556 THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER.

The drug was used in the strength of a one per cent.

aqueous solution as a topical application, by means of a softbrush mounted on a long handle. The application wasmade three, four, or five times a day. ,

THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER.

FROM a painstaking study of a series of cases M.Rommelaere believed that he had established the con-clusion that cancerous affections were attended with adecrease in the amount of urea daily discharged. We have ’’

given in outline the results of this observer’s examinationsin vol. ii. 1883, pp. 379 and 737. MM. Dujardin-Beaumetzand Albert Robin have reconsidered the question, but seemto be unable to support the conclusions of M. Rommelaere.They have shown that the daily discharge of urea may remainnormal or even augment whilst cancer is progressing, pro-vided the patients take nourishment; further, it was demon-strated that the daily discharge of urea may diminish con-siderably in chronic affections of the internal viscera if thepatients vomit or cease to take food.

DR. G. Y. HEATH.

OUR Newcastle-on-Tyne correspondent writes : -Sometime ago I mentioned with regret the serious accidentsustained by Dr. G. Y. Heath of this city, who wasdriving a pair of horses in an open vehicle, when owingto some mechanical defect in the carriage, it was over-

turned, and he was thrown with violence against theparapet of a bridge, fracturing four of his ribs. Thanks tothe doctor’s vigorous constitution and elastic mental organi-sation, he has made an excellent recovery, and is againto be seen in our midst, having resumed his professionalduties. Everywhere he will receive a hearty welcome, foras a citizen, a consulting surgeon, and a teacher, he haslong occupied a prominent position in the north of England.

LIGHT AND VEGETABLE CHEMISTRY.

THE effect of light on tissues destitute of chlorophyll hasbeen recently investigated by MM. Bounier and Mangin(Comptes Rendus, xcix,, p. 160). Roots, rhizome, flowers,blanched plants, and parasitic plants without chlorophyll-e.g., monotropa-were the materials employed. It was uni-

formly found that the intensity of respiration was decreased,more carbonic acid being eliminated, and more oxygen ab-sorbed when these structures were placed in darkness thanwhen they were exposed to light. The amount of oxygenabsorbed, however, bore the same proportion to the carbonicacid given off in light as in darkness.

THE LEIPSIC CHAIR OF PATHOLOGY.

SEVERAL savants have been mentioned as likely to succeedthe late Professor Cohnheim in the important Chair of Patho-logical Anatomy at Leipsic. Amongst them are Dr. R. Kochof Berlin, Professor Klebs of Zurich, Professor Rindfleisch ofWurzburg, Professor Ziegler of Tiibingen, and ProfessorWeigert. It is said that the first named has actually receivedthe "call," and that he has replied by expressing his deter-mination to remain in Berlin, where he will doubtless suc-ceed Dr. Struck as Chief Director of the Board of Health,and be also nominated Professor of Hygiene. It is probablethat the choice will lie between Klebs and Ziegler.

DEATH OF DR. OULMONT.

DR. OULMONT, honorary physician to the Hôtel Dieu, and member of the Academy of Medicine, died on the 18th inst.in the seventieth year of his age.

THE MEDICAL SOCIETIES.

THE vacation is gradually drawing to a close, and beforelong the various Societies will have again commenced work.The Obstetrical Society leads the way on October 8th ; theOphthalmological Society opens on the 9th, and the ClinicalSociety on the day following. The Pathological Society,will hold its first meeting on October 21st; the Associationof Medical Officers of Health on the 24th, and the Medical

, Society on the 27th of next month. The session of the, Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society commences on

October 28th, and the Epidemiological Society on Nov. 5th.

SEWER VENTILATING PIPES OPENING ATHIGH LEVELS.

WE are glad to see that the suggestion we made re.peatedly some time ago for the benefit of Brighton has beenadopted by the Corporation of the City of London, and thatthe Commissioners of Sewers are about to arrange with allbuilders of new houses to construct pipes for ventilating thesewers, and to carry them to a level above the roofs of thehouses. When this is done the ground-level openings canbe closed, and then the plague of sewer gas will be a thingof the past.

-

"HIGH" GAME.IT is sheer wantonness to throw away game because it

happens to be a little "high," but is it necessary to use

permanganate of potash to purify it from the taint, thoughthat is sometimes used successfully if carefully employed?It will generally suffice to cleanse the game thoroughlyand wipe it quite dry with soft cloths, rubbing a littlesalt into the worst parts. Game which is simply "high,"without being putrid, is particularly easy of digestion, andof great value to invalids. -

A MINISTER OF HEALTH.

IN his presidential address at the Social Science Congress,Dr. Norman Chevers urged the need and importance ofappointing a Minister of Health. We have so repeatedlyinsisted on the wisdom of creating such an office, that wecannot but hail the revival of the proposal by the Presidentof the Health Department of a body largely representingpublic opinion. -

THE International Association of Surgical Instrument.makers held its second annual meeting at Dresden on the15th to the 18th inst. There were about seventy memberspresent from Germany, Austro - Hungary, Switzerland,England, Roumania, Russia, &c., and the Association hasdoubled in numbers since its formation last year. The

objects are to protect the medical profession and the publicfrom badly constructed appliances. The topics mainly dis.cussed at this meeting concerned the establishment of ajournal devoted to the publication of new and improvedinstruments, and the means for training the employés in theobjects and methods of their work. The next meeting willbe held at Berne.

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THE Aberdeen University Court has appointed the fol-lowing six gentlemen to be Extra Professorial Examinersin Medicine for next year-viz. :-Dr. John Alexander,Glasgow; Dr. Alex. Campbell, Dundee ; Dr. Alfred H.

Carter, Birmingham; Dr. J. A. McWilliam, London; Mr.Frederick Treves, London; Dr. Francis Warner, London.

THE Harveian Oration will be delivered by Dr. RussellReynolds, at the Royal College of Physicians, on Saturday,Oct. 18th, at 4 P.M.