treatment by a medical officer shall be considered to be a wound within the meaning of this order.

Sugar. Since the Government has been handling the purchase of sugar, through the United States Food Administration (Sept. 1, 1917), approximately 200,000,000 pounds have been used by the Army. This amount is exclusive of the depots and camps on the western coast, which have been using raw sugar from Manila, having it refined in the West. A conservative statement of the amount of sugar procured on the Pacific coast is about 25,000,000 pounds, making the total purchase for the Army 225,000,000 pounds. It is found that about 237 pounds of sugar are consumed by 1,000 men at their meals in one day.

Chiropodists. As far as is consistent with the military demands, chiropodists taken into the Army will be transferred to the Medical Department and either assigned directly to the various camps for duty under the camp surgeon or first sent to Camp Greenleaf for further training under the regular orthopedic instructors. On the demonstration of proper skill and attainments they may be advanced to the grade of sergeant. A canvass of the camps is now being made to determine the need of this particular service.

Nutrition Officers are to be stationed in every National Army cantonment and every National Guard camp, as well as in every camp where 10,000 or more soldiers are in training. These officers are food specialists who before they joined the Army as members of the Medical Department were connected with colleges and public bodies as physiologists, chemists, economists, food inspectors, and experts in other specialized work relating to food.

Corps of Doctors and Trainers. For the care and conditioning of fliers in the Air Service the United States Government is now appointing a corps of doctors and trainers large enough to equip each training field and camp for fliers, both here in the United States and in France, with a proper organization. The doctors will be known as flight surgeons and the trainers as physical directors. The medical branch of the Air Service is not alone confined to the selection of the flier but to his care and condition after he has been admitted to the service.

Government Insurance. More than $30,000,000,000 of Government insurance has been written to date to protect America's fighting forces and their families, Secretary Mc

Adoo announces. Approximately 3,400,000 insurance applications have been received by the Bureau of War-Risk Insurance of the Treasury Department up to the close of business August 30.

Provision for Wounded From Europe. Debarcation and other hospitals have been provided to accommodate 90,000, with increase to 100,000 by slight crowding. As a quarter of casualties consist of deaths and as somewhere near 80% of the wounded may be expected to return to the fighting line after treatment in overseas hospitals, these numbers correspond to a total casualty list of about 12 million, 50 times the aggregate at the end of the first week of Sept.

French Military Statistics. It is estimated that France has lost a million soldiers by death and another million by permanent crippling, there remaining a force of 434 million. Typhoid morbidity has fallen from 7:1000 in Dec. 1914 and Jan. 1915, to 0.1-0.06:1000. The annual mortality rate from typhoid has fallen from 98:100,000 in 1914 to 0.3 in 1917. Venereal admissions have fallen from 21 to 14:1000. The mortality of the wounded in the recent Aisne offensive was 5.18% although 20% were considered too severely wounded to be transported to the base.

American Casualties. The total casualties of the American Expeditionary Force to Sept. 7 were just over 30,000, about what the British army of about 2 million has suffered per week on the average, since the beginning of the German drive in March. In some respects, the distribution of casualties is considerably different from what might be expected, from present experience in other forces and from past experience in general. We have previously called attention to the fact that while in all the wars of history up to the Russo-Japanese War, deaths from disease have exceeded those from fighting, the ratio being about 2:1 for the Civil War and as high as 10:1 in many campaigns of earlier date, all the enlightened nations of the present conflict have maintained a disease mortality if anything less than what would be expected in peace for the same adult male class. Our own deaths from this cause are only 325. Owing to the gradually increasing numbers of the force and the different periods for which each increment has been a part of the force, it is impossible to calculate a death rate. Accidents, inevitable to and really forming an indirect item of military losses, have caused 789 deaths. The actual military fatalities, no attempt being made to differentiate between immediate killing and deaths from wounds, total 7,662, almost exactly 24.5% of the casualties.

Missing in action, including prisoners and unnoted deaths and some others, number 3,424. These statistics show definitive losses, up to delayed deaths from wounds and permanent military disability, of 40% which is about the average of all definitive losses according to recent military experience. The high and low claims by other countries of return of wounded to duty, 90-80%, would make our definitive losses, respectively slightly under and slightly over 50% of the total casualties. Most of those whom we have asked as to an explanation of this high percentage of definitive losses have said that it was due to the lack of caution of inexperienced troops. But imprudence would increase the number of missing, especially prisoners and, by the law of chance, would increase the number of slight wounds at least as much as the fatal ones. The only explanation that occurs to us is that American soldiers continue fighting after receiving their first wounds, until they are killed or more severely wounded.

National Taxes, will amount to nearly $80 per capita in the present year of the war, beside about $200 per capita to be raised from bonds and war savings stamps. Ordinarily, the national government spends about $10 per capita.

Opening for Nurses in State Hospitals. About 6000 nurses are employed in the State (Insane) Hospitals of N. Y., to care for about 37,000 patients. Many nurses have entered the government service and it is possible that the clientele of the hospitals may be increased by the admission of patients from the army, as all citizens of the state are to be admitted from military and naval service, if so desired by the military authorities. Hence the State Hospital Commission has provided for the admission of 1000 young women to state hospitals for training from permanent positions. Application should be made to the Commission at Albany. Male students exempt from military service will also be taken. Perquisites and salaries will render the students self-supporting.

Economizing Nurses' Services. The Buffalo District Nursing Association will hereafter, limit the duties of its nurses to strictly professional care, such services as washing and combing hair, arranging trays, etc., being left to members of the family, subject to instruction. The aim is to release more

nurses for military service.

British Physicians living in the U. S. are urgently called by the Canadian government to volunteer for service. Degrees from medical schools of the United States will be honored and commissions will be issued immediately. Those in this

locality should apply to Capt. A. Cunningham Tweedie, 333 Main St., Buffalo.

Ambulance Wrecked. The Buffalo Homoeopathic Hospital ambulance was wrecked in a collision with an automobile Sept. 7. No one was injured.

Commissions for Women Physicians. Of interest to all women of this country is the news that three American women physicians have received lieutenants' commissions in the French army and are the first American women to obtain army rank. They are Dr. Caroline Finley, Dr. Anna von Sholly and Dr. Mary Lee Edward, all of New York, and attached as surgeons to the military unit of the women's oversea hospitals, financed and managed by the National American Women Suffrage Association. The women received decorations from the French government for excellent surgical work recently performed under heavy bombardment, and after that, their commissions.

Stenographers and Typewriters Wanted. The U. S. Government still needs many workers in these lines. Examinations are held every Tuesday in 550 cities. Most of the employment will be in Washington. The government has taken steps to remedy the high charges for room and board by listing boarding houses and building residence halls with cafetarias. Two persons rooming together can secure room and two meals a day for about $40 a month. The pay is liberal. For further information address John A. McIlhenny, President U. S. Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C.

Antiseptic Formula for Gas Bacillus Infection. Maj. James T. Pilcher, of Brooklyn, now at a base hospital at Auteuil near Paris, has had excellent results from the following, used exactly like Dakin solution. Quinine sulphate 1, HC1 0.5, Glacial acetic acid 5, NoC1 17.50, Thymol 0.25, Formol 1, Alcohol 15, Water up to 1000. The quinine is dissolved in the two acids, the thymol in the alcohol, the salt and formol in the water, before mixing. The solution is practically permanent, has been tested in the worst possible cases of comminuted fracture, and has superseded the less permanent Dakin solution in this hospital.

Spanish Influenza. It is reported that there were on September 25, 29,002 cases of so-called Spanish influenza in various army camps. Fifteen camps and stations had no

cases.

SOCIETY MEETINGS

Brief reports and announcements of meetings of societies of Western New York, and those of general scope, are requested from Secretaries. Copy should be on hand the fifteenth of the month. Full transactions will be published at cost of composition.

The Livingston Co. Medical Society met at the Colonial Hospital at Dansville, Aug. 16. Dr. Shaw of Craig Colony was elected president, Dr. Wicker of Livonia vice-president, Dr. Collier of Craig Colony Sec. and Treas. The society has eight men in military service. The guests were entertained by the Dansville members.

The first meeting of the season of the Western New York Medical Society was held in Buffalo.. Dr. Lyman C. Lewis, secretary, resigned his office to join the army. Dr. Wm. E. Britt of Tonawanda was appointed to succeed him. The speakers were Major A. E. Brownrigg, commandant at For.. Porter and Dr. Floyd M. Crandall of New York.

The thirteenth annual meeting of the Eighth District Branch of the New York State Medical Society was held in Buffalo. Dr. Albert T. Lytle, the president, addressed the meeting.

PERSONAL

Announcement of removal,

travel, and other matters of interest are requested. Please report errors in the listing of any physician in the State and other directories, that we may co-operate with the State Society in securing a correct list.

Dr. DeWitt H. Sherman of Buffalo visited in Shinnecock' and Stockbridge, Mass., in August.

Dr. Edgar A. Forsyth of Buffalo motored through the Adirondacks late in August.

Dr. R. I. Palmer of Silver Creek has resigned from the local board of education of which he was president.

Dr. J. W. Fitz-Gerald of Buffalo spent August in Georgian Bay.

Dr. M. M. Cole of Newfane has accepted the position as assistant physician at the Soldiers' Home in Bath.