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of the great inventors and discoverers ? During the last two years the society had been doing good work, and medicine and surgery had on the whole been the better for the meetings. The muster-roll of the society reached now360 members. What a vast mine of experience did thisimply. He thought enough was not made out of cases inordinary practice for the benefit of the society. He sketchedwhat to his mind was an ideal medico-chirurgical society,where no man should prose and no man go into unneces-

sary detail, every meeting being so interesting and in-structive that members should look upon it as a

hardship to be kept away by necessary business.The discussions during the past sessions on Cranial Surgeryand on Cardiac Therapeutics would serve as landmarks toshow exactly the Edinburgh practice and theory on thosequestions at the time. Professor Fraser’s communication on

Immunity from Snake Poisoning was no doubt the mostoriginal, pregnant, and far-reaching discovery that had been ]communicated to them, and the society might well con-gratulate him, as well as feel proud that the tradition ofthe profession was still as strong as ever, that any manwho had made a great discovery or had arrived atthe result of any important investigation in Edinburgh came at once to the Medico-Chirurgical Society to announceit. Dr. Clouston pointed out that he was the third

specialist who had sat in the President’s chair, and, as aspecialist, he naturally regarded most questions from hisown standpoint. Repeatedly in the discussions questions had struck him as a specialist in the nervous system. From the chair he looked on all the proceedings with a mind filledwith one idea. Every case, every opinion expressed, wasobserved by him from the cortical and mental standpoint.The brain cortex was the Pharaoh whose throne towered aboveall else, whose will was law, who represented everything, inwhom all his subjects centred and ended. He dwelt eloquentlyand at considerable length on the preponderating influence ofthe nervous system in disease. During the President’s term ofoffice the society had lost several members by death. Threeof these were high types of the best qualities of the profession.No more marked individuality than Dr. Thomas Keith everwalked the streets of Edinburgh or contributed, as he did, sobrilliantly to the work of the society. How well they all couldpicture his keen, nervous face, the far-away " look in hishonest eyes, the head set forward, the anxious attitude, andthe deep, earnest voice. Dr. Brakenridge had passed awaytoo -a powerful clinical teacher, a high-minded, earnest

man, a subtle, accurate thinker, and a loyal friend. Dr.Thomas A. G. Balfour had been a frequent attendant atthe meetings of the society. He was a man beloved by hismany patients, and, beyond a doubt, exerted a powerfulinfluence for good during his long and useful life. If

family medical attendants were all such as he was howwell should the profession stand with the public.-On themotion of Dr. JOSEPH BELL, seconded by Dr. JAMES CAR-MICHAEL, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to thePresident for his address.

Dr. STEWART STIRLING showed a case of ErythemaMultiforme (Papulatum). When first seen the spots, whichnearly covered the trunk, had a raised erythematous appear-ance, the redness disappearing on pressure. After treatmentwith tar and calamine lotion lichen papules appeared com-bined with the erythema. The eruption now consisted ofnumerous irregular spots and patches over the trunk, of adeep-red colour. There was an entire absence of scales anditching. No case exactly similar had been reported.Hutchinson had described cases of a somewhat similar kind,but there were points of distinct difference.

Dr. STIRLING also showed a case of Lupus Erythematosusof the Scalp.

Dr. NORMAN WALKER showed a boy suffering fromErythema Multiforme. He and his two elder sisters had therash, which began as small round spots spreading in a circinatemanner over the forearm and back of hand. A spot hadbeen excised and showed the well-known features of greatcell proliferation around the vessels. Quinine did good whenexhibited in very large doses.

Dr. JAMES CARMICHAEL showed a specimen of DoubleIntussusception from a child aged nine years who wasadmitted to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children sufferingfrom diarrhoea and extreme asthenia of six weeks’ standing.There was an enormous polapse of the rectum. There wasno obstruction of the bowels or distension. He sank anddied. Post mortem the ileum was found invaginated into the caecum, and the caecum into the transverse colon. The

mass occupied the left hypochondrium. There was noobstruction. Probably the intussusception had taken placeshortly before death.

GLASGOW OBSTETRICAL AND GYNÆCO-LOGICAL SOCIETY.

Abdominal Hysterectomy.-Anencephalic Fœtus.THE first meeting of this society was held in the Faculty

Hall on Oct. 23rd, the Honorary President, Sir JOHNWILLIAMS, Bart. (London), being in the chair.The PRESIDENT made a suitable reference to the death of

Dr. Thomas Keith, who was one of the honorary Fellows ofthe society, and proposed that an expression of their regretat the loss the profession had sustained, and of their sym-pathy with his widow and family, should be entered in theminutes of the society, and that an excerpt from the minutesshould be sent to Mrs. Keith. The President reported, assupplementary to his address on the occurrence of TetanusNeonatorum in the island of St. Kilda,l that antiseptic pre-cautions are now being observed in the treatment of theumbilical cord, and that the two children born in the islandsince he read his paper last year have.escaped an attack andare still living.

Professor MURDOCH CAjI,’fERON read notes on a successfulcase of Abdominal Hysterectomy for Myomata of the Uteruscomplicated with Pregnancy of five months’ duration. The

patient was thirty-six years of age and had not previouslybeen pregnant. A small tumour about the size of a hen’s

egg had been observed on the left side about eight yearsago. This gave no trouble, and remained stationary till shebecame pregnant last February. When she was first seenon July 16th the abdominal distension suggested a preg-nancy at full time. On account of severe pressure symptomsabdominal section was performed on July 22nd, and thewhole of the pelvis and left iliac and lumbar regions werefound to be occupied by the tumour masses, the uterus beingdisplaced to the right side. It was found to be necessary toremove the whole of the uterus with the tumour. The partsremoved weighed 27 lb. Recovery was uninterrupted.

Dr. MALCOLM BLACK showed an Anencephalic Fostus.

1 See Glasgow Medical Journal for March, 1895.

MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF GREATBRITAIN AND IRELAND.-The next examination for themedical certificate will be held in December. Those whoare competing for the Bronze Medal and Prize must send intheir essays to the president, Dr. Nicolson, BroadmoorCriminal Asylum, on or before May 30th, 1896. Particularson both subjects can be obtained from the registrar, Dr.Spence, Burntwood Asylum, Lichfield.INSANITARY BOARD SCHOOLS AT PORTSMOUTH.-

The Portsmouth School Board has now quite completed, at acost of £2,700, what is practically an entirely new system ofdrainage. Two or three cases of sickness in April last led toinquiries which showed a most dangerous state of affairs, andthe medical officer of health having had his attention drawn tothe drains at the schools in the particular district in whichthe sickness occurred, notice was served on the board to putthem right. When the ground was opened it was found thatmany pipes were broken or that the joints had entirelyperished. The whole system was taken up and replacedwith more modern improvements, proper inspectionchambers and ventilating shafts being fixed. The matterdid not end here. All the other schools in the town werevisited by the medical officer, and just before the longholidays the board had notice to put the whole ofthe drains in complete and proper order. In some ofthe older schools the sanitary arrangements were found tobe very defective. They were provided under the super-vision of the sanitary authority of a former day, but the useof clay joints and the frequent absence of means of inspec-tion and ventilation left the arrangements far behind modernrequirements. Broken pipes abounded, probably as a resultof the drains having to be uncovered in order that they mightbe inspected. The ratepayers object to a big bill in excessof the usual half-yearly estimate, but, considering the especialdanger from ill-ventilated drains in such a position, it is farcheaper than an epidemic of sickness among the poorer-children would probably have been.