August 16, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



267 



. It is the desire of the Department of Health 

 to obtain information as to the location of the 

 cases of malarial fever, so that the people may- 

 be instructed as to the danger of infection and 

 the methods of avoiding it. 



It must be remembered that when a person is 

 once infected, the organism may remain in the 

 body for many years, producing from time to 

 time relapses of the fever. A case of malarial 

 infection in a house, whether the person is ac- 

 tively ill or the infection is latent, in a locality 

 where the Anopheles mosquitoes are present, is 

 a constant source of danger, not only to the 

 inmates of the house, but to the immediate 

 neighborhood, if proper precautions are not 

 taken. 



Malarial fever is quite prevalent in certain 

 boroughs of New York City. It is likely to ex- 

 tend to the boroughs of Manhattan and Brook- 

 lyn in view of the extensive excavations and 

 consequent formation of rain-pools in various 

 parts of these boroughs, if means are not em- 

 ployed for its prevention. 



The Board of Health desires the cooperation 

 of all physicians in its efforts to disseminate 

 information in regard to the causation and pre- 

 vention of malarial fever, and in its efforts to 

 restrict the prevalence of this disease in New 



York City. 



Hebmann M. Biggs. 



THE BRITISH CONGRESS ON TUBERCULOSIS. 

 The Congress which met at London at the 

 end of last month appears to have been re- 

 markably successful. There were over 2,500 

 members, including the following delegates : 



United States : Professors Osier and Janeway. . 



Austria : Professors von Schroetter and Davorak. 



Belgium : M. le Senateur Montefiore Levi and Van 

 Eyn. 



Bulgaria : Mikailovsky. 



Denmark : Professor Bang and Dr. Charles Gram. 



France: Professors Brouard el, Bouchard and No- 

 card. 



Germany : Professors Gerhardt, Fliigge, Von 

 Leyden, Frankel, Koch, Werner, Dettweiler, Dr. 

 Freund. 



Holland : Professor Thomassen. 



Hungary : Professor Koranyi. 



Norway : Dr. Malm. 



Portugal : Professor da Silva Amado. 



Eoumania : Dr. Cantacuzino was unavoidably ab- 

 sent. 



Spain : Seiior Don Antonio Espino y Capo. 



Sweden : Hof Marshal Printzjold. 



Switzerland : Dr. Neuman. 



The Congress met in four sections : State and 

 municipal, medical, pathology and veterinary, 

 and there were besides a number of general 

 meetings. The addresses of Professors Koch 

 and Brouardel attracted special attention, more 

 especially Professor Koch's claim that the bo- 

 vine tubercle could not develop in the human 

 body. No one present seems to have known of 

 Professor Theobald Smith's careful research, 

 showing that bovine and human tubercle bacilli 

 are not identical. At the close of the Congress, 

 the following resolutions were adopted : 



That tuberculous sputum is the main agent for the 

 conveyance of the virus of tuberculosis from man to 

 man and that indiscriminate spitting should therefore 

 be suppressed. 



That it is the opinion of this Congress that all pub- 

 lic hospitals and dispensaries should present every 

 out-patient suffering from phthisis with a leaflet con- 

 taining instructions with regard to the prevention of 

 consumption and should supply and insist on the 

 proper use of a pocket spittoon. 



That the voluntary notification of cases of phthisis 

 attended with tuberculous expectoration and the in- 

 creased preventive action which it has rendered prac- 

 ticable has been attended by a promising measure of 

 success and that the extension of notification should 

 be encouraged in all districts in which efficient sani- 

 tary administration renders it possible to adopt the 

 consequential measures. 



That the provision of sanatoria is an indispensable 

 part of the measures necessary for the diminution of 

 tuberculosis. 



That in the opinion of this Congress and in the 

 light of the work that has been presented at its sit- 

 tings medical officers of health should continue to use 

 all the powers at their disposal and relax no effort to 

 prevent the spread of tuberculosis by milk and meat. 



That in view of the doubts thrown on the identity 

 of human and bovine tuberculosis it is expedient 

 that the Government be approached and requested to 

 Institute an immediate inquiry into this question, 

 which is of vital importance to the public health and 

 of great consequence to the agricultural industry. 



That the educational work of the great national 

 societies for the prevention of tuberculosis is deserv- 

 ing of every encouragement and support. It is 

 through their agency that a rational public opinion 



