DR. J. L. MOLAREN, of Eureka, has sold out his interest in the Sequoia Hospital Association. The doctor contemplates making an Eastern trip.

DR. R. M. SILVA has been chosen Supreme Medical Examiner of the Esperito Santo Beneficencia, a Portuguese fraternal organization in San Jose.

DR. MASA WALCOTT, a well known physician, 80 years of age, died in San Francisco as the result of an accident. He was run over by a reckless driver.

DR. O. C. HYDE, of Oakland, has received the appointment of Resident Physician at San Quentin Prison, during the temporary absence of DR. W. J. CASEY.

DR. A. S. KELLEY, one of the attending surgeons of the Receiving Hospital in Oakland, was thrown from his buggy November 11th, and was more or less seriously injured.

DR. JOHN T. BROWN died at his home near Philo, Mendocino County, Cal., at the age of 82 years. The doctor crossed the plains in 1852, and settled in Mendocino County in 1862.

DR. J. R. HURLEY, who has been Acting Assistant Surgeon at the city department of the United States Marine Hospital, has accepted the position as surgeon on the American Maru.

DR. B. M. ALFORD, City Health officer of Tulare, proposes making a raid on the mosquito. This is one of the most important sanitary considerations, and we trust Tulare will set a good example for other counties to follow.

WE are pleased to note the return of our Eastern representative, Mr. W. H. Murray, who was in the railroad accident at the time Mrs. Booth-Tucker sustained her death. Mr. Murray speaks well of the treatment he and the other patients received at the Santa Fe Hospital.

DR. W. H. MILLAR, of Hanford, has been appointed on the Committee of the State Board of Health to draft sanitary laws for introduction before the next Legislature. The committee will be composed of the Board of Health and a member from each county in the State.

DR. W. R. McLAIN, of Los Angeles, a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of San Francisco, has returned from his European tour. Dr. McLain saw a great

deal of good surgical work in the London hospitals and elsewhere, and speaks in the highest terms of our compeers across the Atlantic.

DR. M. M. SHEARER has been appointed a member of the Advisory Committee to draft sanitary laws for the State of California. Other members of the Advisory Sanitary Committee to co-operate with the State Board are: Honora

ble W. I. Foley, of Los Angeles; Attorney Geo. H. Aiken, of Fresno; Hon. J. A. Emery of San Francisco; Dr. O. Stansbury, of Chico, and Dr. J. H. Todd, of Oakland.

NOTES AND NEWS.

RIVERSIDE is to have a new hospital.
FRESNO is to have a new $40,000 hospital.

SISKIYOU is to have a new County Hospital at Yreka.
THE Street Railroad Men's Hospital of San Francisco is

a success.

PASADENA Hospital is erecting a maternity ward at a cost of $10,000.

THE sulpho-carbolates are excellent remedies as intestinal antiseptics prior to cœliotomies.

REDLAND medical men are considering the advisability of building a public hospital in their city.

GONORRHEA, next to measles, is the most widespread disease in the world, according to Professor Niesser.

SANTA FE Railway Co. has decided to build a $40,000 hospital at Los Angeles for the company's employees.

THE widow of Professor Virchow has presented his valuable library, containing over 7,000 volumes, to the Berlin Medical Society.

REPORTS from Fresno, under date of October 13th, show that 30 children were poisoned by impure milk at the County Orphanage.

MODESTO is to have a new sanatorium. Dr. G. F. Bradbury has been made temporary President of the corporation and Dr. Surrhyne Secretary.

Cat

IN England and on the Continent silk sutures and ligatures in abdominal work are used most exclusively. gut does not, as yet, seem to have found great favor with the European surgeons.

THE Faculty of the College of Medicine of the University of Southern California has accepted the resignation of DR. J. H. MCBRIDE as Dean, and elected DR. WALTER LINDLEY to fill the position.

MENDOCINO County Medical men have organized.

Dr.

E. W. King was elected President, Dr. W. N. Moore, VicePresident, Dr. C. A. Poage, Secretary and Treasurer. The society will meet quarterly at Ukiah.

VENTURA organized a County Medical Society by electing Dr. J. H. Love, President; Dr. G. A. Broughton, of Oxnard, Vice-President; and Dr. A. A. Maulhardt, of Oxnard, Secretary and Treasurer.

ACCORDING to the Californian (Bakersfield), while Dr. T. W. Helm and Dr. E. P. Hoy were administering chloroform to Miss Etta Mitchell, in the office of the former, the patient died in the doctor's chair.

THE personnel of the City Board of Health recently appointed by the Trustees of Fresno, is as follows: D. S. Snodgrass, Esq., Dr. O. W. Steinwand, J. W. Aiken, Esq., O. W. Stearns, Esq., and M. Vincent, Esq.

CONTRA COSTA MEDICAL SOCIETY held a meeting November 8, 1903. Among those present were: Doctors Blake, Abbott and Lucas, of Point Richmond; Dr. Key, of Pinole; Drs. Matt and Brown of Walnut Creek; and Dr. Neff, of Concord.

SONOMA County Medical Society held an interesting meeting November 12, 1903. Those present were: Dr. M. M. Shearer, President; Dr. J. W. Jesse, Vice-President; Dr. G. W. Mallory, Secretary; Dr. George Ivancovitch, Dr. Allen M. Thompson, Dr. P. A. Meneray and Dr. W. J. Kerr.

THE Medical Department of the University of Southern California has elected Dr. Walter Lindley, Emeritus Professor of Gynecology; Dr. Carl Kurtz, Professor of Gynecology, and Dr. Beckett, Assistant Professor. Dr. D. C. Barber, Dr. G. L. Cole, and Dr. Barlow have been elected Professors of Clinical Medicine. Dr. Jos. Kink has been elected Professor of Therapeutics, and Dr. Randall Hutchinson, Assistant Professor of Physical Diagnosis. Dr. Stanley P. Black has been elected Professor of Histology and Pathology, and Miss E. L. Leonard, Lecturer in Histology and Pathology.

Correspondence.

The following circular letter shows the excellent work Colonel A. C. Girard, U. S. A., is doing in the Philippine Islands:

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTEMENT OF LUZON,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SURGEON.

Circular "9-E."

MANILA, P. I., October 23, 1903.

It is believed that the surgeons at posts where malaria exists in this Department could do more intelligent service towards reduction of the infection than has been done heretofore.

Koch's researches in Italy and Africa show that malaria can be banished from any locality, by preventing the infection of the anopheles. For this purpose he had a blood examination made of every man, woman and child in some very malarial settlements and towns, and placed all those in whom microscopic evidence of malaria was found under malarial treatment-usually quinine, grs. 1, daily for three days-repeated after twelve days, and again if after twelve days malarial organisms reappeared. In one settlement he had 800 examinations made in three days by one skilled assistant, who trained some of his subordinates to do a certain part of the work, with the result that malaria disappeared.

This and other instances prove conclusively that this method is particularly feasible at military posts. Since the medical officers of the Army are skilled in blood examination, and have microscopes at their posts, there seems to be no reason why, with proper zeal, the good results obtained by Koch should not be developed in the Army.

In fact, with this knowledge at our command, it almost seems an evidence of culpability and neglect on the part of medical officers, if their reports show an unusual number of cases of malaria.

It is also believed that at every post where malaria exists in unusual proportions. a breeding place for anopheles can be found within 200 yards, which by draining or oiling can be ridden of its inhabitants or progeny and thus the problem of reducing infection simplified. A general war against

mosquitoes is not necessary for the prevention of malaria, nor feasible at most places.

It is well established, that anopheles does not generally breed in the immediate vicinity of buildings, but in clear water rich in vegetable food.

As a rule, the ubiquitous culex does not breed in the same places, and by examining the water for larvæ, with a little care it is possible to distinguish culex from anopheles. After hatching the anopheles seek the inside of human habitations, and wherever a building can be made fairly airtight, fumigation in the morning with insect powder burned on a shovel of live coals, especially in dark nooks, closets, etc., will at least stupify these insects, so they can be swept together and destroyed. If this is done once or twice a week, the mosquito can be gotten rid of before it has had time to inform itself as to the habits of the inmates.

The anopheles is a day mosquito and is apt to put its work in during the hours of siesta, between 1 and 3 P. M., when, owing to absence of the more numerous culex-a night mosquito-the protection of a mosquito bar is not sought.

A circular of this character cannot cover all the points of the case, and medical officers are especially enjoined to study the description of mosquitoes and their larvæ in Howard's work on this insect, which is furnished all the medical libraries. If not on hand it can be obtained on

application.

Hereafter, when an unusual amount of malaria appears at a post, medical officers will be expected to state on the monthly report of sick and wounded, what steps, in view of the above circular, have been taken to prevent or eradicate the disease.

A. C. GIRARD,

Colonel, Asst. Surgeon-General, U. S. A., Chief Surgeon.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR,

To the Editor:

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS.

WASHINGTON, D. C., November 14, 1903.

DEAR SIR:-Below please find brief notice calling attention to the progress of the present co-operative movement for the improvement of the vital statistics of the United