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the left. The gangways are also choked up with seats. 1

There are 200 seats which cannot be left without disturbing a neighbour, and fifty-six seats where two neighbours must ! be disturbed. Even if the deputies each enjoyed sufficient Toom to sit, listen, and study in comfort, there would still remain the difficulty of ventilation, which is more com-

plicated than that of a theatre. In the latter the air is- changed by the raising of the curtain and the intervals be-tween the acts; also the performance does not last morethan three hours. In Parliaments there are no intervals, andthe sittings are of longer duration. The intake of air forthe Chamber of Deputies is in a small garden on the sideof the Boulevard St. Germain. A fan, worked by steampower, propels the air along a shaft divided into twobranches. In one of these branches is placed the warmingapparatus The hot air and the fresh air unite in athird shaft which delivers the air at the summit of the#Chamber of Deputies, and at a height varying from ten totwelve metres from the floor. In descending upon themembers it brings back to them the ascending heated andvitiated air of their respiration and of the gas-burners.

The ventilating and warming apparatus is powerful enoughtorenewthe air ten times in an hour, and to raise the tempera-ture 50° to 600 C. When the House was empty M Trelat.changed the temperature from extreme cold to suffocatingheat in a quarter of an hour. But when the deputies areseated the faus can only be worked very slowly, as other-wise the draughts would be insupportable. Experience,shows that the stronger the draught the more necessary it

’ is to increase the warmth of the air delivered. Thus, at the.commencement of a sitting the members will stand, withoutcomplaining, a slow current of air at 15° C. But as the,air becomes contaminated, the heat of the increasingcurrent must be augmented. Thus, after two or threehours’ sitting, the supply of fresh air has to be raised to220 or 23° C. The currents of air are very noticeableand very varied. This is due to the irregular occu-

pation of the Chamber. Where a group of deputiesgather together there the heat increases, causing a

strong up current of vitiated air. This is compensatedby a violent in-rush of air in the parts of the Housewhere there are fewer members. Thus, at one andthe same moment some members complain of heat and,oppression, others of cold and draughts. The Presidential.chair is especially exposed to these inconveniences, particu-larly as the cold marble with which it is surrounded lowersthe temperature ot the contiguous atmosphere.M. Trelat concludes his report by affirming that the

Chamber of Deputies is much too small, and is thereforeunhealthy. He urges that, in the face of this fundamentaldefect, no effective improvement is possible. Another and alarger Chamber must be built, and this could be done in theCourt of Honour of the actual Palais Bourbon, or Parlia-ment Buildings. The present Chamber could then beconverted into a lobby and into offices. It would be a wasteof time and of money to seek to ameliorate the actual in-stallation. It will be seen therefore that the state of affairs inthe French Chamber of Deputies is much more unfavourable’than that of the English House of Commons. Mr. Herscher,the well-known sanitary engineer, who has accomplished somany important works in respect to ventilation, fully con-firms M. Tr6lat’s opinion, and the Parliamentary Com-mission condemns the system of ventilating by a down-ward current. Ventilation should assist the naturaltendency of heated vitiated air to ascend. But there is notroom in the French Chambers to collect, to warm, and mixthe air below the floor, and then admit it into the Chamberby an upward draught. Therefore the Commission agrees’with the experts, whose opinion has been taken, thatthere is nothing to be done to mend matters. A new’Chamber will have to be built, and till this is achieved thedeputies will undoubtedly suffer in health. The moreassiduously they attend to their duties the more will theybecome susceptible to all illnesses engendered by a vitiatedatmosphere.

LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Annual Licensing Sessions. THE annual licensing sessions have in recenb years

attractzd much attention. There is on the part of many ofthe more philanthropic sections of the public a desire to seethe lower orders rescued from the thraldom of so many

temptations to drink as is furnished by so overwhelming anumber of licensed public-houses in their midst. That theseare greatly in excess of the requirements of any but extremedrunkards cannot be denied, and any movement which hasfor its objects the diminution of intemperance deserves thewarm approval of all those who see the terrible effects ofdrink in the form of disease and accidents.

Want oj another Local Mortuary.The want of a public mortuary in the Toxteth district

has been painfully evident of late, two bodies in a very de-composed state having been carried by the police for a con-siderable time before a place could be found in which theremains could be deposited. It is very satisfactory to beable to state that the providing of a new mortuary is nowonly a question of time, the local authorities having resolvedto avail themselves of the power conferred upon them bythe Public Health Act, 1875, and to provide a suitablemortuary.

A Good Example."An old and truly grateful patient of the Royal In-

firmary" has in this form, and desiring that her nameshould not be given, bequeathed to that charity the wholeof her lifelong saving. A domestic servant for many yearsof her life, she had put away what she could, and by dintof accumulation, always sternly refusing to encroach uponthe funds, she has now left no less a sum than E214 for thebenefit of others who, like herself, may find themselvespatients in the Royal Infirmary of Liverpool. It is amelancholy fact that even ordinary gratitude on the partof hospital patients is by no means universal; that which isgratuitously given is seldom appreciated, still more seldomvalued. Such a splendid instance to the contrary is there-fore well worth recording, and, as example is better thanprecept, it is to be hoped that this lesson in gratitude maybe learned by at least some of those many who avail them-selves of the benefits of hospitals.

An Incorrigible Woman.A woman whose name, Bridget McCann, suggests her

nationality was brought before the magistrate to-day forbeing drunk and riotous. It) was her 264th appearancebefore a Liverpool magistrate on a similar charge, andmedical evidence that she was suffering from chronic bron-chitis was given. The magistrate sent her to gaol for fourdays in order that she might have the benefit of the atten-tion of the prison doctor.

Deaths and Serious Injuries from Violence.In this city, as elsewhere, crimes occur in rapid succession

at intervals longer or shorter. Within the last few days aman has been fatally stabbed in the chest, and a girl agedsixteen has been seriously stabbed and only saved by a ribfrom death. The body of a boy, perfectly nude, was foundin the water caused by the accumulation of rain in thecellar of a partly built house. At first it was supposed tobe a case of accidental death from drowning, but it has nowassumed a more serious aspect, two boys having admittedthat they pushed him in for the sake of his clothes ! Theseboys are respectively aged eight and nine ! These are the moreserious cases ; but there are many others of a less degree.

Liverpool, Sept. 15th.

MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Royal Infirmary.THE plans for the proposed extension of the infirmary

buildings have not yet been submitted to the subscribersfor approval or otherwise, nor, in fact, has the proposalyet been formally submitted to them, although in theannual report the subject was referred to at some length.As a rule, however, the annual meeting is almost a formalmatter, very few subscribers outside the governing bodyattending. One of the most formidable opponents to thescheme will be found in the Corporation, and at more thanone recent meeting of the City Council no uncertain notehas been sounded as to the intention of that body tostrenuously oppose any further curtailment of the presentopen area in Piccadilly, though it is hard to see how theycan interfere if the general body of subscribers are infavour of it. The finances of the infirmary are, as usual,most flourishing ; on the last 3 year’s working a balance of

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more than £ 4700 was reported on the ordinaiy income overexpenditure, whilst no less than upwards of ;C10.000 inaddition was received from legacies to add to invested funds.A revised code of rules for the management of the institu-tion has been drawn up and adopted, with one exception.The one referred to had provided that each student uponentering for clinical work should pay a fee towards the in-firmary funds ; this means either that the student’s feesmust be increased, or else that the members of the medicalstaff must forego some portion of the fees which havehitherto been received by them for the clinical instructionto the students. This rule was eliminated for the timebeing, and the Board of Management and the staff are

requested to confer, with a view to settle the question.Deaths under Chloroform.

Whether the percentage of deaths under anaesthetics toadministrations has increased the last few years, or not,may be a moot point, but there is no doubt that in thisdistrict the total has been greater of late. Since the deathunder the administration of methylene reported in THELANCET, two more deaths under chloroform have occurred-one in the city on a patient aged sixty-two, undergoingoperation for haemorrhoids by one of our most experiencedsurgeons; the other at Blackburn Infirmary, where anamputation of the forearm in the person of a lad was inprogress. In this latter case death appears, however, tohave been caused by vomited matter entering the airpassages.

Boards oi Guardians ana Matters Medical.At several of our Boards of Guardians matters pertaining

to their administration of medical relief have been some-what prominent of late. At the Manchester Board a livelypassage of arms was caused by one member reflecting in un-measured terms on the way in which " the medical officers,to get rid of their responsibilities, ordered sick people intothe workhouse." Indignant protests were sent from eachof the medical officers concerned, and at the next meetingthe gentleman who had thus criticised them apologised forwhat he had said, and admitted that the data and figuresupon which he had founded his conclusions were all wrong.It is only just to say that the majority of the Board entirelyrepudiated the above gentleman’s remarks, and a resolutionwas passed, "that the district medical ofticers have per-formed their duties, often under trying circumstances, tothe entire satisfaction of the Board." At the HopeHospital, belonging to the Salford Guardians, thingshave again been "breezy." One week the guardianspassed a resolution that in future all candidates for anypost at their hospital should be required to state theirreligious opinions. The next week, after a stormy dis-cussion, this resolution was rescinded. At the same meet-ing complaints were made from the nursing staff that thequantity, quality, and cooking of their food was anythingbut satisfactory to them. It seems strange that matters ofthis sort cannot be arranged without always being thusbrought before the public. The Chorlton Board of Guardianshave recently made an innovation at their large infirmaryat Withington by appointing a lady (Miss Porter) as assist-ant medical officer there. She has had hospital practice inLondon, and the board appear to have made the appoint-ment as an experiment.

River Pollution.Dr. Simpson, after many years’ good work in the

medical school and on the infirmary staff, has now directedhis energies into another and no less useful channel. Asa member of the City Council he shows how valuable theservices of members of our profession may be in themunicipal government of a large community. He haslately been calling attention to the urgent need for someresolute action in dealing with our open cloaca yclept theRiver Irwell, and which within two years will be thechief source of water-supply to the Manchester ShipCanal. Manchester is taking steps to put her own housein order, and Salford also is attempting to deal in asatisfactory manner with the sewage; but of the hundredand one offenders higher up the river extending many milesno such report is forthcoming. Surely if Manchester andSalford combined their forces something might soon bedone to stop the pollution now going on. The Shelforcllocal -board have petitioned the County Council to inter-fere and use its powers, but County Council wheels grindvery slowly; whether they grind surely is yet to be seen.Manchester, Sept. 16th.

BIRMINGHAM.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

A Windfall for Charities.The death of Miss Villers Wilkes on the 9th inst. set free

the sum of about .C100,000 left by the late Mr. Wilkes, herbrother, to the General Hospital and the Midland Institutein equal shares. A curious rumour at one time circulatedin the medical profession of the town with regard to onemoiety of this amount. It was alleged that the deceasedintended to leave the money to the then newly formedMedical Institute, but by an assumed clerical error it waswritten Midland Institute, the former place being hardlyknown. However this may have been, no one will grudgethe receipt of this valuable gift by the large and importantinstitution, which, in this industrial centre, does suchsubstantial and varied benefit to the community. Theaccession of a similar amounc by the General Hospital willcome as a timely aid to the new buildirg, and partly, it isto be hoped, to the endowment fund. Miss Wilkes wasseventy-seven years of age. Her death was due to a strangu-lated femoral hernia, which was ably operated upon anclreduced, but to the effects of which she succumbed thirty-two hours afterwards.

Our Future Water-supply.This was the subject of an address by Mr. Councillor

Barclay on the 7th inst. There was a large and appreciativeaudience, presided over by Sir Thomas Martineau. Thesubstance of the lecture consisted largely of figures relativeto the future supply and prospective growth of the city.The present supply was said to average 17,000,000 gallons’a day, and it was estimated that in twenty-five years’ timethere would be required 11,000,000 gallons a day more.The Welsh source lately described by the Water Committeeof the Town Council’s report was illustrated by diagramsand its advantages pointed out, with an account of thecharacters of the water. The lecture will be an authorita-tive reference on this great question, and will no doubtafford much interesting information. The complaints as tothe present supply and defects in the water have lately beenfrequent, and although the imaginative faculties have beencalled in as an aid to colouring statements, there is nodoubt some amount of truth in the description of thingsseen, small and great, in the water of various taps whichsupply domestic dwellinga. a

The Causation and Spread of Epidemic Diseases.Instruction by lectures is always a popular mode of con.

veying information, particularly if the lecturer is apt andthe illustrations interesting. Dr. W. H. Line, at therequest of the Midland institute, gave an inauguraladdress on this subject on the 14th inst. The attendancewas not so good as it should have been. The subject wasably dealt with, the difficulties, dangers, and measures forsafety pointed out, and much valuable knowledge given.The subject does not commend itself to a large number ofpeople, but nevertheless is of considerable importance inthis densely populated area. Doubtless the teaching ofsanitary knowledge in this form comes to be felt moreirksome and dry in comparison with the many more excitingand interesting subjects so vigorously dealt with by generallecturers. Of these less attractive matters it may be said-

" The tired mechanic at his lecture sighs,And which of the learned, with all his lore,Hath leisure to be wise."

Sept.16th. _______________

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The University of Durham College of Medicine.IT is announced that the Medical College of the

University of Durham, at Newcastle, is to be opened forthe session on Oct. lst, and that the Marquis of Londonderrywill distribute the prizes and scholarships and address thestudents. The llight Hon. John Morley, M.P., the Mayorof Newcastle, and other prominent persons have promi&ed.to attend.

Tgrzernoutla and the In,fectious Diseases Act.At a special meeting of the Borough of Tynemoath Towrs

Council, acting as the urban sanitary authority for the