748

Usworth, county Durham, the Newcastle Royal Infirmaryand the Whitley Convalescent Home, North Shields,have received £450 each.Newcastle-on-Tyne, Oct. lst.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

St. Bernard’s Well, Edircb2ergh.AT the meeting of the Town Council last week a motion

was submitted, and unanimously adopted, that " as it ismost desirable to preserve the purity and medicinal pro-perties of St. Bernard’s Well, it be remitted to the LordProvost’s Committee, with powers to take such measures asmay be deemed necessary to ensure that the water shall notbe affected by any works in the channel of the adjoiningriver, which will shortly be commenced in connexion withthe Water of Leith Purification and Sewerage Scheme."

The Disposal of City Refuse.It was intimated some weeks ago that a deputation of the

Town Council of Edinburgh had been appointed to visitvarious towns, with a view to investigate the best means ofdisposing of the city refuse. The expenses of the deputationamount to £111 8s. They visited Newcastle, York, Leeds,Bradford, Manchester, Birmingham, and London. When theexpenses of the deputation were brought before the TownCouncil, Bailie Russell, M.B., who was one of the deputation,said that he felt ashamed at how little he and his friends weredoing to attack the problem of maintaining cleanliness anda low death-rate. If the cleaning department should reallyhave had its eyes opened to the efforts made by other townsin the matter of cleaning, and put forth greater and moreintelligent efforts to keep the city clean, the ratepayersneed not grudge the expense.

The Dean of Guild Court and the Royal Infirmary.The Dean of Guild Court has passed, with a bad grace,

and under protest, the plans submitted to it by themanagers of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for the erectionof a Nurses’ Home. The managers have, however, beenfined £5 for proceeding with the building before obtainingthe sanction of the court.

Health of Edinburgh.The mortality last week was at the rate of 15 per 1000.

Out of a total of 79 deaths, diseases of the chest accountedfor 25 and zymotic diseases for 6, of which 3 were due towhooping-cough. The intimations for the week comprised6 cases of typhoid, 6 of diphtheria, 19 of scarlatina, and 7 ofmeasles.

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IRELAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Sir P. Dun’s Hospital.THE introductory address for the winter session was

delivered by Dr. E. H. Bennett on Wednesday, Oct. lst.The east and west wings, which have been recently erected,were opened the same morning. The east wing, whichis entirely isolated from all other parts of the hospital, willcontain accommodation for twenty fever patients.

Schools oj Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons.The session was opened on Wednesday by Mr. H. Gray

Croly, President of the College, who distributed the scholar-ships and prizes awarded at the termination of the summersession.

National Children’s Hospital.In order to clear off a debt of £500, which restricts the

usefulness of this charity, it is intended to hold a bazaarand fancy fair in November, which will be organised by theladies who visit the hospital.

Opening of the People’s Park, Kingsto2vn.The ceremony of opening this park took place on Monday

last. The park consists of some five acres, with a viewacross the Bay to Howth, nicely laid out with fountains,band-stand, covered stand for promenaders, and a handsomelodge for a caretaker. The cost has been about £4000.

Mater Misericordiœ Hospital.A bazaar will be held early in December in order to obtain

funds toward the erection of a fever wing to this hospital.

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

High Altitudes and Intellectual Capacity.M. JANSSEN, the well-known astronomer, read a paper at.

the last meeting of his academy at the Institute, in whichhe gave some interesting physiological details of his expe-riences during a recent ascent which he made of Mont Blanc..He made the ascent in a sledge of his own construction,which he had towed by guides. The primary object of hisundertaking was to carry out some spectroscopic researcheson points connected with the presence of oxygen in thisrarefied atmosphere. Having, however, been able to attainan altitude of about 4800 metres without any physicalfatigue, owing to the plan of ascent adopted, he found, con-trary to what is usually experienced, that he had preservedintact his intellectual activity, and that he was able to traceout his calculations and conduct his investigations forseveral days without experiencing any mental fatigue ordifficulty. On the contrary, he felt, he says, a sort.of " Psychical " excitation which facilitated the resolutionof abstract and complicated problems. Not that M. Janssen-enjoys any particular immunity in high altitudes, for inmaking ascents to much less elevated heights under-ordinary conditions of physical exertion he suffered fromthe usual train of symptoms, such as difficulty of breathing,feebleness of intellect, with inability to concentrate his,thoughts, &c. Moreover, in the journey lately accom-plished, and during which he lived several days on themountain summit, he found that the least effort brought-about rapid physical fatigue, with succeeding inability to-think. He concludes, therefore, that intellectual exertionis quite capable of being sustained at high altitudes, pro.viding one is surrounded by conditions which determinecomplete physical repose.

A Medical lllarz Consulting with Bonesetters.I read the following paragraph some days back in that,

most serious of all French papers, Le Temps. It certainlysounds, to borrow the current phraseology, fin du siècle." M. Ronvier. Minister of Finance, we regret to say, metwith an accident last Monday which, we are happy to-learn, however, is not likely to be followed by any serious.consequences. M. Ronvier was taking his usual morningride on horseback, when his horse stumbled, unseating its.rider and throwing him somewhat heavily on his right side.M. Ronvier was carried to his house, which was not far dis-tant, where it was found he had dislocated his right foot.His doctor was sent for, and at the same time apprised ofthe nature of the accident. The doctor was not long ill’arriving on the scene accompanied by a bonesetter whomhe had called in consultation." It is added that it was theconsulting bonesetter who reduced the dislocation, and thatM. Ronvier is making rapid progress towards recovery."’Indeed, I have since learned that his recovery was of thatphenomenally rapid kind which bonesetters alone are

capable of bringing about!Our Girl Graduates.

According to the last statistics, published by direction ofthe Minister of Education, there have been since 1866 20Gwomen graduates. Of these, 35 were doctors of medicine,69 bachelors of arts or sciences, 13 licentiates, and 2 phar-maciens. Of the 202, no less than 102 graduated at the Paris’University, 16 at Lyons, 12 at Nancy, 11 at Bordeaux, &c.Among the foreign lady graduates the great majority wereRussian or Roumanian. There were, however, several Poles,as well as a not inconsiderable number of English.Errata.-In last week’s Paris letter two typographical

errors require correction. In the paragraph announcing thedeath of Dr. Hardy, the word "clinical" should obviouslyhave been chemical. In the following paragraph, the name" Nonod" should have been printed Monod.Paris, Sept. 30th.

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BERLIN.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Sixty-third Meeting oi the Society of German N aturali3tsand Physicians.

THE sixty-third meeting of the Society of GermanNaturalists and Physicians in Bremen began with a socialassembly on the evening of Sunday, the 14th inst. Thefirst of the scientific sittings took place on the 15th, and