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IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Dublin Sanitary A ssoctation.THE council met on the 31st ult. at the offices of the asso-

ciation, and after the final consideration of the Local Govern-ment Bill decided to make representations to the Chief

Secretary of Ireland on the subject of the appointment ofsanitary officers on county councils.

The Irish University Question.A manifesto has been issued by the authorities of the

Irish Presbyterian Church in which they re-affirm their viewsthat the non-sectarian system of education is the systembest adapted to the circumstances of the country andprotest against any re-arrangement of Irish Universityeducation which would endow, through higher educa-tion, the Roman Catholic religion or set up a universityor college for one denomination. They review fullythe various solutions of the vexed questions of uni-versity education in Ireland, such as (1) the recon-

struction of the Dublin University, making it the one

national university of Ireland ; (2) a Roman CatholicCollege affiliated to the Dublin University ; (3) a RomanCatholic College in connexion with the Royal University ;(4) two universities in Ireland, a Roman Catholic Univer-sity, with the Dublin University made the one university forall Irish Protestants; and (5) three universities in Ireland,the Roman Catholic University, the Dublin University, and anorthern university, or the Royal University, reconstructedto meet the wants of Presbyterians. Rumours are stillcurrent in Ireland that Mr. A. J. Balfour is anxious to settlethe question of university education in Ireland, but manyfeel he will have a very difficult task before him.

Londonderry Lunatic Asylum.At a meeting of the Coleraine Board of Guardians held on

April 2nd the following resolutions were passed :—" 1. Thatfrom the report of Dr. Hetherington, resident medicalsuperintendent of Londonderry Lunatic Asylum, it appearsthat there are 456 patients in it, all in the enjoyment of goodhealth, and should the Local Government Bill for Ireland Ireceive the sanction of the British Parliament there cannotbe a doubt that one of the workhouses of the county could ’,be obtained for an auxiliary asylum, which without anydifficulty would provide accommodation for more than one-half the inmates of .the present asylum. 2. In the event ofone-half of the inmates being transferred we can see noreason whatever for the erection of a new asylum and wewould protest against a moribund body, such as the Boardof Control, exercising the power of laying oppressivetaxation on the ratepayers of this county (Derry ?) by theerection of an expensive and unnecessary asylum. 3. As weunderstand that no contracts have been entered into we

hope the chief secretary will take further steps to preventthe Board of Control from proceeding further in the matterand we would entreat him to take powers under the LocalGovernment Bill to amalgamate unions and take over thecontrol of the lunatic asylums, paying all expenses con-nected with them from the Imperial Exchequer." There isa very strong feeling that owing to the heavy way in whichCounty Derry is taxed at present, and also from the circum-stance that the new Local Government Bill will provide forauxiliary asylums by utilising some of the workhouses,further provision for lunatics in new asylums should not bemade at present. Another reason urged against the newDerry asylum is that it will be situated at one end of thecounty. I am afraid, however, that matters have gone toofar (the ground for the new asylum being bought) to stopthe erection of the new building.

The late Mr. Henry Bingham, 1.D., B. U.LIt is with very sincere regret that I announce the death

of this well-known Belfast medical practitioner, which tookplace at his residence in that city early on Tuesday morning,March 29th, at the age of fifty years, from cardiac asthma.His death, as he had only been ailing for a short time, cameas a surprise to the public, but not to his intimate friendsin the medical profession, to whom it was well knownthat for several years he was suffering from a graduallyadvancing heart affection. Dr. Bingham was born atCrossgar, co. Down, fifty years ago. He was for several

years engaged in teaching most successfully in Belfast.but having a taste for the medical profession he enteredQueen’s College, Belfast, where he was a very success-

ful student, and graduated M.D. of the old Queen’s (nowthe Royal) University in 1878, and in 1893 he be-came a L.R.C.S.Edin. He also studied at the LondonHospital. Beginning practice nineteen years ago in Mount-pottinger, on the south side of the river which dividesBelfast, he rapidly, by his sterling abilities, genial dis-position, and extreme kindliness, gained a very largercl2eytelc. He was at the late local Belfast municipaÞelections nominated for one of the wards and, althoughunsuccessful, he polled a very large number of votes. Hisfriends feared that to one like him with a damaged heartthe excitement of such a contest was very prejudicial. Dr.Bingham was greatly respected by his medical brethren andwas a member of Council of the Ulster Medical Society. Hewas buried on March 31st, his funeral being very largelyattended by his medical friends. Several of those inpractice in his ow.n district acted as pall-bearers. Heleaves a widow and one son (who is studying at Qaeen’aCollege). Dr. Bingham was a very great favourite both withthe public and with the medical profession. He was an

Irishman to the tips of his fingers, genial, kindly, social,and humorous, and ready always to help those in difficulties.It is given to few men to be more popular than the lateHenry Bingham was.April 4th.

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BERLIN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Orthoform.ORTHOFOBM, a new antiseptic and anaesthetic compound

obtained by Dr. Einhorn, has been tried in the surgicalpolyclinic of Munich, by Dr. Kallenberger, who in his reportcommunicated to the Berliner Klinische Wochensekrift say&that it is a fine white powder, not hygroscopic and verylittle soluble in water. It is quite harmless to the animalorganism, as injections of from 4 to 6 grammes given to-animals did not produce any toxic symptoms and external’applications of 60 grammes in a week had no ill effect on thahuman subject. Its anae3thetic value is proved by the factthat the ends of the nerves with which it comes into contactare rendered insensible. By its want of solubility it isunable to act through the skin or through the mucousmembranes, but it has a marked anesthetic action inwounds, burns, ulcers, &c. Its effect is of much longerduration than is that of cocaine, which, owing tits solubility, is easily absorbed. Orthoform is also a

powerful antiseptic. Pieces of rabbit’s muscle sprinkledwith it did not show any putrefaction. It has been used ina great many surgical cases with successful results. Itanaesthetic action developed in from three to five minutesand was perceptible after thirty-five hours-in some instance9even after four days. To ascertain whether the anaesthesia.was really due to the orthoform it was several times givenalternatively with other substances, such as iodoform,boric acid, &c., the effect being that the patients whc>hitherto had not complained of any pain at once began to>feel it. Orthoform has the power of diminishing the dis.charge from wounds. If required it may be applied in theform of ointment, especially to burns. Dr. Kallenbergerdescribes the effects produced by its use in several cases ofwounds, carcinomatous and syphilitic ulcerations, and bnrns,He mentions that applied after the extraction of teeth it isa good anaesthetic, and he suggests that it may supply theplace of morphia after accidents.

An Outbreak of Enteric Fever.Last February enteric fever of an extremely severe type

suddenly appeared among the men of the regiment ofinfantry in garrison at Saarbrucken in Rhenish Prussia,attacking nearly 300 men within a few days, and provingfatal to 33 of them. The barracks being of recent con.struction and provided with modern hygienic arrange-ments it was at first a matter of surprise to the medicalofficers of the garrison to see the epidemic spread in such arapid way. A special commission, presided over byDr. von Coler, the chief of the Army Medical Service, andconsisting of four members of the Army Medical Depart-ment, who by special order of the Emperor were joined by