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NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Egremont.MR. SAMUEL BRAITHWAITE, J.P., has been elected first

chairman of the Egremont Urban District Council. Mr.Braithwaite studied medicine at the University of DurhamCollege of Medicine at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and has beenin practice at Egremont since 1876, in which year he suc-ceeded Dr. Lawson. Since 1885 he has filled the post ofchairman of the local board. He is surgeon to the local rifle

corps, and has been lieutenant and captain ; he is alsomember of the West Cumberland Fishery Board, anddirector of the Gas Company, and he was Master of theEgremont Otterhounds. He is, besides, a hard-wotkingmedical practitioner. No man in the district is held in

greater esteem than the chairman of the Egremont UrbanDistrict Council.

Durham.The University Journal, which has hitherto consisted of

some six or eight pages, is to be enlarged to thirty pages, andis to be run on somewhat different lines. The College ofMedicine and the College of Science at Newcastle are each tohave an editorial staff, and in the journal will now appear allmatters of interest and importance to those two institutions.Professor Glines, the new principal of the College of Science,has taken great interest in promoting this movement. It is

hoped that this journal may become the official gazette ofthe University. It will be subsidised by the colleges atDurham and at Newcastle.

The Heath Surgical Scholarship.The late president of the College of Medicine, Professor

G. G. Heath, left in trust the sum of £4000 for the purpose offounding a scholarship in surgery to be awarded every secondyear. The value of this scholarship will be some £20O,and regulations are about to be issued by the trustees. The

competitors must be graduates of Durham University. It is

anticipated that there will be keen competition for thisvaluable prize. This will be the first competition.

The Neiveastle College of Medicine.The office of secretary has become vacant by theresigna-

tion of Mr. H. Fox, R.N., and the appointment will beadvertised at once. The Council of the College has recentlyintroduced the electric light into the building, and the

dissecting-room, lecture theatres, council chamber, and thecorridors are now all illuminated by electricity.

The Cumberland and Westmorland Asylum.Carlisle is a city constantly referred to in old ballads by

the epithet merry." I am reminded of this by the reportof a speech made by Mr. Carrick of Scotby in his candida-ture for the county council. Mr. Carrick is a member of theLunacy Committee, and in his speech made some very remark-able and interesting statements. For the last two years therecovery-rate at the Carlisle Asylum had been-for 1893 45 5per cent., as against the average in English county and boroughasvlums of 39 per cent. ; and for 1894, 47 -9 per cent., as against37 3. The average rate of recovery on total admissions forthe last twenty-two years had been 45’7 per cent. The com-mittee had considered the 4s. grant for pauper lunatics, andhad applied to have it extended to pauper patients outsidethe workhouse, as in Scotland. A large building for privatepatients, who would otherwise have to pass through theasyium as nominal paupers, is in course of construction, andaltogether Carlisle seems to be exceptionally fortunate in hertreatment of lunatics and her choice of those who look afterthem.Feb. 27th.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

The Edinburgh Nedico-CAirurgical Society.THE discussion at this society on cardiac therapeutics was

resumed last Wednesday before a considerably smalleraudience than on the first night of the discussion. Dr.Bramwell opened in a long and somewhat too exhaustivepaper on the wh3le subject, which occupied the first hour.He was foliowed by Dr. Stockman, who took a somewhatnegative Ike of criticism. Professor Greerfield extolled in

the highest possible way the value of strophanthus as against.digitalis. Dr. James Ritchie referred to various points which,he had gleaned from his experience in general practice-Dr. William Russell aimed at delimiting the sphere of £applicability of digitalis and strophanthus. Dr. Cloustonreferred to the circulatory troubles in some forms of insanity,.and indicated the treatment he adopted for these cases.

Influenza in Edinburgh.There has been quite an outbreak of infiuenza in epidemic-

form in Edinburgh. It first made its appearance some tenor twelve days ago, when the first indications of thawappeared. It is very prevalent amongst all classes. Theseizures are, as a rule, quite typical, although it is at th!same time accompanied by such mild cases that, occurringalone, they would be classed as febrile catarrhs. Fortu-nately, the lung complications do not, so far, appear to havabeen serious. Bronchitis is common, but pneumonia not socommon or so fatal as it was a few winters ago. Still, the.death-rate is higb, and the number of deaths from diseases.of the chest is large.

Health of Edinburgh.The death-rate last week was 36 per 1000. Out of a total

death-roll of 188. 115 were due to chest diseases. Amongstthe deaths were 20 cases from measles and 2 from small-pox.The intimations for the week included 683 cases of measles,1 of small-pox, and 35 of scarlet fever.

Royal Edinbtcrgh Asylum for the Insane.The annual meeting of the corporation of the Royal

Edinburgh Asylum for the Insane was held on Feb. 25th,Lord Provost McDonald presiding. The treasurer read &

report showing that the institution had a surplus off.4717 14s. 6d. The physician superintendent (Dr. Clouston)read his report. He drew attention to the increase of generalparalysis, but on the whole mental disease was not in-creasing. He also referred to Dr. Bruce’s investigations as tothe treatment of certain kinds of mental disease by thyroid’feeding, and he looked forward with much confidence to the,good which this plan of treatment would accomplish.

Recent Medical Appointments in Glasgow.Certain medical appointments have recently been made in

Glasgow under circumstances which have not given universalsatisfaction. The University Court has instituted two new-medical lectureships,’ and has filled them without advertising’.for candidates. The directors of the Western Infirmaryhave fil’ed three vacancies in their staff, and, without dis-paraging the merits of the successful candidates, it seems to.me that certain of the unsuccessful candidates had highoracademical claims. It is always a pity when appointmentscan be made the subject of this sort of comment. It placesthe new holders of the posts in an unpleasant position andexposes the other gentlemen to an imputation of jealousy.The most obvious remedy would be that the meetings of the-Glasgow University Court and of the board of directors ofthe Western Infirmary should be held in public, as is alreadythe case as regards the meetings of the University Court ofAberdeen and those of the directors of the Royal Infirmaryof Edinburgh.Feb. 26th.

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Dublin Sanitary Association.AT the annual general meeting of this association th

incoming president, Dr. J. W. Moore, in the course of hisaddress referred to the outbreak of small-pox in Dublin,and said that the public at large do not appear even yetto realise the priceless boon which vaccination has con-ferred upon mankind since the memorable day-May 14th,1796-on which Edward Jenner vaccinated a peasant ladwhom he failed to inoculate with small-pox two months.afterwards. Before the introduction of vaccination theannual mortality from small-pox in England and Wales

was at the rate of 3000 deaths in every 1,000,000 ofthe population. In 1891 the population was 29,081,047?and the death-rate from small-pox would represent an

annual loss of some 87,000 lives. What were the actual,facts ? ? In 1890 small-pox caused only 15 deaths in England,while the annual number from this disease in the ten years.1881-90 inclusive was 1227-that is, one-eightieth only of thedeath-rate of pre-vaccination times. Dr. Day, resident mediual