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Obituary.JOHN ALLAN, M.D., M.R.C.P. LOND.

BY the death of Dr. Allan, of Milner-square, Islington,the profession loses a type of a class of practitioner the leavenof whose influence is always working for our good, and itbehoves us to note such men with reverence and honour asone by one they pass away. A fine specimen of a true Scot,Dr. Allan was nevertheless born in the West Indies, and hepassed little of his lifetime in Scotland. His parents and anuncle, who was a medical man, were residing in Antiguaduring the early part of the century, and there on Oct. 10th,1815, the subject of our memoir was born. He lost bothfather and uncle during his early childhood, and was thenbrought by his mother to Europe; his school days were passedchiefly in France. He commenced his medical education inParis, and was wont to relate many interesting anecdotesof the medical and surgical worthies of that day. After atime he went to Edinburgh, where, in 1836, he passed theCollege of Surgeons. In 1837 he graduated at St. Andrews,and subsequently, in 1860, he became a Member of theRoyal College of Physicians of London. About fifty-twoyears ago he commenced practice in Islington, and hissterling character, kind-heartedness, and unsparing self-,denial soon won for him a wide circle of attached patientsand friends. During his early days he held the post ofphysician to the Islington Dispensary. He had also beenfor many years physician to the Church Missionary Children’sHome and to the Church Missionary College. One of hismarked characteristics was his stern sense of professionalright and wrong, but his uncompromising mode of de-nouncing any deviation from his ideal was sometimes mis-understood. Among his friends, however, who knew himwell, apart from his nobler qualities, his ready humour, hisfund of anecdote, and that cheery eye of his will not soon beforgotten. His health had been failing for some time,although he continued to practise to within a few weeks ofthe end. He died of disease of the heart on the morning.of March 2nd, at his residence in Milner-square, leaving awidow and three daughters.

FREDERICK WORTHINGTON, M.R.C.S.ENG.Although it is more than eleven years since Mr. Frederick

Worthington left Liverpool and retired, after upwards offifty years’ practice, the tidings of his death were receivedthere with much sorrow by his professional brethren and hisnumerous friends. The son of a local surgeon, he became astudent of the infirmary long before it acquired its royaltitle, and before the first local School of Medicine wasfounded, though lectures on anatomy and other medicalsubjects were given. He subsequently studied in Paris, ata time when the late Philip Ricord was beginning to acquirefame, and learned what must have been of much value tohim subsequently. Returning to Liverpool, he was in1832 elected surgeon to the newly completed lockhospital in conjunction with the late Mr. Simon, andheld that office until his resignation in 1873, when hewas elected consulting surgeon, and continued in privatepractice until towards the close of 1879, when he leftLiverpool for Enfield. He had very fair health until re-cently, and at the time of his death was in his eighty-second year. Many former students will remember hisquaint anecdotes of the old treatment of venereal diseaseswhich he used to detail-mercury given for gonorrhoes.,even to the most profuse salivation; and the inoculationexperiments of Ricord, which were also practised at Liver-pool Lock Hospital. He also gave vivid descriptions of thenursing of his student days, which amply confirmed thedescriptions of the immortal Sarey Gamp and Betsy Prig.Mr. Worthington had a very large practice, both specialand general, for many years, among his patients beingmany leading citizens. He leaves a widow, threedaughters, and one son, who is a member of the medicalprofession.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OFENGLAND.

AT an ordinary meeting of the Council held on Thursday,the 12th inst., the minutes of the meeting of the 12th ofFebruary were read and confirmed.The report of the Committee on the Extension of the

College rremlses was approvea, aaoptea, ana enuerea on theminutes. The report set out that, plans having been pre-pared by Mr. Salter for altering and enlarging the Collegeforecourt, and estimates for carrying out such plans havingbeen obtained, the committee recommend the Council tosanction an expenditure of 9 1894 for this purpose.A report was read from the committee on the form of

the report of the Council to the annual meeting of theFellows and Members of the College. The committeeare of opinion that it is desirable that the report shouldbe written in narrative form and should record the workdone by the College in its various departments during thepast Collegiate year; that it should contain contributionsfrom the chief officers of the various departments on thefollowing subjects-viz.: Museum, Library, Laboratories(at the College and at the Examination Hall), Examina-tions, Finance, Lectures, Obituary Notices, College Prizesand Honorary Elections, and other subjects of in-terest contained in the minutes of Council; and thatthe report be edited by a committee to be appointed bythe Council.Mr. T. Bryant, President of the College, was elected a

representative of the College on the General MedicalCouncil in the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. JohnMarshall.The report from the Committee of Management, with

regard to the arrangement of studies and of examinationsduring the extended curriculum of five years, was referredto a committee of ten members of the Council, includingthe President and Vice-Presidents, to report thereon to anextraordinary meeting of the Council.A letter of the 18th ult. from Dr. Liveing was read re-

porting the adoption by the Royal College of Physicians onthat date of the revised scheme for the reconstitution of theUniversity of London.A letter of the 17th ult. was read, addressed to the

President, from Mr. Hutchinson, offering to present to theCollege his collection of clinical and pathological drawings,on condition that the College will make them useful by dis-playing them in well-arranged classification in such amanner that they may form the nucleus of a far morenearly complete series. This letter was referred to theCommittee on the Extension of the College Premises toreport thereon to the Council.The President reported a correspondence between himself

and the President of the Royal College of Physicians inreference to the grievances of Army Medical Officers.In pursuance of his notice on the 12th ult., Mr. T. Smith

proposed that the proceedings of the Council in relation tothe scheme for the reconstitution of the University ofLondon be placed before a meeting of the Fellows andMembers summoned for the purpose, and that the date ofthe meeting he determined by the President and Vice-Presidents. This was seconded by Sir W. S. Savory, andcarried by a majority of 16 to 5. It was also agreed, on themotion of the Vice-Presidents, that, prior to the meeting, assoon as the date of the meeting has been fixed, a copy ofthe scheme for the reconstitution of the University ofLondon be sent to each Fellow of the College, and to anyMember who may apply for the same.

Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND.-

The following gentleman, having previously passed thenecessary examinations, and having now attained the legalage (twenty-five years), was, at the ordinary meeting of theCouncil on the 12th inst., admitted a Fellow of the College:Caddy, Arnold, L.R.C.P. Lond., of St. George’s Hospital. Diploma ofMember dated August 4th, 1887.

MEDICAL MAGISTRATE. - Dr. Alfred Sutton,Government medical officer and medical officer of healthat Bernleigh, Queensland, has been appointed a Justice ofthe Peace for the colony of Queensland.FIRE AT A HOSPITAL.-On Sunday last a fire

broke out in the Bowdon branch of the Manchester

Hospital for Consumption. Fortunately, two only of theseventeen beds were at the time occupied, the remainder ofthe patients being in the day-room. Though much damagewas done to the building, the flames were eventuallysubdued without loss of life.

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EpSOM COLLEGE.-A. C. Knight, of this school(sixth form), has just been elected to an open classicalscholarship of £80 at Queen’s College, Oxford.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.-At a meeting ofthe Commissioners of Sewers on Tuesday a mocion callingattention to the alleged insanitary condition of this hospital,and recommending that the matter be referred to the

Sanitary Committee for immediate consideration and report,was rejected.ROYAL HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN AND WOMEN,

WATERLOO-ROAD.—The annual meeting of this institutionwas held at the Mansion House last week, the Lord Mayorpresiding. The annual report stated that the income hadexceeded that of the previous year by £604, and of thatamount £300 had been added to the extension fund. Thein-patients numbered 509 and the out-patients 6710; therewere 27,154 attendances and 310 dental cases. His lordship,in reviewing the history of the hospital, said it had a greatclaim upon the City of London, as it was founded within theCity boundary in 1816 by Dr. Bunnell Davis, and it well de-served liberal financial support. Annual subscriptionswere announced amounting to ten guineas, and donationsto £270.

THE DENTAL HOSPITAL OF LONDON.-The twenty-third annual meeting of this institution was held this weekat the hospital, Leicester-square, under the presidency ofSir Edwin Saunders. In the report, which was unanimouslyadopted, the managing committee congratulated thegovernors on the continued success of the institution ; alsoon the great benefits which the hospital continues to affordto the suffering poor, 48,764 cases having been treatedduring the year 1890, a large number of them painlessly(under anaesthetics); being 26,770 in excess of the numbertreated in 1874, when the hospital was removed to its pre-sent site. Unfortunately, there was £2500 remaining ofthe mortgage debt on the hospital incurred for the neces-sary extension of the hospital. The managing committeehad pleasure in announcing the continued increase in annualsubscription.PRESENTATIONS.-Mr. J. Hay Caird, L.R.C.P.,

L. R. C. S. Edin., parochial medical officer for Lochgoilheaddistrict, received on the 28th ult., at the close of the secondcourse of Ambulance Lectures under the St. George’s Rules,Glasgow, a handsome presentation from the members of hisclass in recognition of his zeal and success as a lecturer.-The members (employés at the Lincoln Railway station) ofthe Great Northern Railway Ambulance Class have pre-sented Dr. Lowe with a silver card salver, in acknowledg-ment and appreciation of his lectures to them on " FirstAid."-Mr. Arthur Cox, M.R.C.S , of Long Buckby, Rugby,has been presented with a cheque for twenty guineas, a copyof Fagge’s "Principles of Medicine," and an illuminatedaddress (framed), by the inhabitants of that town andneighbourhood, in testimony of his unvarying kindness andattention in the discharge of his professional duties to allclasses during his practice in the district, covering a periodof thirty-two years.OUTBREAK OF SMALL-POX AT SEA.—The four-

masted barque Kelton, 1776 tons, was detained in Mel-bourne by the authorities on account of an outbreak ofsmall-pox on board. The Melbourne Argus gives a circum-stantial account of the " terrible experiences," which*havebeen undergone on board that unfortunate vessel. Thevessel sailed from Glasgow for Rio Janeiro with a cargo ofsewage pipes. Six weeks after leaving Rio a man namedDuncan McColl, twenty-seven years of age, was taken ill ofsmall-pox. No epidemic had existed at Rio, and the crewhad been ashore at that port only a few hours. Some daysafter McColl’s death others were attacked, and ultimatelythe whole of the crew were seized. Captain Young himselfcaught the disease, and was unconscious for about twentydays. The ship was well supplied with medicines, spirits,and all requisites for the sick. All on board had beenvaccinated in early childhood, the captain amongst thenumber. At the quarantine stations the patients wereattended by Dr. De Burgh Griffith and two nurses,sent from Melbourne, with the greatest possible kindness.The chief officer and one of the crew were not suffi-

ciently recovered to join the ship on its departure fromMelbourne.

SUPERANNUATION GRANTS. - Mr. T. J. Cottle,M.R.C.S., lately district medical officer of the CheltenhamUnion, and Mr. H. V. Ellis, M.B., C.M. Aberd., latelymedical oflicer for the western district and workhouse of theGower Union, have been granted allowances of :£100 and:E23 3s. per annum respectively.

METROPOLITAN ASYLUMS BOARD.

Return of Patients remaining in the several Fever Hospitalsof the Board at midnight on March lOth, 1891.

* Infant and mother.

MEDICAL NOTES IN PARLIAMENT.

Lodging-house-keepers’ Registration.ON March 5th, in the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the-

Exchequer, in reply to Lord H. Bruce, said that it would be impossible’to make any concession now in favour of those who, under these cir-cumstances, failed to comply with the conditions demanded by the law.But, of course, they will be able to secure the benefits of the lowercharge in future by registering themselves each year within the proper-time.

The Royal Commission on Vaccination.Mr. Ritchie will propose the appointment of a member of the Royal

Commission to take the place of Mr Bradlaugh.-In reply to Mr.Channing. Mr. Ritchie stated that he was aware that Mr. Bradlaugh.was accepted as a representative of those who were opposed to vaccina-tion, and felt bound in making the selection to give weight to thatconsideration.

Fever in Iutdia.On Monday, the 9th, in reply to Mr. Conybeare, Sir James Fergusson

said the statistics of deaths in India, which will be found in thestatistical abstract, do not show a progressive increase in each year inthe total number of deaths nor in the number of deaths from fever, andthe latter depend in great measure upon the season.

Leprosy and the Price of Salt in India.In answer to Mr. Conybeare, Sir J. Fergusson said: In the Presidency-

of Madras the price of salt has risen from 9 annas and 8 annas per maundin 1800 to 2 r. 11 a. in 1890. The Secretary of State cannot give informa-tion for the earlier years of the century, but if the hon. member wishes.it, he can place at his disposal statistics going back to 1841. There is nocertain information as to the increase of leprosy. Lepers were counted.at the census of 1881, but the results of the census taken last month arenot known. The Commission now sitting will doubtless consider the-question of the connexion which has been stated to exist between in-sufficient salt and the prevalence of leprosy.

Excessive Drinking at Public-houses.In answer to Mr. Rowntree, Mr. Matthews said : The Commissioner

of Police assures me that every effort was made for the efficient enforce-ment of the law, and the figures quoted show that the police are not in-active. But the hon. member is doubtless aware that there are greatdifficulties of proof in cases where publicans are charged with per-mitting drunkenness, and I do not think those difficulties will be re-moved by alteration of the law.

Interment of Stillbirths.On Thursday, the 12th inst., Dr. Cameron asked the President of the

Local Government Board whether his attention had been called to thestatement of Dr. Rentoul to the effect that in the year 1889 6321 still-born children were interred in seventy-one burial board cemeteries ;that there are 1100 board cemeteries in England; and that the largernumber of such interments take place in parish churchyards, and askedfor returns on the subject.-Mr. Ritchie : My attention had notpreviously been called to the statements which have been published byDr. Rentoul. The births of stillborn children are not registered by theregistrars of births and deaths, and consequently no returns of thesebirths are made to the Registrar-General. I am therefore not in aposition to give a return of the number of infants interred as stillbornin 1890, nor to state what proportion of these infants were born respec-tively in and out of wedlock.

Vaccination.Mr. Channing asked the President of the Local Government Board

whether his attention had been called to the case of Mr. Punshon, of 37.Darwin-street, Old Kent-road, S.E., whose infant child is medically