The American delegates were, however, well taken care of by the secretary, Dr. Huddleston, of New York. So far as the journey to Madrid was concerned, most of our 150 delegates and families obtained their billets and accommodations through Thos. Cook & Son, and thereby obviated the minor discomforts of the journey. We paid, however, for first-class accommodations, but did not obtain them, even in the several stops made at Sevilla for the purpose of seeing the Alcazar and Cathedral at Granada, the Alhambra, etc., though in some instances we obtained rooms in "first-class" hotels; the better rooms were not for us. In consequence of this many have left the Cook excursions and are proceeding home or traveling on their own account.

Madrid is a political center, somewhat larger than Milwaukee, and has no capacity for giving first-class lodging to the 6,000 delegates and families that attended. In consequence of this the six larger hotels were bought up long before by some agents, and exorbitant. prices asked for rooms-such as 150 to 200 pesetas a day ($10.00 to $15.00). Many agents were, however, discomfited, as many delegates found rooms in private houses and in hotels that had not been bought up by speculators. The same conditions prevailed at the "alleged" bull fight given on Sunday (which is the proper day for such spectacles in Spain). I was offered a box, seating five people, for 5,000 pesetas (about $100.00), which ordinarily sells for about $5.00. is remarkable that all the clerks at the library building, and even some of the doctors officially connected with the Congress, had these seats for sale at from five to ten times their actual valuc. It seems that the $20,000,000 we gave Spain for the purchase of the Philippines and the Antilles was only a sort of "laniche" and that they expect to make up something from the visitors to Spain.

All of this is especially regretable, as, after all, there was no great difficulty in obtaining rooms or securing scats for the opera or bull fight at more reasonable prices. Of the latter event, though given in honor of the "congressistas," there is nothing to be said in this correspondence except that it typified Spanish brutality, and few but those with Spanish blood or instincts are ever induced to attend more than their first bull fight.

This matter of "bulling the market" for room, etc., is, however, a serious question, and it is a pity that the representatives of the medical profession cannot meet without submitting to extortion from their "hosts."

Even the creation of a "Service des Logements" did little toward relieving this maifeasance, for two of our American doctors, who paid for lodgings in advance at this office, and who, being dissatisfied with

the rooms decided to go to others, were held up by the lessor with the aid of the police, as the room owner had not been paid by the Lodging Bureau. At last accounts the American minister was being called upon for intervention.

Despite the fact that Madrid contains many large public buildings which might well have been used for the purpose of holding our general and section meetings, the policy of "manana" prevailed as it ever does in Spain, and we were supposed to hold meetings in the Bibliotec ay Museos Nacionales, an enormous building begun in 1866 and partly finished in 1834. The statuary en the building, however, were of plaster and were being replaced by a sculptor in Carrara in Italy under the auspices of the late Señor Sagasta. This great statesman's Liberal party went to pieces, and the conservatives followed, headed by Señor Belmas, who had some trouble with the sculptor; in consequence of this the scaffolding is still on the building and we go in by the back way. Even then I am told that the celebrated head of the Library was induced to consent to the use of the building only by direct orders of the government; it was explained that the matter was connected with the international policy and that the government authorities were anxious to give their foreign guests a good reception. The building itself was sufficiently large for the purpose of housing all of the sixteen sections of the various committees, but improperly subdivided by temporary partitions, and the confusion and tumult at all times was frightful. The first three days, during which most of the registration took place, was worse than the floor of the stock exchanges during a financial flurry. Otherwise dignified professional men were crowded together for hours and struggled for an opportunity to get their credentials, which when obtained amounted to little. A plain common member had no show at all, a delegate from a National Medical Society got a ribbon and had a little better chance, while the more highly decorated delegates from the governments-especially if in military uniform and wearing several rows of insignia across their breasts, received various and many invitations to receptions, dinners, hospitals, etc. Although a plain civilian I was fortunate enough to have the highest class of credentials, and these together with the previous acquaintance of other members brought me en rapport with a number of Spanish gentlemen to whom I owe what little pleasant memory I have of Spain. One of these. Captain and Dr. Angel Morales Fernandez (oculist at the large military hospital, capacity 2,000, which I may describe later,) extended to me many courtesies and spent the better part of a day in conducting me through the eleven buildings with wards and laboratories which comprise the institution.

As regards entertainment for the ladies there was but little, a garden party at the young King's palace and a special entertainment at one of the theaters. As Prof. Dr. Fuchs of Vienna said, only the men are considered in Spain, and they are all gentlemen (caballeros) -even the beggars.

It was possible to hold only one general meeting, and because some of the sections met in the art gallery portion of the Library Building, in large corridors, with people tramping back and forth talking a Babel of more than a dozen languages, it was impossible to keep any semblance of order or to hear the speaker more than a few feet away. In the section I tried to attend (Ophthalmology) in which some four hundred were registered, the attendance dwindled down to a dozen Spaniards and Frenchmen, who did all the talking. Mr. Jessop of London and I were the only two English-speaking men in this section, and we were both much disgusted and quit long before each session terminated. The papers were, of course, of some scientific importance, but so far as our specialty goes there was nothing of any moment.

The paintings in the salons, where our sections met, were characteristic of the nation; battle, murder and bloody death, were the subjects of nearly all of them. I never saw such a "chamber of horrors." After the third day several of the sections removed to the building of the Faculty of Medicine, where-though not in such imposing surroundings and more difficult of access-at least we were removed from the madding crowds and could hear the speakers. The official languages were Spanish, French, Italian, German and English, named in order of preference. I spoke in our vernacular, and the secretary of the section asked me to write out my remarks in French or German, as it was so difficult to translate English into Spanish. In any case, it will make little difference, for the transactions will not be printed in a couple of years or so.

Those who may think this letter is but a series of "kicks" are referred to any American or Englishman who may have attended the Congress, and also to the London Lancet of April 25, 1903, whose special correspondent, Mr. Smith, I had the pleasure of meeting.

At the end the several sections were mainly attended by the officers and the readers of the papers listed for the day. Indeed, an author could not be sure when he would be called upon for his contribution and ofttimes had much trouble before he could get the opportunity to speak. Most of us gave up all idea of scientific work and put in our time sight-seeing and visiting the hospitals, of which there are a large number in Madrid, and a description of which I will give in my next letter. H. V. WUERDEMÅNN.

CHICAGO LETTER.

The Value of the X-Rays.-Dr. W. A. Pusey, at a recent meeting of the Chicago Medical Society, read a paper on the therapeutic powers of the x-ray in skin diseases, in which he stated that the results of his experience with a large number of cases were very favorable. The list included almost every disease in. the skin category.

Report of Children's Hospital Society.-In his report of the investigating committee of the Children's Hospital Society Dr. Abt announced that no children's ward or hospital had been constructed with the best knowledge of hospital sanitation. Out of twenty-seven institutions only eighteen maintained wards for children. The majority

Mstantly overcrowded and have insufficient air-space and ancient ventilat C nly one hospital-the Cook County-admitted contag ous cases, and there ya a striking lack of provision for such cases arising in the hospitals904 hospital for the exclusive

care of children was advocated.

Interneships in Cook County Hospital. Examinations held April 17th resulted as follows: Rush Medical College Secured six places and the alternates; Northwestern Medical College, seven places; and the University of Illinois, three places. Leon Block of Rush Medical College made first place.

Meeting of the Illinois Medical Society. During April a very successful meeting of the Illinois Medical Society was held in Chicago. Numerous papers were read before large and representative audiences. Dr. Carl E. Black, of Jacksonville, was elected president, and it was decided to hold the next meeting at Bloomington.

Pneumonia Still Prevalent and Fatal.-The bulletin of the city health department for April calls attention to the fact that of a total of 2,628 deaths for the month, 604 were caused by pneumonia. This means an increase of 41 per cent. over April, 1902.

Prof. Mikulicz Visits Chicago.-Dr. Johann von Mikulicz, professor of surgery in the University of Breslau, visited Chicago and held a clinic at Mercy Hospital. He was introduced by Dr. Murphy, who also acted as interpreter. The members of the Illinois Medical Association had the fortunate opportunity to witness the distinguished professor operate on a case of inguinal hernia and also one of cholelithiasis.

Presbyterian Hospital School for Nurses. A new school for nurses has been established at the Presbyterian Hospital. It is planned to have a higher standard than has been adopted by any other hospital school in this country. The educational supervision has been entrusted to the faculty of Rush Medical College. The leading features of the new school are the following:

1. The minimum age of admission is twenty and the maximum thirty.

2.

Those entering the school must have a high-school education. Prefer

ence will always be given to those who have spent one or more years in college work.

3. A moderate tuition fee must be paid by all students.

4. The period of training is three and a half years. During the first six months pupils do not enter the hospital at all, but spend their time in laboratory and dispensary work.

5. The number of nurses employed shall be sufficient to prevent overworking of individuals and to insure thoroughness in education.

New Hospital for Consumptives.- St. Ann is the name of a new hospital for consumptives, which is the first of its kind to be established in Chicago. St. Ann's was needed, and we need more such sanitaria to aid us in our war against the dreaded disease, which carries off so large a per cent. of useful members of society in the prime of life.

Plan for Care of Children.- New separate buildings for the care of sick children and a building for contagious cases only are in course of construction on the Cook County Hospital grounds. They are to be roomy and elaborately equipped.

Fresh Milk for the Babies.- Milk-dealers are being severely criticized for their system of one delivery daily, and a strong effort is being made to have two deliveries of fresh, pure milk every day. All such movements are commendable, for they must surely result in the saving of hundreds of babies, whose lives are at the mercy of the milkman.

New Head of the Dunning Institution. Dr. V. H. Podstata succeeded Dr. Neeley as superintendent of Dunning on June 1st.

Courses for Practitioners.--Rush Medical College has made provision for a number of courses of unusual interest to practitioners, especially for those who desire to enter upon the work of a specialty. These courses are repeated every three months of the year. (M. M. P.)

A Case of Spasmodic Torticollis Successfully Treated by Hypodermic Injections of Atropine.—CHAS. S. POTTS (University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin, March, 1903). The patient, aged 30 male, was incapacitated by the contractures. The spasms were clonic and were made worse by any muscular movement whatsoever. No improvement was noticeable on 1-100 grain hydrobromate of hyoscine, with 15 grains of iodide of potash, given three times daily, and treatment was changed to 1-200 grain of atropine injected into the sterno-mastoid daily, alternating with the muscles of the back of the neck. The dose was gradually increased to 1-45 grain. Massage and electricity were also given. He was comparatively well for four months, when the affection returned, but after another course of treatment he was able to return to his work. (H. E. D.)