1377

which would be saved for drinking, cooking, and

.cleansing purposes ? ? On the face of it, it is an absurd

piece of extravagance that the same water which we

drink, and which, therefore, is purified with great care,should be used for the mere conveyance of sewage, and

thereby immediately grossly contaminated. Further, it is

also evident that, if sea water were used in our sewers, an

important aid to the detection of sewage contamination ofwater-supplies and to the establishment of leakage would beafforded, since obviously a preponderance of saline mattercould be easily ascertained by chemical analysis, whichwould decide the question of pollution. Again, sea water-serves to arrest the putrefactive processes for a time, andacts very prejudicially on the germ of typhoid fever, so thatit is probable that the offensive and unhealthy character ofsewer emanations would be favourably modified. All these

are facts which should lead us to consider the scheme of sea-water supply to the metropolis with very great care, for theproposal has, we venture to think, a much more importantbearing on public affairs and London’s future history thanat first sight appears.

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ENLARGEMENT OF THE CHALFONT COLONY

FOR EPILEPTICS.

ON Tuesday last a new home to accommodate eighteenmale epileptics was formally opened by the Duke andDuchess of Devonshire. The cost of erecting the home hasbeen defrayed by Mr. Passmore Edwards, and it will becalled by his name ; and it was announced that he has also,generously undertaken the erection at his own expense of ahome and school for epileptic children. The committeehave already in hand the addition of a home to accom-

modate a score of epileptic women, and a laundry in whichthey may be employed, so that it will be seen that thescheme has already passed the experimental stage ; and thesatisfactory results obtained, and the number of applicantsstill awaiting admission, indicate that further extension ofthe operations of the society will be required before long.The colony was opened in July, 1894, with nine colonists. In

August of this year the committee were able to take thirty-six, and it is probable that by this time next year the

numbers will be doubled. The colonists have been employedmainly at market gardening, and a few of them at occupa-tions, such as carpentering, which they followed before theiradmission. Lack of funds has up to the present hinderedthe provision of other employments such as basket-making,netting, rope-making, &c., which will provide more varietyand allow more scope for differences of capacity on the partof individual colonists. Hitherto there has been no medical

man resident at the colony, but the committee have most,prudently determined to erect a building for a residentmedical officer, with a residence of such a character thatpatients of a superior class may be taken, whose

payments at a higher rate may cover the extra cost

to the colony. No one who knows anything of the

.accidents, the occasional explosive outbursts of mental

excitement which are sure to arise from time to timein such an institution, will question the urgent necessity ofhaving a medical officer of experience on the spot. Themedical reports on the working of the colony show that withimprovement in the colonists’ surroundings there has not onlybeen extraordinary improvement in their physical health,,but a definite amelioration of the disease-fits have been less

frequent and less severe in almost all cases, and except in.a few instances mental deterioration has been arrested.The healthy out-door life, abundance of plain food andfresh vegetables, and steady occupation have no doubt

largely to do with the result; but we understand that in-all cases the physicians have found it necessary tocontinue treatment by drugs. Not a single case of

serious illness apart from epilepsy has occurred amongthe colonists. But to equip the colony properly a

large amount of money must still be expended, andthe constant expenditure for maintenance is a severe strainon the resources of the institution. We hope that the

eloquence of the Duke of Devonshire and the example ofMr. Passmore Edwards will result in a most liberal responsefrom the wealthy members of the community. We have oftencommended the enterprise in these columns as deserving ofpublic confidence and support. The executive committee is

composed not only of ladies and gentlemen well known forphilanthropic enterprise, but also of such representativemedical men as Sir James Crichton Browne, Sir William

Broadbent, Dr. Buzzard, Dr. Ferrier, and Dr. Tooth ; andthe visiting physicians, Dr. Fletcher Beach, Dr. Colman,and Dr. Aldren Turner, are associated with the three hos-pitals in London at which special provision is made for

epileptics. Able-bodied, sane epileptics are admitted iffound medically suitable without distinctions of creed or

locality. Forms of application can be obtained from thesecretary, Mr. G. Penn Gaskell, National Society for theEmployment of Epileptics, 12, Buckingham-street, Strand,W.C., to whom subscriptions can also be sent.

THE FRENCH SURGICAL CONGRESS.

WHEN towards the latter end of autumn the principalbusiness meeting of a congress is fixed for 8 A.M.on the morning succeeding a banquet it is scarcely to

be wondered if the attendance should be scanty. The

general assembly of the French Association of Surgerytook place under these prohibitive conditions, and so fatalwas their influence that when the officials put in an appear-ance half an hour after the appointed time only fifty-twomembers out of a possible 300 were present to inaugurate theproceedings. As may be supposed, such unbridled somno-lence on the part of the staff gave rise to a good deal ofcriticism, more or less serious. One very well-known and

witty commentator began by frankly confessing thatat the unearthly hour selected for the reunion all

self-respecting Parisians were still snug in bed, andthen gravely went on to remind the secretarial sluggardsthat punctuality is the politeness of kings. Now, of course,the ancient apophthegm may be perfectly germane in sucha connexion with our neighbours on the other side ofthe silver streak, for is there not another ancient adageregarding the better management of things in France ? Farbe it from us to so much as hint that the Gallic organisers ofcongressional functions are not the monarchs of all theysurvey ; but assuredly their congeners with us could neverjustify so regal a simile, being unfortunately more akin toslaves than sovereigns-in fact, an army of veritable martyrsto science. The subject, however, is too knotty to be dis-cussed within reasonable limits, and, moreover, the Congressdemands attention. Two candidates for the presidentship,MM. Terrier and Le Dentu, having obtained 27 and 25 votesrespectively, the latter withdrew from the contest, where-upon M. Terrier was elected almost unanimously. The

vice-presidency fell to Professor Gross of Nancy, M. Brocaremains treasurer, and the joint secretaries are MM. Baudouin,Mauclaire, Coudray, and Reblaud. The financial position ofthe Congress was shown to be most flourishing, so much so,indeed, that for the future the transactions are to be pro-duced independently instead of being, as heretofore, entrustedto an outside publisher. The business proceedings ended,Professor Bousquet of Clermont-Ferrand proposed in hisown name, as well as on behalf of several leadingmembers, that general meetings should always be held inthe afternoon ; but apparently all power is in the handsof the Conseil d’Administration, and no decision was

arrived at. Professor Bousquet also drew attention to the