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THE anniversary arrangements of the British Medical

Temperance Association on the 30th inst. begin with anaddress from the President-elect, Dr. B. W. Richardson, inthe rooms of the Medical Society, Chandos-street, at 5 P.M.The address will touch on the relations the medical profes-sion ought to occupy to the alcohol question. There willbe a dinner at the Langham Hotel, Dr. Richardson in thechair. -

WE are gratified to observe that Dr. Robert Fowler is acandidate for the vacancy created by the death of Dr.Nicoll, late medical officer of the Charterhouse. Dr. Fowleris favourably known to the profession by his very usefulMedical Lexicon, a work displaying sound professionalacquirements and great industry.

THE chairman of the Irish Prisons Board has formallyannounced to surgeons of county infirmaries acting as medi-cal officers of prisons in Ireland that their posts are vacant,in consequence of the Prisons Act of 1877 having relievedthem from attendance after April 1st, 1878, the date atwhich the various local prisons came under the control ofthe General Prisons Board.

THE medical officer of health of Cardiff has made an offi-cial complaint against the practice of holding "wakes," stillmaintained by the Irish population of that town. We have e

frequently pointed out the dangers of this custom, and trustthe local authorities will energetically support their medicalofficer in his attempt to abolish this fruitful method of propa-gating disease. -

DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL BENJAMIN TYDD has been

appointed head of the Statistical Branch of the War Office,Whitehall-yard, vice Deputy Surgeon-General J. M. S.

Fogo, who has proceeded to Bombay as Principal MedicalOfficer of that Presidency.

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Mr. BARWELL will submit a special series of cases ofaneurism to the Medical and Chirurgical Society on Tuesdaynext.

BRISTOL MEDICAL SCHOOL.

THE annual distribution of prizes at this school, at whichMr. Lewis Fry, M.P., presided on May 5th, was of specialinterest, owing to the fact that it was made the occasion to]a statement of the important and satisfactory changes thaihave recently been completed in the constitution of th(school. In the course of his report, the honorary secretary,Dr. Markham Skerritt, stated that a new agreement hadbeen entered into between the Medical School and Uni-

versity College, Bristol, according to which the school wasaffiliated with the college as its medical department, andwould be provided by the college with new buildings andall necessary appliances, while the management of theschool was placed in the hands of a governing body com.posed as follows :-Three members elected by the staff ojthe Infirmary: Dr. Brittan and Dr. Long Fox, consultingphysicians; and Mr. Prichard, consulting surgeon. Threemembers elected by the staff of the General Hospital : Dr.Burder, senior physician ; Dr. Siddall, physician ; and Mr.Lansdown, senior surgeon. One member elected by thecommittee of the Infirmary : Rev. J. Heyworth, presidentof the Infirmary. One member elected by the committee ofthe General Hospital: Mr. H. Naish, chairman of the com-mittee. Two members elected by the faculty of the school:Dr. Shingleton Smith, lecturer on physiology; and Dr.Markham Skerritt, lecturer on medicine. Five memberselected by the Council of University College, Bristol : Mr.Proctor Baker, treasurer of University College (chairman) ;Mr. Budd, chairman of the Council of University College;Rev. Dr. Caldicott, head-master of Bristol Grammar School ;

Mr. Lewis Fry, M.P., vice-chairman of Council of Uni.versity College ; and Rev. Professor Jowett, master ofBalliol College, Oxford. The faculty formed a medicaleducational board to carry on the work of the school, subjectto the control of the governing body.In an able address Mr. Lewis Fry referred first to the

Medical Acts Amendment Bill. His own opinion was thatthe establishment of a joint examining board was mostdesirable, and he believed that this was also the generalfeeling of the profession in England ; but in Scotland therewas an extremely strong opposition to the measure on thepart of the universities, which appeared to fear the loss ofmuch of their prestige and of the substantial benefitsresulting from it. He thought it very doubtful if the Billwould become law this session. Passing to the subject ofthe Bristol Medical School, Mr. Fry gave a sketch of itslong and honourable history, and then proceeded to speakmore particularly of the important changes that hadrecently been completed. It was from the faculty of theschool that the idea emanated which resulted in the estab.lishment of Bristol University College, with the school as itsmedical department. At first the council of the college hadno share in the management of the school, but, as they hadjust heard, a governing body had now been secured in whichall the interests connected with the medical school had afair and catholic representation, and the thoroughly efficientcondition in which the school had now been placed led himto anticipate for it a future of prosperity and distinction.In moving a vote of thanks to the chairman (which was

seconded by Dr. Swayne, the senior member of the Faculty),Mr. Proctor Baker took occasion to point out the largepecuniary value of the prizes awarded by the school, and bythe infirmary and the hospital, which amounted to about£ 160 per annum.

HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNSIN THE TWENTIETH WEEK OF 1879.

DURING last week 4775 births and 3174 deaths were

registered in twenty of the largest English towns. Thebirths were as many as 405, and the deaths 196 below theaverage weekly numbers during 1878. The deaths, however,exceeded by 6 those returned in the previous week. Theannual rate per 1000, which in the ten preceding weeks haddeclined from 29’1 to 22’4, was again equal to 22’4 lastweek. The lowest rates in these towns last week were15’0 in Portsmouth, 15’8 in Brighton, 16’6 in Nottingham,and 18’3 in Leicester. The rates in the other towns rangedupwards to 25’8 in Oldham, 26’0 in Hull, 26’2 in

Manchester, and 26’3 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The highrates in Manchester and Newcastle-upon-Tyne were tosome extent due to the excess of zymotic fatality. Thedeaths referred to the seven principal zymotic diseases inthe twenty towns further declined last week to 358, thelowest weekly number returned in these towns since themiddle of February, 1877 ; they included 106 from whooping-cough, 85 from scarlet fever, 72 from measles, and 43 fromfever, principally enteric. The annual death-rate fromthese seven diseases averaged 2’5 per 1000 in the twentytowns ; it ranged from 1’0 and 1’1 in Brighton and Brad.ford, to 3’6 and 4’1 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunder-land. Scarlet fever showed the greatest proportional fatalityin Nottingham and Sunderland ; measles in Norwich andSalford; and enteric fever in Sunderland. Small-pox caused6, and diphtheria 10 deaths in London ; whereas no fatalcase of small-pox, and only 7 of diphtheria were returnedin the somewhat larger aggregate population of the nineteenprovincial towns. The number of small-pox patients in theMetropolitan Asylum Hospitals, which had steadily de.clined in the eleven preceding weeks from 353 to 204, were208 on Saturday last ; and 48 new cases of small-pox wereadmitted to these hospitals during last week, against 3tiand 33 in the two previous weeks. The Highgate small,pox hospital contained 20 patients on Saturday last.

THE hospital built by the Poplar District Board oiWorks for the treatment of non-pauper cases of infectiousdisease has been formally opened. It is situated in theSouthern-road, Plaistow.