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stronger than japaconitine and occupies a position betweenthis alkaloid and pseudaconitine from forms of A. ferox,the most active member of the series. The depression of therespiratory function by indaconitine is less than that pro-duced by bikhaconitine and to this the greater toxicity ofthe latter is referable. In the case of frogs the toxicity ofthe two new alkaloids is practically equal, though bikha-conitine is more active than indaconitine in reducing therespiratory activity. On the other hand, it is somewhat

less active in abolishing the excitability of muscular andintramuscular motor nervous tisaue, as shown by immersingmuscle-nerve preparations in solutions of the alkaloids ;bikhaconitine is less active also in reducing the abilityof the muscle-nerve preparation poisoned in situ for the

performance of work sufficient to cause fatigue. The local

effect of the two aconitiaes when applied to the skin byinunction is equal and similar to that of other aconitines.As a result of this research indaconitine and bikhaconitine

may be substituted for aconitine and pseudaconitine for

internal use. Indaconitine is administrable in the samedose as aconitine, and bikhaconitine in the proportion of0 ’ 75 of the unit dose of aconitine. For local applicationthey may be used as constituents of ointments in similarproportions to the aconitine of A. napell1ls.

"DR. BELL’S" CIRCULARS.

READERS of THE LANCET know that we have from timeto time called attention to the profuse distribution throughthe post of a filthy circular by a person or persons underthe style of "Dr. A. Bell." The circular was of an offensive

and dangerous nature, calculated to frighten ignorant personswith reference to their so-called "vitality" and to lure

them into spending money upon a worthless invention calleda " self-restorer belt." For a long time it seemed as if theprocedures of "Dr. Bell were secure from legal inter-

ference, but we continued to impress upon Scotland Yardthe gross nature of the offence that was being committedand at length a successful prosecution has been undertaken.The letter of Mr. F. S. Bullock, writing for the AssistantCommissioner from Scotland Yard, which appears in anothercolumn, details briefly the result of the action of the

Criminal Investigation Department, and we are glad to

think that a scandalous nuisance has been suppressed, nota little owing to our action.

THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLISM IN RUSSIA.

AN advance in civilisation initiated by the medical pro-fession is reported from St. Petersburg, where it seems

likely that the old police system of " sobering chambers " isto be done away with. The report of the Imperial AlcoholCommission upon this system, to which its attention seemsto have been drawn by a series of authenticated cases

reported by the Medical Department, is an altogetherdamning one: It states that a "sobering chamber," con-structed to hold about ten persons, but entirely devoid offurniture, is attached to each police station in the city,the average number of drunken persons annually treatedin them amounting to more than 50,000. The deathswhich occur in the state of drunkenness amount to 200

yearly-i.e., about 38 per cent. of the total annualnumber of sudden deaths in the city. This is easilyunderstood from the following passage of the report: Thosewho are found in the streets unconscious from drink are

stripped to the shirt and dragged into the chamber, which isonly built for ten at most but in reality often contains asmany as 60 drunken persons. In consequence of neglect ofproper precautions and the vomiting which ensues the

atmosphere of this confined space becomes suffocating, sothat sometimes even the lamps are extinguished. Thedrunkards lie literally on top of one another and cover each

other with filth. Many cases are recorded in whichdrunkards recovering consciousness amidst these fearful

surroundings have committed suicide through their senseof disgrace; others die in the effort of vomiting. TheCommission recommends that the sobering and treatmentof persons suffering from acute alcoholic poisoning shouldbe withdrawn from the police and handed over to the

city corporation or the public infirmary, the TreasuryDepartment for the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors to defraythe necessary expenses.

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THE MEDICAL MAN, THE CORONER, ANDTHE PATHOLOGIST.

AN inquiry was commenced on Tuesday last at the offices ofthe London County Council, before Mr. T. Barclay Cockerton,Local Government Board auditor, into an application madeby the British Medical Association with reference to the feespaid by Mr. Troutbeck, the coroner for South.West London,to Dr. Freyberger. The British Medical Association holds, aswe have maintained in our columns, that the circumstancesin which Dr. Freyberger is employed by Mr. Troutbeck haveoften been illegal and that the auditor should disallow therepayment in such cases to Mr. Troutbeck by the Council ofthe fees given by him to Dr. Freyberger.

A LIBERAL-MINDED BOROUGH COUNCIL.

IN connexion with the assessment of the new premises ofSt. John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin, Leicester-

square, it is interesting to learn the result of an appealmade by the board of management through a deputationconsisting of the senior physician, Dr. Morgan Dockrell,and the secretary, Mr. G. A. Arnaudin. The new assessment

had been fixed for rateable purposes at double the valueof the former premises but the assessment committee ofWestminster on hearing the arguments of the hospital metthe appeal in a generous spirit and concluded to allow the-rateable value of the premises to remain on the old basis..This is. most important; it shows that the Westminster citycouncil, second in importance only to the City of Londonamong municipal governments, is desirous of helping as faras lies in its power the hospitals within its borders and it.affor.d&an excellent example to other rating authorities.

ADRENALIN IN THE TREATMENT OFHÆMOPTYSIS.

; IN the Paris letter in our issue of Oct. 28th, p. 1296,will be found a brief note of the direct injection ofadrenalin into the apex of one lung with a view to

the treatment of hæmoptysis in a case of pulmonary, tuberculosis. As a result there was sudden and eom-

plete pneumothorax on the side in which the injectionwas made, together with arrest of the haemorrhage. The

case was described by M. Galliard before the HospitalsMedical Society and in the discussion which ensued M.Dufour attributed the cessation of the hsemoptysis to thecollapse of the lung resulting from the pneumothorax andstated that he had never found adrenalin of value in

the treatment of haemoptysis. M. Lermoyez was of opinionthat adrenalin was only of value as a temporary haemostaticand that when the constriction induced by it passed offthere was a liability to recurrence of the haemorrhage.With regard to the use of styptics in the treatment of

heamoptysis there is among many authorities in this

country a strong opinion against their use and we thinkrightly so. Most styptics, especially those such as adrenalin,ergot, and hamamelis, act by producing constriction of thevessels and when given internally are therefore liable tocause a rise of general blood pressure, which is above allthings to be avoided in cases of haemoptysis, to say little: