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Medical Diary for the ensuing Week.Monday, April 13.

ROYAL LONDON OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL, MOORFIELDS.—Operations,10.30 A.M., and each day at the same hour.

ROYAL WESTMINSTER OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1.30 P.M.,and each day at the same hour.

ST. MARK’S HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M., and on Tuesdays at thesame hour.

HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN, SOHO-SQUARE.—Operations, 2 P.M., and onThursday at the same hour.

METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.ROYAL ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.ODONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN.-8 P.M. Mr. J. Bland

Sutton: Injuries and Diseases of the Jaws in Wild Animals.-Casual communications by Messrs. W. A. Hunt, Wenland Pedley,A. S. Underwood, and F. H. Weiss.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.-8.30 P.M. Dr. Whipham: A case ofMyxœdema with the Microscopical Appearances of some of theOrgans.-Dr. Hughes Bennett: A case of Brachial Monoplegia dueto a Lesion of the Internal Capsule.

Tuesday, April 14.GUY’S HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1.30 P.M., and on Friday at the same hour.

Ophthalmic Operations on Mondays at 1.30 and Thursdays at 2 P.M.ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL,-Ophthalmic Operations, 4 P.M. ; Friday, 2 P.M.CANCER HOSPITAL, BROMPTON.—Operations, 2.30 P.M.; Saturday, 2.30 P.M.WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.WEST LONDON HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2.30 P.M.CENTRAL LONDON OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M., and on

Friday at the same hour.ROYAL INSTITUTION,-3 P.M. Prof. Gamgee : Digestion and Nutrition.ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.-8 P.M.

Dr. J. G. Garson : On the Inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego.ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY.-8.30 P.M. Mr. Lunn

and Dr. Benham : Case of Aneurysm of Abdominal Aorta, distalcompression for four hours and three-quarters under chloroform,cure of aneurysm, death from gangrene of jejunum on the eleventhday.-Mr. Henry Morris : A case of Aneurysm of the AbdominalAorta leading to Gangrene of the Lower Extremity.-Dr. Beevor :Two cases (Progressive Muscular Atrophy and Infantile Paralysis)illustrating the Localisation of Motor Centres in the BrachialEnlargement of the Spinal Cord.

Wednesday, April 15.NATIONAL ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL.-Operations, 10 A.M.MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1 P.M.ST. BARTxoLOMEw’s HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1.30 P.M., and on Satur-

day at the same hour.-Ophthalmic Operations on Tuesdays andThursdays at 1.30 P.M.

ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1.30 P.M. Skin Department:9.30 A.M., on Tuesdays and Fridays.

ST. THO:l1AS’S HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1.30 P.M., and on Saturday atthe same hour.

LONDON HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M., and on Thursday and Saturdayat the same hour.

GREAT NORrHERN CENTRAL HOSPITAL. -Operations, 2 P,::I1.SAMARITAN FREE HOSPITAL FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.-Operations,

2.30 P.M.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M. ; Saturday, 2 P.M.Skin Department: 1.45 P.M. ; Saturday, 9.15 A.M.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL.—Operations, 2 P.M.KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 3 to 4 P.M.MEDICAL OFFICERS OF SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION,-3 P.M. Mr. R. Brudenell

Carter: Eyesight in Schools.

Thursday, April 16.ST. GEORGE’s HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1 P.M.ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.—Surgical Consultations, 1.30 P.M.CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.—Operations, 2 P.M.NORTH-WEST LONDON HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2.30 P.M.ROYAL INSTITUTION.-3 P.M. Prof. Tyndall : Natural Forces and Energies.HARVEIAN SOCIETY OF LONDON.-8.30 P.M. Dr. R. W. Burnet: Cases of

Ulcerative Endocarditis, with remarks.—Mr. J. Ernest Lane :Hæmophilia.

Friday, April 17.ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL.—Ophthalmic Operations, 1.30 P.M.ROYAL SOUTH LONDON OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL.—Operations, 2 P.M.KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.—Operations, 2 P.:K.SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH.-7.30 P.M. The Council

will present a report on the Rivers Pollution Bill and the WaterCompanies Regulation of Powers Bill.-Dr. Thomas Stevenson:Sewage Disposal.

ROYAL INSTITUTION.-9 P.M. Prof. S. P. Langley: Sunlight and theEarth’s Atmosphere.

Saturday, April 18.KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.—Operations, 1 P.M.iOYAL FREE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.ROYAL INSTITUTION.-3 P.M. Mr. W. Carruthers: Fir-trees and their

Allies.

Correspondents.It is especially requested that early intelligence of local eventshaving a medical interest, or which it zs desirable to bringunder the notice of the profession, may be sent direct tothis Office.

All communications relating to the editorial business of thejournal must be addressed " To the Editor."

Lectures, original articles, and reports should be written onone side only of the paper.

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

We cannot prescribe, or recommend practitioners.Local papers containing reports or news-paragraphs should

be marked.Letters relating to the publication, sale, and advertisingdepartments of THE LANCET to be addressed " To thePublisher."

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NEW FARINACEOUS SEED.

A LETTER from M. Sacc of Cochabamba to the Paris Academy of Sciencesreports upon a new alimentary substance the composition of which isremarkable. The seed which is richest in nitrogenised substances isthat of the Bolivian cotton tree. Its analysis shows 23’70 per cent. offibrine and 6 per cent. of caseine. When ground, there is only3 per cent. of loss, a yellow flour being 5621 per cent., and a black bran40! per cent. M. Sacc remarks that this flour ought to be particularlysuitable for pastry, as it would to some extent replace milk. It is also

of service in sugar manufacture, as a substitute for carbonic acid. Itis likewise good for sweets, &e. As the production of cotton seed isvery large, its utilisation would be of great alimentary importance.

Dr. C. Morfit.-We will try to find a place for the article in an earlynumber.

"EFFECTS OF HANDLING DYNAMITE."

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Surgeon-Major Colson’s letter on this subject reminded me ofhaving read of the same thing before; and on referring to my notes Ifind that Dr. Colquhoun (Australian Medical Journal, June, 1881) foundsymptoms of this kind result, as he believed, from the vapour of im-perfectly consumed nitro-glycerine in the air of mines where dynamitewas used, and that Dr. R. B. Nevitt (Canadian Journal of Medical Science,Fedruary, 1882) reported the case of a man aged forty, a contractor, inthe habit of using dynamite cartridges, who suffered from headache, tin-nitus, and palpitation, which symptoms disappeared when he took the pre-caution to wear gloves and avoided a previous trick of tasting his fingerswith his tongue to see if all the dynamite was washed off. I think it is

very doubtful if nitro-glycerine acts through the skin or the atmosphere;and I would suggest that the utmost caution should be used to preventactual contact of the dynamite with the eyes or mouth, which mayeasily occur if the user is not forewarned of the danger.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,Birmingham, April 4th, 1885. ROBERT SAUNDBY, M.D.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In reply to Surgeon-Major Colson’s note, " dynamite headache,"as it is called, is very similar to that produced by amylic nitrate, and,so far as I know, is inseparable from the use of the explosive, untilimmunity is produced either by prolonged use or idiosyncrasy; but nopermanent injury results. With regard to the cure, there is none, exceptcessation from working with it; but brandy-and-water will mitigate it,and sleep generally remove it. Some physiological notes were publishedin THE LANCET some time ago.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,WALTER WICKHAM,

Surgeon to Nobel’s Explosives Co., West Quarter Factory.Polmont Station, N.B., April 6th, 1885.