to 18’3 during the week ending July 28th. During the past four weeks the death-rate in the city has averaged 19’4 per 1000, the rate during the same period being 16-2 in London and 17-2 in Edinburgh. The 123 deaths belonging to Dublin registered during the week under notice showed a decline of 34 from the number in the preceding week, and included five which were referred to the principal zymotic diseases, against six, eight, and 13, in the three preceding weeks; of these, four resulted from diarrhcea, and one from diphtheria. These five deaths were equal to an annual rate of 0’7 per 1000, the zymotic death-rate during the same period being The fatal 4-7 in London and 1-3 in Edinburgh. cases of diarrhœa, which had been two, one, and four in the three preceding weeks, were again four last week. The mortality from diphtheria also corresponded with that in the preceding week. The 123 deaths in Dublin last week included 24 of infants under one year of age and 33 of persons’ aged upwards of 60 years; the deaths both of infants and of elderly persons showed a slight decline from the numbers recorded in the preceding week. Four inquest cases and four deaths from violence were registered ; and 39, or nearly a third, of the deaths occurred in public institutions. The causes of five, or more than 4 per cent., of the deaths in the city last week were not certified.
THE SERVICES. AFFAIRS IN CHINA. ALTHOUGH there is every reason to hope that our worst fears regarding the Legations at Peking have not been realised up to the present time it is clear that an advance on the part of the Allied Powers will have to take place-if, indeed, it has not already begun. The undertaking is a large and formidable one both in its political and its military aspects. The task of taking part in it has occurred at an unfortunate time for this country, whichis already occupied with a big war elsewhere. The Indian contingent is, as we have already said, accompanied by field hospitals, hospital ships, and medical establishments from India, and a number of medical officers from the fleet will, no doubt, be available to take part in the expedition, together with some officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps serving with the troops in China. As regards the German force, it will probably be accompanied by a large medical contingent, as any number of medical officers and members of the civil medical profession are available in that country for army requirements. We shall see how the Germans, Russians, and other Powers who are not embarrassed by having any other war in hand, manage to carry out the medical part of the forthcoming campaign in China, especially as, probably for the first time in their experience, they will have to convey their troops there by sea transport.
THE SUPPLEMENTARY ARMY ESTIMATES. The Army Medical Service formed the subject of a good deal of discussion on the occasion of the House going int4o
347
de Havilland Hall, M.D.Lond., Herbert Isambard Owen, the importance of the medical press, as there were now M.D. Cantab., Percy Kidd, M.D. Oxon., John Abercrombie, actually 300 medical papers published in France. It is to be M.D. Cantab., Nestor 1. C. Tirard, M.D. Lond., Donald hoped that on this occasion Professor Cornil omitted to menMacAlister, M.D.Cantab., and William Hale White, M.D. tion that the medical press had 30,000 readers, for as this Lond. Midwifery and Diseases peculiar to Women : Charles would mean an average of only 100 readers per journal it James Culling worth, M.D.Durh., John Phillips, M.D. does not say much for at least some of these publications. Cantab., Amand J. McConnel Routh, M.D. Lond., C. Professor Cornil was more happy when he described the Montagu Handfield.Jones, M.D. Lond., and Robert BoxaU, practical services of the medical press and how Berlin owed M.D Cantah Public Health : Part I., James Lane Notter, its sewers and its sewage:farms to the active press propaganda led by Professor Virchow. M.O. Dub. ; Part II., William Henry Corfield, M, D. Oxon. Both M. GRÉBAUVAL and M. LÉPINE made suitable replies Professor Clifford Allbutt, Regius Professor of Physic at Cambridge, will deliver the Harveian Oration on Oct. 18th and then led the delegates to a well-supplied buffet. (St. Luke’s Day). Dr. Henry Head has been appointed NEWSPAPER PUFFS. the Goulstonian Lecturer, Dr. J. F. Payne the Lumleian the Croonian Halliburton and Dr. W. D. Lecturer The Congress began business on Friday morning in the Lecturer, for 1901, and Dr. J. W. Washbourn the Croonian Lecturer great amphitheatre of the Ecole Pratique at the Faculty of for 1902. Medicine. Professor CORNIL was in the chair. The Government delegates of the foreign medical press were first called upon to speak, and Dr. MENDIZABAL, of the Gaceta Medica THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS of Mexico ; Dr. GALLET, in the name of the Belgian medical press; Dr. DIAKONOW, for the Russian medical press ; ProOF THE MEDICAL PRESS HELD fessor BRossi for Italian journals ; Dr. HANSSON for the AT PARIS, 1900. Norwegians ; Dr. EHLERS for the Danes ; and Dr. POSNER for the German medical journals, all made short congratulatory OUR SPECIAL _____________
JULY,
(FROM
CORRESPONDENT.)
speeches.
Dr. MARCEL BAUDOUIN then described his system of and registering all scientific publications in a manner that greatly facilitated researches. This was followed by a discussion on the sort of advertisements that might be published in a medical paper. The great question related to what is known in France as a rgelame, a term which may be generally taken to mean a puff. Of course, it is easy in discussing to confuse the issue. Notices and criticisms even when favourable to an article which has a commercial value may be quite legitimate. What is illegitimate is that such notices should be paid for as if they were advertisements. Dr. POSNER protested that such réclames were unknown in Germany. In France, to make matters worse, papers redolent with réclames were now being distributed gratuitously to the members of the profession. A report on Gratuitous Medical Journals by Dr. LABORDE and Dr. ROMME was read in which they urged that advertisements must be relegated to a special distinct part of the and not inserted in all directions. The discussion was adjourned till the next day. Dr. BLONDEL urged that medical papers should not publish advertisements of drugs if these were likewise advertised in the general political press. After discussing without coming to any particular decision the question of newspaper exchanges Dr. DE MAURANS read a paper urging that efforts should be made to adopt a unique international classification for scientific terms. The morning sitting was terminated by Dr. DOYEN who reproduced by a kinematograph several operations which he had performed. This exhibition excited much interest and admiration ; its practical utility, especially for students, was
tabulating
THE OPENING CEREMONIES. ON Thursday afternoon, July 26th, the inaugural ceremony of this Congress was held at the Press Pavilion on the exhibition grounds. Detained at the International Congress of Deontology I could not be present, but from what I heard from those who attended and from papers remitted to me I am able to give some account of the proceedings. It appears that there was -quite a demonstration when Professor Virchow of Berlin arrived. Everyone rose and sought to manifest his respect for the eminent German qavant. Professor CORNIL opened the proceedings. He welcomed Professor Virchow who for 60 years had grouped in his Archives the writings of the most learned Germans. In France also the medical press had grown and could now boast of some 30,000 readers. It reflected medical life and should help to teach medical men what were their duties and what were their rights. Modern progress had been achieved by two scientific revolutions, first the pathological conception , of the cellules, and secondly the Pasteur doctrines. The ’, medical press had largely contributed to spread these new
paper
teachings. M. MILLERAND,
Minister of Commerce, who had entered while Professor Cornil was speaking, now rose and claimed that he also had been a member of the press and would doubtless return to journalism when his Ministerial career was at an end. If to-day they had scientific journalism as distinct from ordinary journalism, this was due to the natural economic evolution which classified and sub-divided labour. Besides many of the questions to be discussed interested the entire press, such as, for instance, the division between legitimate publicity and that form of publicity which tended to degrade the journalistic profession. It would be a great honour for the Congress should it be able to deal with such delicate matters. He concluded in welcoming all the foreign delegates and especially Professor
Virchow.
Professor LANDOUZY recalled the fact that the first newspaper published in France was founded by a medical man and that Renaudot’s Journal sometimes dealt with medical matters. The press, he said, was the most universal of universities and it would be the mission of the medical press to aid the Government to solve all matters affecting the interests of the profession. Professor VIRCHOW congratulated the Association of the French Medical Press on having taken the initiative in organising an international congress of the medical press. He was happy to think that the creation of an international association might result from the Congress and thought that it was quite right for the medical press to meet apart from the Medical Congress. After the election of the officers for the Congress all the members went by a special steamer to the Hotel de Ville, where they were received by M. Grebauva.1, President of the Paris Municipal Council, and by M. Lepine, Prefect of the Police. Professor CORNIL introduced the delegates and pointed out
highly appreciated.
At the afternoon sitting Professor C. RICHET spoke on the of decimal classification of periodic journals. In the 16 volumes of the Index Catalogue, which dates back 20 years, there were already 1,097,535 separate titles of articles. The decimal system consists of placing in nine separate categories all phases of human knowledge. Each of these would be subdivided into another nine. This was followed by the reading of a paper on the Question of Copyright by M. POUILLET, M. ROCHER, and Dr. DE MAURANS. After a few words of discussion Dr. MARCEL BAUDOUIN followed with his paper on the Property of the Idea. A summary of both these papers was published in THE LANCET of July 21st last and therefore 1 need not refer to them again. As a result of the discussion that followed on the reading of these papers the Congress adopted a resolution to the effect that Article 7 of the Literary Convention of Berne should apply to the medical press. As for the property of the idea, after some discussion this complex question was referred to future congresses. After another and long discussion on the copyright of newspaper articles, a resolution was carried to the effect that newspaper articles, criticisms, &c., should not be quoted without mentioning the name of the author and the publication. With regard to the reproduction of lectures delivered before learned societies the general custom was to ask the professor
necessity
VITAL STATISTICS.-THE SERVICES.
348 to rule such
permission
as a
requests
some
account of what he had not refused.
said, and
were
This concluded the day’s sitting and the members of the Congress were conducted to Professor Richet’s laboratory, where they took wine together.
(To be continued.)
VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.
IN 33 of the largest English towns 6531 births and 4313 deaths were registered during the week ending July 28th. The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which had increased from 14-5 to 16-4 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 19-4 last week. In London the rate was 21’0 per 1000, while it averaged 18-3 in the 32 provincial towns. The lowest death-rates in these towns were 11-1 in Derby, 11-4 in Bolton, 11-5 in Huddersfield, and 11-6 in Bristol; the highest rates were 22’0 in Leeds, 22-1 in Sheffield, 24-1 in Salford, and 28-0 in West Ham and in Liverpool. The 4313 deaths in these towns included 944 which were referred to the principal zymotic diseases, against 427 and 555 in the two preceding weeks ; of these 662 resulted from diarrhoea, 88 from whooping-cough, " 76 from measles, 66 from diphtheria, 27 from "fever (principally enteric), 24 from scarlet fever, and one from small-pox. The lowest death-rates last week from these diseases occurred in Wolverhampton, Bristol, Burnley, and Gateshead, and the highest rates in West Ham, Liverpool, Salford, Leeds, and Sheffield. The greatest mortality from measles occurred in Brighton, Swansea, Derby, and Huddersfield, ; from scarlet fever in Blackburn; from whooping-cough in West Ham and Sheffield ; from " feverin Portsmouth ; and from diarrhoea in West Ham, Liverpool, Salford, Leeds, and Sheffield. The 66 deaths from diphtheria included 27 in London, 10 in Leicester, six in Sheffield, five in West Ham, and four in Leeds. One fatal case of small-pox was registered in Blackburn, but not one in any other of the 33 towns. The number of small-pox patients in the Metropolitan Asylums Hospitals, which had been 17, 17, and 14 at the end of the three preceding weeks, had further declined to 11 on Saturday last, July 28th : three new cases were admitted during the week, against four, four, and one in the three preceding The number of scarlet fever patients in these weeks. hospitals and in the London Fever Hospital at the end of the week was 1859, against numbers increasing from 1754 to 1877 on the seven preceding Saturdays; 207 new cases admitted during the week, against 229, 208, were and 222 in the three preceding weeks. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in London, which had been 160 and 169 in the two preceding weeks, further rose to 196 last week, and were 19 above the corrected average. The causes of 54, or 1-2 per cent., of the deaths in the 33 towns were not certified either by a registered medical practitioner or by a coroner. All the causes of death were duly certified in Bristol, Leicester, Bradford, Hull, and in eight other smaller towns; the largest proportions of uncertified deaths were registered in West
Ham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle. HEALTH OF SCOTCH TOWNS.
The annual rate of mortality in the eight Scotch towns. which had been 17-2 and 19-0 per 1000 in the tw( preceding weeks, declined again to 17-5 during the weel ending July 28th, and was 1-9 per 1000 less than the mean rat4 during the same period in the 33 large English towns. Th4 rates in the eight Scotch towns ranged from 10’6 in Leith an( 13-0 in Dundee to 18-9 in Glasgow and 19-3 in Paisley The 541 deaths in these towns included 36 which wer referred to diarrhoea, 24 to measles, nine to scarlet fever nine to whooping-cough, six to "fever." two to small-pox and one to diphtheria. In all 87 deaths resulted from thes, principal zymotic diseases, against 73 and 102 in the tw preceding weeks. These 87 deaths were equal to an annua rate of 2-8 per 1000, which was 1-4 per 1000 below the mea] rate last week from the same diseases in the 33 larg English towns. The fatal cases of diarrhoea, whicl had been 23 and 38 in the two preceding weeks, decline again last week to 36, of which 23 occurred in Glasgow and six in Aberdeen. The deaths from measles, which ha
been 17 and 18 in the two preceding weeks, further rose to 24 last week, and included 18 in Glasgow and five in Edinburgh. The fatal cases of scarlet fever, which had been seven and five in the two preceding weeks, rose again Last week to nine, of which five were registered in Glasgow and three in Paisley. The deaths from whooping-cough, which had been 21 and 22 in the two preceding weeks, declined to nine last week, and included eight in Glasgow. The six deaths referred to different forms of " fever" showed a decline of five from the number in the preceding week, and included three in Glasgow and two in Dundee, The fatal cases of small.poa, which had been two, one, and two in the three preceding weeks, were again two last week, and were both recorded in Glasgow. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs in these towns, which had been 71 and 80 in the two preceding weeks, declined again last week to 67, but slightly exceeded the number in the corresponding period of last year. The causes of 31, or nearly 6 per cent., of the deaths in these eight towns last week were not certified. HEALTH OF DUBLIN.
The death-rate in Dublin, which had increased from 17’8 to 23-4 per 1000 in. the three preceding weeks, declined again to 18’3 during the week ending July 28th. During the past four weeks the death-rate in the city has averaged 19’4 per 1000, the rate during the same period being 16-2 in London and 17-2 in Edinburgh. The 123 deaths belonging to Dublin registered during the week under notice showed a decline of 34 from the number in the preceding week, and included five which were referred to the principal zymotic diseases, against six, eight, and 13, in the three preceding weeks; of these, four resulted from diarrhcea, and one from diphtheria. These five deaths were equal to an annual rate of 0’7 per 1000, the zymotic death-rate during the same period being The fatal 4-7 in London and 1-3 in Edinburgh. cases of diarrhœa, which had been two, one, and four in the three preceding weeks, were again four last week. The mortality from diphtheria also corresponded with that in the preceding week. The 123 deaths in Dublin last week included 24 of infants under one year of age and 33 of persons’ aged upwards of 60 years; the deaths both of infants and of elderly persons showed a slight decline from the numbers recorded in the preceding week. Four inquest cases and four deaths from violence were registered ; and 39, or nearly a third, of the deaths occurred in public institutions. The causes of five, or more than 4 per cent., of the deaths in the city last week were not certified.
THE SERVICES. AFFAIRS IN CHINA. ALTHOUGH there is every reason to hope that our worst fears regarding the Legations at Peking have not been realised up to the present time it is clear that an advance on the part of the Allied Powers will have to take place-if, indeed, it has not already begun. The undertaking is a large and formidable one both in its political and its military aspects. The task of taking part in it has occurred at an unfortunate time for this country, whichis already occupied with a big war elsewhere. The Indian contingent is, as we have already said, accompanied by field hospitals, hospital ships, and medical establishments from India, and a number of medical officers from the fleet will, no doubt, be available to take part in the expedition, together with some officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps serving with the troops in China. As regards the German force, it will probably be accompanied by a large medical contingent, as any number of medical officers and members of the civil medical profession are available in that country for army requirements. We shall see how the Germans, Russians, and other Powers who are not embarrassed by having any other war in hand, manage to carry out the medical part of the forthcoming campaign in China, especially as, probably for the first time in their experience, they will have to convey their troops there by sea transport.
THE SUPPLEMENTARY ARMY ESTIMATES. The Army Medical Service formed the subject of a good deal of discussion on the occasion of the House going int4o