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supposition contradicted by pre-antiseptic experience. Thisvolume of Reports incidentally shows that faith in "Listerism"is certainly the faith of the future at Guy’s.

New Inventions.PISTON FOR SYRINGES AND PUMPS.

THIS is an arrangement patentedby Messrs. John Weiss and Sons,which obviates the inconvenience

attending the use of syringes fittedwith ordinary pistons. No packingis required in the special construc-tion adopted. The end or suckerconsists of a cup-shaped or cylindri-cal disc of vulcanite, which resiststhe action of liquids, and does notbecome dry. There is consequentlyno danger of the end of the pistonfailing to fit tightly in the tube, andso acting imperfectly. The free edgeof the vulcanite disc is very thin,and sufficiently elastic to secure avacuum. The principle of construc-

jo tion is applicable to pumps of all

; kindc, and will be readily under-stood on reference to the accom-

Z panying woodcut. Fig. 1 shows anhypodermic syringe of the new

pattern, Fig. 2 the piston on a largescale. The instrument submitted

to us is of admirable make, and thearrangement described commendsitself as likely to attain the full

advantages claimed for it. The in-

genuity of the contrivance will beappreciated; but the practical pointgained is that there will be no

danger of leakage, or of the passageof air through any interspace between the piston and thetube.

A SIMPLE OPHTHALMOSCOPE.THE instrument figured in the accompanying sketch (to 2

scale of one-third) is manufactured by Messrs. R. and J. Beck,of London and Philadelphia, from designs and instructiomof Mr. Charles Bader, of Guy’s Hospital. The focal lengthof the glass mirror is seven inches, and either 1’4" or 1’5"

English (35 mm. or 38 mm.) in diameter. The mirror is n01

perforated, but has a sight hole of ’15" (4 mm). The frame.work is of vulcanite, and carries a ledge at back to receivethe lenses of the ordinary trial cases. The back of themirror is dull black, to avoid troublesome reflection, and theobject lens supplied has a focus of 2’25 inches (57 mm.)With a little practice the nature and degree of the various

forms of ametropia are almost as quickly recognised withthis simple ophthalmoscope as with more complicated instru-ments. Its other advantages are extreme lightness, its

portability, and the facility for using the lenses of the trialcase for corrections, instead of the more or less bulkyarrangements of many pocket ophthalmoscopes.

HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS.FOURTH WEEK OF 1880.

THE severe cold of last week caused a further markedincrease of mortality. In twenty of the largest Englishtowns, estimated to contain in the middle of this year sevenmillions and a half of persons, or nearly a third of the entirepopulation of England and Wales, 5110 births and 4264 deathswere registered during last week. The births were 75 below,whereas the deaths were no less than 989 above, the averageweekly numbers during 1879. The deaths showed a furtherincrease of 523 upon the numbers returned in the two pre.ceding weeks, and the annual death-rate, which had been24’2 and 26’0 in the two previous weeks, further rose lastweek to 29’7. The lowest death-rates in the twenty townslast week were 16’5 in Wolverhampton, 21 in Portsmouth,,21’4 in Sheineld, and 24-1 in Bradford. The rates in theother towns ranged upwards to 31-3 in London, 31’7 inLiverpool, 320 in Plymouth, 32’3 in Salford, 34-9 in Man-chester, and 35’2 in Liverpool.The deaths in the twenty towns referred to the seven

principal zymotic diseases, which had been 519 and 544 inthe two previous weeks, further rose last week to 600 ; theyincluded 273 from whooping-cough, 127 from scarlet fever,110 from measles, and 39 from fever, principally enteric.Whooping-cough showed the largest proportional fatality inSalford, Plymouth, and London; measles in Hull, Plymouth,Nottingham and Leicester ; and scarlet fever in 1’orwichand Sunderland. Of the 17 deaths referred to diphtheria inthe twenty towns, 10 occurred in London, and 3 in nirming-ham. Small-pox caused 12 more deaths in London and inits outer ring of suburban districts, but not one in any ofthe nineteen large provincial towns. The fatal cases ofsmall-pox in London were more numerous than in any weeksince the beginning of July last. The number of small-poxpatients in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals, which badbeen 75 and 84 at the end of the two preceding weeks, were80 on Saturday last; during the week 22 new cases of small-pox were admitted to these hospitals, against 8 and 21 in thetwo nrevious weeks.

0

Under the influence of the severe cold the fatality of lungdiseases showed a further marked increase. The deaths re-ferred to diseases of the respiratory organs in London, whichhad been 455, 512, and 559 in the three preceding weeks,further rose to 757 last week, and exceeded the correctedweekly average by 341, or no less than 82 per cent. ; 531 re-sulted from bronchitis, and 149 from pneumonia. The deathsfrom these diseases were equal to an annual rate of 10’8 per1000 of the population in London ; in Liverpool the rate fromthe same diseases was equal to 11’2 per 1000.

THE USE OF MOLASSES AS AN ANTI-SCORBUTIC.

I To the Editor of THE LANCET.‘ SIR,-Tlie suggestion made by Mr. Cullimore in your im.

pression of this week, that molasses or treacle should beadded to the dietary of those suffering from famine inIreland, may possibly, I think, prove useful. In my article on"Scorbutus" " (Reynolds’s System of Medicine, 1866) I re-ferred in the following terms to the experience of the Con-federate Army during the American ’Val’ :-" Syrup fromthe Chinese sugar-cane (sorghum), abundantly manufacturedin the last two years of the war, was issued as a ration withdecided benefit. When badly made it is liable to fermentation and deranges the bowels ; yet even in this condition itwas of great service in scorbutic cases, as was also theextracted juice before being boiled."

I cannot, however, subscribe to Mr. Cullimore’s opinionthat "the antiscorbutic property of the potato is due to thelarge quantity of sugar it contains."0

Yours faithfully,Grosvenor-street, February, 1880. THOMAS BUZZARD.

WICKLOW GAOL.-As this prison will be closedon the 31st March, the services of the medical officer will bedispensed with and his claim to superannuation considered.The gaol will be converted into a bridewell.

THOMAS BUZZARD.