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guardians should approach their officers with the view of somereduction by arrangement.

The Health of Taunton.The medical officer of health for Taunton, Dr. H. J.

Alford, in his annual report for 1912, states that thecorrected death-rate was 12-9 per 1000, the birth-rate19.3 per 1000, the zymotic death-rate 0.8 per 1000, and theinfantile mortality 93’1 1 per 1000.

The Health of Barnstaple (-Devon) : 75 per cent. ofUnvaccinated Children.

Dr. H. C. Jonas, medical officer of heath for Barnstaple,in his annual report for 1912, states that the death-rate was15-64 per 1000, the birth-rate 20-40 per 1000, and theinfant mortality 77-70. Dr. Jonas referred to the pollutionof the river Taw by the Barnstaple sewage, the whole of whichis discharged, untreated, with the tidal portion of the stream.He further stated that during the past three and a halfyears practically 75 per cent. of the children born were

unvaccinated.March 26th.

SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Inclusive llee in Medicine.A CONFERENCE of delegates from the business committees of

Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities General Councils washeld in Perth on Saturday last to consider the question ofthe applicability of the inclusive fee to the Faculty ofMedicine in the Scottish Universities. After a full discussionit was remitted to a subcommittee to prepare a reasonedstatement showing in detail the financial and administrativedifficulties which have been urged against the adoption ofthe inclusive fee in medicine, the probable effect of such aninclusive fee on the extramural schools, and of the uniformityof the inclusive fee on the progress of the individual universities.It was further resolved to recommend the General Councils ofthe Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to request theirrespective university courts to amend the regulations ofinclusive fees in arts, science, and law, so that extramuralstudents might have their fees refunded without waiting untilthe end of the term.

The Working of the National Insurance Act.A letter has been sent to a correspondent by the National

Health Insurance Commission (Scotland) dealing with theallocation of funds in connexion with the mileage question,the subject being raised because the sum of .B50,000 setaside for Great Britain, excluding the sum of £10,000 forthe Highlands of Scotland alone, had not yet been appor-tioned as far as the Lowlands of Scotland were concerned.The Commissioners now state that the share of this £50,000which will accrue to the Scottish Lowlands amounts to

16,000, which is quite distinct from the £10,000 mentionedabove, and is additional to the special half-crown which hasbeen voted by the Treasury per insured person for the cost ofmedical attendance and treatment. The total mileage grantto Scotland will therefore be £26,000 per annum. It has

already been decided that the Highland £10,000 will beadministered by the Scottish Insurance Commissioners, and itis probable that the remaining .B16,000 will be dealt with inthe same manner. The precise method of distribution cannotbe fully determined until such detailed returns come on aswill enable an accurate estimate of the requirements of therespective districts in the Lowlands and of the individualpractitioners to be made. The letter states that the ScottishCommissioners are fully alive to the importance to medicalmen of the whole subject of mileage, and will be glad toreceive their cooperation in making arrangements for thedistribution of the money when the allocation of insuredpersons to doctors on the panel is complete. With refer-ence to a statement issued from London in December lastthat the Government had agreed to make special grants incertain areas on account of difficulties of locomotion, theCommissioners say that these are the grants which havebeen indicated above. With regard to the case of holiday-makers and convalescents who go for a short periodto health resorts, the Commissioners say that they are

giving this subject their careful consideration ; they re-

cognise that the arrangement prescribed under Regulation 22of the Medical Benefit Regulations is likely to work out

unequally as between doctors in the town and in thecountry, and as between doctors in different towns and indifferent counties. They therefore propose to modifyexisting arrangements in such a way as to make themacceptable to the medical profession as a whole.The Scottish Clerks Association and the Scottish Commissioners

under the National Insurance Aet.The Scottish Commissioners have decided that the arrange-

ment entered into between the Scottish Clerks Associationand the members, whereby on payment of an extra sum perweek the member may employ a non-panel doctor, andreceive grants for the payment of his fees from the societyfunds, cannot be recognised under the Act. This decisionhas given rise to much dissatisfaction, and it is understoodthat further steps will be taken by the society to get thisdecision altered.

Leith Hospital.Dr. H. L. Watson Wemyss has been elected assistant

physician to this hospital, in room of Dr. John Eason,resigned.

Centenary of Dr. David Livingstozze.The University of Glasgow, as was fitting, took part in

the celebration of the centenary of David Livingstone lastweek. Principal Sir Donald MacAlister presided over a

large gathering in the Bute Hall representative of thevarious scientific, religious, municipal, and academic bodiesin the city, and there was in addition a large number of thegeneral public present. Professor Gregory, D.Sc., F.R.S.,delivered "an appreciation of Livingstone as an explorer."In connexion with the centenary a fund has been started’inGlasgow which among other objects has as its aim theestablishment of a Livingstone scholarship for the trainingof medical missionaries in Anderson’s College MedicalSchool, where Livingstone himself acquired his medicaltraining in Glasgow.

The National Ins2c.rcznce Act and the Royal Infirmary,D2cnrlee.

At the quarterly meeting of the governors of the RoyalInfirmary, Dundee, held on March 10th, the directorsunanimously decided to make no change in excluding anyperson from indoor or outdoor treatment, hitherto given tothe sick or hurt poor, unless it was found that any abuse ofthe privileges so freely given were taking place. The con-tinuance of the demand upon the services of their maternitynurses was as pressing as it was unlooked for, and thedirectors were glad to go on with that good work for thebenefit of those requiring help and to train nurses andstudents in that branch of practice. To give efficiency thenursing staff had been increased during the year, and owingto that and to the fact that the in-patient and maternitydepartment were likely to increase, the directors were con-sidering the question of more accommodation for nurses.

More accommodation was also needed for children. In themain the subscriptions had been well maintained, and whiletoo short a time has elapsed to come to definite conclusionsregarding the effect of the Insurance Act, it has been found,broadly speaking, that the work of the in-patient andmaternity departments has: been increased, and the work inthe out-patient department lessened.

Presentation to Dr. TV. D. Forsyth, Braemar.On the evening of March 10th a large number of Dr.

Forsyth’s friends presented him with a timepiece as a tributeof their warm esteem, on the occasion of his leaving Braemarto take up practice in York.

March 25th.

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Exte7ision of Medical Bene, fit to Ireland.THE Committee appointed by the Chancellor of the

Exchequer to inquire into the question of the extension ofmedical benefit to Ireland has arranged to meet again inDublin to-morrow (March 26th) and further medical evidenceis requested in order to try to fix the rates of remuneration.It is said that the Committee, or a majority of the members,will recommend that medical benefit be extended to Ireland,and that it shall include the families of the insured. Thereal difficulty, however, is to fix the scale of remuneration,