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ness is less under the short-service system, althoughit does undoubtedly show that the invaliding and deathrates are much less. Mr. Stanhope, speaking of the

Army Medical Department, the strength of which hadbeen carefully reconsidered, said that considerable re-

ductions had taken place. He alluded to the employ-ment of civil practitioners, the growth of an ArmyMedical Reserve, and dwelt upon the time that had beendevoted to the arrangments necessary, in case of mobilisa-tion, for the medical services in personnel and equipment.What with the new Lee-Metford magazine rifle, an im-proved system of artillery, and smokeless powder, the nextbig war is likely, we should imagine, to strain the powersof a medical service to the utmost. With regard to the in-creased barrack and hospital accommodation and the sanitaryservices projected or already carried out, Mr. Stanhopelooked forward to the beneficial results that would accruefrom expenditure in this direction. In connexion with this

subject he expressed himself as well satisfied with the workdone by the Army Sanitary Committee.

THE LONDON WATER-SUPPLY.

DR. FRANKLAND reports that the water abstracted fromthe Thames in January by the Chelsea Company was muchinferior as regards organic impurity to that delivered by thesame company in December. The water supplied by theother Thames companies was, on the other hand, of muchbetter quality in January than in December, the mostmarked improvement being observed in the water of theSouthwark and Lambeth companies. All these waterswere efficiently filtered before delivery. The water taken

chiefly from the Lea by the New River Company exhibitedonly a slight improvement over the sample taken in

December, whilst that sent out by the East London Com-pany was not quite so good. Both these supplies wereinferior to the best of the Thames waters. They wereefficiently filtered before delivery. The quality of the

water-supply during January has distinctly improved,according to the report of the three experts, Dr. Odling,Dr. Tidy, and Professor Crookes, who state that "exceptfor the occurrence in three instances of but’ very slight tur-bidity,’ the condition of the water-supply to the metropolisduring the month of January was entirely satisfactory.’

PRESCRIBING BY TELEGRAM.

OBJECTIONABLE and dangerous as is the practice of

issuing medical prescriptions by means of the press, or byletter, it may well be questioned whether the employmentof the telegraph for the same purpose is not still more opento misuse. Novel and of more than doubtful expediency,this custom nevertheless is not unknown. A case was latelyreported in the daily press in which a patient thus receivedby wire instructions wherewithal to provide himself withphysic. Thus furnished, he was somewhat annoyed tofind that hardly any druggist could be induced to executethe informal mandate of his medical adviser. We do notwonder at this, and the less so that poisonous ingredientswere included in his "order." Cases of this kind exposethe patient and the practitioner likewise to more thanone difficulty. There is first the delicate point of diagnosis.How is a medical man to understand and correctly treatailments of which he has, except from a mere state-ment of subjective symptoms, no present-and, therefore,no certain-knowledge? It may be said, indeed, that pre.vious examination will often afford a reliable clue, and, tosome extent, this is true. Chronic states are doubtless inthis respect quite different from more acute ailments, andtheir features are appreciable in proportion to their charac-ter and duration. Still, even in such cases the best resultsand the le1.st anxiety must ever accompany a personal in6er-

view. As for medical treatment by promiscuous advertise.ment, this is nothing less than immoral. Returning to thetelegram, however, we find in it yet another element of dangerin that it affords no reliable guarantee of correct statement.The prescriber’s expressions may easily be misunderstood ormisstated by the officiating clerk, thus committing the dis.penser, if he will, to a matter of guesswork, and thatperhaps in circumstances of critical importance. The

druggist in such a case has no ready means of reference oramendment, his salutary influence as a check upon lctpsuspennce is impaired, and the risk of the confiding but tooheedless patient is proportionately greater. Clearly, there.fore, the wire affords no suitable medium for professionalprescription, and its employment, even where it does notprove a means of mischief, is at least a serious error ofjudgment. -

NOTIFICATION FEES.

THE Ebbw Vale Board of Health at a recent meetingbetrayed much dissatisfaction with the payments due totheir excellent medical officer, Mr. J. W. Davies, under theNotification Acts. They appointed a deputation to waiton this gentleman to urge him to reduce his legitimatecharges. The deputation seemed to shrink from so un.reasonable a request, but one of its number was morecourageous. Mr. Davies objected to act differently from hisneighbours. One member of the board was for abandoningthe Act, but was firmly informed by the clerk that thatwas not possible. Another thought that the high mor.tality of the district was a reason for lowering the fees, anargument which we fail to see. In the end, the boardappointed the medical officer for only six months, with athreat to advertise for another. This is highly discreditableconduct towards a creditable officer. The Tredegar andWest Monmouth Times has evidently a high respect for Mr.Davies, but a low opinion of the framers of the Act, whichit characterises as another instance of the bungling andincomplete legislation of a Tory Government. Mr. Daviesshould disregard the threat of his board, and appeal forprotection to the Local Government Board.

MEDICAL LITERATURE.

A PURELY commercial view of medical literature has been

put forward in a leading article in the Author, the officialorgan of the Incorporated Society of Authors, conducted byMr. Walter Besant, and, if the article is tobe believed, medicalliterature, as an investment, occupies a peculiar position inrarely bringing any direct profit and in mostly entailinga heavy outlay. The writer divides medical books into

(1) works of general medical reference, (2) books written inone of the popular series, (3) monographs on special medicalsubjects. It is admitted that the first and second classes

may be financial successes, but in both the success seems tobe rather that of the publisher than the writer. Bookswritten as parts of a series pay the author by bringing insome money and some reputation. The good books of aseries sell the bad ones, and the popular prices suit the pursesof a great many people. The actual amount of remunerationreceived by the author is mostly small, but the work isundertaken, according to the writer, partly with a view tofame, and partly perhaps for the sake of not being crowdedout of the field by some other person equally fitted for thetask. The third class, however, the monographs on specialmedical subjects, is the one whose unique position seemsmost interesting. The chief difficulty is of course that whenan expensive book has been produced the circulation is ex.tremely limited and necessarily entails loss. A few savants,a few professors, and a few libraries purchase the book, andby these the knowledge is disseminated in lectures, com.ments, reviews, aud scientific articles. The rewaid is in-