At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean reading of the barometer last week was 29'54 in. The lowest reading was 28.93 in. on Wednesday evening, and the highest 30 19 in. on Saturday morning.

The figures for the English and Scottish towns (except for Nottingham, Salford, and Oldham) are the numbers enumerated in April, 1871, raised to the middle of 1880 by the addition of nine years and a quarter's increase, calculated at the rate which prevailed between 1861 and 1871. Revised estimates have been adopted for Nottingham, Salford, and Oldham, based upon special returns of inhabited houses existing within those boroughs. The population of Dublin is taken as stationary at the number enumerated in April, 1871.

NOTES, QUERIES, AND REPLIES.

Se that questioneth much shall learn much.-Bacon.

The Gipsy Nuisance.-An order has been issued by the Wandsworth policemagistrate against the use of a piece of ground in that district by gipsies, because of such use being injurious to health. It appeared the ground was almost under water, and the gipsies lived upon it in tents. An Unfavourable Comparison.-In an interesting description of the flourishing and productive condition of the Marquis of Waterford's estates at Curraghmore, the special correspondent of the Times states that adjacent to it the Royal College of Physicians, Dublin, have 3418 statute acres, divided among twenty principal tenants and a number of smaller struggling occupiers. The buildings are generally poor and dilapidated, the land starved and neglected.

Associate, King's College.-Dr. Andrew Duncan, F.R.C.S. Eng., who has returned to England, is gradually recovering from the severe wound he received. His companion in arms, Captain Fergusson, the youngest son of the late Sir William Fergusson, has entirely lost the sight of one eye. A Prizeman.-The list of those gentlemen who have carried off "Collegial" and "Jacksonian" prizes is published in the Calendar. The following members of the Court and Board of Examiners have been successful :John Birkett, 1848; J. W. Hulke, 1859; J. Wood, 1861; and Christopher Heath, 1867.

"The Black Jack."-No; it was at the "Bull's Head," in Clare-market, where the renowned Dr. Radcliffe used to carouse. That place was also the haunt of the celebrated Joe Miller.

Inquirer, Greenwich.-No meat condemned as unfit for food is now sold by the Admiralty in open market. Some time ago arrangements were made for the sale to a soap-maker of all beef and pork condemned as unfit for human food, under a guarantee to melt it down. Irish Parsimony.-It is quite true that, the Medical Officer of the Crossgar Dispensary District, in the Union of Banbridge, having, after forty years' service, applied for superannuation on the ground of brokendown health, the Guardians proposed a resolution to record on their minutes their approval of the manner in which the medical officer had filled such office, but that they could not add to the rates by granting any retiring allowance.

Street Dangers.-According to Sir Edmund Henderson, very few accidents arise in the public streets from covered vans and carts, but their chief cause is fast driving. The adoption of measures with regard to covered vehicles would be apparently of no use. During the last ten years for which official returns have been made, there have been 1196 persons mortally injured in the streets of the metropolis, and upwards of 26,000 wounded.

Scrutinising Vaccination Officers' Work.-Dr. Stevens, of the Government Vaccination Department, in approving of the determination of the Stepney Board of Guardians to have the vaccination officers' work done under careful scrunity, states that had always been the view of the Local Government Board, and the reason there were so many defaulters was found to be the absence of such local assistance. Inspectors from the Local Government Board could not audit the books of the vaccination officer; they could only see that the books are kept in conformity with regulations. Local knowledge alone could check the accuracy of entries.

Technical Education in France.-We are still behind France in respect to technical education at least. The Municipal Council of Paris has voted a sum of £400 for the establishment of a school of chemistry, which will be free to the pupils of the municipal schools who are desirous of practice in chemical industries.

A Temperance Advocate.-The Lambeth Guardians have, in answer to a memorial of fifty-one of their officers, made allowances of money in lieu of beer; and the Chelsea Guardians allow £9 to superior officers and £5 to subordinate officials. At Woolwich the allowance is 1s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. a week.

House-building at Lewisham.-The "jerry builder's" dwelling-house erections have been frequently noticed in these columns, and also his novel -often ingenious-ways of evading the law. But house-building at Lewisham appears to be conducted on a plan of wholesale infringement of all legal obligations. Attention was drawn at a recent meeting of the Lewisham District Board of Works to the fact that something like five-sixths of the more modern houses in the district were built on grass, and in many instances on absolute mud. Letters have been ordered to be written to the various district surveyors, drawing their notice to these infringements of the bye-laws of the Metropolitan Board of Works. It will naturally be asked what the district surveyors were about, not to notice these houses before their attention was "drawn" to them by the District Board.

An Interesting Relic.-Dr. Livingstone's case of surgical instruments, which he carried through Central Africa until his death, has lately been exhibited in a shop window at Renfield-street, Glasgow, and attracted great public attention.

A New Hospital for Cardiff.-The Marquis of Bute, to assist the Cardiff Infirmary Committee in their task of erecting a new hospital on an enlarged scale, has announced his intention to present them with the freehold of the site of the old Longcross Barracks, which cover an area of about four acres. His Lordship is a contributor of £1000 to the building fund.

Medical Officers residing in their Districts. -A letter has been addressed by the Local Government Board to the Whitechapel Board of Guardians, referring to the circumstance that Dr. Swyer, one of the district medical officers, was not residing within his district. The Local Government Board were of opinion that the part occupation of 32, Brick-lane by Dr. Swyer was not to be considered as constituting such a residence as is required by the Order of May 25, 1857. They further pointed out that by Article 2 of the Order, Dr. Swyer had, by ceasing to reside in the district, also ceased to hold the office of Medical Officer of the Union. It therefore was necessary for the Guardians to make a new appointment for the district, and they added it would be very undesirable for the Guardians to elect any officer not resident in the district. After some discussion of the matter at their meeting last week, the Guardians held that, according to the law, Dr. Swyer had ceased to hold the appointment, and the question of filling it up was referred to a committee, Dr. Champneys being in the meantime requested to attend to the duties of the district.

An Honest Confession. - A dairyman of Oxford-road, Regent-road, Salford, on appearing before the magistrate, charged with adulterating milk, admitted that he "watered the milk in order to provide sufficient for the supply of his customers." The defendant was fined £10 and costs. A Factory Doctor.-Dr. Tidy's suggestions for avoiding the inhaling of copper-bronze dust by bronzers whilst engaged at work are:-The wearing of a cotton-wool respirator of sufficient size to cover efficiently both mouth and nostrils; that the bronzing should be carried out in a separate compartment or room, and not in the general workshop, in order, as far as practicable, to limit the evil; that a dress of glazed calico or like material, tied round the neck and waist, should be worn by those engaged at the work, and that this dress should be removed before leaving the compartment where the process is conducted; that strict cleanliness should be enforced; and the free use of milk, or other albuminous fluid, by the workpeople employed is recommended. Such suggestions are, no doubt, excellent; but they are not exactly new, and they certainly will not be adopted or endured by the workpeople.

J. Culmer N.-The actual numbers polled for the Coronership of MidCheshire at the recent election, as declared by the High Sheriff, were -for Mr. H. C. Yates, Macclesfield, 1622; Dr. Baird, Congleton, 1521; Mr. H. Froggatt, Macclesfield, 7.

The Metropolis and Compulsory Professional Reporting of Infectious Diseases. -Dr. Dudfield, Medical Officer of Health for the Kensington district, in his monthly report lately issued, points to the fact that local authorities of the metropolis have no adequate means of ascertaining the prevalence in their respective districts of infectious diseases. He observes, "It is humiliating to reflect that London should be far behind several provincial towns as regards the adoption of a sanitary regulation confessedly of the utmost importance." He recommends that the metropolitan vestries and district boards should be moved on the question, with a view to some united effort being made to obtain legislative powers rendering it obligatory on medical practitioners to report all cases of infection brought before them.

The College Calendar.-A Member of the College of Surgeons, in drawing attention to this publication, suggests a careful revision of it, as the names of so many members are still there who, he thinks, must have long since passed over to the majority. In only two pages taken at random there are five gentlemen who were admitted Members so long ago as 1801, and, presuming they were twenty-two years of age when admitted members, they must, if alive now, be upwards of a century old! A" Vet."-Yes; several members of the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons have been members of the Board of Examiners of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as Mr. E. Stanley (of St Bartholomew's Hospital), 1844-45; Bransby Cooper (of Guy's Hospital), 1844-51; Robert Liston (of University College Hospital), 1844-47; Samuel Solly (of St. Thomas's Hospital), 1847-56; Richard Quain (of University College Hospital), 1851-63; and John Birkett (of Guy's Hospital), 1873-77. We believe Mr. Luther Holden, of St. Bartholomew's, holds that appointment now.

Vital Statistics.-No; at the beginning of this century New York had no registration, even of deaths. The first "bill of mortality," as it was called, extended from November 1, 1801, to January 1, 1803-fourteen months. Little accuracy in the nomenclature of diseases was given in this report. It stated, for instance, that people had died of "flux," "putrid fever," "rash," "lingering illness," "stoppage," etc. The first reliable report was that made in the year 1866, after the organisation of the Metropolitan Board of Health. In the second annual report in 1867 the beneficent results of the institution of the Health Board were clearly shown, and in 1868 the work of registration was extended and specialised.

G. G., Kennington.-The census of the Paris population will begin on the 15th instant.

COMMUNICATIONS have been received from

Mr. R. W. PARKER, London; Mr. W. F. TEEVAN, London; Dr. ROBERT SAUNDBY, Birmingham; THE TREASURER OF ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITAL; Mr. HAMILTON CRAIGIE, London; THE HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE WEST KENT MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY; Mr. WATSON-CHEYNE, London; Dr. W. H. LLOYD, Fleet Surgeon R N.; THE BEDELL OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, London; Von ROBERT OPPENHEIM, Berlin; THE HONORARY SECRETABIES OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; THE ASSISTANT-SECRETARY OF THE ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY; THE EDITOR OF "IRON "; THE HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE ODONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN; Dr. CRICHTON BROWNE, London; Dr. F. E. WILLOUGHBY, London; Messrs. KINEN AND FABRE, London; Dr. GODSON, London; THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF SCOTLAND; Mr. EDWARD NETTLESHIP, London; Mr. HENRY E. ARMSTRONG, Newcastle-on-Tyne; Mr. T. J. BARNARDO, London; Mr. THOMAS THOMPSON, Chelmsford; Dr. FREDERICK CHURCHILL, London; Mr. R. CLEMENT LUCAS, London; THE SECRETARY OF THE DEVONSHIRE HOSPITAL, Buxton; Dr. BRETT, Watford, Herts; THE SECRETARY OF THE FACULTY OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS, Glasgow; Dr. TAYLOR, London; Mr. ERNEST HART, London; Mr. AUSTIN, London; Dr. THURSTON, London; Dr. DAUNT, Brazil; THE HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY: Mr. J. CHATTO, London; Dr. COLQUHOUN, London; Mr. T. M. STONE, London; Sir JOSEPH FAYREE, London; Dr. J. W. HULKE, London.

BOOKS, ETC., RECEIVED

The Surgical Treatment of Cancer of the Rectum, by C. B. Kelsey, M.D. - Obituary of William Lauder Lindsay, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.L.S.Ueber die Herstammung und Ausscheidung des Kalks im gesunden und Krankenorganisms, von Dr. Schetelig-Etudes Cliniques sur les Peptones Pepsiques, par Chapoteaut-Can the Mildest Forms of Enteric Fever be distinguished from Acute Febrile but Non-specific GastroEnteric Catarrh? by Christian Bäumler, M.D., F.R.C.P.-Easy Lessons in Sanitary Science, by Joseph Wilson, M D.-On Lister's Antiseptic System, by George T. Beatson, B.A., M.D.-The Land Question, Ireland, No. 3-Clinical Reports, by L. Dusart-Why the Teeth Decay, and How to Prevent it, by H. C. Quinby-Hernia, Strangulated and Reducible, by J. H. Warren, M.D.-Cyclopædia [of the Practice of Medicine, by Dr. H. von Ziemssen, vol. ix.-Notice to Medical Students.

PERIODICALS AND NEWSPAPERS RECEIVEDLancet-British Medical Journal-Medical Press and Circular-Berliner Klinische Wochenscrhift-Centralblatt für Chirurgie-Gazette des Hopitaux-Gazette Médicale-Le Progrès Médical-Bulletin de l'Académie de Médecine-Pharmaceutical Journal-Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift-Centralblatt für die Medicinischen WissenschaftenRevue Médicale-Gazette Hebdomadaire-Louisville Medical NewsNational Board of Health Bulletin, Washington-Nature-Occasional Notes-Deutsche Medicinal-Zeitung-Le Concours Médical-Boston Medical and Surgical Journal-National Anti-Compulsory ReporterEl Siglo Medico-Glasgow Medical Journal-Homoeopathic ReviewThe Veterinarian-Greenwich and Woolwich Observer, etc., January 1 -Education-The Specialist-Monthly Index - Medical Temperance Journal-Philadelphia Medical Times-Chicago Medical ReviewEdinburgh Medical Journal-Archives Générales de Médecine-Australian Medical Journal-The Pioneer, Allahabad, December 13, 1880The Homoeopathic World-Charity Record-The American.

HUNTERIAN SOCIETY.-On Wednesday, January 12, the Council meeting of this Society will be held at 7 p.m., and not at 7.30 p.m. At 8 p.m. Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson will read a paper "On the Clinical Importance of recognising the Pre-cancerous Stage of Cancer."

A MERE MATTER OF APPRECIATION.-The following dialogue occurred in a Court of Justice. The President: "Well; it is proved that you poisoned your wife with laudanum." The Accused: "Oh dear, no; I gave her too large a dose, and that is all." The President: "But this is not an attenuating circumstance." The Accused: "Oh, yes; by taking a favourable view of it you can only condemn me for the illegal practice of medicine-simple affaire d'appréciation."-Presse Méd. Belge, December 26.

RUPTURE OF THE VERMIFORM APPENDIX.-The subject of this case was a robust soldier, forty-five years of age, who had been in good health until a week before, was brought into the hospital with the symptoms of peritonitis, and died two days afterwards. On examination, a large quantity of purulent fluid was found in the cavity of the abdomen, and the vermiform process, nearly five times its natural size, exhibited a large aperture, while its communication with the intestine was obstructed by a long bean-shaped concretion of a greenish colour. On cutting through this, there was found as its nucleus at the centre a piece of husk of rye, around which had formed deposits of phosphate and carbonate of lime, the calculus having attained a centimetre in diameter before it caused rupture of the process. The case differs from most of those on record in having caused rupture by distension, instead of by ulcerative process.-Petersburg Med. Woch., 1880, No. 40.

and was considered to have been due to contamination of the air by the plague victims buried in and about London the previous year.-(Copland's Dictionary.) Other epidemics of it visited London in 1669-72, in 1762, and 1768.

No part of Europe, from Spain to Norway, seems to have escaped. Two hundred years ago it was most prevalent and fatal in London. It prevailed in Ireland in 1722, during times of scarcity of food, and on subsequent occasions, when it has been a scourge to that island as in 1846, and always of an adynamic type. France suffered from epidemic dysentery in 1859. Melbourne, in Australia, was ravaged by a severe epidemic in 1853 to 1855. Norway suffered in 1859. It is noticeable that it apparently visits European countries with less severity now than in past times. Two centuries ago it was as great a scourge in England and throughout Europe as it is now anywhere in India; but with the progress of civilisation, amelioration of the conditions of living, improvement in agriculture, reclamation of waste and uncultivated lands, better surface and subsoil drainage, paving of towns, better dwellings and food, and purer drinking-water, it has gradually diminished, or has so nearly disappeared, in this country at least, that few whose experience is confined to our own islands have had the opportunity (beyond an occasional sporadic case) of seeing it either in the acute form, or as an epidemic. How far the extinction of dysentery is due to improved hygiene and ameliorated conditions of living, I cannot say, but it seems as though they stood to each other as cause and effect. Like malarial fevers, with which it has close affinity, it has almost disappeared from our tables of sickness and mortality. Doubtless, were conditions like those that developed it in Millbank in 1825; or that recorded by Clouston in 1865 as having occurred in the Cumberland and Westmoreland Asylum (in which scorbutic dysentery, due to effluvia from sewage, accompanied by a bad diet, defective in vegetable matter, affected the inmates), again to occur a state of things now, we hope, impossible-we should again have similar dire results. But it seems improbable in these days of sanitary reform that such should be the case, or that an epidemic of dysentery should again desolate London like that described by Sydenham, which proved that our northern latitude is no safeguard when local insanitary conditions foster and favour the spread of the disease, such as may have been the case even so late as the middle of last century, when the death-rate of London from all causes was one in twenty-four of the population, though even then the public health was improving, and the average duration of human life was slowly increasing. It is now one in forty-four or forty-five, and there is no reason, except opposition to, or want of faith in hygiene, why it should not be much further reduced.

Dysentery has always had peculiar interest for the naval and military medical officers, for it is in their special field of operation that it has caused the severest ravages, as the history of our own and continental military and naval campaigns can tell. In Napoleon's Egyptian campaign twice as many men died of dysentery as of plague i.e., 2468 of dysentery, 1689 of plague. Dewar graphically describes the sufferings of the British Army in the same campaign. Desgenettes says it killed more soldiers between 1782 and 1815 than fell in action in the great wars of the empire. The British Army in Holland in 1748; the Walcheren campaign of 1809; the Peninsular campaign (in the Talavera campaign, Kinglake says [vol. vi., appendix, page 473, "Invasion of the Crimea "], The troops in great numbers fell sick, went into hospital, and died from want of necessary succours; from dysentery alone 5000 men died"); Napoleon's wars; the Crimean campaign (where between October 1, 1854, and March 31, 1855-six months-our army had 48,742 cases of sickness, (a) exclusive of wounds, and of these 18,708 were diarrhoea, 4441 dysentery), the FrancoGerman, the Russo-Turkish, and the Civil war of 1861 to 1863 in America (when one-fourth of all the disease was dysentery or diarrhoea, with a mortality of 12.36 per 1000Clymer), attest the fact that dysentery is one of the greatest difficulties armies have to encounter even in temperate climates, and how much it is due to defective food, bad hygiene, and climatic vicissitudes. Whilst Indian, Burmese, African, and Mexican campaigns declare its severity in tropical climates.

Sir R. Martin says "It is the disease of the famished

(a) This was exclusive of cases treated at Scutari. The deaths weredysentery 696, diarrhoea 1303.

=

garrisons of besieged towns, of barren encampments, and of fleets navigating tropical seas, where fruits and vegetables cannot be procured. During the Peninsular, the first Burmese campaign (and I may add the second also), and the late war with Russia, dysentery was one of the most prevalent and fatal diseases which reduced the strength of the armies engaged"; and I purpose to show you that it proves most destructive in India, its prevalence and fatality there depending apparently on climatic influences and defective hygiene, and that, like fevers, it bears a marked relation to the prevalence of malaria.

I have referred to it as a disease of tropical or sub-tropical latitudes, but have already said, sporadic cases occur everywhere, whilst some of the severe epidemics have appeared in northern latitudes. As it is endemic and most prevalent in hot countries, and especially in India, I shall confine my remarks mainly to experience derived from that country, and, as the time at my disposal is limited, I shall, after a brief reference to its distribution and prevalence in those countries, proceed to consider it in its etiological, clinical, pathological, and therapeutical bearings. Let me, then, ask your attention to its prevalence in those parts of the world where our troops and sailors are serving. The information is gathered from the official reports, and includes also the gaol and some part of the civil population, which, from the circumstances under which they are framed, supply data that may be regarded as reliable. I have said but little as to the incidence or fatality of dysentery in past or even in recent times, though sufficient to direct attention to the universal character and prevalence of the disease. I propose, however, to enter a little more into detail in regard to India, as I wish to bring you face to face, as it were, with the complaint as it now occurs in a large portion of our dominions.

As regards diarrhoea, I shall include it with dysentery in the statistical returns, and shall conclude what I have to say in the third lecture with some clinical remarks on the pathology and treatment, especially of the chronic form of the disease-to which, indeed, my remarks will be chiefly confined-so frequently seen in old residents of tropical climates, and which seems to be so nearly allied to dysentery. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND PREVALENCE IN INDIA AND OTHER FOREIGN STATIONS.

Official returns for 1878 show that in the European Army of India, with an average monthly strength of 56,475 men, there were in that year 2784 cases of dysentery and 3972 of diarrhoea; of the former 98 and of the latter 4 cases proved fatal, or 1.73 and '07 per 1000. The greatest prevalence (314) occurred in September, the lowest (186) in March. There were 49 3 cases of dysentery and 70-3 of diarrhoea per each 1000 of strength; whilst 3.52 of dysentery and 10of diarrhoea died of each 100 treated; 125 were invalided for dysentery and 30 for diarrhoea, or 2.75 per 1000 of strength. Of 5170 European women connected with the European regiments, there were 164 cases of dysentery, of which 7 were fatal; and 299 cases of diarrhoea, of which 8 were fatal-1.35 of dysentery and 1.55 of diarrhoea per 1000 strength. Of 10,423 European children, there were 289 cases of dysentery and 1033 of diarrhoea; 40 of the former and 149 of the latter, or 3·84 and 14.30 per 1000, were fatal. In the Native Army of 117,272 men there were 9622 cases of dysentery and 4747 of diarrhoea; 191 of dysentery and 112 of diarrhoea proved fatal, or 1.63 and 95 per 1000 respectively; 82 per 1000 of strength were admitted for dysentery, and 40.5 for diarrhoea.

Of a gaol population of 127,914 persons (chiefly natives) there were admitted 14,487 for dysentery and 12,998 for diarrhoea. Of these 2326 proved fatal from dysentery, 1865 from diarrhoea-being a fatality from both combined of 32.76 per 1000, or of 15.25 of each 100 treated.

Comparative statements show the relative prevalence and mortality of the diseases in different parts of India, and that dysentery is more severe in Madras than in the other Presidencies. I have taken these details both from the European and Native returns, to show the extent of its prevalence among the native population, the seasonal prevalence, as well as a comparison with fever.

The extent of seasonal variation of prevalence in the hillstations is noted, and it will be seen that, although less severe, the disease occurs at those elevations of from 4000 to 8000 feet above the sea-level. It must be remembered, how