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to make a false declaration on such an occasion is a seriousoffence. and a medical man in London, who was acquittedupon a charge of signing such a declaration, only escapedconviction because having personally questioned the appli-cant for a passport he could hardly be said to have nopersonal knowledge of her. He had acted in perfect goodfaith at the request of a patient, but nevertheless the

person for whom he accepted responsibility was afterwardssentenced to a long term of imprisonment under the Defenceof the Realm Act.

Bogus Practitioners.The absence of medical men from their practices through

war service and the demand for medical practitioners toundertake civil and military duties have been takenadvantage of in several instances by impostors. Amongthese H. J. HERRING, an unqualified person who severalyears ago was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude formanslaughter committed when personating a medical man,was sentenced to four years’ penal servitude at the CentralCriminal Court for bigamy and for feloniously giving deathcertificates. He had personated a medical practitioner, Mr.E. K. HERRING, practising in New South Wales, and soobtained a post as locum tenens.R. v. Burdee: Manslaughter by an Ynqualijied Person.In the case of an unqualified person, who was sentenced

to 12 months’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of anelderly woman, to whom he had applied a so-called "coldwater cure," Mr. Justice DARLING said that if a person,whether a qualified practitioner or not, professed to dealwith the life or health of any person, he was bound to have

competent skill to perform the task. The convict had heldhimself out as qualified to perform certain work, and hewas bound to treat his patients with care and attention.

CHEMISTRY.

The war has set back pure science for a while in this

country, but it has given a very decided and welcomestimulus to the application of scientific knowledge to pressingpractical affairs. The scientific staffs at our universities andschools, hitherto engaged on academic work, have, to a largeextent, been transferred to work of immediate national

importance, and in consequence there is little to report inregard to pure research. Many interesting theoretical ques-tions must perforce remain in abeyance, but the union ofworkshop and laboratory has been effected.

It is being very generally recognised that the future ofscientific industry can only be secured by greater progressin organisation and by cooperation amongst the various manu-facturers engaged in it, added to which there must bean important development in our system of technical educa-tion so as to increase the efficiency of labour andits scientific management. There must, however, be Stateassistance in this matter; chemistry in particular requiresjust the sort of support that is forthcoming at the presenttime in the prosecution of research aimed at replacing somany essential materials hitherto exclusively supplied bythe enemy. Good progress here is being made in the dyeindustry and many colouring matters formerly made abroadhave now been successfully prepared. Again, considerableadvances have been reported in the manufacture of syn-thetics, and particularly of drugs and medicinal agents.The university and the factory have combined most use-fully in this direction, while several well-known firms of

manufacturing chemists have given determined and suc-

cessful attention* to the elaboration of fine products which Iwere hitherto enemy monopolies. The following substances Imay be mentioned : the salicylates, including aspirin, theorganic arsenic derivatives used in syphilis, phenacftin,homatropine, pilocarpine, glycerophosphates, benzamine

derivatives, hexamine, adalin, benzidin, allantoin, beta-

naphthol, formaldehyde, resorcin, hydroquinone, chloral-amide, cotarnin, ichthyol, and eau de Cologne. To these

may be added lanoline, which is now prepared in thiscountry, the product satisfying the requirements of theBritish Pharmacopoeia, and, in fact, reaching a higherstandard than that laid down. There is thus nothing wrongwith British effort and brain, and such achievements mustreceive our admiration, but these gains can only be retainedby a national determination to support British enterprise.We were unprepared for the war; we m n st be prepared forthe fierce economic struggle which is almost certain tosucceed peace.

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM "THE LANCET"LABORATORY.

Throughout the year the total number of articles reportedupon in our analytical columns was 37, involving just ahundred analytical determinations. In the monthly recordsof atmospheric pollution, published as soon as possible afterthe returns from the various stations have been received,the analyses made in THE LANCET laboratory for theMeteorological Office amounted to 130. In a specialarticle entitled " Paraffinum Liquidum : the B.P.Standard Ignored," published in our issue of August 12th,it was pointed out that certain American oils were

being imported into this country which were not refinedto the extent that is desirable for medicinal purposes as anintestinal lubricant. While these, according to examination,did not exhibit fluorescence, colour, odour, or taste, theywere below the wide limits laid down in the British

Pharmacopoeia in regard to specific gravity. Moreover,their viscosity was so low as to exclude them for the purposeof effectively lubricating the intestinal tract. In connexionwith this inquiry 17 analytical determinations were made ;the total number of laboratory analyses carried out duringthe year being 274. It may be added that the large increasein the cost of chemical reagents is seriously handicappinganalytical operations in all laboratories, while in’somecases the reagents are unobtainable.

HONOURS TO MEDICAL MEN.The honours which have been bestowed upon members of

the medical profession in connexion with the war will befound recorded in our columns from week to week duringthe year. We give below, however, a list of the New Yearand Birthday Honours, though here also services in connexionwith the war are included.

Among the newly created knights in the New Year listwere Sir GEORGE A. BERRY, Sir THOMAS WRIGHT PARKINSON,and Sir MILSOM REES, C.V.O. A knighthood was also con-ferred upon Dr. RAI KAILASH CHANDRA BASU BAHADUR, ofCalcutta. Surgeon-General Sir JAMES PORTER R.N., andTemporary Surgeon-General Sir WILLIAM WATSON CHEYNE,R.N., were made K.C.M.G.’s ; and Surgeon-General Guv C.JONES, Director of Medical Services to the Canadian

Expeditionary Force, a C.M.G. To the Order of the Indian

Empire were appointed as Companions Dr. JOHN ANDREWTURNER. Lieutenant-Colonel ROBERT CHARLES MACWATT.1. M S.. and Dr. SURESH PROSAD SARBADHIKARY, of Calcutta.In the Order of the Bath Fleet-Surgeon A. GASKELL, R.N.,Surgeon-General W. H. NORMAN, R.N., Temporary Surgeon-General H. D ROLLESTON, R.N., and Colonel W. W. WHITE,LM.S., received Companionships ; in the Royal VictorianOrder Surgeon-General Sir ANTHONY A. BOWLBY was madea Knight Commander; and Stafr-Surgeon ROBERT JOSEPHWILLAN, R.N., a Member.The Birthday list included the names of Dr. CHRISTOPHER

ADDISON, M.P., who was made a P.C. Those receivingknighthoods were Sir ARMAND MARC RUFFER, C.M.G.. andSir NESTOR TIRARD. Dr. FREDERICK MONTIZAMBERT, I.S.O.,Director-General of Public Health of Canada, was awardeda C M G., and Fleet-Surgeon E. C. LOMAS R.N., D.S.O.,Surgeon-General J. J. DENNIS, R.N., Colonel A. P.

BLENKINSOP, Assistant Director-General, A M S., and MajorP. S. LELEAN were made C.B.’s. Dr. NOEL BARDSWELLand Dr. FREDERICK HEWETT were made members of theFourth Class of the Victorian Order. In the Indian List

Major F. N. WHITE, Assistant Director-General, I.M.S.,Lieutenant Colonel J. JACKSON, LM.S., and Captain A. G. J.MACILWAINE, R.A.M.C., received the C.LE., and Mr. H. M.NEWTON. Dr. R. G. ROBSON, and the Rev. PETER CULLEN,Brigade-Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel, I.M.S. (retired), wereawarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal.

GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL.Each of the two sessions of the General Medical Council

during the year was short in duration, but at both impor-tant proceedings took place, mainly in connexion with theconditions produced by the war. The maintaining of thesupply of practitioners sufficient for the needs of the country,while the calling up of junior medical students under succes-sive systems of recruiting was going on, has produced aposition which the Council was bound to consider an anxiousone. In 1915 354 names in excess of the average of