703ROME.—VIENNA.

ROME.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Death of Professor Litiqi Galassi.WE have lost the dean of our medical faculty in Dr.

L. Galassi, Ordinary Professor of Special Pathology in theUniversity, who died on the 31st ult. after a long and painfulcardiac disease. Dr. Galassi had a distinguished record as aman of science and as a teacher. He was for many yearsPresident of the Accademia Medica di Roma, a member andVice-President of the Consiglio Superiore di Sanita, Vice-President of the Red Cross, Rector of the University, andPresident of the Faculty of Medicine. His extra-professionalhonours were hardly less conspicuous. He was Com-mendatore of the Crown of Italy and Saints Maurice andLazarus, Knight of the Crown of Prussia, and the holder ofmany other decorations of a scarcely inferior order, Italianand foreign. But his life-work was in the clinical ward,the dead-house, the laboratory, and the lecture-room, wherehis scientific accomplishment and winning powers of exposi- tion and persuasion made him a universal favourite with pupilsand colleagues alike. The University displayed its banner,half-mast high and draped with mourning, as soon as hisdeath was made known, and on the 1st inst. a public funeraltook place, the pall-bearers being Signor Constantini,Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Public Instruc-tion ; Dr. Panizza, Sanitary Assessor of the Municipality;Professor Monaci (representing the Rector of the University,absent through illness) ; the Commendatore Silvestrelli,delegate of the Red Cross ; the Senator Dr. Todaro, Pro-fessor of Anatomy (deputed by the Accademia Medica) ;Colonel Martinelli of the War Office ; Professor Ballori ; andDr. Ciccolini, representing the Medical Aid Society of thePractitioners and Pharmacists of the Province of Rome. The

long train of mourners which followed included the leadingphysicians and surgeons of the city and a numerous body ofstudents, mainly of the medical faculty.

The Petrifaction of the Human Subject.This, like the cognate art of embalming, is almost an

Italian specialty, in which the past master was the naturalistDr. Girolamo Segato, whose marvellous feats in petrifyingthe dead and preserving their features and even their com-plexion for all time are en évidence in the Florentine Museum,of which they constitute one of the chief attractions. A

highly successful example of his skill-the petrified headof a young woman who had died from pulmonary tubercu- losis-had been known to exist, but for sixty years, in

spite of every effort to trace it, it was nowhere to be found.His grandsons, anxious to recover this, the last, and perhapsthe most striking, specimen of his art, have been indefatig-able in the search for it, but without avail until a few daysago, when by the merest chance they alighted on it inBavaria and immediately took steps, with no small difficulty and outlay, to restore it to the treasures of Italian anatomicalscience. The numerous " changes of address " it had under-gone in those sixty years have done it no appreciabledamage; indeed, its preservation is so perfect that inthe words of Signor G. Segato fu Andrea, who announcesthe discovery, " its luxuriant blonde hair, quite wavyand soft, is like that of a living person." Its presentprovisional place of custody is at Pieve di Cadore,whence it will be transported in a few days to Belluno andkept on view for the inspection of the scientific public,after which it will go either to Florence or, more probably,to some other medical school less rich in specimens ofDr. Segato’s peculiar and weirdly fascinating metier.

A Health Resort for Rome.This is no other than Rocca di Papa, 750 metres above the

sea level, situated on the southern rim of the Alban Mount,high above all malarious influence. In fact, those whoresort to it even when labouring under palustral fever makea speedy recovery from the disease. The mortality of itsinhabitants taken from the sanitary returns between 1884and 1894 has been not more than 18 per 1000, while that ofItaly during the same decennium averaged 26’17 per 1000.The air is peculiarly fresh and exhilarating, the walks andmountain paths well shaded, and as for the water (quiterecently analysed), it is among the best acqncc potabilc inItaly. The mineral salts are in scanty proportion ;ammonia, nitrous acid, and sulphuric acid are wanting ;nitric acid exists only in traces; and organic substances

are " conspicuous by their absence." Bacteriologicalexamination confirms this favourable finding, while the

supply is as abundant as it is pure. The mean temperaturemay be inferred from the following table, compiled by Pro-fessor Lucchesi, director of the Meteorological Observatoryon the Alban Mount :-

Arerage Degrees of Temperature (Centigrade).

And yet it is only now that steps are being taken to utilisethis charming upland village for the benefit of the Romanpopulation, whether as convalescents or in quest of summerquarters. A good railway and good hotel and pensionaccommodation will shortly, I understand, be made faitsacoomplis and Rocca di Papa be restored to the place it hadin Republican and Imperial times as one of the " lungs " ofthe city, not less conducive to physical than to moralrehabilitation.

Queen Margherita and the Italian Hospital in London.There is on its way to the Italian Hospital in London

another token of the interest taken in the institution by theQueen of Italy. It is a photograph of Her Majesty, sent byQueen Margherita herself and bearing the following auto-graph inscription : "Possano gl’italiani raccolti in questoluogo ritrovare sotto le benefiche ali della carità la patria,lontana nello spazio ma sempre presente nel desiderio delcuore.-Margherita." (May the Italians gathered togetherin this place under the beneficent wings of charity be ableto find once more their native land - distant, indeed, inspace, but ever present in the heart’s desire.-Margherita.)

A Nelv Health Resort at Vallombrosa.As I close this letter I hear from Florence that that city is

about to have a much-needed adjunct to her medical resourcesin the form of a new health resort at Vallombrosa. At theinstance of his Excellency Signor Barazzuoli, Minister ofAgriculture, and of the Director-General under the samedepartment of Government, there will be established at thissalubrious and picturesque station in the Apennines aninstitution for convalescent patients. Its design and con-struction have been committed to the experienced hands ofDr. Giuseppe Corradi, Professor of Clinical Surgery in theFlorentine School, whose competence in all such undertakingsis universally conceded. A pure and abundant water-supplywill, as a primary requisite, be immediately provided, andevery appurtenance, internal and external, for the use of theresident staff and the patients will be in readiness withina year, the period assigned for the completion of the work.In connexion with the establishment Professor Corradi hasalso undertaken the enlargement and reappointment of thelocal hotel, well known as the Croce di Savoia."

Sept. 7th. _______________

VIENNA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Clrolera in Galicia.

SOME three weeks ago the newspapers announced an out-break of epidemic diarrhoea among the soldiers in the garrisonof Przemysl, in Galicia, and some fatal cases of Asiaticcholera are now reported from Tarnopol. This outbreak isattributed to the impurity of the water in the river Serethand to infection from the adjacent parts of Russia, whereepidemic cholera has of late years prevailed. It has notdied out there ; it has only been dormant, and has recentlymanifested itself in a sporadic form in Podolia and Volhynia.The Government has sent sanitary experts to advise as to thenecessary measures to be undertaken.

Antistreptococcic Serum.Dr. Marmorek has published in the Medicinische Wochen-

schrift further details on the streptococcus and the serum

704 VIENNA.—RUSSIA.

which is not only curative in diseases caused by this microbebut prophylactic as well. As a result of many experimentsit has been shown that this coccus may be cultivated in amixture of two parts of human serum and one part of pep-tonised bouillon and will maintain its virulence, which maybe augmented by a continual passage through the system ofrabbits, a dose of 0’000,000,000,01 c.c. (hardly containingmore than one streptococcus) being sufficient to kill a rabbitin a short time with symptoms of septicaemia. Some investi-gators have already succeeded in immunising animals againstthis microbe by both sterilised and living cultures, the latterproducing a higher degree of immunity. The scrum is to betaken not earlier than four weeks after the last injection. Its

prophylactic energy may be judged from the quantity necessaryto immunise a rabbit weighing from 1500 to 1800 grammesagainst a tenfold quantity of the lethal dose. The serum hasbeen used in numerous diseases caused by the streptococcus-namely, erysipelas (423 cases with a mortality of 3’87 percent.), angina, phlegmon, and other septic processes. The

patient’s general condition was advantageously influenced, thetemperature being lower and the redness, swelling, and albu-minuria being less. In the gravest cases a dose of 20 c.cwas injected, followed by 10 c.c. next day, the maximumdose amounting to 120 c.c. Among seven cases of puerperalfever no death occurred, whereas it was given without benefitin cases which were complicated with bacterium coli. Verygratifying results have also been obtained in cases of

phlegmon and of pseudo-membranous angina caused by thestreptococcus.

Suicide in Vienna.

According to returns made by the Central StatisticalCommission the number of suicides in Vienna during1689-1893 amounted to 1254, equivalent to a rate of3’2 per 10,000 of the population. Among’ the corre-

sponding returns of some other Continental towns may bementioned Paris with 3’6, Brussels with 3’29, Berlin with2’98, Munich with 1-98, and Breslau with 3-91 per 10,000 ofthe population. During the seven preceding quinquennialperiods 360 cases of suicide occurred in 1854-1858, 367 in1859-1863, 565 in 1864-1868, 631 in 1869-1873, 1020 in 1874-1878, 1129 in 1879-1883, and 1196 in 1884-1888. Among 100cases of suicide 77 were men and 23 were women. Adoles-cents appear to have every year more frequent recourse tothis method of terminating their real or supposed miseries,the highest rate being registered at the age of sixteen totwenty-five years. Among 100 suicides 32-5 ended theirdays by hanging, 23’5 by pistol shots, 22-4 by poisoning,and 5-8 by drowning. With respect to the poisons, cyanideof potassium was resorted to in 12’7 per cent. of the cases,caustic lye in 22’7 per cent., phosphorus in 26-1 per cent., andsulphuric acid in 7-2 per cent. As for seasonal distribution, the proportions were: in January 8-5 per cent., in February7-6 per cent., in March 8-9 per cent., in April 9’1 per cent., in May 10’5 per cent., in June 8’7 per cent., in July 8’1 percent., in August 7’2 per cent., in September 7-4 per cent., inQ,ctober 8’3 per cent., in November 7’8 per cent., and in December 7’9 per cent.

The Inebriates .Bill.

The Minister of Justice has at last submitted the InebriatesBill to Parliament. The medical profession has for a longtime urged that the existing laws for dealing with inebriatesshould be strengthened; it has also long advocated theabsolute exclusion of inebriates from lunatic asylums, wherethey are disturbing elements by reason of their mental superio-rity. Preceding Governments did not attend to these recom-mendations ; on the contrary, in Galicia, which is a hotbed ofalcoholism, it has not infrequently happened that clergy-men and other persons who commented on this vicehave ’been reprimanded on the ground that the interestsof the distillers might thereby be injured. Thanks to theendeavours of the present Government this difficulty isnow apparently overcome, and Austria will have asylumsfor inebriates such as already exist in Great Britain, in theUnited States, in Sweden, and in Switzerland. Accordingto the Bill these asylums are to be established either by theState, the province, or the municipality. Detention may beeither voluntary or compulsory, but voluntary inmates willnot be allowed to leave the asylum at their own option. The

compulsory cases will include those who have by theirdrunkenness brought themselves more than thrice into thepolice-courts within the last year, drunkards convalescentfrom mental disease, and those persons who without anymental disease endanger their own interests and those of

their family by drunkenness. The inebriates are tobe dis-charged in the event of a reversal of their sentences or aftera three years’ residence in the asylum. They may also be.liberated upon trial after the lapse of one year. The Bill,moreover, provides for punitive measures against attemptsto frustrate the successful working of the asylums.

Lunacy Statistics in Lower Austria.According to the report of the Provincial Government of’

Lower Austria, the number of lunatics at present amounts to,2636. Of these, 932 are in Vienna, 196 in Langenlois, 541 inYbbs, 487 in Kierling, 407 in Klosterneuburg, and 73 inModling. Among the 498 male patients detained in theVienna Asylum there are 60 officers, 1 lawyer, 3 architects,5 writers, 5 professors, 2 clergymen, 7 merchants, 340 work.men, 19 farmers, 33 servants, 2 foresters, and 21 of nodefinite occupation.

Sept. 4th. ______________

RUSSIA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Jenner Centenary in Russia.IN connexion with the centenary of the introduction of

vaccination, which is to be commemorated next year,l theRussian National Health Society offers four prizes for the-best literary work upon small-pox and vaccination, under the-following conditions. The essays may relate either, firstly,to the general question of small-pox and vaccination, or,secondly, to the technique of vaccination itself. Under the-first heading are mentioned: (a) text-books on vaccination;.(b) historical, medico-geographical, and medico-statisticalworks ; (c) clinical, pathological, bacteriological, or chemicalinvestigations ; and (d) popular works on the utility ofvaccination. Under the second heading are mentioned :(a) essays on the preparation of vaccine lymph and the bestmethods of preserving and transmitting it ; (b) new sug-gestions as to the best forms of instruments used for-vaccinating man and animals ; and (c) suggestions for amodel vaccination institute. Authors are not limited to anyone of the above, and other aspects of the subject may betreated of in the essays. The essays may be written in.either Russian, French, German, or English ; they may be inmanuscript or print, but must not have been printed anterior:to May 2nd (14th), 1894. They must be sent in not later-than March 2nd (14th), 1896, addressed to the Council of theRussian National Health Society, Dmitrovski PereoulokNo. 15, St. Petersburg. Authors may sign their own namesor may write over a pseudonym, in which case they must,send their own names in a sealed envelope. The first prizewill be a gold medal and 1000 roubles (100 guineas approxi-mately) ; the second and third, gold medals ; and the fourth, asilver medal. The essays will be judged by a special com-mission and the results announced on the day of the.-centenary, May 2nd (14th), 1896.

Russian M1lsltrooms.

Mushrooms are found in immense quantities in the Russianforests. They form not only an important item in the dietof the peasant, but are also a considerable article of trade.There are some places, such as Vilkovishki (on the main line-between Berlin and St. Petersburg), the inhabitants of whichexist entirely by the sale of mushrooms. Kargopol again:sends yearly to St. Petersburg as many as 5000 poods (a pood:is thirty-six English pounds) of the fungi, representing inmoney value some thousands of pounds. M. Nadson recentlyread a very interesting lecture at the Botanical Gardensin St. Petersburg throwing much light upon the whole-subject, particularly as to the differences between edible andpoisonous forms of mushrooms. Fortunately, the poisonousforms are comparatively rare in Russia; but here, as else-where, there is no golden rule to distinguish them from theharmless. The lecturer mentioned an enormous number ofvarieties of both kinds ; the most fatal seems to be the’’ pale poganka "; cases of poisoning from this form of toad-stool have a mortality of 75 per cent. In Siberia theSamoyeds, Ostiaks, and Kamtchaclales have long known theintoxicating properties of, one form of mushroom-the’’m1Iklwmor. Sometimes alone, sometimes mixed with thejuice of a certain berry (the golllbika), they make from it an

1 THE LANCET, Aug. 10th, 1895.