THE PLAGUE.

535 influence of the size of the pores, showed that with frag- tional numberof deaths in Manchestefand Sheffield. Scarlet ments of flint having an average size of 4 to 6 mm. diameter, fever was most fatal in Sunderland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the pores, or intermediate spaces, amounted to ’35 per cent. and Leeds; and measles in Wolverhampton, Leicester, and of the total volume, and the quantity of nitrogen appearing Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Enteric fever fatality showed the in the form of nitrites and nitrates was 190 mg. in eighteen largest excess in Salford, Hull, and Leeds. Two deaths were referred to diphtheria in Plymouth, Birmingham, and days, 480 mg. in thirty-six days. With fragments of flint having 2 to 4 mm. in diameter Liverpool. Small-pox caused seventeen more deaths in the pores amounted to 36’4 per cent., and the quantity of London; but not one in any of the other towns. The number nitrogen was 480 mg. in eighteen days, and 66 mg. in thirty- of small-pox patients in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals six days. With fragments 0’6 to 1’2 mm. the pores amounted had declined on Saturday last to 257, a lower number than in in any week since the beginning of January last; 35 new to 37’9 per cent., and the nitrogen was 86 days, and 1060 mg. in thirty-six days. The quantity of cases of small-pox were, however, admitted to these hospitals nitrogen in the form of nitrites and nitrates therefore during the week. and In steadily increased with the smallness of the fragments the larger relative total volume of the pores. It should be noticed that the water capacity, as he terms THE PLAGUE. it, or quantity of water retained by capillary attraction, greatly augments with the smallness of the fragments and ANOTHER case of plague occurred at Vetlianka on the consequent smallness of the pores. Thus the fragments 20th ult. The patient, a girl ten years old, was ill about a 4 to 6 mm. in diameter held 5’7 per cent. of their volume of and recovered. She was moved to a kibitka then 2 in diameter 7’17, those of week, water ; those from to 4 mm. 1 to 2 mm. 13’6, and those 0’6 to 1’2 mm. in diameter (Tartar tent) about a verst from the village, and there 29’8 per cent. of their volume. strictly isolated by a military cordon. The healthy inOther experiments showed that increased exposure to air habitants of the house from which she was removed were by aspiration of air through the soil considerably increased also placed in quarantine. No mention of this case has the amount of nitrites and nitrates. been made in The absence of light greatly favoured the production of any of the Russian reports which have as yet the nitrites and nitrates. Thus, in one experiment, in reached us. The occurrence of the case would appear to eighteen days 19 mg. of the nitrites and nitrates were formed have modified the views of the Russian medical commiswith, and 86 without, light, the conditions being otherwise sioners on the spot as to raising the quarantine of the similar. In thirty-six days 110 mg. of the nitrites and infected area on the Volga. The latest news received states nitrates were formed with, and 330 without, light. Dilution of the test fluid greatly favoured the appearance that at a meeting of five of the commissioners, with respect of the nitrites and nitrates, since when undiluted and in the to this question, two (Drs. Eichwald and Sniguirew) adabsence of porosity-i. e., on a solid bed-no nitric acid vised the retention of the sanitary cordons until the hot appeared after four months, whilst when the mixture only weather set in; three (Drs. Munch, Jacoby, and Koitow) contained 10 per cent. of urine, it was first detected on the held that it would be sufficient to substitute for the inner thirty-sixth day, and when it only contained 1 per cent. on of observation, and that the period of the twenty-second day, whereas, with the co-operation of cordons, posts be reduced from nine days to four days. quarantine might porosity, the acid was not detectable in two months with They would continue, however, the general sanitary cordon the undiluted urine, but appeared after seven days with a round the whole infected and retain the special cordons area, 10 per cent., and after four days with a 1 per cent. solution. at Vetlianka and Selitrenia, maintaining the former until These experiments are of considerable importance as the 22nd and they would have the posts of observaApril; bearing on the value of manures, since plants, in the tion and a medical and sanitary supervision of the infected absence of ammonia, can obtain all the nitrogen they require area maintained until next winter. These conclusions have from the nitrates, whilst certain plants, such as the maize, been communicated to General Count Loris-Melikoff. buckwheat, and tobacco, derive all their nitrogen from this The work of burning the 67 houses condemned as infected source. These and many other facts which have been of in Vetlianka was completed on the 30th ult. late years ascertained, demonstrate the great value of the An Order in Council, dated the 22nd March, 1879, declares nitrates as manures. ships arriving in the ports of the United Kingdom from the ports of the Baltic, the Sea of Azov, the Sea of Marmora, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean as liable to perform quarantine. No information has yet been vouchsafed by HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS IN the Privy Council how quarantine is to be performed in this THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF 1879. country, denuded as it is of provisions for its execution.

0 Me eighteen

DURING last week 5524 births and 3851 deaths were regis. iered in twenty of the largest English towns. The births exceeded by 342, and the deaths by 481, the average weekly numbers during 1878. The deaths showed a further decline of 141 from the exceptionally high numbers returned in the "Audi alteram partem." four preceding weeks. The annual rate per 1000, which had SANITARY NORMAS. slowly declined from 29’1 to 28’2 in the four previous weeks, further fell last week to 27’2. During the first thirteen To the Editor f:?f THE LANCET. weeks of this year the death-rate in these towns averaged SIR,-A writer in THE LANCET lately questioned the 27’5 per 1000 ; in the corresponding period of the four years statistics on which I set forth the district half-time schools 1875-8 it was equal to 28’9, 26’2, 24-2, and 25’2 respectively. as normas of sanitation in infantile life. The lowest rates last week in the twenty towns were 13’5 I stated that in these institutions there is an almost entire in Norwich, 17’2 in Bradford, 18’8 in Oldham, and 19’8 in from children’s epidemics, and that their deathexemption Portsmouth. The rates in the other towns ranged upwards rates are not one-third of those prevalent amongst children to 31’Oin Birmingham, 32’3 in Nottingham and Sunderland, of same the the ages amongst general population. The and 36’1 in Wolverhampton. The seven principal zymotic which he took showed out that the writer made statistics diseases caused 431 deaths in the twenty towns, an increase of 23 upon the number in the previous week; they included that the death-rates in those institutions were higher than 153 from whooping-cough, 90 from scarlet fever, 62 from those amongst the general population. But he did so by measles, and 37 from fever, principally enteric. The annual omitting to observe my statement, that those institutions death-rate from these seven diseases averaged 3’0 per 1000 in the twenty towns; it ranged from 0’4 and 0’5 in Ports- were in fact almost children’s hospitals, where large promouth and Bradford, to 5’0 and 6-9 in Sunderland and Wol- portions came in diseased and many of them only to die, verhampton. Whooping-cough, which was slightly more and that I had all those eliminated, and had only those fatal than in the previous week, caused the largest propor. taken where the children, though of an inferior type, came

Correspondence.