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aniseed, and some acid. Much-vaunted powders for makingpuddings contain coloured and flavoured potato flour, andare sold at 2s. 6d. per.pound. There is even a substitutefor pepper on the market. As the law has proved power-less against these fraudulent food articles, housewives inBerlin are urged to unite in self-defence.

EDIBLE SEAWEED.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-With reference to the note in THE LANCET ofFeb. 10th under this heading respecting " laver," I thinkthe following quotation from " A Popular History of BritishSeaweeds," by the Rev. D. Landsborough, A.L.S., in 1851,will prove interesting. He cites Professor W. H. Harvey,M.D., professor of botany, Dublin, in his large work"Phycologia Britannica," as saying of 11 laver " :—After many hours’ boiling, the frond is reduced to a somewhat slimy

pulp, of a dark brown colour, which is eaten with pepper and lemon-juice or vinegar, and has an agreeable flavour to those who haveconquered the repugnance to taste it, which its great ugliness induces,and many persons are very fond of it. It might become a valuablearticle of diet, in the absence of other vegetables, to the crews of ourwha)in(! vessels sailing in high latitudes, where every marine rock athalf-tide abundantly produces it. In its prepared state it may bepreserved for an indefinite time in close tin vessels.The Rev. D. Landsborough adds : "We regard this as

a valuable hint," and, in his introduction to his own book,makes the following interesting statement:-Even in our most common sea-wraek there are substances which may

yet be turned to good account. One of these is mannite, thecharacteristic principle of manna, which my friend Dr. JohnStenhouse has detected in many of our coarse seaweeds, but ingreatest abundance in Laminaria saccharina, which we doubt not tookits specific name from this circumstance. A quantity of this seaweedwas by Dr. Stenhouse repeatedly digested with hot water, whichformed with it a brownish, sweetish, mucilaginous solution. Whenevaporated to dryness on the water-bath it left a considerable quantityof a saline semi-crystalline mass; this was reduced to powder andtreated with boiling alcohol, by which a considerable portion of it wasdissolved. The alcoholic solution, on cooling, became nearly solid fromthe quantity of long transparent prismatic crystals with which it wasfilled. When purified by a second cry-tallisation these were depositedin large hard prisms of a fine silky lustre. By analysis it was foundthat this was mannite. The quantity of mannite contained is veryconsiderable: one thousand grains of the seaweed treated in the waydescribed gave about 12 per cent. of mannite. It is very beautiful-aspure white as loaf-sugar, and almost as sweet Since I wrote the aboveI have examined and tasted mannite which I got from Dr. Stenhouseabout four years ago, and it is as white and sweet as ever. Surely someuse may be made of this marine treasure.

1 am, Sir, yours faithfully,Feb.20tb.l917. EAST ANGLIAN.

THE Local Government Board last week increased thescales of allowances for the British-born wives of internedaliens. The maximum allowance for wives in London isnow 12s. 6d. and outside London 10s., with the addition of3s. in respect of each child.

P. N.-Standard works of reference give congenital dilata-tion of the colon as the disease first described by Hirsch-sprung of Copenhagen in 1880.

Nemo.-.Magazines and illustrated papers are still in demandby the British Red Cross for the sick and wounded inhospitals, and should be sent to the Honorary Secretary,Red Cross War Library, Surrey House, Marble Arch,London, W.

COMMUNICATIONS not noticed in our present issue willreceive attention in our next.

Medical Diary for the ensuing Week.SOCIETIES.

MYAl SOCIETY OF MEDICINE, l. Wimpole-street. W.MEETINGS OF SECTIONS.

Thursday, March 1st.OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY (Hon. Secretaries-H. RussellAndrews, T. G. Stevens): at 8 P.M.Speeimens ;Mr. J. P. Hedley : Uterus containing Carcinoma and Sarcoma.Dr. Herbert R. Spencer: Carciuo-sarcoma Uteri..Dr. Cuthbert Lockyer : (1) Sim ultaneous Bilateral Tubal Pregancy; .

(2) Secondary Neuro-epithelioma in the Ovary of a Child ofThree

Short Communications: :Dr. Hubert Roberts: (1) Curious Degeneration of a Cervical

Fibroid ; (2) Calcified Fibroid which caused Complete Torsionof the Uterus.

Tapers : :Dr. B. W. Scripture: Two Cases of Psychic Dyspareunia treated

by Mental Analysis.Dr. Herbert R. Spencer : (1) Four Cases of Undiagnosed Cancer of

the Cervix in 200 Total Hysterectomies for Myoma (with sixillustrations); (2) Two Cases of Supravaginal Amputation ofthe Uterus for Sarcoma mistaken for Myoma (two illustrationsand four micro-photographs).

Dr. G. F. Blacker : Supravaginal Amputation of Uterus for Sarcomamistaken for Myoma.

FridaY, March 2nd.LARYNGOLOGY (Hon. Secretaries-Cecil 1. Graham, Frank A. Rose):at 4 pmCases, &c.:Dr. Dundas Grant: (1) Laryngeal Stridor; (2) Nasopharyngeal

Growth ; (3) Fibromata of Vocal Cords.Dr. Irwin Moore: (1) Lymphadenoma of Nasopharynx; (2) Bone

impacted ir) (Esophagur3; (3) Pharyngeal Pouches.Dr. G. W. Dawson : four Cases.Mr. Frank Taylor and Captain McKinstry: A Further Note on

the Relationship between Vincent’s Angina and Peri-dentalGingivitis.

N.B.-Members intending to show cases or specimens are

reminded to send in particulars to the Senior Hon. Secretary atleast 12 days before each meeting.

ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS. John-street, Adelphi, W.C.WEDNESDAY.-4.30 P.M., Paper :—Mr. F. A. Hoohtng: The War and

our Supply of Drugs.HUNTERIAN SOCIETY,at the Royal Societyof Medicine, 1, Wimpole-

street, W.WEDNESDAY.-9 P.M., Demonstration:-Dr. 0. Leyton: The Dif-

ferential Stethoscope.WEST LONDON MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY, West London

Hospital, Hammersmith-road, W.FRIDAY.—8.30 P.M., Meeting.

LECTURES, ADDRESSES, DEMONSTRATIONS, &c.ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON, Pall Mall East.

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY.-5 P.M., Milroy Lectures :—Dr. W. V.Howarth : Meat Inspection, with Special Reference to theDevelopments of Recent Years. (Lectures II. and III.) .

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND, Lincoln’s InnFields, W.C.MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.-5 P.M., Arris and Gale Lectures :-

Dr. W. Harris: The Morphology of the Brachial Plexus in itsRelation to Surgery.

POST-GRADUATE COLLEGE, West London Hospital, Hammersmith-road, W.MONDAY.-2 P.M., Medical and Surgical Clinics. X Rays. Mr. Gray :

Operations. Mr. B. Harman: Diseases of the Eye. Dr. Simson:Diseases of Women.

TUESDA.Y.-2 P.M., Medical and Surgical Clinics. X Rays. Mr.Baldwin Operations. Dr. Banks Davis: Diseases of the Throat,Nose, and Ear. Dr. Pernet : Diseases of the Skin.

WEDNESDAY.—10 A.M., Dr. Saunders: Diseases of Children. Dr. BanksDavis: Operations of the Throat, Nose, and Ear. 2 P.M.. Medicaland Surgical Clinics. X Rays. Mr. Pardoe : Operations.

THURSDAY.—2 P.M., Medical and Surgical Clinics. X Rays. Mr. Gray :Operations. Mr. B. Harman: Diseases of the Eye.

FRIDAY.-10 A.M., Dr. Simson: Gynaecological Operations. 2 P.M.,Medical and Surgical Clinics. X Rays. Mr. Baldwin : Opera-tions. Dr. Banks Davis: Diseases of the Throat, Nose, and Ear.Dr. Pernet: Diseases of the Skin.

SATURDAY.-10 A.ns., Dr. Saunders : Diseases of Children. Dr. BankaDavis: Operations of the Throat, Nose, and Ear. Mr. B. Harman:Eye Operations. 2 P.M., Medical and Surgical Clinics. X Rays.Mr. Pardoe: Operations.

MENTAL AFTER CARE ASSOCIATION.THURSDAY.-3 P.M.. Annual Meeting at 9, Bramham-gardens, South

Kensington. S.W.ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Lecture Hall of the

Institute, 37. Russell-square, W.C.Course of Lectures and Discussions on Public Health Problems under

War and After-war Conditions :-WEDNESDA.Y.-4 PM., Lecture VII.:-Dr. W. G. Savage: The Pro-

tection of the Milk Supply. Prof H. R. Kenwood. Prof. S.Delepine, Dr. C. Porter, and Mr. Wilfred Buckley havepromised to take part in the discussion.

EDITORIAL NOTICES.IT is most important that communications relating to the

Editorial business of THE LANCET should be addressedexclusively" To THE EDITOR," and not in any case to anygentleman who may be supposed to be connected with theEditorial staff. It is urgently necessary that attention shouldbe given to this notice.It is especially requested that early intelligence of local

events having a medical interest, or which it is desirableto bring under the notice of the profession, may be sentdirect to this office.

Lectures, original articles, and reports should be written onone side of the paper only, and when accompanied byblocks it is requested that the name of the author, and ifpossible of the article, should be written on the blocks tofacilitate identification.

Letters, whether intended for insertion or for private informa-tion, must be authenticated by the names and addressesof their writers-not necessarily for publication.

We cannot prescribe or recommend practitioners.Local paper? containing reports or news paragraphs should

be marked and addressed " To the Sub-Editor."Letters relating to the publication, sale, and advertising

departments of THE LANCET should be addressed "Tothe Manager."

We cannot undertake to return MSS. not used.

Offices : 423, STRAND, LONDON, W.C.