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year 1894 proceedings were taken in 792 cases againstpersons for keeping brothels ; in 677 a conviction followed,32 were discharged, and in 83 the persons charged absconded.But in 13 cases only did there appear to be evenprimâ-faoieevidence against the owners or agents of these brothels of anoffence against the letter of the present law. The 13 cases whentried resulted in only 2 convictions, both these convictionsbeing against the same woman, who was convicted mainly onevidence that she was the habitual frequenter of the brothelsof which she was owner. It is incredible that there can besuch ignorance on the part of owners and agents as to theuses to which their houses are put.

T7te late Distress during the Severe Weather.The employment of the police, both city and county, as

almoners during the severe frost and the distress whichprevailed through so many men being thrown out of workwas attended with the happiest results. As a local paperobserves, it presents the police in a new and honourablephase. In times past they were regarded almost as thenatural enemies of the lower classes ; they are now

recognised as their best friends. House-to-house visits weremade, and by this means, combined with kindly tact, manydeserving poor, who would rather have starved than haveasked for help, were relieved from hunger, being providedwith food and fuel. This was in addition to the more clamo-rous being also relieved. In a suburb largely inhabited bythe working classes 28,016 meals and 46 tons of coal weredistributed ; the donations in money amounted to £282, butthe contributions of food, coal, and clothing were also soliberal that there remains a substantial balance for any futureemergency.March 26th.

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SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Aberdeen University.DR. MACGREGOR has handed over to the University Courb

the sum of £300 subscribed towards the I Dr. James AndersonMemorial Fund." It is to be devoted to instituting a goldmedal and, if possible, a prize for clinical medicine, to beawarded annually. It has been competed for this year forthe first time, and has been won by Mr. Robb. The exten-sion scheme of the University buildings has assumed a newphase within the last few weeks. The side wings of thequadrangle at Mariscbal College are to be completed, but thefront block, which was to be largely the administrative block,is to be for the present abandoned. Towards this new planDr. Mitchell of Newcastle has offered another £4000 on certainconditions.

The Scientiflo Study of the Mental and Physical Conditians ofChildren.

On March 25th a large audience assembled in the NaturalHistory class-room in Marischal College to hear Dr. FrancisWarner lecture on this subject. Principal Sir WilliamGeddes occupied the chair, and, besides a number of theprofessors, the audience included the chairman and severalmembers of the Aberdeen School Board, the Rector of theGrammar School, and many teachers.

Death of Miss C. S. A. Peddie.Miss C. S. A. Peddie (Sister Sibbald) died suddenly on

Wednesday, the 20th inst., at King’s College Hospital, frompulmonary embolism ten days after an operation. She was adaughter of Dr. Alexander Peddie of Edinburgh, and hadbeen eleven years at King’s College Hospital, four as wardsister and seven as home mister. After a service in the chapelat King’s College Hospital on Monday last, the remains wereremoved to Edinburgh and interred on Tuesday morning.Miss Peddie was beloved by a large number of friends inLondon and Edinburgh, and much sympathy is felt for thefamily in their sad ailliction.At the Fetruary meeting of the Aberdeen Branch of the

British Medical Association a motion by Professor Ogston tccontribute 20 guineas towards the Aberdeen University Ex-tension Scheme was unanimously adopted. At the Marcbmeeting a similar motion by Dr. Garden to give another20 guineas to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was negatived.March 27th.

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Richmond Lunatic Asylum.IN THE LANCET of the 16th inst. notice is taken of the

grant by order of council of £6000 to complete the erectionof temporary buildings provided to meet the overcrowdedcondition of the asylum, and to provide additional accom.modation at Portrane pending the erection of a special lunaticasylum there. The latter will cost between £200,000 and£300, 000, and much excitement has been caused by articlesand correspondence in some of the daily journals in favourof the acceptance of the lowest of three estimates tenderedby three architects whose designs were approved of by theinspection committee and classed together as of equal merit,The question has now been settled, for the board of controlof the Irish lunatic asylums has selected the design of theeminent architect, Mr. George Ashlin.

Poor-larv Medical Officers.The Iri.sh Times, in an excellent leading article on the

subject of the election of Poor-Jaw medical officers by boardsof guardians in Ireland, complains of the absence of that"proper chance of promotion

" which would secure for themcst populous and important districts those who possess thelargest knowledge and the best repute. The editorialremarks seem to be worthy of reproduction, as they advocateto a certain extent that fixity of tenure in these posts uponthe want of which THE LANCET has frequently commented,Nothing, it is stated, is more inimical to the public interestthan the fixing for the greater part of his useful life of man of acknowledged mark and eminence in his profession na place where there is no demand for his powers, while at thesame time in other quarters men of shorter standing, whohave yet their fame to make, may be put in charge of districtswhere the severity of the duties and its higher responsibilitiesare manifest.

Influenza in Dublin.0 wing to the prevalence of this disease the number of

deaths in Dublin has recently far exceeded the average ofthis somewhat unhealthy town. Teaching at some of themedical schools here was almost brought to a standstill onaccount of the illness of professors and lecturers. Thedisease proved indirectly fatal to a member of the family ofone of our best-known and most popular surgeons, Mr.Meldon, Ex-President of the Royal College of Surgeons inIreland, and much sympathy is felt for him in his bereave.ment.

Healtli oj Dublin.Sir Charles Cameron reported that during the week ending

March 16th the death-rate in the whole area was 41.9per1000, the rate in the city being 47 4. During the last three

weeks the death-rate, which was previously below the mean,rose to figures considerably above the average for the corre.sponding period in the previous ten years. In the Englishand Scotch towns very high death-rates prevailed, andfroman earlier period in the year influenza was more or less

responsible for the increase. As that disease has onlyappeared in Dublin when it was beginning to decline inEngland, and when the weather everywhere had become

: mild, it may be hoped that it has reached its maximum here,and that its fatality will henceforth decline.

The Influenza Epidemic in Belfast.During the past three weeks there has been a very wide-

spread epidemic of influenza in Belfast and throughout thet, north of Ireland. Though a large number have been attackedIthe disease on the whole has not been so severe as in thet previous visitations. Infants and children have suffered in

larger numbers than formerly, and a red rash has been fre-equently an accompaniment of the disease. In certain casesthe rash has been attended with itching like urticaria, white1 in others it has been scarlatiniform. It is not followed by3 desquamation, and in the early stages the diagnosis from

true scarlet fever has sometimes been difficult.

g The Winter Session, Belfast.3 The winter session will terminate on April llth. AtMM;- many of the teachers the feeling is growing that it woulda be better to begin earlier, say in the middle of October, andr to end at the termination of March. It is also hoped that the

examinations of the Royal University of Ireland (to which theBelfast school sends over 50 per cent. of the candidates) will