VACCINE EXPELLER.

383 series of life-like pictures of medical men and medical practice and we commend his book to all who are interested in either subject. The Secret of Good Health and Long Life. By HAYDK BROWN, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S. Edin. London: James Bowden. 1898. Second Edition.-This is a little book of some 150 pages but it contains a good deal of sound common-sense. The points to which the writer draws attention are just those which are most commonly neglected. Thus in the chapter I on food he says: Vegetarianism is a boon and a blessing to men because it helps to indicate to us the happy medium ; it encourages a certain quantity of vegetables being consumed with other food that might not be taken otherwise." So, too, his remarks on beer are eminently sensible. Reason must have her say, he tells us, and because one man can drink a quantity of beer it does not follow that everyone can, neither because a person can keep well without alcoholic drinks does it follow that nobody else requires them. We can cordially recommend this unpretending little volume and if on the whole the advice given may seem to be a counsel of perfection there is all the more reason for trying ’ to attain to such. Manual of First Aid. By J. A. AUSTIN, M.D. Aberd. London: Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. 1898.-There is rather a plethora of manuals upon first aid. Fortunately they all say more or less the same thing-that is, as regards broad principles-otherwise the student of first aid might get bewildered with the multitude of counsellors. Dr. Austin’s little book is well and interestingly written. In his opening chapters especially he gives various striking instances of the value of first aid given in the right and in the wrong way. The plan of the book follows the syllabus of the St. John Ambulance Association and is copiously illustrated with diagrammatic figures which are plain and simple and also accurate, except, we should say, Fig. 29, showing compression of the brachial artery. As given in the figure the fingers are simply lifting up the biceps. The description of how to compress the artery given in the text is, however, plain enough. Altogether the book is a good specimen of its class.

given

us a

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JOURNALS.

Magazine appears as a double number in honour of reaching its thousandth issue, an event which has been announced as unparalleled in periodical literature. A claim has since been put in for the Gentleman’s Magazine In this number of as showing a longer continuous life. Blackwood the" Noctes Ambrosianæare revived and the third-or is it the fourth ?-generation of Maga’s contributors are well represented in its pages. Among the contents are stories by Mr. Joseph Conrad and Mr. Maurice Hewlett, the winners of the Academy’s Z50 prizes for the best books of last year. Charing-cross Hospital and Medical School have decided not to be behind other large centres of medical education in the matter of being represented by an official organ. No. 1, vol. 1 (January, 1899), of the Cltaring Cross Baspitccl Gazette has just been issued and its 12 pages contain matter that is well selected and edited. The "School Notes" are merrily done. We bid our youthful contemporary welcome. Blac7emood’s

New Inventions. NEW SELF-RETAINING DRAINAGE TUBING. I DESIRE to bring to the notice of the profession a new form of drainage tubing, practically self-retaining, which I have found to answer admirably. It consists of ordinary drainage tubing of various sizes, perforated along its entire

at intervals of about three-quarters of an inch and between each perforation on either side of the tubes are studs or wings which, being of the same elastic material as the tube and cast together in one mould, offer but slight resistance during the process of introduction. As the drained’

length

tissues close around the tube these studs offer points of resistance which effectually prevent its slipping out. My suggestion has been very well carried out by Messrs. Arnold and Sons of West Smithfield. T. T. CARTER CARTER WIGG, M.D. Brux., M,R.C.S. M.R.C.S. Eng. Eng. Oxford-terrace, Hyde-park, W. VACCINE EXPELLER. WE have received from Mr. J. H. Montague of 101, New Bond-street, W., an appliance which promises to be very useful to vaccinators. It is intended for the expulsion ot

lymph

trom

capillary

tubes without resorting to the time - honoured method of blowing it oiat with the breath and is made wholly of soft, red indiarubber without any attachments of glass or metal. The illustrations show it full size, both entire and in section. The tube of lymph with ends still sealed is first drawn midway through the larger

opening

as

represented ;

the upper end is then broken off and the tube is drawn still further through until only about half an inch of it remains within the expeller. The other end of the tube containing the lymph is now broken off, and the expeller being held between the first and second fingers the lymphis instantly forced out by placing the thumb ever the upper opening and compressing the indiarubber. The lymph may also in like manner be distributed as desired. If the tube does not pass. with ease through the small end of the opening in the indiarubber it is only necessary to wet it a little.

FIRST REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS ON THE METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY. (Concluded from p. 314.) THE sixth section deals with the objects to be gained by connexion of the various systems of supply. The Commissioners point out that intercommunication to be of .use must necessarily imply that there will be an amount of water available for transfer through the connexions madeIntercommunication would necessarily be useless in the case of a company which was not in the effective possession of a supply of water larger than it required to meet the maximum daily demand of its own customers. Theeffective possession of such a supply implies that a company has a statutory right to obtain the water and the necessary machinery and plant for the treatment and pumping of the water The Commissioners point out that it is the