930

is a real danger of the exploitation of the workersof both sexes, and where the position of womenis much less favourable than that of men. Afterprolonged discussion a media via was found, andresolutions were unanimously passed urging thenecessity : (1) For the best possible legal protectionof the health of the worker, irrespective of sex,including adequate medical inspection and examina-tion in the case of all potentially injurious occupations.(2) For the provision of a special system of insurancefor maternity.

The council also passed a unanimous resolutionto the effect that the Medical Women’s InternationalAssociation uphold the principle that the appointment,or dismissal of women medical officers should bebased solely upon their efficiency, and that marriageper se should not be a bar to their employment.The subjects chosen for discussion at the next

congress were : (1) the effects of sport and physicaleducation on women (with special reference tomenstruation and pregnancy) ; (2) birth control.

Scientific Tours and Hospitality.The official delegates had the honour of being

received by the President of the Austrian Republicin the Rathaus. In the course of a cordial addressof welcome he emphasised the great importance ofinternational goodwill and mutual understandingfor the preservation of world peace and the buildingup of international prosperity. An object which acongress such as that of the Medical Women’s Inter-national Association was especially calculated toforward. He spoke warmly of the admiration andregard which was felt for medical women in Austria,and of his personal appreciation of the great partwhich medical women were playing all over thecivilised world in the prevention and treatment ofdisease and suffering, and in the promotion of thefuture welfare of mankind. In the intervals of thescientific and business sessions tours were organisedto visit the principal hospitals and institutions,including the excellently constructed and equipped- municipal flats, complete with creches, restaurants,and kindergartens for the children of mothers obligedto go out to work. These admirable buildingsundoubtedly represent the greatest advance yetmade in the provision of accommodation for theworking and poorer middle-classes.The members of the congress were throughout

most hospitably entertained, the social functionsincluded receptions by the Viennese Association ofMedical Women, by the French officers of the MedicalWomen’s International Association, and by theWomen’s Club. The direction of the beautiful" Diana Bad " entertained them to luncheon, and tosee the excellently equipped medical baths. They i

were given tea on the terrace of the hotel-restaurantof Cobenzl, on the slopes of the lovely Wiener Waldoverlooking Vienna and the Danube. They were theguests of the spa of Baden, where they were enter-tained at a luncheon in the famous kur house, and adelightful whole-day excursion was arranged to theSemmering, the alpine health and pleasure resort some- SO miles from Vienna, where they were entertainedat one of the leading sanatoriums.From Vienna members proceeded to Buda-Pesth,

where they were again warmly welcomed by the"Hungarian Medical Women’s Association, and enter-tained with the greatest hospitality. Facilities wereafforded them for seeing the chief medical and socialinstitutions of the city, as well as its many historicalbuildings and natural beauties. Special visits were paidto the famous springs which supply over 13,000,000gallons of water daily.

NEW NURSES’ HOMES.—Lord Derby recentlyopened a new nurses’ home at Wigan Infirmary whichhas cost over £13,000. A building originally intended forthe care of infectious cases occurring in Ipswich MentalHospital has been enlarged and adapted as a home for34 nurses:

MEDICINE AND THE LAW.

Successful Claim by Hospital.IN a recent case, noted in the Solicitors’ Journal,

a county court judge had to decide what was theproper charge for a hospital to make for medicaltreatment in a private ward. The patient, a bankcashier, had asked to be placed in the private ward.The hospital charged him for 11 weeks’ treatment atthe rate of six guineas a week. He paid 50 guineason account and was sued for the balance. In hisdefence he seems to have relied on two contentions.The first was in some sort an allegation of negligence.He said that he had been discharged from the hospitalon one occasion against the opinion of the sister, thathe had become delirious the same night, and that hehad to be readmitted a month later. It may beassumed that the judge did not find any substancein this allegation as an answer to the claim ; for judg-ment was eventually given in favour of the hospitalfor the amount claimed. The second line of defencewas that the usual charge was only about three orfour guineas a week, and that, if the patient hadknown he would be charged six guineas a week, he ,

would have arranged to go elsewhere and pay less.In this class of case, as soon as it is established thatthe treatment was not meant to be gratuitous, thelaw assumes an implied contract to pay what isreasonable. The county court judge held that in thecircumstances the charge of six guineas a week fora private room was not unreasonable. Judgmentwas given for the amount claimed by the hospital,the court ordering that £2 be paid monthly.

INFECTIOUS DISEASEIN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED

OCT. 10TH, 1931.

Notifications.—The following cases of infectiousdisease were notified during the week :-Small-pox,34 (last week, 41) ; scarlet fever, 1840 ; diphtheria,908 ; enteric fever, 36 ; pneumonia, 700 ; puerperalfever, 48 ; puerperal pyrexia, 107 ; cerebro-spinalfever, 26 ; acute poliomyelitis, 18 ; acute polio-encephalitis, 1 ; encephalitis lethargica, 9 ; continuedfever, 1 ; dysentery, 11 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 101.No case of cholera, plague, or typhus fever wasnotified during the week.The number of cases in the Infectious Hospitals of the

London County Council on Oct. 13th-14th was as follows:-Small-pox, 75 under treatment, 4 under observation (lastweek 87 and 5 respectively) ; scarlet fever, 1554 ; diphtheria,1419 ; enteric fever, 19 ; measles, 125 ; whooping-cough,363 ; puerperal fever, 12 (plus 10 babies) ; encephalitislethargica, 219 ; poliomyelitis, 6 ; " other diseases," 158.At St. Margaret’s Hospital there were 20 babies (plus 10mothers) with ophthalmia neonatorum.

Deaths.-In the aggregate of great towns, includingLondon, there was no death from small-pox or entericfever, 7 (1) from measles, 3 (1) from scarlet fever,16 (2) from whooping-cough, 32 (6) from diphtheria,47 (8) from diarrhoea and enteritis under two years,33 (1) from influenza. The figures in parenthesesare those for London itself.

Manchester reported 2 deaths from measles. Birminghamand Liverpool each 3 deaths from whooping-cough, New-castle-on-Tyne, 2. Liverpool and Hull each 3 deaths fromdiphtheria, Ipswich, Birmingham, Manchester, and Black-pool each 2. Diarrhoea was credited with 7 deaths atBirmingham, 3 each at Birkenhead and Liverpool. Man-chester attributed 4 deaths to influenza.

The number of stillbirths notified during the weekivas 252 (corresponding to a rate of 39 per 1000

births), including 53 in London.