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the Roman school, proposed to extinguish all the Italianuniversities except four which, additionally endowed andequipped from the resources of the others, wonld maintain astandard of efficiency creditable to Italy and insure the grant-ing of degrees to none but to the rightly qualified. There are asmany as 11 seats of learning possessing four’or five faculties(besides many others possessing fewer), and of the formerMessina comes last in the list, numbering in the annusacademicus opened last autumn only 578 students-that is, afew more than those in attendance at the Istituto dei StudiSuperiori of Florence, which is not a university at all.

Sicily already has, in Catania and Palermo, universitiesmore than adequate to her wants. Why not enrich thesewith the endowments or funds on which Messina eked outits existence, and improve them accordingly ? Indeed,Italians virtually admit that Sicily might be all the betterfor having her seats of learning reduced from three to two byurging the transference of what was once the University ofMessina to Bari. The Pugliese has no university, they say, andis entitled to have one. But the Calabrese has no universityeither and his claims are quite as strong as his neighbour’s.The truth is that Naples and Rome suffice for all the academicwants of the Pugliese, and if these failed there are alsoMacerata and Bologna open to him. Nor will it do to

say that Naples is already overmanned with students.Many European universities have more-Paris and Berlin,for example, have double the number and Vienna and

Budapest certainly more than Naples. Besides, it allmakes for "unity" that the studious youth of the various

regions, on mainland and in island, should meet underthe wing of not more than four almæ matres and so

contribute to minimise that " parochialism which clingstenaciously to life throughout the kingdom. As toMessina herself, the harbour, the entrepôt, the formerseat of busy commercial enterprise, there is nothing butapproval and encouragement of her efforts at reconstruc-tion and rehabilitation. "Incipit Messina Nova," is nowher motto. No farther back than 1783 she was wiped out byearthquake, but a quarter of a century later, in 1808, shebad risen to active and flourishing life, and a still speedierand more prosperous palingenesis seems in store for her.

The Assistenza, Medlea at the Seat of Earthquake.About 20,000 is the number of those suffering from bodily

lesions due to the late cataclysm-exclusive of those buriedalive. In the Polaclinico, one of the most authoritative of theprofessional journals, Dr. P. Rossi Doria draws an impressivepicture of the delay in supplying the medical staff with thematériel and the medicaments necessary to their work-delayfor which the central authority is responsible. Four,nay five days elapsed before the said matériel andmedicaments were available, while from Naples they mighthave come to hand at Reggio or Messina in 11 hours t Thetents were so deficient in accommodation that they couldharbour only one patient at a time, and the surgeon had tomake his entrance into them by creeping on all fours Fieldhospitals there were none in these first days, and yet therewere any quantity in Rome which could have been early onthe spot but for " bureaucratic difficulties " (in other words,red tape) which, according to the Poticlinico, explains all theinadequacy of the attempts at first aid. A remedy forthis deplorable state of things would, he says, be this:Every commune in the kingdom, from the smallest to thegreatest, ought, in proportion to its resources, to have readyall the matériel and personnel necessary for first aid onthe shortest notice. Tents, stretchers, medicaments, andsuch like should be at the immediate command of themunicipal medical staff, the staff in question being so organ-ised as to be capable of action, combined and graduated, onevery occasion of disaster, whether telluric, as on the Siculo-Calabrian littoral; or riparian, as in the autumnal inunda-tions ; or industrial, as in the conflagrations of factories ; orin the railway accidents and kindred mishaps all too frequentin these days of multiplied and accelerated movement. It isproposed that legislation on something like these lines shouldbe promoted qvam prim1tm by the federated associations ofmedical practitioners throughout the country if Italy is notto be " caught napping," as she so often is on occasions ofpublic disaster-to her discredit (as Dr. Rossi Doria remarks)in the eyes of her contemporaries abroad and to her self-

reproach and humiliation at home.Feb. 8th.

VIENNA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Government Expenditure for Medical Teaching.IN the Budget for this year the Government has made a.

considerable appropriation for medical purposes, amounting to.about 5,000,000 crowns for the ordinary and 2,000,000 for theextraordinary requirements. In the seven medical faculties ofAustria there are 112 ordinary professors, 57 "extraordinarii"(professors paid by the State but ranked under the ordinarii "),and 293 paid assistants, besides 16 technical assistants. Thenumber of privat-docenten does not appear in the Budget asthey are not paid, but their number may be estimated at 400,of which number 240 reside in Vienna alone. The sum of5,000,000 crowns (£218,000) is divided among the facultiesof Vienna (1,800,000), Graz (450,000), Innsbruck (700,000),Prague (720,000 for the German and 670,000 for the Slavicfaculty), Lemberg (450,000), and Cracow which requires600,000 crowns. The extraordinary grant will go to the build-ing of a new chemical and physiological institute in Vienna, apharmacological institute in Prague, as well as a theatre forthe pathological and the forensic institute, and a psychiatricwing in the Cracow University Hospital.

Investigations on the Action of X Rays in Leukæmia.In a series of observations made by Dr. Pribram and Dr.

Rotky and communicated by them to the Bohemian Societyof Practitioners the effects of the x rays upon variousforms of leukxmia were dealt with. The myeloidforms (four cases) all responded with a considerabledrop in the number of leucocytes, ushered in by an increaseof the number. The fall affected the pathological forms ofleucocytes much more than the normal ones. The blood wasnever found to return to a normal condition. In recur-

ring cases all forms of leucocytes increased and the treat-ment of these cases was less satisfactory than in primaryones. The influence of the rays on the spleen was moreeffectual than that on the bones. In cases of chroniclymphatic leukæmia the number of leucocytes also,diminished promptly after exposure to the rays. Recur-rence happened only after long intervals; no leucocytosis.was observed immediately after the sitting. The rays.were directed mainly towards the glands which became muchsmaller. The percentage relation of the constituents of theblood was not changed by the rays. It was possible toreduce the neutrophile polynuclear cells in a large degreewithout harming the patient. No effect was obtained inacute lymphatic leukæmia nor were the erythrocytes affectedin any case by the rays. Examination of the urine showed,during the phase of reduction of the leucocytosis, an increasein excretion of nitrogen, uric acid, purin bases, and phos-phoric acid. As regards the ill-effects of x rays, only slightdermatitis was observed with a marked tendency to heal.On the other hand, the following good effects were noted ::improvement in the constitution of the blood, diminishedsize of the swollen organs, increase in weight, and delayin recurrence, but a complete cure was never effected.The patients made no complaint as regards the treatment.

Notification of Trachoma.In order to obtain trustworthy records as regards the-

incidence and extent of trachoma in this country the Boardof Health has issued recently the following regulations.Every patient suffering from trachoma has to be reportedannually, every lst of January, to the board by the-physician whose regular attention is given to the patient.In hospitals the registrar has to make the report.This case must be known by a number and must be-quoted always by this number; if treatment is inter-rupted and then renewed in the same year the same-

number must be given to the case. If possible the

origin of infection and the place in which it originatedshould be traced and stated. Change of abode ofthe patient is to be notified, if possible, to the healthbureau of the place of residence. The idea of keepingtrachoma patients under strict observation has been made-a reality by the fact that several small epidemics haveoccurred in places otherwise free from this disease and havebeen traced to hospital patients. As epidemics of trachomaappear regularly in certain regiments of the army recruited

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from the eastern parts of the empire the precautions appealto the military surgeons as well.

Horse Serum in Hæmorrhage.At a recent meeting of the Medical Society of Vienna Dr.

Wirth reported the results of a series of cases of severe

haemorrhage treated by horse serum. The first case was thatof a man suffering from hemophilia with uncontrollablebleeding. The result was excellent. Thereupon Dr. Wirthtried the serum in other cases, such as haemorrhage aftertonsillectomy, epistaxis due to arterial sclerosis, haemoptysisin pulmonary tuberculosis, and bleeding from the intestinalcanal. The method of administration was a subcutaneousinjection of 20 cubic centimetres of normal horse serum

preferably injected under the skin of the thigh, and in suit-able cases local application of the serum by means of acotton-wool pad soaked in the serum was also made in

epistaxis, and in intestinal haemorrhage the serum was givenas an enema. All cases treated by Dr. Wirth had beentreated before without any effect with many other orthodoxmethods. The result was very satisfactory. The use ofgelatin, advocated a few years ago, was not free from

danger, whilst serum has been proved to have no untowardeffect.

An Unusual Cau.se of Lead Poisoning,A very interesting case was demonstrated at a meeting of

the Gesellschaft der Aerzte by Dr. Teleky. The patient, aman, aged 38 years, had been sent up from the country tothe clinic with the diagnosis of chronic appendicitis, and anoperation was advised by the resident physician. In thesurgical clinic the case was recognised as chronic lead

poisoning. The information obtained from the patient asto a series of similarly affected persons in his village led tovery searching investigations in the place, with the resultthat at least 24 persons were found to be suffering in thesame way in the particular place. At last the source of thepoisoning was found in a public house where a special kindof wine was sold and much favoured by the neighbours.This wine was adulterated with lead. In olden times itwas the custom in many country places to put a piece ofpure lead in the wine barrels, as it was supposed thatthe superfluous acid was absorbed by the metal and thusthe wine appeared to be improved. This old custom is

quite forgotten now, but in the public house in question theold method was somehow brought to life again, and its effectwas not only an increase of the sale of this wine-provingthe efficaciousness of the time-honoured prescription for winemerchants-but also a series of cases of lead poisoning. Thenews of the ’’ good " wine had spread quickly in the countryand the authorities are now on the look-out for fresh cases.Feb. 6th.

________________

BUDAPEST.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Mortality Amongst the Jews in Budapest.Dr. Auerbach has made a study of the returns of the death-

rate amongst Jewish subjects. He finds that the lowness ofthe death-rate amongst them is striking, representing only. about two-thirds of the average mortality of the nation.From a sociological point of view the mortality of Jews isfavourable because the death-rate is lowest amongst theirchildren and able-bodied adults. The figures for thechildren are very striking. Between 1901-05 out of 1000 live-born children belonging to each of the chief creeds, 268.5Catholics, 160-9 Jews, and 223.7 children of other creeds.died under one year of age. The second part of Dr. Auerbach’sarticle deals with the causes of death, his conclusions beingas follows: The Jewish religion has nothing to do with thelow death-rate. This is the outcome of social factors

only ; hitherto excessive stress has been laid on the racial pre-disposition owing to the defective knowledge of the facts. IThe low death-rate of Jewish children is not due to theirgreater resistance but to the better care in nursing on thepart of their parents. In considering individual diseases itis striking that Jews are immune against several diseases whichclaim many victims from people of other creeds. Thus, forinstance, uterine cancer and tuberculosis are somewhat lessfrequent amongst Jews than any other nations. But, on theother hand, Jews seem to be more frequently attacked bydiabetes, encephalomalacia, and gastric troubles. According

to Dr. Auerbach’s opinion the Jews’ low death-rate is not aracial character but finds its explanation in their betterparental care, their habitual care of their health, theirrelative abstinence from excessive drinking, in their earlymarriages, and in the closer family life. Dr. Auerbach

emphasises the fact that owing to the preponderance ofmental occupation over handwork the rate of cerebral affec-tions is on the increase among Jews. This is particularlyfelt in the western part of Europe. To counteract this

tendency he thinks that the Jews will have to return to

occupations connected with bodily work, such as agriculture.Preparations for the Sixteenth, International Congress of

Medioine in Budapest.There is an extraordinarily great interest being shown in

the congress to be held between August 29th and Sept. 4that Budapest. Not only are Hungarian medical men reservingrooms in the hotels but similar orders are fast coming infrom abroad. The greatest scientific authorities of foreigncountries have promised lectures and papers in unusualnumbers. Several international medical societies havenotified their intention to hold their yearly meetings at Buda-pest during the congress ; amongst these are the societiesconcerned with tropical diseases, occupational diseases, andwith the protection of infant life. The French Congress ofInternal Medicine will be held here also. The post-graduatestudy tour (Studien-reise) of German medical men willstart from Budapest after the end of the congress. It willvisit the Hungarian spas and summer resorts and then itwill travel to the Levant. The Chief Secretary of theGerman Imperial Central Committee will read a paper on theReform of Medical Education in Civilised States. The Inter-national Medical Press Association will also hold a publicsession.

A New Internal Remedy for Gonorr7twal Cystitis.It has been known for long that the good effect of

salicylates (salicylate of sodium and salol) on cystitis isgreatly reduced by the gastric disturbances which result

upon their prolonged use. Urotropin (hexa-methylen-tetramin)is better, inasmuch as it does not irritate the stomach ; it,however, not infrequently causes irritation of the bladderand sometimes even hasmaturia. A further drawback ofurotropin is that it has little action when the urine isalkaline, because it has been proved that its formalin onlybecomes free in acid urine. To counteract these defectsDr. Raskai, lecturer at the University of Budapest, has madea combination of urotropin with salol and camphoricacid. To correct the constipating action of ,salol headded to these drugs phenolphthalein. This combinationof drugs is prepared in the form of tablets. Dr.Ráskai has made extensive experiments with thesetablets in various urological affections, comprising acute

posterior gonorrhoea, terminal bleeding, different forms ofcystitis, retention of urine of prostatic origin, pyelitis, andbacteriuria. In all these cases the tablets have doneexcellent service in checking frequent micturition andhave resulted in the speedy clearing of the urine. The

alkalinity of the urine has ceased after four or five tabletshave been taken and all the patients have declared them-selves better for them. The tablets have acted as powerfuladjuvants to the local treatment and have prevented theoccurrence of untoward complications.Feb. 6th.

__________________

NEW YORK.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Consulting Experts Approve Chenticals for Preserving Foods.THE board of experts appointed by the President to

determine the question of the dangerous character ofchemicals used by manufacturers for the preservation offoods has reversed the decision of Dr. Wiley, the ChiefChemist of the Department of Agriculture, on benzoicacid and its salts. The experts are the most prominentauthorities in this country-viz., President Remsen, JohnsHopkins University ; Professor Chittenden, of the SheffieldScientific School of Yale University; Professor Long, ofNorthwestern University ; and Professor Herter, of ColumbiaUniversity. They report that three independent investiga-tions were carried on, the same general plan of procedure