1334 MEDICAL NEWS.-PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

Proposed by Dr. BRACKENBURY and seconded by Dr.’COWIE:-

1. That this meeting of medical practitioners in London is of opinionthat the Provisional Regulations for Medical Benefit, the Model Rule,- and the recent statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, while notsecuring to the profession all they might reasonably demand, afford abasis upon which a satisfactory temporary arrangement to cooperate in.administering medical benefit might be arrived at; urges their fellowpractitioners at the forthcoming divisional meetings to seek to secure:such resolutions as will enable the Representative Meeting to give fullpowers to the Council of the British Medical Association or its State.’Sickness Insurance Committee to re-open and complete negotiationsto that end.

Proposed by Dr. BOON and seconded by Dr. SALTER-2. That this meeting of general practitioners thanks the medical

.members of the Advisory Committee for their services in securingmodifications of the Regulations and the additional Treasury grant ina-espect of remuneration, whereby a basis for a satisfactory settlementwith regard to administration of medical benefit has been obtained.

170 practitioners were present.

Medical News.UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.-The following degrees

ttave been conferred :-D.M.-A. R. Wilson.B.M., B.Ch.-J. L. Birley.

Mr. H. C. Bazett, B.M., B.Ch., has been elected to amedical Fellowship at Magdalen College.-The Regius Pro-fessor of Medicine announces that the opening of the newPharmacological Laboratory will take place at the Museumto-day (Saturday, Nov. 9th) at 3.30 P.M. An address willbe given by the Reader, Dr. Gunn, on the New Pharmacology.HARVEIAN SOCIETY OF LONDON.-The annual

,dinner of this society will be held at the Hotel GreatCentral, Marylebone-road, on Thursday next, Nov. 14th,- at 7 for 7.30 P. m. The chair will be taken by thePresident, Dr. H. J. Macevoy. Tickets (8s. 6d., exclusiveof wine) and all information can be obtained from Dr. G.<de B. Turtle, 81, Cambridge-terrace, Hyde Park, W.

CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL.-The annual dinnerof past and present students of the hospital was held in theAdelaide Hall, Gatti’s Restaurant, on Oct. 31st, under the.chairmanship of Dr. F. W. Mott. The guest of the evening’was Professor Simon Flexner, who had delivered the Huxleylecture (which appears in this issue of THE LANCET) earlier-in the same day. There was a large attendance, includingmany of the staff and students of the hospital, anda very successful evening was spent. The chairman,in proposing the toast of the hospital and medicalschool, referred appreciatively to Huxley, Livingstone, and.Joseph Fayrer, three great names always associated with

’Charing Cross Hospital. In connexion with the new publichealth and bacteriological laboratories, opened that day andtaken over by the University of London, he warmly praisedDr. William Hunter for his :energy and initiative in carryingthe scheme through, and he laid stress on the importance ofthe " cerebral equipment " of a laboratory. Dr. Hunter,the dean of the school, in his eloquent reply showed howthe hospital as it neared its 100th year was

I going strongall round." " Owing to the foresight of their founderthe medical school from the beginning had been an integral,part of the hospital. The toast of The Guests" was inthe able hands of Dr. J. Galloway, who remarked that theywere dining almost on the site of the ancient Hermitageof St. Katherine for wandering Welshmen. How gladly, he.said, would the profession now see a certain distinguishedWelshman under ecclesiastical restraint and hospitality.Professor Flexner, in reply, paid a tribute to ’William Welch,his teacher and predecessor in the Huxley Lectureship.He said that Huxley was an international force, whoseinfluence went on ; and he showed, in the course of a speech;full of quiet humour, how lively and intimate was theconnexion between medicine in England and America.

Principal Headlam also responded for the guests.He deprecated the concentration of all clinical teachingin two or three large hospitals. It was important,he said, amidst applause, that the tradition of each ofthe smaller schools should be preserved. Mr. Stanley Boyd had a grateful task in proposing the health ofthe chairman, and this toast and Dr. Mott’s reply weregreeted with enthusiasm. The cordiality of the relation

between the school and staff and the governing body of thehospital was remarked upon by the chairman and by severalother speakers during the evening.

THE Chelsea Hospital for Women has receivedf.l00 from Mr. Basil 0. Fothergill towards the rebuilding ofthe hospital and its nurses’ home.

Dr. R. D. O’Leary, medical superintendent ofthe Dreadnought Hospital, has gone out under the auspicesof the Red Cross Society to the Balkans. On Oct. 30th hewas entertained at Frascati’s by his hospital colleagues.

WORTHING HOSPITAL.-The debt of just overf.1400 in connexion with the new out-patients’ department atWorthing Hospital has been liquidated by a legacy of .S2000,free from duty, from the estate of Mr. Alfred Cortis, the firstmayor of the borough.THE ROYAL SANITARY INSTITUTE.-A meeting

of this institute will be held at 90, Buckingham Palace-road,on Tuesday next, at 8 P.M., when a discussion willtake place on the Report of the Departmental Committeeon Intercepting Traps and House Drains, to be opened byMr. H. P. Boulnois. Amongst those who hope to take partin the discussion are Dr. Philip Boobbyer, Dr. WilliamButler, Professor H R. Kenwood, Dr. Louis C. Parkes, andDr. H. Scurfield. The chair will be taken by Sir MauriceFitzmaurice.

DR. ARTHUR DOUGLAS : AN APPEAL.-The Earlof Denbigh has forwarded us an appeal on behalf of Dr.Arthur Douglas, who in consequence of severe injuries, theresult of an X ray burn, is incapacitated from earning alivelihood. Dr. Arthur Douglas, after being in practice inNatal, served throughout the war, and in 1905, while inGovernment employ/received the injuries from which he isnow suffering. There being no regulations under which hecould be pensioned, a grant of L200 was obtained from theRoyal Bounty Fund, but this has been swallowed up in

providing suitable treatment and in other ways. Lord

Denbigh points out that Dr. Douglas, who is 50 years ofage, is now entirely without means and faced with want.To purchase an annuity of E150 would cost about .62200.Contributions may be sent to Lord Denbigh, at 5, John-street, Mayfair, or direct to Messrs. Cocks, Biddulph,and Co., bankers, 43, Charing Cross, S.W., marked,"Douglas Fund." The Marquis of Tullibardine, M.P.,commanding the Scottish Horse, with whom Dr. Douglasserved for a considerable period of the war, will also be

pleased to receive any contributions at 84, Eaton-place, S. W.

Parliamentary Intelligence.NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.

Tlee Mental Deficiency Bill.VERY important modifications in the Mental Deficiency Bill are being

proposed by the Government. Clause 17, which classifies personssubject to be dealt with as defectives, is to be narrowed down so as,in the words of the Home Secretary, to affect "persons who havealready come into contact with the law." So far as can be gatheredfrom the preliminary statement which Mr. McKENNA made to

the Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Thursday,Oct. 31st, the defectives who will be treated under the Bill are those(1) who have already as criminals come within the cognisance of thelaw; or (2) who have to be treated as persons neglected or ill-treated;or (3) who have become chargeable to the State ; or (4) who are alreadybeing dealt with by the local education authorities in any particularway. The provision, which includes in the scope of the Bill defectives"in whose case it is desirable in the interests of the communitythat they should be deprived of the opportunity of procreatingchildren" will disappear. However, feeble-minded women in receiptof poor relief who give birth to illegitimate children will be dealt withas defectives under the Bill. The changes which the Home Secretaryhas foreshadowed afford satisfaction to the group of Members who have

professed antagonism towards the "eugenic" proposals of the Bill.

Hitherto its progress in the Standing Committee has been slow. Mr.

McKENNA has recently stated that the intention of the Government isto press it forward in this session of Parliament, and the reframing ofClause 17 may facilitate its advancement.As the preliminary discussion on Clause 17, during which Mr.

McKENNA announced the intentions of the Government to amens it

Irastieally, is of importance, it is desirable to record it at some length.