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matter in reply thereto. If the general opinion isin favour of an association being founded a pre-liminary meeting formally to discuss matters inconnexion therewith could easily be called. Suchan association as I suggest has, I believe, alreadybeen formed in Ireland.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,J. T. CROWE,

Tuberculosis Medical Officer for Leicestershire.Leicester, March 17th, 1914.

THE WASSERMANN REACTION.To the -Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-The public health committee of the boroughof Wimbledon have made arrangements for the

carrying out of the Wassermann reaction on behalfof the residents in the district. I am afraid that Dr.L. C. Parkes’s arrangements at Chelsea, as set forth inhis letter in THE LANCET of Nov. 29th, 1913, would,to a certain extent, defeat his objects, as he demandsthat the name of the patient shall be supplied. Myauthority have agreed that no names shall be

supplied, so that there shall be no question of

anything being revealed. In order to get over thedifficulty of Section 133 of the Public Health Actthe practitioners are asked to certify (1) that thepatient on whose behalf the Wassermann test isbeing made is a, resident within the borough, and(2) that the patient is not in a position to pay thefee for such examination. Thus I think there willbe no difficulty which might be encountered if thepatients feared that their names were to be givento a third party.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

EDWIN H. NASH,Wimbledon, March 14th, 1914. Medical Officer of Health.

EDWIN H. NASH,4. Medical Officer of Health.

ACUTE SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA INSCARLET FEVER.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-May I ask through the medium of yourcolumns for an answer to an important point asregards the infectivity of the pus from the ears of achild suffering from suppurative otitis of scarletfever ? Is this discharge permanently infective andliable as long as it lasts to convey scarlet fever toanother person ? If not, for how long does such aninfectivity last ? and when may it be said to be safeto allow a child out of quarantine, though it stillhas a discharge from the ears ?

I venture to think that a clear and authoritativeanswer to these questions would help many practi-tioners besides myself.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,March 16th, 1914. JOHN MACKERN, M.D. Cantab.JOHN MACKERN, M.D. Cantab.

THE TREATMENT OF WARTS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,-In Home and Foreign Notes of the currentissue of THE LANCET your Budapest correspondentdetails a " new" method of treating warts. Ihave been employing the method (prolonged cover-ing with rubber plaster) for warts and corns

for at least eight years, and the idea whichoriginated it explains the mode of action. Eightyears ago I had my first Turkish bath, andnoted the excessive maceration of the epidermisunder the influence-of prolonged perspiration. Ihad then a very painful corn on the sole of my foot,and next day subjected it to prolonged perspirationby applying a star of three little strips of "Z.O."

surrounded by a corn ring. Reapplication con-

tinuously for three weeks brought out the wholecorn in a "wash leather" state, and it has neverrecurred.And this " stewing in its own juice " is the least

painful as well as the most certain cure for hardcorns (and warts). Silver nitrate is the mostcertain cure for soft corns.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,March 13th, 1914.

_________________

M.B.

THE NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—I wish to explain why, at the conferenceof Local Medical and Panel Committees held inLondon on Friday, March 13th, I asked thatMotion 29 on the agenda should contain an

expression of opinion that medical refereesappointed under the Insurance Act should be non-panel practitioners. In a small area like the Isleof Wight there is not enough work for a whole-time appointment, and doubtless this is the case inmany other areas. I take it that in every suclLarea there are non-panel practitioners in touchwith the local profession who would gladly do thework entailed providing the conditions are satis-factory ; such men would be more independent intheir judgment and better able to give an unbiasedopinion. Also it is, to my mind, important at this.juncture not to widen the breach between the

panel and non-panel practitioners. The latter-are constantly saying that the Insurance Acthas nothing to do with them, and therefore:that it is futile for them to belong to variouabodies set up under the Act. Why shouldnot this opening be taken to prove that this is.not the case ? Undoubtedly they will be re-

quired in other capacities in the future under theAct as it develops, and I think it is only right to.take the first opportunity to further a more

sympathetic attitude between panel and non-panelmen.

As the chairman of the conference would notlisten to what I wanted to point out, and as hewould not accept the alteration I suggested in thewording of the motion, I think it is only due to.

myself and my committees to send this letter to.THE LANCET, hoping you may find space for it.

T H.rn Cir. VOll’l’1õI fa,ithfillv_

J. W. PRIDMORE,Honorary Secretary to the Isle of Wight Local Medical

and Panel Committees.Ryde, I.W., March 16th, 1914.

A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IN DIET.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,-What effect has cooking on the vitamines?I do not know what they may be, but it is mybusiness to give advice on diets, and I learn (a) thatthey are essential, and (b) that they are destroyedby cooking. Therefore I think the title to this noteis justified. I am, Sir, yours faithfully,London, March 19th. L’’IVIS.

* We have re-stated the question in an annotation,hoping that some physiologist may assist us to reply.—ED.L.

AN AGED COUNTESS.-The death of theCountess of Devon, in her 100th year, is announced atCheltenham. It may be recalled that there is at least onecase on record of a titled lady having lived for more thana century-namely, the old Countess of Desmond, whodied in 1604 at the reputed age of 140. ,