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with those which active employment in hospital workor which registration would imply, and this

la a consideration which will rightly and powerfullyweigh both with the medical profeesion and with the

public at large. A prospectus lies before us in which2L is difficulty is attempted to be met by the publica-tion of a list of the names of the staff of the institutions

represented by the prospectus, a brief description of theirqualifcations, training, and experience in every case beingappended. The idea strikes us as a good one, and wellqualified to subserve the interest, both of the nurses on theone hand and of their employers on the other.

EAR DRUMS.HAVING recently received several inquiries as to the

afficacy of artificial ear drums as a remedy for deafness, itappears advisable to say a few words on the subject. Certainspecimens have been much extolled and advertised, andhave in this way been recommended to the suffering public- for many years. A moment’s consideration will show that

a general rule they are not only useless but highlyinjurious, being applied by those interested without exami-nation of the patients, who in most cases possess a membranary:mpa7Jl which is already too thick and dense to admit ofvibration. Artificial ear drums are useful only to those who:ia-ve perforation or complete absence of membrane, and eventhen only a small proportion are benefited by artificial drums.Should a case really requiring some form of artificial drumsome under the notice of an aural surgeon, all rigid con-

which are intensely irritating and injurious tothe delicate mucous membrane of the tympanum, would beavoided, and a small roll of cotton or absorbent woolmoistened with glycerine and water would most likely beused. It should, however, be remembered that cases suit-able lor artificial drums of cotton wool are always in a con-dition bordering on recurrent inflammation of the tympaniccavity, with all its dangerous consequences. It will thusbe seen how highly important it is that applications of thisMnd should be made only by those who really understand

diseases. Certain much-vaunted drums are given, ornather sold, by quacks to patients suffering from all andevery ind of deafness to such an extent that nearly 90 perper cent of patients have another rigid drum placed upon anatural drum which is already too dense. Practical ex-

perience very soon convinces the victims of the danger andolly oj thus tampering with Nature’s delicate organisms.

A DUBLIN MAGISTRATE ON ILLEGAL DEATHCERTIFICATES.

IT is unseemly when magistrates attenuate serious

offences. Mr. Byrne lately, in the southern division of thepolice goart of Dublin, had to try a case in which theassistant (unqualified) of Dr. Maguire put that gentle-man’s name to the certificates of two deaths of childrenio one family, though he had never seen the cases. The

-mti,gist7-ate, however, said there was only the smallest

possible amount of criminality in the action of the defend-and let him off with a fine of ls. in each case. We

highly disapprove of the magistrate’s decision, and hope it willhave the attention of authorities on law and morals.

SUCCESSFUL REMOVAL OF HYDATID TUMOUROF THE BRAIN.

IN the .al2cstralasian Medical Journal for July, 1890,Dr. Graham and Mr. Grubbe record a case recently undertheir care in which a hydatid tumour was removed frombetween the dura mater and pia mater of the brain. The

patient was a lad sixteen years of age, who suffered fromsevere nausea, veitigo, double optic neuritis with

loss of memory, mental dulness, and paresis of

the right arm and leg. A tumour involving the left motorarea was diagnosed, and Mr. Grubbe trephined over it. Hefound the bone very thin, not more than in. thick, and onopening the thickened dura mater a single simple hydatidcyst was seen, and easily extracted. The pia mater wasintact. The cyst measured 4 in. in diameter, and held19oz. of fluid. The patient recovered. After six weekshe was able to get up and walk, his memory returned, andin all respects he was well except for his blindness. Sucha case as this was extremely favourable for surgicaltreatment, as its situation greatly facilitated exact

diagnosis, and its removal was unattended with any injuryto the brain itself. It is believed to be the first recordedcase of the kind. Dr. Davies Thomas records three casesof recovery from cerebral hydatids, in one of which the

cysts were passed through the nose and mouth; in twoothers they were removed through incisions in the scalpafter the tumours had perforated the cranium.

THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS ATROME IN 1893.

DR. GUIDO BACCELLI, president of the AccademiaMedica of Rome, and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the ’

Sapienza, took the chair at a recent meeting of theSocieta. per il Bene Economico di Roma, to consider themeans of ensuring the success of the International MedicalCongress to be held three years hence in the Eternal City.Among the adjuncts to that Congress it was decided toform an International Exposition of Hygiene in connexionwith the Sanitary Department of the programme, and,with that object, to appeal to all the leading industrial andprofessional centres throughout the peninsula to contributetheir best and latest additions to the "Armamentarium

Hygienicum," so as to place Italy at as great an advantageas possible in the inevitable contrast between her own sani.tary work and that of the other Powers represented on theoccasion. Florence, which has hitherto led the van in

hygienic progress in Italy, has already promised her ener.getic cooperation ; and other cities, like Turin and Milan,are expected to do likewise. Concurrently with theMedical Congress, an International Exposition of the Indus-tries of All Nations is also being organised, so that Romewill be the busy scene of quite a gatbeiing of the peoples, ona scale she has not yet known since she ceased to be mistressof the world. The early summer months, May or the

beginning of June, or the early autumn months, the latterhalf of September or the beginning of October, are likelyto be those selected for the Medical Congress-all risk ofmalaria at either time being improbable.

A MEDICAL MAN CENSURED BY ACORONER’S JURY.

A VERY painful inquiry before Mr. R. Preston, the

coroner, at Tunbridge Wells, has taken place touching thedeath of Annie Emily Carnfield from puerperal peritonitis.She was attended by a midwife on a Tuesday, and was notseen by her again till the Friday, and then only because ofa message that she was ill. Three medical men were con-cerned in the case. The first, Mr. Thomas Connan;the second, Dr. E. A. Starling, Poor-law medical officer;the third, Mr. William Stamford. Mrs. Camfield’s hus-band was a member of the Tunbridge Wells BenefitSocieties’ Medical Association. He had not been able towork for two years, and his wife maintained the family(four children) by her exertions. All his subscriptions tothe Association were paid in advance. He naturally wentfor Mr. Connan on the Saturday, the medical officerto the club, who came and saw Mrs. Camfield, and foundher in what lie described as a "grave, serious, and