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rate recorded during the same period in the 76 largeEnglish towns. The rates in the eight Scotch towns rangedfrom 9 9 in Leith and 14-1 1 in Perth to 18-2 in Greenockand 18-9 9 in Dundee. The 535 deaths in these townsincluded 19 which were referred to diarrhoea, 12 to measles,seven to whooping-cough, four to diphtheria, three to scarletfever, and three to "fever, but not one to small-pox. In all,48 deaths resulted from these principal infectious diseaseslast week, against 44 and 55 in the two preceding weeks.These 48 deaths were equal to an annual rate of 1-5 per1000, which was 0 5 per 1000 below the mean rate last weekfrom the same diseases in the 76 large English towns. Thefatal cases of diarrhoea, which had been 13 and 21 inthe two preceding weeks, declined again last week to 19,of which nine occurred in Glasgow, six in Dundee, twoin Edinburgh, and two in Greenock. The deaths frommeasles, which had been 22, 15, and 10 in the three

preceding weeks, rose again to 12 last week, and in-cluded eight in Edinburgh and three in Glasgow. Thefatal cases of whooping-cough, which had been 15 and 13 inthe two preceding weeks, further declined last week to

seven, of which four were registered in Glasgow. Thefour deaths from diphtheria corresponded with the numberin the preceding week, and included three in Glasgow,where two of the three fatal cases of scarlet fever werealso registered. The deaths referred to diseases of therespiratory organs in these towns, which had been 62and 80 in the two preceding weeks, declined again lastweek to 79, but were 14 in excess of the number in thecorresponding period of last year. The causes of 29. or

more than 5 per cent., of the deaths registered in theseeight towns last week were not certified.

HEALTH OF DUBLIN.

The death-rate in Dublin, which had been 20’2 per1000 in each of the two preceding weeks, rose to 21-2 2per 1000 during the week ending August’2nd. Duringthe past four weeks the annual rate of mortality has averaged19 ’6 per 1000, the rates during the same period being 14’1 1in London and 16’4 in Edinburgh. The 154 deaths ofpersons belonging to Dublin registered during the weekunder notice exceeded by seven the number in the precedingweek, and included 29 which were referred to the principalinfectious diseases, against 14 and 15 in the two precedingweeks; of these 18 resulted from measles, five from diar-rhoea, two from whooping-cough, two from "fever," onefrom scarlet fever, and one from diphtheria, but not onefrom small-pox. These 29 deaths were equal to an

annual rate of 4’0 per 1000, the death-rates last weekfrom the same diseases being 2’1 in London and 1-9 inEdinburgh. The fatal cases of measles, which had beeneight in each of the two preceding weeks, increased lastweek to 18 ; the deaths from diarrhoea, which had been oneand three in the two preceding weeks, further rose to fivelast week ; the mortality from whooping-cough and fromI fever" was slightly in excess of that recorded in the pre-ceeding week ; while from scarlet fever and diphtheria thedeaths corresponded with the numbers in the precedingweek. The 154 deaths in Dublin last week included 26 ofchildren under one year of age and 35 of persons agedupwards of 60 years; the deaths both of infants and of

elderly persons showed a decline from the numbers inthe preceding week. Eight inquest cases and six deathsfrom violence were registered, and 68, or nearly one-half,of the deaths occurred in public institutions. The causesof six, or nearly 4 per cent., of the deaths registered inDublin last week were not certified.

THE SERVICES.

ROYAL NAVY MEDICAL SERVICE.THE undermentioned Surgeons have been promoted to

the rank of Staff Surgeon in His Majesty’s Fleet :-HenryWilliam Finlayson, Frederick Fedarb, Richard ClevelandMunday, Edward Carter Cridland, Frank Bradshaw, MatthewJoseph O’Regan, and Richard Francis Bate.The following appointments are notified :-Fleet Surgeon

C. W. Sharples to the President, for Deptford VictuallingYard. Staff Surgeons : 0. W. Andrews to the Diana and R.Hardie to the -BpMM..

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.The date of the placing on half-pay on account of ill

health of Lieutenant 0. Challis should be July 5th, 1902, notas stated in the Gazette of July 22nd, 1902.

Lieutenant E. W. Herrington, on relinquishing his tempo-rary commission for service in South Africa, is granted thehonorary rank of Lieutenant in the Army, with permission towear the uniform of the corps. Dated July 19th, 1902.

Lieutenant-Colonel P. M. Ellis is appointed to the commandof No. 9 Company and to the medical charge of the StationHospital at Colchester. The orders of Colonel G. D. N.Leake to proceed to Colchester to take over the duties ofhis appointment as Principal Medical Officer, EasternDistrict, are postponed for the present. Captain T. P. Jonesjoins at Aldershot for duty and takes over medical chargeof the Royal Artillery in Wellington Lines. Captain H.Herrick is appointed to the medical charge of the StationHospital, Satara, as a temporary measure.

ARMY MEDICAL RESERVE OF OFFICERS.

Surgeon-Captain R. Stirling to be Surgeon-Major. DatedAugust 2nd, 1902.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

-Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) : lst Lancashire :Surgeon-Lieutenant F. F. German to be Surgeon-Captain.9th Lancashire : Surgeon-Captain A. Cosgrave to be Surgeon-Major. lst Warwickshire: George Haddow to be Surgeon-Lieutenant. lst North Riding of Yorkshire : Surgeon-Lieu-tenant S. Farmer to be Surgeon-Captain.Royal Engineers (Volunteers) : lst Aberdeenshire : Sur-

geon-Captain J. J. Y. Dalgarno to be Surgeon-Major.lst West Riding of Yorkshire (Shef6eld) : Surgeon-CaptainC. H. Willey to be Surgeon-Major.

Su.bmarine Miners : : The Tay Division : Surgeon-CaptainG. 0. C. Macness to be Surgeon-Major.Rifle The Queen’s Rifle Volunteer Brigade the Royal

Scots (Lothian Regiment) : The undermentioned Surgeon-Captains to be Surgeon-Majors :-A. D. Webster and W. H.Miller. 2nd Volunteer Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment :Surgeon-Lieutenant S. H. Johnson resigns his commission.2nd Volunteer Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers : Surgeon-Captain W. M. Hamilton to be Surgeon-Major. 4th Volun-teer Battalion the Cheshire Regiment : Surgeon-CaptainG. W. Sidebotham to be Surgeon-Major. 5th VolunteerBattalion the Cheshire Regiment : The undermentioned Sur-geon-Captains to be Surgeon-Majors :-J. H. Hacking and C.Averill. 2nd Volunteer Battalion the Royal Welsh Fusiliers :Surgeon-Major E. Williams to be Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel.lst Volunteer Battalion the South Staffordshire Regiment :Surgeon-Captain C. T. Griffiths to be Surgeon-Major.2nd Volunteer Battalion the Prince of Wales’s Volunteers(South Lancashire Regiment) : Surgeon-Captain F. J.Knowles to be Surgeon-Major. 6th (Fifeshire) VolunteerBattalion the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) : Theundermentioned Surgeon-Captains to be Surgeon-Majors:C. E. Douglas, C. N. Lee, J. Mackay, and D. H. Kyle.13th Middlesex (Queen’s Westminster) : Surgeon-CaptainP. P. Whitcombe to be Surgeon-Major. 2nd VolunteerBattalion the Manchester -Regiment: Surgeon-Captain G. H.Darwin to be Surgeon-Major. 5th Volunteer Battalion theDurham Light Infantry : Surgeon-Captain A. P. Arnold tobe Surgeon-Major. 3rd (The Blythswood) VolunteerBattalion the Highland Light Infantry : The under-mentioned Surgeon-Captains to be Surgeon-Majors :-R.Pollok and A. D. Moffat. lst Dumbartonshire: Surgeon-Captain J. R. F. Cullen to be Surgeon-Major.

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS (VOLUNTEERS).Edinburgh Company : Captain D. Wallace, C.M.G., to

be Major. Glasgow Companies : George Gordon to beLieutenant.

BEARER COMPANY.lst Lothian: Surgeon-Captain A. Macdonald, from the

Queen’s Rifle Volunteer Brigade, the Royal Scots (LothianRegiment), to be Surgeon-Captain, and to command underparagraph 55A Volunteer Regulations. Surgeon-CaptainC. B. Ker, from the Queen’s Rifle Volunteer Brigade theRoyal Scots (Lothian Regiment), to be Surgeon-Captain.Surgeon-Lieutenant A. A. Ross, from the Queen’s RifleVolunteer Brigade the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), tobe Surgeon-Lieutenant.

I SOUTH AFRICAN NOTES.The following have been discharged from hospital to

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duty :-Civil Surgeons Maclean, Pemberton, Tough, Miller,and McEwen.

SOME SOUTH AFRICAN AND OTHER AFFAIRS.

It is much to be regretted, we think, that the question ofSupply should come up for the consideration of the House ofCommons when Members on both sides of the House arewearied and jaded and when the time allotted for the dis-cussion of estimates has to be much restricted. There are a

great many matters connected with the Army Estimates asa whole and with the section relating to army medicalestablishments which we should have liked to have seen

more thoroughly threshed out.There are a few points in the current news connected with

the late war which possess sufficient medical interest to be

worthy of record. General Lukas Meyer, who seems to havebeen on the whole much gratified with the results of his

reception in this country, is proceeding to Carlsbad to undergoa course of treatment there before returning to South Africain November. Intelligence received from the Hague informsus of the arrival of ex-President Steyn and of his having z,been visited by Professor Winkler, accompanied by Dr.Keuchenius. It is known that Mr. Steyn’s health, as theeult of the labours, hardships, and anxieties which he under-went during the war, completely broke down in South Africa.The exact nature of his complaint has never been definitely- stated, but we are glad to learn that Professor Winkler andDr. Keuchenius, as the result of their examination, are of

opinion that the paralysis of his limbs is due to privationsand overwork. They have good hopes of the ex-President’s

recovery, which, however, naturally will be slow.According to a telegram from Wellington, through Reuter’s

agency, the troopship Britannic had arrived there fromDurban with 55 cases of sickness on board. Three deathstook place during the voyage and one since the vessel cameinto port. It is alleged that the vessel was overcrowded.No particulars are given, but we trust that a searchinginquiry will be instituted into the matter and as to the truthor otherwise of the alleged overcrowding.

SOLDIERS’ GUARD BEDS.We are glad to notice that there is a prospect of something

being done at last in the way of improving the beds in

guard-rooms and that the Secretary of State for War lately,in reply to a question by Captain Jessel, has stated that anexperimental trial of a new form of bed is being made.Theoretically soldiers on guard are supposed to be always,more or less, on the alert and ready to turn out at amoment’s notice, and we must say that the militaryauthorities have done their best to carry this into effect bymaking the soldier on guard as uncomfortable as may be.It would surely be possible to devise something better thanthe old pattern guard bed, which is a sort of low woodenplatform open to various objections in regard to the main-tenance of cleanliness, hygiene, and personal comfort.Instead of a rigid wooden platform some sort of removeablewire-woven design of a specially durable nature, but whichwas permeable to air, might probably be constructed inorder to remove or lessen these objections whilst not undulyadding to the comfort of the soldier on guard duty.

THE HAMBURG INSTITUTE OF NAVAL AND TROPICALHYGIENE.

According to the Arehives de 111edccine. Navale for June’the city of Hamburg has placed 25 beds in the old_ generalhospital at the disposal of the port medical officer for thereception of sailors suffering from internal affections.

Hamburg has also been endowed with a hygienic institute,having at its head a medical man nominated by the civicauthorities with the approbation of the colonial section.The medical officer-in-chief has three assistants in whose’charge respectively have been placed the departments ofclinical medicine, non-clinical research, and hygienicchemistry. From 10 to 12 fully-equipped tables for researchwork are to be maintained, five of them at the expense ofthe Empire. It is, moreover, in contemplation to constructa hospital for sailors, to contain 60 beds. adjacent to theSailors’ Home. The cost of the building is estimated at

120,000 francs (.M800).

DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN.-The death occurredon July 25th at Bere Heath, near Dorchester, of a laboare;.named Winter who had reached the age of 100 years and sbweeks.

Correspondence."Audi alteram partem."

THE MEDICAL SERVICE OF THEMERCANTILE MARINE.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SiRS,—I have recently spent two and a half years at sea,serving in five different steamers as ship’s surgeon, and I ambound to confess that .B10 a month and all found does seemto me a fair salary, except perhaps when there are manysteerage passengers. Rank and pay do not correspond onboard ships ; for instance, the second engineer ranks belowthe second officer yet is much better paid. Consequently,Mr. Ogilvie’s comparison between the salaries of the surgeonand second officer is beside the point. The second officer isa very hard-worked official, especially in port, and in myopinion really is under-paid. The surgeon has not muchwork as a rule, and when in port usually goes ashore and hasa good time.

If medical men spent, like other ship’s officers, their livesat sea no doubt they would be better paid. It is, perhaps,fortunate that there is no inducement to stay long at sea, forthere is little professional experience to be gained on boardships, and it is, in fact, a lazy life in most cases. I have

always been treated by the crew and passengers with theconsideration due to a senior officer and by my brotherofficers as an equal and a friend. Once only have I hadreason to complain of my cabin and that was soon rectified.With regard to passengers’ "fees" I I find myself more inaccordance with Mr. Ogilvie. I always refused them myselfbecause I felt that as I had no right to ask for them theywere really tips."

" I should certainly advise ships’ surgeonsnever to take money from passengers, for I know from the

many comments that I have heard that the practice doestend to lessen the respect which is the rightful due of theship’s surgeon.-I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,

RICHARD KAY, M.B. Lond.,Late Surgeon to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam

Navigation Company.Rochdale, August 2nd, 1902.

HORSE-DUNG IN LONDON STREETS.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-Mr. Beale Collins, when writing on the above

subject in THE LANCET of July 26th, p. 245, says that hehas known one or two outbreaks of diphtheria attributable,he thinks, to London stable manure ; but he surely cannotconsider this to be pure horse-dung. Blood and all kindsof decomposing animal matter get thrown upon manure

heaps and I should say that it is to thee if anything thatthe outbreaks of diphtheria he noticed were to be attributed.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Bexhill-on-Sea, July 31st, 1902. F. P. ATKINSON.

THE MENTHOL TREATMENT OFPULMONARY PHTHISIS.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-At a time when the professional and public mindis so largely directed to the question of tuberculosis it mayserve some useful purpose to draw attention to a method oftreatment of pulmonary phthisis which I have adopted formany years and to which I drew the attention of the pro-fession in my address to the therapeutic section of theBritish Medical Association at the meeting held here in 1892.In that address I gave a full and detailed description of themanner of the use of menthol in tuberculosis of the lung,with cases in illustration, and it will be well for those whotake an interest-and who does not ?-in this matter to referto my paper for full description and direction. To some,

perhaps, this may be impracticable, so that I may briefly saythat the treatment consists of the daily intra-laryngealinjection of one drachm of a 12 per cent. solution of

menthol in pure olive oil. The results obtaineu were most