Eleventh International Congress of Hygiene and Demography will convene at Madrid, April tenth, proximo, and remain in session till the close of April seventeen. Following is the announcement of the secretary general. We wish this important assembly the success it so richly merits.

Neuviéme Congrés international d'Hygiène et de Démographie dont la célébration aura lieu á Madrid du 10 au 17 Avril 1898, sous le patronage de S. M. le Roi Alfonse XIII et de S. M. la Reine Régente.

Dans la séanee de cloture du VIII Congrès, célébré a Budapest (1894), a ville de Madrid fut designée comme lieu de réunion du Congrès suivant.

Le Gouvernement de S. M. se propose de remplir dignement l'engagement alors contracté. Le Patronat Royal lui donne son auguste protection; et le bon vouloir, dont se trouvent animés quiconques s'occupent en Espagne de l'interessante étude de l'Hygiène et de la Démographie, en assure le succès. Les travaux de propagande et d'organisation, a la charge d'un Comite général presidé par Son Excellence M. le Ministre de l'Interieur, sont très avancés. Les Programmes et Reglements du Congres et de l'Exposition y annexée, déja imprimés en quatre langues, commencent a circuler et se distribuent partout; a liste des fêtes, receptions et excursions scientifiques ou expansives, est en preparation; les dispositions nécessaires a effectuer dans le Palais de l'Industrie et des Arts, cédé par le Ministre de Fomento (Agriculture, Commerce et Travaux publics) comme local, ou doivent avoir lieu, la célébration des séances du Congrès, ainsi que l'installation de l'Exposition-annexée, sont également a l'étude; on prévoit, en fin, la présence en Espagne de gran nombre de personnalités étrangeres, distinguées dans les sciences, et tout porte a croire que la réussite de la réunion du IX Congres International d'Hygiene et de Démographie ne restera pas au dessous des succes précedents.

Le Congres et l'Exposition auront lieu du 10 au 17 Avril de l'année prochaine 1898.

Veuillez me permettre M.

au nom du Comité général de Propagande et d'Organisation de vous prier de contribuer a lui donner gain de cause, tout en daignant accepter son invitation. Madrid 10 Juin 1897.

Le Secrétaire général,

DR. AMALIO GIMENO.

Hospital Construction, etc.-The February, 1898, issue of the Albany Medical Annals will be an extra number

upon subjects pertaining to hospitals-their construction and administration, including the following articles appropriately illustrated:

"A Description of Hospital Buildings on the Pavilion Plan," by Albert Van der Veer, M. D., Attending Surgeon, Albany Hospital; "The Construction of Hospitals;" by P. M. Wise, M. D., President N. Y. State Commission in Lunacy; "The Warming and Ventilation of Hospitals," by Fred P. Smith, Heating Engineer for N. Y. State Architect and Capitol Commissioners, Albany, N. Y.; "The Plumbing of Hospitals," by Wm. Paul Gerhard, C. E., Consulting Engineer for Sanitary Works, New York; "Hospital Equipment," by C. Irving Fisher, M. D., Superintendent, The Presbyterian Hospital, New York; "The Medical Service of Hospitals," by Henry M. Hurd, M. D., Medical Superintendent, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore,-all written by well-known men of expert experience on the subjects treated. A variety of practical topics of interest. to all engaged in the management of hospitals, also not elsewhere to be found, will be presented in this number, The price of this number of the Annals to non-subscribers will be twenty-five cents, post-paid. All orders should be addressed, Albany Medical Annals, Albany, N. Y.

Insanity in Pennsylvania.-The number of insane in all classes of institutions in Pennsylvania on September 30th, 1886, was 9,473.

The National Pure Food Congress, to assemble in Washington, D. C., March tenth, should be heartily encouraged by the profession, commonwealths and people. Its success means health and life to thousands and death to dangerous drug and drink adulteration, dastardly deception in foods and commercial rottenness. The beginning of the end is coming to a nation when it long permits this method of insidious assassination of body and morals to continue. Save America from this secret foe of health, business honesty and commercial rectitude.

REVIEWS, BOOK NOTICES, ETC.

HUGH WYNNE, Free Quaker,* is a literary character story and revolutionary historical novel of high rank by a man of eminence in medicine, whose merits as a writer are only equaled by his well-earned fame as a physician. It may be said of this last and best production of our talented author and colleague in neurological medicine, as was facetiously said of friend Hammond, author of "Robert Severne," etc., etc., "he writes fiction well."

Wynne" for the just tribute the patriot statesman physician, the

Every physician should read "Hugh author pays to the skill and virtue of that great Rush, with his delicate clean cut face under a full wig, to whose great professional skill and high civic virtue, the author has erected an imperishable memorial in which, however, appears no line of fiction. Every patriot will enjoy this book for its historic records of daring, suffering devotion to duty of our patriotic sires of '76 and for the light it especially throws on the field and camp character of Washington and other patriots of his time; on the causes of Arnold's downfall; on the home and political life of the followers of Penn, and for its historic data.

The book which has reached its thirty-six thousandth edition will also find a welcome place, not only in the hearts of every descendant of those patriot sires who mingled in the fray when souls were tried and an invincible nation was born to freedom, but descendants of both Whig and Tory will read it with true Anglo-Saxon pride. The sorrowful glory of that dreadful camp-ground, Valley Forge, of Lexington, the fateful Brandywine, the historic records of "Williams, Marion and Morgan," "the thrashing Torleton got at Cowpens" and "of the fight at Guilford," Greene, losing fights and winning strategic victories "probably more by luck than genius," the boy Lafayette, the Comte de Rochambau and the Duc de Lauzan, De Grass and Duponceau "much overworked," and so many other fields and events of the time of America's conception and natal throes, are so well told that the student of American history must needs possess himself of the book for its merits of style and fact and for its moral, political and personal character lessons.

The story of Arnold's treason and the noble Andre's capture are neatly woven into the romance of Hugh Wynne and Darthea.

*By S. Weir Mitchell, M.D., LL.D., Philadelphia. Century Co., Publishers, New York.

The psychology of the book is in the main as near up to date as the author could make it without anachronism. The failure of the elder Wynne's mind is attributed to his "arteries being older than his body," words put in the mouth of that pioneer American Alienist, Dr. Rush. "Our great physician of the Revolution," whom now all the world has learned to revere, not only told Hugh that his father was beginning to have some failure of brain because of his arteries being older than the rest of him (atheroma) but told him also that his father's mental condition as to business, "as was in such conditions rare, continued to be lucid." The opinion here expressed is somewhat at variance from present psychiatric observation. The occupation faculties whose action has become automatic by long repetition are ordinarily the last to fail in process of mental decadence, save that of the memory of names. I have seen insane lawyers plead well and lunatic physicians prescribe properly, mechanics handle their tools with skill, and farmers the plow, musicians play and artists paint, when too insane to do anything else correctly, save perhaps to eat and perform the daily ablutions of the toilet, etc., under suggestion from a sane attendant. But the psychiatry and psychology of the Revolution were not the psychiatry or psychology of to-day.

The book ends, as so many novels do, with the marriage of the hero, Hugh Wynne, and heroine, Darthea Paniston, and their passing from further notice. Cousin Arthur Wynne is disposed of rather summarily and the title to the estate of Wynsote, in Wales, "goes up in smoke," so far as Hugh's vested rights are concerned, through a woman's passionate impulse, Darthea having cast the deed into the fire.

May we expect a sequel to Hugh Wynne?

By

STUDIES IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SEX. Vol. 1., SEXUAL INVERSION. Havelock Ellis. The University Press, Watford, London. This is a subject, disagreeable and revolting as are some of its details to certain delicate sensibilities, which the student of psychology-normal and morbid cannot ignore, any more than the study of repulsive disease or the duty of dissection can be avoided. It is for the welfare of his fellow-man that the medical observer looks into the subject of homo-sexuality, finding some of its features pitiable, others abhorent, and all demanding cold, calm and careful consideration with a view to such medical resource as may be revealed by his study in medical, moral or statutory remedy. In this spirit the author has approached and completed the study of his subject and given to the profession of perversion, that calls for professional and public consideration and action.

The author's analysis of sexual inversion leads him to the conclusion that "the average invert, moving in ordinary society, * * * is most usually a person of average general health, though very frequently with hereditary relationships that are markedly neurotic, the subject of a congenital predisposing abnormality," and that three influences bring into action the latent predisposition-example at school, seduction, disappointment in normal love.

"In this volume," the author asserts that he is not dealing with a subject belonging to the lunatic asylum or prison, but "with individuals

who live in freedom, some of them suffering intensely from their abnormal organization, but otherwise ordinary members of insanity," yet there are perverts who are insane and there is insanity that develops sexual perversion. But to fully comprehend the author you should read his book. If you are a psychologist you will need to consult it; if you are a psychiatrist, it will enlighten you; if you are a moralist, it will astonish you in the fact that persons of pure, as well as impure, morals, criminal and non-criminal, sane and non-insane, may be ranked among the author's cases.

EMMAUS, Asylum for Epileptics and Idiots at Marthasville, Warren county, Mo., Rev. C. F. Sturm, Superintendent; and at St. Charles, Mo., Rev. J. D. Illg, Superintendent. Board of Directors-L. Haeberle, President, H. F. Knippenberg, Treasurer, G. Niebuhr, Secretary, H. Telgemeier, W. Meier, S. Kruse, G. Goebel. Fr. Reichmann, Louis Peters. PhysiciansDr. E. A. Rembe, Physician in Charge, Augusta, Mo.; Dr. W. J. Alexander, C. M., Consulting Physician, Marthasville, Mo.

The existence of this worthy institution of charity towards these unfortunates is a rebuke to the commonwealth which has so long neglected to provide for its epileptics, idiots and feeble-minded. We wish it the success and support it deserves, and hope that the state will ultimately buy this property or make suitable provision elsewhere for these helpless ones who are so worthy of the state care and consideration.

RUBAIYAT OF DOC Sifers is, in fact, what the Persian word implies-a crown of roses lovingly placed, by the poet, James Whitcomb Riley, on the brow of the old village doctor of days agone, showing in common vernacular, shaped in rhyme, the appreciation by these common people of the fidelity, the faith, wisdom, and duty well done to humanity's call, of the old-time village doctor whose like we shall never see again. For he has passed away, while in his stead reigns another type, yet none the less sincere and devoted, a soldier to the call of duty.

Stories like this of "doc Sifers" are memorial of the merit and virtue of medical men which keep in remembrance better than bronze or marble. The poem will find a place in the American heart along with Longfellow's Village Blacksmith and Will Carleton's Country Doctor. The Century Co., New York, are the publishers.

AN EPITOME OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE. By Russell Park, A. M., M.D., Professor of Surgery in the Medical Department of the University of Buffalo, etc. Illustrated with Portraits and other Engravings. One Volume, Royal Octavo, pages xiv-348, Extra Cloth, Beveled Edges, $2.00 net. he F. A. Davis Co., Publishers, 1914 and 1916 Cherry Street, Philadelphia; 117 W. Forty-Second Street, New York; 9 Lakeside Building, Chicago.

This is the best book on the subject that has been offered to the American medical profession since the appearance of Renourd, translated by Comegys, of Cincinnati, on the same subject. It is a desirable and valuable treatise by a competent and entertaining writer and is worthy a prominent place in every practitioner's and medical editor's reference library.