THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS AT MOSCOW

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some degree of certainty what the explosive was. Even,however, assuming that this becomes known, it will still

remain a mystery as to whether the explosive was

left designedly or accidentally in the carriage. The

results were serious enough, and have, unfortunately, led

to the death of one of the injured ; but worse might haveensued if at that moment trains had been coming and goingwith the rapidity of a busier time of the day. We sincerelyhope that the matter will not prove to be beyond elucidation,and, if the evidence points to outrage, that the scoundrelwho perpetrated it may be tracked and dealt with as such ascoundrel deserves.

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THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESSAT MOSCOW.rB1

WE desire to impress upon the attention of our readers thestatement made in our columns last week-namely, that theRussian railways have most generously decided to grant freepasses on the railways to members of the Congress. This

piece of courtesy will greatly reduce the expense of a visitto Moscow, and we hope will induce many members of theprofession to attend the Congress who might otherwise havebeen prevented on the score of expense. It is an opportunitynot to be lightly set aside, for, apart from the scientific aspectof the Congress, Moscow is one of the most interesting townsin Europe, and, moreover, unknown to the majority ofEnglishmen.

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THE PLAGUE IN INDIA.

WE are extremely glad to recognise that the latest reportsfrom Bombay on this subject are much more satisfactory.There is a still further decline of the epidemic. The

stringent measures for dealing with the disease under

the powers of the Epidemic Diseases Act, which havenow been enforced for some time, have apparently beenjustified by their success. We trust, however, that

the Indian authorities will not rest satisfied with

applying measures for limiting contagion, but that theoccurrence of this epidemic will lead them to consider whatshould be done in the way of sanitary and public healthimprovements to guard against similar occurrences in thefuture. These cost money, no doubt, but they do not cost somuch as outbreaks of epidemic plague, and they are not onlythe best safeguards we possess against that disease, butagainst all other epidemic diseases that may occur.

"PRIMARY CANCER OF THE NASO-PHARYNXCURED BY INJECTIONS OF ALCOHOL."

AN interesting case under the above heading is reported inthe New York -zvedical Record of April 17th by Dr. EdwinJ. Kuh. The patient was thirty-seven years of age and

had suffered from "nose-bleed" and nasal obstruction

accompanied by viscid discharges since childhood. The

growth was removed by operation, but in less thana month the post-nasal space was again almost

completely filled by a soft bleeding mass. Sectionsof the tumour which had been removed by operationshowed the characters of epithelial cancer, the diagnosisbeing confirmed by Professor Senn. Further surgicalinterference being considered too hazardous the neoplasmwas first injected with unfiltered erysipelas-prodigiosustoxins, from five to twelve minims being employeddaily. This treatment proving unsuccessful it was

decided to inject alcohol into the growth. At firstthree minims of absolute alcohol were used, this dose beingrapidly increased to thirty minims. I I The reduction in size

began after the seventh injection, and after the eleventh butfew remnants of the growth remained. After a dozenmore injections the needle would not penetrate into tissues capable of retainingthe alcohol, and after a few additional

attempts, at intervals of a week or longer, they were dis-continued." Some two ounces of iodide of potassium were-given during the later injections, but Dr. Kuh contends-that the drug stood in no causal relation to the disappearanceof the growth. In February, 1897, four months after thecessation of treatment, the naso-pharynx was found, bothby inspection and palpation, to be entirely free from growth.

HOSPITAL REFORM.

WRITING to the Birmingham Daily Post, Mr. Lawson Taitsays that "we [the profession] are entirely responsiblefor hospitals, and for all their faults as well as their-merits." He maintains that the medical officers of the

Birmingham Hospital could make an end of the trouble ina month. As a temporary expedient he suggests that theyshould assign 30 per cent. of their income accruing fromhospital position for the assistance of their "strugglingextra-mural brethren." We are sure the "strugglingbrethren" " would decline any such remedy. All they askfrom their hospital colleagues is to use their influence torestrict the benefits of hospital treatment to those who needit and cannot afford to pay for it. Neither is it of any useto lay the whole blame on hospital honorary officers. Th&committees and governors of hospitals are equal or greaterculprits. Our contemporary’s pages are devoted to a discus-sion of the whole question of hospital abuse and contain.many letters which we have not space to notice at present.

THE ATTEMPT ON KING HUMBERT’S LIFE.

FOR the second time within nineteen years an attempt has.been made on the life of the King of Italy. The first-that.of Passanante-was political in its motive ; the second-thatof Acciarito-was prompted by misery. This latter pro-vocative of crime is, unhappily, an increasing one in theItalian kingdom. Hardness of living, with all its attendant

evils, becomes year by year a more terrible reality within itsborders till it inspires excesses which the law is powerlessto prevent. To avoid death by starvation the unemployedartisan will qualify for the prison, where at least he

will be fed, with a roof over him and a bed to lie on. "I I

had nothing to eat and had to do something," was the

sullen, cynical answer of Acciarito to his interrogators.Surely there must be " something rotten in the state " wherewould-be Acciaritos may be counted by thousands. To poseas a great Power, to maintain a colossal standing army anda formidable fleet, to attempt colonial expansion, and to

carry its "sphere of influence" " to the Antipodes may bejustifiable in a nation rich in natural resources and strongin character and tradition ; but it is at least premature inone which has barely passed its majority, whose resources,.abundant by nature, require all its energies to develop, andto whom self-government, by its very unfamiliarity, is.

infinitely more expensive than to its maturer and more-

skilfully regulated neighbours. Italy must alter her tackand trim her sails to other winds if she is to escape ship--wreck, aggravated by mutiny on board. The recent generalelections have given her rulers a hint in that sense whichthey cannot ignore. In every constituency-nowhere morethan in Turin, the cradle of her monarchy, Milan the centre-of her enterprise, and Florence the seat of her culture-the Socialist vote was multiplied beyond all European orTransatlantic precedent. True, that vote was given infavour of candidates exceptionally conspicuous for enlighten-ment, public spirit, and familiarity with the nation’s wants.The majority of those whom it returned were medical men oholders of university chairs, whose one aim in enteringParliament was to ameliorate the masses and reducethat hardness of living which is the fruitful parent of-

; crime. These men are society’s best friends, having no,