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premature senility of the nervous system, and he is of opinionthat the primary changes are in the vessels, those in the

nervous structures being secondary.

THE HEALTH OF LORD SALISBURY.

WE are glad to be in a position to state that Lord Salisburyis steadily recovering from his attack of influenza.

MEDICAL AID ASSOCIATIONS AND THE GENERALMEDICAL COUNCIL.

WE understand that the committee on Medical Aid Asso-ciations sat on Friday for seven hours. Six or seven lay re-presentatives of the Associations attended and gave evidenceof the working of such institutions, including secretariesor presidents of the Associations at Wolverhampton, Lincoln,Northampton, Laton and Gloucester.

THE SCOTCH FORM OF OATH.

THE Home Secretary, Mr. Asquith, replying to Dr. Farqu-harson in the House of Commons on the 13th inst., statedthat circulars containing the necessary information as to thecorrect form of administering the oath would be sent to all

justices’ clerks and coroners. It may be well to point outthat similar circulars will have to be sent in respect of grandjuries, since we learn from a correspondent that, on his

application to be sworn with uulifted hand before a grandjury, the foreman, whose duty it was to administer the

oath, was unaware of the form. Fortunately our corre-

spondent had it and was duly sworn. The various high sheriffsof the counties would probably be the readiest medium bywhich the requisite information could be conveyed.

THE Royal Commission on Vaccination met on Wednesdayin Great George-street, under the chairmanship of Sir RichardPaget, in the absence of the Lord Chancellor. Dr. Klein

and Dr. William Ogle, Superintendent of Statistics in the

office of the Registrar-General, gave evidence, and the Com-mission adjourned over the Easter recess.

MR. BERNARD PITTS, ill. Ch. Cantab., F. R. C. S., SeniorAssistant Surgeon to St. Thomas’s Hospital, has been

appointed Joint Lecturer on Surgery in the Medical Schoolin succession to Sir W. Mac Cormac.

THE Right Hon. Thomas H. Huxley, Hon. D.C.L. Oxon.,F. R. S., F. R. C. S. &c., will deliver the Romanes Lecture atthe University of Oxford on Thursday, May 18th.

PROFESSOR VIRCHOW.

SINCE his arrival in England to deliver the CroonianLecture of the Royal Society Professor Virchow has beenthe recipient of many honours. On the evening of Thursday,March 16th, he was entertained at a banquet, at which LordKelvin presided. We regret that we have been unable toprovide our readers with an elaborate account of the pro-ceedings of a meeting the successful nature of which wasdue in great measure to the interest taken in it by membersof the medical profession and to their attending in largenumbers to do honour to their eminent German confrire.The committee of management curiously enough decidednot to invite representatives of the medical press to the

banquet. It is incomprehensible that a body of managersshould take advantage of the services of the medical pressfor the purpose of bringing the proposed banquet underthe notice of the profession and should have neglectedto invite the representatives of the organs of the pro-fession, although it would appear that the daily papers werefurnished with facilities for reporting the proceedings in theircolumns. We are sorry to have to strike one discordant note

on such a harmonious occasion, but we feel that in the in-terests of the profession the matter should not be allowed topass by without a few words of protest.We append the list of the stewards who took part in

the banquet given in honour of Professor Virchow onMarch 16th, 1893: - W. H. Allchin, Esq., M.D.; C. Arkle,Esq., M.D.; J. Andrew, Esq., M.D.; Sir Henry Acland,Bart., K.C.B.; W. Anderson, Esq., F.R.C.S.; W. H.

Broadbent, Esq., M.D.; Sir James Crichton Browne, LL.D.,F.R.S.; T. Bryant, Esq., President of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons; R. Baines, Esq., M.D.; A. T. Brett, Esq.,M.D.; H. C. Bastian, Esq., M.D., F. R. S. ; F. Gordon

Brown, Esq., President of the Hunterian Society; J. S.Bristowe, Esq., F.R.S., President of the Medical Society;Hamilton Bland, Esq., M.D.; Stanley Boyd, Esr1’, F.R.C.S.;F. G. Barford, Esq., M.D.; Lauder Brunton, Esq., M.D.,F.R.S.; A. E. Barker, Esq., F.R.C.S.; T. Bridgwater, Esq.,LL.D.; W. Bennett, Esq., F.R.C.S.; R. Bowles, Esq., M.D.;R. Barwell, Esq., F.R.C.S.; Adolph Bronner, Esq., M.D.; DavidBerry, Esq.; Surgeon-Captain R. Ashton Bostock ; Sir GeorgeBuchanan, M.D.; B. E. Brodhurst, Esq., F.R.C.S.; C. Beevor,Esq., M.D.; Lionel Beale, Esq., M.D.; R. A. Bickersteth,Esq., F.R.C.S.; M. Carteighe, Esq., President of the Phar-maceutical Society ; Sir Andrew Clark, Bart., President ofthe Royal College of Physicians and of the Royal Medicaland Chirurgical Society ; E. M. Crookshank, Esq., M.B.; SirThomas Crawford, K.C.B.; W. Corfield, Esq., M.D.; J.

Cavafy, Esq., M.D.; J. Cox, Esq., M.D.; Surgeon-GeneralCornish, C.B.; J. Cagney, Esq., M.D.; J. Couper, Esq.,F.R.C.S.; H. Clutton, Esq., F. R. C. S. ; W. S. Church, Esq.,M.D.; R. Brudenell Carter, Esq.; J. Curnow, Esq., M.D.;S. Coupland, Esq., M.D.; W. Cheadle, Esq., M.D.; F. H.Champneys, Esq., M.D.; T. F. Chavasse, Esq., M.D.; J.Jackson Clarke, Esq., F.R.C.S. ; Alfred Cooper, Esq.,F.R.C.S. ; G. Anderson Critchett, Esq., F.R.C.S. Edin. ;Sir Dyce Duckwortb, ::.B1.D., LL.D. ; W. H. Dickinson, Esq.,M.D.; Sir William Dalby, F.R.C.S.; Arthur Durham, Esq.,F.R.C.S. ; Frederick Durham, Esq., F.R.C.S.; N. Davies-Colley, Esq., F.R.C.S.; A. H. Doran. Esq., F.R.C.S.; C.T. Dent, Esq., F.R.C.S.; J. J. Dunbar, Esq., M.D.; S.Delépine. Esq.. M.D.; Norman Dalton, Esq., M.D.; W. R.Dakin, Esq., ::B1.D.; W. Day, Esq., M.D.; James Davison,Esq., M.D.; James Duncan, Esq., M.D.; G. Eastes, Esq.,F.R.C.S.; G. Elder, Esq., M.D.; A. Eddowes, Esq., M.D.;Sir John Evans ; Professor Michael Foster, M.D., F.R.S.;Sir Walter Foster, M.D., M.P.; Sir Joseph Fayrer, E.C.S.L,::B1.D.; R. Farquharson, Esq.. M.D., ::B1.P.; R. Flachs, Esq.,M.D.; 0. H. Fowler, Esq., M.D.; H. M. Fletcher, Esq.,M.D.; Willoughby Furner, Esq., M.D.; David Ferrier, Esq.,M.D., F.R.S.; W. H. Forsbrook, Esq., M.B.; J. F. Good-hart, Esq., 1B1. D.; J. Glover, Esq, 1B1. D.; Sir ArchibaldGeikie, LL. D., Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society ; A.Pearce Gould, Esq., F.R.C.S.; W. C. Grigg, Esq., 1BI.D.;John Gay, Esq.; C. Golding-Bird, Esq., F.R.C.S.; R. J.Godlee, Esq., F. R.C. S.; C. Godson, Esq., 1B1. D.; W. R.

Gowers, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.; H. Gervis, Esq., M.D.; J. H.Gladstone, Esq., Ph.D., 1’.R 5.; G. Harley, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.;Sir G. Humphry, M.D., S.. President of the PathologicalSociety; E. Hart, ESC1.; F. Hawkins, Esq, -NI.B.; G. E.Herman, Esq., M.D.; J. Hutchinson, Esq., F.R.S.; J.Hutchinson, Esq, jun, F. R C. S. ; Roger J. Hutchinson,Esq.; M. Hanrlfield-Jones, Esq., ::B1.D.; Victor Horsley,Esq., F.RS.; R. Harrison, Esq., F.R.C.S.; W. Hunter,Esq., M.D.; T. C. Hayes, Esq., M.D.; Donald Hood,Esq., M.D.; R. J. Bliss Howard, Esq., F.R.C.S. ; W.A. Hollis, Esq., M.D.; W. H. Hamer, Esq, M.D.; theRight Hon. Thomas Huxley, LL.D., D.C.L.; Charles

Higgens, Esq., F. R. C. S.; Sir George Johnson, M.D., F.R.S.;H. Juler, Esq., F. R. C. S. ; Brigade-Surgeon Johnston ; LordKelvin, President of the Royal Society ; Norman Kerr, Esq.,M.D.; E. Klein, Esq.. 11T.1).; A. A. Kanthack, Esq., F.R.C.S.;J. S. Keser, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.S.; A. L. Kellgren, Esq.,M.D.; J. A. Kingdon, Esq., F.R.C.S.; J. G. Douglas Kerr,Esq., M.B.; J. B. Lawford. Esq., M.D.; P. W. Latham, Esq.,M.D.; Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart.; Sir Joseph Lister, Bart.,F.B S.; John Langton. Esq., F.R.C.S.; David Little, Esq.,M.D.; James Little, Esq, M.D.; Edward Law. Esq., M.D.;Malcolm Morris, Esq., F. R C. S. Edin., President of the Har-veian Society ; Sir William Mac Cormac, F.R.C.S.; ShirleyF.Murphy, Esq.; F. J. Mouat, Esq., M.D., LL.D. ; S. Mills,Esq.; A. T. Myers, Esq, M.D.; Howard Marsh, Esq.,F. R. C. S. ; A. B. Myers, Esq., DI. D. ; Allan Macfadyen, Esq.,M.D.; Sidney Martin, Esq,. , M.D.; Norman Moore, Esq.,M.D.; J. A. Mclntyre. Esq., M.D.; W. Marcet, Esq., M.D. ;

671

re. Macnamara, Esq., F. R. C. S. ; Ludwig Mond, Esq.; A.

Mond, Esq.; J. Masters, Esq., M.D.; T. J. Maclagan, Esq.,;4i.D. ; Gustave Mellin, Esq.; E. Nettleship, Esq., F.R.C.S.;W. M. Ord, Esq., M.D.; Rev. A. W. Oxford; Bernard-0’Connor, Esq., M.D.; J. Owen, Esq., M.D.; John ‘V. Ogle,Esq., M.D.; R. Douglas Powell, Esq., M.D.; G. W. Potter,Esq., M.D.; Sir James Paget, Bart., F.R.S.; W. 0. Priestley,Esq., 1T.D.; H. Port, Esq., M.D.; F. W. Pavy, Esq., M.D.,F.R.S.; H. Page, Esq., F.R.C.S.; W. H. Platt, Esq.; H.Power, Esq., F.R.C.S.; J. F. Payne, Esq., M.D.; P. H. Pye-Smith, Esq., M.D., F.R.S.; D’Arcy Power, Esq., F.R.C.S.;G. V. Poore, Esq., M.D.; J. Pollock, Esq., M.D.; G. NewtonPitt, Esq., M.D.; J. Inglis Parsons, Esq., M.D.; Sir RichardQuain, Bart., M.D., F.R.S., President of the Medical Council;Sir William Roberts, M.D., F.R.S.; J. Russell Reynolds,Esq., M.D., F.R.S.; M. Armand Ruffer, Esq., M.D.; H. D.Rolleston, Esq., M.B.; F. Roberts, Esq., M.D.; E. W. Rough-ton, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.S.; Sir Henry Roscoe, M.P., F.R.S.;A. W. Mayo Robson, Esq, F.R.C.S.; W. KnowsleySibley, Esq.,M.D.; Felix Semon, Esq., M.D.; T. Smith, Esq., F.R.C.S.;Sir William Savory, Bart., F.R.S.; Professor Simpson, M.D.;.James Startin, Esq.; A. E. Sansom, Esq., M.D.; ProfessorW. R. Smith ; Gilbart Smith, Esq., M.D.; Greig Smith, Esq.,M.D.; Eustace Smith, Esq., M.D.; Professor Sinclair, M.D.;Joseph Soffiatini, Esq., M.D.; S. J. Salter, Esq., F.R.S.;.J. E. Squire, Esq., M.D.; Brigade-Surgeon Scriven; S. J.

Sharkey, Esq., M.D ; Professor Schafer, F.R.S.; H.

Sainsbury, Esq., M.D.; Sir Henry Thompson, F.R.C.S.;W. Tay, Esq., F.R.C.S.; J. Knowsley Thornton, Esq.,M.B.; F. Treves, Esq., F.R.C.S.; J. H. Marcett Tims,Esq., M.D.; Frederick Taylor, Esq., M.D.; ReginaldThompson, Esq., M.D.; W. BezlyThorne, Esq., lYI. D. ; W. Tyson,Esq., M.D.; T. Pridgin Teale, Esq., F.R.S.; Nestor Tirard,Esq., M.D.; D. Hack Tuke, Esq., M.D., LL.D.; Edgcombe’Venning, Esq., F.R.C.S.; A. J. Venn, Esq., M.D.; W. HaleWhite, Esq., M. D. ; C. Theodore Williams, Esq., M.D.; S. Wilks,;Esq., M. D., F. R. S. ; A. Willett, Esq., F. R. C. S. ; T. OuttersonWood, Esq., M.D.; F. A. Warner, Esq., F.R.C.S. Edin.;Hermann Weber, Esq., M.D.; G. Sims Woodhead, Esq., M.D.;Dawson Williams, Esq., M.D.; Edward Woakes, Esq., M.D.;John Williams, Esq., M.D.; R. W. Larry, Esq., M.D.; ThomasWakley, Esq., F.R.C.S.; Thomas Wakley, Esq., jun.; W.Whistler, Esq., M.D.On Friday, the 17th inst., Professor Virchow was enrolled

.as an Honorary Fellow of the Irish Medical Schools’ and’Graduates’ Association. We report the proceedings in detailin another column.

At a special congregation of the University of Cambridgeheld on Tuesday, the 21st inst., the degree of Doctor ofscience 7aonomis ea11sâ was conferred upon Professor Virchow.’The following was the speech delivered by the Public Orators" Dignissime domine, domine Procancellarie, et totaAcademia : Universitatis Berolinensis Rector Magnificus,Tir non modo de medicina et salute publica, sed etiam de

:anthropologia, de ethnologia, de archseologia prseclare meritus,vir et sexagesimo et septuagesimo exacto aetatis anno hono-ribus amplissimis cumulatus, satis magnum hodie prsebet di-- cendi argumentum. Ipselaudenostramaior, laudes tamen suas- (qua est modestia) invitus audiet; atqui laudes illas non verbanostra qualiacumque, sed ipsius opera insignia, ipsius dis-

dpllli illustres, ipsius denique orationes disertissimae, etiamipso invito, satis clare loquuntur. Legistis fortasse orationemillam in qua, Rectoris munus nuper auspicatus, studiorumAcademicorum orbe universo lustrato, partium liberalium duxet signifer olim insignis dixit veram Academiae libertatemesse libertatem docendi, libertatem discendi ; ostenditque,qua potissimum mentis disciplina iuventus Academicadiscendi amore vere liberali imbui posse videretur. Legistiscerte, fortasse etiam audivistis, orationem alteram in quanuperrime inter scientias biologicas locum pathologic pro-prium vindicavit, et, studiorum suorum origines repetens,non modo Harveii nostri merita immortalia denuocommemoravit, sed etiam Glissonii nostri gloriamprope intermortuam ab integro renovavit. Harveii quidemin doctrina, omne rivum ex ovo nasci, lacunam magnamrelictam esse constat; Isetamur lacunam tantam ab eo magnaex parte esse expletam qui primus omnium re vera probavitone2evz ceUltllbm e cellula generari. Ergo rerum naturae in-vestigator tantus, tot illustrium prassertim medicorum inAcademia, titulo nostro honorifico iure optimo decoratur.Etenim ubicumque florent medicinal studia cum rerum nat.ui’33observatione exquisita feliciter coniuncta, talium virorumnomina in honore maximo non immerito habentur. Taliumcerte virorum per labores verba illa vetera vera facta sunt,

qua3 Salutis in templo supra portam inscripta esse debent :-sizze reruua natllrrc cognitione t’l’llnca et debilis est medicina.Duco ad vos Regise Societatis Londinensis unum e sociis ex-traneis, viruin gentis Teutomcse inter decora numeratum,RUDOLFUM VIRCHOW."On the 23rd inst. the honorary degree of D. C. L. was con-

ferred upon our distinguished visitor by the University ofOxford.

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A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE SO-CALLED "LEICESTER SYSTEM" OF

ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE.BY A. T. BREMNER, L.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. EDIN.,

MEMBER OF THE LEICESTER FEVER HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

THE present outbreak of small-pox in Leicester began in theearly part of September, 1892, and the time is now opportuneto enter into a critical review of the " Leicester method " ;to compare facts which can be adduced in its favour withthose other facts which tend towards its discredit, and tothrow the full light of day upon this " system " with all itsfaults and failings. As a preface it may be remarked as asingular coincidence that the pasans of praise which are sungin season and out of season on behalf of this much-vauntedsystem proceed out of the mouths of members of theanti-vaccination party. The supposed brilliant results ofthe Leicester system have been appropriated by them asthe strongest available argument in favour of their peculiartenets, and these results are set forth for the admirationof an incredulous world as an "object lesson" to beworthily imitated by less enlightened communities. We areasked to gaze upon the marvellous success " which hasenabled Leicester to stamp out small-pox on every occasion(except the present one), and to note that this success isobtained without recourse to vaccination. It is somewhatdifficult to obtain any clear definition of what the Leicestermethod really is. For my purpose it will be sufficient to quotethe description given by Mr. J. T. Biggs, a member of theLeicester town council, and it is needless to say a leader

. of the anti-vaccination movement. Writing in the Vaccina-

. tion I?iq?iir6r on Nov. lst, 1892, he says : "The marvellous

. success which for the past twenty years has attendedI the efEorts of the sanitary authorities at Leicester in

stamping out small-pox without recourse to vaccinationis now universally known and admitted. What is knownas the Leicester method’ is now adopted and practisedby almost all sanitary authorities everywhere, whether

they do or do not profess to believe in the efficacy ofvaccination ; but from the original model’ there has beenconsiderable departure by would-be imitators. That whichin Leicester has become part of the life of a free people hasin many other places, in the hands of irresponsible authori-ties guided by medical interference and prejudice, become anengine of despotic power. What, then, is really our procedureon the notification of a case of small-pox ? This will, perhaps,be best described in the identical words of our chief sanitaryinspector : When a case is reported I at once go to theinfected house and try to ascertain where the disease wascontracted, where the patient has been working, where hehas been visiting, and his movements generally for the lastten or twelve days. I also make a point of seeing all personswho have visited the infected house during the time stated ;in addition, I visit all factories and workshops where othermembers of the family have been employed ; and by thismeans have been able to get cases removed when the firstsymptoms of the disease appeared. Immediately on theremoval of the patient I superintend the fumigation of thehouse with sulphur ; liquid disinfectants are used freely inthe drains and about the yard, and the ashpit is emptied anddisinfected; the next day the bedding is taken to the dis-infecting chamber and subjected to the hot air process. Upto the present time I have succeeded in getting almost everyperson connected with the infected houses into quarantine.In a very few cases I have experienced opposition.’ "

It is at once apparent that there is no novelty in this,except in the exclusion of vaccination from the means em-ployed, and with the definition as it stands I find no fault ;but I must call attention to the very evident fact that isola-tion as a means of preventing the spread of small-pox andother infectious diseases has long been recognised as of the