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SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Chctir of Surgery in the University of Edinburgh.THE election to this important chair was made this week,

when Mr. H. Alexis Thomson, assistant surgeon to the Roya:Infirmary, surgeon to the Deaconess Hospital, and lecture]in surgery in the School of Medicine, was appointed professoiof surgery in the University of Edinburgh. The appoint.ment, as invariably occurs in these circumstances, was thesubject of a very keen competition for the support of thecurators.

The Women S’tecdents of Medicine in Edinburgh.The students of the Edinburgh School of Medicine for

Women gave an At Home some evenings ago to meet and saygood-bye to ’’ the finals "-that is, to the students who hadfinished the final examination. There was a large and a gaygathering of the students and their friends. The lecturers ofthe school were also represented. The gathering was heldin the Women Students’ Union. The toast of " The Finals "

was proposed by the Dean of the Women’s School, Dr.William Russell, and was responded to by Miss Mary Low,M.A., who receives her medical degree at the graduationceremonial on July 23rd.

Graduation Ceremony at the University of Glasgow.The summer graduation in Medicine at the University of

Glasgow took place last week. The Vice-Chancellor, SirDonald MacAlister, presided, and conferred degrees inmedicine on 73 graduates, of whom two were recipients ofthe degree of M.D. At the close of the ceremony ProfessorJohn Cleland, who is about to retire from his chair, deliveredhis valedictory address. In the course of his address, whichdealt largely with the relation of environment and heredity,he took occasion to refer to the vexed question of vivisection.He pointed out that the physician’s and surgeon’s art isindeed a noble profession, but only when ennobled bynobility of purpose. Nobility of purpose was the mosteffective stimulant to study, as well as to the performanceof the duty at the bedside, and it ennobled the wholeacquisition of study of every description. Even vivisection,that bugbear of unbalanced minds and of many who love tobe thought kind-hearted, and to think themselves so-vivi-section was made noble by the enormous amount of sufferingwhich it prevented, and which could only be prevented bythe knowledge so gained and beyond our reach by any othermeans. Professor Cleland went on to say that he had noticedin his friends who were obliged to resort to vivisection thatthey had a most praiseworthy fondness not only for manbut also for bird and beast. They loved not bird and beastthe less, but man more than their detractors practically did.Vivisection was a work to be pursued in the teeth ofinclination for attainment of purposes of the highestorder. The control of inclination and the subjection ofit to preference of a higher end was not only neces-

sary for such repulsive work, but was essential for theattainment of excellence of any description. No more

obviously pleasurable occupation could be imagined thanthat of the artist, and yet the artist who allowed himself tobe the slave of his humours and his moods would neverattain an enviable success. In the case of the medical pro-fession how much more obvious it was that natural inclina-tions should be under complete control. No weakness wasallowable in practice ; its effects might amount to a crime atthe expense of the patient. He pointed out here to thosewho had just graduated that not only had they had already jto do many things with equanimity which were repulsive totheir natural feelings, but while it would be their duty (to cultivate all kindness to the sufferers who mightcome under their care and toward their friends, still theywould always have to be on their guard to repress the desireto please, and to be firm in decisions which might appear tothem even hard and cruel. He went on to say that errors ofall sorts might’ arise where there was neither ignorance norunworthy inclination, simply from want of strength of pur-pose. Here an element of uncontrollable circumstance camein. Resolution was a quality which, like every other feature,was largely dependent on heredity, and heredity was not ofour own making. It was an "unearned increment." Our I

power over our will was limited, and there was truth in theremark of Spinoza that we say that our will is free when wefail to discern the factors which are acting on it. But forall that we had some such power, and, like every other

faculty, the power was increased by exercise.

death of Mr. William Whitelaw, M.D. Glasg.,F.F.P.S. Glasg., D.P.H.

Dr. William Whitelaw, medical officer of health of,

Kirkintilloch, died suddenly at Crieff Hydropathic Establish.ment on July 20th. For some years he had been subject toheart trouble, and had gone to Crieff for a rest and change.Dr. Whitelaw was a native of the burgh, where he was born73 years ago. He was a Fellow of the Faculty of Physiciansand Surgeons of Glasgow and a Diplomate in Public Health.He held the position of health officer since 1877 and was alsovisiting physician at Broomhill and Lenzie ConvalescentHomes.

The Opening of the Argyllskire Sanatorium.This institution, a gift to the County of Argyll from Mr. and

Mrs. Tom Bullough of Fasnacloich, was formally opened atOban on July 13th. The sanatorium is situated on the summitof a hill just behind the town of Oban. The ground on whichthe buildings stand was formerly a residential property con-sisting of about nine acres of land surrounding a moderate-sized house. The grounds are beautifully laid out withwalks, drives, and shrubberies. They contain a good dealof well-grown timber, mostly coniferous, and are surroundedby pine woods. Magnificent views are obtained at differentparts of the enclosure, views of mountain and lochcharacteristically West Highland. The former dwelling-house has been utilised as an administrative block, andin addition to providing accommodation for the matron andstaff has dining rooms for the use of patients. Accommoda-tion for the patients is provided in three single-storeyedblocks, the largest of which is of the well-known butter-fly " design, but with this innovation, the roof is flat,accessible by means of a wide staircase, and at each

extremity of the tricorn platform there is a shelter for theuse of patients, where, screened from the wind, they canbask in the sun when it is too near the horizon to strike thelower parts of the building. Another block, situated betweenthe last and the administrative buildings, is to be used forany patients that it may be thought advisable to segregate.The third block contains a row of single-bedded rooms open-ing into a substantial verandah, which runs the wholelength of the building. This is to be reserved for

paying patients. All the buildings are elegant in design,but there has been no undue extravagance in theirconstruction. The entire cost of the ground, build-ings, furnishings, and appliances has been borne bythe donors, so that it is no small gift that the publichave received. The sanatorium is to be rate-supported, andthe beds, with the exception of those set apart for payingpatients, have been allocated to the various local authoritiesin the county who have agreed to contribute to the standingcharges. A large number of guests were invited to the

opening ceremony. Maclachlan of Maclachlan presided, andwas accompanied on the platform by Mr. and Mrs. Macdougallof Gallanach, Provost Maclachlan of Oban, Dr. R. W. Philipof Edinburgh, Dr. W. Leslie Mackenzie of the Scottish LocalGovernment Board, Mr. Neil Gillies the architect, andothers. After a few preliminary remarks by the chairman, adiver key was handed to Mrs. Macdougall, who thenleclared the sanatorium open. Pulmonary consumption is

very prevalent in the West Highlands, having been apparentlymported within comparatively recent times from Lowlandowns. Probably there is no part of Great Britain moreavourable for combating this scourge by natural and easily,pplied methods, so that Argyllshire is to be congratulatedn having been enabled to take a definite step in the war,gainst tuberculosis in very favourable circumstances.July 21st.

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IRELAND.

, (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Insanity in IreZand.THE gist of the fifty-eighth report of the Inspectors ofLunatics in Ireland may be summed up in two paragraphs :