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663 Moor-row, and it includes the following bequests : to the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, £1000 ; to the Cumberland and Westmoreland Convalescent Institution, £500; and to the Home for Incurables, Carlisle, £500. He also directs that the residue and remainder of the trust funds shall be applied by his trustee to such charitable purposes as his trustee may select. The net value of the personal estate is over £45,000. Health of Chester-le-Street. Dr. Duncan, the medical officer, reports with regard to the sanitary condition of Chester-le-Street that the high death- rate, 35’5 per 1000, was chiefly due to the prevalence of summer diarrhœa and that the complaint was attributable in a great measure to polluted subsoil caused by the open channels being laid upon soil instead of upon cement. Apoplexy t7troug7t Lead Poisoning. An inquest was held last week on a female lead worker who died rather suddenly in the Newcastle workhouse from apoplexy. Dr. R. F. Craggs, the house surgeon, said that the deceased was single and aged forty-eight. She was admitted last month for general debility and pains from chronic lead- poisoning and she died from rupture of a bloodvessel in the brain. The verdict was entered in accordance with Dr. Craggs’s evidence. Deat7t of Mr. T17 6’. Allen. We have recently lost one of the best known and most highly respected surgeons in the county of Durham-namely, Mr. W. C. Allen, of Willington, who died at the age of sixty. He had practised in Willington for thirty-six years. Mr. Allen was a native of South Shields, where he was interred on Friday last. Kewca,stIe-on-Tyne, Aug. 30th. IRELAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Royal University of Ireland. IN October of next year there will be offered for competi- tion amongst the graduates in medicine of this University one medical studentship, tenable for two consecutive years, of the yearly value of f200, Candidates must give notice of their intention to present themselves and pay a fee of £3 at least one month previously to the examination. The subjects of the examination will be pathology and bacteriology. Queen’s College, Galway. The annual report of the President for the session 1892-93 shows that forty-one students were enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine. The position and prospects of the medical school are satisfactory, and certain difficulties in providing clinical instruction with which it has hitherto had to contend are now for the first time removed. At the close of the last session of Parliament an Act was passed replacing the old Galway Infirmary by a public general hospital, open to patients from the country as well as from the town of Galway. The selection of the medical staff was vested in the Local Government Board, and the five professors of the Medical Faculty of the College were appointed. The Act also provided that the hospital shall be available as a clinical school for the medical students attending the College. This arrangement not alone promotes collegiate interests, but confers on the community at large the services of five physicians and surgeons. The wards of the union and fever hospitals are also made available for the instruction of students, and the certificates of these institutions are received by the licensing bodies. Sewage Purification. At Dundrum Criminal Lunatic Asylum last week a number of the citizens attended to inspect the works erected there by the Oxygen Sewage Purification Company. Mr. Adeney, curator of the Royal University, who is the patentee of the system, and Mr. Kaye Parry, who is joined with him, both read elaborate papers on the method adopted by the company. Those present afterwards adjourned to the works and spent considerable time in examining them. The works, including tanks, are all contained within one small building of neat con- ttmction, measuring 25 ft. long by 20 ft. wide, and even this building contains considerable amount of spare room ; in addition, a small store occupies a space 15 ft. long by 8 ft. wid e. The total area employed for the whole of the operations scarcely exceeds the very small space of about 70 or 80 square yards. There are three tanks, all of which are contained in the first-mentioned building. These tanks differ entirely from, and are about three times as deep as, ordinary sewage tanks. They have a small horizontal sectional area, and each tank contains 5000 gallons. The sewage as it arrives at the works enters at the bottom of the first tank, and before passing out at the top of the same tank it deposits therein nearly the whole of the solid matter which is contained in suspension simply by the process of mechanical subsidence. The sewage thus clari- fied next enters the second tank, again at the bottom, and in this tank purification is effected by chemical precipitation, the chemicals used being manganate of soda and sulphate of alumina. These operations remove very nearly the whole of the suspended matter and about 50 per cent. of the organic matter in solution which the sewage originally contained, and the effluent water passes away from the top of the second tank in a colourless, clear and bright condition. This effluent water is, however, subjected to still further purification by a pro- cess of oxidation effected by the addition of nitrate of soda during its passage through the third tank-again entering at the bottom and flowing from the top of the tank-this opera- tion being equivalent to that of filtration. Sewage is thus subjected to the following processes-viz., mechanical sub- sidence, chemical precipitation and oxidation. After having passed through these three operations the effluent is dis- charged directly into a very small stream of water, less than one-half the volume of the effluent itself, which flows imme- diately through a gentleman’s private grounds, and the stream shows no indication of contamination. Reformatory and Industrial Schools : Annual Report. The thirty-first report of the Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools in Ireland has now been issued. There were 7 reformatories and 69 industrial schools in active operation at the end of 1892. The decrease in committals to reformatory schools, which has been so remarkable for several years past, still continues. The inspector points out that short terms in a reformatory school hardly ever do any good. They cripple the means of the managers for placing the young criminal at a distance from temptation and in a way to earn a respectable livelihood. The success in life achieved by those who have been brought up in re- formatories will be found almost without exception to have been obtained by persons originally committed to them for a long period of time. There were 10 deaths in 1892 as against 2 in the previous year. Five of these were due to lung disease, 3 from mesenteric and bowel disease, 1 was a case of fever and 1 an accidental death. As regards industrial schools, there were on Dec. 31st, 1892, 8576 children as compared with 8547 the previous year. At Artane a disinfecting chamber of the most approved construction has been erected, and it is expected that it will be the means of preserving that school from various contagious and infectious diseases which con- tinually threaten to appear in industrial schools wherever such institutions exist. Ophthalmia prevailed in Baltimore School early in May, and the attention of the authorities was called by the inspector to the extreme gravity of the disease and the necessity of taking precautions to prevent it from spreading. It also prevailed in the autumn, and in conse- quence some structural and other improvements will be-carried out as soon as possible, the chief difficulty being the cost of the proposed additions. The average cost per head in the industrial schools was f:25 ls. 8½d. or £3 6s. 7½d. per head more than the previous year, and of reformatory schools .S17 19s. 3d., or an increase of 2s. About 10,000 children were detained in industrial schools during the year, and the deaths amounted to 81, most of them being caused by lung disease. Dr. Joseph O’Carroll has been elected physician to the Children’s Hospital, Temple-street, to succeed the late Dr. McVeagh. Dr. Montgomery Ward has been elected medical super- intendent of health for Rathmines township. Sept.5th. _______________ AUSTRALIA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Commercial Depression and the Medical Profession. THE chief topic of conversation in the colonies just now is the universal commercial depression, from the effects of which the medical profession is by no means exempt. Con-

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663

Moor-row, and it includes the following bequests : to theCumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, £1000 ; to the Cumberlandand Westmoreland Convalescent Institution, £500; and to theHome for Incurables, Carlisle, £500. He also directs thatthe residue and remainder of the trust funds shall be appliedby his trustee to such charitable purposes as his trustee mayselect. The net value of the personal estate is over £45,000.

Health of Chester-le-Street.Dr. Duncan, the medical officer, reports with regard to the

sanitary condition of Chester-le-Street that the high death-rate, 35’5 per 1000, was chiefly due to the prevalence ofsummer diarrhœa and that the complaint was attributablein a great measure to polluted subsoil caused by the openchannels being laid upon soil instead of upon cement.

Apoplexy t7troug7t Lead Poisoning.An inquest was held last week on a female lead worker who

died rather suddenly in the Newcastle workhouse fromapoplexy. Dr. R. F. Craggs, the house surgeon, said that thedeceased was single and aged forty-eight. She was admittedlast month for general debility and pains from chronic lead-poisoning and she died from rupture of a bloodvessel in thebrain. The verdict was entered in accordance with Dr. Craggs’sevidence.

Deat7t of Mr. T17 6’. Allen.We have recently lost one of the best known and most highly

respected surgeons in the county of Durham-namely, Mr.W. C. Allen, of Willington, who died at the age of sixty.He had practised in Willington for thirty-six years. Mr. Allenwas a native of South Shields, where he was interred onFriday last.Kewca,stIe-on-Tyne, Aug. 30th.

IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Royal University of Ireland.IN October of next year there will be offered for competi-

tion amongst the graduates in medicine of this Universityone medical studentship, tenable for two consecutive years,of the yearly value of f200, Candidates must give notice oftheir intention to present themselves and pay a fee of £3 atleast one month previously to the examination. The subjectsof the examination will be pathology and bacteriology.

Queen’s College, Galway.The annual report of the President for the session 1892-93

shows that forty-one students were enrolled in the Faculty ofMedicine. The position and prospects of the medical schoolare satisfactory, and certain difficulties in providing clinicalinstruction with which it has hitherto had to contend are nowfor the first time removed. At the close of the last session ofParliament an Act was passed replacing the old GalwayInfirmary by a public general hospital, open to patientsfrom the country as well as from the town of Galway.The selection of the medical staff was vested in theLocal Government Board, and the five professors of theMedical Faculty of the College were appointed. The Act alsoprovided that the hospital shall be available as a clinicalschool for the medical students attending the College. This

arrangement not alone promotes collegiate interests, butconfers on the community at large the services of five

physicians and surgeons. The wards of the union and feverhospitals are also made available for the instruction ofstudents, and the certificates of these institutions are receivedby the licensing bodies.

Sewage Purification.At Dundrum Criminal Lunatic Asylum last week a number

of the citizens attended to inspect the works erected there bythe Oxygen Sewage Purification Company. Mr. Adeney,curator of the Royal University, who is the patentee of thesystem, and Mr. Kaye Parry, who is joined with him, both readelaborate papers on the method adopted by the company.Those present afterwards adjourned to the works and spentconsiderable time in examining them. The works, includingtanks, are all contained within one small building of neat con-ttmction, measuring 25 ft. long by 20 ft. wide, and even thisbuilding contains considerable amount of spare room ; inaddition, a small store occupies a space 15 ft. long by 8 ft.wid e. The total area employed for the whole of the operationsscarcely exceeds the very small space of about 70 or 80 square

yards. There are three tanks, all of which are contained inthe first-mentioned building. These tanks differ entirelyfrom, and are about three times as deep as, ordinary sewagetanks. They have a small horizontal sectional area, and eachtank contains 5000 gallons. The sewage as it arrives at theworks enters at the bottom of the first tank, and before passingout at the top of the same tank it deposits therein nearly the wholeof the solid matter which is contained in suspension simply bythe process of mechanical subsidence. The sewage thus clari-fied next enters the second tank, again at the bottom, and inthis tank purification is effected by chemical precipitation, thechemicals used being manganate of soda and sulphate ofalumina. These operations remove very nearly the whole of thesuspended matter and about 50 per cent. of the organic matterin solution which the sewage originally contained, and theeffluent water passes away from the top of the second tank ina colourless, clear and bright condition. This effluent wateris, however, subjected to still further purification by a pro-cess of oxidation effected by the addition of nitrate of sodaduring its passage through the third tank-again entering atthe bottom and flowing from the top of the tank-this opera-tion being equivalent to that of filtration. Sewage is thussubjected to the following processes-viz., mechanical sub-sidence, chemical precipitation and oxidation. After havingpassed through these three operations the effluent is dis-

charged directly into a very small stream of water, less thanone-half the volume of the effluent itself, which flows imme-diately through a gentleman’s private grounds, and thestream shows no indication of contamination.

Reformatory and Industrial Schools : Annual Report.The thirty-first report of the Inspector of Reformatory and

Industrial Schools in Ireland has now been issued. Therewere 7 reformatories and 69 industrial schools in activeoperation at the end of 1892. The decrease in committals toreformatory schools, which has been so remarkable forseveral years past, still continues. The inspector points outthat short terms in a reformatory school hardly ever doany good. They cripple the means of the managers forplacing the young criminal at a distance from temptation andin a way to earn a respectable livelihood. The success inlife achieved by those who have been brought up in re-formatories will be found almost without exception to havebeen obtained by persons originally committed to them for along period of time. There were 10 deaths in 1892 as against 2in the previous year. Five of these were due to lung disease,3 from mesenteric and bowel disease, 1 was a case of fever and1 an accidental death. As regards industrial schools, therewere on Dec. 31st, 1892, 8576 children as compared with8547 the previous year. At Artane a disinfecting chamber ofthe most approved construction has been erected, and it isexpected that it will be the means of preserving that schoolfrom various contagious and infectious diseases which con-tinually threaten to appear in industrial schools whereversuch institutions exist. Ophthalmia prevailed in BaltimoreSchool early in May, and the attention of the authorities wascalled by the inspector to the extreme gravity of the diseaseand the necessity of taking precautions to prevent it fromspreading. It also prevailed in the autumn, and in conse-quence some structural and other improvements will be-carriedout as soon as possible, the chief difficulty being the cost ofthe proposed additions. The average cost per head in theindustrial schools was f:25 ls. 8½d. or £3 6s. 7½d. per headmore than the previous year, and of reformatory schools.S17 19s. 3d., or an increase of 2s. About 10,000 childrenwere detained in industrial schools during the year, and thedeaths amounted to 81, most of them being caused by lungdisease.

Dr. Joseph O’Carroll has been elected physician to theChildren’s Hospital, Temple-street, to succeed the lateDr. McVeagh.

Dr. Montgomery Ward has been elected medical super-intendent of health for Rathmines township.

Sept.5th. _______________

AUSTRALIA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Commercial Depression and the Medical Profession.THE chief topic of conversation in the colonies just now

is the universal commercial depression, from the effects ofwhich the medical profession is by no means exempt. Con-