METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD. STOCKWELL HOSPITAL

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5. On Entomology, by Mr. Dallas. 6. The Collapse of the IElectric Light, by Dr. W. H. Stone. 7. The Ferce Natureof the London Parks, by Mr. Harting. The title of thearticle on the collapse of the electric light seems to usrather prematurely given. Though Mr. Edison appears tohave failed in his expectations, so many minds are nowengaged in solving the problem that we have little doubtthat no long time will elapse before we obtain a light fromelectricity having the immense advantage over all othersof being comparatively free from heating properties andyielding no noxious vapours. In Mr. Muir’s article on theevolution of the elements, the views of Mr. Lockyer on thenature of the elementary bodies are discussed, and are re-garded as an open question, though Mr. Muir is of opinionthat the different spectroscopic appearances of the samechemical elements and compounds observed by Mr. Lockyerare only due to a modification of the grouping of the atoms.Our Domestie Poisons or the Poisozzozcs Effeets of certain

Dyes and Colours used in Domestic F’cebries. By HENRYCRR,112. Inst. C. E. Small8vo, pp. 60. London : Ridgway.-This is a capital pamphlet on the privileges whichare conceded to manufacturers of wall papers, of artificial

flowers, and of various textures used for dress, to poisonHer Majesty’s lieges, if they so will it, for their own par-ticular pecuniary profit ; and to retail dealers to sell themanufactured articles without responsibility for the mischiefdone by the sale. Arsenic is the favourite poison withthese domestic poisoners, but it is not the sole one. It is tobe inferred from the larger number of colours and articlesinto which poisonous materials-and especially preparationsof arsenic-capable of exercising their poisonous effects whenso used, now enter as pigments or dyes, that instances ofpoisoning from this source are on the increase. Mr. Carr,moved by the examples which have come to his knowledge,and of which he gives some most striking and instructiveillustrations, seeks to promote public action with a view toobtain prohibitory legislation on the subject. We commendhis pamphlet and his purpose to our readers.

METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD.STOCKWELL HOSPITAL.

THE Managing Committee of the Stockwell Small-poxHospital on the 18th inst. invited those interested in theirwork to inspect the establishment, which has been closed forseveral months for a special cleaning, and also for the purposeof accomplishing sundry alterations and improvements. Thevisitors were escorted over the hospital by Inspector-GeneralBostock, C.B., Chairman of the Committee of Management,and Dr. F. B. Bernard, the medical superintendent, theformer of whom explained categorically the general arrange-ments, and particularly the alterations and improvementsthat had been made. The construction and administrationof the institution were described in THE LANCET at

the time the hospital was established. Many importantimprovements have, however, been made since the hos-

pital was closed for cleansing purposes. All foul outletshave been disconnected in the exterior face of the buildings,and all that passes now discharges over what is called aClark’s trap, which trap collects the solid refuse at its base,and discharges the liquid by a system of overflow, through slitopenings at the side and all round the trap. There is alsoin each and every case an ordinary S trap beyond. We mayhere mention that in connexion with the drainage system ahospital drain disinfector, invented by Mr. W. Soper, ofClapham, and described in our columns on July 27th, 1878,is being tried, and as to which we shall hope to receivereports shortly. The soil pipes of all the closets have beenventilated, and the bath apparatus in every ward is so

arranged that no foul upcast can possibly occur. This isarranged simply by doing away with the fixed bath system,

and making the movable bath on castors or wheels do doubleduty either in the bath-room or the ward. This is a planthat many other hospitals might advantageously follow.

It is well-known that erysipelas frequently occurs as aconcomitant of small-pox. The ward for the reception ofsuch cases formerly communicated directly with the maincorridor of the establishment-a most dangerous position.It is now as completely isolated as is perhaps possibleunder the circumstances, but not as yet sufficiently, accord-ing to our opinion, with a sad knowledge of the dire resultsof this disease when introduced into wards occupied bycases of any epidemic disease.Another valuable improvement is the establishment of a

room for cases sent to the hospital as to the diagnosis ofwhich there is a conflict of opinion. It may be small-poxor it may not. Twelve hours will decide the case, and thedubious case is relegated to’solitary confinement for thatperiod. But we may fairly ask, Is one room, containingone bed, sufficient for this purpose in a hospital thataccommodates 150 patients? We think not. Dr. Ber-nard quoted a large percentage of doubtful cases sent, andif his average be quite within the mark, it is obvious that,as two dubious cases cannot be put in the same ward, two>or even three rooms of this kind should be provided.The above brief details include the chief changes that

have been made, and the general aspect of the establish-ment is most favourable in every respect. The managersare particularly fortunate in having selected so very able,genial, and energetic a chairman as Dr. Bostock, and withpractical men on the committee such as Mr. Bengough, Mr.Gladding, Mr. Barringer, and others, the institution oughtto be conducted well, administratively as well as financially.

HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS INTHE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF 1879.

DURING last week 5572 births and 3664 deaths were re-gistered in twenty of the largest English towns. The births.exceeded by 390 and the deaths by 294 the average weeklynumbers during 1878. The deaths showed an increase of153 upon those returned in the previous week; and theannual rate per 1000, which had steadily declined in the sixpreceding weeks from 29’1 to 24’8, rose again last week, in-fluenced probably by the return of low temperature, to 25’9.During the three weeks ending last Saturday the death-ratein these towns averaged 26’0 per 1000, against 25’6 and 26’3in the corresponding periods of 1877 and 1878 respectively.The lowest rates in the twenty towns last week were 14’6 inPortsmouth, 19’3 in Brighton, and 19’9 in Leicester. Therates in the other towns ranged upwards to 27’3 in Salford,27’6 in Birmingham, 28’8 in Plymouth, 30-4 in Manchester,and 31’6 in Liverpool. The excessive rates in these last-mentioned towns do not appear to have been, to any con-siderable extent, due to the fatality of zymotic diseases,and were probably caused by exceptional mortality fromlung diseases. The annual death-rate in Liverpool fromdiseases of the respiratory organs and phthisis was last weekequal to 12’8 per 1000, while the rate from the same diseases

, in London did not exceed 9’9 per 1000. The deaths referredto the seven principal zymotic diseases in the twenty towns

; were 420, against 431 and 388 in the two previous weeks ;, they included 140 from whooping-cough, 97 from scarlet,

fever, 75 from measles, and 39 from fever, principally enteric.’

The annual death-rate from these seven diseases averaged! 3’0 per 1000 in the twenty towns, and ranged from 0’0 and, 0’5 in Portsmouth and Brighton, to 4’5 and 4’6 in Leeds andL Sheffield. Whooping-cough showed the greatest fatality in, Manchester and Sheffield ; and scarlet fever in Leeds,; Sunderland, Nottingham, and Liverpool. The deaths from) measles were proportionally most numerous in Wolver-r hampton and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 4 deaths from feverL occurred in Salford. Small-pox caused 14 more deaths inf London and its suburban districts, but not one in any of the, nineteen large provincial towns. The Metropolitan Asylum

Hospitals contained 233 small-pox patients on Saturdayi last, against numbers declining steadily from 353 to 236 in) the seven preceding weeks; 47 new cases of small-poxs were, however, admitted to these hospitals last week, against, 35 and 37 in the two previous weeks.