882

are some points of pathological interest connected with thetumour which I have not yet worked out, I propose bringing !these in- detail before one of the Societies.Croydon, Oct. 29th, 1883. J. M. HOBSON, M.D. Edin. :J. M. HOBSON, M.D. Edin.

"REFORMS AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OFSURGEONS OF ENGLAND."To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—The proposal of Mr. Erichsen, quoted in the leadingarticle of your last issue-i.e., that a certain committeeshould consider generally the charters and bye.laws of theRoyal College of Surgeons of England-comes not one minutetoo early. The membership of the Royal College of Sur-geons is legally about the most useless diploma existing, butthis fact is not discovered by students until they have spenttheir time and money, and obtained the diploma. Were itmore generally known that the L. R. C. P. Lond. is recognisedas a double qualification, many more students would directtheir special attention to it, and the Royal College of Sur-geons would slowly but surely lose many candidates. It ishigh time that steps should be taken to secure the properrecognition of the M.R.C.S. as a double qualification ; anda bye-law such as exists in some colleges, prohibiting allfuture diplomates from dragging the profession in the mireby keeping chemists’ shops, might very well be inserted.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,London, Nov. 13th, 1883. M.R.C.S.ENG.M.R.C.S.ENG.

A CORRECTION.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In last Saturday’s LANCET there appeared the fol-lowing statement :-" The day and Sunday schools havebeen closed at Ryde in consequence of an outbreak of diph-theria amongst the children." I have therefore to ask youkindly to correct this error, as I have ascertained through thecourtesy of the medical officer of health for Rye, Sussex,that the above statement has reference to this latter town.

I am. Sir. vour obedient servant.ALFRED WOODWARD,

Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Ryde,Isle of Wight.

Bloomfield, Ryde, Isle of Wight, Nov. 14th, 1883.

SCOTTISH NOTES.(From our own Correspondent.) )

HEALTH MATTERS IN THE NEW TOWN COUNCILS.

I HAVE before mentioned the general interest attaching toour late municipal elections, as in many cases importantworks, having for their object the improvement of the publichealth, were the subjects upon which the chief disputationarose. It is now most satisfactory to state that healthreform has made decided advances in consequence of these

fights and the other recent discussions, and, though it is un.necessary to go over many of the burghs, I cannot helpspecially mentioning Aberdeen and Perth. In the first-named place an election of the whole Council was necessary,in consequence of the City Improvements Act (Aberdeen),1883. A determined effort was made by able men to raisefirst one cry and then another against the faithful carry-ing out of the Act, but the result of the election is togive eighteen votes to the "improvement members" andseven votes to the opposition. The Act-supplemented asit must be more than once by the Artisans’ Dwellings Act-will be of untold advantage to Aberdeen, and it isto be hoped Lord Provost Mathews and his Council will pushvigorously forward after such approval from the ratepayers.Dr. Beveridge has been promoted to a magistrate’s chair.In Perth the influence of public opinion has been more quietlybrought to bear, for there was not even a contest; but thisshould not lessen the satisfaction of those who less than ayear ago stood in the pillory for advocating exactly the samemeasures as are now announced in the Lord Provost’s speechas the intended work of his three years of office. It has at laststruck authorities that diluted sewage is not a suitable watersupply for a town, and so it is intended to carry the sewage

well past the filter-bed. Unhealthy homes have occasionedsuch an outcry that the Council have now shown their anxietyto abolish a very large proportion of the slums; and not onlyis this the case, but men who were formerly cautioned andthreatened with legal proceedings are now actually asked inthe Provost’s speech to kindly favour them with suggestions.Should Lord Provost MeLeish find himself able to carry outhis proposed schemes, he will do more for the good of thecity than any number of such men as recently muddledbusiness and wearied the public with castles in the air.

REGISTRATION IN THE SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES.

It may be well to remind graduates of the northernuniversities that new names can be entered on the registerof General Councils up till thej30th inst. As there is inmany quarters an expectation of a general election beforeanother year passes, it is specially necessary to attend to thismatter at this time to avoid disfranchisement. Perhaps themost frequent manner of losing the vote is by forgetfulnessin notifying a change of address ; such notices also will bereceived till the 30th inst.

EPIDEMIC DISEASE AT STONEHAVEN AND FINDON.

Stonehaven is’at present visited by a very sharp outbreakof scarlet fever, and a good deal of consequent excitementis felt in the district. It appears that the School Boardsinterested, instead of closing the schools, have causedperemptory orders to be given forbidding the appearance atschool of any child from an affected house before securing amedical certificate that the child is free from risk to others.A little further along the coast, at the village of Findon, fromwhich the most popular form of preserved haddock takes itsname, typhoid fever has been found to exist in a soil so verysuitable that urgent measures are being taken to redrain theplace.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, DUNDEE.

Already there are hopes that this new institution has sobecome a pride to Dundee that many of the leading citizenswill assist largely in its further endowment and extension.During last week, before Professor Ball delivered one of theArmistead lectures, it was announced that Mr. Armistead,M. P., had set aside a sum of £2000 for the endowment of ascholarship in the college. The intention of the generousdonor, it is thought, is to assist students of the highesttalent to obtain a three years’ course at another uni-versity ; but much will depend upon the governors of thecollege, w horn he will consult. The terms upon which thescholarship will be provided will be of the most liberal andelastic kind, so that the college authorities will be bound byno strict letter. It may be mentioned that Mr. Armisteadis the founder of the course of lectures, one of which Prof,Ball, Astronomer Royal for Ireland, delivered last week,and with such lecturers it is unnecessary to say they havebeen a great success.

THE LORD RECTORSHIP OF ST. ANDREWS.

It has been rather difficult during the past year to followall the wanderings of the students of St. Andrews in searchof a Lord Rector. A weekly journal could scarcely chronicleall the phases of the movement ; and thus it is that LordReay, mentioned in my last letter as the likely Liberal can-didate, is nowno more heard of, as he kindly waives his claimsin favour of Mr. Lowell, whose candidature is of coursenon.political.

BERLIN.(From our own Correspondent.)

THE "winter semester" has been inaugurated by two,commemoration ceremonies, the one of a somewhat grave,the other of a more cheerful, character. The latter was the

banquet given on Oct. 20th to the well-known physiologistand philosopher, Dr. Du Bois Reymond, in celebration ofthe twenty-fifth anniversary of his professoriate. All the

larger and smaller stars of our university gathered roundthe veteran, as well as many of his extern pupils andformer assistants. The gathering at the ceremony of un-veiling the Wilms Memorial on Oct. 30th was not, on thecontrary, limited to the select circle of our high school, withwhich the deceased had no other connexion than as a per-manent member of the examination board. Robert Wilms,in fact, was a mere "surgeon," in the fullest sense. Born