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has greatly deteriorated since the erection of gas works. Their

injurious influence was recognised in 1859 by the House ofLords, which confirmed an injunction restraining the companyfrom increasing their works. Notwithstanding this injunctionthey have built very gigantic works, and seek power by theBill now in progress to use and perhaps extend them. Itremains with the House of Lords to decide whether they shallhave this power or not. The Lords have done one great goodact this year in saving Victoria-park from being poisoned bythe proximity of huge gas works, and we can scarcely doubt-that they will do a similar service to Fulham, and throughFulham to London, by throwing out this Bill. These are notthe times to allow healthy suburbs and open parks to be in-vaded by companies for the erection of huge works whichrender the air impure and destroy the very character of th{neighbourhood. We would urge the inhabitants of Chelsesand Fulham to use all their influence with the House of Lordsito throw out this Bill.

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!

AT a late meeting of the Islington Board of Trustees, it was! moved, in accordance with the recommendation of the GeneralPurposes Committee,-" That it be recommended to the Boardto increase the salaries of such of the district medical officers Ias shall have been appointed less than seven years, X25 perannum each, and of those who have been appointed more thanseven years, 50 per annum each; the respective increases to- take place from Midsummer last." Some conversation took placeas to whether it would not be better to refer the proposal backto the committee for reconsideration, on the ground that some.of the medical officers had a larger number of paupers to attendto than others, and therefore should receive a larger salary.An amendment to that effect was moved by Mr. Bolton andseconded by Mr. Reynolds, but on a show of hands it was lostby a large majority. The original recommendation was thencarried. Though it must be admitted that the trustees havetaken a right step in augmenting the salary of their Poor-lawmedical officers, it is to be regretted that they did not carrytheir liberal views a little further and regulate the salary.of each officer in accordance with the work that he abso-

lutely performs. This is the kind of reform which we haveadvocated for many years past, and is the foundation ofMr. Griffin’s recommendation. It is the only fair and equit-able mode of remuneration, and one which must eventuallybe adopted. The anomalies which at present exist are moststartling and suggestive. Whilst in some unions the surgeonsare paid as much as 5s. per case, in other districts the pay.ment amounts only to as many pence. The present Govern.

. ment, it is to be hoped, will pay more attention to the claim:of Poor-law surgeons than did the last.

DURING the month of June, 1S66, there were registered in I,the eight principal towns of Scotland the births of 3346

children, of whom 1705 were males, and 1641 females. Of

these, 2997 were legitimate, and 349, illegitimate ; being in theproportion of one illegitimate in every 9 ’5 births, or 10’4 percent. of the whole as illegitimate. The deaths of 2105 personswere registered in the eight towns during the month, of whom1041 were males, and 1064 females. This number is less thanthat recorded for the month during the three previous years.Of the 2105 deaths registered during the month, 816, or 38 percent., were of persons under five years of age. In Paisley, 22per cent. of the persons who died were under five years of

age ; in Perth, 2S per cent.; in Dundee, 32 per cent.; in Edin-burgh, 35 per cent.; in Aberdeen, 37 per cent.; in Glasgow, 42per cent.; in Greenock, 43 per cent.; and in Leith, 44 per cent.

Ax incluest, not yet concluded, has been held at Brighton onthe body of H. W. Warder, wife of Dr. Alfred W. Warder,of Brighton. The evidence adduced, which was very lengthy,

went to show that the deceased lady was Dr. Warder’s third

wife, and that he had been married to her about eight months.About a month since she was attacked with illness. She wasat first treated by her husband. Mr. Branwell (deceased’sbrother) and members of his family visited deceased, and Mr.Branwell called in the aid of Dr. Taaffe. Dr. Taaffe adminis-tered various remedies without success, and finding that hecould not account for the disease as arising from any naturalI cause, he communicated this fact to Mr. Branwell. It was then

agreed that if on the Sunday morning they could not come! two a conclusion as to the diagnosis of the case, anothert medical man should be called in. On the Sunday morning,j however, Mrs. Warder died. Dr. Warder, on the suggestionbeing made to him, assented to a post-mortem examination.This was made by Dr. Taaffe and two other medical men.. They all agree that death is not to be referred to natural: causes. The viscera have been sent to Professor Taylor foranalysis, and the inquest was adjourned until the 13th. We

shall give an analysis of the medical evidence in our next im-pression. Dr. Warder on Monday night last committed sui-l cide by taking half an ounce of hydrocyanic acid.l

- A GENERAL meeting of the Metropolitan Poor-law MedicalOfficers’ Association, at which the proposed rules of that body

will be submitted for approval, is to be held at the MedicalI Benevolent College, Soho-square, on Monday evening, the 16thif July, 1866, at seven o’clock r.M. punctually.

THE REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICEROF THE PRIVY COUNCIL FOR 1865.

i -

i MR. SmzOv’s Eighth Annual Report has just been laid be-fore Parliament. It is full of matter of the highest interest

and importance. It deals in succession with the proceedingsof the Medical Department of the Privy Council during 1865, in! reference to vaccination, the distribution of disease in Englandand the circumstances by which it is regulated, and finally, to! foreign epidemics of the year. The general question of con-

tagion, in its bearings upon the public health, is also consi-dered by Mr. Simon.

1. In respect of vaccination, it is gratifying to learn that

the district inspections which have been carried out during! several years past, under the direction of the Privy Council,have been productive of good results. In many districts theyhave led to an improvement in the performance of public vac-cination. Mr. Simon justly remarks that " in the presentunsatisfactory state of the law even a very little progress de-! serves mention," certifying as he thinks it does " that, exceptfor that state of the law, the progress would have been far

beyond its present stage."; 2. The proceedings in reference to the distribution of diseasein England, and the circumstances by which it is regulated,relate to house-accommodation of the poor, the effects of sani-tary improvements, the question of injury from infected rags,certain scientific researches, and occasional investigations re-specting local outbreaks of disease. An extensive inquiry asto the housing of the poorer population in towns (harmonizingwith one which had been made in 1864 into the housing of therural poor) was carried out by Dr. Hunter. His valuable

report is published in the appendix to Mr. Simon’s Report, andwill subsequently receive special consideration.

’’ Large as the inquiry was," says Mr. Simon, " and copiousas are the resulting details of information, the broad resultsmay be told in these very few words : that neither against

degrees of crowding, which conduce immensely to the multi-plication of disease as well as to obvious moral evils, nor

: against the use of dwellings which are permanently unfit forhuman habitation, can local authorities in towns, except to acertain extent in some privileged places, exercise any effectualcontrol. Resulting from (or at least attrillutalle to) the power

48

lessness of the authorities, which only sometimes was supple-mented by strained constructions of the law, the evils in ques-tion were found very extensively, one or both of them, inoperation." To remedy this state of things, Mr. Simon holds that, in

the interests of our labouring population, the local authoritiesshould be able and willing to exercise the following powers :-

"1. To deal universally with overcrowding on the basis ofits being technically a ’nuisance,’ and to take as the sole testof overcrowding the proportion borne by the number of occu-pants to size and ventilation of given space.

"2. To apply to the so-called ’tenement houses’ of thepoor a system of registration and regulation akin to that whichis applied to common lodging-houses under the statutes of 1851and 1853.

" 3. To enforce everywhere against the use of cellar dwel-lings the restrictions which, under the 67th section of thePublic Health Act, 1848, are enforceable in places which areunder that Act and the Local Government Act.

" 4. To exercise against premises or parts of premises which,by want of access of light or air, or by dampness, or throughruinous condition, are -rendered unfit for human habitation,the same powers as against premises which by nuisances ’ arerendered unfit.

" 5. To acquire premises, by compulsory sale, either in orderto make needful openings and clearings where ground is tooclosely built upon, or for other sanitary improvements."

These propositions refer to existing and old-standing evils,and they would fairly meet the difficulties which are en-

countered in endeavouring to overcome them. But there is a

question which cannot be dissociated from the state of thingsto which these propositions have special reference, and whichit would be Well to consider in conjunction with this state.

It is tolerably certain that in towns and rural districts theprogress of building proceeds at a more rapid rate than theprogress of sanitary legislation or improvement. A recentexamination of the newer houses and cottages springing up,mushroom-like, in thriving centres - even centres where

Building Acts exist, renders it well-nigh certain that in alarge proportion of instances their construction and arrange-ment are such as of necessity to entail the most lamentableconsequences to the health of the inhabitants in the course ofa very brief period. This question, doubtless, does not comestrictly within the province of the medical department of thePrivy Council, but it seriously demands the attention of theLegislature. And it is obvious that any legislation must beso far defective which, while providing for the rectification ofcertain evils, does not provide against the continuous growthof those evils.An inquiry conducted by Dr. Buchanan into the effect of

sanitary works or regulations in improving health in diverslocalities was completecl at too late a period to have a place inMr. Simon’s present Report.In order to obtain more exact knowledge of the alleged

occasional conveyance of morbid contagion in the various stuffswhich form the staple of the rag trade, Dr. Bristowe wasinstructed to make a detailed inquiry. "It is a matter of

congratulation," Mr. Simon observes of this investigation,"that the results are almost negative, and such, I think, asfully to establish that the rag trade does not play any con-siderable part in the distribution of contagions of disease."

It is of great interest to learn that a series of scientificresearches in aid of the more immediately practical objects ofthe medical department have been begun under the superin-tendence of Mr. Simon. The inquiries already made withregard to the distribution and causes of all our most destruc-tive diseases, and of which the results have been published atlength in Mr. Simon’s series of invaluable reports, constitutea mass of information unrivalled for precision, extent, andnational value. The time has now come when more recondite

questions of the genesis of disease may occupy with advantageto the nation the attention of the department, and accordinglya series of investigations are now being carried out by Dr.

Thudichum with reference to the chemical processes of disease.Inquiries tending to a repetition of evidence on the subjectswhich had already been dealt with by the department wouldbe of but secondary interest ; whereas scientific researches

leading to a more intimate knowledge of the nature of morbid! processes which are yet to be prevented, and such as were notlikely to be undertaken here by private investigation, openout a field of utility of the highest promise.

The third portion of Mr. Simon’s Report is devoted to theforeign epidemics of the year, and the general question of con--tagion in its bearings on the public health. The outbreak of

epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis in Northern Europe, thepresent extension of epidemic cholera on the continent, andthe importation of yellow fever into Swansea last year, give ean interest altogether exceptional to this part of Mr. Simon’sReport, and to the appended elaborate reports of Dr. J. BurdonSanderson, on the Epidemics of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis onthe Lower Vistula in Europe; of Mr. John Netten Radcliffe,on the Sources and Diffusion of the present Epidemic of Cholera;of Professor Parkes on the Outbreak of Cholera at Southamp-ton in 1865; and of Dr. Buchanan, on the Outbreak of YellowFever at Swansea. We must postpone the consideration ofthis part of the Report.

ANNUAL DINNER OF THE FELLOWS OF THEROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.

AFTER the election of members of the Council, on Thursday,the 5th inst., this dinner took place, as usual, at the AlbionTavern, Aldersgate-street. Upwards of 100 gentlemen werepresent; Mr. Wormald, President of the College, in the chair.The customary loyal and patriotic toasts having been drunkwith enthusiasm, the Chairman appropriately alluded to themarriage of the Princess Helena on that day.

" The Medical Department of the Army" was then proposed,and replied to by Mr. PIPER and Mr. JUDD.

Mr. BrsK, on behalf of the Government Committee, nothaving had notice that he would be called on to speak, wouldonly refer the profession to the Report which had been recentlyissued. He believed that if the recommendations of the Com-mittee were carried out every real grievance of the medical

department would be removed." The General Medical Council" " was duly honoured in

silence ; some regret being felt and generally expressed thatthe Council was conspicuous for the absence of any representa-tive on the occasion.‘ " The Medical Corporations " was responded to by Dr.CAMP, who, in the absence of Sir Thomas ’Vatson, on thepart of the College of Physicians, made a few remarks.

"The Provincial Schools," by Mr. HiLTON, followed, whowas greeted with continued cheering. He thanked them forhis re-election, and by so triumphant a majority. There was

a feeling of competition between the metropolitan and provin-cial schools, but it was an honest rivalry which gave strengthand force to both. Looking at the heavy labour and expense, necessary to keep a large school in working order, he felt that; many very able provincial men deserved great credit for main-taining schools, which, in a pecuniary sense, could not beremunerative. The expense of working a large metropolitan school was very considerable; and although he would admit; that students were generally well prepared for their examina-tions at provincial schools, yet he believed that the time wascoming when those schools must inevitably dwindle, owing tothe great expense necessary to make any school efficient.i Mr. TURNER, in reply to the toast, said that in spite of’ distance from London, professional losses and other incon-

veniences, he trusted that he had done his duty on the Council,since his election last year, and on this point he would appealto the President and his colleagues. (Cheers.) He had learnt

much in the Council chamber which would be of great serviceto them in the provinces ; and, in fact, he had been a goodlistener, and had profited much. As regards the utility ofprovincial schools, if the apprenticeship system is to be con