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THE BELGIAN DOCTORS’ AND

PHARMACISTS’ RELIEF FUND.

THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

A MEETING of the Central Executive Committeewas held on Thursday, Feb. 25th, at the offices ofthe British Medical Association, when the progressof the Fund announced was very satisfactory.Owing to the favourable terms obtained by Dr.Des Voeux for money left upon deposit with thebank, it was decided to invite those responsible forsome of the local funds, now remaining in thehands of their local treasurers, to pay such con-tributions into the Central Fund at an earlydate. In this connexion it was reported thatthe Scottish Committee desired to work incomplete cooperation with the English Com-mittee and would appoint representatives on theexecutive.Mr. Meredith Townsend, the Master of the

Apothecaries’ Society, reported that Mr. SamuelOsborn had expressed a willingness to take a

selection of the surgical instruments sent in tothe society to Belgium for use in certain hospitalsbehind the fighting line where they were required,and Sir Rickman Godlee said that he would helpMr. Townsend in making the selection, whichwould be mainly in the direction of cases of

operating instruments.A report was received from the treasurer which

showed that the applications for help in moneyduring the past fortnight had not been verynumerous. A certain number of registrationfees had been paid for Belgian medical men

registering on obtaining work to do, and the

general ignorance among the Belgian doctors ofthe English language appeared as the chiefdifficulty of finding appointments. The work-ing of the clothes bureau at 3, Hyde Park-

.

street, London, W., where Dr. Clement Philippehas kindly provided the necessary accommodation,proceeds successfully. Money was granted by thecommittee for the further purchase of clothes,especially of undergarments and boots.

MANCHESTER AND DISTRICT.

The total sum received to date is £336 15s. 6d.,of which £32 8s. have been contributed bythe general public. The committee hope thatthose medical men who wish to subscribe willsend in their contributions at their earliestconvenience.

Second -List.r n I ) -0 . ø 7

THE CANADIAN COMMITTEE.

The influential committee in Canada, which hasbeen formed to cooperate with the British Fund,has appointed an executive committee with Dr.H. A. Bruce, F.R.C.S. Eng., as chairman, Dr. WalterMcKeown as secretary, and Dr. D. J. G. Wishart astreasurer. The committee includes Dr. Hb B.

Anderson, President of the Toronto Academy of

Medicine ; Dr. R. E. McKechnie, President of the-Canadian Medical Association; Dr. James McArthur,President of the Ontario College of Physicians andSurgeons; Mr. Pyne, the Minister of Education forOntario; and Colonel Ryerson, President of theCanadian Red Cross Society.

THE WEEK’S SUBSCRIPTIONS.

The subscriptions received by Dr. Des Vœux,up to Tuesday evening last, in addition to thosepreviously acknowledged, and not including moneycollected by certain local funds, and the Scottishand Irish Funds, are as follows:-

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Subscriptions to the Fund should be sent to thetreasurer of the Fund, Dr. H. A. Des Vœux, at14, Buckingham-gate, London, S.W., and should bemade payable to the Belgian Doctors’ and Pharma-cists’ Relief Fund, crossed Lloyds Bank, Ltd.£7200 had passed into the treasurer’s hands byTuesday last, the sum not including the Scottishand Irish and several large local funds.

"SPOTTED FEVER " IN ULSTER.-The Antrimboard of guardians have decided to approach the autho-rities of Puidysburn fever hospital, Belfast, to make pro-vision for cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis (spotted fever),several of which (four) have occurred in their district, two ofthem being in the military camp at Randalstown. A case isalso reported from the Clandeboye camp.CENTRAL MIDWIVES BOARD.-A special meeting

of the Central Midwives Board was held at Caxton House,Westminster, on Feb. 17th, Sir Francis H. Champneys beingin the chair. A number of midwives were struck off the roll,the following charges amongst others having been broughtforward. A patient suffering from puerperal mania, and themidwife having explained that the case was one in whichthe attendance of a registered medical practitioner was’required, she neglected to hand to the husband or thenearest relative or friend present the form of sending formedical help, properly filled up and signed by her, in order’that this might be immediately forwarded to the medicalpractitioner, as required by Rule E.19, and medical aid’having been sought as aforesaid, she neglected to notify’the local supervising authority thereof, as required byRule E. 21 (1). The midwife not being scrupulously clean,as required by Rule E. 1 ; not taking and recording the,pulse and temperature of patients, as required by Rule E. 13 ;that when called to a confinement the midwife did not takewith her the bag and appliances prescribed by Rule E. 2.That with intent to avoid inspection and supervision themidwife abstained from notifying the local supervisingauthority of her intention to practise as a midwife, as

required by Section 10 of the Midwives Act, 1902. Themidwife did not wear a clean dress of washable material, asrequired by Rule E. 1. A child being born apparently dead,the midwife neglected to carry out any method of resuscita-tion, as required by Rule E. 14. That being in attendanceas a midwife at a confinement, and the child having diedbefore the attendance of a registered medical practitioner,the midwife neglected to notify the local supervisingauthority thereof, as required by Rule E. 21 (1) (b). Amidwife, notwithstanding repeated warnings and instruc-tion, persistently neglected to comply with the rules of theCentral Midwives Board, and she did not keep her register ofcases as required by Rule E 23.

The War.HONOURABLE MENTION IN ADMIRAL BEATTY’S

DESPATCH.

AMONG those officers mentioned in the despatchof Admiral Sir David Beatty referring to the navalaction in the North Sea on Jan. 24th is the name of

Surgeon-Probationer James Alexander Stirling,R.N.V.R., H.M.S. Meteor, on whom the King hasconferred the Distinguished Service Cross.

THE CASUALTY LIST.

The casualties among officers in the Expedi-tionary Force reported since our last issue includethe names of Lieutenant E. H. Moore, R.A.M.C.,Lieutenant T. M. Davies, R.A.M.C., and CaptainS. J. Linzell, R.A.M.C., who have been wounded.

THE BRITISH INTERNMENT CAMPS.

A Swiss correspondent writes: "A report whichhas been compiled by Professor Edward Naville, amember of the International Committee of the RedCross Society, and M. Victor van Berchem on theconditions prevailing at the British internment

camps should finally silence criticisms upon thissubject in the German medical and lay press. Thereport of these delegates will be published shortly,but the extracts which have been supplied to theSwiss press clearly indicate its tenor.The delegates, who were given entire freedom of

inspection by the War and Foreign Offices, speak inthe highest terms of praise of the treatmentaccorded both to the civil and military prisoners.The food, they state, is excellent; the rooms well-lighted and admirably heated; the sanitary con-ditions all that could be desired. Although theyquestioned a considerable number of prisoners heydid not hear one single complaint. The Swissdelegates visited the ships upon which a consider-able number of Germans are imprisoned, and theirimpressions were entirely satisfactory. Theynevertheless express the view that on the returnof warmer weather the prisoners should be trans-ferred to the shore camps. So far as can be

gathered from the published summary of theirreport the arrangements for the spiritual care ofthe prisoners alone meet with criticism. Thesearrangements, they state, are altogether insuffi-cient, at one camp the clergyman who ministeredto the needs of the Roman Catholic prisoners notknowing one word of German.Emphasis is laid upon the fact that there are no

women or children in the civil internment camps,and the report concludes as follows: We do nothesitate to state that our impression was very satis-factory. The prisoners-above all, the soldiers-arewell treated, and in adopting the principle thattheir life should entirely resemble that of Englishsoldiers the Government has cut away the groundfor any kind of complaint. These prisoners, in

fact, could not be better treated. In particular, weheard not a single complaint against the soldierswho guard the prisoners or against a singleEnglishman with whom these latter had dealings.Nothing is allowed to hurt their feelings as soldiersor as patients. Our conclusion is that neither theGerman Government nor the families of the

prisoners need have any anxiety about thoseinterned in the camps in England.’"