First Aid Journal 1901

FIRST AID

J ourf\al devo t ed to ,Ambulaf\ce Work .

E DITED BY HEA T ON C. HOWARD, L.R . C.P. LOND., M. R.C .S. ENG .

No 79. -V OL. VII. CEnte?'ed at Stat101len' Ha l!. J JANUARY, 1901. P RICE ONE PENNY.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For 12 months, IS 6d., post free, to be sent to the Pu blish ers.

113r e\)iti es .

WE again h a ye to \viiSh om' readers a Happy and Pl'OSperom; New Yem', anel we a r e pleased that the outlook as r cgar ds tlne , Val' i Hbl·ighter than it was ]a. t yeal·.

There seems to be a little inCl'ea se in activity on the of the Bo el's leacling, we regret to say, to more 1ives bemg u eles ly 10, t on both sIck:;, and to a great delay to the proclamation of peace. ;I' '" *

The Com petition for the Ch>tllenge Shield was held on the 15th D eccm ber and proved a great Ru cce. s. The result has been l1 sm'prise, and shows that a team which b.e the best at drill work and in the ordinary competItIOlls IS not n ecessa rily the bel::!t at improvisin g in may be called n, roali stic competition. It l·e:fl.ects gl'eat Cl'elht ?n the team, which is one of the latest to join the Bl'lgade, that It haR been able to beat the Ch' eat ::\ Ol·thern, the winners of the Railwflj' Competition, 'rY e conamtulate them .most heartily, and hop e that they may be abl e to keep It, but they may be sure that the mi take<> tbat wel'e pointed out by the jud ge,' 'w ill be taken to heC:l.l't by the losers. 1\11'. OSbO l'll deRel'\7eS t he thanks of the whole of the Bl'iga, cle for his generosity nnd also fOl' his fOl'f'thought in inaugurating n, cOll1petition of this kind 'rVe hope that all members of the Provincial Corps and Divi ions will read the special report which appeal's in another column. *'

* We regret to say that we Lave not space this month to commence the course of Nursing Lectures promised to us by" Chil'urgus " We hope to begin them next mon t h. if; ;j,*

A paragraph has been going the rOllnd of the papers headed "What is First Aid" or "First Aid Treatment."

It seems tbat at Clayton-Ie-Moors a patent medicine dealer in a wound produc ed by injuries whIlst playmg WIth a small cannon, by" putting a Stl,tel: III to stop the bleeding. It appears that a stone was l eft 1Il the wound and ultimcttely the pat ient died hom poisoning causeL1 by this. At the inqu est the jmy acqUltted the patent medicine vendor, but ,ye under tantl th :l,t other proceedings have been taken, and he h a' to take his trial at the Assizes on H, cbcu'ge of manslaughtel·.

;;:. if,

Any first-aidel' wiJl know that the mannel' in which the wonnd was t r eated was not in accorchmce with ambulcmce i nstruction No first-aidOl' is anthol'i. d to put a stitch in any w.ound, ar:d above incident only emphnsises n eceSSIty for lUIlltmg first aid treatment and dn'twing a

sharp line betwe en it and Rurgery. W e can assure all who wish to know that what the man did was not first aid tl'eatment, and woul<l not be allowed under any circum, tances by ambulance authorities.

*' ;;

We understand that the new text- book on "First Aid " of the St John Ambulance A ', ociation i s at last being compiled and will probably be issued sometime during this year.

··1boll1e 1b\?giene."

B y w , J. :\l cCULLOCR E TTL ES, M.D., CH.:'II., ABERD. Surgeon-in-Charge, Ambulan c e Department, National Fire Brigades Union.

PART XX.

Water C arriaga System.- The effete substances constituting "sewage' are remOl ed from the dwelling througb a series of pipes termed drams; these, in their turn, deliver their contents into larger pipes known as servers,

The House Dram.- fn old - fashioned houses this drain is often made of bricks or of roug-h po rous earthenware whicb permits gases and li quids to exude. The roughness of tbe interior also fal'ours the accumulation of solid material leading to blocking of the drains and overflow. In few instan ces can the drain be laid with a straight Jail and henCe it may be unhesitatingly condemned The modern drain is made of salt glazed earthenware pipes which are circular in section For a n ordinary house they should n ot be more than 6 inches in diame:er, although the general tendency is to have them larger. This is a mistake because it means a less efficient flush. and therefore a greater li ability to stoppage,

\Vhen the drain as it usually does, undernea,h the basement of the house the greatest precautions should be taken to prevent settling- and cboking by having the joints bermetically sealed and the pipes laid on a concrete bed. \"here a pipe joins Ihe drain , tbe angle of junction should be V shaped, As to the fall t<;J ensure a rapid passage of the contents, it should be in -+5.

A most important provision in the house is proper ventilation. This is ensured in the following manner;-

The loil j)!pe, that is the pipe down which the water closet contents pass to the drain. has a continuation carried up the side of house to a point higher than the highest win· dow, Th e end may be simply left open or be furnished with a ventilation cowl. It is important to bave this end above an y adjacen window, for it is that by which sewer gases find their exit, This ventilat ing pipe should not be narrower than, but of the sa me diameter as, the so il pi pe, al though may he constructed of lighter material. The house drain. at il s other end empties into an 'i ntercepting cha/Jiber which is. coyered by a grating- and throu.l?h wblch access be had to the .dram for cleansing purposes.

Fig. 20.

Th e aI r enters the dram through the gratmg, traverses dra in and soil pi pe, a nd emerges, as stated, at tbe end of tbe venti lati ng pi pe.

One set of draining pipes is separated from another by mean s of contrivances known as traps. The main idea is that the li qu id s can freely pass one direction, but gases are cut off from pas si ng in the oppos ite dlrectlOn by means of a 11Ja/er seal.

j an u ary , 1901J FIRST

A I D. 51

forms of trap are In use, some of which are more efficacious than others and some positi"ely bad.

Bad Traps.- The worst offenders are the di pstone, the D tra p and the bell trap.

The hell Ira" (A Fia r , 21) is a "ery common one, it is often found in yards and basements.

The top is frequentfy removed by rhildren and lost or broken ai"inO" d · '''' '" Irect access to the drain' the seal is shallow and soon eya porates, and

A c Fig. 21. solids may accumul"te in the cup

The or dip-stOlle trap is worse still (C, Fig 21), solidsaccuInulate m the bottom and give ri se to foul odours.

The D trap s also bad for the same reason, the bottom is never prop (! rly scoured (B, Fig. 21)

Good Traps.-The g!tlly trap as already described in dealing with Jam and bath water, IS a very good form, that with the removable buckets.

The s)pholl trap is a pipe bent in the form of a U or S so that the lower part of the bend is occupied with a water seal which shoulJ never be less than I! inches deep

The drain trap should be of the form shown in I, Fig. 22.

The house drain e'lters the left hand horizontal end, while the ventilatingground pipe is attached to the verti ca pipe to conduct air into thedrain. The short drain leadinointo the street sewer cantin LOUS with the rio-ht hand horizontal while the small obliq and ca pped neck is to permit this portion to be roelded out in event oj obstruction. The trap has a square seat to preserve it in a proper po si ti o n.

FIg. 22. For sinks and similar T' house pipes, the S shaped t.rap. IS convenIent (:'-lo 0 FlO" 0) and l'd • '.:l, o·.:l, any so I matenal co llectll1g

In It can at be removed by uns crewi ng the little cap A comprehensIve grasp of the drainage sys tem of a modern dwellina may be obtall1ed by st udyin a the diaaram (Fia 4) TI '" frol tb I tl I k '" d 0" 1e was e water n e Ja IS, tIe S.1O an hand lavatories, is cond ucted throu O" h pIpes, t1apped at theIr Inner ends, learling directly through the walls

The 1vatel' closets are situated as near the house wa ll as possible, not 111 any pokey corner. In the best arr:t':aeJ __ houses the clos et is in a small chamber jutting from the wall to keep it as far from the ltvlDg rooms as possible The simp ler the cl oset the better.

B lhospital 1Rurs e' s J6 J: peri enc e in Sou th Bfric a.

(SPECIALLY CONT RIBUTED )

emptying into the open .air IS inches above the gully tra

ate that none of these are ID dIrect communication with the drain p

There are four types in use, two of whIch are ban and two are efficient. As regards the former, we first have the old

, , , fashioned pall closet (Fig, 2+.)

In this f0l"l11 a large" container" is situated below the hopper. The pan which tilts is emptied into this.

F'aI",. J+ .

As each. time closet s used the accumulated foul ll1 IS lIberated mto the ro o m, and this is rendered addItIOnally offensll'<:: Ly the splashinO" and adherence of th t h'd h "" e pan can en 5 to e SI es, ate contalDer, which is never cleansed.

Tbe hrpper closet 1<; usually found in servants closets in tbe b k d 1 · ac y.a r. t IS a bad form because the lona \' SIdes. are always fouled and insufficieOntly scouled The 1vash-oltt closet (FI'C' 2-) b o· IS :t et ter form, but it is not perfect becausp the contents fail frequently to be rem o ved the .head 01 water is pretty good. \, hen hIS IS suffi CIent there is much noise and splashing. T he beJt form of all is the wash - d01VIl closet. It worJ{S com FiR· 25. paratlvely silently and the contents are To Instantlycol1\ eyed into the ;o il pipe(Fig. 26}. prevent the untrappmg ot the Eea by too strano- a suction the curye of the trap should be ventilated into the soil e' as shown m FIg 23. P P , '\ n

(THE END.)

_ THE annual Synag og ue Parade for Jewi s h members of the Auxiliary forces was o n Sunday, December 16th, and, as usual, wa s attended by permISSIon of the Deputy Commissioner, by the ]t:wish members of the St, John Ambulance Brigade. There were present 2 officers + supernumerary o [fi( ;e r s and I S privates of the Eas t London Divi sio n' private, Cyclists' Divi sio n, and 2 nurs ing sisters, St. John's DIVISIOn. In connection with the service, which inclu.j ed a thanksgIvIng for the return of men from the front , it is intere s til1 a to note lha,t three member s of the East Division were who ha,e returned fr om ser vIce m South Africa. Amol1 a st th e visitors pre s ent was Colonel Sir Howard ,\7'i ncen t a prom!nent po s ition, and speaking after the service to Superinte ndent In charge, expressed his plea su re at the of sucb a go.od number of" First Ai:l.ers," and his hope that they would long contll1ue to assIst the work of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

THE annual competition for the Challenge Shield, presented by Mr. George Cadbury to the Birmingham and District Ambulance Brio-ade took place on the 12th at the Friend' s Hall, Yl osely Road: ,\fr. B a rrow Cadbury carned through the ve ry formal duties oE chairman, and a large audience in.clu ded l\t[essr s C. IT. Rafter (Chief Constable) A. R. Tozer of the Fire Rrigade), Hutton, J R Stamp (hon sec ) and F. GIloert (han. treasurer). The examiners were Drs "\V E. Bennett, an.d W. Howle. Out of a possiJ:,le 80 POll1ts the men representll1g Snow HIll G.vV.R obtained i7 and thus became the holders of the shield fO,r the year. Lawley Street MIdland Radway was second ?6 pOInts, Metropolitan Radway Carnage and Wagon Works, tblrd, WIth 7f. Next in order of merIt were Curzon Street L.& N W R: and Highgate 65 points, and Burlll1gwn Hall 63 POl!1ts. .'.[r. Cadbury presented the shield to t he winning squad. The Chief Constable moved and Superintendent Tozer seconded a vote of thanks to the Chairman and the Doctors.

EXAMI:N"A TIO IN HOME NURS I NG.

EXAMI:-!ER -" Now, my man, can you tell me what a c r ad l e is?"

CANDIDATE -" A cradle is a little bed, with three sides to it in which you p u t the baby. "

-

It was a gbrious moonlight nearly as ligh as day so we got on fairly quickly, and reacbed Venter sb urO" Ro ad at next morning. Till then notbing of happened, but from there on wards there was no doub t that we were at" the Front," w as. in a state of subdued ex c itement, as they were expecting every mll1ute an attack from the Boers. Our train went very slowly after that, o r the line had been broken. by th e enemy so often that they were not a llowed to travel m'Jl"e than five mile s an hour. r\ few mile s beyond Ventersburg we passed the remains of toe train \\ hich .was destroyed the before.' and fo und the Ka ffi rs still busy repalnng and st rengthenll1g tbe ralls that were broken at tbe same time., so we had to pass at a pace \Ve were well protected by soldIers, for at any momen.t we have, been. attacked by the enemy, General Clements and hI!. men stdl beIng m the neio-hbourhood. F or tunately, h owever, nothing happened and we reached "Kroonstadt at +30, after waiting- on sidings about three hours. \I'e heard there that we should probahly bave. to rem.',in a few so we putoffseeing the town until the next morn mg. l' ortunate ly, we stayed the ni O" ht in the train, for ab'1ut 7 o'clock the next morning we beo-an to out o f he stlt on, and to aliI' s urpri se found we were onc; more on our way. The land was very ba e and. barren a n d was made worse by the scrub havl!1g bee n fired or mtles to prevent animals getting- food. The whole track from wa s th.lckly marked by dead horses, oxcn she,ep, t?e former eVldel1lly havmg hllen during the march to Pr eto na! eIther ;from exhaustion 0 1: wounds; the sheep, especially lambs, hanng caught n the ba rbed 1I Ire of the fence protecting the lin e. Scouts passed and repassed all day long-, and the whol e scene was strik:ng,ly ac til'e alert., The entrance to Kroonstadt was very pretty as tbe line curved In half CIrcles 111 and out of the cliffs which were lovely, for in the rainy season they had been wa shed i nto' most fantastic shapes. After crossing- a good br idge over a full river we came to the beginning o[ the camp. whi ch stretche, for mile s r o und the town. \Ve found Kro onstadt well guarded and very much alive, a s news kept coming of the enemy being a few miles off The t own here too was unuer str ct martial law, soldiers par3ded thes'reetsand challe'n aed any suspicious person. From the little we saw of the place it to have very WI de roads, II'lth very small stores (apologies for shops), bungalow houses and small hotels, tbe chief of whi c h, the Grand Hotel wa s turned into:t hospital for Ollr men. The country round the was very pretty, but as soon as we had left it a few miles behind we came to bare, fiat veldt again. The whole line from h ere s more or le ss s trewll by wreckage of destroye,d by fire, or blown up by t'"le enemy, anc.l by broken rads, some of whI ch are bellt nearly double. About 2S mdes lunher, a place called Rudevaal is the sce ne of the destruc t ion o[ the armoured train by De 'Vet last June when a company of the Derby shire r egiment, who " 'ere conveying to Johannes bu rg, was at.tacked, and lo st their lives o a man. De \\Tet and his men were beyond the kopje about ha lf a mile, and watched the Engli sh encamp for the night before they rode down and attacked' then, after killing th em, some by the lents, the others O' uarding train , they fired the ammunition and blew it ail to atoms.'" The whole ground is covered even now witb pieces of clothino- buttons boots cigarette boxes, pieces of iron, bullets, carl ridg es, &c., all that is left of tbe gallant company are fifteen o-raves-seven on the left hand with white wood en crosses markinO" the h ead each with a shell at the foot while a little farther on, on riaht s ide of the line, are the Colone l and the remainder o f his meon. The se\'e n w ere killed on the train, the others at th ei r 'ents' it seems so pitiful to think of them ;;Ieeping there all alone on tbe open "eldt, thousands of mtles from heIr own loved country an d friends. "Faithful below they have done their duty, and now they have gone aloft."

A few miles farthe on we came to a littl e wayside station named Vredefort \Veg, where there wa;; a sma ll camp and tiny Hospital. The doctor to whom we were talktng told us he was absolutely s inalehanded, there being no other d octo r or 11 ur se, and that allY were ne.cessary he had do a ll by hIm sel f, fact, he had only Just tben fil11shed one, for whIch wa s so rry, [or It we had been ha If an hour sooner we might ha.v e helped him, perhap s He also told m that they sometImes were wllhout absolute neces s ities thino-s sent out fOl: the patients pas sed o n to tbe large ho spitals,' an d ones beIng whIch struck us a;; being rather unfair, large hospitals as a rule bell1g better able to do WIthout th:tn the small ones. IIe and an officer stationed there were mo s.t kind a nd wan ted to make us tea, but were afraId there was not tlllle to wal ! It, so accepted clean water ll13tead, and bodec.llt after we left. \"\ e dId not O"et to Viljeon's Drift Junction till sunset, so it was settled to stay for the night. tea, we to see the country. It wa s t he la st. stat ion Jn the Orange Free State, and the river .Vaal, the bounJary between hat and the T ransvaal, lay about two mdes off. To the left of the

bridge we could see the lights from tbe coal mines, these being the chief industry of the country here. \Ye turned in early, as \Ie had to be up at 6 a.m., in time to see the Vaal river when we crossed it. It was worth getting up for, as the sunrise was glorious, and tbe ri"er most interesting, The iron bridge, the usual way of crossing, had had one piece completely blow n out of the middle of it, the remainder standing quite uninjured, so we had to cross by a temporary one, which was erected about 50 yards lower down. There "as a larcre encampment guarding tbe river on both sides, more especially the Transvaal side, as so many attempts have been made there to destroy both lines and train. "\Ye heard that De \V et had been driven the Vaal the night before, anc that there was more hope of his capture The land beyond the Vaal was much more fertile grass looking quite and trees being numero us, m imo sa being most plentiful. The stallon bega:1 to look quile pretty with its yellow biossom mixed witb a scarlet flower which was abundant.

The to Elan?sfonte.in, the junction for Johannesburg, was very extraordll1ary, the !Jne takIng nearly a complete circle round the foot 01 a kopjc, so that we could see the village and hour before we reached it. Tl,e place looked yeq' deserted even Kaffir s being conspicuous by their absence, and neariyall the hClI ses of any size were closed, with theIr furniture stored inside them. The sta'ion ooked more inhabited,soldiers of all ranks and reaiments beil1 a abou.L. Herewe h ad to say good-bye to. three very nice peolJle we had met 111 the traIn, a nurse who was returnIng to the Hospital in Joh an0n it s reopen ing, after being closed through the war, and two nice 0.ff1cers, who very kind to us on tbe way up. Tbey,,'ere returnIng to theIr regIments, alter being in Hospital in Kroonstadt ,vith bullet wou nds. \ Te were very sorry to say good - h ye to them a ll, as we .see.med to know them so welL After board ship, an African corridor tl:am 15 the pla.ce to get to. know people quite intimately. This li:!l1d of ml.ght not SUIt every (lne from a busine-s point of YleW, but It certamly IS very much pleasanter throug-h such an interesting country as South Africa, as it gives one the ch,lllce of seeincr everythinj?; of any importance on the line, '"

From Elandsfontein to Pretoria, a distance of about w miles the aspect of the country was changed, mines and " 'ork-s of all takl11g the place of bare veldt; most of the coal mines were wor kin a and we passed load aft:r lo ,td of that down country:

The entrance to PretorIa was very pretty, wah plenty of areen arass and trees, and the wh ole place had a cultivated air; w e ;-;'w it "'at a dIsadvantage at first, a huge storm of dust then blowina but e,'en th at did. not daunt us, and we all fell in 10"e with it at"'first sij?;ht.

Just Qutslde the town we passed a luggage train full of well-guarded Boer on theIr \Yay to Cape TOlin, ell JOll Ie for St. IIelena, haVIng a conspIracy to kidnap Lord Roberts They mtended to get bun away on some pretence or another at a cr icket match to which they knew he would go a day or t\w ago, and then they meant to make off wltb hll11. He, however, somehcw c.liscovered the conspHacy, and sent \Yard to each of them separatel y to ask them to come to the CouncIl House in Pretoria on busine5S cf State. an. each one arril'ed they were arrested, and eventua:ly they were a[l bal1lshed to Helen a Poor fellows, I must sav I am ·er)· sorry for them, as thmk there have been some splendid men amongst them.

On leaving the train at Pretoria tation we walked to the T ransvaa Hotel and had lu n ch, after which we drove about two miles out of the tow n to our new hospital. It consists of a large house for the Officers' quarters, augmented by marq.uees pitcheJ in the grounds for the solulers. These are of two SIzes, single ones hold six beds, the double twelve, the smaller ones beIng for enteric patients the larae f '" o r s urglca cases.

The house belonged to one of the large tradesmen in Pretoria, but was. commandeered ?y. the Yeomanry [or tbe hospital, the owner havmg put 11l1nself wlthm the clutches of the law; he is an Enalishman, pri,ding himself on his descent from a well-known Saxon and sen01ng hIS sons home to Cambridae to be educated, and yet he has made a small fortune sll1ce the war becr:tn, by selling ,Olt bullets to the Boers, and noll', sln;:e we bee.n here, he has been put the Border, cellars ot ammunItIOn beIng found underneath his shop. A,t first we felt very sorry for bim,. but on heanng why he had been punIshed we all sympathy for 11lln or his family soft bullets being one of the worst inlenti ons of the enemy.

It a hou se and being .on the top of a hill commands a splendId vIew of all he surr ounc.lll1g country. Enterin cr the front door, you come into a large hall, which runs the whole of t1:e house, and at the bac.k of which lies the leading to the upper rooms; the house beIng one of the few wltb a second fioor. On the right hand side of the hall lies the ht.rge dining-room, now a ward holdIng eIghteen beds. On the left IS the Commandant 's office' beyond is the corridor branching olY to the riaht and left porti o ns at' the house, into whi ch opens the varioLls These are of all sl.zes from the sm:t ll est, fitted up for one patient, to the largest, holdinoeIghteen to twenty beds. '"

(To be COli tWlled)

Fig. 23.

Fig. 26.

FIRST AID

JANUARY 1, 1901.

year bas clo eel, a.nd truly it has 1900. been nn eventful one in the annals of ambulnnce organizations. The noble ,york by the members of the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigade who volunteered at once in sucili la.l'ge nUmbel\ when duty caned them to aid their countryUlen at the eat of war will liye in the minds of men and women, not only of our own vast empire, but of all civilized countl·ies of the world. I t has proved no ta k that they undertook, and. t?e cond.itions at time:; have been yery difficult, l'eqUlrmg an ImmenSe amount of endurance It is the opinion of all who ha\-e witnessed the work these men haye done that they are de erving of the highest praise and thanks, and we s incerehr tender our hearty J 0 to those \",ho are once m01'e home. and our sympathy with tho:,e .who the loss of dear ones who haye giyen then' lives fOl' theIr Queen and country and ill the Cl:\use of humanity. We and all ambulance workel's would remembeI' tho e officials at headquarters whose devotion to duty cost them many months of absence from home and short sleep at night-they, too, have performed a tl'uly noble work.

In .Tanuary H.R.H. the Prince of \Vale (Grand PriOlO of the HospItal of St. John of J eru alem in En 0'land) pl'esented the 'erviee medals awarded by the Chapterto the first officers of the St. John Ambulance Hrigac1e. The final heat of the Annual R ailway AUlbulance Uumpetition was held at Portma.n in :May, when the coveted prize fell to the Great .N orthern In.J ULe valuable assistance was rendered by the Great Western Railway Company's Ambulance after the serious a ccident at Slough. The Order of St. John suffered a great 10 by the death of its Secretary General, Capt. Sir Alfred J ephson, R.N. At the Medical As ociation meeting at Ip wich in Augn. t an Important di cu sion on First Aid and 1'1'ans:port of Sick and Injured in Oivil Life and large town took place. About 1,100 cases wiere dealt ,,,itll by the St. John Ambulance Brigade on the day the C.I.V.'s arrived in London.in adobeI'. Dl1l'ing the year the various railway cOl1'lpame have vied with each ot.her in training their men in first aid methods.

We find our . elves at the commencement of a new yenr, and one of great importance, it being the beginning of

As we back, surely the pa r;t qcuuter of tue nmteenth centul'J WIll be illl11101·t[l.li£cd by the ono great fact, that, in th3 midst of tho pl'ogress made by our own and .oth er great nations, nee essitflting a vast increase of tranSIt and of macl1incry, the spread of ambulance teaclung stands ont so prominently, "With this increase, great sufI'81'ing from ill ness a lld accident has bound men together in a bl'othedy love, and this, as Shakespen,re says, "makes aU the world akin." The cause. will surely grow, fo1' it is following the directions of Hml who taught us our duty to our neiahbou1' . We tl'ust 1901 will soon bring our nation penc e a:Cl happiness

\[)olunteer Btnbu[RtlCe $chool of Jnstructioll.

President: Major Andrew 1aclure, V.D., Late London Scotti sh R.V.

The next cl a ss for the Train ing of Stretcher Bearers will be held at the Head-quarters. of the Middlesex (Bloomsbury) R. V , Chenies Street! " , .C., by kInd permissi on of Col. B. ITardca stle commanding, and wl1.1 cO.mm e n ce at 7.30 p.m., ?n IVednesday, February 6th, IgOr.

A pplicatlOn Forms can be obtained of the H on. Secretaries, t H.]. Russell, 13, Gower Street, 'N.C., and Corporal E. Davies, I, Lombard Court, E.C. (Hy Order) P. B. GILES, F.KC.S., Senior "'Iedical Officer.

$t. Jobn Btnbulance 113rigabe.

The St. John \mbula nce Brigade s despatching 100 more hospital orderlies for service in S out h Africa, having received a further requisition for them from tne War Office Thi s is in addition to the 68 extra brigade men despatched a fortnight back at Lord Robert 's request, and brings the total of its members on active service up to I,739, of whom over 60 ha ve died from enteric fever and other diseases.

DovRR.-- The annual meeting of this division was held in the Assembly Room, Biggin Street, under th e pre sidency of Dr. Murphy, bon surgeo n, and about twenty officers and men being pre se nt. The repor ts and accounts were adopted The Chairman stated that Mr. H. L. Lawes. late superintendent of the Newport Division, I sle of Wight, had taken up his residency in Dover, and had been unanimou sly elec.ted superintendent in the place of '!Jr. H owden, who resigned, havmg been appointed hon. surgeon of the division. Any ol'e requ iring further information as to the working of the division can do so by applying to tbe local hon, secretary, Mr W. Brett, 3, Glen Grove Fo kestone Road, or Superintendent Henry Lloyd Lawes, IS, Road, Dover.

1RaHwa\? Bnlbulance.

GREAT IVESTER RAILWAY.-The Counte ss of Cork and Orrery presented on Wednesday, 5th December, at Pa ddi ngton Station upwa rds of 200 meda llions, vo uchers and certi fica tes to successful candidates amongst the Gr eat IV estern Railway staff in the London district. Over 5,500 m e mbers of the staff now possess the first aid certificate of the St. John Ambulance Associ a tion. Of these 2,200 have passed the second examination and I,IOO tbe third. During the past .12 months upwards of 1,(,00 cases have been treated by duly qualified members of the company's staff. Fifty -eight Great Western R ailway Ambulance Volunteers have been on service in South Africa, and 16 of these were specially selected for duty with the Imperial Yeomallry Hospital at De el fontein. Five deaths have been reported by the War Office amongst the Great IVestern Railway Volunteers. Earl Ca.wdor, the Chairman of the Great \Vestern Railway Company, preSided the meetmg, and amongst tbose present wa s Lady Emily Kingscote.

LONDON AKD SOUTH WESTERN RATLWAy.-IVith a view to encourage the empl<>yes 01 the London and South We stern Railway in ambulance w:)rk, tbe directors at tt eir meeting yesterday deCided to offer a chalLenge shield and silver medals for competition annually bet ween teams selected from the various a mbulance classes have been formed at many of the princ;pal stations throughout the lme dunng the past two years. The directors defray the whoLe of the cost in connection with the working of the classes.

NEW CROSS DIVISION (LONDO:-l, AND SO UT H COAST RA1L\\ -AY ). - The members of this Division held a very successfuL smoking concert in the men's Mess Room adjoining the New Cross Station, on the 2+th November last. The Chair was taken by Mr. Trangm a r, the Superintendent of the Division.

CHRISTMAS CHARITY (BY A CORRESPONDENT).

To those accustomed to the uneventful, matter of fact habits of the inhabitants of Clerkenwell, the lono- "quene" of women and children, and jostling, that ranged up on the evening of December 19th , outSide the memorable" Gate," must have caused a little surprise wonder But the become a custom now to the poor mhabltants, for the Nursmg Sisters of the St John Ambulance Brigade who's head-quarters are at the" Gate," distribute the resuLt of their year's work on tbis evening. Upwards of .260 garments, all of the useful and necessary order, are to be handed over to the fortunate ticket-holders, and the poor Ii ttle pinched bodies of the children will be warmed, and little made. happy - for a timeat any rate -by the .gener?us gifts of these Il1d ustnous, self-denying ladies, who spare neither time nor purse to attain this end. And we see in the of these" kidlets " big pieces of cake and oranges, in some cases being. uneaten for the very of pos3essing, but the little eyes are bnghtened and the reward IS ample to the gi verso

I am told that the gifts are not indiscriminately handed over to the. first-comers, but that tickets are placed in the hands of district VISitors and sc hool board teachers, who of their knowledO'e of need pass them on to the Imost deserving cases. also that whole pile of garments are not on ly made by these gifted la:lie s but tbat the malerial is also provided by them, with the exception of two donations which they are anx ious to gratefully acknowledae, one from the S1. John's Gate , 1\0. r Division, and the other the So uth Metropolitan Gas Company's Division.

May the good work long be maintained, and a little brightness thrown 1I1to the lives of the poor women ::.nd children such as we saw on the evening of the distribution; and could not we the male members of our severa.l divisions do olt in the work, by assisting our good who give so much of their and la bour, in offering a small donatl?n for the .purchase of material to work upon. and not leave all to their and I am su,e they would be willing to share their reward With us, and add to it their oersonal tha nks

January, 1901.J FIRST AID.

(BaUer\?

SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM J. 1 PONTm, CY CLIs'r DIVISION ACTING SCPERI TENDENT SE CRETARY ( O. 1 DISTRICT), ST. J OliN AMBULANCE BRIGADE.

I T i s our pleasing duty this month to present to our readers the sketch of this popular and hard - working Superintendent of the Cyclist Division.

Mr. POll tin was born on the 19th February, 1868, and educated at the Haberdasher's Schools. Hi attachment for volunteering first showed signs in 1886, when he joined the 2nd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers.in which corps he ser'\'ed until 18 9+ He entered the Volunteer Ambul ance School of In struction in 18 9 1 -9 2 He obtained the First Aid Certificate of the St. John Ambulance Association in 1892, and joined th e Cyclist Di vision in June, ]8931 performing public duty for the first time on July 6th, 1893 (Duke of York's 'vVeddingday).

_ When in 1895 Mr. C. Alan Palmer retlred from the position of of the Cyclists, Mr. Pontin was unanimously selected by the members of the Di\ ision to be his successor. This was approved at Headquarter s, and in September, 1895, he wa appointed Su perin tendent of the Cyclist Di \ ision. He at once set about reor ganising his Division, resulting in it s pre ent high state of efficiency.

The attendance of the lJivi sion in strength at Lilford and Towc ester Brigade Camps of Instruction further advanced its progress, and wherever pr o yinciais meet there is always a warm welcome for the London cyclist; here Supenntenden t Pontin also made many friends amonO' both provincial officers and men alike. rec e nt events hav e brought him even more prominently forward; during the mobilisation of the South African contingents he li\' ed at Head Quarters from November. 1899, until July 1900, earning the good opinion of all he came in contact with. llis record during the period were 150 attendances, frequenLly both day and night.

This work brought him under the Head Quarters staff and seeing how behind the Corps clerical work was, he v'o lunt eered in Jul y, 1900, to help the Ohief Superintendent to get it up, and on the promotion of Ml. Winny as Superintendent Treasurer, the vacant po st wa s offered to Mr. Pontin.

After a three months' trial he accepted the post, but in o rd e r to meet the diffi c ulty of his holding the rank of Superintendent of the Cyclist Division at the same time, h e was appointed on I'\ov ember 28th, 1900 , Acting Superintendent Secretary, No. I District.

Speaking of his work during the mobilisation he says , " I often wonder how wc all k ept up working until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning and occasionally sleeping on a stretcher for two or three hours, neither do I know how 1

I managed to find the time. Certainly I could ne\'er haye done it had it not been for tIle loyalty and devotion of my two supernumerary officers."

\V e are a lso pleased to announce that at the 1a t Chapter General of the Order of l't.John Superintendent Pontin was elected" lIon Serving Brother," in rec ogn ition of the vcry able a'Ssistance he had rendered during the recent mobilisation of the active sen'ice detachments.

Superintendent Pontin IS comparatively a young man, but during the five years he has been in th e Bri gade, he has shown what can be done by determined and continuous hard work. He is popular with all, and in hIS new post we belieyc that he will be till more so, and will proye that the se lec tiop ha s been a Wlse one.

lYE regret to state Civil Surgeon Englebach, reported mISSIl1g" at 1\00itg-edac ht on Decem ber 13tb, was killed in action. I\'e understand thatDr. Englebach was H on. Surgeon to a London (\Vaterlow) Division of the St. J Jhn Ambulance Brigade.

A. NlJAL BOHEMTA;-.i CO:-lCERT (.\Ietropolitan Corp;, St. J0hn Ambulance Brig ade) - [h e AnnuaL Bohemian Conceit of this District, will be held at St. Town Hali, Charing Cross, IV.C., on -Wednesday, 6th February, at 8 p.m., 'ir John Furley has kindly conse n te d to take the chair, and members who hal'e been in S o uth Africa will be in-"ited LO attend, and will te specially entertained. Abo Distrir.t will be pleased to see a n y members from ot h er districts who may be in town at that date, if they will kindly advise the H on. Sec. Shute B_

The Shield i s of sih'er, shows a fe male figure coming through doors, carrying a lamp in the left hand; " First Aid" bringirg light. It is mounted on ebony, on the top is a gilt scroll inSCribed < Osborn Challenge Shield " the shield is surrounded by eleven small shields to the winners names. It is of exquisite workmanship, made by Elkington, The followi ng are the special conditions of competition: - I. The competition for the" Osborn" Challenge Shield sball consist solely of fir st aid work, wilh impro"ised material. 2. The competition shall be h eld annually , and, if possible, upon the same date ir. each year. 3 The competition shall be held in Lond on. {. The trophy s hall be cOlllpeted for by teams of 4 m en No man shall compete unless he be efficient in accordance with the General Regu lat ions of the St. John \mbula nce Brigade (B eg 28, p a? a 2). S. A division may not send in more than one team. 6 shall appear in plain clothes. 7. Each team shall provide four patients who sha ll be me'nbers of the same dil·ision 8. A supply of material suitable for improvised dressinas, splints and stret che r s, will be provided. Competitors may u se any of their clothing or that of Lhe paLient. g Each team will be required to individually and ('ollectil'ely treat a case of supposed injury, in the latter in stance, the patient to be moved as directed by the judo-es. 10. The test for all competing teams s hall be identi cal. r. Competitors will n ot be allo\\'ed to communicate with those who have alreadr competed, or with persons who have seen tbe compet ition; to do so will disqualify the team.

12. Except on the last day of the competition all judging sha ll De conducted in private. 13· The judges will be selected annually by the donor, or In such a manner as he may dilect.

1+. The judges sball select a member from each team who will be placed in charge of the team IS. Special points will be granted for in,g-enuity in the adoption and application of the material provided for splints and dressings; also [or the conveya nce of the patient. 16. The times for ju.dging the competin.g teams shall be by lot, the result of whi c h sha ll b e commun ic at ed to the Superintenden t officer or member in charge of each division entering a team. Any team unable to compete at tbe t me laid down can only change with another team on the same evening by arrangement between those in charo-e of the respe ct ive divisions, and the written assent of each being reach the Di st rict Chief Superintendent before the day of the competition. 17. The trophy shall be held by the winning division for twelve months, 18. A certificate will be presented to the division, and to each member of the winning team.

19. The Superintendent of the division of IIhich the winners are sha,Il be re sponsib le for the safe CUSL0dy o( the trophy, and for It S dellvelY 111 good order at the expiration of the year to tbe Deputy -Commi ssio ner of the district W here pra ct icable the trophy shall remain at the head-quarter s of the division to which the winning team be longs. 20. The superintendent of the division representing the winners heing held responsible for the safe CLlstody of the trophy, shall, if he thinks fit, be permitted to sanc ti on the exhibition of the prize at any gathering of Lhe division or winning team, or on any public occasiom on which the division is represented. 21. The riO'ht is '"

F1RS'r

reserved to withhold the trophy from competition if less than three teams present tbemselves, and from ti me to time to make such alterations, additions or amendments to the conditions as may coincide with the wish es o f the donor. 22 Not more than q days notice of the competition will be given. 23. Time will count in all portions of the com petition.

The following divisions sent a eam each: - London Brighton and South Coast Railway (;-';ew Cross), Ley ton and Leyt o n stOne South Metrop olitan Gas (\\bo \\ ere unable to compete owing to neglect of rule 7), East Ham, Great ;-';orthern Railway, East London, St. John 's Gate No I, Caust-:;n. The following wer e the tests:-

INJlJRF S FOR IKDl\"IDUAL TJ :EADIEi\T.-1. Fracture of right forearm. 2. Rupture of var ico se v ei n in left ieg. 3 Patient has thru st his left hand and arm thr oug h a wind ow, both the arteries are cut.

4· Patient is lying perfectly unconscious on ground-please examine

INJ URY TO llE TREATED BY THE TEA\l.-Patient has fallen from a height, injury to spi ne, paralysis 0f both legs Treat him, then ca rry downstair s into the yard and place on the litter for conveyance to the hospital.

The arrangements were ably made and carried out by Chief-Supt. Morgan assisted by Supt. Pontin of the Cyclists division Judges:Hon. Surgeon s J. Brown, R.;-';, and Carvell. The competit'on commenced at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 13 th ecember, in the Drill Room at St. John's G<>.te, when four teams com peted, the remain ing three teams competed on Monday e,·ening Chief Surgeon Osborn was present during the competition on Saturday On M o nday the finish wa s wat che d with great intere st by several officers :1nd mem be r s of the Bri gade. be highest possible num be r of points obtainable was 80. The pla ce used for the competition wa s th e Drill Room, lob by and pass:lge over the transport stable, St. John's Gate, the individual injuri es were first of all treated in the drill ronm, then the patient to be treated by the eam collectively, wa s taken into the small obby and pl aced in position with his feet to the drill roo IT. he was supposed to have fallen from the ro o , they had to tre at him, then carry him along the pass age and down tbe .;taircase into the yard. A adder was left in the corner of the lobby, and the two first teams se zed upon t hi s for a stretcher, b ut when they got to the stairc<tce they fou nd it wa s too long , so had to bri ng the patient bac k and make a fresh stretcher. One team with the adder on find ing it too ong- said if they had a sa w they would take a pie ce off the ladd e r. On Iy one team made use of poles and sacks th at were lying about, to improvise the stretc her. The favourite articles for improvi s ing st retchers we re easels and black boards. The winnin g team made them wi th tw o easels laid on op of one another, the head of on e t o the foot of the other, a nd then placed a black board on top, and lashed the whole together with the boot laces of the members of the team. Th e Causton and G.N.R. teams both placed the improvised stretc her o n to the litter, so as to save movinO" patient again. In lifting patient from the ground on to the vi sed s tretcher, the method adopted by mo st teams was that form of stretcher exercise u sed in the Briga de. The L.B. & S.C.R. men placeJ a sack und er their p atient on the ground, in the sa me manner as the under sheet of a bed s changed, by rolling half and turning part from side to side, and then lifted t he patient, by taking hold of the four corners, on to imp rov sed stretcher and a lso from improvised to li tt er by s ame means. Th ere we re no viva voce questions in th e competition no drill, an d no artificial respiration. The following g-ives the teams order of merit with points :-1. Causton Division, 63 ; 2. G.0.'".R. Di vis on, 57; 3· L.B. & S.C.R. Divis ion, So; .J.. East IIam Di\'ision 4+ ;. 5· St. John s Gate. (X <? I) 42 6 Ley ton and Leytonstone, 39 7· East London , 39· 1 he time oJcupled by the wll1ning- team in th e t reatment of th e individual inju r ie s was minute s The treatment and removal of the case by the team collectively was accomplished in q minutes.

A meeting for the presentation by ,\1rs. Osborn of the sbield and certificates to the winning team was held on Saturday, the 22nd December, at St. J o hn's Gate, when Inspector- General _ inni s the Deputy Commissioner, took the chair. There was great int'erest shown in th e several well known ambulance s urg eons, officers and n ursmg sisters bell1); pre se nt. The deputy commissioner after a fe w introductory ks, asked the judges to give their report: Dr. Carvell gave the followll1g ludges note s of tbe competition

FRA CTURE OF FOREARlI1.

PO SIT ION OF ARM.-i'llany competitors hiled to keep the forearm in the correct position, viz., witb the thumb uppermo st thumb beiclO" allowed to turn either outwards or inward s, thus' causinO" the '" f d '" bones of th e orearm to oecome crosse

SPLlN Ts.-The lendency here was to altow the splints to come '. 00 far over tbe hand not being particular that the spl ints should take a bearing on the joint above, as well as on the joint belo·.v the fracture' tbus causing undue pressure on the upper fragment.

BA:-I DAGFS.- The upper ban dage was not placed sufficiently r.ear the elbow, in some cases as much as a hand's breadth was left between elb o w and bandage.

RfTPTURE OF VAln COSE VEI:-I.- This injury seeme d to be a favourite with all ·'sions. The only we have to find in tbis case is

AlD . [ja n ua r y , 1901.

that some. did n ot raise the leg sufficiently high; being satIsfied with placll1g It on the toe of the sound leg; whereas it sho'lld be lJeady perpendicular.

Vo r.'ND ACROSS FRONT OF FOREARM, BOTH ARTEHIES nrVIDED.

-In this injury as a rtlle tbe fOlearm wa s n ot raised hiO"h durinO" treatment, and in most cases no attempt was made bend the orearm the arm, and sccure it there with a fo ld o f tbe coat s leeve, or a pa-1ln the elbow, and when the forearm was placed in a sl inO", the hand wa s not raised high enough. '"

OF AN UN CONSC IO US PATlENT.-The majority of the competitors did not set about this case in a methodical manner. A very large num ber failed to ascertain if the patient was alive, until tbey had examined for every other conceivable injury. Other s seemed to be of tbe opinion that examination for fractures wa s of the first importan ce Only one competitor thought it necessary to smell the breath.

.P.S.- Ye are very pleased to say that no one to ok the hint given in thIS journal a few months ago namely, to go throuoh the pockets of the unconscious patie nt. '" of tbe teams made no attempt whatever at treatment of tbepatient. A very.gre a want .of foreth oug ht was shown by the majonty of the teams 111 not eXamll1lng- th e passaO"e and stai r case through and down which they had to thEir C"l u s inO"

I · , '" ,.. oss 0 time to two teams and also unnecessary pain w o uld have been to pati ent, b y having to improl'ise a fresh stretcher, the first celf.g too l o ng to turn round the staircase In very few cases was the .tak en to test the. improvised stretcher befo re placing p at ien t on It. A.nother faul t 111 some te ams wa s, that each indiv id ua :ne:nbe th.at he wa s in charge of he team, in stead of car ryIng o ut the of the one who had bee n p ,.ced in charge

Teams woula do well to remember the old sayi [JC7 about" too nuny cooks spoiling the brot h. " b

There is o ne plan adopted by a few competitors which we s trona ly deprecate, that is, coming to a first aid competition \Iith innumerable handker chiefs sto \ved away in all pockets, India rubber ]:lands placed on the arms, a nd vanous other little impediment s which ar e not usual y carried in every day life

Th echa.irman proposed a vote o f to \[r. O SbornJor h is great liberalIty 111 pre sen ting- the hand so me shield for competItion amo n O" memi:Jers of the No. I District. Thi s kind of first a id work where c?mpetitors had to u se wh a tev er articles were handy, anrt had to improvise on the spot seemed to him to furnish the exact kind of traininO" that the men needed. He had on g looked forward to seei ng this kind of \\ork, and he was glad t o see that It was now commenced as this competitIOn was unique and the best of it s k ind in this Dist;ict. He con g ratulated"hearti!1 the Causton teal? on mor e especially as It was the bai:Jy team .o f tbe only larely joined.

He was sure that tbe meet111g WOuld JOI'1 With hlln 111 thankinO" :'l r Osborn for his beautiful gift. Sam Osborn thanked the General an? the meeting for their vote of thanks. He had long felt that first aId competJtlOns ought to be made somewhat different to th os e usually beld, and that the conditions ought to be somewhat s im ilar to tbose that the first- a ider encountered \>\ h en he bad to treat an accident in the street. While speaking, h e would lik e to say a few words about the coductof the St. J o hn men in South A frica. It was known tba t about 1,800 men had been sent out to the seat of war, and the fact tbat L ord Ro berts had asked for more, seemed sufficient to show tha the men's services were appreciated. He had that day r ec eived a letter from Captain P owe ll, at present in South Africa, in which he said that the St. John men had done their work well, and. although they were undermanned and had to work very hard, S{)metlmes with little food there was not a word of complaint from them. Their names would sent up for the war medal. Mr. Osborn then read extracts from his own report to Lord [ ansdowne, in which he said that the conduct o f men was highly satisfactory, and there was very lit le, if any.

111fenor to that of h e Royal Army MedI cal Corps, and he wa s pleased to have this opportunity of making these remarks. Mr. O sbo rn then presented the shield and certificates to the memb ers of the Caus to n team.

Votes of thanks to Mrs. Osborn and to the chairman concluded the proceedings.

$t. 30bn Bmbulance Bssociation.

G LOUCES TER. - The seventh annual chal·lenge shield competition in connection with th e Gloucester centre of the St. John Ambulance Association took place at the Public Baths on Thursday eveninO" 6th December, before a large and intere s ted audience There five competing teams, as follows: St. Calherine's, Gloucester Police Great (NO.2), Corporati:m, and Matthew s & Co., Ltd

:\Iajor Hutt o n wa s he judge and after a very searchinO" test the Polic e were the \':.inn e r s of the sh ield wit_h a record 59 0 marks o u t of a pOSSible 600, Great 2) ne.xt with 555 marks St. Ca herll1e s wa s thIrd Wi t h sSo; the Corpora Ion followed with 5+0, and Ma:thews and Co came last with 46 :> t might be

January, 1901.J FIRST

mentioned that the Police were the winners of the s bield in 1896 and 18 1 7 and St. Catherine's last year. The trophy has to be won three in sllccession before it can become the absolute property of the winners. The p o lice were awarded the first priz e for general work a:ld the CorporatioLl the special prize offered to works. Mrs. J a.mes wife of tile City IIigh Sheriff, gracefully presente? the Poll ee WIth. shield and distributed the prizes. At the conclUSIOn of t?e compet ll1 on the President propo sed a vote of thanks to Surg:eon- J\.faj o r IIullon. for ·udging. Mr. Bailey seconded, and was ca rned wl.th a cclamatIon -hur geon - [ajor Hutton in reply, said he look ed upon It asa very.great hon o'lT and to be asked to visit Glou cester and. to judge again in their ambulance compet ition Upon occasions he had \ i s i ted the City he had c0I!'mente.d up on accld.ents 111 lIfe, but that evening, w ith th e waf gO ll1g on In South he \\ IS led to make a few remarks on the wounded in war. In p'revlOus wars that had occuned-in the Civil iVar in Amenca, and In th.e !5reat. stnfe between ['ran ee and Germany--the great \'oluntary 111 thiS country had always acted ind epende ntly in afford1l1gald to thp. wou,nded soldiers and sailors Prev lOus, ho wev er, to th e outbreak of t.he South ,\fr ica n \Ia r thes e various societies formed a centra Briti sh Red Cross Central had been work1l1g 111 concert with tbe war department to afford aId to the wounded. By means of ce ntral committee a very arg-e amount of assistance h?-d bee n conferred upon the wounded The St. J o hn Ambulance ASSOCl<lion had sent o ut I 600 O"ood and trlle men to act as orderhes and nur oes in military a nd in military ships. A fortnight ago Lord Ro be r ts telegraphed LhaL he wanted m ore J.ohn Ambulance men, and with in a week 70 men embarked for se rvi ce 111 South Afnca in obedience to th e telegram. A le w days ago he himself received a letter from Lord Stan ley (pri vate sec reta ry to Lord Roberts), who said how much they valued the assis t ance of St. Ambulance III the hospitals in South Africa. In congratulatmg the teams 111 th.e quality of their work, he said there was not a man who had pal t in the compelition but who would be ext r emely useful to either a wounded Civilia n. or soldier-(applause). A vote ?f thank s o ;'1:s. Brut o n for kindly attending and di stributing the prizes co ncluded ttie pr oceed in gs.

LrsK EARD. -At the Town lI a ll on Thur sday evel1lng, 6th the GIayor of Liskeard (lUr. P. B. Uenw ood) distributed a medalllOn and: certi fica of the Associat on to success ful st uden ts of th f" firstaid classes cond ucted in the tow n by Dr. H ammond. Hon. Secretary plr. J. Chapman), in his report,. staLed that .29 j0111ed the c la ss in January ast He trusted the publIC o Ll!-keard w ould assist the newly-formed Di vision th er e by them the use of som e public buildin g or sch?olroom for thell: dnlls. Tbe :\la)'or th ought the difficulty of secllnng a meetll1g-place m lg-ht easily be o\ 'e rcome. No application had, he believed, yet made many quarter. He s u ggested t ha.t .the should wnt e to the Council, a nd, witbout pr omls m g anything, he sa w no reason wh.y L suitable r OOI11, e ith er ir, th at bui ld ing or at the Ma:ket Hou se, might not be found fo r am bu lan ce work-(appla u s e).Hls W ors hip proceeded to distribute th e awards. In handing the bronze medalli o n of the l\ ssoc iat ion to ,\1 r. W F. L ewa rn, sta tlonma ste r of Li skeard he comp lim ented him bot h upon his own good wor k a nd the excellent' examp e he was sho wing his men. Lew arn, In r ep ly, said most of the G.\V.R. men who had been at Ll skea rd for any leng th of time h ad obtained tbeir medallions-(applause). Second-year vouchers were then distri b ut ed to :\l essrs. R. A. Benson, J. C?apman, J. IIick s , W. S. V. IIosking, R. T. L1dgey and F. P. West. First-year certificates were gained by :'Il essrs J. Andrews, S Bartlett, R. r\. B urc h, J R. Chalice, J. G. Chynoweth, L. S. Da vey, T. Do dd, W II Edmonds, T. A. King, F. Manley, T. Sanders, S. R. C. S olomo n W. A. Symons, and 1. Wilton. It wa.s mentIOned that 1\1 r. San ders, had CTone to South Africa and taken hI S cer tIfi ca te With him. Mr. Le\\arn, behalf of the class, proposed a hearty vo te of thanks to Dr Ilamm on d fo r hi s services. They all, he said esteemed themselyes fortunate 111 havinCT as t heir in s tructor a gentleman wbo held the highest honours in con"'nection with the ambulance department of the Gr a nd Pnory of St. John of Jerusa-Iem in England-(applause). He gave them more attention than they could have expected an.d was ever ready to answer que s tions, so that their success was due to him. l\lr. T. Dodd seco. nded and the vote was heartily accorded. Dr IIam mo nd, replYll1g, s ,ud he was n.nxious to see Li s keard in the forefront of ambulance w Ol k. In London recently Co l. Bowdler, the IIead told that every letter he had from the seat of war!ll South Africa been satisfactory regardmg the capacity and performan ces of the members of the Asso c iation who had bee n se nt out up the end of June. A requi s ition hadjust bee n received from the mdltary authontles for 600 more, part of whom wou ld take the place of h ose se nt h o me for a re s t. That request on th e part of the sho wed that th e work of the amhulance men was valued and apprecJated - (applause).

DEATHS.

CHURCH BRASIER.-At 4.4, Claremont Road, Highgate, L on don , on December 3Ist, 1900. Vincent (Laddie) the .dearly loved son of W ill iam Jo h n and Maude E m meline C hu rch B r aSIer.

Bnlbulance M en's

The fo llowing lett er, written by a of St. John 's Gate NO.2 Di vision has bee n sen t to us for publlcatlOn. ,

J uli, Rhodesia, October 4th, I goO. D ear Mr.-It is with great. ple:tsure that I Twrite these few lines as I promised you wben we said good -bye. Now, t o start from tbe beginning, after we left St. John 's Gate we went to Aldershot for a wee k, and then left Southampton 111 the Kddonan Castle for Queenstown and then on to the Cape. staying at Woodstock Hospital for three weeks we sent to the front. The first place we were ordered to \ViiS :\Iafekmg, and on th e way there we passed the battlefields of J3elm o.n t. Gla;pan, Orange River, ;\1 a£"e rsfontell1, and then on to , h.lmI->elley. i\ e then passed over the Vaal Ri\'e r on to \Va rrenton, Fourteen Streams, Vrybu rg and then reached :\[a feking We then order.ed t? Bulaway o, which p lace we reached safely after passll1g through Pitsalll, Lobastrie Gabrones and Crocodile Pools. After a month at Bulawayd, we left again for :\lafe king wit h .the BU,s hrr;en, und er General C ar rington, and on arnvll1g at :\lafekmg \\e \\ere ordered to Rustenburg to Joi n Baden P o well, and so for the Transvaal. lYe passed Ott e rshocp, Jacobsdal, B ot ha s and arrived at Zeerust before we heJ.rd anything of the B.oers. II hen we got to 1\laritt's River we , were sent to reliele a garnson of Bu s hm en, under Colonel Hore, at Eland's River, met the In strong p osition and h ad an engagement which la st ed from SIX the morillng till sunset. Boers were too many for us so w e had to rellre An aml,ulance wagon with four of u s a captain anda lieutenant \\ere. ordered on the field and directly the men b egan to we had to go m the hrst firing line for wounded. \i"e had only SIX ambulance men on the field for a force of 2000, and had to have our wagon in the thi ck of It had t o put the wounded in the wagon, dress them and. set out for an?ther part of the field for more. Finding we were gettlng the. wor st of It we had to retire by Carringto n 's order , all the troops cleann)5 off us tbe Boers following. They fire at us ambulance men with theIr but the shells go over our heads and burst a hundred yards behind They then let g) with pom-poms b,:t too short 1 h en .tr; J\Iausers, a-nd if it had not been for the '\ew Zealand s.oppm", and CTivin CT them a round, it would have been all up WIth us. as the ;;en afterwards, they thought the Red Cross ne\'er get III th e firin!, line, and we should n ot then, only we were so ohort-hand,ed someone had to be tbere to pick up the wounded. 1 really don th111k they meant firi n g. at us;. only we got right in the \Yay o f the r e = tirinO" co lumn. So we did n ot relIeve the garrison, but had to clear OUe as as we could, the Boers following us the whole way back to Zeerust, which we r eached after havirg set to With them at M ar co River, wI-Jere we beat them off With g;eat loss, fi crhtinO" a rea l O"ood runninO" fiCTht till we got to Zeeru s t. \\ e had bee n '" '" ", '"' b b I thirty-six hours in the saddle. Then n e xt dal'. we .urnt a our .sp are stores and ammunition and got back to ;:>.lafekmg wllh out lo ss. Some pe J ple blame Carrino-ton for leaving Zeerust, as th ey thmk he could have held tbe place"'with the roo ps he had-I.0.'".Z: Battery, I battery ot IS pounders, battery of pom-poms, the Austrahan Bushmen Paaet's [J orse and the Kimberly Light Horse, all mounted men; I he knew better. A staying in i'lIafekl ng a fe w days we set out again and got seven mdes be\'ond Ottershoop or. :\ Ialmal1lato a place called Lemmen's farm lYe met the Boers and had a rea l !!ood set to, and the tables on them by thenl. at every point. The New Zealand :\Io.unted I nfantry alone, 1Il t:harglng a kopje, killed forty-five, beSIdes Field-Cornet Snyman, son of. mandant Snyman of Mafe k ing fame. Next day Lord .\Iethuen Jomed hand s with u s a nd touk command ofall the troops, whd e Carnngton went to Rh odes a After being under Methuen for three days we were recalled to Mafeking. and then were sent to from.there th - ouO"h Khama's Land to Juli wh ere we are now waltlllg for Carnng-'" Rh d t on to come and t ake command. F rom here we are gomg to :\..0 e s Drift, and from there drive the B oers south from the Lydenbur CT dI tnct to Pietersburg, wh.'!re venerals B aden -Powell Paget, Col onel P lumer are, and then we think that will about .filllsh It. II e are then supposed to go to Pr etoria and await <?rders, for Cape Colon), Natal or Orange River Colony, untd we .recelve OI:dels to come which will be at the end of .\T ay. ,r think we will have the h onour of being the only mounted St. John s men.on the field, and by th e t ime we come home will have marched more miles than any af o ur boys. r must now close and get ready for gua-rd as we to look our own hor ses and wagons. IV here we are now IS a hole full of flies, jack .•'ts, woh es and lions-a pr?per \\"lId .country very' prelly, but very foul, and the sooner Carnngton from 13ul a way o the better. I must n a il' bid you good-bye for the present. Please rem ember me to the of the 2nd Division. My respec;s to Superintendent Chillingworth. the sergeanls, and yourself.-"'( o urs faithfully, ALBERT EVANS

FIRST

The following, glvlOg the experiences of Private Fred. Curzon, of \Vinsford, is very interesting. We are indebted to the '\Winsford Guardian" for it

On landing at Capetown we (III St. John Ambulance men) were met by the Red Cross Society, and after being given comforts we were drafted to different localities, 53 of us going to the general ho sp ita l at Rondesb osch \Ve did two day's duty there, and moved up to Bloemfontein. At the late capital of the Free State seyen we r e selected, amongst whom were :\IcKelvie and four picked out of that number, to be attached to the Big-hland Brig-ade. Th at was the last I of lcKelvie, but [ heard r set sail homQ that he was dead I am, boping- that is not the case. :'I y companions and were machlng after Roberts in the direction of Kr oo ns ta d I26 miles the far side of Bloemfontein. Alona tbat march we lost men including a St. John man, from We had li tt le work there,' and we received orders to make for Ventersburg. At th s place the Highland Brigade were r ein for ced by volunteers and reservis ts. Half a day had hardly elapsed before we were on the move again, and having done three on foot our scouts came up and said they had espied the Boers III full force, holdin a tbe town of Heil b ron, The Oueen's birthdax was on. tbe morrow, and was look ing to having a JOYous tIme on the yeldt 111 honour of tbe occasio n, The news brought by the scouts, bowever, prevented this. and subsequent events proved. A halt was then and th ere made and we were " dished" out with slouch hats, and can tell you hey were very acceptable They took the place of the helmets, and we were not serry, for the latter were rather heavy, peak comi ng over the eyes it was with more than a lIttle stralll1l1g we could see. \Ve were also seryed out with two and a haff of rum,. with which we drunk the jolly good be:lltb of Queen Ictona. Expecting to be attacked every minute we did not delay much, but in stea d of going stra ight to Heilbron we proto o ur extreme right and worked Lindley. VVe had not gone tar o u r progress was imped ed, and for the next five days, from sunnse to sunset, the troops were enO'aaed, the Boers eventually fI.>:ing to the kopjes. Linelley we had sharp encounter, but thIS o nly laHed about thIrty-five minutes, I picked up an unexploded fourteen pounds shell that had come from the Boers and rememberina the dangerous character of the thing I quickly with it. that one our " gave us a lecture on the danger of touching the exploslye, and bls refer ence to a case in which four men were shattp.red to fragments hy the examination of a shell they had picked up impre ssed them very much. The lesson I remembered all throuah different O? the journey to Lindley we had kIlled and dunng the actIOn lastmg five days we suffered go casualties. A. couple of days before we arrived at IIeil bron I was put in a barn with IS wounded men, and fo r the major part of the time wa s \\ i th them their one cry was fo r water. It was indeed a pitiable siO'ht to see those IS on their bacb, suffering with th ei parched lips and "\Ve made our way to Heilbron, and o ur naval C7uns w.orked r outing the. enemy in good tille. Tents pItched outSIde the tJwn for the SIck and wounded, and I was placed in of the cases. It is cusiomary to p!ace tbe wounded not hkely to recover m a tent themselves, This work was a fairly hard nut. for after doing a ten mar ch scarcely any food I was left 111 charge or the n Ight WIthout anyth1l1g to eat. Next m o rning the doctors made minute examinations of the men. Two of the three St .John men with me fell with fever on the march. The Boers, in theIr hurry from the town, had left their sick and wounded and h h , WIt at. ers, "va: sent to help the German doctors and sisters in charge, The Bntl sh wbom tbe enemy had captured, were on one side of the ImprovIsed hospital and the Boers on th e other. The foreign medIcal. men and sIsters worked exceedingly hard for their patients and everyth1l1g was done to prolong life. During the six weeks in the town we had a splendid record, only losing two patients (one of the Yeomanry, who died from enteric, ar.:! Lieutenant Turner, of the and Sutherl a nd, II ighlander s, who died from wounds). 1 aSSIsted at sev eral an? gained mu ch experience Eight of us were left WIth the held, while the 3.igbl and Brig ade went scounng the cou.ntry. \\ hlle w.lth the 17th FIeld Hospital three or four patIents were admitted, and a very busy time we had, scarcely getllng any sleep for eight s ucc ess ive nights. However, this was fully compensaled for by the presenc e of other comfo rts, which up to the pre se nt had been very scarce. A convoy came a long with plenty of beddll1g and food, The Boers were very keen on their food, and repeatedly they seemed contented if the on ly s poil tbey aot a fter a scrape was a .supply II packing 1/ The transport wa s very good consldenn.g the but the difficulties, neces sar ily, were very great. \\ e receIved orders to make another move and much tr?uble wa s experie!l ced in getting o ur patient s to th e stadon, ha lf a mile or so awa),. Severa.l h ours were spent in carrying the men on ambulances thIther. ThIrty-three of the worst cases were left behind. It wa5 our intention to 'proceed to Pret oria, but when we got near Johannesburg, were dIre cted to Kruger sdo rp, wbere some stiff fightIng was proceedll1g. On reaching there I sent to; Varley's Hotel ,

A I D. [J anuary, 1901.

wbich contained 21 rooms upstairs and 4 large ones on the bottom floor, and which was used as a Boer h os pital. The German doctors handed over to me thr ee Boers and thirteen Britisn prisoner patients was subsequently tran s ferred to our OlVn hospital, and was at tac hed to Dr. Burton, of London. This gentlem a n was an adept at the business, and attended him in all his surgical cases. I gained muc b experien ce in a mbulance work with Dr. Burton, and r was sorry when we paned. horn Krugersdorp started back for Heilbron. I changed at Johannesberg, and at Elandsfontein I got with 150 Boer pris on ers who were being taken down to Cape Town VVhen I reached Vil joen 's Drift I was stopped by a guard, who said snipers were in the vicinity. The train was fairly full and very little room there was for one to have a sleep, VVe we re, however, not anxious to deny ourselves of a mu ch desired luxury, and with a Kimberly l\Iounted Infantry man, with riRe loaded, dept on the seat of one of the carriages Next morning met another guard fourteen miles di s tant, and the latter gave me to understand I was going right into the enemy's quarters, and th a the Highland Brig-ade had evacuated Heilbron. He gave me a pass d o wn the line for Kro o n stadt and having to wait from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon I made tracks for the trenches close by, whi c h were being h e ld by the Royal Iri sh With them I got plenty to eat, and was quite in form for another long journey. A Bo e r spy wa s brought in, and toget her with the guard and the s py proceeded to Kr oonstadt a distance of nine ty miles, lan d ing there s hor t ly before eight o'clock. I quickly found I was not yet to jo in my brigade, for th ey had moved four d lys previously as Wynburg, and I was advised to go on to Bloemfontein to report myself. After explaining my wher eabouts to the chief officer in charge of the late capItal of the Free Slate was detained nine days pendinginquiries, was, however, not unemployed, for I was sent to do temporary duty a t No_ 9 hospital. 1 was subsequently sent down with a Boer ambulance train in charge of a Briti s h guard, with 165 sick and wounded, to Wynberg hospital. Ultimately J got to the base at Capetown, and it was the re I was called out as one of the medical staff for the ss. Spartan, bound for England, Private Cureon added it was an exceedingly hard life, but under the circumstances it was all one expe cted lIowever, every ma n realized the cause, and this in mind, the life W:lS not as sliff as it ord inarily would appear. Taken altogether he was fairly well treated in the way of food, and it was indeed marvellous that they did so well, co n side ring what cute fellows the Boers were after our [oo.{ sUDplies_ At Heilbron they were beseiged for a fortnight, and the pang uf hunger was severely felt, The full rations were represented by five biscuits, and during the seige we were r educed to two -and-a-half and coffee, Then they were redu cea to a little more than one bisc uit and no jam. Every other day they received fou r ounces of flour. During the hard times a c hum an':! he put their flour together, and mix ng it with water they ate it greedily. Curzon further added that there would be no n eed for a Royal Comm Issio n of inquiry into the wo rk of the hospital s if th ey were conducted like the one in which Dr, Burton wa s attached to.

COUPON TICKET

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to whom Notice of Claims, under the following conditions, must be sent within seven days of accident to the above address.)

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will be paid by the above ()orporation to thfl legal representative of anyone who is killed by an accident to the Passenger Train (within the United Kingdom or Chann el IslauJs), ill which the lleceased was a ticket bearini{ or paying passenger, or who shall have been fatally injured thercby (shuu ld death resu lt within ninety days after such accident)

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:fBre\)ities.

TUE death of lIer 1\1;tje.ty om- beloyed Queen: f'0 m-.el'shadows everything that it llitticll1t to d e \-ote one's to othe r nJi:lir vYe it ntieip a te that tbe funeral whlch place to-morro\\' (th e 2nd im,t,) will attended.hy multitudes, Let u bope thnt tlw lwthonbe:-; ;11'e takmg such precllutions thn.t no S81·iOllS [lc'cidents wlll occur.

T1lE return of Lord Rohel'ts Wr'lS witnesscd by [l yery ol'ller]y cl'owd, mnking the c<1snalty list a slight one. It is a matter for regret th,lt his itbse nce hom tho Reat of war llaR been ID<1,rked by n.n inCl'ense of activity on the p n.l·t of the Bo crs Oll of which we st ill hav e to keep a , lal'ge al'my on the field.

* *

TIlE l -e port of th e Sou t h \ frican Hospital s COIDll1i,ssion has be en published, and on llllother pag e WIll he fOUll,d extracts and comment upon it. One thing c'lt least IS shown that there i much ne erl for impl'OYement, ,uld we hope that the experience gltine(l in thi s Will' will not be thrown awR.y.

* .;: ;;.

PROBABLY one re sult of the C :mlmi",sion is the pI'opmmJ to form Resen-e Brigad e Seal'C'l' Companies in connection with the St. John A mhulnnce Brigade, some particulars of which ill'e given ill anothar column. Fiye Hearel Uompanies 11 t P to he fonne(l, headq nad e l'S of e,ach l'especti\"e1v being ;It London, 1'\ pton , ,t3ho.ffield :tnd Pre:;toll A Beill'el' Com pan)' WIll commit of Se l'J ea nt MnjOl'; one l ",t Class Stitft' Sergen,nt, one _ e1.1"" Se 'O'eant, 4 Sergeants, 6 CorpOl als, and 4.1 pl'lv:1te:-;. It u; to seen whether the cond ition of 'ervice are Slll'h tll;tt t h ey Cti.ll be comp lied with by members of the St, John Ambulance B rigade.

W E note that the Commi ioner of the St. J 01111 Amb u lance Brigade is now called Chief Comrnissi,)nel', and t hat the ranks of 1st I'llld 2 nd () las Supemumcn1.ry Officers in t h e B i igade are abolished, nnd in li eu thel'eof the mnk s of Se r gelUlt a n d Corporal arE' CJ

IT will 11ave been seen that th e lectlll on Hygiene in thi, jourll<"t l h[1.\"e come to an end ,Y e h:lye to thnnk D r. Ett l es cOl'dially for the time rt l: d tloulli e he ha s O'iven to thern and fOl' t ho extremely lncill mannel in which he h;1,:-; 1)Llt subject before his \,\" i»h him t o kn ow t hat h is l ectlu'es h:tVe been thoroughly appl'eciatel1.

l::J to j\mb\J l af\ce Work .

.By an article in the lJ?'itish ;.lfedical '/ow·T/.ld 've spe tha,t ?l'Of eSSOl' Bergman i s ol'ganising a system fOl' lenclcl'ing first aid in B erlin. In t.lle same article there <1re some sevCl'e r e marks on the n hsellce of any i? uch ,ystem in L ondon , \Vh en ,,'e see that most of our pl'ovincial towns hay e [ll'l';llIged 01' al'e arrang in g some ,ucb in cr edihl e that London if> doing pl'ar'tlc a lly nothmg, 111 tIle mattel'. If our llledical j ournals would make an and impl'ess upon OUt' ctuthOl'itiE" the absolute of, the me ,tS Ul' e w e ine cel'ta111 that .good would come of It. «Sonl(, puhlic body mu st It ,. :-ill,cll a:" the L on don Council 01' tIle Home Ofu ce-lt 1:-; too lil l'g e (1 mattel fCIl pri \"ate entl-J·prise.

.. 1bot11 e 1Hut'5in g."

By " CHIRl."RGl"S."

[The Editor of th is J ournal has once more kind.ly me to take up my pen an d wri te a series of a:ticles on I. urs l? g , and I accede to his request with great pleasure, Inasmuch as he lIlforms me the lectures [ga ve o n first aid t wo or three years ago were much apprecIated bv the readers. If the same result follo:\'s fr.om the present cour se I (shall feel that my labour has not been In \'a111. J PAHT 1.

There is no profession or calling which has made sllch rapid strides, and has become so popular during tf,e last quarter of a century, as has that of ursing. .'

The Gamp type of nurse, Il1lmo rtahsed by the late Charles Dickens has entirely from the sce ne , and her place has been taken by int ellectua and hIghly trall1ed women, who pass from all our large after. a three or years r thoroughly trained and II1structed In all. the mmutl cc of r-: urslng r eady to undertake the care of the medl Gl.1 or sl;lrg. cal case. It is n ot for suc h as these, that tbls senes of a rllc.les IS mtended, as it would be presumptuous on our part ,0 o ffer adVIce to. professional nurse, and it would be goinp.- beyond scol?e of thls.Journal. Our aim in publishing these notes on nursing IS two -laId; FIrstly, to refresh the memory of those of our readers who gone. through a course .)f in struction in home nurs1l1g, ,llld ha ve gamed cer:lficates from either the St. John or the St. Andrew Ambulan ce .AssoclatlOns or other kindred societies: or, secondly, so to a rouse the I,merest of othe:s of our readers that they ",Ill set a bo ut obtaining certificates of profiCIency ill the subject.

Tha a knowledO'e of home nursing is u seful, no one who h as any expel ience of a large family will deny; those m y readers who have not tbat experience, will [ hope take myadvlce and abo.ut the nece 'sary kno\\'ledO'e as soon as possIble; the caul se of uC'tlOn only takes about six w:'ek s , and [ am confident that tho s e WliO do this adv ce, will never regret the tIme so .spe.nt, ,There ale not man) of us wh o are permitted to go through thIS life at period of it havinO' some one near and dear to us stl1cken Jown SIck. ness' and when the trial comes, only thInk what a JOY and it will be to be able to lIIinister to the wants of tbe one ou rselves a nd not to ha\'e to trust entIrely to the care of a paId nUlse, -\ mother to her c hild- , wife to her husband-.\ daughter to ,her _ d not o nly the women but the men also, look at the glor:ous paren, an h Af' h I w:)rk that ha s bee n, and is being done In S out Jy t e rna e nurses, not only the members of the R oyal Army ;\Iedlc al refer more especia lly to t hose m embers of the St. John Ambulance Bngade, to the number of somethincr like I,700, wh o responded to the call help, and who have \\'on a""name [or themselves an? have broug ht credIt to their hrigade ; a nd who are at this momel: t bel!1g 111 many households'. not 01111' in Old England but 111 her Colon'es, for theIr k · d d to those the v have nursed back to he alth.- In ness an. .' J f' d ?

" 'here did these men obtam theIr first knowledge a a nur se s uty. I n the classes on h o me nursingtt ha are,held under the of SO?le of the various societi e s, Altbough at the present day In the BritIsh

Isles there are several bodies teaching and g-rantin cr certificates in t, First Aid" and" Home Nursing." I think r ought to remind you that the honour of having been the pioneer in this movement belonas to the Grand Old Order of St. John of Terusalem. "

THE NURSE

Qu a lifications of a Good Nurse.-Let us consider for a few moments, what general qualifications are essential for anyone to possess to be a good nurse. 1 think you will agree with me that they are 6 in number, namely: Presence of mind; 2. Gentleness; 3. Accuracy; 4. Good memory; 5. Power of observatio'l 6 Forethought. Presence of Mind.-The nurse must be cool and collected not get flurried by any sudden change in the patient's condition' without presence of mind she will not be equal to emergencies.

with a delicacy of touch, is always requIsite Il1 tendll1g the Sick, Il1 fact anythin a howe\'er sliO'htlv h · I' d " " apploac.ll1g to roug1ness IS ; always bear with your patient, never mll1d how vexatious or Irmable, remember he is ill. is to be accurate in gi\ ing powerful and alcoholic stimulants. Be accurate as to time for exam pIe, say" at three o'clock" or ten m in utes past three" don't make use of a slipshod expression such as "somewhere about three or four o'clock."

Good Memory. - !hi s is ess ential in e\'e ry day life, how much more so, when you are Il1 chal ge of a patient hoverina between life and death, when forgetting to administer a draught mayO-be attended with fatal consequences; if you are afraid to trust to your memory, write down all your inst! u ctions.

P ?we r of Ob se rvation .--On your power of observation the medical man has largely to depend as the time he is able to devote to each patient is short, so you who are with your patient all cay, must be constantly on the look out for any chanaes however trivial' so if you wish to be considered a good nurse cultivate this power of 'obser\'a tlOn.

Forethought. -This is the qualification which g o es far to make the .succ;ssful nUl se ; the nurse who has the pswer of forestalling the patients s wants, very soon becomes invalua ble, in fact, becomes to the patIent a second self.

The the IUSSY, and the ostentatiously quiet people, \, orry and annoy SIck persons ano so are perfectly worthless as nurses.

.1 think we have now arrived at the conclusion as to who s the most slIItabl<; person o nursing duty. 1. will now ask you to conSIder some pOints whIch must always be rigorously observed 1 Ob ey the o r der s -The first and really the Imp?rtant duty of a nurse, IS to obey the doctor's orders and to carry out l.mplI cltly alllnstruclions he may give. [t is the business of the medIcal man to dIagn os e the illness and to treat the patient, he has b;en educatetj that purpose; you ha\'e only been trained to nur5e. Never speak slightIngly to the 'patient about the doctor behind his back, you will lind it \\'on 't pay in tr,e long run.

If are not qUite clear upon any point or do not und erstand some InstructIOns, a::k the doctor to explain it to you, don be ashameci to aSK, you had far better do that than make a mistake.

2. Hem ov e excreta from the room at on c e.

3, No food IS to 1?e left i n the sick rOOm .-.\s soon as your patient ?as taken s.ufficlent food, remove whatever remains the sight of unfinIshed food IS to the patien t

4 Do n<;>t take yourself or allo w anyone else to take food or drm k wa t er WhlCh has been in the Sick r oom.

5. Attend carefully to the heating a nd ventilation of the s 1ck room. - To do this properly you must consult the thermometer frequently.

Don ' t relat e horrors -Be cheerfu l , keep up your patient's SpIrIts, do talk abou.t other patients, and above all do not relate for Il1stance, If your patient was suffering from a serious ll1]ury to the leg, do not tell him about someone you knew who had a wonderful" cork" leg.

A thorough knowledge of domestic duties is invaluable to a nu e

A few hints on the nurse's dre5s and on the manaaement of h rs health, will feel sure be very a ppl ica ble at this stage. er own

THE NURSE S DRESS,

The dress itself should be made of some kind of cotton fabriC whIch IS capable of be ing washed ,,'oollen m t I bl ,a ena s are not sUlta e, because they collect dust and hold O'erms of' f t' r h ld b d I' <> Il1 ec IOn. s ou e ma e qUite p am, the skIrt should be short so that it cannot be trodden on, nO.r act as a sweeper, the slee\'es should be made to unbutton at the so that they may be rolled up.

The ThiS should be made of fine white linen be or I

dh b'b' , lampe roporf ar: a\'e a I. It, a pocket to the right hand side ,\ill e use u, ut some autbontles object to pockets in aprons, as the sa they become receptacles fo: dust and .a dvise in place of the the apron, an extra one bell1g placed m the dress so that it , by the apron. IS covereu /3oots ana Shoes.- These should have moderately thick soles, other-

AID. [February, 1901.

wise the sa le s of the feet will get very tender, the heels should be of ;nediu.m height Avoid creaking boots and shoes, as the noise i<o very Irntatll1g to patIents.

Caps.- Yes, caps may be worn, they are useful as well as ornamental, useful because they keep dust and germs of from the hair.

Collars and - These should be plain.

Omaments.-None should be worn, as jewellery on a nurse is quite out of place.

MANAGEM !i.: NT OF THE NURSE 'S OWN HEALTH

It is very important that the nurse keep in a good state of health her self, beca,use if she cannot properly a1tend to her patient, I should now lIke to direct your attentIOn to several points in connection with this.

Regular eX erc ise in Lhe Open Air.-A take a walk every day In the open air for one hour at least, as It IS most essential for her well being and to get a plentiful supply of fresh air, as she ha3 to spen d so many hours in the sick room

Food.- This sho uld be light, nourishing and easy 01 digestion. It IS never to be taken in the sick room, in ordinary ca6es the nurse should take her meals with the other inmates of the house, as their society is beneficial to her, of course in infectious cases this cannot be so then she must take it in a room by herself.

Tile BO?L'eis.- T he nurse must pay particular attention to her bowels, they must never be allowed to become constipated, at the same time anyth in g approaching to diarrhoea must be checked at once _-lblzdl07l s .-Th e whole surface of the body should be sponged Over once in twenty-four hours with cold wate r, and a warm bath should be taken at least once a wee\{_

Tlze Halr.- The hair must be well brushed and then arranged in as simple a fashion as possible, no pads should be used as they only harbour infection.

Tke Teeth.- The teeth should be brushed night and morning, all decayed teeth should be ooked to by a dentist; the mouth must be washed ou t with water, after each meal, as particles of food left cause the breath to smell un pleasantly, which is very offensi ve to the patIent.

The They should be washed frequently, the finger nails are to be kept tnmmed close, If yon have to deal With any very offensive discharge, it is a good plan to fill the space between the finO'ers a nd the nails with carbolic soap, you should examine the hands carefully for any cuts or abrasions, if any are found they should be well washed with warm water to whi..:h some carbolic acid has been added after being dried they should be painted over with collodion.

T.B. - Never put YOlll h mds near your eyes while dressing a case. nur se should always sleep in a room with plenty of fresh air.

To be co ntz'llue<l".

B lbospita[ 1Rurse's J8J:pcrience in Sou tb Bfrica.

(SPE CIALLY COr\Tl<IB UTE D.)

Upstairs the wards are the same, only are used for the meJical cases, while the downstairs ones are kept for surgical. All the rooms are high and well ventilated, each having two or more windows, most of which open out on to the verandah or stoep, which runs round the hou se. They all have wooden ceilinO's, va1nish ed, one of the peculiarities of Preto rian house3, whether for ;oolness or because whitewash is scarce, do not know. The effect is very good especially when they are more elaborately finished as in some houses. At the back there is a beautiful conservatory, used now by the Commandant, doctors and con valescent officers, as a mess room in which grow the beaut iful maiden-hair ferns I ha ve ever seen In the left hand corne r is an aviary in which canaries, linnets and small grey doves, almost perfectly tam e, liv e together as happy as the day is long. All round the house is a flower garden, in which roses and violets are abundant, although it i s midwinter. The violets are delicious and smell quite ,t English," but the roses h ave no scent at all. I hear one of the pecu liaritie s of S o uth Africa is, that" me flowers have no scent, nor the b irds any song." I cannot say if this is true in summer, but so far [ have only found violets with perfume, and birds are conspicuous hy their absence. Beyond Lhe flower garden the grounds descend in terraces to the road, on the left there is a plantation of fine young trees and blue'lne red gums; and on the riaht beyond the carriage drive, lie the marquees, four in a row, reaching the boundary of the grounds, whIch IS, as usual out here, barbed wire. Africanders and Boers must have spent sel'era l fortunes on barbed wire, as all their boundaries are, or h:l\'e been, marked with it. At present the larger portion s on the ground , for whether by acciden t ?r design, lines seem t? ha:, e destroyed, and walkin!; IS made pOSitIVely dangelolls, as It IS ImpOSSible to get <;ntqngled in it without doing damage to either or person.

February, 1901.J FIRST

A bout gO yards on the other side of the road in the middle of a tract or veldt are our quarters, two houses, one for the day sisters and the other for night sisters, both having been commandeered from the B oers. T hese are built in a bungalow fashion on the ground floo surrounded by a stoep and lie about five hundred yards from each other. The drawback to them being so far from each other and from the house is that if anyone choose to attack either house in the night the chances are that nobody would know about it till the morning wh e n it would be too late t o give assistance; and an attack is not such an unheard of tbing here, especially when owners fe 1 as sore about losing their property as these men are; however, we must hope for the best an d trust we shall be safe 'vVe have both houses very plainly furnished with just necessary scarcity of room being the areatest drawback to them. N o w that it is dry weather the does not cause any great inconvenience but in the rainy r.eason, which begins at the end o f this month, it will be very unplea sant for the nursina sisters wa lking to and fro to their work as when it rains her e there i s play :tbout it, and the whole pl ace is soon standing in water. We had two thunder storms last week wh:ch we thougbt were terrific, but the natives said they were quite ordinary ones. Africa is noted for its s torms, and it seems that Pret oria gets more than its share of some of the worst of them, owing they say to its lying in a hollow surrounded by hills. It is simply marvellous what those two storms did for the vegetation. \Ve had had no rain for weeks, and blue and red gums with here and tbere a pine wer e the only tree s with foliage on, while the grass wa s a pale khaki colour, and save for an occasional patch of fodder o mealie, which the owners watered daily, there was no green stuff to be seen. But, after the fir st storm all the trees began to bud as if by magic and the next day after the second storm the buds were opening fa s t. J never saw surh a marvellous change in so short a time. eight days after the storm, the weeping will ows, with which Pretoria arounds, are in thick leaf, the :\Jimosa which grows wild is in full bloom, peach and quince trees are ladened with blosso m , \\ hi Ie gardens that hav e been taken care of. are full of flowers, roses, vi')lets and carnations being the most abundant. I was told thaL n ot hing was look ing so well as it u s ually did, the owners having neglected th eir gardens anci fields, n ot knowing h o w the war would turn out, or if they themselves would be put over the border, but nature seems to be doing her best to make up for man's neglect and the wholt country is lOOKing beautiful. I am perfectly charmed wi h Pretoria, and after the barrenness o f Deelfontein it seems an oasis in the desert. The water supply is very good, it b eing plentiful as well as pure. This is something to be truly thankful for, as scarcity and impur ity of water are two drawbacks to so many otherwise lovely places.

To return to our hospital. The house is lighted by electricity like the town, gas being an unkl :own luxury here, :lnd the electrical engineers are laying wires now La the marquees, which will be a great boon to the sisters, as tents at night with only a flickering candle to see by are not t he best lig-hted things one could imagine, especially as the days are so short still, it being quite dark by 6 o'clock, \V e all set hard at work, a nd in a few days had turned the rooms into wards and h a d partially furnished the tents, so t hat with the help of the rest of our party of siste rs who with the ward ma ids arrived here five days after we did, we had the place ready to receive patients by the end of the week, and l.ord and Lady Roberts very kindly came up o n Saturday afternoon (August 18th) and formally opened it.

On their arrival, before going over the hospital, L a dy presented u s with our Yeomanry badges, after which she with Lord Robert s, his staff officers, General Brabazon (the head of the Yeomanry out here), and most at the doctors and army sisters from the ot her hospitals, inspected the wards, &c after which they all came to the conse rvator y for tea. Before leaving Lady Ro bert s sent off a wire to the committee in Eng-land, saying the hospital was opened, and expres?ing her satisfaction with everything connected with it. Then she and Lord Roberts took their departure It wa s such a ni ce afternoon and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, especially after the hard rough work of the week.

The whole pla ce did really look well, the ,"veather being perfect and everything showing to advantage; even the canaries lo oked better groomed and sang sweeter than usual.

Lord Roberts is exactly like his r:hotographs, and is su ch a nice unaffected man, but I must say that I would rather not make him angry, as a glance of rage from his piercing eye would be enough t o make one feel shrivelled up. Lady Roberts is so nice too, and seems to take a personal in terest in everyone. It is so sad to think tbat they have l ost their only son, although it mllst be a comfort to them bot h to kn o w he died doing his duty. Everyone speaks so well of them here as a. family, and when a soldier speaks of "Bobs" it is always with respect a nd affecti H1.

The next day was Sunday, so as no patient came in un til the evening, we went to church (or to the Cathedral as it is called, why r do not know) in the morning and enjoyed the sen'ice so much. There

AID . 59

was a very good congregation, Lord and Lady Ro be rt s, their dal:ghters a large number o f off,cers. nur sing sisters and sold Ier s atlendlOg for church parade. The service was so nice and home-like, the and hymns bei ng well known, and the whole congregatJo.n he art ily. The church is not remarkable for beauty or SIze, belOg rather an ugly building, the only peculiarity I noticed about it was an awkwa rd step at the door. There are three s teps up and then one down, and the latter is a perfect pitfall to the unwary, as no matter how often people came they scarcely ever remem bered it.. The consequence is that one after another, officers o f all rank, slste.rs, soldiers and civilians ip-up, and enter quicker and in a more undIgnified way than they'intended: Sometimes their is ignored by the co ngregation already assembled who study thel: stead ily till the unfortunate victim is seated, but at tImes It IS too much even for the most sedate, and a laugh, unmistakable though s uppressed, sounds throug-h the church

We were very tired by the time we got back as it is. u p -hill nearly all the way home, and the sun by that time was scorching; so. we had a quiet afternoon and were quite ready tor work Mond ay morntng. being on any particular ward I spen t the day. helping in the stor es, arranging and putting away dry goods, after 1 turned my attention to the linen room and helped to that stralg-ht. Then I was told that o ne of u s was wanted at a miliwry hospital in the town, to help th e m while they were short of sisters, and the Commandant would like me to go the n<!xt morning. So afte r breakfast I packed up my t ra ps and was driven down to my new abode.

On starting duty in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, I had. charge of enteric tents. The se wele single marquees, each holdlOg SIX beds, one orderly working in each through the day, one looking after twO or three tents at night if there were no acute cases. Each enteric was furnis hed with absolute necessities, b ut no superflu ous furnIture, o wina to the impossibility of usin a it in other war ds afterwards Enteric was then rather on the increa se, ;0 many cases coming in from Pienaar River and t he count ry round, which seemed to. be a very unbealthy district The co ndition of the patients was 110t Improved by the long overland drive they had to have to get int o Pretoria, no railway being near the place, and the roads in such a dreadful state-in some places mere watercourses-anOth er thing against the patients doing well, was the fact th at from some cause, either inoculation against the disease or from the climate, theiJ symptoms were so different from ordinary typhoid symptoms that they were not recoanised as such and the patients were driven in sitting up, and then wa lked up to their various tents. The next morning unmistakable spot s were very apparent, temperatures remaining from I OZo to 10S o with all other and they were straightway stretchered down to the entenc sectIOn, wh ere they could have proper attention. We had very few deaths 10 our enteric sect ion out of all t he bad cases we had and not one I believe from the fever itself, but afterwards from heart failure. embolism or pl>eumonia--Pneumonia 1 believe, in most cases, was owing greatly to the fearful du ststor ms whi ch, at tbe time 1 worked in that section, were appallina-I have g one on duty in the morning, re-washed the helpless changed all their bedclothes, had all the furnituretable benches, locker s cu pboard and chairs-scrubbed and dried in the sun, the tent floors swept and watered with hal, the disinfectant principally used, and all put straight a nd tidy and in five minutes a duststorm has come, upset everything possible to upset, smothered everythina with dirt and taken chart s, bed car ds , etc., flying belore it, perhaps the upper part of the camp, while the patients, \"ho one minute before loohd clean and bright, now lay nearly choked in a bed which looked as if it had not been to u ched for days. Truly, those tents were tryin a, but for all th at it was a very happy time, and it was nice to see the do so well, as the majority of them did. Their temperatures ran up to lOS" and Io 6°, but we ahlays allowed twO dearees to the influence of the country, so if it was under ro+", few of the doctors ordered sponging. \Ve were \'ery fortunate in bei ng able to get plenty of fresh milk daily for the enteric sect ion, not enough always for the whole ca mp, but the surgical and medical patients , not on milk ollly, did very well with tinned milk, as we had several excellent brands of unsweetened, the nicest being, r think, the ., Ideal" and the sterilised " Milkmaid " brands. lVe got so used to having the latter in our tea, that if anything, we prefer it now to fresh milk. Heart failure was due the high temperature of the patient, I think aggravated beforehand by heavy marches and short rations when o n e ha s seen the kopjes that have been charged, and up whICh guns have been drawn, one is not surprised at the strain telling when the men are \\eakel ,ed with di sease I am thankful that enteric seems n ow on the decrease, and hope it will rem ain so through the next few months, March to June being the worst time out here.

After working some time in these wards, I was moved up into the surcrical section, mu c h to Illy regret, but our matron al ways tried to us round after a few months to which r belie ve we owed o ur keeping so well.

(To be cOIlLill ued).

VICTORIA.

TilE GREAT

Ai\'D GOOD.

THE Queen IS dead. wa:, th e me sage, startling in its bl'e\-ity Hlld appalling 111 its sucl(lell 11 C::;", that \\-as flasheLl to all pal-ts of the civilize(l globe on TueRday. the J'Ulnal'Y.

The death of Qlleen VictOl'i,t of England is a 10Rti, not only to this Empire, but to the whole wOl·hl: and a time and her wa.s

rolls on we shall realise more fully how trlllv gJ'e,lt noh1e "as our beloyed So\-el·eign. "vVe kno\" thclt influence in the political wodd, especially in Em'ope, great, but wbether futUl'e llistOl'i:tlls will be able to say how much Europe owed to her and ho,,- much she worked to preserve peace is pl'Obably doubtful. In moderu history 'he tands out pre-eminently al\ the mOf't remal'kable momu'ch that has e\-er ruled, and in age' to come she will be looked l1pOU as Victoria the GI'eat and GoO(1.

But it is not the political life of our late Queen that intereRts ambulance workel's so much as that of her home life, as it may be called, in which she showed her wonderfully qualities, and \yhereby she endeR-red hel'self to her people, sharing in their afflictions R-nd rejoicing in their bappinesses. It is only stctting the bu,l'e tl'nth to say that thm'e has been a King 01' Queen so beloved by her ubjects as Queen VictOl'ia, and her loss makes us feel as though some personal friend for whom we h:td a. great affection had gone from us for eYer

Her death especia,lly appeal to first-aidel's, as she was the Sovereig'1 Head and Pa.t1'on of the G t'and Priory of the Ol'del' of the Ho::;pital of St. John of J el'us<tlem in England and through holding that office ,-ery neal' to us

Although "\\ e know that the Good Queen i:; no ruOl'e, it i impossible fOl' llS n,t present to fully l·ea.lise it aud the conseC)uences it enhtils upon om' lives and upon Ollr COUlltI-y. It is cliflicult to expl'ess in la.nguage the OlTOW anr1 sadness that base fallen lllJon us: wc c;m only say that Victoria i" gone, that <1 Great Hnd Good Queen is' dead, leaving the wOl'lJ ,0 much the poorer. ====--

AUTOMOBILE SER\,ICE.-France is undoubtedly the foren:ost co.untry to utilise. the in practical ways for the pubhc The In Pans of supplying automobiles to the mall collectors and carners IS already ueclared a and nol' the news th:\t in the. French town of there isln excellen\ order an aU[QmobIle ambulanc e sel \·ice. ,\ motor quadricycle IS coupled to an ambulance uf tbe Lagogue patlern. The mOLOr man alld the doctor u e the quadricycle, and the patient is the sole occupant of the ambulance. .\lenc;on Hospilal is for the benefit of the country. far and wide. is differel1l1y from the Pans ambulance sel\lce. a callIS r.:celved It is necessary to a doctor and travel out the country perhaps miles for the IIence the,speed furnIshed by mechanical rather than horEe power IS most essentIal.

[February,

19 01.

me w

Bnlbulance

RAILWAY CARRIAGES -It is announced that five carriages have been constructed for Army use on Bntish radway Ime.s, to convey from parts of disembarkation to hospital, or. from one hospital to another, any sick or wounded who require or special attention during a railway JOUlney. Each car:lilge IS arranged to carry about 25 patients, of whom can have lYIng-down accommodation. The carriages are kept In Netley when not in use.

GREAT EAsTEU:--I RAILWA\'.-The Louo-hlon Branch Division of this Corps held a concert aud distribution ofcertiticates an.J medallions at A very good display of first aid was given by the C?rps dUring the evenmg, and the chairman eMr. T. Morris·s) comphments were entirely justified .Mr. H. G. Drury, superintendent of the lIne, made the presentations, and in his interesting 5peech he remarked that between r,700 and r,800 men on the line had already won tbe certificates. Mr. Drury pointed out a most important feature of ambulance work-namely,that it is essentially Only the man who has a thoroughly disinterested motive will ever make hImself really efficient, for, in the first place, tbe training is arduous; in tbe. second place, the actual rendering of first aid is often very painful, espeCIally to men not used to surgical sights; and, in tbe tbird place, the ambulance m.an must exhibit not simply promptitude, but also tenderness and pIty. Mr. Drury went on to point out that fifteen Great Eastern men had been called on for service in South Africa and that of this band two had fallen victims to enteric fever one at the Mooi River and the other at Wynberg.

NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY AMBULAN"':E COMPETITIONS -It has again been decided, with a view to the encouraGement of in the of first aid on the North-Eastern to bold a series of amongst the railway employees of tbe company who are qualIfied to render first aid. The company will offer pi izes of tbe same value as last year, VIZ., £so The competitions will be held in February or 1\larch next, and the detailed arrangementE will be carried out by the Executive of the North-Eastern Railway Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association. Separate competitions will be held In each dIstrIct, and will be to all members only in their own dlstnct; the dIstricts are the recognised districts of the Centre. The c0 ':l1petitions w.ill be open to any of the company's servants who have gamed the certificate of the St. John Ambulance Association, and who shall have attended not less an average of one practice per month dUring the twelve months pnor to date of competitions. (In the case of new members. the attendances at practices to count from the commencement uf the class.) Any man who, owing to illness or the eXIgencIes of the senice, has not been able the attend to specified number, and d.esirous of. entering any competition, shall lay his else before hIS DIstrict Councd, who shall be competent to decide as to his eligi bility.

AMBULANCE THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD.-Amongs

the subjects recently mtroduced by the School Board for London into their scheme of instruction in their evening continuation schools are those of ambulance or first aid to the injured and home nursing In the first instance an arrangemen was en tered into wi th the St. John Ambulance Association for instruction in these subjects The Scboo Board for London, however, wished to have the matter entirely under their own control. They no'" appoint their own lecturers and examiners their object Leing to obtain 'Illiformity in the inst r uction given and control of the standard of pass. They have tbeir own syllabus, compiled from those of the St. John Ambulance Association, the St. Andrew Ambulance Association, and the Aberdeen Ambulance Association, and they grant their own certificate of proficiency. The course of instruction consists of 12 lectures given alternately by a medical man appointed by the London School Board and by a school board teacher who holds the Board's certificate for teachers-a certificate which is of higber grade and for which there is a more complete syllabus of instructioLn and a longer course. \ Vith regard to the attendances the reports show an increasing number In 1898-r899 the a\tendances were for ambulance, 6800; home nursing, 2425 In r8,,9-r900-ambulance, 9393; home nursing, 3252. The arrangement and general supervision of the scheme have been entrusted by the board to Dr R. J. Collie, to whom the merit of its construction is greatly due Whether ambulance classes come under the head of elementary education is, we think, an open question, and ',Ie should like to know in wbat the certificated teacher gives instruction.-Lallut.

1.1 FIRST

AID 6 J

1Ro\?a[ c.tonlmi5sion on South Bfrican lbo5pitals.

CAPTAIN WILLIA:l1 WARIXG, CJJIEF 'UPERIXTEXDEXT OF THE W U(ntPS, 8'1'. JmlN A:llBULAXCE BrtWADE.

E lHwe m nch pleasure this month in pl'elienting to our l'eaders the sketch of Oapt<lin ,\V,ll'iog, of WaningtOil, who is well known in cOllnection with the )1anchesteJ' Ship Oanal.Tbe Report of the Roval Commission appointed to co nsider and report upon the care 8nd treatment of the sick and wounded during the South African c,:,"mpaign, on Tuesday eveninj!, January 22nd. The CommlsslOners. It wIll be remembered. were Ro bert Romer, Lord Justice of Appeal, Chairman; DaVId Richm o nd. mercbant, ex-Lord Provost o f Glasgow; Sir Willian, Selby Church, Presld.ent of the Royal College of Physicians of London; Dr. D. J. CunnlJ1gham, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at Trinity College, Dublin; and 1\1 r. Frederick Harrison, Genera Manager of the and North-Western Railway. The Commission was appolJ1ted on July 2-+th. 1900, and on Aug-ust 4th the Commission sai led for South Africa.

The Rep?rt is ve.ry long and we cannot do more than give extrac t s on matters IOterestmg to our readers with a few comments.

•

Capt. Waring wa.,> born in Belfast in 1847, ed ucated at P1ymrmth, and went to sea a a premium appl'entice in 1862. He l1ttained his rank of captain in 187G, and was in 'ommand of steamers until December, 1893, latterly 111 the Chma and Japan trade. He resicyned command to take up hi. present appointment, that of Canal Sllpel'intenc1ent, Section B. of the Ianchester Ship Uana1, and at the opening of the Carlal in January, 1894. had chm'ge of <111 the opening anangements at Li'-erpool Locks. He is also a. Younger Brother, Tl'inity lIoll e London and ' , Oapta,in Wal'ing fin,t uec.:'l.me interested in ambulance work in 1892, when he n.ttenc1ed n. course of lectures at the offices of the London Shi pmastel's and Officers, and pa.ssed the first examination in 189:3. He joined the first classes and divisions held in Wnrrington 111 1894, obtainincy the second certificate i11 1895, and the medallion in 1896° and when the War.l'ington COl'pS formed in 18 9 7 , was unamffionsly elected Ulllef Supel·intenc1ent. Waring ha.s sh·.ong ideas a:s to the importance of mercantIle officers bemg 111structed 111 first aid. He is of that all I?en. befol'e command should pn.ss a medlCal as to then' knowledge of nnrsing and attendmg to aCCIdents, and should be made to attend a hospital fQr si x months to get this experience, whic11 would be snpeli or to first aiel generally Many till1es at sea has that he had this expel·ien ce, as people get slCk Hncl aCCldents OCClll' on board yessels iLl'; well as on sh01·e.

He insists on all hi::; men going in for a kno,vlec1 a e of ambul ance work and also keeping it up, and he is to say t hat they have been the means of sciv i ncy lives by rendedng fi r st a id. b

After referring briefly to certain matters connected" IIh the co nstitution and condition oftbe as it stood at the com mencement of the Commissioners pass on to consider com p la n l s concermng officers of the R.A.M,C. Speaking of the officer s as a say the!r c:mduct and capacity deserve great prai se. TheIr devotIon to their duties botb at the Iront and in the fixed hospitals. and the unselfish way in which they bave attended to the sick and w?ur:ded often at the risk of life, have been recognised by all impartial wItnesses. The number of those who have died durinG this war in discharge ?f their duty is unfortunately large. Th ere w;re, o f cour se , a to the general efficiency, and cases of roughnes s an d mattentlon to the wants of patients on the parL of a fe w officer s a e referred to. .Such few cases naturally led to mischievous re sults , and wounded patlen ts who suffered or persons who sa w the suffering made general charges against the R.A.M.C. That su ch charges should be made, unfounded as they are, except in the few instances referred to is, say the Commissioners, much to be reGretted.

civil surgeons employed in this have as a body d o ne theIr duty extremely well. But few complaints have been made aGainst any of them, and such compl:lints as have been made are not of a grave character. As a rule, the civil surgeons worked well with the officers of the R.A. M C. A few cases of friction occurred between th e m in certain hospitals. These arose from faults on both sides. Some civil. surgeon: not unnaturally felt a difficulty at first in becominO' acqualllted WIth t.h.e working of mili.tary hospitals, but as a rule they soon becarr,e famIlIar With their dutIes.

Complaints against orderlies in this war have been somewh:1.t numerous, though, on the other hand, the way in which the orderlie s as a bod,y discharged thei: dUlies has deservedly been the subject o f hIgh praIse from many wItnesses of experience. Tbe complaints are no dOLlbt due to a great extent to the fact that the supply of trained men o.f the R.A \l.C. was greatly insufficient for [he war, and that not properly trained for the work had to be supplied and until recentl), tbe orderlies have in most places been greatly Some orderlies have been inattentive and some rouah' others have occasionally been intoxicated, and a few men are even to have been b.rutal to their men must have caused much suffering at tImes, and of necessIty gIven rise to numerous complaints which have been duly reflected in some quarters on the orderlies of the R.A.:\I.C. as a body.

Referring to the stealing of stimulants and comforts, and even money and other property of patients by orderlies, and the taking of brl?es. from patIents for the supply of comforts, or for rendering the assIstance du.e tv them, the Commissioners say there have been too many complamta on these heads brouGht to their noti ce for them to consider the cases in which the in question have occurred as so not to serious consideration, th o ugh they no suffiCIent reason to rhem 10. concluding that they prevaded to any very.targe extent. officers do not aopear to have been suffiCIently aware of their eXIstence. The Commissi r)ners think it advisable that the attention of medical officers should be and speedily cfllIed to tbesematters, with a view to their stamplllg.out the ill-practices so far as they exist in their hospitals. It IS eVIdent that at present all cases of enteric that are likely to can be pr?perly attended to, for the Commissioners say :we VISited South Africa we bund that the bospitals there were III an excellent condition and well supplied both with staff and equipme n t, and that sick and wounded were being very well to. The hospItals were not neady full and were quite able to cope wlth an outbre.lk of enteric fever or other disease should it occur "

'With reference to the Paardeberg-Bloemfontein incident was Mr. Burdett-Coutts's pretext for speakinG out. The Commissioners' of it is highly interesting anJ' very full, and we learn mu c h It that has been hid from all the military historians of tbe ca':11 pa,lgn. that when the troops left Ramdam the immediate obJecllve belllg KImberley, and tbe march to Bloemfontein which followed was unexpected. Tbat is a revelation. Th.': column was equipped with a view to overwhelming Cronje where he stood and

W

Feb r u a r y , 1901.J

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AID. 63

FIRST

sweeping over bim to Kim berley, and presumably the latter place wa, to be used as a base for tbe subsequent advance upon Bloemfontein. Cronje's movements upset that plan; hence tbe bulk of 'scandals' wbich have been attacbed to this incident. The severe depletion of the transport was safe enough if the column had to march no further than Kimberley, where it could be supplied with ease by the western railway, but the General who t ook his army into the wilderness between Ramdam and Bloemfonte in short of ambulances in the proportion cf eigbt out of ten, to mention only one particular, ran a very serious risk. I tis el'ident, however, that the wounded at Paardeberg, Poplar Grove and Driefo ntein suffered little or nothing from insuffi ciency of provision for their c,1.re, and were all sent back either to Kimberley or the :\1odder though ox-waggons alone were available for their transport. The pinch came when the army reach ed Dloemfontein, with a daily growing sick list, only ajlamentably inadequate supply of field hospitals and no general hospitals at all. Could the sh ortage have been more rapidly made up tha n it was? That is the q ues tio n, sugges ted by Mr Burdett-Co uas, to whi ch the Royal Commissioners had to hnd an answer. Their answer s in general terms a vindication of nearly e"erybody concerned. The " 'ar Office sent out plenty of supplies, and the deficiency of food, medicines, medical appliances, and ordinary medical comforts lasted only a short time. So far as the articles which were deficient consisted of heavy materials, they could not have been procured from the baseor lines of communication earlier than they were. But lighter things could have been got up more quickly; and it has to be admitted that the needless sufferings of the sick arose mainly fr om the lack of such articles as bed-pans. The deficiencies of the staff at Bloemfontein:were notlthoroughly realised so soon as they might have been Commandeering in the to wn might have been m ore freely resorted to One derives the general impression that t"e so-called' scandals' were in large measure due to (I) the absence of a sufficiently high ideal of hospital treatment, and (2) the inexperi enc e of a proportion of the heterogeneous medical staff, who wer e not aware how they could make good the defects which came under their notice."

The Commissioners conclude in these words:"vVe have no\\', to the r.est of our ability, pointed out in what respects, and to wbat extent, complaints with regard t o tbe care of the sick and wounded in the presen t South Af r ican campaign <lre wdl founded. Ve ha ve also called attention to the causes, so far as we could trace them, of any undue suffering by patients during the campaian. And wbere, in our opinion, mistakes and oversights on the part responsible 3uthorities have occurred we have referred to them. We have al so stated what st eps ought to be taken with a view of remedying the evils we have noticed. Those evils were serious, and ought not to be Bu .t, concluding Report, we to say that in our Judgment, revlewll1g the campaIgn as a whole, It has not been one where it can properly be sa id that thE medical and hospital arrangements have broken dowt'. There has bee n nothIng in the nature of a with regard to the care of the sick a nd wounded; no general or widespread negle ct of patients, or indifferen ce to their sufferings. And all witnesses of experience in other wars are practically in the vi ew that, taking it all in all, in no campaign have SIc k and wounded been so well looked after as tbey have been in this."

jfirst Bib in :fJ3 erlin AND 11 LONDON,

PROFE5S0R VON BERGMA I N has recently published a most intere5ting in which he describes" the arran&ements and organisati?n which are to secure and con vey speedy help 111 s udden dangers of Me from emergencie s ot all. and so.

(page 7). Th is organizatlon JIl Berlm IS JIllmmedlate connectIOn With the hospital s a nd "Kliniks," which aga in. n.re the creation and. the property of the municipality, and form an Il1tegral part of the samtary service of th e city.

The object of such" first is not merely the relief the sufferers' it aims also at secunng that their treatment shall begIn as ea rly as pos sible by which means.their may .expedited, and so the percentage of sickness JIl the commu 1l1ty be dlmlOlshed, and the loss of labour, together with the cost of such los s be reduced to a minimum. THE EXISTING ORGANISATION.

But the formation of a general organisation for the whole city, in immediate connection with the great hospitals and clinics, ha s to a great extent superseded organisations, and should, in Professor von Bergmann s opl11lOn, supersede them altogether as far as " first aid" is concerned

The organisation is simple in its Th.ere a "centre," which is in telearaphic and telephoniC commu111catlOn, 1l1ght and day, with sixteen The accident sta.tions, in various appropriate parts of the town, are fur1l1shed With the appliances for first aid only.' an? by medical of the district in turns all bell1g Il1vlted to Jom the staff of the statIOn, af!d each receiving a n ad<.:quate fee for his service. If an accident occu r, or a person be seized with any grave malady, the sufferer is

AID. LFebruary, 1901.

brought in and attended by the medical officer on duty, and byattendants who are trained for the purpose, on the plan of the" Samaritan sch ools" and "Samaritan societies" fou nded by Esmarch After receiving tbe neces sa ry first aid, the applicant is either sent to hi s own home or to one of the" pol icl ini cs" (p rivJ.te medical institutions) or to a hospital. For the latter purpose" t he centre" is consulted by telephone, and as that central office is furnished each morning an d evening with the number of \"acant beds in each hospital, there is no difficulty in selecting the most. appropriate destination for the case in questio n. "The ce ntre" also is provided with a large number of invalid carriages, always at hand, and manned by trained drivers and attendants. And thus the case, whether it be one of injury, s'ld den illness, mania, co mplications of childbirth, o r anything else requinng nstant attention or Op eration, is tra - sported w ith the le ast possible lo ss of time to a hospital prepared at o nce to receive and deal with it.

The institution was founded only as late as 1897, and it has to face the op posit ion of the accident stations founded by the various guilds as above-mentioned But the question of the superiority of the public to the semi - private orga ni sation, though it occupies some space in this pamphlet, need not us here. It is a purely local question, though as between the two alternatives Professor \'on Bergm_lnn's argument appear s to be conclus iv e. :\"or need we discuss the difficulties which arose wit h the loca l practitioners, who did n ot like thei r patients taken away from hem. Thi s caus e of friction seems to have been to some extent by offering each local pra ct iti oner his sbare of the wor k and of the fees o f the accident sta t io n EXPEN ES.

The expenses of the in stit ution seem to be met, at least in a large proportion, by voluntary subscription; whether the public purse is draw n upon, and what a rr angeme nt s are made for making the patients pay, is n ot exa ct ly explained, though we gather from a passage on paae I? that, a t t he stations of the guilds + marks (s hillings) a day was ch;rged, and that at the city hospital s a charge of 2 marks a day is made.

The scheme then, has been in op er ation for nearly three years, and so hiah an authority as Professor von Bergmann speaks of it in terms of w:rm commendation. It is a matter of a grave consideratio n for u s whether a ny similar scheme can be recommended for L ondon or any of our great towns.

FIRST AlD IN LO)lDON.

'V e are n ot in position to make any genera l statement with regard to the great provincial towns, but the provision for the care of casualties in London is disaracefully inadequate-if, indeed, it can with truth be said that any is made at all. A man is run o,'er, or falls from a la dder, or is seized with a fit The police, who are provided with stretchers, co nv ey him to the nearest ho s pital, and there is now an ambulance (provided by a private association) in many parts of the town. But there are many large districts of the" cou ntry covered witb houses " which constitutes London where there are no h ospitals, and in those where ho sp itals exist, though a severe accident is pretty sure to have ro o m m ade for it somehow or other, it often h.lppen s that there is no proper vacancy, and many cases such as Professor von Beramann enumerates in this pamphlet, would have n o chance of Some such cases are adm itted into the parish Poor-law infirmaries, which of course ought properly to be reserved for the use of those who are charaeable to the parishes under the Poor Law. The poli ce stations have "'no at all for first aid, and are scarcely places where a pallent can. even be properly examll1ed. Now and then the death of a pnsoner, supposed-correctly or notto be drunk! in a poli ce cell, causes a ri pp le of excitemen and compla1l1t; and now and then propo sa Js made to Introduce some system of conveying people to the hospI t als which has struck someone's fan cy when visiti.ng an American or Continental city. But any scheme to be really successful mu st based on the of our own hospital system, and on the relatIOn s of our to the Poor-law in fi rmaries. It has been sugge sted that an aCCident department, properly organised and furnished, be attached. each of these infirmarie s, so that a person meetlllg with a grave IllJ ury at a distance from one of our hospitals might find at the neighbouring infirmary a properly -qualified person at hand dress. wound, set his fracture, 0 r ha t not, and a bed ready for hIS receptIOn If nece ssa ry. This even if otherwise good polICY, would only cure one of the most' alarina defects in the provision for casualties in Lond on, and that very from the irregular i.n metropolis of the parochial infirmaries. Moreover, .It woula entlTely Ignore the l?cal practitioners. If regular first-aid statIOns could be at distances and officered by the members of the profeSSIon In the ·.ICllllty, each station might then be a!'filiated to the. nearest upon whi ch it should have a prior claIm for the admiSSIOn of SUitable .cases, would be an improvement on uur present system the questl()n of expense would arise, and would have to be met. either by voluntary subscriptions or making the expenses of the statIOns a charge on the p olice fund, which is raised in equal shares from the taxes and tbe rates

Berliner

Wesen [Tile Institution for Aid in Berlin:]

By P rofessor E von Bergmann Ber li n Au g Hi rschwa d. 1900, (Pp.4 7)

st. 30bn BnlbuIanc e :fJ3rigab e. METROPOLITAN

CORPS.

ANNUAL BO[[ E MrAN CONCERT -Owing to the death of Her late Majest y the Queen th is Concert which was to be helcl on the 6th inst. at S1. Martin's Town Hall has been po stponed until further n otice.

DEATH OF ANOTHER ST. JOHN'S OlWERL •. -Rep0rted from Capetown, 4th January, 190 1.-S1. John Ambulance Briga.de, 303 Sergeant C. E. Willmore (pleuro-pn eu monia), Deelfontein, Jan. 2.

No. I D ISTRI CT.- THE mem bers of this Di st rict were on duty on the occasion o f the return of Lord Rob e rts, and 19 stations were formed on the line of route. Tile number of all rank s (including nursing sisters) on duty was 2 13, a nd the total number of cases t reated was 89. No. DrSTRr CT - The following ha s been issued by th e DeputyCommissioner :- It is proposed to erect a Memorial to th ose meml:Jers of 0 District, who have died whilst on active service in S outh Africa. Superintendents and others in charge of Divisions, should at once approach the members o f their respective Divi sions, and obtain if possible , a guarantee of the amou n tbey are willing to subscribe As the form which the .\1em oria will take, will depend entirely upon the amount subscribed, it is hoped that every member in the District will assist to the utmost oi his ability, so that the .'vlemorial may be a fittina recogni tion of the sen'ices rendered by those comrades, whose been sacrificed in the serv ice of their co un ry, and III carry Ing out the grand motto of the Order of S1. John" pro ut-i/itale hom/mOil." Subscribers must be /Jolla jide members of the District. It has been suggested, that, in the event of the amount raised being sufficient to meet the cost, the :\lem orial take the form of a permanent Ambulance Station.

PROVINCIAL

CORPS,

DE WSBURY.-NnRSI:-IG DrvIsro'\'.-Th(first annual meeting of this nursing division of the 8t. John Ambulance Brigade was held in the Infi rmary Dispensary, on the 8th ulL, Mrs. ]. L. Walker presiding. Th e d;vision was started about a year since with ten members. There are now 63, all having passed in first aid and nur sing, many beina entitled to wear the medallion of the association '" DUDLE\'.-On 'V ednesday evening, January 2nd, in order to celeorate the return from the war of Ambulance Privates C. Ollis Walker Cooksey, and Coates, a large number of members and frien ds of local bra n ch of the St John A.m bu ance Associati'Jn gatb.ered at the Central Cafe, the Market Place, Dudley. Councillor John Round presided. Mr. later proposed" Our Gue sts and Absent Friends." Me ssrs Ollis , \Valk er, Cooksey, and Coates, h ad served in YariOllS hospitals throughout the the atre of war gain in g great experience. Their fellow members-Dr. VVil k in so n and Private s Fellows Griffiths and Billingsley-were still in Africa, but were expected h ome' about end of l\la rch next. The three privates were to the atest news, all in good health, and had all been promoted to first class(a pp lause). They all felt the deepest sympathy with the relatives of 'h e lat e Private Clarkson, wh o had laid down his life in the se rvi ce. The St. John Ambulance As sociation had sent out 1,700 men for hospital duty in Africa, and their sen ices had been very successful and highly appreciated. Mr. Dawson and Mr. Whittaker supported the toast, in honouring which the company present sang "Auld L ana Syne." Private C. Ollis said he had month s in Africa. went because he deemed it to be his duty, a nd he did not r egret it. lIe was, however , glad to see them. all. again and would be glad to welcome b om e those who were st ill III Afnca. Enteric he said provided them with most of their work, and there were a lso of phy s ca l exhaustion. Private Cooksey also responded. The toasts of" The Pr ess ," " The H os t and Ho stess ," and" The Chairman" were also given in the course of a th oro ughly enjoyable gathering.

LEI CESTER.-The an nual compelition for the Challenge Shield took place on eve ning, the 2+th ult., at the Old Town Hall. Deputy-Inspe ctor M. C oa!es, M.D., R.N., again judged tbe teams. Each sec tion consiste? of four men and a pat ient and they ,,,ere put through a severe test 111 prac tical and theoretical work. The maximum number of marks obtainaole was 450. The vVhea tsh eaf Division 372, the Men 's Club and In st itute 3+6, and the hlend s Adult School DIVI SIO n 307 marks. In making th e a ward s Dr. Coates briefly addressed the com petin g team s. after which a vote of thanks wa s given to the examiner for his services. The winnina team wa s composed as follows :-l\le ss rs. T. B. Matthews (captain) l ord E. Wignall, J. G. Powell, and A. Ward. "

LINCOLN.-As evidence of wh at a S1. John's man ca n do the following testimonial ha s been forwa rded to LIS For obvious we have omitted the na me of the officer to whom it r efers "F irst-Cl ass Supernumerary Officer, Th omas --, St. John Ambulance Briaadc has been my Chief 'Ya rdmaster s in ce the establish ment of this Hospital op March ll8th last, during the ime more than 1 °00 cases of

enteric fever have passed through the Be has been my nght.hand man all through a very t ry ng time. He s an excellent clerk, a strict disci plinarian, but withal popular with those under bim steady and intelligent, and I can strongly and confidently recommend hirr. for.any po sition of trust responsibility .in which his knowledge of dutles connected With a large and his facility for rendenng returns, would be recommendatlOns.-(Signed) J. F. G. Burke, Major, R .A.:"1.C., in medical charge of l\'o. 7 General Hospital Estcourt."

MA NCHES TER A:-.1D SALFORD.-This division continues to progress. There has been a. good response to the appeal fo r funds for the equipment of the A gentleman (who did not wisb his name to be known), promised £100 if a sim ilar was raised in I4 days. More than the necessary sum was obtallled, so that the division h '3s now a good jund at the bank. Gr eat credit is due to tbe M anchester City P oli under ,\Ir. Peaco.:k the Chief Constable (who is also tbe Supe:intenden.t of the division), for th ei r hearty co - operation in aSslstlllg o bring the movement to a successful issue. The Committee have purchased a number of stretchers and other material. It has been decided that the men f9r the prpsent shall pay half the cost of their uniforms the othe r half coming from the equipment fund. The question of street boxes will soon be taken up. l\lanchester will be then one of the best equipped towns in the kinadO:TI. The Manchester City Poli ce Ambulance Corps have one hors; ambulance (to be shortly incr eased to four), a nd 32 two- whe eled am bulance litters fitted with rubber tyres, stationed at all the pol ice and fire stations &c. in the City. The Salford Poli ce hal'e 12 litters kept at the stations in the borough. The forma tion of the Manchester and Salford division will place a lar ge number of trained ambulance men in uniform for all public occasions.

.-H aving marched through the decorated streets' headed by the Mayor of and the Marquis of To rthamp_ ton, the members of the Bngade, to the num ber of about 300 were entertained to a banquet at the Town .Hall, Northampton, o'n the I2 th ult. The Mayor (Conn cIl lor Admtt) presided. Sixty of the ambulan ce men wbo eturned from the war occupied the seats of honour. The VISitors lllcluded Earl Spencer (Lord Lieutenant of the :\l arquis of Torthampton, Lord Annay (r eprethe '1 eomanry), Colonel Lord Euston (of the XorthamptonVolun leers ), the officers .the depot of the .:\ onham ptonshire RegIment, Inspector-General :\ lllnls, and Briaade-Suraeon LieutenantColonel. Elliston The :\l arquis of rea"d, amid ringing cheers, t he !ollowlDg frorr. h er late Majesty :-" The Queen has heard with much satisfaction of the excellent work done in South African hospitals by St. John Ambulance. She congratulates the County of ::\ orthamp on on hal'lDa turmshed so larae a co ntingent for this voluntary service of mercy, asks you to to those whom Northampton and the county are entertainina on their return home, the ex pr ession of her appreciation of the self-sacrifices and devotion to du:y has e\ inced ?y them and by all other portIOns of the Bngaae. The Pnnce of " ales, Grand Prior of the Order, telegraphed: "Pray convey to the men of the St. John Ambulance Bngade my warm con g ratulat ions on their return and above all, on the splendid work which they perfor med in S o uth Africa: I feel proud to at the head of so a body of men.Albert Edward. (Loud cheers.) Lord h.nutsford also wrote expressing high appreciation of the men's services. General Sir Redvers Bullerwrote: "N,o men could ha,'e behaved m o re admirably than my Imperial Bearer Companies, or 'body-snatchers' as the men used to call them. The only fault had to find with 'my men was that they were too I'ent uresome, and go into the firing line after wounded men (Cheers ) V\ hetber l?r th eir mercy, their tenderness, or theIr endura n ce, my bearer compames de ser ve the hiahest praise, and my only regret is that from the very nature of lheir d"'uties the ir work went more unrecognise:i than I could have wished (Cheers.) am perfe c tly of one thlllg ; good companies are the greatest pOSSIble hel.p to any co mmander, he can and may exp.ect that hl.s men wdl, all_ of devote theIr wh ole attention to theIr mam busmess, namely. hghtlng, If they know th a t their wounded comrades will receive (Cheers.) Lord Spencer presenLed to each of the men an dlumll1ated address signed by himself Lord Northampton, an d h e ;\[a1'or," as a token and '\'itness of high appre ciation of the County Borough and County of l\'orthampton for services they so n obly to the sic k and wo unded in the W ar. Resp ondll1g for" Our Guests, proposed by \Ir W. R. Adkins the. ;\la.rquis of Northampton said he was proud to belong to a which 111 past days was, rerhaps, leoked down on. \\ h en, however, there was. no tewer than 1,700 devoted men gave their serYlces and Lord Spencer. responding to the toast of hIS health, sa id th.at even those who could remember th e wars ot England In Europe, ASia, and fnca, could not call to mind sllch a demand as had bee n made on the patriotism and del otion of 0 d · h' f ur cou nt rymen as u.nng e time 0 tre mendous emergency through which the had passed. The ambu.lance men, just as much as any sail o rs or soltl1ers, had shown a devotIon to du y, a loyalty, and a

llettuIIgs-

FIRST

patriotism which had ne\'er been excelled. T he,' had carried to the scenes of warfare the healing arts of peace, and they had come back to for many a year in peaceful surroundings the vigour and selfsacrifice of war abroad They allayed, as they wi shed to do, the horrors wh ic h must always attend war , and received the thanks of many thousands of sold iers in South Africa who would remember tbe St. John Ambulan ce Brigade so long as they lived. (Cheers. ) He rejoiced to think tbat :\'"orthampton h:ld been chosen by the Government as one of the centres for the new beareF companies He felt tbat it was the ambulance men of Kortbamptonshire who had come back from the War who had caused this compliment to be paid to the county. (Cheers.) Other toasts followed, the speakers including the H on. C. R. Spencer, M.P. ; Dr. Shipman, M.P.; Lord Euston, and Colonel Orde-Powlett.

VENTNOR -On the r 9th ul t., a most enjoyabl e smoking was held in the Friendly Societies' Hall, under the auspices of the Ventnor Division of the St. John A.mbulance Brigade. Dr. Victor j. Blake ,\1 B., B.S. (Chief Superintendent of the Isle of Wight Corps of the S.J.A.B.) was in the chair, and he was supported by Mr. G. H Corney (Superintendent and Han. Sec. of the Ventnor Division), and illr. A. Prentice. The chairman re ad the following letter which had been handed to PriYate Colenut on his lea\'ing the hospital train :-

"From ::\0.3 Hospital Tra in, Cape Town, to Detachment St John

Am b alance Brigade doing duty with 3 H Ofpital Train, Dec. 2rst, [900. 'In bidding good-bye to the men of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, lately doing duty on th e train, the officer commanding wishes to take the opportunity to express his appreciation of the good work done by them since they were posted to the train. They have run over 50,000 miles, and helped to look after 000 sick and wounded--a record to be proud of. Their conduct has been exemplary, and their work a credit to themselves and to the train. They carry with tbem the good wishes of all their old comrades of the R A.M.C., with whom they have worked so well and loyally.-MAJOR R USS ELL.' "

AMB ULANCE BIUGADE AND HOME DEFE:-ICE-RESERVE BEARER

COM PAN lEs.-T n con ne c; tion with the St. John Ambulance Brigade important orders ha ve been issued from head-quarters. The Secretary of State for 'War ha\ ing intimated the desire of the Government to u ti lise the serv ices of the men of the Brigade in providing bearer companies for the field army which would be m obilised, if necessary, for home defence, a regulat io n is promulgated fixing the head-quarters of five such companies, \\ hich are to be, at London Bolton Sheffietd, and Preston res?ectively. The qualifications for enrolment in a brigade bearer company are as follows:- The men must be unmarried (10 per cent. may be married men), must be between the :lges of 20 ana 3S years, and between 5 ft. 6 in. (wi thout boots) and Sf. IC in. in height, must be well set up and thoroughly drilled, must be certified by a medical officer of the Brig ade as fit for service. and must within a distance of 25 miles from the railway st:ltion at the head-quarters of their respective com panies No man will be acc.epted for a bearer company who is in the army reserve or militia o r IS a member of the yeomanry or volunteer forces; and men belonging to the polIce force, or servll1g under the post office, or in other em ployme.nt under tbe will only be accepted on pr oducing a \\Tltten consent of theIr heads of departments. Tne most impcrtant conditions for service are :-T he men will be required to undertake to sen'e at any time when the of their company is ordered, either in time of pea ce or war , and in any part of the Unit ed Kingdom or reland. On mobilisation they will be required to enlist in the Royal Army Medical Corps for one year or for the period of which their com pany is mobilised. Whilst mobilIsed, whether in time of peace or war, they wIll be clothed completely, paid and pro vided with rations exactly the sa me as the men of the corresponding ranks of the R.A.M .C. The uniform will te that of the R A.M.C. with the addition of the letters S.J A.B. on the collar and t he Brigade badge on the riaht arm.

As regards pensions and allowances (including separation of th e families of married men ) they will be treated in all respects as the men of the regular army. They will be required to n:>tify haifa?d l? undertake to attend at least s ix drills in each half-year with theIr DIVISIon or Corps. For the day of the an nual in s pection they will receive one day's pa; at the army rate of their rank one sbilling in lieu of rations, and railway fare from the ra il way s 'ation nearest to head-quarters of th;!ir respective Corps or Division to the statIOn at the head-quarters of the company and back. The ranKS and rates of pay of a bearer company are as follows .-One at 5s 6d. per diem; one first-class staff sergeant, 4S. Sd. per dIem; one second ciass staff sergeant, 4S 6d. per diem' four s elgeants, 3s lId. per diem: six corporals, 3S. per diem; 45 privates, S. rd. per diem; total, 58 of all ranks. A Brigade Order also notifies the abolition of the ranks of first and second s supern umerary of'h cer and creation in lieu thereof of the ranks of sergeant and corporal.

AMB ULAN CE FmEMEN FOR SOUTH AFRICA.- The National Fire Brigades "C nion are about to send anothcr contingent of their members for hospital work in South Africa. Colonel Sloggett of the Imperial

AID. [Feb r u ary , 1901.

Yeomanry Hospital, Deelfontein, h:ls telegraphed for 30 more of the Union's amb ulan ce fireman, :lnd the Honorary Mr. H orace Falker, of Guildford, is now b usy preparing the contmg-ent, who are beina trained by Dr. W. Chief Officer This makes the fourth contingent of ambulance m e n th e National Fire Brigades Union have furnished.

St. 30bn Bnlbulance Bssociation.

I pSW ICH -Miss Coulcher, the local I-Inn. Secretary, reports that Ambulance work has gone on steadi y since the annual report was published The Yl ay:r has accepted he office of President for his year of office. The new litter and the Orwell Street one have been out constantly lately, and the horse ambulance carriage too.

T HE WORK OF THE BRITI SH RED CHoss.-Surgeon-Major Geolge

A. Hutton, organising commis::.ione r St. John Ambulance Association, has furnished some particulars as to the Red Cross work and its administration in South Africa, under the control of Sir John Furtey, the Chief Commissioner of the British Red Cross by Lady Furley and the officers in charge under them. Over r,700 me mbers of the St. John Ambulance Brigade volunteered for this work, and were sent to the seat of war, where they have done excellent service in the military hospitals and hospital ships Over 60 ha \ e succumbed to en teric fever and other maladies, nobly givi ng their Ii yes, accord ing to the motto of the Order of St. John, "Pro utilitate hominum." Writing on September 25, General F or estier Walker, who had charge of the principal military base at Capetown, made grateful ackn o wledgement of the harmonious co operation which Sir John Furley strove to maintain, and specially commended tbe efforts of Lady Furley. " The position of the department," he said " has enabled you to in every required direction with the greatest rapidity The ho spital train which you fitted up and equipped was a proof of the thorough nature of the Red Cross work,and its value could not be oyer-estima ed."

Lord IVontage, chairman of the British Red Cross Committee, in welcoming Sir John to London in October, wrote, it was most gratifying to learn from independent so urces h o w thoroughly his work had been appreciated in South Africa and how successfully he had co · operated with the authorities there. Surgeon -General W ilson, princi p:ll medical officer of the army in South Africa, wr o te from the headquarters of the army at Pretoria, offering his grateful thanks for the benefice nt assistance of the Red Cross Society and addtd " The enormous difficulty experienced in getting stores up to the front well known, but as soon as any communication with a body of troops was effected, it was no eworthy that the Red Cross stores were not long in making their welcome presence felt. The ho spital trains furnished by the S)ciely have also been of the vt!ry utmost value, and have helped me enorm o usly.

"

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to whom Notice of Claims, under the following conditions, must be sent within seve n days of accident to the above address.)

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PROVIDED that the pe.rson so killed or injured had upon his or her per'son or had left at home thIS tIcket, With hIS, or her! usual sIgnature, written pri or to on the space prOVIded below! WhICh , togetlH>r with the giving of notice wlthlll the time as herembetore mentIOned, IS the essence of this contract

This insurance holds good for current issue only, and carries the benefit. N and is sub.iectto, the condit io ns C'lf the"

OCEAN ACCIDENT & GUARAN'TEE COMPANY, Limit ed Act, 1890," Risks Nos. 2 & :3.

The Corpc ration admit that the pl\l'chase of this Paper is the payment of a premium ullder Section :3-1 of the Ant No persoll can recover under me re than one Coupon ticket in respect of the sa me risk.

Si/;natuye----------------------

FIRST AID •

The devoted to }\mb\llaf\ce Work.

EDITED BY HEATON C. HOWARD, L.R.C.P. LOND., ·r.1.R.C.S. ENG.

81. -VOL. VII. Entered at Statt01zers' Hall. J

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For 12 months, IS. 6d., p ost free, to be sent to the Publish ers :fl3

ALTHOUGH reference i. made in another column to th e acce s ion of the King, we cannot help congratulating His Majesty, nnd.fervently wish that he may ha.ve a. long and pl'o::;pel'ou:,; relgn. * iI' lI'

'l'HE el'owds on the day of the funeral of om' late beloved Qupen, WPI'P almost a.s gl'C'Ht as those on the O. 1. V. day, hut WC' nre abel to say that lw authorities had ml-lele mnch better for lTIrmaging them and keeping the line of r oute intftct. Whel'eVel' there was a chance of l'ushes being made Rome eavalry were immediately brought up to l'einforce the police anel oldiers It WftS only nece snry in two or three instances, and it speaks well for the public and the HuthOl ities that not a single lif e w as l ost.

Th e C<1 ualtieH wel'e 1 ,300, very f e w were serious. The St. J o hn Ambnln ncc Brigade turned out in great fOl'ce, ovel' 700 being on duty.

It seems that we do mnna ge cl'Owcls better than wa s clone 90 yem's ago in this Oity. When Bellinghnm was executed for the murder of Mr. Perceval, we ren.d in an iBsue of the l'irnes of May, 1812, thn.t there was some fear of a catastrophe. The following extract shows what did once happen at a public execution :-

" Our fear is from the curiosity of the people; and we suggested in our last publication, as strongly as circumstances would allow at the time, th e danger of a catastrophe like that which occurred at a ormer execution The police have very properly acted upon tbe suggestion. and handbills of the following tenour were prepared last night, for placarding the a venues to the Old Bailey. "

"Beware of entering the crowd Remember tbirty persons were crushed death by the crowd when Haggerty and Holloway were exec uted.

J

B 1bospital 1Aurse'g in Soutb Bfrica.

(S PECIALLY CONTRIB UT ED.)

The Girls State School H ospital, to which I was sent, was really built for a National School as its name implies, but turned in to a hospital about the end of May, by the Bearer Company under Captain Temple Smythe, who passed it on to the R oyal Army Medical Corps when they had orders to go on to Midcileburg

It is a large building, one storey high, with accomm odation for 210 patients. The wards, a ll of various sizes, being built for cla ss room s, are well lighted and lofty and the patients in them are well looked aft er , and provided with every comfort. In fact, tbey are so well that when they are well enough for work, they oflen prefer to stay on as orderlies ratber than return to their regiment. And very good orde rli es they make too, having learned so much while lying in bed. The s isters, 10 in number, eight on day duty and two on night duty, lived in two bungalow houses on the opposite side of the road. The day sisters went on duty at 8.30 till p.m. when they went across to lun ch le aving the hospital to the orderlies, who sent across to them

PRICE Ol'\E PE:'-! Y.

directly anything was wanted. After lunch the sisters returned to bospital, gave medicines and made the patients comfortable for tbe afternoon and then all went off duty till s x p.m. except the orderly sister was left in charge of the whole building, each war.d h aving its orderly on duty. They took .it in turns to act as SIster, and as there \\ ere eiaht day sisters, It only ca me every eIghth day, so was no h ar dsbip. On returning to duty at 6 p.m., the evenIng work W'lS the same as in civ il h os pit a ls at h ome, then at 8 p.m. they left the building to the night orderlies who came on dUl,Y at 7 P'I!l', and went across to dinner after which they returned to finIsh anythlllg that was wanted and to aive their rep orts to the night sisters who canle on at 9 p.m The se stayed on,all nig.ht till 8 a .m. they came over to breakfast leaving the patlents With the day ord erlI es who were on by th at time. I had a very happy five weeks.down there, th re.e weeks day duty, when I was in cha rge of three sur.glc a l wa rd s up staIrs, and two on night duty, when I had half the h? spl al to lo o.k after. C?ne of my ward s on day duty ,,,as full of Au stralians, and a ll\'elyw ard It \\" a'O too. They were as happy and as good na ur ed a set of men as T have met and when they were all se nt down cou nt ry m. an Ambula?ce I ram I felt perfe ct ly lo st and miserable. All my patients we re nIce,. but I think] was fonder really of th at ward than of others, \\ e very aood orderlies down there who und erstood their work well whIch was a'" great help to the sisters especially in the wards so mu c h depend s on such triRes. On going on duty III the mJrnmg the day sisters found the wards swept, th e beds made the. pauents wasbed, the help less on e s having been done ?y the SIster, the convalescent ones washing themselves and bavlDg beds by the orderlies. V>l e then took tern peratures, ga ve medlcll1es, dId the dressings , made extra feeds the who required up and saw that everything was nght and m order, by whIch tIme the morn ing had go ne.

All the time I was down tliere we had plenty of work. One liard of acute enteric cases being always full and the surgical wards havmg a arg e number of serious gun- sh ot wounds. were not O\ er wo r ked though and always had time enough to do thlr.gs thoro.ughly,:nd make all the pa t ients co mfortable an.d happy.. One man III partIcular m whom I took great interest, haVing been In my wards both .on and night, was a very sad case. He had a gu?-shot m hIS nght thigh and after trying for 10 weeks to sav e hIS h ear s m ce I left they have had to amputate it righ t from th e hlp Jomt poor fellow, dreadfully sorry for him, a.s he bore Lhe paIn o f It so bravely It seems so terribly sad to thmk he must be a crIpple for the remamder of his life.

\tVhile I \Vas there we h ad so ldier s of all sorts a nd cond itio ns in reaulars and volunteers, young an d old '?[here were a aood m a ny qu ite boys among the \'olunteers-boys who had never ro"'uahed it before in their li\ es or dreamt what hardships meant, and oug ht never to h'l\'e come out here to rough it as th ey have had to do. Unfortunately, want of good food and fuch hard work has ir. so many cases developed latent weaknesses so so many have returned with weak hearts, tvbercular glands. or gaSlrIC trouble, things they would never have even felt If .they had aone on in the even tenor of theI r way. Howel er, It was theIr duty to to fiaht for their country and their Queen and right \vell they have done so here, all the volunteers leaving behind them a name for couraae and good work done.

I enjoyed my fortnight on night We always had three orderlies on duty at night, one for each corfldor,. \\ ho was fvr the wards ope nina off it and one al ways 111 the acute enterrc, It bein a aaainst the rule for ever to be left alone. The sisters two hourly rounds if there were no bad cases; if there were a ny -serious ones, they co uld h:\\'e orderli.es on, and they used their own judgment and lef or stayed wnh pat ient as they s:w fit. I was quite sorry when at the end of my fortnight, o ur comma?d,Lnt from the Imper ia l Y eomanry Ho spital sent do wn for me, b ut as It was.very kind of them to have lent me so long and as so many Yeomanry sIsters were on the sick li st and the hospital \Ia s full of patients, they could not grumble, so I had to much the ir regret as th.ey were all kind enough to say. It certall11y was WIth ,:egret o n my SIde as I had got used to them and their ways of that. I qUIte dreaded starting afresh. However it was no good frettl11g so 111 cool of the evening, I went up and was ready to start work next mornIng.

The surgica l section consists of three elouble marquees each h o lding twelve beds, and three single with six beds in each, and was worked by two sisters and four orderlies. The thing I li ked about these tents \Vas the boarded floors, and when I got used to them I t hought t hey were the prettiest wards and the nicest set of men in the camp Of course they were an utter contrast to the enteric section-the p:ltients mostly being in rude health except for their wounds, and up to every g-ame t hey could think of-1 had some very good cases in, gunshot wounds and operation cases, and just before I left, a reg-ular epidemic of accidents, wounds do very well out here owing to the air being so pure. One arm in particular, which had the ulna com.jJleteJy shattered to atoms by a shot, the rJ.dius only being grazed. after being opened up from wrist to elbow and the spl int ers remOI·ed. was J. treat to see r gave it an arm-bath of perchloride I.4000. for tll'O hours daily, and it is no exaggeration to say that you could see the wound getting smaller each time it was dressed. it is quite all riaht, and the man h;JS gone home with full use in all his fingers and an a r m nearly as srrung as his uninjured one. Another man \l'h o has just gone h ome. had a man'ellous escape, a bullet going into his chin and cutting its way out through his ja\l' just under his ear, \l'ithout doina any damage wh ate 'er. The only thing left to tell the tale is a small scar it entered and another where it came out, These are only two instances of the way hings heal and of the narrow escapes some of our men have had

After spending t\l'O months in the surgical section it was again my curn to "move on," so I went for a short time to the medical section. These were mostly" E. P." tents, being cooler than marquees, each holding five to seven beds, and were situated between the enteric and surgical sections, Hnd formed a very great portion of the camp. Here were nursed non-infectious cases of all SOl ts and descript ions from mal aria to rheumatism, the former being most frequent. A fter being u sed to double marquees found these tents very small and cramp ed, but the men liked them on the whole, and they certainly were cosy with their end doors shut up for the night. On hot nig-hts they left them open, so had a breeze nearly all the time, days by this time were scorching and breathless, but towards four o'clock in the afternoo n regularly it began to thunder and for a fel\' hours we had a terrific storm which soaked everything and cooled the air ni cely, Sometimes these storms were earlier, sometimes later, but they had always finished by the next morning, when the sun shone as peacefulty as if nothing h ad happened and in a few hours it was as hot as ever. They were the most terri b le thunderstorms r ever saw or imagined, and the lightning, which seemed to be attracted by the kopjes all round Pretoria, fOI med ali ince ssant circle about us, a nd was decidedly nearer than wa s pleasant, so near indeed that two of our tents were struck, those in them receiv ing an unpleasant shock if n othing more. The townspeople said it \l'as n oth ing at all unusual for houses and trees to be struck during the storm season which unfortunately, seems to last for months. If it had not been for the lightning though, the place would hal "e been unbearably enervating, and as it was se\'eral of ou r sisters, I a m ongst them, I am sorry to say, found they had to gu down country soon if they want to keep on out in South Africa.

THE DID,

1l\eview.

"CYCLOP.rEDIA OF CLASS1FrED DATES", by CHARLES E. LITTLE

Published by Fl'NK & WAGNA LL'S 44, Fleet Street, E.C Pri ce, £2 to £3 125" according to binding

This is a remarkable book and may well be called a monumental work of literature, covering as it does the history of the world, that is of each nation sep arately, from 5,000 years before Christ to r894, It s the only volume of it s kind in the world, and has taken nine years of labour by scores of specialists to produce, at a ;:')st of £6,000.

In brief. this remarkable "Cycloprcdia of Classified Dates" easily establishes its superiority in the following respects -

(1) As contai ning a larger amount of information than any other single yolume in existence, m'lch of the information never ha ving ap peared in any o her work of reference. (2) As the only work that so presents this information that the stream of history may be readily traced, forward or backward, from any partiCUlar event, (3) As the only work that gives a reader CJuick access to contemporaneo u s events in a ll parts of the world, and for any period of lime. (4) As be;ng scrupulously free from all bias, political. religious, 50c iol oCYical Or other, in the presentation of facts. b

It certainly is the best answer extant to the cOnstanl questions at' where? when? I\'hJ.t? which one constantly hears asked about oreat or sma ll events, and as such desen'es a wi..1e popularity. a

The publishers offer to send to anyone applying the details of a remarkably easy plan of purchase by deferred payments and certainly their liberal offer should appeal to all who want the of human history at a glance.

" [March, 1901. H 1Hursing.'· '

By "CrIrRURGl'S."

PART II.

SEL FCTION OF A SICK ROOM.

Wben a case of illn ess occurs in a house, the first duty to perform is to select a room in which the patient may be nursed.

Th ere al e of course severa 'c ircumstance s which will have to be taken into consideration in making the selection, as for example _ r. Whether the illness be infectious or non-infectious?

2. Wh ether the onset has been sudden?

3· Whether it is the result of an accident ?, Infectious.-If the illness be infectious, then the room ,selected mus t be on the top floor 01 the house, or in a wing of the hou:;e not much used; so as to lessen the risk of th<; spread of infection to the other inmates. by not haying to pass the door.

N on-Infectious -If not infectiflUs, the room need only be situated on the first floor, this \1 ill "ave a lot of labour in carrying things up and down stairs, A sick room should be out of the way of noise. so the back of the ,hou se is preferable' to the front, as it is very disquieting to the invalid to hear some bel::tt,:,d travellers wending their \l'ay home, in the small hours of the morning, singing" 'Ye won't go home till morning," to the accompaniment of a concertina or sel'erallllouth organs, for the same reason a room should not be selected di rectly under a nursery. I am writing this in a room so situated, and YOU may take my word for it. that the hammer, hammer, hammer of 'the two-penny tube s nothing to it. The roo m s ho uld also be out of the way of stables and all unpleasant smells.

Sudden Onset. -When the illness has come on suddenly and the moving of the patient wO\.1ld be detrimental, then it is a case of Ho bson's choice, and you have to make the best use you can of Ithe room the patien t is in.

Accident -If your patient has met with an accident and has to be carried on a then a room on the ground floor should be u sed to save taking the stretcher u pstairs

'''h en you -have the choice of a room, let the following points guide you in the se lect on. The room should e la?'ge lOd lofty, it must have a chimney, and a IM'ge 1vind07/J that will open at the top and the bottem The reason for the latter is because light and sun penetrated air are essential for the restoration of your patient's heahh; light is quite as essential for the lI ell-beir.g of the human race as it is for plants; it is a well-knolln fact that plants grown a way from the light do not get the beautiful green colour which tbose grown in sun light do; so it is with people deprived of light, they are pale and pasty looking; those of you who live in large cities and tOWI1S, if you doubt this, just take a stroll round some of the slums and look at the poor puny little ones reared in the courts and alleys

Th en aga in, the aspect of the room has to be considered, in the northern hemisphere i t should be either south, so uth-west or west, the ad l'an ages gained by these aspects are :_

Fzrsto/.- The patient is not disturbed by the early morning su n as' would be the case if the window faced the east.

Secolld& .-By drawing up the blinds you can full advantaae of the last lays of the setting sun and w make the day appear longerl:>and the night shorter. It is the night time, you will find, which is so wearying to most in val ids.

THE PREPARATION OF THE SICK ROOM.

H aving selected the room in which you intend to nurse your patient, the next thing you have to do is to prepare it for his reception, You cannot do better than beg in by removing all articles oi s uperfluous furniture, the sick room should only contain sufficien for use, more than that only entails unnecessary labour in extra dusting ana cleaning, it also interieres'with ventilation and lessens the amount of air in the room, The next thing to be seen to is that the chimney is clear in some old houses I have seen the chimney blocked up in case of draught; if the room has not been used for some time it is advisable to open the windows, see that the sash lines are in perfect order, liaht a fire, if it smokes on first being lit, hold a piece oC lig-hted paper "'up the chimney, this will generally remedy this evil Next, the walls are to be dusted, the best way to do this is to use ad uster tied over the head of a long hair hroom, I he ledges over doors and windo ws, the tops of cupbcards are to receive particular attention as dust and fluff collect rapidly in these and they form splendid hiding places [or the oerms of infection, Passing on trom the walls,' our attention be directed to the floor, the skirting-boards, doors, window sas he s and all woodwork, which is to be wiped over with a cloth. wruner aLIt of hot water to which a Candy'S fluid has been added, and do, don't forget to wipe Wider the bedstead and under the chest of dra\\ ers, although it may not be seen, recollect the dust i s there, T he windows should be wiped over each day with a duster, it sayes cl ean in g them so oftell, All articles in the room should be .dusted at least once a day; when 1 say dusted, I mean dusted thoroughly all ol'er, not mere ly flicked with a duster.

March, 1901. J

Tn military hospitals it is directed that the floors of the to swe teach d"y, then dry ;'ubbed \\ith a long scrubber an na y ;taafn the dry rubbine- polIshes the noor and so prevents dIlt , " \. h 1 n often The lana sertt et IS thus sav Ing- haVing to was le so .'. ,., .' f h always to be used by being pushed In the of the g'Ja,In wood by s h ort strokes each successIve stroke IS to pal tly 01 P recedin In the floor of a ward, the dust sho.lI never be sweptgf'rom one end the other, but made into sel erallittle heaps and then taken up with a dust pan.

FURN SHING THE SICK ROOM.

IIaving cleaned the room, we mllst next turn our. to the furniture and the first article \\ hich claims our attentIon ISTHE B EDSTEAD.

The poster, the pride of our grandmothers Ilith its ost s ample curta i ns and canop\', is nOli", I am pleased to s:ty. a mat.tel history. Undouhtedly a most suitable ro om is a plain iron one, q. feet 10ngby.3 to 3} feet wIde, am.IIO\\ be stead is much more COIl\'enlent than a \\'Ide ?ne as .the IllIl,Se do"es have to reach over'sf) far to get at the patient, thiS reachIng o\er lOU will find is very tirin a and hack-aching work. Th e bedstead should be placed ei ther between the door anu fireplace or between the lI'indoll' and the fire-place, the former IS the bette: osition' the head of the bedstead should not be pushed close ;tgainsf the sufficient room shoul.d he left for the nmse to. pa,:s all round, as it is often I'ery convenient for the nurse to anan,..,e pillows from behind d h 'd If the illness is infectious the nurse should always .stan at t e Sl e of bedstead neare!.t to the door. if the IS placed bet\l'een I, I tl-:' 1 "d the door but if hetll'een the 1I'1lldow and the fire-place, le e-p an '. '. k' I then her place Ilill be on the 51de nearest ,the \\'lndol\, b) ta Ing.t 11 precaution the fresh air from the door or. wllldow, a<; the case mal be, to the nurse before being cuntamlllated by passlllg across the patient. to the comes theBEllIJT);(,:

The best kind of heddina is a horse - hair nntlress, be • laced on ,\ palliasse OJ still on some form of a spnng {he chain spring is to he preferred. a5 it forms a cooler bed; III .some a of straw or el'enl}: may be /las the advant'age of being- inexpcnslI'c. so If It should get soIled. It can eaSIly be out and refilled The bed should not be used 01: any account, as lInless it can he \\ell -:llred each tbyand thoroughl} shaken it I'ery soon becomes hard and knotty

Frac/ltre bed -In sOllle surglc1.1 cases, as for of thigh, when it is requisite to keep the lImb perfectly le\'el, ItlsnecessaIY to 'j'l1ake use of wbat is called :1 fracture bed, whIch IS Ir: thIS man ner-a series of coards, long enough to reach from SIde to SIde of the bedstead, are placed across the ordinary laths, so as to reach from the head to the foot, upon whicb the maltless IS laid, ea.ch board should have several holes i:-ored in for the purposes of lentdatu;l1l. rn lana illnesses a second beti in the room on to whIch patient can be whilst the ordinary one :ms thoroughly IS greatly appreciated.

BEll-CLOTHES.

H aving settled on the bedstead and mattress, our must next be to the hed-clothes, and please bear thIS III mInd, tbat your aim s always to be to prol'ide the g-reatest amount of warn.1th WIth the least amount of weig-ht; fine tWIlled cotton IS as good as lInen fOl sheets, and has this :tdvantage tbat it is warmer; nt'11 blankets are wal'mer than old. .\ heavy cotton should not be used as weight for weight, cotton is not nearly s.o war111 as \1'001, so you had bettel' use an extra blanket and CO\'er WIth a I'ery lIght countel pane. Bed-mdlillg-_).,.I\\'ays be yery careful that the under and shee.ts are perfectly smooth and free from \\Tlllkles: TheIr edges sho uld be tucked wellllnder the SIdes of the mattress; It IS an excellent plan if you have a fidgety patient to secure t?e sheetand b.lanket to 'the s:des of the mattress \\'lth safety pillS. ;..; eglect of thl.s preca uti on is one of the commonest causes of bed sores , It IS not ne cessary to use an under blanket in tbe s umm er In military hospitals tbe most freqyent cause of a bed becol11l11g h ollo w in the centre is the sarklng gettIng slack.

·Bed I fancy, I hear someone say that cU,I:taIl13 are u sef ul to keep off draughts? es, 50 they are. but a screen \\ tll.do so very much. better. A vel'\' useful can be made by cOI'enng th e clothes horse with some Turkey red tll'lli. The rema i.nd er of the furniture in the sick room should be very SImple and only just what is required.

Cu r lam s - I. ad ies always say that a room looks so bare; and that windo\\'s look so ba d fr om t he o utside, th a t they cannot bea r to see them without curtain s, so lace or chintz c urtains at the window s have to be

allowed, but 1V00lJel: material should never be permitted as it holds

infection and smells. should be used in the

I Carpets,-Only a fel\' strips of cal pet or mats k ber-ause thel' can be taken up and shake!1 outSIde the room, ,IC loom, _. J d 11 over or a

I Lilus extra dusting-, whereas If the floor IS carpete a h h sqllare uf is Iyhich goes the bedstead or at er ea\y article of furniture It must be slyept In t.he room. h Id b f Ii ht ChaIJ s -The chairs for use In the SIck room sou, eo. g I wooden f·rames. with cane If the nurse has to, SIt up at nIght a comfortahle armchair and a foot-stool should be prol'ldeu for her H'izshS/(l1Zrl.-If the patient is unable to !eal'e the bed. a small \\ashstand on Il'heels \l'illl'e found very convenIent as It can be wheeled to the side of the bed, fi I Coal hox and FII'e irolls rr i: is necessary to have a re In. it will benecess:H), to hal"ea coalstor e plenls t.e r e for that purpose a wooden box will be found to answer best. IS ess nois' than a metal one: the coal should put on WIth t.e ng.ers, by piece, an old glove being Kept to sl Ip the hand I11 to , of wood makes a yer)' efficient puker and does not make 50 muc nOIse as a metal one does when it is used. r ' If the fire has heen inadl'ertently let go loll', a .Ilttle. sugar or a e\\ ,· k ·'11 be found I"er)' useful to resuscItate It. au l\'Ine cor -s II I d . f he sick

To I./. -One aood sized table should· tan III a corner a t a) <,s'd a sma<--Ilel' one at the side of the bed wi II be found I'ery room, an , hospitals, on the tOp of the. bedside table is arranged the patient's mu a bowl plate buttel-pot, kill fe fork and spoon' h On il;'st shelf his brush and comb, lying all; e. foldeu on either side books; on the lower she artlc es a clothin a k I d t bl the patient is able to sit up 111 bed and ta e mea s, a. re a e 11';11 be found I'ery useful, it is abou t 2 feet long and I foot WIde \\ :th a Ide unnina round three sides t1 plel"ent tllll1gs fallIng off, It 5t.lnds 0: legs ;bout one foot high, it is placed across the patIent's legs.

D E CORATIONS

The decorations of a sick room be simple, such as .can be chanaed frequently, because an ilwalid ,'ery soon tl.res at lookIng at h I . f Y length of time' one or two pIctures, those from \ e t do very \l'ell. be pinned to the walls and t fe 1 'her can be I:emol'ed and fresh ones put up, and in infeca ter a a} h b d a 'ed Flowers [ious Clses, as tbey are il-,expensil'e, r ey can e es r) .,' er rna I' al ['e used to trighten up the room, but whether or 0\\ In", in' - they must always be remO\'ed from the room at lllght the p. 1 h' h ntal'n the cut flol\'ers must be cleaned out each na1 and s w IC co 1 d' A d fresh water put in it is a very good plan to add a Iltt e \...,on y s UI to the water.

TEMPERATURE OF SICK ROOM

The temperature of the sick room should ra.nge from 5 .to 6 5 Fahrenheit, in ordinary 60 degrees will. be the hIghest but in croup and some chest complaIllts, also In old abe, a will be required: if it is to he necess:l.ry to a. h' [th room this can be done \l'lth a bronchllls kettle. mOIsten e air a e 'h the am which is a tin kettle with a very long spout to .It. so t .:It S to the room instead of aoing- up the chImney; If one of these Passes In '" db' Ie Illade h\' ke'tles IS not obtainable, a I'ery 0'00 su stltote C:I n " 'h' b '- e shooter to the spout of an ordlllan' kettle, ur If anaL: 1I1 a a 0)," p a- h ' 0' there is a boy in the house and hence no pea·s ooter. ) ?U rna} aet h d 'fl' It by hanerin a some wet clothes before Lhe fire. ol'er tel ICll y I:> b. 'Id A thermometer must bein every SIck room It ShOll upon II h h I of the bedstead on a level WIth the patient shead, the wa aht e. tl 's pal't 0[- the room which concerns tbe as it IS e atr III )1 I , t· he nurse should consult the thermometer frequent}', as It IS patlehl: t ani" that she can tell if the stuffiness of a room IS due b\' t IS means toO m llch heat or to bJ.d l·entIiatlOn. '.

I · 'ell for j'ou to remembel that the coldest. plrt the IS as II d' t d a thIS perIod the four huul'S is from 2 a.m. to StlllrISe, an tha U:lll", . . t their lo\\'est \\ hen )'our patIent wIll often com- \'Ital tunctlons ale a, bl k Plain of cold and it will be requisite for you to put :tdn extrda 'et , b d n hot water bottle in the bed, an to a mll1lster on the e ,or even a a lillie hot milk or beef tea. I f Jill. shoLlld be considered as requIsite artlc es 0 flu! I/:aler rIO "S. J f f " of the sick room dUrIng cold \\ eather, they al e ma e a UIllltule h .' or india-rubber the latter are very comfurtable melal (.!:Jrt en \\ ate '\ 1 b "1 t't Shoulu you not have a regu ar one, a su SUlute because lley ale sc k ". f1 1 f la the [ollowtn a -Hot bnc s Wlappeu III anile. may be ounl amol,.., ., h d I " to beer boules filled WIth at water an secure Y ordllla ry 111I1e 01 s

In hot water bottles to patients whlo arhe lor 'ITa I areat care must be taken not to et t e ott e touc tIe ale.p, : ) k' '(' fe:Il' of makinO' a sore place, whatever form of hot patIent s s 111 01, 'b d hI k buttle is u seu it must always be IITappe III a an et. ll'o be COI/tw/utl).

FIRST AID

.lIARGll 1. 1901.

The in :1mlmlance mattel" lIIS MAJESTY by i-Iaj e "t,\- th e "King, whilst Pl·ince KING of "Vale::;, i" so well kno,,'n and so fully EDWARD I'll. ,'-ppl'e ciilted by,) 11 tha.t we feel we can, on b ehalf of n,mbulance wOl'ken;, in all tl'lle sincerity offel' om congl'atulittion s to His Majesty on his accession to the TJ1l'0n e .

For many yean; past Hi, Maj esty hal:' held the po::;ition of Gl'and Prim of the OHler of , t. John and dUl'ing tha t p e l'iod it has b ee n an open secret that His lEIjesty has not only giv en hi >; name bllt h a s tn.k e n a keen interest III the ,,-o rking of th a t in stitution. He has not fc"\'il ed to notice th e growth of the"\'t admirable self-sacrificing body, the St. John Ambulance Brigade. On the 12th January last, only t e n days before the eleath of our late beloyed Queen, the PI·ince of Wale s sent the following mes age to the Bl·igade: "Pray conv ey to the m en of the St_ John Ambulance Brifl'ade, my wa1 m congratulations on their return, and aboye all on th e s pl endtd work which they haye performed in South Africa ; I feel proud to be at the head of so rlistinguiHhecl a body of men." We are c€l·tain that all the m e mbel' s of t h e Hl'igad e who r ead that mes sage, and those who now ren.c1 it for th e first time , will exp e rienc e a fe eling of int e me sa tisfaction in s eeing th a t their endeayours to do go od to their fellow men, both at home and abroad, were 1'0 highly s pok e n of by one who is now theil' King_ W e fe el no ll,"\' nn el' of doubt th a t the King will still be connected with th e Order of St. John , though perhaps not in the ame capa city, and tha t the St. J obn Ambulance Hrigad e will still b e honour ed by ha, -ing the Sovereign at its head.

By th e inaugur.ttion of the Prince of Wales' Hospital Fund, and by his participation in ot bel' simila.r benevolent schemes, the King h a : shown s uch It mal·ked sympatby for the wellh eing of the pu hlic, 've yentme to think that if there were brought b efor e Ili s Majesty 's notice the needs of IJonclon fo1' an ambulance se rvice-, uch as : 0,000 accidents annually ]'e fJol'ted by th e poli ce a s occuning in om streets, and the in ,)dequate pr o vi s ion by our a uthorities to treat them, the ab senc e of any pll bllc am bulance wagon to l'emove them to hospita l, and that prob a bly 40,UOO mOl'e happen in worksllop , factol'i es , &c . which are only partially provided forthr"\'t His M a esty would approve of some s cheme to meet this gl'eat want

MR. CH URCH BRA SIER S RE CENT Lo ss .-Some of our readers may be aware that Mr. Chur c h Brasier, the Brigade Chief Superintendent of the St. J o hn Ambulance Brigade, early in the year sustained the oss of hi s on.ly son. We feel certain that in offering to i\'Ir. and Mrs. Churc h Bra Sier our m os t slllc ere and heartfelt sympathy we .:ire joined by aU the mem b ers of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. It is a loss that is ano:i although " ha d shown a great delicacy of constltutlOn OWlIlg o a most sev.ere Illne ss some years ago, yet it was hop ed ye a rs went o n he pull through and get strong. 1\1r. BraSier s so n a ccompallled hi S father at all the St. John and Fire Brigade c am p s th a t we re held and was well-known to the provincial as well as the met ro poli ta n me mber s o f the Brigade a nd members of the Fire Servi ce. T o lose a SOli at all s m os sad and hard tv bear but to lo se an o nly s.on, esp e ci:,- lly when has the a ge of 13 ;ears <l.nd shown pr o mi se o f a bnght future IS ternble, and we trust that in co ur se of time , :'Ir. and Mr s Brasier's great sorrow will be softener..l , a nd the heart-breaking will be ameliorated.

[March, 1901.

$t. 30bn Bmbulance Bssociation.

SLAITHWAITE AND DJSTRICT.- The monthly meeting of this centre was recently held, Mr. H. Denton presiding. A lecture was given by Dr. Chevers on" Sleep," giving a thorough explanation of the various causes of sleeples sness and its effe c ts on the system. He also gave the proper methods of avoiding and how to remedy the same. The lecture was very creditably delivered, and was both interesting and instructive, and was listened to very attentively by the mem bers present. A hearty vote of than ks the lecturer and chairman concluded the meeting.

(! 0 r res p 0 n ben c e.

To the Editor of FIRST AID.

TIlE ST. JOHN BRIGADE.

DEAR SJR,-N oW that the War Office is undergoing a thorough overhauling, I think that our people at Head-Quarters might conveniently turn over a new leaf and introdu ce one or two reforms which would be for the benefit of the members generally.

One item I should like to bring to the front here is the important matter of uniforms I contend that the present Brigade uniform is far too heavy and dull, and generally very badly made, which tends to gil'e the men a sloven ly appearance, and the very though t of the weight of the peak-forage cap !n me one a I would suggest that a ulllform sImIlar III deSign to the one Issued by the Colonial Office to the R.A.M.C. (blue serge, breast pockets and bright buttons -brass) be adopted, and as a head-dress either a field-service cap or slouch hat.

I feel sure that the views here expressed are co-incident with those of many of my comrades who have, like myself, had to mix with the R.A.M.C. for the past twelve months, and have felt" out of it," so to speak, on !>arade alongside this. very smartly dressed Corps_ If the Superintendents of the various Divisions, especially those in and near London (who have a good deal of duty to do in the year) were to press the for reform in this matter home to our H.Q. Officials, I am sure we should in time get a respectable uniform which would add greatly to our personal comfort and appearance.

Another matter of importance is the accommodation provided at Head-Quarters for those Divisions who meet to drill there. I consider it is a disgrace t o the Brigade that their leading Divisi o ns should be handicapped by want of a respectable drill room. enclose my name and address. but not for publication, and remain, yours truly. PROGI\ESS.

London, January, 1901.

A notes that in connection with the Annual Tournament of the London Private Fire Brigades Association, our usual! y corre ct co n tern porary Fire alld vVattr refers to one of the timekeepers as Dr. Morgan, and in another column referring to the of Superinten?ent Trimmer, has been acting as Sergeant Major for the Impenal Yeomanry Hospital, states that Surgeon-Major Trimmer and some of the firemen have returned. Both Chief Superintendent Morgan and Superintendent Trimmer should feel flattered by their easy access into the medical profession.

ANS\VERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

A S UBSCRIHER. - ff you ",ant to join the St. John Ambulance Brigade, you ought to a pply at the Head-Quarters, St. John's Gate, and you will be informed there of a Corps or Division suitable to you.

AND DISTRICT AMB ULAN ":: E BRJG:",DE.-A monthly meetlllg of thiS BrIgade was held at the Chief FIre Station on the 4th ult_, Superintendent Tozer presiding_ Two reports were received from th.e chairman-one referring to. the Proclamation on January 25th, when SIX ambulances and I4 men, With Drs. Morrison and Nelson, were in attendance in Victoria Square, and the other on February 2nd, when five ambulances, with I3 men, were present in the Bull Ring, and afterwards removed to Victoria Square. Eight cases were attended to. There were IC7 cases of first aid reported from five Divisions during the past mon th.

BRIGADE BEARER COMPA:-lIE:5.-With reference to the article on this subject appearing in our last issue, our military authorities hal'e discovered that the number of am uulance bearers required when serious fighting on a large scale takes place is far greater than was ever expected by the Army Medical Department, and provision is being made to meet any such future emergency by entering into an arrangement with the St. John Ambulance Association, under which the GovernmenL is to pay the association £ 50 a year and the association under:akes to provide five bearer companies ef efficient men for service abroad when required.

<Baller\?

COMMITTEEIOF THE ST. AMBULA CE ASSOCIA '; ION.

IT will, we are sure, give genera.l satisfaction to onl' r eaders to see in our g allery this month the portrait of the Rev.T.W. Wood, the respected Hector of the P a rish of St. John, Clerkenwell.

REV. THOMAS W. WOOD, RECTOR OF fJIE PARISH CrrURCH OF ST. JOHN AT CLERKENWELL, CrrAPLAIN OF THE ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF S'f_ JOIIN OF JERUSALEM IN ENGLAND AND MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE , '.

The Rev. T. W. Wood who wa ordained in 1868 by the Bi<;hop of Rochester, was fil' s t licen s ed to the Cumcy of Brightlingsea in Essex.

In 1870 he was appointed Chaplain of the Domestic Chapel attached to Rhydd Court, the Worcestel'shire residence of the late Sir Edmund Lechmere, Bart., to whom he also acted as Private Secretary. It may be in the recollection of many of our ren.ders that Sir K Lechmere was then both l:5ecret,al'y-General and Receiver of the Order of St. John, and Mr_ Wood's secretarial duti es were m ostly cClnnected with the work of th e Order, which was then but little known.

In 1880 the Living of Edersfi eld in South Worcest ershire, in the patronage of Sir Edmund Lechmere , it was offered to 1111'. 'vVood, who acce pted It. ThIS necessitated his resignation of his Chapl a incy at Rhydd Court and the pl'ivate secretal'yship to his Patron, he still however retained the Chaplaincy and Secl'eta.ryship of the W ol'cestershire Comma,ndery of the Order of St. John. In recocrnition of hi s sel'vices in the past he was at this tim e to the position of a Uhapla.in of the Order.

Whilst re siding in the countl'y Mr. Wood found that his views on ambulance m c"\,tters were som ewh a in advanc e of his neighbours, but h e convinced ma,ny of his pari shion e r s of the advanta.ges of First Aid. He gave l ectures in his own pal'ish, and the uSl;lful information tbns bestow e d has often since been utilized by his form er pupils.

In 1892 the Living of St. John' s, Clel'kenwell, feJl v a c,'tnt, and Sir Edmund Lechta er e , the Patron, a t this time the Chancellor of the Order, invited Mr. Wood to take charge of the parish, with the hope that, as a Chaplain of the Ordel', he might help to bring about. a closer connection b etween the Order,and the pal'ish. Rappilythis hasto a gr eat extent been effected, and the Ol'd er now holds its (JOl11m e mo · rH,tion Services here on St. John's d,ty. When Mr_ Wood becH,me Rector the Cryi)t contained the remains of over 300 dead bodies, these in 1894 were removed to Woking Cemetery_ Since then a Faculty has been granted to restore the building, this has been partially effected by voluntary subscriptions, and it is hoped it will be completed by the same means.

The Order also p!"ovides a Parish Nurse, who works und er thedil'ection of the Rector,andisa sisi e d in her work by orne of the ladies of the Order. The most interesting connection however between the l emains of the ancient Priory Church and the Ol'der, was effected through the instrumentality of

the St, John Ambul a nce Brigad e in 1899 a nd 1 9 0 0 _ men who had volunt eer ed for servic e a t the fr ont a rrIve d III d e ta.chm e nts a nd l'e main e c1 ab out n. w eek in t h e imm edi a t e neicrh bourhood of St. J olm 's Gate , b efor e p1'oc e edin g to Aft ica. The val'i o us' d ebw hm e nts a tt e nd ed Di v i ne Service on Sunda y mornin gs at t h e Church, a nd on of th ese occasion I' Mr. vVooel pr each ed to t h e m e n , f Ol whJCh he r eceiv e d th e t h a nk of th e Ol d er on ,t. J o hn's D ,'\.y , 1900.

Fol' orn e y ear s: th e R ev T. "V \\'"ood h as b een ,'\. ::U em b el' of th e Ambula n ce Commi t t ee of t h e S t J oh n Am b ul ance A ssociation, and on t wo oCC<1si oD h e h as preach ed t b e Oomm em ora t ion S el m on in co nn ectio n wi h t h e a n nw1l of t he OHl er of S t J ohn on St . J oh n" U, l Y once a t th e "SelV OY Uh a pel a nd on ce in hi ::; ow n C h nJ' ch at Cl el k enw ell.

A thoro ughl y ecu'nest C hul' chm a n , d e \-ote c1 to the b<:>"t lntel'e st s of t h e p al i h Oye 1 \\-bi ch he h ;1::; chm' ge, i-lr \V ()o.< l is est ee m ed by a ll sect ion of hi s thel:e n o cloubt th a t it i ::; lar Cf el " dn e to h is tact and kmc1 1y si t ion that th e Ol·der g f S t. J oh n is n ow recogni sed in the Dis t rict a s a pow er fOl ' good. M ay h e lon g b e s pnl'e d to ca n ,)" on his sa cr e d calling in co nneeti on wi t h th e Chm ch, S0 d ee P.I ,)' loved by hi s ea rly p a tron Thi s s a. wi , h w e t h at "?ll find an echo in th e h ead of :111 wh o w e r e flssoc lIl te< l m th 1\1.1'. Wood in the s er vi ces a rra n ge d f or t h e lads" proc ee d ed South, a ll of whom will ever r emember 1;he11' far e well se rvic es in th e old H o::;pita lle r Chur ch , a n d t h e kindly and loving wish es whi ch ware ex pl' essed on behalf by its earn est a nd la rge hea r ted R ector_ Th IS notic e would b e incompl e e with ou t so m e l' efe r e ll ce to i-h " . vVooel. Sh e is in ev e ry se n se a h elp llleet to h er and h as don e much to a si t him in bri g h tenin g t h e li\-es of th e many poor who liv e in th e p a ri sh. If a n y. of o m read er s who t a ke a n inte r est in th e gr a nd w ork wh ICh l\Jr. a nd Ir s Wo od a re d oin g , in wh at is a dmi t t edl y o n e of tho p om e::; t p a r ts of L ontl on, b a v e a n y urplu s. t o th ey cannot do bette r t han s end e, -en. a ID? l eu,v of lt to t. John 's R ectorY, a nd we fe el s ur e It WIll be thankf ully recei v ed and a ppli ecl. M ay hlr a nd l\J I'i:' ,Vooel continu e for many a l ong y ea r t o w ork a m on g h e p eo p le whose inter es t s th ey h a ve so much at h ead.

{the jfuneral of the

The fun era l pro ce ss ion of H er Late :'I ajesty Q ue en Yi ctor a passed thr o ugh Lo nd o n on Febr ua ry 2 nd , t h e co ffin bei ng p reviously conveyed fr o m O sbo rne t o Southa m pt o n b y water, a nd fr om t h ere to by tra in. Th e r ou te wa s fr o m V ictoria StatlO n h ro u Bucklllgh a m P a la ce Road to h e P a rk in front of B ucki ng ham P al a ce along h,e M a ll t hrou O' h h e Co ur t ya rd of St. James's P a lace, u p t. lames s alon g Pic ca dilly t hr o ug h A p sley and H y d e Par k and R o ad o P ad dingt o n Stati o n . E n or mous crowds began. to flock Into OlVn ea rly in t he m o rn ng, a n d t he streets were packed Wi th ma sses. of pe o ple pr a ct ica lly in r-Ia c k, a.mo n gst who m was a n abse n ce of. and rowdyi sm whi ch, co n s lde nn g h e occaSIO n was very g l atlfylllg t o see. "1 h Ampl e pre ca u t io ns we re ta k en by th e military and CIVI aut ontles t o an y su c h misha ps as occ u rr ed h e C. l.V d ay, a n d to suppl eme nt thi s pro vi s o n a co mpl etely o r gan ised sys em pr.e pared by the St J ohn Am b ul a n ce A sso ciatio n, u n de r h e of In spector-Gener a l Belgra ve N nni s, i\I.D R.N., De p ut y CommlsslO -e r of No. I Di s trict. At 26 st ati o n s a o n g he r o u te sel ected by h e p ollee, fully-equipp e d a mbul a n ce pa rti es w er e locate.d T ? e St. J o hn Ambulance A ss oci a tion had 7 00 m e n and nu: s lll g sIste r s so en gaged, and the Lond o ncompanies o f h e h ad a fo r ce of 400 on duty,Surge o rJ-Lieutenan t -C o o n e l S q Ui re be lllg 111 su prem e co mm a n d , In so m e place s, whe r e the fring e o f th e c ro wd wa s h 1l1, t he men were stationed within the line s , b ut where he p eo pl e. were m assed, say, 2 0 deep , st a ti o n s were pla ced bot h i n fr o n a nd behllld, for t he un for una te individual r equirin g att e nti o n is u s ually got o'! t o f he cru sh wh ere re sista n ce is sm a lle st. The st ati o n s w e r e prOVI ded wagons an d litter s fo r the rem ov al to h os pita l o f h ose wh o r e q UIred m or e t ha n temporary a id. A s early as 8 o' clo ck in th e m o rnin g th e a m b u la n ces were in the positions as signed to them.

Not a single accident terminating fatally marred the day. Casualties of a minor character there were, more than ever will be made known, the weak, the unlucky, and the venturesome supplying the victims which all great crowds demand; but it i s a notable fa ct to record that no life was sacrificed in all the mighty throng. True, the crush at certain points of the route was terrible, and ugly results were threatened. The Mall, Hyde Park Corner, the :'[arble Arch, and the vicinity of Paddington Sta tio n supplied examples; but perhaps the worst case occurred in Piccadilly, an irritated crowd and the servants of one of the clubs came to hostilities, and as a result of the jostling and rough conduct several ladies were borne away by the ambulance parties in a state of prostration. Cases appear to have been entirely absent of tho se accidents once so common, due to the collapse of stands. That is largely owing to the regulations a.nd inspection which public authority enforce.

Some of the worst misfortunes that occurred were brought abcut by over anxiety to secure advantageous places for sight-seeing. Hyde Park now, unfortunately, bears e\'idence of this in the broken branches of noble trees all along the eastern side To those patiently waiting for the coming of the procession it was di version to watch the fran tic of indi viduals to reach perches high above the heads of the crowd. ::-\ot once nor twice, but a of tImes, the amusement was turned to concern when branch and occupa.1t came down together. A man now lie'> in Westminster Hospital with a fractured thigh sus tained by such a fall, and another was treated in the sam e institution for d. sprained wrist. Several more were bruised and shaken, but took their punishment serenely, and walked away to bandage themselves in quiet or sought the aid of the nearest ambulance party. Similar ,y, a man who, in St. James's Park, took his stand on the glass roof of a shed suddenly fell through, and received a se\'ere scalp wound. Another, quite a youth, trying to penetrate some shrubbery in the same park, came to grief with the barbed wire; while yet anotber, in this instance a man, found it impossible to maintain his equilibrium on the top of the spiked railings, and was impaled by the leg. Considering the enormous proportions of the cro wd the serious accidents reported were comparatively few. The hospitals chiefly affected were St George's, at Hyde Park Corner, and St. Mary 's , Paddington. At the former 20 cases were treated during the afternoon, but it was fourd necessary to detain only a few. Th e most serious were those of a man whose leg had been fractured through a sudden rush outside the park gates, and a youth who had fallen from the branch of a tree into which he had climbed, alighting 011 the spikes of the park railings. Altogether over a sco re of persons were injured through falling from trees, and no fewer than eight of these were women or girls. At St. Mary's Hospital the number of persons treated were 30, five of whom were detained. One of these were Police-constable John 'Valker, of the John Street Division, who, when on duty in tbe crowd, sustained a somewhat se,-ere injury to the spine. Four others were soldiers, named Thomas Easton, Frederick Barnes, Jack Charles, a nd Henry White. They had suffered severely from exha ustion and the pressure of the crowd, and their condition was sufficiently serious to necessitate their detention, T he remaining Clses were accid ents of only a slight nature, the sufferers being able to return home after had receiyed the necessary attention. In the Edgware Road, as the procession was passing, someone in the crowd was taken ill, and a nurse belonging to the St. John Ambulance Brigade ran to render assistance. In hurrying across the road she "'as knocked down by a horse and rather baJI y hurt. She was remo\'ed for medical <l<;sistance.

So thick was the crowd at certain places that the immediate removal of a patient was ofte n impossible. A soldier who fainted in Piccadilly had to wait rluite an hour before the stretcher party could carry him to a place of compara tive q uiet. That is one of the great difficulties which always hamper the work of the ambulance brigades, and in regard to which they have to reckon with the temper of the cro wd, who, to their credit be it said, usually yield willingly to their wishes.

In all 1.30, patients were treated by members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. That number, ho\\'e" er, only embraces those whose cases were thought worthy of record. :\lany more suffered if! such a trifling manner that they were omiueJ from the lists. In the vast majority of ca£es the treatment required was simple and purely medical.

The follo\\ ing is a li st of casualties treated by V :'I1.S.C. in London :lIilitary, r3. None serious-only faints.

Civilian, 230. Only three serious-(I) Run over; (2) Fractured arm (3) Cut head.

Casualties at Wimlgor-Military and civilian, 50.

A few words must he said abom the spectacle itself, and the impression it produced on the mind of the writer who had the advantage of being so placed that he had an uninterrupted view of the whole of it.

Without going into the details of the procession, which were fully described in the daily papers, what struck one very forcibly was the slow and steady step of the with guns reversed, marching to the strain of Chopin's Funeral March. After that came the gun-carriage, drawn by eight cream-colo u red horses covered with gorgeous trappings,

conveying the Coffin on a raised platform. It was covered with a white s'lk pall, and over that was sptead some red velvet, on which rested the crown, and orb, and sceptre. It made one feel very, very sad to think that our beloved Queen lay there taking her last .j urney among her people, and that we should never again se e her on this earth-it was impossible to realise. Then the King came, looking very sorrowful and very solemn, and with him the German Emperor bearing a set and determined face, and after them the Duke of Connaught. One felt that it must have been a great trial to these Princes to join in 'lhese solemn rites. ind eed, they loo ked as though their feelings were' only restrained by a great exercise of will power. Kings arid Empe(ors after all are only human beings like ourselves, with th.e·sameJeelings :lnd the same passions , and one could not help but feel sort)' for them wh e n so much publi c i ty is forced upon them in their grief: The demeanour of t he crowd was admirable. The Coffin passed by in silence. All heads were unco\'ered, and one could see that the loss of our noble Queen was felt by everybody, Detachments from the following Divis ions in the 1 o. 2, outh

Western District were on duty in \"indsor the day of the Iuu eral -p f 'our late Beloved Queen :-Boughton, Bristol , Caterham, Fayersham, Herne Bay, Oxford, Portsmouth, Ram sg ate, Reading, Tunbridge 'Veils, and Vestgate -on-Sea. The various detachments arrived in vYind sor over night, and were billeted in the National S chool Room, Peas coad Street, which had been kindly placed' at tneir disposal by the vidr.

SpeCIal thanks are due to.Mr. and Mrs. Knight fo r th e ir kindness in preparing the room, and by lighting fires, &c which added much the of tbe detachments. The parade was called' for 9 a.m. and punctually at that h o ur the Deputy Commissioner, Dr Vern on, \\ho was in command, inspected the yarious detachments prior to their being marched to their stations. The fo llowing were the princi pal stations.

Great Western Railway Statio n, the 'Cast le 'Keep, Corn Exchange, Town Hail, Post Office, Peascodd'Street and top of Long Walk. About roo cases of a more or less serious nature, but principally faints, were attended to during the day. The Deputy Commissioner had as Stnff Officers, the Brigade Chief Sup erintendent, District Chief Superintendent, Dr. Griffiths, and District Superintendent Secretary Phillips.

SO LJTH AFRICA_ HO SPITALS. -:'lr. W. Burdett-Coutts, :\I.P., h5s communicated to the Press a lengthy criticism on the report of the Commission appointed to inquire into the manaO'ement of the milital'V ho spita ls in South Africa. We have not space to enter fully into':Jli. Burdett-Coutts' statements, b'lt a few extracts will no doubt prove of interest. Mr. Burdett-Coutt s maintained that while in the main tee report justifies his charges, yet it does not lay down s uffi ciently dearly the necessity for a root and branch reform. Mr. Burdett-Coutts re-states his case as follows :-"(r) That the medical arranO'emems for the war ,"ere hopelessly insufficient, and courted (2) That many of the medical arrangements were good; but that when you subtract the goud from the whole, the remainder was so considerable and so bad, so preventably bad in kind a nd so fatably bad in degree that the existing system cannot be too strongly condemned. (3) these. two produ ced a widespread disaster, and that the two propOSItIOns 111 they are stated together constitute a reproach of the gravest kll1d to those for the care of our soldiers; and to a first-class Power that accepts the Issue of a great war. (+) , That the true state of things was deliberately hidden from the nation, and I believe from Government, by a studied campaign of whitewash, aSSIsted o. a regrettable.degree from outside, which prevented a generous natIOn comll1g ,to a speedy rescue. (5 ) That under these Circumstances It was the bounden duty of any independent person who knew the facts to make them known as quickly and as widely as possi':lle, in orner to secure immediate relief and ultimate reform. The first of these two objects was, I believe, rapidly effected.

(6) That it is not the duty of an individual to search out causes or tb apportion responsibility; but that it was the duty and desire of the nation to have an inquiry which could fulfil both tasks thorouO'hly and fearlessly, and which would not hesitate, in the in terests of to lay bare the causes and home the responsibility, wheth er polItical, departmen tal, jJrofesslOnal, or. per so nal." He com plains tha't the report was not suffiCiently exhaustIve, and tbat responsibility wiJ's not pushed home to the proper qU :Lrters ;\1 r. Burdett-Coutts cites the sLatement. of the chemist at No.8 General Hospital, who did day duty 111 the operatlllg and X-ray rooms, ami at night acted aR ord.erly "all over the place, bell tents and' marquees," and who says be IS ready to state on oath that he has found seven or eio ht delirious patients roaming about in one night; and :\1r. Burdett-Co;tts says that no amount ?f testimony .from say they never saw such thll1gs, IS equ::Ll to one lllle of thIS man s positive evidence, and that it must be :emembered he h,ad nothing to gain and probably much to lose by tellmg the truth. 1 he general conclusions anived at by Mr. Bu rdett-Coutts are.th.at the inqui.ry was unsatisfactflry, and that the conclUSIOns reached fall III constructive purpose and do not by sugge stion, contaiR any scheme of reform.

March , 19 01 .J FIRST

1RatIwR\? BnlbuIance .

CHESHIR'E LINEs-Keen interest was again manifested in the annual ambulance competition in connection with the Cheshire Lines Railway. in previous years, the event took place in a waiting-room at the Central Station, Liverpool, on Friday, nnd February. Tine squads from Liverpool, Manchester, and V\Tarrington Stations, 'Yarrington Stores Department, Warringt o n Engineers' Deputment, II uskis son, Brun s'wic k, Birkenhead (Shore Road), Glazebrook and Cadishead. Dr. F. de B. Pim, of Barrowford , was the judge, and the through which eac h team went we re smartly performed, and afforded a fine eXhibition of the sk.ill railway servants have acquired in the important art at aiding the i)ljured. At the close Mr. David Meldrum ( manager, Cheshire Lines) di st ributed the prize s to the winners. Among tbe company present were .'\1 J.C. Ellison, St. John Am bulance Association, George .\l aso n, Glegge Thoma s, R. Delling (Station :'1a ster) , Captain Waring (nt;ndngton), Dr. Battle ( W arr ing ton Infirm ary), J. Medley, J. Bushell, T. P ratt (enginee,·s' department), AlL :'lanner s (Huskisson), R'. Powell ( Brun sw ick) \Y. Cha\\ller (i\lidland Railway), Langley Thomps on, H T. Heath cote (Birkenhead), A. Hay, ,J, Bu ck ley, R. Heaton ("'arring ton), P. Bamford, J. Leather, E. P. Connolly, W Carson, A.. E. Edwards, &c. :\fr. :\l eldrum announced the winning teams as follows :-Glazebrook and Cndishead Station. first, H. Ellison, J'Davies, W. Ditchfield. G. "[arlin. J. Punblett. W :nrington Central Station, second, H. T. William s, J. Fogg, A. Fryer, H. Holloway, H. A. Ro berts \" 'arr ing ton Engineers, third, 'V. Ne\\ns. J. E, Nell'nes, J. Tomlinson, T. Downie, J. Lee. The first prize consists of an ehLborate and costly silver cup, whi ch the winners hold till other rivals wrest it from them. Ea ch squad cor.sis ts of five men, and besides the cup each man in the winning squad received a handsome tra\'ellir.g bag. The two ot her :;quads also carried off a "il\'er cup each. Each of those who in the test w on the seco nd prize further received a case of carvers, and the mem bers of the third co rps each getan umbrella. The Chairman stated that Dr. Pim had taken great intere st in the\\'ork, and he had expressed considerable pleasure at the advanceme nt made by the competitors upon their previous efforts. (Applau se .) Dr. Pim was deserying of the gratitude of he men for the agreeable, patient, and considerate manner in which he had conducted the examinatton. (Hear, hear.) I t wa s pleasant to find that the Cheshire Lines' work. men di s played great interest in this humane and most necessary work. He called attention to the fact that men belonging to their ambulan:e corps had volunt<!ered to go to the front. Several were accepted by th e Wir Office. Some wert:: still in South Africa and three \Yarri ngton men - William s, Hugh es, and Holl oway-who had been in the Trans"aal, had returned and were present in the room (Applause.) :'Ir. :\feldrum mid .hat ;\Jrs. :.vreldrum had deeply reg.etted her in ability to be present to give out the prizes He then alluded to the services 01' 1\11' : E: O. Lloyd, as hon. sec retar y to the ambulance classes. (A.pplause.) ;\[r. Lloyd had put his heart and soul into the undertaking, and it was due to him that such excellent arrangements were always made at the competitions. (Applause.) A cord ial vote of thanks was conveyed to i\lr. Lloyd, wh o suitably responded, and a similar compliment was paid to :'Ilr. M eldrum for his ser vice s in the chair. The winning team will represent-according to the custom each year-the Cheshire Lines in the ::-\ational Rail\\ay Competition at Crystal Palace.

GL ASGO\\' A:-ID SO UTH -WE STER:\, annual competition for the Gla sgow and SOUlb\Ve stern R a ilw:w Ambulance Challen!{e Cup took place on Satur day, the r6th ult. at St. Enoch Station. Twelve squads competed, and the cu p, \\'i t h gold medallions, was won by the !' yr pa ssen O'er sq uad. l\Iarine and Kilmarnock N o. r were seco nd "'and thirJ resp ect ively. Dr. vV'. Brown [\f o ir, Stram aer, conducted the oral in general kn ow ledge; Dr. John Kennedy, GlasO'ow, the examinati on in handaging, &c.; Dr. Da vid i\1'Crorie, Gla sgow, the examination in the transport of the injured. i\1r. Cooper, general manager was present, along with se\'eral of the officials of he company and the officers of the St. Andrew's Ambulance l\ ssoc ation. The arrangements were carried out by i\1r. Muir.

GREAT 'VEST ERN RAILWAY.-From the ann llal report whi ch bas ju:st bee n ss ued it is g-ratifying to know th at the encouraO'ement and assistance given by the dil ectors of the Great \Y estern Com pany to memhers of the staff in the direction of acquiring a sOllnd kn?wledge of ambulance work by the formation of classes, the proVISIon of appl ances, and th e granting of prizes for annllal competilion have very sat sfac tory es ults. Sir John Furley, a member of 'the CommIttee of the St. John \mbul ance Association, who recently act,ed as Chief Commissioner of the Red Cross Society in SOlith ,-\fli ca. bas spoken very highly of those members of the staff Ilh o volunteered for annbulance duties in connection with the war, their work in a hrg-e measure came under hi s person a l notice. The Birmingham members see'med to. have played a very co nsp icuCJu s part in the competitions, and the raIlway teams of the Oxford and Midland districts O'eneJally are to be co ngratulated on having at their head such an in the good work as Mr. 1\1 urphy, the district traffic man ager. 1\1r.

AID. 71

1\1urphy was one of the initiators of the movement on the Great 'Vestern service, the success of whi ch may be gathered from the following figures :-In r888 the first year, 4+8 members passed the first examination, and since then steady progress has been made year by year, un t il at the present moment the number who have passed the test reaches 5,546, whilst 2,208 members have passed tbe second examination, and r,II4 the tb ird. i\Ir. i\lurphy is very proud of the great efforts put forth by the various teams in his particular district, and especially S0 with regard to the Snow Hill team, whose instruclors ar e Messrs. Harri s (captain), Shoemack, and :Y1 appt::rley In the open competition for the Birmingham Brigade Challenge Shield, ten teams entered, the Snow Hill team being successlul The shield has now heen won for three years in succession by teams composed of the company's staff at Birmingham. C. II. Overbury was one of the winners in individual work, and he also received special prizes of a silver badge and a guinea for marked proficiency. Dr. Neal, as medical adviser to the teams, takes great interest in his self-imp osed task. A. new class has just been formed in Birmingham, which already has a membership of 8+

BIHKF,\,HFAD.-On Thursday e\'ening, the 7th ult., a smoking concert of a most enjoyable nature took place in the Park H-tel, in order to make a presentation to Superintendent ;U onK. Councillor J. Edwards occupied the chair, :and there were also ;\lessrs. A. i\ljlls, fT. C y Bielby, R. J. -Robinson, J W. Allen, Chief Superintendent Smith (Birkenhead Fire Brigade) and other gentlemen. The Chairman said that he W3S proud of the Birkenhead Fire Brigade, Like everything else, changes had and would take place in connection "tt h that institution. During :'Ir. :'Ionk's stay in the town he had done "ery much to make the annual hospitals' demonstration a gigantic success. He had put '1 an enormous amount of hard work. The members of the Ho s pital s Demonstration C o mmittee, headed by their hard-w orking secretary, :'IIr. :'IIill s, resolved that tbey would not let one of their olci colleaO'ues go away without some slight recog-nition of his merit. :\[r. H C. V. Bielby said that he had bad to do wilh Superintendent :'Ilonk intim ately in olher things. Tbis was in connection with the a 111 bu lan ce part of the work. Owing to the help he had given him they had now, in addition a first-class fire brigade, a first-class ambulance, He had hoped that i\Ir. :\Ionk " 'o ldd not be appointed to Leeds, for it was always hard to part with a man whom they had worked wi th for many Referring again to the work of the ambulane:e, the speaker said t'lat last year it had gone I,OOO miles and attended 500 cases, some of which had been false alarms in the middle of the night. The amount of work, and th e quiet way in which he did it, had al\\'ays struck him about Superintendent :\Ionk. I n conclusion. he hoped that Mr.' Mon k would long live and enjoy the pI esen ts made him. :'Ilr. A Mills said that anything- that fell from his lips with reO'ard to Superintendent !\l onk would be abso lutely sincere. He asked Superintendent M onk's acceptance of a marble clock, three bronze ornaments, spirit frame, and a silver cake basket, and remarked that the sup erintendent 's servic es in connection with the IIospitals Demonstration Committee wl;re all the more appreciated because it was extremely diffic ult to get gentlemen to undertake public "ork of that or any other character. Supe intendent Monk, on rising to acknowledO'e the gift, was recei\ed \Iith loud applause He expressed his gratitude for remarks which had been gi 'e n expression rcgarding his servIces conneCtion \11th the fire and obsen'ed that in that capaclt)' he had endeavoured to perform hIS duty as a public sen'ant as faithfully as he cou ld. the of the superintendent was toasted, followed by the Slllgll1g of" lI e s a Jolly Good Fellow." the evening an enjoyable musical plOgramme of both and \,ocallllstrume lwl Items were gone through.

BLACKPOOL.-At the end of January, the third annual distribution of clothinO' to the poor children of the town took place at the Police Station in"South Kinf! Street. The Chi"l Coustable assisted by l\lrs. Orme and the ladies of the nursiug division performed the labour of love, and the sat sfact on of pre senti ng articles of cloth in". to over cbild r en. \\'e congratulate the ClmJ Constable and the ladles on their work, and point it out as an e:umple of what can be dOlle by our ::Lmbulance sisters.

\Y E are O'lad to learn that there is a probability of a reconcili'ltion between BirminO'ham and District Ambulance Corps and the St. J oh n \m bulance 13riO'ad: \Ye trust that no pains will be lost to bring about so desired a result. The Birmill!.;ham Corps in the past wa s one of the larO'es( and most influenlial Corps in the Brigade. Differences of will we know sometimes occur in the best ociet.ies but we trust tha both bodies wIll approach the questIOn 111 a nghtspl[lt and bearing in mind the grand old motto will decide in the future to wo r k in unison. Pro 1tt//itcLle hOJJlIIIUIil.

$t. 30bn tlnlblll a nce METROPOLITAN CORPS.

THE OPENTNG OF PARLIAMENT.-This ceremony took place on the 14th ult. and the King went in full state. The route was short. along the through the Horse Guards and down Parliament Street. The State Coach was brought out and admired by everybody both their Majesties looking very regal. The crowd was orderlyand\vellbehaved. The members I District, St. John Ambulance Brigade, were on duty, and 15 statIons were formed on the line of route. The number of all ranks (including nursing sisters) on duty was I99, and the total num ber of cases treated was 221.

THE following Brigade Order of the St. John Ambulance has been issued from the Headquarter.;, St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell;Extract from a communication, dated Janu a ry 6th, 1901, from the Private Secretary to her. :vlajesty the Queen, the Sovereign H eac1 and Patron of the Grand Pnory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John 01 Jerusalem of England, to the :vtarquess of Northampton, K.G., KnIght Grace of the Order, on the occasion of a complimentary banquet gIven the men belonging to the TO. 3 District of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, who had lately returned from service in South Africa; -' The Queen has heard wi th much satisfaction of the excellent wo rk done in South Africa by members of the S t John Ambulance B' i!\ade.' A similar. communi.:ation, dated January, I2th, IgOI, was re ceived from Pnv'l.te Secretary to H.R H the Prince of Wales, K.G., Grand Pnor of the Order, to the following effect :-' Pray convey t o .the men the St. John Ambulance Brigade, my warm congratuIatlOns on theIr return, and above all on the splendid work which they performed in South Africa. I feel proud to be at the head of so distingi shed a body of men-(Signed) ALBERT E n wARD. " " C. BOW DLER, Chief Commissioner." :\ O. I DrsT RICT. - The Ann ual Bohemian Concert which was to have been held on February 6.th at St. Martin's Town Hall, Charing Cross, and was postponed oWing to the death of Her late Majesty Queen Vi ctoria, will be .held at the same. pl a ce on Wednesday, :'[ a rch 6th next, commencmg at 8 p m. TI ckets already issued will h old good.

SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS CO. DIVISION.-On Saturday, Feb. 9th a 'I welcome-hom e " dinner was given by the above division to those of their number who had safely returned from South Africa. The evening was in every wa y a mo st enjoyable one. Ab o u t 60 set down to a wells erve d dinner a he" Thom as a Be cket " lIo tel in the Old Kent Road :lIld, n o effor was s pHed by.the caterer i\1r. Du ck, to sa tisfy a ll. chaIr was ta ken by Supenntendent J, C.- Lmes, supported by Chief Supenntelldent Dr. Ward Piers, Mr. Butcher, and others. Af er dmner the evenmg was gIven up to conviviality and su.rprises. MI. director of Gas Company, started the ml.ne of surprises 111 a speech whIch ended in a gold medallion, engra. ed, bell1g handed to the surgeon of the division Dr. Ward. This was by more complimentary thin!1:s being'sai(' and another g o ld medallion, also beautIfully engraved, beino- handed o a nd yet Mr: Butcher went on, anl spoke of th e h os pltabty and kwdnes s the DIVISIOn had always received from \[ rs Lines, the first officer and secretary of the St. John's Gate :--: uy s ing Division who, when on duty on Bank Holidays never forgot the comforts that help to m a ke the da ys pass pleasantly. The Division h er eupon a sked her a ccep t,: nce of a beautiful umbrella, also engraved, a <; a ma rk of theIr a pprec mtlOn. Then followed expressions of thanks fr0 111 Dr. \\'ard, and from th e Superintendent on his own behalf and on tb a t of 1\[rs. Line s The mem o ry o f our late Queen , the health of th e King , the lad s wh o had returned, the visito rs, and oth e r toasts were h o n o ured. Intere sting and humorous rep lie s were given for the lad s hy Pr ivate s A shman and Manley, and the vi s itor s were left in the able h a nd s of Acting-Superinten d ent Darker of the Wimbledon Division le n o f which sat down to the c!innel. Cheer s were appropriately for th e " g ood o ld g as ," which proved an easy winner when the el ec r ic l ight fa il ed fo r a time. Altogether (he evening was a great ,uc ce ss passed fa r oo qui ckly, as s o ngs eft unsung for want tIme The lads from S o uth Afn c a seemed delighted with their r ece p t IOn.

PROVI C[AL CORPS.

DEATH OF DR. A. H. JO:'-lES, OF NORTHAMPTON.-We deeply r egret to announ ce the so mewhat sudden death of Dr. Arthur Henry Jone s which took place athis residence, 45, Sheep Street Northampton sh o rt y before four o'clock on Monday, Feb. I Ith. It' will b e r emembered tha:; the deceased gentleman was atta c ked with partial pa ralysis of the spine in January, last year. He was then attended by D r. R A. Milligan and Dr. Buszard was consulted. Dr. Habershon who is a cousin of the deceased, a specialist in London was s u bse q uently co nsulted. Deceased's symptoms became so that h s life was dispaired of. He soon afterwards recovered but was so lIe a k that he wa s advi sed to take a sea trip abroad, which he did and relurned almost completely restored to health. As late as Saturday he wa s pr esent at a meeting of the G o vernors o f the :\'orthampton General I nnrmary, and wa s then apparently in good he a lth. On Sunday

A ID . [March, f 901.

morning, however, he was again attacked with spinal paralysis in a most acute form. Dr. Milligan was sent for, and was quickly in attendance, and from the first it was thought there was no hope of his recovery Dr. Buszard was called in consultation, and Dr. Habershon was also again telegraphed for, and came to Northampton by the first available train. Dispite all that medical aid could do for him, he passed away as above stated. We shall hope to give a sketch of Dr. J career in our next issue, in the meanwhile we offer our sympathIes and those of our readers to his sorrowing wife and relatives. There was a large and representative attendence to pay their last respects (0 the' memory of Dr. A. H. Jones, on the occasion of the funeral of the deceased on the 15th ult. The coffin was covered with beautiful floral tributes, and in the centre of the top was a small black cushion egded with white silk, on which was placed the silver Star of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of which the deceased was Hon Associate. Eight members of the Ambulance Corps acted as bearersStaff-Sergeant Mott, Sergeant, Wl)rth, and Privates Chaplin, Coling, Rolfe, Jeves, Stevenson and JOlley. The mournful procession to the Northampton General Cemetery was almost in the sarr,e order as that the Church, the Nursing Sisters of the Ambulance Brigade falling 111, and the rear being brought up by several carriages containing gentlemen who had attended the service The committal portion of the service at the Cemetery was read by the Rev. F N. Thicknesse and the Rev. Canon Bury. At the close of the service the Ambulance brethren and the Nursing Sisters dropped sprigs of St. J;)hn's Wort., an emblem of the Order, on the coffin. It will be known to our readers that the late Dr. Jones was practically the inspirer and founder of the Ambulance movement in Northampton. Low FELL.-The annual meeting of the Low Fell Diyision was held on Tuesday the I9th ult., in the National School Room, Low Fell the superintendent eMr. John Adolphus Harrison) presiding.-A of sympathy with the King, on the death of Queen Victoria, was passed.The secretary (Mr. Kirk) read the annual report, which stated that the membership of the brigade had increased during the year from 21 to 35 and that the annu a inspection had passed off satisfactorily.

The bngade had successfully undertaken street duty in Newcastle on the occasions of the visits of the Duke of Connaught and Prince of Wales. Mention was also made of the fact that seven members of the brigade had volunteered for service in South Africa, and three had been accepted. Mr. John Wilson, the first of these, and the first volunteer of any. description to I?:O from the North of England, had received promotion, and had al so wo n an award fo r his work. The other two had performed their duty with credit to the brigade. The superintendent then addressed the members, laying emphasis on the good work dor.e by the brigade when undertaking street duty, and expressed the hope that the police force of Newcastle and Gateshead might soon come under the brigade system, instead of the association, as at present. He al50 alluded to the men that who had O'one to South Africa and said that their example had popularised the brigade not only id Low Fell, but throughout the country. The evening concluded with a smoking concert.

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Oil :H'tl'SSiflll t o h e Tl n'one t lt( · R eali ;In( l P at r on of th e UI'\1 l' 1 of J o11n Tl li s fact \I as llOt k nC nYl l to most p e0 i'l l' u nti l p uh li sh ed n the (/ u"pttp a11\l w e feel snre t i s lll a Lt c r o f ('on O' l'at ul a t ion to nm hulullce wOl·].::en. to blO\\' th at t h e Ki ug the ll t>,lll of the Ol'llel'.

-:r; -;i: ::mot h l'l' co umn ,yill h e fount1 t h e arcoullt t hat Sit' .John Flll'lp), gi yes of h i::; expel·i ellces i n Ro u h A ft-icn vV e ar e a ll i nd ee u u ee pl )' gmtef ul t h at lI e ha s l' etu m ec1, and h op e th il t h e m ay soo n l 'ega jn hi s f1111 h ea l t h. Hi s pr ese n ce H t t h e B oh em ia n Conce l·t of Di "isi oll of Il e t, J ohn A III hulan ce B l'lg,1(l e wa s lu g hl y a ppJ 'ec i tt cll a n d n l:-;o t b;lt of th e m emhenl of th e Bri gn. d e ,\ 11 0 ball J·etm n ell .- It m ,lY indee( l be tel'll1c( l H. khnki " conCl'l·t.

TU E A nnua l Co 1\\ p et i tion:--. promoted b y tbe Dt , J ohn Ambul ance .cl.. , :-;oc i,tbon :ll'e 1l.11P1·oHchil1g, the intel·e:-. t t h at th ey ('a ll fol'th i" gl'al l unl1y inn·ea:-.il1g. It w ill he n ot icell t h at t h e tt',\ll1:-' of the Ylll'iolh l ln ih"ay Com panies

11'e pr e par in g f Ol' the Sb' ll gg l e, <lllll " 'c p r esume t hat the B r i g nll e teams a l'e gil'lli ng fOl' t ho fight. p;

1'l sec m s t o u :--. a g l'eat pi ty that in t h ese co mp eti t ion a grea t m a t te nti o n i :--. n ot to i nlp1'O\'jsel mate l'j a l , and to t h e m eth oll :; of impl·ovisat ion It i s oh\ i ow.; to e\-e1'Y on e lmt in a zr eat 1';1 ihn\\, "masll, 01' a. ll ig ::;h'eet accident, th e 1xl11Lh1 ges s pJi lltS OJ' a suffic i ent num be r of t h e m , will n ot 1)e ,\ t Dam1, so why n ot imi tate as £'11' a,' m a y b e th e Lw tlHl l 01' p ossib e state of nfi :l in" and l et the co u:1p eti t Ol' s d o t h e ir ])es t, ilt Im p1'O\ si ng s pli nts ,l1lel hnncb g es. It is ho und to (,Ollle to tlu s III co n n;e of t im e ,Ul cl th e soo n er t h e a n h Ol'ities i n C' h '\ l' ge cf t h ese c0 ll11;et.i t ions l'ecogn i:-. e i t, t h e bettel' for amb ul a n ce t r a i n i ng a nd th e better f or t h e me n. **:-

COLOXEL WARD of th e Arm y :-; en -i ce d escrib ed b y Sir 0 60 1' o e Whit e th e b est s upply o11:ice 1' sin ce M oses fwd to m emhe l's of t h e N o 1 of th e t . .John Ambulan ce Brig ad e :Lti t he () 0 l11m a n cl an t of th e l{,o y a l :Milita ry T 01.11·nn.m c n t fOi' se Ycl' a l J ear::; p1' evio \1 s t o y('[\1', i s t o b e t h e nc w p Cl'l1 UUl e n t 'Gnd cl' -f ec r e t a l'Y a t th p War Otli. ce '"<;,' '" TH osE of om l 'C' :Hl e l's wh o to fil e th e il nmn h Cl'S of Fi?'st A iel, s houM se nd to t h t f t olz e n be l' g Fil e C o nn shwood H ou se, N e ,, - Dl' oa tl f tt- ee t E. C" f Ol' on e of t b e il' " Stanl ey Fil es wh ol e t w el\-e- U1 on h s can be fil ell at (1. coS'l, (l 4 i d .

B 1bo5pitaI 1Rurse's J8J:perience in $outb Bfrica.

[ Vil e h a ve une x pe c tedl y been fa vo u red wi t h h e fo ll owi n g finl l in stalm e n t. "r e hav e agai n o t hank our la d y corresp onde n t for h er e xce ll e n t desrr ip on of h e wor k and e\'er y thi ng apperta n ing to i t. As the heat continued to be so try in g, the d octors ad " ised t hat wo of us another s ister and myself, should he sent down country, ell route for Ellgland \\' e left Prctori'l on 'Wednesday, December Dth, at 5 a,m" spent the night 011 a siding outside a small station in the Urange Ri\'er Colony. starting again at da ylig-ht and reaching Blo e mfontein at I a m. on Thursu:lY Here \Ie had an hOllr to wait, so had time to c:lll at the Post Office for stamps. before starting again, U ur next stop w as S pringfontein 1 h ere we stayed the night, leav i ng the train and going up to the Field H ospital. \\' h ich is camped :tbout half a mile from the s tation T here we recei\' ed a 'ery warm welcome from the matron and sisters, who seemed quite delight ed to see fresh faces; S pli ngfontein being ?nly a wayside station \\'ith \\' o tin h ut s for waiting - room and bookIng office, and a fe\\ COLlages for the socalled porters a n ti officials to l iv e in. So it is very d reary for t h e hosp it a l starr who see n obody o to fro m week's end to wee k 's end After tell in g the m a ll t he n ews aud see i ng all they had to s h o w us t he chie f thing be ing th e cemetery, we sa d good-bye and took train o n F r id ay mo rn n g, reac h ing Cape T ow ll early o n Sunday v\' e were not sorry to arr ve, as one g ot terribl y t ired o f h av il: g a ll on the trai n ; but on th e whole we managed very well, a nd o ur li ttl e methylated sp irit s tov es p roved in\'aluable. O n reac h ing Cape To wn \\'e reported ourse \'es to the P. l.O. and wer e sent to i\l a i tlan d eO,manry H ospital. which lies about five from .the tOwn, .to wait till there \Ias a transport ready to start. [hIS hospital was built to recei\'e Yeomanry im'alids and com'alescents from Pretoria and Deilfonttin, and keep them till a boat ready to take them to England. It consists of four large huts each c?ntaining t\\'O dozen beus t\l'O for the more acu:e surglc:tl and entenc cases, and t\\'O for patients, while marquees were pitched beyond, to increase the accommodation if w anted, and it was possible to taKe in wo hundre d men if necessary . T his \\as ample, a!; only Yeomanry cam e here, other hospitals at Wynberg, W oodstock and Rondesbosch, bein g provided for the Regulals who came down. ,T here wtre tIV? great dra\\'backs to :'l aitland, one was the soEL whIte sa(id on whIch t he camp was built, into w hich one sank deep when and where fle.ls literally swarmed, and, as It \\ as quite ImpOSSIble to exterminate them they were no small annoya nce. The second drawbaCK was the almost continual south easter whIch blew t h rough the camp smotherina e \'erything " ith sa nd and making t rather hard to keep and look pleasan t. we managed to er.joy o u rse ves very well during our s tay tl.1ere, dOl\1g when wer e wanted and he l pino- witl:: all the Christmas fest\ \'I ues, of wh Ich t he camp h'ad its full share. The p atients h ad three tea.s gi \'e n hem by people in the to\\'n, one extra nice one belllg prOV ded b y ladies \I,ho were refugees from J ohannesburg. As the camp was no t " err full in Christmas week " e cleared out one ot the co m 'alesc e n huts and held all the the C h ristmas dinner and he teas there. as, then , the sand !!torms did not interfere Chr stmas Day \\ as enjoyed by e\·eryone. I n the morn ng a ll who could and wis h ed t o walked over to the military camp at \I ait and t o the serv ice, and on their return dinner was T he }l e nu wa s as follo ws :S OGt' T URKE\·. F OI l LS.

G OOSE B EEF.

CHRISn!AS P L'V])f C' C ( wit h brandy sa u ce). P IES.

DESSEl{T OF ALL K I:\DS.

B EE R. and that it was fully appreciated was pro yed by t h e rapi d ity \\ it h which \Ie h:td to can'e and sen'e out the \' ario u s good hings. T he next dar aft'.!r one of the t e a tights a conce r t wa s gi ven by t he men and wo days later the y had he other tea and some outs id e rs and aa ve an e n tertainment. S o , conGide r ing the y were ill a nd i n the country, they did not fare bad ly . A t t h e begi n n in g of h e N e w Y ear, sister and I and about fifty o[ th e palie llL s wer e warned to be read), for the ne x t T ransport, which wa.s to sa il sh ort ly

and on the 8th of January we all wen t on board the A uremia and started for home. We found that there were :tbout 1700 people on board, chiefly co nvalescent soldier s and patients, six civil surgeo::s, six nur sing sisters and about tlVO dozen indulgence pas se ngers -rela tion s or connections of military people sen t home by Government , merely paying their own messing fees. U ntil the end of their ast voyage, when the Aurama brought h ome the C.I.V.'s, patients were nursed o n her aft, in cabi ns, each cabin holding four bunks; but tnese were fO'Jnd to be very hot and unsatisfactory, so befo r':! leaving En gland last time all the partitions were taken down, leaving a clear deck or ward, and rows of wooden bunks were fixed, seven up per and seven lower in a row, three rows on one side of the hospital and three on the other side

The space in the cen r e wa s u sed for meals. &c., by any wh o l!ot up in the day, and from the end of o ne table ran a stair up to the disp ensary, wh ere there was a good assortment of drugs, &c. At the further end of the ward was a nice little kit chen fitted with all necessaries. and beyond Jay the bath rooms and lal'atories. In th is hospital were all the inyalids. while those who were nearly convalescent, and yet not wong enough to ,. rough it" on the troop deck, lil'ed on the deck under the firs class dining saloon, from which had been cleared all the first class cabins with which it had oriO'inally been fitted, and can\'as cots had been slung instead for the men. Both on this deck and in the hospital were electric fans fixed , by means of which the air was kept constantly circulated and tairly cool. eve n through the h ottest p :trt of the voyage. Soon after leal'ing Cape 10wn we moved as many pa tients as possible up on to the promenade deck, where they lived till within four days of home, when the nights grew too cold for them to sleep out of door s In the day time we hung a to separate their end of th e deck from the officers', and they lay in comfort on thei r mattresses :he sea breezes, and only having to be mO\'ed in the early morning-. when the decks were wa shed down, Ilhen we lifted them bodily, with their mattress, on to lo unge chairs commandeered for the occasion from the first class passengers. :'l ost of the patients improved rapidly on the voyage, with three exceptions-two phthisical sailors from the Man-or-war in Table Bay an d a bad heart case One of the sai lor s died just after we had stopped at St. '-incent, in the Cape Verde Islands, for coal, an d we b:Hied him at sea the next day about fo r ty miles out. Th e other two reached England aliv e, but I fear their days are numbered. They were all three very nice men, especially the two sail o rs who were too good to live. We had a splendid voyage till we reached' the Bay on Saturday morning, where we came in for the end of the gale which had betn raging over England and France, so most people did not feel quite so happy as they had been, and the amount of crockery smashe d was somewhat appalling. However, o\l'in g to the skill of the ship's captain and officers we were not delayed. but sighted the Lizard LiO'ht before midnight on Sunday, and by noon the next day, January IgOI, we lay alongside the quay in Southampton Dock. The invalids were taken off the boa: by the Netley convalescents were drafted to various depot s, while passengers, sisters, &c. made their way to homes, all haying enjoyed the very mucb, but feelll1g heartily tbankfu l to have reached En glish shores once

AND DrSTRICT AMBULA:\CE BRI GAD E D INNER.-The annual dinner of the Birmingham and D istrict Ambulance BriO'ade took place on the 20th ult The hrigade s very rightly proud of the response made by its members to the invitation of the v"ar Office to ambulance men to volunteer for the front and had the men who have r eturned from South in: a!ided or time expired, amongst tbem, an d as a token of their appreCIatIOn presen.ed them with medals. I was a gatherin.g some r20 st:ong a t the Crown H otel, Corporation Street. CounCillor R. C. Jarl'IS, presided, and amongst others present were Councillor S. E. Johnson, Dr. l\'eil Superintendents McManus, Tozer , Moore, Beard and M onk, and Messrs. A. K err, F. Gilbert, H. IIawkin s and J: R Stamp (, ecretary) Previous to distributing th e medals, CounCillor J arvIs referred to the excellent o[ficer ing and management of the brigade, and mentioned amidst applau se the names of Superintendent Tozer and III r. J. R. Stamp, the Secretary. As one who had seen the sp lendid usefulness of the Birmingham brigade he ventured to predict that if it became merged into the St. John Amb ul ance Associat ion, it would become one of the best a mbulance brigades in the United Kingdom. (Ileal', hear). 1;1 th e matter of ambula.nces he. said be hope.d that before long the C ity Council \\ atch might see .thelr lIay to provide a good supply of the vehicles. In an appreciative reference to the services of the men who had volunteered to go out to South Africa he spoke regretf ull y of the death of Pearce, and observed that the services of the whole of the sq .ua d which gone out had formed no mean part in th e campaIg n In Somh A!nca. (Applause) An enjoyable smokinO' concert filled up the rema in der of the evening. "

At the. monthly meeting! held ?n the 4th ult. of the Birm ingh am and DistrIct Ambulance Bngade It was stated th?t 237 cases of First A id occurred during the month of February.

A I D. [April, 1901.

H 1borne 1Rut'sing."

By "C HIRURG US " P ART III. VENTILATION.

By ventilation is meant the changing of im pure for pure air m an apartment.

A room gets stuffy and warm when it is filled with people, and part icularly if it s li ghted with artificial light (other than electric).

Tb is is on account of the impur ities given off from our bod ie s, by the breath and skin. You know that we breathe from sixteen to eig hteen times per minute, and tbat eac h act of respiration is divided into two parts, n ame y, inspiration and expiration. When we inspire we draw air into t h e lungs and so get the oxygen for the purification of the blood, wh en we expire the carbonic acid passes o ut from the lungs into the air; hence, we are- constantly deprivinO' the a ir of oxygen and filling up its place with carbonic acid and other Im purities.

In the open air this does not matter as it is dispersed by the winds, and also the acid is taken up by plants and oxyge n is give n off, so that the outside air is constantly kept pure and fresh.

But in r ooms the air is constantly being made impure, and if not rene wed from the outside would soon poison u s; especially so the air of ho s pitals and sick rooms, on account of. the large. amount of offensive orO'anic matter thrown off by the bodies of the Sick, and also the dis cha rg es from wounds and abscesses, c ·C., and if the illness s infectious by t he disease its e lf.

Always ventilate your rooms in health or in sickness, so that on entering direct from the open air no stuffiness or disagreeable smell will be n oticed

Noll' comes this question, H ow much air does one person require?

Each person to be bealt hy requires 3,000 cubic feet of pure air per hour and each sick person should be allowed .J.,ooo cubic feet per hour. The amount of carbonic acid in pure air is 4 parts in 10,000; in expired air it is 400 parts in ro,ooo. A properly ventilated room should never contain more than 6 parts of carbonic acid in ro,ooo parts.

Carbonic acid is heavier than ordina ry air, so that expired air as soon as it becomes of the same temperature as the air in the room s;nks to the ground. '"

fn reckoning the amount of cubiC spa ce In wards It IS not usual to calculate height above r2 feet; Ihe amount of floor space which should be allowed to each sick person is one-twelfth of the cubic space ; a sic k person, as stated preyiously, requires 4,000 cubic feet of fresh air per hour, and a<; it h as been found to be impossible to chan ge the air in temperate climates oftener than three times in an hour without causing a dmuO'ht ; the least amount of cub ic spac e whi:h sho uld be allowed to an would be one third of 4,000, or, ro ughly speaking, I,300 cubic feet, and the floor space would be a little over roo square feet.

In infectious hosp itals it is usual to allow fr om 1,500 to 2,000 curic feet of space, and 144 square feet as floor space.

}lavinO' arrived at the amount of fresh air that IS re qUIred by a Sick person, the next questions we have to c?nsider are - lIow are we to get the fresh air? and how are we to get rId of the foul air? In short, how are we to ventilate the a-artment ?

\' en tilation is carried o ut by tbree means :-

I. Diffusion

2. Action of the winds.

3. Difference in the density between hot and cold air. Diffusion. -By diffusion we mean the mingling together of two gases, which all g ases have the power of doing; as an examp le, if a O'as burner is turned on in a room and the gas be allowed to escape, at first the gas will only be smelt at the burner, but very s')on it will be smelt all over the room, the gas will have mingled with the air, so pure air will mingle with impure air.

Action of the winds .-The wind when it blows against the windows a nd doors will force its way through the crevices--in some of the m()dern h o use s, which are run up q ui ckly by the spec ulative bui lder , it will even find its way through brick walls-also as it blows across the top o f the chim n ey p ot it 5ucks the air up the chimney, thus causiug an up-draught.

Difference in the density between hot an d cold air.- This is the most important of the three meam Air being IVa.rmed expands a nd becomes lighter, a nd passes out through any available o penIng ; In rooms in houses this opening is usually the chimney, as the warm air passes o ut th e cold air rushes in through door or to take its place, by which means a constant c urrent IS. set up. ThiS movement of air should be continuous, steady and pr;",ctIcally Imperceptible. Ha ving discussed the theory of ventilation, let us see how we can put it into practice.

The opening through which a ir passes o ut is termed the o utle t, and the opening through which air co mes in is termed the inlet.

TOW if the inlet is smaller than the outlet It fOLlo ws t hat the air will rush in very rapidly and so cause a draught; for example, when you

April, 1901. J FIRST are sitting before the fire with the window and d oor closed, you will find that a draught comes to your feet fr om under the door, that is because th e chi nk un der the door is smaller than the ch imn ey I think from what h as been said you will agree with me that the chimney is the best outlet fro m the room for fou I air. Now as we have taken tbe chimney for the outlet there are only two openings left to be used as in lets, and we bave now to consider which is the better for the ii, let of fresh air, either tbe do or or the winJow ; doors as a rule open off passages and which are in with ether rooms, hence the air from these sources cannot be qUIte pure, therefore the window must be given. the. preference. And the onl.y question now left for us to settle s. whIch IS the best way to get the all' in at the window? If we raise the lower sash we shall find that the fresh air will pass across the TOCJm and go directly up the chimney, because the bottom of the window is on a level with the chimney; again, if we lower the top sash the fresh air which comes in being colder than th e air whi ch is in the room, is therefore heavier th an the air which i5 in the room, consequently, it falls directly to the floor and causes a drauqht. Hence the best way to admit air int o the room by the window is to raise the lower sash three or four inches, and then fill in tbe opening at bottom with a board. We have left a spa ce in the centre of the wll1do\\,. where the lower sash overhps the upper, and through this space you will find that the current of air will come in pass in a direction upwards and inwards, and so become wa rmed gradually, an d will not feel unpleasant to the inmates.

INFECTION.

"Is it catching, doctor ?" This is a (luestion which is constantly bei ng put to the medical man, and by it is meant. is the patient suffel ing from some disease which is infectious or capable of being communicated to another person.

There are twO terms \Ibich ar the present are used indi scri minately, namely, infecti ous and contagious A fell' years ago the word was used when the germs of the disease were conveyed from a Sick pers on to another person by the air or by tbe clothing, &c. ; contagiou s was the term med when the disease was communicated to a person by coming into actual contact with the sick person.

Infec ion IS gi\'en off in one of the following ways :-

By the bre th , as is the case in measles, whooping cough, smallpox, sca rlet fever, typhus fever. mumps.

By exhalations from the skin , as i n typhus fever, small -p ox and measles; therefore the nurse when arranO'ing the bed clothes should be very careful to turn her head away.

By des qu amated particles of skin, :ts in scarlet fever and smallpox, hence the necessity for bmning these particles of skin and preventing them getting Ollt of the sick room.

By secretions and excretions, as mucus from the nose and mouth in diphtberia, the sali\'a from dog suffering from rabies, the excreta in typhoid fel'er, the matter flom small-pox, and discbarges from wounds.

The next point which we introduced into the system?

following ways :-

A I D. 75

Sy m ptomatic fever.-YV hen the fever is not the disease itself, but is only a symptom of another disease, it is called symptomatic fever, as in the case of inflammation of the lungs.

Idiopathic fever. -When the fe,'er is the disease itself. then it is called an idiopathic fever, as scarlet fever.

Idi onathic levers are subdivided into two classes, namely, eruptIve and co ntinued.

Erupt ive fever.-An eruptive fever is one in wbich the temperJture begi n s to fall on the appearance of the rash or eruption, as scarlet fever.

Continued fever. -A continued fever is one in which the temperature cont inu es to rIse, irrespective of the appearance of tbe rash, as typhc id fever.

Fevers are said to run throu15h five I. Incubation; 2. I nvasion; 3. Eruption; 4. Defervescence; 5. Conl'alescence.

I. Incubation .-In this stage the germs of the disease, which have got into the system, mature, during which period the patient feels listless and generally out of sorts.

2. In vasi on .-When the germs ha\' e arrived at maturity in the last stage they then invade the whole system; this stage is frequently ushered in by a rigor, the temperature begins o rise, the patient complains O[ headache and tbirst, the tongue is clammy, dry and furred, the pulse quickens, and tbe listlessness increases, and your patient becomes prostrated.

3. Eruption.- In this as its name indicates, the eruption or rash makes its appearance; in the ccntinued fevers the temperature continues to rise and all the other symptoms increase in severity.

4. Defervescence .- In this stage the temperature falls to the normal. The temperature falls in one of two ways, either gradually or suddenly. if it fallS gradually it is spoken of as falling by "lysis," it suddenly by "crisis."

5· Convalescence .-This stage lasts until the patient is restored to his usual health, it varies a great deal in the length of duration, in fact the length of the patient's purse has a great deal TO do with it.

(,'0 be cOllti7llIUf)

must consider is-How is the poison

It may be introduced in one of the

By direct contact, and so may be absorbed directly by the capillary vessels, as the cas!' in the eyes, where the capi llaries are very near the surface, or in the case of abrasions of the skin.

V,de.' First lecture, •. Care of Hands."

B y the air. -Germs of infection in th e a ir may be inhaled, and so get into the capillaries of the ung s; may be sn:allowed with food, and be t aken up by the capil la r ies of the alimentary ca nal ; or may be abso r bed by the pores of th e skin.

By water and milk , as is the way with cholera and typhoid fever.

By drinking water or eating food which has been left in a sick room. Vl<te: Fir st lecture on ., Duties of the Nurse "

By water in cisterns .-\Yater in cisterns is liz- ble to be contaminated if the overflow pipe opens directly into a drain, as gases will pass up and become absorbed; also mice and birds may get into cisterns and be drowned.

By furniture clothes ( woollen goods espec i ally ), wall papers and letters. - i\rticles of clothing, f urniture, &c., which hold infection are ca lled" Fomites."

There are some terms which ar e frequentl y m ade u se of when speaking of disease, which J think I had better explain n o lY, n<lm ely endemic, epidemic sp orad ic and zymotic.

Endemic -Diseases are called endemic when they are imi ed to a locality, as, for example, ague to marshy districts.

Epidem ic.-When a disease falls s udd en ly upon a large number of people in a district and spreads rapidly, it is called an epidemic, as scarlet fever, influenza.

Sporadic .-\Vh en some cases of a di seas e appear separately and are sca tte red over a wide area, wi thout spread ing, they are said to be sporadic, for example, typhoid fever so metime s.

Zymotic is the word used to express a disease which is preventible.

Fever is u s ually spoken of under one of two head s, either symptom at ic or idiopathic.

;\IA:\CHESTER POLICE 'Y ORK.-At the weekly meeting orlhe :'I anchester \V atch Committee, beld on the qth ult., a resolution was passed adopting the report of a special sub-committee. appointed to act in connection with the annual review of the St.Jobn c\mbulance Bricradt! of the X orth Western Dil'isi o n of England The Chief Constable was requested to make er,quiries as to a suitable ground for tbe re\'iew, which it is hope\.i to hold in :'Ianchester on tbe third Saturday in June, and to report as toa future meeting of the committee. It was resolved by the Committee that at the forthcoming police inspection by Sir Herbert Croft. the date for which is not yet definitely fixed, a section of the force shall be through a course of ambulance drill. The Chief Oonstable was instructed to make the necessary arrangements There was also an interesting ceremony in the Lord i\ I ayor's Parlour, Town Hall , ;\Ian chester, at noon The Lord t'>Iayor (Councillor T. Brig-gs), in the presence of Alderman Rawson (the cbairman of the \Yatch Committee) Alderman King-, :'1r. (Chief Constable), Councillor .-\shton, Councillor Edwyn Holt, Councillor Johnson, Councillor Greenh()w, a " d other members of the \Vatch Committee, presented the medallions and certificates, 267 in number, gained by members of the police force for proficiency in ambulance Alderman R awson proposed a vote of thanks to the Lord :'layor and pointed o ut that '28 mem bers of the force held certificates from the St. John Ambulance A ssoc iati on The value of imparting ambulance instruction to members of the force in order that they migbt be in a. position to render first aid had been exemplified in a significent manner. DurinO' their tour on duty the force had rendered first aid in a O'reat of cases, many of whi ch would ha\'e prayed fatal had it been for the prompt measures taken by the p()lice. During the laSt five years 10,570 persons had been taken to the Infirma ry and other similar in stituticns or to their homes, and 52 lil'es had been saved. Dr. Darwin, police surgeon in tbe ;\lanche ster Division of the County Constabulary, seconded, and said that ambulance \\'ork was next to godliness; it was a nnble work. The resolution was carried and the proceedings terminated.

'VORK.-Superintendent I11 cQ ueen, of tbe Lancashire County Constabulary, on Saturday handed to Councillor Tr av is, Chairman of the Royston District Council, a horse ambulance car and a ppliances. This is the fifth car which ;\1 r. ueen has provided fOI the Distri c Council in his division, and the Littleb()roucrh and IIIilnr ol \ Councils will each re ce ive a car in the course of a fe\\ The whole of the Oouncils in the division wi !1 then he erluip ped with horse ambulance cars. About £r,oco has already heen raised for this object by the police sports and subscri ptions. Th ere are now in Lancashire 30 ambulance cars provided by tbe police, and most of these are located in the southern portion of the COUllty

FIRS'!"' · AID.

lPRIL 1, 1901

IT c1,ppeal's from a (lue ,tio n in the TilE ST. JOII:\ Honse of Commons <lEci ;u1swel'ecl by Lonl XllB1.:LA:\CE Stanley, amI hom SOllle "t;1,tements' in 1)e BRIGdDE Pl'ess, particubl'ly in T1 Uth amI the A;\'D TilE J!edieaZ P1 ess, that a :,:o-calletl GRA TUITY. of the mell1 hers of , J o11n Am bnlanee Blicrncle who ha\'e heen in Sout.h Aft-ie;l h ,\.' been \' ntilated. It ha" been ell thnt the members of the St. John Am hl1h1nce 8rigJde sel'ying in ,'outh Afl'ic" <H'e entitletI to the gl·;\tnitY of .£3 in the sallle mannel a the men in the <- Roy"l Army )ledical Corps

In a matter of this kinli ",here a tlefinitc claim i" made on the novel'mnelJt ;Lna is repmliated, it is al\\',)),s ad visahle to see on '"\That grounds the elaim is ba. eel, ,111tl whether it can be sub:::.talltiated. "Ve do not belieye in this C,lse tl1<Lt the claim is made by the member' of the St. John AmiHlla.nce Brigade as a' whole, lmt is l'<lthe1' put fOl'\\'anl by one or two who ,lre di:-,:"atisfied 01' who have not reall :,ht' contl';'\,ct they signed on joining. \Vo maT ]'ell1in!l them that a. contract iH binding on both silIes, am1 if it can be proved the \Yal' Otlice has broken it., then they 11ave a. right to make a claim, but so feU' it h;'\,s not been proved

Let now 100k n the evidence to see how t 1le Cuc,8 "tcmds. Each membE'l' of the St. John Ambllbnce Brig:Ltle on voluntee1'ing to sei'ye in South Aft-iell ball to "ign ;\, contract l)etween him elf amI the, 'ecTetm'y of State f01' tbe \ \';n' Depnl'tment which conblin' the following pal',\,graph (Xo. ti):-

" ln case I :-.hn.11 complete my "el'vice hel'eHmlel' to yom' satisfaction, I 'hall receive at the end of sueh period a gratuity of one month's full pay at the rate hm'einbefOl'e specified."

In addition to the above the following memoram1mn, elated 14th Hl01, was issued from the Brigade Headquarters:"\IED.-\LS GR:Hl']TIES. Extract from letter received from \\T aT Offi ce

The men of the Brigade will recei"e the 'War medal and any clasps to which they may be entitled in due course, and steps have already been taken to secure the issue of these decoratiom to the men, when the troops as a whole receive them.

The gratuity, however, referred to in Army Order of :; of rgor is not issuab.e to the St. Jotm Ambulance Brigade, the men of this Corps being already provided for in paragraph 6 of the contract which each man makes with the Government.

The amount authorised by this para5'raph is practically equi\'alent to that issued to the troops at large, and men of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, re -engaging for further service i n South Africa, are entitled to an additlOnal gratuity under their 0\\,11 contract, for each additional period of six months.

The above extmcts make it pretty clear tlJat it WHr: nevel' contemplated by the Wal Oflice that the St John AmllU l ance Bl'ignc l e orderlies should 1eeei\'e the gmtuity, and it is aho 1)01'ne ont by the contmct which eael] mcm s igned. But it is a l so (-'vitlent that the gn],tuity not been lost, ight of, fo1' it speeia l grant of one month 's pay i s given to each man on lecwing. One month's full pay fOl' d, second gl'ade O1'(le1'1y is fOLlr guineas, so ufter all the difference between the two amounts is velY iilllall.

The St. J olm .A Jll hn lan(;e Brigade has clone and is cloing a noble work in country ,\l1tl in, 'onth Ah'ic;1" and whibt atllllitting :\ ('Pl-tnin amount of p;u'hdity fOl' the J3 l' ig;u le, Wl' l'egl'l'i (hat in this inst,lllee we cannot support the dailll thnt has been 111,tJe,

'[he ®rbcr of $t. 30hn of 3crusalenl.

(From the" Lo:-mo:-i GAZETTE.")

The Grand Priory of the Order of the lIospi ta I of St. John of Jerusalem in England.

Chancery of the Order, St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London, .\tbrch r Ith.

The Kina has been O'raciously pleased to sanction the following promotions in, and appointments to, the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jeru salem in England:-

Honorary Bailiff.-Sir John Furley (from lIonol?ry Commanuer}

Honorary Commander.- The Right Honourable :'Ir lIenryThurstan, \ 'iscount Knutsford, G.C.\LG.

Knight of Justice.-The Right Honourable Ir Llewelyn ::-;rev II 'auO'han Lord :\1 0styn (frolll Knight of Grace).

L;dies' of Justice.-..\la.lia TUI:-'ner, Lady Furley (from Lady of Grace), The Right Honourable ..\brgaret Jean, \ 'lscountess Knutsford (from Lady of G r:lce) Gatliff, Esq. (from Col.onel

SlI' Herbert Jekyll, R.E., h C :\\. G. IJ IS Grace \\ Illram ] ohn :\1 tbur Charles James, Duke of Portland, G,C.\' .0. Frederick Treves, Esq., F.R.C.S. Alfred Downing Fripp, Ssq., ..\1. '., F RC.S., "\1.V.O. John L. Langman, Esq. Alfred "\losely, Esq. _ Field :\Iarsb,,:l.the Right Hon Sir Frederick Sleigh, Earl Roberts, K.G. :\laJor WIlliam Gnint :'Ilacphers on, IL\.:\LC. Lieut. Colonel George .SteJ!mg Ryer"\1.D (from Esquire). The Honourable Justice Buchanan.

Liet:t. Genera l Sir Frederick \Villiam Ed\\'ard Forestier-\\ Jlker, ICC.B., C ...\l.G. James J. Van Alen, Esq. (Ilonorary). Ladies of Grace.-Cicely \lary, Lady Cavendish-Bentinck. \nnie Emily, "\lrs. IIanbury .lane, :\[r5. Leather

The RiO'ht Honourable Georaiana Elizabeth, Countess Howe. OliVia, Lady Henry Jenny, :\1rs. George Cornwallis West. ,d.O'nes, :\Iiss Keyser. The Right Honourable Georgiana, Countess The Right HOl10urable Carina, Viscountess Parker. Alice, Lady Edward Cecil. Jennie G., :\Irs. Blow (H onurary)

Esquires.-Henry Claude Blake, Fsq. (..\Lhlone pursUlVant of Arms). Gerald Bonham Carter, Esq. J. Fairbairn, Esq.

lt is notified in the ., G.\ZETTE," of :'Ilarch Jst, that His :'Ilajesty the Killa tbe Sovereion Head and Patroll of tbe Order of tbe Hosl)ital of '" l:> St. John of Jerusalem in England, h:b been gr'lciously pleasec to approve and sanction election by the of his Royal Hiahness the Duke ot Cornwall and lork, h CT., Sub-Pnor of the Order to the office of Grand Prior, vacant by Hi s \Iajesty's resignation On his accession to tbe Throne the King became ex olfil:lo Sovereian Head and Patron of the Order under the terms of the Royal l:> Charter of [ncorporatlon.

EAST A;-:CLIA.-A t a Chapter General of the Order of the H ospita l of St. Joh n of .Jerusalem, Surgeon-Captain F. ,\. Br ooks, i\1.D., of Fe1ixstowe, was selected for enrolment as an Honorary Associate o[ the Order which selection has since received the sanction and approval of Hi" Gracious :\Iajesty King Edward \ 'II., the Sovereign Head and Patron of the Order. Dr. Brooks is Surgeon-Captain in the 1st Suffolk and Harwich Volunteer Artillery, and has ret'endy been appo;nted on the staff of the Deputy Commissioner, ::l'o. 3 District, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

W E have mu;::h pleasure in call ing the attention of our readers to a ne\\ and improved Bandage Shoot just introduced by ;'.Iessrs. Reynolds & Branson, t!Je well known Surgical Instrument Makers, of Briggate, Leed s. The Shoot will be a capital addition. to all am bulance stations or factories, being ornamental in design anu litted wLh almost everything the ct First-Aider" is likely to)equire. It is dustproof, and being fitted with a glass in front it enables one to see when the various receptac les require replenishi ng. We anticipate for it a reauy sale.

FIRST OFFICER JOll." E. HA:>: cOCK, Tu:>: TALL Drnsro:--:, NORTH ST AFFOlUiSHlRE CORP

T HE subject ?f our portrait sketch (his month is Mr. John E. Hancock, the First Officer of the Tunsta ll Di\'i 'io n North Stafford ' 11 ire Corps.

I\Ir. Hanc ock ,who was born in CHasgow in Jf 01, was educated in Bur Iem where his parent:> sub equently went to reside.

1L was in the 189."- that he first took up ambulance work. Obtaining 11is certificate in the month of July, I (q , he joinetl the Burlcm Di\'isiol1 of the St. John mbulance Brigade, in \\'hich di\'isiol] he was bter on promoted to the rank of 3rd Officer. Rem o\'ing later Oil to rrun tall he in the formation of the lli\'ision in that town in the .redr 1896, and was offered and accepted the position of 1-;t Officer. I\1r. H ancock ha-. been an ardent and ha t3.ken a warm interest in the work of the Brigade, h:1\ ing attended most of the Conferences :lIld other meetings \\'hieh hayc been lleld with the object of further promuting the efficiency cf its

On the call for volunteers for South )lr. Hancock who had ju t had the misfortune to 10 e his wife and 'only child; at once volunteered for sen'ice, and in Jan uary of last year his sen'iccs were accepted i 11 connection with the "Van Alen" Ho spita l in which he sen-ed for six months earning the good will and e teem of all with 'w hom he came in conLact, Immediately on the call for \-olunteers for Baden Powell's South Con tabulary, Hancock sent in his name and being accepted he is returning once more to South Africa, thi time for a longer period, \'lz. three years That he will do credit to the. Corps o.f he is so worthy a member and of whIch he IS 0 Justly proud we are assllred, and we ask our readers to unite with u in the wish that wbile on service he may be bies ed wirh good health and should he elect to return to hi s nati\'e land at the termination of his engagement we feel certain we can assure him a hearty welcome from the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, who having \vorked with him h.ave learned to estimate h is kindliness ot heart and deYotlon to duty. In conclus i on, i n the name of our readers we wish him "God speed an d a safe return."

AUToMOnrLE appears that in Paris motor cars will shortly take the place of the ambulances now in use. For some months past the military authorities hn.ve used the tramways for the transport of sick soldiers from barracks to Val-de-Grace. The Public Ass istance and the Prefecture of the Seine at lirst thought of followil1O' this example, but the scheme open to the obvi.ous. objection thal:>t pa ti ents to be to hospItal do not :r- Iways h.ve IJ1 where there are tranHV<lY lInes. T hey then conceIved the Idea of uSll1g automobi les,

AID. 77

$t. 30bn Hlnbulancc :fl3rigabc , M etro:=: polttan (!orpS t Hnnual \!ol1c ert.

Tt had been a very stormy day, but happily towards e"ening the elements were more propitious, and sc did not tend to mar the popular proceedings in connection with the annual B ohemian Concert of the l'letrop olttan Corps of ,he. '.J.A.B., which took place at St. :'Ila rtin's Town Hall on the r6th ult. On arrival, just as the clock of the church of that name in the fields at Charing Cross, \\'as striking tbe hour of eight, \\'e found the hall was nearly full, and shortly afterwards it was cro"'ded, On one side were seated a number of the men clad in khaki, ,\' hich plainly told a tale. \Y ith these bronzed heroes \\as one very familial figure, Sergeant :'Il ajor A. J. Trimmer, wbo has done such splendid service at the Imp erial Yeomanry Hospital at Deilfomein. During the e"ening we saw District Chief Surgeon Osborn, F.R.C.S., wbo has rendered such "aluable aid at the front, in earpest conversation "ith tre Sergeant :Ylajor, and we could not help surmising the tone of that talk.

When the Chairman (Sir John Furley, J.P ), accompanied by Lady Furley, entered the ball, they received a splendid reception. \rith them at the principal table were Sir Yin cent Kennett Barrington and Lady Barrington, Colonel Sir Herbert C. Perrott, Bart.. General Sir Owen T. Burne, Sir H. Jekyll and Lady Jekyll, Inspector General Belgrave ..\J.D ., R.:-\., Deputy CommissIOner; :'lIT. Sam Oshorn. F R.C.S., and \lrs. Osborn, :\[ ajor Fox, Captain Dyson, Dr. John Brown. Brigade Chief Superintendent \\'. J. Church Brasier, Chief Superintendent \V. H . .\Iowan, Tleasurer \\-, II. Winny; Superintendent of 'tores hute B. Piers; and Actina Superintendent Secretary W. J. H. Ponlin. Also present in audience were L ady Superintendents: '\lrs. \\r. J. Church Brasier, i\liss £lye Bourke, i\lis s Julia C. \115 .•-\I<ln Paull, and ..\Irs. Timpson. Lady Secretaries: .\Irs. J. Calvin Lines, \Iiss E. Bourke, and i\liss E. :\[ ann. Superintendents: Alan Paull, \V. D. Liddell, E. H odgson, E. II. Evans, J. C. Lines, and <T. \Yells. First Officers: G. T. Cooper. II. L. Jones, and H. \'ih·en.

It was certainly the best organized concert the Corps has given The talene extremely good, and the audience were delighted. \re congratulate the musical director, Private Charles J. r-: ew (CYClist Division), on the gre at success of his efforts. Songs were O'i,'en by ..\Ji ss Jessie Hotine, ..\liss Ivy :\Ioore, both of whom receivedl:>a warm welcome. :\liss Alma Jones' R. A.:\1. singing of cc Because [ love you,' was greatly appreciated. :'IIr \\ ral ter Grant gave c. The SonO' of the Bow" and" The Bandolero" in good style. :\1r. Harry De:rth most· kindly took an absent artiste's p13ce. i\lr. Herbert Linwood's songs were admirably sung. ,,\1 iss :\liriam Timothy's harp solos ., The E.:hoes of a \\'aterfall" and" Dallade," were fJerformed with such exceller.t effect as to ensure recalls. :\l r. Charles Capper's whistling of c. 'houlJ he upbraid," and in the second p:lrt another solo, were l.cllldly applanded. Humorous songs by :'Ilr. \\'allis Arthur, "\lr. Fred. Stephens, "\1r. Harry Hudso'1, and "\I r. Will Edwards, who one and all did well and came in for a good share of the evening', applause. :'Ilr. Dudley Caustons musical sketches were, as they alw;.ys are,a decided success. The concert closed with "G;Jd save the King." i\liss Lilian Bryant, .-\ .G .S. \I., acted as accompanist most ably. Duri ng the proceedings, J mpector General :-\innis announced the following awards made by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England, in connection with the mobilization of detachments for outh Africa :-Hon. Serving Brothers: ,uperintendents E. Hodgson and \V. J. H. Pontin. Illuminated Vellums: 'ergeant i\lajor A. J. Trimmer, Firs: Officer H. Vih'en, and First Class SerO'eant H. J. HallaLt (Cyclists Division). The Chairman having these awards, the Inspector General proposed a Yote of thanks to Sir John Furley. Tn his reply Sir J ohn said: "This was an especial occasion and he was reminded by the presence of so many men in khaki of parade that be witnessed at the Yeomanry IIospitalat Deilfontein, of 70 members of the S .T.A.B., under ergeant ..\ Iajor Trimmer " He also spoke of the varied and great services rendered by Colonel Sir Herbert C. Perrott from the earliest days of the Association, and durinO' the years the Bngade has existed. Sir Vincent Barrington, in well-chosen words, proposed" three heal ty cheers" for Lady Furley, who has done such noble work at the seat of war, these and the cheers 'ir Vincent called for, "the men from the front," produced a great outburst. .'\ charming feature of the evening was the presence of so many of the Nursing Sisters. Bo\\'s and nods of recognition, hand sbakes, and greetings of all sorts, prO\'ed that the large gathering was one of friends. \Ve were almost afraid Lo say I. how many years since first we met especially to our many" Sisters." At nine o'clock i, \\'3S announce'd " that with the ladies permi ssio n " the fragrant weed might be indulged in. Suffice it to say-tbey did agree, aye more, for some of the rursing Sisters had a match box attached to th e ir ch3telains, and thus were enableu to practically show their acquiescence. \Ve noticed the cyclists were in great evidence and this due to the zeal and energy of Superintendent Pontin, whose elevation to the secretarial post ot the aistrict and the honor conferred by the Order is so well merited. The lIon. Secretary of the Concert Committee Superintendent Shute B Piers, worked as he always does with a reality that does one good t) witness. The Refreshment Department was under the direction of Mr. J. G .l{obertson of the Cyclist Division and was capitally managed.

lReb <tross 'UUlot'li.

SIR FURLEY RELATES IllS E;\PERIEXCES IK OUTH AFRICA.

THE lecture lately given in Ashford Corn Exchange on Red Cross 'Nork in Sou th Af;ica, by Sir John Fudey, the Red Cross Knight, was one of the most interesting and instructive ever listened to in A :,hford. There was a good attendance, the Exchange being almost filled.

Sir John was recei\'ed with loud and continued applause on stepping forw ard t o commence his lecture, the interest of which was intensified by the limelight views of places and scenes which have come under prominent notice during the Boer war. After thankingthe audience for the kind reception accorded him, he proc eeded to speak of am bulance work in general, from its inception, and paid a tribute to the medical profession by remarKing that but for their assistance the St. John Association would ne ver have had any existence at al l. Ashford, :'larg-ate and Seven oal(s, he sa id, were the three first corps formed in England. (Ap plause). Furthel applause was elicited when Sir John modestly remarked that he t he first to suggest that ambulance W!lO made themselves useful in time of peace mig-ht also be useful 111 tIme of war, and that he was the father of the St. John Arll bulance Brigade. When hey found that the Brigade had formed a most admirable supplement to the Royal Army Medical Co r ps, and that n ea rly 2,000 of them went out to outh Africa, it required no further comment o n his part. Referring to the statements as to the need of drill for ambulance men, Sir John sa id that was no doubt t hat at the beginning of last they harl had no military experience at ail but all he cou ld say \yas that in every part of South Afri ca these men had been of the greatest service, and hac! their work well. (Applause). Sir John then proceeded to ue scribe holY, at the request of the Central Committee of the St John Ass oc iat on, chiefly at the instigation of Prin cess C!iristian, be undertook the journey t o South Africa eally in the war in order to superintend the building of what was de signated the Princess Christian Hospital train. Alter describing the prelimin ary arrangements after his arr ival at Cape Town and mentioning his appointment as Chi ef Commissioner of the Red Cross So ciety in S outh Africa, he spoke of his staff and of he co -operation of the Go od Hope Society at Cape Town which he and wife were at once made members. Sir John said he indu ced the Committee of this So ciety to extend its sphere of mefulness ; it became practically an homogeneOl,ls o rganisati on and he thou gh t that great permanent benefit sprang from this co-operation. :\linute details of the purchase and despatch of stores to the yarious hospitals we re given, and Sir J ohn stated that in addition to what was sent from England, large supplem en tary purchases had to be mflde, and at one peri od the expenditure averaged £r,ooo a week. Everything was entered in the books, a nd for some ti me Lady Furley devoted eight hours a day to this work. \Vith a tribute to the unfailing kindness and COUl tes), recei ved from the naval and military authorities, the lecturer touched upon the criticisms which have been passed upon military hospital \\ork in South Africa. In s..:ch a great war, which was not expe cte d to develop as it did, it was quite impossible that hospitals could be maintained in the same manner as they were accustomed to sec them in times of peace. They had to do the best they could, anrl the further they became from the base the more difficult it was. " 'ith fighting going on more or less every day, and hospitals depending on a single line of railway over which soldiers and he necessaries of warfare ac:d stores had to go, he asked whether it would be possible to provide against an occasional absence of those things which a hospital required, especially wi h a man like a Boer for a foe?

(Applause). When all had been said, looking back, as one who had seen six campaigns during the last forty years, he had never known one in which so much had been done-and well done, too-for the sick and wounded as in this war. (Loud applause). He would only add one qualification; more could not have been done, but it could have been more economically done, if the amateur element had been under greater control and if workers had consented to sink their own individuality. (Applause). Mentioning the arrival of the Boer prisoners at Cape T own, Sir John s aid that the military authorities were sorely tried, especially with tbe sick and wo unded Bo e rs. Doct o rs and nurses were oven\helmed with the work, but it was no good complaining, and he at once set to work the Red Cross Society, and by cable obtained a special grant for the Boer hospital. 1n connection with this, he remarked parenthet.ically, that he could not forget that plucky little woman, :'Iary King sley, who, without professional testimonials, but qualified by severa l years' experience, cheerfully gave her life for those Boer prisoners. It had bee n said by a Continental doctor that the B OQr sic k and wound ed were not well treated by the British, but Sir .John remarkeu, "I have never heard a B oer say that · on the contrary they expressed gratitude. They were put on e qua'l terms with our own soldiers, and sometimes fared even better."

Continuing he said that the Dutch people in the neighbourhood were allowed to bring little luxuries to thl! hospital, but this was a privilege which was sometimes abused and very often visitors acted as channels

iA i :b. PlApril, 1 901.

of communications with Boers outside. He related an amusing" instance in which a "Tommy," who was shot by a Boer, bayoneteC: the lattn a nd both met in the hospital. They became quite thick chums, and tQe Englishman returned one day to see his Boer friend, he remarked, "What a lu cky thing we met. " (Laughter). Oue of the views showed General Pretorious in h osp ital at v\'ynberg, who was allowed after losing a leg to go h orne. Pretorious, like other Boers, did not show much gratitude. He looked upon L o rd Roberts magnanimous act as his weaknes s, and said, " Y o u English think 1 am not just as good with 0l!e leg as w.ith. two, but. I shall.get in cart."

Pictures of the PrIncess ChrIstIan HospItal tram, both lntenor and exterior were shown, and in one was the p ortrait of a Fa\'ersham man who the .train, which was the to the bridO"e temporarily buIlt over the Tugela. Sir J oh n IIl formed hIS that the train had to wait h alf-an -h o ur whilst the last pile was beino- driven. He also added that up to the present day the train had 25 ,000 miles, and had carried 6,000 sick and twas runnino- sti ll, and there was every prospect tbat It would conti nue to for some time. Tremend ous applause greeted the yiew whi c h the le ct urer explained showed the exact spot where Ca ptain :'Ieiklej ohn was wounded where he gained Victoria Cross. Sir J oh n o-ave an exhaustIve account of hIS Journey to Blo emfo ntein, he met L or d and Lady R oberts in President Steyn 's house, and where he also foun d Dr. C ona n D oyle at work: his meeting with the Buffs at Betha ny, where he was recognIsed by two men, both r eservists, and two officers wh o m he remembered as su?a lterns between thirty and fony years aRo-General Wolfe Murr;>.y and G e neral Brabant The detail s of providing a second ho s pital train by commandeering rolling stock at East London were g-iven, and he related in connection with the first journey tbat the train was preceded by an armoured train carrying a Ga tling gun. J t wa s nothing but a hospital train, but he had the. Red Crosses removed, so that hey might no t be accused o f travellIng under fa lse pret ences. The Boers, however, never troubled them, as they destroyed the line behind, instead of in front of the train. At that time they were assured that the of D e Wet was only a question of a few hours. (Laughter).

At Deilfontein he in s pected and addressed seventy men of the St. J ohn Brigade whom he told how much services were .by all the officers and men. Si;' John sald he must not omit to mentIon the hospital provided by the English actors and actresses, and of which Lady Furley was principa.l sto re and book keeper. In mentioning h is own breakdown 111 health, oWll1g to exposure to cold and fatio-ue the lecturer publicly ex pre ssed his gratitud e for the re ceived Hi s visit to Pretoria was producti\ e of all amusin O' episode He had had tea with Lord and Lady Roberts, and on his at Pret oria he pr esented himself in plain clothes at Lord R)berts resid ence H e was met by two sentries, including a sergeant He had no papers, but he took from his pocket the note of invitatio.1 to tea sent by L ad y Robert s, and th e se rgeant s aid, " That ought to be good enough," and let bim pass The view on he sheet was one of Si r J o hn and Lady [< luley and hIS staff, even to he office boy

FIRST Am A)lD EYE I)lJURIEs.-Lecturing in the Y.:'LC.A. Hall under the auspices of the St. John Ambulance Association (Dundee Centre), Dr. :\I Gillivray dealt wi th" First Aid in Eye Injuries."

Colonel Rankin presided, and there was a large atte ndance. AlLer an opening reference to the useful work being ca rried on by the Ass?ci<ltion, the le cturer, in popular language and ?y referen ce to nume"ons dIagrams, explained the anatomical constructIon of the eye. !"Ie stat ed that cataract was due to loss of transparency of the crystallll1e lens of the organ, and remarked that removal of the lens , while simple, was.a delicate operation. Proceedll1g to speak of wounds of the eye, he sa ld the inflammation was caused by the entrance IIlto the wound of organisms. These organisms the power of producing poisons, which inflamed the tIssues. Cuno usly enough, the organ Isms Jled by the poisons they produced The essential point in the treatment of wounds was the excl usion 01 those germs. 1n removing " fires" or foreign bodies from the eye it was of great importance that the instrument used should be perfectly clean and free from germs, and with this object it should, where be plunged into boiling. water or i?to a tire. This, he said, would go far towards the preventlOn of festerIng of he wound, which often led to total to the power of sigh t. In the case of more serious injury the person affording first ai d should always take the precaution of thoroughly his or her hands. If the pupil presented a pear-shaped appearance It proved that th e eye had been penetrated right through, and in case the best thi.ng was to tie it up in a handker ch lef and let the patIent walk-never dnve in a cab-to the nearest doctor. J n the event of the doctor being a long distance away from the place wher.e the accident might be sustained cold wilter cloths should be applIed to keep the the tem perature as low' as po ss ible. [Ie that the l?ain e:c perien ced was no criterion of the extent of the the lIlJ ury sustall1ed-1l1 fact, very often the greater the pa in the less the uamage In concluuing, advisecl them to avoid so-called popular remedles. On the motIon of the Chairman, Dr. M'Gill ivray was coruially thanked

5t. 30bn BtllOl1!anCc Bssociation.

The 20th annual meeting-of the Birmingham Centre of the ASSOCIatIon was held at the Council House on the qth ult. Th e Lord Mayor (Alderman Sam Edwards) presided. A rep o rt by Mr. J. R. Stamp on the work of organising the local conlinCTent of the ambulance c{)rps for South Africa referred to the enthusiasr: of the men when an appeal ,:"as macie. Altogether 32 men went to S o uth Africa, of whom one, Police ·co nstable Pearce, d ied of en teric fever one returned home invalided, nine came back as time-expired men an'd 2 remained serving at the base-hospi tals. All were reported to' have given satisfaction to the autborities. The VVatc h Committee and others were mentioned as dese rv ing th e than k s of the city for their efforts to enable a representative corps of ambulance men to sen'e their countq'. Lord Le iO'h was re-elected president , i'I1 r. Rog-ers hon. secretary, and \'arious officers were appointed. Mr. Rogers, in returning thanks for his reappointment, said he was in a position to state tbat in a shnrt time the city would be better served in ambulance mat te rs. It \\'as intended to put the men in uniform, so that the public would no t only know but would see tha t there was a briCTade-(hear, hear)-and no mem ber would be a llowed to take part in any demonstration without his uniform. It wa s al so h oped to devote 1 certai n sum to the purchase of a h orseambulance-Cappla use).

CALCUTTA.-'-Iteps are being taken in Indi a to orrranize he work of the St. John Ambulance Association, it being recoCTcnized that there is pIe for its 0l?era tions in peace and in war. I> At a pu bl ic mee tIng :'laJor \ at: exp all1ed the scheme of organization, pointing out the the gre:1.t sernces rendered by the association in the war in South Al.frica. ir E I-I. Collen, military member of the Viceroy's Council, saId that the work to be_?one would be a very valuable aid to the army In \\:ar times The \I cero}, and the military authorities \\'ere Favoulable towards it. Asimilar meeting will shortly be held III i\hdras, at whlch Lord Ampthill wiIi pre s ide.

HA ;-:,nS\\,ORTH. - On Saturday, the 2nd uk, the competition for the Be ck Cup t00k place amongst the members of this Celllre. Drs LlIles and the examiners, and they declared the B IrmIngham RaIlway Carnage and \Y agon Company's team the \\ lnners.

SOIJTH SHTELDS.- The annual meeting of the members of this branch w:r-s held on the I 9t h ult. in the \'ictoria H all, South Shields. The meetlllg was to ha ve been held on January 22nd, but owinO' to the. death of <Jueen Victoria it was adjourned The joint tanes, J\lr J. P age and J\lr. \Y. G. M o rant, presented the annual report, WhICh was accorded that tbe intere!'t of tbe 11'01 k of the centre \\'a s satisfactori ly maintained. It was proposed to form a division of the am.b ul ance brigade in c;mnection with the South Shields centre the formatIOn of a ladies' di\'ision being alreauy accomplished. n ot: worthy fact was tha ev:ry member of the police force n o w held a ce.rtlfica:e from. th e T he co -operati on of the ro lunteer .LIfe Bng.ade stdl cOlltlllued, and all the members had bee n instr ucted firs.t ald. It was w ith regret that the committee announced the resIgn::tlon .of the president, Mr. J. C. tevenson who had occupied that p osmon slllce the formation :of the centre. The committee had been fortunate in secur ing as his successor 1\1r J ames Readhead who had for 10nCT been ?- \:i ce -pre sident , and who had proved himself a' true friend to ASSOCIatIon. In concl usion, the committee ask for the support of all of the comm ul1lty to enable them to carryon their humane work.

WORK 11 OUR EVENTXG S CHooLs - The attraction of ar: of life saving drill and an ex po sitio n of "first aid to the 1I1 WI th an ex celle n concert, was responsi ble for a large audIence at Lillre Road B oard S c hool on Friday e\"eninO" the .I5 th ult. th ose pre sent were Dr. Collie (:\ Ied c ial lI1tendent of KC.i).), M ess rs Gouley,. W ood! Andrews, Sla cey, G ould, Lord, Fletcher, &c. FollOWIng the hfe sa vlllg drill was an exhibition of first aId to the injured. This was carrieJ out by th ree squads of of the schools, under the direction of the ir instructor, lVlr. W. G. \\ o?ds. The scho.lars gave of been given a thorough tUitIOn. Dr Collle, who was receIved WIth loud applause, made a short speech, III whic h he said it ga\'e him gnat pleasu!'e to be there that I1Ight, and especJally to W1tness the last perfo r man ce in first aid ambulance. It reflected great prai se upon Dr. Hulbert a nd 1\1r. \\ ood to find the pupIls so smart in rend e ring first aid, and so tender III their dealings with the patIent s The School Boar d for L ondo n had taken up ambulan ce and home nursing very strongly in their schools. La st year 19I classes were held, and this year th ere were {So. (.\pplause.)

BHISTOI. IHARTNE AMB ULANCE CORP s. -At the invitati on of the and of th.e Bristo M a rine Ambulance Corps a number 01 persons IIltere st ed In the work of first aid to the IllJured wer e present at the Rifle Drill Hall on the 14th ult. "b e n the annual ir.spe ct ion place. Th.e work done by the co rp s is a valuable one, and a good ldea of as effiCIency was gi ven to the spectators.

1Raih\)R \? Bn1bu[ a llC e.

GREAT EASTER:-l" RAIL \Y A\",- The annual competitions in connection with this Company are now in full swing, as a result of the preliminary canter the five selecte d teams for the final are Colchester M arch Stratford, Liverpool Street, and Brentwood. The j urlges are' Bri Chief Superintendent Church Brasier and Hon. Surgeon R. The work thi s year is much above the average and the judging has required a great deal o f discrimination, so evenly matched were the first five teams. Th e final takes place on April 16th, at Ley ton T own H a lL GREAT \VESTERN RAILWAY.-The annual ambulance compet iti ons between this Company's staff are now taking place at various centres o n the system. The competitio n for Ex et er and stations west was held at Exeter on he 20th ult. with the following result :-Stretcher teams (5 men)-I, Plymouth (Team Xo. 5). For individual work -I :'1 r. A Hott, Plymouth; 2, J\1r. E. \\ "ingfield, Plymouth; 3, ;\Ir. H. Rea. Dr. Mark Farrant, jun., of Exeter, a c ted as judge, assisted by Mr. W. II. Maunder, secretary G.\\'.rt. centre of tl:e St. John Ambulan ce AS5 0c iation, Paddington. i{ 0 le ss than 5,500 members of the G. \\'. R Company's staff hal'e obtained the certificate of the St. ,John Ambulance Associa.tion, 2,200 of whom ha\'e passed the second and r , IC O have passed the third examination. Six y-two G,\\r.R.' ambulan ce vol unteer s were accepted for service in SOllth Africa, and fi 'e of that number have succumbed to fever. In the sectio n a l ambulance competition hel d at W olver hampton on the 18t h ult, the following were the re sults :-, tretcher te ams (!lve men) : First prize, BirminCTham (Snow Hill) team; second prize, \\Tolverhampton team; third prize, Saltley t ea m. lnjividual work: First prize, C H. Overbury, Birming-ham second prize, S. W. :'Ierrick, Birming-ham; thi rd prize, J. E. Fryer, Birmingham. Dr. Edgar L. C o llis, :'II.B., of StourbridCTe, acted asjudge, assisted by Mr. W. H. \Ia unde, secretary of the I>G.W.R. centre of the St. J oh n Ambulance Association, Paddington.

B1UGHTO:\, A"'D SOUTH COAST RATI.\\ AY.-Some fifty members of the staff of this Company attended at the Board room on hth :'larcb, and received from Lord Cottesloe, Chairman of the Co mpany, certificates of the at. ,John Ambul a nce ,\ssociation for hal'inCT qualified to render first aid to the injured. Lo r d Cottesloe conCTratulated the recipients upon their s u ccess and commended them havinodevotee. their time to so desirable an object for the benefIt of fell o w·creatures, which was. he said, creditable to themseh'es and also o the Company they served. He wished the men succ ess in the forthcoming annual contest for the Inter-Railway Challenge Shield.

LO:-<Do:-< AND SO UTH \\rESTEI<N RAII.I\ AY.-An ambulance competition took pla ce on the 7th ult. in the D ocks, there being a prize of £ r offered by the Company for the best team, all having- passed the first aid examination. Three teams of fi I'e ea ch competed 'be fore Councillor Dr. E. F. Eliot, J.P., in the presence of a number of members of t he ambulance and the result was that the B te'l.m was the success ful one. This was composed of Mes srs. Parker, R oberts, M ortimer, Do n ohoe and A. Corben. From the teams will be selected one to take part in the competition for the Company's ch,dlenO"e shield and silver medals.

IpSI\ ICH.- The struggle has been a long and hard one, but with that quiet determination that. is b?und to \\ .in, just upon eighty members of thIS Corps are n ow lt1 unIform. ThIS satisfactorv result is owing in a great mea.sure to the proceeds of the concert' held last summer and various subscri pti ons. Th e total Ilumber is, hOlVever, larger than would have been the case, as one of the di has been greatly assisted fInancially by its honorary surgeon and superintendent. It is to be hoped hat any members who are not in un iform, will not lea\'e their divis ons, for divisions are the only means of keepinCT lip one's knowledge and practice. All the divisions are working steal>dily to perfe ct t hemsell-es in drill, at the same time first aiJ practice is not to be o\·erlooked.

:'IIE K I\ A,HED BY BA DE:\, POI\'ElL-It is stateu that that th e Coloni :tl Office require a number of men of the St. John Ambulance Brigade for special sen'ice in S outh Africa in tbe South African Constabulancy (Baden-Powell's). The first call is for So noncommissioned officers and mell, and the rates of par will be -S erCTeants, 9s per day wi th free rations: corporals, 8s. per day \V'ith free r:tions and 7s. per day with free rations. Clothing equipment', quarters, and medIcal attendance are also supplied free, and ridin<Y are Only bone-fide members of a or DIVISIOn of the Brtgade WIll be allowed to volunteer, and each man must hold the first aiJ and nursing certificates of the association. Preference will be O"iven to single men and volunteers who have been on sen'ice prev io us ly On some occasio ns extra pay will be given, and a scheme for disability pensions a nd gratu!ties is n ow under cons ide ration To lunteers will be required to joi n for a period of three years. It is announced tbat t he At'o ca will leave outhampton probably on the 6th April with 50 ,'t. John Ambula:'ce m en for the South African Constabulancy.

<torrcsponbcncc.

To the Editor 0/ FIRST A.lD.

THE ST. BRrGA.DE.

DE-\R 11<. - 1 quite agree with Progress when he sars that our people at Headqual ters might conveniently turn o\'er a nel\' leaf and mtrodu;;e a few reforms for the benefit of the members generally. I for my part never beard anyone say a good word for the peak forage cap, neither have I by officers or men belona-ina- to London or P 'IC b b b rovmcl". orps, .ut h av e heard volumes a!5ainst it. With regard to t h e thmk. much could be done to smarten i up. I have great d ifficu ty In gettmg my men to wear their uniforms and I can only get them tc do so when it is absolutely necessary, for 'they do not care to. taken for of the Church army or prison warder s. Th.e Military have to cat.er for the men's taste for smart uni forms, and If the S. J. A.. B. is to ad\'ance " 'ith the times it will ha ve to pro\'ide a much smarter uniform than is no\\' w orn. I enclose and but not for publication, and shall feel greatly oblIged If you WIll kmdly find room for these few lines.

Yours faithfully, LOJ/doll, Marcil, IgOr. A DVAt\CE.

To the Editor 0/ FmsT Am. TIlE ST. ]OtIN AMBULA:\,CE BRIGADE.

DEAR SIR -B oth ourselves and many of our friends in the Br iaade have glad to noti<:e the signed by "Progress" :-hich appea red m your Mar ch improvements, particuregard to the umform, we thmk are well worthy of consIderatIOn. Perhaps the most feature is the head· gear, the helmet bemg neIther beautiful 111 ap pearan ce nor affording protection from the Slln to tbe back of the head. All will aO'ree it is of the fi.rst iml?ortance .that an man should be cool when his serViC:es are 111 requIsitIOn. 1 et another point whi ch miaht .be forward is the fact of ther.e being at present no Il1g dlvlsloilal number on tbe umform. W ould not this be an improveme?t? that through the agency of your well-read columns thiS subject Will not be allowed to drop until some attempt at reform has been adopted.

"-e are, yours truly,

T\\'O :--lDIBE RS, S. J. A. B

EASTBOL'Ri\'E POLICE .-On the 15th ult the ;\la)'or (Alderman H. W. Keay) was a.ble to ma.rk the latest stage in the ambulance in this town, by presenting a number of certificates and medals to some of the latest co mers among them Major Teale , the Chief Constable who by example no less than has won the estC'em and respect of' his command. The presentation was preceded by a few happily chosen w?rds by bis 'Yo.rship, who congratulated the force upon the fact that, with two exceptIOns, both of them recent recruits the wbole of the members held ambulance diplomas Th ey found' in the Eastbourne police, not only a willingness t o acquire that might render them useful to others, and they bad, moreover, what was equally necessary to the success of the ambulance class, a teacher in Dr. \\'illoughby wh o was to successfully impart instruction He confessed that he va.lued this ve:y highly C?n the way to that ceremo ny he bar! some trepidation lest 111 tbe condItIOns of the thorouobfares with snow and ice he might meet with an .accider t, and the of a constab le w')uld ha\'e been reassurIng. He congratulated M ajor Teale upon the success tnat had so far resulted from the atte ndance at the classes. He then proceeded to present the certificates to those who bad qualified in the first and seco nd classes. and the medals to those in the third class. At conclusion of the presentation, :'lajo r Teale the kll1dness of the. :\1 a)'orl 111 attend ing to present the :l\\ards, and 111 order to reaSsure him, on hiS way from the Town Hall 1'1 mised that would have his dOl<(!ed to safeguard him the case of a mlsba,P. Then.turnll1g to Dr. "\Vi lloughby, wh o was prethe Ma jor said he deSired to present him a ma5cotte in token of their a of his kindnes s with the hope that i wo uld always. bring h i m luck. It was 111 the form of a cas e, on Which he had had 111scnbed the words: "Presentee to Dr \\ r. G by the Eastb?urne Ambulance Class,. Fepruilry, 15 th IgOr. -Dr. \\ Illoughby said he was unable to suffiCiently express his thank.s for their. kindness to He, however, had to ack nowledge kIl1dly relatIOns always between himsell and tbe police, with ou t fe ar or fa\'our, summoned him for the vilO'aries of his doa- in regard to the muzzling,order, (laughter).- The :'\:y or also responded and the proceedina-s termin'lted.

AID. [Apri l, 1901.

lDoluntecr Btnbulancc S cbool of 3nstructioll .

President: :'lajor Andrew l\Iaclure, '-.D., Late London R.\--. Office: 23, Cambridge Street Hyde Park, W.

There Wll! be no parade or Lecture on \rednesday , April 3rd

The Headqu arters of the School are now at 23 CambridO'e Street Hyde Park, \V., a nd not as formerly. b ( By Order) P. B. GILES, F RC.S. Ede. Surgeon Lt.-Col. '

.lJarch 25th, I gO r. Senior Medical Officer

CAMPDEi\'.-lN THE HOSPITAL. - Mr. B H. Neve who has just returned from South Africa, g-ives the account of the Imperial Yeomanry lI ospital at Deilfontein"H:t\'lng yolunteered for ambulance work at the se·\t of war. and passed the including- nursinf:'. I arr i\ ed at Cape T o wn th.e day the news of the relIef of Ladysmith had heen recei,'ed. The ex cite ment tremendous. On March 3rd, we leit for Deiifontem, \"here the 1 eomanry base h ospital was to Le established. Th is is .1-7 miles from Cape Towo, and 27 from De A.ar. The carpenters set to work to erect the huts and soon bad them ready. On the I7th the first wounded man arrived, shot in the eye. On the 20th a hundred pltients a rrived, and from that time we full up. :'10st of the patients were enteric fever. I t is yery hard \\ or k in an entenc ward! \\'Ith twenty 111 bed It took us all our time to cope It I thmk It was 1\11' Treves who comp lainea of the female nurses. and I am bound to say my experience bears out wh at he said. Most ot them seemed to think they had come out to a picnic, and expected of be waited upon hand and foot. lYe had forty of them, at least twenty too. Some \"ere good. and did not mind what they did, but the maJonty sh irked everything they could. even things more especially devolve on women to do, the patients u sed to for tbe men to attend on them. and I myself nursed one of ,he leading doctors. who wOllld not allo\\' on e of them near him. Thing s got so bad that a formal compbint was lodged with the Colonel commanding, and a lot of the women were sent home.

COUPON TICKET

SPECIALLY

The Ocean Accident &Guarantee Corporation

under th e following conditions, mllst be sent within SHen days of accident to the above address.)

60009 3 £100

will be paid by the above Corporation to til(> legal representati 'e of anyone who is killed by an t? the Passcnger Train (with!n the United Kingdom or Channell sl a IlJs ). 111 whIch the ;]eceased was a ticket bearin l1 or paying passenger or who shall ha\'e been fatally injured thereby (should death result within ninety days after such accident).

PROVIDED that the pe.rson 60

\VE notice in the London Gazette of March 29th that )1r. Fleael'ick'J'l·cYec., :M.Y.O., F.R.C.S., Consulting 'urgeon to the London Hospital: Rnd 1\11'. Alfred Downing 'fripp, M.V.O., :M.S., F.KU.S., 'urgeon to Guy's HospitnJ, two of the recently mal1e Knights of Grace of tIn Order of St. John of Je1'1.1snl el11 , hav e heen appointed respectively Honorary Sel'gcant-Smgeon and Honorary SUl'geon-inOrdinary to His Majesty the King.

;;f *

TIlE S.S Maine fmileLl fo1' Malta on April 5th to join the }\'leditelTanean Squadron as hospital ship. This is the vet:;sel which was plOvidecl by the generosity of the American ladies and rendered such vct1uable service as a hospital ship in the South African War; 'he was purchased from the Committee by the Allmiralty, who intend to keep htl1' as a permanent hospital ship.

**' 1*

KING VICTOR bas been graciously pleased to confer the decoration of a Grand offic e1' of the Order of the Crown of ltalyupon Sir William .JlacCormac,Bart ,K.C.V.O the MedicalOmcer -in-ChiE'f of the :st . John Ambu1a.nce Brigade. A few weeks previously the l'reF>ident of the French Republic copfel'l'ed on him the Cross of the Legion of lIonol' of France. Sir vVilliam, who was made an Honol'fl.ry Sergeant-Rurgeon to the King shortly after J.tis retUl'll from Abica, has been Pre ident of the Royal College of Surgeons since 1896 Sir Wi1liam has alf;o receiyed further honours, being made ICC.B. in recognition of his services in South Africa.

** r(, WE notice that 1\11'. S. Osbol'D, the Chief Stu'geon of the Metropoliktn Corps of the St Johu Ambu1n.nce Brigade, is mentioned by LOl·d Roberts in his despatch, published i.n the Lon cZon Gazette of April 16th, for services as Ch ief of the Van Alen HOllpita1.

** * THE appeal by Lady Sarah Wilson for books and games for the use of the patient in the South A frican Constabulary hospitals, h<1s, we are g lad to see, met with a ready respon e. The orderlies in these hospitals are drawn from the St. John Ambulance Bl'iga de.

** * THE Railway Ambu lance Competition is ;'\ gain CI.U. inO' some excit.ement Nineteen l'ailway companies are sented th is year, instead of fifteen last year '1'he five teams that have ea1'ned the right to compete in the fiMl.l are the Gl'eat N Ol,thern, "!Hersey, N ol'th Ea.stern, outh Ea tern and Chatham, and Gl'eat T Ol·ther]). It will be l'emem bered that last yea.l' the 8hiel(1 \Va won bv the Great K orthern Rnd the Great Western was second. "This yea.r the Greil.t N ol'thern is the la t on the list, and the Great Westel'll has failed to find a place in the coveted u.\'e. The N Qrtlr "VI' e tern

and the Cheshire lines are also far down in the list, the places of these three teams being filled by the Great Eastern, .Mersey, ancl South Eastern and Chatham. The two latter teams must have worked well to obtain so high a place. Although the Gl'en.t N ol'thern i8 at present the lowest on the list, it by no means follows that this team will not repeat it victory of year, but there i. no doubt it will haye to pnt in all its knowledge to retflin its proud position. Vole know that the team doing the best work will but we fancy that the jUl1ges will h3\'e a f'ome,,-hat difficult task in tlw selectioll.

* * WE notice that Birmingham is beginning to feel the need of a properly equipped <1lubulance el·vice. Uomplnillts a re m,lde that there is no horse ambulance anl.ilable for skeet accidents, and it seems probable that steps will be taken by the local authorities to supply the deficiency For some years Liverp()ol has had all ambulance selTice which is emcient, and ha proved to be of great service. Manche tel' is about organising one, and other large t()wns will soon discover that accidents in the streets and workshops ought to have efficient fil' ·t aid rendered as well as caf::,es of infectious disease, which al'e promptly conveyed to the hospital in proper vehicles.

* * LONDON', however, still" lags," as a daily papee observe One new spaper calls the police ambulance a "I',lm hackle j'Olting hand ·truck," and another a" prelli tOl·ic and utterly worthless contrivance for removmg the injured-a ramshackle instrument of tOl·ture which is about a el'viceable as a coster's barl'ow.' vVe thoroughly agree with the desCl'iption of the vehicle mentIOned, and are willing to admit that the languag e used is more forcible and more pointed than any employed in this Journal. The faculty of finding words strong enough to expl'e s one's feeling s is indeed precious nnd delightful, but, w e all al'e not posses eel of it.

H 1bonl c 1Rursing ."

By " CHIRURGUS."

PART IV.

In the last article we considered some of the characteristics common to all the fevers in the five stages; I now propose to give you a brief description of each of the infective fevers.

CHICKEN -PO X.

This is a very mild disease and not usnally attended with much fever. It is very contagious among children and does sometimes attack adults.

In c ub ati o n.-The period of incubation is usually considered to be from seven to fou rteen days.

I nvasion.- The symptoms of this stage are often so mild, that they escape notice until the eruption appears.

r:rupti o n.- The eruption is in the form of small pimples with littl e watery head s, they appea r in about twenty-four hours, on the face, chest, head and limb s they last out four or five days and then die away, and a fresh crop comes out. The pocks burst dry and sea bs. The disease lasts from twO to three weeks.

Co nvalescence .-Thi s is n ot a troublesome period wi th this disease. The nurse must be very careful to see that the cbild not pi ck the scabs, in case of making scars.

The infection lasts until all the scabs have fallen off no child shoul:! be a llowed to retu:u to school until this has taken MEASLES.

I ncu b a i on.- The period of incubation is from twelve to fourteen days r The symptoms of this stage are, I expect pretty well kno\\.n t o my :eaders, namely those of an urdinary cold in the head s ne.ez m.g, runnmg at the eyes and no se, and a very irritable couah whI ch no twith st anding tre a tment. '" the under the previou!> stage ha\e lasted four the e.ruptlOn begInS to make its appearance, the first to It IS behInd the ears, then on the forehead close o haIr, It co nsIsts of.dusky red spots slightly raised which increase in sIze a.nd form groups In the shape of crescents; from the forehead the eruptIOn all ?ver the. face, to the chest, abdomen and imbs.

The co mplI c atIOns whIch are ilkely to arise are infections of the h as bro h't" Th mgs, , I IS or e eyes are very inflamed, which often necessItates the darkenIna of the ro om Earache and I'nfla t' f h' '" mma Ion 0 t e ear S another compiIcatlOn, which often leaves a troubleso dIscharge. me

D everescence '-Is by lysis.

C onvalescence -Du r in a th is stage great car e mu st be taken to guard against co ld, as we:kne ss of he lunas or general debilit .· u u all y left. ,,} S

The earliest date at which a child is to be allowed to return to school IS fodurteen days after the a ppearan ce of the rash, 1/ all co ugh IllS cease

GERMAN M E ASL E S s a mild disease, but at the same time 'is very infectious essentIally a disease of childhood, although at times it does adults.

Incubati o n.- Thi s period is very lon a , sometimes as 10na as th weeks '" '" lee

Invasi on .- The symptoms during the iI:vasion are usuall) ver mIld. y E r u p ti o n.-The rash is of a rosy colour and does not form blotch hke ordInary measles. es

Co nvalesce nce. - The child may return to school in fourteen d p.fter appearance of rash. ays

DIPHTHERIA

This is a highly contagious disease and is freq uently atte n d e d with fatal conseq uences.

I ncu bati o n - The period of incuba tion is urrcertain varying from two to ten days.

Invasion -The invasion is \ ery gradual, the throat is sore and pa t cbes of whIte membrane, should this membrane extend t the all' passages case must he considered of great gravity 0

Spe.clal precautIons must be taken by the nurse to wipe aWa all secretlOn.s from .tbe nose and mouth and to burn the rags used purpos7 ImmedIately.. The nurSE must also be careful not to take the patH:nt s breath? If she ha s t.o paint the throat she should wear a respIrato r or I'el l 111 case the patIent coughs in her fac e.

The date of return to school will have to rest with the doctor' attendance.

MUMPS

This is another of those diseases which affects children a d d ult It' t' '. r: young a s IS ery con aglOUS. consIsts 111 s welling of the glands at th e SIde of the face, those glands whIch assIst in the fo t' f th r '. rma Ion 0 e sa Iva; one SIde o f the face only is affected at first and then the other SIde IS affected later on. The disease causes d If' d h a great ea 0 pa111 an t ere IS a of swallowing. Your atient i generally out of sorts and fevenEh. p s

'0 ch ild \\ho has. been suffering from mumps should be allowed to return to school untIL ten days after all the swelling has dl·. d _a ppeare SCARLET FEVER.

Scarlet fever, or scarlatina as it is sometimes known is like m and measles! a has a preference for children and people. It.IS otten occurs as an epidemic } g Incu -1 peno.d .15 very short, in fact ab o ut the shortest of all th e 111fectlv e dIseases, It IS under a week, often only three or fi days. ve

I nvasi o n - The sec?nd stage of sc.arle.t f/;ver sets in very suddenl , IS generally 111 by fits of shiverIng or rigor s and sore throJ

In. vomlt111g JS an early sign.

rosy coloured rash appears on the second da it comes first as red spots whIch spread and join; it is first reen on the chest an? I.n the be?ds of the elbows, and spreads rapidly all over the bod)' wlth111 fOI hours, it lasts out three to four days tongue fever IS often spoken of as a strawberry tonaue' !l: IS coated white [ur through which show the red papilla, so It look.s very lIke a whIte strawberry, as the fur clears off it has the apoearance tren of a red s trawherry D efervescence. - The temperature usually falls rapI'dly d , th h h ,a n '" e notIce en t at t e Slon In parts of the body is peeling, in some

AID. [May , 1901.

parts it off as a kind of powder, in others especially th h d and feet, It comes off !n good sized piece s; the peeling of the i: known as desquamatIO n W!1en the peeling is noticed the child's body sho u ld be rubbed ove r wit h some carbolic oil as this hastens th process and also acts as a disinfectant as all these pieces of k' e infect io n. Warm baths with a plentiful supply f sb1111·convey are also useful. 0 ca r 0 IC soap

During convalescence great care must be taken to guard. agaInst cold as very troublesome kidney disease may co No chdd may return to school until all peeling has finished. me on.

May, 1901.J FIRST

There is, I suppose, no disease in which so much depends on the nurse as in enteric fever.

It is essential that the patient sho uld have: I.-Perfect rest. 2.-Careful feeding. 3 -Sleep

P er ec t R es -The pat ent must be kept quiet in bed , lying down, as during the period of ulceration perforation of the bowe has been caused by sitting up.

C areful Feeding .- The best food in cases of typhoid is undoubtedly milk From two to three pints may be given in twenty-four hours.

AID. 83

111

SMALL-POX disease used to be much dreaded on ac co unt of its areat fatalIty also on account of the awful disfiaurement it us:d t cause, untI l Dr Jenner dIscovered va cc ination those persons have been effiCIently protected by vacc ina t ion only have the d' a very mod ified fOl m.

Patients often beg for solid food, and relatives frequently get th e idea that the patient is being starved, bu the nurse must be firm and never give solid food without the doctor s orders.

Sl ee p - Tbe nurse must be careful 10 distinguish between real sleep and a std.te of stupor

Isease 111

Inru :d a ti o n.-The perio'ti of incubati on var ies from tweh'e to tourteen ays.

I x:-:a sion. - T,he i11\:asi o n is usually sudden , co mes on with riaors ,omlt111g: pam across the loms and down the thiahs Eru p lOn .-The makes its appearance on the third'"da' as red p,lmp les, :I hlch feel hke shots under the skin, in two days little \Iater), bhsters form on the top of the pimp les the u h a ery contents a ebr o n c anges 111tO matte r, whi ch ultimately discharaes and form s sca s. '"

Th.e appears first on the ta ce and backd of the wrists Tne peculJantyabout the tempe.ature in this disease I'S th t h fi f h ,a on t erst 0 t e the temperature falls. but when the matter orms t e t.emperature nses again.

patIent must be kep.t very clean, should be sponged over with tepId after the spong111g the scabs should be painted Over with ca rbohc 011 and all scabs th at fall off shou ld be burnt S II . b hi rna -p ox IS 111 ectlollS )' ex a atlons from the sk in and lungs

A person wh o has been sufferino- from small-pov s hould t . ,'th h '1' '" " no mIx \\ I ot ers untl some tIme after all th e scabs are ofr.

When a of small-pox occurs in a bouse the patient sho Id b completely Isolated, and aU the inmat es of the house h ldub e vaccl11ated. s ou e re-

TYPHUS FEVER.

Typhus. feve r IS also kn.own as goal fever, it is us u al! cau overcrow?l11g. wan t dl:t ; during the last century great strIdes made 111 sal11tary affairs it has been s tamped t e f England. ou 0

ncuba tio n - The incubati on period varies from five to days. ourteen

may corne on gradually or very sudde nly with fev er a qUlc pu se and mental dulnes s

Erupti o n. -.- The eruption appears on the fifth d Ib colo d t " ay as mu err)' ure spo s or mott lng, It beg InS to fade about he fourteenth da Defe rv e sce nce .--Tn favou rab le cases the temperature oft t SIdes suddenly during the thin' week en su -

The infection las ts for four weeks As t" p hus' f hi' f k' IS 111 ectlOus by ex a atlOns rom s 111 and lungs, he nurse must be caleful head away wben m oving ted clothes. to turn h el

T YPHOID OR E NT ER IC F E V E R

ThIS the fever which ought to be of great interest the r oWl11g to the of cases that we have seen re dad):' papers as havl11g occurred among tbe troops in e It wIll attack pers o ns of all ages, but has a decided [.. n ca. young ad u lts pre el ence lor

The disease consists essentially of an inflammation a d I some of the glands of the intestines n u ceratlOn of

The contagion is ,container:! in the stools of the patient· it rna b comm.unlcated to others by the effluvia from the stools bye dnnklllg water or milk, or by the smell from i n fe ct ed d '. y means of It eq tl "d' ra111S. r uen y occurs In epl emlcs whi c h are traced t supply of water or milk. 0 an Impure

There is a very diversity in the symptom s and it is often dIfficult to a III 'lhe early stages. very I nc ub a tlO n .- ThIS period varies from seven to f·t d I nvasi on .-I s very gradual usu a lly after a weekooul een afys. d' d .' r more 0 general In ISPOSI tlOn an I11creasi ng weakness the pa tient h take to his bed, the fa ce is pa le with a slight flu s h 0 atsl 0 ghlvekup and d · h h n Ie c ee s then larr wa sets lll, e stools are of a yellowlcolour look' l 'k' sou p. I11g very I e pea E r u p t on .-During the second week, usu a lly the tenth da th makes ItS appearance as small rose coloured spots t y, e rash the same time, each spot lasts out about three s at away and fresh ones come out the patient's aener YI en fades d k' '" a conoltlon show' grea prostratIOn an wea ness with drowsiness ft d I ' S night. ,0 en e mum at peferve sc en ce.-.This is by lysis, beg-inning towards the end 0 thIrd week and reach111g" the normal about t he end of the fourth. f the Con vale $cenc e -Is usually very slow.

Excre t a -As the germs o f infection are very abund a nt in t he motions, it is absolutel y ne cessary to be very careful when he bedpa n has been used. \Vhen the pan has been removed from tbe patient, some carbolic arid s h ou ld be poured in an d it shou ld be cove r ed with a cloth. taken from the roo m and empti ed ,.lown the w.c., a nd the w.c must then be well flushed and some carbolic acirl placed in the pan. The bed -pan should then be scalded out with water and carbo li c acid

The nurse should always wash her hands in some disinfectant solution after .lttending the pati e nt. \Vhen a case of infeCtious disease occurs in a dwelling, we must endeavour to prevent it spreading to the othe r inmates, fo r that purpo se it is necessary that we should adopt certain precautions. Immediately on the ap pearance of any suspicious symptoms in a person, the cor rect thing to do is to is ola te him from others, in large schoo ls and in public institutions there is usu a lly a sanatorium, so that isolation is easily carried out, but in a private house it is not qu te so easy, a room on the top floor or if possible the whole floor should be ma de use of, very careful attention must be given to disinfection. To be colltmued.

IMPERIAL HOSPITAL, DEET.FONTEIN, SO UTH AFRICA.

-Supt. A, J. Trimmer, late Sergt. i\I ajor, at the a bo ve Ho s pital, de sires to thank all the members of the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigade a nd Fire Brigades Union who united to present him with the hand some gift just to hand. 1 ot knowing the names of all subscribers, he a sks the courtesy of the Press to make bis acknow edgment.

VOLUNTEER SCHOOL OF INSTR l'C TTON.- For th e sixth time in succession the prize of the Volunteer Ambulance Schoo l of In ,truction, at the close of :he season's class, has been won by a team of very young volun teer s representing the cadet battalion of the King' s R oya Rifle s Corp s consi sting of Bugler Ylill s, Private L. S. Chapman, Private H. Green, and Lance-Sergeant Edwards. This latest co ntest, which was prolonged to a very late hour on Wednesd a y night, the 2+th ult ., at the headquarters of t he 19th Middlesex Rifles, was in several ways the most remarkable of the series. Out of nine competing teams, r epresenting six leading metropolitan battalions, two teams of the King's Royal Rifle s Cadets st00d at the top of the rest with 523 p oi nt s ou t of a possible 560 to the ir cred it. The best man of this team, Bugler 11 ill s, was a ls o best man of the class wi th 138 points out of tbe maximum of )40, but being already a prize winner he had to give place to the next best, wh o scored 137, but he was of the same team, and th erefo re simi larly debarred. The third man, 136 points, a l so belonged to the winning team, and the prize passed on to th e next best, who proved t o be Corporal Lloyd, of the second Cadets team, with a score of 135. A London Scottish man, Private Munro having made th e same points, the contest was prolonged to settle the tie, and again the Cadets scored. The umpires were Surgeon-C o lonel Gills, chief instru c:tOr of the sc hool; dnd Surgeon-:\lajors Jame s, H .A .C ., and Sleyd, Arti sts'; Captains Callander, Civil Service, a nd Kear sley, London; and Lieuts. Ewens, ;\Ilarrett, and Masters It s the sixth time in succession that a member of the King 's Royal Rifle Cadet Battalion has won this prize, that of being the best man in the School, and the second time that the c'orps !:as wo n the Hamilt on Challenge Trophy , previ o usl y held by the N o rth London Be arer Company.

A COlU{ESPONDEI'T from the War calls our attention to the following article taken from the Daily Graphic. lIe says that similar highhanded treatmen t has been exper ienced by most of the men of the St. Jobn Ambulance Brigade, the majority of whom complain bitterly of their treatmen t at the hands of the R .A. M .C. authori ties, and th ose in office under them.-I( There has been a considerable flutter in the tal dove-cotes, the Colonial 11111 sing sisters having revolted against sundry red-tape innovations lately introdu ced '1 h ro ughout the campaign Colonial nurses, the wom en o f the country, who should really take precedence were precedence necessary, have im'ariably been made subordinate to the newest nurse r ec ruits from home; but the climax has teen reached at lIarrismith by the issue of an official order tbat at the nursing staff mess no Volunteer -and the Volunteers are nearly all Colonials-is to be served until the regular army and reserve nurses have had their rations placed before them! The mess orderlies and the reserves themselves were much embarrassed, and infinitely apologetic. But orders had to be obeyed. However, the

Colonials rose to the occasion, and officialdom was hoist with its own petard. The Volunteers acquiesced punctiliously, and reduced their obedience to an absurdity by passing salt, sugar, and all the small table items first to the nursing reserves, and refusing to touch a stray plate of food till all the A.R.'s were duly supplied. Then the powers that be were thankful to rescind the offensive' regulation.' But the implied inferiority rankles, and this sort of thing is not calc ulat ed to impress Colonials with a se nse of British courtesy. and it is made worse by the fact that all the volunteer nurses now at work since the untrained element has been weeded out have held the best hospi tal appointments in South Africa." Our correspondent says that the R.A.M.C. authorities appear to forget that it is to voluntary aid that they owe the last s hred of credit which they possess in connection with the work of this Department in the field, but a few more affronts of thi s kind to their voluntary helper s, and the British nation may he put in possession of facts which will raise an indignant outcry again<t the Department, and lead t o a thorough overhauling of the Th e actio n of '\1r. Burdett Coutts was perhaps premawre, but should he press his strictures later on he will find many a returned orderly who may furnish him with invaluable evidence. A the beginning of the war the R.A ::'II.C. was the one bright spot in its conduct; we all felt that co me wh at might our suffering soldiers and tbose \I ho tended them were re ce iving every aid which a grateful country could wi sh Red tapeism and military higb-handedness has n o w rob bed u s of el en little grain of comfort.

Street

FATAL RE ULTS OF OGR FAULTY SYSTEj,1.

The urg ent need of a proper system of hor se ambulance, so repeatedly called for by t he Daily Jlazl, has again been emphasised by two exceptionally painful cases within the last few days. n both of the se death has ensued after a street acc ident during the removal of the injured person.

One of these cases was that of a ady \vho, while bicycling atong the King's-road, Che lsea, came into coll isi on with an omnibus and was terri bly cr ushed. She was carried to a doctor's house near by and the ambulance was sent for. Then they placed her su ffocating cover on the ramshackle, jolting hand-truck, and wheeled her over the uneven paving all down the King's-road and Sloane-street to ";t. G eorge's Hospital. ,','b en they lifted the covering they found that sh e was dead.

The other case came up before the coroner at ':\Iile End on , aturday. On Tue sday last a doctor saw Hannah H offenden at 12 30, and order ed her removal to the in firmary. The ambulance only arri\'ed between five and six, and when the infi! mary gates were reached it was found that th e unhappy woman had expired. Medical evidence showed that death was accelerated by the removal.

A representative of the Datly Jlail asked a well-known coroner what was to be done. ,. The L ond on County Council, " he said, ., has other more weighty matters to consider, such as the breeding of b u tterflies for the parks, and th e new borough co u ncils are having too mucn trouble with their robes to think about relieving human suffering. The hospitals say they are too poor. Yet a comparatively small sum would give Lond ) n a system whereby e\'ery hospital could be supplied with a horse-ambulance fitted with a spring-bed and all the proper appliances for first a id. The telephone could summon it, together with a medical student, at a moments notice to any point in its di st ri c t. There are plenty of philanthropists with plenty of money for museums and li brari es, but there are no funds for s uch a charitable fcheme as this. That is wby the most civilised city in the world looks upon the same thing every day. The crash, the cry, the bruised body on the ground, the gaping cro wd, the lei surely J.loliceman with a note-book, the jolting ride to the hospital, and more often than not death before help can be given."-Daily ,)jail

[ And yet many of the public st ill believe that the method of rem o ving the injured in the str eets is well nigh perfection!! !-E D. F.A. J AN IM PERFECT A:-'!BULANCE SERVI CE -There is one usage in London whi ch to the foreigner must be a matter of wonderme11l-the method in vogue for removing the sick and injured to hospital. It is almost impossi b le to imagine Lond on, with its six million s of population, its Babylonic street traffic and hourly casualty li st, at the mer cy of a pre-historic and utterly worthle ss co ntrivance ior removing the injured .-a ramshackle instrument of o rture wh ic h is about as sen'iceable as a coster's barrow. They do these things infinitely better almost anywhere, and parti cularly well in Glasgow. ,\'h en an accident happens a teleph o ne message to the nearest police-stacion or hospital brings a car riag e ambulance-pneumatic tyred, waterproofed, covered, and drawn by a s wift animal. The interi or of the ambulanc;e is fitted up with stretchers and liniment s and restoratil'es reaay at hand, while an experienced nurse or commissionaire in charge. The comparison between this meth od of dealing with accidents and the shamefully inadequate ystem which is at work in London is suiliciently startling as to be well-nigh incredible.-.llorJlillg Leader

FIRST AID

ilIA Y 1, 1901.

<torresponb e nc e.

To the Editor 0/ FIRST AlD.

May, 19 01.J FIRST \ilu r (Ba Uer\?

_ 85

$t. 30bn Bntbulance tlssociation.

RAILWAYS

IT is pretty evide ni that on eyery side ambulance work bas l ately been making great advance, and the fact that nearly .AClIBULAKCE. 2000 ambulam:e men have been 'ent to the seat of war to act as hospital orderlies, &c., ha brought before the public the u efulness of the wOl'k, but we are pleatied to say that in no branch ha a proportionately gleater pl'ogl'eSS been made than on the railways.

It i hardly nece sary in this J onrnal to point out the nece sity of having railway employees instructed in ambulance knowledge. It is so obyious that eyen the man in the street would admit it. And we ar e now glad to i'my that most of the r ai lways in England a nd Scotland haye fallen into line, and have joined the amb ulance movement. One or two imporb,nt railway s in the South of England that formel'ly held nloof are now encouraging the WOl-k. We think that the bt. John Ambulance Associatinn acted wisely when it offered a Challenge Shield fur open competition, for it has fostel'ed a healthy rivall'Y, and giyen the men something to work for, something to look fOl'ward to.

We trust that all r a ilway directors see that it is to the adyantage of their respective com panies to have a certain percentage of theil' men propel']Y instl'Uctecl in first aid knowledg e, and their enthusiasm should be kept up by competition and prizes, and that the men should have some time allowed them off duty to enable them to practi se and thus keep up their knowl e dge. From what has appeared l a tely in the newspaper r e ports of the work don e on the various r a ihyays in connection with the present competition, it is ev ident there is no difficulty in O'ettinO' I /:) b men w 10 are anxlOUS and willing to perfect tbemseh-es in the wOl'k. And these men, many of whom practi se for hour::; after their proper day 's work i s over, d eser,e every praise and consideration for theil' unselfishness and devotion to thi' humanitarian wOlk

This Ambulance movement mU 8t acl"nl.nce, and the railw ay companies will find that they will be obliged to s p e nd more money on it in the hape of providing material a nd pla,nt \V e refer more especially to stretchers, litters and railway ambulance waggons. ",Vhether any company at present has any ambulance waggons of its own we do not know, although w e believe that one compa.ny a short time ince built some for the Government; but, in any case, they will ha.ve to come in COUl'se of time, and the soonel' the compa,nieti d ecide upon some form of useful, s imple and sel'Viceable waggon the better. 1£ in the case of a great ::;maHh, the company can by effic ient fil':it a id treatment, careful handling a nd judicious tl'ansport, pl'flvfnt 01' mitigate the serious after effects of accident to individuals it is plain that the a.mount to 1)8 paid in clamaO'es on injUl'ies must he smaller than if such methods were not adopted, and thel'efore it is to the distinct a dvantage of a company not only to have pl'opedy qualified men, but a lso a plant capable of dealing with any emergency that may arise. The expen(litme under this head should not be looked upon as money laid out fOl' which no return is made, but n the light of an insurance pl'emium against accidents

COMPETITION FOR THE DEWAR SHIELD. -At the time of writing the full results of the preliminary heat s have not come to hand. No. District .is represented .b,y .the East Ham 3 District by the Wellmgborough DIVISion, c.nd 5 DIstrict by the Sheffield Division. The final contest will take place at the Portman Rooms o n the 9th inst.

THE ST. JOHN A11BULANCE BRIGADE. SlR.-I have read with inte rest the letters of your correspondents, Prog'ress, Advan ce and Two S. J. A. B., re the uniform of the St John Ambulance Brigade. Could not one suggest a suitable head covering? The present peaked cap may not be tbe best but the field service cap worn by the regulars is a failure, it is no protection against s un or rain, unless it i s unfolded, and the n the smartness disa ppears as to the s ouch hat, I a m told tha t it very soon looses its smart appearance. Changes in uni form are expensive. the funds for supplying uniforms in most divisions are low. :,[uch I think might be done in the smartening up line by individual members, if they would look to the following point s :- 1. Always to fasten the hook at the neck of the tunic and overcoat. 2. I\'ot to allow coloured or white neck handkerchiefs to show above the collar of the tunic. 3. 'When wearing uniform always to shave and ha\'e the hair cut short 4· To remember tbat old proverb which says sometbing about a st itch in time. Apolog is ing for taking up so much of your valuable space.

I remain Sir, Yours faithfully, OL D SOLllJER.

To the Editor FIR ST AID.

DEAR Sm,- Thr corres ponden ce i[ your journa l upon the question of a reform in brigade uniforms is arousing much interest among- the men of the brigade and, it s to be h ope d, will in due time influ ence the powers t hat be to take action in th e matter. The chief ments, which cannot be too often reiterated, are as follows :-1. A suitable he adgea r: this should be more becoming than the present aoominable peaked cap, and also it is most n ecessa ry that it shou ld afford proper protection to tbe head and nape of the neck in hot weather. 2. Some easy means of distinguishing men of different divis io ns, e.g. a brass number on the collar of the tunic. 3. A more rational and comfortable tunic. With regard to these items I should like to make a few remarks As to (I) your readers may not generally know that this matter was brought up at a recent officers' meeting and strongly recommended by them. At the same time I beli eve that the officers have very little more cons ideration paid to their wishes than do the men and consequently but little hope can be place d on this item of intelligence. 'When a few Tommies atAldershot are bowled over by the heat the matter is eagerly taken up by the Press and explanations hotly demanded by a humane Public clamouring for the puni shment of the office rs responsible. Wh en the same mishap occurs to members of the brigade on duty (as has happened I believe in recent years) no notice is taken; presumably the theory is that the Ambulance man being a volunteer is not worthy of that consideration which is paid to the so l d er receiving his IS. a day. It is a fact that keen memberscfthe brigade are ob liged to absent themselves from public duties in the summer because they kn ow they can no t stand the heat in their absurd cap and uniform. Are our S1. J o hn 's Gate officials aware of th is fact? Also are effisient Am bulance men so abundant that they can be treated in this thoughtless fashion? As to item (2) some such concession would undoubtedly aid in maintainin g esprit de corps among the divisions. A slack or offending member would disgrace his own division and not the whole brigade as at present, by a ny misbehaviour. Also such a man would be far less likel y to offend because he would know that if reported by an eyewitness to the authorities his identification would be rendered almost certain if the number of his division had been noted. I do not of course, wish to throw any imputati ons by the above sugges tions upon a .body of ;nen worthy of every praise, ?ut black sheep will always eXIst and It IS most gallll1g to a man to a smart division to hear the brigade in general spoke n slightingly 01, perhaps by one of his fr ien ds, because the said friend h as witnessed unbecoming behaviour of a man to some othe r di\ision entirely. In order to cut as short as p ossible a let ter whicb is already too long I will not dwell upon item (3) but would just remark tbat as our soldiers are n ow served with ralional uniforms, as are also the police, it is surely n ot too much to ask for the same cons ideration to be paid to the hard-working members of the St. J ohn Ambulance I trust that you will be able to insert this letter for the length of which [ a pologise.

I remain, yours sincerely, A PRIVATE S. J. A. B.

To tho Edzlor O/FIRST AID PUBLIC AMBULANCE SER V ICE.

must be very gratify!ng to you, the earnest way in which you have urged the formatIOn of a publIc ambulance service on many occasions in these columns, to see that at least one of the daily papers, The Dazly Mad, is endeavouring to ca ll attention to our faulty ambulance system. Do M e5srs Harmsworth Bro s., encouraoe ambulance work among their employees? '"

Yours faithfully, A CO NSTANT READER,

MR. E. "V. TABOR, 11EClIBER OF TilE READIXG OF THE J OIl:\' Al\IBULA::\fCE AXD H oC\'. FOREIGN SECRETARY, FIRE BRIGADES UXlOX. 'NIR. E. "V. TABOR, of Reading, whose pOl·trait it om' ple,l,t;L1l'C to insel·t in Ou!'

Gallel'Y this month i::; well kno,YD. in both Fil'e 8liO'aele anelAmI:> lJUlance cil'cl e;-o;, III botll of which humanital'ian services he takes a keen intel'e t.

It wa::; in 1878, tba, the subject of Olu' sketeh 'Y(l:; fil':"t impl·essed with the yaJue of a knowledge of first aiel In the course of an intel'view with our I'e presentative, 111'. Tabol' stated: "Th,\t on one "occasion while wnlking in n. ...-illage adjacent to Reading, "a boy, who was riding behind a cart, in cm e,\vo:lr "to alight, quickly slipped a,ncl his l,eg c,wght.m

"the spoke:; of the wheel was ?ff. lU common wlth "othel's, as:,ited to bind np lllJmeel anel I accom"panied the lad to. ho. lntal Readmg, ,\'hen. the "House Surgeon SaId If tbe bleedmg had not " naturally the bandaging would not 111111. I "wa at once convinced of the necesslty of the value of ,t "knowledge of first aid, learning that a cia:". ' W,IS "formina in connection With the 1st J3el'k:-: Volunteel':-;, I "at joined, we bad all the. necesf;,ll'y lectm'es " prflctice , but fOl' f'ome unexplamed reu:,on no exannna"tion was h e1d SubHequently, howeve1', I attcnclel ,\ "cIa. ';'; in connection with the local police ,md pa..:sing the " exam inlttion I obta in ed the certificate." FoUl' yeals ago Mr. Ta.bor joined t he Rea ding Divis i on of. the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigade, of which he has l'emamed a member ever since. 1\11-. T aLor i s a staunch of the annual r e-examination fOl' practical first-aiders, as on more than one oecasion he ha s met with certificate holdel's, who having neglected to 1(ee p their knowledge o f the have found themselves pl'actlCaJly h eIpl e when an occaSlOn has occuned for putting theil' knowledge to the test.

MI'. Tc\bor who a member of the Nlttional Fil'e Brigades occupie::; in this organis:\tion the impOl'tant post of H onol'al'Y Foreign aJ?d on more theW one occ;thion has proved an mpo r tant lmk between the fire sel'vices of diffel'ent countries. It is buch D en <1::; Mr Tabor who in a quiet and un oste ntn,ti.O\lS way do to cement the lif e sa. ving Soeietie8 of the dlff erent conntne::; toO'ethel' than m<:my an Int er nation,ll cl'usade promoted by means or engineered by n e wspnp er cru ades

The friends of Mr. Tabor al'e legion and in both hi s o wn countL'y and on the continent they will we a re s ur e identify them elves with our wish that for many yeal's w e may see him takinO' an active intel'est in the work of two s uch hummli sing and pence promoting a;,; the St. John Ambulance Bl'igade and the NatlOnall!ll'c B rigalles Union.

HOSPITAL SATURDAY Fr; ND CE o TRE. - On the 20th April aL tbe TIospital Saturday Fund Offices, the valuable of Dr. Taylor to the cause of first aitl were pleasantly H. Hamilton-Hoare, Esq., took the chair at + p m., and among the ladies and gentl e men pre sent were Lady Agnes and Sir Owen Burne G.C.I.E., K.C.S.I., Wyatt Sargent, Esq., Lady Supt. Julia C. :\Iann, and Supt. A. with a good for ce?f the nursina sisters and men of the dlvI510n and others. The Chalrma.n, havin:in a few words introduced the visitors, and referretl to the clrunder which they met, refJuested Sir Owen Burne o present the testimonial. This dut? was carried out, by the gallant General in a few felicitous remarks, In the course of which he explessed his high esteem for the docto rs. officers and rank and of the St. John Ambulance .\ssociation, who so voluntary time to the alleviation of the pain and suffering of t?elr H e cluded by stating that he was proud to hImself one of Dr. Taylor, in accepting the test.lmonlal, saId that he "as willir.g and anxious to do as mud: for the and If pOSSIble, more than he had done hitherto, a sentiment "hl ch \las oudly applauded During the course of the proceedings Lady Supt. JulIa C. presented Lady Burne with 3. shower bouquet of pll:k roses and orchids. The testimonial which took the form ?f a Wrltlllg and stationery cabinet, fully equipped, was composed of solId and was greatly admireJ. The usual votes of tbanks j rougbt thIS agl ee a ble function to a close.

LrvEHPooL.- The following extnct from t he A.nnual of I.he H ead Consta ble is interesting:-There are SIX fully eqUIpped horse ambulance5 at work, four of which are sta ione? at the bospitals; the services of the ambu!ances were reqUIred :lC56 tImes la st year. 1673 constables bold certIfi cates tbe S1. J<?hn Ambulance Association, 1030 of whom ha\ e also recell ed medallIons police rendered first aid in 67 I emergencies;. splints. we re a pplJed Jl1 15 6 case s bandages in 336 cases, tournIquets .111 I I Arti1icial respiration was resorted to 111 22 cases , whIl s t em e ll cs "ele administered times. Other first aid involved 123 cases. +31 co nstables received special commendati o n from men alua ble first aid. The pulice were the means of restOrIng 3060 lost c hildren to their parents. ] 6 36 cases of insufficiently clothed. chIldren \\: ere in q uired into by the police and reporteu upon to the Ll\'erp ool Pobceaided Clothing ,\ss ociation. 67 were taken charg e of by the pollce, The Order of St. J ?hn J in Eng la nd their sill'er medal for brayer)' Jl1 savll1g lIfe o n la ntl up o n occa SlC n. The medal \\'as pre sented by H. R. H. the Prin ce o f \ ales, GI and Prior of the Order , at :,Iarlborough Hou se on July Illh last.

st. 30hn Bll1bulance

NEW CRoss.-This division held a very successful Bohemian concert followed by a dance, in the 1'\ ell' Cross Ha II on 28th Thp chai't· was taken by Superintendent E. ,Yo Tran.gmar. Dunng the evening the nursing certificates ,yhich had be;n by some of the members of the di, ision were presented. .,IedaliIons were also presented to Pri"ates Blagro\'e and Collier, "';10 ha\'e just re turned from South Africa. Among the artistes we were very to se: Gertrude Barrington, \\'ho is always so ready to gIve her servI ces JJ1 the cause of first aid work.

TO\i\BEE HM.L DnSlo:\.-On Sunday, the 1+th ulL, the of the Toynbee Hall Division of the S1. John Brigade paraded at head qllarters for the purpose.of takJl1g part In a thanks,g'iving for return o.f co mrades who from the 10ynbee DIVISIon for servIce South Afnca. Thele \\as a aood attendance, and included representatives from East lIam, Barking , Children's Home (Victoria Park), and Bermondsey Se.ttlement Divisions. Chief Superintendent :,Iorgan and :'1r. W. H Wmny (SlIP1. treasurer, Corps ) were The preacher \\:,s the Rev. E. C. Carter, the \ Icar, who based hIS rerr.arks on Psalm I I, verse 1+. The address was listenetl to with deep attention by the C'lngregation. After the servi ce Mr. Douglas, on behalf of the \\ :uden and residents of Toynbee Hall, gave a short adtlress of welcome In lhe (luadranO'le. Th ey fully appreciated the work of the \mbulance Brigade, were proud of the association of the division that had so O'ood a rec o rd. IIe hoped it would al\\'ays prove, as it was, one ot the a mirable and admireJ feat.ures of Toynbee. " \V elcome home!"

V\' E were very pleased indeed to see,.\ I rs. Brunning, of Children's IIome Division, 011 duty on Easter turn 011 the sick list. :'[r s Brunning is one of the hardest workmg sisters in the Metropolitan Corps of the S1. John ,\ mbulance Brigade, and outside the brigade she carries on a lot of charitable ,,"ork in a very quiet and unostentatious manner.

ISLE OF vVIGHT.- The annual inspection of the Corps took place at the Recreation Ground, ewport, on April 1St. Dr. Laurie, Iloll. Associate of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, \SSISl wt Commissioner of NO.2 (Southern and We stern) Distri;t being the Inspecting

FiRST

Officer, when about 30 members attended. Tbe Divisions takincy part were from Newport (Supt. F. Peach in .::harge) ; Ventnor (Supt. G. H. Corney, Acting Supt. Secretary Isle of Wight Corps, in charge) ; Wroxall (Sercyt. J. in charg-e); Shanklin (Actincy Supt. C. H. Snook, in cbarg-e) ; and Godshill (.Acti ng Sergt. White inl:> charg-e). In the unavoidable absence of the Chief Superintendent (Dr. V. J. Blake) the men were paraded and put tbroug-h a number of stretcber exercises, &c., by the Acting Supt. Sec. (Supt. G. H. Corney), and were esamined by tbe Assistant Commissioner, who at the conclusion addresse':l the men and expressed his pleasure at meeting the members of the Isle of Wight Corps for the first time, and at the satisfactory manner in which drills, &c., had been carried out. He should ha\'e great pleasure In mak111g a fayourable report to head quarters. After the men had been dismissed the majority of them had tea to cyet her in the town thus concluding a very satisfactory afternoon.

I:>

AND SALFOR D.-The annual inspection and review of the members .of the + Dis'rict will take pla ce this year in Manchester, :vhen. It. IS that repr esentatives from nearly all the LancashIre UI\ lslons wIll take part. Several of the Divisions will be pre3ent. This di\·ision will be represented I:>at the inspectIon. A number of .he members have been measured for their uniforms, which are expected to be leady abom the middle of 1\1ay. As soon as the uniforms are received public duty will be undertaken. The dark uniform of the Brigade will tben be seen for the first time in Manchester, and it will make the Brigade better known to the .\rancbester public.

:'. I ARGATE.-There was a large muster of members o f the Boroucrh P?lice t'or ce and .others, at Town Hall, on the 17th April,to witness tbe dlstnbutlon of the certificates and medallions:o those who had pa'ised the recent ambulance examinations, held under the auspices of the Margate Corps. The Mayor (Councillor H. HuCYbes ) presided and was accompanied by Aldermen \Vootten and i\laldi"}7, Dr. (hon ambulance instructor), Supi. Eastland Chief Constable Clecrcybb' and others Mr. A. Le o n Adutt, hon class secretary, in asking the Mayor to k1l1dly present the certificates and medallions said he had pleasure in. informing him that 22 received first cer tifi cates and 25 second certIficates, and out of the latter I+ received in addition the medallion, all but one being members of t he BorouCYh Police For ce. These member s, in addition to passing the second of the Margate Ambulance Corps, had passed one of the examinations held under the St. John Ambulance Association, whicb entitled them to the He thought thi.s spoke well for t he untiring energy of their medIcal Iecturer and hon. Illstructor, Dr. Harnett. Before presenting the certIfica te s, he had been requested to ask him (the :\1ayor) to to Dr. Harn.ett, on behalf of the ;'1a rgate Ambulance Corps, a siIg-ht memento, III the shape of an umbrella as a mark of their ?f his services, with their best The Mayor said It him. grea.t pleasure to discharge such a duty as that of handing the testImonial to Dr. Harnett. Tn acknowledging the gift Dr. Harnett said he felt tbat the success the class had been largely due to the candIdates themselves, and the Il1te!l\O'ent manner in which they had followed the instruction given. He the members of the corps for tbeir gift, which he should always value. The Mayor, after some upon the va.lue of ambulance training, then presented the certIficates and Eastland spoke a few words on the value of traIn1l1g 111 FIrst A Id. Chief Constable Clegg (local hon. secretary), said he was proud to say that every member of the force held a St. John Ambulance certificate, and tbat 97 per cent held the medallIOn as well. They were second to no police force in the kingdom in this respect.

READING.-Tbe first competition for possession of the Challenge and pre<;ented by :\[r. G. W. Palmer, M.P. for proficiency

In first aId work, was held at the Abbey Hall. Reading , on Saturday afternoon, th e 13th ult. The contest was organised by the Reaciin cr Branch of theSt. John Ambulance Association, and was open to local teams. The J udrre was Surgeon i\1ajor Hutton, of Leamington. At the cl<?se of the conte st Surgeon-i\lajor Hutton an nounced the result lIe saId the full marks for the competition were 600 and the teams obtained the following :-St. J o hn Ambulance Brigade 53' Fire B · d "B" B h P I' , :J, rIga e team, 330; oroug 0 Ice, 3II the independent team 300 Fire Brigad e, "A" team, 290. The was received with applause, which was renewed as the member s of the winning team (lVlessrs. C. Supt. G. Simpson, J. P. Phillips, J H. :\labbett and A. E. Hayes) stepped forward and received the Cup and medals from il1rs. Holden. On the proposition of Dr. Il olden secondcd by Capt. Henderson, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Surcyeon}Iajor Hutton for officiating as judge t>

St. Bnbrcw's tlnlbulance tlssociation.

CALEDONIAN RATLWA\ r\\l BULA:-<C E CHALLENGE CUP COMPETlTION.-Result of Competition, (I) Edinburgh, 257 marks; (2) Ardrossan, 255 marks; (3) Buchanan Street (Goods), 247i marks. 17 competed The following extracts are taken from the Report recently Issued.- The competition in all departments was most successful,

Alb.

[M:1Y, 1 901.

an:1 was in some respects the severest test yet imposed on the competing teams For the first ti me a department of tbe examination was allotted to Transport. It was felt by tbe Arbiters that the lifting and removal of injured persons was 50 important a subject that it deserved greater prominence than it had before recei"ed. It was therefore separated from Bandaging and other practical work, and placed on an equality, as regards time and value, with the other two departments of the competition.TheArbiters feel that th;s is a step in the right direction, and hope that more special attention will be paid to this subject, both by candidates in their work of preparation, and also by Ambulanc-e Corps generally. As to the work done at the recent comcetition, the Arbiters desire to make the following criticisms :-1.- 1n Transport.-

In the first question, the simple plan of three men lifting the patient and taking two paces backwards, there to unl oad on a stretcher placed out from the wall, was overlooked by m ost of the teams. In the second question many teams carried th e patient upst a irs feet foremo st. 2.In Practical work.-In cases of h remorrhage from a limb, arrest of the bleeding will often be effected by merely raising the limb. T his is a simple expedient tbat may he tried, without loss of time, while the main artery is being sought for and compressed. Again, in sim ilar cases tbe use of a pad with an improvised tourniquet is worse than useless In treating fracture of the forearm, tbe patient should be seated and the splint should be a pplied to the arm in the flexed position. I n fracture of the ribs, the patient should not be laid on the floor nor his arms extended. 3.-In General Knowledg-e.- The only remark neces sar y to be made is that competitors should seek to le;lrn more thoroughly, year by year, t he elements of Anatomy and Physiolocyy, as therein they have the best safeguard against errors and tbe assistance in devising means for the benefit of the injured.

NORTH BRIT1SH RAILwAY.-The seventh ambubnce competition for the N British R:tilw ay Ambulance Challenge Cup took place on Saturday, the 20th ulL, in the \\'aterloo Rooms. +I, Waterloo Street, Glasgow. The competition was conducted und er the auspices of the St. Andrew's Amblll a lJce Association The examiners we re Drs. E. Brice and Thomas Proudfoot, Edinburgh, a nd Dr. Robert Grieve, Glasgow. The competition was open to all ambulance corps on the company's system, and each corps is represented by a te am of five men. The corps at the following places 'were represented, viz. : Alloa, Bathgate, College, Cowlairs, Cowlairs \V o rk s, Dunferml ine, Hardengreen, Haymarket, Helensburgh, L e nn oxt(Jwn, Lochgelly, Perth, Portobello, Queen Street, Shettle sto n, Th o rnt on, and "Yaverley. The cup has been won by the team from Shettleston, the name s o f the men being S. Ke o wn. James Walker, H. I r eland, D. Hender son , and J. F Nes s The team from Cowlairs, winners of the medallion s presented by Miss Laird, was second; and the team from Dunfermline, winners of the silver medallions pres ented by the company, third.

Hl1tbulanc c.

GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY ANNUAL Co MPET1TTO:-<. - The final competition in connection with the Great Eastern Railway Ambulance Corps took place at Ley to n Town Hall on April I6th. The results of the divisional competitions showed that seventeen teams entered in the final five The com petitors were very busy dunng the day, and In the even1l1g tbere was a concert, at which Mrs. Makins presented the prizes to the successful team. The results of the compelition were as follows: I, Colchester S8 marks Ollt of a po ss ible 320 ; 2, Liverpool-street, 185 marks; 3, March, 172 marks, -J., Stratford, I69 marks; 5, Brentwood, 165 mark s The prize for the highest individual result was won by Mr. B. Burns , of the Colchester team, with 33 marks out of a possible 40. The judges were Hon. Surgeons Heaton C. Howard and J. R. Roberts oi the Metropolit:1.1l Corps, and Brigade-chief Supt. Church Brasier. There was a crowded audience at the held afterwards. The formal business place during tbe lllterval between the two parts of the programme.

1\1r. J. Wilson proposed a vote of thanks to Mrs. Makins for presenting the prizes.

Mr. Hollins seconded the propo sal, which was heartily carried. Col. Makins, in reply, said Mrs. Makins was extremely obliged to tbem for their thanks (o r what had been a pleasure to her to perform H e was sure they would all regret the absence of Lord Claud IIamilton He (Col. Makins) had been a railway man for a great many yea r s. In their early days there was no such tbing as an ambulance class; it was the product oUbe recent past. Although they had now advanced to a prominent position in the matter of ambulance work, he believed the century just begun would see quite as great an advance as the cent u ry just ended. Col. Makins next referred to the death of men from the Corps in South Africa, and he said there was no greater or more macynificent duty than that of serving one's c:Juntry, and when the arose of laying down one's life for that country. As long as the Great Eastern Ambulance Corps existed the names of the two men wbo had died, and of any others in the Corps who might share their fate would be enshrined in the memory of th e Corps and held in the 'hiO"hest honour. He desired to express on behalf of his colleacrues the board of di r ectors their continued interest in this most work.

Mr. J. F. S. Gooday propcsed a hearty vote of thanks to the competi-

May, 19 0 1. J FIRST tion judges. Mr. E W. Boyden. repre sent ing winning corps, seconded. Mr. Church Brasier and Dr. Roberts replted. Mr. H G. Drury propo sed a vote of hank s to the honorary of-fice:s of G.E.R. A mbulance Corps. Mr. A. J. Hill, who seconded, saId theIr thanks were particularly due to Mr. T. O. Mein. He (the speaker) knew something of the work entailed by the general work of the ambulance movement as for many years he beld the po s ition of bon. secretary. 'The thanks were to by Dr.. C. P. O'Connor. At this stage of the proce ed Il1g s, a pleasIng presentation was made to Mr. Georg-e Aston, lat e first officer of the Stratford Division and an active ambulance member for twenty-one years. The gifts 'consisted of a luxuri ous easy chair, upholstered in leather, with a swing ing reading desk attached; a pIpe and a pouch. Mr. T. O. l\lein said be had been asked to perform the pleasant duty whi ch, evidently from the applause, met with popular approva l. 1\1r. George Aston, o r good old George, as they affectio na tely loved to ca ll him bad bepn associated with the Railw ay Company for a perIod of 43 ):ears. He had spent the best years of his life i.n the service of the Company, and during 21 of them had been rendering first aId to the injured, not only among the Great Eastern empl oyees, but tbe aeneral public who were unfortunate enough to meet WIth accIdent, but who ·were fortunate enough under the circumstances to meet with George Aston. It was impossible for him to give any figures showing the number of cases George ,\ston had treated, but he had occasionally lo oked at his book of record, and he could assure them that the statistics contained thereill were more astonishing than anything that cou ld be said in his favour. This book was not available that night, because they wanted this presentation to come as a surprise, and did not, tberefore. lik e to ask l\fr. Aston to bring his book As first officer of tbe Stratford division he had been an excellent officer , and he had been able, by his genial disposition, en thusiasm, and the interest he had thrown into his work, to keep togetber a number of men 111 connectIOn with the division. He (the speaker) had had to put up with some hard thincys t hat day from members from the country districts becalise they had been allowed to s u bscribe They pointed out that illr. Aston helped in the formation of their divisions, but while they recognised what he had done in other directions, there was a feeling that this gift should come from the Stratford di\·ision. Xo less than persons had contributed to the testimonial, but i!: was not the intrinsic value wbich would recommend it to his consideration, but the fact that so many had taken the opportunity of expressing- their regard for his noble work and character. 1I1r. Aston, who was enthusiastically received, said he was so much overcome he could exp re ss his thanks. It had been hi s aim to render first aid to the best of his ability and to assist in teacbing others, but he had to thank the directors and officers of the C ompany for giving bim the facilities to learn ambulance work. [n doing what he had done he had looked for no reward such as this, but had only been mindful of the words of tbe so ng:

"Stretch fort h your h and to a brother, Remember life is but a span, It's our duty to help one another, And to do a good t urn when we can ."

Mr. J II o lden pr oposed a yote of thanks to the chairman. 1n spectorGeneral BelO'rave innis, deputy Commissioner, St. John Ambulance Brigade, seconded the resolution, whicb was heartily accorded. Col. Makins briefly returned thanks after whi ch a delightful concert was given by the Comedy Concert Cumpany-l\liss Ma s ie Riversdale, l\1is5 Alice Oliver, 1\1essrs. J. Horncastle, R oland IIenry and F. Swinford. I ncl uded with the first prize was a hand some bust of our late beloved Queen, presented by 1\11'. Parolini, of St. J oh n 's Lane, Clerkenwell. A new and imploved Bandage Shoot was presented by Me ssrs. Reynolds and Branson, of Leeds, to the team securing the second position.

GREAT WESTE]{N RAILWAY. - T he first annual inspection of the Swindoll Divi sion G \V.R. Corps, St. John Ambulan ce Brigade, took place in the G.\V.R. carriage works on Saturday afternoon, t he r3 h ult. F orty -six members paraded before Dr. W. Vern on, the Deputy Commissioner of the Southern and "'estern District, and went tbrouCYh the movements of stretcher drill and hand sea ts under the orders"'of Sergeant Instructor E. C. Pymm, Supt. V. R. Bird and Offi cers J. Stamper and A. H. Lawrence. At the conclusion t h e Deputy Commissioner said his remarks at inspections were generally confined to pointing out faults, but on th is occasion he was glad to say he h a d no fault to find. He was greatly surprised at the accuracy and smartness with which the drill had been performed, and must say th at the Divi sion, althoug-h only formed this winter, wa s equal in efficiency to any Division in the district, and superior to many that had been in existence seven or eight years. It was quite evident that Sergt.-Instructor Pymm had given most careful and painstakin a attention o the traininO' of the men, and he complimented him on the splendid results obta ined in so short a time. Such result s also showed that the members tbemselves had taken the greatest interest in their work.

GREAT VI E TERN RAIL\\,AY.-The final competition between the fir s prIze teams from the Divisional Competitions, which ha\'e taken. place at van0';ls centres on the Company's system, wa s held at Paddmg ton, on Apnl 17th. The teams were as follows :-Birmingham

A I D. 87

(Sn o w Hill), Cardiff, (Goods Department), U erefo rd (Barrs Court), Paddington (A udit OffI ce), Plymouth, P ontypool Smithfield, Swindon and Taunt on At the close of tbe competItIon the result was as follows :-1, Smithfield; 2, Taunton; 3, Swindon 4, Birmingham and Plymouth ; 5, 6 R aad; 7, Cardiff, and 8, Paddington (AudIt Office). The BlrmIIlgham and teams were awarded equal marks. For indiddual work tbe result was as follows :-1, "V. Roost, Taunton; 2 C. H. \Varbury, Birmingham; 3, A. lIott, Plym o uth; 4, R. T. Davies, P ontypool, and A. H. Lawrence, Swindon ; equal mar k s, S. T. Reynold s, Smithfield; F. Phillips, Hereford; and W. A. Fur ber Paddington. Tbe silver med a l for the best indi vidua l work wa s therefGre awarded to vV. Reost, Taunton, and the Smithfield team will represent the Great Western Railway Co. in the forthcoming Challenge Shield Competition. The following- gentlemen acted as judges. viz. :-Surgeon Lieut.-Col. J. Edl\ ard Squire, V.I\I.S.C., Dr. J. ill. Can'ell, of Catford, and Dr. G. Ma cDonald, of Southall.

LON DON, BRI GHTON & SO CTH COAST RAIL\L<\Y.-

The annual competition for tbe challenge cup and prizes by the Directors for the best team of ambulance men on theIr lme took pla.::e on March 28th in the mess-room at :\ew Cross station. The following stations were represented :-Bright on, Victoria, B ognor, Gipsy Hill and Xew Cross. Dr. J Brown, of Clapham, was again tbe judge. The result was as follows :-1, N ew Cross (No. [ t eam); 2, Brighton; 3, \'i ctoria; 4, GipSy Hill; 5, New Cross (No.2 team); 6. Bcgnor. The competition between the first two t ea m s W3S very close, Bri.,.hton, who were the holders, losing by only a few p oi nts. The winning team will have the honour of representing- the railway in the competition for the railway shield given by the St. Jobn Ambulance Association.

LO NDO:\' & NORTH " 'ESTER:\ RATL\\ A¥.-The annual com petiti o n of teams from the Rugby and Northampton district for the Challencye Shield took place at the end of '\[arch at Warw ick Castle, to historical place the Countess of Warwick kindly invited them. I'.'ine teams viz.: Castlethorpe, Bli swort h , Xorthampton, Rugby, Colwick, N Leamington, \ Yarwick, and Lei cester com pe!ed, with the result tha't l\uneaton was placed first with 333 marks, and Nortbampton second 321 marks, out of a possible 400. The judgincr was undertaken by Surge on -.\Iaj or Hutton (Leamington), who ably assisted by Assistant Commissioner \\' oo ls ton (Northampton). The contest took place in the Shakespeare Hall. fhe Countess, with her son (Lord Brooke) and daughter (Lady i\I arjory Ne\'ille) were present, and took great interest in the proceedings as also did a number of friends her ladyship had invited. At the close of tee COtltest the whole of the officials and competitors, to the number ot about 70, sat down to a splendid tea, which was laid in the magnifIcent dining-room, and presideci ovu by.the COUl:tess. A hearty vote of thanks to the Countess for hel kll1dness was proposed by i\Ir. C. E. Graseman, Euston (Out-door Goods i\lanager). In reply, her ladyship said it had given her great pleasure to hal e them there that day, and hoped to se e them again next year, as she was a firm beliel'er in ambulance work, as in anything else which was calculated to do good to our fellow men. She wa s pleased to know the examiners thought they were all fit to render ef-ficient first aid when called upon, and also to learn that one of their number had been on active sen'ice at the front in South Africa. At the close of her spe e ch three hearty cheers were given for her ladyship.

LO:-<DON & NOR TH \V ESTER;-," RATLWA \.- The ambulance competition for the challenge shield offered by this Company " as concluded at Crewe on the 23rd April. Eleven teams competed, and much intere:;t was shown in the display. Th e judges were Dr. Pim, of Barrowford, and Dr. Ramage, London. The following were the placings of the teams after th e compet ition: First and winners the: shield, E! ull; uec.ond, Bangor; thIrd, N uneaton; fou.rth, \\ Idnes; fifth,. Crewe; SIxth, l'enrith' seventh Builth Ro:td " ell2'hth, W olverton; nlllth, Lone-siaht "-'. tenth, Preston G oods; elel·enth. \\ olverhampton. Last year H u!l was last in the compet ition. \\' oh·erton had won the trophy for the previous three years

LONDo:-< SOl"TH "'EST El,:\, IL \\·AY.- T he final competition for the challenge shield and sih'er medals presented by the Directors for amb ulan ce work took place on the 12th April, at the Brunswick Institute, n ear \ 'a uxhall Station. Twen ty teams had entered, al' d representative teams from Wim bled on, Eastleigh (traffic department). Ea stleigh ,"Yor k s, and Exeter met for the final competition. In the unavoidable absence of Mr. Charles J. Owens, the General .\ranager and Presiden t of the Centre, the lI on. Secretary, J\fr. W. Buckmaster addressed the competi ng teams before the competitions commenced: and alluded to t he kindness of the D irectors in presenting suc:; a valuable shie ld as also to the keen interest taken by the General i\lanacyer in the moyement. Th e teams were placed by Dr. Potter (Kensington Infirmary), the judge, in order of merit, as follows:Wimbled oll, 295 points; Eastleigh Traffic, 286 ; Eastleigh Works, 3 2 Exeter, 255.

NOHTH-EA TER:-< RAIL\LO\Y.-The final nmbulance competitions took place on tbe I3th April, in the Railway In stitute, YOrk. Dr. F. E. de B. Pim, Barrowford, Lancashire, acted as judge. There were six teams com peting-, the total number of marks possible to be obtained

by e:lch te:lm being 500. The Chairman read the result of the competition as follows :-1. Hull, -H7 points; 2, Newcastle, 417 points; 3. Darlinaton, 3q6 points The other competing- teams were:353; Leeds (Harrog-ate), 338; York (:\lalton), 310. A fmoking concert was afterwards held aL the Bar Hotel, :'Ilicklegate. 1\1r. F. Penty presided over a large atteLdance, 'which included representatives from all parts of the system. Mr. G T. Bowlings. of the General Manager's office, York; !lIr. A. J. \V. Dawson, York Goods Superinten:lent ; and Mr. D. C. Adams Dock Superintendent, Hull, were amongst those present. During the course of the evening the Chairman made presentations to l\lr. George Jackson, general secretary of the centre, and to Mr. 'V. H. Turnbull, (,x-district secretary. An excellent programme was provided and thoroughly appreciated The Chairman, in making the presentation to Mr. J ackson, said tbe rorthEastern Ambulance Centre was started in 1895, and they were the pioneers of the great movement which had led to the ambulance competition, which stimulated and kept in thorough practise those men II ho had learnt first aid. He testified to the generosity of i'lir. Gibb, the general manager. in affording facilities for the carrying on of the ambulance \\'ork- 'Yhen they commenced the competition :'Ilr. Gibb kindly recommended the Board of Directors to grant the sum of £50 to be competed for in the six passenger ciistricts. 1 led to a national competition being- by the··St. John Ambulance Association, as a result of which several others of the important railway compar:ies had begun to take part in the movement. Althoug-h some of companies might have given more money for competitions, there was no company that had the advantages and privileges that the North Eastern Employees enjoy. The followin.g- contributed to the programme :-:'I1essrs. "-. Wvnyard, Kewcastle; T. Rawlingson and J. T. Curry, Hartpool; W. King, Hull; Knowles, Harrogate; F. Smith, G. "'heatley, C. Fletcher, E C. Lea, ,Yo Benson, F Penty, and R. C. Jubb, York.

SOUTH EASTERN & CHATHAM RAILWAy.-The ambulance competition took place at Camberwell slation on April 9th. Seven teams entered, viz. Victoria, Herne Hill, Ashford "'orks, Ashford Station, Canterbury, Ramsgate and Hastings. After a very trying examination the Judge, Dr. Brown, of Clapham, placeci the teams as follows: Herne Hill, 1st, 248 marks; Ashford 'Yorks, 2nd, 236 marks; Victoria, 3rd, 22+ marks; Hastings, 4th, 223 marks; Ashford Station, sth, 2q marks; Canterbury, 6th, 186 marks; Ramsgate. 7th, 177 marks. The winning team, comprising of G. Way, O. Allen, T. Peacock, F. Drinkwater and J. Rowland, was selected to contest against all railways for the challenge shield.

CO:'lIPETITTO:\ FOR ST. JOHN 8m ELD.

The result of the semi-final heats in the competition which ha\'e been held at various centres during the latter part of the past month is as follows:-r, Great Eascern Railway; 2, :'Iersey Railway; 3, l\'"orth Eastern Railway; 4, South Eastern and Chatham Railway; 5, Great XOlthcrn Railway These fil'e teams being the highest will compete in the final to be held on the 9th inst. at the Portman Rooms. The following is the order of the remaining teams: 6, Great Western Railway; 7, Great Central Railway; 8, Liverpool Overhead; g, L ondon, Brighton and South Coast; 10, North London; IT, Cheshire Lines; 12, Midland and Great Joint; 13, Cambrian; q, :JIetropolilan; 15, London and North " -estern; r6, London and South "-estern; Ii, Lancashire and Yorkshire; 18, Central London; r9, Rhymney '-alley.

Lmmo:\' PRIVATE Film BRIGADES' REU:\"ro:i.-The members of the London Private Fire Brigades' Association and their friends, with a fair ,prinkling of ladies, filled the large Finsbury Town Hall on March 28th, the occasion of the Bohemian Conce·,t and distribution of prizes won at the last annual Tournament. Brigade Chief Supt. Church Brasier presided, and was supported by Col Sir Herbert O. Perrott, Ban., Chief Secretary St. John Ambuhnce Association, Commander R.N. (:\I.F.B.), (\lajor Fox (Lo!1don Salvage Corps), Second Officer Gamble (:\I.F.B.). Captain T. G. Dyson (Windsor), Superintendent Goslin (Sulton), Superintendent Morgan (S.J.A.B.), Messrs. E. "-. Tabor, B. R. Isaac, and others. The programme a long one. During the interval Sir H. Perrott, introduced in a few appropriate words by the Chairman, distributed the prizes, which went chiefly to the Railway Clearing House ;\Tessrs. r. and R. :Ylorley':; and Messrs. Stapely and Smith's Brigades. Other prize winners were :'I [essrs. :'farshall and nelgrO\'e's, ,\iessrs. Copestake's, and Messrs. Spencer, Turner Boldero·s. Responding to a vote of thanks, ir Herbert spoke nighly of the work of Superintendent Church Brasier in his capacity as \3rigade Chief Superintendent of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and in connection with the Fire Bri ade at St. John's Gate. lIe thought that while the public owed much to the Ambulance men for their services, in relieving the injUied and suffering, they owed still more to Fire Brigade men, whether they were members of the regular Brigade, as that of which Commander Wells was the distinguished head, or were simply auxiliaries like the private Fire Brigades. Their rescue \York was done at far greater risk than

that of tbe Ambulance man " 'hile many people had a very g-reat dread of fire, it was astonishing how little they did to prevent fires, and to provide [or escaping- from their houses in case of an outbreak, and on this account they were all the more indebted to the firemen br their prompt and ready response to the call for help. The health of Sir Herbert Perrott was heartily drunk, and was followed hy a toast to the visitors, with which was coupled the names of Commander W ells, Major Fox and Second Officer Gamble This was received with musical honours, and in reply Commander Wells said that Sir Herbert Perrolt had referred to the Private Fire Brigades as auxiliaries to the .:\Ietropolitan Fire Brigade. Wi th this he scan:tly ag-retd, but, he added, " I would like to call you' first-aiders' of the Fire Service. Our great object is to put out fires, and it does not matter whether this is done by the hand-pump or line of hose from hydrant, so long as it i s done well and the property saved with t he least possi b le damage Anything that tends to this must be of service to the Brigade T represent " Second Officer Gamble echoed the thanks of his Chief for the il1\'itation to the concert. and the kind way in which the Brigade had been referred to by the Chairman. ;\[ajor Fox likewise tendered a few words of advice to the members of the Pri\'ate Fi re Brigades. He was often AJeased, not only with the work done by these Brigades, but by their ready help tendered to himself and his men in their own particular duties, and tor this he gladly thanked them. Later in the e\-ening Captain T G. Dyson proposed the health of the Chairman, Superint.endent Church Brasier, who was accorded musical honours, and in response expressed himse-lf well satisfied with the of the Association, and gracefully thanked the Secretary and other officials of the Association for their freely-given assistance. The catering was well carried out by Mr. J. the" Baptist's Head," St. John's Lane.

1I{e\)iew.

"FIRST AID TO THE INJUlmo AND SICK." Thi s little book, cumpiled by Surgeon Captain Warwick and Surgeon Captain Tun stall, and published by Messrs. John Wright and Co., Bristol, is certainly one of the best text books on the su bject we have seen. We should have preferred, however, that the title had been Advanced First Aid. as it certainly is in advance of the ordinary text book, and had this title been adopted, we believe it would hal'e commanded a readier sale amongst members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and various Bearer Companies, to whom it should prove a valuable text book. The authors are evidently thoroughly conversant with the subject of first aid in all its details. The letterpress is clearly and comprehensively written, it is well illustrated, and as a book of reference or guide to further study it should commend itself also to members of the nursing profession. 'Ve for it a ready and popular sale, and we must congratulate both authors and publishers alike on the way in which the manual is presented to the public.

FIRST AID '1'0 'IHE "JURED .AND SICK;" An Ambulancf' Handbook. Bv F B. Warwic){, B.A., M.D., Cantah., &c., "ud A. C. Tunstall, '}l.D., I<'.H.C.S., Edill. Published by Wrigbt &; Co., Bristol.

COUPON TICKET

SPECIALLY GUARANTEED BY

The Ocean Accident &Guarantee Corporation f

LIMITED.

40, 42 , & 44, MOORGATE STREET , LONDON, E.C. to whom Notice of Claims, under the following conditions, must be sent within seven days of accident to the above address.)

600093

£100

will be paid by the above Corporation to tbe legal of who is killed by an accident to the Passcnger Tram (wlth m the Umted or Channel IslallJs). in which the Jeceased. ,v:as a tlcket bear lUI{ or paylllg passenger, or who shall have fatally 1l1J ured thereby (shuuld death result witilill ninety days after such aCCident).

PROVI DED that the person so killed or injUl'ed had upon his or her person Or had left at home this

mre\)i ties.

DR. COLLIXGRIDGE, a KDight of Grace of the Order of St. John of J erusalem in England and a member of the Central Executi\'e Committee of the St. John Amhulance Association, hilS heen appointed Medical Officer of Health fOl' the City of Londou.

* * WE beg to offer OUl· hearty cODgratulations to Sir Frederick Treyes, K.C.V,O., C.B., F.RC.S., a Knight of Grace of the Ornet' of St. John of Jerusalem, on receiving the honom' of Knighthood.

'I<

* *

, T. clay, the day on which the Annual General Assembly of the Order of St. John is held, is a day which also an impOl' tnnt event in the history of two of the liv ery Uompanies of the City of London. It ,vas on the eve of this (by that the annual feast of the Skinners' and M erchant Taylors' Companies was founded. The e Companie have commissioned Ellwin A. Abbey, RA paint a picture commemoratll1g the event, to be placed m Royal Exchange.

** * TilE Metropolitan Corps of the St. John Ambulance Brigade i s supplying the Ambulance Station ::t.t the Military Exhibition at Earl's Court.

** ,*

N ow that the builders h[we made il start at St. John's Gate, we tru:::;t that the Brigade will have a drill that i s worthy of it. 'The ,vant of suitable headquarters has long been felt.

"''l<" "'-

"\VE are very glad to find 'that Ambulance work i catchin 0' on &0 well in the Church Lads' Brigade and also in the Brigade, both these organisation'S are doing a good among boys who have just l eft schoo l and are beginning to fight their own way in the world. V\Te ealDestly recommend hoth these brigade to the notice of those of our readers who have any spare time to give, and any superfluous energy to work oft'.

** *

H.R.H. the Duke of Cornwall aDd York, the Gnl.l1d Prior of the Order of St. J olm of Jerusalem, has had the hODol'ary degree of Doctor of Laws cODferred on him by the University of Melbourne.

*.:if 'l<

1\11ss NIGilTINGALE, the leader of that gallant band of N Ul'ses, who went to the help of our ick and wounded in the Crimean war, completed her eighty-fir t yen.r on the 15th of May.

IN the days of the Crimen.n war, there was no Red Cro s Society to sepd out comforts nnd no St John Ambulance Brigade to fill up vacancies.

to }\mb\.1laf\ce Work

A writing to the JIeclical JOM'nal of 18th 1:ay, suggests that the rcserves of the Army 1\1edieal Service should be fOl'med of:-

1. Officers and men who hn\-e sen-cel in the R.A.l\I.C.

2. Tl'ained St. John Amblllance men.

3 Othel's who may yolllntcer.

*

TilE recent competition for prizes offered by the Master of the Wor hipful Company of Coachmakers for improvetl designs for a military amhulilnce waggoD, has, we hear proved one of the large t a11(l most successful for many years. The fh'st prize goes to l\h. Terry, of Fulham, who provides for two stretchers and others placed acn)ss the waggon, 1\1r. J. Phillipson, of K ewca tIe, gains the second prize, by an ingeniolls al'rangement for 10we1'ingthe side5 of the waggon to allow of stretchers being placed clossways, the canvas cover being high when the sides are up and support eats for patient·, and lowel ed when the a r e down and the loaded stretcher::; cal'l'ied. The third prize goes to i\lr_ 'Wendel Holmes, who utilise,; the seat along the side, and a llppOl't down the centre of the vvaggon to SUppOl't a second tiel' of stretchers, thus al10wing foul' lying down cases.

hnve to congrntulate the winners of the St. John Ambulance Association CompetitioDs held at the Portman on the 9th ult. Tho North Eastern Raihyay Company's team succeeded in wresting the Challenge Shield from the winners of last year. This is the first time that the Shield h1:1S lelt the metropolis, amI we must acknowledge to a, certain amount of satisfaction tlmt a provincial team has carried off the premier prize of the year. 'Ve are glad to see that more rnihv:ty companies ha,e entered for the competition than formerly, showing pretty phLinly that more interest is being taken in the work. * *" ;If

THE East Ham Divi ion of the l\Ietropolitan Corp 11a again beeD successful in winning the Dewar Shield, and the Wellingborough Corps took home the Symons Eccles Cup as second prize. was generally remal·ked that the wOl·k of the Brigade teams mlS infel'ior to that of the railway compallies, fll1tl the reason was uppo eel to be thitt the ra.ilway teams ga,Ye mOl'e time to practice, flnd were allov,-ed more by their employer thn.n the indi"ichw.l membel' of the Brigade are ableto get. Whether thi is correct we do not know, but the fn.ct was evident

* **

TilE London ambulance question seems to be looking up a little. The Illt6stmtecl J1Jail of Mn ), 18th devotes a specia l article to the subject, ,,,hich i headed "The Mekopoli:'> is thirteeD years behind Pal'is in its street mnbulance ystem ." A deticliption is given of tbe Paris Ambuln.nce Service (particuhll's of whi.:h wel'e published in this Journal some years ago), and it is sta ted that Dr. N /:t.chtel is now in London trying to e tabli 11 a. service. We cordially wish him succetiS, but are afraid 11 e h11s an uphill fight, there being too ma.ny interestl:i ngninst an " etrangel'."

"1bo111e lRnrsing."

By " CHTRURGUS ." PART V. DISINFECTION.

The object of disinfection is to destroy the germs of which are g-iven off by sick people, and so prevent tbe spread of disease In order that you may do tbis, I will give you some of the recogl1lsed rules for preventing the spread of infection. .,

1 -The sick room is to be well ventilated, [re5h air bemg allowed to enter by the window ill the manner described in III. j. if the weather is not too hot a fire should be kept burnll1g, as thiS you remember facilitates the escape of foul air.

The floor of tbe room should be tho roughly cleaned each day, some disinfectant should placed n.ho ut in saucers.

2.- The door must be kept closed, an excellent plan is to hang n. sbeet over the outside of the door as a curtain, this sheet is to be kept constantly sprinkled with carbolic acid and water, about one part of carbolic acid to forty parts of water will be found to be strong 3.-Underclotbes and bed linen that have been used by the patient should be soaked in water to which some carbolic acid has beer. added bf'fore beinO' taken out of the room. V1de Part 11 1. on spread of ., infection.

4.- All plates, knives, glasses. &c, which have been used by the patient must be put into some disinfecting solution before being sent from the sick room.

5.- The patient must b e kept very clean. Tf there is any scabbing or scalinO' of the skin, it must be smeared with carbo lic oil. Vide Part IV, small pox and scarlet fever, any scabs or pieces of skin which come a wa y should be burn tat once.

6. - All phlegm or excreta should be received into vessels containing some disinfectant powder, and before being taken away from the room some more disinfectant should be poured in them an d they should be emptied down the w.c. immediately.

7.-1£ possible a person of mature age should be selected to nurse an infectious case, or if this is impoEsible one who has had the disease.

Before taking her meals the nurse must be careful to wasb her hands in carbolic solu tion sbe must also be careful not to inhale the patient's breath, and must avoid unnecessary communication with otber members of the household.

- t\ 0 visitors should be allowed in the sick room unless absolutely necessary. Tho se that do bave to come must never enter the room fasting', nor may they eat or drink while there; v1de Part III. Tbey sbould wear a linen cover over their clothes, and should not touch the patient, especially in diphtheria, scarlet fever and small pox; on leaving the room they should wash their hands in some disinfectant.

9. - The patien is not to be allowed to mix with others until he has received the doctor's permission and not then until he has been thoroughly di5infected by means of warm baths to which a disinfectant has been added, and fresh clothes have been put on.

lo.-Sinks and closets should be well flushed with disinfectant solution, and afterwards well scrubbed and ventilated.

The foregoing rules refer to tbe peri od during \\ hich the patient is confined to the sick room suffering from illness when he is recovered and lea\'es the ch amber, the room, the furniture in it, and all the clothing worn by the patient during the illnes s will have to be thoroughly disinfected in the following manner.

Bedding.-Wh en the illness is finished, notice should be sent to the sanitary inspector for the district, wh::> will send a proper conveyance to take the bedding to the disinfecting chamber, or, as it is frequently called, the" oven," when it will be subjected to great heat for some hours.

Clothing .-Cloth and woollen clothing had better be sent with the bedding; linen is to be well soaked in water with carbolic aoid, and then boiled for ten minutes.

Room.- The paper is to be stripped off the walls and then burned; .the windows, chimney, and any other opening are to be closed and covered by pasting brown paper over them. A zinc pail should then be placed in the middle of the room on two bricks; some pieces of roll sulphur are to be put into the pail and lighted, the lighting is facilitated by p ouring some methylated spirits of wine over the sulphur. Having lit the sulphur the "ttendant is to come quickly out of the room, close the door, paste brown paper over the crev ice s around the door, and also over the keyhole. One pound of sulphur should be used for every thousand cubic feet of space; instead of the roll sulph ur, sulphur candles may be used, which will be found more convenient. At the end of 24 hours the attendant should enter the room and throw open the window, and allow the room to thoroughly air. The ceiling should be whitewashed, the walls repapered, the fioor and wood work washed with water and carbolic acid. All articles of furniture which can be moved should be taken into the open air, and be brushed and washe:!.

DISINFECTANTS.

Having discussed the principles of disin!ection during and after illness, we will now turn our attent ion to the disinfectants themselves.

AID. [June, 1901.

[t is usual to speak of disinfectants under three I. Disinfectants which attack impurities in the aIr. Sulphur fumes .-The best for rooms after illness.

Nitrous fumes .-Made by putting metallic copper Into mtnc aCid also used for disi nfection of rooms.

Chlorine - Used for the same purpose as the above two IS made by adding hydrochloric acid chloride of lime.

Carbolic acid.-When sprinkled on cloths a nd hung up outSIde a room.

2. Those which destroy germs when applied to the dis eased body o r mixed with the discharges therefrom.

Pe manganate of potash.-One ounce dissolved in three pints of water fOt ms a fluid equal to Condy's .fluid Chlorid e of zinc.- Very useful for Infected expectoratIOn.

Carbolic acid.-Thi s can be used liquid, or in powder, or as soap.

Coal tar.-Gen erally u sed in tbe form of soap.

Terebine. -Used in soap.

Sanitas .- Useful tor sinks has a pleasant oiour.

3. Heat. - This is undoubtedly the disinfectant for clothes It can be u sed either as steam or as hot air, the former beJJ1g the most efficacious.

VISITORS

The reO'ulatino of visitors is very necessary, but it is a duty which ff dIll requires a great deal of tact or many may be 0 n a senous cases the nurse must act according to the ll1structlOns as admittinO' visitors to the sick room. In mfectlOus cases act In ., accordance with Rule 8 of the prevIOUS sectIOn.

In ordinary cases the following points will be a guide. Do not. let the visitor come just before or too so?n after a .Let the VISItor sit in full view of the patient, other\l'Ise your wIll to tWist and screw his head abom to see the \'1Sltor, and wdl very lIkely afterwards complain of a stiff neck. Do not let the visitor sit upon the as it fidgets the patient it also giyes you more. trouble, as s.o makes the bed untidy, to say n othing of IncreasIng the bIll, by making the counterpane .dirty. Notice what the VISitor upon the patient; if the patient seems better and brighter for the all well and O'ood but if he is tired or eXCited, the length of the VISit b h must be curtailed or forbidden Never allow anyone to come Into e room with damp clothes

WASHING PATIENTS

It is absolutely necessary to keep your as the skin throws off a large amount of perspiratIOn which :ontalns offensive material from the body. The skin act. very freely In most serious disorders, and the clothes receiv6 the maller thus thrown offhence the need of good ventilation and of frequent of the clothes The face and hands should be washed every mornIng and again at nIght the feet and legs every or .a: very least once a week. As the operation of washing IS fatlgu1l1g to a Sick person, it should be done when he is at his be.st, a little while after. a meal. If the patient becomes unexpectedly dIrty, bat.he and clean at once. Inca ses of prolonged Illn ess carefully the dady, thoroughly dry and powder with plain starch, or give powder In order to ward off bed sores

If the patient is unable to leave his ?ed to have a bath you m.ust wash him all over in bed; when gOIng to do so, have everything ready-w arm water, soap, piece 50ft sponge n.nd towels_ You will then proceed to wash bIt hy for uncover the arm place a piece of waterproof covered WIth a thick towel under the arm'to protect the bed; having washed and dried that arm, cover it, and proceed to another part. 1 ever have too a surbce of body uncovered at one time, as a SIck person soon chills you must also be careful to ward off draughts.

The teeth are to be cleaned regul arly. If the patient is unable to do this himself the nurse must do it for him with a small mop made by fastening a 'piece of lint to a stick

If the patient is a lady, very particular attentIOn be paid to the hair, or it will get into a very tangled state. Let It be well brushed and combed each day, and then plait.ed.

DRESSING PATIENTS.

Dressing the patients and changing his clothes are very important duties. The I,urse must be very careful that all clean clothes are well aired and warmed before beinO' put on, also that the soiled clothes are remov ed from the room. ln b a surgical case of injury to an upper limb remember that the clothes are to be taken off the sound side first. and in putting on clean they s hould be placed on the in j ured si?e

If your patient s very helpless and unable to stand n: uch movmg It IS a good plan to cut the shirt down the back so that IS can be put on from the front and thel! tucked under back.

·When a patient sits up in be,l the nurse must be very careful. to the back and shoulders with a woollen shawl, to prevent a chIll beIng taken.

BED MAKING.

When making a bed be very careful that the unde: blanket and under sheet are perfectly smootb, .t hey should both be WIde .to allow of beinO' tucked under the SIde of the mattress, some authontles /;)

June, 1901.J FIRST

say that the llnJer blanket is not required in the summer as it unduly heats the patient. The nurse must be very careful t.:> see that the under sheet does not ruck as this is one of the causes of bedsores, if the patient is very restless it is a good plan to pin the under sheet to the edges of the mattress with safety pins. The bolster is not to be wrapped in the under sheet, but to be in a slip, so as to allow of the under she et being changed easily.

A spare pillow or two are useful, either for the purpose of raising the head or supporting the patient 5 back when lying on one side, or to change for a hot one. anyone who has 1,1id on a sick bed for long will know how refreshing it is to bave a cool pillow substituted for the bot one. When the bed has to be re -made your patient must be got out on to a couch or second bedst.ead, cal e being taken that he is well wrapped up to prevent chill. In some severe cases you will find that this cannot be done and then you must change t.he sheets with the patient in bed

CHANGING SHEETS

The chang-lllg of sheets requires two perwns to do it expeditiously. Th e Upper Sheet you will change in the following manner :-Have the clean sheets thoroughly aired and folded into three crosswise, then remove all the upper bedclothes except the dirty sheet, lay tbe clean sheet across the bed and unfold. by so unfold ing y o u save making a cool wind , next lay a blanket O\'er the sheet, then let one person go to the bead of the bed and take hold of tbe clean sheet and blanket by the top corners, the second person will stand at the foot of tbe bedstead, taking hold of the bottom corner of the dirty sheet and draw if. away. The Under Sheet.-Th e mode of changing the under sheet is as follows :-Let the two attendants stand with their backs to tbe side of the bedstead, roll up lengthwise, one half of the clean sheet and place it on a chair 3.t the side of the bed, then \'ery gently roll the patient en to his side iarthest away, taking care that the upper bed clothes are kept close to his back, one of the attendants must keep a band on the patient 3.1l the time in case he should fall over, then let the other attendant ro![ up the dirty sheet into a roll against the patient's back, place the roll of the clean sheet aO'ainst the roll of the dirty one, then turn your patient over on to his other side, remove the dirty sheet and unroll the clean one.

DRAW SHEET.

_\ draw sheet has to be frequently used to prevent the bed from being it is made by folding an ordinary sheet into three or four lengthwise, its width is to be such tcat it will reach from just below the shoulder blades to the knees. A piece of waterproof sheeting should be placed under the draw sheet, wJ:oich should be arranged so that when it is soiled it can be drawn to one side and a dry part placed under the patient. \Vhen it is neces sary to cha nge the draw sheet for a fresh one it can be done by tllrning the patient on tbe siue as in the case of the under sbeet, but if tbe patient cannot be turned, it may be done by pinning a dry one to the soiled one and so dlawing it under the patient, who must be carefully raised by the nurse; when changing by this method care must be taken to pin the clean sheet under the soiled.

To be cOlltiJlued.

\YORK I:-I SO UTH AFRICA.-At the Lecture Hall, Dunnon, the presentations of medallions and certificates took pbce in con nection with the loca I St. John .\ m bulance and ursin 0' Classes

The Rev. Arthur Allwork, rector of Whickham, presided, and the distribution wn.s made by i\lrs. "\Vicks, Mayoress of Gatesbead. F 01lowing this formal proceeding, Surgeon-Major Gibbon, V.D., delivered a lecture on "vVhat Ambulance Men are doing at the Front ." Surgeon-Ma jor Gibbon said that the ambulance man at the front m u st not only be able to attend to fractures and deal with ordinary accidents, but must be able to staunch bleeding and to dress wounds, and to do tbis under fire, unarmed and absolutely without any protection whatever. He also conducted the audience, with the help of many vivid la ntern slides, prepared from photographs taken on the spot, the whole course of an ambulance man's work when on active service. Starting at the base training school he traced his route up to camp, then on to the battlefield, and then back, bearing the wounded on litters, to camp, and thence down to the base by the hospital train. He prophesied that the Government would soon have to recogni se the work of the Association, and finally, he outlined a scheme which he sa id he wa s ur ging on the Government. There are he explained, tlVO ambula nce bearers attached to each company of the Line, Militia and Volunteers. These numbers, he suggested, should be doubled This might be in expensively done by keeping the active strength as at present, and by having a civilian reserve composed of members of the St. John Ambulance Association or St. John Ambulanc e Brigade Such a system would obviate the necessity for calling up untrained men and training them, as had had to be done in this war, as the reserve would be a large one of trained men. The lecture was illustrated by 70 slides from actual photographs taken on the spot. A vote of thanks to the Mayoress and the lecturer concluded the proceedings.

AID. 91 st. 30hn Bnlbulance BS5ociation's <t0111petitiOtls.

The final heat in connection with this competition for the St. John Ambulance Shield took place on Thursday, :'Ilay 9th, at the Portman Rooms. Ninet een teams from as many railways originally entered, and out of these the following fi ve were selected as gaining the highe st marks in the preliminary heats :-Great Eastern, Great ::\orthern, N'orth Eastern and South E astern and Ohatham. Among those present were the Marquess and :'Ilarchioness of Breadal ba ne, Lord and Lady Sand hurst, Lord and Lady Knutsford, Sir Herbert Perrott, Chief Secretary St. John Ambulance Association, Mr. F. S. Gooday, General Manager of tbe Great Eastern Railway, and Colonel Bowdler, Chief Commi ssio ner of the Brigade, and many provincial surgeons and officers. The Judges were C olone l Trimble, Deputy Commissioner St. John Am b ulance Brigade, and 1I1r. J. Cantlie, i\1.B.

The competition commenced at II.30 and was concluded at 3.30, when the result was announced as follows :-First, Xonh Eastern Railway, 273 marks; second, Mersey Railway , 26-1 marks; Third, Great t\orthern Railway , 262 marks; Fourth, Great Eastern Railway, 22 9 marks; bfth, South Eastern and Chatham Rn.ilway, 228 marks. Badges of merit were gained by the Great \Vestern, the Great Central and the Liverpool Overhead Railways.

BRIGADE CO.\lPETITION.

The preliminary heats in this competition resulted in the following five teams, each representing one of the fil'e divisions of the Brigade :East Ham, Brierfield, Chichester. Sheffield and Wellingborough. The Judges were Deputy Commissioner "\V. H. \T ernon and Hon. Surgeon Heaton C. Howard of the :Jletrcpolitan Corps. The contest took place simultaneously with that of the Railways. and the result was gi\'en as follows :-First, East Ham, 189 marks; Second, vVcllingborough, 17+ marks; Third, Sheffield, 112 marks; and Fifth, Chichester, IIO marks. The East Ham team secured the Dewar Challenge Shield, and the Wellingborough was awarded the Symons Eccles Cup.

Lord Knutsford, who presided announced the results, and complimented the winners on their success.

The :'Ilarchioness of Breadalbane then handed the Shields tv the winning teams, ,vho were warmly cheered. The cups and other prizes having been distributed, the :'Ilarquess of Breadalbane expressed the pleasUl e which he and the Marchioness felt at witnessing the various competitions, 'ldding that it was \'ery gratifying to see the public evince such deep interest in the work. · After mentioning that I, 00 men of the Brigade had been doing- good service in South :\fri ca, he proposed a vote of thanks to the Judges for their labours. This was seconded cy Canon Teignmouth- hore, Chaplain of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and passed with acclamation. The Chairman then proposed a vote of thanks :0 the Marchioness of Breadal bane for distributing the prizes, which was seconded by Lord Sand hurst, and carried by acclamation. Lady Breadalbane in a couple of sentences acknowledged the compliment, expressing the hope that these competitions would stimulate others to take up the \york.

st. 30hn tlnlbulallce Elssociatiotl.

Il'DIA.-For many years the ambulance association in connection with the Order of St. John has recogn iseci the extensive field for its work which India presents, but the attempts at instruction in first aid have been spasmodic and individual. It is pro Dosed now to institute various centres in India, and \la jor Yate of the central executive has been appointed organising secretary and is at present touring for t]:,e purpose. Influential committtes have been appointed at Calcutta, .\I adras, and Bombay, and local enthusiasts have been secured to carry out the \\ ork. Some organ isation of this kind was absol utely necessary, and amongst the European population the instmction ought to be very popular. Every British sojourner in India is liable to accident of some kind or another, and he is ofte n so placed that professional skill is beyond his rea ch. It is therefore particularly necessary that bis comrades should be able to render first aid. I need only mention planters, sportsmen, volunteers, railway officials, and police to show the immense field for the work of this association. I do not anticipate much success with the natives of India, either with the educated classes or by a modified elementary course of instruction with minor officials. Tht object of the association and its teac!:ing must be first assimilated by the Briti s h residents. The movement h:ls already been taken up, and I understand that many cla"ses have been started. Probably, in no other country could the benefit of a knowledge of rendering filst aid prove so useful as to the Bntish residents in Jndia, and the movement should meet with every success.-Lallce!'s Correspondent

FIRST AID.

JUNE 1, 1901

OUR BOY How often h ave ,,'e heard t1mt question asked in the pn, t-nnd how often s1:a11 we "\VIlA.T IlA.LL hear t a:;kcc1 in the future? There is no WE DO wrril doubt many of our readers who h1we boys

OUR BOYS ?, of theil' 0\"11 n ea l'ly 01(1 e nough to enter on the battlefield of life for thelllseh-es hR.ve asked that very question a lr eady ::\Iany boys follow 011 in the bu inesses ,, hich theil' fathel 's haye built up, other:" haye to strike out different paths fo1' themseh-es Although the 0pp0l'tuniti e for' obtaining education are very much greater in thp present day, there is noc1enying the fact that the struggle f01' exi tence is greater now than it was a few years rtgo, and as the population incl'eases so the struggle will become keener Therefore it behoves us as citizens of this mighty Empire on which the sun never sets to prepare our boys fOl' their struggle for existence, to prepare them for their duti es as citizens, to prepare them to fight the good fight, to prepare them in s uch R. manner that, when they go forth into the world, by their deeds and their living, no foreigner may h ave the chane e to p oint the fiuge1' at an Englishman.

Kow we who haye given so mr.ch of our time to the cause of " First .A id to the Inj ured," cannot but feel a deep intert'st in anotl1er kind of fir t aid, which is equally essential to the moral well-being of our boys as the former i s to the phy ical condition of the other members of the community We refer to the first aid in the prevention of injury to the morals of our boys. This is the aim and object of bodi es which h a ve sprung into exist.ence of late years, viz :-The Church Lads' Brigade, The Boy, Brigade, and The J ewi::3h L a d .' Brigade. In addition to the religious training which the boys obta in, the dl'ill and disC'ipline to which they hR.ve to submit inculcates in them a spirit of obedience and self rCf;p ect , two qualities which al'e so helpful to th em in afte1' life, " ,hen they haye to enter into the grim fight fOl existence and make for the;l1sclves a p1gee in the world. The authorities of the Brigades a l so take cal'e that the amusements provided for the ads al e healthy and suitable to the juvenile taste.

In out' opinion these Bl'igade::; are de erv ing of eveq SUppOl·t from ti'ue fin,t aidel's , and we wish them eveq success in their noble effort:; ..,lIens sana in corpo7'e san"] est

AMIJULANCE OHALLENGE CUP FOR EAST ANGLIA.-Owing to the interest taken in ambulance work by several ladies and gentlemen in Ipswich and Felixstowe, together with much help from the honorary surgeons of the East Anglian Divisicns of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Surgeon-Captain F. A. Brooks of Felixstowe, the Acting Dis t rict S u perintendent Secretary, has been enabled to collect funds to purcha se an East Anglian Challenge Cup. The Cup will be competed for annually, and each Division in East Anglia will be allowed to enter one team of fi ve men. East Englia to comprise Xorfolk , Sus sex, Cambridge, and that part of Essex in the 3 Di strict of the Sl. John Ambulance Brigade.. Further information can be obtained from Surgeon-Captain F. A. Brooks, Felixstowe.

A I D. [Ju ne , 1901.

'trbe IDolunteer tlillbulance $cbool of 3nstructiol1.

Pr esident: :\1ajor Andrew Maclure, V.D., Late London Scottish R.V, Office: 23, Cambridge Street, Hyde Park, W. ORDERS.

The next class for the tr:lining of Regimental Stre :c her Bearers, will be held at the Artists' Headquarters, Duke's Road, IV.C , on Wednesdays, commencing on October 3rd., by permission of Colonel R. W. Edis.

Application forms can be obtained of Sergeant H. Bussell, 18, Gower Street, W C., and Corporal E. G. Davies, I, Lombard qourt, E.C. (By Order) P B.. GILES, F. R.C.S., Brigad e Surgeon Li eut. -Col. May 13th, Igol. Senior Medical Officer.

$t. tlnbrew tlnlbulance tlssociation.

GLAsGOw. - The second annual competition under the auspices of this Association for the cup presented by the 1arquis of Breadalbane, president of the association, took place on Saturday, the r8 th ult., 111 the vVaterloo Rooms Glasaow Tbe competition is confined to teams that have taken first place s at railway an:! local competitions held under the auspices of the asso c iation On the present occasion twel ve tea m s were entered, as follows ;- Princes Street Station (C. R.), Ayr (G and S.W.R.), Aberdeen (G.N of S R.), Aldrossan (C.R.), Cowlairs (:\f. B R ), Shettleston (X B. R.),Kilmarn oc k (G. S.v,: R.), Shieldhall (Co-operative), Buchanan Street G oods StatIOn, Klttybrowster of S.R.), St Margaret's W or k s Edinburgh), Kingst on (Port-Glasgow). The examiners were Dr. P. F. Shaw, Dr. Angu s M Phee , and Dr. Dryden M offatt. T!le a.rrangements for the competiti o n were carried out under tbe dIrectIOn of Mr. Andrew Henderson, secretary of the asso c iation, a nd 1\1r. John Aitken, hi s assistant. At the co nclu sion of the contest t he arbiters gave the fir st award to the Kilmarnock team, the second going to t he team from Buchanan Street Station. The cup was form a lly handed over ta the winners by Colonel William Clark.

NO RT H BRITI SH RAILWAY seventh ambulance competition for the North Briti s h Railway Ambulance Ohallenae Cup took place recently in the Wat e rl oo Rooms, +1, Wa:erloo Glasgow. The competition I.'as conducted under the auspices of the above A ssoc iation , and consisted of a practical demonstration of treating the injur ed, transport of the injured, and a n oral examination. The examiners were Drs. E. Price land Thomas Proudfoot, EdinbUTgh, and Dr. R obert Grieve, Glasgow. Thecompetition was open to all ambulance corps on the company's system, and each corps was represented by a team of five men This year the cup was won by the team from Shettleston, Cowlairs was second, and the team from Dunfermline third.

THE BOYS' BRIGADE.- The annual inspection of the 76 th London Company 01 the Boys' Brigad e, commanded by Capta.in Roger Peacock, took place in St. John s Elail, Forest Hill, on the 22nd M::ty, tht inspecting officer was Major T. West, V.D. , of the 2nd Tower Ha.mlets HiRes One of the many items of interest, and the one which appeals to us was a display of ambulance work. Four patients suffering from the following supposed injuries ;-1. Fractured thigh; 2. Apparently drowneci; 3. Fractured arm and wound on head; 4. Fractured leg \Ve re laid o ut on the Ooor; at the sound of the bugle th e ambulance detachment ad';anced at the double and rendered first aid treatment, and then removed their patients to a pbce of safety. The earnest and careful manner in which first aid was rendered by these youthful ambulance men, and the orderly way ill whi ch removal was effected, shows that they have a thorough liking for the work, and reflects the greatest credit up on their officers for the manner in which they have been trained. This is the first year that ambulance work has appeared on the programme a class in first aid was held towards the close of la st year, under the regulations of the St. J ohr.. Ambulance Association, and at the examination which followed, all the members of the class succeeded in satisfying the examiner and received certifi ·ates THE Duche ss of Bu ckingham and Chandos on the 22nd May, opened a sale of work in the show room belong ing to the St John Ambulance Association, adjoining So John's Gate, in aid of the restoration fund of the crypt of the old Priory Church of St. John, Clerkenwell. Previous t o this a short service was delivered by the Archdeacon of London, and subsequently the crypt was fOI mally opened by Earl Egerton, of Tatton, who drew attention t o interestiner hi storical connections, and appealed for further funds to res tore th e side nave. Amon!;st ho se present were Viscountess Falkland Viscountess Parker, the M arc hi oness Cassar de Sain, Sir John and Lady Furley, General James Mi c hael, Colonel Bowdler, Co lonel Sir H erbert C P errott, Lieut.-Colont:! R. Holbeche, and the Rev. T. W Wood.

June, 1901. l FIR S T

AID 93

TilE LA.TE DR. A. II JOXES, OF RORTIl DIPTON.

THI S illonth we al'e pl ease d to be able to give the pOl'knit and sketch of the career of the late Dr. J oneH, who did so much for ambulance work in Northampton

Dl·. Jones, who was born in South London on Jan ual')' Ilth,1853, and had thlls just entered his 49th year, wa s the son of Mr. Fred erick Jon es, a merchant of Grahamstown, t:outh Africa, '''ho died many years ago. H e \V '::'; eclu?ated by Dr l'incheE, in Lond on POl"tlOll of 111H early life was , pent in South Africa. On his r etu rn to Engl:mc1 h e became a student at Guy's Ho s pital, L ondon, and gained hi s degree of M.R.C .. S England, in 1874; L.S . A . and Honour s , in 1876; H.D., London, in 1880; and }':f.R.O.P., in 1882. He was an Exhibitioner and Gold Medalh st 111.

1\Iat 1\Ied. at first M. B., London, and Fellow of the Society, London. "\Vh en quite youn? secured the appointment of lloue Rurgeon <l,t Guy a nd in Dec ember 1876 wa one vf everal f'andlc1ates for ", G 1 the office of House SUl'geon at the vrtha,mpton Infirmary. Three were selected from whom the appollltment was to be made by the Go\ernors, Rond the vote by ballot resulted in Dr. Jones securing 63 votes and tbe other two cRondidates 21 and 8 l'es pecti vel y He s:lCceeded K:'.

G. F. Kirby Smith, whQ resigned. On entermg upon hlS duties he quickly gained the respect and esteem, not only of the Governors and the Me(lical Staff, but als? of the of the general,staff, by. the and gemal manner 111. which he em'ned out hIS d utles.

Deceased held the office of House Surgeon until August 6th, 1881, wh en he resigned, and wn.s Ir·fH.

Tidswell After his l'esignfltion he startec 111. pro ession in Sheep-street, and his medical f;kpl and a.btht)7.were increasingly recognised anel l'aised hllll to a prom111.ent position in the 10caJ medical world.

'There havinO' been a vacancy on the Staff of IIonorary Physician s at Infirmary for in Novembel', 1 882, Dr. Jones wa, upon the proposlulOn of late .Ml·. Pickering Phipps, by the R ev F. S. unanimously elected to fiUlt. He was not only a Uo:ernor of the Institution in name, but in reality, and we thmk \I'e are justified in stating DO member of th e govel'l1ing body showed a keene l' de., Il'e to promote ll1terest and welfare, not only of the l?ut of. ull connected with it. Deceased W tS of n, stmllOus dlSPOSltlOl1, both professionally and otherwi e He wa the authol' the "ery interestinO' "lIistoric \J Sketch of the PhyslClill1s and SUI'O'eons 0 of the Nol'thnLTIpton Infirmnl'y in the Ln 't Century" publi hed in 1895.. H e also contl'iuntec1 11 most v aluable' paper on" Physical in lI eal·t Ailections" to th e B1'itish l lfedicctl ill 1388.

\Vhen he c am e to :\' ortham pton in 1876, the deceasec Ren tleman was a prominent and a attendant at Col]ege S treet Chapel and was a most II1tlmate fflend of tbe late Re\·. J. T Br own He took a great interest in all matters connerted WIth the Chapel an d was greatly respected and esteemed that body. S ome yea rs later, howeJer, Dr. Jones made the of the Rev. Canon Sanders, who was then Head :'-Iaster of the )\orthaillpton Grammar School, and it is said that influenced greatly by that gentleman in course of time he left Xonconlormity and became a member of , the Church of En gland

Th e Sunday and Day Schools and other organisations in conn.ection with tbe Church found in him a areat supporter. On the o;:caSlOn o f th e re5ignation of the Rev. Hull as Vicar of All Sain.ts, al;d presentation to the rev. gentleman of a handsome testImonIal 111 recoanition of his valuable serl'icf's for years, Dr. Jones was with the making- of the presentation, and in ng so ga\'e utt erance to a most thoughtful and forcible address, which was subsequently the cause of gratifying comment.

_

In :\1 ay, 1886, deceased took the initiati\',e in form II1g tbe :\ Centre of the St. John 'l.rnbulance ASSOCIation. Ile beg-an by g-Inng lectures on the work of the Association to classes at tbe Infirmary, which were well attended, and at which the membership gradually in crease d. To the deceased is greatly due the fact that th e Centre is n ow in such an efficient and flourishing condition. He acted as Hon. Secretary from its format ion up to about. four ago, and de\'oted an imm e n ·.'e amount of time anJ energy 111 fOf\l'ardll1g the movement On the resianation of he Hon. Secretaryship, Dr. Tones was unanimously appointed ChairmJ.n of the of the qentre and hi s interest in tbe movement \\'as In no way lessened. HIS \'aluable services met with due recoO"nition at the Headquarters of the Brigarle in L on d on, aud he was made Honorary Associate of the Order of the H ospital of the St. John of J erusalem in England , Th e deceased aen tlema n had for several years past taken a prom men t part in the p u blic mO\'ements, both in reference to the \\,elfare of the Churc h and t he inhabitants of the town generally, and bel'l(!" an excellent and thouahtful speaker, his p esence on the different pbJ'o rllls was always hearhly In the on the speci:tlly important subject of which IS so greatly enga:;lng- the att ention of the medical world aDd tbe public, he took an aCl!\'e pan, and he organised the great and successful public meeting-.on the subject held in the Town Hall about IS months !'Illce. Be has 0.130 taken a prominent position in connection ,,·Ith the Yac c inCition question. ta which l":e had given most thoug-hful study and con"'IJeration, and in the latter part of I c99 dell\ ered an adllllra lt' :t'ld exceedingly instructive lecture at St. rames' End on the valu: and efficacy of vaccination. Unfortunately there was but a olUall audl(:.'nce, and it WitS hoped the deceased would have repeated. t.he lectu re In the T o wn H a ll Korthampton. As member and presldll1g genius of the Chit-Chat (in which pos tion he. succeeded Dr. Greene, formerly of Berry \1 ood), deceased staO? high III the regard of the coterie of gentlemen of whom the Club consIsts.

In I88r, the deceased married ;\[iss Ann Perry, eldest of the lat e Pickering Phipp Perry, J.P. of?t Beckett House, "\Vaterioo, Northampton, who was at that time a member of Doddridge Ch;..pel. She has bten a most. valuable helpmate to him, is hig-hly estee med by a large circle of fflends There are three of the marriaae two airis and a boy; and :'I[ rs. Jones has recei ved many '" '''' h h b messages of sorrowing sympat y 111 er ereavement.

VO LUKTEER AMBULA:-iCE CHALLEXGE SHTELn.-The Council of the Vol unteer Medi cal Association has aITan!!ed that the final competilion for the Ambulance Challenge Shield, at present held br the 1nd Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers, shall take place this year on S aturday, J un e 1st at " 'ellington Barracks R eaiments imendin<Y to compete should sig:nify the ,same without delay, to the Honorary. ecretary. Sllr geon -:'IIaJor de Zouche :\la rsha.ll TeddlngtOll, from whom all particulars can be obtained. OWll1g to Her late :'vlaj esty's death the Toluntee r medical officers' annual mess will not take place t hi s year.

THE i\IILITA RY EXHIBrno:-< AT EAl<,r:s COURT .- Two VISitOrS, afte r aazin a intentlv with moLlth-open w0nderment, at the detachment of St.'" J oh n Ambulance Brigade en duty in the ambubnce station: "Oh! they ain't wax! "

FIl{ST AID ]:-;r CASES OF POISO:\f;\,G.-A nurse in one of our large hospitals told the other day (says Ll7'erpool Post) of the fOllo\\:ing conversation which she o\'erheard In one of the wards. Tw o little patients well enough to be up were amusing themselves playin!; doctor and nurse, An i maginary telephone ran a 'lIullo," saId the nurse, II is that the doctor ?'" "Yes," answered her companion in a deep voice, II this is tbe doctor." "This la dy is very ill," he was i nformed II "\V ell wha t seems to be the matter? '. "She has swallowed a whole bottle ink" said the nurse The doctor, not flurried, inqu ired wh at had been dOI;e [or the patient, b ut the nurse, too, was ready in e1l1elgencies She answered, " I gave her two pads of blotting-paper! "

F1Rsr AlD.

$t. 301)!t thnbulancc :fBrigabe.

ORO,lER.-A meeting and inspection of this recently-formed Division was held on Tuesday, the 23rd ult., at the Board School, Cromer. It was attended by Colonel Elliston, of r pswich, Deputy Commissioner of K o. 3 District of Sl. John Ambulance Brigade. During the evening he made a thcr oug h impecti o n of the members, and the Division is now officially recognised. _\t present there are 19 members. '\Ir. F. H. Balclay is president, '\Ir. ,,'. E. i.\lanl-y hon. surgeon, :'ITr. E .\1. Hansell t reasurer, and :'Ilr. :\. Salter secre:ary. ;\olr. F. ]. Emms has been appointed first ambubnce officer, '\lr. 'V. Balls sergeant, and l\Ir. R. J. LO\'e corporal. Towards defraying the necessary cost of equipment the sum of flom £50 to £60 is required. l'p to now abo\1t two-thirds of the amount has been recei\·ed. Regular drills will take place at headquarters. the Board School, on the second Tuesday in every month. Colonel Elliston, at the conclusion of the inspection, ex pi essed much satisfaction with \\ hat he had seen. He considered the Uidsion very efficient, and hoped that next year when he came down again tbey would be in uniform.

DE\\'Sl:WRY DrsTRICT.·-The annual meeting of all divisions of this took place recently at the Dispensary of the Dewsbury and District Infirmary. I n the absence of Chief Superintendent in P. B. '''alker, :'Ilr. E. Superintendent of the Dewsbury Division, prcsided over a good attendance. The Chairman expressed his pleasure at seeing such a large gathering, which proved hat the St. john Am b ulance ,\ssociation \vas as well to the front as at any period of it s history. The name of the Corps was changecl from "Dewsbury" to .< Dewsbury and District." The choice of president was deferred. The election of superintendent secretary was decided by ballot, lir. C. Thomes being chosen, the position of treasurer being left to be filled by the Committee, it being under stood that he should be a Batley representative Council:or J. Whitehead (Osse tt) was appointed superintendent inspector of stores. After some business Mr. Thomes raised tbe question of a Corp3 garden party, or competition, to assist the funds of the Corps, which would also be a means of drawing members together. He offered a challenge cup on two conditions-( I) That the cup be called " The Thomes Challenge Cup," (2) If the competition ceases the cu p be handed over to the Dewsbury and District Infirmary. The offer was accepted. Nursing certificates and badges, qualifying for service in South Africa, were pre?emed to Robinson fox and James Long. Votes of thanks to the retiring secretary and chairman were adopted.

PENRTTH.- The decision of the Chief Commissioner, Colonel Bowdler, on the inquiry held by the Deputy Commissioner on 23th was read at a meeting of the DivioioQ at l'enrith. Superintendent Robert son presided, and there was a good attendance. Colonel Bowdler :-" There is only one decision possible. The officers who have been duly appointed cannot be removed. The Brigade Order 19, under which Sergeant Yeates resigned his rank of superintendent in order to be eligible to volunteer for active service clearly provides for the filling up of tbe vacancy caused by such re s ignation, and he and the members of the Division were, or ought to ha\ e been, nware of this. Judging from the newspaper reports and anonymous letters received by me, since Sergean t Yeates' return to there is an impression among some of his friends that officers were invited to volunteer for active service. This was not the case. There were sufficient supernumerary officers and privates to meet all demands of the War Office, and the Brigade Order referred to was issued in order to point out to the few officers who wished to serve during the war the only way in wbich they could gratify their very laudable desire to see active service " In the course of the subsequent discussion, which was rather" warm," Dr. Altbam proposed that things remain as at present until additional members could be got to bring the strength up to +0. Then :'Ilr. Yeates could be appointed superintendent, and superintendent would become first officer, and First Officer Bolton second officer. Sergeant KirkpatricK seconded the motion, and Mr. Yeates accepted it, provicled the majority of the men agreed. An amenclment was proposed that the meeting proceed to the election of fresh cfficers, but as this was ruled out of order, the motion was rejected. There'Jpon '\Ir. Yeates and about 20 priva es handed in their resignations and also their kits. Afterwards several of the malcontents withdrew their resignations. At a meeting of those who had resigned it was decided to form an ambulance corps [or the town independently of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. Private T. Scott was appointed secretary, and the whole of those present enrolled themselves.

PRESTON.-ST. IGNATlVS' D1VTSIQ:-I. - The fiftb annual competition in connection with this Division, for medals, lOok place recently in St. Ignatius' Girl Scbool, Preston. he present strenO'th of the division is one superintendent officer, two officers, one four corporals, sixty privates, and twenty-two boys. There were four of silver with gold centres offereL! for the pre se nt competition. LieuLColonel C. J '1"1 imble was the judge. There were thirty-one competiton:. The medals were awarded as follows :-Seniors: I Mr. Robert

Walker' 2 :'Ilr. Francis \ Tercer; 3 ::\Ir. Richard Ashton. Junior section :'--.\1r. Frederick Murray. i\Iajor Little in moving a \'ote of thanks to Dr. Trimble, said no one who had been in that room that niO'ht could possibly be unaware of the immense pains had been taken to brinO' about the efficiency of their division. He could not help them on receivin(! back amon(! them their old "''' S h friend :'IIr. J. T. Durham-(applause). Referring to the war JI1 out Africa, tbe speaker pointed out how beneficial the Ambulance Brigade had been, and to what practi ca l use it had been put. He concluded by declaring- th:tt the Brigade had been an immense service to country. Father Payne said he had very great pleasure in seco ndmg the vote of thanks to Dr. Trimhle. He appreCJ<tted very highly the worK which was under the distinguished patronage of Dr. Trimble. 'Vhatever he could do to further that movement he would-(applause).

The spirit of the sacl1fice was the keynote to a\11bulance work-(hear, hear). was not on Iy an intellectual, but a moral training-(applause).

Dr. Trimble, ill returning thanks said he was extremely indebted to Major Little and Father Payne for the kind words they bad said::>f him. Ie was very nearly twenty years since he (the speaker) gave first aid to the injured. He wished everybody who possessed that knowiedge would not not only possess it, but keep up the knowledge th ey had acquired. They must be sure, when they were going to render first aid, of what they were going to do. The St. John Ambulance Brigade had taken a great hold upon the people. It h:ld come very mucb to the front since tbe outbreak of the war. They had sent no fewer than ten or twell'e bundred men out of the I,gOO. He thought that was very creditable to Major Little. Major Little, in response, said he could not take any credit to himself, but there somebouy there who had \lorked up everything for him, and that was i\lr. Harrison. This concluded the proceedings.

The annual inspection of this Corps was held by the kind permission of :\lr. Hendry, atChath1.lTI House, on Wednesday, May 8th, the Inspecting Officer being i.\[r. Vernon, the Deputy Commissioner of of the i'Jo. 2 District. The Corps was under the command of Ohief Superintendent (Dr. Courtney). The Ramsgate Nursing Division, under tbe command 01 Lady Superintendent 1\1 i s Cotton, was represented by ladies The Ramsgate Town Division was under the command of First Officer Conconi, and turned out 23 strong. These two Divisions were in the official unifo rm 01 the Brigade. The Ramsgate Borough Police Division was commanded by Superintendent 'V. B. J Olles, the Chief Constable, and had 42 members on parade. The nspecting Officer, attended by Dr. Griffiths, tbe Superintendent of the Town Division, as aide-de-camp, on arrival at the parade ground at 3.+5 was received with a general salute. The Deputy Commissio::er especially noticed several men in both Divisions who had served in South Africa; then, having presented some of tbe men of tbe Town Division with nursing certificates, he expressed himself fully satisfied with his inspection, and the men were dismissed. The S.E. Itailway Division of tbe Railway Corps, being unable to attend the afternoon parade, were inspected separately in the evening, turning out 10 strong under the command of Corporals Fearn and Atkins.

WOKING.-On the occasion of the presentation of certificates and medallion, by L:tdy Betty Balfour on the 14-th ult., a very interesting address was given by Sir Vincent B. Kennett Barrington, whv said he cordially congratulated all those concerned on having made themselves still more usel·ul members of society than tbey were before, and he only hoped that when the occasion did offer itself they would put their knowledge to good use, and perhaps be instrumental in saving the lives of some who were near and dear to them. He assured them they were watching the progress of that work in Waking with tbe greatest interest. In relating a number of interesting incidents which had taken place in the course of the seven European campaigns with whicb be had been connected, the speaker said the great movement that was made to relieve suffering in war was brougbt about by the Geneva Convention. Many things happened in those old wars which would horrify people now Referring to the way in which ambulance work had spread, Sir Vincent said that since they had begun their work practically nearly half a million had been given away, and 60,000 medallions, and 10,COO men and women f'Jrmed their St. John Ambulance Brigade. They had sent out about 1,900 men to South Africa in response to the call of the Governmen t, and he was sorry to say that some of them would never com·e back again. Of course, the great object they had in view was to do as much good as they could, and tberefore they would send out their men in time of war ·where the Government liked to employ them, but as they knew, they did not employ their officers, they did not call upon th ei r surgeons, and therefore their men were placed in the Government hospitals under the Army .\Iedical Staff. And he could not help thinking that in some future time they might be allowed to send out more ambulances of the St. John Ambulance Association with their own doctors, their own infirmaries, and their own nurses. They were amply qualified now, and some of their surgeons were the most distinguished in London, and he was sure they would be only too proud. to go in command of the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigade (applause)

June, 1901. J FIRST

AMBULANCE IN VIENNA.-A few details about the Vienna Voluntary Ambulance Society, which is considered to be amongst the best equipped and best managed on the Continent, may be of interest. The books from :he particulars have been translated have been supplied by Herr He1l1n ch Charas, t be head of the Association. The Society, which is entitled the "Wiener Freiwilligen Rettungs-Gesellschaft," was founded on Decemb er 9th, 1881, after the disastrous conflaaration at tbe Ring Theatre, and its objects are three-fold: the of fires, the saving of life during floods, and ambulance work. The two former a:e, howev er, of comparat ively small importance, s ince the services of either of the two spec ial corps are seldom required. On the. other. hand, the ambulance work of the society-which is done entirely Wlthout cbarge to the person of great and growing Importance. The re)5ul a r staff comprises 1+ doctors, with 325 honorary doctors and 60 medical students, 3 office employees, 12 male nur ses, and 6 dnvers. Day and the central station-·a larO'e and wellarranged building in whi ch the staff live-is open. Four doctors four medical students, two nurses, and six dri"ers are always available: and there are 18 horses in the stables. 'Vhen a call is recei,'ed, either by telephone, by messengor, or from tbe police, a doctor, a medical student an8 two nurses immediately drive to the spot in one of the carriages. The horses are always yoked, and the vehicle s furnished with all appliances for first aid. It the accideiit is a serious one some of t.he bonorary doctors are telephoned for. Altogether the society has twelve ambulance carnages, a special vehicle for the of lunatics, eigbt ambulances for persons suffering from dlsease, ISO stretcbers, 19 hand litters (kept at convenient places 111 tbe streets), and roo porta b le beds stored in the Vienna railway stations for serious railway accidents, with numerous am bulance chest.s disinfecting apparatus, &c. Ab out +5 cases daily are dealt with by staff, and in 20 of these the hor se ambulances are used In tbe 18 years of it.s ending De cem ber 31st, r8 97. the society's aid bad been requl sltl?ned In 89,002 accidents, 63,079 sick or inj ured persons had been carned by Its vehicle s SpeaklllO' o-eneralh, the operations fh bb Jl o t .e society are c.onfined to accidents in the streets or in public alth.ough 111 caseslof emergency others may I'e dealt with. aid only. IS gl\'en, further being rigorou sly left to the ordmary medi cal men of the city. Slmliar orO'anisations have been founded in oth:r towns of A uslria.-Hungar):. In of war the society to deal wnh sol?lers, and 111. other ways to be at the disposal of the .\ll.l1lster of The radway companies, too, are enutled to the sen'Ices society oyer a radius of 175 miles from the City, and under even beyond this. Twice a day the hospitals of the city Inform the soc iety of the num ber of beds yacant, and in turn the organisation informs the authorities and when the public. Spe cial is. made for with epidemiCS Should one occur, a b ospnal WIth a sele cted staff can be immediately established. First-aid classes are held, which are attended by all classes of.th e commu nity, the number of pupils from the comhavlllg been +.025. The. a.verage annual expenditure is 67,000 flonns-nearly (6,6?0-and IS defrayed by the subscriptions of meI?bers, patrons, &c., Sta:e subSidies, the proceeds of cbarity balls, theatnca,l pertormances, &c. At the end of 1899 th e society had recelved from the pubhc, 1\1 IS ye:trs, no less than a million and a half florins (£q7,000), and possessed a bank balance of +00,000 florins, a;. well .as .the freehold ?f ItS premises and its equipment. "\ lenna, It may be added, IS tbree tlmes tbe size of Birmingham.

i\lruTARY A"IB ULANCE WA GG?Ns .-The ofthe Worshipful of Coach makers recenlly offered three prizes for improved for an ambulance wao-g?n, the principal ?bjects being to reduce the and at the. s.ame tlme to Increase ItS ease and carrying capacity. The competltlOn has proved one of the IarO'est and most for many and the judges obtained assistan ce of Slme mlhtary experts l.n the prizes. Tr-e drawings-which have been exblbltec: at tbe BakerStreet Oarriage Bazaar-were v.ery mterestmg and many of .the suggestions wdl \VOl thy of consideratIon. lncreased.accomm oda :lOn for l}ll1g-down patients has in almost all been sought, euher by pla.cll1g he stretchers in two tiers or by placing them across the wngD'on lllstead of lengthways. ·With the former arrange;-nent there seems to be some risk.of making the vehicle topheavy and unstable on rough ground. "nh the stretchers across the waggon the breadth of the vehicle be increased or the body must hang over tbe ,,:heels. In. all .deslgns there is seating accommodation for a few sllght cases 111 addltlOn to the lying. down patients, or for a number whe.n loa?ed stretchers are not carried. The first pnze. In the competition IS awarded to l\lr. Terry (Fulham), who prOVides for two lengthways and others placed a c ross the waggon: i\1:. Jonn PhillIpson (Newcastle) who wins the recond plize, has an mgenlOus arra?gement for lowering the sides of the waRe-on to of bemg placed crossways, the canvass cover' beinohlgb when .the Sides are up and suppOrt seats for patients, and 10ll'ereJ when the Sides are down and the loaded stretchers carried. Tbe third pl'IZe goes to Mr. Wendel Holmes, who utilises the sea t along the side,

A I D_ 95

and a support down the. c entre of waggon to support a second tier of stretchers! thus allowll1g four lY111g-down cases. :\lr. J. 'Y. "ickers (Catford) rs lll1gs fou:-, stretchers in the employeu for ra ilwa y carnage (Zavodorski A very neat 100kll1gwaggon with convenient cupboard accommodatlOn, carry111g three stretclIers abreast is that deslgned by Mr. Cuthbert Clarke. T he principle of lowering the s ides of the wagg0n" so that these extend over the wheels, and gi ve increased area, whlcb was prop osed by Surge o n-Lieutenant·Colonel J. E. SqUlre .so me ten years ago,. seems to have occurred to many of the c?mpetlto:s as the deSIrable means of increasing the accommodatlOn for IYll1f{-down patIents. The Id eal ambulance waggon is yet to be must apparently al ways be a compromise between carry111g capacity and comfort on the one hand, and suitability [or rough wo rk over rough ground on the other. Such a competit ion as that. a rranged by the Coach makers Company is most useful in bringing out lde,as ,,·hlch l:nay make it possible to fulfil all requirements HOR SE I:-I THE A. J. Coke Se cre;ary of Our Dumb Friends' League," r6+, Buckingham Palace Road, S."' .. wmes to sa y that the fund [or placing horse ambulances upon the streets. now amounts to 4+50, and the league is in a position to begin operatlOns. The committee, however, are anxious only to adopt am of the n:ost moder? type, and to obtain this suggestions are InVited fro m all ll1terested m the subject. :\Ir. Coke would also be "ery grateful to anyone fonyarding him designs or models of a suitable type of ambulance, to be duwn either by horse or mech :ll1ical power.

E"E:\!:-IG SCHOOL .-Twelve months ago the Londo n School Board a pp Ointed Dr. R. J. Collie to reorO'anise and supen.ntend the ambulance and nursing classes of the E\";ning Contlnu.atlO:l S chools of the Board He has no\\" presented his first Report, ,h,at the c.lasses pro\'l.ded ll1struction for oyer r6,ooo pupils. Fo! ) ears pnor to hiS appomtment the classes were held in the Board s schools, and by its teachers, but the syllabus was prescnbed, and the examll1auons were conducted b,' the t Job -\ b I \ • n. m uance sSO.Clatlon, successful stucents being awarded the certificate of the A SSOClatlOn In T9co , the Board decided that in it would ar;ange the of the classes, prepare its own syllabuses conduct It S o\\'n eXamll1atlOos, and grant its own certificates. His duty was to see that tbose who were to assist the :'Iledical Staff in the of. tbe had the necessary information. A CC-D l?lngl), a fortnight after hiS appol11tment. teachers' classes both in first aid and. llurs111g were at convenient centres O,'er 90 0 a , ailed themseh'es ot the in struction offered at these cl 7 37 f h d h '. asses, o .w om passe t e e:::amlnatlOn at the end of the coulse. \\'hen preparlllg the syllabus of ll1struction for the teachers classes, he introduced subjects such as the pre,'ention of disease in school l'lfe th t · t bl , e pre- ven l?n a. commUlllca e diseases in scbool life, tbe eradication of parasltlC the dangers of ophthalmia, the e\'ils of over-cro wding and Improper dietary, the dangers of the indiscriminate use of alcohol

The session has not yet closed,. and the examinations were ) et completed, but by the returns to hand he found that I teaclle h d d '. < rs a entere. or of whom 89+ passed. "-h en these schemes of ll1structlOn were Issued, he took occasion to point out to both lecturer.s and teachers that in instructing the claoses their ob;ect must be to sn.o w how the common and inexpensi,·e tbinO's of e' .Jd l ·f 'hb ·l·d · '" \er)ay 1 e mig t e uti lse 111 emero-encies that thouO'h I t d h 1 . b' '" reatmen t an osplta -trall1ed nurses ,,·ere admittedl" the best for not f ·11 J 1 S cases 0 senous 1 ne ss amonost the poor tbere ,\"as al,\'a"s a c ·d bl b '" , < onSl era e of the Sick, who were either inadI?issibl.e to hospitals, or \\"ho fOi allOUS rea solls preferred to be nursed 111 their own ho b· 1 mes ) lei r 1 e allons or lnend s; and tha tbe ll1struction O'iven at tl H N I· '" le ome urslng c asses 111tended t? assist the pupils to be of sen' ice at such ordmary course lllcluded among other tbings-How to poultices; how to. take, and h ow to record the temperature; the lmp orta:lce 01 lsolatlOn In 111fectious diseases' tbe ,·alue f f h . k <,ores air In SIC ness and 111 health' the Importance of proillpt t· d I ea men t 111 acci ents; the "alue of rational treatment of burns and scalJs what to do when the dress cauo-ht fire' how to fail1LinO'· fi t"d h I d b, "" rs al to t e apparent y rowned; wh at to do 111 severe h::cmorrha .xc. Last ter:-:'l th ere were 19 r ambulance and nursinO' classes Th' 1 h d :> "," IS year t ley a l.n crease d to + 60 I nor to thiS session tbe course consisted of 2+ me etll1gs of two h o urs each, and as th e c1asse, were held but week the course extended over severa l months lastinO" as a rlolncetha h I \" '1" ff' b 1 e e \\ 0 evlllter term. ne sta conSisted of II3 doctors, many of whom were women and 13 tra ll1ed nurses, assisted by 2+' of tbe B d tea chers. ;> oar

Ii S t;RGEO:>l doing duty in Barhadoes was one e,·enl·nO' eu d t th d f b mmone o e guar -room 0 one of the" est Indian Re<Timents b .' h d h d h' O' "', ecause a pllsoner a ange lm.self. n he found that the m:ln had not been cut down, 111 reply to hiS expostulations at tbe dela' the black serjeant said he had not cut him down as he was }, that he was dead. ,not sure

FIHST Am TO :\ HOHSE.-It appears that a \'aluable mare, the prof'erty of :\Ir. Catterick, farmer of Piercebridge, was accidentally kicked by another horse, a nd thereby got one of the main arteries severed, whi ch blea profusely. l\1r. Allinson, who is a profiC'ient ambulance man, luckily, happened to be passing th rough th e village at the time, and his attention was drawn to the accident by one of i\Ir. Catterick's farm hands Allinson at once set to work, aad soon had the bleedirg stopped, thus saving- the life of the mare. In the meantime, a telegram \\'as despatched to Darlington, and 1\1r Taylor, veterinary surgeon, \\'as speedily on the scene, and found it necessary to put several stitches in the wound, and also complimented }lr. Allinson upon his skill. It is only fair to state that l\1r. Catterick. who was at Darling to n market at the time, bas since presented Signalman Allinson witb a so\'ereign for his yaluable services.

AolBULANCE T:'< SALFORD.-In connection witb the La ncashire and X eighbouring Counties Federa t ion of P.S.A. S oci"ties the annual ambulance competition for the" 'Yilliam Mather Shield" took place on Saturday afternoon, +th May, in the Hope Cbapel Schools, Liverpool Street, Salford. Tbere was a large attendance. :\0 fewer than twelve teams enlered for the competition, two coming from Ashton, one from Queen Street, Salford, and one from Rochdale, three from Oldham, two from "Tigan, one from Lancaster , and one from Hope Chapel Salford. The examiners were Dr. Pim, of Barrowford, and Dr. Mawson, of Bolton. Thecompetition commenced at 2.30 and the results were not known until shortly before o'clock. Tbe examiners awarded the shield and medals to Hollingwood (St. John's), the secona sliccessful team being Oldham ( :\Ir. Sheratt's team), \\bo were presented with medals. Junior medals were also presented to another Oldham team, and to 'Wigan (St. Paul's)

officer of the A.S.C. (::ays To -Day), in the course of a hot night attack by the Boers, in which a good many of our men were being knocked over, was personally superintending the distribution of the water, \\hich \\'as r unning short. While he was tbus engaged a man came tearing up, barefooted and dishevelled, and fiung himself down in a stale of exhaustion by the side of the waggc.n and began groaning. Seeing his condition, Captain X-- hurried towards him to see what he could do to alleviate his sufferings. He had a drop of wbisky left in his which \\'a s then worth its weight in diamonds, which he gave to the man, who gulped it down with evident relief. "Badly hit, my g?od man? " asked the officer sympathetically. "Hit, sir?" said the man, \\'ho had no 1\' rew\ered his breath, and was sitting up; "I ain't hit, sir; l'm the bospitalorderly.·'

OBEY THE DOCTOR'S ORDERS.-IYhile a patient in \Vynburg Hospital (writes a correspondent) onE of my comrades, being very ill, could not get any sleep, and kept asking the doctor to gil'e him a sleeping draught. At last the doclor consented, and ordered the of the liard to give him one at night. She, called away, left the order with a recruit of the St. J obn Ambulance Corps, wbo had just come out. Just before tbe time appointed the patient fell fast asleep. ., \Yhere is Pri\'ate IYilli ams?" inquired the orderly, entering the "ard. "There he is," I ans\\'ered. " fast asleep, don't wake him, he bas had no sleep for a week." "Oh," answered tbe orderly, "I must, he's got to ha\'e this sleeping draught I" [ The above story (or ., yarn ") is taken out of the E't'eJl11lg .\ ews, in which paper it was illserted as a kind of prize joke. If it is me:tnt to cast any reflection on the conduct of the St. John Ambulance recruit, it utterly fails, and it is a pity to poke fun at him. It was quite possible that the patient was in a fitful restless sleep, and would wak<:! up in a short time and be unable to get any more sleep for the night. Was the orderly to sit by his bed-side and watch him and neglect his other duties, or give him the draught. lYe think he acted quite right in obeying the order.]

YEO;\IA_'RY II OSPITALs.-Anyone \'isitin rr the Yeomanry Hospital at Pretoria will, wriles one of our correspondents, feel inclined to agree wi,h Lo rd Kitchener, IIho recently, when visiting the wards, expressed to the a desire to "come in for a few days' rest." The hOopital wa s formerly the residence of a wealthy lJitianaer, and is situated in one of the suburbs of Pretoria. Since the sad death of Prillce Christian \'ictor, whose gentleness and patience made a great impression, th ere been many fatal cases of enteric- it appears to attacK the younger men. i\lany of the dea ths lately (says the Hvspltalj have been those of patients under twenty-five.

LAD\" Hml E makes a strong appeal for the Yeomanry hospit,t1s in South Africa. She says with pardonable pride thal ., n o ad\'erse criticism has so far sullied their fair fame " That is, we believe, a justifiable boast.-ll·estmillster Gazette.

THE Yeomanry Ho spitals are, we belie\·e. by civilian orderlies-not R.A.:\I C.

A I D. [June, 19 0 1.

THE following letter bas been recei\'e d by D". Turton of the Heanor Division of the St. John Ambulance Brig-ade from Corporal Bernard J. Green, of Derby, wbo was invalided home from the war, and is now returning to South Africa :6, Melton Street, Derby.

" Sir, - A \low me to thank you and your men of the St. John Ambulance Brirrade for the good work they did and are still doing at the seat of r go again at the end of this month, and take this opportunity of telling you my opinion of the good work your men have done. One in particular I will mention as I consider it right that you should know. While severely ill at Lady s mith Hospital, one of your men, by tbe name of Latham, :rom Loscoe Road, Heanor, was put in my ward as nurse, and the way he performed his duties (very trying at times) proved that his training was good, and he intended to make the m')st of it. He was very kind to all of us, and never once was heard to O'rumble, though the work was very hard at times and help scarce. r a':n sure you \\'ill Le glad to know tbis, and that it is not an isolated case; all round, the S1. John's men are the right men in the right place. May they prosper, and their numbers increase! Trusting I may meet more of them on my return to South' Africa.-[ am, faithfully yours C3I4s) Corpl. BER:\"ARD J. GREE " 5th Dragoon Guards.

0.'ATTOX.·\!. FIRE BRIGADES UNTO T.-At the meeting of the Central Council held at the offices of the Hospital 8atu rday Fund on Wednesday, May 8th, Dr. Ellies referring to the handsome ambulance challenge cup presented by Lieut.-General Gough Callhorpe, stated he had received a letter from the donor to the effect that he was glad they were pleased with his present, which he did not wish to become the property of any individual brigade, but desired to remain a permanent memorial to excellency in ambulance work. It was unanimously agreed to convey to Lieut.-General Gough Calthorpe the Union's best thanks for his kind gift. Dr. Ettle s then furnished some interesting particulars regarding the \\'ol-k of the ambulance department. Fourteen brigades had finished a se\'ere course of instruction, 1.35 men had attended ar.d passed, and 255 badges had been issued up to date.

COUPON TICKET

The Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corporation,

lSre\)ities.

'THE l\Inl'qness of Bl'eada.lbane, the ARsistant Dil'ectOl' of the John Ambulance A. socintion, and the Mal'chioness, visited the MiJitm'Y Tournament at the Agl-lcultural Hall, on J nne 5th.

Du,. T. I). LISTER. fOl'mel'l./Iron. 'nrgeon to tbe IIospitnl f'hl hn'c1a:' Fund Diyision of t]le St. John Alllbn tmce Ih-igade, W;)S m:1l'l'ie(1 on J"une 1st to Ritte1', at Rt. Aug·u.':ltin·s Ulmrch, Honol' Oak P,ll'k, S.E. '-

B..R.ll. THE DuKE OF AXD YORK, Gr.U1t1 Pl·io1· of tho 0]'(101' of St. John of J Cl'u>;n lem, bas been appointed P1'cillcllt of the lh'illcc of IIobpital Fund.

CAPTAIC\" KEYILLE R of the Jew Routh \Yales Medical Btnfl' COl'PR, who lI at> gained the Victoria. Cl'OSS for g<'tllnnt conduct at Vl'eclefOl-t, l'eeeivecl hismedicflJ education at the London Iloi-ipitd.

Yiseotlntess hflS joined the Executive L10llllllittce of the Quccn't> K lll'>'es.

THE :'IIehopolitan Corp the St. John Ambulance BI'igiH1e did open spflce duty at the Alexanch'f\, Palace on Whit Monday.

AT a :-;pecial meeting of 1,11;-' Southampton Town Council b eld on J nne 31'(1, the freedom of the BOl'ough was confel'l'ecl on tho memhel's of the Southampton Ambulance COl'P' who in South Afl-icl't.

II.RH. TITE DUKE OF COXXAUaITT, K.G., Grand Mastel' of English Fre emasons, is tho Bailiff of Egle, in the Gl'and Pl'i0l'J of the Ol'llel' of St. John of Jel'llsalem.

* .*..:;,

IN anothel' column will be founel an account of tho wondel'ful l'esults obtained by the tmining of dogs for tbe plll'pOSe of finding tbe wounded on tbe battle-field. It Re(,111" that in Gel'many they have been tl'ying expe1'iments with clogs for some yem's, and tlley find that the'e animals

C,1n scent wounded men \vhom the stretcher beal'el's have hoen nnahle to eli. covel'. The author of the al-ticle also SRyt:l tlwt the dogs can be used in wal' fOl' othel" pUl'pot>es, sueh HS helping the sentl'ies to pl'event surpl'ise , hunting out f1.l111)uscades, canying messages and othel' imilal' work.

Pe1'lw ps if 'we h::td had some in the Boel' war, our men wonltl not haye fallen into so many b·aps. If clogs come to 1)e used fot· clll these pm'poses they ,,,ill ha\'e to be diYiLled into comhatant and non-combatant, becau::ieit will he hal·dl..,. fail' to use a dog as a spy on the enemy one moment, then l)l'ess him into the Red Cl·O.·S sen-ice the next. The1'e it> a Hying that eVel-ything i fall.' in love and ,yal'fal'e-but is it?

H 1bonle 1Anrsing."

By "CHIRURGUS."

PART VI.

WATER BEDS.

600 0 93

will be paid by the above Corporation to thl' l egal representative of anyone who is killed by an accident to the Passenger 'l'rain within the United Kingdom or Ohannel IslauJs ) in which the deceased was a ticket or paying pass enge r, or who shall luwe been fatally injured thereby (shuuld death result within ninety days after such aCCident).

PROV DED that the person so killed or injured had upon his or her pel'son or had left fl.t home this ticket, with his, or her, usual siguature, written prior the accinent, on the space provided below which, together with

Ix A1'my Ol'del's of 31'(1 June, it i dil'ected that all ciyilian lllcmbe1's of the medical l)l'ofession and othel's em ploycll with JUilit ,wy Hospitals in South Afl-ica, now at home should send in theil lllelbl claim>; through the J)i1' eC'tOl'-Gcneml, .r\.l·my Medical. 'en'ice, ,Yal' Office. takino' Cal'C to spel'ify the unit w'itl1 which they sen-eel.' *

* Ix the .n"ll· 1050, si:deen yeill'S hefOl'e the conquest of England by the T')l·llH1.nS, a R11lall hospital \\'a. el'ected at J el'usalem, from which ol'iginated the 01'(1e1' of St. John of J el'usalem.

oue Coupon ticket in respect of the same risk.

8m JOITN FURLEY was the gue ts of the "South Aflican Civil Sm'geons'" clillnCl', heIr1 on June 5th at the Hotel Cecil, which was p1'esidcd (n'er by Sir William l\IncCOl'll1ilC, K.C.B., tho Modical Ollicel'-in-Chicf of the St. John Ambulance Bl·igade. ,* 'I'

SUHGEON-OAPTL\IN CANTLIE, of the Loudoll Scottish Volnnte no:, lIol). SUl'gcon of the St. J ohn 's Gate TUl'sinO' Division, St. John Ambulance Bl'igade, was ono of judges for the Volunteer Ambulance Shield.

In cases of illness that will continue for a long time, where a large amount of \\'aste will take place or in paralysis, it is advisable for the sake of preventing bed sores to have your patient OIl a water bed. The <'mpty water bed is to be placed on the palliass or hair mattress with the opening by which it is filled towards the foot of the bedstead: 'Yater at a temperature of about 80° F. is to be used to fill it tbree parts full; if you have it more tban three parts full you will find that it gets very hard and would be uncomfortable. The operation of filling is greatly facilihted by raising the foot of the bedstead a few inches. Cold water must root be used as it may chill the patient, also at a higher temperature than 80 Q would be liable to injure the mdm-rubber. A water bed must always be emptied before attemptinO' to move it, neglect of this precaution often causes injury to the bel An under blanket must be used with a water bed; this and the under sheet you will find require to be changed frequently, as tbey soon get wet from tbe perspiration.

AIR-BEDS AND CUSHIONS.

A ir beds are occasionally used for the same purpose as water beds, but they are not so s3tisfactory, as the air will leak out, thererore they require constant pumpll1g up If used the same precautions have to be taken \Iith the under b lanket and under sheet as in the cas e of the water bed.

Air cllshions or pillo\\'s answer the purpose as well as water pillows, and are not so expensive.

LIFTING PATIENTS.

Patients \\'ho are bel pless often require to be lifted or moved in bed. Tf the patie.nt is only weight and the nurse is strong, she will be able to lift the patient WIthout help by placing one arm under the shoulders and the under t.he tbighs; but if the patient is hea vy two people wtll be reqUIred to Irft, let one person stand on eithe r side of the bed, then pass a hand under the shoulders and the other hand under the lower part of the back and then lock their finrrers torrether. If there is an injoJry 10 tbe lower extremities, a third take charge of the injured limb, remembering in the case of a fracture to grasp the limb above and below the seat of fracture; if the patiem is to be moved from one bed to another, an extra attendant will be required to Slip port th e head

Another method of transferring patient from one bed to another is to bring the t\\'o btd i side by side, then draw the patient on the under bed clothes from olle bed to ;)l1other,

2 FI RS'T

Or a stretc her may be improvised as follows, lay a pole along each side of the bed and roll round them the under sheet and bla n ket.

BED

RESTS

Often during the course of an illness, it becomes necessary to prop a patient up in bed, either to allow of meals being taken more com fortably or in some diseases to facili:ate the hreathing, h en it is that the bed re st is required.

Proper bed rests with hinged backs th a can be raised or lowered at pleasure, a re to be obtained from instrument makers at rea so nable prices.

A very comfortable bed rest c an be improvised by pl ac ing a light bed roo m chair up sid e down in the bed so th at the top of th e hack of the c ha ir comes into contact with tbe 10 \ler p a rt of the patien t's oack, the back of the chair is to be properly padded with pill o ws.

TO PREV E NT A PATIENT SLIPPING DOWN IN BED

Before yerr o ng, as a nurse, y ou will discover tha t your pat ients ha,'e a areat kna ck o f s lipping do\\'n o the foot of the bed and will be cons tantly requiring rour assistance to get back again on o the pillows thi s may be ob "i a ted by placing a bolster under the pati ent 's buttocks and faslening t he ends of the bo l ste r to pieces of tape se c ured to the head of the bed.

CRADL E S

In some cases you will find that y o ur pa t ient cannot b ear the weight of the bed clothes, t h is gener a lly occ urs ill surgical cases. To re lieve the pati ent fr o m this weight, y ou will make use of what is ca lled a cradle, I don't mean one of those wicker-w or k arrangements Gn wooden rockers in which babies sleep. but three or four ha lf hoops of iron fitted into side bars and thus form an arch o\ er the p:ut which requires protection. If you do not possess one of these, a yery aoad substitute is a three legged stool, or a band-box may be used, if two openings are cut in the sides t o allow of it being placed over the limb.

CRUTCHES

After a person gets up from a fracture of the leg it will be necessary for him to use crutches for some time to enable him to walk. Crutches should be just long enough to allow the patient to stand upright on the sound leg. T hey should be shod at the end with leather or india-rubber to prevent them slipping on the ground; the cross rests at the top must be well padded to prevent undue pressure on the nerves. The foot should rest in a sling from the neck.

DIGESTION

Before going on to the subject of food, it might be as well if we br iefly considered digestion or the process by which the various food

Sluffs are prepared for absorption in the alimentary canal.

In the mouth the food is masticated or ground up by the teeth and mixed "ith the sali\'a, whi ch converts the starch into sugar; it is then swallowed and passes through the gullet int o the stomach, \vhere it undergoes a process of churning and is mixe:i with the gastric juice which acts upon meat and white of egg, and changes them into peptones, some of these peptones and the sugar are absorbed by the lymphatic ve sse ls of the stomach; the rema inder of the food passes from the stOmach into Ihe small inte stine where it comes into contact \\ ith the bile, \\hi ch acts on the fats and emulsifies them, and also with the pancreatic juice which completes the conversion of starch into sugar, and finally it is mixed with the inte s tinal juice and pas sed al ong the inte st ine. That part of it which is suitable for n o uri shing the body is taken up by the lymphatic vessels.

F OOD

Food is divided into two classes, namely the Orga ni c and the Ino rgani c

The O rg a n ic is again divided into two classes, as-

1. The Ni tr o ge nou s or those which build up the tissues;

2. The Non - N r o gen ous or those wh ch keep up the temperature

Both these classes, the Titrogenous and the Non - Nitrogenous, contain Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen , but the Nitrogenous conta ins in addition Nitrogen

As examples of Ni trogenous foods, we have the lean of meat, cheese and albumen from the animal world, oatmeal and lentils from the \'egetable.

As examp les of the :-\on-:-\itrogen::ms foods, we have fats, sugars and starches

The power of a food as a heat producer depends on the amount of Oxygen in the blood \\hich its Carbon and Hydrogen can combine with; therefore, the food wh ic h contains the least Oxygen is the one which will produ ce the most heat. For this reason fat is the be s t, as it contains scarcely any Oxygen.

Inorganic Foods are water and certain sa lts.

The best kind o f diet fo r a healthy individual is a mixed diet, which will contain the food s tuffs nece ssary for restoring the was te of the tissues, and keeping up the heat of the body.

The 'ar iety and quantity of the diet will depend up o n a person's occu pation a nd a ls o on the temperature of the weather; hard work necessitates more food than idleness, and cold weath er than hot.

:\[i ;k is a perfect diet and should be the olily one given to infants

The following may be taken as a,'erage daily diets :-

AID.

Br ead- 16 ounces

B u tte r-I .} o un ces

Meat (cooked )- 6 ounces

Potatoes-8 ounces.

F o M en-

Light p uddings, as sago, rice, &c. - 8 ounces.

Coffee or tea, with mi k and sugar- I pint.

For Child r e n -

Bread and butter- I O o u nces.

Meat (cooked)-3 o u nces.

Vegetables-2 ounces.

Light puddings-+ ounces.

i\ ilk (to which may be added a little weak tea and sugar)-I pint.

COOKIN G.

In cooking meats , wh et her by roas t ing or boiling, remember that the first application of hea t is to be intense for four minut es, so as harden the outside and thus prev en t waste o f the juices; after a littl e while the heat must be reduced, so as n o t to harden the meat all through.

In making soup, as our object is to get all the nutriment into the liquor, we put the meat on in cold water so as not to harden the outside

FE EDING CUP.

A feeding cup is a half covered cup with a spout, and a handle placed at right angles ro the spout. "'h en your patient is unabl e to sit up in bed, you w ll find that a feeJing c up is invaluable to you for the purpose of giving drink If you have not a feeding cup, a small teapot makes a \ 'er y go od substitute.

METHOD O F RAISING A PATI E NT TO DRINK.

Let the nur se stand on the right side of the patient and pas s her eft hand and forearm underneath th e pillow, so rai se the patient on the pillow, thus supporting both head and sh ou lder s. By this means the neck is not unduly be n t and the p owe r of swallowing interfe red with.

The handle of the feeding cup is so placed , that it is mos t conyeniently held by the right hand. A napkin is to be placed unde the chin to prevent wetting the night clothes.

FEEDING OF PATI E NTS

I f your patient is able to take meals, le them be sen'ed up ho t, n ot half cold. They should be serve-i punctually, as having to wait after the regular time often the appetite. If your patient is a ble to sit up in bed, you will of course serve meals on the bed table, vide part 2. Take gr eat ca re th at meals :ue always nicely sen'ed.

The glass is to be well po li s h ed, the cloth to be scr upul ousl y clean, knives, forks and spoons should be ve ry bright, these may seem tr ivial points but 1 ca n assure YOll they go a long way towards getting your patient o eat. An il1\'a lid 's appetite is easily upset.

In cases of ser ious illness it fre q uently happens that y o u haye to feed your patient more o ften and then o nly give small q uantities of nourishment at the time. In many cases th e patients' life depends on the manner in which he is fed, the pati ent is o ften most troublesome in refusing food, then it is that the nur se's resources are ta,ed to t h e uttermost, b ut with ta c she will vary the quantity and kind of nourishment and generally succeed in getting a fair amount down in the course o f the twenty -four h ours Of course the nurse will always ascertain fr om the dOC'or the kind of n ouris hment that is to be given. If the patient's mouth is dry an d clammy it should be wiped with a small soft sponge and war m water before giving food

During the night, unless the patient is very prostrated and he is sleeping extra long, it is not ad visable to wake him to take food.

STIMULANTS

N o st imulants are to be administered to patients wit h out the orclers of h e doctor. When they are given the quantity is to be meas u red, they should always be d il uted, and are to be given regula r interva s. When stimulants are odered in conva e:;cence it should always be stated by the doctor for how long a period they are to be continued beca u se in many cases the period of convalescence, I am so rr y to say: seems to last as long as the patient remains o n this ea rt h and very frequently when a person is remonstrated with for d rink ng, not wisely but too well, turns round and says, " My doctor, hic-told me-hicto take it-hie-for my health "

ADMINISTRATIO N OF MEDICINES

The following rules should be o.bserved as to the adm inistration of medicines :-

1. Always read the directions on the label before giving the medicine.

2 Be punctual in the time of giving.

3 Let the dose be measured in a measure glass; table and te a spoons vary in size.

+ Liniments and lotions for external applic:1tion are always to be kept a way fro.m medicine that is to be taken.

5. When pouring medicine out hold the bott le with the la be side upwards.

6. Shake the bottle be for e p o uri ng out.

7. After taking acid medicines let the patient wash the mouth out,

TIM E S F OR GIV I NG MEDICIN E S

Gel lera lly allow half a n h o ur to ela pse betwee n a me a l and a dose of medicine. '''h en medicine is ordered to be given hree times a day, you will find that I I, + and 7 o'clock are very good hours. Aperients are b est given at night or early in the morning.

M E ASU RE G L ASS E S

A glass capabl e of h olding t wo ounces and sub -divided into drachms and a minim glass should be in every sick room

The following are the equivalents :o r one o un ce = wo tablespoonsful -Iss or half an ounce = o ne tablespoonful 3 j o r one drachm = one teaspoonful TTL i or one minim = one dr op

A wine glass holds about two and a half tab lespo onsful.

::<: ight drachms make one ounce and twenty ounces make a plllt.

(To be cOil/limed.)

DOGs.- Th e follolling extracts are taken from an article in Tile FJeld of 15th June, by Major J. Hauton ville Ri chardson :-One of the principal duties of the war dog, for which he is fitted by nature, is the seeking of the wounded and missing amongst the hedges, ditches and rocks, &c., :Jfter an engagement. Experiments on the Continent during the last th rty years have been most successful.

Th e enormous improvements in the modern weapons of warfare ha\'e made equally large demands on the ambulance a nd med ical departments. The distances on a modern field of battle, owing to large-range fi rearms, have in a corresponding manner increased enormously; and if the around is "ery difficult the stre-cher - bearers are consequently and their work rendered severe. It is even possible that tbe wounded, weak through loss of blood, are unable to call for help, and, o\\'ing o the ground, are passed by unseen by the stretcher - bearers, or are o n ly di5co\'ered \\hen help is too late. Of wh at use, then, are the latest discoveries of medical science if the wounded are not found? The German general, \ '. Herget, an emin ent military authority, expressed himself as follows lately, \\ hilst attending a trial of ambulance dogs :-" H oweve r r, rea t the progress of meciical science, the .latest discoveries are of not the slightest use to the \\'olmded untIl the wound ed ar e discovered, and the finding of the wounded in night attacks is ext r emely difficult, and often almost impossible, for the ambulance detachments. and, in many cases, without auxiliary :.ssislanc e, quite impossitle. This auxiliary assistance will eventually be supplied by the trained ambulance dog. If we examine the figures given the Franco-German war of 1870-71 the number of men missing and n eve r accounted for was appalling." I n July, 18 99, dogs were u sed for this purpose with the army under the supervi sion of Gen. \ 'on. Blumenthal. Th e followll1g IS the performance of one of the doas .-Resi, a collie bitch. regardless of the musketry fire , pre ssed on delivered her messages, distu rbed neither by thc march inCT troops nor caralry detachments. She also guarded baggage while keeper went away to a good distance . T h e officers of the Army Corps were very pleased with her work in finding the missing, and aa ve her uni,ersal approbation After the stretcher -b eare r s had examined the scene of the engager:ne nt , thr e.e n:en were rep or ted as miss ing and not t? be fo und. t he collie bItch was ord ere d to search for them 1I1 the ' ery WIde field of battl e On receiving the word flOm her keeper " see k wounded," the bitch rushed off and scoured the thick covert at the back of he ta r ge t s, hunting kcenly [or the missing in ditc.hes covered with bus hes. In a.short time she gave signs of havlllg so:ne one: In fi\'e m!nutes more ,he had found the three 111ISSlllg soldIers whIch the st ret cherbearers or am b ulance corp s had been tota lly unable to do, after prolonaed searching. They might ha ve been left in real warfare. Gen. Blument ha l was delighted with the dog's performance, and the chief of the s aff in his rep ort, said, " I am co nvin ced tbat dogs thus trained can save the live s of many poor wounded and missing lying in hilly ground." S ergt. Brickner, of,7+th Regi ment at Coburg, wrote: " Bello, a collie dog, has dlstll1gulshed hImself at the manccllvres With ahsolute certainty he ook me ssages to the picket£ and guardsn o thing put him off, neither game, stra ngel:s, or other a lso t oo k messag es across the water. In seek ll1g the wo und ed he IS unrivalled. We also us ed him on the ranges Bello took messages from the firin6 point to the marker s, 600 yards off, withou t the company havi n g to stop firing. He also difficult country, doina one and a half kil ometres In four 111 III lites Another collie with the Hu ssar regi men t King Wi !liam I. wen t througu the autumn manccuvres, S99 I fer keeper saId: "She followed the squadron dming t he whole manccuvres, and sI:ol\'ed herself possessed of gleat staying po wer, and, what was more Clfficult, bell1g Jor weeks expo sed to con tinuous rai n She was u sed w find the mlsslll.g. ('o f the 69th J n fan try Regiment with great s uccess , a nd was also utIlIsed as mes se nger to the s9uadron wit h good results:" The following s a de sc r iption of a trul at ambulance dogs \\Ith the army corps l.t

Coble n tz: "At du sk on Jul y 27th, 1899, the k ee per s brought out four collies' 200 sold e s were put out to repr esen t wounded, and 500 set o ut ca rrying to rc he s and lanterns into t he darkness.

1 was an interesting bit of difficult work. Numbers of offic ers

followed on horseback and on fOOL to watch the proreedinr,s. Tbe work comme n ced in the Coblentz W ood, and a more difficult task could not have been conceived than was that of the dogs, but notwith5tanding the horses and sio-htseels the dogs on the left wing saved all their wounded-two dogs were employed on the Iig-ht wing and found the wounded in pitch darkness without lanterns. Two hundred more so ld iers representing wounded had been placed in various parts of the glacis of Cohler:tz, and after the stretcher bearers had come in, reported eighteen men not found The four dogs and keepers were then brought up, and in twenty minutes the eighteen men were disco\,ereu and brought 111; otherwise they might ha,'e been left to their fate. The staff of the "II I. Army Corps, Cob len tz, expressed the greatest sati::faction with th is trial. By order of the German ,rar Office the rifle regiments and jiiaer battalions, which are numerous, are provided with coll ies, and some of the French regiments ha\'e nearly thirty dogs with them.

-OLC\'TEER .\:\I l3l·LA:\,CE SHIELD CO:\'TEST.- The annual contest for the challenge shield given b y the Volunteer :'Iedical Association to encourage ambulance training in "olunteer corps took place on June 1st at ". ellington Barracks. The arrange men ts were carried out bv the Honorary Secretary, Surgeon -:\l ajor de Zouche :\farsha l l. 3rd '- olunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. The competitior, is 0l)en to str et cher squads, com posed of fou r certi firated regi men ta 1 bearers of the Volunteers or Yeomanry-brigades are excluded from the co mpetition under the trust deed of which it is held. One huncired marks were given for stretche r and \"agon drill and lifting and carrying wounded on stretchers and by impro\'ised seats; bandaging (roo marks), bandage, first aid (100 marks), and anatomy and physiology (So mark s ), the Royal :\rmy :\[edical Corps manual being adhered to thro.!ghout T he general smartness of the men was also taken into consideration, and badges a\\arJed to the first and squads. The winning te:J.m turned out to be the 2nd '- B. Ropl. Fusiliers. for the second year in succession, with a total of 289 pOll1rs; next in Older of merit came the 3rd ". B. The CJupen's Royal West Surr ey Regiment, with 27' points; Ihe :nst :'li ddlesex Rifles, :!62; th e 5th V.B. Highland Light Infantry, 226; A team 1st Cadet Battalion K. R.R., 223; C team same corps, 21S; +th V.B. CJueen s R.Y\'.S. R egiment, :2 13; +th Durham Artillery, 212; B team 1St Cadet Battalion K.R.R., 199; 1st -.E. King's Liverpool Regiment, 19 8; and 1st Bedford Engineers, lSI:'. The \\ inning team was co mpo sed of Corporals Bethell, 'Vatkins, and Burridge, and Private Tringham, to whom badges were presented by Surgeon- :'l ajor de louche .:\Iarshall. It wa s an nounced that Earl Roberts had accepted the office of president of the association. Th e examiners selected by the coun c il of the Volunteer :\Iedicil :\ssociation, were :-In Iir3t aid: Surgeon.:\Iajor James, IIonorable :\rtIliery Company; urgeon-Captain Cantlie, London :3cottish. In drill: Capuin J. Harper, Volunteer .:\Jedical Staff Corps; Surgeon-Captain E. J. Callender, Ci"il Sen ice Volunteers, R.C In anatomy: Surgeon· Captain A Thorne and S urgeon- L ieutenan t E A. Sn ape. 2nd :\ [ldJ leoex Artiliery \- 0 Iunteers. In bandaging: Surgeon -Captain H. Dutch. 1st To\\'er Hamlets ". R. Surgeon-Captain Allford, 1st Cinque Ports Rifles. HIS Majesty's Prison Commissioners have to \\ :1:ders entitled to receive them the badges of the John Ambulance _-1.ssociation. The gift is highly appreciated by the recipients.

I:-lGE)1rous FOR HO({SES.-.-1. humanely-contriv e d ambulance for horses has been invented by :\I ajor FenLOn. [tconsists of a movable horse box on two wheels, and gear is a " ailable which e nables it to be drawn by any draught animal. Both the back and front do ors ca n be let down, thus forming platforms for the entrance and exit of th e b orses. T he interior arrangements are such as will ensure the com fort of the" patient."

THE CH URCH LA D'S B RIGADE A:-1D \V ORK.-.-1. t an examina tion held last April for the lads of the 9th (Ba ttersea) Battalion of the R ochester R egime nt. fifleen out of eighteen s u cceeded in satisfyina the exam in er of the John Ambulance i \ ssociation On Whit the annual regimental review was held at Furzedown Park, To oti na , when the ambulance section had no less than twplve cases their attentio n. T hese we re p rin cipaily C1.ses of faint ing from exhaustion due to rather a long march, in some cases on em pty stomachs, the lads being tOO excited by the anticipation of their day's o u t ing to get a proper b reakfast before starting Two cases ",ere rather bad ones, one of sunstroke and one of heart complaint, the last keeping the party busy for nearly an h )tlr. A doctor was e\'entually fO llnd who ordered him to be taken home onlthe stretcher. Before 111:1rchineY home the Lieut.-Col. commandillg the baitalion especially thanked ambulance section for their work, stating that but for their presenc€ 011 the around of cases might have pro\'ed of a \'ery ser ious nature. \ fter t!:e lI1spectlon and march past, the lads were supposed to have been dismissed to enjoy thel11seh'es but the ambulance sect on was on duty the whole nay, harely g-etting time even for their tea. Ambulance work is coming well to the front in Batte/sea. In one parish a class of women is being wo/ ked up for the autumn and over twenty have already signified their intention of joining, while classe s of elder lads and juniors have commenced

PLEASE RE AD .-An u nknown correspondent has sent to tbe Editor of thi s J oumal some small b locks , two of t he thorax, two of tbe foot, &c. Th ese have arrived without any note of explanation. and as the sender may possibly be among our readers, tbe Editor will be glad to hear from him as to what is to be done with them. -

FIRST AID

JULY 1, 1 90 1.

THE relations at pl'esent existing between THE the Army Modical llepm tment, the ARMY MEDICAL medical profession, and the public, do not SERVICE. 8eem to be of the happiest na,tU1'8, and ,we not conducive to the proper appreciation of each others' good qualities.

The Army Medical Department is a branch of the army which in t im e of peace h as to look after the physical \"\'e11being of th e [trmy, and in time of war has the additional stl'a in of following the different arm i es and tak in g care of the wounded in field and base hospitals. In the South African war certain facts wer e brought to light which have made the public doubt whether the Army 1Iec1ical D epartment is all that it ought to he. The public seems to have 10 -t some of the confidence previously reposed in this department, and there is a suspicion gaining ground that the greatest skill in m('dicine and s urger y is not to be found i n the ATmy Medical D epartment. Civililln su rgeon s h ave had to be added to the consulting sta,ff, a fact which speaks for it 'elf.

There a l so seems to be some diiliculty in getting the younger members of the medical prof ession to join the army If the acl..-antages of joining the Ropl M ed ical Corps are not sufficie ntly alluring, it ,yin be found that the more int ellectual membel'S of the prof e sion \"ill find work more congenial to their taste::; and where there is more scope f01 their abi li ty There is.no doubt that the Army :Medicnl Service i s not popular at present, and the reasons for it may be many, and it may be impo s::; ible fot' the autho ri ties to remove a ll of them, but let us hope th,lt those that are capab le of being remedied will be attended t o in the neal' future, so that confidence may be restOl'ed in the Army Medical

It is strange, but at the time of wl'iting these lin es , it i8 announced in the papers that Mr. Brochick, the of State for War, ha s appointed a Oommitt E:e of expelts to consider a scheme for the future organization of the Ann)' )I edical Ser "ice. Thi s Committee "ill consist of r epresentatives hom foul' London hospita.ls and other official members and the Chairman ",ill be 111- Bl'ol1rick lli111::;e!f.

We sincel'ely tn1 t that the united wisdom of the e gentlemen will find a means to remove some of the c1iftic111tieK which at present intel'fere \yith the proper appreci,ttion of the Army Medical Service.

lRailwa\? BnlbulallCe.

MIDLAND RAILWAY. -On Saturday evening, 1st June, the large concert room at tbe Session Hou se Hotel , Clerkenwell, was well filled by the employes of the Midland Company, the cartage department, St. Pancras, who assembled to wi tness t,he presentation of an ill uminated address and a pursc of gold to ;\lr. J. Goodm a n (carman ). ('1r. J. Payne occupied the chair, and Mr. G Ward, in making the presentation, said that. so me time ago t!le men in the cartage depart, ment expres se d a deSire that the services of 1\1r. J. Goodman as a member of the Ambulance Corps shou ld be s uitably recognised, hen ce this gathering was organised by a of his fell ow The Midland directors had already recogni sed h,s valuable sen·lces III thIS respect by presenting him w ith a gold and a si lver .and therefore, it was filting that he men s hould also s h ow their

During the past months Mr. Goodman had rendered, first al.d III over 100 cases of aCCidents tbat had occured on the company s premises, and h ad been complimented o n more than one occasion by tb e medi ca staff at the hospital for the services he had It , the.refore, afforded him much pleasure to make the presentatIOn th at evenll1g In

A I D. [July, 1901.

the name of the cartage staff at St. Pancra s, Mr J. Goodman, in accepting the presentation, saId he hardly knew how to thank them for he kind manner in whicb they had shown t!leir appreciation of his humble services. IIe had a lways taken a areat interest in ambulance work, and with the knowledge he had gained he always considere d it a duty to do what he could to ameliorate the sufferings of his fellow man. He could only say, in thanking tbe c:trtage staff sincerely for the presents handed to him that evening, that he sincerely hoped such accidents would greatly diminish as time went on for the sake of the men and their families, but. wLen mis fo rtune in that I"ay overtook them, he hoped he would be there to do his duty, ,'\:\I 13U LA I eE "'VORl'. 0;-1 THE i\IIIlLA;-IIl A:\])

Gl\EAT

1\ORTHEl\:-I

RAILWAy.-T he annual competi ion byambuhnce teams comprised of employees of the ;\lidland and Great Northern Railway Joint Committee for the handsome challenge cup presented three years ago by the officers of the joint Ii ne was re ce ntly held a the Drill Hall, Norwich. On both occasions previously when the cup has been put up for competition it has been secured by the Scuth Lynn No. teJ.m, who this year again entered the li s ts, the other teams in the competition being [rom Sutton Bridge, ;\[elton Constable Locomoti\'e Department, South Lynn 1\0. 2, Mel ton Constable Engineering Offices, Xorwich Locomotive, Yarm o uth, Mel ton Constable Engineering Department, 1\orwich Traffi c and Traffic Manager's Office, Lynn. In addition to the challenge cup, three money prizes were offered for the best individual ambulance workers in the competition, and to these were added three prizes given by the 1'\orwich teams. The examin in g office r was Surgeon-Lieutenant ",V. Gloag Galletiy of Northwold Each team consisted of five members, bona fide employees of tbe Joint Committee or Parent Companies, men trained at a joint class centre and engaged at the time of the competition at the office or station from which the.: squad is sent The competition lasted till a late hour, nearly an hour being taken for the examinati 'J n of each squad, and consequently the prizes for individual performances were held ol·er. South Lynn No. the holders, again made a bold bid [or the Cup, but on this occasion they failed to secure the yerdict of the judge, Nonvich Lo comot ile Department beating them by one point, 39+ marks to 393. The mal ks of the other teams were :- Sutton Bridge 3bS, l::louth Lynn 1'\0.2 37b, Norwich (T raffic Department) 375, 1I1e ton Constable (Engineers' Department) 357, Lynn Traffic Manager's Offi ce 356, ton Constable (Engineers Office s) 3+1, Yarmouth 3I:! and :'Il elto n C o nstable (Locomotive Department) 307 The Challenge Cup was gracefully presented to the successful team by :'Ilr s. Hor sfall Stody L odg e.

of tl)e 1bospitaI of $t. Jobn of 3erusalell1 in lBnglanb.

The 24th ult. being the festi val of St. John Baptist, the annual aeneral aSf;embly of the Order of the Hospital of St. J ohn of Jerusalem England was celebrated. In the morning the members and associates attended divine service at S1. John's Church, Clerkenwell, which is built over the 'or man crypt of the ancient Priory Church of the Knight s Hospit allers, recently restored for parochial purposes. The commemoration sermon was preached by the Bishop of Salisbury one of the chaplains, the other chaplains taking pan being the SubDean of t!:le Cbapels R oya l, the Rev. T. W W ood, the Rev. Paul IVy att, and the Kev Sir Borradaile Savory. In the aftp.rr.oon the General Assembly took place, by permission of Canen Haig Brown, :\Iaster, at the Charterhouse, Earl Egerton presiJing Reports were r ead of the progress of the ambulance departmen t , the St. John Ambulance Association, the British Ophthalmic Hospital (Jerusalem), and other branches of the Order s work, and attention was drawn to the valuable sen'ice of over :)0,000 men o f the St. John Ambulance BI igade as hospital orderlies in attendance on the sick and wounded in Africa. Deta chments of the brigade had also sen'ed on board the hospital ship Prince ss of W ales and the American hospital ship :'Ilaine, accompanying the latter to China. The Order has to regret the loss of o\,er fifty of the brigade men, who have died of enteric feve r and other diseases, and a memorial to these will be erected, with the sanction of the King, the sovereign head and patron of the Order, in St. John's Church. During the last few months the work of the ambulance depar.ment has greatly extcnded in India , owing to the appointment of M ajor A. G. Yale, I .S.C., as hOl1orary organis in g commissioner for India, and some interesting remarks with regard to this work were maJe at the m eet ing by LJol. R. C. Temple, CJ E. During the afternoon a Jemollstration was given in t h e grounds of the Charterhouse by members or the metropolit<ln corps of th e St John AIT.bulance Bri gade

THE Secret1.ry for Var has decided ba t Lance Corporals anti Pri vates of the Vol unteer Medical Staff Corps and of \' o lunteer Infantry BriO'ade Bearer companies serving in South Africa, who enlisted und er Order 58 of r900, shall be paid at the rate of 3s. a day (inclusive of all pay and allowances) from ;\farch 15th of thi::; year, or fr om the day following that on which they cOlllpleteJ a year's Army service, whichever is the earlier.

<Baller)?

J. W. WIIITE, ESQ., UIIIEF SUPERIXTEXDEX'l '1'. JOIIX A;\1BUL.iXCE Bmf:ADE, UAI'TAE FIRE BRIGADE, IRO:-/" BRID GE, VVE

are plea ed to place before our readers the record of one who has done and is doing a great ,"vork in his own eli trict.

Captain \Vhit e was born at the Bank H ou.;;e, Tron Bridcre, ° 111 1 60. narrowly escaping a death b fire at the earh' ag'e o f three, through clothes taking fire when left for a sho rt time in a room by himself. He ",a educated at ShifIlal Grammar choal, and upon leayincr was gl\'(;I?- an appoll:tment 111. Lloyd's Bank, and i at °pre ent a re Ident cashIer at theIr Iron Bridge branch. He has alway taken a great intere:,t in the affairs of the to\\"I1. _-\mong other things which mainly OIve their est;1blishment to him are a prosperou' row-ino- elu b a ftourishincr angling society, a floating- swiml11in;' bath' on the Ri e\'ern, chess club, debating night school, &c. For twenty years C:1ptal!1 "\Yhitl; ha been superintendent. of a large Sunday and a leade r of evan.gelLcal Sunday eYen ing meetings. 0 call to the bedSIde of the SIck or dying is disobeyed. He was churchwarden for many years, and during his tenure of office .the church was restored. He is nnw l ay representat l\'e, and dele gate from the Wenlock Rur al D eanery to the Hereford Conference and hold s the bishor's. license as lay reader. 0 of any de scnptlOn for the welfare of his fellows seems to be complete with out him . attended the Crystal Palace Fire Brigade DemonstratlOn, and \\"a one of the officers presented to the German Emperor. Being an ex-officer of yolunteel" his five years' train ing has been of as istance in the of the Brigade. He i one of the executive of the at ional Fire Brigades "Union.

In 1891 Mr. \Vhit e began to take an interest in ambulance work, and in 1 896 he was instrumental in cau ing the formation of a corps of the t John 4-\mbulance in Iron This corps is getting strong 111 150 appeanng at the last in pection. The corps se nt rq men to the war as orderlie includincr f I b 12 rom t 1e town of Iron Bndcre. There i also a nur si ng divislOn which is doing work in the town, and sent out about two ton of useful articles to the R ed Cross Committee for the sen'ices of the so ldi ers. It will be seen from the abo\'c , IVhich is not by any mean a complete Ii -t of Captain \\Thi t e's crood deeds that he with energy to any philanthropic or humanItarIan object by which he can benefit his fellow creatures, aEd he is proud in beino- well backed up by his friends in hi s efforts Lo do what he considers hi s duty to hi s nati\' t; town.

St. Jol)n Bll1bulance BSBOciatiol1.

IIEREFORD.-Dr. J. H. Lilley, of Hereford , has generously pro\'ided a challenge cup to b.e competed for yearly, with sih'er medals for the \ society called .C The City of Hereford Am bu lance IS founded :ts a branch of tbe John Am bulance A SSOCIatIOn , and :\[l'. J. S, ,\rkwright, :'II.P., is president. Only three tea.ms entered for the first annual competition which took place in the on Tu esday the ..J.th ult., n tmel)" a county pOlice te:lm. and two railway teams. The Judge \\;\:; Dr. Wal tcr R. lhdll·en. of '''hen the examinati.on the president, rung, saId he thought they 1I0uid hlm to put Into words their le ry great of of Dr. LIlley, :tnd the gratification he haJ In, offen.ng thiS I'e;y handsome sih'er cup for compelition aId \las all-Important III cases , and was often very easy, but It had to be lealnt. And referring to ad\'ance in sur !:!"icaI knoll'ledae general lX' :'Ilr. ArkllTi!!ht s)id one had on ly to lhink ot' the time the of boilinO' oil to stop hemorrhage I\"as considered to be nght th ln z ; and It ".aS not long since , he remarked, that the circuof the bloo d \I·.as dlscO\'ered '\[r. ,\rkwright alse alluded to the sentlmen.tal of the matter, what a sense of se curity the knowledge of first aId must gl\'e to bO.th the ambulance. men and the patients, and also to the general publIc, and what sufJering would in this lI·ay be alle\:lated ar:d death even frequently prevented. In conclusion, the said the would allow him to cOlwey to Dr. Lilley their gl eat sense of hiS kllldness, and the hopes that next year there w?ul? be a larg er, perhaps not a keener, competition (applause). The wmnlllg teaTm who were presenteJ with the cup and medals, consisted of \\ es tern RaIlway men at Bar's Court Station; the second, HerefOld County PolI ce Constables; the 3rd 1Il position, Great \\'estern Rad\\'ay men at Barton. The proceeding conclu ded with a \'ote of to Dr. Hadwen, proposed by :\Ir. C. H. Brown (captain of the wInnlllg team), and seconde? by :'Ilr. A. \dkins, and a similar compliment Lo Mr. fo r toe killd and courteous manner in which he had preSIded, thiS belllg proposed by :\IaJor IIawshall·, seconded hy Dr. H adwen WELLING BOROl'GH -:- The annual petition for the si lver challenge cup and medals of the orth Ru cks Cencre of the St John \m b :\ .,. • u 'lnce was held at the kind illl'itation of Lordand Lady AJdinaton In AddIngton Park on aturda) afternoon the r;th ult \t b f " -, past one, a o ut ony guests partook of an excellent luncheon in the rlrawinaroom of the .manor.. Lord _-\ddingLOn presided anG Lady Addington wa s .In the vl ce·chalr. Follo\\'inp- the repast Mr. Carlile 'I P d ff d h -, , , ,'. ., as presl en t, 0 ere. t. e thanks the comp:tn-y to Lord and Lad, for k111d hospltahty, and referred to his lordship as th'e ol",an.lser of the :\ on h Bucks Centre and the easy path he had made [')1 hI,? as the successor III the pre3idency The competitions took place In the on the north front of the manor. T en tea illS competed and the maxImum n umber of .nark s was +00 ·Tlle d S .O' " u ges w ere ut",eon- ,[aJol Sleman, C. 1. V., urgeon-Captaln Bull, 1st Bucks R. V., and Dr. Square, 01 LeIghton Buzzard. The work was closely watched by the spectators The result was awarded by Dr. \\'. H. Bull as follows :- Bl etch ley 353 marks; 3 Castlethorpe 2 9 r marks (scratch). 3 Ne.wport Pagnell, 28 3 + \Vol\'ertol. 281 marks (25 cap), (they gamed the highest of points last year and therefore were handIcapped 25 this }'ear)' - Hanslope -\?7 k ( .). 6 S Sf') • , + mar s /), tony, trat ord C.L.B., A, 273 marks (scratch); 7 Laughton _66 mar k s (6), 8 Fenny tratford "6+ marks (.';) 9 H I B 6 'k ( - v, ans ope 2mat s :w); ro Stony tratford C.L. B., B team. Lady presented the c up to the captain of the Bletchley team and the II \Vlt1 lfred Hubbard the siil'er medals to each men1bel' I d b ?n. f 11 I d _o u c eenna o owec, an the u s ual vote of thanks closed the proceedings.

$t. Jobn Bll1bulancc 16rigabe.

JrETROPOLIT:-\.'\T CORPS.

.'\To. 3 6 (CA.l"STO:\') the occasion of the annual of the employe,S of Ir .Joseph Causton &; Sons Ltd this dIVISIO:I !;:\\'e an effectl I'e demonstration of first aid \I'o,k 'I th·' fi d' I p ,. B I CI· " - 1. n erst ISP ay. Ilvates .a t, la111ey,) arns, and :iH o rJey treated a ca se with ImprOVIs ed .mate!"lal on the lines of the for the Osborn Challenge hlekt won by this DiviSIon last year. The work lias smartly done and was endentl}' somethina of a nOI'elty'o th t 'I I· d d I '" e specta ors " 10 app lU e warm y. Later a squad in unifo t'm con t' f G h I P' < 51S lt1a 0 erO't a swort y \\,Ill tes Rtchardson Ferris mallll'ood >'od S 1:-. d d I '" an towe emonsirate t e methods used on public duty StEil' I' d up 15ton ex- r alne tIe vallOUS pOInts to the audience who sho wed a e t . thro h C D'" ram erest ug ou. aus.on 11·lslon. Jtl still in its young days, and hitherto they have gone mall1ly quality and Inve not troubled about number to an}' grea.t eX,tent hOll'el'er, with a nncleus of well-trained matellal It IS 111.en.deJ to 111crease the number, and recruiting will be pusheJ In the C0111111g autulllll.

PRO\·[.'\T [r\L. [n conneClion with this Dil'isi,)J1 a contest took llace in the f awn Hall on \Vednsday, I2th LLit. There was a good

of spectaLOr;:, alld th e follo wi n g teams competed. Shepshed Gran vi lIe Coll ier y Com p any (two), '\Yoodville. Overseal, Truman, Hanbury & Co (Burton), .\ lidland Railway Goods Department (BUlton), and Ashby Town. The following gentlemen acted as judges, Dr. Yilliams (Ashby) Dr. Hart ( i\l easham), and Serres (Swadlincote), \\'hilst Dr. Olch8.rd (Ashby), the lecturer to the Ashby Corps, was also present. At the conclusion of the display, which was of an exceedingly creditable ano interestinO' character, the prizes (which were offered by the Ashby Corps) were distributed by '\ lrs. W W G. Stables, of .-\shby, to the winner as follows O\'erseal I, Ashhy 2, Truman, Hanbury &; Co., Burton 3· BOLTOX - The annual inspection of the mem bers of this Corps was conducted on the 8th u lL, in a field adjoining Albtrt Road, off Chorley X ew Road, Heaton, by Colonel T rimble, Deputy Commissioner for the 1\onh W estern District. Colonel T rimble expressing himself highly satisfied with the drill, and complimer.ting the men, \\'ho were after wards marched to their headquarters in St. George's Church Schools

In the eveninO' a socia l gathering was held in the Baths Rooms, Bridgman Place. Mr. F Lomax presided The Chairman, after expressing his pleasure at seei n g the men turn up in such goodly numbers that evening after the arduous JUlies in the ;tfternoon, said tbey had sent out from this town 128 ambubnce men and they had got back about 9 safe and sound; but t\\O had died. pointing out that the work of the -\mbulance Corps was a ci\'il as well as a military one, and narrating se\'eral recent instances where the members had rende l ed first aid on the occasion of public f:;'atherings, the Cbairman called upon Colonel T rimble, who recei\'ed an enthusiastic WelcO'lle. After handing the certificates to the men, he said the turnout showed a marked imprO\'ement upon last year·s Alluding to the desirability of improved headquarters for the Bolton Corps, Colonel Trimble said there were many wealthy gentlemen in the town, and he should like to see thtm come forward and contribute towards a suitabl e building, The Artillery and Rifle \'olunteers possessed grand headquarters; and he asked why the people of Bolton shOUld not provide better accommod a tion for the Ambulance Corps to allow them to drill together, instead of in separate places, and under more advantageous circumstances tban a t present. H e was proud to ledge the ready response made by Superintendent Lomax and t he men of the Bolton Corps when aid was asked for; he had never made a single to :V r. Lomax for men witbout its being acceded to promptly , and sometimes at very short notice.. They were a purely ,'olumary Corps, and in all the Brigade they had only one paid official. Colonel Trimole also expressed his sorrow that the :\ Iayor of Bolton was unwell, but hoped he would soon be in good health again, BRADF·ORD.-The (:\Ir. '\Y. C. Lupton) presided at tbeannual meel ing of thiS Corps held on the 17th ult. in the '\Iayor's Parlour at tbe Town lI ali. There was a small attendance. The '\1ayor said he had recei \'ed a letter from I1I r. George Chippendale, resigning the secretaryship of tbe corps, a post wbich he had held with credit for six and a-half years He moved that the resignatio n be accepted with r egret. Chippendale had done good work for the corps, and t w a s due to him that it should be gratefully acknowledged Dr. Eva n s seconded the motion, wbich was adopted The .\layor for the time be i ng was elected president, DI. Evans was chairman of the commi t tee, and the C h ief C onstable ( Mr. Farndale) was appointed secr e ta y, with the understanding that at the end of the year o n e of his cl e rks should receive an honorarium for Qoing the deta l work.

BRISTOL-On Saturday afternoon, the 15th ult., the fOUlth annual competition for the cup presented by ;\ r. C. Beavis, and open to holders of the St. Joh n Ambulance first aid certificates, was held at the Zoological G ardens, Cl i fton. Five teams entered, two from the N etham Corps two from the Bristol C ity l\I arine Corps, and one from the \V estbu ry P ark Co r ps T he judges were Dr. Tomlinson, Dr. J p, B u sh, C. :\I .G., and Dr. Harvey, '\Y estbury. At the conclusio n it was announced that the cup had again been won by a team from the ?\etham Corps, a team from the Bristol City .\la.rine Ambulance Corps being placed second During the proceedings tbe Bristol City :\larine Ambulance Corps gave a display with the Lowmoor jacket, which pro\'ides for tbe remo\ al of an injured man from the hold of a vessel in an upright position while on a stretcher.

II ARBOROUGH. - Earl Roberts inspected at Dingley this di\'ision, and having presenteJ certificates and medallions to those who had earned the distinction, complimented the men on their smartness at drill. By invitation of Viscount and Lady Downe a large company of guests w itn e ssed the ceremony.

Ips\ncH. - The first public inspection 01 this Corps took place on the 8th ult. The Divisions represented, with their chief officers, \\'ere -St. John, ;\ r. Smithers; Social Settlement, .\ l r. G, Curtis; Orwell \ Yorks , 1\lr. J. Pawsey (in the absence of .\lr. Harold Jefferies) ; and the O ddfellows, :'I l r. C. Hudson. The?\ ursing Dh ision, under the lad y s u perintendent (:\ 1iss Coulcher), formed a large" un it," whic h stood apa r from the rest of the corps. Tbe horse ambulance was p laced in r ol".t of the mansion, a n d on the ground were hand litters, str etch ers a ll d o th er ap pli a n ces. T he inspect in g officer was BrigadeSurgeon Lieut C o l. E lli ston, of t h e 1st V. B.S .R. , wh o is th e D ep u ty

A I D. LJuly, 1901.

Commissioner for 1'0, 3 District, which n cludes East Anglia. , Yith him were A ss ista n t Comm ssioner, i\1r. T. H W oo ston, o f N ortha m pton. At the close, the Corps was formed lip before the" sal u ting poi n t," where h e flags of the Association WEre flyi n g, T he Dep u ty-Commissioner, addressing them, said he was \'try pleased to h;t\'e had such an opportunity of making an official inspection, ;tnd to express his great sat isfaction with their smart turn-out and geneml efficiency. i\ !;tkinO' allowance for these circumstances, he thought the other work they done \\as extremely creditable. He was very pleased and proud of them. That was not an occasi:m for but he had just received a Brigade Order from the headq'Jarters of the Association, which he ought to bring under their notice. The Order to which he \\'as referring showed that the War Office also recognised most fuliy the value 01 the Brigade, In Much last, some exception "as taken to the terms of an Order issued from the \Var Office, and it was sufficient, witho'.!t entering into particula r s, to say that another O r der would shortly be issued, so th ey had been notified at headquarters, 0, to the effect that men of tbe St John Ambulance Brigade who might desire to enlist in the Royal .-\rmy .\I edical Corps ,,'ould only be accepted for sen'ice if duly re commended by their commanding officer, as in the case of men of the \Tolunteer '\ ledical Staff Corps and Brigade Bearer Companies " It had been decided. furthermore, that men who so enlisted as members of the Brigade should be distinguished by wearing the Brigade bauae on their army uniform, After reviewing tbe conditions of sen'ice in the A.t.I.C" it was pointed out that this further call or in\'itation for belp showed how well satisfied the authorities \ ere with the sen'ices rendered by the 2,000 men of the Brigade who had already been to the front. In calling upon Assistant Commissioner \ Yoolston to say a few words, ,\ [r, Elliston acknowledged in very hearty terms the help rendered to him by that gentleman, who was so wedded to ambulance work, he said, that he had almost made a profession of it, Commissioner said that the last time he came to see the Corps he belie\'ed, was at one of their competitions At that time he told them there was room for a good deal of improvement in what they did, but that, if they stuck to the Association, they would be a credit to the tOlVn, and would find great satisfaction in being assoc iated with tbat ambulance work in civil life which was a real necessity in every large centre of population, and, indeed, in every village as well. He urgeu them all to remember that whatever was ,,'orIh doing at all was worth doing well, and said he saw no reason why they should not bring baCK to Ipswich the Dewar Challenge Shield. THE CHGRCH P .l"RADE.'- The parade for attenuance at Divine Service \\·;tS ordered for a quarter past two o'clock on Sunday on the lawn in front vf Christchurch .\Iansion, Lieutenant Colonel Elliston, and the honorary medical and staff officers, were again present, with the addition of Dr Goodman, who was in cbarge of a division which came over from Ha\'erhill, comprising chief officer Potter and eig-ht men, and Sergeant Fuller was in command of six men from the '\Vestgate Ward Liberal Club Class. The band of the I pswich R ifle Vol un teers, conducted by ,\ 1r. H. Du n t. he;tded the procession, followed by Colonel Elliston and the officers, and a row of five sunburnt men in khaki, who have just returned from the front. At St John's Church, the ambulance me n (numbering about I 30 ) were met by the .:\ursing Division , the three ladies in uniform being :'I [ iss Coulcher, :\lrs Emsworth and :\l rs Hepburn H ume, and shown to reserve seats in the nave An appropriate anu earnest sermon was delivere d by the Rev A B, G. Lillingston, The spacious church was cro wded , ar, d at the close a collection was taken i n a id o f the E ast Suffolk and I pswic h II ospital.

.\I AXCHESTER SALFORD.-Over forty members of this div ision are now fully equipped with the regu lation u nifo m, and eve ry ma n has been providQd with a water-bottle, Several hav r esacs have also been p urch a sed , The Division undertook public duty on the occas ion of h e W it :\ onday procession of Church of Eng and Sunday S chools.

T he ent ire route was pat olled by members of the Div i sion under D r J :\[ iller and First Officer ,\lawrey Our 30,000 scho l ars took part in the procession, which took over hours to pass a given point. D e nse crowds lined the route. Upwards of 200 cases were treated by the members on duty, several cases having to be take n to the I nfirmar y on stretchers. Duty 'Nas also undertaken on \ Vh i Friday on the occas on of the a nnual procession of Roman Catholic Sunday Schools, when 180 cases received treatment. T he Super ntendent, i\ l r. R. Peacock (the Chief Con'stable of the City), pa i d a visit of inspection to the men on duty on both occasions l\1 A:-' CHESTER.- The high level of development and organisation attained by the St. J oh n Ambulance movement was exemplified at t h e eleventh annual review and demonstration of th e North-East Lancashire Corps of the Brigade, held o n the :\ anchester Athletic Club grou n d, F::tllo wfield, on Saturday afternoon, 22nd ult. The inspectin g oincer was Colonel C \ V B. Bowdler (Commissioner), and there we r e also present L ieu C J Trumble (Deputy Uommi"sioner, 4 D istrict) and :\11'. J. C. De rham (Assistant Commissioner, NO.4 District), the latter of whom was in command. Early in the afternoon the corps, di vi sions, and pol ice companies assembled in Albe r Sq u are, and marched by wa y of i\l o unt Slreet, Pete r S reet, Oxfo d S t r eet, Oxford Road, and Wil ms l ow Road to the s p o r t5 gro un d The n u rs in g divi s o n

July, 1901.J FIRST

nssembled o n the g r o un d in the regu lation un form of black dresses, wi th wh ite aprons and ca ps, a n d took part in t h e marc h past and ba n dag in g ex hi bit io ns, A s eady downpour of ra in interfered wilh t h e prog r ess o h e compe tit io n s, b u the principa ones were brought to a s u cc e ssfu l conclusio n T he Manchester Corps retained the Mo ll oy Cup w on by them last year, Preston and Blackpool coming second a n d thi d res p ect i ve y. I n the n ursing- team compet ition Preston was first , B arrowford second, and Accrington t h ird. In a si mi lar competition for me n, K enda took the l ead, Oldham and Acc r ington ranking secon d a n d third respectively. In his add r ess to the Brigade, the nspecting officer satisfa..:tion at the manner in which the ambulance dr ll had been done, and mentioned that 806 ambulance men had gone from t h at :division to serve in the So u th African campaign, Letters which had been received from the front spoke in terms of the splendid work they had been able to do there, and thIS, he considered, showed the excellence of the training which they had received at home.

WELLDIGBOROUGH,- The annual church of this Corps took place last month, when a large number assembled on the Market square, and, headed by the \ Tolunleer Band, proceeded to the Conareaational Church, the officers present being: - Chief SuperintenJent T. H. Hilton, Chief Surgeon W E. Audland, Dr. W. \1'. Clark, Dr. '\V. I. Vatson, Superintendent C, Nicholson, Superintendent Higgins (IIigham FeTTers), Superintendent A Ca\e and first Officer Swindall ( Rushden), Chief Superintendent F. T Trenery (Kettering- Corp,,), Superin tendent Cruikshan k (Rushton), Sergeant H. Fran cis, J, Wilson, E. C. Smeather aud C. Clayson ( Yellingborough), Sergeant Bettles (Higham Ferrel'S), and ergeant Roberts (Finedon) The divi sions of the \\'ellingboruugh Centre represented in additi on to head-quarters were :- R ushden, Bigh am Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Finedon, ton, and Bozeat. At the church, which was crowded, the service was of n special and appropriate character, the singing being accompanied by the band as well as the organ. The pre8.cher was the pastor, the Rev. E. P Powell, .\I,A., who gave an eloquent discourse, based on Pro\'erbs xxiv" II and 12. The offertory is to be divided between the ''ITellingborough Cottage Hospital, the :'\ orrha mpton I nfirmary, and the Hunstanton Con\'alescent Home.

tlntiseptic of 1lU'lounbs.

In the air, in the earth, and in water, are to be found numerous smallliying bodies, called gerlils. Some of these germs, if inhaled, have the po\\'er of gidng rise to diseases such as Scarlet Fever and Di phtheria others again if they get in to wounds " 'i ll 2ause inflamma tion and suppuration; others erysipelas and tetanus. The germ of tetan u s is found in the earth, hence the reason for cautioning lance students against the practice of pbcing their triangular bandages on the ground.

\Ve find tl'at if wounds, either made accidentally or by operation, are protecteu in such a manner that germs cannot get into them, they will heal up without any trouble,

It is the pre\'ention of these germs entering, and the destruction of those \\hich ha\'e entered, that \\e aim at by what is called antiseptic treatme,H. For this purpose \\'e make use of certain chemical substances. which by experim ents ha \'e been found ca pable of accom plishinO' these objects '"

If an operation is about to be performed, the first thing to see to s that everyt h ing is perfectly clean about the patient; the skin in tbe Yicin ity of the intended operation is to be well scrubbed with some hot wate r and soap, then dried with some perfectly clean material, after which it should be wiped over with some alcohol or ether, and co\'ered with a cl o th w rung out of a solution of Perch lori de of Mercury, Carbolic Acid, C h inoso l Izal or some other antiseptic T he s urgeon, hi s assistants and nurses should have their arms bared to the el bows, the fi n ger nails a re to be cut close, the ha n ds are to be w ell washed n soap and water; good use being made of h e nail brush wh ch should previously h ave been sterilized by boilinO'. After washi n g, t h e hands sho u ld be dipped into a solution gf either Perch loride of Mercury (I n 2,000), Carbolic Acid (1 in 20), or lzal (1 i n 200)

Th e clothes surrounding the part to be operated on should be cove red w h mackintosh she e tin g, u pon whi c h s h ould be placed towels w r ung out of a h ot so l u ion o f eit h er Carbolic Acid or lzal.

A ll instruments s h o ul d have been ster il ized previously by being bo il ed for te n m inutes in water contain ing per cent of Carbonate of Soda, and then plac ed in a tray containing a soluti':ln of Carbolic Acid, Izal or Lyso l.

After the wound has been thoroughly cleaned, the dressing is to be applied; it u sually consists of several layers of an antiseptic gauze, over which is placed a large pad of antiseptic cotton \1'001, all of \\hich is secured by a bandage.

The various antiseptic gauzes and w ools have distinguishinO' colours as the Salalembroth or Mercuric Chloride, is blue; Boracic, pink: I odoform, yellow; Cyanide, lilac

Every surgeon has his own particular as, to an antiseptic; but for first-alders who requll'e an all round antIseptiC and disinfect8.nt, we

strongly recommenu [ zal for the following reasona :-ISt. I t is a more powerful germicide than Carbolic Ac id. 2nd. it is 3rd. I t has no blistering or irritating effect on the skin -\-th. It does not soil o r stain the hands. 5th , I does not corrode steel, and it does not spoil i nstruments. F or disinfect ng rooms it is also very useful, inasmuch as ts action is more permanent th :ll1 that of Sulphur, which is commonly used.

BA. K HOLIDAY JOTTIXGS, SCENE: Ambulance Station-Hysterical Patient (an old case with vivid recollections of a "towelling" last holiday) on perceiving ing Sister, " You wretch, you killed me last time "

OVERHEARD from some small boys' conversation at the railway station ;-" They re sojers, ain't they Bill? "

"::\"oa they ain't, they're wolunteers.

3rd Small Boy; "Gar'n Bill, they's German bandsmen. Say, guvnor, wher 's the band goin' to play? "

boy (who evidently mistakes the Jubilee medal ribbon for the badge of the Blue Ribbon to a member of the SI. Jobn Ambulance Brigade: "Hi, mister, can I get some beer o\'er there.

OYERHEARf) by an officer of the 8t. John Ambulance BriO'ade on ,. Gae on, 'e ain't no ossifer, es the wats a going to play dahn on the common."

0)1 a boiling hot day in the month of July in the Diamond Jubilee year, a party of ambulance men \\ere hastily summoned to render assistance to a fine specimen of the sons of toil, weighing 16 SlOne. who they wele told was suffering from a fit caused by o\'erwork and the heat of the Ha\'ing first aid treatment, as the patient stIll remallled dazed and partIally helpless, it was decided that the best thing to be d one was to remo\'e him to his home, a distance of a mile and a quarter. As no vehicle be procureu he was carried 0[1 a stretcher. On arrival at his home, the moist bearers placed the stretcher gently on the ground, and proceeded to wipe the sweat from their brows, \\hile one of their number knocked at the door. In response to the summons the patient's appeared,and on seeinO' her lord lying on the stretcher she took two rapid steps towards him and gazed intently for a few seconds and then spoke as follo\l's: '. Yer Q8.ste, you\'e been drinking again,"

FIRST Am 1:'< COLLIERY DISASTERs.- \n exceeedinO'ly interestino article on o. Explo,sions and their. by T G .:\ 8.sh, '\1.E., o,f Pontyondd, 'publrshed In the Hestem J[all on the 19th ult., ann whIch we IS too long for the columns of this Journal, we extract the follOWing paragraphs as being of practical interest to all who are concerned in collieries :-In descendinO' a mine after 8.n explosion and during exploration the rescuers should'" take the greatest precautions. The first part)' of explorers in each portion of the m1l1e sLouldopay c:lreful altentlOn to t!:e condition of the bodiesand the position in which they lie. They should also make accurale n otes as to the direction in which the doors lie and timbers are blown, These should be allowed to remain untouched until the enaineers and mines inspectors arri\'e. If this \\'as done wilh the O'rentest'" care there would ce much less difficulty experienced in the cause of the and such information miaht J?ro\'e in preventing dlsast,ers. One of the greatest dunng exploration IS the replaclllg of artIfiCial barners for dlrtctm a the air current and thus the ventilation fOJ'\\'ard, fightin a enemy inch by'inch until the workings are explored of the extremely slow progress explorers are frequently too late to save many of the victims. Exploration c,auld be carried on much quicker had the precaution been taken of erec.tlllg safety or doors bet':reen the main separation d?ors on all crosslllgs between the 1l1takeand return airways. 1 hese doors, If budt III a ,recess, of strong masonry, would escape the force of the blast, and, belllg secured by slide bolts could at once be closed and the ventilation quickly reimtated, It is'stated that about 70 per cen.t. ,of the live s lost explosions are due to afterdamp. Therefore,.lt IS to be that 111 the near future a body uf men will be formed mto an explOSIOn and ambulance briO'ade s u ch as was the means of ni liating i,n June of r 897 'vIy sChem"'e, fell through for the want of a sLlltable place to meet at. These men selected from various collieries, should have a O'ood practical th eoretical of mining and work, They should also have for theIr use an apparatus for penetratin a irrespirable aases such as the F.leuss or \Ton o;the appliance descnbed 111 the II <'stem In \'en ted by Dr. D. Rhys J ones, neither of which IS yerr bulky, a.nd It the e, men were properly trained to use them, had such a bng:lde been 111 eXistence, it is very proba ble that many lives could h;t\'e been saved and the work of rescue carried on with much more despatch. 1 look forward to the time when another attempt will be made to form such a brigade, and I shall be only too pleased to be en! oiled as a member.

r r CS P 0 n e ne e.

C:\RRIAGE DRIVIN:; FOR IN\' ALIDS.

To the Editor of FIRST AlD.

DEAR SIR,

Will yo.u allow me through the columns of your make a suggestion to your readers, especially to those of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the DIvIsIOns?

paper to who are Tursing

TROLLEY WIRE ACCIDENTS.

To the Edi.tor of FIRST AID.

There are many cases of chronic im-alids and others to whom the fatigue of dressing, walking down /stairs, &c., debars them from :any out-door. pleasures, but II ho would be greatly benefitted, and their lives much bnghtened, by an occasion dril'e in this lovely spring sunshine

Trolley Cars are the camino- means of locomotion in this country and with them accidents from ;"'erhead wires of which we ha \'e already had exam pIes at Liverpool and elsewhere, become more frequent. I am frequently asked what to do in such cases but confess my inability to reply From what r can gather from' the surgeons [ have spoken to, it seems almost impossible to render first aid unless you can. at once procure India rubber gloves and proceed to remo\'e the patient from contact with the wires The Bradford Corporation has just issued a set of rules in case of accidents one of which says :-" If fallen is in contact with any pel'son,'ar,d it is necessary to rem?ve It at once In order to save life or prevent injury, the fopoWIng POInts shou ld be remembered:- The person removing wJre should (11) never touch it with his hands; (0) never touch tbe of the person i.n with it ; (c) use a dry stick, dry rope, or article of dry clothIng' drag the wire away with, or to drag the person away from the "'.Ire;. (d). use rndia rubber gloves [or pullingaway from the Wire, It being safest not even to touch the wire with them; (e) in case it is impossible to get the wire away from the person, tbe wire should be dragged to tbe nearest tram-rail and held down upon it in order to discharge the current from it, or the wire be cut b\' of insulated shears, which can be procured lromthe car. ,Glo\'es should be \\'orn wben these are used. [* :-\"ote that It IS \"Cry Important that any "rucle for tbis purpose should lie dry; a \Yet Will COI1\'ey the current, and probably <>il'e the person handlll1g It a shock.] Now if gloves or insulaterl are obtainable the matter is eas}", but I submit that in 99 cases of 100 such would not be the case, From the foreo-oino- it would appear possible to drag- patient away from contact hy his clothing, and so long as the ,does not touch the "'ire, the patient's skin, or wet c1othll1g, he Will not suffer from shock, But newspaper reports of cases that bave contradict this tbeory, and I think it is time our surgeons laid do\, n some definite rules so that first-aiders when required to act may not be found wanting. am, Sir, yours obediently, A SUPERINTENDENT, S.J.A.B.

[We should be glad to have some practical remarks from those who have had actual experience in these accidents,-En.]

COUPON TICKET

SPECIALLY

The Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corporation,

to whom Notice of Claims, unner thl' follo\\ing conditions, must be seut within se\'en days of accident to tbe above address.)

I think accompanr.ing illustrations "ill sho\\', far better than any words of mme, holY easIly this could be canied out by means of a carryml; sheet stretch.er, and by the kind help of the owners of carriao-es and I·.olunteers of either sex, \I ho wOL'.ld undertake. the remol al of the patIents to and from their rooills ThiS, know from much practical experrence, can be easily and safely accomplished. Behele me, yours faithfully, ELEA);OH PA]i-lE. Wharfedale, Goldington Road, Bedfonl.

U::\IFOR\l OF THE ST. i\i\!BULANCE BRIGADE.

Tv tile Editor of FmST ALD.

S.ir,-A great deal has been written in your journal of late on the U mfor.m of the St. John Am buiance Brigade, but all the suggested alteratIOns have had reference to the male uniform I should like the medium of your valuable paper, to that a dlstmctIon sh?uld .be made the uniform of a lady officer and that of a nursmg For mstance, a lady officer might have a full bib to her.apron, mstead of the ssuare cut bib as now worn by all IS a mark of used in most hospitals to distmgulsh the staff nurse from the assistant nurse.

r am, Sir, yours faithfully, A :NURSING SISTER.

6 0 00 93

£100

:vill. be paid by the abo\'e Corporation to the legai representative of anyone who IS killed by an t? the Passenger 'l'rain (within the United Kingdom or Channel slaucls) 111 whIch the cleceased was a ticket or pa 'nO' passenger, or who shall have heen fatally injured thereby (should death wlthll1l1lnety days after Buch accident).

PROVIDED that pe.rson so. killed or injurcd had upon his or her person or had at home

Uisks Nos. 2 & 3.

TERMS

purpo e of providing lmiforms for the men of the St. J obn Ambulance Brigade on duty at Victoria Station. Two plays were acted, in which Lady Pepys, Lady Bertha 'Wilbraham, and others took part.

* *'ilf

T

Committee on Army medical reform will be constit u ted as fo ll ows: - Mr. Howard R. Tootb, M.D., F RC.P.) representiug St. Bartholomew's IIospital; }'rh o Geol'ge II. Makins, F RC.S., St. Thomas's Hospital; Alfred D. Fripps, C.B C.V .O., M.S., F.RO.S., Guy's Hospital; Su' F Tl'eves, K.O.V.O , O.B., F.RC.S., London Hospital; Mr. Alexander Ogston, M.D., Surgeon, Scotland; Lieut.Colonel Keogh, M.D., O B., RA,M.C., Ireland; Mr. E. C. Perry, :\1.D., F.R.C.P., of IJondoll UniYel'sity; SUl'geon-General Hooper, C.S I. President of the Ierlical Boaru, India Office; and two officers, ,,,ho will be named by the OOll1mumlcl'-in-Ohief, to l'epl'esent the Army. The Secretary will be Major n. E. R James, and tbe ( 11ai1'111:1n, the Rt. HOll. t. John Bi·olh·ick the ecretal'Y of f.:ltate for War. i" *

TilE Coronation will take next June.

TIlE Knights of in the year 129l. Oyprus.

St. John ii'\\'ere expelled from Pille tine \Yhen they sett1ed in the Island of * ii, "1'

Vi;-E notice in "1'be Gazette" that Lord Roberts has been promoted frolTl a Knight of Grace to be a Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John.

\YE beg to offer our hearty congratulations to Dr. Jam.e J Hon. Smgeon of the Metropolitan Corp of the St J ohn Ambulance Brigade, on heing made n, Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. *""'-

DR. lV[ARSIl is the Hon. Sm:geon of the Belgrayia K ursing Division

T HE V iscountess Knutsford waR present at the distribution of p r ize. to the students and probationer nurse' at the L on don H ospital on July

T IlE Duke of Oonnaught, as Gnmd Master of English Freemasons lms conferred the l'ank of a Grantl J unior Deacon on In spector-G eneral Belgl'a,ve Ninnis, l\LD., R N Deputy Commissioner of the l\1etropolitn,n COl'PS of the St. J oh n Amhulance Brigade. *"

IT is announced that m81;' of the St. John Ambulance Bl'igade \,yill be accepted for the Royal Army Medical UOl'PS if recommended by the Chief Commissioner of the B rigade.

A FASHIONABLE gathering mustered at the Oourt Theatre'\ one afternoon last month, when Society amateul' actresses devoted theil' enelg i es to a performance given for the

MR. OSBORX, F.R.U.S., the Chief Surgeon of the }\feti'o politan Oorps of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, is acting a,' a medical ofticel' to the Guards at \Vindsor.

*

*.;t:

THE City of Bl·istol of the St John Ambulance I h'igade concluded their duties at the "Savage South African" Exhibition on Saturday. Dming its l)l'ogress, they been called upon for first aid on no fewer than 34 occasions, and among the needs of the sufferel's were cases of fl'actured ribs, accidental amputation of finger, bl'oken wl'i::;t, and others mOl'e 01' less severe.

i<

TEX mOl'e members of the Barnolds"ick Ambulance Corps, near Colne, ,\'ho 11a,'e l'esponded to the call for men for the Royal Army Medical Corps, left for the front on "eclnesday Amongst the number is Mr. \\Tillillll1 De\yhinit, a member of the Barnold wick first e1e\'en ericket team. On e;-ening a presentation ,,"as made t:.> him by his co-playel's and the committee of the club in the Queen's Hall.

"* KOWADAYS women are not the only aspirants fOl' nUl'sing distinctions, T 0 1es '3 than 24 missional ies of the London City Mission have just been a'warded the nursing c81-tificitte of the Rt. J o11n Ambulance Sixteen missional'ie of the same Society hase also won mechtllions for pa the thil'Cl examination in " First Aiel."

31< '**

A SPECIAL appeal, to which 'lye anticipate a ready anLl liber"l respon e, i being ma.de for funel to proville a public ambulance in Woolwich, It is signed by 1\InjOl'General F. K.C.G., Sir O. Smith, Oanon Leeke, Canon E::;cl'eet, Lieutenant-Colonel Lowrie, \V. J. Squires, L.0.C., Councillor Kemp, and Oounclllor 1\Icssent. The co!';t, about £80, should be speedily forthcoming. The womler i that such a in a boroug'h like Woohyich has not been upplied a long time ago. v

H 1bOll1C 1Hnrsi ng."

By "CIIIRURGUS."

PART \TII.

O B S ERVATION O F THE S I C K. Observation of the sick is one of the most duties of the nurse. (Vide Part 1.) A medical man cannot be constantly with the patient, therefore the nurse must watch the progress of the case, and note any change of the symptoms; as the symptoms are the sio-ns upon which the doctor has to base his opinions as to the seyerity" or otherwise of the disease, and also on II hich he has to determine the line of treatment to be pursued. The nurse must be accurate (vide Part 1.) therefore she must WI ite down the results 01 her observations at the time of the occurences ; this record will be of the greatest assist. ance to the doctor. The nurse' s rep o rt must be of observed facts, not of opinions or criticisms. The doctor II'ill draw his own conclusions as

to the importance of the facts True observations and correct statement are only gained by practice and close attention.

The nurse should have the report ready when the doctor makes his visit, the following points are to be noted in the report :_

I. Temperature.

2. Rate of Pulse.

3. umber of respirations.

4. Action of bowels.

S. Quantity of urine passed.

6 Amount of sleep.

7. Symptoms, &c.

8 Nourishment-amount taken and when.

9. l\I edici n e-when given, effect noticed

Gnder heading 7. Symptoms, notes of anything special such as rigors, cough, appearance of l ash, &c., and time at which they occurred will be asked, with a view to assist you in takinCT these notes the following will he found useful. D'

FACE

Notice the patient's face, if pale; if of a dusky tint this means difficulty in .breathinCT; if the mouth is drawn to one side; or if there is any sqUll1t.

SKIN.

of the skin, whether hot, dry, moist, or profuse perspiration.

NotIce If there is any rash or eruption, ts position, at the time of appearance, if pimples, ves cles or blisters, &c , also if there is any puffiness or swelling, whether i f the part is pressed by the finger for a few minutes it witt leave a dent

POSTURE.

T he positi<:>n which the patient assumes is to be carefully noted; in chest complall1ts where the br eathing is difficult, the patient will sit up, and as he gets better he is able to lie down.

In pleurisy the patient will lie on the affected side. n peritOnitis or inflammation of the membrane coverinCT the bowels the patient wiUlie with the knees drawn up, as this the abdominal muscles.

· In prolonged and exhausting diseases the pati ent is so weak that h e IS unable to move and slips off the pillow (vide P art VI. on prevention of patient slipping down in bed).

A change of position often shows a change for the better or the worse

The nurse should help the patient to lie in that position which is most comfortable;. but in cases of long illnesses, \he patient should not be allo.wed to he constantly on his back, as there is a tendency to the formatIOn of bed sores and also to the lungs becominO' conCTested b 0 ) therefore he must be changed from one SIde to the other.

Do not raise a very weak patient too suddenly, as the heart's action may fail.

PAIN

Remember with regard to pain, that some people bear pain much than others ; so that the nurse must judge of the severity of the pa1l1 from observatIOn. The nurse will take notice as to the frequency or regularity of the pain, the time at whi .: h it occurs, whether cause d by taking food or medicine, whether relieved by takinCT food or medicine. '"

Note espec!ally the position of the pain, make the patient place the hand on the spot w?ere the pair: is; a patient s description of pla ce is often very mlslead1l1g. A patlent a few days ago told me she had excruciating pain in her chest, on asking her to put her hand on the place, she placed it on the lower part of her abdomen' upon remarking that that part of the body was ca!led th e not the chest she replied 1 could not think of tbe proper name and did not like say belly.

Notice also. if the pain. is or deep; if it is affected by change of pOSItIOn, breath1l1g, nOlse, llght, &c. 'Whether it increases or decreases in severity; if anything is done for it, if it relieves or not.

SLE E P

· With.legard to a pati.ent's sleep, the following points will gu ide you III £orm1l1g a correct estImate

Note the length of time.a patient some patients will tell YOll they have never clooed thelr eyes allmghtand If you have bee n s:tting up you witt know that they have snored loudly.

N ote whether the sleep is restful and quiet or whether the patient starts and jumps, whether he is refreshed by the sleep or not.

W hen a person is asleep there is less blood in the brain; therefore anything which drive s blood into the brain will prevent sleep for example mental effort, cold extremities, &c

T here is no doubt that some ptople can do with much less sleep than others; I dar€say son:e of my readers Will remember Captain Marryat's midshipman, who when accused of laziness because he slept so much, excused himself by saying that he was a s low sleeper and therefore took a longer time to obtain the requisite amount.

· If your p.tient does not obtain the re q uisite amount of sleep, bring It to tbe notice of the do cto r, never on a:1)' account are you to gil e a narcotic without the doctor's Olders.

AID.

RIGORS.

By the term, igor we mean a s h ivering fit. Th ese shi vering fits s h o u ld be noted, as to time of appearance, duration, sever ity and frequency They vary from a sensation of cold water running down the back to a violent shi I'ering, which makes the teeth chattel' and the bed shake

Fevers and in'1ammations are nearly always ushered in by a rigor; i is usual to date the commencement of a fever from the first rigor. Inflammation of the lungs is usually ushered in by one long rigor. During the rigor, although the patient feels extremely cold and shivers, if a thermometer is placed in the arm pit it will be found tha t the mercury will rise very much abol'e the normal.

Treatment during a rigor , is to co\'er up the patient, put hot bottles in the bed and give warm drinks.

THE TONGUE.

YVith regard to the tongue, the nurse should notice whether it is clean or furred. In fevers the tongue becomes very dry and coated, the coating is first brown and then cbanges to almost bbck in bad cases it is dry and hard. Vhen improving, the coating cleans off at the tip and edges fil s t. Other points t o be noticed are size and shape, if protruded to one side, if tremulous or swollen.

THE APPETITE

The points which the nurse must notice in reference to the appetite, are the following :- The amount of food taken, this must be stated in exact quantity of solids and liquids, also the frequency with which food is taken; wh et her it is taken with a relish, whether it satisfies, whether t cau ses p a i n, er uctations or vomiting.

THIRST

Thirst is common in all feverish states and where the body is drained of fluid, as in severe vomiting, diarrh rea hwmorrhage and diabetes.

The sensation of thil st is caused by the state of the mucous membrane of the mouth,

VOMITI N G

By vomiting we mean the ejection of the contents of the stomach through the mouth, the patient frequently has a feeling of faintness and nausea beforehand. I n many instances it is nature's way of getting rid of somethir:.g which disagrees with the stomach. In other cases, it is a symptom of disease of the stomach or some other organ; the stomach is in such clo£e sympathy with the other organs, that disease of them often causes 'o miting, as for example disease of the kidney, womb and the brain. Vomiting from disease of one of these organs is called reflex

The points to be n oted with reference to vomiting are, as t o time and frequency; whether it has anything to do with what has been swallowed, that is after fooG. or medicine, if so, hoI\' long after; also if painful or e asy, or if accompanied with straining and whether it is followed by relief.

As a rule vomited mat ters should be kept for the doctor to see if not the nurse must notice the characteristics as to smell, colour, if frothy or bloody, if it contains undigestible food or worms, &c.

When the vomiting is accompanied by nausea, a foul and furred tongue, a na sty taste In the mouth, and it is followed by relief, it is called stomach vomiting.

But when the vomiting is not preceeded by nausea, and oc curs irrespective of anything being in the stomach, and is not followed by relief. it is called reflex or cerebral vomiting.

The t reatment of vomiting is to keep the patient ly ing down, give soda water or s 1da and milk, and ice to suck, when taking ice to relieve vomiting it should be swallowed before being quite dissolved.

In cases of vomiting caused by poison, it should be encouraged or even an emetic may be given , salt and water or mustard and wate r are tll'O of the commonest eQ"Jetics.

An I rishman O!1ce complained that his doctor's medicine was no good. He had been t o the doctor complaining of illness. T he doctor had said, "I'll soon put you all right, Pat, I tI give you an emetic," "And be dad," says Pat, " t he th ng didn't stop in me stomach two minutes; what is the use of medicine like that."

COUGH.

Coughing consists in a deep inspiI ation, followed by a closure of glOltiE, or narrow pa rt of the throat, and finally a sudden forc l ble explration which bursts open the glottis and fOI ces out a:1Y muco u s or foreign matter prese n t in the air passages.

A cough is camed by something which irritates the air passages, such as phlegm requiring to be removed , or an inflammatory state of the mucous membrane, or by reflex action.

It is most important for the nurse to note the character of the cough, whether it is dry, hacking, hard, tickling; if there is expectoration, what the expectoration is like, if frothy, thick, rusty coloured or streaked with blood Also note tbe frequency, severity, durat ion; whether worse by night or b}' day; if it comes on in paroxys ms; if accompanied by pain or distress; if associated with vomit ng, change of temperature or position.

I ncreased secretion is got rid of as phlegm or sp u tum. T h s s pu t u m should be kept in a special vessel for the doctor to see, he q ua n it y expectorated in the twenty -four hours sh ould be estima ed.

Au gu s t, 1901.J FIRST

Consumptive patients, as the germs of consumption are in the sputum, should always use one of Dettweiles pocket fl as ks, so as to avoid spitting in a handkerch ief or in the s treet.

The flask is made of blue glass, it bolds about three ounces. It has an opening at the top and the bottom The upper ope ning is fitted with a spring lid and a metal funnel.. '.fhe funnel reache, half -way down into the flask and prevents the spdhng of the contents of the flask.

T he low er openin CT allows of the flask being thoroughly cleansed

The flask is filled with disinfecting fluid, the contents are to be frequently burnt; the fl:J.sk tself is to be with b? iling water.

All spittoons s hould be kept covered, le st flles sett hng upon the sputum shouH be the mean s of car rying infection.

BREATHING.

A healthy adult person breathes from tl) 18 times per minute, children br:ath e more frequently; the breathlng should be calm and

The breathing can be co unted by watching the moveme.lts of the chest or by placi ng the ha nd on the lower part of the chest.

In disease the breathing is affected in various ways, it is \\'heezing in bronchitis, lab ouring and whi st ling in asthma, quick in pleurisy, and snaring in apoplexy.

T H E P U L S E.

You will be often asked by the doctor to note down the pulse rate.

The pulse bea t is due to the action of the heart and is felt in all arteries of any size.

The pulse is usually taken at t he radial artery in the wrist, as this is the artery which is most conveniently placed.

To take the pulse the ends of tll' O or three fingers should be lightly pressed on the artery and the num be r of beats counted in a minute.

In health, the rate is from 70 to So per minute in an adult; quicke r in children 100 t o 115 in the secnnd year.

As the rate of the pulse is increased by exertion, nervousness a nd excitemen t , be careful to co unt it when the patient is quiet.

The pulse incIeases in frequency in fevers and inflammatory attacks; in debility, it is rapid and weak.

DELIRIUM

In some disease s, such as fevers, inflammation of the lungs or delirium tremens, the nen'OllS system gets affected and we get delirium or wandering of the mind.

The delirium is usually sp9ken of as being of three varieties: q uiet, acti ve or busy.

In qlllet de/II TUm, the patient has delusions of sight and fails to recogni se hi s friends, he constantly talks in a low monotonous I'oice, a condition of things which is usually called "low muttering delirium."

In active delirium the patient tries to action hi s o wn ideas, he may get out of bed, try to walk down sta ir s, or attempt t o jump out of the window, in this state he may attack his attendants or commit suicide. n busy deliriullZ the patient is co nstantly on the mO\'e under the im pression that he is at work.

A patient sufferin CT from delirium mllst n o be left alone. lI e should be you must be careful not to irritate by contradictin a him , kindne ss wi h tact and firmness is most efficacious. Rearranging the furniture or removing some offending art icle will often quiet him ".

If very violent you must secure your patIent 111 bed by passl ng a sheet folded le11O'thwise across him and fastening it under the bed. It is most es;ential for the patient to get sleep a nd to take nourishment.

(To be continued.)

FIRST AI n IN THE COU:-lTRY.-A Gloucestershire corresponden t writes :-" A mall in this district, staying in a keeper's house in an i naccess ible p ace, broke a large blood ves se l. He lost hi s life, b u t hi s doctor managed to arrest t?e How, and to bl:ll:g him ro und sufficient ly that hopes were entertall1ed that. a repall'lng operatIOn m ght be done. Thi s after consultatIon With other doctors, was decided o n b ut removal was very dangerous, and yet the operatlOn co uld on y be u nde r taken \I here t her e was more accommo.dation. and greate r fac ilit es Some miles away, at Sharp ness , IS a hl&,hly tr a ine d a n d enth u s astic Ambu lance Corps, mostly workll1g men [he s ur aeon sent to them at 5 o'clock Six members on leaving work, wi tho u t refreshment, came a mile up the Gloucester Canal, bringing he ir h and o r wheel ambulance car. "Vit h the surgeon , they c,m'ied he man-a heavy one-a mile to the steam-tu a they ca me up in. Th ey placed the patient on board, went,with him 16 up the c a n a l r eachinO' th e terminus at ten p.m. l:<mdll1gonly very lI1adequate they took their p:Ltient a mile and a half by road to the n urs in CT home, his destmation, and only left hIm when they had p laced h mDin bed. They noll' had nearly an 18-mile j ou rney a n d t aey only got back at three a m probably to resume work at SlX o' cl ock Th e men asked no gratuity, and, indeed, would, I know, accept n one if offered vVe hear of so many brave acts during war timt, h in k, s well to see that brave and kllld acts occur also in peace. - Stawiard

A I D: 11

$t. 30hn tlnlbulance 1Srigabe.

PRESTON.-A flourishing- section of the Brigade is the St. Ignatius' Di vision o f the Preston Corps. The Assistant Commissioner, '\Ir. Derham, of Blackpoo l, who, during the last six weeks has inspected about fifteen divisions in the co unties of Lanca s hire and Cheshlre, declared, after in spectin g the St. Ignatius deta c hment, numbering eighty -three members, that he had never seen a smarter body of men, or seen ambulance work better done. A number of medallions and certificates were distributed by .\Iajor Little, who has accepted the position of first president of the Division. Father P ayn e, who presided over the function, introduced .\t ajo r Little as a gentleman office was to pr eve nt e\'il, but who had come there to do good, whereupon the Chief Con stable humorously retorted that his duty was rathe r to detect evil, and that of t;le clergy was to prev ent it. The more the ministry attended to their duties the less work he would have (Laughter). The .\raj or gave a brief historical survey of the ambulance movement, linking its aims and objects-the succo uring of humanity-with those of the knights of old, and in the course of his address put in a plea for the liieboat movement, a demonstration 111 connection with which s to be held at Preston on the 27th.

:\'E\\·TOX.- The annual inspection of this Di\'ision took place in orchard of the surgeon, Dr. R. H Grimbly. The Assistant Commissioner of the Western Distri ct, Dr. Laurie, of Redruth, inspe cted the men in squad and company drill and in practical first aid wo rk held an oral examination. A competition for promotion was held, and a number of men sat for re-examinations and medall ions At the close Dr. Laurie expressed his admiration of the work complimenting Dr. Grimbly and Superintendent Jewell on the results of their labours. On the initiative of D r Grimoly, hearty ch eers were given for the As sista nt Commissioner. A smoking concert followed at headquarters. BARRow. - On Saturday a co m bi ned drill of the different dil'isions in the neighb our h ood was held at A skam, and the men were inspected by Honorary Surg eon Pooley , of Dal·on. The Askam contingent, in uniform, marched round the village, headed by the Askam Brass Ban::!, and at the railway station were joined by co ntingents from Dalton, Barrow, :'IIillom ana Have r igg. The combined Divisions marched to the fo o tba ll field, where they were formed into lme and \1 ere inspected by the Han. Surgeon. They afterwards mar ched past, and were put through move m ents in bandaging an d stretcher drill, the parade concl uding with a sham railway accident. There was a good muster of spectators, who seemed to be greatly interested in the movements.

The ambulance movement is now well established in :'IIan chester, for the eleventh annual review and demonstration of the North-east Lancashire corps of the brigade was held on the Manchester Athletic Club ground on June 22nd. There wa5 a good muster from the various o \\'ns in the di\'ision and a large attendance of spectators. The we a ther, unfortunately, interfered a good deal with the pr oceedings but the principal cO'Tlpet itions Wdre successfully gone through. The :'IIan chester corps retained the Moll oy cup won by them la st year, Preston and B lackpool com ing second and third. The nursing div is ions wore the regulatio n uni form of black dresses with white aprons and caps and took part in the march-past and bandaging exhibitions The inspecting officer was Colonel Bawdier (chief commissioner), and there were also present C. J. Trimble (deputy comm issioner , Xo. + District), and Mr. J. C. Derham (assistant commission er, No. + Distrt ct) , the last of whom was in co mmand, In hi s address to the brigade the inspe ct ing officer expressed satisfaction at the manner in which the ambulance drill had been done and said that 806 men had gone from that division to serve in South Africa, and that" letters from the front spoke in high terms of the splendid wor k they had been able to do there." This showed the e.\.cellence of the training received at home.

P El RfTH.-Serg-eant J. Simps on Yeates, and Privates C o wen and Statham , Pen rit h Di\'isio n, St. J o hn Ambulance Brigade, who served in SOllth Africa, ."ere among the invited guests at the banquet to the 2.j.th Company Imperial Yeomanry, given in Penrith on July lIth. Private Cowen has been presented with a handsome silver albert and medal, by the Forester's Lodge, of which he is a member, on accouut of his active service in South Africa. The medal bore a suitable nscription.

A NE\v departure introdu ced by the Commandant of the Lon , lon Irish Cyclist Company, which, with the battalion, passed a very su ccessfll inspection la st night, is wo rthy of general imitation. A short course of in s tructi on in " first a id " s to be made a feature o f the training of the Lond o n Iri sh l:yclists. Considering that serious accidents are always pos sib le when cyc lI sts are working in large bodies, and that ioolated patrols are often far from skilled help, it is very importan t that not only the officers, but also the men, should know what to do on an emergency, and especially that they should be ta u ght to recognise a really inj ury, and s hould at least be able to prevent the mischief from being aggravated before the help of a medical officer can be obtained .-Peoblc.

FIRST FIRST AID

.A UGUSl 1, 1901.

TilE :fir t Confel'ence of the St, J olm AmTilE IlT;LL bulance Bl·igac1e in the new century has COXFEREXCE. come and gone. T" o excellent papers dealing ,, ith subjects of interest to the Brigade as a " ' hol e were "written by men well quali:fiel1 to express opinion on the subjects with which they were dealing, and the papers wele follO\yed by an adequate but not too l engthy Yet the most enthu ia£tic uelievel' in confel'ence" could not hi.llself the Hull Conference ,,,as a Sllccess To im itations broadcast througLout the cOl,ntry to one's comrades to come and be cntertn.ined, and to :find only a handful of people able or willing to n,ccept the invitation i ' ullicient to accelltuate the depression caused by an unu::;ually sultry July.

In these circumstances one is tempted to ask if confel'ences, so far as our Brigade i::> concerned, IlDve ful:filled their purpose, and the time has come for them to be given up. N' 0 one doubts for an instant but that the early Confel'ence , especially tho e at Northampton aml Leicester, did the Brigade a yast amount of gooel. They brought isolated bodies of men ,,,ho were groping their ,yay "ith regulations which only obscurely sho"ed the line of action they should take, into touch with comrades ,yho view these regulations sometimes in a totally different light. It wa then by argument and exposition of many a ?'edllctia ad absurcb.£?n that order was evolved from chao::>.

At first we hea1'(l the cry of (; Metro polis v. Provinces," but as we learned to know each other better lye found so mallY excellent qualities in each other that frieml 'hips ha,Ye been formed "'ith officers unkno","n to eueh other, which will probably outlafoit theil' attendances at conferencos, and even their connection with the Brigade itse lf.

The great value of confel'ellce hitherto ha ::; been the safety valve it provided for blowing off super-heated steam.

It wa, at conference that the Long Service Medal was :first i:5l1ggei:5tec1 and the various efficiency badges for rank and file.

When a regulation appeared unworkable, or discipli:r:;e seemed too irksome to be endlU'ed, an offic81' felt some satisfaction in the prospect in being able to discuss the matter at the next conference, and bore it patielltly till then. At the Conference h e often learned that what appeared to be formerly unreasonable was really the only workable compromisb possible to meet the needs of the Bl'igq,de as a whole

In 1899 and 1901, members atteocbng Conference wen' not ilwited to send in resolutions fo1' discussion) and it was noticeab1e that the num bel' of visitors fen off im mec1icttel y. If we were to eliminate hom the Confel'ence of 1899 in London, the )Ietl·opolitan mcmbel's and those provincial members who hall come to ta,ke part in the ceremonies of St. John's day, the numb61's would be fOllnd to be Llepressingly small. At llull, we had a Conference in a busy commercial city, which most of our members seemed to think was a 10n O' way off, and cel-tainly is not on the ma.in line of mil wa; the Conference was arranged at the height of a scorchmg summel' ;nonth, when most people are away holiday-making, 01' contemplating a jOUl'ney to the seas id e Ulldel' ther:;e circum, tance, , though much to be regretted, it "ms not that in spite of the hearty preparations mad8 by om hiencls in Hull v ery few were pl'epal'ec1 to undergo the trouble and expenRe of tJ'ip which did not pl'omi:;e a.ny definite pmctical result to the Brigade as a \\ h ule Ol' their ()Wll special ambulance illtel'ests in pal'ticular. )fow \\'1.' ha\'o to cOllRidm' the qllP::.;tion of fnture Confereuce::>. U11t101' tho pl'e::;ellt coull iCiuu:-; UOUfCl'OllCC:-; IV ill t->lu'ely die fUl' lack of enth amI t>llppOl·t Yut thero al'e otliccn, from various pal·t:::; of the country who pl'ote::;t

A I D. [August, 1901:

their anxiety that Conferences shall go on If they are m earne t, they must show thflir s inc erity by taking the mntter in their own han(ls, and they must transmit through their D eputy-Commissinnpl's fOl' discussion at a conference ot the whole Bl'igade, and not fritter away the intere t at local conferel1ces of a di::;tl'ict merely, but take the opportunity of allowing the Bl'igade as a whole to ha\'e the bene:fit of the discussions at fin;t haml. Unless snch action as this is taken it will be use]pss, nay, worse than u eless, to hold anothel' Confel'el1ce, which, while ostensibly providing the Hrigade with an 0ppOl'1;unity of clearing up small but often ilTitating misllm1erstandings, l'eally seems to how that the memb81's of the Briga de are so well satisfied 01' 0 utterly int1iffel'ent that attendance at a, Conference i::; a luxury they are quite content to forego. (tlea

nIt ncss.

Ha\'e we not heard that" Cleanliness is next to nodliness?" And medical men of the present day tell us that the disregard of cleanliness is the cause of many ills of which flesh is heir to.

[s not one of tht aims of" First Aid" treatment of the injured to prevent further injury being done by applying a dressing to the wound, so that dirt may b e excluded; amI the injured person may be handed over to the doctor with his injury in the best possible state to receive skilleci surgical treatment? Was it not for this very purpose that every soldier going to South Africa was supplied with '1 special dressing?

To carr y out this object, it is necessary that we recogl1lse the imp ortance of asepsis.

'What is the first and most impor ta nt virtue in asepsis? Cleanliness !

'What is the use of employing antiseptic fluids and dressings, if we forget that first and most imp or tant yiltue cleanliness? 'Vh at is the u ility of applying a ntisetlti c gauze, if we touch the wo und with septic ha n d s?

It therefore behoves all Fir st Aiders to be particularly careful about the cleanliness of their hands, especially to see that their finger nails are kept cut short, and that dirt is not a llowed to collect under th em, Neglect of these precautions is one of the commonest causes of wounds becoming septic.

1nstructors of ambulan ce classes would do a great and lasting good if they would only impress this most important fact on the minds of their pupils, when they are lecturing to them, as neglect of cleanliness in this r es pect does harm to the inj ured and brings discredit on am bulance work.

1Ro\?al Show, (tar"iff.

The Annual Show of the Royal Agricultuml S oc iety of England which was held this year at Cardiff \\as one of the most succe;sful held. The ambulance arrangp.mentswele as usual placed in the hands of the Bricyade Chief Superintendent, and this officer was deservedly by the Deputy Commissioner of the District (Dr. Wm. Vernon) and others for the way in which the station was fitted up. The personnel of the station consisted of Supt. Trimmer, Lady Supt. Mrs. Church Brasier, and Nursing Officer Mrs. Gent, five men from London, and relays of four men and an officer or sergeant per diem from BristoL The Brigade Chief Superintendent speaks in terms of the highest praise of the way in which both London and the provincial men worked together There was never a hitch and the London men aver that their only regret is that they did not have more time \o,ith their Bristol comrades The receiving ward at the station, which wa s most completely furnished, was visited by a large number of sigh tseers.

The 3andacye Shoot supplied by Messrs Reynolds & Branson as usual came in for"'a sp e cial meed of praise, and many Colliery owners and managers intimated their intention of supplying their collieries with these handy and cleanly recepticles for first aid applianc.es.. The medical officers on duty were Dr. W. Vernon (Deputy CommiSSIOner), Dr. J, S. Griffiths (Bristol), and Dr. Teni son Collins (Cardiff), all of whom were most assiduous in the discharge of their duties Eighty cases of a more or less serious nature received treatment.

Tn-rELY A:VIfHTLANCE WORK.-!\t the Nethaniah Home, Stoke, the other evening, an old lady of 76, fell and brok: her thigh, but ma.naged to get to the door and se nd a message for assistance by some ch ddren.

The lady visitor (rom Stoke Green Chapel (Mrs. Goodchild) came on the scene, and procured the assistance of ex per ien ced members of the St. John Ambulance Association (Mr. W. Ellenger and another), who very effi cie ntly rendered first aid, improvising an ordinary broom handle as a crutch The patient was sent in the hor se ambu lan ce to the hospit'll. 1 he work of the ambulance men was most praiseworthy, and their judgment in handling the sufferer without causing pain was remarkable.

August, 1901 J FIRST @ur lDortratt

J. ELAM, TO. 2 ST. J OlJ:-\'S GATE DIVISIO:-\, METROPOLlTAX CORPS , ST J OUX A;\IBT;LAXCE BRIGJiDE.

TIlE sU]1ject of 0Ul' sketcJl in thi month's Gallel'Y 1::; one who may be describ ed as a good nll-l'ol1nu 1l1lU1.

Serg'eant J. Elam, who bol'll in 1860 in tbe immediate neighbol1l'hooll of tIle hi storic h Q'H1-q HiH'terl> of the 01'{ler of John was ellucated at St. P eiel'"s Schools.

In 1887 h e :fil'st evincer1 a.n int e l'est in Yoll111teel'ing, and \\',18 duly en r oll ed in the 2nc1 City of L on don Rifle Volunt eel's, in "hich l'egim ent by perseverance and tuc1y he uccessiyely rose through the various gl'acles of the ,en' ice to the position of ColourSergeant in his Company. It Hpenks 11ll1Ch for Serge,mt Elam 's enthusiasm a:-; a yolunteel' that h e h."\s on more thnn one occasion been attac h ell to t he King" Royal Rifles and in 1894 he went through the School of In struct ion in counection with the Army Sen-ice in order to obta in the cel'tificate grantecl to those who qualify for duty in connection with and Transport.

It was earl, in the yelll' 1896 that he fir t evinced an interest in work, when h e join ed a cln s in connection with the Centl'<'tl Clllh, Holbol'n, and after obtaining his eel-tificate he join ed the No.:2 St. John's Gi'.te Division, ancl n,t the earliest opportunity be entel'ed as a candidate for the sergeant's stripes, which h e ucc ee cled in 0'fl.ll1111g. On the formation of the Ambulance Dep,wtof the NntiOllal Fil'e Brigad es 'Union, Sergeant Elam was appoin ted drill in tructor, a position he continued .to hold until the resignation of Chief Offi ce r Church Bra Slel' in 1900.

DurinO' the mobili ntion of the St. John Ambulanc e b Brigade Sergeant Elnm rendered yeoman sel'Vlce III connccLion with the chilling of luany of the detachments that proceeded to the front, notn.lJly the men from. the Great vVe Htern Birmingham Police, and the Nationnl Fire Brigades Union, and there is no doubt thnt his tact and the kindly interest he cli::;played in the men under instruction gained fOl' him many friend, who will ahnlYs entertain for him a feeling of sincel'e l'ega,l'(l.

As a gymnastic instructor ::)ergea nt Elam ha held m:\,11y important positions, among which we may mention that of In stl'uctor to Dane Hill IIouse School, 1\J:argate, the N Ol·th London Institute and the Uighgate Athletic Cla::;s, and for many ye'11' he held the positi0IoL of J:>hY8ical In structor to the Boys of the Post Offiee SaVings Bank Depal·tment.

Thoroughly unaflccted in manner, courteous and genial in his dealing wit,ll those who mc\y have to scn-e und er him, Sel'O'eant Elam l](lS ea rnecl n reputation in t.b e Ambula,nce ",, orId of which he may be justly pl·oml. He has been the recipient of over thirty testimonials and pr e euts, a convincing proof of his popularity, and we a.re sure that tho se who have had tbc pleasure of sel'vice with him will join with us in the willh that fOl' many years his gonial and happy presence Illay be with us in OUl' work.

AiD

zthe Bnnual (!onference of the $t. 30hn Bmbulance 113riga"e at 1bull .

The annual conference of the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigad e was held in Hull at the Town Hall, on Friday, July 12th.

, THE LC:\CHEOX

Prior to the conference proceedings. his W orship the :'Ilayor (Alderman Gelder, J P,) entertained to. luncheon, and gaye them an official welcome to the Clly HIS 1\ orshlp was supported by :he :'Ilay oress, "\Ia jor C. H. :\Iil burn (Deputy Commissioner :'\0 .6 District), Lieut.-Col. Tr imble (::\0. + District), Chief Surgeon Th omson (Oldham), Dr. :'Il olloy l,Blackpool), ,\ld. Crook, the Town. Clerk ( :VII'. E, Lav erack), Lady ::>u pt LaveracK, Lady Secretary h.r ause, Lady Inspector of Stores i'llrs. Holmes, Detectlve Supt, C.hapman (Hull) , Poli ce Sergt. D ouglas Supts. R eeves',and Wdkll1son (:\ orthampLO n), Supt. (\\ 1115(01 d ) , Supe. Hull), Supt. Harrison Chief Supt. H opper ( Hull) Sec. K rause (Hull), Supt. Trimmer and Sup t. T reasurer Winny Hon. Surcyeons Dr. Johnson an d Dr. Scott (Hull), Supt. IV Il1gate (Banaham), and Supt. :\[orr ison. toast of" The King" haring been duly honoured: Li eut. -C ol. Trim ble submitted th e toast of The :\layor and :\I ayoress," and, in doincy so said that it was a matter of reg-ret that there was not a larger n umber 'of delegates present. Personally, he had very keen interest in the Conference becJ.use of the ad\'antage that accrued to the members and the o;CY;lI1isat on as a whole, and he did not think for one moment that they any way lessened the d isci pline of. the Brigad e. The i\layor, in r eply, saId that there were many thll1gs connected with our national far from satisfactor y. yet, at the same time, there were many things of ,\'hich, they w.ere distinctly proud, and in which they compa re d favourably \\,.Ith their ThiS a distinctly humanitarian age-he did. not say It In .the theological acceptance, but in its aspect-:-In \\'hlch. the welfare of the community was conSIdered by society, and 111 whlch. men, women and children were taken care 01 both as regarded theIr moral and physical necessities in a greater degree than in any other period of the world's hi sto ry-(h ear, hear). H.e truste d that St. Jo.hn :'\mbu, la nce Brigade, as one of the societies engaged 111 ben eficlen work, w::Juld spread into every town and e\'ery hamlet-(hear, hear).

THE CO:\FERE:\CE

;\Iil b urn took the chair in the Council Chamber at the To\yn Hall, and was supported by Lieut.-Col. C. J. Trimble, Chief Surgeon Thom son, :\1r. E. Laverack (Town Clerk) and other local gentlemen. The Hon. Secretary (Supt. Treasurer \\'inny) read letters of regret at inability to be present from. Rt. lI on: Yiscount Knutsford, the :\larqui s of Bre adalbane, the Chief ( Colon el and Lieut.-C ol. Elliston. He further explal11ed that he had receIved a larcye number of letters from officers all o ver the cou ntry stating that ;wing to the holiday season and special engagements they were una b le to attend the Conference.

Dr. Leonard Molloy, ;\1.:\., ;\I.D, (hon. surg eon , Blackpool) read a paper on "The P olice Force and Ambulance ,,"or k," a report of w!":.ich appears in another column .'

Supe rintendent Heathcote t'VlIlsford) spoke police officers ing ambulance badges for the mere sake of obta1l11ng and said he thouaht it was a farce th at pollce officers should be compelled to go a course of lectures to obtain the badges and still be woefully anorant of ambulance work.

'" Chief Sur cyeo n Thoms on (Oldham) spoke of the police ambulance men as the "'best the association had The difficulty was to pro\'ide them with encouragement after they had got their certificates, b ut unless somethin cy wa s done in the way of increased payor promotion, he did not see "'how they couid expect policemen to continue their interest in the ambulance work.

The discussion was continued by Supt. T r immer (L()!1don) and Chief Supt, Jones (O ldham).

Superinte ndent H opper (Hull) 'endorsed the remarks of Chief Surgeon Th omson, Superintendent Reeves (Northampton) said a great deal depended on the 'Watch Committee in each locality; a good W atc h Committee often secured good first-aiders in their poli c e.

The chairman said he had inspected about 12 classes of policemen in the Hull Poli ce Force. Those men, almost without exception, were keen enthusiastic, ambulance men, out since those men got their certifica'tes they were allowed to .drop '0 pr?vision was made to enable them to ke ep up their practice and their knowledge. Some years ago they in ,rr.ull mea!ls of providir.g the men with opportunities for mall1:alllll1g th.ell: effiCiency. "

Colonel Trimble (Deputy CommiSSIOner No. 2 Dlstnct) said he appreciated the remarks o[ the chairman the police and moved" That it is deSirable that an 1I1structlOl1 from the Home Office be issued to the effect that it is the duty of all Watch Committees throuahout the United Kingdom to see that each member of the police of the city, bo rough, or di s trict is in first aid under the auspices of the St. John Ambulance AssociatIOn; and,

further, that periodical pr.lctices and iustruction in lectures be given, so as to enable each man to keep up the knowledO'e and efficiency of the force in first aid."

Supt. Heathcote seconded, and the resolution was carried unn.nimously.

An interesting paper on the" The work of the St. John Ambulance Orderly in South Africa," by Dr. S. Osborn (Chief Surgeon No. I was, in the absence of Dr. Osborn, read by W H. the hon. secretary. This paper was followed by a discussion Il1 which Dr. :\Iolloy, Lieut.-Col. Trimble and the Chairman took part. Speakers agreed that it wn.s gratifying th3.t Dr. Osborn could speak so well of the orderlies and it was remarked that the whole of the men had done their 1I'0:k well and had given no cause for complaint.

The question of holding a brigade camp this year was considered and a resolution passed tha it was very desirable that cam ps be held, and that a camp for next year be considered.

Chief Supt. Hopper asked if it were true that the South African medals were to be sent to the men through the post. The Chairman assured him. that only the ribbon would be posted to the men.

The electIOn of a Conference Committee was proceeded with, and Dr. :'IIolloy and Dr. Osborn were thanked for their papers.

Several other complimentary VOles of thanks folIol\·ed.

THE

ainner was held in the evening, at the [mperial Hotel.

C. H. Milburn, Deputy-Commissioner No.6 L:istrict presided. "The King (Sovereign Head ar.d Patron of the Order) Oueen," and •• The 'Juke of Cornwall and Yo. k (Grand Prior of the Order), the Duchess of Cornwall and York, and the Royal Family" havinO' been duly honoured, Colonel H. Fawcett Pudsey, J.P., proposed toast of the evening. I n doing so he referred to the fact that no less than I,888 St. John Ambulance men had aone out to the war in South Africa, and they knew not only from'" despatches, but from pri\'ate letters, the great good they had done. 1t was a regrettable fact that 56 would not return. It was a significant fact that 58 St. John Ambulance men had gone .out to take part as bearer companies, and the Col?nlal Office had 1I1vlted SO men of the brigade to join the South Constabulary for three years. Continuing, Colonel Pudsey mentioned 111 September, 1900, the strength of the brigade stood at 8,788 medical and ambulance officers a"d men with I 526 nursina officers and sisters, be!ng an of ,9+0 the p:evious He lI'as pleased, he said, to notIce the promotion of his old comrade in 2nd East Yorkshire :'Ililburn, from acting deputy commisSIOner to aeputy-commlsslOner.

C. J. Trimble (deputy.commissioner No. 4 District), 111 lespondlng, spoke of the brigade as being practically unto people of England some years ago. He referred to the African war as the opportunity of the St. Johr: Ambulance Bngade. It gave them a chance (\f to the people of England that they were a useful oraalllsatlOn, and an oraanisation which prepared to sacrifice something for their King and country. The bngade was proud of the fa.ct that they had never failed to proVide the number of men reqUired by the authorities. LieutenantColonel !rimble he. really believed the brigade was at the present time only 111 Its With regard to the of the brIgade at the present time, he believed they had now ro 000 officers and men, and 1,+O,? nU.rses and sisters. \Vith regard to those ambulance men who had died In SOlllh Afnca he believed they had laid their liv:es in the most honourable way a man could lay down hIS hfe. Their bravery was not one whit the less than that of the soldier in actual battle.

" The Mayor and Corporation " was a toast that was honoured on the proposition ofChie[ Surgeon J. Leith ·Waters, and Mr. E. tbe fown Clerk, responded in the absence of the ;\layor.

"Our Guests" were toasted on the proposition of Chief Superintendent M. Hooper, and to by;'! r. French- Thom ps(\n.

On the Saturday mornll1g the visitors were driven round the city in conveyances provided by the officers of the Hull Corps, and in the afternoo? by the courtesy of :'vlessrs. ·Wilson, the shipowners, the officers Jomed members of the Hull Corps in a trip on the River Humber. Messrs. Wilson's private band was in attendance. In the evening a Smoking Concert was held at which a presentation was made to Lady Supt. Laverack.

A ,Church of the Hull Corps at All Saints Church, on the Sunaay mornmg, attended by a n.umber of the visiting officers.

G. who prea.ched, saId that one man of every five 111 the Bngade had gone to AfrIca to serve his country.

FIRST AID -A and inger:;ous first-aid appliance has Just been fitted up on a puhlIc square in Paris. As in the case of the rlre-alarm post, a be broken before access is gained to the apparatus. On thiS be1l1g .done, a key is discovered, which unlocks .the doo.r of a box cOllt&mmgthe stretcher the necessalY and for wo.unds which may require attention. A telephone IS also disclosed, which communidirectly With the nearest office of the municipal ambulance carnage service.

A I D. LAugust , 19 01.

H \tbe an() tlnlbulanc e U"UlorR/ '

By LEONARD MOLLOY, Iv1.A., M.D., DUBLIN.

A Paper read at the Annual Conference of Officers of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

Since 1285, when at Winchester Edward I. originated the officer of the peace known as a constable, there has been in country a force that was in some measure analagous to the presp.nt police force, but .it was not until 1829 when. after a controversy carried on by successive Houses of Commons for upwards of filty years. that Sir Robert Peel established a system, the evolution of which has given us the possession of the splendid organisation to which as citizens we owe our security to-day.

It is not my function to pronounce an eulogy on policemen, but I cannot refrain from saying that the men of the police forces of the United Kingdom are, as a class, singulally intelligent, well-bel:avea, polite and efficient.

At the Christmas pantomime and from the lips of that omniscient beillg, ".the man in the street," we are accustomed to learn that the poli.::eman is never where he is wanted, except perhaps when enjoyina the blandishments of the cook at the base of the area steps, and tening on the cigars and whiskey of her master, and that if by chance he is where he is wanted, he is incapable of doing more than directina the onlookers to •. move on." '"

I is not far to seek whence these slanders emanate: they are the result of the policeman of to-day being the lineal descendant of the " Charlie" of the 18th Century.

That limb of the law was a bye-word-he was elderly, he was cowardly and he was drunken-he was recruited from a class which had not the pluck to he criminals, nor the industry to do regular work.

I believe the usual •. First Aid" rendered by a " Charlie" to a sufferer discovered insensible during the night on his beat was, after the careful examination of the patient's pockets and the extraction therefrom of all articles of value, to leave him where he \\'as for someone else to finrland to aCCllse that someone else of robbing him if any nasty questions were asked.

The police officer even of the 20th Century suffers for the sins of his prototype o[ the 18th exactly in the same way as, amona the lower orders, the hospitals of to-day have to fight against born of their mismanagement in the days that are gone by.

When we consider the admirable work done by the police in conne.ction with the St. ) ohn Ambu Association and Brigade, and th111k of the thousand and one ways 111 which they now render themse.lves indispensable to us, we must recognise that we have to deal a very admirable body of men whose position in our good graces IS so assured that they can afford to smile at any jeers to which they may be exposed.

Speaking to an audience composed of Ambulance experts it may a work of to dwell for long upon the scope there IS among the poltce for ambulance work, but in order to make my remarks coherent, it is really essential to say a few words on that pomt

Owing to. the fact that the British public has been for years educated 111tO appealmg to the police on almost all occasions of difficulty, and has been encouraged so to do by the ready ail it has lea; nt to expect from the police officer, he occupies quite an unique position. In the person the policeman is. always reach, save p.erhaps in sparsely Inhabited country dlstncts, a phYSically strong, Il1telliaent and disciplined man in a distinctive unifonn, whom experience one to expect will treat any reasonable request made to him with courtesy cons.equently when a .case of accident or illness occurs in any city, or VIllage, the most hkely person to be a ppealed to for first aid even if that aid be simply a direction as to the residence of the medical man, is undoubtedly a policeman.

This leads to the natural, logical conclusion that 90 cases of accident or.illness out of roo of. consideration those. occurring in thIckly-populated dlstncts and In prIvate houses) a poltceman is the most likely person to be placed in the position or being called upon to render first aid.

This is, I consider, the argument need bring forward to place before you the scope there IS for the exerqse of Ambulance knowledge among the members of the police forces. This fact appealed strongly to the common sense of the officers of many of the police forces that when ill 1878 the St. John Ambulance Association was originated, among some of the first to obtain its certificate were policemen. With no encouragement from the Horne Office and far too little from the general public, in strict proportion to the am bulance zeal of the commanding officers of the various police forces, the movement in favour of educating policemen in ambulance duties has prospered so that at the present time the position of affairs is as follows :-In the police forces of England and vVaies, excluding the London Metropolitan and City Police, the certificate of the St John AmbuLlI1ce i\ssociation is held by 19,427 men. Some interesting facts may be culled Irr)1l1 the reports of of the large cities alld towns whose Commissioners and Chief Commissioners Ilave through my fflend, 1r. Assistant CommissiQl;er Derham, most placed

Au g ust, 190 1.J

FIRST

at my disposal specially compiled ltsts setting forth the main facts in connection with police ambulance work in their commands. I desire here to express the sense of my obligation to them and to Mr. Derham for their kindness.

In Birmingham in I888 there were only three St. John Ambulance Association certificates in the entire force, and now out of 6g6 men 650 hold the certificate. In Liverpool I,673 out of l,8II hold certificates; Bristol, Ig7; Leeds, +64; ottingham, 80 per cent. of entire force; EdinbLllgh, 550 out of 622; Manchester, 89+ or 80 per cent.; Cardiff, where the possession of the certificate is compUlsory, roo per cent. Bradford, 64 per cent. at present, hut by a recent regulation the possession of a certificate has been made com pulsory. 75 per cent. In London City 60 per cent. at present, but in future all must qualify. The London I\1 etropolitan Police only show a percen tage of 20.

In Ireland by the courtesy of the Commissioners I learn: The Royal Irish Constabulary throughout the country possess over 2,000 certificates-that portion of the Royal Irish Constabulary stationed in Dublin showing a percentage of 23. The Dublin Metropolitan Police only possess 59 certificates, although it is over 20 years since the men begall to interest themselves in the St. John Ambuhnce Association. The records of ambulance work done by police forces are very imperfect-some forces keeping practically complete records, others recording only or curious cases; others, again, keeping none.

Of the first class during I900-all statistics are from 19oo sourcesManchester constables attenrled to 2,605 cases of illness or accident; Birmingham, 910; Liverpool, 671; Edinburgh, +59; Bradford, 69; Lonuon Metropolitan, 9,:!52; Dublin Royal Irish Constabulary, 2I7. You will observe that Cardiff, Bradford and London City lead the van in making the possession of the St. John Ambulance Association's certificate compulsory to all constables; and that the London ;\[etropolitan Police, who were in 19oO brought in contact with 9,252 cases of illness or accident, only show a percentage of certificates to men of 20. It is a fair assumption much suffering might have been avoided, and many liyes, perhaps, have been s3.vedif the same rule obained with them as does in the three cities I have mentioned.

(To be continued.)

of t be 1b ospital of $t. 30b n of 3erusalenl in J8 nglan().

The London Gazette contains the following :-- The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, July 3rd. The King has been graciously pleased to sanction the following promotions in, and appointments to, the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England :-Kn ights of ) llstice (from Knights of Grace) Cplonel Charles Hunter, the ;\lost lIon. Sir Gavin Marquess of Breadalbane, K.G., his Grace Sir YVilliam John Arthur Charles James Duke of Portland, K.G., G.C.V.O., the '1ight Hon. Sir Frederick Sleigh, Earl Roberts, K.G. Knights of Grace-:\IajorGe.leral the Hon. Herbert Francis Eaton, James John :'IIarsh, Esq., i\1. D. (from Honorary Associate) Colonel Gerald Stol·ell. Ladies of Grace-The Right Hon. Beatrice Constance Lady Chesham, Theodosia i\[rs. Josceline Bagot, Mary Frances Mrs. Ronalds ( Honorary). Esquires-Alfred Scott Scott-G"tlty, Esq. (York ilerald), Lieutenant Hyla 'a pier Holden, I.S.C. Marlborough House, July 17th. His :\Jajesty the King this morning presented Medals and Certificates of the Grani Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, whicll have been awarded by the Chapter-General for acts of gallantry in saving or attempting to save, life on lanu as follol\'s: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Schles\"ig-Holstein I\'as present with his Majesty. Bronze Medals-;\1iss Helen Pritt)', Cretingham, Suffolk; Adam Watson, Lurgan; Benjamin Francis, Sheffield; P.C. Thomas Henry Hines. Ipswich; Harry Lush, Southampton; John Grist, Southampton; 'Villiam Moody, Southampton; Albert Ed,vard John Adams, Southampton; Thomas Smith, Southamton. Certificates of Honour-Robert Cook, Plumstead; Flederick John '''atkins, \Valthamstow. Service Medal, for to the De?artme,nt-Slr John Furley, Chief COlTIImSSIOner of the Bfltlsh Red Cross Committee, Hon. Bailiff; Mr. vVilliam Henry ,\lorgan, Hon. Associate of the Order, Chief Superintendent of the J'vletropolitan Corps, Ell. John Ambulance Brigade; Mr. Richards Burdett Sellers, Hon. Associate of the Order, M. R.C.S., Chief Surgeon, Rochdale Corps, St. John Ambulance Brigade; Mr. Hopper, Hon. Serving Brother of the Order, Chief Superintendent of the Hull Corps, St. John Alllbulance Brigade; Mrs. Priscilla Laverack, Hon. ServlnO'

i::iister of the Order, Hull Nursing Division, St. John Brigade; Mr. Robert Slater, Private, Hull Corps, St. John Ambulance Brigade; Mr. Charles Henry .\Iil burn , M.D., Esquire of the Order, Deputy Commissioner No. VL District, St. John Ambulance Bri<Tade'

M r. George Thomson, M.D, [lon. Associate of the Order, "'Chief Oldham Corps, St. John Ambulance Brigade; Mr. Benjamin Sellars, First Officer, Oldham Corps, lilt. John Ambulance Brigade.

AID. 15

St. 30bn tlmbul anc e tl ssoci ation .

BRISTOL.-Tn spite of the heat, there was a good attendance at the Y. M.C.A. IJall when the medallions and certificates of the t. John Ambulance Association secured in the past session were distributed by the Rev. G. Jarman. Mr. Frank H. Rose (the clerk) expresseu regret that so many of their most prominent supporters were unable to be present. Their president (the Dean of Bristol), their chairman (Mr. F. Richardson Cross), and the Lord Mayor were all prevented from attending the meeting by other engagements. The Rev. George J arman said, as chairman of the Bristol School Board, he took a special interest in this work, because he learned that some mem t ers of the association, who had attended the classes at the Board schools, had volunteered for service in South Africa. There might be two opinions about the war, but there could be no question as to the need of every effort being made to alleviate the sufferings of those who took part in it. In consequence of the minute which had recently been issued by the Education Department, he did not know if the School Board would be in a position to encourage instruction of this sort being gi ven to their pupils who had passed the age of fifteen. Still, he had the greatest sympathy with the work of the association, and wished it every prosperity. He then proceeded to distribute the medallions and certificates, several hundreds in number. At the close, :\Ir. Rose mentioned that a vote of thanks, engrossed on vellum, had been received for Dr. J. Odery Symes, their former hon. secretary. This had been issued by the Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, England, in recognilion of "valuable and distinguished services rendered in of the philanthropic work of the Order in connection with he Ambulance Department of the St. John Ambulance Association." This was signed by their present King as " Albert Edward," he being at the time Grand Prior of the Order. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. 'YORK AT BL.-\YDO.'l.-At the new Technical Schools, Blaydon, recemly, the students connected with this branch who had been successful in passing the recent examination by Dr. R. ClarkN ewton, were presented with cp.rtificates of merit. Dr. Richard Brown (who had been lecturer to the class) made the presentations, and in doing so expressed his gratification to find that all the students had been successful in getting through their examination. He urged the necessity of having a thorough ambulance training, and impressed upon those present the importance of not giving in when there was the slightest chance of restoring life. The doctor afterwards instanced casts where persons with an ambUlance training had been able to alIel'iate the sufferings of others and to restore liie, where under other conditions the patient would have ine\'itably died. First year certificates were presented to the following students :-:'IIessr s. Thomas Exley, P.C. Richard Robinson, William Hall, P C. James How:trd, Joseph Hall, T. \Y. Lumsden, P.C. ,I'. J. Pryde, William C. Smith Thomas Hamilton, John D. Turner, P.C. _'\elsonandJ.tmes Robinson; second year, P.C. James Turley. i\1r. Lumsden, one of thE' students, afterwards made a suitable presentation to Dr. Brown in acknowledO'ment of sen ices rendered as lecturer during :he past season, and to the instrucwr, ;\Ir. A. B. Cunningham. Dr. Brown, in respondinO', said he was exceedingly pleased to receive the gift. The present w;s not necessary at all-his work had been '1 labour of 101 e. He could assure them the gift would remember him of the \'ery pleasant associations he had had with them. :'Ilr. Cunningham also thanked the members for their kind present, which bore el'idence that his services had been appreciated.

BRA])FORD.-The six years' services which ::'tIr. George Chippendale has rendered this branch in the c tpacity of honorary secretary have been fittingly recognised from headquarters. Sir Herbert C. Perrolt, the chief secretary, writing in respect to the great loss to the Bradford centre which the resignation will produce, says: ,. "-e shall not soon forg-et the kind and able assistance you have gi,'en us, anJ 1 desire on the p:l.rt of Viscoun Kn u lsford and the Cen tral Execu ti ve Cnm 111 ittee to offer you our grnteful acknowledgme'lts."

DUR[:-;'G the leaping on Thursday at the Shrewsbury Annual Show one of the horses, in its second round, after taking the water jump, became unmanageable, and careered with its rider round the finO". Approaching the curve at the lower end great the cleared the fencing, dropping among the people, who were some three or fovr deep at the point. It was all so sudden that there was no time for the croll d to fall back, and the fact that a number were not seriously hurt is due to the animal in its leap clearing the first line or tll'O of the spectators. As it lI'n.s several had a miraculous escape, and one, a boy named William Butler (q), of Little i\"ess, was knocked down, and sustained a compound frncture of the Jeg. H ,lppily there was an ambulance station and attendants on the ground, in charge or Dr. Cureton. Lieut. Arthur SOlltham, who by, blew his whistle for ambulance, the call W:lS taken up by Bugler _\lbert Tanswell, and in about a minute from the time of the accident the stretcher party were on the scene, and got the lad to the ambulance tent, where his injuries were attended to, and he was afterwards conveyed to the Salop Infirmary.

'1 F IRS T (to r res p 0 n ben c e.

To t/ie Ed7tor of FIRST AID.

Sir,-I was present at the Conference of the SI. John Ambulance I3 rigade at Hull. on the I2th :.lIL, and was grie\'ously disappointed to say the least at finding no one from present. 1£ the Chief Commissioner was too ill to be present [ certainly think as an act of courtesy to the Delegates that the Brigade Chief Superintendent sbould be instructed to be present. At these annual meetings many matter s crop up which can only be answered by someone from Headquarters, and it is a sligbt that the authorities should deem the meeting of so little importance that they do not detail som'3one to be present to reply to queries. I am an old and ardent ambulance volunteer hut the cavalier way in which we have been treated during the past four years is killing the enthusiasm of the most ardent of our members Brigade Forms and Brigade Orders will n ot keep the movement alive if the heart of the officers is not in it, and the present system 01 r ed tape and the ignoring of the wisiles of the rank and file, let alone the officers who have to find the means wherewithal to carryon the work, taking the heart out of the majority of the members.

Thanking you for the insertion of this

Yours truly, N

UN[FOR:'I1 OF THE Sf. A:'I II3 ULANOE BRIGADE.

To the Editor of FIRST AID.

Sir,-Seeing several letters of late in y our J ournal on this subject I venture to make a suggestion, which, although n o having for its object any alteration in the uniform its elf, might, r think, be adopted for the sake of enCJuraging members of the Brig-ade in uniform to make and keep themselves efficient. My suggestion is that he Life Saving Society should be as ked if they are willin a , for a small fee, to supply a badge, to be worn by memb ers of the Brigade who have secured their Bronze -"Ied al for proficiency. In the same way, perhaps, the Royal Humane Society might be approached by some influential first aiders with a view to a similar badge being granted by hem, to be ,,,orn by members of the Brigade in uniform wh o have actually saved a life, either from Gro'\'ning or in any other way. It would be interesting if the designs for the badges in question could 'be made the subject o f a prize competition in connection with this Journal.

r belie\'e there are many members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade "'ho ha\'e so distinguished themseh'es, and as all members cannot hope tv show South African some little distinction of a humbler kind might prove an incentive to the men to make themselves more efficient.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully, A PRI\'ATE [N THE RANK S. INJUSTICE.

To the Editor of FmsT Am. Sir,-l should like to crare a portion of your s pace for what feel to be an ir.j ustice towards the men of the St. John Ambulan ce Brigade who have done service in South Africa. It was as long ago as the r6th October, r899, that myselt and others volunteered, and in due course accepted, our later being put in on H. R.B. Princess Ohristian Hospital Train, and we ha\'e cause to think witb credit to ourselves and the cause under which we served. The query which is in my mind and those with wh om I served, is that honors have been distributed to both the C.I.V. and LY. while we who were earlier in the field have to take a back seat and see others accept hono rs which think should have been distributed to u s earlier, h ono rs which whenever given would be apprec:ated, but wh en delays such as tbis occur it is only lcasible that members of the St. John Ambulance Brigadt! think that they h ave cause to feel dissatisfied. ;\Iy appeal through your medium I hope will be backed up by others of the Brigade, who most certainly desire not only o don the medal, which we a ll anticipate, but to wear the ribbon, which th ough earned, has to me been den!ed

Yours faithf ully,

TROLLEY W[RE

To the Edlior AlIl.

Dear Sir ,- 'Vit h reference to the letter from a Superin tendent, S.J.A.B appearing in your July issue :-The writer so h 'ed the difficulty to his own satisfaction at the time of the Liverpool accident on February +th last, by deciding if called upon to act in a similar emergercy, to pull the body away from actual" li 'e" l.e., wire s charged with ele ctr icity. by means of an Etimarch india-rubber torniquet, which he always wears as a belt in anticipation, chiefly, of the total severance of a limb of either one of those amongst wh om his lot is cast. This could be so dropped over arm or leg of an electrically charged human body, and then secured either by a knot or twisting in such a

A I D. [August, 1901.

m anner that there would be no risk to the operator in so doing, and h e patient once clear of he wire could be h and led with impunity. In instan ces of the kind under review it will be necessa ry for first a id ers to remember that lo w charged wires, viz., ordinary telegraph or telephone wires may become equally as dangerous as the trolley or electric light wire if the latter, through the br eakdown, comes in contact with them.

Th ose wh o may adopt the writers plan of wearing an Esmarch torniqueL should bear in mind that, for its more le aiL ima te purpose, rt is an all too powerful instrument, and must be used most Judlcrously and with great care; only just sufficient pressure being brought to bear to stop the h;:emorrbage. It is the [ear that this particula r articl.e may be applied with too much fo rce, thereby lik e ly doing as much, lf not more, harm than good, that its use by first niders is not s upp ort ed by the St. John Amhulan ce Association.

Yours &c., S. LLOYD IIARVEY.

$t. Hnl)re\\> Hlllbu[ance Hssociatiolt.

ABERDEEN. -A meeting of the Executive Committee was held in the office of :\1r. 'Wi lliam Smith, advocate, Canada House, Aberdeen, recently. i\1r. J. Lyall Grant was called to the chair. Apologies were intimated from Sir Jo hn F. Clark BarL, of Tillypronie, Sir W illiam Henderson, Professor Ogston, William Ferguson of Kinm u ndy, James Spence o f Pow, Dr. J. Ma ckenz ie Boot h, William Deuchar, Passenger Superintendent, ; and 'N ilLiam Smith, advocate Professor Ogston was unanimously appointed chairman [or the ensulllg year; Colonel Duncan, vice -chairman; James Spence, representati ve to the Oouncil of the Association, in terms of the R oyal Charter of I ncorporation; and William Smith, secretary and treasurer. A report on First Aid Olasses was submitted, from which it was shown that during the past yea r more classes had been held underthe auspices than formerly. It was resolved that th e competItIOn for the Aberdeen T own Council Cup should be held about the last week of October, and that si lver medal s should be awarded to the winning team, and bronze m edals to the seco nd team.

PERTH. - Som e time ago a proposal was made by Dr. Taylor, Perth who has made a special study of ambulance work, to the Perth Centre Oommittee of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association to procure a c up [or annual competition by ambulance men The committee at once took the matter up, and through their secretary put themselv es intI) communication with those likely to support the proposal. It is aratityin a to learn that their efforts are meeting with a considemble clearee of'success. Those who have at once taken an interest in the " matter and aive n i t their substantial support inclu de the :'Il ost Honourable M a rquis of Breadalbane, the Right Honourable the Earl of Kinnoull the RiCTht R everend Bishop o[ St. Andrews, L ord Provost MacMr. tohn A. Dewar, M.P., Mr. James F Pullar, Mr. C. L. of Freeland; Mr. Henry Coates, Pitcullen; Mr. James Ooates, Pit cull en; and l'tfr. Andrew ;\1uir brewer. It is proposed that the cup shall be annually competed for by teams of five from any class or co r ps in Perth or Pertshire, the mem bers of whom hold the St. Andrew's certificate. and it is expected that i t will be the means of increasing the interest and skill in ambulance work throughout the town and county.

1t{eview.

A CATE':HISM OF HOME :'{URSING by Dr. J Br own and Dr. J. M. Carvell. Published by the St. John Ambulance Association Price 6d. This is a small handbook, consisting of questions and answers, compiled from Dr. Cosgrove's I, Hint s and Helps for Home Nursing and IIygiene " to ass ist students in preparing [or the Nursing Certificates of the St. Jobn Ambulance There is no do u bt that putting a subject in he form of questions an d answers is a very good method of making it hor oughly understood, and enabling the stlldent to grasp the points tbat are essential. In this little book the whole of nursing is carefully gone through, a nd with out be ing elaborate or introducing anything novel, it contains sufficient to enable the studen to acquire a very good idea of the sutject, and also, whi ch is of importance to some, o pass tbe examination in Nur sing of the St. John Ambulance Association. \V e cong ratulate the au t hors Drs Brown and Carvell on their success, and we confidently ecomme nd the bo ok to all those who wish to get up the subject at short notice.

MEMBER o[ the St. John Ambulance Brigade passing with t in water· bottle slung ;-Harriet; " I say, Sal, see that 'ospitle chap, his got bra ndy in that bottle to give people when they tooked bad." Sal; "You tip me the wink when you see a n other one comll1g and I'll chuck a faint; I could do with a drop o[ brandy."

A young pro bationer in one of tbe male wards of a large London h ospi tal was much amused by a costermo nge r's apparent admiration of herself and her work as a nurse In a confidential moment he remarked with charming candour, " 1 reckon, nurse, YOLl an' me wiv a barrer at ween us would do a roarin' tride-."

FIRST AID •

The J0\1 rf\al devoted excl\1sivel'j to }\mb\1laf\ce Work.

EDITED BY HEATON C. HOWARD, L.R.C.P. LOND., M.R.C.S. ENG.

87.-VOL. VIII. iEnteredatSlatzoned Hall.J 190], PRICE ONE PENNY.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For 12 month s, IS. 6d., post free, to be sent to the Publishers.

1J3rcvitics.

IT i s arrain this month OUl' pleasant privilege to conoTatulatel:> another of the Hon. SUlgeons of ::'Ifetropob tan Corp" the f)t. J oh n 1-\ 111 on being malk a hnight of Grace. ot the Oruer or John of J t:rusakm.

Tllfs time i[ 1" Hon. f-lurgeon J. Brown of the t Diyision, ,,·ho 11:1 . been prol1llltcd to the rank of I night from that of Hon.

-1;

Di'-. BRo\\':-'; has clone yeoman sen-ice in the cause of ambulance work, and richly deserves his well earned honour.

,,*

the reign of Henry the First, Olerkemvell ",as known as Olarke's \Vell.

*. -;i:" *"

THE Grand Priorv of the Order of the Hospital of St. J ohn of Jerusalem in England. Chancery of the Au rrust 7lh , The King has been pleased to sanctiOn th el:>following promotions in. and al?pointments .to,,, tbe Order of the Hospital of f:)t. John ot Jerusalem III England: Knitrhls of Grace, Uolonel Bordriggc North l\orth Esquire); the U<:H1ourable l:3ir John Alexander Cockburn, E..C. )l.G. drom Honorary A - sociate); John Browll, Esq., L.R.C .P. (from _Honorary Associate) ; Colonel Arthur :'lontague Brookhcld l\I.P.

Ladies of Grace, l\li 5S 11 ta \y (from H onora r y Associate) ; .Agne: Fanny, :Jlrs. 1 empIe 'i. ;r.

A dinner was gi\'en to General Jameson, C.B., at lht: end of July (of there is a report in another column) when a wa s rri\'en of the difficulties of the Ann)' Meclieal Dein the South \Var. It was extremely satisfactor\" for us to hear from the lips of ;-';urg.-Uen.

J ameSOl1 that the I C)OO men supplied by St. John Ambulance Brigade h:ld rendered ac.lnur.able

This fact been impressed upon us trom pri\'ate sources, but it is highly creditable to the that these words ha\'e been spoken by the head ot the Army Mec.lical Departmenl. '"

\\7]0; arC' glad to see that t.r:e County Coullcil :\l'e making t;O;lle prelimill:ll'Y enqnil'ie:s of the \,a1'10us of Gl1nl'lhans n" to whether the ;\l1\llll];\llCe they p1'onde (if ;1ny) nrc ;w ,lilable for 1>P1'S0I1S injmcd or .taken ill in the Rtreets. Tbis i s inde'd good HC\\'S, ,:Lll'l 1:'; pl'ouably the fOl'eL'unner of :';OUle scheme wllich the Uommittee is formulating. Can any of om' 1'8adel's gi"i-e u::; a.ny illf ol'IDll,Oll the matter ?

IT g i ves ns gL'eat pJeflsnrc to see tll<lt the B"itish .Jledical Jonrnal is illtpl'csti11,!?; itself in tIll' sllbjeet, alit! has a ,.;mall 1(,:1(1e1' in its issue of the :Nth lilt. '1'11L'l'e seelllS no,," some chance (,f SOll1cthillg lJl'ing' done fol' London. '*

,VE desire to call the attention of om render>; to a bY ])1' L ..\lolloy, on "Police and Amlmhnce ,Y o rk. in last this l:lOnth'R Journal. The 'll'ti e]c o'i\-es n O'ood lleal of mfOl'lnatlOl1 and 1S well thought \\Tp agree \,·ith the writer that of the polic(' fOl'l'e shonll1 he thol'oughly. e(1ucatecl Jll fi.rst tud kno\\']ec1ge, and if tIl(" 10c;ll al1tbol'ltIp-.. ,,-oul<1 pI'onc1e the necessary plant, eaell l1i:-tl'ict or (()Wl! to h;n-e an etlicient Hmhulance :-;en-i('p. J n the ('ase of Lon(10n, 110'\'('\'e1', thino's are llift'erent. The police, ,,-hile on duty h;1\-e mOl'e to <1; nlH1 lllOl'e aC'c'ident,; o (;Cl1L' tll<\11 in ,1 p1'o\'incial town, and i'n OUl' opiuioll thele ought to be an :-;e,l'vic8 district from the police, \"ith a propel'ly tnuneu staff anu an etticient system of call

H 1bonle 1Rurstng."

By Ie CHIRURGUS "

PART

VIII.

TEMPERATURE OF THE BODY .

The human body, like all warm-bloo::led animals, has a of its own, which is to a great extent independent of the surroundlllg temPerature. .' d'f thO t f But this body temperature lS easIly altere I any Illg.rn e r eres with the norm:11 functions of the body. Therefore alteratIOn In the temperature of the body is often one of the earl rest symptoms of disease. h' f f h h t Source and Regulation of Heat.-The c Ie amount? e in the body is produced by the combust ion of the rOO? l.t IS com'eyed tv all parts of the .by the blood In Its clrculatron. Some of this heat is lost by the ra.dmtl?n from th.e surface of the body and hy the warming of the cold all' whIch IS receIved JI1to the lungs at every breath So there is a constant supply and a constan\loss Tempe rature in Health. - The temperature of the surlace. of body will "ary as to whether it is co\ ered or exposed But the Il1ternal temperd.ture of the body does not vary. fhe temperature a ?ers,?n in health, or as it is usually spoken of as the normal tempel ature, "til be found to be 98'+" Fahr.

Where to take Temperature .-The temperature of the body IS usually taken by placing a clinical thermometer Il1 the mouth ?r III the arm-pit. If taken in the the the thermometer lS to be placed under the tongue. \\ hen taking It In the arm-pit, care must be taken to dry the arm - pit before placing th.e there as perspiration will prel'ent the thermometer reglste.nng: correctly. When to take the Temperature.-Dunng- liiness the should be taken tIl ice a Jay, oellVeen 8 and 9 a.m., and agalll i?etwe en Sand 9 p.m. J n very se \'ere cases it may be necessary to take It every [our or six hours.

Clinical Ther m ometer. - The instrument ",hlch we u se to take the temperature of the body is callen a thermometer. from goO to r 2" Fahr., and IS Each deg.ree IS. marked by a long line, and is again sub·dlvlded by four short. hnes II1to five equal spaces, each one of these represents two The normal temperature of 98'+ IS mal ked by.an an,o" head.

If you look at a clinical \\ III notIce .that a little \I'a)' above the bulb there is a cC'nstnctlon III the tube, all the mercury running back mto the bulb, the mercury whIch remall.s is called the index.

How to t ak e t h e T e m pera tu r e .-Take t h e th e rmo meter n the r ight hand, hold the stem fir m ly, and b.f a rapid swi ng of. ar m t h e index down to below the n ormal POll1t. The n place It e1ther 111 the mo u th or arm-pit, if n the arm-pit care must be taken to keep the arm close to the side by holding the elbow with the hand of the opposite side

The thermometer should be left in position for five min utes. The temperature is to be read from the uflper end of the index and then noted on the chart. Capital charts for this purpose are sold by the S·. John Ambulance Association.

After taking the temperature the thermometer is to be carefully washed, (in cold water. not hot).

BATHS.

T he baths which are in most common use, are the following :1. Cold. 2. Tepid. 3. ·Warm 4 Hot. 5. Very hot. 6. Vapour. 7 Hot air. 8. Sea Water. g. Alkaline 10. Sulphur. 1[. Bran. 12.

The Cold B a th .-"When the body is immersed in cold water, the capillary vessels in the skin contract and drive the blood towards the centre of the body, but when on coming out of the bath and well rubbing down with a rough towel, a reaction sets in! capillaries of the skin begin to dilate and the blood returns to the surlace and so causes a glow.

The cold bath acts as an invig-orator, it also increases the appetite

The tern perature of a cold bath is anything under 70Q. Fah., if below 50Q. it is considered to be very cold indee.l.

Th e T epi d B a t h -The temperature of a tepid bath varies from 85 Q to 95Q., a tepid bath is the intermediate between the cold and the warm bath.

The tepid bath acts on the skin only, has no effect on the nerl'ous or circulatory system.

Its chief use is for cleansing purposes.

Th e W ar m Ba t h .-The bath is said to be warm when the temperature rano-es from gf.,Q to 104<> The warm bath causes an increa sed flow of the blood to the surface, increases the frequency of the pulse, but has very little effect on the respiration; it is a slight stimulant to the nervous system.

T he Hot B at h .-The temperature of this bath ranges from 102" to 1I0 Q its effect is to greatly increase the rate of the pulse and the respiratior:, the nervous system is also ffected.

This bath is followed by profuse perspiration.

ve ry Hot Ba th.-Can only be borne for a 'ery short time, the effects on the heart and respiration are very gl eat The tern perature varies from 110° to 120° Fah.

In giving a child a bath for fits, you should sit the child in a hot bath and then squeeze a sponge full of cold water over the head.

B.-Both hot and cold baths are to be a \'o ided when there are signs of a weak heart or an y tenciency to apoplexy.

A cold bath should nel'e r be taken by anyone when exhau sted or if there is any tendency to congestion of internal organs.

Vapour B a h. - A vapour bath is one in which the skin is exposed to the vapour of hot water.

A very simple way of giving a vapour bath is by placing a shallow vessel contal11ing hoiling water unc:er a chair, upon which the patient is seatp.d; the patient is to be surrounded by blankets from the neck, the blankets are to fall over the chair and reach to the floor.

A spirit lamp lighted may be placed under the vessel containing the water or one or two hot bl icks may be placed in the water.

Vapour baths cause profuse perspiration, they act more powerfully 0'1 the skin than do hot water baths.

Hot -air B a t hs. - To give a patient a hot-air bath you proceed in the following manner. Cover the mattr ess with a waterproof sheet, over which place a blanket; then strip the patient and roll him in a blanket and lay on the bed; cover his body with a cradle, over which place another waterproof sheet and outside one o r two blankets. The blankets are to be tucked in round the patient's neck. Then take an Allen's lamp, light it and place the tube under the covering blankets and waterproof, above the patient's body. The hot air which enters soon produces a copious perspiration. The head should be wrapp ed in a towel wrung out in cold water. Th e effect of the bath is increased by drinkino- water beforehand. The temperature of this bath will range from" lIOo Fah. to r 50Q Fah. The length of time a patient should remain in is from a quarter to half-an-hour. The bath can be given with the patient sitting on a chair in the same manner as suggested for a vapour bath. The patient must not be left alone in the bath in case of fainting Thi s bath is invaluable in cases of rheumatism a:1d dropsy.

The S ea-wa er B a t h.- T he chief use of the sea-water bath is as a tonic, especially for young people if there is a tendency to scrofula_

AID. [Sep t. ember , 19 0 1.

'V hen there is a difficulty in obtaining sea water for the p u rpose, T idman's Sea-salt, Brill's salt, or bay salt may be used, about 9 lbs of salt will be required for 30 gallons of water.

The Al k al i n e B a th .-This bath is llseful in some cases of skin disease It is made by adding either 6 ozs. of Carbonate of Soda or 3 ozs. of Carbonate of Potash to 30 gallons of wa t er.

Th e Sul p hur B a th is made by di ssolv ing + ozs. of Sulphuret of Potassium in 30 gallons of water, at a telllperature of g8<> Fah. This bath is extensively employed in the treatment of C:lses of skin disease n which sulphur is indicated.

Th e B ra n B a th .-In cases of great irritahility of tbe skin this bath has a very soothing effect, it is m:tde by boiling four pounds of bran in a g a llon of water , pouring off the liquid and adding it to 29 gallons of water at a temperature of 980 Fah.

The Mu s t ard Ba h is used on account of its stimulating properties Two pounds of mustard is the quantity required for 30 gallons of water, at 980 Fah. Its most useful form is that of the foot bath.

Before putting a patient into a bath, the temperature is to be taken with a thermometer. Tbe J urse 's hand s not a good guide. If there is no thermometer let her put her elbow into it, she will find tlut her elbow is much more sensitive than her hand.

Th e Wet Pa ck.-This is used to reduce temperature, or to cause free per s piration; it will also prom ote sleep. Wet packing is done in three ways , either as a hot wet pack, a cold wet pack, or a half p1 ck.

The H o t Wet P a c k.--In order t o give a hot wet pack you must first procect the bed with a waterproof sheet, over which you place a blanket; the patient is then stripped and rolled in a s heet, which ha s been wrung out of water at a temperature of +0<> Fah., ,. couple of blankets must be placed over the patient no\\' and well tucked rounu

The effect of the pack mu,t be noti ced, if n o severe exhaustion is produced it may be continud for half-an-hour, at the end of which time you must quickly sponge your patie nt with tepid water, dry and wrap in a blanket.

The Co ld W et Pack.-In gi\'ing a cold wet pack you proceed in a similar manner, substituting c()ld water for hot.

Th e H alf Pa ck is a modification of the cold we t pack, in which the body only is wrapped in a sm:tll wet sheet. the lim bs being uncovered.

T EPI D SPON GI N G.

Another method of reducing temperature in cases of illness is by means of tepid sponging. The way to do it is place a waterproof sheet, covered with a blanket, under the p:ttlent. rhen remove the and cover with a blanket. B egin from above and work, only un cover ing a small portion of the body at a time sponge the part. two or three s.lo,dy with tepid water and then dry. DUTlng the spong1l1g It IS a good plan to keep a h ot bottle to the feet. Tepid sponging is very refreshing, not only does it redu ce the temperature, but it soothes the nervous system induces sleep.

B E D-SOR E S.

"'hen a patient is confined to bed for any length of time with some teciious and weakenino- illness, especially if he has n ot the power to shift his position, you"will the skin cover.ing some of the bony parts, as the sacrum or hI p, IS very apt to get 1I1fla med and wdl quickly ulcerate ; sores are what are termed bed-sores Anythino- which tends to IrrItate the part wdl accelerate theIr formatIOn, as for neo-lect of cleanliness, contact of urine, rucking of the under sheet 'or or crumbs in the bed. Therefore in all cases of prolonged illness, the nurse should be very to avoid tbese acceleratin a causes and when attendll1g to her p at Ient she must notice very if the skin is looking at all red; if so she sho uld bathe the part with spirits of wine. and water or Eau-de-Cologue and water which hardens the Sk111 and so tends to prevent their but should one form, a horse-shoe c ushion, a ring pad made of tow or' a thick piece of felt with a hole in the middle, must be used to prevent pressure on the sore, ar. d the sore itself should be dressed with some zinc or boric ointment.

The best preventive of bed-sores· is a water-b ed

PREPARATION F OR THE M E DICAL MAN S VISIT.

A medical man's tirne is valuable, and o ne in a busy practice has not much time to spare in the twenty-four therefore the nurse shoul::! have everything in readiness for his VISIt.

The temperature should be noted on the chest, if are used they should be arranged so as to be removed qUIckly; dressmgs should be ready to be re applied. Warm and cold water should be handy for him to ·wash his hands, if he re4uires to de. so.

(Tp be continued.)

September, ] 901 .J F 1RST - " {police anb Blllbulance 1lUlOt'R, "

By LEOl'ARD MOLLOY, 11.A., i\I.D., D UBLIN.

As thino-s are at present the ambulance knowledgl' or ignorance of a poli ce depends entirely upon the view commanding of the advisability and utility of ambulance Il1structlon, or to hIS keenness or slackness as the case may be. The result of this i s that great want of unifo rmity which may be gathered from. the very sma ll amount of stat isti ca l matter with which have affhcted :you.

I think you will all ao-ree with me wben I "ay that such an 1mportant matter should not be left at the mercy and caprice of individuals. The educaLion in first aid and ambulance knowledge of men "here opportunities of using such are so enormous be placed on a rational :tnd recogn Ised sho uld ?e carned out in a systematic manner. In my op1l11On It IS the functlOn of the cent ral police authority to move .111 the matter so to UI1lformity. It may te objected that 1£ the Home Issued regulations with the ohject of pu:ting: the education of polIce In the subjects under discussion on a unIform and regular a stereotyped, inel astic, red-tape bound would be el·olved whl:h would strang Ie all interest among the men l,n ambulance work, sa 'e Just what was suffic ient to fulfil tbe obl Igati ons Imposed upon by them these rules and regulations, and that the abolition of the purely voluntary character of their efforts wo uld conduce to the same tit effect.

[ think that under th e system 1 am about to suggest any tendency in that direction would be more than counterbalanced by the advantaves that would accrue by the rendering of at least a great majority otall police officers throug-hout the Kingd om efficient as ambulance men and first-aiders, especially the latter. And the natural emulatIOn and rivalry bet ween variolls forces and of forces would still exist, and if worked upon m a Ilay I shall pomt out always tend towards gre:tter erficiency. Jt might be la'd down that all ll1en before passing out of the recruit swge must possess the certIficate of the St. John ,-\mbulance Association, or that no man could be promoted beyond the rank of an ordinary unless he possessed the same gU1.rantee of am bulance and first aId knowledge. That all sergeants must possess the medallion of the Association. no man can reach the position 0: an inspector who has not pr?ved capable of instructing recruits in and first a1d exerC ises, and thai no medical man be appomted a poltce surgeon who has not proved hImself a capable ambulance instructor. Spe cia l scales of pay mio-ht be drawn up to supplement the ordlllary pay of all ranks \\'ho displayed sp e cial talent for rendering first and special badges might be granted for dlst1l1gUlshed ser\'lces 111 connection with ambu lan ce work.

rn order that the k l;owledge of the men sbould not begin and end in the effort to sec ure the certificate of the St. J ohn Ambulance A.ssoclalion the entire fOlce miaht be affiliated with the Sl. John \m bulance B r iC:ade The police t1'niform be in a accepted by the Brigade authori- ot. ,b T ties for policemen when adorned with th.e bad.ge the BrIgade. .0 avoid friction and i nterference WIth dlsclplme, all I11Spectl ons, examinations, &c., of police brigade forces to be conducted by supenor poli ce officers wh o were also .high 0f the equipment should be suppJted. to ItS extent dependlllg up on the size of the force or of Its sub-d ll'l slO n s, the pa.tte.rn In all cases to be that approved by the S1. John \m b ulance

In the teaching of police ambulance classes .specm l.attentl o n be paid to instru c tion in the use of improvls.ed spli n ts, d ressings, &c., with special refe rence to. the use m that dlrecllon of the various articles of equipmen and clothlllg carned by the men w.hen on duty. This may seem counsel of perfection, but are the lIne s o n wh ich proo-ress mllst be made and the only authonty who can make them is a central all powerful one. The interest of the men in the work must in tbe future, as at present, be encouraged by their officers and by the general public. Prizes sbould be offere.d for competition among the men. o.f indi vid ual forces, sq uad c,om in sti tuted amono- the sub-dIVISIOns of laro-e lorces and bet l\een \aIIOU S forces; might Le granted for a"'year to the forces or to individuals excelling.

The public can always foster the of the P?iIce 111 ambubnce wOI·k by presellLing prizes and fo.r compelltl?l1, and has only t o be educated into a proper appreCIatIOn of t?e Imp orta nc e of the work to resp and to any ca lls that are made It.

The only explanation of tbi s extraordlm<ry attitude 15 that those .who assume it have never been to the trou b le to understand the objects which the St. John Ambulance Association has in .view. 0: the ca.re which the Association ha s taken to teach its classes, In pnmls, that Its are in no wise medical practitioners, but. s.imply pers:)\1s capable of rendering such help to the sick alld to tpe Injured, the an ivai of medical aid as shall p' event unnecessary suffelmg, pleserve life and obviate agg:ravation of injuries.

The injustice of this attitude IS parl1cularly grel.t, for It IS a sl.ur o.n the intelligence of as a and wel"e It general, whIch It is not, wou d seriously mtiltate agall1st a movement calculated to be of great ser vice to the public.

AI D . 19

I am glad to say that, generally, the police ambula nce man has no more generous aumirer, no one more ready to commend any good work tha he does than ;he average medical oractitioner. l \mong the reports I recei ved from Chief Commissioners in all parts of the Cnited .z(ingdom, nothing was more noticeable than the occasions upon which medical men spoke of excellent rendered to the in ju red by policemen, and noth1l1g gave the po!Jce authorities greater pleasure, or caused them greater pride suc.h encomiums, judging from the prominence they gave them In theIr reports.

Clearly then it is the duty of. medical men to .do theIr 111 encoumo-ino- a really good and c hanta b le work by a kl11d expressIOn of approval commendation when really deserving cases come under their notice. The general public's attitude towards police ambulance work is, [ am afraid, mainly one of indifference, chieAy too, through ignorance.

Prominence is rarely given to the subject in the evening papers, the fount of such knowledo-e as the general public possesses, if there be any desire to paragrap"'h a piece of good police ambulance work it is apt to be crowded our by more important matter such as football or cricket the latest murder or the advertisement of the most recent panacea for all the ills that flesh is heir to. But even this indifference decreases. The various reviews and competitions held in this part of England draw attention to ambulance work, an:! "ery oCC<lsionally a com petition for police squads finds a place in them, so by and by it will dawn upon the intelligence of the general public that police:-:len are the most useful expJnents of the ideas of the St. John Ambulance A ssociation in existence.

This last se ntence must be understood literally for r hold that in comparison with all other ambulance efforts in cil·il life that connected with the police forces is far and aWIY the most important for the general rule, viz., no other class has such oppo r tunities of using it" ambulance knowledge, and presently when the golden age arrives bel ieve a policeman who is not efficiellt as a renderer of first aid will be as extinct as the dodo and be as out of place as a pair of bellows on a locomotive engine.

The o-eneral conclusions I draw are that the present state of affairs is but that there is ample room for improvem ent. '" 0'

That the Government should act ive ly encourage the augmentat:on of ambulance knowledge by the police and make it compulsory, always under the direction of the St. John Ambulance Asso ciation. That ail efforts in that direction are worthy of the encouraament of the aeneral pllblic, inclu ding, of course, the medic:tl profession.

From my experience as an on-looker (who by general consent is bel iel ed tv se e most of the game) for I have never instructed a police class or had any official connection with a police force in my life, it is no fault of tbe rank and file when any particular force is neo-lectful of this branch of its education, n:> class of s so as ar; p::>licemen on knOWIng hOlv to be of most use to his fell ows -it is invariablv the fault of the chief in command -in a disciplined force everythino- depends upon its head, if he be slack so will be his comma nl The moral is so obv ious that I need not print it.

St. Bnbr ew Blllbnlance Bssociatioll.

The annual meeting of the subscr bers to the t. Andrew's Ambulan ce Association was held on Augu st 16t h , ir. the :.\I asonic Hall, 'Ve st R egent Street, the chairmanship of rhe Marque ss of Breadal bane In moving the adoption of the annual report, already published, the chairman said that it was very gratifying to learn that durino- the past year no less than 258 classes in first aid and home were examined, and that certificate s to the number of 3.181 were granted first aid, and 160 for nursing, making a total of 3,3+1 for the year and a grand tota l of 5,110 since the formation of the association. Considering the amount of work undertaken by the association, he regretted that the subscriptio ns amounted to the very smail s lim of £1.980 qs. [d. for the whole of Scotland.

During the past tweh·e months, as president of the association, be had receiveu many letters regarding the amalgamation of the St. Aadrew's with the St. John ,\ ssociat ion It was an impo ssib ility that those two associations could am ,dgamate as they were at present. 't o John \m b ulan ce AssociatiolJ was merely h e ambulance branch of the Order of St. J ohn, and if that Order was established in Scotland, the St. Andrew's .\mbulance Association, if it so de s ired, co uld become the ambulance branch of tbe Order, managing its OWI1 branch and affairs. IIe thought the proper way would be to call a special meeliug of the associ:ttion on some future date (or the purpose of considering the mattel'. In conclusion, his Lordsh;p said that the subscriptions received were quite inadequate to ca rryon the ambulance work of the association.

1lr 11 uo-h B ro wn seconded the auoption, and said that the question of required o-reat consideration, and he did not know lhat tho se present we re just ready yet to go the length of holJing a meeting to consider the matter.

The report wa s adopted. Mem be rs of com mittee were then elected after which the meeting terminated,

FIRST A ID .

SEP1EJIBER 1, 1901.

AT the recent Annual Meeting of the MEDICAL British Medical Association, 11r. J. H. CADET Oantlie read 3. paper on ")Iedical Cadet CORPS. in \\ hich he adyocated the including of the medicJ.l student in a military medical cadet as earl>' as in his career, in which would be ll1cll1ded trall11l1g 111 ambl1bnce work. )lr. Cantlie's idea evidently is to bring the medical profession, or rather the embryo medical man into closer touch with the State and thus enable the State to haye the first refusal of his sen-ices as oon as he has blossomed out into a fully qualifiej medical man. Another important point in the scheme is that those medical men who haye sen'ed in a cadet corps when applying for an appointment in the Army should have preference oyer those who had not done such service

If the question could be settled as to who is to pro\'ide t he funds necessary to maintain the corps whethel it should be the medical school or the OoYernment, on which there did not see m to be a unanimity of L pinion at !he meeting, it seems to u s that the idea is one which is worthy of support. If all the students at a medi ca l school joined such a corps, it does not folIo" th a t they all would necessarily enter the Army, but the training and the discipline th ey \yollid undergo would undoubtedly be to their benefit , and it would probabl y be the mean s of inducing a larger number Gf s tudent s to chao e a military career in preference to that of a general practitioner. In the past and at present there see ms t o be a dearth of medical men de s irous of joining the Army, whether iL is due to insufficient pay, or their rank nol being properly recognized or some other reason is not quite clear, buL the fact remains, and any method which will he lp to keep our Army up to a high standard ought to be

At present '-'ambulance \VOl 1<, in the shape of making u se of impro\ ised material, lifting and carrying injured patients, and is not included in the curriculum of a medical student, and a, this subject would be fully taught and explained in a cadet class, it would be a distinct adYantage to a medical student to join s uch a corps, as such not knowledge is required in the daily work of a ci \'ilian practitioner.

U:be !lD is si ng :titllbulan ce.

A;{ EPISODE OF TfIE WAft.

As the column moved down the slope of the grass-covered hills, the morning sun, ri s ing sudde::ly above a grotesque kopje, seemed to balance itself unsteadily upon a jagged point.

Somehow, the awful so lemnity of the place seemed to beget disquietude within the soluiers. Outsiue upon the open cionga-tren('hed karroo it was d!ffercnt, but here, in this va s t, encircling, menacing amphitheatre of eternal so litud e, Nature seemed outraged_ From th e mysterious, snaky, eaden -col ou red river, and the blue-tinted, clouded mountain side, there arose strang e mutterings. There was the perlect resemblance of some dread, violated sa nctuary The Army forgot their natural and historic bravery, and pictured themselves as fighting something or some one immortal, invisi ble above them.

Suddenly, from the heights above, came unexpected commotion. A splash of orange flame from some adjacent peak, like a huge blot, appeared upon the deep blue haze of the mountain side A s hell ricochetteu hastily through intcr"en ing wind, and hanging briefly above a regiment, burst with a frightful uproar.

AID. [Septe m be r, 1901.

Then came the agitated rattle of re spon sive rifles, and innumerable unseen loopholes were instantly discovered by pinkish gbres. Bullets flew amongst the soldiers with the noise of twittering swallows. A battery horse, whose traces had been cut by the explod ing shel l, rushed towards the water's edge, :lnd neighed insanely, in rivulets of blood, at some hidden horse amidst the opposing rocks.

Strange, unexplaina ble panic seized the men [or a brief moment, but excited officers, like isolated ants upon some crowded ant hill, ran reassuringly around the clIcul1lference of their commands, shouting, strik ing and cursing. From a far-back friendly kopje also their o wn batteries n o w roared metallic interj ections, flinging shell after shell with dread precision on to mystic mountain side

On a far-off an ambulance had rested impatiently Regiment after regiment had ostentatiously pas:;eJ them marching in defiant gmndeur. .\loreo\'er, the flutterillg of flags, the officers, blnsphemous ejacuhtions, and the sound of listant fil ing tilled them with electrical apprehension and vast en\'y _ Gradually the blood lust of red war filled their non-combatant souls The enemy's guns seemed huge grunts of perpetual threatening and became b itter music to their retentive ears. At each fresh report the ambulance men ca5t lonaing looks at th eir chief medical officer, an elderly man, who, a big cigar and si tting up on a candle-box, assumed an air of callous indifferen ce and deep philosoph,c thought.

Then came the .moving tlamp of fresh feet as a broad procession of new soUiers ap peared. Silken banners fie\\' in the wind. From the lips of the marching men came mocking word s hurled in joyous sarcasm at the non-com batants

But one remark more sarcastic than others fell from the lips of a passing sold ier, and an ambulance man, whom the soldier had dared, boldly tore off his red cross badge of peace and, swiftly descending the hillside, smote and grappled \Iith the interjector until the mo,ing khaki mass enveloping the fIghters in their progress hid them from eyesight.

The spirit of war now gripped the inflamed souls of the remaining ambulance men. The elderly officer, as suddenly galvanised, and still chewing his buge crgar, now stood upon his box orating hu sk ily. Tea ring off their badges the amhulance men ran in the wake of the departing regiment as churned foam follows a vessel's screw. As they ran they trippecl over the de:ld khaki-clad soldiers, and from these they took rifles and bandoliers. From the wreck of an ambulance waggon also the medical officer secured a huge triang-ular bandage which he ostentatiously waved banner fashion.

The regiment that had so airily pre ceded them nolV met the storm of bullets at the water's edge. Shells also dropped upon them with reverberating roar from the invisi b le hillside, and the twittering bullets skipped across the surface of the murmuring river with incessant regnlarity. lVlen dropped like full corn in a hailstorm. Huge bloody gaps suddenly appeared where late stood res ol ute men, and a whole line of men, struck by some big invisible sign of huge calamity, flew swiftly rearwards_

For a brief second the regiment wavered. The ghostly mountain with its misty covering. The hidden foe. The blood-tinged waters rippling so solemnly at their feel. All confused and terrified them.

Then came the sound of much shouting. A small body of enthusiastic men broke suddenly (rom the ranks, headed by an elderly man, who, smoking a huge cigar, waved a triangular bandage aloft with theatrical effect.

Wil d ly gesticulating, new fighters rushed with frenzied shouts into the river, where now the mist was sp litting asunder. Instantly the encouraged regiment followed. \Vith straining eyeballs and st iffening sinews they followed across the river, into unforeseen trenches , up the mysterious side, bayoneting here and firing there at stealthy skulkinO' forms that sought constantly to avoid them b

Up the hill they charged, and clolln the other side o[ the mountain, where, in the distance, the enemy could be see n tumbling in undi sciplined clumsy retreat like a hugh swarm of smoked out bees. And thus the battlt: ended. As the victQrious regiment returned across the mountain top they passeJ the body of an elderly man with a huO'e cigar butt clenched firmly between his teeth, hi s face rigid and sel. 1n death he still clutched a dirty, bullet-tom, triangular bandage cloth, and on his grcy, cold featur es there seemell to play some sort of smile implying huge satisfaction for things attempted and accomplished. Down upon the blood blotched amphitheatre near the water's edg{ a staff off-icer, nursing impatiently a fraclllred was shoutinO', "\Vhere th' 'ell is that dam ambulance? "-llerbert Dean, of S A., in tbe .\lelbourne "Outpost." [We give tbe above as an example lIot to be followed by ambulance men. \Vc do not vouch for the truth of the story, but if correct, it shows how the excitement of the battle field is liable at the lI1Oll1t; n to renJer men mad, and utterly reckless of cOllseq ucnces.

('. (hWlI.utn, 2IIEItTo'\ ,\D I)JVISIO" J oil, ljltJGADE. SPPl'.ORCHATU).

\Y 11 osc POl-t 1'<1 L we llit \-(' lllu('h pleasllro in ,.fiving tlli" mOlltll, js wcll I,Do\\'n in t"() ;\lctl'opoliblll COl'PS of the :-)l .•J ohn Aml)ulauc c I (c iilst lJecame cmnl"cted \\ i>It <lllllmlance wol'l{ in 180:3. \\-lIe11 hc took hi:, cel·r.iri("ltt' a 11<1 lwxt yeal' "e wmo. in:-. tl'U11 in fUl'llling the :;,\lel'ton awl ,ril11 h1e<loll. Di \-isi(lll of the Bl!ig,'\, 1(', ncting as Dccrutu'Y uutil 1897, \\'ben l1e \\";1H a ppoil lterl .L\..c· ing Hll}JCl'intenuent, re ceiving hi" \\',1l'lflnt the next year.

At the beginning of In.; yf':lr \\!J eo th3 cclll wat; marIe for YO]llntecrs hOlll t"e St. J olin .A mbulancc Bl'ignde fol' the WHl' in South .1.\ hi('a, Supt. Orchanl olfeH'tl his SP1TicPR ,"v hich were accepted. If e had to reV81·t to the 1',111 ks, but was gi von th e post of Chief UrriN] Y- Room Clerk to the 1m pel'i,tl Yl'OlllHllry Hospi ta l at J)pclfontf'in, near l)(' "lal', ,\ positioll wbich he filletl :;0 ,veil, aml the <lutie)) of which be cill'l'iort out 130 ::iucccsh£ully that he waR promotell to tho mllk of Sergeunt- :JIajUl'. Dl1I this pel'iOll of flctive Reryice he 1', a13 fortnnate enough, in::.toa<1 of spom]jng the whole time at the Hospita1, to be sent on tlut)' to IJrotm'in, nUll in tllis way was eOitLlL·t1 to a goo d of the af'l far up a::; H.eilfollt e in , :.lull. many of the ph1ces wh81e fighting had taken pln.ce, including ROOll eva,ll, where the 1m pe1'ial Yeoffi.'l.nry Fjdll llospitnl amI l3en.rel· Uom pany fell into the ha.nds of De \Vet.

'rVe sme that those of his comraLlcB who know his zeal fo1' \vOl·k "w ill be ghd to welcome him hat:k to hi::; olel

J)i vif:oion, and 'ye fecI ('011 fi(l<:'llt that ulltlcl' his a hie control the Morton and \Villlbl c(loll Di\,i..,ioll ,,,ill continue tu cal'l'Y out its WOl'k to the sil.tisfactiol1 uf tho snpl'l'im 011icC1'5 of the Bl'ig,tde, and to the heneiit of the In.rge tlistl'iet from which it tak:es its nam e.

113ritisl1 rtDebtcn[ :association.

N,\.\'Y, ,\.R}IY, A:-l'D :D IBULA CE SECTJOX. :\lr. Cantlie opened the proceeJings of this section with 1. paper 011 ".\ledical Cadet Corps." lIe ael\'oealed the including of the medical student in a military medical cauet corps as early as possible in his career when his mind \\' as not yet l11:lde up as to hiS future career and thu s to catch him before he bec:ll11c imbued with the pre\':l.lE:nt abuse 0.[ the Ee rvice s by newspapers. I Je thollg,ht that the medical professIon ought to make some return lL) the ::->tate for the benefits which they derived from it s proteCl,on. Il e \\'ould have a medical cadet corps at every medical centre for tcaching and thus O 'el'('GnH' lhe objection of and taking men away from their work _ They could be tralDed 111 ambulance work and could take their name from their school, as Cadet Corps," "EdinburO'h :\ledical Cadet Corps." They should have a special uniform adequate grants for efficiency should be given. Nominations should be made to the army and !la\"y only flom those \\ho had aone tbrouO'h the medical cadet corp, at their school. Promotions "'in the COI"pS should be by State exa;-ninatioll Preference should alll.\ys be g-iven to old cadet corps students. not be allowed to serve as privates along with laymen. This would increase the prestige of the medi cal me,! in the service, to which they w ere as much entitleu as were ca elet s of engineers or <tllillel)'.

AI D " 21

The President (Deputy Surgeon-General W_ G. Don: mJde commendaLory remarks on the p:\per and invited discussion.

SUlgeon-General T. F. O'Dwyer \.'\1.s., thought that more detail of expense of forming- medical cadet corps was wanted before the matter could be gone into. fIe preferred that commissions in the Royal Army \Jedical Corps should gl a "ted after competition and not un nominations. One difficulty abuUl cadet corps was that there \\ere no vlJlunteers in Ireland. How could that be Q:ot O\'er : The r<;sponse of \'olunteer medical officers 10 bis inquiries as to their to go lO South :\frica was not very salisfactolY· If the GO"elllment coulJ not support a meuical cadet corps the might refllse the expense themsel "es.

Surgeon-General C_ .\1. Cuffe, C.13 did not approve of ,olunteer cadet corps as units except in order to accllstom meelical students LO wor k. .-\ large numher of \'olunteer medical officers offered their serrices in his 11e uid not approve of nominations to the ::,en ice.

_ ,'urgcon-Lieutenanr-Colonei W. CO:Hes, \- .\1 S.C, thought th:\t in luture camp;\igns \'olunteer medical Uillb should as iar as possible he kept togelher in the same hl_eh [Ie was in favour of nomination b\he:l.cis of colltges fill' in the Royal ,\rmy .\It;dical Corps and a moditied form of afte'-wards.

.\II'. Cantlie replieJ that \'olunteers in Ireland ou,e;ht to be trained as stretcher - bearers could le callO'ht in the inten'al belween leaving their medi.:al school and celt ing in practice if they had been made familiar \Iith the military medical idea l;lI"tJuO'h h;\\'inO' belonged to medical cadet corps. He would not send a ;;nO'le suiting surgeon or physiciall to the front in war time who had sometbing,cor his country in peace time by assisting with a cadet corps. i\1r. CantlIe proposed the follo\\'ing motion which was carried unanin;ously after being seconded by Surgeon-lieutenant-Colonel W. Coates :-" That it be a recommenelaLion the Council of the British .\[ edical Association to consider whether lh· eSlablishment of medical calet corps in connection \\ilh the medical schools is feasible or desirable, and if so whether the matter should not be brouaht to the attention of the \\T ar Office." "

'\II. R. J. Collier read a p:lper entitled "The Ambulance and Home ::\ursing Classes of the London School Board" He dealt \\ith the benefits of ambulance teachiilg in board schools and its l.Inil elsal importance and utility from a puh'ic point of view. He stateJ that tbe L ondon School Board haJ instructed o,-er 16,000 pupilS and before he Joined the school boald as a teacher Ly the aid of ;:he St. John Ambulance .-\ssociati:lI1, and that in 1LJOO, after the tirst course, nearly SOO pa::;sed out of goo- The alacrity with wbch the teachers anJ pupils availed themselves of the opportunity afforded was important and indicated the need £01' such an arrangement.

The President said that the paper was of great public interest.

$t. 30hn Bnlblllancc 1l3rigabc.

DEWSBCRY A:'oID DTSTLHCT.-Those interested in ambulance w ork had a pleasant afternoon in the grounds of Lees House, Thornhill Lees, on 3rd inst., on the occasion of a garden party anu gal'l held Oil the under the auspices of this corns. The event was made particularly attractile by competitions for the Thomes Challe.ige Cup and .\Jeuals, and al50 the presentation of war ribbons and nursinO' cenificates to lhe members of the Ilrigade who had served in outh .\fric<l. \lere pro\·ided. Four teams, two from Dewsbury and one each frum :'I1 orley and Osset, competed for the Thomes Cup and medals. The men drilled smaIlly, and the Surg-eonCaptain Clayton, o the 1-::.0.Y_L1.. \Y akeficlJ, and Sergeant Tenny, Goole, Ambulance Sergeant to the K.O.Y.L.!., had no e:lsy task in deciding \\hich \I'as the superior team. In the final tie II A" squad secured 3+ marks and ., G" squau :!3. At the close of the competition the men in !-ull uniform paraded in front of a temporary platform. Capt'1.in \\'3lker aJdl the acti"e sen-ice section, said they had illl ited them to be preselll III order lhat .\[rs. Lce mig-h. present them with the \\ar ribbons He felt sure that these ribhons would he placed among their most prized possessions. lJe had ple:lsure in askina .\[rs. Lee to make the pre:;entations. The returned ambulance then fIled past the plalform <l1,J lI'ele the coveted ribbon by '\[rs , Lee. .\Jelressll1g the men, \lrs. Lee sard those who had any idea llf the nobility of lile, and the responsibilities and duties which that life entaileJ, knew that in order Lo [ultil tbose duties and uny out the respons bi I ties they I1l ust learn to scorn pleasures, a ntl Ii I'e laborious liv es Perh:lps the alerage person uid not appreciate those thinas, anJ e\'en th05e \\'ho did often come \'ery far from achievina them. bIt was well to ha\'e a high ideal before them, because It was by the indivi duall.lnit doing the best of which he was "ap:lble, that the IIhole became successful. It depended l1[.on the unit of the squadron whether the corps \l as successful. She was quite sure all to IIhom she had presentLd the ribbons went out with th.1t in hearts, and they were to be honoured. There wns no 0'1e 111 De\lsbury or who wa s \lOl extremely proud of theGe men, She esteemed it an

honour o present the ribbons, and was quite sure rhat the men who had come back were glad that they had been and bad tbe experience of mixing w ith men of other nationalities, and enlarging their minds and houO'hts. Lee next pre::.ented to the members of the women's nursing class in connection with the Dewsbury and District Corps, and also to the members of the FirH Ai.:! Cbss, and the medals to the men of" A " and" G" squad Captain \\T.t1ker remarking to the latter that they had nothing to be ashamed of in iosing to the other team.

Il'S\\'ICH-THE EAST AXGLIAX CHALLEXC.E C Ll' - At the HiO'her Grade School, Ipswich, recen tly, six teams representing the various divisions of the Brigade. entered into competition for a handso'!1e Challenge Cup, \\ hich, tbrough the belp of the Deputy-Commissioner (Brigade-Surgeon Lieut.-Col. Elli6ton, of tbe No, f [f. District), and Sugeon-Cap.ain Brooks, of FelixsLOwe, the District Superintendent Secretary, had been obtained from subscriptions among5 s\'mpathisers, The competition, of course, will be an annual one, and will, doubtless, be the means of increasing- the members' knoll'leclg-e of ambulance work. The examiner was Surgeon-Captain James \- \LS,C. The result was: - Ipswich Division. 19+ points, Fe1ix5to\\'e, IS5; Social Settlement and Orwell Vorks, equal, 152; Ipswich St. John·s. 150; Haverhill 149. Those in the winning team \\'ere :-Sergeant \ Voods Privates C. \\ Gooderham, T Damant, L. SmIth, and G. A. Smith. Surgeon-Capt:lin Harper said he bad not the faintest knowledge whicb team he was Judging. He hoped this was only one of many in the East Anglian Branch, for anything whic!:J. promoted a healthy spilit amongst the men was good for the \York In conclLbion, he offered a little friendly criticism and some good advice to the \'arious teams, " iss Coulcher said she had \\'atched the COlllpeLit;on in a spirit of strict impartiality. She had long wished to see a challenge cup, and they were greatly indebted to Surgeon-Captain Brooks for his efforts in that direction. She then presented Sero-eant IVocds with the Cup, and silver medals to the team, and the team thoroughly deserved their success, containing as it did, Sergeant Woods, who wa5 one of the first to go out to Sou,h Afric1, and the well-known park-Keeper, :'Ilr. Damant, who probably had to deal with more accidents than any man in the town. Brigade-Sura-eon LieULColonel Elliston proposed a vote of thanks to '\Iiss and said he was extremely ghd that that lady's wish TO have a challenge cup had been gratified. He hoped }liss Coulcher's \\ish to have a permanent subscription list would be realised. The motion was carried. and :'I I iss Coulcher who proposed a VOle of thanks to the Examiner, which was also carried.

5t. 30hn Btnbulance Bssociatiol1.

BELFASL-The annual inspection of the membersof the Belfast Fire Brigade wbo attended during the year the classes in cO:1nection with the St. John Association was held on August 15th, in the spacLOus engll1e room at tbe headquarters of tbe brigade. Sir William Q. Ewart, Bart., who, as president of the Belfast centre since its formation, takes sucb a deep interest in ambulance work, presided, and there was a large and representative attendance, including members of the Corporal-on Forty-five men took part in the display, and the inspecting officer was Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. Trim ble, V. D., L.R C.P., deputy commissioner of the north-western district of the Brigade, The fireI?en the.n went !various exercises under Superintendent .Smlth, i::ltafford, and Engineer Revill, sbowll1g .ald rendered They displayed smartness, WIth skll1ll1 tbe dIfferent operatious (which, by tbe way, were explall1ed by Dr. James Taylor, honorary surgeon instructor), and the exhibition was creditable in every particular. Colonel Trimble sai-:! he was perfectly satisfied, as usual, \\'ith everything he had seen so far as it demonstrated knowledge of first ald. The men were doinO' an excellent work, which was not exceeded in England, and certainly n"'ot in Ireland He regretted that that was tbe only brigade in Ireland having- an ambulance department, for he had no doubt any town or city would profit by hal mg an effiCIent ambulance service, The ambulance wag g ons were turned out as quickly as the fire engines, and that was very. cre?itable indeed. In conclusion, the Colonel repeated his gra Llficat on at rhe progress the local fireman had made in ambulance work during the year, and was glad to be in a position to make a favo u rable report. Sir \Villiam then distributed the J7 seventeen first class cenific <t. tes, 23 re e xamination certificates, and five medallions to he men A special prize, by the chief officer for the best answering in the class was then awarded to Engineer J. Holywood Subseque.ntly the ChaiTillan, on behalf of the men, presented Dr. Taylor with a hamlsome tra\ellmg bagas a token of tbeir appreciation of his services in so carefully trainin!!, them in their ambulance tlork. Dr. T aylor, in rt:turning thanks, said :-That the Corps was inauO'urated i n 1892-3. ,At that time they had only one waggon, and during t h e year ved 38 calls, They had now three waggons, and had r ece Ived d u nng the past yea r 1,867 calls. Those fia-ures demo n s tr ate d t h at i t was imposs ble to overestimate the u tility or"'su ch

AID [September , 1901.

a ccrps in a conrnercial and industrial centre like Belfast. Tn conclusion, it was only right for him to say that the efficiency of the corps Nas larO'ely due to the enthusiam of Engineer Revill, who bad always undertaken the practical work. The Chairman said before closing he would like to say a few words \\i h reg-ard to the Belfast centre. It was n 11 very well to be D.ble to render first aid, but after the surgeon or doctor h,d ptid his \'isit and dep:1.rted, unless the patient skilfully nursed it could not he expected that the cure could be so rapid. It was 'ery pleasing, therefore, th:lt so m1.ny as four classes for teaching how to nurse at home had been going on. Ha\'ing alluded to the ambulance \\'ork of the Boys' Brigade and to the increased interest taken in the St. John Ambulance .\ssociation, the Chairman sl.id that however people were willing to attend the classes, where would they be but for doctors who gave instruction ung-rudgingly and year after year. .-\ hearty \'ote of thanks ""1 gi \'en to :Uiss Black the Hon. Sec. f(lr the good worK "he 11ls done and is doing in connection with the Centre.

8TOCKPoRT.-On August 2+th Earl E2'erton of Tatton, who was CLCC )lIlp,lnieu by her Grace the Du cbess of Buckingh,m and Chandos, pre:::.ided upon the occlsion of the presentation of cer tificates and med t1lions to tbe successful membe rs of the Stockport centre, "hich took place at St. Peter's School. Lord Egerton said be hau great pleasure in coming among them again to distribute the certilicalt's ami medallions, and to be present at a u':!lllonstration in first aid to d;e injured, not only as president of ce ntre, but also as Knight of Justice and Chancellor of the Order of St. John of .Jeru 5alem in England, He was glad to see that tbe police were qualifying tbemselves to render first aid, and had found their knowledge o f gre:n serl·ice in attending to the great number of minor accidents which they were constantly coming in cont.act with. He thought that if all cyclists and ridera of motor cars were to make themselves similarly qualified it would be of great service not only to themselves, but in rendering first aid to their fellow cyclists and motorists who might be so unfortunate as to meet with a!:cidents. With the assistance of the :::)1. John Ambulance Brigade it would have been impossible for the G overnme nt :'IIedical Corp3 to have coped with the enormous number of sick and wounded during the war. In addition the volunteers from the John Brigade had also assisted with the Red Cross ,\ssociation, the Princess of Wales' Hospital train, the j\merican Section Field Force Hospital. the [mperial Yeomanry H05pital, the Imperial Ye)manry Field Hospital, and the American Maine Hospital Ship. lIe boped they mlght be encourag-ed to go on anJ continue the useful work which the brig<lde was in to render valu1.ble assistance in the val ious cases of accident whi ch arose every day, not only in the streets of a large town, but in the mills, the factories, the mines, and else\\'here, in a busy manufacturing district. IIer Grace the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos then presente:l the first aid and nursing certificates and medallions, and this was followed by::t pra ct ical demonstr::ttion in first aid to the injured. A vote of thanks to the President and her Grace the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos was carried, on the motion of Mr. Ferns tbe Chairm.1l1 of the Stockport Centre.

Btnbn[ances for Street Bccibents.

Attention has, we are glad to notice, recendy been directed to the question cf improving the ambulance system in this country. In some directions, notably the provision for the transport of those certified to be suffering from dangerous infectious disease as now managed in tbe metropolis by the Asylums Boald, there is little room for improvement. In the case of ordinary street accidents, however, our a mb ulance arrangemenls in London and many large towns He sadly deficient and out of date \\T e UO not underrate the means undertaken to instruct the police in methods of first aid, nor the excellent service, so far as they go, of the St Jobn ,-\mbulance Association or the Hospitals _-\ssociation A few of the hospitals and some Boards of Guardians have established horse ambulances, but these naturally have only limited appliotion to the public needs. We are afraid it mu[t be admitted that in Lonuon the plovision for rapid conveyance of persons injured or seized by sudden illness in the streets to the hospitals is far behind that obtaining in se'eral Continental cities and in New York. vVe understand that in the latter there is a complete system whereby, as the result of a telephonic call, a horsed ambulance accompanied by a surgeon and first aid appliances is despatched forth wi tll to the si te of the accident with the same celerity as is a fire engine in case of fire These horsed amb'dances art: ,.tJ.tioned at the various hospitals, and there is but little control by either police or municipa bodies. On the other hand in Paris a system of horseC: ambulances originally provided by private philanthropy, and in connection with St. Louis Hospital, was in 189+ transfened to municipal management, and under Assistance Publique is, we understand, in course of extension over a larger area Ot the French metropolis. In Birkenhead, Liverpool, Manchester, Burnley, and ewcastle there are horsed ambulances, in some cases wOlked in co n nection with the fire b ri gades, a n d i n others w ith t he

Se p tember, 1901.J FIRST

police, and summons is by telephone. In London, on the other band there are practically no horsed ambulances for public use in connection with street accidents or illness, and London's telephonic system is notoriously expensive and inconvenient. The ordinary procedure in London is by the dilatory agency of "asking a policeman," and conveyance to hospital is effected by a litter when such is get-at-able, and whell. not by the still less suitable intervel:tion of the four-wheeled cab The police are believed to possess the magnificent numher of three horsed ambulances; but for every occasion of their use a horse has to be obtained from a contractor. \Ve havs little doubt that the casualty departments of our metropolitan ho s pitals could tell of many cases in which simple fractures have been made compound by lifting in and out of four-wheeeled cabs, and serious injuries and illnesses rend e red fatal by the delay in procuring a litter, or getting it to a hospital when obtulI1ed. More than g,ooo street accidents involving personal in ury occur annu'dly, and some uniform, expeditious, and humane means of bringing' relief to tbe sufferer, or the sufferer to relief, is urgently uemanded. lYe are glad to learn that the London County Council has appointed a Committee to consider the question, and we shall wat ch \lith interest the action that may proceed from such inquiry. -Brihsh .Jh !flnl JOllrl/al.

H lbarrison '" jfolbing Stretcher.

compact stretcher which bas yet been produced, (2)-tbat it can be used as a closed or prepared stretcher for drill purposes, and only differs from tbose in common use in !t,ree points, (a) tbat it weighs 22 to 24 lbs. instead of 3+ lbs., (b) that it can be folded into balf its length, 3ft. 6in. instead of 7ft, (c) that it can ingtantly be fixed to the handle -ba r of any cycle, and carried with ea3e and rapidity, thus forming a very valuable addition to the equipmentof either an army or St. John Cycle Company', These co ntention s in it s fayour are not founded on theory by any means. The cycle stretcher has been in use both on field and road bas attracted universal attention from thoseinterested in ambulance work whereyer it has been seen in use. The stretcher should form a most ubeful addition to the appliances usually kept atambulance stations, r.otwithstanding the numher of these in big pro\'incial and a trial WQuid convince anyone of tbis, ,"'hen folded and on the cycle, to pre\'ent the legs swinging and impeding the cyclist an ,djustable and easily remo\'ed bar fits against the front bar of tbe bicycle. A pro\'isional patent has already been obtained, and are being made to place the appliance on tht market, and to supply the demands of ambulance corps. An ad\'enisement with particulars as to pri ce, &c. will appear in" First Aid" next month. For the present the accompanymg J!IL'stratlOns gl\'e a good idea of tbe appliance and its utility and the ease with which it can be attacbed to cycles and put into operation.

SiCR anb 'UUlonnbeb.

IVith the extension of the work of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the need for quick transit of appliances from one place to another so as to be prepared at tbe earliest possible moment 10 render first aid, anything "hi ch tends to bring about this result is acceptable. Among the mo st recent improvements in stretchers is that of Superintendent \I'alter Harrison of tbe Kend::t.l Divi sio n, who has put into practical use a sugge stion of Surgeon-Captain Cockill of the 2nd V. B. Border Regiment, and O'::iurgeon of the Kendal Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. Supt. Harri son weighed the suggestion over very carefully and soo n ascertained tbat the suggestion could not only be put into practical utility, but that with out losing any of the usefulness of the stretcher or serious disarrangement of its parts it could be so arranged as to be easily fixed to any cycle. It was found that an ex tla traverse bar near the centre from where the cycle stretcher folds would be required to keep the stretcher rigId, and \\'hen this was affixed th e stretcber wa s quite st.rong enough for any purpose to which such an appliance is put. By a SImple arrangement the stretcher can be folded in the manner in the illustrations, and Supt. H arr son claims that apart from Its use as a cycle stretcher, (I)-that it is the liCYht est and most <;>

Thi; .-illiclt' lras oon'ded Ollt ojoltr last issue.

SURGEOX-GE:\ERAL ],\.\IESON 0 r A.M.e.

The friends of Surge on -G enera Jameson entertained him at dinner on July 2+th, at the Hotel Cecil. Si r William Church presided, and amongst those present were Sir Joseph Fayrer, Sir Thomas Barlow Dr. R. Far quharson, :Jr.P., Sir 8:ll1lnel \'i'i1ks, Sir \,\,illiam :'IacCormac: :'Ilajor-G ene ral Rus sell. ,'ir Frederi ck T re \ es, Sir Dyce Duck worth, Pr ofe sso r \IT. ""atson Cheyne , Dr. Conan Doyle, Colonel Stevenson, Lieut.-Colonel Baptist, \'.C., :'11', J. L. Chead.::, and i\ 1r. Cuthbert 'i'allace.

:::)ir \I-illi a ,n Church, in propo sing the health of Surgeon-General Jameso n,said thatas long ago as I 67 their guest obtained distinction for the part he took in repelling the Fenian in\';tsion of Canada. In rS66, after serl'ing in every part of the world, he was appointea Director o f the \rmy Tbe present war was a unique one in se\'eral w::tys, alHl their guest had stuck ro his dIfficult task. They as ci vilian s were met Lo acknowledge tbe able manner in ,\hid1 he had kept lip the good relationship between his own corps and his cil'ilian brethren, (Cbeers) Sun::eon-General Jameson , in reply, said in o rdina ry times the Army Corps wa s sufficie nt attenu to the wants of t\\' O army corps. 1 h'lt force was expanded dunng the early months of the war , and then the units of the .\rmy \\ 'ere doubled and 'rebled. Yet with every unit embarked they ,\ere ahle to send a proper ,'omplement of the medical staff. L'p to tbe present time oyer 50,')00 il1\'alids had returned. _-\ll these had been hanuled by hi s department in conjunction willi that of tbe _-\dJulant-General, and not a single one Iud heen transferred to a civil hospital. (Cheers.) [ might be asked holY they had been able to accomplish such it miracle. First they called up the reser\'es of their o\\n corps. Then they recalled e\'ery man that could be spared from the Colonial sta'ions: They were able in this w::ty to send 7,000 tr,llned men to South !\[!'lca. Ther got 500 men from the

and 600 men from the and e\'en' civilian wh o had had any experience THE ST. A:'I1[nJL\:'\CE CORPS HAD Sl'PPLIED TIID[ "nTH 1.900 MEN, ,,-no IUD RE':\"DERED AIY\[IR-\BLE SER\'ICE, They had sent Sao nurses, for wh ose sen'ices th ey were indebted to the gueen and the Princess Christian. (Cheers,) They had sent to South l\fri ca 4,000 tons of medicines, stores, and material, nineteen bearer companies, t\\'entyeight field hospitals, s ixt een general hospitals, and five stationary hospitals. They had prep:ll'ed three advanced and twO base depots, two hospital ships and three hospital trains. [n all they had equipped 21,000 beds. There bad been complaints that the sanitary condition of the camps had been badly looked after, but he would remind them that sanitary officers had been abolished, against the wi sh of his department. If future wars were to be carried on on more humanitarian prinCiples there mllst be a large increa se in the transport service. Theirs was the only department of the service that had yet been inquired into, and he coull] not think that had altogether bee n done to it. (Cbeers.) Tbose who had lI itnessed other ,\'a.TS had all borne testimony to the fact that in no other W :1r had the sick and wounded been so well looked after on the whole. (Cbeers.) He believed that in years to come that would be the 'erdict of history. (eheen.)

Sir I"'illiam :'I[a cCormac, in proposing the of the Public :'Iledi cal Sen·ices,sa.id he helie\ed there was not n o w a. single candi:::ate for the Army :'IIedi cal Department. That department had been subjected to much intemper:lle criticism, the tone of which \\a.s llluch to be deprecated. (Oheers.) H e could not help \rondering at the fact that tbeir guest tha.t night had left his position as head of the Arm)' J'-ledica.l Department not only with out any r ecognition of his past sen'ices, but witbout even a word of thanks. (Loud Cbeers.)

DO GS AS "YoRK ERs.-An in(elesting account of the amhulance dogs at the Olystal Pala ce is g-i\'en in the" Temple :'IIagazi ne "-" I n the Palace GI ounds," says thc wri ter, "a sh1.m fight takes place, men falling w0l111ded behind the trees and amidst the bushes that surrou nd the open space in which the exhib;tioll is g iv en The amhulance dogs are very restless whilst ti'e firing is going on, tugging at their chains with impatient jerks; evidently they are eager to get to work. hut it is not until the firing- has ceased tbat they are let loose. Then tbey scamper away in great Ea ch dog is provided w;th a neat little saddle, witb a pocket on either side, in whic !) are placed al l kinds of lint and bandag-es, and slung round'his is a flask of brandy. On the outside of the saddle-pockets the!'e are two conspicious Red Cr03£es, whi ch should protect :he dog from molestation by the enemy, The animal makes straight for tbe bushes with a businesslike air that is very funny to \\·atch. From tree to tree he hurries, oilen running with his nose to the ground, scenting, until he comes on the wounded man. Th en he calmly sits down to await the arrival of his master and tbe who will be guided to hin: by the bell whi ch is hung upon neck, In war time the soldiers kno\\' exactly wnat is 1mt in the pockets of these ambulance dog-saddles, and if the wounded man is conscious and able to stir he will open the pocket and take out a bandage with which to bind up his wound for the lime heing, a drink from the flask often giving him sufficient strength to do this, so that he can =ome\\'hat stop tbe loss of blood and materially heir; towards saving his lifc. The dog under sta nds pre"i=ely whal is going on and meekly stands close up to the man to enable him to reach tbe pockets. One cf the wounded men at the Pala ce pretended to be so weak that he could not get along' alone, but by hanging heavily on the collar of the dog managed to cr ,\\ I to meet the ambulance that was coming- for him. It was wonderful to see ho". the faithful animal adapted his speed to the COll\cnience of the sick man, helping to dlag him along \\ith the utmust paticnce and good humour Time and again, \\ben tbe stret che r-bearers have pas se d by the wounded men, hidden by foliage or lying at the hottom of a ditch the dogs ha.ve scented them out Immediately and without the lea st hesitation," Tbe a\'erage dog takes IS months to train, and ill the German Alm\- e;,tch one has 10 passan eX:1mination bt:fole he is put" o n the strength." Thus they can be depended upon alm ost absolutely. for it is exceedingly lare that a traineJ dog will play hiS master or his vrders false The only reason that pointers caliliot he useJ for th s work is that tbelr naturallO\'e of sport is too stlong-l), inherent in them, and they could not l'e depended upon, if they happelled to come across the chance of a goo,l chase, as they would probably forget all about their work and go flying- off alter their o\\'n plea.sure. But the stcadfastness of collies and "heepdogs is not to be feared; they are f:tithful and valiant, sticking to their duty \lith conscientiousness, and figbting to the death in a manner that gives a fine ex'tillple to their superior::; <.to

r res p 0 nbc It C c.

To the Db/or of Fihsr ,\m

ST. ,TO[L ,\:.\ll3l'L,\:\"CL BRIGADE.

Sir,-One feel s thankful to you Sir, for allo\\ing the columns of your valuable Paper to roe opened to ventilate the Clying neglcct, or \·ant of good management at S1. John 's Gate. Your corresponclent

A I D. LSeptember, 1901.

"Northampton," is quite right in the way ambulance volunteers are treated. Ha\'e St. J o hn £\mbulance Brigade officia ls lost interest in the further del'elopment of ambulance?

.Tust fancy, Sir \ conference at Hull, and neither the Chief Commissioner nor Brigade Chief DuperintenJent present; just h e phce to in crease interest i n the movement-IVhy their absence? [ s it tbey ha.ve lost interest, if so, let them resign, and make loom for those \\' ho have the desire at l east for progress. i\o doubt many of the officers present on that occasion had to pay their own expenses, and who do the work from a [ure desire to help the movement forward, travelled many miles, and then to lind, those who could ha.ve given useful in. formation and belp conspicious by their absence. It is a sta nding dis,grace on the managel11en t and arrangemen ts of II ead Qu:trters. Tbe correspondent" Faversham" speaks of an injust ce, and he has a right to complain Is it neglect, short sighted ness, or what i s it that keeps the St John's men out of their so o ng? Note Sir, those who went out to the war to a llay suffering, in my mind, certainly nught to have rec e iv cd notice first, or decidedly bt'fore now; [or the country had not the 31ightest chim on them. \Vh ich sir , is the nobler act-To create suffering and distresss, or those who allay it ? I'll leave your read ers to judge which.

Again Sir. the list of names of am hulance men \\ ho went and rendered first aid on tbe da\' of the funeral of our late f)e1o\'ed ()ueen were asked for, and sent into Iread <Jllarters i'Y their lHficers. and up till no\\' no fUI ther notIce has been taken of them \nlj' asked [or if not reljuired, only for waste paper hasket)

One \'entllles to bope that we sha.ll bear of a g-eneral waking up of those in fault or a leorganization of St. John ,\mbulance lhigade; for men ougbt a nd must be lieated with proper thought and respcct, if the officials desire to keep the bI igade gOI11g- ,\ word of the growing danger of f urther neg-lect is quite ellougb to the wi} illy apology is, public men, and their doings must expect to be publrcly criticised.

Tbanking you, be1ie\'e me, SEco:-;n OFFICER

To the Editor of FIRST AID

AUTOill ;\TIC FIRST A[D, Sir,-Re the Au:omatic Fir st \id Boxes, mentioned by you in this month's publication; they are ha.rdly a nt.w invention , we have bad one in K eighley, Yorkshire, fDr over three years, and another for tlVO years, which contain stretcher, bandages, splints, lamp, lint, wool, &c" &c., but not the telephone, a.nd which bave been used many times by the Doctors of the Town, as well as ty the amb ulan ce men of the Keighley Corps.

Yours truly, F. NOBLE, SUpl. 13 Division, Keighley Ambulance Corps

CO U PO N TI eKE T

SPECIALLY GU..iRANTEED BY

The Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corporation, LIMITED.

40, 42, & 44, MOORG ATE STREET, LONDON, E.C.

to whom Notice of Claims, unrlrr the following conditions musL be sent withlll se\'en days of aeeident to the allol'c address .)

600093 £100

will hI' paid hy t\](' aho\'e Corporation to t llf'\('ga] representative of anyone who is k lled 11.1' all 'tcei,l(,lIt to the (1Ilthin the United Kingllom or Channel Isl lllhls), ill which the ,lel'easl:,l wa' a tieket bearilll{ or paying pas.enger, or ,,,110 shall 11>\1'(" he!'J1 rat ally inJured thereby (shuuhl death result wltb illnineLy Llays alter s1l('h accident

PROVIDED hat the pC'l'"on so kilil·,1 or in.iurC'd had upon his or h e r person or hl\cllcfL at home this tic\c t. ,vit h ilis, or h l', "owL! signature, written prior to theacci llL' nt. onthespacel'l'ol'i<ip,lllelow,whwh, logetiler with the givi ng of notice witllill the time as herCllliJelore llIent.iolled, I, the es.e nce of this contracL

'rhis insurance holds gO(l(1 [or current issue only, ann ('a lTics he benefits of anll is suh.iect to. the cOlHilt.iolb or UCE.\X ACCIDEi:\'l' & G Ii CO;\lP.\.i:\Y, Lillllted. Act, h'I!)," W,}(s

The Corp' ration a,lmil that the !,Iltcbase of Lllis Pap er is the payment of a premIum ullclet· ::'cctitlll

ulthe A(

K o persoll can l'ccon:r

EDITED BY HEATON C. HOWARD, L.R.C.P. LOND., M.R.C.S. ENG.

No. 88.- VOL. VIII. Entered at Stattoners' Hall.J OOTOBER, 1901. PRICE ONE PENNY.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For 12 months, IS. 6d., post free, to be sent to the Publishers.

:fJ3 re\)i ties.

W E und ers t and that with the approval of the Secretary of State for 'War, Viscount Knut sfo rd, G,C.M.G" has been appointed Chairm an of the Central British Red Cro s Com mitt ee, and Mr A. K. Loyd , K,C., M .P. , a repr esentative of the National Aid S ociety on the committee, in place of the lat e L ord Want age Vi sco unt KnlJt ford has represented the St. John Ambulance

As soc iation 011 the co mmi ttee since its formation, *

Jom1 b. Gl-{IFFITHS, LR.C.P, L o nd., M.:r:.C.S. Eng., the di st rict chief s up erinte nd e nt of the sou thern and lye tern di tricl of the St. John A.mbulance Brigade, h as been appointed acti n g a sistan t commissioner by His f ajesty the Kin g, acting as Grand Prior of the Order of he Ho pita l of St. J ohn of J er l1 sa lem.

IT is announced that th e Order of th e H ospita l of St. J ohn of J eru alem in England h ave decided to present a special medal to all the St J o h11 Ambulance Brigade men who ha,-e been on ac tiv e serv ice in South Africa. The med::d is to be specia ll y st ru c k, a nd will be worn with the ,'outh African 'War :\1 edal on the brig a d e regulation uniform. It will shortly be issued for a ll who are entitled to receive it, The decision of the Order to recognise the men's services has ca u sed mu c h gratification.

** *

THE N o rth Eastern Railway Company is enthusiastic over ambulance work. It will be remembered that the Company's team (fre m Hull) won the Challenge Shi eld of the St. J o hn Ambulan ce A soc iation last May. We have just r ece iv ed a copy of the circular of the Pres ident of the Centre upon the result of the competitions. It see m s that the y hav e six di strict s, York, Newca s tle, Darlington, Hartl epoo l, Hull and Leed s, and competition s (i ndi v idual and team.) are held at each of the se cenlres. The best tedm of each di strict competed in the final at York, and the Hull team proved to be the winn ers' and as bebre stated succeeded in wre st inO' the t:> Ch a lleng e Shield from the London competitors. vVe congratulate the Company on their enterprise.

H lborne 1Rursing."

By " CHlRURGUS " PART IX.

APPLICATION OF LOCAL REMEDIES.

POULTICES

When we wish to apply heat and moisture to a part we u se either a poulti ce or a foment at ion, We use heat and moisture for three purp oses, namely,

To ease pai n.

2 To assist the infl ammatory process.

3 To assist the discharge matter.

The p oult ces in general use are the linseed, tbe bread, the mustard, the yeast and the charcoa l.

LINSEED POULTICE - DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING

T ak e a basin, suffi c ien tly large, scald it thoroughly with boiling water. Th en put in the basin some boiling water, sufficient to make the poultice of the required size; with the left hand gradually drop in crushed linseed, not linseed meal, stirring well with a knife the whole time, until the mass is of the right consistence. The rigbt consistence is attained when the mass is sufficiently moist to turn out o f the bas in without sticking to the s ides, neither too sloppy nor too firm.

T he mass is then to be spread on some old linen, teased out tow, or brown paper, leaving a margin of balf an in ch uncovered all round Thi s un cove red margin sho uld then be turned in over tbe edge of the linseed, a nd so prevent it escaping wher. placed in positi o n.

A little olive oil may be s meared on the surface. The thickness of the poultice s h ou ld be from a quarter to half an inch. The heat shou.ld be as hot as can be comfortably borne; the nurse should test the heat of the poultice w ith the back of her own hand before applying it to he patient'S body If the poultice has to be carried from o ne room to another, it must be pla ced upon a hot plate and be coyeled with a cloth

How to Apply a Poultice. - The proper way in whi c h to apply a poulti ce is this-baving prepared the patient, take the poul tice on the palm of the left hand, bring the inner edge of the band in contact w ith the patient's body, gradually turn tbe hand inwards until the whole surface of the poultice is in conta ct with the patient's body. By applying the poultice gradually and gently the patient does not notice the great heat. In removing a poultice you proceed in exactly the eve rse manner; fi r st, you place the left hand lightly over the poultice, then grasp the upper edge of the poultice between the forefinger "nd thumb of the right hand and gradually peal it off, on t o the left band.

After removing a poultice, if another is not to be appli ed, the part is to be calefully dried with a soft cloth and some cotton wool placed over it.

A Ja cket Poultice is a large linseed poultice made to cov er the ba ck, sides and chest, and is k ept in position by a broad bandage or towe l, fixed with safety pins

BREAD POULTICE.

How to make, - Take some crumbs of stale white bread, drop them into a cup contai ning boiling water; cover the cup with a sa ucer and allow it to stand for some min ut es by t he fire. Strain off the water, and apply h e soaked bread upon linen. Some people substitute boiling milk in place of boiling water, as it makes the poultice more soothing.

The bread poultice is u sed when only a sma.ll surface re quires poulticing; its action is the same as that of linseed.

MUSTARD POULTICE,

Mu star d poultices are made either of pure must ard or of mustard and lin seed me!l. When it is re quired to mak e tbe poulti ce of pure mustard, tbe mu stard is made into a paste with cold W:ller a.nd then spread on linen or brown pa per, the face of a mustard p oultice must always be covered with muslin.

When m ade with linseed, directed in the British equal parts of mustard and lInseed meal are taken and mixed toO'ether and are then made into a past e with the aid of tepid water. I

A must:Hd poultice made with linseed meal can be left on Ion O'er than one made of pure mustard. If made of pure mustard fifteen<>to [wenty minutes will be found sufncientl " 10nO" if left Ion O'er the skin b bl J <> , <> e Istere:l. A yery convenient sub=titute for a mustard poultice IS a mmtard leaf.

YEAST POULTICE.

How to make.- Take tlYO ounces of yeast and mix it with t\\'o of boiling water in an earthenware "essel, into which gradually stIr a quartel of a pound of either flour, linseed ·meal, or yery fine oat· then let it be heated until it rises and is sufficiently hot. l. eas poultices are \'ery useful in the treatment of ulcers

CHARCOAL POULTICE.

How to make. - Charcoal poultices are made in one or t\\'o ways; either make a bread poultice to \\hich add a quarter to half an ounce of powdered charcual, or add half an ounce of pO\\'dered charcoal , two ounces of linseed-meal and two ounces of bread crumbs and then mali:e into a paste with hot water.

In which eyer way you make the poultice, the surface must be oyer \\'ith powdered charcoal before being applied, A charcoal poultice is an antiseptic one, and is ohen required for foul and sloughing parts as in gangrene or decomposing ulcers.

FOMENTAT IONS

F omentations are yerr cOD\'enient methods of applyin cr warmth and moisture to the skin. They ha\'e the great ad\'antage "'of cleanliness and simplicity. The usual way to make a fomenmtioll is to take a piece of coarse l'Iannel about a yard square, fold it to the size required. al"d place it in a basin of boiling water. With the aid of a stick remO\'e the flannel from the boiling water and place it on a towel, the ends of which are to be twisted tightly in opposite directions until the "':tter is thoroughly squeezed out of the flannel.

The hot flanael is then to be applied to the part, and its outer surface is to be coyered with se\'eral folds of dry flannel to prevent wettin cr the h' COt ll1g.

F omen ta tion s \\ ill req uire cha nging e\'ery half hour.

In cases of gre:tt pain poppy or laudanum fomentations may be made use of.

Poppy Fomentation is made by boiling two poppy heads in two pints of water until the quantity is reduced to one pint, then strain and soak flannel in hot liquid.

Laudanum Fomentation.-After the ·flannel has been wrun cr out of boiling water, sprinkle from half to an ounce over the surface applying to the sk in.

In making fomentations a very good substitute for flannel is Spongio Piline, whi ch is a thick felt cO\'ered with waterproof on one side, so as to pre\'ent evaporation.

COUNTER-IRRITATION.

By counter-irritation we mean the application of an irritant to the surLlce so as to relie\e detp seated pain.

Tbe follo\\ing are used as counter-irritants: Mu stard poultices. or lllu5tard lea\·cs, turpentine stupes, blisters, some liniments.

Mustard leaves are ery convenient substitutes lor mustard poultices They are obtainable in the form of lea\'es or thin sheets it is only necessary to soak them [or a few seconds in cold water applying.

Turpentine stupes.-Take a dip in hot water and \\TinO' out, over the surface spr inkle three or four teaspoonfuls of Be careful that the SKin is not blistered.

Blist.ers.-Th ere are two methods of applying blisters-one is by means of the blister plaster and the other by painting the part with bl istering fluid. After the blister has formed, the plaster should be remo\'ed and the blister dressed.

Dressing Blisters. - 'Yith a pair Df sharp scissors open the vesicle at the most dependent part. After the fluid has drained away, apply some boracic ointment on lint, oyer which apply a thin layer of cotton \\'001 and secure with a bandage. If it is requisite to keep the blister open, apply savin ointment instead of boracic.

LEECHES.

",,'hen it is required to remove a srnall quantity of blood: a leech cal] be used; each leech will draw about a teaspoonful of blood. Before applying a leech be careful to wash the skin witlI warm water and dry it. The leeches should always be applied over bony surfaces, in case pressure has to be applied to stop bleeding. If a leech has to :'e applied inside the mouth, it must be applied in a leech glass, in case it should get down the throat.

If it is required to take a leech off before it has had its fill, sprinkle it with a lillIe salt, do not pull it off in case one of the teeth should be left in the flesh and cause a troublesome wound,

If bleeding from bite is se\'ere, firm pressure by pad of lint and a bandage \\ill usually control it.

Ointments are used to apply medica;:lents tD the surface in c:tse of wound s or skin

They should be, ery evenly spread on the smooth side of lint.

A I D. [October, 1901.

SUPPOSI TORIES

These are used for the purpose of introducing drugs into the rectum. The drug is u s ually mixed with cocoa-butter, which is easily dissolved, made into the form of a cone and inserted int o the rectum.

To insert a suppository the patient should be laid on left side and the suppository being well oiled, it should be pushed small end first well into 1 he rectum.

Suppositories made of glycerine are very useful in cases 0 constipation.

EYE LOTIONS.

Eyr. lotions are generally better applied warm. Swabs of cotton wool should be used, not sponge, so that they can be destroyed.

THE E;-ID,

st. john Bnlbulancc :ffirigabe.

EXETER.-A meeting was held on the 24th ult. at Exeter Guildhall, presided O\'er by the Mayor, [or the purpose of forming- a di\'ision of the St J ohn Ambulance B!·igade. Dr. Vernon, of Bath (deputation). said two attempts to form a division in Exeter had failed, for \\'bat reason he did not know. Th e Sheriff moved a resolution, declaring- it to be desirable to form a diviSIOn for the city .\lr. Williams (the chief constable) seconded the resolution, remarking that a division was very much needed in Exeter, especially when the city was crowded with people on public occasions. Dr. Peraira spoke in support of the proposal, as also did VTr. F. Dunn and :\II'. T. Peter, after which it was carried .\lr. E Bradley and :'I[r. E. A. Bo\\"den, hon. secretaries, at the close of the mf;eting enrolled the members of the association

XORTHA::I IPTON.- The annual impection of this Corps took place on the 7th ult., by the kind invitation of '\1r. Jobn C oo per, J P., and '\lrs. Cooper, on the Ia,'n of Delapre Abbey. The members of the corps to the numbcr of about 180 assembled at the Inhrmary at three o 'clock, and after a few movements marched to Deb pre, under the commar.d of Chief Superintendent Perry. The Tursing Sisters assembled at Delapre, nearly all wearing the simple uniform of the Nursing Division. They numbered nearly fifty. The inspection was conducted by Colonel C. Bowdler, Commissioner of the brigade. He \\'as accompClnied by the Marquis of Northampton. President of the :'\orthampton Oentre; Assist:tnt-Commissioner T. H. \Y001ston and others. lIe was received with the usual salute. The ranks were inspected ami the men marched past in columns of sections and returned into li,le. The men then .ook post at wounded, went throl!gh strelcher, bandage and other drills. Tbe whole of the work W'lS evidently well executed. After the inspection, which occupied about three-quarters of an hour the men were formeLi on lwo sides of a square, the nursing sisters occupying the third s ide. Colonel B o wdleI' said that though the St. Jobn Ambulance Brig-ade was not a military body it was necessary for its members to be efficient in certain drills Those they had just performed were well done. It was necessary, especially for those in uniform to drill well and smardy, for if they did the public would not fail to that they were smart also in the actual work required of them. The Govt:.rnrnent authorities had asked the heads of the Brigade if, in time of emergency, they would be able to provide Volunteer Bearer Companies to take the field for home defence immediately they were called upon. There was an impression, he bel ieved that men who volunteered for companies could be sent out of the country, but it was not so, unless indeed indivi dua members volunteered to go abroad. ::-fo extra drills were required, but they would have to turn up for inspection by an Army '\ledical Officer, and they would receive for it S. rd. a day as in the ranks and rs. for rati ons. Chief Superintendent Perry and the other officers would give all information on the matter. Tl;ey ought to be prepared for any emergency. Colonel Bowdler added that he was pleased with the way the nursing sisters and tbe men had turned out for inspection, and with the work they had done He wished them all success in the future. Sergeant F. EkinG was then called to the centre, and at the request of Colonel Bowdler, thl; Marquis of Northampton rresented him with a Sou t h African medal. The Marquis o[::-f orthampton next presented medallions to the recipients. Mr. J. Oooper proposed a vote of thanks to the Marquis of l\'orthampton, and spoke of the great interest his lordship took in the ambubnce movement, and the manner i n which he encouraged and assisled those connected with it in every possible way he could-The \,ote was carried by acclamation. At the conclusion of the speeches about a hundred visitors partook o[ tea in :he Abbey, at Mr. Cooper's invitation; and tea, also provided by i\Ir. and :'Ilrs. Cooper, was served on the grass to all the m<!n and nursin cr sisters taking part in the proceedings. Th e Temperance Silver Band meantime played a pleasing selection of musical items. The annual dinner of the corps took place at the George H otel in the evenincr under the chairm:tnship of the of. Northa!,llpton Just

October, 1901.J FIRST AID.

two hundred members of tbe brigade sat down in the large ball room of the hotel, and another fifty in the adjacent apartment. The :'I1arquis of ::-forthampton presided. He was supported by Colonel c..:. Bowdler, Chief Commissioner of the Brig'1.d e, :'IIr. John Cooper, J.P., Ohairman of the Association for :\ortbampton, .\[r. T. H. \Vo olston, Assistant Commissioner, and other local officers. Tbe bealth of the Kin cr and Queen was recei\'ecl with much enthusiasm and musical Cbief Superintendent Perry proposed if The St. John Ambulance Association," which he explained was the teaching- body of the movement. The '\[arquis of orthampton said that at the annual parade that day he had missed one \Vb::> had alway.3 been with them, one who worked a great deal harder for them than mest members were aware one who devoted himself heart and soul to their interests. Alas, for :tnd for his family Dr. Jones h:td been rewoveJ during the past r2 mon t hs. IIe knew that those who did not \\ear uniform were at a disadvantacre Lut he hoped th:tt before very long the public of ::-forthampton, had recognised the facts that tbe men \\'ere a useful body and were n. positive nece::sity for the country, would be, as \'e ry probably they wo uld, a little more generolls with their subscriptions, so all could always a ppear on parade in uniform. It had always been hiS effort, wherever he had spoken, and wherever he had influence, to try to bring hefore everyone the facts that the ambulance men were of some wben there were. accidents at home, but as a body were a necessity for the country Itselt whenever the hour of dan O'er came, whether it be :tbroad and, ahove all, whether it be at h o me ::ld the sen·ices of e\'en'one who had g'one throuO'h the traininO' of the ;:, .\mbulance Corps \\ere required. The bearer comp:tnies which had been started, a small start after all, might lead to alar 'e fulfilment. He did not belie"e thn they would SLOp at that. .J...t the present moment they did 'lOt know in what part of the world they might be c:tlled upon to defend the honour and interests of their native land and their great empire. In they had good leaC:ers, and b IS lordshl p expressly mentioned the names of :\ ssist:tnt-Commissioner 1\'0015ton, Superintencien t Perry, their ex cellen t friend '\Ir. Fracey, and :\1rs. Perry. He mo,t heartily thanked all \\'ho had taken part in the ambulan ce work of the town and district, and hoped that the pu b lic of would recognize, even more than they had done, the nece ssity of supporllng the brigade with their subscriptions and their hearty sympalhy C.\pplause). .\Ir. John Cooper took the chair, hi s h:tving beel; obliged lea\:e on the completion of hi S speech. :'III'. r. 11;, an ll1terestll1g speec h proposed" The St. John C olone Bowdler , who responded, spoke of the capItal relatIOns 111 :-Torthampton between the BriO'ade a nd the As soc iation, and then referring to the war in South said that the St. John _\mbulance Brig:tde sa\'ed the '\1edical Department of the \ rmy from complete collap3c :tt a ce rtain period. -\ssistantCommissioner T. H. ,r()oLto n also re5ponded to the toast. The toast of the lIon. Surgeons and Officers and the ladies of the ::-fu rsincr Division of the Northampton Corps were suitably responded to. <>

::-fowrl! STAFFOTInSHTRE COIH'S.-:\ series of competitions for challenge cups and methls took place on Saturday S eptember qth. in with the Staffordsl.lire Corps, and proved both lIlterestll1g and lnstrUCtl\,e :tnd exccedll1gly encouraginO' to those who have worked so hard in this district. Assistant '\Ir. Sydney \Y .\Ialkin must have felt specially gratifled, for he can ooli: back upon the time when his efforts to mae and make kno\\n the splendid work of the St. John ; \mbulance "':\ssociation were barely appreciated, a time when one met with more criticism than thanks. [-lis untiring effort!:, however, in the formation classes, and e\'entually of the organisatIOn of the North Staffordshire Corps, show what perseverance, tact and good udgmellt will produce The most successful part of the corps has been that connecled with the North Staffordshire Railw ay Company. The directors of this Company, under the advice

?f 1\1 1". W. D. Philli ps, the General J\1ar.ager, have aSSisted the work III every wa.>: possible. The organ imtion of the railwaymen into a branch of BrIgade work was placed in the hands, or one miO'bt more correctly say, taken up most willine-Iy by Dr. F. Chief S d b upennten ent of the North Stafford shire Corps, most ably assisted by r.Ir. R. wbo se services cannot be over-estimated. Dr. A rlidge undertook recen tly .a. very arduous undertaki ng, viz., to obtain thr ee silve r cups for competitIOn together with medals for tbe winners and thanks to the unceasing efforts of his wife and himself, a silver CUI; and medals were presented by the directors of the NOlth St:tfford5hirc Railway forannual competition amonO'st railwaymen a second silver ( h <>, cup. Wit medals). ,:as subscribed for by the County and Borough J ustlces compelillon amongst the policemen of North t:)tafford s hire and a third silver and medals subscribed for by the nobility and gentry of the dtstl'lct for compt'tllion amongst memb e rs of the i')t. J)ohn Ambulance Brigade. The competitions took place in Hanley ark, and as the was w:tn)'; and. bright, no better place could have been chosen DUl'lng the proceedings the North Staffordl>hil e Railway Band discoursed very pleasant music. The teams competincr were :-(r) Railwaymen : Ashbourne Statioll 2 squads, Stoke 2 Uttoxeter squad, Longport squad; (2) Policemen: Leek 2 squads, Loughton 2 squJ.ds Tunstall 2 squads, Stoke squad; (3) St. John

Brig-ade: Etruria r squad, Burslem 2 squads, Tunstall :2 S jmds :'\ orth Staffordshire Railway I squad, :-T ewcastle I squad, ;\1 ilton 2. .I udges : (I) Dr. F. De B. Pim, Hon Surgeon Barrowford Di\'isio'1 St. .Toh·) Ambulance Brigade; (2) W. H. Irvin Esq., :'I1.B. Chiet Surgeon Preston Corps St. John Am bulance Brig-ade; (3) Lieut.·Col. C Trimbl e, 5th Lanca sh ire Volunteer Artillery, Deputy ComntisslO!1er North'Vestern District St. John Am bulance Driglde. ,\t the close ()f the competition, the competitors were formed up in of the ]',uk. Pavilion, where the prizes were distributed by c..:'1ptain the Hon. C. :\. Anson, Chief of the Stafford shire County Constabulary. The winni'l:; teams were: (r) Railway Competition. Sil\'er cup and medals, Passenger GuarJs, T. Bird, W. :\rlott. T. Alcock, W. Tyldesley. (2) Police Competition. First prize, cup and medals. 1uncull No.2 squad, P.C.'s Wright, D. Lyc ett, Chilson, \Y. mittl; sec .nd prize, stretcher and medals, Stoke, P.C.'s Gould, Johnson. Robinson. (3) Brigade Competition. First prize, ,;il\'er Clip a'1J medals, Tunstall NO.2 S(luad, Sergt. Smith, Privates lIeap, \\'alkcr, :\Iatthews, Blackburn; second prize, medals, Sergt. Skerr:J.tl, Pri,·at.:s Bodnore, Pa li n, William s Waite. Dr. F. Arlidge explained why the prizes were obtained and offered. In Ithe t1rst instance. ::;e. John Ambulan ce \ssociation grants to those who pass examinations cer:alll rights to wear certain badges He had iound that a large numbe vi people, as soon as they gOt meciallions :>r badges, yut the book on some shelf, and here ended the St. J ohn work 50 far as tbey were cOllcemed. But, uniortunately, those people did not put the badge away. They neglected the work, but did not neglect to wear the badge. Instead of becoming more efficient thev became le"s so, and in wme cases they became almost dangeroll3. The idea of Dr. :\rlidge therefore was that some such competitions as theEe would =:..use friencily ri\'alry and incre.1se the interest in the work. an 1 C:luse m people to continue the study and practice of this splendid work aller gaining their medallions. Th is would tend grca:er efficiency in .tmbulance work. The public woulJ then know that the wearer OJ a badge was a person fully capable of rendering" first aid" whtne\'er required. He wished to thank all those subs(.libers :ll1d tne :\ nh Staffordshire Railway Directors for their ably backing up his effvrts. Captain Anson, in presenting the cups and medals. said that through the public spirit and enterprise of Dr. :\rlidae. they had been [al'ourel with a most interesting tIe fully endorsed tha t gen man's remarks respecting the yalup. of contests for keeI,il g up interest and knowledge of the work. He felt specially interested in the work done by the police, and was very pleased t) see his men taking such pains to make themseh'es more efficient. He then said he had a further yery pleasant duty to perform, and that was 10 the South African ribbon to those ambulance men who bad gone out from this district to sen'e during the war under the .\rmj' :'I Ieui,.aI Corps. IJe W<lS proud of this opportunity to thank th ,c: men jor ha\'ing so willingly volunteered to go out to belp relie\'e the sufferings. Th os e ri bbons and the medal::. which \Yould shonly follow would be some thing for their chi ld ren and grandchildre11 to look at with pride and thankfulness. He then handecl the South .\tric:tn ribbons to Sergt. Tylde sley Pri\'ates Sanders, Grindley, Lowe, Chilton, Walley and Jones. '\Ir. \Y. ]). Phillips III 0\ cd ;t vo e of to Captain Anson. which was beanily accorded,:l.s also were votes of thanks to the judges. .\fler the proceedings, :'1[1 s. Phillips il1\'ited the railw:tymen to tea in tbe padlion. The folloll in:! reporc has since been received from Lieut.-Col. frimble: Dear Dr. A.rlidge.1 feel I am only t.!oing juslice to YOLl, in writing to say hu\\' plea:;eJ I was with 3.11 the arr3.ngements made by yon to carry out the ambulancl;. competitions at toke·on-Trent on Saturday last. The position or ue park, the ample room afforded 0n the terracCs where tbc judging to place, the marshalling of thf' competing teams, coupled with tnc supplying of the squads to the judges when wanted. the pro\'isiun ot office accom moda tion, together wi th rnan yother facili ties, grea tl y assisted the judges with their work and contributed largely to t'le success of the meeting. I am strongly o[ opinion you h:t\'e laid the substantial fountlaLion of an ambulance competition which willde\'e!op an imporlance not now anticipated.-Belie\·e me, laithflllly your!',

CHARLES J. TRDlBLE.

PL Y1I[OUTH.- The competition for the and Cornwall challenge cup took place at the Drill Hall on Z[st ult. ix team; entered as follows: Two from the Redruth Divi s ion, three from the .\'e\\ton Abbot divisi o n, one from Great Western Railway, :\Iillbay The judges, who were Captain-Surgeon :\ ral'l'i Oll, of Plym out h. and Dr. LI ammond, of Liskeard, declared the winning- teams: [ st, J\lillhay,with 636 marks; 2nd, Newton bbot, :\0. team, 6[9 mal ks; 3 rd Newton \hbot, o. :! team, 59 mar ks. t\ fter a fe\\ \\'ords ,·on· gratulating the teams on the \\'ork Jon e, Deputy-C omma nd er C. l.alll ie pre 'e nted I::luperintendent A. Ilott, on beb:t ll of the Plymolllh team with the challenO'e cup. lIe al so handed around the prize", "hich comprised silver "'breakfast cruets, biscuiterres, and si h 'er match-boxes. Cheers were cri\'cn for the jUdges by the men. The Plym ou th team consisted of Sergeant J. Hat ch, Pm·ate II. P ri ·1.tc \V. \VOlt OIl, and 'V. Treneman, with First Oflicer G. 110blll1 in clurge.·

( Continued on p:tge ':!<).)

AID. I[October , 1901. \Dolunteer Brnbulanee $ebool of 3nstruction.

It has been authoritative ly announced that the Coronation of His Majesty King Edward VII. will take place next June , CORONATIO:"1. and as the ceremony will be most imposing and many foreign princes and persons of disti nction will be present, the crowds along the route of the procession will be enormous, and the usual, or we might say extraordinary, precautions will have tJ be taken by our authorities. (jne of the most necessary precaut ions is that of the a mbul a nc e arrangements, especially in connection with the St. J ohn Ambu lance Brigade.

Wh atever may be the length of the the shorter it is the more densely concentrated will be the crowd-ample provisibn will have to be made against accdents, and we may reasonably expect that no such fiasco will occur as that when the Oity Imperial Volunteers returned home. The St. John Ambulance Bri gade will doubtless be requisitioned to supply a large number of men, and to furnish a good many stations along the route, and we know, of course, that whate\'er number is required, they will be forthcoming

A s this will be one of the few occasions when the Brigade is called upon to prove its abi lit y to undert ake a great work, and to exhibit its effic iency collective ly and individually, we hope th e opport un ity will be seized, and that the Brigade will send forth its best men and nursing sisters in hundreds, and show what it can do 111 times of peace.

Some inspection s of the large provincial cent re s h aye recently been held, and when we observe that SouthEa t lancashIre can muster 335 men and nur ses, Wellin gborough over 300 , and Northampton 23 0, it will be seen that there is no la ck of men and women ready to do their duty. It is not often that the Metropolitan and Provincial members of the Brigade have the chance of working shoulder by shoulder, and we trust that on this occasion the Provincial Uorps will be well represented, The King takes a great interest in the work of the Order of St. J ohn and the St, John Ambulance Brigade, and we are certain that every member who is on dut y at the Coronation will deem it a great honour, and will be on ly too pleased to be able to show his devotion to his King.

CORRESPO:-:DENCE.-\\ "e are requested to state that the le tte r signed <. :\'orthampto:1 "in a recent is sue not sent by either of tbe delegates from :\orthampton wh o abo say" we uo feel writers shouk nOL sign in such a way, as a Corps may be markeu with the credit of it be it or bad."

PRESIDENT, :\IA]OR ANDREW MACLURE, V.D., 23, CAMBRIDGE S T. 'V. Classes for the training of Stretcher Bp.arers Syllabus ot course of instructIOn to be held at th e headquarters of the 20th :\Iiddlesex (Artists) R. V , Duke 's Road, Euston Road, \V.C., commencing at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesd ay, OctJber 2nd, Ig o r, by permission of Colonel R. 'N. Edis, V.D., commanding the Artists R.\'.

ADVANCED GLASS.-The Course of Instruction for Non-Commissioned Officers and Men who are in po:session of tbe Army Ambulance Certificate will be under the c harge of Captain E. \\T. St. Vincent Ryan, late City Imperial Volunteers, and Surgeon J A. Masters, :\I.D Electrical Engineers R.E.V. 'Wedne sday, Octoher 2nd, at 7.30 p.m.The Rules for using an.l the Varieties of the Roller Bandage. Captain E. W. St Vincent Ryan. vVednesday, October gth.-Lecture on the C arriage ami Nursing of Helpless Patients. Surgeo n-Lieut. J. A. '\Vedne sday, October 16th.-B.\ndages for IIand and Arm.

Captain E. W. St. Ryan. _Wednesday, O.ctober 23rd.-The ObservaLion of the SIck, and the uses of the Cbl1l ca l Thermometer.

Sura-eon-Lieut. J. A. Masters. Wec!ne sday, October 30th, at +.30 p.m. for Foot, Leg, and Thigh. Captain E. 'V. St. Vinr:ent Ryan.

NEW CLAss.-Wednesday, October 2nd, at 7.30 p.m.-Introductory Lecture on the Skeleton Joint s and i\I uscles. Brigade-Surge on Lieut-Col. P. B. Giles, V.D. Wednesday October gth.-The H eart Blood Vessels and Circulation; the position of th e Vi scera. SUf!<eonMajor W. Culver James, M.D ., the Hon. Artill e ry Company. Wednesday, October 16th.-The Lungs and Respiration Wednesday, October 23rd. - The Treatment of the .\ pparently Droll'ned; Bur:1s and Scalds; Sho ck. Captain E. W. Berkley, late R.A.:\LC. 'Yednesday, October 30th.-Fractures and Dislocations and their Treatment.

Surgeon-Major I V. Culver James, M.D.

$ebool jfirst Bib <rlasscs.

Dr. Collie, the Medical Superintendent of the London School Board, has recently issued his report from which the following few brief extracts will indicate tbe importance an.:! the wide scope of the work on which he is eng-aged :-" The ambulance and nursing classes of the evening continuation scbools have prol'ided instruction for over r6,ooo pupils, and there are over 900 teachers to whom special instruction has been given. There can be no question that the influence of these teacher s classes has made itself felt during the session now closing in better teaching and in more thorough work. When preparina- the syllabus of instruction for the teachers' classes, availed myself gf the opportunity to introduce certain important subjects, such as the following :- The prevention of disease in school life. The prevention of communicable diseases in school life. The eradication of parasitic diseases. The danger of ophthalmia The evils of overcrowding and improper dietary The dangers of the indiscriminate use of alcohol, etc., etc I am hopeful that the knowledge thus gained will filter through to the pupils, and in this way incalculable benefit be secured to thousands of children attending our day schools ,\Vhen the schemes of instruction were issu ed I took occasion to point out to bot h lecturers and teacher s, that in instructing the classes their object must be to show how the common and inexpensive things of every-day life may be utilised in emergencies that though hospital treatment and bospita l-tra ined nurses are admittedly the best for most cases of serious illness amongst the poor, there always is a considerable number of the sick who are either inadmis3ible t o hospitals or who for various reasons prefer to be nursed in their own homes by their relations or friends' and that the instruction given at the home nursing classes is intended to assist the pupils to be of service at such time s. Last term there were I gI ambulance and nursing classes. This year they bave increased to no less a number than 490. Of the 460 classes, 300 have been on first aid to the inj ured, and 160 on home The staff cons sts of 13 doctors, many of whom are women, and 13 trained nu rses, ass isted by 245 of the board's teachers. 1 have given the subject of examinations spec ial at te ntion. All candi d ates are examilled both in the theory and practice of their respective s ubiects. The consist of parts, writte:1 (or oral, where, owing to speCia l Circumstances, It IS conSIdered adVIsable) and a practical. Inability to satisfy the examiner in either part of the examination entails rejection of the whole Since my appointment, now nearly 12 months ago, have done my best to launch this new scheme successfully I have devote? many of the working ho urs of each day, and practIcally all the leI sure at my command to the organis:llion and superintendence of the classes I s ubmit the foregoing account of the results with some measure of confidence tha the committee will consider that these results have been satisfactory, and have justified the painstaking and anxious effort by which they have been produced."

,

r October, 1901 ] FIRST @l1r

A Flue 1'.iB1;L.iRY.

S

ERGT. LEOXARD

B. COWIX, whose porlrait we pres-ent to our readers this mon th is well known in Metropolitan ambulance where he is a general fayourite.

·ergt. Cmyin took his first certificate in December of the year joining lhe Nt. John's G:1te 1\0. Divi sion in the Februar\' of the following year.

When the call for \'olunteer for sery ice on board the Hospital Ship Frillcess of rr -alcs was mad e Sergt. Cowin was One of the first to volunteer, and he completed two term of ix months each on board that \'e s el. On returning to England, the Insurance Uompany in whose employment he wa engaged, promoted him to a higher po t in recognition of the sen'ice he had 1 endered to his country. Unfortunately howe\'er for our friend, the company shortly afterward am::tlgamated with another and larger concenl, and Sergt. Oowin assuming tiut the com bination would not materially advance his future pro spects, elected to once more volunteer for sen-ice in South Afric::t :lnd accordingly on the formation of an ambulance contil;o'ent for Baden Powell's South African Oon s tabulary, yolunteered [or the service, and once more proceeded to the front. he will worthily maintain the reputation of his Oorps his triends are thoroughly a sured, for he has already been recommended for promotion, and are. sure that his old comrades in this COun try \\I III WIsh hIm the best of health and a pro perom future in the prosecution of the work in which he takes so O'reat 5 an 111terest

I N L ONDON.-We are informed that the l\Iile End Infirmary has a borse ambulance, but for its use a horse has LO be obtained from a contractor. It is suggested that if the Board of Guardians had a horse of their own a-ood work could be done in conwith street accidents and illnesses - even an Ashford litter would be of great help.

SMALL-POX AND CREMATION.

In view of the outbreak of small-pox in London Sir Henry Thompson announces that the Cremation Society of England are" prepared to cremate at a greatly reduced rate (say for £I, the bare cost of fuel) all bodies of people who have died from small-pox." His contention is that the ?odV itself is the most considerable and most dangerous form of contagIOn.

M any families of hop pickers who ha returned from llodiam Sussex, where several cases of small-pox have occurred are unde; observation in and it s believed th at the prompt measures already taken Will prevent the spread of the contagion.

A I D. 29

St. 30hn :tllnbulanee :f'srigabe.

DALTo:\ .-On Saturday, 21st ult.. Dr. Oldham, of :'lorecam be, was the insp ecting officer o n the occasion of the third annual contest at Dalton for the cu p giyen by the St. John Ambulance Association, the contest being between teams selected from the N orth " 'es tern District of the Association. Five te ams entered, viz., Dalton (2), Barrow, IIod b:u row, and Askham. D Oldham, at the close, s1.id before them the results he would like to say a few words about the squad competition. Owing to the limited time it wa!) only possible to give them a few questions in the As soc iation's work of the first stage. But, taking the wcrk on the wbole, it was very satisbctory. He gave tbe results as follow: 'Vinners of cup and Cor poral .l.tkinson's (Dalton) team; winners of medals, Ser ge Cox's Ch'erston team. PRE TOX.-.--\ communication full of il:terest to members of the St. John Ambulance B rigade in this district has just reacheu '\Ia jor Lill Ie, the chief constable of the borough, to whose efforts were lara-ely due the departure and equipment of some of those who volunteered for the S outh African Campaign The letter comes from .\lajor C. L. Jo sling R.A.:\LC., now slationed at Bulu\\'ayo, but who ac the time of wbich he speaks held the position of principal medical officer to the Rh odesia n Field F orce In that cap1.city he enjoyeu special facilities for observina- the conduct and ability of the :--r.C.O.' s and men of the St. John Brigade despatched from this ocal ity. "Uthough the 2nd Hospital R.F. F., of II'hich they formed the personnel, did not see as much fia-htin o as the 1st F.H., .\bj or Josling says they performed their work at"'all well and zealously, and under the I'ery trying climate of Tuli on the Crocodile Ril'er Both physically and as regards intelliO'ence they were the equal of any troops in outh Africa. The writer in high terms of Sergeant-:'lajor Howard, and also of other members of Lhe Preston Police Force who have corne under his notice.

RADCLIFFE.- The fifth annual rel'iew and competition in connectio n with the South - East Lan cashire Corps of the St. John \mbulan ce Brigade, were held on the Old Ra cecourse, Radcliffe, on >::iat urday afiernoon, the 21st ult. There wele 230 members from Bury, Hasling-den, R oy ton, Oldham, Heywoo d, Tottington, Bacup, Bolton, R ochdale and Radcliffe, and 105 nursing sisters from Rochdale, Oldham, Bacup, Bury, and T ottingto n. 'Yhen the members had paraded through the principal streets, all assembled on the Rac :cours e for inspection by Lieut.-Col. Trimble, deputy Tarious comperitions \\'ere aftet\\'ards held, including one [or the police squad.

Ti1e followinO' we re the prize winners :-General competit ion: I (challenge cup), Oldham; 2, Rochdale; 3, Bury Su!'sing competitions: I, Rochdale; 2 Oldham. .1 Lees police challei1ge cup: I, Oldham squad (last year's winners) 2. Church. Lieut.-Col. Trimble addressed the members, and said that the number on parade lI'as the h ia-hest the organisation had ever placed in the field, and was 51 in exce;s of last year·s. He was pleased to see on parade some r+5 men who had see n aCLive service in South Africa, and said they all recoa-nised the sen'ices they had rendered to their King and country. He ;lso congratulated th e nursing sisters on their smart appearance. It would afford him great pleasure to report to the Chief Commissioner on the very satisfactory parade he had witne ss ed. '\Ir. James Cunliffe, in the unavoidable absence of Col. J. J. Mellor ( president),distributed the prizes. Subsequently tea was served in tbe Queen's Hall, and during the evening a dance was held. Owing to the inclement weather the review ,vas attended by only a small number of the general public.

TR EETON.-This district turned out on the 26th ult. to do ho nour to the memory of twO oca men who lost their lives in the Transvaal \Yar. One of th ese was Arthur King, aged 29 years, a reservist in the 2nd Coldstream Guards, who died on March 26th, 19oo from enteric fever. The other \\'as Ernest Man ship, aa-ed 20 years, \\'ho went OUlasa member of the Sheffield Corps of the St. John Ambulan ce Brigade, an d dIed on September 15th 1900, from enteric fever. Of the four who w{ nt out the other two were fortunate enough to return alive. The inhabitants of Treeton, wishing to commemorate the two local heroes who had given their li\'es fo r Queen and country, contributed very liberally towards a fund. 1 stone to their memory has been ere cted in Treeton churchyard, supplied by :'1r. C. Travis, Broughton-lane, and costing about £20. This stone, which was unveiled by l\1r. W. H. Holland, M.P for Rothe.rham), is a simple cross, and bears the name. and partIculars of servIce of bc.th men above which is carved a carbll1e and an ambulance badge tllr. was secretary of the movement to obtain a memorial, and Dr. K e nny was president. As J\lr. IIolland unveiled the stone the" Last PO SL" bua-lc! call was sounded \Vhen this was completed he said that the th at day was unique in the history of TreeLon, and unique in the exper ien ce of most present, bu.t the were that there would be many memOrials unveiled eventually 111 one villaa-e or another. Though that siue of the war was to be regretted, the had proved the solidarilY of our Empire, for when the Empire

SEltGT. B. CO\\'lX, So. 1 ST. JOIIX'S G,lTE DIVISIOX, ST. JOII)l" AMB ULI\XC E BRIG.iDE, ATT.iCIIED S01;TH

was in danger the flower of the youth of the coun try stepped forwardboth poor and ri ch --party politics were sunk, and the so ns of the C'oloniesjoined in up ho lding the Emp ire \[r. H olland went on to speak of the services of the two men, and the sacrifices such men had to make. He glad to hear of the fare return of some of the others \\'h o h ad gone from Treeton, :ll1d I\'ere just. as I11UC h en ti tIed to be loo ked upon as heroes as those who had lost their lil·es. He added that his sympathies went out to the young wido left by .-\rthur King and the bereaved relations of Ernest 1Ian ship. In he spoke of the !;ood condit ion s existing in the concentration camps, where the Boers w ele better treated than our soldiers at the front could be '"V ET U:\ (;BOROl'G H ,- The annu:tl inspection of this corps took place on the G rammar Dchool ground on August 3 1 st, "h en there were a good muster of officers, men and supporters. There were 263 on parad e, incl ud ing n ursin sisters The inspect in g officer was Elliston, Deputy Commissione r of I\ o. 3 District. The procession was accompanied by the W elling-borough V ol unteer Band, under the conductorship of BandmasterSergeant C. Clayson. Prominent in the proces sion \\ere the wellappointed ambulance carringe, s·retcher•. , and cycle detachment; while over ,0 of the men IIho have seen sen'ice in outh Africa were amongst th'e number that represented the strength of the centre Th e mO\'ements were watched with considerable interest by a large num be r of spec ta tors. At the conclusion cf the dl ill the officers, men, and llmsing si st ers were drawn up in a square and addressed by the [nspecting Officer. The speaker alluded to the good derived frolll going into cam p, and said the W ar Office would allow camp equipm en t prOI'id ing sufficien t came forward Bethought they ,,,QuId be rather bU5)' next \\"hit suntide. There I\'as every plospect that large drafts would be required to take part in :he Coronation, and they were gi"en to understand that the provinces would share equally in numbers with the metropolIs. They had assembled there to distribute war medals, but only two had been recei"ed from headq uarters He had had instructions that ",hen the medals did come they should be presented with great form and ceremony, and he hoped that :ts the medals arri\'ed h ey wou ld find the occasion suita b le for such demonstra tion as that. Private H olmes and Private Boswor t h had to receive medals, but the latter\\'as away-the only medal to be presented that day wa s to Private IIolmes. IIe wanted all the men \\'ho liad returned from the war to understand that the honour conferred upon Private B olme» was being equally conferred upon them. He had asked \lrs. Audland to pin the medal on Private Holmes tunic and he called upon thaLlady to do This :'I [rs. Audland did, and the recipient. Cljief-Surg-eon Audland addressed present on his wife's behalf, ;1nJ said .'-Irs Audland felt it a great honour to be alloweG to pin on the first medal h ey had receil'ed for this districtfor the men who h ad returned from 80mb Africa. There was a rumour that there was to be a large presentation of medals on the N ort hampt on R acecourse n the autumn, when Genera Gatacre would pres ent them, and h e thought ,-ery likely t h at n.any of their men would be able to have their medals presented to them ')n that occasion. H e wish ed to thank :'Ill. \Villi am Lell in fur his kindne ss in providing tea for the members of the co rps and their wi\'es sweethearts Hearty cheers were then given for the in s pecting officer, after which the officers and men partook of tea in a lar ge marquee erected on the grounds.

ffi ebical $ er\)ic e.

The report s of the comm itt ee appointed by the Secretary of State to consider the reorganisation of the Army M ed ica S er vi ces and of the Armyand Ind ian Nursing Service w ere i ssued on 28th ult. As it may many of our :e.aders especially the nursing sisters, to be acqua1l1ted w.lth thecondlllo.ns under which they can enter the Army M edIcal serVIce, and the dutIes they have to d o, w e publish the following ext ra ct from the reports :-

TIIE J\'URSING SERVICE.

CO;.\IWTTEE'S REPOR r.

The report of the committee o n the reorcranisatio n of the Army and Indian Nursing Service is as fsllows ;- '" II ) There sha ll be one military nursing service for his i\laiesty's in the United Kin gdom, In dia , and the Colonies, to be deSIgnated Til 9ueen I mperia ;\lilitary Nursing (Q ,\. [ :\[ N.S). In thI S serVIce shall he amalgamaled the eXlstlllO' , \rn:y .:'\ ursing Sen'ice and the J ndian .:'\ ursing Service; (2) he'; <Jueen shall be requested to assume the preSIdency of thIS servIce; (3) the nursino- se r vice shall be under the immediate coraro of her :\l ajesty Queen "'Alexa ndra as president and of a •ursing B oa rd consti tuted as follows ;.-

AID. [ October, 1 901.

President, her Majesty Queen Alexandra chairman, the Dire ctorGeneral Army ..\[edi ca S erv ice, or an officer !lominated by him; two members of th e Advi sory Board, Army ;.\I ed ica l Service, of wh om one shall be a civ ili an the Queen Alexandra 's Imperi a ;.\lilit a ry Nursing Service, three matrons of larg-e cil·j) hoopit:ds with medical schools, one represe nta ti\'e of the India Office to be appointed by the 'ecreta ry of S tate for In dia, two membels to be nominated by her ;.\T ajesty the pres\dent, and holding office for three years.

On this r\ursing Board the members of the Adl iwry Board, Army 7I[ edical Ser\'ice, and the matrons of civil h osp itals s hall be appointed by tbe Crown, on h e advice of the Secretary of State, and s h ail hold office for a pe ri od of three years , renewahle on expiration of the term of appoi n tment. matron of a civil hospital shall recei\'ean honorarium of £26 5s per annum w hile serving o n the hoard (5) The Nursing B oard, of whi ch three shall form a quorum. shall usually meet :It fortnightly int e rvals. T he minutes of the pmceeding-s of the Nu rsing Board shall be laid by the matron-in· ch ief before the .--\d\'isory Board. It shall bein the power of th e Advi so ry Board to r efe r rack any point to the .:'\ur sing Board for reconsideration, :Inc! in c:tse of:l d iver g-ence of opinion between the boards the matter in question shall be referred to the Secretary of Sta te

F U::-lC TIOc-lS OF THE .:\ L·HS1:-l(,

(6 ) Su bjectto tbegeneral control of the Adv sory Board the Board shall be respons ible for: ( J) Advising the Se cretary of State on the of the nur sing staff of various gndes requisite in each mili ta ry hospital (including tbe hospitals for w ome n and children attached to military stations), having regard to the character of the cases admitted , ani subject to the prol'iso that as a general rule hospitals containing fewer than a hundred beds will not be pro\'ided lIith regular female nursing staff (ride par ag raph (2) defining the conditions under which nurses may enter the "ervlce, the terms of theIr appointment, and the duties to be performeu in the sever:tl oi the nursing service receiving and cO 'lsiuering eports from matron-in- ch ief anti the matrons of the I'ar io us hospitals i 5) recommending to the Commander -i r - Chief for the approval of the'ecretary of SLate. the appointment, letemion, promotion, retirement, dismissal. and distribution of the members of the nursing service, (6) arranging for the selection and e n gagemen of additional nurses, the organisation of the re q uisite working staff, and the appointment of principal matrons in case of war or epidemi: ; ( 7) advising he Secretary of State on the formation of the Xursing Reserve of the Queen .\Iexandra's Imp erial Military Nur s in g' Sen ice ; (8) arranging for the periodical in spection of military hospitals as regards nur s ing effic ien cy (9) su bmitting to the Secretary of State, through the Advisory Board. a scheme for the organ isation and development in In dia of the <Jueen Alexandra's Imperi a i\lilitary Nursing Service, which shall c.lloll' for adequate loral control, subject to the general authority of the Nursing Board. (7) Queen Uexandra's Imperial ..\Ii litary Xursing Service sha ll consis ot ( I) a matron -in- ch ief and princip:tl matrons, (:::) matrons, (3) sisters nurses. (8) All matrons, sisters, and nurst::s of the IQueen Alexandra's Imperial Milit ary ::--.lursing Service shall be ent itl ed to weal a n appropriate badge which , b y specia permission only of her i'l'la jesty, the president, may be retained by the wearer a ft er lea ving the service.

THE :\1ATRON-IN-CHJEF.

(9 The matron-in-chief shall have a seat on the Advisory Board, acting as a mem ber of th e board w henever matters concerning the nursing service a re under di sc u ssio n , and in her absence a pri n cipa matr o n sha ll take her duties. (10) Th e matron -in- chief shall be tbe medium o f communicat io n between the Dir ector-Ge n era and the Queen Alex a nd ra's Imp eria M iIi tary ::--.lursing Servi ce, in all matters con ne cted \\L ith that service. (II) The matron-in-chief sh,d l be responsible for k eep ing tbe serv ce records and confidential reports from the matron s of the various hospitals regarding the character, conduct, and efficiency of th e sis t ers and nurses under th e ir contro l. (I2) The matron-in c hi ef sha ll keep herself acquainted with the administra ti o n of the nur s in g se rvi ce in the various m ilit:t ry h osp ital s. (1 3) She shall submit to the Nursing B oard rec ommendat o n s for tl::e appointment, promotion, retirement, dis mi ssa l, and distri buti on of members of the se n ·ice (q) She shall be res pon sib le for maintaining a s urfi c ient s tarr of specia l nur ses , detai;ing- them for duty in cases of emergency, orior service in smaller hospitals. (r5) She sha ll present every year to the .:'\ursing Board a scheme for the ann ual leave of matrons and special n ur ses, and shall report to the board the arrangements ma de b y matrons for the an uu al le ave of sisters and nurses (r6) Among the duties of a matron, to be defined in detail by th e I\ursing Board, shall be t he following :-(1) To recommend sui table cand idates for admiss o n to t he service in accordance with the pr esc ri bed regulati ons (2) In conjunction with the medical officer in charge of the hospital to

October, 19 01.J FI RS T

forward to the ma tron - in-chief such confidential reports with regard to the work and conduct of the nursing staff as may be required, a nd to make re comme ndati o ns for retention, promotion, retirement, and dismissal. (3) To be re sponsib le for the general nursing arrangements of the hospital, [or the due per formance of their duties by the sisters and nurses, and [or the maintenance of good conduct, efficiency, and discipline amongst a ll members of the female nur sing staff. r n conjunct ion with the medical officer In charge of the ho spita l to report on these matters at stated intervals to the L\ursing Board through the matron-in-chief. To exercise s imilar functions as regards the h os pital for women and children in a station wh ere such hospital exists.

( 5) In urgent cases to provide, where practica ble, for the nursing of women and children on the married establishment. (6) To engage and dism iss the female servants appointed to attend on the nursing staff, and to be responsible for thei d;scipline good cond uct, and efficiency.

( 7) T o undertake the daily in spec ti on of the nurses' quarters to ens u re that they are clean, well ven'ilated, and kept in good order. (8) To be responsible to the medical officer in charge o[ the hospital for suffic ien supply, good con diti on, and cleanliness of the bedding and linen in the nur ses' quarters and the ward s under her nursing- cha rge. (9 ) To see that pr oper medical and n ursing attendance is provided witbout delay for sick members of the nuning or female domestic staff ([ 0) To arr:tnge the annual leaye 01 sisters, nurses, and female domestic :,uff, I eporting thereon to the matron - in-chief.

COc-lD[;CT EFFICTEc-ICY OF MATRO:\'S.

17) A prin cipal medical office r shall rep ort annually to the J\'ursing Bo :trd, through the general officer commanding, on the conduct and efficiency of the matrons of hospitals Ilithin his district. (rS) Among the uuties of a sister in charge of a wanl, to be defined in detail by the B oard, shall be the follow ing: (1) To be responsible for the cleanliness, ventilation, :tnd good Older cf her ward and its annexes , To attend the medical olticers in their \'isits to the liard, and carefully to carry Ollt their orders with regard to the diet and treatment of patients. 13) To see that the nurses and orderlies perform their dutie" punctually and efficiently, reportIng any breach of discipline or neglect of duty on the part o[ the nurse to the matron, an d on th e palt of an orderly to the med ical officer in charge of th e ward, or in his absence to a warrant or officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps. (+) To take part in the nursing- of all patients seriously il l. (s ) To be responsible to the matron and medical officer of the w aru for sutticieI,t supply, good condition, and cleanliness of be_ding and linen, and for the pers'Jnal cleanliness of the patients.

TO THE SER\'lCE.

(19) i\mongst the conditicns under whi ch nurses may enter the service, and the terms of .heir appointment (to be defined in detail by the.:'\llrsillg Board) are the following :-(J) A candid:tte must be of Hrillsh parentage. he between twenty-five and thirty-fIve years of age, and possess a certificate of not less than three years' training and service in medical and sLlIg cal nursing in a civil hospital recognised by the Adl'isory Board She shall be required to satisfy the Kursing Doard that as regards education, character, and socia status she is a fit person to be admitted to the <Jueen Alexandra's Impe ria l ;.\I il it ary X ursing Ser\'ice (2) If provisionally accepted she shall be placed on prob:ttiol1 for a period of tbree mont!!s, at the end of which time, if her \\'01 k and conduct are reported to be satisfactory by the matr on of the hospital. she may, after being medically examined, en ter into an agreement binding herself to three years' service in the Queen Alexandra s I mper ial ;\lilitary Nursing Service, and unde rtaki ng to conform to the rules and reg u lati ons 0[ the service The agreement shall be dated from he time at which the rse was provisionally ac cepted, and may, on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, be terminated at any time by three months' notice from the Secretary of State, o r, in case of grave breach o f discipline or misconduct without notice. (3) On the expiration of her three years' term of service a nurse mny be permitted-en) To retire from the service; b) to con tinue in the service as a staff nurse, with an agreement termina ble at any time by one month's noti ce on either side (c) to jo in the staff of special nurse s under the orders of the matron-in-chief, with an agreement termina bl e at any time by one month's notice on either side; (d) to offer herself for promotion to the po st of sister, undertaking to save at least one year, a nd afterwards und er an agreement terminable at any ime byone mon h 's notice on either side (e) to enter into a fr esh agreement for ser vice, as nur se or s s ter in India o r else \\ here abroad, or a period of thre e or five years, according to climate.

CO:-iDITIO:-lS or ApPLICATIO:-l, &c

(20) All present members of the Arm}' and Indian Service and members of the Army Nur slllg Resen'e \\'h o have bee n in military employmem durin!; th e war in South Africa s hall be eligible for appointment in the <,Jueen A lexand ra 's Imperial :'Ililitary Nu rsinoService, i by the::\' ur si ng Board. Should any q a ri se as to thelr status 111 the <J ueen Alexandra's Im perial 1\1 ilita ry

AI D. 31

;\I"ursing Service the YIilitary Board shall report thereon to the Ad\,lsory Board, and the re com mendati o n of the Advisory Board shall be submitted to the Commander-in.Chi ef, wlnse decision shall be final.

(21) Any present member of the existing services wh o is not retained in the Queen Alexandra's Imp eria l ..\lilit ary Xursing Service may be recommended for a gratuity of one month's pay each year of service if she is n ot entitled to a pension; and a ny member \\'ho may declll1e to accept the new terms of employment sh:dl b e allowed to sen'e on the terms of her present engagement.

PAY A:-:D

Paragraph 22 deals with pay, and is as follows:

Xur si ng Staff: :'I atron - in-chief, £250 a year, rising by annual increment s of £10 to £300, and lodging allowance; principal maLron in Indi a, £230 a year, rising- by annual increments of £10 to /280, and lodging allowance principal matrons, .clIO a year, ri sing by annual increments of £5 to £r60; matrons, according to size of hospital, £70 to £100 a year, rising by annual in crements of £5 to £120 to £150; sisters, :£37 105. a year, rising by annu1.1 in crements of £2 105. to /';50 ; nurses, .c25 a year, rising by annual in crements of NZ r os. to £35. \b Female servants: £IS a year, rising by annual increments of £1 to £20.

Paragra ph 23 deals with allowances, and runs th us

(a) Xursing staff; H ome station, bo:ud and washing, IS S. a week; station abroad, board and w:lshing, 2 IS. a II'eek station abroad, washing, 35, 6d a week i home station, uniform, .c6 per annum, station abroad, uniform, £7 per :tnnum home and abroad, £2 per annum. (b) Female sen'ants : Board and washing, lOS. 6d a week.

(2+) AllOln.nces a t the recognised scale shall be given for Indian and Colonial service. (2 5) The regular annual leave of members of the Queen Alexandra's Imperial :.'Ilil itary :'\ursing Service in nome stations shall be as follows: ..\latlons, six weeks; sisters, fil'e weeks nurses, four weeks. Leave at stations abroad shall be granted on the military system. (26) It is desirable that all members of the (Jueen Alexandra's .\Iil itary Sen'ice should be eligible to apply for a pension at the age of fifty years. and should be retired at the age of fifty-five years Rates of pension shall be according to the scale laid down in Articl e 233 Royal 'Warrant for Par and Promotion. The foregoing is by all the members of th e Committee, and in the case of this report there are no remarks by way of exceptions.

A:-I AUSTlL-\UAX ..\IE DrCAL OFF1CEl'!'S EXPERfEXCE I:\, SOlJTH AFlnCA. - Th ere is an interesting going the round of medical circles in Sydney concernmg a South :-\'frican experience of ':\Ir. R. SCOtt Skirl'ing, the laLe consulting surgeon to the Austr:tlian contingents at the war. The narrati\'e so well illustrates the enormous difficulties that beset the care of the sick and wounded in \\·:tr th:tt it I, \\orth repeating, especially it incidentally exemplifies the able assistance 'lfforded the mother coun try by the colon ies. .\ [I'. S ining found himself in ch:nge of ten wounded me- and aboLIt lifty sick on th· south siJc of the Zand River, on the line of l11:1rch Kronsl:tdt. 1n obedIence to orders he started off with his men in bullOCK waggons; the only stores a l' ailable consisted of one or two bottles ot brandy, cases of Lazenby's soups. some tins of condenseu iTIilk, a little b u lly beef, :tnd a fel\' biscuits There II'ere no cookina POtS, and no means of carrying water. The only orderly immediatelv developed enteric fever and :'Il r. Skin'ing w as thus :1ctu:tlJr left in soie charge. Smgle handed he fed and tended the poor fellows in the most m:tn'ellous ll1:lnner. IIe gathered wood, dug out the fire trenches, cooked :til the food he could cOl11mandeeor fro(!1 far and near, se rved om he meals to the men lying in the wa ggons auministered nypodermics, supplied the thirsty with dt'ink and gal'e medicine to the sick, how it w as pOSSIble for him to hal'e stood the physical fatigue incidental to all this is a mystery, but he is described as hal'ing rounu great enjoyment i:1 the manual labour so necessaty to keep his charges alil·e. HIS chief diLliculty was in getting sufficient water for the men and for the cooking. His kitchen utensils consisted of t\\'o old gall'anised iron buckets which he commandeereJ from the l,,-ailir bullock dril'ers, and he devised a means of conveyance for the water by using the little water firkins of tbe Kaffirs. By tbe help of brandy and opium all wen t fa i rly well for a day or two, when s uduenly ;'\[r. Skin'ing received orders to r etu rn forthwith. This 11':15 a hard trial to the sick and wounded, but worse yet was .() bef:tll tbem On returning to the Zand six of the \\'aggons I\"ere t,lken and the sick and w ouncied were packeu lik e sardines into the remaining five, and once mOre jolted off. daunted, .\[1'. Skirl'ing stuck to his work, and wit h unwearied patience finally reached the railway and safely ueposited his wearied charges in a train, the boiling water of the engine being prompth' taken o 'er for the purpose of refresbing the sic men with some much-needed hot 50Up. To feeu, doctor, ,\nd nurse over sixty sick and wounded men for se l 'eral days toge th er, with no stores :tnu no uten sIls is a very heavy task for one individual, and Australia may well be proud of "\[r. H.. Scott Skin'in:;. the late Consultino- urgeon to the A ustralian contingent.

jfirst Bib in 1b\?pnotic \trance.

THERE is a form of insensibility, which , as far as I know, is not mentioned in first aid manuals. unless indeed, it is intended that it should be included under hysteria. It is very desirable h at one should know something about the hypnotic state which through the spread of a partial know led ge of " mesmerism" is becoming too common, and also beca use great harm may be done to persons in this state by rough and ill-advised measures.

Th e phenomena of bypnosis were probably known in ancient times; recently they h ave been recognised under the name of mesmerism, Brindism, electro-biology and animal -m agnetism. Under the latter name hypn otism has been a happy huntin g ground for quacks, and has thus been brought into disrepute with the public, who illogically regard it at the same time as impossible, dangerous and uncanny.

The h y n otic state may be best described as artific a l slee p. suggestions and other means be ing used by the operator in order to in-iu ce that state in the sut-ject During hypnosis the su bject i s partially conscio u s, a nd suggestions made to him by word or gesture, have vastly more than if these suggestions wer e made i n hi :; normal waking state Thus the operator gains a certain moral cOitre,1 which may be us ed for good or evil.

This co n t rol ha s been exaggerated in fiction, for although a subject may he powerfully influenced, he can seldom be nduced to do things contrary to his real inclinations. A kind of sympathy is established between operator and subject known as rapport, this may in some me asur e be due to telegraphy. Hypnosis varies, with the temperament of the person operated on, and to some extent with the means employed in causillg sleep, from dr olvsiness tC' a state of insens:b ili ty in which pain may be inflicted without apparent effect; the limbs dropping as helplessly as ifunder the influ ence of chloroform. Hypnosis is often ushered in by a deep respiration after which the breathing and pul se are regular, the face slightly flushed and the eyes turned up under p artially closed lids. But these latter symptoms and many others not melltioned here, vary so much with the subject tcat it would be useless for the purpose of this article to detail them The object of writing being to let first -aiders know wha t to do, or rather, what not to do when some ill-advised and unskilled operato r has for mere amusement induced hypnotic in sensibility and is u nable to awaken his subject.

Le t the operator d o or say the r e\'erse of what be did or said in order to induce hypnosis; h e must likewise in jl. firm voice bid the subject awake. Fann in g the face and blowing on the eyes are often also useful measures. By reason of the l'apport before mentioned, everything depends on the operator retaining his self-confidence. Bystanders must not interfere between operator a nd subject by using salts or other remedial agents, because, if the hpynotised person is awakened suddenly by any other person than the ope r ator, bad after effects will probably ensue.

If the subject still dt)es not awaken loosen ti?rht clothing at the neck and put him in a comfortable position; the operator must then tell him that he will wake up at a stated time. After this let the subject remain quiet and treat him with" judicious neglect," remembering that profound forms of hypnosis may often, though by no means necessarily, occur in hysterical persons. '1 rances occurring at spirit. ualistic seances or after emotional relilliou s teaching are probably also related to hypnosis Th e methods of inducing this peculiar form of sleep are various, and need not be entered into here, as the object of this article is not to incite first-aiders to try amateur hypnotic experiments , but rather to warn them of the dangers of so doing, and b eg them to always discountenance the same. The practice of hypn ot ic sug-gestion should equally with medicine and su rgery be limited to those who are qual ified by training and experience. Hypnotism may be compared to alcohol. U se d in proper cases it is of the greatest service. but abused it will lead in the end o degradativn bot h moral and physical. and even in rare cases may be employed for cr imi nal purp os es. There is also the immediate danger of the subject gettinO' beyond t he control of the operator and only being- awakened by medical aid and then too in a "ery unhappy condition. The use of hypnotism lies in some cases of insomn!a, bad or intemperate habits, want of self-confid ence, neuralgia, etc ; its abuse in experiments where attempts are made to cause the subject to act in any way contrary to his better judgment.

How FEYEH IS SPREAD. -At the meeting of the Southwark Board of Guardians, on the 3rd inst., the Rev. 'V. Horsley drew attention to the many cases of scarlet fel'e r contracted from the premature or inadequate disinfe c tion of persons who had been in the hospitals of the Me tropolitan Asylums Board. 'Vh en the last .case (one of very many) came to hi s he asked the ;\1edi cal Officer of health for the district to look into it. IIe did so, and rep orted that the case was infected by a return one from the hospital. He added, "\Ye medical officers of health know tha t it is often so. and many medical men have adv ised the Metropolitan Asylums Board as to the steps that should be taken to prevent these casesarising."

"Harrison

Folding

Cycle Stretcher.

ARRANGENEHTS FOR PLACING THIS STRETCHER HAYE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED.

PI'ice and further particulars will therefore appear in November issue.

DYSON & SONS, manufacturers.

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PROVI DED that the person so kill ed or inj ured had upon his or he r person or had left at home this ticket, with his, or her, usual Signature, written prior to the accident , on the space provided below, which, together with the giving of notice within the time as hereinbefore mentioned, is the essence of this contract

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For 12 months, IS. 6d., post free, to be sent to the Pu blish ers.

:fl3re\)ities,

\VE beg to offer our sincere sympathy and th a t of all fir t-aiders to Chi ef Constable Derham of Blackpool on the recent 10 s of hi wife . A blow like this comes to many of us, but it perhap s a littl e ea ier to bear if we know that there is omebody thinking of u s and wishing they could do somethi ng to render the burden Ie s painful.

l!'* ii,

THE H ospitals Association held :ts annual meeting l ast month. Sir H. B t rdett said" some thing more tban one-balf of the st reet accidents were now handled by the London Ambulance Sen ice in connection with that Association." AI 'o he aid that" the number of acCldents dea lt with at thoroughfare stations had fallen from 1239 last to thi year."

'* .'1 *

IN connection with the above statements we may mention th at the accidents reported by the police in the streets of London are about 10 ,0 00 a year.

*.:* *

IN another column ",ill be found an intere ting and important letter from a police constable wbo puts forward the suggestion that constables should be paid some thin g ext r a for ambtdance knowledge. His argumen t is that the public benefit by it and the public o u g bt to pay for it , This is difficult to refute, and we b e lieve the public would not object to the slight incr ease in the rates necessary But it should be insisted upon th at the knowledge be kept up by periodical examinations. Such examinations might take the form of compet!tions, .and thu s encourage the men in keeping up thell- effi::lency. ,\V e fancy thi s would work well in provincial towns, but we are s till of the opinion that Lond on sho uld have a special ambulance service distinct from th e p o lice. ,,' <I' 'f.

SIR EIJWA RD BRADFORD, th e Chief Commis ioner of the Metrop olitan P o lice, is doing a little rnore in amblil ance m atte r s. H e has i 's ued an order th at police ambulanc.es shoul.d be fitted \yith l ong splint as well as sh or t s phnt s. If he would order th e pre ent police ambulance t o be med only for " drunk" cases, and also a decellt litt er to be served out to the police statIOns, h e would do some good. Making a triflin<T like tl lat mentioned aboye is only playing \Vlth th e matt e r, and moreover, m is l ea din g the pu blic.

st. 30bn Bmbulance Bssociatiotl.

IIO SPITAL SATURDA\' F UND -The Lord i\1ayor in calling attention to Hospital Saturday, referred to tne extensi\'e ambulance work carried on by t he fund.

SrR EDWARD BRADFORD, the Commi!;sioner of Police for the Metropolis, has given instructions for all the police ambulances to be fitted with long splints, so that the police may in future be able to render first aid in cases of broken thighs, &c. Up to the present sh ort spl ints only have been providd, and in such cases the police have hitherto been obl iged t(' borrow a broomstick or something of the kind in order to bind up the inj ured limb. All members of the force are instructed in the art of rendering first aid to the injured, and many of them a re very proficien t.

BELGRA\,IA Lo\.J)JES CL.o\ss.-A class is about to be held at the Holy Trinity Hall, 22+, Padli on Road. Sloane Square, commencing on Tuesday the 5th inst., at 3 p.m., continuing until the 3rd December. Fee for the course and examination IOS. The Hon. Sec. is Colonel E. Tufnell, l\l.P , +0, Eaton Square. le ct ures are being given by Dr l\lilnes Hey, in the fine old crypt beneath the church of St. John, Clerkenwell. Th e Rector, Rev. T. 'V. \Vood, is chairman of the local committee \\ho contro l s:tme.

BELFAsT. - The fifteenth annual meeting of the Belfast centre of the 8t. John Ambulance Association was held on the lIth ult., ir \Vm. Q Bart., presided, and amongst those present were Colonel ;\l'Farland, Dr. Williamson, Dr. Leslie, Dr. Rusk, and the han. sec. Bl ack). Dr. Leslie spoke of the work of the firemen, who form the Belfast division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, they received 1867 calls The distance traversed by the ambulance carnages was 4.J. 8 7 , miles, or an average of 2i miles per single journey.

GLO UC ESTER.- The annual meeting of the centre committee was held 0:1 the r8th ult., at the Guildhall, the president, ,\Ir. J. l\1. Collett, J.P., in the chair. The hon. sec. (.\[r. T. W. Wilson), in reading- the report stated that sixty-s even cases of first aid rendered by ambulance men had been reported. Two men were se nt to every football match on the,KingshJlm ground, where tll'enty-fi\'e cases received .\t th e Foresters' fete at Longford P ar k on August Bank HolIday tweh'e men lI'ith tent and appliances were on duty, when th ey attended to fifteen cases, three of which 1\'ere sent to the infirmary, eleven were treated on the cyround, and one conveyed home. The date of the annual was fixed for Thursaay, December 5th, and it was resolved that l\Iajor Hutton be invited to act judg-e. H EATY \YOOL LEN CE:'lTRE.- The annual meeting of the H eavy vVooll en District centre was held on the 17th ult., in the Co-operati\'e Library, Dewsbury, '\lr. C. Thorne s presiding. l\Iembers were pres.ent from Dewsbury, Batley, Batley Carr, Cleckheaton, and the West RidinO' Police. A letter was read from l\[r. '\lark Oldroyd, M.P., resi O' nJllO' his position as president. ;\Ir. C. Fox said he was exceedingly that ;\1r. Oldroyd saw it n ececisary to say that h.e could not continue as president of the centre, and more espeCIally as they knew it was on account of ill-health. l\lr. Oldroyd had taken much more interest in the work than had appeared on the surface, and he ph. Fo"\ lias very SOIfY indeed that they were parting- with him. lIe moved ,,'That this meeting of the Heavy '''oollen District Centre of the St. J ohn Anlbulance Association expresses its sincere regret at 10sinO' i\[r. Oldroyd's services as president, and more especially as is the cause of such resignation." l\[r. C. Th omes seconded, and the resolution was carried unanimously. The eig hteen th annual report was read. ;\Ir. Duke Fox proposed ha a. be appointed to wait upon \1 1'. T. C. TaY,lor, :Jf:P., to ask hlln to become president of the centre. ,\11'. TaylOl: s famdy had been closely connected with the mm'e ment for some tIme, and he thought T ay lor was a most suitable man for the p Jsition. Inspector Mar shall seconded, :lnd Mr. l\1. Thompson, in supporting, added " 'Ye couldn't find a better n:an." The motion was carried. The following officers were re -elected :-Chairman, Captain P. B. \\'a lker; hoI',. treasurer, l\1aj or C. Fox; hon. secretary, l\1r. Duke Fox; and secretary, 1'I1r. R. Gadie Vote s of thanks to the Co-operative Society for the use of the rOOln, and to :'Ilr. Thornes for presiding closeu the meetinO'.

TpSWICH.-- The annual public meeting in connection with th is Centre was held in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall on the 15th ul!., and the exceedingly large attendance was the best proof Miss Coulcher, the indefatigable Hon. Secretary, could bave that her efforts are appreciated in the town. The principal was the presentation of I+7 vouchers, certificates and medallions to members by the layor fW. F. Paul, Esq.), who was accompanied by the :'IIayoress. Amongst others present were Deputy-Commissioner Lieut .- Colonel Elliston, V.D., Hon. Surgeon S. O. Eades, 1\1r. Walton Turner, tIlr. IV. O White, Mr. H. l\l. Jackaman. Rev. 'V. J. Garroulci, 1\lr. A. Ranson, Mr. E. Titchmarsh, JUr. T. E. Mayhew, and Cbief Superintenden t Keeble, Superintendent-Secretary Cuckow, and other officers. Miss Coulcher read the annual report, which dealt exhaustively with the work of the I pswich Division during the year. Deputy-Commissi ,'ner Lieut.-Colonel G. S Elliston gave a rep ort of the work of the Brig ade which, he said, had gone into uniform during the year, and which hai been inspecled. His report on the inspection was favourably recei\'ed at head-quarters, and, without flattering them, he must say he was perfectly satisfied with their first inspection. The Brigade had supplied something like 2,000 men in South Africa, and 200 from the Division be had the honour to represent. He had hoped to bave the four war medals due to the Ipswich Corps that evening, but they had n ot arrived, and the ceremony would have to be postponed. A few days ago he received official intimation that if he could get sufficiert men to volunteer for a. Brigade Bearer Company, one would be formed in connection with the I pswich Brigade. In Jar.uary of last year, the Secretary of State for 'Var intimated that the Government were prepared to utilise the services of the St. John Ambulance Brigade men for that purpose, and five Companies were establisbed in different places in the country. Another Company or two was now required, and he was informed he would be allowed to form 01e in the Ipswich District if he could. He hoped, in a week or two, they would meet together and ciiscuss the matter amongst themselves. The Secretary of State wanted one of these Companies situated near the head-q uarters of an Army Corps. Ipswich would, therefore, be suitably situated for Colchester. The Company would consist of one sergeant-major, one first-class sergeant, one second-class sergeant, four sergeants, six corporals, and 45 privates. These men were wanted for home service, and would o nly be mobilised when the Army Corps was mobilised, which would only be in grave national emergency, such as an invasion. Such a thing was not improba ble, and if they did not join this they would only be drawn into the Militia, or be pressed into something. The daily scale of pay, when called up, would be sergeant-major 5s. 6d., first -class sergeant 4s. gd., second-class sergeant 4S. 6d., four sergeants 3S IId corporals 3s., and 4S privates IS. lId. The Government would find their rati'lns , and there was a concession to the Brigade in being allowed to wear the Brigade badge on tbe Army Medical C o rps uniform. Next year was the Coronation year, and it had been in t imated that members of the Brigade in the pro'"inces were to share with the Metropolitan members in taking charge of the streets on that day. The Mayor said after the proceedings that evening he could see that the ambulance work in the town was mainly ca rried or. by :he exertions of Miss Coulcher, and he was glad to hear that she had been amply repaid by the success accomplished. She might feel that the g ood seed she had sown would bear fr uit many and many a year, when she was not with them. Mr H. 1\I. Jackaman, the Bor o ugh Coroner, proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor for pre si ding He had, from time to time, had the opportunity of seeing the good work done in the town by the Association, and it was surprising to him to find it was not supported as it ought to be in the town. They were greatly indebted to Miss Coulcher for the ambulan::e carriage, which had relieved suffering considerably. He looked forward to the time when ambulance work would be taught in every school in town and country. Hon. Surgeon Eades seconded the motion. and Mr. E. Tit chmarsh moved a vote of thanks to Miss Coulcher, which was seconded by the Mayor, in acknowledging the vote of thanks to himself. The latter gentleman took occasion to refer to the horse ambulance, saying that its usefulness was closely brought home to him when a member of his family met with an accident ten miles from home. He always attributed the quick recovery in that case to the u se o( the h orse ambulance in removal. He believed he sent a donation at the time, a nd he should be pleased to give another £5 to pay for the repair of the carriage The motion was carried, and Miss Coulcher returned thanks.

I SLE OF WICHT.-The Mayor of Newport (1\Ir G B. Purkis, J.P.)' presided at the an 'lua I meeting o the I sle of Wight centre, which took place at the Guildhall, Newport, on the 2nd ult. There were also present Dr Groves, J.P., the Rev. Miles Atkinson, the Rev. C. E. Pike, Miss E. A. Eveleigh and .\1r. A. \Y. Drew (hon. secretaries), the Misses Clarke, Feneran, McSwiney, Mackie, and Baker, and Messrs. H. Wyeth (hon. treasurer), F. Pinnock, J. R. Hayles, and F. ·Whitcher. Mr. Drew in reading the report stated that the waggon belonging to the centre in charge of the Newport division of the Ambulance Brigade had been out 20 times from July 31st, IgoO, to July 31st, IgOI, covering a distance of 343 miles, and its comfort and usefulness were much appreciated by those who employed ie.

"'HITEHAV EN.-An ambulance demonstration, under the auspices of the Cumberland Mines and Quarries' centre wa s held at the Town Hall, Whitehaven, last month, presided over by the Earl of Lonsdale. The competition for the bandsome shield, presented by :.vIr. George Scanlar, C.C., was won by the Egremont team, and the Countess of Lonsdale subsequently presented the medals, certiand medallions. The gathering wa s fully repre sentative of all

1'J.rts of \Ve st Cumberland, and striking testimony was borne by the of the good work done by the centre, under the direction of :'Ilr. W. Le c k, H. Inspector of i.\Ietalliferous Mines.

THE Ystalyfera Ambulan ce Team won the shield offered by the Glamorgan County Council for the best exhibition of ambulance work.

HA DS\\·ORTH.-There was a good attendance of the members of the Handswonh centre of the St 'Jchn Amb:Jlance Association at the I IandswO Ith parish church schoolroom on the 25th ult., the occasion being the presentation by !llr. Bayley Lees J.P., of the Bayley l eer; c hallenge cup which ha s been won this year by the IIandsworth Parish Church DiVIsion. The \"en. Archdeacon H odgso n presideci. 11r. J. Bayley Lees, who was enthusiastically received, after co mplimenting the winners , said he stated before the contest that whichever team won the cup this year should retain it permanently, and to that promise he still adhered. He would, however, promise them that the competiti on , so far as he was concerned, should not flag, as he was willing to give a cup of equal value for future competition. The Ven. Archdeacon Hodgson presented a number of five years medal s to ambulan ce men. It was stated that 1\lr. J. H. Pearson bad kindly promised to give a set of medals to the cup winners, and that Mr. Bayley Lees had expresse<.: IllS willingness to give a set of medals to the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Waggon W o rks, the divis ion second in the competition.

$t. 30bn Bnlbulance :JJ3rigabe.

THE many fri en ds of Mr. J. C. Derham, Chief Constable of Blackpool and Assistant Commissioner N O.4 District, will learn with regret of the sad bereavement whi ch has befallen him in the loss of bis wife. Mrs. Derham had endeared herself to the inha bita nts of Bl ac kpool by her kindly sympathy for the poor of the to wn and she will be sadly missed.

division ha s been formed here with headquarters at the Ambulance Station in George Street, Mr. G. A. Turner being the stlperin tendent of stores and '\lr. A. R. Hardy H olm Leigh, Recreation R oad, the bonorary secretary. Dr s Braithwaite and Flint have kindly consented to act as honorary surgeons of the Division. Tbe memb ership is already mo st satisfactory, the only difficulty being one ()f funds To assist in the removal of the latter a concert was given in the Town Hall, Buxton , on September 25th, th e ploceeds of which are to be devoted to the formation of a fun d to carryon this important work. !\Ir. H. A. Hubbersty, J.P., who h :1S been a n a rdent and generous supporter of the movement all along, presided, and was supported by Mr. J oseph Shelmerdine, and there wa.s a fairly large and intensely sympathetic audience.

CHESTER.-:\1r. G. R Crosfield, of Warrington, conducted the annual inspection of the members of Chester division on the Igth ult., and made the followi ng awarJs :-Stretcher drill for squads of four men: , the Great 'Ves tern Railway squad from Saltney; 2, the U pton Asylum squad; 3, Chester Ambulance Brigade. For the Yerburgh Ambulance Medal there were 27 entries, principally ladies, the test being an exhaustiv e viva voce examination. TI;e awards were:

I (gold medal), Miss Clarke; 2, Mr. J. W. Davies; 3, Mr. J. Brennan and Mr. T Large (equal).

COVENTRY.-Deputy-Commissioner Mr. T. H. \V oolston, of Northampton inspected the members of tbe Coventry Co-operative division, 011 the 5th ult., in the Society Room, Vest Orchard. Th ere was a good attendance ot members, including the bon. surgeon (Dr. Richardsc.n Rice). Superintendent A. H. Manley, and First Officer J. W. Cotton The superintendent put the men through infantry drill, carrying the wounded by hand seats and bandaging, and the deputycommissioner formed the men into stretcher squads, and put them through the new stretcher exercises for lifting and carrying the wounded -same as the Army Medi ca l Corps. After the inspection, the deputycommissioner, addressing the members, said he was very pleased with the general appearance and smartness of the men.

D UDLEY .- A bor se am b ulance, obtained by means of publi c subscriptions by this corps was exhihited on the 2nd ult., in the Who lesale Vegetable Marke( for inspection by the Town Council. It is a handsome equipage, and cost £200. Mr. J. A. Slater, chief superintendent of the ambulance corps, formally handed the ambula!!ce over to the Corporation. It would, of course, be used by the police, but in cases of accident the members of the ambulance corps would generally be able to man it, and he thought the Corporation wo uld not refuse to horse it. Tbe mayor (Mr. E. Grainger), on beha lf of the Town Council, accepted the vehicle, which he regarded as a valuable addition to the salvage appliances belonging to the town.

T he ambulance corps were on parade, and exhibited to the mr.mbers of the Council and the public the working- of the equip_'ge,

November, 1901J FIRST AID .

EXETER.- The annual meeting of this division was r ece ntly held in Cavendisb tltreet Sch ool Keighley. The report of the S ecre tary, (Mr. G. Darwin; stated that the membership had increa sed from 72 to 8+. Eight first-aid boxes had been fitted and distributed sinc e la"t meeting . I was menti oned that several members had served JI1 the Royal Army Medi ca l Corps in South Africa, and tbat two h ad gone out for a second period. The funds were not in so good a condition as last year, the bank balance having decreased from £27 to {,7 175.Addres ses were given by the M ayo r (Mr. H. C. Long-sdon) and Captain H. A. l\Iarriner (who presided ove r the meeting). The .\IIayor exoressen his warm sympathy witb t he work. Captain M arriner offered a hearty welcome to ;\Ir. Jo hn Thornton, who had recently returned from the front. H e also appealeu for recruit s for the nursing division, pointing out that the num be of lady workers was only eight, as com pared with thirty some three years ago.

H UDDERSF lELD.- -:ihe fifth annual m e e ting of this corps has been held recently, with a good attendance of mem bers. Th e annual r eport was read, which s howed that the Ladi es' Nur sing di vi sion was in a very good condition, and that the members were th oroughly efficient in their wo rk The resignation of Dr. P orril t as hon. surgeon to the nursing division (and who h as held that position since the formatIOn of the co rps ), was much regHtted, but the secretaIY was glad to report that the services of Dr. Turner have been secured in his place. It was also very much to be regretted that Dr. Rolf was compelled to give up his position as hon. surgeon to the central division. No successor was at the time settled upon.

NEWTON. -At the annml meeting of the Newton Abbot division on the 18th ult., Mr. W. J. Wa tts, jun., pr esided , s upported by General Staveley, Capt. J likes II ughes, Su perin tendent ] ewell, Private Ham bly , hon secretary, and Private Knight, hon. treasurer. There was a good muster of men. The committee reported that the members now numbered 46, against 28 last year. In 9S cases first aid had been rend e red, besides unimportant cases. A site had been selected in Bowden Hill for z. stretcher station in that thickly-populated district The superintendent looked forward to the time when Nell'ton would own a corps a nd be made o ne of the centres of the new bearer companies of the War Office.

PI{ESrON.-In the pul:lic hall on September 30th the a nnua l inspection of this corps took place. The greater number of the member s appeared in uniform. The most striking, of ("ourse, was that of the khaki-clad men, who have returned from ambulance work in the Government hospitals in South Africa. Tbe inspection was conducted by Lieut.- Colonel C. J. Trimble, V.O., deputy-commissioner of the district. The corps was under t he charge of acting Chief Supt. Dr. 'V. H. Irvin Seiler s Ther e were also present Supts. S. harri son a nd A. H o ward, the hon. surgeons, Dr. Holden Collinson, i\1 ooney, Durham, and J\lajor Littl e. The numbers on parade were -I n uniform, 40 members and 6 officers; in khaki uniform, 30 members and 7 officers; in non-uniform, 56 members and I officer; police 16 and I sergeant; nursing division, 44 sisters, 2 lady superintelldents; total 22I. The members of the oorps were put through the usual drill and tbe u sual examination in amb..!lance work. At tbe close Lieu t .- Colonel Tr imble addressed the mem bers of the co rp s He expressed the pleasure he felt in conducting tLe inspec tion, a nd said that si n ce the Preston Corps of the St. John Ambulance Bri gade had been formed, there tad ne ver been presented to him, as deputy -commissioner, so succeesful a parade as he had tbe gratification of seeing that night. There were on parade 17 2 ambulance men and officers, and 47 nursing sisters.

FE.- The fifth ann ual review and competition in connection with the South-east Lancashire Corps, were held on the old R acecourse, R adcliffe. There were 230 members and 105 nursing sisters on parade. \Vhen the members had paraded through the prin cipal streetz, all assembled on the Racecourse for inspection by Lieut.-Colonel Trimble, deputy-commissioner of the district. Various competitions were afterwards held, including one for the poli ce squad. The following were the prize winners :- General competition: I (challenge cup) Oldham, 2, Rochdale, 3, Bury. Nursing sisters' competitions: I, Ro c hdale, 2, Oldham. "Lees" police challenge cup : r, Oldham squad (last year's winners), 2. Church.

SHEFFIELD.- The annual inspection of this corps was made on the I2th ult ., by Assistant Commissioner Malkan, of o. 5 District of the Brigade. It took pla ce at Hyde Park (by kind permis :; ion of Colo ne Hughes), where the corps was under the command of Chief Su?erintendent H. C. Chambers, Supts. E lse, Ross, Pennock and Brittain, and Dr. Barber and Dr. Young (corps surgeons), and Sergt.-Major Webb. There was a muster of IOO of all ranks. Very smart they looked on parade and very efficiently they drilled. After an inspection of uniform, etc., which appeared t o give every the corps marched past in column and quarter-column. Then field drill was taken up and the offi cers were called upon to drill their divisions. As Sl te st of efficiency the junior and senior non-commissioned officers were called upon to put the divisions through similar movements. These were first class gean t lJ em phill, second class ::3 ergeant Darby, and Lance-Corporal Burkett. Afterwards, Chief Superintendent Chambers took a couple of divisions as a bearer company and put them through stretcher drill. The corps was then formed up in a. half square, one side of which was

formed by the members of No. 34 bearer company. Thi s company ha been formed in connection with oth ers in va ri ous parts o f the co untry S as part of the h ome defence scheme Assistant Commissioner :'IIalkin' said tbat it gave him great pleasure to make the first inspe ction from headqu arters, and to meet the new bearer company (No. 34). Cbef Supt. Chambers thanked the assistant commiss ioner on of the officers and men for the manner in which he bad conducted th:: inspection and care he had bestowed on detail work. At the close, Private \Viny ard, who has been gazetted for the distir.guished service medal for service in South Africa, was called to the front and introduced to Assistant Commissioner i\lalkin, who expressed bis pleasure at meeting him and commende d him for the honour he had won for himself and the corps.

'VEST GATE -O )/ - EA. - There was an interesting event held here on the 7th ult., the new ambulance station in connection with the Westgate division being publicly opened by :'IIr s E. :\1. H a wtre y. The opening cerem ony took place in the afternoon, in tbe presence of a fair attendance of the public. The Vicar of St. Saviour's (the Rev. 1'. W. ;\fy lne ) offered a special prayer for blessing on the building of the new statio n and the furthering of the work for which it is destined. Brigade Chief Superintendent Brasier, who ,vi th several other officers had come down from headquarters, then made a speech expressing the great pleasure it gave them to attend on this occasion. :'Ilr. Brasier tru sted that the new station would be of great use to the neiO'hbourb ood and that its opening would stimulate tbe people to more th oroug hly the work that was being done, and the necessity of giving it support. He then handed to 1\lrs. H awtrey a gold key, and asked her to declare the building open In the evening the event was celebrafed by a dinner, held at the Station Hotel. The Vicar (the Rev. T. W. :'Ilylne) lent hi s genial presence, occupying the chair and am ongst those present were Brigade Ch ief Superintendent IV. ]. Church Br asier (who occupied the vice -chair), Chief up t. G. A. Courtney, M.D. (Ra msgate corps), Supt. of Stores A. J. Trimme r, Supt. F. D. Griffiths, :'ltD (Ramsgate Town division), Supt. F. J Shelley (Herne B ay ) , Sergt.-:\lajor Cornelious (Sergt.-Inst. o t the East Kent division); Supt. Venis, First Offic er Kinm ont, and nineteen members of the W estgate division; i\1r. Levett, i\1r. Watson (ex-Capt. of the Fire Brigade), the of the Fire Brigade and others. An excellent dinner was served by Host Healing, a nd subsequently there were SOme interesting speeches and enjoyable singing.

tDolunteer Bll1bulance $cboo[ of 3nstrnction.

:'IIAJo R :\IA CLURE,V.D , 23, ST.,W. Classes for the training of Stretcher Bearers. Syllabus of COurse of in struction held at the headquarters of the 20th Middle sex (Artists) R.V., Duke 's R oad Euston R oad, \V.C. , and commenced at 7.3 0 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2nd, I90r, by permission of Colonel R. \V. Edis, V.D., commanding the Artists R.V. ADVANCED CLASS. -T he Course of Instruction for Non-CommisOffic.ers and :\Ien who are in posses.sion of the Army Ambulance CertIficate IS under the charge of CaptaIn F. W St. Vincent Ryan late City Imperi al and 'urgeo n J. A. :'II aste r s, :\1.D .: Electri cal Engineer s R .E .V. Saturday, Novemter 2nd, at -1-.30 p.m. -The Contents and of the Medical Companion and Surgical Haversack Surgeon-Lieut. J. A. Masten. Uniform: Drill Order. Wedne sday, November 6 tb.-Head and BandaO'es. Captain E. W St. ,vincent Ryan: Wedne?day, November 13 th .-General InstructIOn Il1 the applIcatIon of SplInts and Tourn iqu ets. SurgeonLieut. r. A. Masters. \Vednesday, .November 20th:-Special Bandages for Jaw, Chest, Abdomen, and Permzcum. Captall1 E. IV. St. Vincent Ryan. Saturday, November 23 rd.-Prize Competition P ara de in Drill qrder 4.3 0 p.m. Entries for the Prize Competition must. be made III wntmg to one of the Honorary Secretaries on or before November 13tb.

NEW CLASS.-Saturday,. 2nd, .at 4.30 p.m.-Wounds H zc morrhage;. the FIrst Fle.IJ Brigade-Surgeon Lieut.-Col. P. B. GIles, V.D. Uniform: Dnll Order. Wedne sda y ovember 6th.-The Causes .a nd T!'eatment of Insensibility. nesday, November 13 th .-Polsons, Illustrated by Chemical Experiment s Surgeon-Captain E M. Callender, M D., 12th (P.W.O.) Middlesex C.S.R.V. Wednesday, November 20th.-The Transport of Wound ed. Surgeon Maj or R. R. Sleman, Wednesday, 27t.h.-Parade for General InstructIon m the application of Splints and Bandages. Wednesday, December 4th.-Prize Competition. in Order at 7 30 p.m. Wednesday, December I !th.-OfficIaI InspectIOn and ExamIlla tlOn. Parade in Dri II Order at 7 30 A. M.R, London Rifle Brigade, WIll give Instru ctIOn In the ApplIcatIon of the Triangular Bandao-e on November 6th, 13th, and 20th. b

FIRST AID.

NOYEJIBEIl 1, 1901.

IT is essentially the duty ot every THE public body to foster and encourage the ways and means by which the 10 s to ITS life and property may be lessened o r DUTY. avoided when threatened with destruction by fire or any other hostile agent. It is on these grounds th at we highly commend the action of the Corporation of the City of London in voting two hundred guineas for a Shield to be competed for by the Private Fire Brigades of london. Wh en a conflagration commences in the densely populated streets of the City, especially in the warehouses where highly materials are stored, there is no telling when it will stop , or the immense amount of destruction it will cause, or the loss it will entail on both the employers and the workpeople who are temporarily placed out of employment. 'Vere it not for the splendid and untiring exertions of our magnificent Fire Brigade, the City would haye been in ashes long since. Therefore we are glad that the Corporation ha s seen TIt to stimu lat e the efficiency of the Private Fire Brigades by offering a handsome prize for competition.

At the same time, it seems to us that there IS something as equally important to all of us as the lo ss of property, and that is, the loss and 'Suffering of human life.

'Ve admit that up to the present, the protection of property has been placed before the protection of life, and our laws seem to be pas<;ed more in fa\-our of the former than the latter. It is, however, satisfactory to t;ee that the humanitarian mm'ement is gaining ground, and that the work for volunteer ambulance brigad es is being accepted by public bodies throughout the Kingd om.

The St. J olm Ambulance Brigade is doing a good and noble work in London, and there is no body more indebted to it for the assistance it has rendered than the Corporatlon of the Cit y of London. 'Within a few days of the publication of this issue the Brigade will turn out in hundreds to a sist the police on Lord layor's 0ay, essentially a City function, and there is not a procession or a demonstration in London where its serv ice" are not only asked for, but willingly given,

On these grounds then we ask th e Corporation to encourage the Brigade 111 it good work, to gi\'e shield s or prizes or subscribe to its funds, and ill s.ome practical manuer its of the services rendered. We all enjoy and take an Intere t in cloing a good work, but we like the fla\'our all the beller when it is oyer if the recipients ga\-e U' a lillIe encouragement, if only to do better next time.

1901.

st. Bnbrew's Bmbulance Bssociation.

AYR LO CAL COi\IMITTEE.-At a meeting of the above, held o n September 30tb, :'1r. John Flint, vice.-chai,rman, presiding,. it was agreed to give expression to the gratIficatIon of tbe comrlllttee ,In learnin"" of the honour whIch had been conferred on Surgeon-Major (Dr.) Naismitb, by the bestowal upon hIm of tbe D,S.O. in recognition of his services in the South African war.

GLASGOW Y.:'I.C.:\. A'IBtJT.ANCE LE':TURES.-In opening the winter course of lectures on ambulance at the Y.:'l.C.A. College, Councillor Dr. Erskine referred to the growing importance of the work rendered to the public by the St. Andrew's Am bulance Association. The number of calls in GlasO'ow for the waggons and staff dUring the month of August had bee:1 336, or over 10 times a day. Since the introduction of electric cars there had been an increase of 51 reet accIdents, I n dealinO' with the accidents arising from hroken and falling electric wires tbe doctor thl'ew out the caution that no person should assist either by handling the wire or toucbing the patient without india-rubber glo\·es. The St Andrew's Association had .been instrumenial, he remarkeu, in establishing a city ambulance which had bee? proved to be indispensable and worthy of mucb better support than It had hitherto received from the cItIzens and the CorporatIOn, He conclude':! by sucTO'esting that on the lines on which civic ambulance had been pupils should be instructe,1 and by ination as being qualified to health .auth?fltles 111 civic sanitation by endeavour1l1g to have 1I1sanltary probable so ur ces of injury or illness removed at the earlIest pOSSIble moment, thereby preve 1ting disease and saving life

G1FT OF AN AMBl'LANCE \V AGGON TO Keith Hamilton has received a letter from .'.11'. Archibald Ru ssell, to present the Hamilton Centre of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association with a. new ambulance waggon of the most improved description, The waggon which has been in use by the Oentre since its institution is not at all that could be desired, and 1\1r. Russell's offer is therefore most welcome.

STIRu:-\G.-A meeting of the local Committee was held in the Waverley Temperance Hotel on the gth ult, Councillor Brown, vicepresident, occupied the chair in the absence of Provost Thomson, who was unable to be present at the openinE; of the meeting, but who came in later on. Doctors Highet and Murray were unanimously re-elected as examiners for another year. The secretary reported that the ambulance waggon had been out seven ti mes since the mon th of July.

AMBULA:-lCE OORPs .-A meeting of the Penrith and District Am bulance Oorps was held in the t::lt, Andrew's Pal ish Rooms on 21st ul.., for the purpose of electing three sergeants, and selecting a badge and uniform for the corps Supt, Yeates presided. There was a good attendance of members. Mr. Yeates referred to the success which had attended the nursing division. Mrs. rTayhurst had assured him that she had O'ot 34 members, but from a list which she had submitted there were 40 nam es handed in. With the!;e, and a membership of SS in the men's division, he thought they had reason to congratulate themselves. Priv ates Statham, Oowen, and Thompson (Pooley), were elected sergeants. Designs of badges were submitted, and one with a Maltese cross in the centre was selected. A black uniform with black bra id trimming, tan belts, and field serv ice cap was accepted. I t was decided to place a li st of members in some prominent pub ic places, so that in case of accident their addresses would be ava ilable. It was decided that the corps should attend the unveiling of the Eamont Memorial on Thursday.

BIRMI:-lGHAM.-An interesting gathering took place on the 21st ult., at the Fire Station, under the pre s idency of Councillor Jarvis, for the purpose of recognising the valuable se rvices rendered by M r. J. R. Stamp, who for more than 17 years has closely associated with the Birmingham and Ambulance BrIgade, and for a greater part of that time acced as secretary The presentation consisted of a handsome gold watch, which bore the inscription: " Presented to Mr. J R, Stam p for val uable services rendered as secretary to the am bulance cause in Birmingbam." Oouncillor J.arvis, in making the presentation, s,tid Mr. Stamp wa s onc of the pioneers of the ambulance movement, and he it was npon whom the choice of the St. J oh n Ambula n ce As sociation fell to act as local superintendent in connec ion with the recent recrui tinO' for am bulance Volunteet s for South Africa. Mr. A. R. T07.er, ;"[r. F. Gilbert, and others testified to the good wo k done by Mr. Stamp. :'1r. STA:llP, in retur!ling thanks, expressed the hope that before 10nO" a new brigade would be established in oirmingham in connection the ';t. J ohn Ambulance Association. He added that as the city alllhorities were about to provide a hot se ambulance, the fund s of the association might be devoted to the provision of uniform c1othinO" for the members of the new brigade, lie hoped that before long atleast fifty men would be available on all necessary public occasions.

November, 1901.J FIRST (BaUer\?

AID. 37

out of the first 23 men to lea\-e England on the Ho spita l •'hip "Princess of "Vales," the .0:"elson Corps supplied two,

oDR Lancashire readers will we are sure be , pJeased to see in our gallery this month the portrait of one of the best known and hardest workers in the ambulance cause in the north of England.

:\Ir. Bolton first became connected with ambulance work in September, 1 88, 'when a public meeting was called to consider the ad\ isability of forming" First classes in connection with the St. John Ambulance Association, Mr. Bolton entered heartily into the \\-ork from the yery first and was appl.linted Chairman of the local l'entre, a position which he still occupic , being re-elected bv the members annually, thereby showing the confidenc-e and appr(:;ciation in hi tration, and we may say that nowhere in the 1 orth of England is the St. John Ambulan ce Movement more appreciated by the public than in Nelson. Mr. Bolton obtained the First Aid Certificate in November, 1888, passed his re-examination the following year, and received his medallion in December, 1890, securing the nursing certificate in March, 18 99. The Local Committee are very active under the supervision of ::\1r. Bolton, and in addition to a hor e ambulance waggon, litters, stretchers, &c., all the cotton mills and workshops in the town are supplied with ambulance boxes. In 1888 after the result of th e examinations came to h and ?\lr Bolton at once saw the advantages to be deri\"cd from proper organization, and set to work to form a divi ion of the SL. John Ambulance Brigad e, which in the follo,,-ing year had made such rapid strides that the member were sufficient to form corps, JUr. Bolton was appointed Superintendent, and III 1889 was made Chief Superintendent of the Nelson Corps, a position he retained until 19 01 , when, owing to other important business engagements, he reluctantly pla ced his resignation in the hands of the Deputy Commissioner for the district.

From this it. will be that 1\1r. Bolton has always taken a keen lnterest 111 all work and this fact is accentua t ed when we mention he had the honour of acting as Vice-Chairman of the North East Lancashire County Corps during th e years 18 96-J897 and 1897-18 98 The combination of these Corps is wry h elpfu l to the officers in this district and tends to create a healthy interest in the work.

On, April yd, 1897, Mr. Bolton was presented with an ad,dress 0 11 \'eUum and bust photo painted 111 o il, subscnbed for by the members of tbe N elson Corps and Nur si ng OJ \·ision.

As Chief Sup e ri:Hend ent. of the Ne! on Corps 1\1r. Bolton sp e nt conslderable time 1n preparing and seeing that 3 1 hIS men thoroughly efficient and properly eqUIpped for se n lc e a Hospital Orderlies in outh Africa and China, and it wa s \Vith justifiable pride that

As Ohairman of the X elson Centre Bolton is as actively engaged in the work as ever, and during the progre _ of the building of the new ambulance hall (which ha cost O\ er [2,000) it required a considerable amount of allention and patience on hi part, but his intere t ne\-er flagged and under his supen' i:,ion it is intended to bold a large bazaar in February, 1902, in order to clear the premises from debt; with this object in ,,-iew a number ot sub-committee busy doing various kinds of \\'ork ; but the most important of these is hat of the nursing sisters who hold sewing classes, &c" on the premises, \Ir. Boitoil is one of the trustee of the new hall, which was opened on June 29th, 1901, by Colonel Herbert C Pen ott, Bart., Chief ::::,ecretary of the St. John Ambulance "bsociation and Colonel Bowdler, Chiet Commi :,ioner of the Brigade. Both these gentlemen expressed themsdye highly plea ed with all they saw and their sati sfaction \vith the building.

\V e wish :;} ( r. Bolton he :dth and strength for many years to extend the \'alue and kno\vledge of the work in which he take 0 great an interest _-1.nd we feel that in these effort lle will ha\'e the a i tance not on1\- of his lellon- townsmen but of the re idents in the adj;cent towns and who have long known and realised the worth of his self deyotion and intere t in our work.

lRaih>Ja\? Blnbnlance.

RAILIYAY A:\IB(-LA:-.'CE BRIGADE (STIRLI:-:C COHPS)

Dr. :'1 urray has commenced a course of lectures in the Am bulance Hall. GREAT CE:O<TRAL RAIL\\"AY,-A scheme has been suggested for a-:lopttng ambulance work throughout the whole of this Company's system.

LA:O<CASH[l{E AND YORKSHIRE A,lBULA I CE CORPS -;\ social galhering of the .'.Ianchester Centre of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railwl.Y Corps was held at the Exchange [btel, on the 6th ult., Mr. R. C. Irwin, secretary to the Company, presided. Mr. Selbie, local secre ta ry, on behalf of the classes presen ted to Dr. ,Vestmacott ( lecturer) a handsome flower vase, and to 1\1r. James Beswick (instructor) a marble clock, ;\1 r. Selbie remarked on the good work done by the Manchester Centre. There \\'ere 2,27.J. men holding association certificates wbo were able to render first aid up to December last year no fewer than I,300 cases of accidents had been attended to by them:

1\'ORTH RAIL\YAy.- The Dunfermline Ambulance Corps held a grand soiree and concert on September 27th, when Dr. A. L. Bell, who occupied the chair, spoke very stronO'ly as to the llrO'ent necessity for am b ulance training among working "'men.

EAST INDIAN RAIL\\'A'.' have taken up in Calcutta the matter of training their employes in ambulance work.

THE SOliTH I NDIA:O< RAILIYA\, have accident trains with app!iances and conl"eniences for the wounded.

agitation for the provision of a horse ambulance carriag-e for use within the city of Birmingham b;tsat last been successful. At a meeting of the \Vatch Committee, on the gth ult. Mr 'V aters presiding, it was resolved to accept the tender of 1essrs. VVilson and Stocka II for the provision of such a vehicle Mr Lancaster who moved the resolution to this effect pointed out that hitherto the'difficulty had been the lack of suitable accommodation for both horses and vehIcle, 1 here is no room at the police stations, and all the suitable space at the lire stations is occupied. The commi ttee have therefore resolved that the carriage shall be placed in the care of Mr. H. J. Hart, livery stable proprietor, Great Charles Street, with whom they have also arranged a contract for the supply of a driver and horses. The arrangement secure that ambulance is available for use day or n'ght on recetpt of a telephol11c message. 1\11' Jarvis who was the seconder of the proposition, expressed the belief that the would be found most "aluable. They had been induced to make the recommencl;nion in of the fanory accident some months ago, wben sevel'al senously 1l1Jured men had to be taken to the hospital 0 11 handcarts,

MR. VVILLIAM BOLTON, CHAIRMAN, NELSON CENTRE, ST. AMBULANCE ASSOOIATIOX.

C!orresponbence.

To the Editor O/FIRST Am.

Sir,-As a returned member of the South African Contingent of the St. John Ambulance Briaade I have been struck by the fact that no Thanksgiving or Memorial Service has been held in connection with Headquarters. On my last Sunday in England prior to departure for the Front I attended service at the Priory Church, where the good Rector bade us" God-speed" on our mission of mercy and told us how in times gone by the Knights of St. John assembled in the same c hurch to invoke a blessing on their undertaking. I believe it was customary also for the to attend a sen'ice to give thanks to Almighty God for their safe return to their native land. Why in our case has not the lattei obligatioll been carried out as well as the former, are we less grateful than our forbears? I certainly think a combined memorial service for the lads we left behind and thanksgiving for those who have returned should be held. Will the good Rect or take the hint, the boys who went away have grateful recollections of his inkrest with them whe.n and many I know would travel mtles to a thanksglvll1g service in the same old church

Yours obediently, SOlJTH A.FRICA AND A CO:.nl UNlCA:--iT.

POLlCE AND FIRST AID.

[0 the Editor if FIRST AID.

Sir,-I see in the Report of the Conference held at Hull that f\lajor Milburn said that he had inspected 12 classes of police constables in the Hull Force, and almost without exception they were keen ambulance men, but as soon as they got their certificates they drop back.

And is it to be wondered at? For the members of the police force never get the encouragement they deserve. When anything happens in the street the first thing tbat is thought of is, " Oh, fetch a policeman!" and he is expected to be a doctor as well 'is a P.C. IV Po ought to have some encouragement from our superiors. There ought to be no objection to competitions in the force,.and also to each P.C. having IS per week for every examination he passes, and then the public would always have some one to call on in the time of trouble. The public get the benefit of a P.C.'s know edge and consider that a P.C. h:as a right to be paid for it.

A constable has much more to learn than most people are aware of.

He must be a P.O., a lawyer, a fireman, a doctor, a guide -post and a public directory, is expected to know everything and everybody, and take all risks of life and health in all weathers, day and night throughout the year.

Hoping you will hear more from a better pen than mine, I am, Yours faithfully, P.C.

OITY OF LONDON CORI'ORATIO:>! A:--iD PRIVATE FmE BRTGADES.-

At a meeting of the Common Council of the City of Lond on Corporation on October 16th, Sir Robert Rogers moved" that, with a view to increasing the efficiency and usefulness of fire brigades attached to private firms and houses of business in the administrative County of London, it be referred to the City Lands Commit ee to consider the desirability of the Corporation offering for competition, under approved rules and regulations, a Challenge Shield, of the value of two hundred guineas." With no desire whatever to depreciate the work of the l\ l etropolitan B rigade, of which the Metropolis was justly proud, he could not but reco £nise how useful private fire brigades in London had proved themselves to be in subduing outbreaks of fire As they all knew in a recent fire in Fore Street some very valuable work W<iS accomplished by a priv;lte brigace, and there was another instance of their good work in a later outbreak in \Vood Street. In both cnses the private origade being on the spot had .bee n able to get to work before the arrival of Metropolitan firemen. He submitted that the Corporation should recognise the gro w ir.g importance of these private brigades, who needed encouragement alJd support. This was seconded by Mr. Hastings. Miller, who spoke of the smartness of one of the brigades whose dnll he had recently attended. Mr. McOarthy suggested that the question was one for the Fire Insurance Oompanies. Mr. Cooper pr oposed as an Amendment lhat the reference to the cost of the Challenge Shield should be omitted from the resolution. and Mr Stapley agreeing that the intrinsi c value of the trophy was not of so much importance as th at the Oorporation should show their appreciation of the work of .the amateur fi:emen, the amendment was agreed to The proposal will now be conSidered by the Committee.

A I D. [Novembe r, 1901.

Lo. DO:>! PRIVATE FIlm BRIGADES' ASSOCTATION.-A special general meeting of this Association was held at the Baptist Head Hote}, St. John's Lane, on l\Ioliday, the Stplember, the plesldency of Brigade Chief Superintendent IV J. Church BraSier, the man. The brigades lepresented were Maple & 00., Stapley and Smith, Railway Clearing House. St. John Ambulance, J. and R. :'IIOl'ley, Incandescent ElectrIC Lamp Co., Clarke, :\Ickolls and Spencer, Turner and Boldero,. :'IIarshal1 .and SnelgTo\'e, and London General Omnibus Co. The mlJ1utes ha\'lng been duly c?nfirmed. a letter from Colonel Herbert C. Perrott was read, the Committee [or eleclin a hi'11 a "ice-President of the ASSOCiatIOn, and one from i\Tr. B. Isaac, advising the dispatch of his cup, presented for the hand-pump and .bucket competition The chief business of the meetina was to conSider ways and means 111 regard to the annLl11 and in order to ensure tbe committee in this undertaking it \\'as e\'entually decided that the .chief officer of each Brigade be asked to g-llarantee a sum not exceedll1g lOS. 6d. towards the expenses should the result prove a non-success financi:dly. It was decided to arranae for tte tournament to take place about the same time as before, d' possible; and yarious suggestions were put forward for the consideration of the committee. The officers present afterwards sat as the General Oommlttee and elected a Sub-Committee to c.Hry out the details for the tourname.l1L,. consisting of :he chief o.fficers of the active briaades in the:. AssooatJOn. A com billed paraae was held at the on Thursday, the 17th September, when about 4-0 men attended and went through various hydrant and hose drills. The officers present incl uded :'IIessrs. Church BraSier (S.J .t\. B ), Rushworth (Y[ erryweather). Britton and Hunting (L.G.O.C.), kivell (:'I1aple's), Horn and Simpson (Clarke, Nickolls and J3ea\'en (Incandescent E. L. Co.). The ambulance classes (kindly undertaken by Dr. ;\Iilnes Hey) are now in progress at the of i. John's Church, the time of meeting being Tuesday evelllngs at S.30.

THE .\"EED OF A A:-IB (J LA).'CE SER\·ICE.-Referring to the 3ccount of the Herne Hill Wine Stores and Ambulance \\ork, \\hich was published in Th! bcensillK IT'orld of October 1:!'.h, intereslin a letter of our correspondent, "One "Vho Knows, which appeared in the followin a issue, we are able to state that the necessity for and of the work has within the Ian few days been demonstrated and emp!Ja3ised in a way Two serious accidents bare happened near together In pOint of tlrlle, and have been promptly attended to. The o.ne occurred last .Saturday evening to an elderly lady, who. on alIghting from an omnIbus, was knocked down by a passing cab, and received an ugly wound on the forehead near the temple. This case bappening near the base of operations the stretcher appeared on the scene as if by rr,agic - so much 50, 'that the bystanders wondered wbence it had come In about three minutes the lady was safely placed in the store, where the medical man, assi!:ted by :'IIr Crews, washed and the wound and bound up her head, so that in a short time she W3S able be conveyed to her home, not far away, in a hansom other accI,dent took place on evenll1g to a young man dnl'lng van Some other vehicle collided with his at the tailboard end, and Jerked him off his seat so that he fell into the read on his head His injury, beside a g-eneral'shaking, was a scalp wound and slight concus5io? of the He was conveyed into the store and attended to, and Jl1 end, hiS van having brought round to door, he, stdl restll1g on stretcher, was placed on the floor of hiS van and. so c.onveyed to St. Thumas's Hospital, where, according to report, he 15 dOll1g well.

THE personnel of tbe Scottish National Red H o'ipital were presented with war medals at a para?e on York Htil Dnll on the 26th ult. by Lieul.-General Sir Hunter,.commandll1g the forces in Scotland. An ambulance display on a conSiderable scale was given. Surgeon Lieut.-Colonel Beatson, V.D., was in command.

l\1AN';HEHER.-A meeting of the llfanchester Infirmary Board was held. Sir Frank Forbes Adam in the chair. It appeared that a communication had been received from the Chief Constable of Manchester announcing that horse had been by the Watch Committee for use in case of aCCidents and tllness Jl1 the streets, and would be placed at the Goulden Police .Station. The ambulance would be available by day or l1lght, .and might be su mmoned by telephone. Representations hav ing been to Watch Committee regard to the removal of cases of serIOUS t11ne!:s other th an accidents it was decided to allow the use of the ambul::t nce for the removal patients to or from hospitals in accordance with a certain scale of charges. The Board had ed a deputati0rl: :0 see the Chief Oonstable and to express gratIficatIon at the establtshment of horse :lmbuiances, and to convey certain views with regard to limiting the use of tbe ambulances They now reported that the Cbief Constable explained that it was also to convey free anr cases of illness or serious accident occurrIng at works to the hospitals, and that the charge for the [r<Jm private ho u ses to the various hospitals would be at hiS discretIOn.

H ODilforb" C!\?clc :ambulance.

Illustrated on this page is an ambulance that will be of more than ordinary interest to our It is intended for use with a cycle as in the first illustration, but can by the simple addition of handle and rest use:! in the ordinary way as depicted in [lJustration NO.2.

Simplicity in construction being so very apparen t nyth:ng of a lengthy description is quite unnecessary.

It will be noticed that the frame is constructed of steel tubing of the kind used in cycles; the legs of the upper or stretcber portion tele'icoping into the corresponding uprights of the lower frame, and there resting upon stout spiral springs, inserted to absorb vibration.

The ambulance as a whole is attached to the cycle by means of a patented ball joint, the invention of the makers; so well does this act that the steering of the cycle is unaffected under all and every conditions of the road, ample (reedom of movement beil,g given in all directions.

'When necessary to remove the injured person, all that is necessary is to. take hold of the handles pro\·ided at eitber end and lift it straight out from the sockets, as shown on Figure 3 This portion it will be noticed is extremely light and portable.

The makers of the ambulance are Messrs. Mills & Fulford, of Crown \Vorks, Coventry, and as they are exbibiting at the National Oycle Show to be beld at the Crystal Palace, from November 22nd tf) November 30th doubtless many" First Aid 'J readers will avail themselves of the opportunity to acquire further particulars.

\Ve might say our illustrations are from photographs taken upon the occasion of a Cyclists Fancy Parade held in Leamington a few weeks ago, the rider of the cycle and the occupant of the ambulance being appropriately dressed for that occasion. To heighten the effect the ambulance was followed by a trailing car attached to a cycle in which was seated a Red Cross Nurse, the cycle being ridden by a supposed member of tbe Royal Army MEdical Corps.

For the benefit of those who may think the labour of drawing the ambulance when attached to a cycle would be too much to allow of it being used in such a way, it should be added that a rider of the aver3ge size and strength can take the ambulance along comfortably at the rate of eight miles an hour when occupied by a passenger of nine or ten stones in weight. \Yhen it is considered how important the first few minutes that ensue after an accident are and how much quicker a sufferer can by an am'tJUlance of this kind be conyeyed to a doctor or hospital one is tempted to express the wish that the day is not far distant when an ambulance on these lines will be at the of the public.

BR DFoIW -At the Bradford Technical College, the 1I[ayor of Bradford (l\Ir. W. C. Lupton), on tbe 20th ult., followed the example set bv himself year in entertaining the members .of the Bra?ford City Police, the Fire Bri(!ade, and the Ambulance Bngade t? dInn er ann an entertainment. The Mayor presid ed over tb.e g-athenng, and 'Vas supporterl by the chairman d the watch co mmIttee (\lfr. Joseph '. T,lOrhouse\ Dr S. Lodge, sen., (police SUI geon), DI. E\'ans Officer of Health). tj-,e Chief Constable (:VIr. Joseph Farnd1.le), C ," lef Officer Scott. and Dr. Browne (St. John Am bu lance Corps). Dr. Lodge, in givingo "The Health of tbe Ci·y Fire Brigad e, and Ambulance Rrigade," indulged in some remInI sc ences of an occaSlOn upon which he was "taken into custody," thougb he haste ned to add thIS was not by the police, but by the Chartists. A large hody of we;e as embled in Manchester Roa -1, and he incautiously found .b.lmself In their midst. He did not appear to be known, and hIS pOSItIOn [or a time was not comfortable, but fortunately at length a man came up who recoan ize d him and called to the crowd" Brothers, let thIS man pass. He an ho-,est man" (laughter). This assurance fortunately sufficient. and he allowed to escape.-The was cordI a lly h ono ured hy the visitors, and the Chief Constable, ChIef Officer Scott, and Dr. Browne responderl. The latter referred to the work of the St. Tohn Ambulance Associati o n. and said that ten years ago the were spoken of as "faddists." To-clay their servIces were recognized not only locally but nati on ally, over 1500 amb ulance men having been out to the seat of war. Evans gave the health of the Mayor and :'1ayoress, and the 111 observed th.at his connection with the poli ce commenced In 1868, as constable h e wielded a baton-which he Foduced-ll1. FenIan riots and broke at lea st one head. He was dIsposed to belIe\ e that services of himself and of othels saved Bradford from a dangerous not on that occasion. But after" Teddy" Dobson and he had do\\:n Lane with their truncheons there was not much lIfe left I,n the Fenianism of Bradford (laughter) .- The subsequently ga.\e the health of the Chief Constable and the ChIef Officer of the FIre Brigade, and these gentlemen responded.

)IODERN A\l BULA):CE "-ORK. -T'rofesso r Kllttner , a well- known German surgeon, who with dUrIng the wars in Turkey, South Africa., and ChIl1R, has Just up the leIts of his observations as follows: -" :'IIodern war fare underg?ne changes, if compared with the wars of former times, OWll1g to the introdu ct ion of smokeless powder. the powder smoke cerved to a certain extent, as a protectio n to the opposed forces : t ;t present only a light haze rests over the battlefield and even thIS IS wanting in winrly or rainy weather. [n South Africa It bas ? ften happened that slightly wounded soldier<;, at th e first sho<:k of theIr. wounds, have to tbeir feet in order to run to the FIeld HospItal to be handaged, but in the next moment fell dow.n, stI:uck by bullets. F h · it has been found ImpOSSIble 111 South Afnca. 111 the or t IS reason, b' t d t th most instru ct ive of modern cam paigns, to egll1 to at en o. e wounded before the end of the battle All to begin dUrIngthe fiaht v,ere fruitless For example, 111 the actIOn at Pa a rdeberg, the tbat three surgeons and a number of men. were shot. The Ambulance Service would generally not begll1 untIl the close of the action, and then it was very OWIl1g to tbe After the engoagement at Jakobsdal. the Ser\'lce.had to w?rk unt.II four a.m" because the rain and tbe darkness made It exceedll1gly dIfficult to find the wounded, espe cia ll\ because the colour of the khakI unlf bled that of the earth' and also hecause manv of the wounded olms resem 'f h v ffi bb " crawled behind stones and bushes. for ear o. t e ."a r ro .ers. Professor Kiittner then shows how Important It IS that the Sal1l tary Staff ;houl:l exercise the greatest care on the battlefield. The .first bandage often decides the fate of the. wounded. He had a d in Turkey of obsprvmg- the vast amount of suffellng by the examination and handling of wounds o n the [n Somh AfriCl, also, especially after tbe action at \[ager sfo ntelll, he d that the mortalit\, among the wounded was ter rIbly Inwas conVInce creased by irrati ona l tre3.tment. ____

following gratifying I-Her referr ing to.the zeal I 'd' "t t'lme- displa"ed by \11' Stamp In connectIo n With 'ISSI tllt\·". , J h \muulance was by Chief Officer T ozerof the ;J111 Fire Brigade (a n old eolleag.ue of \11'. h o I\' hi hl - :.'1[1'. Stamp's servIces are appreCIated by hIS fellol\ CltIzens.g ) CITY OF .l5flO!I): GHA\I

Dear Toz er, LOI{]J :.'IL<\Y Ohb:·S tb: d "

[ much regret that I shall be unable to be WIt you o \ln ·'SOIl ay evening next,-on theocc<lsion of the presentatIon to - r. tamp, who for so many years,discharged the onerous dULIes of of the B irming ham and district ambulance bl'lga.de As of that body, J have had opportunities of the aSSIduous and manner i'l whi ch :\11'. i':itamp s work has been performed_ and I am glad to learn that hlo servIces nre be Ingrecoanized by his r am, yours faIthfully, .JA\!F S Lord .l!./)'or.

A ID [Novembe r , 19 01.

Ho PITALS ASSOCIATION.-Sir Savile Crossley, M .P. , on the 24 tb ult presided over the annual meeting of tbe members of the Hospitals Association with which is incorporated a street ambu lance bra n ch, beld at 28. S'outhnmpton Street, Strand. The Council of the first-named society, in their Report, expressed regret in consequence of pressure of public business a nd the failure of the Government to g. ve any special facilities, the Bill introduced into ParlIament. last SeSSIOn for the exemption of hospitals from local rates wa.s not Tt was hoped, however, tba further effOI 3 for the relIef of from these rates would be made in the coming Sessic·n. The vperations of the Am bulan ce Service during the past year exceeded in extent the work of either of the nine years preceding. The Chairman moved the adoption of the Report, which was seconded by 1:::lurgeon .Colonel I nce Sir H. Burdett, in supporting the Motion, said somethll1g more tban one half of the street accidents were now handled bv the London Ambulance Service in connection with that Associati0I1 That work had been aoina on since 1890 and had increased by nearly ISO per cent with the that the streets were well supplied. Prior to its estabthere was no alternative but to hundle a person off to the hospital in a cab. In that way it was found tbat many simple fractures were verted into compound fractures, some 0: wh Ich were - attended WIth !'erious and even fatal consequences. It was interesting to note that ;;,s the tr3.ffic of London beca m e st ill further congested and more difficult to regulate. the number o f accidents dealt with at thoroughfare stations had falle"] from 1230 laot to 1054 this year. The Reports and ac('ounts were the n adopted, SIr 8avile Cro=sley being elected President or the ensuing year in sllccession to Mr. C )s mo B)113 0r.

Countess Howe will be glad if an y mem hers of t he Imperial Yeomanry Field Hospit al or n earer Company wh o have not received their medals will apply for these to :\Tr. Oli\'er William s, 71 & 72. King William :)treet, E.C. The medals for the other sections of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospitals have n ot yet been received for distribution_ Since the last list of subscriptions was published Countess Howe has re ceived from i\1r. D. Osborne a cheque for £29 5s., being the balance of the fLlnd collected in the coun t y of Fife.

The Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corporation,

40 , 42 & 4 4, MOO R GAT E S TRE ET LONDON , E. C.

to whom Notice of Claims, under the following conditions, must be sent within seven days of accident to the above address.)

6 00093

£100

will he paid by h e above Corporat ion to the legal :ep.resentati v: e of who is killed by an It(!cirll:nt to the l'asspnger Tram the K.ngdon: or Uhannellslallds ) ill which the .1ecf'ased was a tIcket bearmg or paying passenger. or who shall have been fatally inJured th e eby (should death result wltb,U ninety days after such accident).

PROVI DED that the person so. kill<:c1 or injured had.npon his or her pel'son or had left at home this ticket. WIth IllS, or I.:.er, lIsnal Signature, written prIOr to the nccillell t. on the space provided below: which, with th: giving of notice witbin tbe Lime as hereinbefore mentlQned, IS the essence of thIS contract

This insnrAnce holds <7ood for cnrrent issu e only. and carries the of anel i, suhject 10, the conditions of the" OCEAN ACUIDEN'f &; GUARANTE E COMPA:\'Y Limited, Act, Uisks Nos. :d /).:, a.

The Corpcra tion admit hat the pUl'chase of this Paper is the payment of :1 premIum ullder Sl:ction :H of tb e Act.

1\'0 pt'rsor can leeOI'e1' under mc·re than one Coupon ticket in respect of Lhe sallie risk.

S/§.l1ature

F I RS .AI

Tl\e J o \lrf\al de v o ted to 11mb\] laf\ce Work.

EDITED BY HEATON C. HO\VARD, L.R.C.P. LOND., :\i.R.C.S. ENG.

:--Jo. 90.-VOL. VIII. Ente1'ed at StatzOlle1'S' Hall.J 1901. PRICE ONE PENNY.

After the 31st December, 1901, this Journal will be Published bv Messrs. Dale, R eynolds and Co of 46, Cannon Street, E.C., to whom all communications should be addressed after that date

TERMS OF

For 12 months, IS. 6d., post free, to be sent to the Publishers.

lJ3re\)tttes.

. IT .giYes uS great piea.sure tbat at last an inquiry 1 bell1g m ade ll1to the questlOn of the pro\'ision of street ambulances for non-infectious cases in London. The Purposes. Committee of the London County CounCll has appoll1led a sub-com mitt ee of which Dr. Collins i cha irm an to the inquiry and it is expected to make a report next pnng. * ':i:;r..

AC(,ORDI'\G to the lJaz'Z.)' ilIad of the LJ-th lilt. we are :;oon going to haye horsed ambulance \Yaggons, but the details of the manner 111 \\'hich they are to be \yorked are not gl,-en.

DR, t\CHTEL has a long article in the Dazl)' Jfaz! of the 21st ult. gi\'ing a description of the P aris Ambulance Ren'ice, and he is apparently trying to found a sen-ice in London. \Vh et her he bas any influence with the London County Council, we do not knmr but doubtless his yiews on the matter will have due *:

1.1' is astonishing to nole the progress that is beinO' mad e in the provincial towns in the way of carriages. Even a comparatin:ly small ltke IpSWIch has a hor':e ambulance carriaO'e which is used for st reet accidents and for the of noninfec ti.ou s From the annual report just i ssued we gather that It was u sed about 100 times last year, * ,,< *

ON the 28th. ult. Viscount opened a n ew ambulance statlOn at the East IndIa Docks and in the cour.se of his remarks mentioned the ambulance serVIce for London This station is we believe the one that was in the Str and and k11o'wn as the' Duncan Memorial Station.

\' OU'NTEER M EDICAL SERVICE. - One of the best samaritan records (says the Dat!;, Telegraph) of the W3.r is that held by the bearer company of the North Lond on .V olunteer Brigade. The company is furnished by t?e B loo.msb ury RI fles (19th l\liddlesex), and when the need for medIcal. at the f ront became known 32 out of the 57 men It \,?lunteered for active service These men accomplished sp lendId work In.a \'arlety of places, b.lt especially during the terrible outbreak of enterIC at Bloemfontein, when they were attached to TO.

12 General Hospital. ;\Tosf. of those who went out are now at homel again, but several are still on duty in SO.lth Africa. At the annuae dinner and prize distribmion of the company, which was held at the headquarters of the 19th i\Iiddlesex, Surgeon-Captain \[acGregor, th;\. officer commanding the company, occupied the chair, and there was e good attendance of officers of the regiment and other friends. Brigad_ Surgeon-Colonel Thomas presented the prizes to the successfui com petitOrs. In responding to tbe toast of the Imperial F o rces. Colone Hardcastle, tbe com manding officer of the Bloomsbury Ri Res, S:l icl the late Commander-in-Chief alway:; insisted upon the recognition of the volunteers as an integ'ral paJt of the army, and unJer Lord Roberts the nliflcation of the various branches of the army had been canid still further. An interesting part of the e\'ening-'s programme wa5 the presentation to the Nortb London Rifle Brigade bearer company of a handsome loving-cup by Surgeon-Colonel Thomas, the senior medical officer of the brigJ.('e. In making the presentation Colonel Thomas recalled with pleasure the noble response made by the company to call for medical \'olunteers, and said tbe record of the .:\'onh London Be3.rer Company at that juncture was unequalled in kingdom. From all under whom the men sen'ed there came nothing- but the highest commendations of their intelligence and de\'otion to duty. It \l'a5 to mark his appreciation of their admirable work, and to make some permanent recognition of it, that he had presented the loving-cup. SurgeonCaptain :\bcGregor, who \\'as in command of the company, suitablr responded,

\!olnpl1111entarp 'IDinncr to $. @Si)Orn, J135q.

The Hon. Surgeons of the :'Iletropolitan Corps of the St. John .-\mbulance Brigade met together in the Louis XT. Room of the Cafe }lonico on 15th 1.0 give a complimentary dinner to their Chief Surgeon, :.\lr. Sam. Osborn. Dr. J. Browl: occupied the chair. After the usual loyal toasts had been drunk, :'\[r. CantlIe rose to propose tbe health of the guest, and said, "The toast "hich r have the honour to propose is that of the Chief Surgeon of the :'Iletrooolit ll1 Corps of tbe ::3t John Ambulance 13rig-ade. \Ir. 8am. Osborn h:ts devoted his time, his abilItY:1l1d his means to ambulance work for many years and the ambulance world generally is deeply indebted lo him. Xot only in ci\'j[ ambulance work at home has he found scope for his talents, but he has gClined a wide experience in military suraeon and field organisation in the Greco-Turkish war of 1897 and in'" the great Boer war. The ambulance men i" this country are well known to all of us here; we recognise their abilities be ther workin a in Ena/and Scotland, Ireland or Wales; and. should the men of tried ability to carryon special ambulance work it is easy for us, were we asked to do so, to lay our hands upon them. The fact, therefore, LhaL the ambulance surgeons of London ha \'e selected :'II r. Osborn as their chief, is sufficient testimony of the esteem in \,hich he is held by men qualified to judge. The relation of the surgeons in the Brigade to the brigade authorities is at once peculiar and in m:wy senses anomalous. The constitution of the service is exactly parallel to the old of the Army :'IIedical Corps \V e ha\'e our captains and lieutenants of orderlies in our superintendents, &c. and our surgeons attached to companies without having anything LO do with the command of the men under them \Ve are tryll1g to continue to upon a system wbich was found. impranicable in the Army, and It IS to be hoped that we shall contInue to work as we 3.re without friction for a long time to come. The present system has much in it that s admirable; the fact that the surgeon is rree to devote his attention to professional work in the corps and to lea\'e tl1e oraanisation, the equipment of transport and the transport i lself to'" other workers has mucb to recommend it. In the Armyand Na\'y after some IS or 20 years' sen'ice a medical officer becomes an executi\'e officer pure and simple, his duties are to run the hospitals see to the equipment of his corps, in fact to manage and command from root to branch the section of the department he presides o\'er. He does everything in fact except attend clinically to patients. to th,lt system, it is an .absolute. necessity in tbe army and navy but In cn·d lIfe du not thll1k that It IS, and the present system

if judiciously worked, may continue inc:Iefinitely. It tact and judgment, however. to attach medIcal men to the Brigade, to them to work fOI the Brigade, and yet to g ive them no power or vOIce in the command or direction of their corps. So long, however, as we have the present tactful management it will go on; although all of you are aware that there are grumblings deep and earnest. These mayor may not have our sympathy, but we can imaginc that so peaceful a time may not be in store (or su.ccessors. I. th.e absence 0: our non - medical workers from thIs dInner. I thmk It IS nght to sho\\ the m tbat we theSurO'eons have some cohesion, that we are a bOdy in I d' fact which must be taken into account. I hop e this medica mner mav become an annual aff.lir, an d that we shall ask our ambulance friends, be they medi ca l or not, to come as our 5 uests. 1\Iedical men are easily dealt with when it is a question of giving their services; and so long as the Surg-eons of the Brigade, through the tact a nd of the Chief SurO'eun are considered and treated by the authOrItIes WIth the courtesy they be'tieve to be their due, so long will the present eO'i me continue and there will be n o nece ss ity for taking the step which our brethren in the army were compelled to take; and what was necessary for military, may become by injudicious management at any moment necessary for civil ambulance organisation. I sincerely tru st th at [\Ir' Osborn may long hold his pres en p05ition of Chief Surgeon to the l\I e tropolitan Corps.

1\lr. S. O sbo rn in responding to the toast, alluded to the splendId ,york \yhich had been done by the St. Jo h n Am bulance Association in furtherance of the First Aid mO\'ement, the success of whi ch was largely due to the co-operation and support which they had received from the medical profession He most heartily congratulated Mr. Cantlie and those gentlemen \\'ho assisted him in the prod u c tion of the new Fir s t Aid manual. It was some years ago that some of the hon. surg-eons belonging to the Metropolitan Corps at a at St. John's Gate, pointed out the inadequate amount of InformatIOn for th e carrYll10' out efficiently of First Aid contained in the manual then in use, anbd he was pleased to think that some result had come from that meeting, and congratulated the Association upon now having a book more worthy of so great a cause. He, however, regretted that it had been founJ impossible to introduce six lectures of five, as was done by the Lond o n School Board, They all knew the difficulty there was under the old syllabus in getting the amount put down u:1der the first lecture into the space of one hour, and the difficulty was not lessened in the new syllabus, because the whole of fr act ures, dislocations sprains, &c ., was now brought into it. He also ccngratulated the London School Board upon the work they\vere doing in Fir s t Aid. It was work not in opposition to, but in conjunction with, the St. John Ambulance Association, and met the requirements of a certain class.of individuals who, from pecuniary circumstances, could not require this most useful and requisite knowledge. Dr. Colhe, the :Jjedica Superintendent of Ambulance to the London S chool Board, was now, he was pleased to say, one of the hon. surgeons of the Metr opolitan Corps, and he cordially welcomed him amongst them. He hoped th a t sooner or later the St John Ambulance Association would see their way to make it necessary for medallion holders to periodically requalify. It would ensure that the requisite amount of Fir st Aid knowledge wa s maintained , and could be made not an expen se but an additional source of revenue. Anything that was for the advancement and perfecting of relief to the sick and injured in our was worthy consideration. :\roreover he was un ler the belIef that a complete ambulance system for L ondon was not so far distant as some would suppose The St. John A mbulance Brigade had prove:! its usefulness not only at hO'lle but abroad. As the Provinces looked to the Capital, so "ould the Provincial centres look to the Metropolit a n centre for guidance and s upport. In London they had greate r opportunities for meeting- together, as ,veil as more frequent occasions fo r doing duty in tb e stree s. 'Vhat the orderlies o f th e St. J oh n Ambulance BriO'ade ha:::l done in South Africa was worthy of the highest Fraise, anlas he had had the good fortune to go out to the war he saw for himself, and could testify to the excellent work they did out there, and iVhat the Governm e nt would hal'e done without them, it is impossible to say In connection with this he would take some slight credit to himself in the fact that he was the first to institute nursing lectures for our men, through the kind assistance of Si r Herbert Perrott, at St. John's Gate. It was after doing duty at the IIerbert Hospital, Woolwich, during the Egyptian IVar, that hesaw the importance of this knowledge opening out as it did another sphere of usefulness for our men. The Metropolitan Corps of the St. John Ambulance B r igade was, he p ea sed to say, in the highest state of efficiency, a fact due solely to the requalifying examin ;ltions held annually. It was, he knew, a duty involving much labour, but it was ab'olutely essential As a proof of thIS he would mention the fact that in a recent case of litigation in whi ch first aid treatment was called in question and in which he: was subprenaed to give evidence-the Judge asked him" What s teps were taken to ensure the efficiency of these >::It. John ambulance men on duty in the streets of London, " to whic:h he wa s more than pleased to be able to reply that "No man was allowed on duty until he had annually re-qualified himself as to his efficiency in fir st aid knowledge, and thus

AID. [D ecember, 1901.

the general public secured t h at r e iabili ry which .they expected at. t he ha n ds of the St John Ambulance Orderly." It IS no w five years sll1ce be first i nitiated h is and wh ch was now thoroughly carried out by the lI on. Surgeons of th'e f\letropolitan Corps. In the matter of work with improvised material, h o wever, there was still much to be d es ired It was for this \york tbat he had given a Challenge Shi el d in the hope of improvement and getting the men LO show t hei in.genuity.. They relied too much upon their book and muddled up the mfor matlOn they got out of it. Finally he rhanked the Hon. S.urgeons the [\!erropolitan Corps for the hon our they had done hIm by mVltll1g hIm. to this complimentary d:nn er, and also avaLi ed bImseif of the oppOrtUrIIty of than kin 0' all of them for I\' hat they had don e In the furthe.ance of first aid and hoped that they would still continL!e to evince that s::tme oreat interest which they had already shown. It :as decided that there should be an an nual dinner of the Hon. Surgeons of the f\letropolitan Corps, and a small C ommittee was a ppoi nted to carry it Out.

St. 30bn Bl11bulance tl55ociatioll.

0:-: Tuesday, r\'ovember 19t h, the Central Club had their annual tation. of certificates, and they be on the audIence whIch as sembl ed to re-organIse theIr efforts on beha lf o. the movement. The presentati o n was made by the Rt. H o n. Lord Knutsford, G.C :'II.G., Dire cto of the Ambulance of the Order of St. John His Lord s hip, who is a genuine fayourite with all ambulanre workers, having won their hearts by the earnest and kindly way in which he shows his interest in all their as well as. in their work, was supported by the D ep uty CommISSIoner of tne DIstnct, the BriO'ade Chief Superintendent, Chief S uperintende nt Morgan, Trimmer, :'1r. Horwood the president of the clu b, &c. After the presentation a hearty VOle of thanks \\'as accorded to his Lordshi p for his presence there th a t night, a.nd for so kindly presenting the certificates. It is ne edless to say that thIS was caI' rIed WIth rounds of cheers Lord Knutsford, in a brief speech, thankeJ the members and stated how pleased he was to come amongst them. He realised the good that amLulance wo rk wa s doing in these clubs, and his intention was to fuster and encourage it. On behalf of the member s of the Nursin o Class, His Lordship presented Nursing Officer Gent and Sister l<:adley with mementoes in the s hape of sma ll satchels and to the Lecturer an umbrella on behalf of the pupil s of the first aid class for men.

LEI CESTER AMBULAKCE CORPS DI:\,XER.-- The mem be rs of tbe LeAm bulance Corps sat down to their annual di nner at the Orien tal Cafe last night. Dr. Alister Howlings occupied the chair, and the comt-'any, which number ed about 50, included Me ssrs. E. Morgan, B. Green, Geo Tarratt (Secretary), A. Gamble, F. W Boothroyd, and York -:.v1r. Bootbroyd, in giving th e toast of the evening. pointed out that they had very good grounds and \ery great f.or wi shing success to the LeI cester Ambulance Corps The Corps of Itself could do nothin a it cou ld only be vitalised by it s members. He would remind th"em that the Leice ste Town D i visi on was the parent of Leicester ambulance Kork. It was in existence long before the awakeninO' of the military spirit which they had complained of, and judging by the widespread fer ment [hat spirit had set up in various parts of the country, it would be in exi sten ce after that .spirit had accompl ished the deadly purpose It was now fas: conductIng. The L eicester Ambulance Corps could only accom pllsh Its purpose by going forward steadily, shoulder to shoulder. '. uperintendent Green, whose name was coupled WIth the toast, 10 re p lYIllg, observed that the new corps consisted the old Town D.iv.ision, the. Working Men 's Club and the Friends Adult School wh Icb had amalgamated and started practice on original line s. The military drills which 'had been lat el y intr oduced nto th e pr actices had been strongly objected to, and they had lost some very good members on this account The new corp s intended dropping this military element, and training their men in first aid only. A vote of sympathy with Messrs Stranks and IIall , who were absent on account of family trouble, was u nanimously pas se d. Songs were cont r ibuted d u ring the evening by members of the company.

ONE can but regret the action of member s of he Divisions of the Leicester Corps who have seceded. The fit. John Ambulance Brigade has now a world-wide reputation and is recognised as a splend id organisat ion by the highe s t as wel.l as by the low es t in land B rminaham which recently sec eded IS already h a rkIllg back to the parent orga"nisation,ha discovered the of combating an organisation whIch has at ItS back the SovereIgn Head of the Order of St John Other corps and divisions we coukl mention have al so discoverEd that they cannot exist as separate organisation. This latest exploit of the Leicester. folk. remmds us very much of Ol,lr old fnend Don Quixote and the Wll1dmlll.

D ec embe r, 19 0 1. J FIR S T protect

lRo\?a{

Bt

m\? fJD ebical

$ervice.

A I D. 43

armies in the field from water-born disease. He made his officers

THE ADVISORY BOARD and men both filter and boil their drinking water, with the result

\Ve hav e r ece ived the following official communication from 'he War

Office :-The Secretary of State for War h as selected tre folIo ing as the Ohairman, Vice-Chairman, and Mem be r s of the Advisory Board, for the supervision of .\rmy :\1edi ca Services:

CHAIR:'IIAN

The \rmy M edica Service, Surgeon·General

William Tayl or C.8., A.i\I.S., :'I1.D., C. ·M

VIO E-CEIAI R :VIAN

Th e Deputy Dir ecto r-C enera l, S.trgeon-General (temporary) \lfre d

Henry Keogb. C.B., A.M.S , M.D. :'\DIBERS.

Officer R.A.:'II.C (expert in Sanitation): :\I ajor Wm. Grant

.vfacpber son, R.A.:'ILC., :.\..\., C.:'I., D.Ph. (Camb) Officer

R.A.:'I1.C. (expert in TropIcal DIseases): LI eut. -C ol. DaVId Bruce, RAYl.C i\I.D C.:'!. CIVILU.:-r M E i\IBERS.

Dr. Ch as. Bent Ba ll (lrel:r.nd), M.D., F.R .C.S (Ireland), (J-<.ngland'. Alfred Downin'-' Fripp, Esq C.B., C.\T.O., F.R.C S., &c.

Dr. J as Galloway (Scotland), '\I.A., M.D., F.R.C.P Dr. Edwin Cooper Perry, i\I.A., M.D., F.R.C.P. SIr t'reden:;k Tre ves

C .B., K.C'.V.O., F.R.C.S.

REPRESE:\TATI\'E OF THE \YAR OFFICE.

Colonel \V. A Dunne, C.B., ASSIstant Quartermaster -Gen eral Representative of the India OffIce: To be nominated hereafter.

The Matron-in-Chief, \,2.A.I.:\l.N.S.: To be nominated hereafter.

NOTE.-The permanent constitution of the board will dJffer from the abo \e in ha \'ing only four cI\'il members in stead of Dve. The braer num ber is required at the sutset, in consequence of the heavy work necessita ting a larger number of meetings th an will be later. ..,

The appointment of thIS AdVIsory B oald, Its.constltutlOn and dutIes, were outlined in the report of the comm Itte e appoInted by :'Ilr. 1-1t. John BrodIick. It will "supen' ision" o\'er the c\rmy

:'Iledi c;tl ervices, \\,illlllEet fornightly, and will report to the 'ecretary of State for W ar upon all concerned witn medicine, surgery, sanitation, and epidemi:: diseases as they affect the milItary ser\'lces," and upon the provision and of h?spitals, and ., upon whate\'er concerns the well ?emg of and wounded; wIll p repare" a sch'i!me the e,;panslOn of the Sel'vl.c e tOr needs of war o r serious epIdemiCS, ancl among other thll1gs 101 employment in the serv'ce of civilidn surgeons, nurses, a nd o rd erlIes, and the uti l isation of all voluntary effort for the relief of the sick and wounded." This body will also eport on plans for hospita ls, barracks, and standing camps, and .on SUIt able clt'Li hospItals as places study for surO'eons and of tralllll1g for nurses of fJueen Alexandra s I mpenal i\ ! ihtary Nursing t::lervice.. The Board will appoint a for the annual inspection, WIthout notice, of mIlItary medIcal establIshments. It will supervise the admission of candidates to the R oyal Army i\Iedical Corps,. and aIrange for examinations for promotion;, whi ch th e y wIll conSIder belon: any names are submitted by the :.v redical DIre, :tor- General to the Commander-in-Chief. Lastly, the B oar d will exercise I. a general control ,. over the nursing service, and "in consultation with the Nursing Board, snail submit to the Secretary of Dtate a scheme to develop th e training of orderlies as attendants upon the sick and \\'ounded " From th ese brief details it will be seen tbat the future efficiency of the Army Medical Servic.es will depend i.n on .the tions of this body, III who se conStItutIOn five dIstII1glllshed CIVIlIan medical O'entlemen have been inclu ded, one being for Ireland and one for This was t he feature of the sc hem e whi ch was most praised at the time of the presentati o n of th e report six weeks ago, an d the Secretary for War has chosen ead ing members of the med ical proto fill th ese posit ions, of whom f\J r. A. D. Fripp and ::;ir Freder ick Treves served in S ou th \frica, and we r e members of ;Ur. Brodrick's Co mmittee. The se five gentlemen are appointed for a period of three year5, renewable on ex piry, except when the age limit of sixty years has reached. E:ach will r eceive" an honorarium. of £200 per annum, III addltlon to hIS out-of-pocket expenses for dULles performed beyond a radius of four miles from Charing-cross."

THE FTEI. D IIO SPfTA L.-- ,\l ajor Stonh am, who had charge of the Imp e rial Yeom:tnry Fi eld L-Iospital in South Africa, at Maidstone on" Hospital 'York at the Front," said, describinO' his meeting with De 'Yet, the Boer General, tr!:'ated him with t he kindnes s , and suggested where the Yeomanry hospital could be pla ced with safety. Speaking of the typhoid ep idem c the troops at Bloemfontein, Major Stonham thought it was a scanda l

that on ly two men out of 300 of typhoid. to the centration camps , the lecturer saId It made hIS blood bor! to hear :JIISS Hobhouse and others alleging that Boer women and chil-:lren were not I\'ell tre:lted. H e was in char;:-e of one of those camps for some time and he could assure the audience 6at the occupants were tre at'ed extremely well and better than our own soldiers.

<torr e 5ponbenc e .

To the Editor o.fFIRST Am. BRIGADE Ui IFOR;\l.

t::lIR.--I read in the daily paper a few days ag-o that a white helmet was under consi::.leration for the :\1e tropolitan police to be worn during the summer months, and that a pattern was likely to be soon settled upon. Tbis eminently sensible plan re calls the cor re sponder.ce which occurred in "First Aid" a few months ago. in which numerous correspondents relieved their feelings upon the subject of the St. Jobn Ambulance BriO'a de uniform. You very kindly at that time found room for a rath;r long letter from me upon the sunject, may I ask you to aO'ain throw open your col um ns to the discussion in the hope that our "authorities may be induced to give the matter serious consideration. Unless some thing is done the poor t. John's man will shve like a niO'O'er all day, but un like the nigger, he will be ciothed in a 1 hick tunic and wear a heavy black cap, under such conditions e\'en our Ethiopian friend would conslJer the labour ardUOLIS. E 'en if the tunic question is t('o big to be attempted, we mig-ht,.as a small concession be allowed a cooler cap. Could not one be deVIsed WI th a white line'n fall beh ind (I do not know the correct name of this arrangement) so as to protect the nape of the neck, judgi ng fro.m illustrations some such arrangement u sed to be worn by tbe troops III India. am a fraid that the real reason or negl ect of th is quest on is that of the expe05e it woula entail, although in many diyisions whir.h pay lor their own uniforms, this outlay would be cheerfully the members as I have good reason to know. In re gard to those in which 'the uni form is supplied tree to members, the difliculty would arise but surely could be o\'ercome. Is the St. John -\mbulance short of money? If so, why does it not announce the lact?

1 sure that the many we'llthy knights and brethren of the Order would not let the difficulty continue. Tru sting that you \\'ill allow these few remarks to app-::ar.

remain, Sir, Your truly, lVovi!mber :J 1St, IgOr. A PRIVAT E, S. J \. B.

1'0 the Editor O.fFIRST AID.

LONDON A:'IIBULA:\CE

I R.-II avinO' read" First Aid" recently, it has led me to take an int'!rest in the service for London. It seems to me, from 13 years personal experience on beats in -orth,. and ? est London thouO'h not a first-aider, that the .\Ietropol!s IS better prOVIded for in the matter of ambulanc e provision, than readers of your Journal miO'ht be led to suppose. undoubtedly, there is room for impr ovement, for"instance, if some inexpensive means c.ould be devised for the police to be able to signa l, o r telephone, for the Ir ambulance from the st.reets, th eir work would h ave a more credita ble appearance of promptItude. :\Iany sergeants do what C,ln to make people comfortable when injur ed in the streets, by puttlllg on the polIce ambulances. The new pattern amb ulance s are a great Impr ovement on old, and duly take their pla(:e as the old ones wear out. If I am III charge of an acc ident case, I always order a blanket to on the ambulance, place the injured person Injured SIde up, o n the blanket lift on ambulance, first taklllg stretcher off wh eel frame. agree w\h you that speci.allitters for accidents only should he kept at poli ce stat ions , and I thlllk that would be found yery useful if kept at the followlllg polIce statIons: - \\ andsworth t We st Dill), Brixton Road, Peckham (High Street), Greenwi.ch (Blackheath R oad), !-Ial:row (Ca rlt on Ham mersmLlh (Broadway), Stoke ;'; eIVll1 gt on (High treet), l\. entlsh Town ( H olmes Roa d) , Bow Road and Scotland Y"rd. Wagons, if kep.t at the named stat ion s would be in direct call by t"legraph WIth 120 polIce sta tion s in London wi tho ut costing an extra penny for communication the remaining 42 stations, not co,unti ng the city , could also si O'.n a I r apid ly. Thi s would saye the many we::try tramps to OUtlYlllg Infirm a ri es, people's &c. 1 en woul? cost the GO\'ernme t much with sheds to put them lll, whIle .lQrses and coac hm e n are for at very 10\\ !'ates. H op ing this may be suitabl e for in ser tion in your interestinO' Journal, and will not tre spass on your space and attention.

I am, respectfully, P. S.

FIRST AID.

..:\.'1' the complimentnry dinner given by TllE HOX. the Hon. Surgeons of the 1'IIetropoJitan SURGEOXS OF ('Ol'PS of the St. John Ambulance hl'ig,ule THE ·T. Jonx to theil' Chief Slll'g<'Ol1; the l'e11wrk8 made hy M1'. G<.1.ntlic, in pl'opo::;il1g Jh. BRlGd.DE. O::,b01·n·· health, to he l'eHll uy all tbe Sm'geons of the Brigalle. inasmuch as tbey refer to tho l'elations of the Surgeons to the Bl'igacle

.A ::,em:ence 01' t\yO of JI1'. CuntIie'H speech may be qnot-ell ,,,bich make clear the position of the sm·geon. "pl'esent sy::;tem hilS much in it that iR aclmimble; the "fact that the surgeon is free to lleyote hi· attention "to profession,\l "'ork in the corps, and lea\'e the " ol'galJisHtion, equipment of tl'anspOl·t, and the transpOlt L itself to other WOl'ke1's, has much to l'ecommenc1 it." Again, :. It l·equil·e,.; great tact and jurlgment, ho',"e\'e1', to " attach medical men to the Hl'ig;lde, and :yet to giye thelll " no powel' 01' voice in the command or llil'ection of theil' c. COl·PS." These G'YO sentence8 state exactly and cuncisely the duty of the mgeons, whlCh is to rendel' first aiLl-no mor.e al1ll no less, lIe has no command of the men except wbel'e they help him to pel'fol'm hi:; duty, and by the same 1'ensoning the executi,-e officers ha ,'e no comllland over the i'i1.ll'geoll as to hi:-; method of cal'l'ying out his dutie. . An instance of thi::, may be given. 011 a l'ecent occasion ,tn executive officer found fault with a sUl'geon fOl' sending for a. celtain article, which he ,,,-as in \,-ant of for tbe purpose of treating his patients, saying it was not required, although this \'el')' article was and is now being served out of the 1£ we ;He correct in our intel'pretation of the duty of the l'espcctiYe officers it is not the peo"ince of an executi\'e o£lcer to call into question the methods of the ,urgeol1, 01' the material he requires fOl' the treatment of his patients.

Let the smgeons as 1\lr. Cantlie said, that they h:we cohesion, that they are a body wbich must be into account, and then they can speak with a voice that will he listened to.

It seems to u' that it would be ao visable for the pl'O,'incial surgeons to become 11101'e ill touch with Lheir Metl'opolitan hl'etlll·en. It might be possihle for them to meet at the annua.l dinner that has been pl'oposed, or some other meanl'l could be devised wherehy mattel'S could be discu. sed ,Lud pe1'l'Ioll[1,l inte1'·communicntion pl·ovidedlead· ing to a bettel and more thorongh unrlel'::;tanding of each other and each OthOl"S l'ocluirements.

JEarl 1Roberts anb tbe IDortlanb lbospital.

Last month Earl Roberts presented the war medals to the doctors, nurses, and ambulance men of the Portland Hospital. It will be remembered that this hospital was one of the first of a private char· acter sent 'Jut to the war, and, as Earl Roberts acknowledged in his spee.::h, it did admirable work at Bloemfontein during the enteric fever scourge. Whilst the Duke of Portland was the moving spirit in the formation of the hospital, Captain and l\Irs. Bagot, with General Eaton, rendered splendid service in its orllanisation, whilst Lord a:1d Lady Henry Bentinck, as is well known, were also prominent in the work, and accompanied the hospital to the front at the beginning of last year.

Owing to the early hour of Earl Ruberts's departure the distribution had to be held at half·past eight. There was a large attendance of workpeople and of the general public, a number of whom had come over from and \\'orksop and other adjacent places. The distinguished \·lsltOrs were accommodated on a dais situated in the centre of the Ridillg::Jchool, anu promptly at the hour Earl Roberts and the LJuke of Portland drove up, accompanieu by Earl and the ITon. F. Dawnay (A.D.C. to Earl Roberts). ,\mongst those :.llso present were-·:'IIr. F. J Turner (agent to the Duke of Port-

land), General Eaton, 1111'. Langham (of the Langham Hospital), lVIr. .1. ''''arner Tllrner (secretary to the Duke of Portland), Canon (Whitwelll. Rev. 11. Hammersley (chaplain at Welbeck), Rev. II. De Lisle (Whitwell), Messrs. H. II. ·Woods (Scotland Farm), W. F. Jolly (l\Iansfield), Dr. Calverley, Dr. Wallace, Sister Pretty, and Sioter Davies.

The Portland TIospital men, who wore khaki uniforms, occupied a position on the right of the Ii ne and the da is, with the "'elbeck ,\mbulance men who have been to South \frir.a next, and the \Velbeck division on the left. On the arrival of Earl Roberts the division was called to atten tion by Sergt. Drown (8ergean t 1nstructor to the vVork· sop Volunteers). The medals were then distributed in the following order, the names of the Portland :-Iospital men being called by General Eaton and those of the \Velbeck Clivision by Supertntendent IIamlyn Portland Calverley, Dr. Walla ce, Sisters Pretty, Russell, Davies, 8ero-eants Peat, ::'Ilacnamara, Sayer, Pri vates Botterell, Bleasdale, Ellis, Holloway, Harness, Harris, ::\Iarch,wt, ::'IIatthew. Moore, .-rewnes, Pallett, Squires, and \Vilson. vV elbeck Division.-Privates J. Alletson, H. :\lIetson, J. Boaler, Dernley, \V. EYans, \V. Eyre, \Y. Goacher, IV. Haynes, F. Hott, R. Hill, F Levick. IV. Limb, J. Lowe, H. }Ialtby, W. i\leasures, A. Moore, J. w. :;\Ioore, IV. J. Needham, F. ::\ewton, IV. H. Rogers, J. Stanto[', C. Stanton, A Tinker, A. Wardale, and 'V. \\'hite. His Gra.ce the Duke of Portland, stepping forward into the ring, said: Doctors, nurses, and men of the Portland IIospital and Welbeck division of the St John Ambulance Brigade, on your behalf and on my own, beg to thank you, Earl Robert', very much indeed for the o-reat and exceptional honour you have done these men and myself. regret extremely the absence of some of those to who m the chief credit for the origin of the Portland Hospital must be gi\'en refer to Oaptain and 1I1rs. Bagot, it was from ;\1rs. B:lgot's mind that the idea of the Portland Hospital arose. I regret also the absence of my brother, Lord Henry, because it was through him that the idea was put into my head to support a work which at all events, did something to alleviate the sufferings of our troops in South Africa. I am indeed glad to have the presence of the doctors, but regret the absence of two of them who so no bly volunteered to go to South Africa, and I am equally proud of the ladies who accompanied the hospital as nurses. For my own part I only say I am very proud indeed to have been connect , d with such an undertaking, and feel I ha\·e only been too highly honoured in having the hospital called in my uame I thank you, Earl Roberts, for the great honour you have done me, and ask you now to give him three hearty cheers

(Applause.)

Three ringing cheers were given to Earl Roberts, who said in reply :-Ouke of Portland, men of the Portland Hospital and of the Ambulance Corps,-[ need not say what a pleasure it is to me to gi\'e medals to those who went out to South Africa. I remember when the Portland Ho spital reached Bloemfontein how glad I was to get the assistance of a well organised hospital fitted out in every possible way with doctors, nurses, and men who understood how to deal with wounds and sickness; what an advantage it was to have the Portland Hospital and the Langham Hospital, wtich came up almost at the same time, and it rejoiced me to hear they were comi ng up, for we were in great straits Enteric fever was very bad, something like 6,000 cases occurr· ing in the first two or three months, and we should have been in an extremely bad way except for the help of the private hospitals the Portland and the Langham being the first up. I think most who volunteered to go out to South Africa as you did deserve the greatest possible credit. You have had none of the excitement of the volunteer and yeomanry who went out in the same way as Yl)u did, but you had to attend to the sick and wounded. I never went into the hospital without thinking how very satisfactory it was to find men willing and able to do the work we wanted so badly. I am very pleased to see you to·day, and hope your ambulance will Increase Such corps are of the greatest poss ble Denefit in the time of peace as well as in the time of war. I have just lead a record of the ambulance work you have done, and it astonishes me. I beg to thank the Duke of Portland and Captain and i\1rs. Bagot, and Lord and Lady Henry Bentinck for the help they gave us, and I must also include the nurses and the dl)ctors. Go od. bye to you men. (Cheers.)

Earl Roberts, accompanied by Lady Aileen Roberts, the Duke of Portland, and the lIon. F. Dawnay, A,D.C., then drovc away amidst enthusiastic cheering. A of the Clumber troop of the Sh erwood Ran gers accompanied the carriage, and Earl Robert s left by specia l train at 9-45 for Lond on via Nottingham.

THE ASSOCIATION 0[7 MEN OF KENT AND KENTISH ME .-The above association, which bas decided to recognise the work of the Yeomanry, Militia and Volunteers of the county who have served in South Africa by the presentation of an illuminated souven ir to each man, had i ts annual dinner on vVednesday, 20th, when Lord Harris, who presided, presented souvenirs to 5everal of the members, amongst whom were Sergeant·major A. J. Trimmer and Sergeant R. J. Dash, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

December, 1901J FIRST @nr IDortrait <Baller\?

SUPT. CnILLL'WIYOI1.TIJ, So. ST. Jonx';, G.iTE, DrVISIOx, ?lETRoPOLTT.iX CORI'S, ST. J OlE A:UBt:LA:\'OE BRIGADE.

'j-'TTE pOl'il'ait in ou l' Ga 1]ery tll iH month i" thnt of onc of thc YC1'Y e;1l'licst pioneel'S of Ambulance DI'igncle WOl'k in London. Supt Chilling·

'''Ol·th holds the proud of being the fil'st pl'iva te enrolled in tho )Iet1'opolitan Corp... At the inteption of the corps in 1887, Supt Chillingwol'th who bad just l'ecei,-ed his cel'tiutute in first aid, !1ttended the pl'elimin,u',r meeting, and ,\ssisted in the fOl·ma· tion of the corps which

i:,; now 1·ecogni ·ec1 as being one of the in the YOlllllteel' sen'ice-eiyil Ot' militm'Y'

AID. 45

302 total, + r6. Thirty corp s have affiliated with the Brig-ade with a total membership of 96S-representing 31S certificates and 650' medal · lions. During the year I S new clas ses were conducted by the St. A ndrew's Ambulance Associa tion, and 153 certi ficates of profi c iency and 7S medallions granted. Satisfact o ry pr o gress is being made for the registration and equipm e nt of sq uads of fiv e m e n a centre, on the where there is not a suffi c ient num ber o f men to fo rm a corps, and it is hoped that the arran ements will he co c pleted befo re tbe winter sets in. The com'TIittee have the pleasu r e to intimate that :'IIr. ::'IIillar, the General :'Ilan a ger, has offered a p r ize of two guineas for the best paper on an ambulance subject cun t ribu ted by a member of th e Brigade. The conditions of compeliti o n and oth e r particulars will shortly be intimated to the members.

st. 30hn tltnblllance :fi3rigabc. CORPS.

•

III 1893 the subject of om sketdl joined the Field B;ltte1'Y the lIon()Ul'able AI·tillery Company, amI in 1897 had the p1'owl pl'i\'iiege of being the winner of the PI'inee of Wales pl'ize in connection ",ith the Company, ,Yhen the City 1m perinI Yol un teen; \\'(': l·e forlll ell Chilling,,,u1th at Ol1ec Yolunteel'e(l for the hont [Lnd proceeded ,"ith the htttel'y to Africa, and underwent all the ,)HInons duties connected with a campaign which has done so much to bring prominently to the the yalue of om auxiliary solcliOl·S.

In 1893 JIr, ChillilJgwOl th '''a appointerl sup erintendent of the i\o. 2, f::lt. John':,; Gate, DiYi::,ion, one of the h'ongest divisions in the )letl'opolitan Corp , hayi.ng i'-UCccssively passed tbrough eyery lank in the B1 igade, a l'ecOl·d of which he i:s justly proud Genuinely unnffectec1 in tyle, and possessing n thorough knowledge of the wny to hnndle .men, f::lupt CbillingwOl·t.h is not only popular illllongst the men of his own Di vi:;ion, but with the whole of the Meb'opolitan Corps. May we hope that the On1er which is alwnys so keen to recogllise the selTices of its may at no c1,tte confer on him Rome clistinctiye l'ecognition of its appl'ecil\.tion, bearing in mind that in London he was one of the pioneers of the movement which has done so mnch to make the motto, pro 11.tilitate h01n1·n1.tm, something more tban a mere formula of w01'ds.

$t. tlnbrcw's tltnbulancc Bssociation.

CA1.EDONIAN RAILWA'.' AlIlnCLANCE CUP .-This competition took place 0n 2nd :\'ovember. The result of the competition was as follows :-1, \Vest Hamilton, 260 marh; 2, \I otherw ell, 257; 3, Buchanan Street (Goods), 256: +, tlt. Rollox Works, 25+; 5, Leith, 253; 6, Coatbridge, 2+7. The following also competed: Forfar, Oarstairs, Polmadie, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh, Bridgeton and Larbert. The first annual report for the year ending 30th Reptember, Igor, has been is s ued, and from it we extract the following :-Up to date the total number of members enrolled was +16. Holders of cert ifi cate, 1+ holders of medallion,

On ::\0"em be th e annual inspc c ti on o f all the MetropolItan Corps of the S:. John Am bu lance I:hiaade to u k pla ce the inspecting officer c ein(! the Chief of the Bri a ade' '-...... Colonel Bowdler There was a capital of all ranks, just o\·er 500, the whole b eing under the command o f the Deputy Co mmis s ioner, Inspector General Belgra\'e :\,innis ..•-\fter a clo se inspe c ti o n of the r a nks the me;nbers we re formed up In s quare and briefl y add r es sed by the Chief Commissi o ner wh o co mplimented all ranks on the par a de and the smart way they h a d turn ed o ut. In the c o urs e of hi s r e marks he stated he had seen it menti o ned in t he pu blic pr ess that &e. were given grudgingly to member s of the Brigad e wh o had seen service in South Afri ca, such was n o t the ca se, th'e medals \, e re is s ued in batches and on receipt of the rolls from offi cers in c ommand o f various hospitals, and next we e k he hoped to h a \' e a b at c h or' 1200 available for di stribution. The Army Departmeut rec o gnised its indebtedn e ss to the Brigade and had frequentl y a cknowleda e d it. The Chief Commissioner su b sequently presented me c al s t o Sergt. Cox and Private Watkins who on the ( PI of Wales" Hospital Ship.

OSBORX CHALUX GE SHIEL D ETITIO_ -Th e co mp et iti o n for the O s born shield oo k pla c e o n th e af tern oo n (l fSa tur da\- 16 th O c to b er in t he gr o unds o f th e Ch arte ho ll se kin dl y "le n by C a n o n HaIgh Br o wn. Our read e rs will r e m e m be r tha the s h ield wa s fi r st offered for competit io n in !ClOO, by ::\lr. Sam O s bo rn, f.R.C.S., t h e chief surgeon of the .\Ietrop o litan Corps. The c onditi o ns of th e co m· petItion are that each division of the Co rps may send a team of four men, accompanied by four OTher mem b ers of the dil'ision to act as patients. Tha t each member o f the team shall treat an individwal injury, and th a the team collectively s hall t r eat a cas e Impruvised applia n ces only to be u sed. The injuries for indh idual treatment were as follows, \'iz. :-I. Disl oc ated sh o ulder: Fractured leg; 3 Hand supposed to ha\ e be e n cut off just abO\ e wri s by circular saw; +. Patie:1t unconscious from electric s ho c k. sti holding li\ e wire. The case for treatment by the team was a mar. h·in cy under a wao-o-o n his right leg between the off f o re and hind wh e els, ili e front wheeJ"'had pas sed ?ver .the leg brea.king it, the team aft e treating injury haa to put patIent 111 the waggon and were supposed to go fi\'e miles over a road to t.he hospital. The follo\\ ing are the competing teams 111 ?rder of ment :-1. South .\Ietropo!Jtan Gas Co.; 2. Ea s Ham;

3. East London; 4. Causton 3· i.\Ierton and \Vembly The arranae· ments were made and ably carried out by District Chief \V. H . .'.Iorgan, assisted by Superintendent Pontin and First Officer Vilven, of the Oyclists' The judge was Hon. Surgeon J. i\l. Oan ell, of the Cross DI\·lslon ; lIon. Sur o- eon J. Brown. R.N., of the Oychst DI\'lSlOn should ha\'e taken part in the judoina, but was prevented by illness. The Deputy Commissioner, Belgra.\-e 'innis, after complimenting the winning team, a s ked Mrs. Carvell to present the shield. After a fe\\' rem a rks by uperin. tende'lt Lmes, of the South .\Ietropolltan Gas Co. s Division, the proceedings term inated.

THE members of NO.1 District were on duty aloll o- the line of route on the occasion of the Lord :'Irayor's how. As as 24r of all ranks were on duty, a total of 32 cases being treated.

PROVINOIAL CORPS.

BOLTO:\, .-Colonel Bowdler, Ohief Commissioner of the Briaade Colonel II. '\L \\'i!50n, C.:'II.G., D.S.O., Deputy "\ssistant of the Al my Medical Service; Lieu t enant Colonel C . .I. Trimble, Com· missioner for the 1\ OIth· \"estern Di s trict of Lhe BI icyade; District Ch ief Surgeon G. Thompson (Oldham),and District Senctary A. L. Garnett. visited Bolton on the 2nd ulL, and had the distinction of forming the first of the five bearer companies which, in response to a call from the \I"ar Office, are being supplied from the ranks of the 't. John Ambu· lance Brigade, and the object of the visit was the official inspection of

the company by Colonel Wilson The No. 27 bearer company (Bolton) is composed ot 58 men, and under the ciirection of Sergeant.'.rajor Walkden they were put through stretcher drill and first aid work, which Colonel Wilson followed up by a viva voce examination on lines laid down by the Royal Army :-'ledical Corps i\lanual. The company present included Ohief Superintendent F. Lomax, Corps Surgeons J. H. Thompson and J. Johnson, Officers J. Haslam and 'vV. Rushton, Colonel G. Hasketh, J.P., V.D., Colonel H. E. V.D., and the Rev. H. J. Elsee, }1.A. The Artillery Drill Hall, Silverwell Street, had been loaned for the occasion. Colonel -Wilson addressed the bearer company at the close of his inspection He said they were the first company formed under a new departure in which the St. John Ambulance Brigade were going to help the army at luge by providing bearer companies for the field army for home defence Bolton having supplied the first company, that of course was the initial inspection under the new departure, and it affo rded him mu ch pleasure to say he should be able to inform the Director General the inspection had been most satisfactory. I f ot her companies to be inspected in due course reached the standard of Bolton, there would be every reason for gratification, for Bolton had set a high standard which it would be difficult to excel or even to equal. Colonel Wilson then went on to show the necessity for the existence of the bearer companies now being organised, pointing out that they would be of immense service in case our shores were invaded by an enemy. They would be required to seT\ e with a particular bri gade and to help in the carrying of the wounded off the field in ct,se of action, or to ass ist in the nursing 01 the sick in hospital. Every brigade had its field hospital and bearer compan),. Their training as St. John Ambulance men would serve them in good stead, and from the fact that they would only be called upon when necessity arose they would see that their cost ,,,ould not materially increase the taxes. They would be enlisted in the R oya Army Medical Corps, whose uniform they wo uld wear, and they would retain the rank they at preEent held in the brigade. They would not be called up like the Regulars for such events as the Sali sbu ry Plain manceuvres, but if they desired experience in this direction they would no doubt be able to go out the e on application to the War Office. They were not to be mobilised except in C'l.se of invasion o r expected invasion, but e\'ery man would be expected to keep himself Ihoroughly efficient. The St. John Amhulance Brigade sent out 2000 men to the South African war, the Bolton furnishing a splendid contingent of upwards of 150. He had receIved a large number of reports from medical officers sel ving in South Africa and they all spoke in the highest terms of the behaviour of the men of the St John Ambulance Brigade. As to the fu ure, he pointed out that more Volunteers for service were required. The war was not over nut a great ma ny men who had borne tbe heat and burden o( the day were necessarily coming home, and if others were desirous of filling their places from the Bolton Corps they would be pleased to receive their offers Of course men witb previous training would have :he prefer enc e. Colonel Wilson here pointed out that bearer companies would not lose their identity with Lhe St. John Am bulance Brigade; also that married men enlisting (or active senice in South Africa and to stay out there after the war was over would be helped to positions where practicable, whilst assistance would be rendered to their wives and families to join them, all this being irrespective of the separation allowance granted whilst the bread winner was on active service In conclusion Colonel Wilson again congratulated the Bolton Bearer Company on the admirable inspection they had passed, and said he should 101k forward with pleasure to a review of the company a yeal' hence' meal.time it would give him satisfaction to do all he could for them in'the matter of the medals so well earned by many of them Colonel Bowdler was well pleased that Bolto n, which sent out the greatest number of men to South Africa, should also have the di 5tinction of forming the flrst bearer company in connection with the Brigad e. In time this would be a historic reco.rd ?f which the town would be very proud, because it was the very begll1nll1g of a new system which made civilians pHt and of the. army. He spoke of importance of ttaining in hospItal nursmg, and hoped every facility would be given t.o the both as the army and the navy. He referred With pnde to the services of the ambulance men in the So uth African war, and said there was not a corps in the country, except their own, from the Coldstream Guards down wards, that sailed every man called for. He paid a warm compliment to Chief Superintendent L omax for his splendid services, and also congratulated Walkden on havll1g charge of such a fine company.

DOVER.- This Division held a successful demon strati 011 at the Town Hall on the 8th ult., Chief C ommissioner Colonel Bowdler gave an address on the work of the Brigade, and th e certificates were presented to tbe successful students by the :'.layor. Demonstrations of the various modes of treating and movincr the injured were given under the direction of Superintendent H. L"'Lawes. '

is sometimes thought that ambulance men have not received from ministerial circles so much recognition for services rendered as they were entitled to, yet it is pleasant to know that in

A I:b.

D ecembe r, 19 0 1.

many in stances they are compensated for by the way they are "velcomed by their fellow townspeople on the ir safe return from their field of usefulness. Staff Serge ant H inks and Sergean t Ellis who were amongst tbe first to volunteer for service were duly welcomed by the Mayor and COl poration at a banquet held at the" hip Hotel," give n in their honour and in honour o f several other volunteers who had re cently returned. The entertainment was further enhanced by the presentation to each of those who hnrl returned of a solid silver vesta box, suitably inscribed, setti!1g forth the object which had induced them to sacrifice the comforts of home in order to serve the:r country and assist in alleviating the horrors of war. In making- the presentation, suitable refel ence was made to ;;,11 who bad undertaken the perils of war, and the Mayor, who presided, congratulated those present on their safe r eturn, and trusted it would be long ere their country demanded a simiiar sacrifi ce

KETTER!. G.-On Sunday, the 3rd ult., the members of this Corps held a Church parade with the object of raising funds for the provi s ion of new uniforms. Ohief Superintendent Tr el'ery was in command, and there wer= also pre sent Superintendent C. VV'. Lane and First Officer Luck. He aded by the Kettering Town Band, the procession marched to the London Road CongregatiOnal Church, where they were joined by a fair muster of nursing sisters under Lady Superintendent Lane. An appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. IV. L. Lee, and the proceeds of the coliection were devoted to the Uniform ]'und.

:'.IARGATE -Under the auspices of this Corps, on the 28th ult., there was an ambulance compel.ition open to the divisions of East K e nt The competition, which took place in the Hall-by-the-Sea, comme n ced soon afte r 1 p m., and included examinations in book work, bandaging, treatmemt of the injured and stretcher drill, whilst there was also a special competition for in book work and bandagll1g. Th e ju 1ge was i\Ir. W. Vernon, M R.C.S., deputy commissioner for the district, and the compdin!:(, teams were as follows Town Division, 2; Ramsgate Police, 2 South-Eastern Railw ay (Ramsgate ), r ; Westgate, 2; Herne Bay, 1 ; Boughton , I and Ashf o rd, I. The majority of the nurses came from Ramsgate. Dr. Vern JI1 conducted the examination for stretcher drill; Dr Griffiths voce examll1ations, and Dr. Courtney nurses At the close of the competitions, in the presence of LOld and Lady Jecies, :'.11' II. Weigall and a numerous company of onlookers, a squad wa s put throu!'h various exhibition dnlls, including stretcher drill, &c., and the nurses gave an exhibition of bandagi Ig , the work being of a velY interesting character. Dr. Courtney then announced the result of the competitions, and said both among the nurses and among the men the competitions had been exceedin£'ly close. The first prize had been carried off by ursing Sister Parsons; the 2nd by Nur s ing, 'ister L ong(and he might say that the latter was a very old and energ-etic member of this Division), whilst close behind came Nursing Sisters Caswell, Dun bar Staff, I ilbury, and the others 1n the team competitions for the cup the work had been very good and very cloze all round, the winners being team G, vVestgate-(applallse)- Ramsgate in turn, were nearly beaten by the Railway Division. (Applause ) MI. \Veigall briefly int roduced Lady and Lord Decies, and asked the former to present the medals and the cup to the successful competitors Her L adyship banded. am id applause, medals to Nursing Sisters Parsons and Long, and the cup, with a meda for each of the team, to the 'vVestgate team Deputy Commissioner Vernon moved avote of thanks to Lady Decies for her presence and help on such an occasion, and this was seco n ded by Dr. Courtney L ord De cies, in reply, alluded to the pleasure th ey had found that afternoon in being present. and thanked them for t be compliment paid Lady Decies in asking her to distri bute the prizes. He said a few days ago he knew little or nothing about ambulance work, but Dr. Oourtney had fully explained it to him and from what he had lea ned he thought they should be proud in Kent, and in the United Kingdom, to know that there were over 3,0.)0 people who had gone through the course of instruction. There was one great thing in favour of this organisation, it had done great services in the past and he was sure they would be con tin ued in the future. H e was struck with the appearance of the Ramsgate polic; teams and also at the absence of Marga te men, as he did not see wl::y the latter should have their noses put out of joint in any way. Lady Decies had been very much struck with th e way in which the la<.:ies had worked, and they both felt that peoflle ought to be proud of the ladies of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. In conc lusion , he humorous ly suggested that it wou ld bea good thing if some of the ladies could attend the as if a nything happened to the followers of the hounds, they eould, no dnubt, be b:1l1daged up in a proper way (Laughter). If by be in g there they had afforded others pleasure, it had afforded both Lady Decies and hImself infinitely more, and he hoped it would be their good luck to assist another year at a sim ilar und ertaking in Margate Lady Decies called for three cheers for Dr. Oourtney, and thanks were accorded Mr. George Sanger for the use o( the hall, and this brought the proceedings to a close Miss Louis Betts enlivened the pro c eedings by selection s on the pi"noforte.

D e cember, 1901.J FIRST

J\10[{ECAMI3E.- T he Rector expresses the hope that a brass tablet to the memory of the two men of the Brigade who had died in South Africa, may be fixed in the Parish Church.

SHIl'LEY.-The annual lnspection of .this Divi sion took place on October 23rd. Wben there were present on parade Iron. Surgeon Dr. Carter, Supt. T. Allen. 2nd officer J. Green. 3rd officer J. Potter. 3 sergeants,5 corporals and 36 men. The Inspecting Officer was Assist a nt Commi ss ioner S 'vV. of Cheadle. The division was put througll tbe vanous drills, and after the Inspection i\1r. Malkin addressed the men, remarking that he should be able to give a very favourable report on the work and was pleased to note the in creas e instrength o( the Division. L:>st year there were 32 efficient members, thiS year 52, an IDcrease of 20. On O ctober 26th the third annual Tea Concert and Dance were held at head quarters, about 200 being pres en At the concert Dr. Carter took the Chair and was s upported by i\lr. Mrs. Burt o n. Mr. Davis on, Supt. Allen and other officers, 1\1r. Gnbbon, local Hon Secretary and 1\1r. T. In c h. The Chairman called upon Mrs. Burt on to pre sent the certificates and medallions to the mem bers who had earned th em during the year. Supt. Allen proposed, and ambulance officer Greell seconded, a vote of thanks to 1\1rs. Burton for presentillg the certificates and medallions. fil l'. Burton re s ponded on her behalf, spoke very encouragingly to the mem bers and also gave the mem bers who had returned Irom South Afric a a he ar ty wel come h om e, remarking- on the good 1I'0rk d on e in South Africa by mem bers of the Brigade. A vote of thanks to the Ohairman closed the meeting, when the room was cleared fo r dancing.

TUN'BHlD GE "rELL s.-"With p op ular approval, Alderman C. R. Lutwidge, J.P., again re!urns to the rescollsible position of ChIef :'.fagl st1':lte of Tunbridg e \\ ells. In r 893 i\lajor Lutwidcre had the h ono ur of being elected 1I1 ayor of Tun bridcre 'Yell s from the Council, and served three years in In 1893 he "as ele.:ted an alderman in place of th e late Alderman Rob!;, Alderman Fletcher Lutwid,5e is 4 gentleman of many accomplishments, and a llI1gUlst of no mean repule He was educated at Harr oll' ana Tri nity College. Cambridge, and is i\I.A. of his University. H e is a DeputyLieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Kent and for Cum berland wh ere he has an estate. As a barr ister he was called at Linc o ln 's in ( 36 1, and his legal knowledge has pro\'ed of great se n ice as Ju stice of the Peace. Alderman Lutwidge is Superintendent and H on. Secreta!'y of the ::It. J o hn Am bula n ce Corps, H on. Captain of Tunbridge \\ells Borough Fire Brigade, and at the head of most of the sporting clubs, and many other institutions in Tu nbridge We lls The new Mayor has been a re sident at Tunbridge \\relis more o r less since r84-1-, he IS a staunch Conservallve and and an ar tist of wide repute. The fine picture s which adorn the interior of Tunbrido-e \Yells Town Hall are the work of the .\-layor. "'

WITHE R"SEA .-A wa s held on th.e 13th ult. in the Assembly Room s for the purpose of dlstTibutll1g certificates and medallions to the members of the first aid class of the Wi hern sea Division. i'.1r. A. tanlev \Vils on, M.P., accompanied by Mrs. 'Vi lsor, honoured the ga thering with his presence. The Rev. C. Lay, J.P., presided, ,tnd was sllpp:::rted by Major O. H. lUilburn, 111. B. (Deputy-C ommiss ioner of the District). Dr. A E. Sproulle, ;\Ir. 1\1. Cheverton-Brown J.P. the R e v. S Kirk, the Rev. T Collins, and ';\1r. F. Galdam. Dr.' .'.li lburn on rising was received with applause. He wished to make a suo-uestion to. the of the \"ithernsea Council that they (the might spare a httle money for the purpose of purchasinO' a tablet to be put up in some place, with the name s of th ose who set such an example of patriotism in scr ibed th ereo n. He regretted he had n ot been able .to get the war medals from the 'Var Office. Unfortunately the prOllllses of that department had not been fulfilled. !\f r. :::>tan ley IVilson, M.P., said i t was a great pleasure to come to YVithernsea that night, a nd he congratulated Dr. Sproulle and Mr. H. W Leary, and.tile members of the \Vith ernsea Divi s ion, on the state of effi ciency whi ch they had exhibited. He would like to make an offer. If six cor ps of the Bt. John Ambulan ce Brigade could be formed in tbe Holderness Division, he would be glad to give a shield for competition. He spoke. of tlie great work done by the association in the country, and also ID the South African war. His wife was t o have the honoul to present the war medals to mem bel'S of that corps but unfortunately, they had not arrived. It was another handle to' the War qffice with, and i t was li ttle too bad. Many of It he membe rs of the St .fohn Ambulance Brigade volunteered for the war, and went out to the front and did great work. Our hospital service would have complelely broken down but for brigade, and the nati o n was grateful for those services.

"THE ST. JOHN A;'IIlULA 'CE ]jIHGADE.-The St. John Ambulance Brigade s a most excellent institution, and has done and is doinO' splendid work. But why do those in authority allow its members appear in a semi-military unifolm? Vi e consider that a mistake wa s made when the association was formed into a 'bricrade' :Jnd a semimilitary organisation thus instituted. We recently"'saw 'an officer' of

AID. 47

this .brigade masquerading in a most curious conglomeration of clothing He wore a tunic of the rifle brigade, with St. John's badges on the c?llar, and the fit of this tun ic was very far from perfection. Over thiS was the cross-belt of a volunteer medical officer, but that the was not such an officer was obvious. Strapp ed and striped mlll trousers over paten leather Oxford lace shoes (!) com pleted the picture. Vole find that these' officers' also wear mess dress. It is a great that this sort is allowed. The work of the brigade does not 111 the least necessitate the wearin O' of a un i:-orm a conspicuous bd "T <> a ge 15 necessary. he above cutti ng is from the J.fed,cal Times Our are aware that in the early days it was the c stom of eel' tam people to sneer at the brigade and abuse officers and members for \\'earing a uniform, but we th o ught th ose times were past. The wcrk undertaken by the brigade in the str eets of Lond on and other large towns, proved long since how necessary it was that uniform should be worn order those on duty should be readily re coglllsed by the polrce authorltles, and we should have thoucrht that the brigade had placed at the disposal "'of the army medi cal authontles about 2,000 of its members for sen'ice in omh Africa, would have entitled them to the respect of even such embittered individu als as the' writer of the above would appear to be. Doubtless his utt er ign ora nce of the subject about which he wri.es, is some excuse for talking about the" association" being turned int o a "brigade" but there is no excuse for his attack upon one of the officers.' One thing is certain such twaddle may act as paddin cr to fill the columns of our contemporary, but it will not enhance i ts"' reputati on for either veracity or ::ommon sense. \V e would suO'O'est to the Editor th at he obtain pamphlets B 1893, and B J, and, p erus al he may perhaps modify his "iews. R E '"

mew thnbulances.

(

la71(J this from the Dmly J/all. ")

HORS E D V EHICLES CERL\I.:'\ TO BE ADOPTED.

L ondon's painful shortcoming in the matter of efficient amb ulan ces is to be remedied.. The matter s no\\' certain of a satisfacrory conclusion at the h.Ll1ds 01 the London County Council.

The subject was under the n?tice of (he body last su.mmer, when Dr. 0lachtel, who IS maID I)' responSible for the installation of the excellent system o( horse ambulances in Paris, , Tiennn, and other Continental towns, outli ned the of ambulance work whi ch obta in in those cities. This system is one whe reby, as the result of a call, a h.orsed ambulance, by a surgeon and first-aid appliances, IS despatched fonhll'lth to the site of the accident with the same celerity as is a fire-engine in case of fire.

The sub·committee of the County Oouncilwhich is considerincr the m3.tter is making full inl'estlgations and securing evidence frod; the Lond on hospitals, the fire brigade. and other bodies, and from certair. pro"incial towns whi ch in re sp ect of this matter are far ahead of London. The chief difficulty in L ondo n "ill be tbe independent position held bv the police towards th e County CounCil, but this, a s elsel\ here, can b'e adjusted.

The report of the comm itte e, whi ch we understand is cer .ain to make definite proposals, will n ot be ready till early next year, but as the subject is one on which the body is certain of practically univer sal sup port horsed amb ula nces should be seen on the streets of London at no remote date

The Chinese methods in which accidents are dealt with in L o ndon had an unplea sant illustration o n the Thames Embankment ye sterday. A car ter driving a load of stOne fell off his pp.rch and was crus hed be twe en the I"heel s. Some of the bystanders stopped the horse and res :ued the unfollunate man. .\. policeman who \\'a s standincr near wat ched their efforts with philosophic calm, until it dawned up;n him that it was incumbent Up :Hl him to do something.

'Vith o llL say ing anything, he turned round and strolled away.

J\Ieanwhile, the unconscious victim was lying on the pavement and SD no official assistance seemed forthcoming, som e workmen picked him up and helped him away to a hospital.

Just as the party \\'as disappearing from s ight the policeman reappeared on t!::e scene with another member of the fo rce whom he had summoned to aid hi m in the solution of the p,oblem so unexpectedly placed before him.

The two stood calmly in the road and discussed the situation with some of 10Lingers, and finally,. ha\'ing- determined that a policy of mastelly Illactlvlty was most SUited to the they went their severa I way s.

At time ,,,as the:e any sig:: of an n<.lr. apparently, wa s anythill u done 10 summon even the alJtlquated contnl':ll1Ce in whi-:h the ;\[etropolitan Poli ce force usually shake the bones of any unfortunat e \\'ho may meet \\'ith an accident in the streets.

'-iscount Knutsforrl, Director of the Ambulance Department of the Ordel of St. J ,hn, in opening a new ambulance s'ation at the gate; of the "-est India Dock on 28th, pointed out that the station was placed exactly "here it was most liKe y to be useful in rendering first aid to those acci lents which even the best care could not al\\'a ys prevent 1n undertakings of this kind the St. John Am bulance r\ssociation worked with limited means. Lcng ago when Order was first founded, it was supported by wealthy patrons [rom both within and without, whereas no\\' it poss ,ssed yery little property, and was obliged to depend largely on other means for carrying on its work. He felt that Lond::m was distinctly behind Paris, Berlin, New York and other great citi<:s in its ambulance organisation, an hoped that this was a matter which would some day be put right. The station itself is a neat black and white cui ding, fitted inside with stretchers, medicine-chest, stol'e, and everYlhing eCluisite for the comfort of the injured. On one wall is a portrait and a brass tablet, inscribed •. Duncan .\Iem " rial .\mbulance Station Station Frected in memory of the late Colonel Francis Duncan, Lirector of St John :\mbuhlnce in England." Yiscount Kn-!tsford performed the brief ceremony of unlocking the door, anci the station was afterwar s inspected by party of visitors \\'ho had come down for the purpose

\i)oIunte cr Btnbul ance Scbool of 3n s tr uction.

In the prize competition of the class in the Vqlunteer \mbulance School of Instruction, held at the headquarters of the R.'-., the prizes for the best team \"ere won by the 1st Cndet Battalion I';:ing's Royal Rifles, the winners being Bugler :JIills, Corporal Pri\'ate Ernteman, and Corporal Kingsnorth. The prize for the best man in the school was by Private Freeman, of the same CJrps The second team of the h R. R. also took thIrd place in the competition , only II marks hehind the first.

YO LL'::\TEER A:'IIDGL\::\CE SCHOOL OF L -bTR U C 1 ION.

President: :'IIajor Andrew ;\laclure, V,D ,late London Scottish R.V Office: 23, CambrIdge Slreet, Hyde Park, W. Orders: \\'ednesday, December +th. Prize competition for new class. Parade in drill order at 7.30 p.m.

\\'ednesdav, Decemler lIth. Official Inspection.and Examination, Parade in OrJu at 7.30 p.m.

(By Order) P. B. GILES, "'.R.C.S. Brigade Lt .-Colo nel, :\o\'e m rer 26t h , I gOr. Senior :'IIedical Officer.

Bb'J ance of S cienc e.

OXFORD \\'O;\JE.'\'S A;\IRGL.-\.NCE ASSOCIATI01\'.

[HE :' ayor of Oxford, :'IIr. G. Claridge Druce, presided at a meetino- of the Oxford \Y o men's Ambulance Society recently i n the Room, City Buildings, Oxford, when it had been arranl'!'ed that the certificates and medals won by the members should be distributed.

The Mayor congratulated. the members on the \'ery splendid resulcs which reflected great credit indeed upon the members, and he could extenuate nny who had good reasons for avoiding- examination. Be had been thinking of the sermon I'hich the '-icar of St. ;\1ary's preached at the harl'est festival on in which described Oxi.)rd in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuTles, when the CIty \\'as the home of a great many bodies-the Franciscans, Cistercians, Dominicans, and others-llho were all working to aid the sick sufferina, and diseased, and doing a work at that time in a way very similar to "that which they were n ow supporting. i\.nd it was interesting to notice how history repealed itself, for they were met with the same end in view, namely to h Jp the sick and suffering, and in that way he thought tht: Brigade could do a Yery great deal. FIrst aid sometimes saved persons' li\es, and \'ery frequently sa';ed an enormous amount of suffering. IIe thought it marvellous when one considered the enormous advances science had made in the direction of medicine, and of surgery especially. Of course, what tbey called antiseptic treatment was absolutely unknown in the 18lh century; certainly antiseptic things were used, but they were used emnirically. Tbeir use was the result of experiment and obsen'ation, but thanks to Lord Lister, whom they knew had in:roduced the system so successfully in surgery. surgery had been and operations were no\\' performed with safety which \\'ould not have been dared to be attempted even 50 years ago If t'1ere was .anything in the antiseptic doctrine at all from a SCientIfic pomt of vIew they could not ce too careful, too accurate, or too precise Science meant precision. If these "erms were so tiny that a man carrying a needle across a might introduce many malignant germs, how careful one

ought to be before allowing an accumulation of t h ese t h i ngs to be brought in on the clothes. Of course, if they had no germs they wo u ld have no disease, and he tho ught that was obvious eno u gh If one could h ave the p u re a r of the A l ps, wh ere Tynda l e made hi s great experiments, they would find there were practically n o germs. If they came to their own houses there germs crowded, b u t i t was a remarkable thing that in the still damp air of our sewers t h ere were felVer germs than there were-well, in a school or any pub ic place They had seen how, by a carefttl and prolonged system of isolation, certain diseases hacl been conquered. Le t them take scarlatina At tbe beginning of this century it was a very deadly disease; not only was it frequent, but tbe mortality was enormous Now, thanks to isohtion, they had made the d isease not only much less frequent, bu t m u c h less viru lent.

The same thing lVas true of diphtheria; they heard a great deal of it in Oxford, and they had sometimes alarming statements in the papers of an outbreak or epidemic of diphtheria. Now year by year. and decade by decade certainly the disease became less frequent, and it also became less virulent. The anti-toxin treatment, which was very generally followed in Oxford, had proved extremely efficacious in lo\\'ering the death-rate and ahating- the severity of the disease. There we re few who now remembered the fearful ravages made by small-pox in the early years of tbe last century, but it was such all awful disease, so filthy, so repulsive in its nature, so deadly in its character, that it created, of course, the utmost fear whenever it appeared among the people, and when it diJ appear it was most difficult to get rid of. Let consider what it had meant. Small-pox. which was enormously prevalent, and was a dreadfully dangerous disease, had been pretty nearly stamptd out. They had not only diminished the number of cases, but the yirule:lce of the disease. There was no doubt whatever about tbis, speaking in a scientific manner, that a child who had been \'accinated, even although he might be attacked wiib small - pox, that attack was not as \'irulent as it would ha\'e been but for the protection. Cancer and tuberculosis were the diseases which demanded the closest attention, ruberculosis, tbanks to Dr. Koch, the disco\'erer of the specific bacillus was now recognised, the treat:nent for it \\'as pretty I\'ell understood, and he bad no doubt before twenty years had passed, the enormous death - rate over Europe from tuberculosis wou ld be materially reduced The other scourge of capcer at present baffled medical science. But they should remember that longev ty had been increased by ten or fifteen years, and cancer being a disease usually of ad\'anced age, they now brought cancer into a span' of life which humans in e:ujier days did not enjoy. Therefore the figures were a little misleading, but they were of an appalling character, and it was to be sincerely hoped that someone or other working- at this subject would be able to run down the urganism or whatever it was which caused thir disease

The Mayor then handed medallions and certificates to the recipients

CO U PO N TI eKE T

SPECIALLY GUARA.::s'TEED BY

The Ocean Accident &Guarantee Corporation,

LIMITED.

40, 4 2, & 44, MOO R GATE S T REE'f LONDON, E.C. to wbom Kotice of Olaims, under the follow ng conditions must be sent within se\'en days of accident Lo the above address.)

600093 £100

will be paid by the above Corporation to the legal of anyone w h o is kille(1 by an accident to the Passenger Tram (wlthm tbe UnIted K Ingdom o Ohannel l slallds), ill whicb the lleceasecl was a tIcket bearing or paying passenger, or who shall ha\'e ueen flLtlLlly injured thereby (sbuu d delLtb resu t within ninety days after sucb aCCIdent).

PROVt DED that, t he person so killed or injured bad upon h is or h e person or had left at home this ticket, with his, or her, usual s g n atllre, w r tte n prior to the (tccitlent, on the space pro\'ic1ed below, which, Logether witb the g h i ng of notice within the time as hereinuefore mentioned, is the essence of this contract

This insurance holds good for current issue only, and carries the of an(1 j. sub.iect to. tbe candJt.ions of the" OCEAN ACO ID ENT & GUAH AN'fEE Limited. Act, Hisks Nos. 2 &:1.

The Carpuation admit tbaL Lhe plllcbase of this Paper is the payment of a premi urn under Section:31 of the AC:L.

)\0 persOll can recO\'er uncleI' than one Coupon ticket in r espect of the same risk.