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;1)EVONPORT, ROYAL ALBERT HOSPITAL.-Resident Medical Officer.Salary £100 per annum, with apartments, board, &c.

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY ROYAL INFIRMARY.-Assistant House Sur- (geon. Salary :E25 per annum, with board and washing.

EGYPT.-Sub-Inspector of Ophthalmic Hospitals, unmarried. Salary £500 a year.

FRENCH HOSPITAL, 172, Shaftesbury-avenue, London.-Second ResidentMedical Officer. Salary £50.

,4GREAT YARMOUTH HOSPITAL.-House Surgeon. Salary .B90 perannum, with board, lodging, and washing.

HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, Great Ormond-street, London, W.C.-House Surgeon, unmarried, for six months. Salary .B20, with board and residence. Also Anaesthetist.

HULL, ROYAL INFIRMARY.-Honorary Assistant Surgeon to Out-patients.

IPSWICH, EAST SUFFOLK AND IPSWICH HOSPITAL.-Third HouseSurgeon. Salary £50 per annum, with board, attendance, andwashing.

LEEDS IN-DOOR INSTITUTIONS, Beckett-street-Assistant Medical Officer.Salary £100 per annum, with board, washing, apartments, andattendance.

LISCARD, NEAR LIVERPOOL, VICTORIA CENTRAL HOSPITAL.-HonoraryAurist and Laryngologist.

,LIVERPOOL STANLEY HOSPITAL.-Junior House Surgeon. Salary Q60per annum, with board, residence, and washing.

.LONDON TEMPERANCE HOSPITAL, Hampstead-road, N.W.-ResidentMedical Officer. Salary B120 per annum, with board, lodging, andwashing.

MAIDSTONE, WEST KENT GENERAL HOSPITAL.-Assistant HouseSurgeon and Anaesthetist, unmarried. Salary :BeO, with board,lodging, and washins.

NACCLESFIELD GENERAL INFIRMARY.-Junior House Surgeon. SalaryJE60 per annum, with board and residence.

MANCHESTER EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL, 25, St. John-street.-HonoraryAssistant Aural Surgeon.

:MIDDLESBROUGH, NORTH ORMESBY HOSPITAL.-House Surgeon. Salary£120, with apartments and board.

.NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, CITY AND COUNTY of.-Assistant MedicalOfficer of Health and Resident Medical Officer of the City Hospitalfor Infectious Diseases, unmarried. Salary £300 per annum, withboard, lodging, &c.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE DISPENSARY.-Visiting Medical Assistant. Salary£160.

.NEWPORT AND MONMOUTHSHIRE HOSPITAL.-Junior Resident MedicalOfficer. Salary ;E70 per annum, with board, residence, andlaundry.

QUEEN ADELAIDE’S DISPENSARY, Pollard-row, Bethnal Green-road, E.-Honorary Surgeon.

ROCHDALE INFIRMARY.-House Surgeon, unmarried. Salary £100 perannum, with board, residence, and laundry.

ROYAL EAR JIOSPITAL, Dean-street, Soho, W.-House Surgeon forsix months. Salary at rate of B40 per annum.

:SAINT LEONARD, SHOREDITCH, INFIRMARY, 204, Hoxton-street, N.-Second Assistant Medical Officer. Salary £100 per annum, withrations, washing, and apartments.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.-Lectureship in Anatomy.ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL.-Assistant Physician.’THROAT HOSPITAL, Golden-square, W.-House Surgeon. Salary at rate

of .E75 per annum, with residence, board, and laundry.VALSALL AND DISTRICT HOSPITAL.-Senior House Surgeon. Salary

.E100 per annum, with board, residence, and washing.WEST BROMWICH DISTRICT HOSPITAL.-Resident Assistant House

Surgeon, unmarried. Salary :B75 per annum, with board, resi-dence, and washing. Also Senior House Surgeon, unmarried.Salary £110 per annum, with board, residence, and washing.

WEST HAM HOSPITAL, Stratford, E.-Junior House Surgeon forsix months. Salary at rate of £75 per annum, with board, resi-dence. &c.

’WEST LONDON HOSPITAL, Hammersmith-road, W.-House Physicianfor six months. Board, lodging, and laundry allowance provided.

WORCESTER GENERAL INFIRMARY.-House Physician. Salary B80 perannum, with board and residence.

THE Chief Inspector of Factories, Home Office, S.W., gives notice ofvacancies as Certifying Surgeons under the Factory and WorkshopAct at Wolston, in the county of Warwick; at Duleek, in thecounty of Meath; at Stornoway, in the county of Ross; at Stafford,in the county of Stafford; at Grantham, in the county of Lincoln;and at Tenbury, in the county of Worcester.

Births, Marriages, and Deaths.,

BIRTHS.HINDS.-On May 20th, at Bridge House, Bexley, Kent, the wife of

Thomas W. Hinds, M.D., of a daughter.LOW.-On May 20th, at 146, Harley-street, W., the wife of V. Warren

Low, M.D., B.S., F.R.C.S., of a son.

DEATHS.ARMSTRONG.-On May 10th, at Weston-super-Mare, Surgeon-Major

Lancelot Armstrong, late Army Medical Staff, aged 77 years.FAYRER.-On May 21st. at Falmouth, Surgeon-General Sir Joseph

Fayrer, Bart., K.C.S.I., LL.D., M.D., F.R.S., K.H.P., PhysicianExtraordinary to the King, in his 83rd year.

OWEN.-On 18th inst., of post-influenzal disease of the heart, AnnieLaura, wife of Edmund Owen, F.R.C.S., in her 45th year. (Crematedat Golder’s Green 21st inst.)

N.B.-A fee of 5s. is charged for the insertion of Notices of Births,Marriages, and Deaths.

Notes, Short Comments, and Answersto Correspondents.THE ART OF ADVERTISING.

COMMISSIONS, otherwise known as "palm oil" or "graft," are notunknown in this country as the recent example of West Ham shows.But our brothers in blood on the other side of the Atlantic are cer-

tainly far ahead of us in their outspoken versicn of the proverb, " Youscratch my back and I’ll scratch yours." We have received anaffectionate epistle from the Ambulatory Pneumatic Splint Mfg. Co.of Chicago commencing, "My dear Doctor" and setting forth insimple language the advantages which we may expect if we do asthe Co. desires us. The circular continues :-

It is a privilege both to yourself and your patient, when youhave a case to which this splint is suited, to tell such patientfrankly that it is his duty to himself in order that you may getthe best results for him, that he should take your recommenda-tion of it and buy one, through you, for your use in his case;

explaining to him, that we sell it only to the attending physician,who in most instances, of course, requires the patient to advancethe cash necessary to procure it.

There is nothing in the book that you can’t show him. The

photographs will arouse his interest and induce him to willinglypurchase the splint for his own use and benefit.You may charge the patient the prices that are quoted in the

book, if you require him to make a purchase. We make the pricesthe same to you as though you were buying it for your own use andherein name our physician’s prices.

The physician’s prices, we note, on reference to the book, are for thesplint with the shoe 34 dollars instead of 40, with varying reductionson "extra parts." The most delightful portion of the circular is thefollowing :-

In many instances the patient buys the splint; when he is well,as he scarcely ever hopes for a future use of it, he donates thesplint to his physician, in excess of paying his doctor’s bill, if heis of a liberal and grateful turn.On the other hand, many surgeons purchase the splint on their

own account and hold and rent it to respective patients, whorequire its use. This, however, is a matter between you and thepatient.

Obviously, when the grateful patient has " donated " the splint to hisphysician, the physician can rent it to another patient and so makea bit more. And what is this wonderful splint ? So far as we canunderstand from the book it is simply the well-known Thomas’ssplint, with an inflatable ring at the top and with the side rods madecapable of extension. There are four rods instead of two, or perhapswe should say eight rods, for they slide on one another in the fashionof a trombone slide. Thus extension can be made. Whatever mayhappen in America, we do not think that the Ambulatory PneumaticSplint Mfg. Co. will get many orders here, for although the splint isprobably a good one the method of recommending it is most

unsatisfactory.

"LEONARD DE BAYER."

To the Editors of THE LANCET.SIRs,-I beg to inform you that I hold a warrant for the arrest of this

man on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences on the 12thultimo. He falsely represented that he was principal of the Bayer Co.,Ltd., and obtained .E21 from a man in Liverpool whom he appointedas his local agent. His description is as follows: about 36 yearsof age, about 5 feet 5 inches in height, slight build, fair hair, slightmoustache, very prominent teeth, stoops slightly, walks badly, wearsgold-rimmed eye-glasses; dresses in a frock coat and a silk hat. Heis in the habit of calling at hospitals and upon medical men at theirprivate addresses and, under the pretence of being connected with thefirm mentioned, borrowing money which he does not pay back. Hehas already undergone a sentence of three years’ penal servitude forobtaining money by false pretences. He has now left Liverpoolbut I hear that he is acting in a similar manner in other towns.I am very anxious to have him arrested, and my object in writing toyou is to ask if you would kindly have a notice published in THE LANCETrequesting any medical man upon whom De Bayer may call to com-municate with the nearest police station at once, where the officer incharge, by referring to case No. 36 in the Police Gazette of the 17th in-stant, can find a photograph of the accused for identification.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,FRANCIS CALDWELL, Assistant Head Constable.

Central Police Office, Liverpool, W., May 21st, 1907.

THE DUTIES OF OPHTHALMIC OPTICIANS."THE legitimate work of an ophthalmic optician is to make lenses forthe correction of ocular defects according to any formula prescribedby a surgeon, and to set those lenses into a frame in such a manner

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as to insure the result intended by the surgeon." This statementmerits the approbation of the medical profession. It is quoted froma pamphlet on " Comfort in Eyeglasses," issued by Messrs. Cary,Porter, Limited, Optical and Mathematical Instrument Makers. Inthese days when prescribing opticians are as numerous as the leavesin Vallombrosa the confession of faith would have been improved and its value intensified by the addition of the negative proposition thatit is the duty of opticians to abstain from prescribing spectaclesfor their customers. In the covering letter which accompanied thepamphlet the firm add: I ’ We do not attempt the prescribing of lenses, ’

but devote our whole time and attention to the carrying out ofoculists’ prescriptions, and the careful fitting of spectacle and eye-glass frames." We regret that this sentence was not included in thetext of the booklet, which is clearly intended for distribution

amongst the general public.The special feature to which Messrs. Cary draw attention is a

patent machine for performing the dual operation of (1) centringa lens, and (2) cutting it out to the desired shape and size. Theinstrument appears admirably adapted to insure accuracy in theseimportant details. Illustrations are given of the deleterious effectsof wrongly centred glasses. It is scarcely possible to lay too muchstress upon the necessity for extreme accuracy in the adjustment ofspectacle lenses. Though the surgeon’s prescription may be correctall the benefits reasonably to be expected from the use of the glassesmay be abolished by faulty workmanship; or still worse, the oculardefect may be aggravated.

It is our wish to support those honourable members of the tradewho, recognising their own limitations, confine themselves to pro-viding glasses with the greatest possible accuracy according to thesurgeon’s prescription. On the other hand, we have no desire todraw any invidious distinction between the individual firms of non-

prescribing opticians. We shall therefore be pleased to publish a listof opticians who gttarantee to work only from surgeons’ prescriptions.

A NEGLECTED TEXT.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-Your correspondent, "M.D.," who quotes Judges ix. 12, 13,R.V., which in the A. V. is, " Then said the trees unto the vine, Comethou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leavemy wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over thetrees ?" evidently thinks he has settled the question of the use of wineor intoxicating liquor in moderation by this quotation from the parableof Jotham, but a close investigation of its origin will be seen to provethe contrary to what he imagines, and it is only fair to undeceive him.

It is obvious that because a remark is found in the Bible it is nottherefore hall-marked as the thought of God Himself. Even the wordsof Satan, or the Devil, let alone ordinary men, are found in the Bible.See Job i. and Matthew iv. Who was Jotham ? He was Gideon’s

youngest son, who escaped from being slain by Abimelech. That he wasno prophet of the Lord is seen from his name in English. What doesJotham mean ? In the Hebrew" Yah is Perfect," but what in English ?Jotham can be split into two words "jot" and "ham." "Jot" isthe smallest letter in the Greek, a dot or point, literally, a spot."Ham "is the thigh of a hog salted and dried in smoke, and a hog,according to the Jewish law, was an unclean animal. "Ham then isa concrete expression for what is "unclean." So Jot-ham means " spotthat is unclean," and an unclean spot is the particular for dirt. This

quotation then from the parable of Jotham, or personified dirt, one ofthe " spots alluded to in II. Peter, ii., 13, only proves that it is

physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually of a like nature, or,in other words, an unclean and filthy perversion of the truth.When we read Judges ix., 21, that after uttering this parable,

"Jotham ran away, and Red, and went to Beer, and dwelt there ......" "

we are not surprised, for it is where everyone, figuratively speaking,goes who believes his words are true. They go to Beer because theytake to beer as a drink, and to go to Beer is to go to be-err and notto be or to know truth or SOBERNESS.

*** Our correspondent " M. D." made no allusion to the value of the textas an argument; he quoted it merely to wonder why no one hademployed it as an argument, seeing how frequently other and lessapt texts are employed. Does " Soberness " in the circumstancesthink he is quite polite ? Do our readers think " Soberness " is quitesane? Do the advocates of total prohibition of the sale of alcoholfind him a valuable champion? We publish the letter in the fainthope that some disputants may learn the kind of thing whichimpedes honest argument about a question of supreme importance.-ED. L.

COMMUNICATIONS not noticed in our present issue will receive attentionin our next.

During the week marked copies of the following newspapershave been received :-Westminster Gazette, Standard, DailyChronicle, Edinbztrgh Dispatch, Morning Post, Daily News, EveningNews, Yorkshire Observer, Optician, Glasgow Newa, NottinghamEvening News, Morning Advertiser, Glasgow Evening Times, Hudders-field Examiner, Nottingham Express, Aberdeen Daily Journal,Sunderland Fcho, Manchester Dispatch, &c.

M E T E O R O L O G I O A L R E A D I N G S.(Taken daily at 8.30 a.m. by Steward’s Instruments.)

’1’....", LANCET Office May 23rd 1907

Medical Diary for the ensuing Week.OPERATIONS.

METROPOLITAN HOSPITALS.MONDAY (27th).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St.

Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), St. George’s (2 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2.30 P.M.),Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.),Samaritan (Gynæcological, by Physicians, 2 P.M.), Soho-square(2 P.M.), City Orthopaedic (4 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.),West London (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Roval Free(2 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (3 P.M.),St. Mark’s (2.30 P.M.).

TUESDAY (28th).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St.Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.). West-minster (2 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), University College

i (2 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), St. Mary’s (1 P.M.), St. Mark’s(2.30 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat(9.30 A.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.). Chelsea (2 P.M.), CentralLondon Throat and Ear (2 P.M.), Children. Gt. Ormond-street(2 P.M., Ophthalmic, 2.15 P.M.), Tottenham (2.30 P.M.).

WEDNESDAY (29th).-St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), University College(2 P.M.), Royal Free (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing Cross(3 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King’s College(2 P.M.), St. George’s (Ophthalmic, 1 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2 P.M.),National Orthopaedic (10 A.M.), St. Peter’s (2 P.M.), Samaritan(9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.), West-minster (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.),Cancer (2 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.),Royal Ear (2 P.M.), Royal Orthopaedic (3 P.M.), Children, Gt.Ormond-street (9.30 A.M., Dental, 2 P.M.), Tottenham (Ophthalmic,2.30 P.M.).

THURSDAY (30th).-St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s(3.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), Charing Cross (3 P.M.), St.George’s (1 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King’s College (2 P.M.). Middlesex(1.30 P.M.), St. Mary’s (2.30 P.M.). Soho-square (2 P.M.), North-WestLondon (2 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (Gynaecological, 2.30 P.M.),Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Samaritan(9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Guy’s(1.30 P.M.). Royal Orthopaedic (9 A.M.), Royal Bar (2 P.M.), Children,Gt. Ormond-street (2.30 P.M.), Tottenham (Gynaecological, 2.30 P.M.).

FRIDAY (31st).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew’s (1.30 P.M.), St.Thomas’s (3.30 P.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), CharingCross (3 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), King’s College (2 P.M.), St. Marp’s(2 P.M.), Ophthalmic (10 A.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Gt.Northern Central (2.30 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), LondonThroat (9.30 A.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.). Throat,Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), City Orthopaedic (2.30 P.M.), Soho-square(2 P.M.), Central London Throat and Ear (2 P.M.), Children. Gt.Ormond-street (9 A.M., Aural, 2 P.M.), Tottenham (2.30 P.M.),St. Peter’s (2 P.M.).

SATURDAY (lst).-Royal Free (9 A.M.), London (2 P.M.), Middlesex(1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas’s (2 P.M.), University College (9.15 A.M.),Charing Cross (2 P.M.), St. George’s (1 P.M.), St Mary’s (10 P.M.),Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Guy’s (1.30 P.M.), Children, Gt.Ormond-street (9.30 A.M.).

At the Royal Eye Hospital (2 P.M.), the Royal Londcn Ophthalmic(10 A.M.), the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic (1.30 P.M.), and theCentral London Ophthalmic Hospitals operations are performed daily.

SOCIETIES.MONDAY (27th).-MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON (11, Chandos-street

Cavendish-square, W.).-8.30 P.M. : Annual Conversazione. 9 P.M.’Oration :—Dr. G. A. Gibson (Edinburgh) : The Cause of the HeartBeat.

ODONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN (20, Hanover-square,W.).-7 P.M.: Council Meeting. 8 P.M.: Casual Communication:-Mr. W. S. Handley: Lymphoid Degeneration of Salivary Glands.Paper :-Mr. J. H. Badcock : Interim Notes on Orthodontia. (Thecommunication and paper will be illustrated by means of theepidiascope.)

TUESDAY (28th).-RoYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY (20,Hanover-square, W.).-8.30 P.M.: Sir William R. Gowers: A Case ofCervical Myelopathic Trichosis.-Major M. P. Holt, R.A.M.C.:Ligature of the Renal Vessels for the Cure of Persistent UrinaryRenal Fistula, with One Successful Case. (With epidiascope demon-stration.)

THURSDAY (30th).-BRITISH BALNEOLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICALSOCIETY (20, Hanover-square, W.).-5.30 P.M.: General Meeting.Election of Officrs for the ensuing year. 6 P.M.: Address : - Dr. N.Moore: Air, Water, and Situation. 7.30 P.M.: Annual Dinner at

’ the Trocadero Restaurant, Piccadilly-circus, followed by an Enter-tainment.