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habitants of something over fifteen shillings per head. There are some persons so hard-headed and granite-hearted that they can only be spoken to on such a subject as this through the medium of "£. s. d.," and Dr. Beveridge has done well to speak to them in such unmistakable language as he adopts.

Dr. Beveridge strongly believes that the probable cause of the epidemic lies not external to the houses, but within them, and says, if it can be shown that the theory of overcrowding as a cause will account for the phenomena presented by the disease, it would seem probable that this is the true explanation of its origin. Here is a brief summary of the facts which Dr. Beveridge's observation has elicited. The disease is most intense in cold weather; it attacks females more than males; it attacks young persons in greater proportion than the old; contagious, and more dangerous in old than in young, and in males than in females; then, as specialities, it attacks individuals, as a rule, but once; the attack lasts three weeks, and is most dangerous in the second week. He adopts the theory of overcrowding, and shows that the facts would support it most satisfactorily. The epidemic, fortunately, is now got under; at all events, the ravages of the disease are at present on a much smaller extent. We learn that the sanitary condition of the town is fair on the whole, although in many points it might be improved. The water supply is excellent and in abundance, the water being taken from the Dee, about twenty miles from the town. The drainage is being improved, and a general plan adopted; but whether that will thoroughly answer the end in view, remains to be seen. The population, which was nearly stationary from 1850 to 1860, chiefly from commercial disasters, seems now to be rapidly increasing, but it is doubtful if house accommodation is at all keeping pace with the increase of population. Overcrowding is too common in many situations. Efforts have been made to set going a scheme for procuring statistics regularly on the sanitary state of the town, but hitherto without success, as the people in the far north are only with difficulty got out of their old jog-trot. Through paltry petty jealousies and parsimonious efforts at saving, there is room to fear that a laudable attempt being made just now to start a fever hospital will break down, and the people will only arouse from their apathy and stolid indifference by a return of the epidemic, for which no preparations will be made.

The benefits accruing to a town from having an active and lynxeyed inspector of nuisances are well seen in Perth. During the first quarter of this year a typhus epidemic broke out very suddenly, and, notwithstanding the general mildness of the weather, soon ran the death-rate above that for the corresponding period in the two preceding years; but it almost as suddenly disappeared, owing, it is believed, to the active exertions of the officer just named. He is not only indefatigable in getting the lanes and "closes" cleansed, but

when a case of fever occurs he comes down upon it forthwith, and effects a removal and therefore isolation, and then takes active measures to clean and disinfect the infected house.

In the last number of the Journal we referred to the efforts being made in Edinburgh to improve the condition of the poor of that city. The report from which we quoted has since been issued, and its startling facts have so thoroughly enlisted the sympathies of many professional, and well-to-do people generally, that an association is now formed for having the poor systematically visited, so that proper remedial measures may be adopted to ensure the eradication of at least some of the physical, social, and moral evil which at present runs riot in many parts of the Old Town of Edinburgh. The Lord Provost and magistrates of Edinburgh are now so much roused that they are publicly advertising their intention to enforce the provisions of the 'Local Police Acts' and of the 'Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1867,' against overcrowding in dwelling-houses, and that they will exact the prescribed penalties in every case of conviction. It is to be hoped that they will thus succeed in their efforts to diminish preventable disease; and that they may induce capitalists to build houses in healthy localities and in accordance with the most advanced sanitary knowledge of the present day. The water-supply of the city is in the hands of a company, and is frequently complained of both as to quantity and quality. If disease is to be diminished by personal cleanliness among the people, they must be in a position to get plenty of good water always when it is wanted; and we are glad to notice that an active member of the town-council is now (June) about to bring up the whole subject of water-supply to the city and surrounding districts for full consideration. The town-council of Leith is also moving in the same direction. Although the lastmentioned town is, generally speaking, in a healthy state, and the death-rate under the average, still for the last two months there has been an epidemic of scarlet fever prevalent in many parts of the burgh; and it has been particularly fatal among the young. This state of things ought not to exist; and it is satisfactory to know that both the Medical Officer of Health and the Health Committee are energetically endeavouring to cope with it.

A considerable amount of good has been done in the town of Paisley by a Ladies' Sanitary Society, which has been in existence for several years. As the new Public Health Act is now in operation, the well-intended labours of the Society are in a great measure superseded by those of the public authorities; still the ladies who have hitherto been banded together in well-doing do not wish to cease in their well-doing, and they have wisely, we think, resolved on directing their future efforts chiefly to sanitary education, by the distribution of tracts, visitation classes, mothers' meetings, and lectures; they have also resolved that special attention should be

given to the spread of information on the treatment of infancy, so that the foul stain underlying the high rate of infantile mortality (43 per cent.) may be removed by diminishing the death-rate.

If any town in Scotland has acquired a notoriety over the others for the fatality of its epidemic disease, that town is certainly Greenock. A recent epidemic of typhus in that town (population 43,894 in 1861) was so dreadfully fatal, that it carried away no fewer than five of the medical men, who were perhaps even too faithful to the call of duty. The risk incurred by medical practitioners in Greenock from typhus, has, for many years, been very great. Of those who are at present in the town, it is probable that one-half have at one time or another passed through the ordeal of typhus. The fact of the extraordinary mortality just referred to created an excitement in the town, which resulted in a proposal to erect a monument in memory of the medical men who were stricken in the strife in the combat with the disease. A site was got for the proposed monument, and a design was prepared by Sir J. Noel Paton, and the public gratitude towards the memory of those who were faithful in duty seemed there to have completely evaporated. Greenock is now in a somewhat improved sanitary condition; but the authorities of the town may thank Dr. James Wallace, and not themselves, for it. So far as we can learn, he even incurred very serious displeasure from the "powers that be," because he would not rest content with things as they were, and threatened to bring the power of the law to bear on those who should always be ready to enforce it for the public good.

Quarterly List of Publications received for Review.

:

1. Rambles of a Naturalist on the Shores and Waters of the China Sea being Observations in Natural History during a Voyage to China, Formosa, Borneo, Singapore, &c., made in Her Majesty's vessels in 1866 and 1867. By Cuthbert Collingwood, M.A., M.B., Oxon, F.L.S. 450 pp. 8vo. 10 Illustrations. John Murray.

2. Elements of Chemistry: Theoretical and Practical. By William Allen Miller, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S. Part II., Inorganic Chemistry. Fourth Edition. 900 pp. 8vo.

Longmans & Co.

3. A Treatise on the Metallurgy of Iron, containing Outlines of the History of Iron Manufacture, Methods of Assay, and Analyses of Iron Ores, Processes of Manufacture of Iron and Steel, &c. By H. Bauerman, F.G.S. 46 Engravings on Wood. 400 pp. Post 8vo. Virtue & Co.

4. First Lessons in Astronomy, in Question and Answer. Seventh Edition. 100 pp. 24mo. Jackson, Walford, & Hodder.

5. The Rudiments of Mineralogy: a Concise View of the General
Properties of Minerals. By Alexander Ramsay, jun. 338 pp.
Fcap. 8vo.
Virtue & Co.

6. Reliquiæ Aquitanicæ. By Edouard Lartet and Henry Christy.
Part V.
H. Baillière.

7. Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. By Rev. T. W. Webb, M.A., F.R.A.S. Second Edition. 330 pp. Post 8vo.

Longmans & Co.

8. The Great Architect: His Plan of Salvation in the Temple of Dead Stones and Living Stones, God and Man. Crown 8vo.

Sciences.

180 pp.

Longmans & Co.

9. A Dictionary of Chemistry and the Allied Branches of other By Henry Watts, B.A., F.C.S. Assisted by Longmans & Co.

Eminent Contributors. 5 vols. Demy 8vo.

10. Thoughts of a Physician: being a Second

Thoughts.

Series of Evening

John Van Voorst.

11. On the Ventilation of Dwelling Houses, and the Utilization of Waste Heat from Fire-places. By Frederick Edwards, jun.

R. Hardwicke.

220 PP.

12. A Treatise on the Action of Vis Inertia in the Ocean. By William Leighton Jordan, F.R.G.S. Demy 8vo.

13. General Catalogue of Books. 1130 pp.

12 Plates.

Longmans & Co.
Quaritch.

14. Education and Training, considered as a Subject for State Legislation; together with Suggestions for making a Compulsory Law both Efficient and Acceptable to the People. By a Physician. 110 pp. Demy 8vo. John Churchill & Sons.

15. Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, 1867. 200 pp. Demy 8vo.

PAMPHLETS, PERIODICALS, AND PROCEEDINGS
OF SOCIETIES.

Sketch of the Geology of Spitzbergen. By A. E. Nordenskiöld. 2 Maps. 55 pp. 8vo.

53 pp. 4to.

Lichenes Spitsbergenses. By Th. M. Fries. 53 pp.

On the Existence of Rocks containing Organic Substances in the Fundamental Gneiss of Sweden. By L. J. Igelström, A. E. Nordenskiöld and F. L. Ekman. 9 pp. 8vo.

Om Trias-och Juraförsteningar frau Spetsbergen. Af G. Lindström. 3 Plates. 18 pp. 4to.

о

Förberedande Undersökningar rörande Utförbarheten af en Gradmätning på Spetsbergen. Af N. Dunér och A. E. Nordenskiöld. Map. 16 pp. 4to.

History of Induction: the American Claim to the Induction Coil and its Electrostatic Developments. With Engravings. 124 pp. 8vo. From Washington, U.S.A. Index to Vol. I. to XI. of Observations on the Genus Unio, together with Description of New Species of the Family Unionidæ, and Descriptions of New Species of the Melanidæ, Paludinæ, Helicidæ, &c. By Isaac Lea, LL.D. Imp. 4to.

60 pp.

From the Author.

India: a Review of England's Financial Relations therewith. By Robert Knight. 70 pp. 8vo.

Intercolonial Trade, our only Safeguard against Disunion. By R. G. Haliburton, M.A. 40 pp. 8vo.

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