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THE LOSSES OF WAR.
1485 should be sacrificed in the case of persons whose misfortune it has been to be taken ill in a public place and alone ; while in the case of the drunkard a fine at the police-court in the morning, and not death in the cell over night, is the punishment which his transgression of public
decency justifies. THE
sustained before Plevna in the three Russian assaulf s on that garrison stronghold. The results of the comparison, so far as they go and so far as any comparison can be instituted between the Russo-Turkish campaign and that in South Africa, are, as will be seen, highly favourable to the British mortality returns of the present war.
-
PREVALENCE
OF SMALL-POX. PATRONYMICS OF MEDICAL LONDON.
admitted to the institutions of the Metropolitan Asylums Board since Friday, May 16th, is as follows :-On Saturday, the 17th, 32 cases; on Sunday, the 18th, 22 cases ; on Monday, the 19th, 57 cases ; on Tuesday, the 20th, 54 cases ; and on Wednesday, the 21st, 36 cases. The bi-monthly report issued by the Local Government Board of Scotland shows that the number of cases of small-pox notified during the period May lst to 15th inclusive in the following counties was Forfarshire 1, Lanarkshire 18, Renfrewshire 2, and Roxburghshire 1, making a total of 22. In the county of Essex the number of cases of small-pox notified for the week ending May 17th was 32. THE number of
cases
A
making investigations with having the same initial
surnames
and included in theLondon" " section of the Medical Direcfor 1902. He finds that the most frequent initials stand in the following order : B, 701 ; S, 587 ; M, 568 ; H, 514 ; C, 503 ; and W, 481 names. These initials thus account for 3354 names out of the 6292 names stated by the publishers of the Directory to be in the "London"" list, so that one out of every two medical persons in London bears a family name with one of the above six initials. The most infrequent initials are : V, with 46 names ; Y, with 25 ; I, with 19 ; U, with nine ; Q, with five ; and Z, with two, while X does not occur. It may be mentioned for purposes of comparison that for the "Provincial"list the sequence of initials is almost the same, while forScotland"" and Ireland"" the predominating initial is M and for ’’ Wales and Monmouth " it is J.
THE papers have recorded this week the death of another victim of the craze for sensational exhibitions. At Owlerton, Sheffield, on May 20th, an unfortunate girl was killed when attempting a descent with a parachute, the parachute having failed to open when she jumped from the balloon which had attained a considerable altitude. Exactly similar accidents have happened before and probably exactly similar accidents will happen again. The victim’s sister nearly came to grief on the previous day when the balloon was damaged, and yet another accident was narrowly averted at Bradford recently when a parachute came into contact with a church spire. We understand that there were several thousands of spectators of the incident at Sheffield, and they may, without much exaggeration, look upon themselves as accessories in a case of suicide. If a life were not at stake there would be no excitement about such exhibitions. No particular skill is required to make a descent with a parachute. If the parachute opens properly the performer drops gracefully to earth ; if anything prevents it from opening the performer is smashed to pieces. Apparently the attraction to the sight-seer lies in the fact It seems to us that the that he may witness a tragedy. sooner such displays are rendered illegal the better it will be for the moral welfare of the community.
A
LOSSES OF WAR.
THE Standard of May 20th contains an interesting communication from its Odessa correspondent in which a comparison, based upon official returns and upon recent articles in the Russian military press, is instituted between the British losses from disease and wounds in the present war in South Africa and those suffered by the Russians in the course of their last Turkish war. In that war, which was of some 18 months’ duration, whereas the Boer war covers a period of 30 months or about a year in excess of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78, the Russian forces of all arms numbered altogether 505,000 (twice as many as the British troops in South Africa). The Russian army was divided into two great wings, the right covering the Danube and the left striking from the Caucasus. The army of the Danube lost 51,000 men through disease and 16,000 from wounds, while of the army of the Caucasus 37,000 died from disease and 12,000 succumbed from wounds. The total loss was accordingly 88,000 from disease and 28,000 from wounds, or 116,000 altogether. The most severe losses, amounting in all to 31,000, on any single battle-ground were naturally those
has been
to the numbers of
tory
SENSATIONAL EXHIBITIONS.
THE
CORRESPONDENT
regard
’,
MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE OPERATIONS IN CHINA, 1900-1901, BY THE PRINCIPAL MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE FRENCH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
THE whole of the Archives de -zltjdecine A-avale for March is devoted, with the exception of some half-dozen pages, to the first part of a medical report on the recent operations in Northern China by Dr. Jacquemin, principal medical officer of the French troops, with the collaboration of his staff officer, Dr. Bouras. It is an outspoken document and promises to be of considerable value not only as a faithful record of events but also for future guidance, should similar cases occur. It was not till July 20th, 1900, that the author received his orders to prepare the medical portion of the expedition. On August 10th he embarked at Marseilles, the intervening period of exactly three weeks having been spent in procuring an outfit almost ab initio, so unprepared was the medical department of the French navy for the demands thus suddenly made upon its resources.For his complex and indispensable matériel Dr. Jacquemin had to seek in various directions. The War Department lent him hospital requirements-furniture, beds, ambulances. From the Ministry of the Navy he procured drugs, dressing material, comforts, and clothing. Finally, he had to purchase in the open market such articles as filters, water-sterilisers, disinfecting machines, and all the appliances required for radiography and bacteriology. The report is divided into four parts under the following headings : (1) Organisation and Procedure cf the Health Service ; (2) the Matériel of the Service ; (3) Medical Notes on the Foreign Armies in China ; and (4) Statistics and Medical Matters. As far as it is possible to judge from the present instalment of his report Dr. Jacquemin seems to have met with unusual facilities in the execution of his important duties. "We were able," he says, "from the moment of our arrival to install at Tien Tsin, and also at Pekin, hospitals of 250 beds which had no cause to envy similar establishments at home." Elsewhere also he observes : "The General Commanding in Chief at one of his earliest conferences with heads of departments said,The health service should come before everything else. It is my desire that all the other services shall do their utmost to facilitate its task.’ We are bound," continues Dr. Jacquemin, "to
decency justifies. THE
sustained before Plevna in the three Russian assaulf s on that garrison stronghold. The results of the comparison, so far as they go and so far as any comparison can be instituted between the Russo-Turkish campaign and that in South Africa, are, as will be seen, highly favourable to the British mortality returns of the present war.
-
PREVALENCE
OF SMALL-POX. PATRONYMICS OF MEDICAL LONDON.
admitted to the institutions of the Metropolitan Asylums Board since Friday, May 16th, is as follows :-On Saturday, the 17th, 32 cases; on Sunday, the 18th, 22 cases ; on Monday, the 19th, 57 cases ; on Tuesday, the 20th, 54 cases ; and on Wednesday, the 21st, 36 cases. The bi-monthly report issued by the Local Government Board of Scotland shows that the number of cases of small-pox notified during the period May lst to 15th inclusive in the following counties was Forfarshire 1, Lanarkshire 18, Renfrewshire 2, and Roxburghshire 1, making a total of 22. In the county of Essex the number of cases of small-pox notified for the week ending May 17th was 32. THE number of
cases
A
making investigations with having the same initial
surnames
and included in theLondon" " section of the Medical Direcfor 1902. He finds that the most frequent initials stand in the following order : B, 701 ; S, 587 ; M, 568 ; H, 514 ; C, 503 ; and W, 481 names. These initials thus account for 3354 names out of the 6292 names stated by the publishers of the Directory to be in the "London"" list, so that one out of every two medical persons in London bears a family name with one of the above six initials. The most infrequent initials are : V, with 46 names ; Y, with 25 ; I, with 19 ; U, with nine ; Q, with five ; and Z, with two, while X does not occur. It may be mentioned for purposes of comparison that for the "Provincial"list the sequence of initials is almost the same, while forScotland"" and Ireland"" the predominating initial is M and for ’’ Wales and Monmouth " it is J.
THE papers have recorded this week the death of another victim of the craze for sensational exhibitions. At Owlerton, Sheffield, on May 20th, an unfortunate girl was killed when attempting a descent with a parachute, the parachute having failed to open when she jumped from the balloon which had attained a considerable altitude. Exactly similar accidents have happened before and probably exactly similar accidents will happen again. The victim’s sister nearly came to grief on the previous day when the balloon was damaged, and yet another accident was narrowly averted at Bradford recently when a parachute came into contact with a church spire. We understand that there were several thousands of spectators of the incident at Sheffield, and they may, without much exaggeration, look upon themselves as accessories in a case of suicide. If a life were not at stake there would be no excitement about such exhibitions. No particular skill is required to make a descent with a parachute. If the parachute opens properly the performer drops gracefully to earth ; if anything prevents it from opening the performer is smashed to pieces. Apparently the attraction to the sight-seer lies in the fact It seems to us that the that he may witness a tragedy. sooner such displays are rendered illegal the better it will be for the moral welfare of the community.
A
LOSSES OF WAR.
THE Standard of May 20th contains an interesting communication from its Odessa correspondent in which a comparison, based upon official returns and upon recent articles in the Russian military press, is instituted between the British losses from disease and wounds in the present war in South Africa and those suffered by the Russians in the course of their last Turkish war. In that war, which was of some 18 months’ duration, whereas the Boer war covers a period of 30 months or about a year in excess of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78, the Russian forces of all arms numbered altogether 505,000 (twice as many as the British troops in South Africa). The Russian army was divided into two great wings, the right covering the Danube and the left striking from the Caucasus. The army of the Danube lost 51,000 men through disease and 16,000 from wounds, while of the army of the Caucasus 37,000 died from disease and 12,000 succumbed from wounds. The total loss was accordingly 88,000 from disease and 28,000 from wounds, or 116,000 altogether. The most severe losses, amounting in all to 31,000, on any single battle-ground were naturally those
has been
to the numbers of
tory
SENSATIONAL EXHIBITIONS.
THE
CORRESPONDENT
regard
’,
MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE OPERATIONS IN CHINA, 1900-1901, BY THE PRINCIPAL MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE FRENCH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
THE whole of the Archives de -zltjdecine A-avale for March is devoted, with the exception of some half-dozen pages, to the first part of a medical report on the recent operations in Northern China by Dr. Jacquemin, principal medical officer of the French troops, with the collaboration of his staff officer, Dr. Bouras. It is an outspoken document and promises to be of considerable value not only as a faithful record of events but also for future guidance, should similar cases occur. It was not till July 20th, 1900, that the author received his orders to prepare the medical portion of the expedition. On August 10th he embarked at Marseilles, the intervening period of exactly three weeks having been spent in procuring an outfit almost ab initio, so unprepared was the medical department of the French navy for the demands thus suddenly made upon its resources.For his complex and indispensable matériel Dr. Jacquemin had to seek in various directions. The War Department lent him hospital requirements-furniture, beds, ambulances. From the Ministry of the Navy he procured drugs, dressing material, comforts, and clothing. Finally, he had to purchase in the open market such articles as filters, water-sterilisers, disinfecting machines, and all the appliances required for radiography and bacteriology. The report is divided into four parts under the following headings : (1) Organisation and Procedure cf the Health Service ; (2) the Matériel of the Service ; (3) Medical Notes on the Foreign Armies in China ; and (4) Statistics and Medical Matters. As far as it is possible to judge from the present instalment of his report Dr. Jacquemin seems to have met with unusual facilities in the execution of his important duties. "We were able," he says, "from the moment of our arrival to install at Tien Tsin, and also at Pekin, hospitals of 250 beds which had no cause to envy similar establishments at home." Elsewhere also he observes : "The General Commanding in Chief at one of his earliest conferences with heads of departments said,The health service should come before everything else. It is my desire that all the other services shall do their utmost to facilitate its task.’ We are bound," continues Dr. Jacquemin, "to