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RUSSIA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Nciv Perfect rf St. Petersburg. MAJOR-GENERAL CLAYHILLS, the newly appointed grado-

’.?M;o/mA, or Prefect, of St. Petersburg, is a Scotchman bydescent, though a native of the Government of St. Peters-

.-burg. He has held for the last seven years the appointmentof Oberpolizeimeister, or head of the police, in Warsaw, where,he is said to have won golden opinions from all sorts of

,people. In particular, he is said to have done much to

improve the sanitary condition of that city, a task which,’according to a leading Russian journal, " was one requiring,great labour, and, in a town containing a numerous

Jewish population, one of great difficulty ; but, thanks to- the energy of General Clayhills, the town has become notably.cleaner, and the Jewish streets are almost unrecognisable."nhe same authority continues : " In his care for the public- health he paid special attention to the purity of articles of.food exposed for sale, and energetically put down adultera-tion of such articles. Thanks to the improved sanitary,condition of the town, the mortality and sickness rates haveboth diminished, and cholera, which has visited Warsaw for,some years running, has never spread widely. General

Clayhills also dealt successfully with an epidemic of small-pox which occurred some time ago in Warsaw." These are

good credentials for the new occupant of a post such as that.of Prefect of the Russian capital-a post which carries witht extensive powers and responsibilities as regards sanitationand public health.

An Outbreak of Ergotism.An epidemic of ergotism has appeared in the government

- of Perm, in the north-east of Russia. In some districts an

average of 17 per cent. of the rye grains are found to be.infected with the claviceps fungus. It has been found mostdifficult to separate satisfactorily the diseased from thehealthy grain ; but even a greater difficulty has beenthat of persuading the peasants that the diseased grainand the symptoms of ergotism stand in the relationof cause and effect. Ergotism is popularly called in Russia"zlaiz kortcha," literally" malignant spasms," probably anindication that the nervous rather than the gangrenous form- of the disease is the more common.

The Nem Medical -P4eitlty in Odessa.The Ministry of Education has laid before the Imperial

.Council,a proposal to assign next year a sum of 400,000

.roubles (about f:43,000) to provide a building for the newmedical faculty in the Novorossiisk, or New Russian, uni-- Tersity in Odessa. The Odessa town council has alsooffered to raise its grant to the new faculty from 250,000 to.500,000 roubles-that is to say, from about .627,000 to

£54,000.The Cholera Epiderzic.

Cholera still lingers in St. Petersburg. Between Dec. 2ndand 15th there were 176 cases of cholera and choleriform’diarrhoea, of which 86 proved fatal. In the government ofVolhynia, between Nov. 19th and 25th, there occurred 74- ’Cases with forty deaths.

Dec. 16th (Dec. 28th).

EGYPT.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Cholera.THE infected districts of Lake Menzaleh and the canal

running to it from Mansourah are now all free from cholera,.and, with the sole exception of Zagazig Town, the disease isnow confined to Damietta and the neighbouring district on,the Nile. It is interesting to note that directly it struck theNile at a village called Mitkouli it travelled down stream onthe right bank. No villages up stream, and practically noneon the left bank of the Nile, have yet been attacked.During the past week there have been only 28 new casesadmitted, and the number of deaths has fallen to 16 in

hospital and 14 outside. The new cases are, therefore, lessnumerous and less fatal than in any preceding week.

Nothing has occurred in Cairo or among the natives whowere temporarily deported to Abbassiyeh from the one

infected house. The only spot where cholera seems to be inthe least active is at a village in the Gharbiyeh province,nearly opposite Damietta.

The Scavenging of Cairo Streets.For many years previous to the English occupation of

Egypt the Tanzim Department of the Public Works Ministrywas responsible, among other things, for the making andrepairing of roads, and for the watering, sweeping, and

general cleaning of them. The Tanzim, consisting exclu-sively of French engineers, was purposely not dealt with bythose Anglo-Indian irrigationists who came to Egypt in1883 in order to control the Nile flood and distribute waterall over the country for agricultural purposes ; however, afew years later the Sanitary Department obtained leave totake over the work of sweeping and watering the streetsbecause of the general inefficiency, and it was soon foundthat the new chief, an English chemist, carried outthe work much more satisfactorily than the trainedFrench engineers. In 1892 Mr. Hooker was called fromthis work to create a salt department for the Govern-ment, and the scavenging was allowed to lapse into thehands of the Tanzim once more. In September, 1894, anEnglish chief was again appointed, under the Public WorksMinistry, with satisfactory results. The French engineersstill make and repair the roads, while the Englishman and astaff of natives water and scavenge. A rather larger area ofCairo is now being dealt with, and yet .f:2000 a year hasalready been saved. In July, 1894, no less than 130,000 tonsof water were said to have been used for the streets, whereasin July, 1895, 70,000 tons were employed, and official com-plaints were made about the unnecessary flooding of thestreets. Seven spots outside the town have been chosenfor shooting rubbish, and steps are being taken to findfarmers who will remove the refuse of the town for theirland in properly constructed trains or boats.

Enteric Fever.Several letters and telegrams have been received here from

England during the last week or two, asking if there is moreenteric fever in Cairo hotels than usual just now. In con-

sequence of this rumour, which is not now spread for thefirst time, patients hesitate to come to Egypt, and someLondon physicians are very naturally diffident about advisingthem to do so. It may be well, therefore, to state, on theauthority of the Sanitary Department, who receive notifica-tion of infectious diseases, that there has been no case ofenteric fever in the Cairo hotels since February, 1895, whena young English lady is thought to have contracted thedisease from the insanitary condition of the Opera House,which has now been overhauled by the sanitary authorities.Between the end of 1894 and February, 1895, there were inaddition three enteric cases among the English and Americanvisitols, two coming from Italy, and the third being ofdoubtful origin.

Cairo, Dec. 26th. ______________

NEW YORK.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Statistics of Mortality from Alcohol.THE estimated mortality due to the effects of alcohol in

this country is about 100,000 annually. Dr. Formad found atthe necropsies of the Philadelphia Hospital that among 250chronic alcoholists nearly 90 per cent. had fatty degenerationof the liver, 60 per cent. had congestion or a dropsical stateof the brain, the same number an inflamed or degeneratedstomach, while not quite 1 per cent. had normal kidneys. Inorder to be convinced of the cause of pauperism in the countrywe have only to examine the statistics of the liquor traffic inthe United States. "According to the report of Mr. Mills,the Internal Revenue Commissioner, for the year 1892, thepatrons of the saloons paid 609,000,000 dols. for whisky and617,258,460 dols. for beer, a total of 1,226,259,460 dols., theinterest of which for one minute at 6 per cent. per annum is8515 dols. 68 cents."

Alleged Miraeulous Cii,7-es.A tramp named Schlatter, but professing to be Christ, has

recently created great excitement among people sufferingfrom nervous diseases in the city of Denver, Colorado.Three of the physicians of that city say that they know ofno cures which the alleged healer effected. Another, Dr.C. J. Scott, says that so far as he knew there were no curesof any actual disease. A number of his patients who haddiseases of the eyes and ears were " blessed "by Schlatter,but without any apparent result. Dr. Scott, however, recallsone of his own cases, that of a woman who was losing her

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mind. " She was extremely nervous, morose, and could notsleep," but after being " blessed " she recovered entirely andslept well, becoming quite rational. He admits that Schlatterdid for her what he could not do, and adds : " The majorityof humanity wants something or someone to lean upon.Schlatter’s strong mind furnished that something, and manywere greatly benefited in mind. He did good, and I amglad he came." The most important letter was from thePresident of the State Medical Society. He says he knowsof several cures for which he is willing to give Schlattercredit. One is that of an aged woman who could not sleepand could get no relief from her physician. After she sawSchlatter she slept well, and has slept well ever since. Allthe cases of cures were cases of nervousness, and it ishis opinion that Schlatter helped about 1 per cent. of allthose who came to him. That would be, as he estimates it,fifteen to twenty daily. In his opinion the tramp did noharm, but considerable good, in helping a class of cases thatthe physicians cannot help.

Bacteriological Specimens in the Mails.At a recent meeting of the American Public Health Asso-

ciation the following preamble and resolution were offered :" Whereas specimens suitable for bacteriological examina-tion can, when enclosed in proper packages, be transportedin the mails without endangering the health of persons whomay handle them, and without risk of contaminating othermail matter, and whereas bacteriological examination incases of tuberculosis and certain other infectious diseasesconstitutes an invaluable defence against the spread of thepestilential affections by providing an exact method for earlyand accurate diagnosis, therefore it was resolved that theAmerican Public Health Association respectfully requests thePostmaster-General to so modify the order now in force thatspecimens of diseased tissues, when properly enclosed inapproved mailing packages, may be admitted to the mailsfor transmission to State and municipal laboratories."

Sanitation oj Railway Cars.Dr. Orvananos of Mexico describes the opposite ideas which

prevail in the United States and Mexico with reference tocar ventilation, due to the different climatic conditions. InMexico, where the railways are generally traversing highgrounds, the ordinary method of opening a few windowskeeps the car comfortable; while he had noticed that inAmerica the travellers generally wished the ventilatorsopened and the windows closed, the reverse was the case inMexico. He recommends the prohibition, under severe

penalties, of expectorating in any part of the cars except inthe cuspidors, of which a sufficient number should be pro-vided, and which should contain a solution of bichloride ofmercury of 1 in 1000.

Condensed Food as an Army Ration.The following experiment was recently made to determine

the value of a condensed ration for soldiers. A company ofthe Seventh Infantry at Fort Logan, near Denver, wasdetailed and furnished with condensed rations consisting ofcoffee, soup, bread, and bacon. The coffee and soup were insmall tablets, which, when placed in boiling water, were readyfor consumption in two minutes. The bread was in small

cakes, the weight and hardness of a brick, but when moistenedswelled out like a sponge. The bacon was compressed andneeded only to be warmed in a frying-pan. The soldiers startedout with ten days’ rations, but the campaign was broughtto an abrupt end after four days of fifteen-mile marches.The food not only did not satisfy the hunger or give strength,but seemed to irritate the stomach. After the first mealtwo of the enlisted men had to be placed under the

surgeon’s care. At the end of the second day thirty of theseventy men in the company were ill, and on the fourth daythe whole command went into camp, and couriers were sentto town for hard-tack and ordinary coffee and bacon. Someof the soldiers were seriously ill with a stomach complaintand were confined to the hospital for several days.Dec. 24th.

CANADA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

" Christian Scientists" ?AT a coroner’s inquest on a child aged six years, who had

been under the treatment of a " Christian scientist," it

appeared that the child had been ill for ten days and had

received "mental treatment" during that time. This consisted in the "scientist" sitting near the patient with hereyes closed and silently repeating something to herself; attimes the treatment was carried on by the " scientist " whensome distance from the patient, then the operator was said"to take him up in thought." No medicine is used. Theevidence of the medical men who performed the necropsywas to the effect that the patient died from diphtheria, and.the jury brought in a verdict of manslaughter" againstMrs. Beers, the scientist.

Life Insurance Frauds.We seldom have to chronicle the fact that a member of

the medical profession has become a party to the securing of’a life insurance upon a risk which he knew to be non-

insurable. A charge of fraud has, however, been preferredagainst the husband of a woman recently deceased, and itappeared from the medical man’s own evidence that heagreed to pass the applicant for seven thousand dollars($7000) on condition that the husband paid him one thou-sand dollars when the same became a claim. The answerswere filled in by the practitioner who was aware that theapplicant was chronically phthisical, and the magistrate-committed the husband for trial.

Trinity University.The Rev. Mr. Welch, the newly elected provost of the

college, was installed as Vice-Chancellor with the usual.

interesting ceremony at the Convocation held on Nov. 13th.The new provost enters upon his duties with the highest,recommendations from the "old land." The annual dinnerof the medical students was held on Nov. 28th and wasattended with more than usual interest. The chief speakers.were Dr. Montague, M.P., Sir C. H. Tupper, and the Lieu-tenant-Governor of the province.

Visit oj the British Association in 1897.The local committee, oomposed of representatives of the,

various scientific and literary societies, the corporation, and.colleges, reported that aid had been promised to the extentof 22,500 dols., of which the Dominion Government contribute10,000 dols., the Provincial Government 7500 dols., and the’corporation of the city of Toronto 5000 dols.

St. John Ambulance Association Centre.His Honour, the Lieutenant - Governor, presided at a

meeting held at the Military Institute on Nov. 25th to con-sider the formation of a branch of the above - mentionedassociation to comprise the province of Ontario, local centresto be formed as opportunity may arise. The work is being-promoted by Dr. G. S. Ryerson, M.L.A., Deputy Surgeon-General. Your correspondent some years ago presented theclaims of the Association to the Chief of Police of the-Toronto force, with the result that many of the badges ofthe Association are to be seen on the arms of the men and’officers.

Deat7a under Chloroform.Charles James Fox " died a few days ago at Gravenhurst

from an overdose of chloroform. I believe he was at onetime a prominent figure in the dental profession in England..He came to this country some fifteen years ago and settled’in the southern part of this province.Toronto, Dec 24th.

Obituary.GEORGE HUGH KIDD, M.D. EDIN., F.R.C.S. IREL., &C.

A GREAT man, and one universally respected, has fallen out.)f the ranks of the profession. Dr. Kidd died on Dec. 26th,,L895, at his residence, 58, Merrion-square, Dublin, at the age)f seventy-one. It was known for some time past that hislealth was such as to give his many friends occasionfor anxiety, and the news came to them with more grief’than surprise. Dr. Kidd was the son of parents of Scotchextraction. He was born in Armagh. He graduated in.jhe University of Edinburgh in 1845, taking a gold medal,)f which it is recorded there were in that year four,me more than usual, Dr. Kidd being called first forthe honour. His thesis on that occasion was on Vaccina-sion, its protective power, and the proofs of the necessity of:evaccination, showing that at that early age he was alive..so the tendency of the virtue of the first vaccination to fail..