1870 be ultimately used. For the complete denaturisation of alcohol by the German system there are added to every 100 litres (26 gallons) of spirits, either (1) two and a half litres of the "standard denaturiser," made of four parts of wood alcohol and one part of pyridin (a nitrogenous base obtained lay distilling bone oil or coal tar), with the addition to each litre of 50 grammes of oil of lavender or rosemary; or (2) one and a quarter litres of the above "standard" " and two litres of

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... . During the year 1903 there were used in Germany 4 931,406 hectolitres of alcohol treated by the first process and 52,764 hectolitres treated by the second process. For incomplete denaturisationi.e., sufficient to prevent alcohol from being drunk but not to disqualify it for various special purposes for which the wholly denaturised spirits would be unavailable-there are added to each 100 litres of spirits either five litres of wood alcohol, or half a litre of pyridin, or 20 litres of a strong solution of shellac, or a kilogramme of camphor, or two litres of oil of turpentine, or half a litre of benzol. Alcohol to be used in the manufacture of ethers, aldehyde, collodion, salicylic acid and its salts, and for a number of other purposes is denaturised by adding to 100 litres of spirits either ten litres of sulphuric ether, or one litre of benzol, or half a litre of oil of turpentine, or 0'025 licre of animal oil. A HUMAN OSTRICH. AT a recent inquest at Islington it was stated that the deceased, a man, 34 years of age, had been earning a livelihood by visiting various towns and in market places and outside public-houses eating glass and swallowing hatpins and nails. On April llth he was admitted to Islington workhouse infirmary in a very emaciated condition and he died two months later. On post-mortem examination over 30 hatpins and nails were found in his body, the cause of death being exhaustion from gastritis and peritonitis. The jury returned a verdict of "Death from misadventure." These are the episodes that make thoughtful people wonder. The dense ignorance shown by the unfortunate man and by those who have been responsibie for his death by paying for his suicidal performances during life passes understanding. THE ASCLEPIEUM AT COS. IN Herr Herzog's final summary of his excavations at the Asclepieum at Cos, having a knowledge of all its inscriptions as well as edifices, he considers it and the worship of the god there to have been founded by immigrants to the island from Thessaly and that the great temple and the sanatorium lower down the hill were erected in the third century B.C. The many additions of porticos, colonnades, terraces, and chambers were built at various times down to the Roman Imperial period when much splendour was bestowed on the site by the physician Xenophon, murderer of the Emperor Claudius. The inscriptions indicate that the system of medicine was more scientific and less magical than in many shrines of Asclepios elsewhere. ETHOL." Messrs. Parke, Davis, and Co , of 111, Queen Victoria-street, Lond n, E.C., have submitted to us under the above name a sample of liquid soap, the properties of which will interest all those who have occasion to realise the difficulty of removing the stubborn grime and grease incident to motoring, cycling, &c. The soap does its work most satisfactorily and expeditiously and is very convenient to use. This is an age of locomotion and consequently an age of lubricants and the risks of soiling the hands and clothing with black grease are common enough. It will be a comfort, therefore, to many to know that this soiling need not be indelible when " ethol" is at hand. THE STERILISATION OF DRINKING WATER BY IODINE. WE have received from Messrs. Evans, Sons, Lescher, and Webb, of 60, Bartholomew-close. London, E.C., a set of tablets suitable for rapidly sterilising drinking water by means of iodine. There are three tablets in all. Tablet A contains potassic iodide and iodate, tablet B citric acid, and tablet C sodium sulphite. Tablets A and B are first dissolved together in an ounce of water and the result is a solution of iodine which is added to four gallons of water, the whole being well stirred. The sterilisation of the water is thus effected and the next step is to remove the iodine, which is readily done by adding a tablet C. The salts left in the water are, of course, iodide and citrate of potassium and sodium sulphate, but the total original ingredients added to four gallons of water only weigh nve and a half grains. They cannot be detected by the palate and the water so treated has a perfectly fresh taste. Bacteriological experiments have proved the efficacy of this simple and quick method and excellent results have accrued from the use of these tablets during the prevalence of water-borne disease in India. The method is obviously applicable on the small scale and soda-water may easily be in this way. Many other applications are suggested, as, for example, the stcrilisation of serum, the preparation of aseptic water for use in surgical operations, and so on. -Evanum.—The operation is impossible for reasons that must be clear to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of anatomy. Medicus (London, N.E.) is requested to communicate his name and address. OOMMUNICATIONS not noticed in our present issue will receive attention in our.next. Medical Diary for the ensuing Week. OPERATIONS. METROPOLITAN HOSPITALS. MONDAY (2nd).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew's (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas's (3.30 P.M.), St. George's (2 P.M.), St. Mary's (2.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Samaritan (Gynaecological, by Physicians, 2 P.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.), City Orthopaedic (4 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Royal Free (2 P.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Royal Bar (2 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormondstreet (3 P.M.). TUESDAY (3rd).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew's (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas's (3.30 P.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), St. George's (1 P.M.), St. Mary's (1 P.M.), St. Mark's (2.30 P.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.). London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat, Goldensquare (9.30 A.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Central London Throat and Ear (2 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (2 P.M., Ophthalmic, 2.15 P.M.). WEDNESDAY (4th).-St. Bartholomew's (1.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), Royal Free (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing Cross (3 P.M.), St. Thomas's (2 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King's College (2 P.M.), St. George's (Ophthalmic, 1 P.M.), St. Mary's (2 P.M.), National Orthopaedic (10 A.M.), St. Peter's (2 P.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.), Westminster (2 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Royal Ear (2 P.M.), Royal Orthopaedic (3 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (9.30 A.M., Dental, 2 P.M.). THURSDAY (5th).-St. Bartholomew's (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas's (3.30 P.M.), University College (2 P.M.), Charing Cross (3 P.M.), St. George's (1 P.M.), London (2 P.M.), King's College (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), St. Mary's (2.30 P.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.), North-West London (2 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (Gynoecological, 2.30 P.M.), Metropolitan (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Royal Orthopaedic (9 A.M.), Royal Ear (2 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (2.30 P.M.). FRIDAY (6th).-London (2 P.M.), St. Bartholomew's (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas's (3.30 P.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), Charing Cross (3 P.M.), St. George's (1 P.M.), King's College (2 P.M.), St. Mary's s (2 P.M.), Ophthalmic (10 A.M.), Cancer (2 P.M.), Chelsea (2 P.M.), Gt. Northern Central (2.30 P.M.), West London (2.30 P.M.), London Throat (9.30 A.M.), Samaritan (9.30 A.M. and 2.30 P.M.), Throat, Golden-square (9.30 A.M.), City Orthopaedic (2.30 P.M.), Soho-square (2 P.M.), Central London Throat and Ear (2 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (9 A.M., Aural, 2 P.M.), St. Mark's (2.30 P.M.). SATURDAY (7th).-Royal Free (9 A.M.), London (2 P.M.), Middlesex (1.30 P.M.), St. Thomas's (2 P.M.), University College (9.15 A.M.), Charing Cross (2 P.M.), St. George's (1 P.M.), St. Mary's (10 P.M.), Throat, Golden-aquare (9.30 A.M.), Guy's (1.30 P.M.), Children, Gt. Ormond-street (9.30 A.M.). At the Royal Eye Hospital (2 P.M.), the Royal London Ophthalmic (10 A.M.), the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic (1.30 P.M.), and the Central London Ophthalmic Hospitals operations are performed daily. SOCIETIES. n TUESDAY (3rd).—MEDICO-LEGAL SOCIETY (22, Albemarle-street, W.). e -815 P.m.: