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localities should be made known, and the building of smallcottages encouraged, upon the rotatory or turn-table

principle, so that the occupant would be able without

difficulty to turn them round to any point of the compassrequired. We trust that further developments of such treat-ment will be carried out throughout the kingdom. Thereare thousands of patients who find it impossible to carry outtheir medical adviser’s recommendation to "go abroad,"whilst if such arrangements were made as we have beforesuggested some months might then be devoted to a restora-tion of health in an English resort similar in general arrange-ment to Gobersdorf or Falkenstein.

THE HEALTH OF MR. GLADSTONE.

MR. GLADSTONE has suffered since the autumn of last

year from a chronic nasal catarrh accompanied by facialneuralgia which resisted all the most careful treatment.

Therefore, at Mr. Gladstone’s urgent desire and because theclimatic influence had previously always restored him to

health, he was allowed to go to Cannes in spite of any riskattendant upon the long journey. At first the neuralgicpain almost disappeared and there were but fitful

attacks. Subsequently the presence of the Mistralwith cold and wet weather produced the return of

the pain, but at no period has there been any evidenceof increase of other inflammatory symptoms. The pain hascontinued since, though varying from day to day. This has

doubtless had a depressing and disappointing effect upon thedistinguished patient, but otherwise his general physicalcondition remains very much the same, and there is no farther

development to record. We are happy to be able to publishthis information upon excellent authority, inasmuch as therumours that were rife in the press during one or two daysthis week have been of a decidedly disquieting character.

ABDOMINAL SECTION IN CASES OF PROLONGEDVOMITING.

WE have received a copy of a pamphlet by Mr. H. G. H. I,Naylor, of Hobart, Tasmania, containing a report of a mostinteresting case of obstinate vomiting in which abdominalsection proved of the utmost value. The patient was a woman, I

a native of Tasmania, aged forty-four years, who stated thatshe had been vomiting all her food at irregular intervals daily Ifor eighteen years. She had been under other treatmentfor most of this time without success. Mr. Naylor triedlavage but no relief was experienced. After observing thepatient for some months and adopting various methodsof treatment he came to the conclusion that there

was pyloric obstruction and recommended an operationwith a view either to perform pyloroplasty or gastro-jejunostomy, according to the nature of the ob-struction. This view was corroborated in consultation byDr. Wolfhagen. Laparotomy was performed in the usualmanner and the pylorus was found deep down and adherentto the liver, the stomach itself being empty, flaccid, and notat all enlarged. On trying to draw the stomach out into thewound it could only be drawn slightly forward, being tieddown by adhesions to the bowel below. These adhesions were

separated and the greater part of the stomach was liberated,but the pyloric end was left adherent to the under surface ofthe liver. The patient made an excellent recovery and

appeared to be quite relieved. The cause of the sickness, inMr. Naylor’s opinion, was the existence of the adhesions tyingthe stomach down above and below and producing spasmodicvomiting and tightening or constriction of the pylorus. Thecase is a suggestive one and Mr. Naylor has done good workin placing it on record. Cases are not unfrequently met with

in which vomiting resists all attempts at treatment; some ofthese may be hysterical " in nature, but others cannot be so.classified, and the success of this case adds support to theplan not unfrequently adopted of an "exploratory laparo.tomy." In recent cases the conditions found obviouslyindicate further operation, but in others the happiest results.may ensue after the necessary surgical procedures bavebeen carried out.

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THE LATE PROFESSOR TYNDALL AND THEROYAL INSTITUTION.

SIR JAMES CRICHTON BROWNE, the treasurer of theRoyal Institution, has received a letter from the widow ofthe late Professor Tyndall enclosing a cheque for R1000. Thissum was left by Professor Tyndall to be handed over to theInstitution by Mrs. Tyndall at such time as should be mostconvenient to herself, "to be disposed of as the Board ofManagers may see fit for the promotion of science." SirJames Crichton Browne, in acknowledging the gift, says thatof course the managers would be guided as to the disposalof the sum by the wishes of Mrs. Tyndall, but that in theabsence of any explicit directions it will probably be employedin original research. He also refers to the bust of Professor

Tyndall by Woolner in the possession of Mrs. Tyndall andinquires whether she would allow a replica of it to be madefor the Institution, that body not possessing any worthypresentment of the late Professor Tyndall. This generoasgift from Mrs. Tyndall will be all the more welcome seeingthat the Royal Institution possesses little or no endow-ment for research with the exception of the magnificent.laboratories founded by Mr. Ludwig Mond, which wereopened last year.

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A STRANGE CESSPOOL FATALITY.

AT Leicester last week an inquiry was held into the circum-stances attending the death of a labourer who had lost hislife while engaged in clearing out a cesspool which wasevidently used as a sediment tank in connexion with a,

brewery and malting house. The cesspool contained liquidmatter, and it was necessary to empty this down an.outlet.pipe by means of a bucket. There were two men engaged inthe operation. The atmosphere had previously been testedby lowering a lighted candle with satisfactory results. One

of the men, who afterwards gave evidence at the inquiry,said that when he descended he did not notice anythingunusual about the smell, but the air was rather warm.The smell was strong but it did not make him feel sick.His companion, the deceased, did not appear to show anysigns of distress after working in the cesspool, except con-siderable running at the eyes. As the scavenging proceededthe smell became more marked. The deceased descendedfor the third time, the men evidently relieving each other inthe work. The witness hearing a kind of thud soon after-wards proceeded down the ladder to see what had happened,when he found the deceased lying on his back with his headagainst the wall, only one leg and arm and his head beingabove the surface. The deceased groaned but he did notappear to be conscious. The witness was at lengthobliged to go to the top for assistance and subsequentlywhen attempting to extricate deceased he himselfwas overpowered, became unconscious, and fell intothe liquid. He however recovered and managed to ascendagain and get assistance. He felt very ill and was

conveyed home but he was not able to give evidence forsome time. Dr. Young expressed the opinion that deathwas due to suffocation caused by drowning. The jury, how-ever, returned a verdict that the deceased died fromaccidental suffocation by some sort of noxious gas present inthe cesspool but of what kind it was impossible to say. Thedeath may have been due to suffocation by drowning, but

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there seems little doubt that there was some deadlygaseous constituent present in the cesspool which had

overpowered the deceased, since the man helping him wasovercome in a similar way, though he escaped drowning.It cannot be too strongly impressed upon all those who

engage men to do work in cesspools and excavationsgenerally that every possible precaution should be takento ensure the innocuous character of the atmospherein such places. We should have thought that when

dealing with a mass of waste and spent material derivedfrom brewing operations some step would have been taken toventilate the cesspool before a descent was made. It surelywould not be a difficult matter in places where there is con-siderable steam power and machinery to connect an air-pumpwith the well so as- to effectually drive out any poisonous gasthat may be present, and the pumping could be continuedso long as the labourers are engaged at their unenviableoccupation.

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AN INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION.

THE announcement of an International PhotographicExhibition to be held at the Crystal Palace from April 27thto May 14th will be welcomed by a very large section of thepublic, for nowadays photography in its many applicationsis a pursuit followed almost by everyone. It is proposed todevote the entire nave of the Crystal Palace to this purpose.The arrangements have been placed in the hands of a com-mittee the names of many of the members of which are wellknown in the photographic world. Half the number of themembers composing the committee have been nominated bythe council of the Royal Photographic Society, under whoseauspices the exhibition will be held. We have received fromMr. R. Child Bayley, assistant secretary (a letter from whomis published in another column), a copy of the preliminary prospectus, from which it appears that the exhibition willbe divided into eight sections: (1) the history of photo-graphy ; (2) pictorial photography; (3) portraiture and

general technical photography ; (4) apparatus and material;(5) photo-mechanical processes ; (6) scientific applicationsof photography (including medical photography and theapplication of the x rays) ; (7) photography in colour; and(8) photography as a science. With such. an excellent and

comprehensive programme in view the success of the enter-prise should be guaranteed. All intending exhibitors shouldcommunicate with the secretary of the Royal PhotographicSociety at 12, Hanover-square, W.

CHARLES PELHAM VILLIERS.

THOUGH not concerned in the mere political aspects ofthe life of Mr. Villiers we are by no means disposed to with.hold our tribute to his memory or the expression of our

pride in the facts of his career. Such men, especiallyafter the results of their labours are so universallyadmitted, cease to be the property of any party and becomethe veritable Fathers of the State. Besides, the nature ofthe legislation which Mr. Villiers initiated in Parliament andto the success of which he so greatly, yet so modestly, con-tributed was such as to call for our special meed ofpraise. It had reference to the supply of the food ofthe people. If there is one supreme duty of a Stateit must be to make the preservation of life possibleto the poorest and the most laborious classes of the people.This was the object to which Mr. Villiers devoted him-self almost against hope in the early part of his Parliamentarycareer and before Bright and Cobden by their eloquence hadmade it a burning question outside. It was the first bigstep in the direction of that social legislation whichhas for its primary object the health and the

happiness of the people and which has carried the

glory of the Victorian reign beyond all precedent. The

aristocratic connexions of Mr. Villiers only make his meritthe greater as they must have involved greater difficulties.and prejudices to be overcome. In the same direction washis great work as head of the Poor-law Board in the UnionChargeability Act, which in its way was as humane and asgreat a boon to the poor as the repeal of the Corn Laws.We must not close without a word on another aspect ofMr. Villiers’s life-its great length. He was born in 1802.And there is much of both moral and physiological interestin the fact that he not only lived for so long but held theposition of Member of Parliament till the time of his death.Here is a lesson of permanence and persistency to publicmen. Mr. Villiers did not do his great work because he wasphysically strong ; he was, on the contrary, of rather delicate-constitution as a young man. Twenty-five years ago he wasan old man and somewhat feeble, yet he has lived in honouramong all men and all parties and in the length of his lifeand of his connexion with Parliament and with the con-

stituency he represented for sixty-two years has left a recordthat is creditable to all concerned.

DIPHTHERIA AND THE LOWER ANIMALS.

AT Pembridge, near Birmingham, several cases of scarletfever and diphtheria have lately occurred. All the cases of

diphtheria-namely, five-were in one house supplied withwater from a tank. This tank upon being opened was foundto contain a dead mole to the presence of which Dr. Harding,the medical officer of health, attributed the disease. He

reported these facts before a meeting of the Kington RuralDistrict Council on Jan. 13th, and also mentioned that hehad heard of a similar case before. The mole is an animalabout which, owing to its habits, not very much is known.Worms form the staple of its diet, but it has been known tocatch and eat birds and sometimes its fellows. That certainof the lower animals suffer from diphtheria or an analogousdisease is well known, and the transference of diphtheria.from the cat to human beings is not uncommon, buttransference from the mole is we should say exceedingly rare.Amongst other diseases transmitted from domestic animals-to human beings, leaving out of the question such well-Known ones as antinrax, are - - psittacosis from parrots a.

complaint which has been variously described as resemblingpneumonia and yellow fever, and favus which has been

spread by the cat and the mouse. The spread of plaguethrough the agency of monkeys and rats has been muchin evidence in India of late and there is, we fancy, littledoubt as to the rôle of flies in carrying infection. Butfor an animal like the mole, which is purely carnivorous andspends its life as much as possible out of contact withhuman beings, to contract diphtheria opens up new fields forinquiry as to the spread and mode of growth of the diph-theria bacillus.

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LUMBAR PUNCTURE OF THE SPINAL THECA.

1.ROFESSOB GOLDSCHEIDER has contributed an article on

this subject to the third edition of Eulenburg’s Real-Encyklo-padie. An abstract of this appears in the Neu’I’ologischer;Centralblatt of Jan. lst. The ’history and technique of theoperation are first dealt with and then the writer considers(1) the diagnostic significance of puncture ; and (2) thetherapeutic effects. As to the former he considers themethod most useful as an aid to diagnosis. It furnishes indoubtful cases confirmatory evidence of an increase of cerebro-spinal fluid and of pressure. If, clinically there are symptoms.of severe pressure, and lumbar puncture furnishes evidenceof only a moderate increase of fluid, an acute process mightbe inferred to exist. Distinct increase of albumin in thefluid would exclude simple hydrocephalus ; on the other

hand, a trace of albumin would indicate that the collectionof fluid was not likely to be that of an acute inflammatory