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aura should not be confounded with Jacksonian epilepsy. Itwas only exceptionally that a threatened fit could be cutshort or aborted by treatment begun as soon as the aura

appeared. Dr. Clark said that in his opinion epilepsy wasalways a sensory disturbance of the cerebral cortex withan explosive motor manifestation. He believed that the

epileptic discharge or "nerve storm" began in certaincortical cells which he would designate as cells of the

sensory type. These cells, he stated, were present chiefly inthe second layer of the cortex. A discharge of these cellsnot only constituted the aura or sensory disturbance but as asecondary result the motor pyramidal cells of the cortex were"temporarily withdrawn from the inhibiting influence of

these sensory cells " and were thus permitted to dischargefreely and violently, thereby giving rise to the convulsion orepileptic fit. "There would be some sort of aura," arguesDr. Clark, "in every case of epilepsy if the rate of cerebraldiffusion of the discharge were slower or less complete inrange " than in the most severe cases. The explanation ofthe great frequency of visual, auditory, and epigastricauras lay in the fact of the extensive cortical representa-tion of these sensory functions. The length of time an auralasted and the degree of its elaboration were parallelwith the reluctance of the other cerebral centres to par-ticipate in the fit. In other words, the longer and moreelaborate the aura the less disposed was the motor cortexto react convulsively. Many epileptics well on the road torecovery, concluded Dr. Clark, have only the aura of theirformer fits of grand mal. To such patients Dr. Clark gave abottle of amyl nitrite or ammonium "salts" " to carry and tosmell immediately the aura was experienced, as this pro-cedure warded off possible epileptic attacks. Dr. Clark citedtwo cases of the rare" intellectual aura " in which a dreamystate with reminiscence of former experiences was developed.This lasted one or two minutes and the patient sat still indeep and pleasant reverie. Dr. Clark thought that thismental state might correspond to that of the Buddhist andthe Shinto devotee who could while in this condition conjureup recollections of a former state of existence. Dr. ThomasProut said that painting the cerebral cortex with cocaineinhibited fits, a fact which favoured the view of the sensoryorigin of the epileptic fit. Dr. Louise Robinovitch regardedthe frontal lobes of the brain as in a state of weakenedfunctional activity prior to an epileptic fit, so that the

sensory centres were for the time freed from the inhibitoryaction of the frontal lobes. Auras were then developed withfacility. The exhilaration manifested occasionally during anaura was akin to that observed in general paralysis. Persons

of inferior intelligence were especially apt to experienceauras.

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RURAL WATER-SUPPLIES.

THE River Pollution Commissioners in their report issuedin the year 1874 made a classification of drinking water whichis still often quoted. In the table which they give of potablewaters "according to palatability and wholesomeness " riverwater to which sewage gains access is described as "palat-able." The opinion of the Commissioners on this point is notone which deserves to be perpetuated, although an expertwas heard to assert at Lord Llandaff’s Commission on the

Metropolitan Water-supply that he would not object to drinkunfiltered Thames water. The table of the River PollutionCommissioners is quoted, not, it should be said, with entireapproval, by Dr. C. J. Russell McLean in a little pamphleton " Rural Water Supplies" which he has recently published. 1The Commissioners’ classification in regard to the wholesome-ness of potable water was that spring, deep well, and uplandsurface waters were "wholesome," that stored rain-wateran’;’ surface water from cultivated land were "suspicious,"

1 Sanitary Publishing Company, London. Price ls.

and that river water to which sewage gains access andshallow well water were dangerous." Dr. McLean gives a.classification of his own in the case of supplies for rural

districts, taking into account the practicability of the dif-

ferent available sources of supply as regards quantity andmore especially as regards purity and wholesomeness fordrinking purposes. Naturally assigning to rain-water ’ thefirst place for cooking and laundry purposes," the table is asfollows : (1) deep well waters ; (2) properly collected andfiltered rain-water; (3) permanent or rock spring waters ; (4)intermittent or land springs ; and (5) shallow well-waters.Dr. McLean mentions a point which has not escaped the ’

notice of other observers that rain is the fons et origo ofall our water-supplies. It seems, however, that he has notfully assimilated the fact, for he says on the page whichfollows the one containing this statement, "The rainfallin Great Britain is quite inadequate as a water-supply forour cities and large communities, inasmuch as it is estimatedto yield only about two and a half gallons of water daily foreach individual." It is likely that the writer did not expressvery clearly what he had in his mind when he wrote the longsentence from which we quote, but he says, intelligiblyenough, that he considers collected rain-water to be one ofthe most suitable, if not actually the best, of the possiblesources of supply for rural districts, and he dwells in

some detail on a rain-water separator invented or sold

by a gentleman of Haslemere and gives particulars of theprice of the apparatus. Dr. McLean speaks of "a strangeand unreasonable prejudice " which he says exists in manydistricts against the use of rain-water for drinking purposes,but he considers this objection by no means insuperable.Practically, however, there is no doubt that the taste of

rain-water is strongly objected to by many people, and it isimportant that a supply should be palatable as well as pure,otherwise it will not be drunk in its natural state. The

pamphlet on "Rural Water-supplies " does not, so far as wehave seen, contain any new facts and those who wish forinformation on the subject will do well to refer to Dr.Thresh’s book which has already been noticed in thesecolumns.

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THE ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF

HYGIENE AND DEMOGRAPHY.

THE latest programme of this Congress and circular con-cerning travelling and hotel arrangements may be obtainedfrom Dr. Paul F. Moline, 42, Walton-street, Chelsea,London, S.W., who is the honorary secretary of the Britishcommittee of the Congress. Dr. W. H. Corfield is thechairman of the British committee. The programme has

already been summarised in THE LANCET of June 27th,p. 1833. Membership subscriptions by cheque or moneyorder for 25 francs or .El, accompanied by the full name,address, and description of the subscriber, may be sent to,

the treasurer of the Congress, M. J. Sterckz, chef de bureauat the Ministry of Agriculture, 3, Rue Beyaert, Brussels.The return fares from London to Brussels are stated in francsas follows : vii Ostend, first-class 88.40, second-class 65.00 ;vid Harwich, first-class 60.60, second-class 38.60; and viiCalais, first-class 110.15, second-class 81.15. The ticketsare issued from June lst. A list of 17 hotels is giventogether with the prices charged. The Grand Hotel, theHotel Metropole, and the Hotel de Bellevue seem to bethe most expensive, the highest charge being 12 francs

per diem per person for a room on the first floor,attendance and light included. This price diminishes

according to the floor on which the room is situated. Thesehotels charge for lunch from 1.50 to 2 francs, and for dinnerfrom 5 to 8 francs. The cheapest hotels seem to be theHotel de Bordeaux, the Hotel des Boulevards, the Hotelde la Poste, and the Hotel Prince of Wales, the charges of

45

which range from 2.50 to 5 francs per diem for rooms,from 1 franc to 1.50 francs for lunch, and 4 francs

for table d’hôte dinner. A note is appended statingthat as the greatest concourse of visitors generally takesplace in September the members of the Congress are

requested in their own interests to secure their apart-ments at least ten days before their arrival. Season

tickets available for 15 days over the whole system of theBelgian State Railways are issued at all the stations on

the system. An applicant for such a ticket must send anunmounted photograph of himself, measuring six by fourcentimetres (approximately a carte-de-visite), to the stationand should indicate the day and hour of his trip (and atleast one hour in advance of his journey) in order that aticket of this kind may be prepared and held at his dis-

posal. The photograph is affixed to the ticket whichmust be signed by him immediately on its receipt. The

prices of these tickets are : reserved compartments or

saloon carriages, 60 francs ; second-class, 40 francs ; andthird-class, 23 francs. In addition, a deposit of 5 francs isdemanded. These tickets are not transferable and are notavailable for travelling by special or excursion trains. Seasontickets available for 15 days over the system of the BelgianState Railways, the North Belgian lines, and the WesternFlanders lines are issued at the following prices : first-

class, 72 francs ; second-class, 49 francs ; third-class, 29francs. A deposit of 5 francs is also demanded. In applyingfor such tickets one hour’s previous notice is sufficient at theprincipal stations, while at the other stations 24 hours’

previous notice must be given.

SICK-ROOM ACCOMMODATION AT ETONCOLLEGE.

THE letters from Lord Medway which appeared in theTimes of June 4th and 6th, together with that from thebursar of Eton College which appeared in the Times of

June 5th, seemed to us to deal with matters of very greatimportance. So we have investigated the subject for our-selves and can state from personal observation that thereexists the following accommodation for cases of illness.

Firstly, the sanatorium, containing 12 beds designed forcases of scarlet fever. Secondly, within a short distanceof the sanatorium is a building with room for 10 beds (thebeds being divided from one another by partitions). This

building is intended for cases of diphtheria or small-

pox and is divided into two separate portions, each contain-ing five beds. These beds are also used for the isolation of" suspects." Thirdly, a small hospital intended for the useof serious non-infectious diseases, the chief objection to iwhich is that it is too far away-about three-quarters of amile-from the houses. Moving a case of appendicitis or of ityphoid fever is always a matter for serious consideration.This building contains five beds. It is possible, however, ithat a similar hospital will be constructed upon the site of IMr. Kindersley’s house which was recently burned down.Fourthly, there is the new wing of the College build-ingswhich contains four beds and two rooms which can be usedfor two nurses, or one patient and one nurse, and to whichoppidans can be admitted in case of necessity. Fifthly,most of the boarding houses are now provided with sickrooms in a quiet part of the house, some of them being inthe private part of the house, in which cases of measlesor influenza or other acute cases, whether infectious or

not, can be treated. When a new house is built the

terms of the lease stipulate that at least two suchrooms shall always be kept in readiness for emergencies.It may be said, I I Why should not Eton have a central

hospital like those which exist at other schools, to which anycase of infectious disease could be promptly removed ? ’’

But it must be remembered that Eton differs from nearly all

other public schools in one important particular-namely,that nearly every boy has a separate room. The exceptionsare "Long Chamber" and the few instances where twobrothers occupy a joint room. Thus infection is not likelyto spread in the same manner as when a number of boyssleep in one dormitory. Scarlet fever and diphtheria,together with small-pox, are provided for and the only othervirulently infectious diseases which are likely to occur aremeasles and influenza. The latter, when it does appear in

epidemic form, strikes down hundreds at once and anysystem of isolation is nullified. Measles, too, is at its mostinfectious stage before the sufferer himself falls ill,and in the experience of the medical men practising at

Eton the exanthemata do not spread in the houses or in theschool as a result of the lack of a central hospital. A systemof mutual notification exists among the medical men wherebyon the outbreak of any infectious disease a notification issent round which states the name of the boy, his house, hisclassical division, and his mathematical division. Whenother cases, if any, follow, it is found that the boys formingthis batch of cases are those who have sat next to the

original victim in school or in chapel, or who have been hismessmates or particular friends in his house. Moreover,the intervening period of incubation shows unmistakablythat infection was imparted before and not after the originalpatient was shut up in his room. A central hospital bigenough to deal with an epidemic of infectious disease wouldhave to contain at least 120 beds. It would have to be keptalways in readiness for use at a moment’s notice and wouldin all probability be used only once in three or four

years. Moreover, if in the case of an epidemic any boywere to be crowded out the indignation which would bevery possibly expressed by his parents would be naturallyextreme. We cannot say that the accommodation pro-vided for sickness is as good as that to be found in a

perfectly up-to-date modern hospital, but it is quite as goodas, and in some instances better than, that to be found inany private house of the smaller order or possibly in morepalatial dwellings. Nurses when required are obtained fromLondon or from the Princess Christian’s Nursing Associationat Windsor. Thus it would seem that Lord Medway’sletter was founded on a misapprehension.

THE HANDEL FESTIVAL.

THE Handel Festival of 1903 has come and gone and wehave no hesitation in saying that so. far as the chorus,, theband, and the organist went it was the best in point of per-formance that has ever taken place. We suppose that it i&

hopeless to imagine that the Festival Committee will evergive up the performanee of Tlue- MesilifJJ!&ugrave;, but seeing thatthat great work is so frequently performed and so’ well knownwe think that another oratorio, say Saitil or <S5’MMOM.,might well take its place, at least occasionally. Another

point on which we differ from the- committee- is the- inclusion,in the rehearsal programme at least, of two disgraceful!advertisements emanating from quacks. One quacktrades under the name of "The Ideal Form Co." andsells a nostrum known as " or. Brown’s Ogilato;"which pretends to increase the size of the mammaryglands. The other quack is "Dr. W. S. Rice " who

pretends to cure rupture "without pain, danger, operation,or an hour’s loss of time." We have no hesitation in sayingthat advertisements such as these would be a disgrace to anypublication and should certainly have never appeared in anypublication which has to do with Handel. To pass to the

more pleasing act of praise we may say at once that thebasses and tenors of the chorus were magnificent. The tenorswere a body giving real tenor quality and the basses weremarvellously rich and sonorous. The sopranos and altos

seemed to us somewhat overweighted by the tenors and