1307

could not compel her to notify the local supervising authority.It was quite another matter if a woman put her name on her,door as a certified midwife.

After some debate the conclusion was arrived at thatwomen who were registered as midwives but not practisingas such could not be compelled by the Board to notify thelocal supervising authorities.The scheme of examination to be held by the Central

Midwives Board was then considered and it was decided thatthe first examination should be held in July, 1905, because,as Miss R. PAGET pointed out, if it had been held in May,1905, as originally intended, there would have been very few.candidates ready to be examined.

The names of 1238 women who had sent in applicationsfor certificates under Section 2 of the Act were orderedfor entry on the roll. The following list gives the separatenumbers of the various qualifications at present appearingon the roll, the total number amounting to 9470 :-RoyalCollege of Physicians of Ireland, 3 ; Obstetrical Society ofLondon, 2953 ; Rotunda Hospital, 120; Coombe Hospital,44 ; Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, 194 ; Liverpool Lying-inHospital, 138 ; British Lying-in Hospital, 5 ; GlasgowMaternity Hospital, 115; St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester,120; Manchester Maternity Hospital, 24; City of LondonLying-in Hospital, 46 ; Royal Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh,25; Salvation Army Maternity Hospital, 13 ; NationalMaternity Hospital, Dublin, 9 ; Limerick Lying-in Hospital,4; Cork Lying-in Hospital, 3; Eden Hospital, Calcutta, 2 ;and women in bonâ fide practice, July, 1902, 5652.The Board then adjourned to Nov. 3rd.

RURAL HOUSING.

THE condition of housing, sanitation, and water-supply inmany rural districts was the subject of an animateddiscussion at the annual meeting of the Rural Housing andSanitation Association, held in the Indian Room of Lord

Brassey’s house in Park-lane. The association has nowexisted for two years and has done much towards remedyingthe defective condition of cottage homes throughout thecountry.Mr. RIDER HAGGARD, in a brief address stirred his audience

to a display of real enthusiasm. He admitted that the move-ment for securing decent housing for the rural population mustexcite animosity, especially from those who had to pay forthe result of the influence of the association. He utilised thefact that the country was, as he put it, " on the edge of war

"

to drive home his argument that if England had to fight forits existence then the necessity would be felt for men andfor men of the right sort, the men from the countryside.In the hour of need, it must be remembered, it was not

money that was chiefly wanted, nor was it trade, but men ;not men like those hanging about the music-halls or

the bars but men of the magnificent stamp like his

neighbours at Kessingland in Suffolk. The countryside wasbeing denuded of men because there were no houses for themto live in. The Housing of the Working Classes Act was a- complete failure and to build cottages was an unremunera-tive proceeding, so Mr. Haggard concluded that the bestcourse to pursue was to make the present cottage property asdecent to live in as possible and to induce the Governmentto adopt remedial measures making it possible for a popula-tion to live on the land and to make a modest living out of it.A practical suggestion was contained in a communication

received from the medical officer of health of the county ofNorthampton, Mr. C. E. PAGET. The proposal he put forwardwas that inspectors of nuisances should be qualified andcompetent persons holding certificates granted after anapproved examination and that the consent of thecounty council should be required to their appointmentin all districts where part of their salary was receivedfrom the county council. He gave a lucid explanationof how a great deal might be done towards preventingcottage property falling into disrepair by the active andtimely interference of the properly authorised local officers.Under Section 30 of the Housing of the Working Classes Act,1890, houses unfit for human habitation were reported tolocal authorities, but then it was too late in the majority ofcases for repairs to be effected, so that greater and morehelpful watchfulness over cottage property was required.Te secure that being done efficiently it was necessary to have

competent inspectors of nuisances. The Northamptonshirecounty council in January, 1903, passed a resolution to theeffect that it was most desirable for borough and urban andrural district councils to appoint inspectors of nuisances

possessing qualifying certificates of the Royal Sanitary Insti-tute or some similar body approved by the Local GovernmentBoard. That resolution was, of course, to be commended andit was sent to the district councils in the county of Northamp-ton, but in the two appointments of inspectors of nuisances thathave occurred since the passing of that resolution, one of theofficers appointed in August, 1903, did not hold an inspector’scertificate. The attention of the Local Government Boardwas called to that fact but it confirmed the appointmentbecause the officer had some experience in the duties of theoffice and proposed to sit for the necessary examination. Inthe case of the second appointment the officer chosen didnot hold a qualifying certificate. By perfecting existingpowers, much might be done towards securing the supervisionof the dwellings of rural labourers by skilled persons andplacing the whole question on a higher level than that usuallyaccorded it by rural district councils.Another useful contribution to the debate was afforded

by Dr. MAY THORNE, who explained how inspectors ofnuisances were hampered in their duty because the idea ofbeing inspected was at the present time abhorrent to thelarge majority of people living in any district. She urgedthe association to educate people so that they would not beafraid of inspection but, on the contrary, would court it. That,of course, was a very high standard to aim at but when Dr.Thorne gave in detail her suggestions for minimising thespread of infectious diseases by reforming the housing of therural poor she secured a very favourable reception from thosepresent and her advice in regard to an adequate water- andmilk-supply came in also for a large share of support.

Mr. CLAUDE HAY, M.P., very happily expressed whatshould be the key-note of the work of the association whenhe declared that the chief remedy for defective rural housinglay not in legislation but in organisation; and Miss C.COCHRANE warned Londoners to consider how one cause ofthe over crowding of the metropolis was the dearth ofsuitable cottages in rural districts.The meeting terminated with a hearty vote of thanks to

Lord Brassey for the use of his house.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OFLONDON.

Ax ordinary meeting of the Comitia was held on Oct. 27th,Sir WILLIAM SELBY CHURCH, Bart., K.C.B., the President,being in the chair.The following gentlemen having passed the required

examination were admitted Members: Guido Yule Giglioli,M.D.Florence; Eric Danvers Macnamara, M.A., M.B.Cantab.,L.R.C.P.Lond.; and Harold Theodore Thompson, M.A., M.B.Cantab., L.R.C.P.Lond.

Licences were granted to those who had passed the recentquarterly examination.A visitor of the examinations in tropical medicine in

accordance with the report of the committee of the two

Colleges of July 18th was appointed.Communications were received from the secretary of the

Royal College of Surgeons of England and from the RoyalSanitary Institute, inviting the College to send delegates tothe conference of the institute on School Hygiene, to beheld in London in February next.The audited accounts for the year ending Sept. 29th were

laid before the College and the quarterly report of the financecommittee was received.

Reports were received: 1. From the committee of manage-ment recommending that the course of laboratory instructionin public health given at the Municipal Laboratories, Ports-mouth, should be recognised as fulfilling the requirementsof the regulations for the diploma in public health for aperiod of three years, the number of candidates for instruc-tion in bacteriology being limited to three. Dr. F. Taylor,who retired by rotation, was re-elected. 2. From the labora-tories committee. Dr. P. H. Pye-Smith, retiring by rotation,was re-elected.Books and publications presented to the library during the

past quarter were received and thanks were returned to the