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affect certain vested interests of his masters, the districtcouncillors. The most recent illustration of the precariousnature of the appointments held by medical officers of healthis afforded by the action of the Havant rural district council.The district of this council is a large straggling one, con-sisting of Hayling Island and various small villages, withan area of over 10,000 acres and a population of about 4500.The present medical officer of health, whose remunerationis the magnificent sum of .B30 per annum, has held the

appointment for over 26 years, during which period he has topublic knowledge proved himself a capable and conscientiousofficer. Length of honourable service, however, has appa-rently few admirers among the members of the Havant ruralcouncil, for, without any reason being assigned, without anycomplaint being formulated, thee bucolic legislators decidedthat the fitting reward for over a quarter of a century’sfaithful service was sudden dismissal. A certain furtiveness,or it may be modesty, even then characterised their action,for no intimation whatever was given to the medical officerthat it was intended to dispense with his services ; the firstnotice that this gentleman received was seeing the advertise-ment for a medical officer of health in the local press. Therehad never been any question of neglect of duty or incompe-tence in its performance to warrant the advertisement.The action of the council is the more instructive inasmuch

as Mr. A. Stewart Norman, the medical gentleman in

question, is well known in the south of England in connexionwith sanitary matters and is, in fact, at the present timePresident of the southern branch of the Incorporated Societyof Medical Officers of Health. Further, when alreadyholding the appointment and though busy at the same timewith private practice, Mr. Norman, in order to be the betterqualified to carry out his duties, devoted considerable timeto the study of hygiene, and in 1893 obtained the diploma inpublic health at the University of Cambridge. It is withconsiderable pleasure that we have the satisfaction of re-

cording that in this particular instance the action of thecouncil in attempting to slight its medical officer hasrecoiled on itself, for such is the respect in which Mr.Norman is held by the public generally, and his pro-fessional brethren in particular, that no medical manin the district could be induced to send in an applica-tion ; the council had, therefore, to the benefit of the

district, though doubtless to its own mortification, tore-elect Mr. Norman to the post he has so well filled. Votersin rural districts are proverbially apathetic, but it will beindeed strange if those district councillors who are respon-sible for the recent treatment of Mr. Norman do not havethe contemptibility of their action brought home to themwhen next applying for re-election. Although in the aboveinstance the medical officer of health did not suffer a graveinjustice, the important fact to remember is that it was notfrom any want of will on the part of the local sanitaryauthority ; it was prevented solely by the loyalty of medicalmen in the neighbourhood. It is more than likely that hadthe salary attached to the appointment been a large one andhad it been advertised in the medical press so as to reacha large number of medical men who were unaware of thetrue state of affairs numerous applications would have beenreceived and in all probability Mr. Norman would have beendismissed.Not once but many times has attention been drawn in

THE LANCET to the urgent necessity for fresh legislation togovern the appointment of medical officers of health. Thatthe officer who is responsible for the measures to be takenfor the preservation of health and the prevention of diseaseshould be liable to sudden and capricious dismissal is an uglyblot upon the public health administration of this country.Doubtless the reason that so unsatisfactory a state ofaffairs has been allowed to exist so long is ignorance onthe part of the public ; the latter, if ever it gives thematter a thought, seems to hold the belief that medicalofficers can only be dismissed with the consent of theLocal Government Board-a totally erroneous idea thathas probably arisen from a confusion of these appointmentswith those of medical officers under the Poor-law Acts.When medical officers were appointed under the Poor-lawit was felt that the power of their dismissal should not bevested in boards of guardians and legislation was enactedaccordingly. Strangely enough, no such protection hasbeen afforded to medical officers of health, yet the latterare far more likely to suffer injustice than are the former.Indeed, if a medical officer does his duty in a rural districthe is morally certain, sooner or later, to offend some of hi

councillors, with the result that he is dismissed and a morecomplacent officer sought.Everyone must feel that the time has come when the

perpetration of such a flagrant act of injustice as was

attempted at Havant should be put beyond the power oflocal authorities. At Havant, it is true, beyond the slightput upon the medical officer no great harm has resulted.This, however, cannot be said of similar occurrences thathave been recorded in other parts of the country wheremedical officers have lost their appointments solely fromtheir refusal to sacrifice their sense of duty to their ownpersonal aggrandisement. Leaving out of considerationaltogether, moreover, the question of injustice to the medicalofficer there is the still stronger argument that the publiccan have no right to expect that the requirements of thePublic Health Acts will be efficiently administered if medicalofficers always have to consider whether the advancement ofcertain needed sanitary reforms will not injuriously affecttheir personal relations with their council. For thesereasons, therefore, both in the interest of the profession andin that of the public, the Public Health Bill of Dr.Hutchinson may be heartily commended to the earnestconsideration of Members of Parliament and it is to be

hoped that ere long a fundamental alteration will be effectedin the very anomalous conditions under which medicalofficers of health now hold their appointments.

THE BELGRAVE HOSPITAL FORCHILDREN.

A MEETING of medical men practising in the neighbour-hood of the Belgrave Hospital for Children, Clapham-road, London, was held at that hospital on April llth.The meeting was convened by the honorary medical staffof the Belgrave Hospital for Children in order to discusscertain proposals with the medical men in the district,as both the committee of management of the hospitaland the medical staff were anxious that the work of thehospital should be carried on in such a manner as not toprove injurious to medical men practising in the district. Theinvitation to the meeting was sent out to about 150 medicalmen and the medical staff stated that it was their wishthat only those patients should be treated at the hospitalwho, by reason of their poverty or the nature of the illness,were suitable subjects for hospital relief. Further, theywere anxious that the hospital should be of advantage to themedical men in the district. The following gentlemenattended the meeting in response to the invitation ofthe medical staff : Dr. J. W. J. Oswald, Mr. H. H. Norton,Mr. A. J. McNickle, Dr. Benjamin Jones, Mr. W. E. Pain, Dr.Joseph J. C. Constable, Mr. J. C. Constable, Mr. M. S. Duke,Mr. J. G. Glasgow, and Mr. A. C. Robinson. The membersof the medical staff who attended to confer with the medicalmen in the district were Dr. W. Ewart, Dr. E. Cautley, Mr.N. Bishop Harman, Mr. D. J. Armour, and Mr. H. Lett.The proceedings commenced under the chairmanship of

Dr. EWART with a discussion on the suggestion put forwardby the medical subcommittee of the medical staff that alocal medical society should be formed by the medical

practitioners in the neighbourhood of the hospital. Afterthe subject had been debated thoroughly it was agreed thatthe matter should be postponed until some future date whenthe views of the local practitioners concerned could be

accurately ascertained.In consequence of Dr. Ewart having to leave Dr. CAUTLEY

took the chair and explained that the next business on theagenda paper was the subject of out-patients. It was agreedthat not more than 20 new surgical cases and 20 newmedical cases should be seen on each day by the medicalofficer in attendance. In regard to the selection of casespreference was to be given to those most seriously ill andto cases referred to the hospital by medical practitioners.A prolonged discussion took place in regard to the manage-

ment of the out-patient department and it was finallydecided that out-patients living within a radius of twomiles from the hospital should only be admitted, except inthe case of urgent illness or accident, on the presentationof a card signed by a medical man. It was also arrangedthat similar cards for admittance should be issued to theCharity Organisation Society and to almoners. Dr. Cautleyat this stage of the proceedings pointed out that the

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medical staff were doubtful whether limitation of recom-mendations to medical practitioners alone would not throwan undue amount of work on the practitioners’ shoulders.He observed that unless the local practitioners took up thescheme warmly it was probable that the work in the out-patient department would be too strictly limited. A schemewas put forward to arrange for a consulting department tobe instituted at the hospital in order that parents might beable to bring children for a second opinion or further advicein cases where they were not able to pay the ordinary feesof consultants. The opinion of the meeting, however, wasopposed to this course, as it was considered that medicalmen could safely rely on the courtesy of the medical staff togive them an opinion on any particular case on whichinformation was desired.

In replying to a vote of thanks to the chairman, proposedby Mr. NORTON, Dr. CAUTLEY assured the medical practi-tioners present that the medical stuff would be extremelypleased if the medical men of the district would form them-selves into a local organisation, as it could not but result inadvantage to the profession. It was understood that theresult of the conference would be submitted to the committeeof management of the hospital.The proceedings then terminated.

MEDICINE AND THE LAW.

Baths at Police Stations.THE Gloucestershire standing joint committee discussed

an interesting question recently with regard to the inclusionof a bathroom to be used for prisoners in the plans for a newpolice station at Henbury, near Bristol. From a sanitarypoint of view there can be little doubt that a very largenumber of the persons ordinarily accommodated in such abuilding might be washed with advantage to themselves, tothose brought in contact with them at the police court andelsewhere, and also to those who subsequently occupy thecells which they vacate. On the other hand, the vice-chairman of the committee pointed out that the rightsof the police with regard to untried prisoners, if not

very clearly defined, are certainly limited. He thoughtit likely that the proposed innovation might in practice laythe police open to charges of assault. It seems probable,indeed, that for the enforcement of a rigid rule for the

bathing of all prisoners the authority of the Home Office, ifnot of the legislature, wou;d be required and that such arule would inflict unnecessary hardship in many cases,for a bath in such circumstances is hardly likely to beregarded as a luxury even by those most used toablutions. A discretionary power, however, given to thechief officer at a police station to have some of thedirtier prisoners who come under his charge cleansedwould be another matter. The clothes in such circum-stancfS would have to be resumed but they couldoften be rendered less offensive without a great deal oftrouble by baking. The condition of many of those whospend a night in the cells of a police station is frequentlydisgusting and may be dangerous to others who, althoughtheir offences are perhaps more serious, cannot justly bevisited with more than the lawful penalties prescribed fortheir misdeeds.

Ferrous Sulphate in Beer.Thomas Sands, described as "lately" " carrying on business

as a publican in Westbourne-park-road, Paddington, wasfined 5 with 2 12s. costs at Marylebone police court

recently for adding ferrous sulphate to the beer which he soldto his customers. Samples taken in December, 1904, andin February, 1905, were all found to contain the addedmatter complained of. For the defence an attempt wasmade to suggest that the adulteration was effected inorder to make the beer frothy and palatable. Whetherthis would have been any excuse in the eyes of the magis- ’trate had it been established may be considered doubtful.It might be suggested that any adulteration having forits object the causing of an inferior article to appear tobe of good quality must be greatly to the prejudice of thecustomer. In the case in question, however, the prosecutionpointed out that the tendency of the ferrous sulphate wouldbe to impart an astringent quality to the beverage and thata dry throat and mouth would increase the desire of theconsumer to drink. The magistrate accepted this view,which no doubt was correct, and the fine imposed marked

his opinion of what, on the part of a vendor of intoxicatingLiquors, was an ingenious and dangerous device for increas-ing his trade.

MzsJtrooms and the Liability of Restaurant Propriet03’s.The recent action brought by a lady against the proprietor

of a restaurant in Regent-street, on the ground that she hadbeen injured by eating mushrooms supplied by him to her atluncheon, will serve to remind persons in the position of thedefendant of the dangers which they run and of the necessityfor exercising the most scrupulous care in their own interestsas well as in that of their guests. This in the case re-ferred to the defendant was able to show that he had done.As, however, the learned judge pointed out to the jury, theaction was not based upon any alleged negligence on the partof the defendant but upon the "implied warranty" whicheveryone in such a business gives that the food which hesupplies is fit for its purpose. In the case referred to the

plaintiff was ill after eating mushrooms, but her evidencefell a long way short of proving that she was ill beea7(Se sheha,d eaten them, and even had she satisfied the jury that thiswas the case she had still failed to show that the mushroomsto which she ascribed her symptoms were worse than thosewhich other persons at the same time and place had eatenwith impunity. The doctrine of the "implied warranty" "

may be a useful incentive to the caterer to exercise thegreatest possible care in the carrying on of his business butit necessarily inflicts at times considerable hardship uponhim. If, however, the law deems that he warrants all thathe sells to be fit for human food it does not go so far as tomake him guarantee that it will agree with individualstomachs.

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THE KING INSTITUTE OF PREVENTIVEMEDICINE.

ONE of the most important events which have of late takenplace in India has been the opening of the King Institute ofPreventive Medicine at Guindy, a suburb of Madras, by HisExcellency Lord Ampthill on March llth, in the presence ofa large and representative gathering. The institute owes its

origin and establishment to the strenuous and unremittinglabours of Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. King, LM.S., C.LE.,Sanitary Commissioner of Madras, and it was therefore onlyfitting and right that it should bear his name. Theadvance of sanitary science has been by great stridesof late years. Sanitation is at all times necessary, alikein peace and in war, and all can consequently take aninterest in, and reap the advantages of, an institution ofthis sort which can only have the unifying effect, moreover,of combining Christians, Hindus, and Mussulmans in work-ing together for a common object and mutual benefit.Lord Ampthill delivered an excellent as well as, from a

historical point of view, a very interesting and wise addresson the occasion, in which His Excellency set forth thenature, the aims, and the objects of the institute and mostdeservedly extolled the labours of Colonel King and expressedthe indebtedness of the Indian Government and of all classesof the native population to him for what he had accom-plished. There is probably no place in the world wherepublic health measures and institutions are more needed orare likely to be productive of greater benefit than India.

ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL.-Thefollowing prizes for the winter session 1904-05 have beenawarded:-Second year students : W. B. Johnson, theWilliam Tite scholarship, R25. Third year students:R. W. Rix, the Musgrove scholarship, R35; J. A. Clarke,College prize, .620 ; and H. A. H. Robson, College prize,RIO. Fifth year students : C. Ll. Morgan (medicine), L10 ;.H. T. Gray (surgery), E10 ; J. M. Wyatt (midwifery anddiseases of women), Z10 ; C. J. Langley (pathology), theHadden prize, RIO ; H. T. Gray and L. E. C. Norbury(pharmacology), R5each;L.E. C. Norbury (forensic medicineand insanity), RIO ; and G. J. Langley (public health), RIO.The Mead medal and the Seymour Graves Toller prize forproficiency in practical medicine, pathology and hygienewere awarded to G. J. Langley ; the Wainwright prize wasawarded to H. R. Dean ; and the Cheselden medal for

proficiency in surgery and surgical anatomy was awarded to.L. E. C. Norbury.