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the "hair of Florence," and then antiseptic dressing wasapplied. Eight days after the operation the threads anddrainage tubes were removed ; on the tenth day cicatrisa-tion was complete. A few convulsive twitches, probablydue to the irritation of the cerebral substance, rnanifesteclthemselves in the first few days following the operation.This was two months and a half ago, and two months sub-sequently to that date the patient did not present anyepileptiform manifestations. The cure may therefore beconsidered complete.

Criminal Abortioraiatsracraislcecl.A rather curious case of a series of criminal abortions

was recently tried at the Court of Assizes of the Eure, andcaused a great sensation. This trial has brought to lightone of the probable causes of the increasing depopula-tion of France in general, and of Normandy in particular.The accused, a man named Martin, was denounced by someof his own accomplices. He was a clockmaker by trade,and aged fifty-one years. Seeing that it was impossibleto deny the charge against him, lie decided upon makinga confession, and at the same time denounced his accom-plices, as well as those who had submitted to the opera-tion, which he performed with a reed. The list was along one, but there were nineteen persons directly impli-cated. Martin, the principal, showed during the trial animperturbable assurance, as if lie failed to realise the

gravity of the charges against him. "I I wished simply," hesaid, "to render service to those who addressed themselvestome. As to the fees which I received, it was the justremuneration for my trouble." He added, with incrediblecynicism : "Moreover, medical men, pharmaciens, andherbalists have rendered justice to my ability in sending mepatients." Martin was condemned to eight years’ and hisaccomplices to shorter periods of imprisonment.

Anti-rabic Iraocolatiora.The Sémainc ilrdicate registers two deaths from rabies

after the anti-rabic inoculations : 1. L. A., of Cambes,aged fourteen; bitten on Dec. 25th, 1888, by a mad dog, andtreated at the Pasteur Institute from Dec. 28th ; diedfrom rabies on Jan. 14th, 1889. 2. R. M., of Belbeuf,aged three years ; bitten on Dec. 13th, 1888, by a mad dog,and treated at the Pasteur Institute from Dec. 15th ; diedfrom rabies on Jan. 9th, 1889.At the meeting of the Academy of Sciences of yesterday,

M. Berthelot was elected Perpetual Secretary, in the roomof M. Pasteur, resigned. The Academy has conferred onM. Pasteur the title of Honorary Perpetual Secretary. ’

Paris, Feb. 26th. _________________

,

BERLIN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

School Hygiene.THE resolutions come to on the school hygiene question

by the scientific deputation for medical affairs at theirsittings last October have now been published. Represen-tatives of the twelve Prussian Chambers of Physicians tookpart in the deliberations at those sittings for the first time.Professor Virchow and Dr. Graf of Elberfeld, PrivateCouncillor on Sanitary Affairs, reported on the matter.Regarding the resolutions official secrecy has hitherto beenmaintained. The question was as to how far the pupilscould be guarded by the participation of medical expertsin the superintendence of schools against injury to healthconsequent on their attendance there. The question ofover-burdening was excluded from the discussion. Theresolutions are as follows. 1. In order to secure sufficientattention to the claims of school hygiene, it is necessarythat medical experts take a greater part than hitherto in thesuperintendence of schools. 2. Such participation is neces-sary, firstly, with reference to the concrete conditions of eachschool, by examining the site and its surroundings, thedrinking-water, the internal arrangements, the conditionof the edifice when the building operations are ended,the ventilation, heating, and lighting of the rooms, thebenches, the means of instruction, the closets, the play-grounds and gymnastic grounds, and the general cleanlinessof the place and its inmates; secondly, with reference tothe health of each pupil, which ought to be examined assoon as possible after his or her admission, and from timeto time afterwards ; and thirdly, with reference to the

teachers, by taking p’Lrt in their conferences and in theinstruction in the normal schools. 3. It is desirable thatmunicipal, administrative, and other authorities electphysicians as members of superintending school boards.4. As regards the establishment of medical superintend-ence of schools, the following proposals are made :-(a) The buildings, arrangements, and surroundings ofeach school are to be periodically examined by a phy-sician, who will answer a list of printed questions and sendit to the’ superintending board. Every school shall beinspected in this manner at least once every three to fiveyears. (b) The health of each pupil is to be examined asfar as possible by a physician soon after the beginning ofeach half. In the case of pupils who enter a school for thefirst time, the physician has to examine each separately, ar.dto ascertain any defects that may exist. In the case of allthe other pupils the examination of each separately is notnecessary. All that is needed is that the physician ascertainby conversation with the teachers, perusal of the books show-ing attendance &c., and then, as far as necessary, by exami-nation of individual pupils, whether measures are necessaryin order to prevent greater evils. As regards infectious.diseases, the existing police regulations remain in force.

’

(c) To secure the success of the medical inspection and thecarrying out of the physician’s suggestions, he must be-informed by the superintending board and by the managers,or by the head master, of the steps taken, and is at liberty

’

to complain to the higher authority. If he find a childsufl’ering from an infectious disease, he has to request theclass-teacher to forbid that child to attend the school,

’

which request the teacher must at once comply with ; butthis is the only case in which he has a right to give directinstructions to the teacher. (d) The competent administra-tive organs of the State determine what physicians are tobe employed in the manner above indicated, under whatconditions, and in what schools. Special school-physicians.

, are necessary only for boarding-schools and for schools in.large cities. For special investigations in particular cases,experts should be consulted.Berlin, Feb. 18th.

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ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OFENGLAND.

THE Members of the College of Surgeons who, in response-bo the notice issued by the secretaries of the Association ofMembers of the Royal College of Surgeons, gathered inLincoln’s-inn- fields at three o’clock on Thursday afternoon,found, as had been announced by the Council, that theCollege was closed against them, and that rigorous measureshad been adopted to prevent any meeting being held in theimmediate vicinity of the College.Mr. Ellis, one of the honorary secretaries, having rung

the bell for the purpose of formally demanding admission,the following notice was handed to him through the railingsof the gate :—

"A meeting of the Fellows and Members of the Collegehaving been convened for Thursday, 28th inst., at theCollege, in violation of the bye-laws, notice is herebygiven that such illegal meeting will not be allowed, and’that the College will be cloced on that day by order of theCouncil. " EDWARD TRIMMER, Secretary."The meeting thereupon proceeded to the Venetian Room

of the Holborn Restaurant according to arrangement, andDr. Collum having been voted into the chair, Mr. Ellis.immediately commenced to explain the objects for whichthe meeting had been convened. He prefaced his remarks-by referring to the extraordinary precautions taken bythe College authorities to prevent their entry into thebuilding, as if they expected an incursion of East-end roughs.(Cheers and laughter.) He and those acting with him hadmade every effort to maintain a friendly and courteousbearing towards the Council, but unfortunately their efforts.had not been reciprocated. They had therefore taken an.

extreme step to-day with a view of compelling theCollege to take action one way or another, either byenforcing the bye-law against the twenty gentlemenand upwards who had signed the requisition conveningthe meeting, which enforcement would be scandalousand ridiculous, or else to confess to defeat by doingnothing. Mr. Ellis next read the correspondence (alreadypublished in THE LANCET) that had taken place between.

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Mr. Steele and himself as secretaries of the Association, onthe one hand, and the President of the College on the other,and he added that not a single step had been taken duringthe past three months in this matter without legal advice.Mr. Ellis then proceeded to discuss the Draft Bill " toamend the constitution of the College, and to declare andextend the rights of the Members thereof, the considerationof which Bill was the principal object of their meeting thatday.The first resolution was then put and carried unanimously,

expressing the regret of the meeting that the President andCouncil had refused the use of the College for the purposes- of the meeting.The second resolution was then proposed, approving the

Draft Bill, and that it be referred to a committee to amendit, and take the necessary steps to push it throughParliament.

Mr. Joseph Smith, in supporting the resolution, said hefor one was quite willing to be a martyr if the Councilchose to make him one. He denied that the Members ofthe College were struggling to obtain new rights. Theywere simply trying to have restored to them their old rights,and privileges, which had never been abrogated. The lateMr. Wakley, the founder of THE LANCET, had tried to fightthis very question of the right of admission to the College,and he believed the question-finished up at Bow-street.The resolution approving the Draft Bill was then put,

and declared unanimously carried, as was also a resolutionappointing the Parliamentary Committee.A resolution was next proposed, thanking the Executive

Committee of the Association for their efforts, and promisingthe support of the Fellows and Members.

Sir Wm. Moore, Surgeon-General, Indian Army (retired),in supporting the resolution, said the only benefit lie everderived from being a Member of the College of Surgeons,as at present constituted, was a piece of parchment whichhe received thirty years ago, and had since lost. (Laughter.)

This resolution was carried unanimously, as was also aresolution heartily approving and endorsing the actiontaken by the two secretaries of the Association, Messrs.Steele and Ellis.Mr. W. H. Denham, in supporting the latter resolution,

said the late Tom Wakley, to his enduring honour, was oneof the first to force open the doors of the College. Whenhe (the speaker) stood to-day shivering outside the police-guarded doors of his College, lie washed that they had hadWakley back again with them, if only for one hour.A resolution was then carried that the meeting stand

adjourned until such time and place as the ParliamentaryCommittee may fix; and after an urgent appeal for pecuniary.assistance from Mr. Ellis to enable them to carry on thegreat work which they had in hand, the proceedings, whichwere marked throughout by considerable enthusiasm, closedwith a vote of thanks to Dr. Collum for presiding.

APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTION.

STEELE v. SAVORY.

IN this case an application was made on Thursday last toMr. Justice Stirling for an injunction to restrain the Councilof the Royal College of Surgeons of England from inter-fering with the holding of a meeting by the Members withinthe College.

Mr. B. F. C. Costelloe appeared for the applicants andMr. Graham Hastings, Q.C., and Mr. J. R. Paget for the- defendants.

Mr. Costelloe, in opening his motion, explained that theMembers of the College, for whom he appeared, were pro-moting a Bill in Parliament, and that it was necessary forthem in that proceeding to take some kind of corporateaction, and for this purpose to meet in the College premises;although they would be willing, as he further explained,after meeting to adjourn at once to some convenient place.He complained that the Council had taken a very high-handed course, and were trying to steal a march upon theMembers in the matter of the Parliamentary procedure, byprohibiting to them the use of the College building.Mr. Graham Hastings, Q.C., thereupon referred to Sec-

tion 17 of the bye-laws of the College, which provides thatno meeting or assemblage of Fellows or Members of theCollege shall be held in the Hall or Council House of theCollege or in any of its appurtenances, unless convened byor under the authority of the President or Council.

The Judge thereupon intimated that he could not try thequestion of right upon the present proceedings, and it wasagreed that the motion should stand over till the motionday in next week (March 8th).

Obituary.ALEX. JAMES SINCLAIR, M.D., F.R.C.P. ED.

WE regret to have to announce the death, on the 23rd ult.,of Dr. Alexander Sinclair, at his residence, 21, Northumber-land-street, Edinburgh, after a few days’ illness of menin.gitis, at the comparatively early age of forty-one. He leavesa widow and three young children.This promising young physician is deeply lamented and

deservedly respected, not only by his relatives, but by thelarge circle of friends and patients of all classes to whomhe had endeared himself by his unvarying kindness andundoubted skill. The rich in him lose a conscientious

physician, and the poor a true friend. He never sparedhis own labour when lie could alleviate the sufferings ofthose afflicted, both in his public and private practice.Born in 1847, he was educated at the Edinburgh Academy,passed through the Arts classes of the University of Edin-burgh, and then studied medicine at the same University,taking his degree of M.B., C.M., and L.M. in 1868; but, notbeing twenty-one, he could not be capped in August withthe other students, so had his degrees conferred on him inthe October following. He took his M.D. in 1872, and wascommended for his thesis "On Intestinal Obstruction." Hebecame M.R.C.P. Ed. in 1873; F.R.C.P. in 1874. He wasDemonstrator of Anatomy, Surgeons’ Hall, Edinburgh, atthe age of twenty-one. For many years he had beenexaminer at the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.He was a member of the British Medical Association, vice-president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society, member ofthe Royal Medical and Obstetrical Societies of Edinburgh,physician to the Royal Dispensary, medical officer to thecity parish, and latterly visiting medical officer to the citypoorhouse at Craig Lockart.Among his contributions to medical literature we may note

"Antiseptic Treatment of Empyema," in the EdinburghMedical Journal, 1875, and" Case of Alexander-AdamsOperation for Prolapsus Uteri," ibid., 1885. Those whoknew Alexander Sinclair in public and private life are

convinced that medical research has lost in him a pains-taking, clever, and careful observer, who, had he lived,would have added much to our medical knowledge, andwould certainly have become one of the leading members ofour profession.

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HUNTER JACKSON BARRON, M.D.THE announcement of the death of Dr. Hunter Barron

on the 9th ult. was received with regret by a large circleof friends. Although it was known that he had been aninvalid for many months, it was hoped that a change to theSouth would result in improvement. On the day precedinghis death lie was at work, but caught cold on his rounds,and died on the following morning.

Dr. Barron commenced his study of the profession atSt. Thomas’s Hospital, and then went to Edinburgh Uni-versity, where he became M.B. and C.M. in 1883, becomingL.R.C.P.Lond. in the same year. Two years later he tookthe M.D.Edin. and the M.R.C.S. He had paid especialattention to the study of zoology, taking Sir WyvilleThomson’s silver medal for Practical Zoology at Edin-burgh in 1879, and being an occasional contributor tothe British Museum of specimens of British mollusca, ofwhich he had himself a large and beautiful collection.He was a Fellow of the Linnaean Society. He hadbeen a good swimmer from a very early age, andwas well known in the swimming world as a first-rate amateur in the art. He took very great interestin this pursuit, and did all that he possibly couldto encourage it. He had been captain of the OtterSwimming Club ; and also hon. secretary of the SwimmingAssociation of Great Britain from 1880 to 1883, and pre-sident in 1884 and 1885, doing much in both those capacitiesfor the encouragement of the art ; and on his resigning theposition of president in 1886 he was presented by thedelegates of the Association with a handsome testimonial,