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the same learned or some other judge will do the same kindoffice for witnesses. An inspection of the witnesses’ roomnear the Crown Court and of the outside of the grand juryroom at the opening of the assizes, would probably effect ina few minutes that which years of patient reiteration maynever accomplish.

More Frequent Assizes required.The population of Lancashire is rapidly approaching that

of London, and yet we have only four assizes in Liverpooland Manchester, while in London there are monthly sittingsat the Central Criminal Court. The inconvenience of thepresent system is keenly felt by medical witnesses residingat a distance, who have to leave their pracbices and attendday after day for a remuneration which must leave themconsiderably out of pocket. The holding of an assize everytwo months would reduce this to a minimum, and wouldbe only in accordance with modern progress.

A Heavy Calendar.So heavy was the business at Manchester that the assizes

in Liverpool had to be postponed for nearly a week, tothe great inconvenience of many persons. The number ofprisoners and that of civil causes to be tried here is un-usually heavy, and both judges will have to sit early andlate in order to finish before Easter.

Prevention of Cruelty to Children.A public meeting was held in the Town Hall. Birkenhead,

on the 2nd inst,, under the presidency of the Mayor (Alder-man Wilmer), for the purpose of forming a branch of theLiverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.The meeting was called in pursuance of an influentiallysigned requisition, and resolutions in favour of forming theproposed branch and of appointing an influential committeewere carried unanimously. The Liverpool Society has donean excellent work in preventing one phase of cruelty-i.e., ’,children of tender age trading in the streets in order tomaintain drunken, idle, and cruel parents ; and it is hopedthat the Birkenhead branch will be equally successful.Liverpool, April 5th.

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Newcastle Clinical Society.THE last meeting of this Society for the session was held on

Thursday last. Dr. James Aitchison showed three patientsupon whom various joint excisions had been performed twoyears previously-viz, : (1) Excision of the knee-a female ’’,about twenty; (2) excision of wrist, also a female about thesame age; (3) excision of ankle-a lad about fifteen, who wasnow able to take his part at football ; amputation hadbeen previously advised and declined in this case. Mr.Morrison showed for Dr. Drummond a case of muscularatrophy following itiiluenza.. Dr. H.S. Baumgartner broughtforward a case ot elephantiasis. Dr. George Murray showedfor Dr. Beatley a specimen of pericarditis. Dr. J. A. Jack-son read a paper on scarlet fever. The second of the courseof sanitary lectures and demonstrations promoted by theSanitary Institute and the Corporation of Newcastle wasdelivered last Saturday night ab the Guildhall by Mr. A.Wynter Blyth, medical officer of health for S". Marylebone,his subject being House Drainage and Sanitary Appli-ances. A number of models and appliances were exhibited,and there was a large attendance.

" Milk and Water."Dr. Armstrong, our medical officer of health for this

city, says that the milk trade in Newcastle alone representsa sale of probab!y not less than 1,500,000 gallons perannum, costing the consumers about £100,000. At thesame rate of calculation the amount sold yearly in theUnited Kingdom is about 250,000,000 gallons, representinga cost of £ 17,000,000. In 1889, 21 per cent. of theanalysed samples of milk in London were adulterated toan estimated aggregate loss to the consumers of £50,000per annum on an outlay of £2,000,000 sterling. If, as hesays, even one-hundredth part of the so-called " milk " bein the form of water, the adulteration means an annualrobbery of the Newcastle consumers to the tune of about.E1000 and the British public of £170,000.

Middlesbrough and District.Dr. Malcomson, the medical officer for the Rural Sani-

tary Authority, reports that during the whole year thehealth of the district had been very satisfactory, the death-rate only reaching 14’15 per 1000 per annum,-The SaltburnConvalescent Home is announced to be reopened on May 5th,and 6th next. "The master masseur" (so says the localpaper) has been holding forth to crowded audiences at WestHartlepool.-" The master" does not pretend that thesystem will completely cure a chronic complaint on beingfirst applied (modest man !), but he maintains if the systemis fully carried out it will restore the patient to a healthycondition. Cases of neuralgia and of deafness of fifteen years’standing are nothing in his way. The "mastermasseur"doesrnot weary his audience by mere talking. A " really first-class concert" forms part of the evening’s programme. "Themaster" himself also, it is said, contributes to the enter-tainment, showing no mean skill as a singer or reciter."The master masseur" extracts teeth free of charge,whether he pulls one or a dozen from the same individual,while the banjo performers "soothe away all pain."-Dr.Townsend of Normanby, near Middlesbrough, was the re-cipient last week, on his return from his honeymoon, of anilluminated address and handsome presents for himself andMrs. Townsend, subscribed for by over 400 miners of thedistrict. Dr. R. W. Smeddle has also received a presenta-tion in recognition of his services as a lecturer to the North-Eastern Railway Ambulance Class at New Shildon, nearDarlington. At Monkwearmouth, Dr. H. Davis has also,received a presentation as a token of appreciation of hiservices to the ambulance class.

The late Mr. John Bowes, Surgeon, of Bichmond.The remains of the late Mr. John Bowes of Richmond:

were interred in the family vault in that town on lastFriday, amid every manifestation of respect. Mr. Bowesdid not long survive his brother, who died last Christmas,at an advanced age. Mr. John Bowes died in the South ofFrance, where he had been sojourning for his health forsome time. He was thus the last of the well-knownmedical family, the Bowes of Richmond.Mr. F. H. Homfray of Gainford, near Darlington, has.

again been awarded the Government grant for successfulvaccination in the Teesdale district.Newcastle on-Tyne, April 6th.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Extension of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.A MEETING of the contributors to the Royal Infirmary

was held last week to consider the proposed extension ofthe hospital, at which a report by a committee of contributors’was submitted. The report dealt with the first plans-submitted by the infirmary managers, which were not

approved, and also with negotiations with the directorsof the Sick Children’s Hospital and with the governorsof George Watson’s Trust, the result of which was that boththese bodies were prepared to hand over the ground requiredby the Infirmary for the sum of £24,500. The report recom-mended the acceptance of these terms, as it would give thenecessary space tor building without overcrowding. On thisground it is proposed to build a pavilion facing the meadowsa.like the other medical pavilions, and constructed to containeighty-four beds; two pavilions running east and west, tocontain sixty and forty beds, and another small pavilion tocontain twelve beds. The adoption of this report wascarried, and since the meeting the infirmary managers havecompleted the negotiations for the transference of the pro--perties.

Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children.The directors of this hospital have appointed Mr. John.

Wheeler Dowden, M.B., C.M., and Mr. Robert D. Clarkson,B.Sc., M.B., C.M., to be resident physicians for sixmonths from May 1st.

Health of Edinburgh.The mortality last week was 85, and the death-rate

17 per 1000. Diseases of the chest accounted for 40 deaths,and zymotic diseases for 8, of which 3 were due to whooping-cougb. The intimations for the week were : typhus fever,2 ; typhoid fever, 2 ; diphtheria, 2 ; scarlatina, 17 ;,measles, 104.