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referiidg to China and Thibet-are quite new, and are avery valuable addition to knowledge. A well-executed mapaffords much assistance to the reader of this part of the

work. A detailed description of the two types of thedisease (tubercular leprosy and nerve leprosy) follows, inwhich advantage is taken of the writings of many autho-rities. The chapter on the I’athology of Leprosy is onewhich should be most carefully studied by all who stillquestion the relationship of the bacillus lepra to theaffection. The autotype reproductions of Mr. Pringle’smicro-photographs show clearly a morphological differencebetween the tubercular and leprosy bacillus, and alsothe invasion of cells by the latter. The statement thatthe bacillus leprae has not yet been cultivated outside thebody (pp. 129, 179) is, however, no longer correct, as this

important advance has been made by the members of theLeprosy Commission. Dr. Thin, however, quite anticipatesany such discovery, and he represents most vividly theextent to which the parasite invades the system. Thereason why in one case the nerves are mainly attacked, andin the other the skin and mucous membranes (as well asinternal organs), can only be explained by a proclivity onthe part of the nerves in some subjects to become morereadily the seat of the bacillus, which is found to occur inboth forms. The question of contagiousness-rendered verydifficult owing to the doubts as to the period of incuba-tion- is amply discussed, and a large number of instancesare quoted in which there was primt1jacie evidence ofsuch a mode of transmission; and especial stress islaid on the value of the evidence afforded by the casereported by Dr. Hawtrey Benson of Dublin, where thebrother of a leper became himself diseased after sharing hisbed and wearing his clothes. There are many fairly con-vincing instances in the spread of leprosy in almost epidemicform, as at Cape Breton, Alicante, New Caledonia, and thesouth of France. One can hardly imagine that had theCommittee of the College of Physicians been possessedof such evidence as is here given, they would have reportedagainst contagion. There are numerous fallacies in acceptingheredity in preference to contagion, and these are all pointedout by Dr. Thin. Chapters on E biology, Inoculation, and thealleged Transference of the Disease by Vaccination, follow, andalso a very important and useful one on Diagnosis. Under thehead of Treatment there is ample discussion of the evidencerespecting Gurjun oil and Chaulmoogra oil, a full account ofDr. Unna’s treatment, and of that of Dr. Danielssenin Norway.Dr. Thin holds that, whereas it is impossible to enforce abso,lute isolation at all stages, very much may be done tobanish the disease by more moderate and practicablemeasures of prevention and disinfectants. The work is onewhich is so full of matter that it is deserving of a closeranalysis than we have been able to give to it; but we have Ino doubt that it will be widely read, and that it will go farto spread a wider and truer knowledge of this ancient

scourge, which the progress of inquiry and the adoption ofrational measures of prophylaxis may eventually banishfrom the earth as effectually as the plague.

OUR LIBRARY TABLE.

An Elementary Handboolc on Potable Water. By FLOYDDAVIS, M.Sc., Ph.D. Silver, Burdett, and Co., New York,Boston, and Chicago, 1891; Gay and Bird, King William-street, London.-With the exception of the interestingchapters on the contamination and purification of water,we fail to see that there is aught else which, though de-signed for, can be of special value to the "physician,chemist, and sanitarian." While, for instance, the phy-sician, chemist, and sanitarian will agree that the palata-bility of water, as set forth on page 7, depends mostly uponits absorbed gases, neither will admit that sulphuretted

hydrogen contributes towards this desirable property. Yetthese gases (oxygen, nitrogen, carbonic acid, and sulphurcttcdhydrogen), the author goes on to say, give the water notonly an ccgreeable taste, but a sparkling brilliancy. Thework contains, however, interesting matter on the inorganic,vegetable, and animal constituents of water; while the

chapter on micro-organisms will be welcome reading to

many. Natural and artificial purification and centralfiltration form the topics of Chapters VII. to IX. Inthe appendix, Section A is devoted to an article onthe Origin and Home of Cholera, from the pen ofDr. D. B. Simmons, chairman of the Yokohama ForeignBoard of Health; and in Section B occur qualitative tests,chemical and biological, for the impurities in drinking-water. The author has evidently a dismal idea of thestate of English rivers. On page 70 he says " the pollutionof English streams is carried to such an enormous extentthat the waters of many, where city sewage enters them,are actually offensive, and during the summer months,owing to the stench, the passenger traffic is forced to therailroads....... In some of these streams the whole surface ofthe water for some distance below sewage entrance is in astate of commotion owing to the evolution of gas bubbles,and the water is so foul that it cannot be used in the boilersof the little steamers that ply across the rivers." Riverssuch as the Thames and Mersey are bad enough we know,but we can hardly accept the statement that they are so badas to force the passenger traffic to the railroads. We openedthis book with expectant interest, but we fear we closedits pages with a feeling akin to disappointment.The Practice of illeclicive. By M. CHARTERIS, M.D.

Sixth Edition. London: J. & A. Churchill. 1891.-

Amongst the smaller text-books of medicine which aboundthere is none that is more compendious or concise than thiswork of. Professor Charteris. It has long, and deservedly,been a favourite with the student. The author within thelimits imposed on him has certainly contrived to embody avast amount of information, which is well arranged andaccurately expressed. He has, moreover, revised the workwith care, and introduced much new matter in accordancewith the progress of science. We find, for instance, a suc-cinct notice of "tuberculin," with the reminder, however,that the new methods advocated in the treatment of tuber-culosis " do not supplant in any degree the teachings of oldexperience. Every remedy that was useful before will beuseful still; for all that is new is not true, and all hat istrue is not new" (p. 144). There are several subjects which,perforce, are treated but scantily; but the more common andimportant diseases are adequately discussed, especial pro-minence being given to treatment. The addition of a thera-

peutical index, and most necessary and valuable hints uponthe art of prescribing (fast becoming a lost art !), add to theusefulness of the book, and we are pleased to find a fullglossary also appended. The beginner in medicine can safelystudy this work, which is sound and judicious, and even themore advanced may profitably refresh his memory by havingrecourse to its pages.

Christmas Books. -Messr,3. Blackie and Sons’ (Old Bailey,London) contribution to the literature of the season is richas usual, alike in quality and variety. The following workshave come to hand :—t. Lash for Khartoacrrt: a Tale of theNile Expedition. Held fast for England: a Tale of theSiege of Gibraltar. Redskin and Cozvboy: a Tale of

the Western Plains. These three books are by Mr. G. A.Henty, whose tales of thrilling adventure are as well knownas they are highly prized by young readers of the male sex.Other four are by various authors, and have interest forgirls as well as boys. They are as follows :-I’he Pilots ofPomona: a Story of the Orkney Islands. By RobertLeighton. Three Bright Girls : a Story of Chance andMischance. By Annie E. Armstrong. Broevnsmith’s Boy:

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a Romance in a Garden. By G. Manville Fenn. Silas

Verney: a Tale for Boys. By Edgar Pickering. Thesebooks are all tastefully gob up, are beautifully illustrated,and may be heartily commended afl a group from whichselections may be judiciously made for Christmas presentsto youthful acquaintances.

Medical Diaries for 1892. - Caqsell and Company,Limited, London, Paris, and Melbourne, have forwarded ussome specimens of the Medical Diaries which they havepublished for Letts’s Diaries Company, Limited The firstof these is called Letts’s Medical Diary, and providesespecially for all matters of interest to the general practi-tioner, including space for the entry of daily visits,accouchemente, vaccinations, &c. It contains information

arranged for ready reference and of a kind which medicalmen have frequently occasion to use. The books are hand-

somely bound in strong leather cases, and can be had ofdifferent sizes.-Charles Letts and Co., 3, Royal Ex-change, London, and Burroughs, Wellcome, and Co.,Snow- hill-buili in ge, London, E.C., have also forwarded tous a Charles Letts and Co.’s A B C llTtdical Diary andVisiting List, which they publish ointly. It combineswith the diaiy the prescriber’s index of remedies and a

posological table prepared specially for ready reference bymedical men. The usual postal information and usefulmemoranda are found in this volume. It is a very compactand elegant diary, and as a record of daily medical workwill be found valuable.

New Invention.NEW INTRA UTERINE APPLICATOR.

THOSE who are in the habit of frequently making appli-cations to the interior of the uterus with Playyfair’s or otherprobes covered with cotton wool and dipped in iodised

phenol &c. must have noticed that in very many cases allthe solution is pressed out of the wool in posing it throughthe os and cervix, and runs down into the upper part of thevagina or speculum, where ib is worse than useless, noneremaining to be applied to the uterus. The new appli-cator entirely avoids this, and enables the operator to applyan accurately measured quantity of solution to the whole

of the uterine walls ; it can further be so used (ifthought advisable, after the swabbing) as to withdrawany excess of the application and t) leave the uterusentirely free from fluid. The instrument, as will beseen from the illustration, consists of two parts-viz, agraduated syringe to contain iodised phenol or other solu-tion, with a screw stop, by which any number of minimscan be injected, and next a removable hollow probe with alarge number of very fine perforations in the distal inch anda half. This part, covered with cotton-wool, is to be passedinto the uterus, and then by slowly pressing the piston itbecomes uniformly saturated, and the application can beeffectually made. In hospital and large gynaecologicalpractices it is proposed that a number of the probes shouldbe sold with each injector, so as to save the time necessaryto remove and reapply the cotton wool. Somf, however,may consider the wool unnecessary, in which case one probewould of course be sufficient. Messrs. Arnold and Sons ofWest Smithfield have carried out my suggestion to my entiresatisfaction, and will supply the instrument.

H. ERNEST TRESTRAIL, M.R.C.P.Ed., F.R.C.S.Ed., Physician to the Glasgow Hospital for Disease of Women.

THE EPIDEMIC OF TYPHOID FEVER INDUBLIN.

REPORT BY SIR CHARLES A. CAMERON.

TYPHOID FEVER is the only one of the principal zymoticdiseases which, in Dublin, shows no tendency to decline.Typhus fever has almost become extinct. Small-pox nolonger exists. Diphtheria and diarrhœea are less fatal inDublin than in the English large towns. Daring the year1891 there have only been two deaths from measles, three ’

from scarlet fever, and four from typhus fever in the city ofDublin. The zymotic death-rate during the ten monthsended Oct. 31st, 1891, was only 1’56, which was below theaverage of the English towns. T) phoid fever has, however,been very prevalent in Dublin and its suburbs since

August, and as the disease, as already stated, is alwaysrelatively more prevalent than other zymotic diseases inDublin, it is not extraordinary that, with an epidemic ofthe malady over the United Kingdom, Dublin should havemore of the disease than usual.

I cannot satisfactorily account for the prevalence oftyphoid fever in Dublin at present. It cannot be due tothe defective state of sewers or sanitary accommodation,because they are neither better nor worse in the autumnthan at other times of the year. Of course, defectivehouse drains at all times help to spread the disease, but itseems to become in the autumn and early months of wintera miasmatic disease-that is, a disease the germs of whichexist in the soil, and ascend from it into the atmosphere atsome seasons in greater numbers than at others.A record of all the cases of typhoid fever (and other

zymoties) noticed to the Public Health Department is pre-served in a large volume immediately on the receipt ofevery case of typhoid fever. A careful inspection of thepremises in which it had occurred was made, and theresults recorded in the same volume. I find that in aboutone-fourth of the cases there were sanitary defects, some ofthem serious. In 75 per cent. at least of the cases nosanitary defects were observed.The disease seems to be more prevalent amongst the

upper and middle classes, and to be equally rife in city andsuburbs. It is evidently milder in type than was the casein 1889

I have prepared a statement showing the number offatal cases in the periods August to October in the ears1887-91, also the admissions of typhoid fever to hofpita.1?,and total zymotic deaths in same period. In this statementit will be seen that although there were more cases in 1891as compared with 1889, when typhoid fever was prevalent,there were fewer deaths in 1891.

I regret that I (’an no more account for the increase oftyphoid fever in Dublin than sanitarians have been able toexplain why in the late months of the year this diseaseoccasionally assumes epidemic proportions throughout largeportions of the world. It has shown a decline within thelast week, and will probably soon sink to its ordinaryproportions.In conclusion, I may state that the plpe water of Dublin

is periodically carefully analysed, and I am quite satisfiedthat it is in nowise the cause of typhoid fever.

CHARLES A. CAMERON,Superintendent Medical Officer of Health.

IN MEMORIAM -The students of the Leeds MedicalSchool have presented to the weekly board of the GeneralInfirmary an engraved tablet (which is to be placed in thevestibule) in memory of the late Mr. A. F. McGill, F.R.C S.,and professor of surgery to the Yorkshire College.

ST. MARY’S NURSES’HOME AND COTTAGE HOSPITAL,PLAiSTOw.-Lady Maud Wolmer last week performed theceremony of opening this institution. The hospital willaccommodate six beds for women and two cots for children.There is also an out-patients’ ward. In the Nurses’ Homethere will be a sts,ff of thirty trained nurses. By a trustdeed the vicar of Plaistow has assured, in perpetuity, thecontinuance of these institutions for the benefit of the poorof I’laistow.