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beds in the hospital had gone down from 22 to 20., Variousvotes of thanks were passed.

Hospital Saturday Convalescent Homes.The ninth annual reunion of those who have been patients

at the Hospital Saturday Fund Convalescent Homes atLlandudno was held at the Town Hall on April lst. It was stated that 11,535 patients had passed through the homes.They were supported entirely by the working ,men andwomen of the city after they had presented an annual sum of10,000 to help to carry on the work of the hospitals in thetown. The homes were declared to be unique. They wereopen first to regular subscribers, but if there were any beds tospare the committee sent down any who were in need ofchange of air, good food, and rest to restore them to healthand strength. An organ recital, a concert by the CityPolice Band, lime-light views, &c., made up an admirableprogramme for an evening which was well spent and muchenjoyed.

The Housing of the Poor.It is an acknowledged fact that a large number of the

poorest classes live under conditions which are absolutelyunhealthy and immoral. Attention has lately been givenby philanthropic citizens to the methods best adaptedfor the relief of those who suffer so much. It is shown thatin this city the poor live in self-contained houses, in tenementhouses, and in common lodging-houses, and that thoughmuch has been done by the Health’ Committee towardsgetting insanitary property condemned as unfit for habita-tion, or properly and adequately cleaned and limewashed,there is still a vast amount to be done. Some legal resultsare likely to follow the publication of some articles uponthis subject reflecting upon the duties and action of themedical officer of health of the city.April 16th.

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LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN. CORRESPONDENT.)

Sir John T. Brunner and the Eyesight of School-children.SlE JOHN T. BRUNNER, Barb., M.P., is showing a practical

interest in, and sympathy with, school-children sufferingfrom strabismus. He has offered to provide schools withspectacles to alleviate this defect. The offer applies to allelementary schools, board and voluntary alike, in the North-wich parliamentary division.

The City Council and the British Congress on Tuberculosis.The Corporation of Liverpool have voted 100 guineas

towards the expenses of the British Congress on Tuberculosiswhich is to be held in London in July.

The Annual Report of the Head Constable.A perusal of the annual report of the head constable

reveals a decrease of crime in the city. Crimes of violence(murders, woundings, &c.) numbered only 135, being threeless than the very small number in the previous year andexactly one half of the number recorded five years ago. Casesof drunkenness were slightly in excess of last year, thenumbers being 4180 as against 4069 in the year 1899. The

progressive decrease in cases of drunkenness is shown bythe reduction of the number of convictions for that offencesince the year 1895, which then reached 5505. Proceedingswere taken against 3152 persons for breaches of sanitary laws.There are six fully-equipped police horse ambulances at work,four of which ara stationed at the leading hospitals ; theservices of the ambulances were required 2056 times lastyear. 1673 constables hold certificates from the St. JohnAmbulance Association, 1030 of whom have also receivedmedallions. The police rendered first aid in 671 emergencies;splints were applied in 155 cases, bandages in 336 cases, andtourniquets in 11 instances. Artificial respiration was

resorted to in 22 cases, whilst emetics were administered 25times. Other first aid involved 122 cases. 431 constablesreceived special commendation from medical men forvaluable first aid. The police were the means of restoring 3060lost children to their parents. 1636 cases of insufficientlyclothed children were inquired into by the police and reportedupon to the Liverpool Police-aided Clothing Association. 67lunatics were taken charge of by the police. The Order ofSt. John of Jerusalem in England conferred their silvermedal for bravery in saving life on land upon one constable.

The medal was presented by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales,Grand Prior of the Order, at Marlborough House on July llthlast. The Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society haveconferred medals on 12 members of the force besides votesof thanks to other constables. The total number of firesattended during the year was 790, as against 882 in theprevious year. The authorised strength of the brigade con-sists of 52 permanent firemen together with 360 auxiliaryfiremen (police constables), all of whom are trained menand are regularly drilled in the use of fire appliances, &c.

Appointments at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary.The vacant post of honorary physician to the Liverpool

Royal Infirmary has been filled by the appointment of Dr.T. R. Bradshaw, the senior assistant physician. During thelast few years Dr. Bradshaw has published original workwith regard to the condition to which he had given the nameof myelopathic albumosuria, a disease which was quiteunknown to the profession until he made known his observa.tions on the subject. A keen contest is anticipated forthe vacant post of honorary assistant physician to theRoyal Infirmary. There are already nine candidates in thefield, all of whom possess qualifications of a high order.Five of the candidates are assistant editors of the Thompson-Yates laboratories reports and have been largely engaged inpathological work.April 16th.

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SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Scottish Vital Statistics.FROM the statistics for March it appears that the mortality

was at the annual rate of 14’5 deaths per 1000 persons inPerth, 16-1 in Leith, 17.9 in Aberdeen, 19-9 in Greenock,20’0 in Dundee, 20’5 in Paisley, 22’1 in Edinburgh, and 23’2in Glasgow. Of the total 2968 deaths 1039, or 35 per cent.,were of children under five years of age. Miasmatic diseasesaccounted for 13-3 per cent. of the total deaths. Whooping-cough has the most fatal epidemic influence ; it caused noless than 6’0 of the total number of deaths. Small-pox wasresponsible for 74 deaths ; all of these with one exception(in Paisley) occurred in Glasgow. During the previousmonth the deaths from small-pox numbered 57-inGlasgow 54, in Paisley two, and in Aberdeen one.

Measles caused 53 deaths, diphtheria 22, scarlet fever 16,enteric fever 20, typhus fever two, and puerperal fever eight.13 deaths were registered as due to alcohol, 12 of these beingattributed to chronic alcoholism and one to delirium tremens.The deaths certified as due to phthisis pulmonalis numbered252, or 8 per cent. of the total; other diseases of the

respiratory organs (excluding whooping-cough) caused deathin 613 instances-a percentage on the total deaths of 20-7per cent. The deaths from violent causes numbered 96 andincluded a suicide by cut-throat and one by coal-gas poison-ing. Five males and four females were aged 90 years or

upwards ; one of these, a widow, had reached the age of99 years.

Glasgow Ophthalmic Institution.The annual report of this institution, which is now con-

ducted as a branch of the Royal Infirmary, has just beenissued. It affords evidence of the increasing usefulness ofthe institution and would appear to show that advantage hasfollowed union with a larger organisation. The increase inthe number of patients compared with the previous yearreaches 10 per cent., and the cliniques conducted by Dr.Maitland Ramsay and Dr. J. Rowan have attracted a con-siderable attendance of students. Indeed, it has been foundnecessary to extend the class-room accommodation and tomake provision for students in attendance on the out-patient department. During the year the electric lighthas been introduced throughout the whole hospital, to thegreat advantage both of patients and staff. A Roentgen-rayapparatus and a large electro-magnet have also been supplied,and Dr. John Gilchrist has been appointed electrician incharge of these departments. The operating theatre hasbeen entirely remodelled and fitted up in accordance withthe requirements of modern surgery. It is to be known infuture as the Overtoun operating theatre in acknowledgmentof the fact that its present complete condition is due to thegenerosity of Lord Overtoun. The ophthalmoscopic .room