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sum, and be designated members of such Section, and Asso-ciates of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society [i. e., theSocieties when combined].

" V. That each Section elect annually a president and otherofficers for the management of the affairs of its own depart-ment, and also from time to time elect members who are notFellows of the Society.

" VI. That in the annual nomination of Fellows recom-mended by the Council for election as President and Council ofthe united Society for the ensuing year, two at the least beselected from amongst the members of the Committee of Man-agement of each of the several Sections.

" VII. That members of particular Sections have the rightto attend all meetings of such Section, and to be admitted tothe use of the reading-room, but not to remove from the libraryany books, except such as belong to the Section.

" VIII. That it be the business of the Committee of eachSection to prepare a report of the proceedings of the past ses-sion, to be read at an annual meeting to be held for that pur-pose. "

Without at the present time offering an opinion as to thepossibility of carrying out the various propositions of the Com-mittee, it cannot be doubted that the entire subject is one forthe serious consideration of the Fellows at large. It is mostdesirable that an institution should be formed in this countrysimilar to the Academy of Medicine in France.

It would be to the interest of the profession and the publicthat there should be a competent court of appeal to whichquestions of vital importance to the community should be re-ferred, and we trust that the praiseworthy exertions of Mr.Charles Hawkins will be followed by the establishment ofsuch a tribunal.

In the carrying out of such a project, some difficulty and- opposition are to be expected from the supporters of routineand red-tapeism. No measure of reform was ever carriedwithout difficulty. We recommend, therefore, that the Com-

- mittee should persevere, and not allow themselves to be deterred

-from pursuing their useful course, either by the clamour of in-terested opponents, or by the opposition of those whose narrowviews prevent them from arriving at a just appreciation of agreat and beneficial change.

ON SAVING CROPS OF CORN IN WETWEATHER.

WE extract the following letter from The Times of Tuesday,last:-

" To the Editor of The Times." SIR,-Allow me to suggest in the columns of The Times

a new application of mechanical power with a view to thesaving and preserving of ripe crops of corn and other vegetableproducts. At the commencement of last week the accountsfrom all parts of the kingdom with regard to the harvest weredreary and alarming. Having long been of opinion that me-chanical means, which have been so liberally and skilfully em-ployed by our agriculturists for producing crops, had not beenadequately used for saving them when produced, I determined,if it were possible, to get a drying-machine manufactured forthe purpose of experiment. Accordingly, on Wednesday last,I consulted Mr. Savage, engineer, of Eastcheap. I explainedto him that my object was to cut and dry sound ripe corn.whatever might be the fall of rain. To attain that object Iproposed that after being cut the corn should be received undercover, and, where the premises were sufficiently capacious, thesheaves should be subjected to the action of a drying-machine,worked either by hand, horses, or steam ; or that the ears only,separated from the stalks by being drawn through inverted me-tallic combs or hackles, might be so treated. Mr. Savage is a* coffee-roasting machine’ manufacturer, on a large scale. Heconsidered that the plan I proposed was quite practicable, and,on seeing him again the following day, he stated that the morehe reflected on the subject the more fully he was convincedthat the proposal could be carried into effect. By this gentle-man J was kindly referred to the manufactory of Mr. Lloyd,engineer, of No. 70, Guildford-street, Southwark, and also to

the office of Mr. Davison, No. 8, London-street, Fenchurch-street. Having explained to these gentlemen the object I hadin view, they both expressed an opinion that the plan was easyof adoption, and might be carried into effect with perfect faci-lity. At Mr. Davison’s, the operation of drying different sub-stances had been already accomplished to an extent of which Iwas entirely ignorant. At Mr. Lloyd’s manufactory I foundthat, by a very simple contrivance, air had been driven througha machine, under the influence of a six-horse power, to theextent of 10,000 cubic feet a minute. Here was a corn-dryingmachine, with some trifling additions, already made. At Mr.Davison’s, in London-street, I saw the model of a desiccatingmachine manufactured and used by that gentleman. I foundthat he employed such machines for roasting coffee, cocoa, andchicory, and drying flax, cloth, feathers, malt, wood, and evenbricks; but not one of them, strange to say, had ever been usedfor drying corn, either ’ in the sheaf’ or in the ear.’ The dry-ing powers of these machines appear to be almost fabulous. Mr.Davison stated that he could evaporate from wet substancesas much as four tons of water in eight hours. He does notentertain a doubt that these machines may be used with extra-ordinary results for the drying of ripe corn, wet from the field.In his machines artificial heat may or may not be used. Mr.Lloyd, of Guildforcl-street, Southwark, is a ’fan-blowingmachine’ manufacturer. The machine that I saw at his pre-mises, through which, by a six-horse power, he could propel10,000 cubic feet of air per minute, occupies a space of only fivefeet square, and its cost would be about £40. Having advancedthus far in my inquiries, I determined on consulting Mr. Alder-man Mechi, to whose ability, energy, and enterprise the publicare so deeply indebted for a vast number. of improvements in-agriculture. I saw that gentleman on Friday last, and in lessthan five minutes he pronounced the proposed plan not onlypracticable, but highly useful and important. The Aldermanremarked that wind is an excellent dryer, and added, ’At myfarm yesterday we had one of your machines on a grand scale;we had a brisk breeze, and consequently carried a stack ofwheat.’ On my leaving Mr. Mechi he stated that he should atonce go and see the instruments I had mentioned.

" That drying machines may be used beneficially for otherpurposes than saving crops of corn is quite obvious. During thelast winter thousancls of tons of mangold-wurtzel and turnipsrotted after they had been stacked, housed, or caved. Asimilardestruction may be prevented in future by subjecting thesevaluable productions in autumn to the drying process. Possiblythe decay of potatoes may be prevented in the same manner.Within a few years it is, I think, probable that the applicationof mechanical power and skill with a view to the saving of ripecrops of corn or the preservation of other vegetable substancesin wet weather will be generally adopted, when necessary,throughout the kingdom.

" Permit me to observe that I have no interest whatever in’ this question except as one of the public, and that the engineerswhose names I have mentioned were never seen by me until Iconsulted them last week.

" I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant," Reform Club, Sept. 3rd, 1860."

" THOMAS WAKLEY.

COUNTY CORONERS NEW ACT.

ANNO VICESIMO TER7’IO & VICESIMO QUARTOV I C T O R I Z E R E G I N Æ.

CAP. CXVI.AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO THE ELECTION,

DUTIES, AND PAYMENT OF COUNTY CORONERS.

WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the law with respectto the Election and Payment of Coroners for Counties, andto extend the provisions of the Act 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92,to all counties, whether divided into districts or not;-Be ittherefore enacted by the Queen’s most excellent Majesty, byand with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual andTemporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,and by the authority of the same, as follows-that is to say:

1. Provisions of 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92, extended to all counties,although not divided into districts for the puposes of such Act.- From and after the passing of this Act, all the provisionsof the Act 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92, shall, so far as the same may beapplicable to the election of Coroners, be extended and beconstrued to extend and apply to all counties, notwithstandingthe same may not have been divided into two or more districts

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for the purposes of such Act ; and every election of a Coronerfor a county not so divided as aforesaid which may have takenplace previous to the passing of this Act shall be, and thesame is hereby declared to be, as legal and valid to all intentsand purposes whatsoever as if such election had taken placesubsequent to the passing of this Act.

II. Polling at Elections for Coroner’s to continue for one dayonly.-From and after the passing of this Act, so much of theAct 7 & 8 Vict., c. b2, as authorizes the polling at electionsfor Coroners to continue for two days shall be and the same ishereby repealed, and thenceforth such polling shall continuefor one day only.

III. Provisions as to Remuneration of Coroners by Fees re- ,

pealed.-From and after the 31st day of December, 1860, so Imuch of any Act as provides for the remuneration of CountyCoroners by fees, mileage, and allowances, shall be, and thesame is hereby repealed.

IV. County Coroners to be paid by Salary.-On and afterthe 1st day of January, 1861, there shall be paid to everyCounty Coroner, in lieu of the fees, mileage, and allowanceswhich, if this Act had not been passed, he would have beenentitled to receive, such an annual salary as shall be agreedupon between him and the Justices in General or QuarterSessions assembled for the county for which, or for some

portion of which, such Coroner shall act; such salary, inthe case of any person holding the ofiice of County Coronerat the time of the passing of this Act, not being less than theaverage amount of the fees, mileage, and allowances actually

. received by such Coroner and his predecessors, if any, forthe jive years immediately preceding the 31st day of Decem-ber, 1859; and such salary shall be paid quarterly to suchCoroner by the treasurer of the county out of the county rate;and whenever, from death, removal, or any other cause what-ever, any County Coroner shall not be entitled to a salary forthe whole of a quarter, a proportionate part of the salary shallbe paid to him, or in case of his death, to his personal repre-sentatives. Provided always that in case any such Justices andany such County Coroner as aforesaid shall be unable to agreeas to the amount of the salary to be paid to such Coroner,it shall be lawful for her Majesty’s principal Secretary of Statefor the Home Department, and he is required upon the appli-cation of such Coroner, to fix and determine the amount ofsuch salary, having regard to such average as aforesaid, alsoto the average number of inquests held by any such Coronerin the preceding five years as aforesaid, and also to the

special circumstance of each case, and the general scale ofsalaries of County Coroners. Provided also, that after the lapseof every successive period of five years, it shall be lawfulfor any such Justices and such Coroner as aforesaid to revise,and thereby increase or diminish, any such salary, having re-gard to the average number of inquests held by any such Coro-ner in the five years immediately preceding, and subject,in case of their disagreement, to such appeal to the Home Secre-taryas before mentioned. Provided always that nothing hereincontained shall in any manner take away, alter, or depriveany such Coroner of the right to be repaid out of the countyrate the expenses and disbursements which may have been

paid or made by him on the holding of any inquest, as providedbv the Act 1 Vict. c. 68.

V. If Coroner refuse to hold Inquest, application may bemade to a Judge for a rule to show cause.-If any Coroner shallrefuse or neglect to hold an inquest in any case when such in-quest ought to be held, it shall be lawful for her Majesty’sAttorney-General to apply to the Court of Queen’s Bench, orduring vacation to a Judge of any one of her Majesty’s superiorcourts of law at Westminster, for a rule calling on suchCoroner to show cause why he should not hold such inquest;and if, after due service of such rule, good cause shall not be ’,shown against it, it shall be lawful for the Judge to make suchrule absolute, with or without payment of costs, as to suchJudge shall seem meet; and the Coroner upon being servedwith such rule absolute shall obey the same and hold such in-quest, upon pain of being liable to an attachment in case ofrefusal or neglect.

VI. Po2cer to remove Coroner.-It shall be lawful for theLord Chancellor, if he shall think fit, to remove for inabilityor misbehaviour in his office any such Coroner already electedor appointed, or hereafter to be elected or appointed.

VII. County of Chester to be henceforth subject to the GeneralLaw.-From and after the passing of this Act, so much of thePublic General Act, 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92, as exempts the County

of Chester from the provisions of that Act, and also the Localand Personal Act, 3 Vict., c. 87, authorizing the appointmentof additional Coroners for the County Palatine of Chester

-

(except the 21st section of that Act, so far as regards the head.Coroners now in office for the three divisions into which thatCounty is now divided), and also so much of the Act of the33rd year of King Henry VIII., c. 13, as relates to Coroners forthe Shire of Chester, are hereby repealed, and all the provisionsof this Act, and of the Public General Act, 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92(except the said exemptior.) and all other Public General Acts,laws, statutes, and usages relating to Coroners for Counties,from time to time in force, shall, from and after the passing ofthis Act, extend and apply to the County of Chester and theCoroners for the divisions into which that County is now orhereafter may be divided. Provided always, that notwith-standing such repeal the present divisions of the County ofChester under the powers of the said Local and Personal Act,3 Vict., c. 87, shall continue, unless and until that Countyshall be divided into other districts, under the powers of thesaid Public General Act, 7 & 8 Vict., c. 92, and the said pre-sent divisions shall be deemed to have been made under thelast-mentioned Act, without prejudice to the provisions con-tained in the 21st section of the said Local and Personal Actso far as regards the present head Coroners of the said County;provided also, that such repeal shall not invalidate or affect theelection of the present head Coroners for the said County, but(subject to any future alteration or division of their respectivedivisions or districts under the Public General Act, 7 & 8 Vict.,c. 92) they shall continue in office as if such repeal had nottaken place.

VIII. Interpretation of County.- The word" County," inand throughout this Act, shall be deemed and taken to in-clude all Counties, Ridings, Divisions, Hundreds, Wards,Liberties, and other places, the Coroners whereof are paid outof the county rates.

IX. Saving Rights of the Crozan, &c.-Nothing herein con-tained shall be construed to abridge or affect the Royal Pre-rogative, or any right vested in any person or persons to

appoint by patent, or by election or otherwise, any Coroner forany city, borough, liberty, franchise, manor, or place, or theauthority of the Lord Chancellor, or to issue a writ deCoronate eligendo.X. Extent of Acts.-The said Act of 7 8 Vict., c. 92 (as

varied by this Act), and this Act, shall extend only to thatpart of the United Kingdom called England and Wales.

*** We extract the following paragraph from the Report ofthe Proceedings at the last Meeting of the Members of theCoroners’ Society :--

’

" Your Committee feel that it would be unjust to issue thisReport without acknowledging that the proposal to relieveCoroners from the interference of Magistrates, by paying themsalaries subject to periodical revision, originated with Mr.WAKLEY, one of the Coroners for Middlesex."

HEALTH OF THE SAILORS IN THERUSSIAN NAVY.

FROM the Registrar-General’s return for 1859, it appears thatout of the full complement of men in the Russian service 24,818cases of sickness were entered in the returns, of which 23,260recovered, and 916 died. Cholera was most rife at Cronstadt,and out of 153 cases the number of fatal terminations was 87.The total number of cases amounted to 323, and out of these174 were deadly; and it further appears that all cholera caseswere characterized by either a total absence, or the weak-ness, of the fits of cramp, and were accompanied with greatprostration, followed by tardy and feeble reaction. The totalnumber of sick suffering from fevers of a typhoid character was503, and of these 85 died. Intermittent fevers partook duringthe spring of a tertian type, and during the summer andautumn of the quartan character; the number of cases amountedto 1334, of which 2 bad a fatal termination. Scurvy, we aretold, presents a satisfactory total, but 965 cases occurred, andof these no less than 755 were treated at Cronstadt, being fourtimes as many cases as were entered in the books at this portthe previous year, and accounted for by the return of manyvessels from long cruizes. Syphilis was on the decrease, andthe majority of cases were primary; the total number being1793, of which 1 case died.The surgical operations are mentioned as beaming a most