First Aid Journal 1906

FIRST AI D .

The Independent Journal fo r the Ambula nce and Fire Services.

To Our Readers.

As it s the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as inst ructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can. Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Division s of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will also send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestion s are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send u s for publication

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested to state on the back of the same th e name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also thc namc an d address of the sender.

" F irs t Aid " i s publis h ed on the 20t h o f the m o nth.

E DITORA L.

It is customary at the commencement of another year to review the record of the year that has just concluded and refer once more to matters of real importance that may h'lVe occurred during its course. In both Ambul a nce and Fire Brigade circles, however, there has been little to chronicle of a startling or eventful nature, the year ha s been one of quiet steady progress in both services.

In connection with the ambulance movement, as more particularly allied to the Order of St. John" we are g lad to see by the Colonial press that there has been a great impetus given to the work in British dominions beyond the seas, and in this sense we are glad to learn by Canadian papers of the reception given to its delegateColonel Bowdler-in our great Colony" across the pond," We trust that we may take it this visit IS an evidence that it is the intention of the Association to ges into closer touch with our various Colonies, believing, as as we do, that the federat ion of the various am bulance links within t he Empire ca n but be fra u ght with good, both for the Empire at large and ambulance work in particular, added to which the visit of some one from headquarters is, we a r e sur e, taken by Ambu lance workers-whether at h ome or abroad-as an evidence tha t the governing body t a k es a n interest in t h eir we lfare and is desirous of recognis-

ing, by the presence of one of its Headquarters Staff, at specially arranged gatherings the many sacrifices which am bulance workers so ch ee rfully make on behalf of the cause .

D nder the efficient management of its chief secretaryColonel Barnes-the sister Association of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, is also gaining in both numbers and in popularity, indeed in many ways, in connection with its work, the authorities of the English organisation migh tl ea rn some useful lessons. The way in which it has grappled with, and carried out the Glasgow Ambulance Service should, and will undoubtedly, earn for it the gratitude of every citizen of that large commercial centre.

In connection with the Volunteer branches of the Royal Army "YIedical Corps there is a lso a dist inctly go ahead advance, and we are pleased to note that in connection with the work of the London Companies the authorities have appoint e d Major Richardson-who, has fought so long and so pluckily to introduce his clever canine h elp ers into this branch of the service-to experiment as to the practicability of the with a view to the introduction of dogs into the regular corps of the army.

Coming to Fire Brigade matters. Under the skilful manag e ment of its clever and popular General Han. Secretary, th e National Fire Brigade Union, the firemen's organisation in this country is increasing both in numbers and in power. It has suffered one great loss this year by the death of one of its ablest vice-presidentsCol. Dixon. How great that loss has been but few, perhaps, beyond closely associated with him in the work can realise, but that he is missed, and will be, at all future gatherings is, we are sure, felt and recognised by all who had the pleasure of working with him and realising how thoroughly his heart was in the work. W e are pleased to note that the Ambulance Department of the Union is going ahead. First aid work is undoubtedly a most necessary acquirement for firemen, and too much praise cannot therefore be accorded to Chief Officer Ettles and his enthusiastic second officer, Supt Poncerot, for the success which has attended this branch of the Union's work.

The private fire brigades of the service are also very vigorous, and we congratulate both the London and

Leicester Association on the record of the years' work. It proves conclusively what we have at all times maintained, that these amateur fire fighters are a most valuable auxilliary to the r eg ular fire service of the country, and we hope to see their number increase.

Last, but by no means least, we have learned with satisfaction that some effort is at last about to be made to oraanise an ambulance service for London. The scheme, b as outlined, falls short, very fa r short of what we had hoped to see, but we must hope that the utility of the service, and the necessity that exists for its extension, will soon be so apparent that the powers that be will at no distant date increase both staff a nd stations,

Glasgow P o lice Am bul ance Competitions.

THE Glasgow Police Ambulance Shield took place in the Assembly Rooms, Bath-street, on Fnday, Jan. I zth, under the auspices of the St. Andrew's Am Association, this being the fourth annual contest for thIs handsome trophy. Eight teams of five m e n, from the different divisions of the city, entered and the the competition was a most interesting one. There -were three departments: Oral and General, Practical, and Transport, and in each department fifteen minutes' examination was given to each team.

Dr. P. F. Shaw acted as arbiter in the General Knowledge Section Dr. R. T. Halliday in the Practical Work; and Dr. H. Wright Thomson in the Transport.

Finally, the team the Queen's Park Division prov e d the successful competitors. The following were the questions in the different sections :-

ORAL EXAMI rATION QUESTlONS.

A.--I. How many bones enter mto the formation of the adult pelvis? Name them.

2. (a) Which bone in the body is most frequently fractured as a result of muscular action? (b) Which bone is most frequently dislocated by muscular action?

3- vVhat symptoms would YOLI expect to find in a case of fra c ture of the base of the skull ?

4· Name the structures and tissues which enter into the formation of a moveable joint.

5· \Vh y is a compound fracture so much more serious than a simple one?

B.-I. Explain the process by which nature arrests arteria l bleeding?

2. A nJan standing beside you has got a ruptured varicose vein of leg. Tell me in detail what you would do.

3· Of what use is the blood in the body.

4· What are the changes undergone by an ordinary beef sandwic h, from the time it is taken into the mouth, until it enters the circulation?

5· How would you distinguish a case of apoplexy from one of alcoholism?

C.-I. (a) What is tartar emeti c? (b) What common substance is it sometimes mistaken for? (c) How would you treat poisoning by it?

2. State in detail what you would do for a man found insensible in a room filled with smoke?

3· State the condition of pupils you would probably find in :-(a) poisoning. (b) Opium poisoning. (c) rOISOl1lr:-g. (d) Apoplexy. (e) Fainting.

4· Give m detail what your first aid would be in the case of a l1}an who had his severely scalded by boiling water, which had passed Into hiS boot and through his stocking.

5 (a) What is the normal temperature of the body? (b) 'Vhat is the normal pulse rate of the body? (c) What IS the normal respiration rate of the body.

D.-I. What would be your first aid in the case of a man who had been bitten by a dog suspected of being suffering from rabies? What disea se might the bite give rise to?

2. (a) What is oil of vitriol? (b) What class of poison does it belong to? (c) Give synlptoms, and treatment of poisoning by it. .

3. What would be your first aid treatment of severe bleeding from the tongue?

4. (a) What are the symptoms and treatment of shock. (b) What are the signs of re-action ?

5· Describe the course of the blood in the portal circulation.

PRACTICAL WORK (BANDA GIN6 )

I. No. has been picked out of the river in a condition of suspended animation, and with left clavicle fractured. No 2 will attend to him.

2. NO.3 is found lying motionless and insensible on the road. No 4 will indicate the course of procedure he would adopt.

3· Ko. 5 will treat profuse bleeding from a ruptured varicose vein on left leg of NO.2.

4· NO·4 has sl1stained a compound fracture of left femur about the middle, and has fainted from ll ce morrhage. Treat him.

5· No. check bleeding from left radial artery of NO.5 by a tourniquet. NO 2 apply digital compression on right facial artery of NO 3· No. 3 apply artificial respiration to NO.4 (Sy lvester 's method ) NO.4 check bleeding from foot of No. 5 by forced flexion. NO.5 reduce dislocated lower jaw of No. and examine right eye for foreign body.

TRAN SPOR T OF INJURED.

r. Prove the bearers, obtain stretcher, advance and retire with closed stretcher, dismiss squad.

2. Fall-in on stretcher, take post at wounded, load, advance as directed, unload.

3· Fracture of right femur. Patient to be moved, without stretcher, out of danger before splints are applied.

4· 2, 3 and 4 are "apparently drowned." Move them three paces from the water's edge.

5· A case of apoplexy. Remove quickly by improvised stretcher.

THE ROWDEN AMBULANCE CHALLENGE SHmLD.-We have received from Mr. J. W. Price, the courteous Hon. Secretary of the Committee which has been appointed to carry out the above competition, a' copy of the rules by which it will be governed. They appear to be of a very concise and practical character. The competition which is open to ambulance men erlgaged in the factories and workshops of Leeds and district will take place : in April next. Mr. Price's address is North-terrace, Cross (;ates, Leeds.

THE USE OF Docs AS Al\lllULANCE AUXILIARIES.-The London Companies of the Royal Army Medical (Volunteer ) Corps 3.re, it is stated, to enjoy the distinction of being the first British military organisation to adapt the sagacity of the dog to the operations of the battlefield. In Germany dogs are trained for use as scouts, as well as for transport and am bulance work, and it is now proposed to follow this example so far as first-aid to the wounded is concerned Major De Hautville Richardson, formerly of the Sherwood Foresters (N ottingharn and Derbyshire Regiment), is to be attached to the London Companies of the Royal Army Medical Corps for the purpose of giving instruction with ambulance dogs. These are to be trained to seek out ollr wounded men, many of whom are nearly always undiscovered by am bulance search parties, more especially at night. The dogs will carry elementary medica l and surgical appliances which can often be used with advantage even by wounded men.

A n ad ve rti s ement in this Journal is the cheapes t tra v eller you can have.

Our Portrait Gallery .

CIIIEI" Ofi'Ji'ICER HARRY BE CUfN , MESSRS. \VADDlNGTON'S PRIVATE FIRE BRlCADE, CROYDON.

BORN at Willesden on the 19th August, 1875, Mr. Beghin the enthusiastic "Fire Chief" of Messrs. Waddington's Private Brigade, was educated first at the Islington High School, subsequently proceeding to the Polytechnic School of Engineering, Regent. street. Soon after taking up his studies at "The Poly", Mr. Beghin conceived the idea of forming a fire brigade in connection with that Institution,

representing some of the principal mer cant ile warehouses and manufac turies in London.

A similar association has also been form e d with lik e success in the busy manufacturing town of Leic es te r, so that Beghin has ev,=ry reason to feel proud of what he may nghtly regard, as the direct outcome of his plucky ven tur e at the POlytechnic.

I!I the year I900 Mr. Beghin r etire d from his position as ChIef Officer of the Polytechnic Fire Brigade and moving to Croydon, succeeded in forming the Brigade in which he now holds the position of Chief Officer. His active inter es t in the affairs of the Association is we ll maintained ' he is a member of its Council, and is seldom absent from its and he. is at all times ready to e nthusiast ically assIst m the carry1l1g out of any movement which has for ItS aim the promotion of increased efficiency among the mem bers of the Private Fire Brigad es.

N otes by "Long S pli n t ."

I heard a neat little yarn the other day. A friend of mine, who is an ardent ambulance man, persuaded his daughter to go through the first aid course, and in order to ensure her success he himself used to coach her up in the work after each lecture. After the fourth lecture, in recapitUlating the symtoms of hanging, &c., he in qu ired: "What would you do if you found a person hanging?" As pat as you please came all the formula as laid down in Cantlie. But, in concluding, and after recounting how she would unloosen all constrictions about the neck, &c., the fair first aider said that's what the book says I should do, but I know what I should do, I should call mother.

Here 's another. Th e other day a well-known medical man in presenting certificates to an ambulance class, said: " Years ago an old Cornish fisherman was asked how he would treat the apparently drowned." "'V ell," he replied, "the first thing we always do is to empty the man 's pockets. "

and in the ye ar 1897, with the aid of some of his fellow students, a brigade was formed and Mr. Beghin was appointed its first" Chief." In 1899 it occurred to the subject of our sketch th at a Fire Brigade Tournament in connection with the various Private Fire Brigades, within the Metropolitan area, would serve to popularise the service and bring the" fire first aider" more prominently before the public, many of whom were up to this time quite unaware that London possessed so valuable a fire fighting auxilliary in its midst. At the start, however, Mr. Beghin met with but little encouragement, for he was confronted on. all sides with such pessimistic remarks as: "It won't go!" "I t won't be a success I" "It's sure not to interest the public I" and so on. Howev er, in no ways discouraged by these dismal prophecies of failure, Mr. Beghin persevered with his scheme, and on the 14th January, 1899, the first Fire Tournament in connection with the Private Fire Brigades of London was held at the Polytechnic, and contrary to the expectation of the croakers proved a success. A concert was .subsequ ently held in order to present the pnzes to the wmnll1g members, and at this gathering it was unanimously decided to attempt the organisation of the Private Fire Brigades of the Metropolis This was successfully carried out and how poputhe Association has proved may be may be gathered from t h e fact that it now numbers upwards of thirty brigades,

GLOUCESTER.-The local hon. secretary of the St. John Ambulance Association begs to acknowledge receipt of .£' 10 for the funds of the St. John Ambulance Brigade from Mrs. Meath Baker, being part of the proceeds of " Hospital Week" at the Theatre Royal.

LEAl\IIN GTON -A variety entertainment arranged by Mr. H. Piercy Watson in aid of the funds of the Ambulance Division was held at the Town Hall OT) the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 28th. Owing, n o doubt, partly to the wretched state of the weather and also to the prevalence of home Christmas festivities, the audience was not large, which was to be regretted as the programme was a capital one. The comedietta entitled "A Pair of Lunatics," in - which Mr. Piercy Watson and Miss Rosalie Notrelle took the characters of Capt. George Fielding and Clara Manners respectively, earned for these talented performers llnstinted applause. The living waxworks were also very good and the posing and expression had .been carefully studied and ga ve evid"nce of careful A pretty little item was the Maypole Dance by a of and airls. The performance was repeated 111 the even1l1g, when members of the local Division gave an ambulance demonstration.

METROPOLITAN CORPS.

ST. JOHN'S GATE DIVISJON.-The annual distribution of clothing to the poor of St. John's Parish, Clerkenwell, took place on December 20th at the crypt of St. John's Church.

The Nursing Sisters of the division had worked well during the year, and were enabled to collect and make a much larger quantity of garments than usual, and together with gifts of cake, sweets, crackers, oranges and toys, a very successful evening was held. About 70 women and over roo children attended to receive the presents.

The Nursing Sisters beg to thank all those who so kindly helped them with gifts of material, &c., and also those who came to help on the evening.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

ABERGAVENNY.- The first annual soiree of this ?ivis!on was held tl?e Swan Hotel, on January 1st, 1906, It beIng New Year s l11ght, there was a splendid attendance several songs, &c., were given between the dances and most enjoyable evening was spent, everyone expressing that opinion when they finished by at a.m The M.C.' S were Acting-Corporals C. H. Blackmore and W. J. Beard and most of the mem bers were presen t.

the auspices of the Ambulance and NursIng DlvlSlons of this town a successful and enjoyable "At Home" was held at the Mechanics' Institute, Ashton, on Saturday, December 23rd. About 250 guests were present, the gathering being presided over by. the Mayor, Alderman W. Kelsall, J. P The room, was tastefully decorated, had been arranged in drawmg.-room style, small tables being arranged about the room whIch greatly to its attractive appearance.

A capItal programme of musical and other items had been. prepared aI?d was much appreciated. During the evenmg, afser a address. the Mayor, the Mayoress (Mrs. 'y. h els.all, Junr.) dIstnbuted the certificates and medalllol1s gamed at the late classes. In the interval refreshments were handed round by the members of th e ambulance and nursing divisions At thp- conclusion of the c?ncert the remainder of the evening was spent in dancmg, Messrs. Beaumont and Goodier kindly acting as M.C.'s.

Supt. D. in moving a vote of thanks to the artists f<;)[.so kmdly glVlOg their services.; t? the Mayor for presldmg, and. to the Mayoress for dlstnbutmg the certificates &c., said With reference to brigade work they were going on as as one could wish, but although th-ey were fairly well eqUipped they wanted fully equipping What they wanted was to be provided with am bulance boxes which should be in the main thoroughfares Hurst Cross, and GUldebndge and Waterloo and the Dukinfield boundary, The boxes must be equipped with all necessary

first aid implements, so that an injur ed person could be treated at once, and thus much pain and suffering would be saved before the arrival of the amhulance van.

Mr. Kelsall, junr., who presided during the latter part of the evening, replied on behalf of the Mayoress, artists , &c The proceedings closed with the singing of "God save the King."

We are pleased to learn from the local press that the insertion of Mr. Hall's portrait and sketch in "Our Gallery," has given much gratification to his fellow citizens.

BACUP.- The annua l public tea and social in connection with the Ambulance and Nursing Divisions was held in the Drill Hall, King-street, on Saturday, December 16th, and was well supported. About 80 sat down to tea, at the conclusion of which a concert was held, Hon. Surgeon F. W. Rigby presiding. In addition to a well arranged musical programme, during the evening and dancing were taken part in by thqse present, and the affair, which was promoted with the object of raising funds towards clearing off the debt on the new drill hall, was a very successful one. At the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman, and to the artists, &c., for their services, on the motion of Supt. W. G. Lambert, seconded by Officer N. Woodhouse.

BARROW-IN-FUR JESS.-The members of the ambulance origade in the North Western District who had the pleasure in August last ::>f going through the shipbuilding, engineering and or dnance works of Messrs. Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Ltd., were more than surprised at the magnificent supply of ambulance requsites which were found about the works in suitable places. It was indeed pleasing to find that this firm, with its multitudinous dutles in supplying their battleships and guns to the British Government and to our allies the Japanese, had remem bered the desirability of making such provision for their workmen who may meet with misfortune.

Seeing that something like IO,OOO men are employed daily in the various departments, it is not surprising that an am hulance corps should be organised amongst them, and it was very pleasing indeed to the visitors to see that every requiside was so up to date. Wheeled stretchers were in close proximity to every gatehouse, and about the works we found large. wall stores, which contain handstretchers and (( first aid bags with splints and other appliances; also a canvas jacket arrangement, which was explained to the visitors as a Singleton'S ambulance chair. This uncommon appliance has been found extremely useful in cases of accident that have occurred in the holds or engine roomS of vessels in course of construction, and also in the lofty workshops, where accidents have occurred on the overhead cranes or roofs of the buildings, the appliar.ce being so easily adapted to the necessity of t he case in raising or lowering a patient in either upright or horizontal position as required. The firm are to be congratulated also on the fact that they have a building placed entirely apart for ambulance requirements.

This is known as the "Infirmary," where a St. John medallionist is constantly in attendance; and fr om here are supplied the stores and necessary equipments of something like 40 or 50 ambulance boxes, which may be seen placed about in prominent positions in almost any corner of the works. We were much struck with the fact that every box and hag, whatever it contained, was left open, no such thing as lock or catch being observed about any of them.

Superintendent McLarty, of the town division (S.J.AB), was influential enough to get the members of the North

January, 19 06 -FIRST

Western district the permit to pass through the works, but th e visitors were not lon g in finding out that the superwas also one of the chief officers of the corps 1l1slde the works. The Company's superintendent of the corps is Mr. Bradley, who has had something like 25 years service and control of the ambulance department inside these works.

In former years the ambulance corps have started their winter session of lectures, the total cost of which is borne by the company, by giving a grand concert and ambulance display; but this year it was felt by the officers of the corps that a gathering of the members ,,,ith their wives and sweethearts at Christmas time would be a welcome change. The Company, who have at all times most generously supported the corps, most willingly acquiesced, and a very interesting conversazione was held on Friday night last in the Queen 's Hall, under the supervision of the following :-Superintendent Mr. W. M. Bradley; Captains Mr. J. McLarty and Mr. Thos. Gourlay; Lieutenants Messrs. Wm. Whiteside Noah Culey, Robt. Furness, Hugh Campbell and J. Craig. A capital tea was provided, to which 100 guests did ample justice, after which the room was cleared and Messrs. Standish's band poured forth their sweet music to the terpsichoreans' and a thoroughly enjoyable evening was spent by all; at its close the Company were thanked for having provided such a pleasent evening, thereby adding one more favour to the long list which ha3 been shown by them since the inauguration of the corps. During the inverval in dancing, songs were rendered by Mrs. Le Butt, Mr. J. Matchett and MT. Colquhorn, all of which were most heartily applauded.

BLACKPOOL.-A happy evening was spent in the Victoria IIall of the Blackpool Winter Gardens, on Wedeesday, January 3rd, when the fourth annual dance and whist drive in connection with this division took place. There was a capital attendance, which included a sprinkling of the Yeomanry, in uniform.

Dancing was commenced at 8 o'clock, to the music of Mr. Stubley's band; and the whist drive was started half an hour later, part of the hall being partitioned off for the players, who competed for valuable prizes. Not the least enjoyable feature were the dainty refreshments. Supt. G. Gosling and 1st Officer T. Donnelly carried out the duties of M.C.'s; 2nd Officer R. H. O. Hills had the management of the whist drive; and the following acted as stewards :-Sergts J Hartley, E. Fleetwood, G. Wilson, Corp Is. T. Gregson and A. Whittaker, Pts. S. Stopford, C. Turner, and G. Outhwaite.

BRISTOL. - One of Ll1e most pleasant soci..Lls held in connection with this corps took place on December 20th, at the Salisbury Hall, Old Market-street. Commencing with a capital tea, to which 250 members sat down, this was followed by a most enjoyable concert, pr esided over by Chief Supt. C. Hayman, and arranged by Mr. Ley Hart. The corps also had the presence and support of the Deputy Commissioner ?f District (l\Ir. J. S. Griffiths, M.R.C.S.), the District Supt. Secretary (Mr. Phillips), and a large number of the chief officers of the corps. Much pleasure was expressed at the pr.esence of the Rev. Norman S. de Jersey and Capt. Treslze, of the Marine Ambulance Corps, who received a genuinely hearty welcome.

The Chairman in the course of a short speech, stated that the progress of the Corps was well maintained, and its work was only limited from the want of funds. It was;

their. intention shortly to make a further appeal to the pubhc for more financial support. The corps now numbere? of 210 mem bers 1 and applications were still cO.m10 g. m for mem bersh ip. During the past year thlOg like I,700 cases had been dealt with, exdusive of many that had not bee.n reported In concluding his remarks, Dr: Hayman said that he thought Bristol was as well served In regard to ambulance work as any city in the kingdom.

At the close of the Chairman's remarks, the concert was proceeded with, and a most enjoyabl e evening was spent.

ERNSCOTE, WARWICK. - A new division consisting of 24 members, including officers, has been formed here, and we understand from one of the number that it is their intention to push FIRST AID. We are glad to hear this. To newly enrolled divisions this Journal should prove both useful as well as interesting, as it will post them up in what is going on in the a;nbulance world generally and enable them to learn useful hints on many subjects connected with their works.

HANDSWORTH.-Under its column "Familiar Figures, " the Dail}l Dt'spatch, of Birmingham, gives a portrait and brief sketch about Chief Supt. Beck, of Handsworth. Mr. Beck, whose invaluable services to the ambulance cause have been recognised by the Order of St. John by conferring upon, with the sanction and approval of the King, the badge of an Honorary Serving Brother and bronze medal for services in connection with the South African War, is deservedly popular with his fellow townsmen, and some time since he was presented by them with a valuable gold watch and chain in recognition of his self-denying labours on behalf of the ambulance cause in the town and district.

HAsLAND.-On Wednesday, Dec. 20th, a smoking concert was held in the Devonshire Hotel Assembly Room in aid of the uniform fund of the Ambulance Division. There was a good compan) present, presided over by Mr. E. D. Swanwick, of Hasland House. The programme which was of a high-class ch a racter gave great satisfaction. During the evening the certificates and medallions were presented by Mrs. S\\'anwick.

KNUTSFORD.- John Norbury, jun., butcher, of this locality was summoned at the Knutsford Petty Sessions for having assaulted Herbert John Peers, a member of the S.J.A.B. The prosecutor gav e evidence to the effect that on Christmas Day he was on ambulance duty on the Manchester-road football ground He ,,"as carrying a can containing boiled water, as part of his equipment ambulance work, and the defendant came and asked him what he had got in his can He told him,. and defendant asked for a drink. He (prosecutor) told hlm to go away, but he came again two or three times, and said the can was like a paraffin oil can Defendant refused to go away, and began to knock the can about using very foul language, and eventually he hit prosecutor in the eye twice. In consequenr.e of a bad eye caused by the blows he had been off work for a fortnight.

The Clerk: Was defendant drunk?

Prosecutor: Jot is my opinion.

Francis John Bowen, of St. John's-avenue, corroborated the prosecutor's story, and stated that the eye bled very freely.The Chairman said the story told to the Bench was

that of an absolutely unprovoked attack by the defendant upon Peers, and as it was a most serious offence it would be severely dealt with. John Norbury vyould be fined 40s. or one month's imprisonment.

Defendant was not present in court, and the case was thus dealt with in his absence.

Mr. T. J. Edwards, the officer in charge of the Division, has received a reply to a letter he sent to the office of the Cheshire Constabulary stating that the members of the Ambulance Brigade will always have the protection of the police where possible.

LEICESTER.-A social gathering in connection with this corps took place in the Assembly Rooms on January 4th, and was very largely attended. The hall had been tastefully decorated for the occasion.

Mr. J. H. Douglas presided, and after a few opening remarks introduced the Hon. Mrs. Murray-Smith, who then presented certificates to several ladies.

A vote of thanks to Mrs. Murray·Smith was proposed by Hon. Surgeon Durrant, and seconded by Superintendent Green, who said the social was arranged for the purpose of aiding the funds of the Leicester Infirmary, and he paid a high tribute to the benefits which the institution conferred on the community-benefits which probably no one was better acquainted with than ambulance men. He hoped that there would be a growing feeling that it was the duty of everyone to give the best support they could to the Leicester Infirmary.

During the evening several songs were given by members and their friends. The Market Harborough Quadrille Band furnished the music for the dance which followed.

LEYLAND.-On Saturday, Dec. 16th, the second annual soiree, promoted by the Leyland fireman and the members of the Division of the S.J.A.B., took place in Leyland Pubhc Hall. There was a good attendance. Miss M. E. Jackson's band provided the music. The M.C.'s were Messrs. W. Sumner, J. Sumner, and T. A. Williams. Several songs and recitations were given during the evening. The gathering was pronounced a great success.

LINCOLN.-The Mayor (Mr. A. C. Newsum) presided on Sunday afternoon, Decem Jer 17th, at the Guildhall, at the presentation of medallions and certificates to those members of the S JA.B. and City Police Force who have passed the recent in first aid. Among those present were the City Shenff, NIr. F. S. Lambert, chiet surgeon ot the corps; Mrs. Lam bert, Hon. Surgeon Chater, Hon. Surgeon .G. J. R. Lowe, Councillor T. Mills, S. Bell and Ada1:n Wnght; County Councillor F. Dunn, Chief Supt. Delghton, Dr. Rees Jones, Mr. W. Mortimer, J P.; ChIef Constable Coleman, and others.

Hon. Surgeo!1 Chater gave the principal items of the balance-sheet, whIch showed they had a balance of £ 10 in hand.

Chief Supt. Deighton afterwards gave a general resume of the work of corps during the past year.

The medallIons certificates were then presented by Mrs. Lambert (m the unavoidable absence of the Mayoress).

.The Mayor sai? he had asked to present to the books ll1 recogl1ltlOn of his valuable services ll1 InstructIng the corps. The Sheriff was well known to them as only to? ready. to give his time ungrudgingly to any good work ll1 the CIty.

The Sheriff, in reply, said that since he had been con-

AID. - January, 1906.

nee ted with the ambulance work of the city it had been an unfailing source of pleasure. They had got officers and men who had done valuable service. The most striking thing about the work of the brigade was that so few people knew anything about it. This was because they aimed at doing their work with as little fuss as possible. So far as his experience went with their men, a little knowledge was not a dangerous thing, because they knew what to avoid. They knew at least this much, that in certain cases certain things must be done. He thanked them for their gift.

On the proposition of Hon. Surgeon G. J. R. Lowe, seconded by Chief Constable Coleman, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mrs. Lambert for presenting the certificates and medallions, and to the Mayor for presiding.

NEWPORT (Mon.).-Creat activity is being exhibited by the members to place the finances of the Corps in a better state. It is expected that the proceeds of the drawing, football-match, and whist drive will be sufficient to provide uniforms for the remaining privates.

The First Aid Class recently conducted by Dr. S. Hamilton is concluded, and was examined by Dr. T. Wallace, of Cardiff, on the 7th inst., when all the members, numbering seventeen, passed. Many of these intend to join the Town Division of the Corps where they will make a useful addition-this Division being previously the weakest of the three which form the Newport Corps. Messrs Ackford, Osborne, and Hill gave valuable assistance in instructing the class in the application of bandages, splints, &c.

NEWCA STLE-ON-TvNE. - We understand that the official saction has been obtained for the formation of a Nursing Division for this town. Lady Armstrong has accepted the office of president, and the following vicepresidents have accepted office :-Lady Owen, Mrs. A. Boot, Mrs . J J. Gillespie, Miss Goolden, Mrs. G. B. Hunter, Mrs. James Knott, Mrs. Albert Lord, Mrs. R. H. Millican, Mrs. Nothwanger, Mrs. George Renwick, Mrs. Walter Scott, and Miss Stephenson. The officers of the division are-Hon. Surgeon, Dr. Wilfred Alderson; Lady Supt., Miss Brentnall; Hon. Treasurer, Mrs. C. L. Routledge; Secretary, Miss M. Weddell; Lady Inspector of Stores, Miss Alderson.

NEWTON A13lJOT. - By the invitation of Mrs. Marcus Hare, of Court Grange, the members of this Division held a parade at Abbotskerswell on Monday night, January 1st, with the obj e ct of forming a section in the village. Colonel Sir Herbert Perrott, Bart., c.B., was in the chair, and others present included Lady Perrott, Mrs. Marcus Hare, Captain E. F. Morrison-Bell (the Unionist candidate for the Mid-Devon Division), Rev. Gordon Ca'mpbell, Hon. Surgeon Grim bly, Dr. Pellier, Messrs. Hennion, Buckpitt, and Colet. Under the direction of Supt. W. Jewell, the Division was put through various drills, illustrative of first aid treatment which was critically inspected by Sir Herbert Perrott and Capt. Morrison-Bell, who both expressed their satisfaction.

Proposing a vote of thanks to the men and officers, Sir Herbert Perrott congratulated them on the success achieved in recent competitions, and spoke highly of the enth usiasm shown for the work in Newton Abbot and neighbourhood. It was, said Sir Herbert, a great national movement, and it had proved of untold beneflt in relieving the sufferings of the sick and wounded. Mrs. Marcus Hare was desirous of having a branch of the work at Abbotskerswell, and had arranged to have a course of

January, 1906. -FIRST

lectures given there. The Rev. Gordon Campbell seconded the vote in complimentary terms.

Capt. Morrison-Bell, who was received with applause, addressed the Division, expressing his appreciation of the work of the S.J.A.B. in South Africa.

Both Hon. Surgeon Grimbly and Supt. Jewell replied. The men were afterwards entertained to refreshments in the schoolroom. This is not the only occasion on which Mrs. Marcus Hare has shown the keen and kindly interest she takes in the Newton Abbot Division and its work, and it is hoped that the result of this demonstration may be the formation of a strong section of Abbotskerwell.

PRESToN.---The funeral took place, at Preston Cemetery, on Dec. 28th, ot Mr. E. T. Newbound, of Lune-street. For 20 years, says the Lancashire Post, the deceased gentl e man was greatly interested in am bulance work, and at the time of his death ranked as first officer in the North-East Lancashire County Corps He received his first certificate of efuciency in 1884.

Prior to the interment, a service was conducted in Christ Church, the officiating clergyman being the Rev. C. M. Clarke (vicar) and the Rev. J. Rogers. The local corps was represented by Supt. Harrison, Sergt.-Major Howard, of the Bearer Company, First Officer T. F. Newman, Staff·Sergt. Cooper, Corpls. Millington and Buckley, Ptes. Hodgkinson and Howarth, and .Mr. Swanton, late superintendent-secretary of the County Corps. Amongst those unable to attend were Colonel Trimble, deputy-commissioner for No. 4 District; Dr. Irvin Sellers, chief superintendent of the Preston Corps; Dr. Oldham, of Morecam be, superintendent-secretary of the corps; Hon. Surgeon Molloy, of Blackpool, chairman of committee; and Mr. Derham, Chief Constable of Blackpool, assistant commissioner.

The chief mourners were Mrs. E. T. Newbound (widow), the Misses Newbound (sisters), Mr. Fred. and Mr. W. ewbound (brothers), and Messrs. J. Lomax, Joseph Lomax, J. J. Thomp:,on, and J. Relph. The bearers were Messrs. Harrison, Howard, Buckley, and Newman.

W ARRINGTON.- The sum of £20, part of the proceeds of the performance of "Dandy Dick" by the Warrington Amateur Dramatic Society, has been received by this Corps

The sum of £25 has also been handed over to the Infirmary and Dispensary. Much credit is due to the members of theSociety for the satisfactory result of their labours and their kindness in recognising the claims of two such grand institutions, both of which have for their aim the relief of suffering and sickness.

WHlTWORTH.-In connection with this Division the annual ball took place last month at the Reform Club, Whitworth. There was a large attendance and dancing was kept up with much spirit, a most enjoyable evening being spent. Sergt. C. Howarth was the able and courteou.,; M. C.

Mess'·s. Merryweather & Sons have communicated to t.he press a letter they llave received fr,om Town, \V.lth reference to the soo-gallol1 motor "1' Ire T..mg they supplIed to the Cape Town Fire Bri gade. Several record runs have been made up some of the I-m-6 gradients With the greatest of ease, and when going down .the same r<?ads the bra!zes ha\ 'c acted admirably. The pumpIng capacity IS no less satisfactory. Thus two I-in. jets from the delivery, and two jets) each I in.,'from the 21-in deliveries, were about Ioo-ft. high, I20-lbs. of steam bemg steadily mamtaJl1ed.

Al

London Ambulance Service.

AT last, after a period of suspense that well nigh amounted to despair, the County Council of London has decided to take a step forward in the promotion of an ambulance service in London, and at a meetinco- of the Council, held at Spring Gardens on December t9th, the General Purposes Committee recommendec1 :-" That an experimental scheme for the establishment of an ambulance service to deal with street accidents, and providing for (I) two ambulance stations; (2) motor ambulances and wheeled litters; and (3) a method of giving calls by means of street call-posts fitted with telephones be approved. "

The Finance Committee reported that the expenditure involved in the scheme for the first year was estimated at £5,200, including £2,000 for the initial outlay.

The recommendation was adopted without discussion. 'lYell, we have not got all that we hoped, but it is something; it is a step forward, and we trust that now that the system is inaugurated, the medical profession, backed up by the public-who will soon realise and appre-

ciate its benefits-will see that the matter is not allowed to stop until we have a service that for efficiency, and compl eteness of organisation, shall vie with that of any other city in the world.

As will be seen, the am bulance wagons are to be automobile, and the fifteen men who form the staff ar e to be efficient motor drivers as well as skilled in the principles of first aid. The vehicle, of which we give a sketch, is built on the lines of tIle vehicle built some time since by the St. John Ambulance Association for exhibition purposes, and the motor was designed by Messrs. J alnes and Brown, Ltd., 395, Oxford-street.

As will be seen, an important feature of the scheme IS the development of a telephone call service in connection with it. In order to facilitate the requisition of the ambulances, it is proposed to establish at various points. street telephone stations, similar to the fire alarms now m. use, from which the police on duty-or other persons havll1g a key - can call up the am bulance station and summons an ambulance.

It only remains to express the hope that the vari.ous voluntary Associations which exist within the metropolitan area will lend their co-operation tow a rds ensurIng the success of the service.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION" FIRST AID"

Brevities.

\VE have to acknowledge, with many thanks, the numerous cards we have received from different Fire Brigades and Ambulance Corps wishing us the compliments, &c., of the season. True, it is a little late to own receipt of these, but we venture to reciprocate all the kind wishes extended to us.

SPEAKING at Newton Abbot, Capt. Morrison-Bell (Unionist candidate for Mid-Devon Division), said he had had a good deal of experience of the admirable work done by the S.J.A.B. during the South African war, and, of course, they all recognised the tremendons amount of good it did in the time of peace. He had seen many stricken down-men of all sorts, and among them some of his best friends, and he had seen the care and devotion with which the sick and wounded bad been treated by the orderlies sent out by the brigade, some mem bers of which had given them such an excellent demonstration that night. The S.J.A.B. was an organisation they could be proud of. Most of its members were workmen, who, after a hard day's work, gave up their leisure for the purpose ofreceiving instruction as to how they might best help their fellows in time of both peace or war. They were proud of their fellow-citizens who did work like this. As long as they possessed such men as this in the country, it could not be in a very bad way. *

WE note that the National Fire Brigade Union is taking steps to bring before candidates for Parliamentary honours the question of the Fire Brigades Bill, for which Mr. Guy Pim has worked so long and ably. We wish them in all sincerity, success, and trust that they may manage to induce some of our w0uld be legislators to show more interest in the fire brigades of this country. If not too late, we would urge our am Lulance readers to think whether some effort should not be made to get some official or tangible recognition of the claims of the ambulance movement. As we have said before, the ambulance bodies now form a valuable national asset, and Mem bers of Parliament as a whole should be brought to realise this.

IT is not often that we have to chronicle in our columns the case of a grossly unprovoked attack on an am bulance worker. As a rule, even the most hardened " hooligan)) has a respect for the man or woman wearing the white cross of St. John, and is only too ready to assist rather than retard his self-sacrificing labours. A case, however, was tried at Knutsford in which a blackguardly ruffian had assaulted an ambulance man while on duty. Tbe magistrates who tried the case inflicted upon the defendant a severe fine) but we are inclined to think that even then the punishment did not fit the crime, for so cowardly an outrage the man should have been sentenced to a term of

A D.- January, 1906.

imprisonment with hard labour, not as a deterrent, 'we will admit to others, for we do not believe that in all England there is a ruffian so abandoned, or so cowardly, as to attack a man who was engaged in the voluntary labour of tending the injuries of others.

* -)(- *

COL. Fox, Chief Officer London Salvage Corps, at a recent fire inquest, referred to the fact that he had discovered that women's boot heels were now being made of celluloid, and commented (.n the danger that might ensue in the event of women sitting with their feet resting on the fender. A Dail} Graphic representative, who interviewed ::t bootmaker on the subject, learned that it was no new thing and, although large numbers are now in use, no accident with them has as yet been reported. We are, however, inclined to side with the practical Chief of the Salvage Corps, in his assumption that they are a source of danger, and after all it's a well-known maxim "that there's nothing like leather," and it is certainly safer.

* * *

THE recent prosecution of the man Smith at Bristol for collecting subscriptions on behalf of a bogus convalescent home for firemen has resulted in the conviction of as great a scoundrel as ever adopted philanthropic methods as a means for gaining his own livelihood. Smith had had a somewhat chequered career, and this was by no means his first appearance in a criminal court. His modus operandi in connection with his last exploit was very smart, but fortunately not quite smart enough to keep him out of the clutches of the law. Having made arrangements with a boarding-house keeper-an old metropolitan fireman, who, however, was not a party to the fraud-for the reception of firemen requiring change at a moderate tariff, he at once commenced to collect subscriptions from the general public for the maintenance of this so-called home. One or two firemen had a holiday under the auspices of this scheme, but the outlay on their bebalf, some j)S, was not excessive, considering Mr. Smith had personally netted from one and all too-confiding public close on £230. We were applied to some months since to insert an advertisement for this bogus home, but with a caution begotten of a knowledge of these wily scoundrels we declined, and we are pleased to think that we had some little hand in bringing to a sudden stop this gentleman's nefarious little scheme.

THERE is, bowever, something in Smith's idea We believe, that a Fireman's Convalescent Home, efficient ly managed and under proper control, would meet a want and prove a boon to many a fireman who, sometimes as a result of exposure or overwork, is temporarily run down, and who, could he have had the advantage of fresh and invigorating air, would the sooner be restored to active work again. It may be argued that there are plenty of convalescent homes where all this could be obtained; but firemen are a clannish body, and we believe that if our fire

January, g06. -FIRST

fighters possessed ::t home of their own they would morc often tak e advantage of rest and char.ge when recovering from accident or illness. We commend the idea to some budding philanthropist who may he in search of some fresh channel for benefitting his fellow men.

* * *

COL. Fox, of the London Salvage Corps, is orgamsmg a salvage corps to protect the valuable property in Windsor Castle Other owners of priceless articles of value should on national gro und s follow the example of our King.

* **

PRESENTrNG certificates to some sixty members of the Railway and Tramway Ambulance Corps at Sydney, Mr. J. Harper, chief traffic manager, and president of the corps, prefaced the presentation by remarking that the men had devoted their spare time in acquiring a knowledge of how to help their fellow-creatures in the event of accident, and that was surely something that should earn applause and recogmtIOn. They had over 2,000 men associated with the railway and tramway service, who were members of the Ambulance Associatiot::J, and it was a pleasing reflection to know that on every train or tram there was someone travelling who knew how to render first aid, and possibly save human life. These who had the management of the railways and tramways were prOud to have such a body of men so fully equipped. Very rarely had an ambulance man come before him for punishment, for the knowledge that was imparted in the course of training made him a better man. It was remarkable that with such a percentage of members who were ambulance men in the service they had so few delinquents among them. * *

WE much regret to learn that our distinguished con_ frere, Commander G. Welsch, of Gand, has been seriously indisposed. We send him our sincere and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

DUNDEE.-The Dundee Courier says there is a proposal on foot that all railwaymen possessed of a and medallion for ambulance work should recelve an addit ional three days' holidays per year. The subject was discussed at a meeting of the railway ambulance class in Dundee on the 17th ult., and was unanimously approved by the members. It is to be brought up at a conference to be held in Edinburgh in the near future.

3 • EO

The members of the Midland Railway Ambulance Class, Gloucester, met at headquarters on Sunday Dec. 24th, to offer their congratulations to the Capta111 (Mr. F. C. Clarke) and team, upon their victory at t.he recent City Challenge Shield Competition. The PreSIdent (Mr. A. Camm), in moving the vote of thanks on behalf of the menl bers Dointed out that the continued success of the Corps w;s \n a great measure due to the of t?eir Honorary Surgeon, Dr. \V. Hodges, who, m respondmg, spoke of the capable manner in which the team had worked together. The Captain, after having responded to the vote of thanks, presented the shield to the President, who, on behalf of the Corps, handed it to the care of Dr. for the ensuing year, as a mark of their esteem for hIS efforts with the team.

Well=Earned Rest.

"GOOD old chief !" " One of the best !" How often in the past have I heard this remark applied to Church Brasi.er, both at ambulance gatherings and fire brigade meetmgs, and the same remark is uttered as cordially to-day by his many friends when they discuss his welfare as they did when he was a worker amongst them, striving to push forward the cause which was to him so dear. It was in the year 188 [ that I first had the pleasure of meetChurch Brasier at a fire brigade competition at Weybndge. Ambulance competitions were then but in their infancy, and he had entered a team for the ambulance competition in which improvised material had to be used. I forget what the injuries were: but I remember that the work was very smartly executed, so much so that many of us thought it was a medical man in charge of the Margate team. Imagine then our astonishment when the judge

awarded them second place, but "c. B." took his defeat in a thoroughly sportsmanlike manner, and was the first to congratulate the successful team, which, by-the-bye, belonged to the fire brigade of which the judge was hon. surgeon.

Our next meeting was at the JubIlee celebratlOns of 188 7, when I, in common members of our local ambulance corps, received an ll1Vlte fr0m .:Mr. John to come up and assist the London Corps 111 d0111g duty 111 the streets of London. That was the first of many similar occasions when we received invites to aid our London comrades-they were not such a large and body then, and were only too glad to accept our serVlces; indeed the happy meetings in those days dId much to cement the feelings of friendship existing between the London and country members, and the to consolidation of the whole mto one natIOnal brIgade, as It exists to-day, and no one worked harder or more loyally

to attain this object than our friend whose absence from the work he made so much his own we one and all deplore to-day.

Subsequently, my duties as a journalist necessitated my severing my connection with the ambulance brigade, as I had to take up newspaper work in another part of the country; it was therefore some years before I again came into touch with "The Chief." Being in London for the purpose of reporting a local law case, which was being heard at the Law Courts, I paid a visit to the Royal Agricultural Hall to see the Fire Brigade Tournament which was then in progress. To my great surprise and pleasure myoid friend with a staff of his brigade were on duty, and I had that evening the pleasure of seeing a very realistic "turn out" from an ambulance station erected in the arena. Subsequently, in the well-appointed mess-room, ICC. B." waxed eloquent over the object lesson he had been enabled to give the people as to what a well-appointed ambulance service should be like. Alas! the millenium ,,'as not yet, and neither he nor the citizens of London have as yet seen that ideal" turn out" in actual every day life in the streets of London. Animated by feelings of the sincerest friendship for the man it was, therefore, with unfeigned regret that I learned of his serious breakdown in health, although not altogether surprised. There is no doubt that the anxiety and hard work entailed in carrying out his duties, ever since the formation of the ambulance brigade, would have told on a stronger constitution than he possessed Never very robust, it was his enthusiastic" vim," as they say in the States, that kept him "on the run," and to-day he has his reward in seeing how the organisation, in tl,e creation of which he had so large a share, has grown to be one of the most highly prized institutions in this country.

Being in the Isle of Thanet recently, I paid a visit to myoId friend, in order to see how the grand recuperative air of his native town was treating him, and I was genuinely pleased to find that he was in decidedly better "fettle" than I expected to find him. He looks older, and was thinner, but the eye was just as keen and the voice as resonant. We went for a stroll on the far-famed jetty, and it was when walking that the want of tone was more apparent; there was less buoyancy in the step, and the breathing at times showed that the respiratory organs were not all they should be, but, notwithstanding these little "setbacks," I hope and trust that our dear old friend is a " stayer" yet.

I was pleased to learn from him that the executive which he has served so long and so loyally had behaved generously to him. He expressed in warm terms his gratitude for kindness he had received at the hands of one and all, and I was, indeed, glad to learn that it was so.

On the subject of the proposed testimonial to him he was more diffident. Gratified he could not fail, to be for the many kind expressions he had r ece ived from old time friends, and he was undoubtedly touched by their desire to mark their appreciation of his work and show their friendship In this sense he expressed the hope that those of hiS fnends who had the ma.tter in hand would let it take the form of a personal token from the f:iends who had worked with him in the past.

Asked as to how he employed his time he had to admit that at times, especially when unable to get out,. the tim e was to hang, although he generally hact a a amount datly correspondence to deal with, failing :vhlch h e ha.d hiS books and pictures, which he was engaged m cataloguemg, And h e re again his life's work was much in evidence. The pictures are nearly all connected with ambulance and fire brigade work, and meet the visitor at

every point, and they might, indeed, be said to fo r m a pictorial representation of the owner's life and work

I spent a pleasant afternoo n with Mr. Brasier a n d h is charming wife and daughter, an d parted from them, a nd the invigorating air of Margate, with a fee li ng of regret that I had not more time at my disposal, to have enabled me t o spend a day or two in the company of one, who has gained that which is far and away the g reatest reward for a life' s work-the love and esteem of his fellow man.

As I lay down my pen a New Year's card has jus t come to hand, and on the o u tside it bears the simple words, "Dinna forget." Never fear, old friend, those who know you and have learned to love you are not likely to do that. "Good old chief!" "One of the best !"

T he Disinfection of Ambulances in Berlin.

(FRor-t Tlz e Lancet.)

THE high state of efficiency to which the disinfection or ambulances has been brought in Berlin is the result of many years of constant agitation, in which the well-known surgeon, Professor von Bergmann, took a prominent part. An article on this subject was published in Tlze Lancet of October 7th, page 1064. The present system has been inaugurated by the First Aid Society, which comprises the so-called" Sanitatswachen," the accident stations of the Red Cross, and the so-called" Rettungsgesellschaft" (lifesociety); unfortunately it has not yet been universally adopted, but still it marks a decided advance on the old methods, which, as prominent German medical men admit, were behind those of London, Paris, and Vienna and which, to quote Professor von Bergmann, could not be reconcil e d with the principles of modern hygiene. Formerly the conveyance of patients was entirely in the hands of contractors who were only compelled by the police to disinfect their ambulances after being used for infectious cases. There were three classes of am bulances for the use of which there W'lS a graduated scale of charges-namely, the first cla.ss, or " Salonwagen," provided with indiarubber tyres and luxurious internal arrangements: the second class, fitted up in a somewhat simpler style; and the third class, for the poor, without tyres and often without springs. A few years ago a man was taken to the Municipal Hospital at Charlottenburg, whose case the medical staff were unable to diagnose exactly, He died and was afterwards found to have been suffering from plague The disease not having been certified to he infectious, the ambulance in which the man was taken to the hospital was not disinfected, a sanitary short-coming fraught with such danger to the public that the First Aid Society made energetic representations to the contractors to disinfect their ambulances each time after use. This the contractors found that they could not do without pecuniary loss and so the First Aid Society resolved to organise an ambulance service of its own The society decided that its ambulances must be of the best construction, fitted with springs and indiarubber tyres, while the interior must conform to the requirements of modern hygiene and technica l knowledge; that all ambulances must be of a uniform pattern ; that after e very journey the ambulances must be thoroughly disinfected in special disinfection yards; that the entire staff of attendants must be instructed in the transport of the sick; and fInally that the whole service must be under medical control.

The First A id Society has three ambulance depots in Berlin, each under a medical director and connected by private telephone lines with the various police and accident stations in the city. At present there are about twenty am bulances distributed between the three dep ots Two specially trained disinfectors are attached to each depot. The am bulances are roomy and of good appearance. The interior is varnished with a durable composition and all corners, projections, or sharp edges have been avoided as far as possible. On one side of the ambulance is the portable bedstead, easily removable and having good springs. On this is the litter, simply consisting of a light iron frame o·;er which a canvas covering is stretched. There are two classes of ambulance-namely, the saloon vehicle and the ordinary ve hicle. They are precisely similar in construction, except that the former has the out-

A I D.-

ward appearance of a land a u, its lt1t e rnal fillings are somewhat more elaborate, and the charge made for ' the use of it is more than the 10 marks (shillings) which have to be paid for the ordinary vehicle in Bert,in and the neighbouring districts. The cost of construction of ambulances is 1,740 marks (£87 lOS.) for th e ordmary kind and 3,200 marks (£r60) for the class

The disinfection of these ambulances IS carned out m such a way as to render it impossible for a patient trav elling in one of them to contract any illness from a former occupant of th e carriage. The disinfection, except in the case of small -pox, cholera, yellow fev er, leprosy, [eve r (Fleclifiebe7-), and plague, takes pla ce in the Soclety s special disinfecting .In the case of the above-mentioned diseases the dlsmfectlon has to take place u nder special regulations laid down by the police. At the

outset the Society had to decid e what preparation was to be used for the ambulances. Disinfectants which leave an odour were impracticable so carbolic acid could not be us ed nor anything such as chloride of lime which would injure the int ernal fittings. Any lengthy process such as disinfection with vaporised formalin was unsuitahle because the ambulances had to be disinfected after each journey and it was important to spend as little time as possible over the matt e r. The process finally adopted was the result of painstaking experiments by Professor Proskauer of the Royal Institute for Infectious Diseases. Every disinfection depot cuntains :-( I) the socalled infec ted room; (2) the clean room; (3) the living room; and (4) th e bathroom. Th e disinfecting apparatus is placed in the wall between the infected a nd clean room. The infected room contains :-(r) The steam disinfecting appa ratus ; (2) for linen; (3) a Ko ert in a disinfecting syringe; (4 ) a 1m en basket; (5) a receptacle; and (6) appliances for attendants.

Of the two disinfectors mentioned above, one is employed in th e infected and one in the clean room. The disinfect ion is performed as follows. As soon as the ambulance has been backed int o the infected room the litter and bedstead are ta k e n out and the canvas cover is removed from th e litter. The canvas cover, together with all wraps, coverings, and linen, is then placed in the linen basket ( rra schesallllltler), whence, afte r the I,las been disinfected, they are taken to. the dl.smfectlOn apparatus. Th e disinfector, in his speCial d,ress, after eve rything h as been .rem?ved From th e mt enor of t.he ambulance, plays on the mtenor wlth a hose charged WIth

ro8

-FIRST

a solutIOn of potash soap (t'.e., soft soap) at a temperatur'e of 70 degs. C. This is continued for five minutes, the bedstead and litter also being thoroughly sprayed Then every part of the am bulance is well rubbed down with a scrubber, afterwards sprayed again with clean water, and finally rubbed dry with woollen cloths. The whole operation only takes twenty minutes. The ambulance is provided wi th clean coverings, linen, '\'fa ps, and canvas cover for the litter and within half-an-hour of its arrival it is again ready for use. The linen is disinfected in the steam disinfecting apparatus, any stains are removed by washing with soap solution, and, finally, the disinfectors themselves are disinfected before leaving the depots, which it may bE here said are open day and night. On an average forty cases are attended a day by ambulances from each depot. ow that the new ambulance system has received, so to speak, the stamp of official sanction, for the police have authorised its vehicles being used to carry out the removal of sick paupers, it is to be hoped that the First Aid Society's endeavours will be more widely imitated.

A correspondent who sent us this article which we are permitted, by the courtesy of The Lancet, to publish writes ;-" Seeing that the London County Council have now definitely decided to establish Ambulance Stations and provide ambulance vehicles, I think it is as well to enquire whether any provision will be made for the disinfection of these appliances, for although it is fair to assume the attendants will not knowingly deal with infectious cases they may inadvertently transport a patient thus affected and every precaution should therefore be taken against the risk of communicating any infectious or contagious disease.

A I D.- January, 1906.

gratdul to any gentleman connected with the medical profession who assisted to make their men proficient in first aid.

The recipients would be pleased to hear that in addition to the signature of Dr. De Woolfson, each of the certificates bore the signature of Princess Christian. The Shrewsbury staff were fortunate in having a stationmaster in Mr. McNaught, who was a most enthusiastic supporter of ambulance work, while the good work of his son Mr. Mc aught, of Leominster) was so much appreciated that he had been placed on the local committee of the St. John Ambulance Association.

On behalf of the members of the class, Mr. :McNaught asked Dr. De Woolfson to accept a silver card case as a small token of their appreciation of his val·jable services He also mentioned that but for the unavoidable absence of Mr. Arthur Southam, they had intended to present a silvermounted cigarette case to tbat gentleman. Mr. McNaught expressed a hope that Dr. De Woolfson would see his way to lecture to another class.

Dr. De Woolfson suitably ackr::owledged the presentation, and said he would be very pleased to conduct another class.

Mr Tborne said they were grateful to Mr. McNaught for having formed the last class, and after the kind offer which Dr. De Woolfson had made, he hoped Mr. McNaught would lose no time in forming another.

RAILWAY . - The second annual social gathering in connection with the ambulance classes at St. Derby, was held on December 3 Ist at 'Walton's Restaurant. After tea the tables were cleared, and Mr. Oakley (goods agent) occupied the chair, supported by a large number of gentlemen interested in the movement. A well-arranged programme was given and much appreciated.

During the evening, Mr. Oakley, on behalf of the class, made a presentation to Dr. Luce for bis untiring work in prepating the class for examination, and in thankthem for the same Dr. Luce said he was proud of the class, and was glad to say that they were in a better condition than ever before since had held it. In fact some of the older members could render first aid almost as well as himself.

January, 1906. -FIRST

A hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman, artists, &c., brought a very pleasant evening to a conclusion.

N.E.R CENTRE -On the 7th inst, the Durham Station class before commencing their lectures, assisted at a pleasing Mr. Wallace Graham, the class chairman, presided, and was supported by Dr. H. Smith (lecturer), Mr. Geo. Jackson (general secretary), Mr. W. Hollings (district secretary), Mr. C. Tinkler (class secretary), &c., &c.

The after wishing all a Happy New Year, and expreSSll1g a hope that all would attend difigently to the lectures, &c., announced that their worthy lectur!'!r had been appointed an examiner of the S.J.A A., and hoped that he would long be spared to assist in the work he had such a deep interest in, and he would call upon Mr. Jackson to make a few remarks.

Mr. Jackson, after making some general remarks upon ambulance work and the N.E.R. Centre, said he had a pleasant duty to perform in asking Dr. Smith to accept from the class a framed photograph of the members, taken upon the station platform, as a memento of his appointment as an examiner, and made some eulogistic remarks upon the doctor, and the real help he had always been to the class.

Dr. Smith, in reply, said this was a most pleasant surprise to him, he had not the faintest idea of what was to take place that morning, and he was quite at a loss to find words to thank them sufficiently for their kindness and for the many kind words said about him by YIessrs. Graham and Jackson.

On the motion of Mr. Hollings, seconded by Mr. Tinkler, a hearty vote of thanks was awarded J\Ir. Jackson for his attendance and for th(; duty he had performed.

S. E. & C. R-Ambulance work on this railway has taken a step onward, this important service having now been constituted a Centre of the S.J.A.A.

A I D.-

the staff who had not previously taken any part in ambulance work.

The ambulance competitions between the different statiorl teams on the S.E. and C. R are the source of very keen rivalry. .In 1904-5 some twenty-six teams competed at Camberwell Station for the cups and prizes offered by the Company, and now that such great interest has been awakened there is every reason to believe a record num ber of teams will present themselves at the test this year.

We learn that the conditions of the local competition for I906 have already been remodelled by the new Committee, whereby new teams and teams with but little experience will be enabled tu secure prizes in addition to the old-standing teams of much more experience.

This is as it should be.

National Fire Brigades Union.

We are given to understand that members of the Union have been advised to ask candidates whether they are prepared to support the Bill which the Union promoted first in 1898 for increasing the efficiency of the fire brigade service in this country.

The half-yearly meeting of the Cornish District was held at Truro, Capt. Hext (Lostwithiel) presiding.

CALl£DONIAN.-On Saturday, Dec. r6th, the two successful teams in the 14th annual ambulance competition open to all employes on this railway, which this year was held in Glasgow, assembled in the Company's Board Room, Buchanan-street, Glasgow, to receive their prizes.

Mr. J. F. locomotive superintendent, who preslded on the occasIOn, complimented the men on their success, and in handing over the challenge cup to the custody of the Edinburgh team, which took first place, congratulated the members on having won this honour for the second time since the institution of the competition. A Coatbridge team was awarded second plaCe;.

G.W.R-At the Shrewsbury General Station, on Dec. 18th, Mr. W. Thorne, superintendent of the Joint Railways Company, presented am bulance certificates.

Mr. Thorne said he hoped the fact that fifteen out of who went through the examination in connechon WIth the. class obtained certificates would encourage many of fellow workmen to make up their minds to ?btam certl,llcates also. They greatly appreciated the deep Interest \vhlch Dr. De Woolfson had taken in the class, and he was sure that the directors of the company were always

Mr. J. Sutton gave the toast of the "St. Mary's Class" and said the small sacrifice of time to go through the course was repaid by being able to render assistance to a workmate in case of accident.

Mr. W. BaJl (class secretary) replied, and in few remarks said they had reason to be proud of tlleir class, as they had 18 members who had passed the third examination, nine the second, and six the first, and during the past year they had dealt with 235 accidents-I35 at trainship shed, 93 at town shed, and 6 in the shunting yard Of course, the majority of these were slight, but prompt attention prevented further complications Out of the total 13 had been taken to the infirmary and 10 removed to their homes. One of their members had bcen awarded the gold medal by the directors, which was satisfactory, but it had its dark side, as one of their fellow workmen had to be seriously injured before this could be obtained, and he should be glad to see a report of M.R. ambulance work with that portion blank, as it would then show that the work of railway men was being carried on with greater safety.

Mr. Richardson (Secretary M.R. Ambulance Committee) presented the certificates and medallions to the men who were successful at the last examination.

Hitherto there has been little or no organisation in regard to the ambulance work carried on by this railway (although it may be remembered that the team representing the Company in the" All England" Competition has generally acquitted itself well, last year takll1g second position), but thanks to the efforts of Mr. "IV. Thomson, the esteemed Supt. of the line, this is to be altered. Mr. Cosmo Orme Bonsor, the Chairman of the Company, has consented to become President of the Centre, and its principal officers have been enrolled Vice-Presidents, with Mr. E. A. Richards as Secretary, and a Committee has been formed of ambulance men selected from the rank and file of the serVIce.

Briefly the scheme is as follows: The railway is divided into nine divisions, and each division returns its representative or committeeman to serve on the Central Committee in London-all ambulance business being conducted by that committee.

Meetings have been held in each of the nine divisions of the railway, and the following figures will illustrate the interest that is taken in the good work of the railwaymen : Number of nomination papers 4,175 ; number of men attending meetings, 635; total number of votes recorded, 4,8 [0.

Every member of the staff, whether an ambulance man or not, was entitled to vote at the meeting, and nomination papers were provided for those men who were unable to attend the meeting, this being done so that interest in first aid principles, &c., should be invoked in members of

Mr. J. Barker, the prospective Liberal candidate for Falmouth and Penryn, was elected president, and it was decided to hold the summer outing at Falmouth.

Captain Hocklin (Truro), representative on the Central Council, and Capt. Smith (St. Austell) representative of the Widows, Orphans and Benevolent Fund, were re-elected.

Capt. Smith reported that last year the Cornish District contributed £ I6 8s. 9d. to the fund, and dunng the year secured a grant of £ IO for the widow of Fireman Clatworthy, Falmouth.

The question of establishing a Voluntary peath Levy Fund under which every member should contrIbute IS. on the d'eath of a fireman in the di'itrict, was referred to the individual brigades.

The Secretary (Lieut. to ll1Ylte the brigades not affiliated with the dIstrIct to J0111.. .,

The South-Eastern District asked the Corl1lsh Dlstnct to support an alteration of ru.les stipulating t}lat only briaades established for protecttng local govermng areas sh;uld be eliaible for membership of the Union.

Lieut. pointed out that the o?ject was to exclude brigades which existed merely for and would not affect Cornwall, but Capt. Bowden said It would mean a loss of sixty brigades to the Union, and would probably exclude Bodmin Asylum Brigade.

It was decided to ask for defimte reasons for the proposal.

Captain H. F. Bellamy, hon. col?n,lal of the Central Council, reported that hIS II1spectlOn of the

IIO -FIRST

district brigades was most satisfactory. There was nothing whatever of any imporlance to find fault with.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. LaylandBarratt, l\I. P., rctiring president, for e nt e rtaining the District at St. Austell ast summer, and to the St. Auslell Brigade for organising the gathering.

On Saturday, Decem ber 16th, the District Council of the Yorkshire District met at the Royal Hotel, Chief Officer Scott, of Bradford, presiding.

The object of the meeting was to consider the invitation to hold th ei r annual meeting and demonstration there in the early part of August, 1906.

It was resolved that a local committee be formed, and it was left in the hands of ?\lr. Roper and Supt. Allen to make further e n quiries and arrangeme nts. The Mayor of Harrogate (Dr. N. Williams) and several prominent gent lemen hav e promised t o act on th e co mmittee and assist in promoting th e s ucc ess of the meeting.

It was decid ed that the Earl and Countess of Londesborough should he asked to receive the guests of th e Union, and that a lun c h eon or dinner be h eld at H a rrogate on the day of the demonstration.

It was mentioned that t he Earl a nd Countess of Londesborough both take a deep interest in the District.

The new competition rules as compiled by Mr. Gaunt, were cunsidered and passed.

Th e Harro gate Volunteer Fire Salvage Corps were proposed as members of the Union.

A Railway Hospital Car.

IT will doubtless be within the recoll ec tion of some of our readers that Dr. Heaton C. Howard, at one time editor of this Journ al, some years ago urged upon the directors of our railways th e necessity that existed for making upon our large rdilways some provision in the way of hospital trains for use in case of large accidents. We be-

A I D.-- January, 1906.

required for any ordinary operations due to railway accidents. At the opposite end of the car is the platform, on one side is occupied by a refrig e rator, and a closet on the opposi te side. Insid e th e main car is the heater room, and opposite th e upp e r and low e r berths for th e servants. N ext is a very convenient kitchen, with crockery and cooking utensils. Next to this is a compartment which can ordinarily be used as a dining saloon. At the sides of this are large double doors capable of admitting a couch or stretcher. The ward -room can be divided into sections for three upper or lower berths on each side, making twelve berlhs in all. Ordinarily this room is arranged for a parlour car, with a fe w easy chairs, and the floor space is fr ee The berths, partitions, bed -springs and mattresses are stored in packets in a cavity beneath the floor. When not in use the car will be kept at the hospital of the company, West Oakland, and a trained nurse and cook are assigned off to it, to see that it is in proper condition for any emergency. We understand it is the int e ntion to build other cars of a similar pattern. We are indebted to the Razlzvay News for the iilustration which we append.

A class for the training of stretcher bearers will be held at the Headquarters of the 3rd Ci ty of London Rifle Volunteers, Sun-street, Finsbury Square, E.C., commencing at 7.30 p.m., Thursday, February 8t h. For further particulars apply to Surgeon-Lieut.-Colonel R. R. Sleman, 23, Cambridge-street, Hyde Park, W.

The Ambulance Committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board have reported that the experiments which have been made have co nfirmed their opinion as to the suitability of motor traction for their ambulance service, and arrangements are being made to co mpletely equip the sout h-western station with motor ambulances and omnibuses, and with a properly fitted workshop.

3' :::

VALUE OF FIRE DRILL.-A fire broke out on December 2Ist, in the ce llar of the Elbow-lane Council School, Leicester, the departments of which accommodate 1,200 child ren. A

SOUTHERN PACIFIC H OSPI TAL CAR-SIDE ELEVATI ')N AND FLOOR PLAN.

Ii e ve. we are correct in saying that nothing was done and noth1l1g of the sort exists in this country to-day. On the SO'!thern there has recently been completed at Its San FranClsco shops a handsome special car which is arranged for hospital purposes.

We give a pl an of the car below. In the rear is the room next this is a private state-room with statlOnary bed, wardrobe and washstand. Next is a closet with a compartment opposite for a shower-bath. Then comes the me?ical locker room, with a dispensary and surgery fitted wIth all the surgical instruments likely to be

teacher gave the alarm to the headmaster, wbo immediately rang the bell for fire-drill. I n just over a minute the whole of the scholars had passed q uietly out of the rooms into the school-yard and were clear of danger. The damage done was s ma ll.-A similar incident occurred on the same day in Wales. The Wesleyan Chapel at Llandecwyn, near Festmiog, which has recently been used as an emergency scbool, took fire through tbe upsettin g of a lamp. The greatest confusion ensued, the c hildren screaming and breaking windows in their attempts to escape. With tbe help of nei gh bours the fire was extinguished, but not until the floor and fixtures had been damaged. The mistress and a pupil sustained slight IDJunes.

January , 1906. -FIRST

A I D.-- ITT

start instantly on an alarm of fire, but it will travel at more than doubl e the speed of th e horse machine carrying men, hos e and all app liances.

I-IINDLEY. - The members of the fire brigade hel d th e ir anr:ua l supper on Wednesday, J anuary roth. During the evel1lng, after the cloth had been cleared, a programme ?f to as ts was .duly honoured, the various speeches being ll1terspersed WIth songs, &c Th e singing of the National Anthem brought a very pleasant evening to a close.

PROVINCIAL FIRE BRIGADES.

BosToN.-The result of the examination of the members of the fire brigad e in ambulance work (S JA.A.), held by Dr. Godfrey Lowe, of Lincoln, is to hand. Out of 14 who competed, T2 have been successful, vi z. , Captain Bedford, Chi e f Engineer Popple, Firemen Howes, Hildred, Haynes, Swain, Ellis, Crawford, Wilson, Wells, Jesso p and Yorkstone. Chief-E ngin ee r Popple gains his med a llion.

CARDIFF.--Tbis fire brigade will shortly have a powerful addition to its fire extinguishing apparatus in the shape of a motor steam fire e ngin e, which is now being built to the order of the City Council at Messrs. Merryweathers' Greenwich works. Th e new machine will be capable of delivering 500 gallons per minute. Will trav el over 20 milts per hour, and will be fitted to burn oil fuel. In addition to the pumps a first aid chemical cylinder of 60 gallons capacity will be fitted, so that a pow e rful jet at high pressure will be available dir ectly the engine arrives at a fire, without waiting for the water connections. The engine will be fitted with artillery wheels and solid rubb e r and will carry fuel and wn.ter for several hours runmn g

COLCHESTER.-\Ve uYld erstand that the three semor officers of the Corporation Fire Brigade, with 5 years' service between them, have provisionally tender ed their res ig nation as a protest against what they consider certain arbitrary r eg ulations which they feel militate seriously against the efficiency of the fire brigade. Th e step is the sequel to th e recent fat a l fire in Winch este rroad, where, acting according to the letter of th e ir instructions, the firemen at the fire station refused to respond to an urg en t call till they had the formal police summons.

FARNDON. -A very successful invitation dance was given in the School on Friday, January 5th, in aid of the funds of the Farndon and Holt Fire Brigade. The music was supplied by Holland's band from Chester, which gave every satisfaction. Refr eshments were supplied by Mr. Willett. Messrs. N. Parker and H. Parker were the l\f.c .'s. The Committee will, we are given to understand hand over £8 to th e Fire Brigade Fund.

GLASGOW.-It was recently decided by the Town Council to make some important additions to the fire appliances of the Fire Brigade. The principal innovation is the adoption of self-propelling fire apparatus, and Messrs. Merryweather & Sons, of London have now in hand a powerful m a chine for the city.

This engine, which will b e propelled by a pow e rful four -cy linder petrol motor, will be fitted with treble barrel high speed pumps capable of delivering 450 gallons per minute. These pumps will be driven by the petrol motor, a simple change gear being provided to divert the power from the road wheels. Not only will this engine be able to

WE STON-SUPER-MARK-Th e ann ual dinner of th e local Fire Brigade was held in Glass's Restaurant on Wedn es day eve nin g,. J.anuary loth, the Chief Offi ce r (Dr. G:. H. Templ e) presldll1g over a large gathe rin g. After dll1n e r several to as ts were honoured.

In responding to the toast of "The Fire Brigade" proposed by Mr. Dubin, Capt. Temple presented bars twenty years' service to Engineer Hillman and Supt. Rossiter. He also an noun ced that he had presented a cup for compet ition among the men.

Y AR::.roUTH . - The Corporation of this town which r ecent ly decided to purchase a steam-roller on the instalment plain, is now going to purchase a motor fire-engine at a cost of £"1,109 which is also to be paid for hy instalments.

, 1" ,T t R;3-l i I

eVe are in no way 1-esponsz'ble for the opinio1lS expnssed, or the ,tatements made, by Co rrespo77dmts - EDITORS.

CRITICISfl G CO:l\IPETITION PAPERS.

DEAR SIR,-Re 1\1r. Goodley'S letter in the December issue of FIRST AID I possess the latest edition of Cantlie's te xt book, but fail to find the treatment in it as laid down in his competition paper, and I will defy anyone else to do so: and as regards 1\Ir. Goodley's not havir:.g the honour to be a 1st Officer of the S.J .A. B., am I to understand that he is the General Manager of the G.E.R., or are the ambulance men on the G.E.R. organised under the S.J.A.B. regulations? If the latte r be tbe case I take it Mr. Goodley has the honour of being a ISt officer of that brigade, the G.E.R. being simply a ce'1tre of that branch of the ambulance service - I am, yours truly, MILFORD JUNCTroN. [\Ve think that \\Ir. Goodley's assertion he was not an officer of the S.J.A.B. was quite clear and explICIt. The G.E.R. ha ve their own ambu lance brigade, and 1\1r. Goodley is an officer in that body. ·-ED "F.A."]

WANTED ADVICE

DEAR SIRS,-Pages 55 and 56 of" Cantlie's First gi"es an angu lar splint for treatment of a Im'olvll1g the elbow joint, and two splmts for fra c ture of either forearm This is not exactly clear in .to a fr.acture of the "O le cranon process of the ulna," which might easIly be and im'olve the elbow joint. 1\lany express the opinIOn that the lim b sho uld be kept on a straight splmt when the process is broken.

As I should like to know how this would be taken in a

competition judged on '.' Cantlie's" I should like 50me of your readers to gIve theIr Ideas, supposmg the case to read ;"Fracture of tip of elbow, involving joint."- Yours, &c., ANXIOUS.

March, Jan 6th, 1906

THE PERMISSIO TO WEAR UNI FORMS IN FRANCE.

DEAR SJR,-I beg to inform you that in future firemen visiting France, \\ ill require a permit if they wish to wear their uniform.

I shall be pleased to take the necessary steps for obtaining the same if I get due notice of the time of their visit and the number of visitors. Wishing you the compliments of the season, I remain yours truly, C. KUSEL.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY AND CIIALLKNGE SHIELDS.

DEAR SIRS,-I notice in your last issue that at a meeting of the Tvlidland Railway Ambulance men, held at Derby on November 23rd, both Mr. Argyle, who presided, and Lord Farrer, who distributed the certificates and medals awarded by the Company to employes who had distinguished themselves in ambu lance work during the year, went out of their way, to my mind, to sneer at other companies who endeavoured to encourage ambulance work on their systems by the offering of challenge cups, &c. It is true that they did not openly condemn the principle, but they indulged in covert sarcasm. For instance, Mr. Argyle referred to the number of disappointed and soured ambulance workers such competitions produced, and much more in the same strain; while his lordship, in making the presentation, stated that" He was certain that the recipients would not receive the awards in any' pot-hunting' spirit, but as a tribute to good work rendered for the sake of the work itself."

N ow I have no oojection to these gentlemen if they hold these opinions expressing them, but I do not think they should, in fa ce of the evidence before me, venture to speak for the Midland Railway Ambulance men as a whole, for I find that immediately beneat hthe account of the above presentation is an report of an ambulance competition for a challenge shield presented by subscription to the Gloucester Midland Ambulance Corps, while by the Gloucester Journal of December 23rd I find that the Midland Railway Ambulance team had succeeded in carrying off of the City of Gloucester Ambulance Shield. I presume that his lord ship will not stigmatise these very capable ambulance men as 'pot hunters,' because they have elected to keep their training up 111 order to win renown in the competition it may be rather than wait for the somewhat remote and field sorrowful honour of winning one of the company s medals or diplomas for rendering aid to a fellow workman who had received serious injury in the course of h is duties. rewarding meritorious work suc h as this there already exists the Albert Medal, and the medal granted by the Order of St. John, and to my mind it is somewhat belittlein O' the action of really brave men for the Miclland Railway pany to shower their awards as theydo at times in a broadcast manner.

Apologising for the len g th of thi s letter, I beg to subscribe myself, AN Ai\lHULANCE COJ\[PETITOR DUT 720t A "POT HUNTER."

AMBULANCE DUTY IN THE STREETS.

DEAR SIRS,-Myself and some of my comrades are very anxious to ascertain what is the position taken up by ambulance workers when on ambulance duty in the public streets-outside London? Are they in front of the crowd? -which mind the proper place, because they are dlSt1l1Ctly more 111 eVIdence should their services be required-or are they to take up a position in the rear of crowd ?-where, be1l1gaway from protection, they are lIkely to be hampered 111 the exerc Ise of their samaritan avocation. I do suppose that you can g ive a pronounceon .thls bul doubtless some of your readers resIdent 111 the provInces would kindly tell us what is their

A I D.- January, 19 06 usual modus operandz', and perhaps the general secretary of the St. Andrew 's Ambulance would kindly tell us what was the plan adopted on the occasIon of the recent Royal Review 111 Edinburgh. I presume it is principally a question of police dictation, but I should very much like to know the general rule adopted.

Thanking you for the courtesy of allowing me the use of your columns, I enclose my card, and remain,- Yours truly, A NEW SUBSCRIBER.

CONSTANT RE1\DER ( Hunslet ).-It is contrary to our rules to insert annonymous correspnndence unless we are favoured with the name and address of the writer. If you are in the work of the S.J .A. B. in South Afr ica we would commend to your notice" On Active Service with the S.J.A.B.," by the late Sergt. W S. Incler.

We thank Mr. Macpherson for his kind letter and for the suggestion which he makes regarding the ins.ertion of test questions, &c., given in ambulance competitions. It is our custom to do this where the questions, or tests, are o'ut of the ordinary run, but where they follow conventional lines we do not think any useful purpose would be served, and they would take up much valuable space.

The Hague Municipal Council will consider a recommendation of the burgomaster and assessors to grant a credit o f £650 towards providing an electric motor ambulance.

A baby ambulance is something new. It con tains a complete inculntor equipment, and physicions believe that it will decrease infant mortality be serving chi ldren whose only hope of life centres in their prompt removal to an in c ubator.

3' E

At the New York Hippodrome two doctors and a corps of trained nurses are always in attendance, wbile at the stage door a motor-ambulance is held in readiness, in case any serIOllS accident should happen to any of the performers which co ul d not be treated on the spot.

Policy No. "FIRST

600,093.

AlD."

This Coupon-Insurance - Tic ket must not be detached.

WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £ 100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, 36 to 44, ;,!fOORGATE STREET, LONDON, E.C., lo the le gal personal represenlalive of the bOlla fide holder of this Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel I slands to any E ai lway Com pany's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordin a ry tickeL-bearing passenger, seasontickel·holder or trader's ti cke t-holder.

Provided hat the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. -

(a) That death result within one month after the accident, (b) that such holder's usual signature shall have been writt en in ink, in the space provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the a:cident be given to the Corporation at its Princ ip al OITice in London within fourteen days af er it occurrence, (d) that medical cert ifi cates and other information be furn ished by the person claiming upon request tor the same by the Corporation, and (e) that this I '1surance app li es only to persons over twelve and under seventy years of age, is limited to one Coupon-Insuran ce-Ticket for each hohler, and holds good for the current month of issue only.

This Insurance entiLles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the "Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limit ed, Act, 1890," Risks Nos 2 and 3, when they are not incompalible with the spec ial cond iti ons above stated. Tlte

The Independent Journal for the

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this J ouma as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will also send [or publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other malters which will advance the interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondenls lo be brief and to the point in any communicalions they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgenLly requesled to slale on. the back of the same the name of the individu al or the Corps or Bngade, and give also the nam e ;j,nrl address of the sender.

" Firs t Aid " is publi s h e d on the 20th of the month.

EDITOR A L .

IN our leader hst month we referred m A mbul a n ce congratulatory terms to the work of Work i n o ur the S.J.A. A. both at home and abroad

Indian and in relation to its extension 10

E m p ir e British Dominions across the seas we alluded to the signal success of the movement In Our Indian Empire. This fact had been impressed on our minds by the accounts which we had constantly seen reported in newspapers sent to llS by enthusiastic readers of FIRST AID in our vast Indian Empire. By the journals last to hand we are pleased to see that this extension of the work amongst, not only our own kith and kin resident there, but also amongst our fellow subjects of Indian nationality, and those under British protection, has rece ived the warm approval of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who is of the Association In a lette r to the Central Executive Committee of the Indian Branch, the Secretary of H.R.H., says :-

" His Royal Highness the Grand Prior of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, and p r esident o f the St. John Am bulance Association, has r eceived with g r eat satisfaction the address of the Central Executive Committee of the Indian Branch of the St. John Ambulance Association, which was submitted to His

Royal Highness by His Excellency Lord Kit c h e ner, your president.

"I am directed by the Grand Prior to express his pleasure on reading this address and finding what good work has been done in the four years since the Indian. branch was formed. His Royal Highness is much interested in the fact that the native states are in sympathy with the movement, and to know that in Hyderahad his Highness the Nizam is patron of the local centre, which is doing excellent work, and has lately been authorised to issue its own certificates of efficiency. His Royal Highness offers his best wishes for the continued prosperity of th e in India!'

Praise such as this must be gratifying not only to the local committee, but to the authorities at home as we ll, and by ambulance workers as a whole it should be received with general satisfaction, proving as it does that their Royal President is not a mere figur e-head , but that h e takes an active and earnest interest in the work to which th ey un g rudgingly devote so much of th ei r leisure tim e.

Th e active interest, so kindly displayed by His Royal Highn ess, in the ambulance movement during his Indian tour, coupled with the visit of the Commissioner for Special Services to the Dominion of Canada, proves conclusively how thoroughly the Home Executive re ali se th eir great responsibilities in r ega rd to the promulgation and extension of the work, ar,d will, we are sure, result in keener and more active co-operation on the part of all of thos e who are proud to be associated with a movement which has in the past proved of such great utility to suffering hum ani ty and which is so aptly summed up in that grand mottoPro Utt'.'a/ale IIomiJll(1Jl.

MANCHESTER & SALFORD.-The first annual Church parade in connection with the Corporation Tramways Division took place on Sunday, January 21st, about twenty members being on parade. The weather, unfortunately, was very showery, and this no doubt prevented the attendance of some members. Tweln of the Hulme Division were present in charge of Sergt. Martin, and their presence was much appreciated. The service was held in St. Mark's Church Cheetham Hill, the sermon being preached by the Rev. J.' S. Bateson. At the conclusion of the service the men were marched by way of St. Mark's-Iane to Cheetham Hill-road where after a few remarks from 1st Officer J. Mellor, they dismissed.

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF' SKETCH OF TIlE ORI GIN AND D EVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER 0 1- 81'.

Pro 11 tt"lita t e hum/mllll

COMPILED BY C. GRAHAN1 DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Havt"lwread ,-,,/ FLrst Aid tlzat many of ds reade rs had a wislt for a sllO r t aC(OUl rt of tlte work of tile Order of St. John, ./ tlzoltght tlt e following short sketch might be of l>rterest to Mew, lzaving for some ) 'e ars past eratlured tO iYethe r 7)ario1ts details conllected wi/It the St. Joll1'l Ambz:/allce T lzis sketcll l'S at the most but a brief aCcollllt, )01' tt would requIre several volumes t o do full jllstice to tile ?foble work by the Grand Priory of th e Order of tlze Hospttal of St. J ohn o J erusalem in England, on>?ill and d evelop ment, and ti,e de eds of cluvalrv and work dOlle by these valt'a71t km;l{hts of old).

IN th e east central district of L o ndon, not mor e than a fe w minutes walk from St. Paul's Cathedral, is a thoroughfare through which th ousand s of persons pass and re pass, beneath th e venerable archway, St. John s Gate, Clerkenwell. Thi s fine bit of old maso nry, spanning th e narrow stre e t like th e to some great fortress, is one of the most inte res ting re lics of Old London.

The foundations of the existing towers are those of the original Gatehouse.

The building, which dates bac k to the Tudor pen<;>d, IS grey and black with age and smoke; the Its el f records the work o ri g inated there about eight centunes ago, and which is doing a good and nobl e work to-day.

In th e early ages apparently, no distinct organisation for th e r eli ef of s uffer in g was in existence, and the duty of p e rformin g the part of the good Samaritan. devol ved itself upon the individual, and not upon partt c ular of the community. Doubtless the ongm of the hospItals of to -day is to be found in the formation in the eleventh century o f the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem.

It was in the year 1050, sixteen yea rs before the conq uest of England by the Normans, that a small hospital was e rec ted at J e ru sa lem, from which originated th e Ord e r of St. J o hn of J e ru salem, the hospital being dedicated o St. J obn the Baptist. It was for t he relief and humane treatment of pilgrims in the Holy Land.

The Ord er of St. John had its origtn in the ste ps whi c h the Christians in tbe East were called upon to take for the prote c ti o n of themselves and families from the cruelties practised upon th e m by the follow e rs of Mahomet; at that period there was a continual struggle going on between th e banner of the Cross and that of th e cr esce nt for sup e riority.

In the year 1093, when great cruelties were being practis e d on th e pilgrims to the Holy Land, a strong feeling of indi gna tion and horror was evoked throughout Europe, a nd steps were taken to raise a force for th e ir d e fence ; and so the religious fe rvour of Europe was aroused, anJ the res ult was that large armaments assembled from all quarters and pour e d eastwards, thus the armed chivalry of Europe gradually collected on th e plains b e fore Constantinople, where they mustered a strength of 600,000 foot and 100,000 cavalry, and many and bloody were the battles which were waged betwee n the valiant Knights of St. John and the Christian hating Turk.

A I D.- February, 1906.

The order gradually assumed a power and reputation unrivalled in the history of the world. No sooner had the Crusaders forced theirway into the city than doors of the hospital were at once throw n open to receive tbe sick and wounded of the conquerIng army. Thus th 8 Hospitallers formed at first a defensive body, pure and simple but developments took place as the years rolled on, and apart from the the sterner a:ts of war a snlendid and universal orgamsatlOn for the relief of distress and suffering gradually unfolded

In r r66 a sisterhood was formed at a prIory at Buckland, in Somerset, which was subsequently to the order of St. John, and the county of Somerset IS only one in which the Order ever possessed a commumty of women.

The first home of the Hospitallers was at Jerusalem, where for a while-despite the fact that they were in constant conflict with th e renowned Saladin and his hoststhey enjoyed no small power, and succeeded in establishing themselves on a firm basis. Indeed, tbey won the good graces of the Sultan himself to such an that he issued orders that their work in the cause of chanty should not be interfered with, and he himself, it is reported, contributed generously towards the funds of the Order. Later on, the fortunes of the Order fe ll under a cloud.

It is recorded that in July II 87, the plain of Hattin was the gathering place of the Crusaders, .the spot .where they were hemmed in by the hosts whIch Salad1l1 led against them. At early dawn the clash of the 5word and the storm of arrow and javelin b ega n. Brave was the charge of the Saracens , brave r still the of the r et reating Christians. Driven to from holds on Hattin, till they were vanqUIshed. ThIS place, It may be mentioned, was where the people were ga thered together to hear our Lord 's Sermon on th e Mount.

A desperat e attempt t o retrieve their position was made, but eventually the Hospitallers accer;>ted the inevita bIe, and turned their backs on the Holy City, and 111 12 9 I set forth for the Island of Cyprus.

There they remained for only a short time, the attractions of the island not being sufficiently great to induce th e m to make it their permanent abode. Thus, in the year 13 10, during the term Qf office of their twenty-fourth Grand Master, they vacated Cyprus, and by conquest became th e owners of the Island of Rhodes.

It was und e r the Grand Master, Peter D'Aubusson, that after much strife between the contending factions of the Order several schemes were formed to driv e o ut the Venetians: but they miscarried by reason the experience and forces of the captains of the RepublJc. Th e Grand Master in order not to bring new enemies upon his back, when he was expecting to have all the forces of Mahomet fall upon the Isl e of took .care to mai?tain y th e rights of his difmty, and the hberty <;>f hiS terntOrIes. He told them that th e Ord e r pursuant to ItS statutes, never inte rmeddled in the differences and wars that arose between Christtan princes ; that at Rhodes th e y neither received seditious persons or rebels, but, as was pJactised in every free and ind epe ndent country, they likewise did not drive away such, whose private misfortunes obliged them to take refuge there, and who behaved like men of honour and good Christians.

There they flourished to an exterlt exceeding all expectations. Not only did they free from persecution but they remembered the sufferIngs of others, and ever ready to spend life and treasure in the effort o relieve oppression. Thus, over and over again, is recorded, they rallied to the support of the down-trodden

February, 1906. -F IRST

in adjacent t erritories, not only r es curing the slaves from their state of degradation, but compelling their former task -m as ters to ta ste the horrors of labo ur in th e gall eys. All th e whil e they main t ained a hospital system o n a scale of completeness that was th e admiration of the civilised world.

Suffering, wherever it existed, found them ready sympathisers, and, in consequence the fame of the Order sprea d far and wide.

The Turks viewed with feelings of app rehensio n the growing affluence an d power of the once conquered Hospita llers Th e th e n Sultan acco rdin gly determined t o mak e a r eso lut e effo rt to break down a force possessi ng, in an emine nt d eg ree, such curiously mixed elements as those of philanthropic effort and military gen iu s (To be continued.)

The Manchester and Salford Corps.

A SHORT time since we had the pleasure to present in our columns a photograph of the Manchester and Salford Division, and we have now the pleas ur e to submit a brief history of Brigade work in this city.

The birth of the Brigade movement in Manchester to ok place in 19°° when the Manchester and Salford Division was formed, with the Chief Constable as superintendent.

In 1902 this Division became the Manchester and Salford Corps, consisting of three separate Divisions, namely, Salford, Hulme a nd Ardwick. The present Chief Superintendent and Hon. Surgeon to th e Corps is Dr. J. Eckersley Smith.

Salford Division consists of thirty-eight members, \"ith Sergt.-Major Done, of R.A.M.C.(Vols ), as. superintendent.

Hulme Division, fifty members, WIth :\1r. H. C. Manning as superintendent, and Mr. W. A. Brunt as first officer. Both of these offic e rs were among those to start the movement in Manchester.

Ardwick Division has twen ty-six mem bers.

In Hulme Division, twenty men hold the nursing certificates, and ten belong to the Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve.

The Corps has many duties to undertake; each week squads attend the Manchester City and Manchester United Football Matches, besides numerous otber local matches.

During the summer months are sent out a nd three times a week to attend th e Important athletIC meetings, &c ., Strange t o relate, whilst the S.J.A .A. IS very strong tn Manchester, th e Brigade is just the opposite.

The majority of Manchester people are unaware of th e existence of such a u seful body of men always ready to be called up on for serv ice

To instance this , I quote the answers given to men of th e Hulme Division whilst selling concert tick e ts recently:-

" Oh, we do n ot belong to that denomination !"

c We belong to another Ch urch !"

Such replies as these only show how hard we have to battle h ere to exist.

Not much enco ur agement is given to us by the Press, as th ey seem velY reluctant to publish our orders, &c.

During the last tw elve months the corps has become b e tter kn ow n locally owing t o the establishment of Hulm e Division annual concerts which take place tn O c tober. As th e R.A.M.C. is very strong in Manchester

A I D.-

the average person cannot understand why ther e should be another organisation with similar aims, and it necessitates a lengthy explanation to show that the R.A.M.C. do lIot and are not allowed to take duties such as are undertaken by the S.J.A.B.

lt is hoped before lon g to estab li s h a firmer hold on the Manchest er people by the erection of a drill hall, which scbeme the members of the Hulme Division are working hard for, and any donations will be gratefully acknowledged by Mr. Sydney W. Tw eed Green House, Whalley Range (hon financial and general secretary).

The Hulme Division is at present negotiating for the manufactur e of several ambulance-hoxes to be placed in prominent positions in the district. Each man will possess a key, and keys will be left at a convenient place to the

TILE YORK DISTRICT OF TflE N.E.R CENRTE, S.J.A.A, CIL \ LLE:\'GE

SlIlELD.

This Shield, presented by Ihe nobility and gentry the district, is of a \'ery massiye chalacter, and is all made of solId sth'er, stamped. In the centre is a reali.tic amhulance scene the the design of the KE.R. Company, arms, &:c., beJl1g dl pla)ed 111 correct heraldic colours. At the foot IS the badge of the SJ.A.A. al a enamelled in colours. It is mounted on an oak background, at the top of which is a large siher label bearing an inscri ption, and it t\yelye silver-wreathed medallions lor the receptIon of the w1I1ne.rs names. It has been designed and manufactured by :;\Iessrs. Fattonm >lnd Sons, the well·known art silversmiths, jewellers, of Bradford.

box, besides which the policeman on llle beat will be supplied with one. It is intended to fix a plate on each box giving the nam es an? add.resses of the me.n to that particular box. ThIS actIon, no. doubt, WIll corps into greater It IS .onder consIderatIOn to start a nursing division in connectIOn WIth the Hulme

Division, as soon as sufficient money shall have been raised to enable the Division to erect their drill hall, so that the Manchester public will then have another useful body at their service.

Notes by "Long Splint. "

At the annual dinner of the G. W.R. Division of the Birmingham Corps, I see that the Chairman of the evening s'lid that among the trophies won by their division had been the" Dewar )J challenge shield, won ill the first comfetdion open to England-the italics are mine. Now is it not about time this little fairy tale was dropped? I have seen it in p rint before. The competition for the" Dewar" shield has been open to the whole of England ever since it was first presented, and to Wellingborough belongs the honour of first taking it to the provinces.

* "*

Result of ., First Aid" Competition.

1 st Prize-HENRY BAKER, 382, Cookey-road, Small Heath, Birmingham 2nd Prize-Wm. L. GIRLING, Hon. Ambulance Secretary, Brighton Works, L.B. & S.c.R.

REMARKS BY THE JUDGE.

I have not found one paper that is correct in all details . Many of them otherwise good, omitted something of importance. I have selected the two that, in my opinion, contain the fewest mistakes and omissions.

There were a large number of papers which have taken a good deal of time to sort and ta bulate.

A I D.-

the knee to prevent movement, or tie the injured limb to the sound one.

The abrasion and bleeding from forehead and left cheek would only be capillary, I should cleanse the wound on forehead, then place my thumb on the bleeding part and apply cold water pad, and a narrow bandage round the head, placing the centre of bandage on back of head making a twist over the pad, and tying the ends at back of head.

I should thee cleanse the wound on left cheek, and place the forefinger inside the cheek and thumb outside to arrest bleeding, apply cold water pad and narrow bandage or handkerchief, placing centre of banclage on cheek, tying just abo\'e right ear.

SHEFFIELD.-The annual dinner of the H.S.F.Co. Ambulance Class, in connection with Hadfield's Steel Foundry Company, Ltd., was held on January 26th, in the firm's dining-rooms at East Hecla Works, Mr. Burland officiating as chairman, in the absence of Jack,. managing director. There were also present DIstrIct ChIef Supt. Else, No. 5 District S.J.A.B.; Chief Surgeon Barker Barber, Supt. A. Clarke, Dr. Selby, Mr. Barkby, Mr. Middleham, Mr. Crosby, Mr. Allen and Mr. Pennock, president of the class.

After dinner an excellent programme was rendered by Messrs. A. Bailey, E. Jixon, J. Moll, R. Ford, and F. Hadfield, an(1 Mr. Thompson accompanied.

The proceedings commenced by Mr. Burland proposing the toast of" H.M. the King," during which he presented the first aid certificates to the mem bers of the class who were successful in passing their examination, there being I3 first year, I second year certificates, and 4 medallions gained.

Mr. Pennock, on behalf of the mem bers of the class, then presented Mr. A. Hales, secretary and instructor, with a case of carvers; also stating that a gold mounted umbrella would be sent to Dr. Dearden, lecturer to the class this last year, he being unfortunately unable to be present.

Mr. Burland commented on the successful work done by the members of the class, and said they were a credit to the firm, and he hoped that they would try and keep up the standard that they had attained.

Mr. Pennock, in response to the toast of" The Class," mentioned that they had treated a large number of cases, and that the men were to be relied upon to be at the point of duty any moment. He also read letters of apology from several of :)he directors, who unfortunately, through prior engagements, were unable to attend. There are at present 42 members in the class, and there is an average attendance of IS every Wednesday evening. He also mentioned the team sent in for the H. L. Brown's Challenge ShIeld last year at the Medical Charities Carnival was successful in gaining the 3rd prize (the prizes being 5 silver cruet stands), and that one member ()f the team, Mr. A. E. Shute, was successful in obtaing the second prize for the single event, the prize being a Gladstone bag.

Mr. Hales proposed the toast of " The Visitors )J to which Dr. Selby responded, and Mr. J. Hague a vote of thanks to the chairman and artistes, and the programme concluded with the National Anthem.

Mr. G. A. C. Sorrell, late Lieut. Egyptian Police and 2nd Officer Cairo City Fire Brigade, has been appointed 3rd Officer, Clamico Fire Brigade.

Speaking at Rorherham recently, District Chif'f Supt. Else advised the local corps to persuade the Corporation to apply for permission by means of a local bill, to provide them-the local ambulance division-with funds towards their upkeep, stating that it could be done as it had been done in Sheffield, which city had received sanction to give a grant of £500 to the local corps.

* *

*

This should prove good news to struggling corps and Jivisions worrying as to how they are going to make both ends meet. Get tacked on to a local bill and serenely lay low and wait for a good big cheque. But serio 1Jsly, if it is legal for Sheffield to make such a payment, surely other local bodies can ohtain the necessary sanction to do something towards supporting a movement which is as much for the benfit of the ratepayers as is fire brigade.

* * *

It has always been my contention that Ambulance work is very much like Freemasonry with this difference, that its teachings are not confined to members of the sterner sex, but are equally at the disposal of the gentler; but a similar bond of friendship seems to bind its workers together, and while it has its call to labour the more social amenities of life are not forfotten. In the latter sense the ambulance members of a community do much to bring brightness into the lives of their fellows, and many small towns and villages are greatly indebted to the members of the Ambulance Brigade for the pleasant little meetings which they organise and carry out, and which do much to enliven the dreary months of our English winter.

Obituary,

The death of the Countess Howe has causeJ sincere regret among a very wide circle of friends, as it has also to all of those who had had the pleasure of meeting the deceased lady. There are many members of both the St. John Ambulance Brigade and tpe ambulance department of the N.F.B. U. who will remember her kindly interest in them from the time she joined the staff of the LY. Huspital. The Countess who was a sister of the late Duke of Marlborough, and aunt to the present peer, it will be remembered was the chairman of the Imperial Yeo mary Hospital Committee, and the valuable work she did in connection with that organisation, only those who were intimately associated with her know, suffice it to say that she never spared herself in carrying out the duties she had undertaken. We tender our respectful sympathy with the family of the deceased lady at the sad and irreparable loss they have sustained

HEATON C. HOWARD.

FIRST PRIZE PAPER.

(1.) I will first mention the probable injuries. The patient is suffering from a fractured spine, which consists of a fracture of the processes connecting the bones, with displacement of the vertebra, thereby endangering the spinal cord, and the nerves issuing from it, leading to paralysis of the parts below the seat of injury, and severe bruises of the back.

(2.) Also slight concussion of the brain, which for the time being would be functionless and paralised, caused by his head and face coming in contact with the ballast. This he recovers from in a few minutes.

(3 ) Also from abrasion on forebead and left cheek, causing capillary hcemorrhage.

(4.) Left ankle run over by engine, would mean fracture of lower ends of tibia and fibula (and smashed foot) and may be severed by the Rang of the wheel passing over it.

(5.) Left hand run over by engine would mean fracture of lower end of radius and ulna, carpus and metacarpus, and phalanges, and may be severed by the flange of the wheel passing over it.

(6.) Very severe shock.

I should like to mention that before I try to give first aid treatment, I should only render that amount of first aid necessary for the safe removal of the patient from the scene of accident to Hospital. In such a serious case time is of great importance, also I shall assume the patient is lying on his and that I am expected to treat the patient single handed, also treat the most important parts first.

TREATMENT.

Place digital pressure on left femoral artery and then apply tourniquet, also a stick to tighten should actual hcemorrhage come on. I should make the tourniquet of narrow bandage or handkerchief, tying a knot, and placing something hard such as a stone in the knot, placing that part on the artery.

Place digital pressure on left brachial artery and then apply tourniquet and stick to tighten should actual hcemorrhage come on (similar to femoral) then cleanse the mangled part of left hand from all dirt, &c , and carefully bandage it up in cotton wool or linen, carefully bend the forearm across the front of the body, apply two splints and put to rest in large arm sling, or coat sleeve, or tail of coat, pinned up. To arrest bleeding by pad in fold of elbow would not be advisable with such serious injury to hand.

I should then cleanse the mangled part of left ankle, and apply clean dressing, same as for hand, then apply a splint to the injured lim b. The splint should reach above

Treat for shock by covering up with coat, shawls or blankets to prevent the temperature falling. If patient is capable of swallowing, give water or tea to drink.

Treatment for fracture of spine and the method of transport from scene of accident to Hospital.

While the above first aid treatment is going on I should send one of the bystanders to fetch the nearest doctor, telling him to inform the doctor the nature of accident, and I should keep the patient quiet until the arrival of the doctor, and prevent all movement on the part of the patient. If the services of a doctor could not be obtained within a. reasonable time I should pass a blanket, piece of canvas, or a piece of sheeting from a truck, and pass the sheeting first beneath the head then under the body and lower extremities as he lies on his back, poles are then to be rolled in the sheeting one on each side. The patient may now be lifted by four persons -two on each side-grasping the poles, each person using both hands. I should now lay the patient on a stretcher, shutter, or door, keeping the patient perfectly level. I should now place the patient on the first train, and wire the station nearest the Hospital to have horseambulance ready, or other suitable vehicle. If the accident occured near the road, and a suitable vehicle could be obtained, I should load the patient in it, and convey him to Hospital. I should use the best and quickest method of getting patient to Hospital, also send advice to Hospital to prepare bed-stating nature of case.

N.B.-For conditions applying to this competition, see the December umber of FIR ST AlD.

BRISTOL.-Those of our readers who have had a knowledge of the differences of opinion existing amongst ambulance workers in this city will, we are sure, tulate all parties concerned on the satisfactory issye of the efforts for amalgamation. Provided that both have decided to make an earnest effort to work harmomously, we feel sure that tAe fusion of these two bodies can but result in benefit to the City of Bristol, and indirectly prove of advantage to both organisations. hav o no doubt that this reconciliation has involved saCrIfices on the part of both bodies but these sacrifices have been willingly made, with a 'desire that nothing shall diminish the chances of successful working in the future. We congratulate all concert.ed on the happy issue of this longstanding dispute, especially do we th-e S.J.A. B. on the inclusion within its ranks ofa DlVlSlOn ltke the BrIstol Marine Division, the members of which have in the past proved how thoroughly they h<l:d ambulance work at heart, and who will, we are sure, work as loyally and devotedly for the success of the corps to which :,-ow belong as they did in the past for their own orgamsatIen. :May happiest future be in store for the now strengthened CIty of Bristol Corps.

METROPOLITAN CORPS.

CAUSTON DI\ ISlON. -The 5th annual dinner of this division was held on Saturday, Feb. loth, and was in every way.a most successful gathering. Supt. G. S. Elliston, who presIded, was supported by the Rt. Hon. R K. Causton, M.P. (Paymaster-General), 1\1r. Hildred Causton, "'\1r. Harold Causton, Capt. W. J. Bowker, D.S 0., and Mr. Guy Ellison (Gen. Sec. British Medical Association).

During the evening medallions were presented by Mr. R K. Causton, who spoke in high terms of the benefits derived by the community from the ambulance movement which deserved the warm sympathy of the and the people.

.Capt. Bowker also g reatly interested the audience. relatmg Jnstances where his knowledge of first aid had proved in the wild parts of India, Nigeria and South Afnca.

Other entertaining speeches and a capital musical programme made the evening vnly too short. Serat. Galsworthy, Corp. Ferris, aud Ptes Davy and Ellis w:re responsible for !he arrangements, " 'hich were in every way The Causton Orchestral Party played at intervals dunng dmner and afterlVards.

Th e absence of the Hon. Surgeon (D r. r. Brown late R.N.) owing to ill health. was greatly regr'etted b; the DIVISIon.

CYCLI ST DIVISlON.- The third annual dinner of this Division \\'as helu at the Hotel Boulogne, Shaftesbury Avenue, W., on Monday the 29th ult., Hon. Surgeon Heaton C. Howard in the chair.

Owing to indis pos ition, the Chief Commissioner of th e BrIgade was .to present, but among those attended DIstnct ChIef Surgeon Sam. Usborn, Assls,tan.t COmlTlISSIOner. and Mrs. Morgan, District Supt. of StOl es and Mrs. PIers, Hon. Reginald J. Roberts, Supt. and Mrs. J. CalVIn Lli1es, Supt. Hayman, Mr. and Mrs Alan Palmer, and District Supt.-Secretary and Mrs. PontIn.

.The usu al loyal toasts having been honoured the Chalrl1lan ", Order," whicb was duly ack'no\\"l;?ged by DIstrIct ChIef Surgeon Osborn. Supt. S. H. \ proposed "The Visitors," and Assistant CommlSSloner responded: "The Ladies " proby DISt. ::,upt.-SecretClry Ponlm was acknowledged by Cychst Stallard.

Under the of Corporal Chas. J. New an exc.ell.ent was provided, among those asslstmg bemg 1\1ISS Anl11e Bartle, Miss Vilven and Yressrs. Rob.e rt Dennant Wallis Arthur. Mr. Fredk. Arthur offiCiated at the plano. The toast of the Chairman by Dr. !:z. J. Rob er ts brought to a close a most enjoyable evenmg.

EAST HAlI1.- The dance of the Nursing Division took place at tbe Town Hall on Saturday,

AI D.- February, 1906.

January 27tb. There were more than 400 persons Amongst tbese were Ald. J. H. Bethell, M P., and Mrs. Bethell,. Dr. and Mrs. McKettrick, Dr. and Mrs. Wallis, Dr. Stride, the Lady President of the ')ivision (Mrs. J. LR.w:ence), Councillor J. Lawrence and others. A capital muslcal programme was rendered during the evening, the M.C.'S were T. Hurdon, H. 'V. Owen, and H. E. Ralph.

KINGS CROSS (G.N.R).-The annual concerl in connection witb tbis Division took place this year in tbe large concert hall of th Northern Polytechnic Institute, on Saturday, January 20th. A capital programme had been by Third-Officer P. Sebrigbt, and was much apprecIated by a large and enthusiastic audience. It is hoped that the concert which was in aid of the funds of tbe Division will result in a clear profit of at least £ 20.

No. 1 D1STRICT.- The fifth annual dinner of the officers of th!s was held on Thursday, February 8t?, at th e Restaurant. The chair was taken by Dlstnct Chlef-::>urgeon S. Osborn, F.RC.S., accompanied by his daughter, and supported by about one hundred officers and guests. The gathering was in every a great success, and the service left nothing to be deSIred. Amongst the guests were noticed Col. Sir Herbert and Lady Perrott, tbe Chief Commissioner 1nBelgra\"e Ninnes, D., RN., AssistantCommiSSIOner Mackenzie, Assistant-Commissioner W. H. Morgan, Mr. W. R. Edwards, and many familiar faces. medIcal was represented and many ladles graced the evenmg by theIr presence.

An excellent. musical programme was provided and the contnbutors the names of Miss Howard MJ. Wallis Arthur and 11r. Old bury Brough whIch may be taken as its "hall mark."

!he Chail man in proposing the success of No. DJstnct of. the Bri&ade, spoke at some length, giving much userul adv1c: an.d and in no way sparing the rod, where 111 hIS it should be laid. Speeches also ma?e by Sir Herbert Perrott, the Chiet CommlSSlOner, Asslstant-Commissioners IVlackenzie and Morgan Supt. J. C. Lines, and Mr. 'E dwards.

The arrang:ements were most ably carried out by thp. Secretary apP01l1ted for the purpose Supt. Alan Paull assls.ted by Supt. J. (alvin Lines in whose hands musical part rested.

evening might be considered by far the most of the senes, and it is hoped that each succeedmg may make the gatherings more popular.

1.'he. proceed1l1gs terminated at 11.30 by the company slllgmg "Auld Lang Syne."

PROVINCIAL CORPS

DELFA ST.-A well-attended meeting, presided over by Dr. W.illiamson, J..P:, was held on Thursday nIght, February {st, m the MUlllclpal Technical North Belfast, for the purpose of mg the po.sltlOn of aid work in Belfast, and conside;-ing tbe o.f formmg a local ambulance Division in connectlO? with the S.J.A.B. The attendance included MlSS Black Secretary S.J.A.A.), Drs. M. B. Calwell, FI elde n, Barnett, Wadsworth, 'Vhite c,apt. .Beggs, F .. C. Forth, principal 01 the Municipal 1 echl1lcal Instltute ll1 Belfast, and others associated with the work. Amongst those present being a large number of the Royal Irish Constabulary.

February, 1906. -F I RST

The said they. were all aware of the object of that meetmg. At the tIme of his Majesty's visit to Belfast h.ad no such as existed in England for copmg wlth 1 • aCCIdents and sudden illness tbat might ?ccur along the llne of taken by the procession, and 1t had been deemed adVisable to try and form a di"ision of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. There was no doubt the work done during the Royal visit was requisite and and all those who were in the streets did good serVIce, and were capable of rendering relief for the then time-being. There was no reason why a Division should not be formed in Belfast. It only required that a few should band themselves together, and make application to London for the necessary forms. If that were done it would give a fillip to in the city, and give to those workll1g ll1 the large factories and warehouses ll1 Belfast to take up first aid work. He felt himself under a debt of gratitude to Mr. Forth for his in a.rranging for the present meeting, in order that they mIght dISCUSS the whole question, and try to arrive at some decision.

A discussion which was taken part in by Drs. Norman Barnett, Capt. Beggs, Mr. Forth, and others followed, and eventually it was .decided to form a Division for the city, and a sub-committee was formed to go into details and .to a further meeting. It was suggested during tbe dISCUSSIon that Capt. Beggs would perhaps assist in the military purtivn of the organisation, and that rrentleman kindly promised to do so, suggesting that the first point they should bear in mind was that they must have the services of a non-commissioned officer of tbe Army-a Reservist of the R.A.M.C. preferably. They would need the assistance of the military officers in Belfast, require a place for drill, and get experienceof camp life in summer time.

BOOTLE.-A bighly successful concert was given at To·.vn Hall, on February 1St, in aid of the equipment fund of this Division. The Division of which Dr. W. N. Barlow is the Hon. and Mr. S. Benson the superintendent, has now a falr num ber of members on its [oli, wbo meet for practice every Tbursday evening at the Municipal Scbool, Balliol-road, where intending members will be welcomed.

CARD1FF'.-A large and enthusiastic meeting was held in the Town Hall on the th inst for the purpose of forming a corps of the S.J.A.B. The Lord Mayor occupied the chair. Colonel Lloyd, District Chief Surgeon NO.7 district, gave an address on the objects and advantages of tbe brigade and advice on the formation of a corps. Numerous promises of membership were obtained, and it WDS unanimously decided to forio a corps with 8 divisions. Amongst those present were :-Chief Supt. J esseman, Chief Surgeon Hamilton, and Supts. Fudge and Osborne, and Officers Hill and Lewis of the Newport corps; Sup'. Beard, of Abergavenny; Drs. Wallace anu Smith, and Professor Hepburn, M. D., of Cardiff. It is expected that divisions will soon be formed in Swansea and the other towns of South Wales.

CLEETHORPEs.-Hon. Surgeon Fisher has succeeded in raising sufficient money among his friends to pi'ovide a regulation stretcher for use of the division, and as rst Officer Thompson bas collected sufficient to purchase another, tbese, with the one provided by the Urban District Council, will remove all difficulties in the way of stretcher drill.

DUBLIN.-We understand that a second first aid

A l Dbeing formed in connection with the City of Dublin DIVISIon. hon. surgeon of the division (Dr. C. R Browne), has kll1dly consented to give the lectures. Young men deslrous of joining the class, or holders of the St. Jobn. willing to join the division, should commUl1lcate wIth the Hon. Secretary, 62, Lower Gardinerfrom whom all information can be obtained. The drIlls. of the division are helel every Monday and Thursday evel1lngs at the European Hall, Bolton-street, at 8 o'clock. !he St. James 's Gate Division held their re-opening meetll1g at Gate on Wednesday, January 24th. After. a practIce wlth closed and opened stretchers, the superIntendent and hon. surgeon, J. Lumsden, M. D., arrIved and was accorded a hearty reception. Addressing the members of tl?e. he said that out of the 92 members of the dIVIsion 60 bad passeu the recent examination and had qualified fur the nursing certificate' 3 [ of these members had qualified for the medallion' 2; members had satisfied the examiner in their tests o)f advanced first aid and nursing for the Royal aval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve. The examiner, Dr. Dallas Pratt, complimented the candidates on their intelligent and satisfactory answering. result of the examination would compare favourably WIth other divisions of the Brigade, as few could boast of such a high percentage of medallion holders and reservists. Other members should qualify for the medallion at the next examination, which will probably be held in AprIl. The superintendent compliment'::d the members on tbeir efficiency, smart appearance, and knowledge of first aid, and hoped they would carryon the good work with the same enthusiasm which had so far characterised their work. Dr. Lumsden pointed out that efficiency could only be assured by regular attendance at tbe drills and practices, as knowledge of the kind was readily forgotten unless regularly practised. He then presented the certificates to the successful candidates, and wa'> subsequently thanked for the care and trouble he had taken to bring the division to sucb a high state of efficiency.

NEWPORT, MON. - There was a large muster of officers and men of this corps fur Ch urch parade on the 11th inst. Headed by the Monmouth artillery banu, the corps, under the command of Chief Supt. Jesseman, marched from its headquarters to St. Paul 's Church, where an eloquent and appropriate sermon was preacbed by tbe Rev . A. Matthews, B.A. The offertory was in aid of the hospital. A Smoking Concert was held on the 9th inst. for the distribution of first aid certficates to members of the ambulance cbs,> recently conducted by Dr. S. Hamilton. The chair was occupied by Chief Supt. J esseman, who was supported by Supts. Fudge and Osborne, and Officers Hill and Lewis. A good programme of music was rendered, and at the conclusion Dr. Hamilton was presented by the class witb a leather writing case and J\1r. C. Ackford with a pair of vases.

'Vl<:STHOUSES.-The annual teLL and concert in con nection with this Division took place in the Mluland Railway Institute on February 5th. Deputy-Commissioner S. C. Wardell, of Doe Hill House, presided at the concert, and Mrs. Wardell! presented the certificatp.s to successful members of a recent cLlss. She also handed an inkstand to Dr. Leary, of Alfreton, on behalf of the members. In commenting upon the valu e of ambulance work, the Deputy Commissioner advocated the formation of a nursing division at Westhollses. A display of ambulance work was given during the evening. An excellent programme was rendered by the Alfreton OrpheusGleeClub.

Brevities.

A STRONG effort is being made to push the St. John Am bulance Brigade in the sister isle, and in both Dublin and Belfast enthusiastic meetings have been held with a view to the formation of Divisions. It was urged by one of the speakers at the meeting in tl}e latter city, that they were at a disadvantage in the North of Ireland through having no volunteers. If, therefore, their Division was brought into prominence, and tbey were in a position to go out as a body, and let the people see them, it would be a means towards an end, by demonstrating to the authorities and powers that be that in Belfast they were not altogether such heathens as was repr ese nted ac ross the water.

* * * ANOTHER speaker placed th e discussion on a higher plane, by calling attention to how successful the Japs had been in their method of conducting the late war with regard to injured soldiers. There was no country with such well-formed brigades as their allies the Japs. As a matter of education it was of enormous import that the citizens gene rally should reco g nis e their duty on the subject, and come forward to take the initiativ e in spreading this knowledge. Why was Lord Rob e rts, a man who had ga ined all th e honours a soldier could earn, tramping the country at the end of his life urging on his fellow-citizens and members of the Empire to trdin themselves in the way of arms? There was something -going on that they did not know of; some fea r of invasion, perhaps. So by organising themselves for first aid work they would be taking a step that would win the approval of Lord Roberts and every other right -m inded citizen of the Empire.

* * * IT is much t') be regretted that the good work done by the mem bers of the London Salvage Corps and the London Fire Brigade, at the recent lamentable accident at the Charing Cross Railway Station, was not acknowledged eit h er at the inquest on the six victims, or by the Railway Company. Bearing in mind the great risks run by these brave fellows, it is decidedly not creditable to thus ignore the good work they did upon that occasion, wh e n stout hearts and cool heads were so invaluable in order to assist the already injured and to minimise the risk from further panic.

* * * IT is gratifying to learn that Sir E. A. Cornwall and his confreres of the L.e.e. have been fully impressed with the Paris Ambulance Service. In the course of an interview with a representative of the Journal Sir Edward stated that London would do well to consider the introduction of the employed in Paris. It is a matter for congratulatIOn to find also that Sir Edward is an advo ca te fur municipal congresses, to be held alternately in London Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Rome, St. Petersburg' Madrid, New York, &c. As our readers know we always entertained these sentiments, as we have done, that nothing but good could come from a

AI D.- February, 1906.

more frequent interchange of courtesies by the different nationalities of the world.

* * *

SIr EDWARD'S opinion, says the Journal, is that an el2tmte municipale comprising all the capitals of the civilised world could not fail to act as a safety valve in periods of difficulty for avoiding excesses into which over-excited national sentiment may lead even the most reasonable heads of States and statesmen.

* *

* WE go still further. We say it would decidedly increase the value of that safety valve if more frequent meetings were arranged for our firemen, our ambulance helpers, our musical societi es, and even our soldiers and sailors, who might demonstrate their skill at dummy targets instead of as is the present method, at human ones.

* **

SINCE the days of Mrs. Gamp, says the Tribun e, nursing has become a profession which needs special training. But whereas, when we call in a doctor to attend us we know at least that he has spent five years or more qualifying for the practice of his art, we have not the same guarantee of the efficiency of the nurse on whom, very often, more depends than on the doctor himself. She may be well qualified. Sh e may have the merest smatteringthree or four months, perhaps-of medical experience. Both kinds have much the same outward form and sem blance of business-like uniforms, certificates, and the rest. The Society for the Registration of Nurses had for some years endeavoured to set this right, and it has already achieved something, as will be gathered from its report. We are entirely in sympathy with its general aim. Not only is it of vital importance fur all of us that, when we are ill, as sooner or later we are nearly sure to be, we should be well nursed; but it is obviously unjust that a mere novice should stand on an equality with those nurses who, by a liberal expenditure of time and money, have made themselves highly skilled in the theory and practice of medicine. The Society is now fighting for a fairer representation of nurses on the Registration Board, contending with much force that r ea lly experienced nurses are at least as competent as doctors to judge of the claims of novices who wish to be registered.

* * *

WE think our new contemporary was a little premature. At the meeting ,which was recently held, and at which several of the nurses' champions spoke, the members present seemed by no means anxious to have more nur<;es and less doctors on the board. One speaker declaring, so it was reported in some papers, that she would rather trust herself to the mercy of the medical men than to the turbulent women who had addressed them that afternoon. And yet th e re are still people vvho agitate for the entry of women into Parliament.

* * * There is no more capable ambulance officer, and no more enthusiastic or energetic one than AssistantCommissioner Woolston. He is ever on the alert to find

February, 1906. -FIRST

out further means for improving either the status or the efficiency of the ambulance man. His latest idea is to give a series of lectures on the" Duties of the Ambulance Man." At the first of the series, given last month, at Northampton, Assistant-Commissioner Woolston said the first duty of the members of the Ambulance Brigade was to keep themselves in good, hard condition, for if they did not they would be unable to do justice to either their patients or themselves. The key to health was "mod e ration in moderation "-that was to say, they should be moderate in all things, but not so moderate as to starve themselves. It was just as harmful to drink "pop" or "fissy stuff" in excess as to take strong liquors without moderation. Mr. Woolston impressed upon the members the necessity of moderation in smoking, particularly cigarettes, which he condemned as extremely injurious. If they wanted to smoke he urged them to have a pipe or cigar. Athletics was also a subject for the adaptation of moderation Excessive athletics tended to enlarge the heart. In his opinion riding on horse back and walking were the most beneficial exercises. Mr. Woolston impressed upon his hearers the desirability of upholciing the honour of the brigade, and of the importance of thorough efficiency They should always carry some handy appliances about with them and so be ready for emergencies. Th€y must not make the mistake of carrying elaborate implements which would break or get out of gear. All that was necessary for them to carry was a pair of scissors, a bandage, a piece of string, and some lint. They must, how ever be particularly careful to keep those things clean. They should be careful to be acquainted with th e whereabouts of stretchers and of their colleagues. One essential of the ambulance man was his capacity to unquestioningly obey. \Vith regard to uniform it was their duty to take great care of it and endeavour to look smart in it. Transsport was a duty in which he thought all ought to be well learned . Th e great thing in transport duty was not to lose their heads and to let their superior do all the talking. The lecturer than explained a number of technical matters, bearing on transport, and continued by saying that they should not tell their patients horrors, but should try co entertain them pleasantly, and above all they should not talk" shop" to the public. Every man in the Brigade, said the speaker, who possessed a cycle should have a thorough knowledge of the condition of the roads within a ten -mile area, for the choice of a road had often a lot to do with the comfort of th e pati e nt. Having spoken of camp life, Mr. Woolston said that the Brigade had such a good name with the public now that it behoved every man to do his level best to uphold it.

ACCRINGTON.-On Saturday, January 27th, in the Ambulance Drill Hall, Chief Supt. Ogden unveiled a photographic group of tw e nty-s eve n sisters, larger photographs being placed on each side of two sisters who have passed away, viz., Miss Ada Sharples and Miss Annie Rigby. The latter photo's were presented by Nursing Sister Mrs. Clara Watson.

" First Aid" Competition, NO.3.

FIRST PRIZE, a copy of Sir John Furley's "In Peace and \Var "; and a Consolation Prize, "On Active Service in South Africa," by W. S. Inder, will be g iven for the second best paper.

Dr. F. J. Warwick has kindly suggested the following subject for the Competition and he will adjudicate upon same :-

A man is found among the d ebr is of a railway smash in the following condition :-He is semi-conscious his extremities .are cold; his pulse at·the wrist is almost imperceptible; he IS unable to move all four 11m bs; his breathing is sighing, and is interrupted with short co ughs, which are apparently painful; and blood issues from his mouth and nose.

r. Mention the probable injuries and your reasons for doing so.

2. What" first aid" treatment would you adopt;>

3. How ",:ould you transport him from the scene of the accident?

4. What imm ed iate and subsequent treatment would you r esor t to pending the arrival of medical assistance?

RULES

The following conditions must be noted and arlhered to:Entry may be made under a nom de jJlume if preferred, but in all cases the full name and address of the Competitor must also be give n for publication in the event of an award. MS. must be written on one side of the paper only. There is no restriction as to length of article, but same should not be unduly extended.

The Editors reserve to themselves the right to publish any of the papers submitted in competition, giving due credit to the authors of same. Any papers selected for publication will be regarded as the property of the Edi tors.

Entries in the present Competition will close on the morning of Saturday, lJ.[arc!t 3rd, and all matter must by that time be in the hands of THE ED !TORS, FIRST AID, 46, Cannon-street, London, E.c., and marked" Competition."

The decision of the Judges ann the Editors in awarding the Prize will be final.

Coming Events.

Particu lars offOrth(Olllillg e,ients will be il/serted ill this (01U1II11 free of charge, If receil.'cd not later than the Ir;.th qf eaclt III 011 tit

Harri?tga)i -Fi rst aid class for women, Church room, Cavendish-road, commencing March 1st at 3 p.m. Further particulars from Mrs. Sleath Gent, 52, Victoria-road, Stroud Green.

Harrogate.-Yorkshire District, N.F. B. u., August Demonstration. Hon. Sec., Capt. Roper, Low Fold Fire Brigade, Leeds.

Volullteer Ambltlance School 0/ Instmction.-In connection with the class now being held at the headquarters of the 3rd City of London Rifle Volunteers. Thursd ay, nnd February: The Lungs and Perspiration. SurgeonLieut. C. A. Lees. March 1St : Th e Treatment ot the Apparently Drowned; Burns and SC'llds; Shock; Electrical Shock. Surgeon-Lieut. C. A. Lees. March 8th: Fractures, Dislocations and their Treatment. SurgeonLieut. A. Bott, M.B. March 15th: \rounds and H re morrhage. Sugeon-Lieut P. Bott, M.B.

The " Rapide " Hand=Pump Extinguisher.

THIS handy little" extincteur" might with advantage be kept in every household and certainly should be found in all hotels, educational and business establishments The " Rapide " as its name implies is easily and quickly got to work, and it is so light and easy of manipulation that it can truthfully be said of it that a child can put it into action

In construction it is strongly made and holds t of a gallon of water, and the weight when fully charged is only about 6Ibs.; furthermore, when in action it is capable of throwing a jet 40 ft. high. When once charged the contents will remain good for several years, as when screwed up it becomes hermetically sealed. As a "first aid" appliance it certainly is more reliable than many of the so-called fire extinguishers which have sprung up mushroom-like in the last few years.

In France, where it was first placed on the market, it received warm commendation from many of the leading

AI D.- February,

1906.

Fleury Legrand, La Madelline lez Lille, France who will be pleased to give special quotations for quantities. Letters can be addressed to the Office of this journal.

"..

February, 1906. -FIRST

The New Ramsgate Fire Station.

FOR years past Ramsgate has had a small station in a narrow. which was a great inconvenience to th e enthuslasLIc an.d Capt. West in particular. After a gre.at deal of d:llberatlOn, the Corporation have wisely acqUired a promll1ent site in Effingham·street and built a station, which is not a whit behind any London fire station.

AID.- 12 3

presented a .copper tablet, wh.ich is undoubtedly one of the chIef of the extenor of the station. We are re pro.ducmg this tablet, and may mention that it has been d eSi g ned by 1\1r. G. J. Sutton, a partner in the firm of Messrs. Stuart and Moore.

chid of Supeurs J)umpiers, alld in EnglanJ it has also receIved warm approval from many leading fire experts. Mr. W. J. Church-Brasier chairman of the Fire Brigades says of it, " I co.nslder It. a most little appliance and Lo my mmd no prIvate fire brigade should be without one or two ready to deal with an outbreak at its inception."

MOtOrISts WIll find the "Rapid" by far the most reliable fire applJance to carryon thc car, its small size enab les it to be stowed away in a corner, and, when required, it can be got .to work at. once; and the outbreak is practically smothered before IL has had a chance to do little or no damage.

The price of .th e apparatus already charged is 20S., but. a great red.uctlOn WIll ?e made in the case of firms takrng a quantIty. The mventor and patentee is M.

N.E.R. CENTRE.-The half-yearly mceting was held at York on the 3rd inst. when the General Secretary (Mr. Geo. Jackson) presented his half-yearly report which showed that forty-five classes were being held, all over the system, and that the number who had pJ.ssed examinations since the formation of the Centre, in Nov,=mber ] 895, was firsl, 4,851; second, 2,577; third, I,738, and for the label 22. Accident reports for Lhe same period showed a total of 61,462. Classes were being formed at several places.

Matters affecting the competitions were dealt with, also several applications for special medals for meritorious services were considered, andJecomll1endations were made for the awarding of five medals and two certificates.

The York classes held their fourth annual dinner in thE:; De Grey Rooms on the 9th inst, when Mr , H. A. Watson (General Supt.) presided, and was supported by Dr. A. W. Metcalfe, Dr. E. P. Pickersgill, Dr. J. McBride, Dr. J. Fell, Dr. A. Kempe, Tvlr. W. J. Cudworth (engineer), Mr. T. H. Ellis, and Mr. H. G. Lewin (district sU]Jts.), Mr. Hamar Greenwood, M.P., l'vIr. Harold Stuart (Labom Candidate), Mr. Geo. Jackson (general secretary), Mr. G. \Y. Scott (district secretary), York; W. Hollings (N ewcastle District Secretary), Mr. A. W. Elliutt District Secretary), &c. After a sumptuous dinner, at which several ladies were also present, Mr. Watson proposed the loyal toasts. J)r. Kempe, the "Houses of Parliament," to which Mr. Greenwood responded and expressing his pleasure at attending and supporting such an excellent Association and hoping it would long flourish.

Dr. Metcalfe proposed success to the N.E.R. Centre, and eulogised the great work it was doing ,yhich was not acheived without a great deal of hard work on the part of the General and District Secretaries and men connected therewith.

Mr. Jackson responded and gave some interesting figures showing the marvellous growth of the Centre since its inauguration in 1895, and assuring them that no effort would be spared on his and the district secretaries parts in doing all they could for its future success.

Dr. Pickersgill proposed the toast of "The Chairman" and spoke of the great assistar:ce he had rendered in many ways.

Mr. Watson (who has received his medallion) said he was deeply interested in the classes on the N.E.R. and was pleased to know of their continued prosperity, and he was happy to do all be could to further their work.

Mr. Cudworth handed certificates, vouchers, medallIons and labels to fifty -men, who had earned them in the recent classes taught by Drs. Metcalfe and Fell.

Several excel lent songs, &c., were interspersed in Lhe programme, afte r which dancing was indulged in for a couple of hours.

The building has been erected by a local contractor, Mr A. E. Goodburn, an old and active member of the brigade; for the planning of the building the borough engineer, Mr. T. G. Taylor, is responsible. From our inspection of this modern fire station, we can say that nothing has been spared to make it as practical as the latest inventions and appliances can make it.

Messrs. Stuart and Moore, of Yictoria Works, Ealing, have supplied the station with their self-opening doors and with their electric fire calls to the residences (Jf the various rnem bers. The residence of Capt. \\' est is on the first floor of this station. A very spacious yard has been provided at the back of the building for exercises and drills. There is also a hose and cum bined drill tower fitted, which has one of the most practical arrangement we have ever seen. There is a splendid club· room attached to this station, with many of the prominent weeklies on the table for the use of the members. It is a. pity that the Corporation could n o t see its way Lo have the horses on th e premi se s, as it would no doubt lessen the lime of turning out. AmongsL the principal appliances we have found one of Bailey's 70 ft. fire escapes

To commemorate the opening of this handsome building, tbe silting member, Mr. H. H. M.P.,

We have been informed by Messrs. Stuart and Moore that th e y r e cently supplied their quick -opening patent doors Lo tbe following fire stations :-East London, liford, Stalybridge, Moss Side Wimbledon, Aldershot, Exeter, and Highgate. Messrs. Stuart and Moore specialise in many up-to-date fire appliances, and will be pleased to attend at any station with a view to giving all necessary information for schemes of fire protection,

CAPE TOWN.Chief-Officer Mitchell, of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (Cape Town), reports the delivery of the Challenge Shield presented by Sir Thomas Dewar for com pet i t ion amongst the nre brigades of South Africa. We learn that the first competition will take place in April next, and an interesting programme of various events is being arranged in connection with the meeting, for which other valuable prizes will also be offered. In an interesting letter which CO. Mitchell has forwarded to the various brigades in the Colony, a special tribute of thanks is expressed to Sir Thomas Dewar for his handsome trophy, and to Mr. A. T. Dale, of Messrs. Dale and Reynolds, for having kindly npplOachcd Sir Thomas on the matter on his return from South \'fric:l last year.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

PROVINCIAL FIRE BRIGADES.

EDlNR URGH.-Firemaster A. Pordage has issued his report on the work ()f the brigade during the past year. The brigade received 604 calls to fires, or supposed fires, of which 383 were to fires in the city, 2+ to fires beyond the city boundary, 124 to chimney fires, and 73 to false alarms. The loss of property from fires within the city amounted to £ 18,702, and beyond the city boundaries to £21,395. One life was lost at a fire, but twelve persons were taken from burning premises by the brigade.

All the theatres are inspected monthly from the point of vi ew of public safety, and the staffs employed thereat instructed in the use of fire appliancEs. The net cost of the department for the financial year ending May 15th, 1905, was '£9,882. The report embraces the usual statistical tables.

GLASGow.- - Chief Officer William Paterson, in his' annual report on the work of the department, states that during the year ended December 31St last the brigade received and attended to 1,405 calls, a decrease of 65 from the previous year. Of these 726 were for actual fires, 229 were false alarms from various causes. Many of the fires were of a sharp nature, and required the presence of a strong force of men and plant. In no case did the outbreak extend beyond the building in which it originated. No district has been clear of malicious alarms during the year. Defective building construction is still the main cause of fires in the citY-265, or 37'75 per cent. of the total, being due to this. .alone 17, or 6'4 per cent., of the defects occurred 10 bUlldll1gs erected since the passing of the Building Regulations Act, 1892.

Through fires 53 persons lost their lives, and 3I persons were more or less injured. Of these cases the fire in Watson-street Home was responsible for 39 and 24 respectively: Of the remaining 13 deaths, 5 cases were those of chIldren of tender years, who had been left temporarily in the house by their parents.

The joint inspection by an officer of this department and one of the Master of Works' staff under the Factory and W.orkshops Act is being carried out, and the necessary alteratIons ordered where means of egress are insufficient for the persons employed. These officers also undertake t?e ?f the means of in all buildings over sIxty feet 10 heIght under the BuIldIng Regulations Act.

JOHANNESRlJRG.-\Ve learn that Chief Officer Gordon Stuart, I?opular head of the Fire Brigade of this city, is about to VISIt the old country for a few weeks' well-merited holiday. Doubtless many of his old comrades in the English service will be glad of an opportunity for a chat and a hand shake.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

National Fire Brigades Union.

A meeting of the officers and members of the fire brigades of the Eastern and Western Valleys of Monmouthshire, with Brynmawr (Breconshire) and Bargoed (Glamorgan), was held at the Viaduct Hotel, Crumlin. The following brigades were represented :-Abertillery, Abersychan, Abercarn, Brynmawr, Bargoed, Blackwood, Blaina, Nentyglo, Ebbw Vale, Panteg, Pontypool. Captain Richards having explained the result of the meeting held at Cardiff and the notice of motion subsequently given, that a new district in connection with the National Fire Brigade Union be formed in Monmouthshire, to include Brynmawr and Bargoed. All the representatives spoke in favour of the proposal. It was resolved that a petition to this effect should he submitted to the National Union, and that in the event of a refusal all the brigades should secede from the Union.

The Yorkshire District have compiled a most comprehensive series of rules for competitions, and illustrated the same with a number of photographs, so that competitors cannot possibly fail to understand what is expected of them. We congratulate the President, Mr. J. Scott, of Bradford, and the Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. G. Roper, of Leeds, on the thorough way they have produced this useful work.

The annual meeting of the South-Eastern District took place at the Town Hall, Sittingbourne, on the 31St ult. The chair was occupied by Capt. E. (Tunbridge Wells), and amongst those present were :-Major H. Finn, (Lydd), Captain Hedley Peters (Sittingbourne), district hon. and treasurer W. Laurence Bradley (Ton bridge), mmute secretary; W. A. Farnham (Sidcup), hon. sec. of the death levy fund C. D. Levy (Rochester), J. W. Boucher (Northfleet), J. Parker (Chatham), J. Plewis (Gillingham), F. S. Hart (Ashford), N. H. Prentis (Milton), 1. Venis (Westgate), H. Wells (Margate), H. Cannon (Erith), F. L. Henshaw and S. Truscott (Canterbury), F. W. Wacher (Herne Bay), J. Butler (Dartford), W. F. Tritton (Bexley Heath), C. Stringer (Southborough), T. Hollands (Rainham), F. D. Mackenzie (Folkestone), E. J. Wood (Murston), G. Arnold (Queens borough), and others. There were also present: Dr. F. Grayling, hon. surgeon of the Sittingbourne Brigade Lieut. F. H. Bishop, of the same brigade, and the members of the brigade were interested listeners of the proceedings.

The annual reports, which were of a healthy character, were adopted.

'With regard to the annual tournament this year, it was decided, if it can be arranged, to hold it at the Crystal Palace, when several French brigades are to be invited.

Capt. Stringer proposed" fhat all brigades in possesSlOn of a steamer, shall compete in steamer drills only."

The m<?tion met with considerable opposition from brigades possessll1g both steamers and manuals. After considerable discussion the proposition was put to the meeting and lost.

February, 1906. -FIRST

It was decided that all brigades should in future pay theu own entry fees for the National competitions.

The Secretary also moved that in future the Voluntary Death Levy .Fund should bear its own expense.

The list of brigades was revised, and the Queenborough Brigade was proposed for election.

The delegates were afterwards entertained at luncheon at the Bull Hotel by Capt. Hedley Peters. Major Finn occupied the chair, and after lunch, in the name of the District, and in recognition of his valued services as District Secretary and Treasurer for ten years, Major b inn asked Capt. Westbrook to receive a massive silver salver, which was suitably inscribed, together with a framed and illuminated address, and also a handsome silver rose bowl, to be known as the Westbrook Trophy, which was given to perpetuate Capt. Westbrook's name, and which is to be

conducted ovt'r the Dail) ClzyonicZe Paper Mills - a visit tbat proved very interesting.

WELBE:cK.-The annual demonstration in connection with this Division took place in the underground picture gallery in the presence of his Grace the Duke of Portland. The demonstration was conducted by Supt. Hamlyn. Dr. Thompson, Retford, acted as judge, and Dr. Crawford, Worksop, who has been honorary instructor of the Division for several years, was also present.

After the demonstration, Dr. Thompson said he was very pleased with the and generally eulogised the manner of the work, whlch was well maintain ed from year to year.

The Duke of Portland moved a vote of thanks to Dr. Thompson and Dr. Crawford.

A petrol-driven hose-car, which has been constructed for the Glasgow Corporation Fire Brigade by the \Volseley Tool and Motor-Car Co., Ltd. It was put through some very severe efficiency tests in Birmingham before delivery. l\J anned with ten men and a driver, and fully loaded, it left the fire-station five seconds of a "test" alarm being given, attained a speed of 30 miles an hour, and dimed a gradient of 1 in 8 at a speed of 10 miles an hour.

competed for annually. An album, containing the nallles of the subscribers, accompanied the gifts, which were handed over to the recipient amidst much enthusiasm. In handing over the salver, the Chairman remarked, "I trust that you will lend us your valuable aid in the future as you have done in the past."

Mrs. Westbrook was not forgotten in this heaping of honours upon the head of her husband, and for her selfdenying services for the good of the cause, the District presented her with a handsome gold and pearl brooch. The presents were handed over amid loud applause, and the « Health of Capt. Westbrook" was drunk with musical honours, followed by the" firemen's whisper."

Capt. Westbrook replied in suitable terms, and he evidently felt the cordiality of his receptlOn.

Other toasts followed, after which the visitors were

Cheers were given with great heartiness for the Duke, who presented the prizes. From the annual report it appears that the Division numbers 38, (officers, 3 sergeants, 2; privates, 33). The number of cases attended on public duty was 60, removals, 20 cases attended not on public duty 10. At the annual inspection, September 7th , 19 0 5, 3 [ men were on parade absent with leave, 5 without, 1. Thirty passed the annual re-examination on Septem ber 29th, and 8 did not appear. Medallions, 25 nursing certs., 11. Material: wagon, 7 stretchers, 3 hampers, haversac, splints, &c. There is a slight increase in membership.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERT ISERS PLEASE MENTION 'FIRST AID "

The British Fire Prevention Committee.

As is well known to most of our reade rs the above committee are playing an important part in the methods to be advanced for reducing the risk from fire. One of its recent schemes in this direction, was the offer of prizes for the best Fables for children, in respect of the danger of playing with fire. The idea was good, for there is no doubt that warning embodied in fables or stories, when read to children, are more likely to act as a det e nent against carelessness with matches and fire. It appears that so far as numbers were concerned the competition was a success, as no fewer than 286 fables and stories were sent in. The gold medal and purse of £20, however, has not been awarded, as, in the opinIon of the committee, none of the fables merited this prize. The awards therefore take the following form :-

Award I.-A silver medal with cheque for £10. Award I I.-Two bronze medals with a cheque each for £3 3s Award I 1.-Three bronze medals with a cheque each for ;£ 1.

The following were the successful competitors:-

Award I.-Silver medal and £IO, Mary Elizabeth Whatham, 27, Arundel-avenue, Hartin g ton -road, Liv e rpool.

IL -Bronze medal and £3 each, Clara Jerrold, Jassamme House, Hampton-on-Thlm es and Minnie Matilda Cole, Hawthorne Dene, Bournemouth.

Award IlL-Bronze medal and £1 IS. each, Lancelot Hamber, 60, Grosvenor-road, Dublin, Lilian Crosbie Brown, Clarence School, Weston -s uper-Mare, Somerset, and Mary De Segundo, 209, Cromwell-road, S. W.

Having regard to the number of Fables sent in from the Colonies, and thanks to a further generous donation by a London member, a Consolation Award was made for th.e best Colonial Fable sent in, namely, a bronze medal, WIth a cheque of £3 3S.

The following was the successful Colonial competitor for the Consolation Award :-J. W. Bengough, 66, Charlesstreet, Toronto, Canada.

The Committee, we understand, intends to publish dunng the year successful fables, and on publication these may be obtamed on application to the Chairman of the Library Sub-committee, at I, Waterloo-place, Pall Mall, S. W.

following have already intimated their intention uf takmg teams, &c., to the Milan Congress and Competitions :-Tonbridge, "Clarnico," Yorkshire District and Lydd: A good reception and a full programme is promIsed to all participants.

BYNIN Al\1ARA.- The tonic prop e rti es of Easton's syrup have always been recognised by the medical profession but Its .more general use ha.s, n.o. dou bt, been largel y m many.cases by the mablllty or unwillingness of the patient to take It, on account of its somewhat nauseating ta3te.. That well -known and enterprising firm of British chem1sts, Messrs. Allen and Hanbury recognising thO h d' h' , 1S, .a tomc w lch includes Easton's syrup combmed theIr well-known" Bynin." By this combination the tome IS very palatable, and is rea dily taken by most sensltl ve. To anyone requiring a tonic to m the of an enfeebled Or run down Cond1tlOn, we cannot adVise them to do better than g e "B . A " - v ,nm mara a tnal. It may be obtained from Messrs. Allen and Hanbury, Ltd., Plough-court, Lombard-s treet, London.

Hot Air and Vapour as First Aid to Health.

FROM time to time cnquities reach us about various much advertised Bath Cabinets. Our Yankee cousins attribute magical properties to th ese portable commodities, and nearly every household enjoys the benefits of a Turkish bath at home. Our own stolid Britishers are very slow to appreciate the advantages of this most effective and prompt remedy, they as a rule prefer to swalk,w gallons of questionable patent medicines, aided by faith, produced by yard -long medically sounding advertisements.

It must be apparent to all who have watched the healthy glow of a perspiring farm labourer, that his robust

February, 1906 . -FIRST

It is also generally recommended to the healthy as an helpful invigorator after fatiguing exertion, and singers, actors and many other professionals are regular users of the Home Bath Cabinets. Ladies find it most beneficial for steaming the face and eradicating all impurities from the skin.

In conclusion, we may mention that Messrs. Riley

We al e in no way responsible for the opinion s expressed, or tIl e >/atemellts made, by Corresponde1lts.-EDITORS.

BRIGADE CHIEF SUPT. CHURCH-BRASIER.

condition must hav e something to do with the free manner in which bis pores evacuate all impurities from the bJdy. Healthy people are those who perspire freely, and all medical men maintain tbat the body must throw off a quantity of impure matter before the normal circulation is estublisbed.

The inconv e nienc e of artificially induced perspiration has now bee n overcome by the Home Bath Cabinets, manufactured by l\Iessrs. Riley Bros., Ltd" of Bradford. Many of our readers will be quite familiar with the name of Riley in connection with these practical appliances. We may say that Messrs. Riley are the only British manufac-

Bros. have been honoured with a most exclusive distinction by having been granted the Cr::rtificate of Merit of the Institute of Hygiene. Tbe price of the Riley Cabinets is from 30S. upwards, according to the size and various improvements, and judging from a careful inspection we have no hesitation in pronouncing them a marvellous value of splendid British workmanship.

-------.--.-----

IpSWICH.-The second competition in connection with the Orwell Works Division for the challenge shield presented by Dr. Francis Ward took place on Tuesday, January 30th, at the Am bulance Hall, Samuel-road. Four teams entered, represenLing the smitbs' shop, pattern -shop, engineering department and office. In the result the smiths' shop were adjudged winners, taking first place easily. Dr. Ward handed over th6 shield to Supl. Pawsey, who was in charge of the winning team, at the same time congratulating him on winning it for the second time.

DEAR SIR S,- I read with pathetic interest the account of the with Supt. Brasier Like the writer, it is many years .smce I first made the acquamtance of Supt. Brasier, and I am Indebted to hIm for many pleasant memories in connection with ambulance work. I was pleased to learn that the Association had behaved handsomely to its old servant not that I for one moment anticipated any other I have often had the privilege of meeting some of the leading members of the movement outside ambulance work, and in the event of Mr. Brasier's name cropping up in the course of conversation. I neyer once heard him spoken of but in the highest terms of praise, both for his self-abnegation, as also for his ability and his devotion to the cause, which, as your writer has justly said, he made so much his own.

I feel sure that in his forced retirement Mr. Brasier has carried away with him the respe ct and esteem of his superiors as well as the love and regard of those who had the pleasure of servIng under his kind, yet withal, strict dis cip line. The Association, I take it, has done its part towards re cognis ing Mr. Brasier's Qood work; it now remains for those of us who are on the lower plane to do ours, and I tmst that ambulance workers and fire-fighters will respond right royally to the testimonial that is being promoted, and that we shall show that we are not behind those in whose service he has served so long and so meritoriously, in our feelings of admiration for the services that he has rendered.-Yoms faithfully,

w. C. E.

turer.s who'specialise in Bath CaLinets, and judging from the q uality, appe.arance, materials tbey use, we have found them equal, If not supenor, to many high -priced American goods.

The facility with which these cabinets are utilised will be seen by the illustration.s we are reproducing on these pages. There are three kmds of medicated baths which may ?e taken with Riley's Cabinets-dry, or Turkish batb, steam or RUSSian bath, and perfumed or med1cated baths-and as a first aid appliance in the early stages of many illnesses it frequently stops the severe consequences.

of our. most promine.n.t medical men prescribe Rdey s Cabmet .for bronchItiS, asthma, pleurisy, sleeplessn ess, lIver complamts, gout, neuralgia, rheumatism, &c.

HAILSHAM.- The president, Private W. Burtenshaw, occupied the chair at the fourth annual meeting of the division, held at headquarters, Hailsham Coffee Tavern, on Friday, February 2nd. The secretary, Corporal C. C. Stevens, presented a report and balance-sheet,. which showed a balance in hand of I5s. 5d. The electlOn of officers and committee resulted as follows :-Private W. Burtenshaw, re-elected chairman; Sergeant H. T. Holloway, re-elected instructor; Corporals A. G. Holloway and W. Pope, assistant-instructors; Corporal C. C. Stevens, secretary; J. E. Greenfield, treasurer; Private R. White, inspector of stores Private C. Boniface, assistant-inspector of stores. Committee :-Privates A. Beeny, W. Penn, and H. J. Snashall. Arrangements were made for a public presentation of certificates and a simultaneous display on a date to be fixed shortly. A number of members of the old am bulance class were elected to mem bershi p of the Brigade, and practices will be resumed on the 21St prox.

PECULIARITIES OF LONDON

AMBULA TCE. DEAR SIRS,-TVIany of your readers who personally peruse our dear old "F.A." may have come to the conclusion that London is a peculiar city possessing no ambulance prO\-ision whatever, and that it agrees with the Londoner's broken bones to be thrust anyhow intlJ a cab than to be carefully removed on a litter; yet if all our ambulancF. resources, as journalistic scribes fondly have it, were put on parade-say the Horse Guards' Parade -there would be over 200 Iitters alone; a curious sight to contemplate-about one-half belonging to the Metropolitan Police, some with white hoods and aprolls, others tanned canvas, all on three wheels- many being old St. John litters converted. About would be of the latest pattern, chocolate colour, picked out with red; highly varnished and rubber tyred. There would be two or three more or less wellworn litters (mostly" Ashford " pattern ) of the City Police, various hospitals and also some from railway companies; the slender funereal-looking Hospital Association litters, and a variety of horsed ambulance wagons; all shapes, colours and sizes used by the various Boards of Guardians for their infirmary pat ie nts; also the dark green and black ambulance vehicles for infectious cases only of the Metropolitan Asylums Board and those of the London County Council, specially designed and only suitable for conveying physically defective school children.

As regards the persons authorised to use this array of ambulance there would be a miscellaneous collection of Police, Metropolitan, City and Railway, a nurse to each horsed vehicle and this constitutes London 's ambulance. further attempt to realise the shortcomings n their restricted usefulness, it would be necessary to go up in a balloon to obtain some accurate idea of the enormous area this accumulation of ambulance are ordinarily posted. Bearing in

-FIRST

mind that Police litters only are available for co n centration by nleans of an elongated, round-about telegraph system, that however promptly put in action, means no possible avoidance of the inevitable waiting while men are traversing miles of road, frequently already tired, and the prospects of further long tramps to hospitals before them; and perhaps, sho uld the above have provedll1teresting enough to wade through, your average reader may have been assisted (at least, tbat is the writer 's hope ) to comprehend in part the co ntinuit y of the effort " F.A. " makes month by month in endeavouring to see thi s matter adjusted in the Capital of the Empire, at the same time never ne glecting the welfare of the Ambulance and Fire Service in general.

Well, the shadow never goes back on the dial, as sure as water finds its own level, and our visions or dreams reat:t on practical actions, the great reality that progress and ambulance have come to stay; not to develop very likely on the lines we may.fondly imagine, remembering that 40 years ago, not one of the or ambulances I have alluded to existed to be put on parade, In London .above all places. Let us patiently, hopefully, watch various movements connected with this great desideratum In a manner worthy of the subject.-Sincerely yours. L. A. C.

FIRST AID AND STARVATION.

DEAR SIRS,-The following facts may be of interest to your readers. The p'olice were called to a man found lying in an empty out-house, 111 the 'ATood Green district in a state of collapse. On being aroused, he told the police lle had had no food for three days. I saw him removed on the ambulance and noted the follo.wing. characteristics ;-Complexion yellow: features shrunk, mll1d 111 a wandering condition generally, on lethargiC sleep, though apparently extremely sen.sJtlve to least change of temperature, as evidenced by the actIOn of the body when placed on the ambulance wrapped in a blanket. The police .were prompt and carefu l, calling a doctor Simultaneously, wisely rloing nothing, but .trYll1 g to Il1duce the man to drink a little hot coffee obtall1ed from a good woman in a house adjoining, until the doctor who at after a rapid examination, ordered the man s removal.to the Il1firmary, where he arrived about two hours after the police were called to him.-Yours, &c., L. A. C.

AMBULANCE DUTY IN THE

STREETS

. DEAR SlRS,-In reply to a letter in your January· issue New Subscriber," I beg to state that, both at the King s to. Glasg:ow in May, 1903, and also at the recent Royal ReVIew 111 Edll1burgh,. the positi.on taken up by the ambulance workers on duty 111 the publIc streets was in front of the crowd.- Yours faithfully,

H. ]. BARNE S Colonel, Chief Secretary St. Andrew's Ambulance Association,

DEAR to "New Subscriber's" query as to the proper posl.tlon of ambulance parties .when on duty in the streets on occasIOns of large publiC gatherIngs, I should have that there were no two opinions on the subject Why, 111 the front, under police is undoubtedly prope; How on earth othen':lse cou ld they do the ir work. [ resumll1g they were placed 111 the rear to start with and the continued to co lle ct, how long would it be they the centre? then again, if their services were requIsitIoned for a case which occurred in the front row how would they reach it without the aid of the police? can always work. y?ur way through a crowd if you meet them face to face, but It IS an almost imp:::>ssible task to do so if you have to fight YOU fr?m the rear. I have had to arrange for. partIes dOll1g duty on such occasions as our Fnendly SOCIeties parades, Hospital Saturday and Life Doat and we always, by deSire of the p:::>lice, take up our 111 front of crowd, because the police know by long that th.at IS. best position for us to work from' mJeed, to. my mmd, It IS the only position if the servIces are to be easily available wh'en wanted besides It confider:ce to. the crowd to see our helpers 'ready to hand In case theIr servIces be wanted.-Yours truly, PROvmCIAL SUPT.

INDIA. - The committee of the Indian branch has forwarded an address to the Prince of Wales, giving an account of the work of the Ambulance Department of the Order of St. John in India, where great progress has been made during the past four years, especially in the formation of classes in the native States. In reply, the honorary secretary, Lieut. -Co l. A. E. Tate, has received the following communication from Sir Arthur Bigge ;-" Prince of Wales's Camp, India, December 8th, 1905. His Royal Highness, the Grand Prior of the Hospital of St. John of J erusalcm in and the President of the St. John Ambulance ASSOCIatIOn, has received with great satisfaction the address of the central committee of the Indian branch of the St. John Ambulance Association which was submitted to His Highness by. his Excellency Lord Kitchener, your p:esldent. I am by the Grand Prior to express hiS pleasure on thiS address and finding what good has been done 10 the four years since the Indian was formed. His Royal Highness is much intereS.ted 10 the fact that the native States are in sympathy the moven:ent, to know that in Hydarabad his HIghn ess th e Nl zam IS patron of the lo cal centre which is excellent and has lately been authorised to Is:;ue ItS own efficiency. His Royal Highness the Grand Pnor offers hiS best wishes for the continued prosperity of the association in India

It is gratifying to r ead the above when we remember the .first Ind.ian people to receive certificates for profiCiency 10 first aid were those 10structed by District Chief Surgeon Sam Osborn, F.R.C.S., at the Earl's Court Exhi?ition, ,London, and whose book on First Aid, translated Into Hl?doostane the honour of dedication by Her late Majesty Queen VictOria, Empress of India

Policy No. 600,093.

"PIR.ST AlD."

This Coupon= Insurance= Ticket must not be detached.

WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LONDON, E. c., to the legal personal representative of the bona fide holder of thiS Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by a.n accident within the United Kingdom or Channel Islands. to any .Rallway Company's passenger-train in which such holder IS travellmg as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger seasonticket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

the above undertaking is subject to the following special condlhons, which are 01 the essence 01 the contract, viz. -

(a) death result within one month after the accident, (b) that suc h holder's usual signature have been written in ink, in the space provided underneath., before.the a<:cld.ent, (c) that notice of the a :cident be given to the CorporatIOn at ItS Pnnclpal. Off,ce. in London within fourteen days after its occurrence, medical ce rtificates and other information be furnished by person cla,mll1g upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) that thiS apphes only to persons over tweh'e and under seventy years of age, S Itmlted to one Co,:,pon-Insurance- Ticket for each holder, and holds good for the current month of Issue only.

This Insurance entitles the holder to [he benefit of, and is subject to-, conditions of ;,he ." Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Act, 1890, R1Sks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incompatlble with the special conditions above stated.

be tlupaY11lent

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this J oumal as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspond en ts in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

Su perin ten dents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of In struction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will also send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the interest of the Jouma!.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication. Correspondents sending in photos are urgen tly re que sted to state on the back of the same the nam e of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also the nam e and address of the sender.

" First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

EDITORIAL.

WE had hoped that by this time it was universally conceded that the Police were not the proper body to underAmbulance take the responsibility of providing Service. he Ambulance Service for London. But it would apppear from a letter, which we print in our columns this month, that there are some individuals who are of the oplOlOn that the Police are a body with so little to do that they have leisure for all sorts of duties, outside those laid down for their special employment. We sympathise with our correspondent in his views regarding the ever increasing burden imposed upon the taxpayers of this country, but we do not think that an efficient and properly organised ambulance service would add materially to his burden. We note that our correspondent advocates the formation of a Police Ambulance Service all over the country. This, to our way of thinking, would be a most retrograde step. That splendid organisation brought into existence by the Order of St. John-we allude to the St. John Ambulance Brigade-has proved, as we have before maintained, one of our most valuable national assets, and we are sure that its disf)lacement by a Police Ambulance Service in our towns, would be viewed with something more than passing regret. Has our

The Police and the

correspondent, we wonder, any knowledge of the splendid voluntary services rend ered by its members in our everyday civilian life, or the grand work which they did for their country during the South African War. It must be borne In mind that In .the event of another great war it would not be possible to call upon the members of any Police ambulance service to recruit the ranks of our army medical corps. 0, to our way of thinking, it is time that the country should do something towards assisting the formation of these St. John ambulance corps, the members of which not only ungrudgingly give their time towards maintaining their efficiency, but more often than not find the money to run the movement in their own localiti es. It is admitted that a community has the right to find the money to ensure the upkeep of an effiCIent force for fire protection; why should it not therefore be equally as right to devote a small sum towards the maintenance of an ambulance corps, formed for the purpose of giving aid in the case of accident or sudden illness? The National organisation, which looks after the interests of the fire service in this country, is desirous of Government inspection, in order to see that the membErs maintain their efficiency. In the case of the St. J ohn Ambulance Brigade this is now already carried out on a very lar ge scale, and at an infinitessimal cost to the country. Large numbers of the ambulance men are enrolled in brigade bearer companies as a supplement to the Royal Army Medical Corps, while others are enrolled as sick berth attendants in the Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve, and these men are inspected annually in order to ascertain that their efficiency is still maintained. 'V e are no advocates for the Increase of taxation, but we contend that this voluntary force is at the present time saving the country large sums annually, and for the small outlay required on b e half of its units the country at large would benefit. In addition to the service which its members now render to the State, take its operations in our la rge towns and other centres where accidents are of frequent occurrence, but for the timel y aid so often rendered by the skilled am bu lance man, the victim of a serious accident might succumb to his injuries, or suffer such further complications that his recovery might be retarded for a considerable period,

thereby entailing a heavy drain on the funds of his trad e organisation or club; or upon the Poor-law authorities, the latter implying in other words, the ratepayers. We know how difficult many of the smaller ambulance units find it to mi\intain the efficiency of their useful little section, and they are deserving of every support for doing Many are composed of working men, who, after a hard day's toil, are ready to sacrifice their little leisure in order that they may, should occasion unfortunately arise, be ready and capable of rendering efficient aid to an unfortunate fellow workman injured whilst on duty. We honour them for it, and they deserve both the honour and the practical sympathy of every individual who can appreciate such disinterested uns elfishness in this age of push for place and power.

The Church=Brasier Testimonial.

IN reply to numerous correspondents who have written us up<;>n this subject, we a:e pleased to be able to report that aC!IVe steps are now bemg taken by the committee to bring thIs movement to a successful issue. Of course, in deference to Mr. Brasier's expressed wish, it is not intended that the testimonial shall take in any way the form of an official recognit!on of his work, but shall rather be regarded as a. personal tribute on the part of his many friends, to the feelIng of esteem regard which he is held by them.

To qu.ote from the .clrcular whIch has been issued by the commIttee, and whIch has been endorsed on its beha.lf by the hon. treasurer, Mr. J. J. Olley, and the hon. secretaries

Messrs. S. B. Piers and G. S. Elliston: "There is no need dwell at on th.e great services rendered by Mr. Church- BrasIer, both In London and the Provinces in many ustful and humane directions, and the committee' are confident that the testimonial will be handsomely supported."

We likewise are confident that these sentiments will to all?f M:. B:asier's friends, many of whom have been WIth hIm In the past, in the several undertakings In. whIch he .h as been. and who will gladly take tbIs opportunIty of assIstIng to show in some tangible the warn:th of the feeling they have always ente rtaIned towards hIm. The address of the Hon. Secretaries is 6 f, Red Lion-street, Clerkenwell, London, E,C., and Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to the Treasurer.

. is to close the list on April 30th, so subscnbers should not delay in sending in their subscnptlOns, and we trust that the response will not only be pr?mpt. but that it will more than exceed the most sangume WIshes of the promoters. At the right ti)TIe it afford us pleasure to not announce all subscriptIOns, also to record the declSlon of the committee as to the dIsposal of the fund.

HUNTERS' "HV.GIC S."-\Ve have received from Messrs. Co .? speci.mens of their new sanitary s I-lyglc ) and t?elr speCIal "Comfort JJ belt. It is from a hygenlc standpoint these sanitary towels are ar superIor to any others, and they have earned un ualified approval from those who have tried them, and they are ;trongly by the members of both the medical and nursing Address,. Lady Manager, Hunter & Co. 1 arhament-street, NottIngham. '

COLNE.--The annual tea, social and distribution of certificates and medallions in connection with this centre took place in the Corporation Hall, on Saturday, February 24. There wue about 2 So present, and after tea Alderman

H. Hewett presided over the social. After the reading of the annual report by the Hon. Secretary (Mr. J. Slephenson) the certificates and medallions were presented to the successful students by Mr. Wm. Bateman, J.P. Some were given by Miss J. Halstean (a blind vocahst), MISS Hellawell, and Mr. W. Hartley, after which a programme of dancing was gone through to the strains of Farralley's orchestral band.

During the proceedings reference was made to the need of a new am bulance hall for Colne. It was stated tha.t the estimated cost would be about £r,soo towards whIch the sum of £950 had already been raised and it was hoped soon to see the new hall in course of erection A most enjoyable evening was spent and the company dispersed after having passed the usual votes of thanks.

Darlington District Competitions.

THE following series of tests to which the competitors at were subjected, may prove both instructive and ll1.terestll1g to those of our readers who are about to undergo the ordeal of a competition :-

TEA r,[ CASE.

NO·3 finds the patient with blood spurting from a wound III left palm and front of elb.ow and right temple. There is eVIdenc.e of a ruptme of the spll1al cord ca used by a heavy fall of rubbIsh. Treat, convey home, and pla ce in bed.

NOTE.-After patient, NO.3 calls on the rest of the team to assIst hIm.

QUESTIOKS.

1. In a severe in j ury to the upper extremity, as an ambulance man, to what use could you put the first rib?

2. to a patient who is totally unconscious. Pulse qUI\k, breathll1g 10 tI.mes per mir:ute, breath smells of drink, pupIls contracted, patIent .batbed In perspiration.

3· GIve tbe boundarIes of the cbest and its contents.

4· GIve dIfference bet-veen apoplexy with paralysis, R side. " collapse from drink.

" ".. opium poison, 3rd stage.

S· What would you g'IVe 1\1 carbolIC. poisoning?

" sulphUrIC aCId poi so ning?

" pois o ning?

" alcoholIC pOIsoning?

PRACTICAL WORK.

I. has. fall.en on his hand, and is unable to twist h.ls n.eck WIthout palf.l; IS supportIng the elbow of the injured SIde 111 the palm of hIS hand.

2. Describe the article on tbe table (4 bottles heart and tournIquet ) '

3: Person rescued from a pond; great c rowd of people star.dll1.g about who know nothing of ambulance work

4· Place patient in the best possible position' for a fit o.fbapoplex y, fall1tll1g from hunger, complicated fra ct ure of tbe n s.

In of tbe .above would you give a stimulant?

.5· boy IS In contact with a fallen live electric wire and IS bleedIng- from the forehead.

March, f906. -FIRST Our Portrait Gallery.

SURGEON-MAJOR J. DALLAS PRATT, 1\1.1\., ::VI. D., F.R.C.S, &c., &c.,

A TYPICAL Irishman, brim m ing over with geniality and good humour, Dr. Dallas Pratt, whose portrait we are pleased to present in our gallery this month, may justly be described as one of the principal pioneers of the ambulance movement in the sister Isle. For twenty years he has occupied the post of hon. secretary to the Dublin Centre,

saving life on land, and we feel sure that the time is not far distant when the valuable services of Dr. Pratt will be recognised by the Grand Patron or Prior of the Order of St. John.

Another institution in which the doctor takes a great interest, an? for which he carries out .the. duties of honorary secretary IS the Dubllt1 NurSIng InstItutIOn which when the South.African War broke out, in respunse'to an for tramed nurses for the front, sent out ten of its number, all of whom rendered valuable aid during the continuance of the campaign. That his work is appreciated by the Order of St. John is shown by the fact that some years since it conferred upon him the Cross of an Honorary Associate, and subsequently he was enrolled in the Order as a Knight of Grace.

We think we have fully justified our statement that Dr. Dallas Pratt is one of the busiest of men, but the previous record by no means exhausts the num ber of institutions in which he takes a keen and active interest. He is Hon . Medical Officer to the Actors Association, and to the Music Hall Artists' Railway Association, and looks after the members of both bodies without fee or rewa rd. He is Surgeon to Jervis-street Hospital, an institution which attends to about So per cent. of the accident cases in Dublin, and at one time held the post of Examiner to the Board 'Jf Intermediate Education, and he was also a member of the Board of Examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Notwithstanding his devotion to the many calls of his professional life, he still finds leisure to devote to the service of his country, and holds the position of Senior Surgeon-Major of the 4th v.B. The Royal Fusileers (City of London Regiment), and it is paying him no empty compliment to say that he is one of its most popular officers, and his presence at camp and other gatherings of the regiment is always a source of pleasure to his brother officers, for his natural wit and geniality a re such that he makes the best of good company. He is a keen yachtsman and motorist, and in the years gone by had the proud privilege of rowing in his University eight.

and notwithstanding the fact that he is one of the busiest of medical men, being Medical Officer to the Board of National Education, one of the medical officers to the Dublin Metropolitan Police and Certifying Surgeon for Factories in Dublin, he has yet found time to work and to successfully organise large classes amongst such important bodies as the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Irish Constabulary, the Fire Brigade, the Boys' B.riga.de,. the St. J ames's Gate Brewery, and other large InstltutlOns and factori e s.

In connection with the Metropolitan Police (Dublin) classes it is interesting to recall to mind the fact that it was Dallas Pratt who trained the team in 18 97 to compete for the open prize in the Jubilee competitions, and at the final s tag e, which took place at the Crystal l)alace, London, the Irishmen easily secured first plac.e, thereby beating all teams who had 3 00 In number-repre5ienting all parts of the UnIted I\tl1gdom

The doctor like all Irishmen, has a genume admIration for acts of bravery and devotion to duty, and it is a matter of some little pride to him to recall the fact he has been instrumental in obtaining for r6 people reSident in Ireland the medal granted by the Order of St. John for

Our fellow citizens across the water are evincing a keen int erest now in the work of the St. John Ambul ance Brigade, and we have no hesitation in saying that no one is more gratified than the hard-working and enthusiastic Irishman, who, as hon. secretary, for so long a period, has done so much to push on the work among his fellow citizens. May he long live to act as one of its most active propagandists, for tbere is no one who has a greater desire for its progress, or is more alive to the benefits wb ich it confers upon the community at larg e.

WE STGATE-ON SEA.-A meeting of ladi es interested in am buJance work was held at the Vicarage, on Tu esday, F e bruary 24th. Mrs. \1'. J. Church-BraSIer, late superintendent of the St. John ' s Gate Tursing Division. Lond on , attended and explained the objects and regulations governing the Nursing Divisions of the S:J,A.B.. it was eventually decided to form a NurSIng DlVlSlOn to be called the Westgate-an-Sea and NUIsing Division. Fourteen ladies signed the roll and it was unanimously decided to recommend the name of Mrs. IV. J. ChurchBrasier, to the Deputy Commissioner for appointment as Lady Superintendent.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

AN CORPS (No. DISTRICT.)

NO.9 DIVISION.- The annual dinner of this Division took place on Saturday, January 27th, at the Coach and Horses, St. John's-square. The chair was taken by Hon. Surgeon J. Bremner who was supported by AssistantCommissioner W. H. Morgan, Supt. of Stores Piers, Supt.Secretary W. H. Pontin and Supts. Chillingworth and Trimmer The toast of the King was proposed by Supt. Chillingworth and duly honoured. The S.J.A.B. was proposed by the chairman in an eloquent speech, and responded to by Assistant-Commissioner Morgan, who spoke highly of the work done by the Metropolitan Corps, and regretted the absence of his old comrade Brigade Chief-Supt. Church-Brasier, to whom he was glad to hear the Divisional Secretary had just wired a message of sympathy.

The Headquarters Staff was proposed by First Class Sergt. J. Lowe, who explained to the members how the work of the Staff (Supts. Pontin and Piers) affected the Metropolitan Divisions and paid a high tribute to those officers for the courtesy and patience they at all times showed in the discharge of their duties.

The to as t was responded to by Supts. Pif'rs and Poutin, who both gave an interesting account of the details of the vast amount of work done by their respective departments.

Supt. Chillingworth, on behalf of the members, presented to Sergt. Elam a handsome tantalus as a wedding gift on his recent marriage Sergt. Elam made a neat little speech in re turning thanks. The rest of the evening was devoted to a most enjoyable concert.

ST.

J OHN'S GATE N URS IN G DIVISION.-Mrs. W. J.

Church-Brasier who has resigned the appointment of Lady SUJ?t.. of this Division, on leaving London, has been the reclple.nt of a handsome salver, SUItably engraved, subscTlbed for by the medIcal and nursing officers and mem bers of the division. The gift was accompanied by a lett er SIgned by all ranks expressive of the regret felt by them. at Mrs. Brasier's resignation, and conveying their affectIOnate sympathy with h e r in her husband's illness the sincere wish that the prolonged rest would ultImately restore him to his usual health.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

s?cial in connection with the Nursing was held In the Ambulance Drill Hall on Tuesday ever:Ing, February 27th, when Lady Supt. Mrs. Law preSIded over a large attendance. Words of welcome were extended to new members by Mrs. Shepherd, and a capital programme of songs and recitations was gone through. Refreshments were provided during the evening. Votes of thanks propos.ed and seconded by mem bers of the newly organIsed class In connection with the section.

A I D.- March, 19°6.

BARRow.-Presiding at the second annual concert held in connection with this division, the Mayor (Councillor G. S. Heath) paid a well-deserved tribute to the work of the members since its formation in 1900. The division, said his Worship, is carrying out not only a us e ful work but a very necessary one. During the year they had undertaken the removal of several invalids whose cases required great care; they had undertaken public duty at football matches and other gatherings Many of their members were enrolled in the Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve, and ten of these reservists had been called up for duty during the past year, and it was gratifying to know that a very satisfactory report had been received as to the way they had carried out their duties while on service.

The concert was provided by Mr. W. J. Turner's Manchester Opera Company, and the large audience fully appreciated the excellent programme, comprising as it did many of the gems from popular operas.

BEXHILL.-The second annual dinner in connection with this Division took place at the Devonshire Hotel, on Tuesday, February 20th. There was a goodly company present, Mr. F. Williams presiding.

Prior to dinner the new ambulance wagon was inspected It is a handsome vehicle fitted with rubber tyres and containing two stretchers and a locker for first aid appliances.

The tables having been cleared the usual loyal toasts were given from the chair and duly honoured.

1\1r. G. H. Gray submitted the toast of the Bexhill Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, and referred to the rapid progress it had made since its formation. The toast was coupled with the names of Dr. Murdoch and Dr. Harvey.

Dr. Murdoch, in responding alluded to the value of the Division to the inhabitants of Bexhill. They were pleased to know they had in their midst many holders of the certlficate of the Association who were capable of r e ndering first aid to the injured, but the members of the Brigade did more, th ey und e rtook the responsibility of conveying the patient either to his home or a hospital. Not only that but they would, and had in a great many instances conveyed patients seriously ill from Bexhill to London. The work of the Brigade also enabled Bexhill to do more easily without a hospital, as patients could be conveyed to Hastings.

Dr. Harvey also spoke ar.d paid a warm tribute of thanks to Sir Edward Malet, without whose assistance he said, they not have got the ambulance so soon. AlludIng to the fact that the Division was now without a superintendent, he said, the Committee were desirous of finding a gentleman with leisure and means at his disposal could take Brigade in hand, and, as it nurse It. They were faIrly-well equipped, but they stIll wa nted further equipment. The members of the medical profession always gave them the greatest assistance and they, for their part, would always be ready to help them. He would like to mention how grateful they were to those ladies and gentlemen who had so kindly made a house to coll.ection .in aid of their funds. He regretted that theIr relatIons WIth headquarters were somewhat strained. They had not got on with them as well as they would ?esire. Headquarters seemed to be somewhat wrapped up In red tape. Latterly, however, headquarters had left them severel> he.did not know what to assume by that. He

It was a pIty that St. John's ?id not wake up a bIt, for that other orgamsatlOns were taking the work Into theIr own hands and running it upon their

March, 1906. -FIRST

own lines. That had been done by the London County Conncil. He thought it was a pity because it gave scope for newer organisations to come forward and oust their old fri ends.

Other interesting speeches were made by Dr. Lightbody, Hon. Surgeon Locke (Hastings), Mr. Shorter, Mr. Pead, &c . During the evening an admirable programme of music was presenteo.

TBLACKBURN.-The women's classes which have hitherto been held at St. Stephen's Schools, Little Harwood, will in future be held at new rooms in the centre of the town occupied jointly with the ambulance division of the S.J,A.B., Tuesday being the night allotted to the women's class, with Dr. Moffatt as lecturer. The move was considered n ecessa ry owing to the fact that the mem bers who come from all parts of the town found it a long and lonely walk to the schools which are situated on the outskirts of the town. The first united social was held on the 15th ult., when about 100 were present. The rooms had been very tastefully decorated. Songs, recitations and selections on the gramaphone all added to the evening's e njoyment. During the evening, after refreshments had been handed round, Dr. Moffatt, in an appreciative speech on behalf of the members of the women's class, handed to Miss B. Sefton a red -lea ther writing-cas e. Miss Sefton was one of the first members of the Doctor's class and is taking up her duties as a nurse at the Blackburn Union Infirmary. The Doctor also handed to Miss P. Fielding a similar gift upon her relinquishing the post of treasurer.

Supt. L eem ing, in proposing a vote of thanks to Dr. Moffatt for coming amongst them, said it was always a pleasure to them to see the Doctor present with them on such occasions.

Dr. Moffatt, in r eturn ing thanks, said it was always a pleasure to him to be with his class either in pleasure or at work, and he hoped that they would continue to work as well together in the future as they had done in the past. The party broke up at a late hour.

BRISToL.-On March 1 st an entertainment in aid of the funds of this corps was given at the People's Palace. There was a capital programme which had secured a record attend'lnce of the general public. Mr. Horace Liv e rmore, the genial resident manager of the hall, during the course of the performance, expressed his most hearty thanks to t he audience for the kind support they had given to the cause of the Bristol Am bulance Corps. They were all aware that the Corps was one of th e best in the United Kingdom, and he was only too glad that they had turned up in such numbers that afternoon As the result, they would be ab le to hand over a handsome sum to the corps. He also thanked 1\1r. Chute and Mr. Carpenter for kindly permitting their artistes to take part. Whenever a deserving cause was in need of support, the theatrical and musical profession was never slow to come forward.

Lieut. Washer, returning thanks on behalf of the corps, said he was proud to say that now that the two previously existing corps had amalgamated, it was second to none in the United Kingdom. In no other large centre would they find such a corps voluntarily kept up.

BRO [LEY (KENT).-This Division has always been well to the fore, not only as regards its work, but also in the way in which it has organised entertainments in aid of its funds. It has in its Hon. Surgeon (Dr. J. H. Yolland) one who makes the members realise

A I D.-

the importance ot first aid, and the value of such knowledge. It was therefore only a just recognition of good work that a "good house" was present at St. Luke's Jnstitute on Wednesday evening, February 21st, when an entertainment was given under their auspices. The programme had been entrusted to Messrs. Maskelyne & Cooke, of St. George's Hall, London. A large portion of the programme was devoted to the cinematograph, the pictures of which were very clearly delineated. One of the best views was the great French steeplechase at Auteuil. On the amusing side "The Lost Child" easily held first place.

Mr. Astley Weaver gave a selection from his repertoire of musical sketches.

Mr. Joab R ete b, conjurer and illusionist, gave a display of his art, and elicited great applause for a number of mystifying tricks.

FOLKESToNE.-An excellent programme had been arranged for the concert given on February 23rd, in aid of the funds of the local Division, and it is to be regretted that there was not a larger audience. Th ose who were present howev e r had an enjoyable evening. I early all the items being encored.

KETTERING.-The annual dinner of this corps was a most successful gathering. The chai r was occupied by Chief Supt. H. Luck who was supported, amongst others, hy Assistant - Commissioner Woolston, Sir Arthur de Capell Brook, Bart., Inspector-Gene ral Preston, R.N. Th e loyal toasts were duly put and honoured. ChiefSurgeon Dryland proposed the District Staff, co upl ed with the name of Assistant Commissioner Woolston, who, in replying, paid a high complitnent to the work of ChiefSurgeon Dryland in the District.

The toast of the Army Navy and Reserve Forces was responded to by Sir Arthur de Capell Brook. Having paid a tribute to the good work done by the Am bulance Brigade in South Africa, Sir Arthur said that future battlefields would be more severe, and more ambulance men would be required. They were proud not only of their county regiment, but they also re cognised the work of the Militia and Volunteers, and th e mem bers of that brigade who had each responded nobly to the call of duty at the time of the country's danger.

Assistant - Commissioner Woolston proposed the "Auxiliary Royal Taval Sick Berth Reserve," and said he hoped the Kettering men who bad gained the distinguished badge, "R.N." would prove a credit to the brigade.

Inspector -Ge neral Preston, who was received with musical honours, said that the Auxiliary Royal aval Sick Berth Reserve was the outcome of th e ac tu a l volunteering Clf a large numb e r of men of the brigade who had expressed their willingn ess to give their services to the sick and wounded in times of ational emergency, and declared mantllne war. The Admiralty looked to the future and did not want to form a reserve of first aid men when an enemy was on th ei r shores, but tried to be prepared for emergency. Now with that object they had asked men to come forward and volunteer. Th e co untry o\\ed a deep debt of gratitude to those men, because th ey were now able to go to Parliament and say that they had 500 men who had volunteered to assist the sick and wounded in time of emergency.

Chief Surgeon L. W. Dryland, on behalf of the Kettering members of the Naval Sick Berth Reserve, then presented Dr. Preston with an enlarged photograph of

members of the Naval Reserve. The gift was suitably acknowledged by the recipient.

Other toa.sts followed and a very choice selection of vocal and instrumental music was given during the evening.

LrNcOLN.-Tbe fourtb annual dinner of this corps took place on February 27th, at the Drill Hall, a large company was present, and the Mayor (Mr. A. C. Newsum) occupied the chair.

The loyal toasts having been duly honoured, Councillor White, in an eloqnent speech, proposed the Lincoln Corps S.J.A.B. The Corps had fully justified its existence, and it was a happy idea to hold a dinner. It gave them an opportunity of bringing their work more prominently before the citizens. They were proud of their ambulance corps and appreciative of the good work it was doing in the city.

Chief Surgeon Lambert, in responding, referred to the needs of the corps, especially were they in need of a horse ambulance or motor ambulance, but they could get a horse-drawn vehicle for about £150 or £r60. They also wanted ambulance stations which they would undertake to fit up with the necessary appliances. Of course this could not be done without money. Each station would cost at least £5 to fit up. He also thought the men wanted a little encouragement to induce them to attain even higher efficiency. If they had a challenge cup it would be an incentive to do this. In conclusion, he expressed the thanks of the corps for the kind way in which their services had been alluded to.

The Mayor, in the course of a few remarks, said he thought he ought to take up the gauntlet thrown down by Dr. Lambert. He could not afford a motor or horse ambulance, but he could rise to a cup, and he should bave pleasure in giving one.

Other speakers, including Alderman Cottingham, spoke of the good work done by the corps. The latter stating that he felt sure the Watch Committee would provide the necessary equipment for the outlying stations. A capital programme of music was submitted during the evenlt1g.

MANSFlELD.-In connection with this branch a most successful social was held in the Rosemary-lane Schools on Friday, February 9th. His Worship the Mayor (Councillor \Y. Singleton) presided. A most enjoyable programme had been arranged which included songs, recitations and dancing. During the evening the Mayoress presented to the successful students of the last classes. In the course of a brief speech his Worship expressed his pleasure at being present and stated how glad he was to know that they had had such a successful season and stated he trusted that it might prove an incentive to others to join next year and make it even a greater success.

Dr. Wordsworth (lecturer) proposed a hearty vote of thanks to. the Mayor and Mayoress for their presence there evenIng, and hoped that as the Mayor had said, that thiS was the forerunner of even greater successes. To his mind there was no nobler mission for men or women than to know how to render aid in case of pain and suffering.

The vote was carried with acclamation. The company which numbered about eighty separated at 1.3 0 a.m.

No. 11. Dr s TRlcT.-A meeting of Kentish ofucers of the S.J.A.E. was held on the 15th February, at the West End Restaurant, when representatives from Ashford Boughton, Canterbury, Doddington, Faversham,

AI D.- March, 1906.

stone, Greenstreet, Ramsgate, Sittingbourne and Westgateon-Sea were present. Chief Surgeon and Chief Supt. C. Cotton was voted to the chair.

The Chairman stated that the meeting was the outcome of a suggestion made by the Deputy Commissioner that an effort should be made to raise a fund for providing a challenge trophy for annual competition amongst the various units in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, a similar movement being on foot in other parts of the district, which, as they knew, was a very large one, and it was intended that the winners of the various groups should meet for a final test in London, the day before the competition for the Dewar Shield, and the winning team from the several groups should represent the district in that competition.

After some discussion it was resolved" That an appeal be made for subscriptions to provide an ambulance trophy for annual competition between the various corps and divisions in the counties of Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and that the competition should be held on the same lines as those laid down for the conduct of the competition for the Dewar Shield."

The Chairman reported that it was intended to hold a camp of instruction for No. II. district during Whitsun week in the neighbourhood of Oxford, and that the Deputy Commissioner was desirous that as many officers and men should be present as could make it convenient to attend. The general feeling, however, was that Whitsuntide was not a convenient time for most of the Kent divisions.

The subject of combined drills was also discussed, and it was resolved" That a combined drill and field day be held at Canterbury, either on Easter Monday or the Saturday following, and that the Hon. Secretary advise all divisions, and ask for a return on or before March 6th, stating which day would be most suitable, and giving an approximate number as to how many members would be likel y to attend."

A vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding concluded the business.

The officers subsequently dined together when the following toasts were honoured :-" The King," "The Grand Prior, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the members of the Royal Family," "The S.J.A.E." and "The Chairman."

OLNEY.-The annual supper in connection with the Division took place on Tuesday evening, February 24th, at the Bull Hotel. Mr. J. W. Mann presided and was supported by Deputy Inspector-General Preston, M.D., R.N., the officers of the Division and a large number of those interested in the movement. After the loyal toasts had been duly honoured, the Rev. Roberts proposed the toast of the Division in felicitous terms.

Hon. Surgeon Grindon, in replying, expressed the pleasure that the Division felt at being honoured by the presence of the Deputy Inspector-General. The members of the Division had recently gone through a stiff examination, but he was quite satisfied with the percentage which had passed, although he must say that the examiner based his questions upon the Navy book instead of the usual ambulance book which he used.

Supt. Knight, who also responded, drew attention to the lack of support accorded to the Division by the County Council, and pointed out the necessity which existed for permanent headquarters such as they had at Wellingborough.

Mr. Cooper proposed the health of Deputy Inspector General Preston, and mentioned the of the

March, 1906 -FIRST

Division to him for the great assistance he had rendered to them.

Inspector General Preston, in the course 0.[ a most interesting speech, referred to the work of the Sick Berth Reserve. The Admiralty would always be prepared to help them in respect of members who volunteered for the auxiliary branch. All they had to do t<;> go through a course of training in a hospital. TheIr rallway fare was paid there and back, the expense their lodging defrayed and they received a certam sum per day 10 addition. When that work was done they secured another certificate, and they would get a higher. rate of pay an? a more ornamental uniform. Men were gomg from Kettenng, Rothwell and Pytchley for training this year and would probably be sent to Plymouth Hospital. Since he last saw them at Olney, he had travelled far and seen some large Divisions, but he had not yet found a. body of men who did their practical work as well as they did, and he told the large Divisions he visited so. He they take a high place with the bes.t 10 LancashIre and Yorkshire. Before resumlt1g hIS seat the Doctor presented certificates to several of the members. Other

AID. -

were appointed a committee to arrange it. It was decided to hold a week-end camp this summer, and the Supt. said that he would have a suggestion to make at the time of the supper on this subject. After a ballot, the members unanimously a.greed to nominate Sergt. H. Wilson, to the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the District, for appointment as inspector of stores.

The annual general meeting of the members of the S.J. A.B. Shooting Club was held immediately afterwards, with the same Chairman. Corporal Chas. Tanswell (hon. secretary and treasurer) read the balance-sheet, which showed that there was a balance in hand, and he was thanked for his services and re-elected, and also elected captain of the team. A strong committee was .also elected, and various arrangements made for the remamder of the season.

The report showed that the club was '.yell supported by the members and that they were having a very successful season. It was decided that the club should be open in future to all holders of S.J.A.A. certificates and those going through the classes, as well as to the members of

A MILITARY MOTOR AMBULANCK WAGON.

toasts followed and a well-arranged musical programme was given the company dispersing about I I o'clook.

SIIREW SBURY. - The annual general meeting of this Division took place at the Priory Stl:etcher Slation, on Friday evening, February 23rd. Capl::t1l1 Arthur Southam, superintendent, was in the chair, and was by Hon. Surgeon Lytle, First Officer P. F. fllnmlS (hon. secretary and hon. treasurer) and some forty The First Officer presented the balance sheet, which was of a satisfactory nature, and it was read ar:d passed, together with a hearty vote to FIrSt Officer Timmis for his services to tl1e DIVISIOn.

A vote of thanks was passed to the of the Church Lads' Brigade for allowmg. the Division the free use of the c.L.E. drIll -room on Fndays for the last six months as an experiment, and it was unanimously agreed to offer the trustees a sun: for the regular hirt of the room on The SuperIntendent stated that the drills or pracnces would take. r:>lace fortnighLly, with shooting matches, boxing competitIOns, &c., on the alternate Fridays, and he also undertook to arrange for a series of lectures by the Hor:orary Surgeons. It was decided to hold the annual supper 111 March,. the "Priory," and the }'irst Officer and Pte. A. E. ,VIllJams

the Division. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded two most enthusiastic meetings.

A Military Motor Ambulance Wagon.

By the courtesy of Tlte ll£otor N ews w.e are .enabled to present our readers with an IllustratIOn ?f the new Military Motor Ambulance, which has been bu.Ilt to the order of the United States Army. Beyond ItS lengthened base it is an ordinary standard pattern J 8 h. p. car. It has met with warm approval from the officers of U.S. War Department.

.--.------

Owin cr to tl'e pressure on our space nlOnth we ale pelled to hold over interesting reports. from Birmin ham Corps (S.J.A.B. ), the FIre nga 0 .' and and the report of the South-Eastern Dlstllct ( .F.B.U. )

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERT ISERS PLEASE MENTION 'FIRST AID II

Brevities.

DJSTRICT Chief Supt. Audland, in the course of a capital lecture, which he delivered recently to the members of the Northampton Corps S.J.AB., on "Sanitation or Hygiene," said that the great object was to get the to properly recognise the importance of good health, so that some of the preventable diseases might be stamped out. It was now a well-known fact that the man who carried out the hygienic laws did not suffer from disease so severely as the tired man, who lived in a bad atmosphere, drank too much, or drank bad liquor. The lecturer did not believe in absolute teetotalism-he was inclined to call it intemperate temperance. He believed that alcohol, when taken in certain forms, did not do any harm. Drink good liquor at the right time (said the lecturer), and not too much of it. He was oldfashioned enough to believe that good beer, the national beverage, when drank at mealtimes, would do them more good than harm. The leclurer went on to speak of diseases prevalent in the 15th, 16th, and I'lth centuries, but which through better samtation did not recur. In London, two hundred years ago, he pointed out, the death rate was 80 per 1,000; in 1903 it was 15'7. Even now, however, one-third of the deaths were caused by preventable, diseases, which meant that 250,000 deaths might have been prevented.

The lecture was interesting from start to finish, and we are sorry that our columns are not sufficiently elastic to admit of our printing it in extenso. *

WI;; think it is always a matter for regret when an officer of any organisation, taking advantage of a public dinner or similar gathering, indulges in adverse criticism of the organisation to which he belongs. In the presence of strangers, moreover, it is bad form and not calculated to impress them with a good opinion of a body which has in its ranks members who, resenting the actions of the higher authorities, endeavour to belittle or publicly censure those to whom he professedly owes allegiance.

We are led to make these remarks from tbe perusal of a speecb made by one of the speakers at the annual dinner of the Bcxhill Division.

Into the cause of the trouble which led up to the display of bad taste we do not desire to enler, but we protest that the occasion wa.s neither the time, nor was a public dinner the place to air those grievances. We are not going to assert that the whole of propaganda at St. John's Gate is perfect; we should like to find the organisation which bas a perfect system. But it must not be forgotten that the autborities have to conduct ani control an organisation of some thousands of men and women distributed all over all parts of the country, many of whom may have all sorts of local prejudices against the rules and regulations framed for their governance. Under tbe circumstances it must be a difficul t matter to dis-

AID. - March, 1906.

cnmmate as to how far local option may be permitted; thus it may sometimes happen that when certain local suggestions are met with a firm negative-as doubtless they sometimes are-individuals who chafe at discipline, and prefer the old free and easy system that was allowed to exist prior to tbe formation of the brigade as a separate department, will not accept tbe decision and are continually carping about this rule and that regulation and finding fault generally with the system as a whole, rather than endeavouring by judicious action to make the best of things, trusting to an opportune time occurring when it may be possible for the power that be to reconsider, and possibly grant their request.

* * *

FOR our part we by no means welcome the advent of the authorities at Spring Gardens into the arena of ambulance instruction. This body has proved its incapacity in almost every venture that it has taken up, and it would indeed be a matter for regret if the splendid organisation which the Order of St. John has so thoroughly organised, and which, with but few exceptions, has the confidence of every mem ber of the medical profession, should be placed in jeopardy by being subjected to the whims and caprices of the group of faddists who profess to act in the interestssave the mark-of the citizens of London.

* **

WHILE on this subject, we would appeal to the authorities at St. John's Gate to exercise the greatest patience with the units forming their organisation. Local prejudices are tough customers to tackle, and every sympathy should be shown in dealing with them; that it is not impossible to meet them in an equitable manner is shown by the splendid result which has followed the reconciliation between th:; Birmingham corps, admittedly now one of the finest in the brigade; or coming down to a more recent period-the case of Bristol-where the result of the fusion between the City of Bristol Corps S.J.AB. and the Bristol Marine Corps has given that city an organisation of ambulance workers second to none in the country. We trust, indeed, that the time is not far distant when other units which have seceded will reconsider their position, and realising that the St. John organisation is now regarded as our National Association, will abandon their attitude of isolation, and return to their old allegiance, and thereby assist to make the organisation wh8.t it should be and may be made, second to none in the world. After all, if sentiment counts for anything, and it does with most of us, it is certainly more desirable to form part of an organisation which traces its origin back to the time of the Crusades, and has for a Sovereign Head the beloved Monarch who rules over our Empire, than to form part of a local body whose existence is not acknowledged outside the jurisdiction of its own local municipality.

SPEAKING at :Southampton recently, Col. Twiss, R.AM.C., said his three years' experience in :::iouth Africa

March, 19°6. -FIRST had taught him the necessity of strengthening our R.A.M.C., and his object in endeavouring to work up these St. John ambulance classes was because he believed that every man and woman in the kingdom should have a knowledge of am bulance work, so as to be able if necessity demanded it, to go to the seat of war, and help in the work of nursing the sick soldiers. This town of Southampton ougbt in the event of a big war to be able to send out a properly qualified ambulance to relieve tbe R.A.M.C. But, however, willing they might be, it was no use to send men out unless they were properly trained. Lord Roberts was at the present time im pressing upon the country the fact tbat every man should be able to ride and shoot, and he (the speaker) held that it was equally the duty of every man, when the fight was over, to possess the knowledge necessary to look after his sick and wounded comrades.

Messrs. Wilson & Stockall's Motor Ambulance.

THERE is not the slightest doubt that motor traction for the Ambulance and Fire Services is now becoming

nurses and other attendants. Its running is very smooth with scarcely any. vibration, it climbs the hills easily and, to quote the verdict of an authority on ambulance traction "it is a pronounced success."

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN. Pro utili/ate hominum.

COMPILED BY C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Continued from page I I5).

So that there should be no doubt whatever as to the ultimate issue, he landed no fewer than 100,000 troops ann 60,000 pioneers.

An envoy was sent by the Governor of Lycia, a province in the neighbourhood of the Isle of Rhodes, to negotiate about the release of the prisoners in the hands of the Turks, and to treat for their liberty.

There were, however, suspicions that this envoy's voyage was only a pretext invented by Mahomet to get an

recognised as the method of the future. Messrs. and Stockall, the well-known am bulance and carnage builders have recently exhibited at the Manchester Motor it was one of the principal attractionsan ambulance carriage mounted on a 12-14 b.p. motor chassis.

The carriage, which has met with universal approval, is of handsome and WIll convey two patients in a recumbent pOSitIOn, and has also seats for

opportunity tor a person to view the fortifications of Rhodes.

The Infidel commander, whose cruelty had no restramt but what arose from his avarice, had actually a great many Christians and suujects of the Order in his prisons, as he lost some or other of them every day by the seventy and miseries of the slavery they endured; he contrary to the custom of his nation, to treat for thelr rlI?erty.

The Grand Master, eager to recover these h nlghts,

-FIRST

and desirous to enter into negotiation to procure the liberty of his brother Knights, smoothed every difficulty, Besides the sums necessary for the ransom of the slaves, which he contributed out of his own purse, the negotiator, when he brought the Knights back, his recomp e nse was not forgotten. The Grand Master embraced them one after another. Never did a tender mother, who, after a long absence, sees her only son in her anns again, discover more sensible demonstrations of joy.

The Knights on their side kissed his hands, bathed them with their t ears, embraced his feet, and by those mute tr anspo rts, which nevertheless affect the heart the most sensible manner, endeavoured to express thell' acknowlegments.

They called him their fath er and their saviour. The Grand Master declined these titles with great modesty.

"Tis to the Order, my children, said he to them, that you owe these expressio ns of your and I hope you will make it an ample return by exertmg your ordmary valour against the enterprises of Mahomet, who daily threatens us with a siege."

He had received advices to this purpose from several quarters; and in order not to be taken unprepared, stored the magazines with ammunition and provisions; and the Isle of Rhodes not having a sufficient number of Knights for its defence, he called a general chapter, and in the summons directed to the Grand Priors, he ordered all the Knights to repair immediately to Rhodes with their arms, and in an equipage suitable to their profession. The original copy of this summons is still preserved in the of Malta, and it will doubtless interest the reader to see an ex tract. *

Mv DEAR BRETHREN,

" In the midst of the greatest dangers with which Rhodes is thre a tened, we have thou ght that no succour was more to be depended on than a general summons and a speedy assembly of all our brethren. The enemy is at our gates; the proud Mahomet sets no bounds to his ambitious projects; his power becomes more formidable eyery day; he has an innumerable multitude of soldiers, excellent captains, and immense trea sures; all this is designed against us; he is bent upon our destruction; I have the most ce rtain a dvices of it, His troops are already in motion; the nei ghbouring provin ces are filled with tbem; they are all filmg down towards Caria and Ly cia; a prodigious number of vessels and galley'S wait only for the Spring and the return of fine weather to pass into our island. What do we walt for? Can you be insensible that fo reig n SllCCOurS, which are generally very weak, and always un certain, are at a distance from us? We have no resource but in our own valour, and we are ruined if we do not save ourselves. The solemn vows that ye have made, my brethren, oblige you to quit all to obey our orders, 'Tis in virtue of those holy promises, made to the God of Heaven before H is Altar, that I now summon you. Return without losing a moment into our dominions, or rather into your own; hasten with equal zeal and courage to the succour of the Order. 'Tis your mother that calls to you; 'tis a tender mother that has nursed and brought you up in her bosom that is now in danger. Is it possible there should be found one single Knight unnatural enough to abandon her to the fury of the barbarians? No, my b rethren, I have no apprehensions of the kind. Sentiments so mean and impious are not at all a g reeable to the nobleness of your extraction, and are still more inconsistent with the piety and valour that you profess. "

This summons, dispersed all over Europe, raised the zeal a nd ardour of the Knights, They all set eagerly about preparing their equipages. To raise money with greater expedition, they sold their household goods, and let their homest eads at very low rates and hastily took measures for

* "The or the Knights II ospila ll e rs o[ S1. J ohn of J erusa em." Translated [rom th e French o[ L'Abbc D e\'er tot, 1757.

A 10.- March, 1906.

setting out, but the thing all stood most in fear of, was that of not arriving soon enough at Rhodes. Some of the Sovereigns, seeing their zeal, sent several kinds of succour to them. Mahomet hearing of these preparations, ordered two Turkish princes to send the Grand Master a letter full of expressions of esteem for his person, and for all the Knights of the Order. The princes concluded it with inviting him to make a solid peace with his highness, for which they offered their mediation and credit at th e Porte.

The letter was sent by a renegade Greek, and was used by him for the purpose to lull him into a false security so as to take his own advantage of it. But the Grand Master having had advice as to the design, he employed it against Mahomet -t he ve ry artifice he made use of to deceive him. He very prudently dissembled his knowledge of

March, 1906. -FIRST

During these several negotiations, a great nu m ber of Kl1Ights from all parts of Christendom arrived at Rhodes: but as they were still expecting a greater number the Chapter was prorogued, and the Grand Master opened it. " Generous Knights," said he to them, "an occasion has at last presented itself for you to show your zeal and courage the ene.mies of the faith. In this holy war, Jesus Chnst Himself Will be your leader, He will never, my brethren, abandon such as fight in His service. In vain does Maho.met, that impious prince, who acknowledges no deity but hIS own power, brag that he will extirpate our Order. If he hath more numerous troops than we, they are composed only of a vile set of slaves, whom they are forc e d to drag into dangers, and that expose themselves death on.1y to avoid a death which they are threatened by their officers. Whereas I see none in your illustnous body but gentlemen of noble birth e ducated in resolute either to vanquish or and whose pIety and valour are certain pledges of victory.))

The Knights that compos e d the assembly made no answe:- to this moving dis co urse than by declaring their resolutIOn to shed the last drop of their blood in defence of the Order, and that the service might not suffer or be retarded through the diversity of the commanding officers and the slowness of counsels. The whole Chapter begged the Grand Master to tak e upon himself alone the command of the forces and administration of the r eve nu e and to exercise both with an absolute authority. This a s?rt of. which they thought fit to Invest him wIth, tlll such tllne as th e storm which Mahomet threatened the Order with had blown over. He then making the necessary preparations; after appoll1tll1g hIS generals and officers, and assigned to them their va.rious positions, seeing to th e fortifications, and eve ry precautIon was taken to resist attack.

'Twas not till the latter end of April that the main fleet of the Infidels s e t sail from Gallipoli, passed the H e ll es pont, e ntered the ri,-e r of Ly cia , and came in sight of the Isle of Rhodes. The guard posted on the top of Mount St. Stephen made the signal to give notice that it was in sight. The Grand Master hastened thither immediately with the princip a l sea officers, who judged by its working that it was going to the port of Phisco, ther e to t a ke on board the troops that were in adjacent parts.

The event showed that his conjecture was just and well founded, for 'twas in this port that the em barkation was made. They reckoned in this fleet an hundred and sixty vess e ls with high decks, besides numerous others, incl uding flat bottomed vesse ls and transports; and spoke of the land forces as making at least an hundred thousand men. This formidable armada arrived at last before Rhodes on May 23rd, 1480.

(To be contl'lllled.)

SHREWSBURY.- Th e Shrewsbury Amateur Dramatic Clu b gave a performance at the New Theatre on February 27th, in aid of the funds of the local division, when "Liberty Hail" was presented to a splendid house.

CAMBRIAN. - Ambulance work on this railway is more act!ve ever after a temporary lull on the Coast Section sll1gularly enough to the Welsh Revival, which dIverted the attention of the men during its active continuan ce

G. E. R. -:- The annual am bulance competitions on this Railway, whIch was, as our readers know, the pioneer railway. to. take up work, are now in progress. Th e prehmlnary rounds WIll be held on the 20th 21St and 22nd inst at Ipswich and March The final stage WIll will be held at the G.E.R Mechanic's Inst!tute, Stratford, during the afternoon of April loth. This Will be followed by a public meeting in the evening at the T?wn Hall, Stratford, ,,,hen the challenge cup and prizes wtll. be presented. Lord Claude J. Hamilton, the popular chaIrman of the Company, has kindly consented to preside. The presentation of prizes will be followed by a co ncert. Twenty-eigh t teams have e nter ed for the competition.

G.W.R-The" sectional" competition for the Read ing district took place at Reading, on Wednesday, February 21st, with the following results :-For stretcher work, &c.-Oxford No. I, first prize, 246 marks: Oxford No.2, second prize, I79; Reading, third prize, 126. The prizes for the best indi"idual work were awarded to F. Warr en, Ij J. Wh eele r, 2; E. Keefe, 3; all mem bers o f the Oxford teams.

L. & N. W. RY.- The annual ambulance competitIOn, open to L. & N W. railway teams in the Birmingham and South Staffordshire districts, took place at the Temp erance Hall, Walsall, on March 2nd. Mr. T. Mitchelhill, Wolverhampton, presided, and Drs. Partridge (Darlaston), and Taylor (Brierley Hill), acted as jud ges Wolverhampton were declared winners, with Aston Lo co second, and Monum e nt Lane third. The winners compete in the final at Manchester in t he competition open to the whole system

The annual competitions in connection with the northwestern district of this railway were held on March 7th, at Stockport. The winners were :-1, Buxton, 406t; 2, Hull , 39 6 t; 3, Le es, 335; 4, L eeds 334; 5, Stalybridge, 3 1 7 6, Oldh am, 293; 7, Copley Hill, 251; 8, Farnley and Wortle y, 21 9, Saddleworth, 20Ig,

(From Caoursin's History printed at Ulin, 1496).

KZ'1Zdly lmt by H. f/v. Fz"nclz({7II, Esq.

it, and sent word by the Greek that he should be greatly pleas e d if he could come to a solid p eace with the Grand Seignior. Thus the negotiations were carried on for a lengthened period. All the time the Grand Master was hastening his preparations, and only want e d time for the free passages for the Knights, who were at a distance, to repair to Rhodes.

Prior to the play certificates were presented by the Mayor, who also spoke a few words in commendation of the work ()f the brigade. Alluding to the provision of am bulance boxes about the town, his Worship said, from his personal observation, they had already proved of great service. The play, which was well acted throughout, was enjoyed by the large audience present. The incidental music was played by the theatre orchestra, under the leadership of Mr. Page, and the wigs and make-up were kindly given by Mr. Bowdler.

The annual distlict competition between teams in the Lancaster and Carlisle district of this Railway, took place rec e ntly and resulted as follows :- ISt, Kendal, 424; 2nd, Carlisle, 407; 3rd, Morecambe, 359 ; Carnforth, 30 9 Tebay, 275 ; Lancaster, 256; and Penrith, 236. The Kendal team will compete with the winners in the other districts in the final contest at Belle Vue, Manchester, for the challenge shield offered by the Company.

L. & Y. R - The final competition for the ambulance shield, given by the Directors of this Railway, took place at the Memorial Hall, Manch es ter. Surgeon-Major Darwin was the judg e The result was as follows :- North Mersey

TIlE SEIGE OF RHODES, 1480.

-FIRST

(Liverpool), Howick, 2 ; Southl?ort, 3; Fleetm.oor, 4 ; Manchester (Victoria), 5; Knottlngley (Yo.rkshlre), 6. The winning team will represent the Company In Inter Railway Competition for the Railway Ambulance ShIeld.

MIDLAND.-The members of the West Hampstead corps gave a display concert on Monday, February 6th, in St. Cuthbert's Hall, Fordwych-road, before a large and interested audience. Mr. H. B. Kingham presided, and was supported by Messrs D. Roberts, president, and G. Soper, vice-president of the corps. The programme. was a most enjoyable one. Members of the corps gave displays of cut throat, lift and work, all of which were smartly carned out. DUrIng the evening George York presented the annual report, This drew attention to the competitIOn for the cup and silver medals, held on May 27th last, which the corps we re successful in winning, against five other teams. Several cases of accidents had been attended by members, one of whom (Mr. F T. Parsons) had won the silver medal and certificate from the Company. In a short address, the Chairman spoke of the good work done by. first aid Mr. Roberts, who is the London Outdoor SuperIntendent of the Company, said he was very proud of the team, as it represented his own dep ar tment. The Midland Railway had the greatest p e rcentage (13 per cent.) of first aid efficients amongst their staff. Votes of thahks to the Chairman and artists were passed.

A smoking concert in connection with the Goods Department Ambulance Corps of this Railway, was held on March loth, at the Rawson Square Hotel, Bradford, Mr. C: Carr, manager of the department, presiding. In the course of the evening the chairman presented certificates, badges and to the successful students at the recent class. Dr. Vaughan Bateson, who WaS hon. lecturer to the class, was presented with a handsome silver case. Dr. Bateson, who is deservedly popular amongst all classes in Bradford, especially amongst those inlerf'sted in am bulance work, made one of his usual ch a racteristic and happy replies, in which there was a complete absence of side which marks the speech of some people. The concert which followed proved very enjoyable.

The annual report of the Ambulance Committee of this Railway is of a most satisfactory character and has been compiled wit h great care By it we learn that there are 8,68 [ men in th e Company's service fully competent to rend e r first aid, which r ep resents an increase of 369 men over last year's return, and a perce ntage of 13'09 of the total staff of the Company There is also a tabulat e d statem e nt showing the number of men who hav e been awarded go ld or s ilve r mf'dals, or certificates for conspicuous first aid rendered whilst in the discharge of their duties.

N.E.R. CENTRE.-The memb e rs of the accountants' department class, Newcastle, met at the Continental Resturant on the 15th ult. for the purpose of receiving their certificates, &c. Yfr. J. Layton presided, and Mr. R. T. Swinburne (accountant) presented the certificates, and urged the class to continue the principles of "nrst aid," and expressed his pleasure at being in the possession of such a practical class in his d ep artment. Mr. Hollings (district secretary), on be half of the class, handed to Dr. T. O. Scott, their lec tur e r, a se t of surgical instruments.

The Hull district of the Centre held held their annual competition on the 24th ult., when Drs. W. Gray and A. E. T. Jack, of West Hartlepool, were judges, and their decision was as follows :- Hull Goods, 369; Market Wrighton, 30 7;

AID.-

March, 1906.

Pockington, 236 ; Hull Railway, 22 I, and Hull Dockyard, 18 5. Leeds district held theirs at Harrogate on the 3rd inst., when Dr. E. J. Burnett Saltburn Dr. M. Caldwell, Brotton, were judges, and they deCided as foll ows :Leeds No. I, 367 ; Leeds No.2, 347.: Cross Gates, 283; Leeds Joint, 251; YIasham, 231; Ripon, 22( 2J9; Leeds Loco., 161. Before a large and.l ence of officers, friends of the compet itors , Mr. Noble (D1St. Supt.) handed to the winning team the handsome shIeld just obtained by the district, which bears the arms of the N.E.R, the S.].A.A., and a typical railway scene in the centre, and across the top on a three-roll an extract from the letter which was sent by the Rlgbt Hon. J. L. Wharton (Chairman of the Company), enclosing his subscription, "No better competition can there be than to be first in savinO' life and diminishing suffe ring." The teams, general and district secretaries for th ei r arrangements were thanked in speeches by Mr. Noble, Mr A. C. Stamer (Dist. Loco. Supt.), Mr. E. H. Hilary (G.N.R), and the Mayor of Harrogate.

The York district held theirs on the roth mst., when Drs. D. L. Fisher and H. C. Pearson, of Darlington, were judges, and they declared the winners :-York Carriage Shops, 146 York Sack Dept., 123; Seeby, 106; York Carriage Shops No.2, 80; and MalLon , 64. Mr. H. A. Watson (General Supt.) handed to the winners the hand some shield, which appeared in our columns last and expressed the hope that they might still go on wll111lng even higher honours than the district trophy: :rhe excele nt arrangements of the general and districts were acknowledged by a vote of thanks on the proposition of Mr. F. Penty.

On the rth inst. the Middlesbrou gh district held their competition at Saltburn, when Drs. W. II. Manners and Fox, Blyth, decided as follows :-W es t Hartl e pool No. 2, 266 'V es t Hartlepool No. 231; Har tlepoo l, 228; Heselden, 2 17; Stockton No.2, 214; BrNton, 2 [I and Stockton No. I, 186.

The competition in conne ct ion with tile Darlington distri c t was held in the Ambulance Hall, Shildon, on February 25th. The judges we re Drs. Pickersgill and Burman, and the examinations in the various t ests occupied about three hou:s. Four t eams faced the judges-Darlington North-road Traffic, Darlin gto n Bank Top Loco, and Shildon No. I & 2 The maximum numb e r of marks to be obtained was 500, and t he teams finish e d in the followin g order :- lst, North -road Traffi c , 377; 2nd, Bank Top Lo co , 354; 3rd, Shildon No. J, 342 ; 4th, Shlidon No.2, 338.

The winning team in eac h district will m ee t at Yo:k on April 7th to select the team to represent th e Centre 111 the National Comp e tition in London.

NEWP ORT (MON.). - W e understand that the same team that succeeded in winning the Railway Ambulance Challenge Shield last yeal will again compete. That they intend to make a strong effo rt to retain their spoils

S.E. & c. R- The annua l competltlOn for the chal· lenge cups and prizes presented by the Directors of t.his Company, will take place at Camberwell New-road StatIOn on the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd of this month. It will be within the recollection of our readers that we gave detai ls in our previous issue of the novel sc hem e which has been adopted by this Company in connection with the ambulance work throughout the system, whereby beginners stand an equal chance with the older and more experienced

March, 1906.

-FIRST

members of winning a prize in the competition. Apparently the football leagues have been taken as a basis of the princip le to be worked upon, and to judge by the number of teams which have entered the competition this yea r (forty) it would seem that th e line adopted has proved very popular. We know of no other railway of the mileage of th e SouthEast e rn and Chatham that can boast of sucb a numb e r of entries, and it speaks well for the way in which the am bulance work on this system is encouraged by the officers and directors of the Company.

Reviews,

THE B.II. CYCLE AMBULANCE.

A GOOD cycle ambulance has lon g been wanted but although frequent attempts have been made to adapt the cycle to ambulance requirements, hitherto no ma chine which could be relied upon has been placed upon the market. The "B. H."

AI D.-

wo riders. I is important to note, however, that whilst both can pedal only one can steer, one of the handle bars being a fixture; so th at whilst one rider is steering the hands of the other are free to render first aid or supply nouri s nment to the pati ent if necessary. The stre tcher, which is fitted with telesco p ic handles, is eas ily removable from the carriage The whole is strong ly made, and in appearance resembles a high class make of velocipede. There is nothing to ge t out of order and the fir st cost is practically the only cost. It can be pel led, If necessary, at great speed, is easily steered, and affords perfe c t safety to both riders and patient alike. The parts are so carefully halan ced and arranged that the centre of gravity is low down, and when in motion the ambulance rides with great steadiness, and there is no vibration.

The price of the ma chine, fitted co mplete, is thirty-five guineas, and it may be in spec ted at, an d further parti culars obtained from the B.H. Cycle Ambulance Company (E rnest and Frank Beattie, sole proprietors), 75, Princess-street, Manchester.

FIRST AID TO THE SICK AND INJURED.

\NE have received from the publishers, Messrs. Wright and Co ., Bristol, a copy of a new edition of th is valuable little text book. We ba ve before fully reviewed it, and we can only repeat that we regard It as undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive text books yet issued, and that this is the view taken of it by the Editor of the British Medi cal j ournal is borne out by the reply given to a correspondent, to whom he re comme nded it "as especially valuable to lecturers, as it is fuller and mo re advanced than either of the others. " To those of our read ers who have 110t yet got a copy on their bookshelf, we recomr: end them to repa ir the omission.

"RED CROSS" FIRST AID REQUISITES.

FROM Messrs. Cuxson, Gerrard & Co., Ltd., of Crownbuildings, Corporation-street, Birmingham, we have received a copy of their Catalogue and Price L ist. It is well illustrated, and has evidently been compiled in a most careful manner, with a view to enable "first aiders" to obtain a good idea of the various case s and cabinets issued by the firm. These have been arranged in a way that suggests an accurate knowledge of the re quire ments of" first aiders," and at prices which should certainly lead to their complete adoption in fa ctories and other large establishments where accidents are offrequent OCCurrence. I n each cabinet the dressings and appliances are so arranged that they may all be said to to hand, and .a feature in this firm's method of dealll1g With thiS class of bUSIness is that" refills " are always kept in stock, and can be supplied at very short noti ce. Vve would suggest to our readers that they should write to Messrs. Cuxson, Gerr:ud & Co. one of their pri ce lists, and we .feel that a perusal of. ItS pages will prove of interest, espeCially It they are contemplatll1g the purchase of an ambulance cabinet, or even a "l\lidget" po cket case, their wants will be equally well catered fo.r

THE "VANGUARD" HA D CHEMICAL FIRE E1 GINE.

Ambulance Cycle, of which we give ;J,n ill ustration, is, we are assured, an undoubtedly reliable machine, and o?e for whi c h we antici p ate a lar ge demand as .soon as l.tS value be co mes more gene rally known. I t IS made m several s tyles, but the more usual design, and the whi ch is we believe recommended by the makers, 1S the one in the picture. I t is in the form of a specially constructed body or frame, mounted on elastic tyred wheels , provided with a scat, handle and pedals for two people, and carrying the stretcher upon.elastlc supports between the

THI S handy little extincteur, which is by tl:e Yorkshire Fire Appliance Company, Low Fold }\1111s, Leeds, IS one of the handie s t and most effiCIent on the market. 'W hen fully cbarged it weighs 30 lbs., and is of 2 l$allons water capaci ty, and the jet will stnke a at ft. Its contents will TOT damage material, and If standll1g Idle for years will NEVER lose their merits of valuable littl:. fire appliance are fully des cr lbed a.handy llt.tle booklet issued by the manufa c turers, entitled FIre Flghtll1g Up-todate. "

From our point of view it co mmends 1tself to us by the that it has received the warm approval of such fighting experts as Col. Fox ( London Salvage Corps ) Chl.ef Officer Scott (B radford ), Chief Officer Monk (L eeds ), Chief Officer

Levy (Rocbester), &c., and it has been installed in a large number of hotels, works and business bouses. We bave had one fixed up in our editorial sanctum, and to ql:ote from tbe

A I D.- March, 1906.

Railway and boat fare, first-class return (London to Milan and Milan to London) £8 j ditto second-class £5 lOS.

Hotel accommodation, including bed, attendance, break fact, lunch and dinner (including wine), 16s. a day from 10 a.m the morning of departure.

Firemen will be lodged free in a public institutionj any desirious of sleeping in an hotel must pay (in advance) 4S. a night.

Firemen will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner at a charge (payable in advance), of 8s. a day.

[P.S.-No allowance can. be m.ade to those not partaking of their meals at the specdied tune and placeJ.

Those intending to take part in this visit must contribute towards the general expenses lOS. 6d., payable at the time of their application.

The N.F.B.U. has selected the following Brigades to send team'S to represent them at Milan; Tonbridge, "C1arnico," Bradford and Lowfold (combined) and Lydd.

The trip should prove a most enjoyab le one, the ::trrangements have all been carefully thought out, and delegates may be assured of a most cordial welcome.

Further particulars, if required, may be obtained of the Hon. Secretary, A. T. Dale, Esq., 46, Cannon-street, London, E.c.

booklet issued by the man ufacturers, "N 0 place of any description where fire can occur sboulc1 be without the , Vanguard.'"

Milan Congress, Competitions and Exhibition 1906.

THI£ Committee which is making the arrangements for the visit of the British contingent to the above, has issued the following "final notice" ;-

In order to make proper arrangements for receptions, &c., and also hotel accommodation, it is necessary that all applications, together with subscriptions, should be sent in at once

The tour from London to Milan and back, starting from London on Saturday, May 26th, arriving back in London on June 5th, will cost £ [6 16s. first class, including hotel accommodation.

The additional tour from and to Milan, including hotel accommodation, will cost £ 10, and return to London June 14th. This tour will comprize the following towns; Genoa, Pisa, Rome, Naples (and Pompeii), Florence, Bologna, Venice. Those desirous of taking this tour must intimate the same at once.

The Congress will be opened in Milan on Monday, May 28th.

The competitions for the foreign contingents will take place on Saturday afternoon, June 2nd.

The official fetes will terminate on Sunday, June 3 rd

The general body of officers and men will leave Charing Cross, London, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 26th.

The general body of officers and men will leave Milan for London on Monday, June 4th, but those desirous of prolonging or extending their stay (and on tour) can do so.

The following tariff will apply, and all charges must be paid on or before May 19th, as tickets will not otherwise be issued.

National Fire Brigades Union.

The Annual General Meeting of the above will be held at the Holborn Restaurant, on Wedesday, March 28th, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There is a lengthy agenda to be gone through, the principal item of which is the notice of motion by Chief Officer Hill (Bedford) ;-

1.-That in view of distinguisned services rendered to the National Fire Brigades' Union whilst a Member of the House of Commons, and especially for the work done in connection with the Select Committee on the Fire Service, Mr. Charles Guy Pym be, under Rnle IO, elected an Honorary Life Member of the Union.

2.-That an Address be presented to Mr. C. Guy Pym expressive of the sincere regard for himself and appreciation of his efforts on behalf of the Fire Service, together with the Medal of an Honorary Life Member of the Union. The proposition is one which we [Ire sure will have the unanimous approval of every member of the Uuion. Mr. Guy Pym has been a most stalwart supporter of the fireman's interests, and we shared the universal regret at his failure to secure re-election. The meeting of the Governors and subscribers to the Widows' and Orphans' Fund will be held at 4 o'clock on the same afternoon.

Owing to His Grace the Duke of Marlborough being unable to take part in the annual dinner this year it has been postponed.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

LONDON FIRE BRIGADE.

It. is to learn. that the London County Councll have sllnphfied the Inspection of metropolitan playhouses and music-halls by making the chief officer of the Fre Brigage responsible for the general survey of the electric lighting installation, heating, and other mechanical arrangements of places of public entertainment under theIr jurisdiction.

One of the London County Councillors. on his return from Paris, having, stated that the London Fire Brigade possessed no flashlights such as are used by their comrades in Paris, a 2,5 00 candle-power automatic light has been ordered by the London Fire Brigade Committee

The recent discussion in Parliament as to the leave allowed to the police has served to draw attention to a similar state of things which exist in the London Fire Brigade. Like the police, firemen are allowecl only one day's leave in fourteen, but in practice even this is not obtainable.

The stations are as a rule manned by an officer, nine firemen, and two drivers, and the London County Council require the horsed escape to answer" calls" with five men, and the steamer with six men, including the drivers, one man. to be left for duty at the station. It is quite impossIble, therefore, for the officers and men to have their regulation leave.

PROVINCIAL FIRE BRIGADES.

EDINBURGII.-Mr. Forrest, convener of the Plans and Works Committee of Edinburgh Town Council, moved at a meeting of the Council, on February 27th the adoption of a recommendation by the committee of the addition of six men on the staff of the I·i'ire Brigade. Firemaster Pordage, had, he said, represented that the present staff of fifty-nine ought to be increased to seventy-eight to make it efficient, but he asked for eleven men, and the committee, after full consideration, agreed to recommend six men.

The proposal was opposed by Treasurer Brown, who commented on the absence of serious fires in Edinburgh, but Mr. Leishman pointed out that this was in reality the highest testimony to their Firemaster's efficiency.

Mr. Mallinson thought they were overdoing the q1lestion of efficiency, and that Firemaster Pordage and the committee were losing their sense of proportion as to the risk from fires in Edinburgh. The Lord Provost supported the motion, which was adopted by twenty-three votes to twelve.

FRIEN BARNET,-A lamentable state of things, says TIle People, in connection with the means at hand to cope with fire was brought to light at a meeting of the District Council. Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum is situated in this

A I D.-

district, it will ?e remembered, a calamitous fire occurred In. 19 03, resultIng in the loss of over fifty lives. the dIsaster the Council decided to form a fire commIttee, but the. still without a brigade or engine. CouncIl s the subject came up for ConslderatLOn. Counctllor Hales, in the course of the debate stated that there was a "fire escape at the Council's offices' but r: o one had. charge of it. At an inspection men obtaIned and 011 cans used, and in about two hours it was got to the front of the offices. The water appliances were tested, and the results were generally good. The fire afterwards brought out, but when put to a house It broke m halves, the wood having perished. The firesheet was found to be as "rotten as a pear." Had the appliances used at a fire, he thought -a trial for manslaughter mIght have followed. In the result it was decided to abandon the fire committee.

SUNDERLAND.-Mr: Scarf, an ex-inspector of polIce, was found dead In hIS armchair on February 21St. Mr: Scarf was 60 years of age, and joined the Sunderland pO!lce when 2'7' He .was l'I?ade sergeant, and appointed chIef of the FIre Bngade, 111 whIch capacity he acted for a number of years. Leaving the Fire Brigade, he became in 18 95 inspector in the West End Division where he remained till he retired in 1899.

TOTTENHAIIJ.-At the Police Court, on February 22nd, a batch of five men- three constables and two firemenwere the recipients of a vellum certificate, a medal and a cheque for a guinea and a half-made by the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.

Dr. Daly (chairman) made the presentation, and it was a most pleasant duty for him to perform. On the 27 th June, I9 0 5, a terrible fire broke out at 393, Green-lanes, Harr.ingay, when three persons were burnt to death and had It not been for the gallant conduct of the men before him, it ,"vas probable that five other inmates would have met a similar fate. He was happy to be able to hand awards to the brave men before him.

W ANSTEAD. - The annual dinner of the Fire Brigade was held at the British Queen, ew ",Vanstead, Councillor Etheridge being in the chair. Ample justice having been done to the good fare provided, the chairman gave the toast of the" King," which was drank with musical honours. In proposing the toast of the evening, "The Wan stead Fire Brigade," the chairman said he was pleased to be among them for he loved the Brigade. When he first went to the Conncil he found that in efficiency the brigade was far from perfect. Now it was second to none m the district, and that it was so was chiefly owing to that good old veteran Captain Miller. As long as be (the chairman) was on the Council he should do all he could for the interests of the brigade.

Captain Miller, in an interesting speech, recounted the good work done by the brigade. They had dealt with six fires, but owing to the promptitude with which the brigade were on the scene the fires were soon dealt with. They had competed in four competitions, and altogether nine prizes had been won by the members in the All England competitions. It was a good record and they deserved every praise. Lieut. Sharpen, who also responded, referred to the high appreciation in which they as firemen held their chairman, and asked his acceptance of a silvermounted ebony stick, subscribed for by the members.

The chairman, who was taken by surprise, expressed his pleasure at the gift, which he should value all his life.

We a?'e in no way responsible for the opinions expressed, or the Jtatements made, by Correspondellts.-EorToRs.

"FIRST AID" COMPETITIONS.

DEAR SIR,-I am in receipt of the grand work you awarded me as First Prize in the NO.2 Competition, and for which I most heartily thank you. It came as a very pleasant surprise, and I' can assure you th at it will stimulate me to future efforts.

should like to add that I have always found FIRST AID most interesting and instructive, and I have never failed to bring its clai ms to the noti ce of my colleagues.

A I D.- March, 1906. situation under that scheme, as I wish to write to them for particulars. Also I should like to know whether you have as yet a special cover for binding FIRST Am. Thanking you for past favo urs. -Yours truly, CORPL. P. W. [App ly to th e Clerk to the Lonclon Council, Spring Carclens. We believe no start will be made until after October. We have no cover as ye t for binding « F.A." - En.]

Coming Events.

Parficulars ofjorthcollli77.f{ events be illse?'ted ill this colullln free 0/ rhar.!,ce, 1/ ?'ece7ved not later titan tlte I 4th of each lIIonth.

Italy.-Fire Brigade and Ambulance Competitions and Congress, Milan, May, 1906. Han. Secretary and Treasurer, A. T. Dale, 44-46, Cannon-street, London, E.C.

I.larrogate.-Yorksbire District, N.F.B.U., August Demonstration. Hon. Secretary, Capt. Roper, Low Fold Fire Brigade, Leeds.

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire

accident, and was th erefore ever on his gun.rd against one; the result being that this extra watchfulness made him a much more reliable and valuable employe."

H. BAKER.

Wishing you and FIRST AID every success, - I remain, yours faithfully, 382, Cooksey-road, Small Heath, Birmingham.

February 24th, 1906.

THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE.

DEAR SIR,-I have been an interested reader of the series of articles, letters and comments which have appeared from time to time in your columns on the need of an ambulance service for London. As a reasoning man and a ratepayer, but neither a faddist or an uncompromising ambulance enthusiast, I venture to utter a decided protest against any scheme which is going to add to the ever-increasing burden which has to be borne by the British ratepayer. To my mind we already have in every large town -nay, I go further, and say, in every town, the nucleus for an efficient ambulance service is the members of our poli ce for ce These men are now fully instructed in ambulance work, and as they are invariably the first ca lled up on when an accident happens, I contend they are the proper persons to undertake the duty of transporting the patient and calling in medical aid, should it be necessary.

Doubtless in Illany cases it might be advisable to provide more efficient and up-to-date appliances, bu t this would not involve a heavy outlay. It cannot be argued that the duties of the police are too onerous to prevent of their undertaking this additional work; in fa ct, in some towns I believe they do already act in this capacity.

Hoping the pOlice system may be the scheme adopted all round.-I remain, your truly,

A LONG-SU FFERING RATEPAYER.

DEAR SIR,- I am a new subscriber to your paper, so kindly pardon me if I transgress any of your rules.

I am writing to you to ask if you can inform me, through your paper, of any ambulance competitions about to be held in any towns or other ambulance centres open to teams not connected with any brigade. We have no brigade here, but a few of us have formed a team, and have been very successful in our district competitions. We are now desirous of finding a wider field to compete in, and if you can inform me of any such compe titions I shall be greatly obliged.-Yours truly, FRANK BLACKWELL.

[We know of no open competitions. Perhaps some of the secretaries of classes can help our correspondent. -En.]

DEAR SIR,-I beg to write and ask you a favour. Can you oblige me by telling me where the headquarters of the new ambulance service for London are, and whom to apply to for a

Edinbttrgh.-The third annual competition for the Scottish Volunteer Ambulance Trophy will be held under the auspices of the Scottish Volunteer Medical Officers' Association in the Queen's Brigade Drill Hall, Forrest-road, on Saturday, May 5th, I 906

Dewsbury.-The :ompetition for tbe Thornes cup and prizes to the value of £7 lOS. takes place on June 16th. Further particulars from Supt. Secretary C. Thomes, 72, Westgate, Dewsbury.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can. Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of In struction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will also send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are inviLed for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the in terest of the J ourna!.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested to state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and giye also the name and address of the sender.

" First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

S J A B

PRIVATE Uniform and Equipment for • • • • Sale, 35s.; condition good as new; height 5 ft. 3 in.-Further particulars may be had of A. E. Betts, 64, Abbey-lane, Higb-street, Stratford, E.

Policy No. 600,093. "FIRST

AlD."

This Coupon=Insurance=Ticket must not be detached.

WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LONDON, E.C., to the legal personal representative of the bond fide holder of this Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel I slands to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. : -

(a) That death result within one month after the accident, (b) that such holder's usual s gnature shall have heen written in ink, in the space provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the he given to the Corporation at its Principal Office in London within fourteen days after its occurrence, (d) that medical certificates and other information be furnished by the person claiming upon request tor the same by the Corporation, and (e) that this Insurance applies only to persons over tweh'e and under seventy years of age, is limited to one Co,:,pon.Insurance.Ticket for each holder, and holds good for the current month of Issue only.

This In su rance entitles the holder to·the benefit of, and is subjec t to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890, " Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incom· patible with the special conditions above stated.

The possession 0/ tltis Coupott-fns,.wancc· Ticket is admitted to be the payment 0/ a prem;,.", under Sec. 33 0/ the A ct. A Print 0./ the A ct can be see" at the Principal OlJice

EDITORIAL.

THE advent of the annual ambulance competitions In connection with our various railways, and the struggle for the privilege of winning the handsome challenge shield, 'ryhich IS the blue ribbon for the railway ambulance men, is a period which is invariably taken advantage of by the directorate and officials of the various Companies to proclaim to the travelling public the steps which they are taking to lessen the risk to life and limb, not only among their own employes, but also amongst those who travel on their line. And it is quite right that they shou ld do so, fur are not quite certain that the public altogether realise the importance of the movement and how materially its extension serves to minimise the risk of railway travelling.

A railway magnate in one of our Colonies the other day stated that "He felt sure from his own experience that a skilled and enthusiastic ambulance man was a more reliable railway servant. The instruction he had gone through not only taught him what to do in the case of emergency, but it led him to realise more thoroughly the resposibility of his position, and inculcated a greater caution in carrying out his daily duties. In fact he knew the serious consequencies which might result from even an apparently trivia

We desire to associate ourselves with these sentiments, as we believe they are absolutely correct, and we only wish that the leading journals of this country would devote some of their space to bringing this knowledge home to the travelling public at large. 'I\Te feel that it is a duty that they owe, not only to the directors of our various railway Companies, who so ungrudgingly support the movement, but also to the men themselves, who, after a hard day's tuil, so unselfishly devote much of their little leisure to learning the lessons of first aid, in order that in the hour of danger they may be competent to render assistance to their suffering fellows. The Order of St. John has done much for this country and for our Colonies in founding the Ambulance Association, which has been the means of saving countless lives; but not the least meritorious action on its part has been the encouragement it has giyen to the extension of ambulance \York upon our railways by presentation of the handsome trophy which will be handed to this year's successful team by H. R. H. Princess Henry of Batten berg, next month.

The Church=Brasier Testimonial.

As our readers are aware the list in connection with this Fund closes this month, and we are sure all hope, as we do, that it will be a large and representative one. Of course, ever since the days of Job, the popular man numbered amongst his circle of friends some, who while outwardly professing towards him feelings of the greatest friendship, have inwardly entertained towards him feelings of quite a different nature.

'IV e are led to make these remarks from a whisper that some carping critics have taken exception to this proposed recognition on the grou.nds that 1\1r. services have already been recognised by the ASSOCIatIOn which he has served so long and faithfully.

That Mr. Brasier's services haye been handsomely recognised we are aware, and Mr. Brasier, himself, has alwa):s admitted this and has expressed to more than one hIS gratitude, but that i7 a from the fund which is nowbemg raised IS qUIte outSIde that. It IS to give personal expression to the of felt for him by men and all walks life who been associated wlth hun Jl1 carrymg out those Ideals to whIch he has during the past twenty-five years d.e\'oted himself.

Let us take an analagous case. A police officer who has

served long and honourably is recognised by the that does not prevent his fellow citizens from showmg theIr appreciation of a who. laboured aI?ongst them for a considerable perIod, and It IS good that It be so. It proves that merit and coupled w.lth kmdly and gentle courtesy are apprecIate? l?

Mr. Brasier celebrates his JubIlee bIrthday year, and he has completed twenty-five yea:s connecti?n with the Ambulance and Fire Brigade Services of His comrades desire to mark, by their apprecIa t Ive gIft, so important an incident in his life, and we th m k there is any single individual who, him and realising how he is esteemed, will begrudge his frIends the pleasure and privilege of doing so.

Lo ndon Ambulanc e Service.

WE return .once more to this now well-worn subject. We had hoped ere this to have seen the initial stages taken for providing an efficient Service even on. a scale, but the latest phase is that the two governIng in this London of ours-proudly dubbed the MetropolIs of the world - are not quite in accord amongst themselves. The city desires to have its own service independent of Spring Gardens, and should it not? On 29 th the question was dIscussed at a meetIng of the CIty Corporation

Alderman Sir Alfred Newton who brought up the report from the Police Committee thought that the Corporation should maintain its own prestige In the matter and not be subjected to the control of the London County Council; the City would labour under great disadvantages if it had to rely upon Greater London.

Mr. Tenten moved that the report be referred back with instructions to the committee to submit a scheme independent of the provision of horses for prison vans and police purposes. He objected to the further taxation of the overburdened ratepayers. Mr. Deputy Ellis seconded the amendment.

Mr. Deputy Wallace declared that the narrow streets of London would militate against the efficiency of horsedambulances. What was wanted was a proper ambulance system with ambulances which were not like those upon which drunken men were taken through the streets. He failed to see the obj e ction to the London County Council entering the City with their ambulance system, any more than that there should be friction because of its control of the Fire Stations or because the Asylums Board entered the City'S boundaries. Mr. Deputy Parnwell complained of the delay in dealing with this question. He hoped the Council would adopt the scheme, it had not been suggested unti l after full consideration, and after hearing the opinions of some of the most eminent medical men in London, who had decided that the hand-litter W3.S not adequate for the needs of a great city. These gentlemen had also expressed their objection to electric or motor traction as they were unsuitable, they having been tried and found wanting. (A voice: that was nine years ago 1) At any rate they had been abandoned in America.

Mr. George Br iggs said the scheme had been choked with red tape.

Alderman Sir Alfred Newton said that the London County Council expected the Corporation to provide its own system, and he hoped that the Council would take that into consideration, as far as money payment was concerned.

AI D.- April, 19 0 6.

The amendment was carried on a D ivision There was then a n n credib le waste of time in public discussion, indeed the business was practically brought to a s tan d still.

Afte r o r der had been restored Mr. Davies described the report as an unworthy attempt to forestall the London County Council.

Mr. Carl Hentschel declared that only a few days since on his own premises, he had seen the need of a horsed ambulance for the removal of injured persons. It was i me that the Corporation was to the front, and he reminded the Court that there was public opinion o u tside that chamber, and that that opinion was tired of the Corporation doing nothing but talk.

After further discussion the Court decided to adopt the principle of providing an am bulance system, leaving it to the discretion of the Police Committee whether it should be by horse traction or by mechanically propelled vehicles.

The Police and Sanitary Committee of the House of Commons under the presidency of Mr. J. Wilson met on April 2nd to consider the London County Council (General Powers) Bill. Mr. H. Lloyd, K.C., who represented the promoters said the portion of the Bill to which opposition was chiefly offered was that under which authority was sought to enable the Council to establish an am bulance service. Efforts had been made by the police and voluntary organisations to provide a service but there was no organisation for London as a whole. Notwith· standing the existing hand ambulances, more than half the cases were removed in cabs, lorries, vans, &c., with the result that in many instances the injuries were aggravated, and in some cases simple fractures became compound. The Council wished to deal with the matter at first in a tentative way by est8.blishing two stations only, with properly equipped ambulances propelled by mechanical power and with an adequate staff. They proposed also to erect stand posts, in telephonic communication with the stations, in order to summon the ambulance expeditiously Tht City Corporation bad also und e r consid e ration the providing of a similar service, and they desired therefore to be exempted from the Dill. Counsel, however, submitted that unnecessary expense would be incurred if the two authorities possessed duplicate powers, and that an arrangement by which each exercised jurisdiction in its own area would be inconvenient and uneconomical.

Evidence in support of the Bill was given by Sir William Collins, chairman of the Sub-Co mmittee. He stated there was a great need for a more prompt ambulance service. If the system suggested proved successful it was intended to extend its sphere of action.

Ul(imately the Committee sanctioned the clauses of the Bill relating to the providing of ambulances but exempted the City from their operation.

We learn that with reference to the rival schemes that the London County Council will grant a rebate to the Corporation in view of the outlay it is incurring on its own service.

Th s will we undp.rstand meet the views of the two bodies and aid in arriv i ng at an amicable arrangement. Again, we ask, how much longer will London have to wait. Mr. Carl Hentschel is quite right when he states that public opinion is tired of this endless talkee-talkee on a matter that should have been settled years ago. Truly the London ratepayer is a long suffering individual.

A n ad ve rti se m e nt in thi s J o urnal is the cheapes t tra v ell e r y ou can h a ve

Our Portrait Gallery.

TI-TE LATE DR J AMES ECKERSLEY SMITH, M.B. (LOND.), M B., B.C. (VICTORIA), CHIEF SUPT. AND HON. SURGEON, MANCHESTER AND SALFORD CORPS, S.J.A.B.

A PATHETIC interest attaches t o the portrait which appears i n our ga ll ery this month. It had been decided that Dr . Eckersley Smith's portrait and brief sketch should appear in this issue, and the account was already in type when we received information of his unt ime l y death. Our notice

I nfirmary, Liverpool; ophthalmic house surgeon and assistant laryngologist to the same institution; resident surgeon, H 1Jlme Dispensary, Manchester; and assIstant demonstrator and lecturer in anatomy at University College, Liverpool.

Since starting in practice Dr. Smith had been very successful, and this accentuates the feelings of regret at the early termination of so promising a career. By the other members of his profession he was greatly respected, and they will undoubtedly miss in him an earnest and valued colleague.

At the i me of his death the doctor was hon. surgeon to the Hulme Dispensary, and it was in connection with this appointment that he displayed his strong characteristic feeling of sympathy with suffering, showing just as much attention to his poorer patients as he would do to thos e of the better class. His loss will be d ee ply felt, for he always carried out his work in the light of a duty, and its monetary side was always of lesser importance.

The connection of Dr. Smith with the St. John Ambulance Brigade dates back to J 900, when he was hon. surgeon to the then Manchester and Salford Division. Upon the formation of this division into the Manchester and Salford Corps-comprising three divisions-he· was appointed chief supt. and hon. surgeon, and he had been most anxious to promote its further proficiency and progress.

Dr. Smith was married to Mary H e llaby, 2nd daught e r of the late Alan Shaw, merchant, of Faulkner-street, Manchester, by whom he had one daughter. Great sympathy is felt for them and his fath er in their sad bereavement.

The funeral took place at the Southport Cemetery on Friday, April 6th, 1906.

Am bulan ce Reserve.

IN view of the proposed Volunteer Reserve, the Royal Army Medical Volunteer Corps throughout the country are being asked by the War Office to provide thirty men from each company who are skilled in ambulance work. The candidates mllst be between 19 and 30 yea rs of age, and will be paid at the rate of sixpence a day.

Itberefore to our deep r eg ret, must take the form of an obituary,' but before passing on to a resume of the life of one, who, gave promise of a long and ysefu.l career, .we desire to tender our deepest sympathy WIth hIS sorrowmg widow and tbe members of his family, and we trust that the knowledge that their loved one was so univ.ersally esteemed will somewhat soften the 1:>low. From partIculars to hand it would appear that Dr. Smith contracted his illness whilst nursing a young patient who was suffering from pneumonia, when owing to his persistent and ceasing watchfulness and care, he senously hls own bealth, omitting to take regular food and sacnficIng his rest with the result that he broke down, and after a brief of only ten days he passed away on the 2nd April at the early age of 32 years.

The university career of Dr. Smith was exceptIOnally brilliant. He obtained his .M.B. at LondOl: University, and subsequently passed for the M.B. and B.eh. of Victoria University, Manchester, with honours.

Amon a the appointments which he had filled we may mention following :-Resident house surgeon, Lock Hospita l, Liverpool senior resident house surgeon, Royal

The expense of keeping an adequate number of ambulance men in time of peace would be ruinous to the country, and the scheme now about to be put into force will give the country a large number of trained men in the event of war.

The men throughout the day will work at their various employments, and receive their training .a.nd drill in the tvenings. As the work has plenty of utIlIty for everyday needs, recruits are easily procured.

Several correspondents-m em bers of both the St. John and National Fire Brigades l!nion saw service in the late war have writt e n us, askIng whether they would be eligible to volunteer for this reserve. From enquiries we have made ho:veve.r, we learn .the authorities that the scheme IS stIll under consideratIOn, and that it is at present proposed to limit the mem bershi,P of the same to the members of the Volunteer Force. ThiS scarcely seems just to the memb.ers of St. John Ambulance Brigade Bearer CompanIes, that IS If they have been left out of the scheme, but we should hardly think the W.O. authorities would be guilty of such ungrateful treatment to the body which found them of thousand trained men in the time of their dJre necessIty during the South African War.

S!JOHN AMBUlf\Nct

M:ETROPOLIT AN CORPS

No. 37 (G.\V.R.) DrvlsION.-On March 29th, this division held its third ar,nual concert at the Ladbroke Hall, Notting Hill. An exce llent prog ramme was arranged and greatly appreciate d by a large audience. Amongst the artists were Mr. \V. Thomas, baritone; Mr. Harry Lack, comic; Miss Bessie Burden, Irish and Scotch ballads; Mr. A. E. Sammons, violin; Mr. George Moir, humorous ; Mr. Fred Davis, bacitone; Mr. Walter Lombarto, concertina; and Mr. Herbert Noble, bass. The G.W.R. and Paddington Boro' Prize Siver Band gave selections, and Mr. Thomas Chapman, A.R.C.M., again kindly presided at the piano. Encores were numerous.

The concert was well attended by officials from St. John's Gate, including Asst. Com. Morgan, Supt. of Stores Piers, Supt. Sec., Pontin. and Staff Sergt. Major Smith,

During the evening Asst. Com. Morgan presented medallions and labels to successful members of the division and the certificates to the winners of the .Massey-Mainwaring Cup. In so doing he congratulated the division on having 'l'von this valued trophy for two years in succession.

The success of the evening was due to the Hon. Sec. Sergt. A. E. Evans, under whose supervision the whole of the arrangements were carried out.

No' 41 (ROYAL ARSENAL DIVISION).-A well attended concert in connection with this division took place at the New Town Hall, 'Woolwich, on March loth. The division was honoured by the presence of Asst.-Commissioner Morgan, who during the evening made the presentation of J. handsome timepiece to Sergt. Drummond, the gift of his fellow mem bers in the division. The concert, which was of a very high standard, was under the direction of Mr. Walter White, and the accompanist was Madame Maggie Bilsand. The audience was a most appreciative one, and encores were frequent. To single out any special artist for especial notice would be invidious, for one and all were excellent and thoroughly deserved the unstinted applause bestow.ed. A very pretty effect was seen on the stage by the skllful management of several pretty screens, kindly en t by Messrs. Berst and Son, Green's End, Woolwich.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

No. 6 DISTRlcT.-The Chief Commissioner has approved the following appointments to the District Staff: -Major C. T. Sutherland, M.D., V.D., South Shields to be District Chief Secretary ; Claude B. Palmer, J.P., Wardly Hall, Felling, to be Superintendent of Stores.

"NO·7 DI STRICT.-The preliminary competition to select the best team to represent the District in the comp=tition for the Dewar Shield, in London was held at Cbitk on the 14th 111St., with the following :-Newport (Mon.), 1st; Hereford, 2nd; Portmadoc, 3rd; Chirk,

4th. It is interesting to note that there are only two of last year's team in the Newport team of this year.

BELPER.-A social and dance in connection with this Division was held at the Drill Hall on Friday, March 23rd. About roo were present, and Mrs. Roscoe's L'and provided the mnsic. The hall was decorated by the members of the Division, and the duties of M.C.'s were carried out by Mr. Roscoe and Pte. Bartram. Refreshments were supplied by Mr. F. M. Neaum. The proceeds will go to the funds of the Division which is is entirely supported by voluntary subscriptions.

BEXHILL.-The members of this division recently received from the builders-Messrs. Atkinson and Philipson, Newcastle, coachmakers to the King - the new ambulance van which has been specially con:::tructed to their order, and as it embodies all recent improvements and has given such unqualified satisfaction to medical men and patients, we briefl y descri be it.

Mr. Shorter, the Bexhill secretary, submitted to Messrs. Atkinson and Philipson a specification, 111 which were detailed the requirements of the members, and the almost unequalled experience of the builders ::nabled them to improve somewhat on the specification, so that Bexhill now possesses, in this particular van and the brougham ambulance made by the same firm for the Bexhill Corporation, two of the most perfect vehicles of the kind in existence.

The van, although light, has a large roomy body; a man 5 ft. 8 in. being able to stand upright in the centre-a manifest advantage. On one side there is built a turn-up seat which will hold three persons comfortably. On the other side there are fittings for: 1st, a Furley stretsher standing on a movable platform on the floor, on rubber blocks made to tak e the rollers of stretcher to prevent vibration; 2nd, above the Furley stretcher, on the same side are fittings for carrying a second stretcher suspended from the side and roof.

The doors open the full width of the body and the hind st e p is made the full width of the well.

The van has ash framing and walnut panels and is varnished on the natural wood, inside as well as out, so that it may be readily cleansed. One of the windows in the door is made to fall, and there is a small window commUDlcating between the interior and the driver. Ample ventila. tion is obtained by means of louvres over which there are shutters to open and close, and the fore-carriage is so constructed that the van has a full lock and can be turned in a very limited space.

BRADFoRD.-A complete reorganisation of the S.J.A.B. in this city is now being carried out. Although Bradford has hitherto nominally possessed a "corps," it has not in fact at any time had the numuer under which the regulations governing the organisation are requisite to form such a unit. As a result of a rec e nt visit of the Deputy-Commissioner of No. 5 District-(Mr. S. C. Wardell)-the district in which the West Riding of Yorkshire is included, Bradford will now be organised in three independent divisions. The Bradford City Division will have as its superintendent Mr. W. Starkey, and will continue to have the services as hon. surgeon of Dr. Vaughan Bateson. The Tramways Division will, it is expected, have its present chief officer, Mr. Robson, as superintendent, he having been nom mated for the office, and the han. surgeon will be Dr. Rhodes. The Nursing Division will continue under the superintendence of Mrs. Chapman, with Dr. Percy Lodge as hon. surgeon.

April, 1906 -FIRST

We think the authonties have arrived at a very wise decision, and we believe it will be to the benefit of ambulance work generally in this city. Hitherto there has been too much of the personal pronoun in the movement down there.

BIRMIKGHAM.-In his report Chief Supt. Fred. Gilbert says the total effective strength was 3 I 0 officers and men. There have been ten inspections during the year, and these have satisfied all requirements. The members have at all times, and under all circumstances, responded in a most ready and obedient manner to every call, never for a moment considering whether it involved loss of money, rest or pleasure; and first aid has been rendered in no fewer than 2,340 cases. The report concludes by stating that owing to the continual increase in numbers, and having in view the good work being accomplished throughout the city, it was desirable that permanent headquarters for the corps should be established. An urgent appeal is therefore made to the generosity of the public for special donations, in order that this object may be attained as early as possible.

Writing to Mr. Lord, the Chief Commissioner says, " It gi ves me very great pleasure to be able to state that I consider the Birmingham Corps is in a highly satisfactory state. It is second to none in the Brigade and I trust that in the future it willliye up to its present reputation."

BR1STOL.-ConsiJerable interests centreo in a of this corps on Saturday, March 31St. Mustering at th e Tramway Centre the corps marched to the Artillery Ground in Whit e ladies-road, wh e re upon arrival they were photographed. The muster 'HS an excellent one, some 270 men parading. The brougham and the four ambulance wagons were taken on the mal ch. The officers present were :-The Deputy-Commissioner, Dr. J. S. Griffiths Chief Supt. G. A. Haym e n ; Supt. Sec. Maynard Froude; Hon. Surgeons Rogers, Peake and Mather; Transpol t Supt. Captain Trezise ; Supts. Morrish, Froude, Parker, J upe, J. W. H. Trezise, Crew and Cantle; Am bulance Officers Holmes and Carrier; and Transport Officer Cotton.

CARDIFF.-A general meeting of the members of this division was held at the Town Hall on March 25th for the purpose of selecting officers, &c. The Chief Constable (Mr. W. McKenzie) presided, and there were present Dr. Wallace, Surgeon-Major Jones, of Aberavon, Dr. Smith, Supt. Beard (Abergavenny division), several officers from the Newport Division, Mr. C. S. Gay, Mr. Swash, and between 30 and 40 members.

The Chairman stated that at the last meeting Dr. Smith undertook the duties of superintendent secretary temporarily. They had now found a gentleman t,o fill the office in Mr. Swash, headmaster of St. MODlca s School.

It was decided to postpone the selection of officers until the division had become established, it being pointed out that the appointments had to be confirmed by headquarters, and the instruction of members in drill could be carried on in the meantime by acting officers, and they would then find out the men best qualified to fill the positions.

Mr. C. S. Gay proposed that a committee of five be elected to carryon the work of the city division preparatory to the appointment of officers.

Dr. Smith seconded, and this was agreed to, the members being Messrs. Ashworth, Peperall, Morton Davies,

AID. - 149

Wibberley and Roberts, with Mr. Gdy (hon. secretary) ex-officio.

Eight o'clock on Wednesday nights was fixed as the time for weekly drills, and it was agreed to approach the Education Committee for the use of the Schoolroom at St. John's, Queen-street.

Surgeon - Major Jon es, of Aberavon, then addressed the meeting, observing that he had come at the request of Col. Cureton, the Deputy-Commissioner, to give them his blessing. Ambulance work required no recommendation from him, but from his own knowledge he was able to speak of the good service done by memhers of the S.J.AB. Proper organisation of course increased the us efulness of its members, Accidents were frequent in Cardiff, and he was greatly surprised that a corps had not been established years ago.

Dr. Smith proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Jones, and thanks were accorded Messrs. Gay and Phillips for the preliminary work they have done in connection with the formation of the city division, also to the c hairm an for presiding.

NEW Al\IBULA I CE VAN FOR BEXHll.L (see page 14 8).

DOVER - On Mar. 15th, the 8th annual Cup Competition in connection with this division took place at Buckland Wesleyan School Hall. Surgeon -Majo r Stone (RA.M.C.), was the judge, being assisted by Surgeon-l1ajor Williams (R.A.M.C. ) Thr ee squads competed for the. cup, result being :-lst (84 marks)-Pte. H. A. VlI1cent (m charge), Pte. F. J. Seath, Pte. W. A. Knott, and. Pte. E. P. Boddy, 2 nd (74 marks) - Corpl. T. Harman (111 charge) Pte. H. Randall, Pte. C. Tugwell, Pte. F. H. Watson. 3rd (63 marks)-Pte. G. Jones (i n charge), Pte. G. Norl e)" Pte. W. Bailey, Pte. M. Nooley.

Major Stone then the cup to Pte Vincent, amidst loud applause, rernarkmg th at the same team had won the cup which won it last year. Maj or Stone then presented nursing certificates to th e follo\\'JOg :-c. Tugwell, J. Grigsby, H. Randall, G. Norley, W. 1\J unday, A. Pearson and 1'. Tanton. Votes uf thanks concluuetJ proceedings.

ILKESToN.-On March 20th, Chief Surgeon and

-F I RST

Chief Superintendent A. Dobson, M. D.,. presented Private Thomas Boddy with a handsome travelllOg b.ag on. behalf of the officers and men of the brigade, on hIS for Canada, also with his medallion from the S.lA.A. Boddy, said the Doctor, was one of. tbe best m.en 10 the division, always attentive to duty and lO out of the orders of his superior officers. The lt1SCrlptlOn on a brass plate on 'the bag was as follows :-" Presented to Pte. T. Boddy by officers and men, Ilkeston Division, S.J.A.B., l\Iarch 1906." the reverse side having" T.B." stamped on in gilt' Private Boddy suitably respondeq.

IpSWICH.-At a recent meeting of the Gippeswyk Division, the Hon. Surgeon (Mr. A. W. Paterson) performed a pleasant duty in presenting. of the members (Mr. G. A. Southgate) with a set of mllltary brushes, on the occasion of his departure for Canada The speaker expressed regret at the departure of Mr. a?d on behalf of the Division wished him every success 10 hlS new undertaking. Afterwards Supt. F. Goodersham gave Southgate the certificate and medahon of the Royal LIfeSaving Society which he gained last autumn under the auspices of the Ipswich Swimming Club

IRTHLINGBOROUGH.-The annual meeting, social, and dance in connection with this division is held in the Council School (Central Hall), on Thusrsday evening, March 29th. The President (Mr. W. Armstrong, lP.) expressed his delight in being selected as which position he willingly accepted. Officers present lOcluded ChieJ-Superintendent Hilton (Wellingborough), Supt. A. O. Groome (Higbam Ferrers), Supt. Swindall (Rushden), and 1st Officer Francis (Wellingborough). The nnual report was presented by Supt. Eatley, which showed the division to be in ayery satisfactory position. The remainder of the evening was devoted to harmony and dancing. A most enjoyable evening was spent. The Irthlingborough Orchestral Band played selections during the evening, conducted by Mr. J. Bigley, Miss Ruggles, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, M r. F Eaton, Mr. H. Horner, and Mr. W. White contributed to the programme. Dancing was indulged in at intervals to the accompaniment of the orchestral band. A presentation of certificates and medallions took place during the evening.

KENT.-The various corps and divisions in ihis county were inspected on Easter Monday , by the Deputy Commissioner of the District. A full report is unavoidably held over on account of the pressure on our space

Manchester' s system of ambulance stations is to be improved by the establishment of two additional depots, one in Moss-lane East and one at the new Central Fire Station 111 London-road. The question has been discussed at great length between a Committee of the Board of Management of the Manchester Royal Infirmary and the Watch Committee of the Corporation as to whether or not an ambulance station should be established in connection with the new Infirmary now in course of erection in Oxford-road. I t was eventually declared that the present ambulance system would meet all requirements after certain developments had been carried out. There are already ambulance stations at two of the sub-police stations, and the opening of the two new ones - one of them within three-q.uarters of a mile of the new Infirmary -Will make the establishment of one at the Institution itself unnecessary. "It is the work of Municipalities rather than of Hospitals to support such organisations," said the Ambulance Conlmittee of the Royal Infirmary in its report submitted to the meeting of the Board of lVJ anagemen t.

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF TIlE ORDER OF ST JOHN . Pro Ittihtate llOminlt?lt.

COMPILED BY C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S J.A.A.

(Colltillued from page I39).

A LENGTHY siege followed, the sea near the shore was t hen covered with the fleet of the Turks, who made continual discharges of their artillery, in order to cover their descent. They were answered by the cannon of the city and the forls; and the Knights, pushed on by their valour, advanced sword in hand into the water up to their waists to prevent the Turks from landing.

Much bloodshed was caused on this first occasion, but in spite of the efforts of the Christians, their bravery was forced to yield to the numberless multitudes of the Infidels. Those barbarians divided their troops; and whilst a part of them engaged all the forces of the Knights, the greater number landed in crowds in remote places, where there was less opposition.

At length the whole army landed; they advanced to the mountain, or hill of St. Stephen, where they immedi::ttely entrenched themselves, and after landing their artillery, sent to summon the place to surrender, using both threats and promises to the Christians, which were both alike slighted. Several detachments of the Infidels appeared soon after in the plain and the principal commanders at their head, advanced to reconnoitre the fortifications of the place. There was no approaching these without danger, and the vigorous sallies that were made therefrom obliged them to retire back to camp.

The bombardment still continued, batteling the tower of St. Nicholas, they fired above three hundred cannonshots against It, the side nearest the sea, which was strengthened with a rampart, bore the brunt of the artillery very well; but, a part of the wall which was over against the town was entirely beaten down. The stones and rubbish by a lucky accident stopped at the foot of the wall, heaped one upon another, but in the fot m of a slope, so it served on the outside as a second walL

The Grand Master, however, knowing that the safety of the town depended on the preservation of this fort, sent the flower of his Knights into it under the conduct of an Italian, Commander Caret to, a Knight of approved valour, and considered as one of the first of the Order. These gallant Knights worked night and day to entrench themselves, and raised batteries to defend the breach. The Grand Master observing that in certain places the sea was sometimes so low, that the Turks might ford it, and get upon the mole, caused tables and planks thick set with nails and iron spikes to be thrown into the water to spoi l the bottom. At the same time they fitted out some fire ships, to set fire to the enemy's galleys, if they should attempt to approach too near. A body of hench and Spanish Knights posted themselves by his order in the town ditch, in order to defend the approaches, or upon the least signal to throw themselves into the fort, and reinforce the garrison

After all these precautions, the Grand Master, not caring to leave the defence of so important a place to anybody's care but his own, lhrew himself into it with the Viscount de Monteil, his brother, and other volunteers, who

Apri l 19 0 6.

-FIRST

would need share with him the manifest danger to which he was exposing himself Two hours before daybreak the enemy's galleys and light vessels, with a body of infantry aboard advanced towards the tower with a favourable wind They s'oon reached the mole, the soldiers leaped ashore with great shouts, in spite of all the fire made from several batteries that played upon them.

The difficulty of mounting the breach obliged them to make use of ladders; they placed these with an air of intrepidity on the heap of stones which the cannon had beat down and which served as a forewall to the place, and to storm it sword in hand, with a resolution great enough to astonish any other men but the Knights. The Grand Master was upon the breach, and performed the office of a captain and a soldier at one and the same time . His armour was pierced through in several places in this engagement, and a shard of stone having carried off his helmet without wounding him, he, without any concern at all took off the hat of the first officer that stood next to him.' The fear of other accidents still more fatal, rr.ade the Knights who knew not what it was to tremble for themselves to under the greatest apprehension for the safety of the' Grand Master; and the Commander Caretto, begging him with great respect, in the name of the. whole Order to retire, and leave the care of defendmg the breach to his Knights. "This," said he to him, "is the post of honour that belongs to your Grand Master/' and turning himself towards he added, wLth an obliging smile, "if I am kllled there, you have more hope than I have to fear," giving. him .thereby to .understand, that his great vJ.lour made hIm th1l1k he merited to be hi" successor.

The Knights, following the exal:nple, and fighting in the presence of the Grand Master, ltned .the for the want of a wall, made a rampart wlth their bodies, Some o;-erturned the scaling ladders; others threw down masses of vast weight, that the besiegers in their fall - nor were they wanting, for some threw fireworks hoops) and others boiling oil upon the assailants, everyone had a share in the attack, and they all themselves in the resistance that seemed to be superior to buman strength.

The Turks did not appear in any way daunted; not one drew back from danger. If the Knights struck any of them from the ladders, tbeir places were immediately supplied by others who pressed on to the mount. Such as could not get to the posts of danger at the foot of the wall, fired upon the breach with their and annoyed the Knights with their arrows, or else tned to lay hold of them with cramp-irons fastened to cords, and. so pull them down to the ground in order to cut them to pieces.

'Twould be impossible to relate all acllOns and deeds of valour that performed by private l?ersons of each party, history has not preserved the particulars of thE'm.

At length fire, whose is greater and mOl:e terrible than that of men, determined the of thIS furious attack. The fireships of the Order fastemng themselves to several of the Turkish galleys, set them on fire, the cannon of the city played upon the rest, and t.he Knights, whose force and courage seemed to redou?le Wlt h the heat of the attack, made such a dreadful small shot, tbat the Infidels after. the loss of pnnclpal leaders, took to their heels, and, to then preclpltate retreat, were drown8d or killed in great numbers on the seashore, as they were crowding to get aboard their vessels.

(To be cOlltilllf ed.)

SHEFFIELD. - The first annual concert and distribution of certificates, &c., in connection with the Central Mission Ambulance Class was held in the schoolroom, Norfolkstreet, on the 4th April, Councillor Edmund Hargreaves in the chair, supported by Chief Supt. Else Chief Surgeon Barker Barber and the Rev. G. H. l\IcN eal. The following artists contributed a most entertaining and enjoyable programme :-:\1isse3 E. Wilde and A_ Moore, Messrs_ C. Linley, W. Shephercl, The Bros. Varney, W. Ashton, and Masters Conroy and H. Mappin.

The Chairman congratulated the candidates on their success, saying it was a pleasure him to be .with th e m in this great work, and they had hIS sympathy m the ment as a medical man he knew the value of first atd, by relating a few instances of how interesting and useful ambulance work was, and making reference to the great disasters in the French mines .and the rescue parties engaged. He then called upon ChIef Supt. Else Lo present the certificates,. and for) 90 S..

Chief Supt. Else, lO presenttog the ce.rtlficates, said .It was a great pleasure to him to see such an Interest taken 1t1 ambulance work in the centre of Sheffield, and he hoped they would not let this interest lack b.ut increase.

After the presentation of the certificates the Rev. G. H. McNeal acted as substitute for Barstone, the secre tary, and gave a short report, mentioning that the class was formed in September last, and that they had an average attendance every week of 18 out of 37 mem bers, and that 23 of the members out of 24 who themselves for examination were successful, the awards bemg as follow? :-:16 first year certificates ; 3 medallions; 5 labels. (It .1S worthy of note that these are the only 5 labels to Sheffield up to the present, signifying the 4th exarmnatlOn).

During the evening Chief Supt. .Else presented on behalf of the members of the class a SlIver clgarettee case to Dr. Barker Barber, lecturer to the class, and the proceedings concluded by the Rev. G. H. Teal proposll1g a vote of thanks to the chairman and artIstes.

At a meetin o of the Islington Board of Guardians recently tbe ::tmbulance b was brought outside the Offices for the inspection of the Guardians. It was stated that the ambulance heavy O ut-of-date and ineffective. l\frs. Leonard Marshall was , 1 11 said she had ridden in the ambulance from to St. John's-roac1, and a more shaky and ramshackle she h d never before experienced. She was to pie ces, and la. 1 ·t·ed the poor people who when Si ck were forced s le sin cere y pi I. ld to ride in it. If they earned people by weight they \\OU not . k up It was resolved to refer the matter to stop to piC· you I f St. John s-road to bring up three estImates for the supp y 0 a modern ambulance.

Wh e n c orr es pondin g wit h Ad v e rtisers pie as e m e ntion "First Aid. "

Brevities.

SPEAKING at the final competition in connection with the Great Western Railway at Paddington last month, Mr. Alfred Baldwin, M.P., chairman, said, "The board were gratified by the unabated progress made in first aid knowledge and its practical application by the staff of all ranks since the inception of th e movement. Their present hope was that the representative team in the forthcoming Inter-Railway Competition for the Challenge Shield of the St. John Am bulance Association would succeed in goi ng oLle better than their predecessors, who, on two former o ccas ions harl attained to the honourable position of second place therein. He desired to impress upon all am bulance w0rkers the importance of adapting the principles embodied in first aid instruction in a practical sense, so that they would be prepared to act at times of emergency. While hoping that it would never fall to his lot to be in, a railway accident, should such a contingency arise, he would be relieved to know that so many among the staff of the G. W.R. were fully qualified to render first aid."

at Woolwich last month on the occasion of a Concert in connection with the Royal Arsenal Division (No. 4I) Metropolitan Corps, Asst.-Commissioner Morgan, before making a presentation to Sergt. R H. Drummond, said he had to express his great pleasure at coming to Woolwich, not only to hear a concert, which was one of the best he had ever attended, but to present a testimonial to Sergt. Drummond, a man, who coming there in 1899 from Norwood, had nothing to w()rk upon, and yet had built up a division which was a credit to the whole brigade. He pointed out that they as a body, numbering 22,000 members, were one and all pledged to help a sufferer in any shape or form, whether it be on the football field, workshop, street, or anywhere else, and that .they gave their services gratuiously. Times had been when out of gratitude, momentarily, money had been offered but refused, and the donor asked to forward the same to headquarters; but sorry to relate, it had very rarely found its way there. During the late war in South Africa the brigade sent out no fewer than 2,218 men, besides those they had on hand at any hour 436 sick berth attendants for service in the Royal Navy, our first defence. The terrible lyddite explosion in the Arsenal would be remembered by all. The noble work achieved by this division at that disastrous affair was on record. Every day their men were in requisition in Woolwich although the majority of the cases were happily minor ones only. If out of the goodness of their hearts for services rendered by the brigade, any of those present felt that they must repay the kindness they had received, he asked them not to offer anything to 1he man who labours for love, but to send it to St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell.

In presenting Sergt. Drummond with a handsome clock subscribed for by the members, Mr. Morgan expressed wish that the recipient might long be spared, not only to

A I D.- April, 1906. carry out his everyday vocation, but to aid in helping the suffering.

* * *

ALLUSION is made in another part of our J oumal to the proposal, on the part of the War Office Auth06ties, to enroi in the Army Reserve a number of men of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Vols.), at a retaming fee of £9 ISS. per annum. \hIe have received innumerable letters from correspondents on the subject, but we can on I y reiterate what we have said elsewhere, that up to present nothing definite has been decided upon, but this Journal may be safely r elied upon to watch the interests of the Services which !t represents.

* * *

THE gracious way In which H.RH. the Prince of Wales has expressed his good wishes for the success of ambulance work in India can but be gratifying to the Central Executive of the Order of St. John. That His Royal Highness has always entertained a very high appreciation of its ai 111S and objects is well known, but his reiterated marks of approval on the progress it is making in our Indi an Empire, will, infuse additional zeal amongst" first aiders" at home. The wish has been expressed that H.R.H. on his retirement might consent to review the Brigade at some central spot, preferably Hyde Park. This would be a grac ious recognition of the work of this valuable, voluntary organisation, and one that would be greatly appreciated by its members, added to which it would give to the movement an additional status amongst the volunteer forces of the country. Cannot some steps be taken to bring this about. Such an event would add additional eclat to the annual presentation of Service Medals if made upon such an f)ccasion. Added to which it would give a practical demonstration of the magnitude of this splendid voluntary service. We commend this idea to those in authority.

Surgeon=Major G. A. Hutton.

IT was with deep regret that we heard or the serious illness of this veteran exponent of am bulance teaching. Knowing the regard with which the surgeon-major is held by a large circle of "first aiders," amongst whom his name is a household word, we sent him a letter of sympathy with him in his illness, and trusting that he might be soon restored once more to health. We are very glad to say that in acknowledgment we received a kindly letter from Miss Hutton, conveying the welcome intelligence that her father was now out of danger and was making slow but satisfactory progress LJwards recovery.

We are sure that this intelligence will be gratifying to all those who know and appreciate Dr. Hutton's earnest and life-long mission on behalf of first aid teaching.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION ., FIRST AID"

April, 1906. -FIRST

Coming Events.

Pal ,tieu/ars offort/teolliing events wiN be inse1'ted in tltis COIIlIllIl free of clta1'ge, If l'ecez'ved not later than the I4tft of eaclt 1II01ltlt.

Crystal Pala ce -South Eastern District N F.n.U . Annual Whit Monday, June 4th, Captain Hedley Peters, Slttmgbourne, hon. sec.

Crystal Pala ce -London Private Fire Brigade's annual fire tournament. June 9t h. W. A. Stillwell, Ridge -road, Homsey, Hon. Secretary.

Dewsbury.- The :: ompetition for the Thomes cup and prizes to th.e value of £7 lOS. takes place on June 16th. Further partIculars from Supt. Secretary C. Thomes, 72, \i\Testgate, Dewsbury.

Edinburglt.-The third annual competItion for the Scottish Volunteer Ambulance Trophy be held under the auspices of the SCI)lt1sh Volunteer MedI ca l Officers Association in the Queen 's Brigade Drill Hall, Forrest-road, on Saturday, May 5th, 1906

Guildltall, London, E.C.-May 26th, London Private Fire BrIgade's second annual competition for Corporation Silver Shield.

Harroga t e.-Yorkshire District, N.F.B.tJ., Demonstration. Hon. Secretary, Capt. Roper, Low Fold Fire Brigade, Leeds.

Italy .-Fire Brigade and Ambulance Competitions and Congress, Milan, May, 1906. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, A. T. Dale, 44-46, Cannon-street, London, KC.

Rodez, Frallce.- July 16th. Annual Congress of Firemen. Vai//y, F·.mnce.-Septelnber. Jubilee of the French Federation

Atnbulance Duty in the Streets.

IT will be within tbe recollection of our readers that 111 January last an enquiry was made through our columns as to the pr?per position to be taken up by ambulance parties o.n duty 10 the upon the occasion of large processIons.. We promlsed our correspondent to go into the questIOn, and we have done so. Col. Barnes, RA.M.C., General Secre1ary of the St. Andrew s Association, wrote in favour of positions in front of the crowd. A provincial St. John am bulance officer also supported this view. We therefore decided to ascertain the views of the Police authorities-Metropolitan and City. At Scotland-yard we learned that on occasions of procession, &c., the positions taken up by ambulances -ot her than military-vary according to circumstances; but they are usually in rear of the crowd. In the City we found that the positions assigned is usually that selected by the St. John officials themselves. " I have never known exception taken to any of the places selected by them," says one of the most experienced officers in the C ity. "Their services are much appreciated by the police, who are always inform ed of the position of their stations and directed to afford them every assistance.))

In concluding his remarks, he says, "I should cerlail1£J' !lot place litem be!u'lld a crowd." 'V e have put the concluding part of this statement in italics as we think it adequately answers the question of our correspondent.

With an experience of London crowds, extending over many years, the in question is dead against placing the ambulance party 10 rear of the crowd. "The ambulance

A I D.- 153

parties should be placed behind the soldiers in front of the police," says this gentleman; "there is an interval of two pac.es between two, affor?ing a.mple room to work, and theIr presence IS thus eaSIly dlscernable should tbeir services be required." This, we think, is the commonsense view to of it. post ambulance parties in rear of the crowd IS, to our mmd, to minimise their usea :l.d cripple their efforts. It has also many other obJectIons; there are some men who, being posted away in a.n. corner, may be led to indulge in surreptitIOUS smokmg, or to even desert their posts. We don't say they would, they might, and there is the temptation to do Posted In way suggested by the City police they are.m full view of the crowd, and every man realIses that he IS ON duty, and feels that it is incumbent upon him to keep smartly on the alert.

Birmingham Corps, S.J.A.B.

IN connection with the above a very successful smoking concert was held at Ye Olde Royal Hotel, Temple-row, on 16th February, in celebration of the winning of the Birmingham Challenge Shield by the NO.3 (Lawley-street, Midland Railway) Division.

The Chief Commissioner (Inspector-General Belgrave Ninnis, M.D., RN.) honoured Birmingham with a vis it on this occasion and attended the concert. He was accompanied by the Staff of the Birmingham Corps, ChiefSurgeon T. Nelson, M.D., Chief-Supt. Fred. Gilbert, Supt.-Secretary J. H. Hawkins, and Supt.-Treasurer J. H. Rogers.

The arrangements for the concert, which was a thoroughly enjoyable one, were in the hands of the Division-the winners of the Shield-the DIvisional Officers in charge being Supt. J. Dudley and First Officer F. Chaloner.

During the evening the Chief Cowmissioner distributed certificates (kindly given by the First Aid Committee) to the members of the three first teams in the competition, which was held in November last.

The winners of Second Certificates being No. 6 (Snow Hill G.W.R.) Division, and Third Certificates, NO.7 (lVlidland Railway, Central Station) Division.

The Chief Commissioner, who was accorded a most hearty welcome, expressed his pleasure at being present on this occasion-it being his first official visit to Birmingham -he had not been to visit the Birmingham Corps before, because having to deal with about 14,000 men in 800 Divisions throughout the country, it was impossible to visit the whole of the Corps or Divisions individually, but he was pleased to have noticed that since the local Corps was formed the rules and regulations of the Brigade had been carried out in a highly satisfactory manner, and to this muc!1 of the success of the Corps was due. He was pleased to see so large a gathering, and in commenting upon the work of the Brigade, pointed out that there were two lights in which to look at the work that was being accomplished-first, the service rendered to the community, and, secondly, the service to the country.

In conclusion, the Chief Commissioner, said he felt deeply the very hearty re ce ption that had been accorded him, and for which he tendered his thanks, and in wishing th e Corps continued success, he hop ed, that at some future time he might again have the pleasure of visiting the Corps of the Midland Metropolis.

The members of the winning teaul (who will represent Birmingham in the Competition for the Dewar Shield)

-FIRST

were also presented with silver pendants by t.he CO.mmittee of their own Division, in recognition of their havmg won the shield, which had previously been held ?y No. 6 (Snow Hill, G.W.R.) Division since the re formatlen of the Corps.

Mr. C. F. Smith (Midland Railway) presided, and amongst others present were Mr. J. Courtenay Lord,. J.P. (chairman of the Local Centre), Messrs, C. N. Milner, W. E. Adlard and F. J. Morgan (members of the Birmingham First Aid Committee), Mr. G. Ward, Mr. F. Groves, Mr. A. Cassidy and others.

The first annual officers' mess was held on Thursday evening, February 22nd, at the Acorn Hotel, Templestreet, and was in every way a most successful gathering. Chief-Surgeon T. Nelson presided.

The other officers of the Corps present were:Chief-Supt. F. Gilbert, Supt.-Secretary J. H. Hawkins, Supt. Treasur er J. H. Rogers.

Hon. Surgeons :-F. V. Milward, A. 1). McCueen, J. Henton J. Neal, G. Stuart Moore, and G. Clement Belcher.

Superintendents :-J. Dudley, Williams, Spendlove and Nutt, together with First Officers Chaloner and Shaw.

The usual loyal toasts were honoured, and in proposin g the toast of "The Brigade, and the Birmingham Corps," Chief Surgeon Nelson spoke in high terms of the vast amount of good work that was being done by the Brigade throughout the country, and in looking to the work accomplished by the Birmingham Corps it was gratifying to find that so much progress had been made. H e was pleased to not e that a mem ber of the 1-3irmingham Corps (Corporal H. Baker) had been successful in gaining t he first prize offered by the Editor of FIRST Am, in th eir second F IR ST Am Competition-the result of which was just announced.

The success of this, the first function of its kind, he hoped would become historic, (it certainly augured well for the future) and he could but express the hope that the tim e was not far distant when the cause would receive from the municipality that substantial support it needed in order to carryon and extend the work. Chief Supt. Gilbert suitably responded to the toast.

Supt. J. Dudley props oed "The Honorary Surgeons and Medical Staff." Hon. Surgeon F. Victor Milward ably responded.

An enjoyable musical programme was rendered during the evening.

It was very much regretted that on account of illness Assistant Commissioner T. H. Woolston was prevented from attending the mess.

The first of a course of nursin g lectures was delivered on M arch 15th, at H ea dquarters by Hon. Surgeon F. Victor Milward, F.RC.S., to members of the Corps.

The Chief Superintendent, together with other memb ers of the staff have now completed the whole of the Half-y early Divisional Inspections -w ith one exceptionand the members .of the Corps are anxiously looking fOfl'.'ard prepanng f?r Annual District Camp at Whltsuntlde n ex t, when It IS hoped Birmingham may be rep resented by a contingent abo ut two Bearer Companies strong.

A Division No. 12 (Hockley G. W. R.) has recen tl y been sanctIOned by the Chief Commissioner.

G.C.R-The annual shield competition on this railway has resulted in a win for Gadley. This team will therefore represent the Company in the Inter Railway Competition.

G.E. R - The annual competition for the handsome challenge cup and prizes presented by the Directors of this Company have just concluded. The preliminary contests were at Stratford, Ipswich and March respectively, with the result that March, Thorpe-le-Saken, Ipswich, Liverpool Street, and Temple Mills were selected by the judges, Drs. Heaton C. Howard and Gibb to make the final struggle at Stratford, on April loth, with the result that the decision of the judges was as follows :- ( I) March, (2) Thorpe-le-Soken, (3) Liverpool Street, (4) Ipswich, (5) Temple Mills. Sir H. W. Tyler, in the unavoidable absence of the popular chairman of the company, presided, and the prizes were handed to the winners by Lady Ciaude Hamilton. The Ambulance Corps now now consists of 40 divisions. During the past year 260 men presented themselves for examination; of these 224 satisfied the examiner. The total number of men on this line who have secured certificates since the formation of the corps is 2,233.

G.N.R.-On Tuesday, April yd, the six winning teams, representing the six divisions of the Great Northern Railway System, met at the Culross Hall, King's Cross, for the final contest for the Silver Challenge Cup presented for comdetition by the officers of the Company. The contest lasted from 2 until 5.30 p.m., and the tests included treatment of a wound, stretcher exe rcise, and oral examination. The results were as follows :-Doncaster 1St, 222 points, pri zes to each member of the team, silver-plated hot -water jugs; King's Cross 2nd, 220, prizes, silver-plated cruets; Lincoln 3rd, 169, pri zes half-a-dozen silver-plated forks; Bingham 4th, 161, prizes, half-a-doze n silver-plated dessert spoons; Peterborough 5th, 132, prizes , half-a-dozen silverplated tea spoons; Ardsley 6th, 117, prizes, bread knives. The cup and other prizes were presented at the close of the competition by Mr. W. J. Grinling, the Chief Traffic Manager, who wac; suppurred by Mr. Geo. Shaw (Goods Manager), Mr. E. H. Hiley (Chief Passenger Agent) and officers of the Company.

Mr. Grinling mentioned that there were over 1,500 holders of the St. John Am bulance Association's first aid certificate in the service of the Great Northern Raihyay Company, and referred to the especial imporlance of ambulance work to railwaymen. He paid a tribute to the late Mr. Mellson (stationmaster at King's Cross) who always took a very great interest in ambulance work among his men.

Votes of thanks to the medical gentlemen for judging, and to the Chairman for presiding were passed.

G. WR.- The annual competitions in connection with this railway have been held during the past month, and it

is gratifying to learn that the judge, Dr. J. Maclean Carvel reports that the standard of work on this line-always good-shows still further improvement.

This year forty-two teams entered, and after a series of d!strict competitions held at the following centres-Paddmgton (London), Reading, Swindon Works, Bristol and Exerter, Birmingham, Chester and \Vorcester, Gloucester, Pontypool, Cardiff, and Swansea. The final was held at Paddington on March 21St, and after a keen and interesting competition the adjudication was as follows :-Birmingham (No. 2 team), 2 I 2; Oxford, 2 I I Paddington, 20 7 ; Gloucester (Loco), 198; Taunton, 197; Pontypoolroad, 181; Newport (Loco), 176; Saltney, 17 5; Swindon 174; Landore, 159; maximum, 300

The three leading men in the Individual competition were C. H. Overbury (Birmingham) 18; F. Male (Cardiff) 17 ; J. Roost (Taunton) 16; maximum, 20. Hither.t? it has the case that the team winning the competltlOn at Paddmgton has been the representative of the Company for the Inter Railway Challenge Shield; but this year a further competition will be held between the leading team in the final at Paddington and a team composed of prize winners in the Individual competition. number of the directors and officers of the Company were mterested spectators of the competition at Paddington. speeches were made by Mr. Edwin Baldwin, M.P., chairman; Col. the Hon. C. E. Edgecumbe, Mr. Ernest Palmer, IYIr. Englis and others. In response to a vote of thankS, the judges (Drs. J. M. Carvel and Montgomery Smith) botb spoke in appreciative terms of the work they had seen, the latter saying it was not too much to say that many of the men had acquitted themselves in a manner which could be fittingly described as approaching or even reaching professional standard. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the proceedings to a close.

L. & N.W. R-The final stage of the competition in connection with thiS railway was held at the Zoological Gardens, Belle Vue, Manchester, on March 28th. Ten teams selected from the various districts, as a result of preliminary competition faced the judges, Surgeon Major Darwin and Capt. Westmacott. At the conclusion of a searching examination the judges placed the teams in the following order :-(1) Buxton, (2) Shrewsbury, Loco, (3) Kendal, (4) Exchange Station, Coaching, (5) Wolverhampton, Goods, (6) Crewe Electrical, (7) Banllor, Permanent Way, (8) Broad Street, Goods, (9) Rughy, (10) Preston.

Mr. E. Tootal Broadhurst, who recently succeeded Sir W. H. Holdsworth, on the Board of Directors, distributed the prizes.

L.B. & S.c. R- The 7th annual competition for the silver challenge cup and prizes presented by the Chairman and Directors of this Company, took place in the Loco Mess Room at New Cross, on Wednesday, April 4th, and was conducted by Dr. Hargreaves, who was assisted by Mr. T. Gordon, chief staff clerk, and Mr. W. G. Pape, general manager's clerk, London Bridge.

Five teams submitted themselves to the test with the following result :-Brighton Loco, A team, 208; Victoria, 133; Brighton Loco, B team, 108; Brighton Engineers, 93 ; N ew haven Harbour, 75·

Great disappointm e nt was felt at the small entry, but L.B & S.c. Ry. men will be pleased to learn that acting upon the instructions of the general manager, Mr. W. Forbes, Messrs. Gordon and Pape are very busy making arrangements for organizing the first aid work on the system, on similar or improved methods to that of other companies,

and all friends of the L. B. will wish them the best of luck.

L. & y: details of this interesting competitIOn, whIch was held In the Memorial Hall Manchester on Wednesday, March 14th, are now to hand:

In the presence of a large number of ladies and gentlemen, chief officials of the Company, and ambulance men drawn from all parts of the Company's line-the competitors were called upon to attend persons supposed to be suffering from various supposed injuries, which taxed the skill of the men. Each team was called upon to treat a man, who was supposed to have been knocked down by an electric train, sustaining a fractured spine and elbow, the latter being in contact with the live rail ; the men showed much in releasing the sufferer from the electric medium and in re moving him to a place of shelter.

Another case was that of a person whose clothes were supposed to have ignited and were still ablaze, and his face badly burned. The prompt way in which the men rendered assistance, extinguished the imaginary flames and treated the injuries, called for the plaudits of the spectators. Another of the tests might be mentioned, and in which the patient; a reckless and self-willed child, five years' old, had a pea in her ear; this was also sk ilfuII y dealt wi tho Surgeon -Major Darwen, M.D., Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John, adjudged the Jo rth Mersey (Liverpool) team, the winners, with 2721 points out of a possible 300. The team was composed of W H. Parkinson, T. Pickering, T. Doyle, C. J. Tucker (Captain), and D. Robinson.. This team will hold the silver challenge shield for twelve months, and will represent the L. & Y. Company in the Inter Railway competition for 1906. The second prize, a handsome sil ver challenge cu p, presen ted by one of the directors, Sir George Pilkington, went to the Horwich team , who gained points. The teams next in order of merit were Southport, 237t points; Fleetwood, 21rl; Victoria (Manchester), 2091; and Knottingly, r66.

Prizes for the best individual work were won by G J. Tueker, North Mersey (Liverpool); F. Scragg, Horwich A. Griffith, Victoria; C. Latham, Aintree Loco; and W. Smith, Wakefield.

The General Manager, Mr. A. F. Aspinall, and the Chief Traffic Manager Mr. C. W. Bayley, who take a keen interest in the work, were unavoidably absent; but Mrs. Aspinall was present, and handed th e shield, cup, and prizes to the successful A pleasing fe ature .of the proceedings was the presentatlOn by 1\1r. R C. Irw111, the Secretary of the Company, on behalf of the L. & Y. Railway ambulance men, to thE: Secretary of the Mr. H. E. ;\lellor, Hunt's Bank, Manchester, of a magmficent Chippendale suitably as a mark of appreciation of hIS untmng efforts on theIr behalf.

1\1r. Irwin in the course of his remarks, pointed out that the Company had now in their 3,835 holding first year certificates; .914 holdll1g sec.on.d certIficates; 378 holding the medall!?n the AssociatIOn; and r 3 holding labels, fourth eXamll1atlOn.; that the bers of the C e ntre had rendered first aid 111 6,600 cases 111 the past year.

The winnin a team had a very hearty receptIO n on arrival at Station in the evening. All grades of the Company's servants turning out to welcome and congratulate them on their victory.

MmLAND. - A meeting was held at Oakham on March 23 rd , when certificates and medallions were presented to

the successful candidates in the recent examinations.Afterwards, a small present, consisting of a sum of money, which had been su bscribed for by mem bers of class, was handed to Dr. Hewitt by Mr. W. Roberts, asslst.-sec. (in the absence of the president" W. H Charlton, who, unfortunately, was unable to oe present at. the n: eeting), as an appreciation of his serVIces, given gratuitously to the class. Dr. HewItt thanke? the mef!1bcrs and said he intended to get up a competItIOn later 10 the and the money he would give as prizes to the successful competitors. The officers for the ,Year were appointed, Mr. W. Peet taking the secretaryshIp, vacated by Mr. J. Butler, who for several years has worked hard for the good of the class. After the usual vote of thanks the meeting terminated.

M. & G.N. JOINT -The third and final of a of ambulance competitions by employ es of this j::>int Rallway Cup took place at the TO'lVn Hall, Yarmouth, on Apri l 5th The competing teams were :-Melton Constable, So u th Lynn 1. South Lynn II., Norwich Loco, and Wisbech. Surg.-Ca'pt. F. C. Brooke, Chief District Superintendent St. John Ambulance Brigade, Felixstowe, and Dr. S. O. Eades, chief surgeon Ipswich Division, S.J.A.B., the judges. The competition resulted as fo!lows :-\Vlsbech, 279 points; South Lynn 1.,277; Norwich, 274; Melton Constable, 269; South Lynn 11., 254 The Mayor of Yarmouth (Councillor C. N. Brown) handed the Cup to the winr;ers.

N.E.R-All interesting gathering was held at the Blyth Station on the 18th ult., when the chairman of the class, M r. Cocks, in the u navoidable absence of the lecturer, Dr. W. H. Manners, handed to Mr. Wm. Hodgson, their late secretary, who has just left the company's service, an oak inkstand yyith two bottles and silver penholder suitably inscribed, as a slight token of his valuable services as secretary. M r. Jackson (Gen. Sec ) and Mr. W. Hollings (District Sec.) were also unable to attend in consequer.ce of being engaged elsewhere.

A "smoker" was held at the Grand Restaurant, Leeds on the 22nd ult., under the auspices of the Neville Hill Loco. Class, when Mr. Alfred Hudson (Chief Clerk) presided, and was supported by Mr. W. Noble (District Supt.), Dr. L. A. Rowden, Dr. W H. Waddington, Mr. Geo. Jackson (Gen. Sec.), Mr. Elliott (District Sec.), Mr. Kettlewell (Class Sec.), Mr. Scott, &c. A capital programme was rendered, and the chairman handed to Dr. Rowden on behalf of the class, Belot's "Radiotherapy in Skin Disease," who feelingly ac k nowledged the p resent, and Mr. Jackson re -e choed the sentiments of all the doctor's admirers and students in wishing him a speedy return to health and strength again after his illness.

On the 29th ult., the Carlisle Class held their first social evening, when Mr. J. Henderson presided over a good company, supported by Dr. A. C. Burrows, M r. Geo Jackson (Gen. Sec ), Mr. W. Hollings (Distr ict Sec ), &c , when the doctor's daughter handed to the successfu l students in the recent examination their certificates &c., and Mr. Henderson, in a neat speech, asked the doc t or to accept from the class a very handsome oxidised si lver table lamp as a token of their appreciation of his valuable services, whilst Mr G. Watson (the drill instructor) was the recipient of a very fine umbrella for his services After a few remarks from the Gen. Secretar y, dancing was indulged in to a late hour.

On the 30th inst. our York friends held their last ball of the season, when a large company assemble d , amongst

A I D.- April, 1906.

wh o m we n o t iced M r. Geo. Jac k so n (Ge n. Sec ), M r. G. W . Sco tt (Dis. Sec.), Messrs. Arber, A tk inson, Hutc?inson, Robi n son, S ights, F le tcher, &c., and a most. e n joyable t ime was spent u ntil the ear y hours of th e and as a result the Cou n ty Hospital and School for t he Blmd have bee n fo r warded £ I each.

O n the 31st u lt. the Tyne Dock C lass held the ir ann ual tea, co n cert a n d dance in their am bulance ha ll , and after a sump t uous tea had been e nj oyed. by a la rge ga t he rin g, Mr. W Mo r due (Loco Supt.)) p reSIded over t he concert, supported by Mr. J. T. Naisby (Dock Agent), Mr. T. Howe (Permanent Way I ns ), Dr. R M. and Mrs. Ha ll M r. Geo. Jackson (Gen. Sec ), :vIrs. Jac k so n , M r. and Mrs. W. H. Dickinson, &c A very good p rogramme of songs, &c., was rendered. Mrs Ha ll ha n ded the certificates, &c., to the men who had passed the recent examination. Mr. Naisby handed to Dr. Ha ll a very fine silver cigarette case, suitably inscribed. Mr. Hollings, amidst cheers, handed the distric t chall enge shie ld to the captam of the Tyne Dock team, who won it at Gateshead a fortnight be fore' and after a few words of congratulation from Mr. J ackso:l, dacc in g was the o r der of the day until nearly m idnight.

On the 7th inst. the final N.E.R. competitIOn held in the Festival Concert Rooms, York, under the preSidency Mr. H. A Watson (Gen. Supt.) in the absence of Mr. A. Kaye Butterworth (Gen. Man.) through illness, when the teams from each of the six districts were judged by Dr. G H. Darwin, of Ma n cheste r, who declared the result as follows:

-1st, York; 2nd, Newcastle; 3 rd, Darlington; 4th, Leeds; 5th , Hull; 6th, Middlesboro'. A large company of med ical gen t lemen, officers of the C0mpany, district an? class sec retaries, and members of the centre, with their wives and families, from all over the system were present and evinced a lively interest in the work of the teams Mr. Watson handed the medals to the winning team amidst the cheers of their friends, and also five special medals and two certificates to men for special first aid treatment, rendered t o their fellows who had unfortunately needed aid. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded the judge on the pror osition of Mr. Watson; and to the chairman, on the motion of the. Sheriff of York and Dr. Darwin, made a very nice speech in reply, and pointed out several points he had noticed during the judging which should be noted by the t eams for future competitions

April,

-FIRST

A In.-

N.

GLASGow. - The ann u a l amb ul ance competition for the" Cowan" Cup took place i n the Water l oo Rooms, on Saturday 24th u lt. Twe n ty-three teams o f live men each entered for the competition, belongi n g to t he sections of the St. Andrew's Am bulance Corps , connected with the Glasgow Corporation Tramways, Glasgow Police, the various railway companies and public works throughout the West of Scotland All the arrangements for the competition were carried out by Lieut.-Col. H. J. Barnes, general secretary of the Association, and the teams were examined in "General Knowledge" by Dr. Charles C. Cuthbert, in "Practical Work" (bandaging, &c.) by Dr. Archibald Young, and in ,: Transport of the Injured" (stretcher drill) by Dr. R T. Halliday.

At the close of the competition the team from the Dennistoun Tramways Section was awarded the cup and gold badges, they having laken first place with a total of 222 points out of a possible 300, and silver badges to the team from the Queen's Park Police Section, they having obtained second place with a total of 2 I points The cup and badges were presented to the winners of the first and and second places by Mr. Thomas Dunnachie, member of the council of the S. A. A. A.

The remainder of the teams came in the order of merit as follows: Tramways, Head Office (the winners of the cup last year), 206; Helensburg, N . B.R., :202; Kilmarno c k Goods Station, G & S. W. R., 200; College Station, N.B.R., 197 ; Troon Station, G & S.W.R, 195; Kingston Yard, Port Glasgow, 193; Carlisle, c.R., St. Rollox Stati.on, C.R., and Stirling Station, C.R, 192 each; Central PolIce, 190; Cowlairs Station, N.B.R., 182; Castle Yard, Port Glasgow, 179; College Station, G. & S.W.R, 170; Glasgow Locomotive Works, 169; St. Rollox Workshops, c.R., ] 69; Queen Street Station, N.B.R., 167; Pier Station, G. & S.W R, 163; St. Rollox Police, ISS; Kinning Park Tramways, J 5 I; Glen Yard, Port-Glasgow, 137; Cow Iairs Works, .B.R, 136.

My Experiences as an Hospital Orderly during the Boer War.

By A. C. CARTER

(IS! Offi ce r and Hon. Sec. W es ter7l Di'llision, Hull Corps).

(Co11tinued from page 60.)

ON May 7th 800 Boer pr isone rs passed thro ugh the town, and 100 wounded were brought t.o the vanous hospitals, they ha6 come from Bloemfontelll Waterworks, where there had been fighting for two days.

On May 17th a party of us were told off to at t end t he fu n eral of o n e of o ur Nursing Sisters who h ad died from enteric fever.

On Tuesday, May 22nd, we heard that Ma fek in g h a d

Relief of Ma feking-Official Confirmation!

An Histor ic Date! Ships Decorated!

Australia Rejoicing Public Holiday Proclaimed! PulJlic Service at St. Paul's !

Lord Mayor and Sheriffs unable to attend - Impossible to Leave the Mansion House owing to the Crush! Unparalleled Scenes! Surging Jubilant Crowds! Bunting Everywhere! Traffic almost Suspended! othing but Bonfires in England!

Kruger's Latest Threat!

We rather thought that England usually so stoical and phlegmatic was going mad It did not however make much difference with us, we said to each other II Eh, Mafeking relieved." "Is it?" was the invariable reply. One day was very like another with us and there was but little time for "Mafficking" even if one had caught that fever.

I think that May 28th, the day of the annexation of the Orange Free State, was the liveliest day I witnessed while in Bloemfontein. Nothwithstanding the secrecy which had been observed in military circles, public curiosity had been aroused and was on the qzd to see what was going to happen, more especially as the flag -s taff in the centre of the Market-square had betokened that 'Something important was about to take place.

Yes, and I observed several battalions of soldiers arrivin a from all quarters of the town and taking up position round mysterious flagstaff. Of course I had no idea what it all meant, but I wanted to know, and I informed my ward mate that I was just going out to see, and if anyone wanted me I should be back in a few minutes, perhaps! I was soon in the Market-square watching the troops as tr.ey came marching in, and the large crowds of people that also commenced to accumulate thronging every available space in the streets behind the lines of the military, while hundreds climbed the roofs of the surrounding houses and stores, where they sat perched for several hours waiting and wondering, as I was, to know what was going to take place!

The two balcOnIes of the club were crowded with ladies prominent amongst whom I noticed Lady Roberts and dauahters, the Countess of Airlie, Lady Settring- b ton, Mrs. Babbington, and a number of our nurslOg sIsters. I n the centre of the square drawn up in front of that historic flagstaff were a number of prominent towns.men, ex-Free State officials, amongst whom were Dr. Ktllner (Mayor of Bloemfontein), the Town Clerk, the Town Engineer, the Postmaster General, and. 3<:.veral. Town Councillors. I soon made myself acquainted WIth what was about to take place, for although the ceremony was not timed to take place until 12 o'clock the streets had been lined by soldiers, British subjects, Dutch and Kaffirs before 10 o'clock. The troops taking part included" the Buffs," West Riding and Oxford Light Infantry, Cameron landers East Lancashire, Royal Berks, Royal ATClllery, Yeomanry, and a section of the Naval Brigade, the whole being under the command of General Knox. Pending the arrival of the. Military Governor, the troops we re "standing easy" WIth fixed bayonets, the bands meanwhile playing selections of music.

At about 10 30 I had seriou,> thoughts ?f returning, but on second thoughts I came to the GOnclUSlOn I would sooner chance aettin a into a row than mIss such an important I signed on for a little longer.

-FIRST

About I r o'clock the Government officials entered the square, and the Royal Standard was brought in by P ett y Officer Fuller, of the Naval Brigade, and attached to the flagstaff in readin ess for the ceremony. The officers pres e nt included G ene ral Kelly Kenny, General Allen, Colonel Babington, Prince Francis of Teck and Lord Valentia.

(To be (on tin ued )

the words, "Glasgow Fire Brigade. For Long Service." A demonstration was then given of the manipulation of the escape. It is affixed to a car, which is driven by e lectriCity generated by a small petrol motor, while the ladders are raised by a carbonic acid engine. The ladder was run up to its full height of eighty-four feet, and four firemen taking their positions opposite the different flats, shOWIng how the ladders can be utilised for fire extinguishing purposes. The first aid motor afterwards had a run through the city.

National Fire Brigades Union.

PROVINCIAL FIRE BRIGADES.

BRIGHTON.-SUPt. La Croix's r epo rt shows that the brigade, which h e so ably controls, has maintain e d the high position it has attained.

GLAsGow.-In the gymnasium at the Central Station of the Glasgow Fire Brigade, on March 26th, twenty·four of the mE:m bers were presented with long-serv ice medals. Councillor Cleland, convener of the Watchin g and Lighting Committee, presided, and he was accompanied by Bailies Wilcox, Brown, Hunter, and Shaw Maxwell, and Councillors Finlay a nd Young. Councillor Cleland said that the Corporation, on th e suggestion of the Fire Brigade Sub-Committee, unanimously agreed that th e practice which obtained in certain large brigades in England should be extended to the Glasgow Fire Brigade-namely, that each man who had twenty years' approve d service should receive a medal, with a clasp for every five years of additi?nal. service. The .Corporation had always thought that, altke 111 staff and eq uIpment, the brigade should be superior to any other brigade in the kingdom. That day they were to witness a special run of a first aid petrol motor of which they recently got delivery, a nd also of the elect ric :notor fire escape and water tower. They thought this was the begin.ning of a n ew era of traction in the fire brigade, not only In but throu gho ut the kingdom generally.

first aId motor had been built of a type specially d eS Igned by th emsel ves and adapted to the requirements of Glasgow. Th e fire escape and water tow e r was the first of the kind in the United Kingdom. They therefore they were leading in this department. The cItIzens of Gl asgow we re proud of their fire department and of th eir firemen. He might mak e special reference to the r ecen t fi.re in Watson-street, where the loss of life, great thou gh It was, would have been very much greater had it not been for the prompt and heroic efforts of the fire brigade, assisted most efficie ntly by the members of the lJolice force and of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association Cleland then presented the medals. The reCIpIents compnsed Chief-Offiuer Paterson who has year's service; Supts. M'Coll, 'Muir and GIllon; statIon -officers Wadell, Ritchie, M'Culium Kinlo c h, Kennedy and M'Gregor. Among th e were Foreman John Brown, who, having had almoSl thirty-five y.ear s' received thr ee clasps. The medals are of SlIver, beanng on the one side a of the Central Fire Station, and on the other thE. City Arms, surrounded by

SITTINGBOURNE. - The annual report of this Brigade to hand last month shows that nine fires were dealt with during the year under review, three in the town and six in the out district. None of the town fires were of a serious nature, but One in the out district-Manor Farm 'Vormshill - resulted in serious damage. The wagon is still doing good work in the district, 17 cases were removed to home or hospital. We cannot but feel however that, considering Sittingbourne now possesses' a division of the S.J.A.B., this branch of the work might well be transferred to its mem bel'S. The Brigade consists of Chief Officer, one Lieutenant, one Chaplain, one Brigade Surgeor:, one Foreman, one Enp-ineer two Assistant Engineers, and six Firemen. '

The Victorian Country Fire Brigades' Competitions, 1906,

THE mail from Australia just received brings full details of the remarkable gathering held at Bendigo, Victoria, from March 6th to 9th, only two of the nin e ty -seve n fire brigades being unrepresented. The firemen present numbered 2,000, and the work done was most creditable' the discipline (each. 25 men) especially so, Geelong West Bngade sconng the high es t possible (100) closely by 991; .Clunes, worth, 98; nme other brI ga des scormg 97 to 9 [ points.

The Senior Brigade Geelong also did well in the hose and ladder practice for 8 men, and carried off the first prize against 27 competitors.

A special feature of this year's gathering was the prese nc e of r e pres e ntatives af the Cue Brigade from t.he far distant (2,000 miles) State of Australta, and of the Wallse nd Brigade from New South Wales. The utmost e nthusiasm and good feeling prevailed throughout the we e k.

.The beautiful.s.ilver challenge shield, the gift of the leadmg London CitIzens, was won for the sl:cond time by the which also won again the smaller shl.eld, the gtft of the Geelong Brigades' Lonnon represen tatl ve.

The torchlight procession-always a very attractive feature at these annual gatherings-was successfully carried ?ut, 2,000 and many brigade bands marchmg through the prInCIpal streets of Bendigo. was divided as to the locale for next year's Melbourne or a provincial centre - the voting resulting in th e decision that the 19 0 7 meet be held at Castlemaine, a goldfields town 100 miles from Melbourne.

Not a accident occurred, and the arrangements were carned through most efficiently by the zealous president, Capta in D. Andrew, the secr e tary, Mr. James Walker, and their colleagues.

At a meeting of the Committee of the Widows and Orphans Fund, held on March 25th, e.O. Graham in the cbair, the following grants were made :-Brierley Hill F.B., Widow Cassell £15; Bass & Co., Widow Cramp £10; Stafford, Whitaker's Orphans £5; Sutton Coldfield, Widow. Higgs a donation of five guineas to the local subscription fund. Chief Officer A. Frampton, Fire Brigade, Teddington, was elected a Life Governor of the Fund.

Hearty congratulations to the genial hon. general secretary for the further distinction that he received last month.

Foreign Office, March 20th, 1905.

SIR,-I am directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to inform you that he has received a communication from the Russian Charge d'Affair es stating that His Majesty the Emperor of Russia has conferred upon you the Gold Medal, with the ribbon of St. Stanislas, in recognition of services rendered by you to the Russian delegat es to the Exhibition and International Congress held at Buda Pesth in 1904

I am now to acquaint you that th e King has been grac iously pleased to grant permission to you to accept and wear this medal, which, together with the accompany ing diploma, is herewith inclosed.--I am, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, (Signed) F. A. CAMPBELL. Horac e Folker, Esq. Trinity Chambers, Guildford.

SOUTH EASTERN J)ISTRICT.- The twelfth annual r epo rt and balance sheet of this district shows that it is still in a flourishin g condition. A perusal of its pages shows that the r eport has been compiled with care, and proves that the mantle of t he late district hon. secretary has falle n upon capable shoulders. We are pleased to see that a kindly and well merit ed tribute is paid to the late han secretary. Capt. W es tbr oo k has done yeoman service for the district, and it is in great measure due to his untiring e n ergy that it is in such a prosperous condition to -day.

London Private Fire Brigades' Association.

The annual meeting of the above takes place at the Masons' HaJl Tavern, on April 26th. There is a lengthy agenda, including the annual election of officers.

The struggle for the City Challenge Shield will take place at the Guildhall on May 26th, in the pres e nce of the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor and sheriffs.

Th e annual tournam en t, for which a capital programme has been arranged, takes place at the Crystal Palace on June 9 tho

We are in no way responsible for tlte opinions expressed, or the Jtatements made, by Corre spo ndents.-EDITORS.

GLASGOW POLICE AMBULANCE COMPETITIO S. SIR,-In the copy of "FlRST Am" repo r of the above Oral QuestIOn NO.4 13. Te Deef Sandwich, &c. is noted.

shall be If you can enlighten me under what headu:g or reasonl11g that question has anything to do with first ald I may be lacking in intelligence that I do not see the connection, but in my idea "there a?-e others" or that not have been put. '

FIrst aId IS a noble and grand work and no one should be to play WIth it in that manner;' the time used on that questIon and ItS answer could have heen used to better advantage, and for something that would have been of help to first aiders. "

Thanking you in anticipation.- Yours truly.

BIRD 0 FREEDO;\I. March 26th, 1906.

the judges in this competition had some rea so n for and shou ld they see this letter perhaps they wIll enllghthen our corresponJent.-ED. "F.A."

CHURCH BRAS I ER TESTIMO I AL. DEAR SIR,-I was very glad to learn by your last number this had now taken definite shape, and I trust tbat It wlll meet WIth a good response. I was, however, sorry to learn that the suggestIon of one or two of your former correspondents not acted upon, "A Shilling Fund," as I feel sure It would have resulted 111 a handsome gift. have heard it stated that it was felt that it would hal been derogatory to l\Ir. Brasier's position, but 1 fail to see this. Dr. \V. G. Grace hasbad such a testimonial, and at the present tinle, as is well known, steps are beillg taken to arrange a similar recognition for Miss Ellen Terry. It is the feeling which prompts the gift which enhan ces its value -not the amount, and I feel sure that such a testimonial would have met with a great response, thereby proving how popular and esteemed the Brigade Chief Supt. is among all classes.

I have given my mite, and I hope that all readers of FIRST AID will likewise contribute towards the recognition of one whom we still miss and for wbose welfare we shall always pray. - Yours truly.

C \ NTAB.

LONDO l S Al\IBULA:t\CE NEEDS I 1866 .

DEAR SIRS,- The foll owing I condense from a medical paper of J 866 wbich I came across recently. The conveyance of patients to Hospitals in common street cabs is certainly one of the causes of the spread of smallpox, typhus fel er and other infectious diseases. Above 800 cases were thus taken to the Fever Hospitals during the year, many of the cabs on tbeir return no doubt taking up stray fares, hence the name" fever hutch" attached to the "growler. " It was then th ought that carriage ambulances or other special conveyances, ought to be provided out of the police rate for use in every district at fixed rates, and their use made compulsory.

In Edinburgh at this time there were Sedan-chairs with carriers attached to the Hospitals for the removal of pati ents, It will thus be seen that nearly forty years ago they were in advance of London in the se matters. Yours, &c., L. A

"BREADTH OF VIEW" ESSE T I AL TO A::\[BULA?\TCE \YORK.

DEAR SIR,-I often think as 1 complete my reading of "F A." each month "'hat a loss it would be to all who take an interest in ambulance matters if F.A" were withlleld from us for the space of one month only. Dy means of our old invaluable we are mentally taken to see the ambulance and firemen of' Scotland, Germany, and our Colonies, in a manner at once concise convincing and impressive: this is imperative, with who, ha\'e as rule, a hazy idea that London is pre-eminent in everything.

It is the few, like myself, who after carefully enquiring mto, and bearing in mind, the long series of British blunders on land and sea, municipal, and national, during the last 300 years, appreciate any influence like that from which the Israelities of old got their drilling 'Vhen tbeir axes or ploughshares were blunt they were compelled to go to the nearest Philistine garrison to get them sharpened ( 1 Sam. xiii. 19-21 ) That was humilitatin g, but the lessons were learnt in this way that could not be aC4uired in any other-lessons that at length put such character and manhood into Israel as enabled them to work out their own freedom, and use it more wisely than they bad done before. The conditions of our ambulance affairs are humil ia ting enough, but not more so than other matters of vital importance to the Nation.

The discovery that tr.ere are two sides to truth seems one of the hardest knocks a 'a tion can receive; believing in the positive pole of the magnate, and possibly laying the i r plans accordingly ( though I do not consider this latter by any means a British habit ), the discovery, when it comes, of a negative pole besides thro\l"s everything into confusion, and by the time they have learnt what new complexities, suggestions, and actions can be brought about by negative and positive combination tbey are utterly in a state of moral prostration and collapse. This is where "F.A " comes in so effectually, it gives us the data which we know to be, as a matter of course, absolutely reliable upon which to array our ideas, form opinions and mature judgment, and we cannot help feeling that the real advance of ambulance work has been very slow, while in London the stream is ever sluggisb. However, no good thing comes without a struggle, and our most ';alued possessions are those which have cost the greatest trouble and tbe most time

Earnestly trusting that FIRST AID will continue to be guided with tbat editorial wisdom it has so long been blest with. - I remain, Yours sincerely.

L. A. C.

AJAX. -" I zal" is the ideal disinfectant for you.

Reviews, FABLES FOR CHILDREN IN THE DA JGER OF PLAYING RESPECT OF WITH FIRE.

WE have received from the British Fire Prevention Committee a copy of the four fables which recently received awards. They are in a style that will appeal to the little ones, and we thmk that a number of copies should be provided for use in the Infant's Department in all our Elementary Schools. It is the children of the labouring classes who unfortunately are often the victims of the fire which might have been prevente.d. Left alone the little one in a thoughtless moment plays With a box of matches or the fire itself; result-a Coroners Inquest. If only children can be brought by a recouotal of these little tales to realise the danger of playing with fire, It w111 not be the least of the good work which the

B.F P.C. is doing to minimise its risk. Copies of the fables can be had from the Offices of the Committee J Waterloo-place, Pall Mall, London, price 3d each, or 2S. '6d: per dozen If larger numbers are required for schools a special price will be quoted.

BEAUTIFUL MALVERN.

THE title seems to remind one o f the charming district in our own Vv'orcestershire County, but it refers to a district

AI D.- April, 1 9 0 6.

equally charming in its way, in one o f our far distant colonies -0latal. "Beautiful Malvern )) is a little illustrated bookle t published by Avery & Co., Aberdeen, and is from the pen o f 1\[rs. Flemin g, formerly a lady journalist, and fnr years a missionary \\'orking for the Army llome, l\faritzburg. The illustrations are from photographs taken by l\lr. Ernest Haynes, the proprietor of etley House, ;\lah ern, and certain l y seem to prove that some parts of South Africa are very beautiful.

Since the South African "War many tourists have visited this distant possession of ours, and as things improve out there many more \\'ill do so. To all of these we say, if visiting alaI, do not fail to visit l\1alvern.

Speaking of etley House, ]\[rs Fleming says, "We hav e passed many vacations at Netley House, and in winter or in summer Malvern ever retains its beauty and charm, tbe fr e sh air is invigorating, the scenery is exquiSite, the house is spacious, comfortable and homely -what could anyone want more. \Ve ha\'e travelled up and down country, spent many days and week ends at many and various boarding hous sand hotels of good standing, but not one of them can equal etley House for freedom, homely comfort and spotless cleanliness."

(This testimony, says the writer, is absolutely unasked for by the proprietor. )

It is of interest to note that Mr. Ernest Haynes is the brother of l\lrs. Church Brasier, wife of Brigade Chief Supt. Church Brasier, S.].A.B.

"GREAT WESTER [ RAILWAY J\lAGAZI E."

\ Ve have received a copy of this journal, and we desire to congratulate the Editor ami all concerned in its production. I t is printed on good paper, in clear type, and is well illustrated, while the reading matter has been carefully prepared and well edited It is one of the best magazines of its class tbat has yet come under our notice.

Po li cy No 600,093 "FIRST AlD."

This Coupon =lnsuran c e =Ticket mu s t not be deta c hed.

WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORl'ORATIOK, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFI CE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOOR GA TE STREET, LONDON, E. C., to the legal personal represen tati ve of the bonll fide holder of this Coup on-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an acciuent within the United Kingdom or Channel Islands to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader 's ticket-holder.

P rovided that he above unde r taking is sub ject t o the fo ll ow in g s pecia co ndit ions, whi ch a re of th e esse nce o t he co ntract, " iz. -

(a) That death result within one month after the accident, (I,) that such holder's usual signature shall have been written in ink, in the space provided under· neath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the be given to the Corporation at its Principal Office in L on don witbin fourteen days after its occurrence, (d) that medical ce rtificates and other info rmation be furnished by the person claiming upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) tbat this Insurance applies only to persons ove r twelve and under seventy years of age, is limited to one COl.,pon.Insurance.Ticket for each holder, and holds good for the current month of ss ue only.

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890," Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incompatible with the special conditions above stated.

The Independent Journal for the

and Fire Services.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this J ourna l as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambu ance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Ivledical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will 1.1so send for publication their official news and notices. Sugges ions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will aclvance the interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requ ested to sta te on the hack of the same 1he name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and gi\'e al so the name [lnd address of the sender.

" First Aid" is publi s h e d on the 20th of the month .

EDITORIAL.

Hall.]

Ambulance Association is by far the best qualifled body to train, organise and work a corps of this character. Take, for instance the Arst item, the training, the Association has proved its fitness for this task by its splendid record of certificated members instructeo in the principles of first aid, amongst whom are thousands of miners. Taking organisation next, we turn to the St. John .llmbulance Brigade, which may justly b e termed the finest body of voluntary helpers in this country, and is an evidence of th e capability of the Association to not only organise, but to equip and maintain in the highest state of efficiency a corps of both men and women ready at the call of duty for any emergency.

C o lliery

Re s cue Corp s

The recent terri ble coli iery disaster at Courvieres in France has raised the question in some of t he daily papers of this country, as to the possibi li ty of prcmoting in connection with our own co ll ieries rescue corps such as the German Rescue Corps, which rendered such va l uable assistance to the French authorities . Referring to the subject on April 30th, in an interesting and instructive ar icle, the Pallll.fall Ga::etle asks who or w h 3.t society can be prevailed upon to take up the subject and t r ai n a n d o r ganise s u ch val uab le adjunc s to our co lli e r ies. Variou s bod ies are mentioned as the p r oper a u thori t ies, a ll alas to be dismissed after a few r emarks on the ir apparent want of time-or shall we say want of inclination ?-to undertake so great a task, in spite of the urgent necessity which is known to exist for the formation o f suc h corps. Who t hen, says our contemporary , is there l ef o take th e ini iat ive? a n d immediate y proceeds to a n s w e r t h e questio n by suggest ng t he County Counci s.

We, however, beg t o differ. These bodies, with the var io u s d ut ies " h ic h hey n ow have to carry o u t, and t h e additional b ur de n s w hi c h a r e sho r l y to be thrown u pon them by the n ew Educa t io n a l B ill , wi ll h ave but itt e time to devote to hum an ita ri a n d uti es. We u n h es i ta tin g l y say the St. Joh n

It may be argued by some, "Yes, but the m embe rs of these rescue corps must have special instructions in all that appertains to nre damp and the kindred causes of colliery disasters " Quite so. And h e r e again we maintain that the Association would prove equal to the emergency. .i\ few years since we undestand, a desire was expressed Il1 some quarters for an advanced course on the principles of " hygiene." The Association at once fell in with the desire, a text book was issu e d and classes at once formulated to study this important and interesting subject.

"::'Iranya collier," says our contemporary, "has saved his life by the possession of just a little knowledge. In the Tylorstown explosion, for instance, one of th e miners, instead of rushing wildly towards the shaft as did so many of his fellows, concluded from what he had read about firedamp that death lay in that direction. H e , th e refore, endeavoured to persuade his comrades not to go that way. But they would not listen to him. Then, exercising his knowledge of firedamp and of the geography of the mine, he planned out a course of action for himself, and, following this, was able to dodge the firedamp till he was rescued. while his less -i nstructed companions rushed right into the very element t hey were anxious to escape. This instance m ight be paralled by dozens of others, showing how precio us a little knowledge may be, but one will suffice. A young collier, having heard that a wet cloth, placed over the mouth, would enable a person to go through a broad belt of afterdamp without suffering injury, poured the contents of his tea-bottle over his handkerchief, pressed the han dkerchief c lose against his mouth, and ran as hard

[Entered at Stationers'

PRICE TWOPENCE. [26 PFll 'I, PlIST FI<F.F.]

-FIRST

as he could through the afterdamp to a place where he could breathe in safety. "

Just so, and we have not the slightest doubt that both these men had received elementary instruction in the classes o f the St. John Ambulance Association.

We believe that should a scheme be propounded for the formation of such corps it would have the sympathy a nd support of mine owners and others interested in the working of our colleries, and that money would be readily subscribed towards the creation, instruction, equipmen t and future maintenance of such corps, and we commend the idea to the Executive of the St. John Ambulance Association, feeling assured that if they will but take the matter in hand it will result in this country possessing:m organ is ed body of colliery rescuers, which, like our lifeboat men and firemen, \rill be second to none in the world.

, The Knights Hospitallers of St. John .. of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ORI GIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER OF 51'.

Pro utildate h om i lllt17t.

COMPILED BY C. GRAB AM DEWSBURY, S.].A.A.

(Colll,'/lued from page I5 I).

THIS ill-success, instead of daunting the Basha, did but exasperate him the more against the Knights. He o r dered two attacks to be carried on at the same time, one against the quarters of the Jews, and the other towards the post of the Italian Inn. But the latter was only a false attack; the true one was against the Jew's wall. The Basha raised several batteries to beat it down, and tho ugh, as historians of that time relate, it was twenty-eight feet thick, yet being old, and not strengthened by a rampart, the force of the artillery soon put it in a tottering condition

The Grand Master in order to be Drovided for the Turks if they should attempt to storm, it, - ordered several houses to be pulled down and dug a very broad and deep ditch on the spot where they stood, behind which they raised a new brick wall, sustained by a thick rampart, a work which seems incredible considering the time employed in finishing it. But as they all saw the necessity of it, and the danger the town was exposed to, everybody worked at it with equal ardour. The Grand Master himself, and the oldest commanders by his examp le, performed the office of workmen and pioneers. All the inhabitants, without distinction of age, sex. or condition, worked night and day; the Greek and Lat1l1s, who had such frequent disputes in times o.f laid a ll aside, except that of a generous emulatlOn, 10 stnv1l1g who should first finish the task they had taken upon themselves. The Jewish women as well as the being threatened with an odiou; slavery, and dreadmg still more the indignities they should be exposed to if the city should be taken by storm, drudged at the work as well as the men. The very nuns came out of their convents and assisted the workmen with an incredible zeal.

was then a soldier or a pioneer, and all were uDlted 111 the defence of their common country; and it was

owing to so short a time to finish such great works, in any other juncture could not have been performed 111 several month').

In the meantime the artillery of the enemy was continually battering the wall. Their mortars at the same time threw stones of prodigious size, which, flying through the air by the force of powder, fell into the city, an? alighting upon houses, broke through the made theu way through several stories, and crushed to pIeces a.lI that they fell upon-nobody was safe from them-and It was this kind of attack that gave the greatest terror to the Rhodians. (For illustration of the Seige of Rhodes, see page 99, January, )9 0 5).

The Grand Master to lodge the women and children especially in a place of them to retire a quarter of the city that lay at a from the battenes, and was to the west between the houses and the ramparts. On this place they laid great beams by way of roof, and made it so substantial and thick that there was no danger to be feared from the great stones, and to pay the Basha in his own coin, the Grand Master, with the help of the most skilful engineers, set the carpenters of the town at work to make a wooden engine that would also throw stones of a pr:;digious size; and these stones not only crushed all the soldiers that were within their reach, but their vast weight falling upon hollow ground, they broke through and killed the workmen in the bottom of their mines. T I1e Knights, out of raillery, called this machine the" Tribute, lJ alluding to that which Mahomet demanded of the Order, and giving him withal to understand that he was to expect no other kind of payment.

The Basha enraged to find in the Grand Master's single person continued obstacles to all his enterprises, resolved to get rid of him at any cost, and get him dispatched by dagger or poison. For the execution of this base design, he picked out two deserters of the garrison, who since their desertion had renounced the faith; the one a Dalmatian, and the other an Albanian. These two, tempted by the alluring promises of the Basha, and in concert with him, quitted his army and got back into the town, as if they had made their escape out of the hands of the Turks after having been taken in a sally. They received them into the place with joy, and without the least diffidence. The villain') were already beginning to rejoice at the success which they expected in their undertaking; the Dalmatian had actually bribed an inferior officer of his table, who only waited a favourable opportunity to execute the horrid conspiracy. The Albanian, who was acquainted with the Grand Master's secretary, finding him discontented with that prince, was imprudent enough to open himself to him; and showing him letters seaJed with the Basha's seal, promised him the first dignities of the empire and immense wealth if he would execute what the Albanian proposed to him in his name. The secretary, who was a man of great honour, reported it immediately to the Grand Master, up0n which the Albanian was seized, and being put to the torture denounced his accomplice; but before they could be carried to the place of execution they were both torn to pieces by the enraged people. The Basha, not discouraged at the ill-success of his abominable design, had again recourse to open force-he having resolved to carry the tower of S1. Nicholas.

A canal, which was very narrow, ran between this tower and the place where the Infidels were encamped; it was necessary to cross this canal in order to atta.ck the town. For purpose they formed a bridge which was to reach St. Anthony's Church to the tower; and for the guid ing and placing one end of it upon the point of the Mole of St.

May, I906. -FIRST

Nicholas, a Turkish in th e might time carried an anchor to the place, and fixed it to the foot of a rock wh ich was covered by the sea; putting through the ring of the anchor a great cable which was fixed to the head of the bridge, and was worked by means of capstan. But an English seaman, Gervase Rogers, being accidentally near the spot, and having observed all Turkish engineer did without exposing hims elf, suffered him to go away, after he had gone, he plunged into the sea, and loosed the cable which he left upon the strand, carried off the anchor, and brought it to the Grand Master, who gave him a very handsome reward.

The Turks, when their bridge was got ready, endeavoured to work it by means of the cable, but soon found by the ease which they had in pulling it to them, that their stratagem was discovered and frustrated.

(To be continued.)

Annual Ambulance Competitions.

THE FIGHT FOR THE" DEWAR" SHIELD.

No. I DISTRICT.-Causton's Division was, after a keen contest, selected to represent this District in the fight for the Blue Ribbon of the Brigade.

No. 2 DISTRICT.-The competition in this District to select a team this year was arranged in heats. The District was divided into divisions and a team from each part subsequently met in London to fight out the right to represent the District.

After a spirited contest Newton Abbot team secured the premier position. Assistant-Commissioner Courtney, M.D., acted as judge.

No. 3 DISTRICT.-The various selected teams from the different parts of this District met at the Volunteer Drill Hall Coventry, on Saturday, April 2 ISt. First there was the viva voce examination, in which each team took part; each mem w.as then examined. as to individual treatment of 1I1Junes, the treatment 1I1cluding the following :-(r) Fractured s?oulder blade; (2) penetrating wound of the chest, With fractured (3) fractured clavicle, with plenty of bandages; (4) Tight leg cut by knife, vein severed; left scalded. Northampton proved the w1l1ners WIth 314 marks; 2nd, Rugby, 300 marks; 3rd, Leicester, 286 4th, Birmingham, 283 marks.; and 5th, Cromer, With 264 marks.

Commenting on the work of the teams District Chief Surgeon Audland stated that out of a possible twenty marks obtainable for the hest answer as to "How to treat a wound in the house," nobody secured more than 9 marks, one 5, two 3, and one only 2 marks. The equipment and general treatment of cases on the part of the r;nen was good, and the cleanliness all could be deSired.

The judges were Dlstnct Chief Surgeon Audlan?, Assistant Commissioner Woolston and Surgeon-Captall1 Owen of the Royal Warwickshire Regt. (Vols.).

No. 4 DISTRICT.-On .Ap:il 21St, the selection of a team to represent thiS Dlstnct 111 th e Competitions was decided at Bolton. There were nme teams, and proved the winners, with Kendal second and Burnley third.

The contests between Kendal and Nelson have always been close, these two teams being far ahead of the other competitors. Last year Kendal beat Nelson for place by two points, and on the present year Nelson beat Kendal by seven points.

A I D.-

NO,5 DISTRICT.-Ilkeston secured the right to represent NO.5 District in the competition.

No.6 DI STRICT.-No selection reported.

No. 7 DISTR1CT.-The preliminary contest for the selection of a team to represent this District, which embraces the whole of Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire, in the competition in London for the coveted Dewar Shield, tf)ok place in the Village Hall, Chirk, on Saturday afternoon, April I4th. The teams which faced the judges were the Newport (Monmouth \ the Hereford, the Portmadoc, and the Chirk.

Lieut.-Colonel]. D. Lloyd, in opening the proceedings, said they should be proud of their district, which included the Newport (Mon ) team, the prese nt holders of the Dewar Trophy and the champion ambulance team of the world. He had had a letter from Insp ector-General Ninnis, Chief Commissioner of the Brigade, in which he told him there ';"ere 1,300 more men in the Brigade now than in 19 0 4, and the proportion of recruits from Wales was 30 per cent. higher than from any other part of the country.

After the several teams had rendered aid to a patient supposed to be suffering from a fractured kneecap with hremorrhage of the leg, and answering practical questions viva voce, the result was declared as follows :-Newport, 19 6 points; Hereford, 175 points; Portmadoc, ISS} points and Chirk, J 36. Newport consequently again represented the district in the final competition.

The judges were Lieut.-Colonel Lloyd (District Chief Surgeon) and Sergt.-Major Sidebotham (Newport, Salop), Hon. Surgeon Hamilton (Newport, Mon.) District ChiefSupt. White Salop), and Dr. Fre e th (Llangollen ).

GLA SG OW CORPORATION

Under the auspices of the S. A. A. A, a competition was held in the Waterloo Rooms, Waterloostreet for the Glasgow Corporation Tramways Ambulance Shield. Ten teams were ent e red, and the competition was exceedingly keen. The shield has been won, and will be held for one year by the Dennistoun team, which was successful in winning the Cowan Cup this year. There was a tie for second place between the H ead Office and the Kinning Park Depot teams, and at the conclusion of the tie Kinning Park Depot was awarded second place. The points scored by the first team were 243, and. the teams who tied for second place each scored 24) pomts. Gold badges will be given to. the members .the two leading teams. At the concluslOn of the competitlOn, Mr. Dalrymple, general manager of the Tramways I?epartment, announced the result and handed over the shIeld to the custody of the for one year. The examiners appointed by the association were Dr. George B. Buchanan, Dr. Peter Paterson, and Dr. P. F. Shaw.

THE DONAL D BAIN CHALLE 'G E SHIELD.

The final competition for the Shield by Mr. R. Donald Bain, H. M. Chief Inspector of Mmes for Durham County, took place in Durham Town. Hall, on Saturday, April 2 ISt. Eight teams competed, VIZ., Brandon, Delves, Seaham, South Skelton, South Brancepeth, Esh, Burnmoor, and Rogerley. The examiners were Dr. Metcalfe, of York, and Dr. Murray, of Scarborough. .The. result was Rogerley, which is a quarry team, tied With Esh C.olltery team for the shield with 345 marks each, but 111 the deciding work Rogerley won by 43 to 30 The marks gained ":Jy the other competmg teams were follows :-Brandon, 315; Delves, 30 4; Seaham, 3° 2 Bummoor, 300; South Skelton, 343; South Brancepeth,

-FIRST

33 2 In addition to the shield. the members of the winning team were presented wIth gold medals, the runners-up (Esh) with silver medals, and the met1:bers of the remaining teams with bronze medals. The shIeld and medals were presented by Mr. T. J. Greener, of Crook

THE FURNE SS CHALLENGE SmELl).

The annual competition in connection with the Hartlepools Ambulance League for this Challenge Shield was held at the Armoury, West Hartlepool, on Saturday, April 2 J st, when the trophy, which was flrst won tl?(' Hartlepool North -Eastern Railway Corps, and 111 succession by the Wes[ Hartlepool North-Eastern RaIlway Corps, was carried off by Gray's shipyard, and others (1'<; )111 Richardson's, "Westgarth & Co.'s Hartlepool Borough Pohce Force, and Christ Church C.L.B. also competed, Dr. Pickersgill, of Sherburn-in-Elmet, was judge.

DUNDEE (ST. Jam,) AMBULA;-<CE SfIJELD.

Twenty -two classes studied ambulance in Dundee during the past session, and from these ten teams came forward and took part in the annual shi eld competition held under the auspices of the Dundee centre of the S.J.A.A. in the Drill Hall, on Saturday afternoon, April 21St. The chair was occupied by Lord Provost Longair, ex-Lord Provost and Mrs. Barrie; Mr. and l\f rs. Cadenhead, Blairgowrie ; Dr. Mary F Nannetti, Blairgowrie; Mrs. Rogers; Dr. and Mrs. Duncan, Arbroath; Dr. G. F Whyte and Mrs. Whyte, Dr. and Mrs. Halley, !vir. and Mrs David l)on, :Y[iss Don Mr. George Harvey, Caledonian Railway ; Colonel Hill, and Mr. and 1rs. Crockett, &c. The teams, comprising IO from Dundee, 3 from Arbroath, and from Kirkmichael (the last trained by Dr. Mary F. Nannetti), were given as a test a simple fracture lower third right tibia, rupture of tendon. Achilles on same side, and a simple fracture of the right middle finger. At the close of the examination Mr. David Don announced the result as follows :-1, Dundee (Dr. G W. Miller's) team-J.D. Lyon, D. P. Galloway, W. F. Crichton, and J. H. Stiven- 75 point out of a possible 100, shield and gold badges; 2 Dundee (Dr. Kinnear's) team-James Birrell, David Kettles, James Sylvie, Harry WalJace--68 points, silver badges; 3 Dllndee (Dr. Foggie's) teamJ ames Pearson, J. M. Heggie, D. M. Dundas, W. L. Murray-65 points, bronze badges. Lord Provost Longair, addressing the teams, said the Association was twenty-two years old, and its usefulness and its popularity had !ncreased with its years. It was a s!ngular coincidence m the figures that twenty-two classes had studied ambulance work during the session now closed, and therefore twenty-two lectur e rs had been engaged and also twenty-two examiner;; It would have been a complete coincidence if twenty-two teams had competed. In these twenty-two classes so large a number as between 500 and 600 of their and friends had been obtaining a valuable trammg such as they had witnessed. They should be prepared for all circumstances because they ?ever knew what was to occur or how soon their discipline, mstruction, and' practical) ability were to be put to the test. It was gratify ing to him to find that the winning team was connected with the regiment of which he as Lord Provost of the city was hon. colonel. Mrs. Longair afterwards gracefully presented the prizes. The judges were Dr. Greig and Dr. Lennox.

The third annual competition promoted by the of the Fleetwood Society, under the auspices 0, the S.J.A.A., was held on April 28th,

A I D.-

in the society'S large hall. Th e competition was open to teams within 25 miles radius of Fleetwood, and each individual of every team had to hold the first aid certificate of the association. Five teams entered for the competition, but only four presented themselves for examination. Surgeon-Major Darwin, M.D., F.R.C.S., was the judge, and the maximum number of marks was 3 00

The competition was watched by a rather small but interested audience, and at the conclusion an adjournment was made to the Minor Hall, where a capital tea had been provided for the competitors and friends. The subsequent meelmg was presided over by Mr. G. ",Vadd, supported by Mr. 1'. Marginson (p resident of the society) and others. The result of the competi tion was as follows :-( I) Preston Loco.,214; (2) Chaucer-road, Fleetwood, 208; (3) Preston Police, 168} (4) Fleetwood Co-operative Employes 155, Mr. Marginson then presented the cup to the winning team, and said he had special pleasure in handing it to them as railway men, seeing the danger of their occupation. Messrs. Aston, Gregory, Conroy and Croston also spoke congratulating the winners, and the captain of the team replied.

ELG001) CUP.

WISBECH.- fhe annual competition for the above challenge cup took place at the Corn Exchange, on Wednesday, May 9th, before a large and interested body of spectators. Hon. Surgeon Heaton C. Howard, of the headquarters corps London, was the judge, assisted by Brigade ChiefSupt. W. J. Church-Brasier-who was spending a few days in the neighbourhood as a guest of his old schoolmaster, Mr. J. 'Vest Stanton. Four teams only competed, and at the close the G.E. R. (Wisbech) was declared the winner of the cup, Midland and G.N.R., joint, (Wisbech) being second, Borough Police third, and Borough Fire Brigade fourth. The cup and prizes were afterwards presented to the teams by Mrs. Sharp, who addressed to every recipient a few kindly words. Votes of thanks were proposed, seconded and duly carried to Mrs. Sharp and the judges. In a few remarks Mr. Church-Brasier advocated the formation of a division of the S.J.A.B. for the district, and the matter is to be taken up, and there is every reason to believe thR.t a stnng division will be the result-

CHALLENGE SIfIELD

No. IV. DISTRlcT.-The nursing competition in connection with this District was held on Saturday, :y[ay 5th, in Preston. Out of seventeen original entries there were cleven competing teams.

The first competition for the Nursing Division Challenge Shield was held in 1902 at Accrington when Blackpool won. The following year Blackpool again won, this time at Preston. In 1904 Lytham won at Ro c hdale, and last year Rochdale won a Lytham. This year the judges were Dr. Johnson, M. D., Bolton, and Dr. A. E. Rayner, Preston.

Blackpool won the shield a nd first prize with 350 marks out of a possible 400, Liverpool being second with 33 I. Brierfield and Rochdale tied for third place with 329, but at the second attempt Brierfield secured 331 and Rochdale 329, and Brierfield took the pOSition. Preston was fifth with 328, Walton-Ie-Dale next with 315, Castleton next with 312, and then came Whitworth 295, Norden 291, and Todmorden 277.

The Blackpool team had been instructed by th e lady superintendent Mrs. Orme, and was und er the command of Miss Hartley.

May, 1906 -FIRST

After the competition the Mayor a nd Mayoress (Alderman and Mrs. Ormrod and Mrs. Derham held a reception, in the course of which the Preston Nursing Division presented to the Mayoress a very handsome bouquet of roses and streamers. Mrs. A. Howard, the lady superintendent of the Preston Nursing Division, was also presented with a silver sugar basin and cream jug.

Colonel Trimble, C. M.G. (Deputy Commissioner), made the presentation to Mrs. Howard. For over eleven years this lady has been connected with the movement, and it was in recognition of her services that the presentation was made.

A vote of thanks to the judges was then moved by Dr. Collinson, seconded by the Rev. A. Urquhart. As the result showed, said Dr. Collinson, the struggle had been keen for the first position.

Colonel Trimble proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor and Mayoress for their kind reception, and to the Mayor for presiding.

Al D.-

watched the performance of the different teams, including the Mayor and Mayoress.

.It was .n early five o'clock when the judges retired to theIr award and shortly after the hour, District ChIef Supt. F. A. Brooks, under whose direction the competition had been carried out, gave the order for the teams to fal.l in. The entrance of the Mayor and Mayoress was the for loud applause, and his Worship having taken the chaIr, Dr. Harper announced that the 1St Division Ipswich Corps had been successful in winning the cup 234 marks out a possible 264; Cromer was second, WIth 230; Haverhill obtained 22I, Orwell Works 211, Felix?towe 200, and Gippeswyk J97, The victory of the IpSWIch team was received with loud applause. The then presented the cup, and the prizes to the wll1nll1g teams, .eac? of the in the cup team receiving a handsome bISCUIt b;urel, whIlst the Cromer men were the recipients of silver trays.

RUeDY DIVISION, S.J.A,B.) A NUAL INSPECTION

/'/10/" /'y 1 II j./f,·J/sU/tI !t. ll llgl) ,. Supt. \\1. J. 1'arsons Asst.-Commissioner T. H. ( 3 Dlstrl.c t ) Allhough comparatively of recent formation, the Rugby Division has ear,:ed hIgh eCOl11IUJ11S for Its smartness and the up-to-date methods adopted in its eqUlpment.

Dr. A. E. Rayner seconded the motion, which was heartily carried.

The presentation to Mrs. Howard bore the followll1g inscription :-" Presented to Mrs. Howard and present members of the Preston N ursll1g DIVISIon, St. John Ambulance Brigade, in recognition of her valuable instru c tion and belp given to them at all times.-May 5th , 19 06 ."

E,\ST ANGLIAN CIlALLENGE CUP.

Il'SWICH.-Th e sixth annua l ambulance competition for this trophy took place on Saturday afternoon, May 5th, at the Ambulance Station, Samuel -road, Ipswi ch, the competing teams being Cromer (holders), Haverhill, Felixstowe, 1St ])ivision Ipswich Corps, Orwell Works, and Gippeswyk. Considerable inter.est was manifested in the proceedings, and a la r ge gathp,nng

At the request of lVliss Coulcher, the Mayoress also presented Mr. J. F. l\Iauser with the. certific.ate of the Royal Humane Society for gallantly savmg the 1Jfe of a boy from drowning on January 5th last.

Votes of thanks to the judges, Dr. Harper and Surgeon-Lieut. Sylvester, to the Mayor and ,;\1ayoress were carried with acclamatIOn, and the teams were subsequently entertained to tea by Miss Coulcher.

R , \ILWAV COl\IPETiTIONS.

G.c.R.-Col. Ruyds, on April 26th, presented the challenge shield and prizes to winners in the ambulance competitions, organised by tblS company. The presentation took place in tbe board rOOI11 at the Station Manchester, and among those present 111 addItion to the' members of the winning teams were Mr. J. W. Lawton, Mr. J. Grant, 1\1r. C. H. Pealson. Mr. H. M

-FIRST

Bowden, Mr. C. Grundy, and Mr. J. Pollard, hon. secretary of the ambulance centre.

The Chairman said that seventeen teRms had competed for the challenge shield and prizes, and the result that the Godley Engineers' team won the shield, which they held for twelve months, and the first prize; the Grimsby Dock team were second, and the Guide Bridge team third The maximum number of points obtainable in the competition was 300, the first prize winners, Godley, scoring 25 0 ; the second, Grimsby, 2 and the third, Guide Bridge, 20I. The winners would represent the Gt. Central Railway in the In ter-shield Competition, open to all railway companies in England, and he hoped they would give a good account of themselves. Surgeon-Major Darwin was the judge, and any team that could reach 250 points under his system of judging ought to stand well in any competition. The Great Central Company had now 1,454 servants qualified to render first aid the increase during the past twelve months being one hundred and twenty. This year the company intended to present a silver medallion to each man who passed his third examination, or had passed this examination. The directors were most anxious that the good work should continue He had long taken a great deal of interest in ambulance work, and in Rochdale, to his great satisfaction, a hall had been established where members of the S.J.A.B. could obtain their knowledge and go through their course of training under the most comfortable conditions.

Mr. ,V. P. Challoner, the captain of the Godley team, in moving a vote of thanks to Col. Royds for presiding, expressed a hope that his team would be successful in the preliminary stage of the I nter-shield Competition at Southport on the followingday.

L. & S. W.R.-The final stage of the competition for the Company's Challenge Shield and Medals was held at th e Institute, Vauxhall, on April 19th, with the following result :-lSt, 391 marks; 2nd, Southampton 385 m;rks; yd, Wimbledon 369 marks; 4th, Eastleigh \\ 366 marks. Exeter therefore represented the Company 10 the Inter Railway Competitions.

CAl\1BRIAN RAILWAYS.-By kindness Mr. Marshall Dugdale, the genial deputy-chairman of this Company, and Mrs. Dugdale, a large number of the railway staff spent.a most happy time at Llwyn on April 25th, on the occasion of the annual competition for the challenge shield offered by Mrs. Parry Jones and Mrs. C. S. Denniss for the teams of men all along lhe hne. Beautlful weather prevailed, and the charming grounds were seen at their best. All the Company's servants who attend Wf're admitted, and many others were also h?spltably entertained, Mr. and Mrs. Dugdale and Misses Dugdale personally paying the attention to. t.he comfort entertainlnent of the large number of vIsitors. The InYlted guests included Mr. and Mrs. Connop, Miss Price (:Ylorton), the Rev. L. W. Davies, Dr.. F. F. Jones and Mrs. Jones, Mr. Bailey Hawkins chaIrlTlan of the Company), and other directors the Earl and of Pow.is, Lord Herbert Vane Mr. :lnd .Mrs. C. S. DennJss, Surgeon Lieut.-Col. J. D. Lloyd

Dr. and Mrs. Beresford (Oswestry), Dr. R. D. I homas (Welshpool), Dr. Tru.mper (Newtown), Dr. Davies Ree::; (Caersws), Dr. W. R. Williams (Machynlleth), Dr. R.

T. Edwards (Aberystwyth), Dr. J. Pughe Jon es (Barmouth)

Dr. E. S. Jones, Dr. H. R. Griffiths, Mr. J. D. (the s.ec:etary of the Cambrian Railway Centre of the ASSOCiation) and Mrs. Andrew. Some tl\'O hundred ambu-

A I D.- May, 1906.

lance men and their wives were also entertained to lunch, a still larger number sitting down to tea.

The competition took place at Penllwyn Farm, Lieut.Col. Lloyd, District Chief Surgeon No. 7 District of the S.J.A.B., .kindly acting as judge. Seven teams entered, and they went through the work in the following order:Welshpool Oswestry Works, Portmadoc (the holders of the shield), Llanidloes, Aberystwyth, Oswestry Traffic, and Machynlleth.

At the conclusion of the competition, Mr. J. D. Andrew announced the marks gained out of the maximum of 270 as follows :-Llanidloes, 259; Aberystwyth, 25 8 ; Oswestry Traffic, 254 j Machynlleth, 247 ; Wehhpool, 243; Portmadoc, 243; Oswestry Works, 2 J 3·

Mr. Denniss then called upon Mrs. Dugdale to present the shield to the winning team, which she did with a few appropriate words.

Dr. Lloyd, in a short address, said it had given him the greatest pleasure to judge the competition. It had been his lot to be judge of a good many competitions, but he had never seen seven teams so generally good throughout. The work done had been extraordinarily good. They were getting to know the text books better than their Bibles, and he did not know what questions the judges would have to put in tl-j e future. He would give one word of exhortation-let them not give the work up, but go on and induce every young man to join the brigade which bound them together. It was a very important thing that a man should know what to do if his fellow-man was injured, and, what was still more important, how to do it. He congratulated the Llanidloes team.

Mr. Denniss, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Dugdale, said they were very much indebted to them for the generous hospitality they had once more received that day. Mr. Herbert Jones seconded.

Hearty cheers having been given for Mr. and Mrs. Dugdale, Mr. Dugdalel replied, and said it had given him the greatest pleasure to entertain them. They had only done what everyone of the directors would be delighted to do, as they felt they could not do too much for the Ambulance Association They .did not know how many lives were by thelr orgaOlsatlOn, and Mr. Denniss had only to pick and choose who should entertain them. He hoped they would come there again. Admirable arrangements for the competition were made by Mr. J. D. Andrew, ably assisted by Mr. Shankland of the general manager's office.

NORTH BRITISH.-The twelfth ambulance competitIOn in connecti?n with this for the challenge cup took at Leith Central Station on April 28th. The competltlOn ,:as conducted lhe auspices of the S.A.A.A., consisted of a practical demomtration of treating the mJured, a?d the transport of the injured, as well as an oral exammatlOn. Ten minutes were allowed for examination in each of the three departments. The examiners were Drs. Leslie Lyal and Chas. Kennedy, Edinburgh, and Dr. P. F. Shaw, Glasgow. Among those present were Mr. W. F.'. Jackson, general manager, and Mr. Deuchars, supenntendent of the line, North British Railway, and many other gentlemen connected with the Scottish railways. The chairman of the Company (the Earl of Dalkeith) has shown his interest in the ambulance work of the staff by presenting silver medallions to each of the member? .of the team which gain th e second place in th e competltlOn. The competition is open to all ambulance corps on the Company's system, each corps being represented by a team of five men, and no fewer than thirty-seven teams

May, 1906. -FIRST

have entered, this being the largest number that has ever taken part in one competition in Scotland. The corps at the following places were represented, viz.:-Alexandria and district, Alloa, Bathgate, Bellgrove, Berwick, Cardenden, Carlisle College, Cowlairs Station, Cowlairs Works Dunfermline, Falkirk, Hardengreen, Hawick, Helensburgh: Kipps, Kirkcaldy, Kirkintilloch, Ladybank, Leith district, Linlithgow, .Maryhill, Methil, Milngavie, Montrose, Musselburgh, Partlck, Perth, Polmont, Porto bello, Queen-street, St. Margaret's, Shettleston, Tay Bridge, Thornton, Waverley and Westcraigs. The cup is held by the winning team for a year, and each member of the team receives a gold medallion.

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY SHIELD.

The semi-final round of this competition concluded on April 27th, and resulted in nine teams being chosen to take part in the final at the Portman Rooms, Baker-street, W. Twenty-four teams took part, these representing, roughly speaking, ahout 2,000 men, and being the pick of a large number of teams from the various branches which have taken part in the preliminary competitions. These 24 teams were divided into three groups composed as follows :-

Group "A."- Great Western Railway, London and North Western Railway, Great Northern Railway, London and South Western Railway, London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, Alexandra (Newpo rt and South Wales) Docks and Railway, Cheshire Lines Committee, Great Eastern Railway, Metropolitan Railway.

Group "B."-Great Western and North-Western Joint R:.tilways, Hull and Barnsley Railway, North-Eastern Railway, Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, Mersey Railway, Taff Vale Railway, South-Eastern and Chatham Railway, North London Ra.ilway.

Group "c."-Great C e ntral Railway, Cambrian Railways, North Staffordshire Railway, Furness Railway, London and North-Western and Furness Joint Railway, Liverpool Overhead Railwav.

The judging' of the groups Look place as follows:Group" A" on Wednesday, April 25th, at St. John s Gate, Clerkenwell, London; Group "B," Thursday, April 26th, at St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell ; Group" C," Friday, April 27 th , at the YM.C.A. Hall, Shaftesbury-buildings, Eastbank-street, Southport. Many of the teams taking part represented the pick of over 40 teams.

N.E.R. - The Castleforcl Class held their annual dinner. on the 20th ult., at the Trevelyan Hotel when a splendid repast was spread by Host Tinker. after which Mr. Elstob (mine manager) presided over the gathering and was supported by Mr. J. Brown (Goods Agent) Councillor J. Firth, Mr. Geo. Jackson (General Secretary): Mr. G. W. Scott (District Secretary), Mr. W. H. Skelton (Class Secretary), &c., and after the loyal toasts had bee n drunk, Mr. Wilson proposed the toast of the N.E.R. to Mr. Jackson responded by giving some mterestmg partlculars relating to the Centre and ambulance work generally.

Some capital songs, &c., were rendered and a most enjoyable evening spent, the only regret being the absence of the veteran lecturer Dr. E. W. Kemp who coulu not attend on account of illness.

On the 25th ult. an interesting gathering was held in the North-road Institute, Darlington, when 1\1r. Vincent Raven (assistant mechanical engineer) presided and was supported by Mrs. Raven, Dr. 1). L. Fisher, Dr. J. Munro, Mr. J. Parkinson (yardmaster), Mr. Geo. Jackson (general secretary), Mr. T. H. Curry (district secretary), &c. Mr. Jackson addressed them on the work of the N.E.R. Centre, competitions, &c ., after which Mrs. Raven handed to the successful students the certificates, vouchers, medallions and labels gained in the examinations recently held. Mr. Raven hand e d to Dr. .Fisher on behalf of the Traffic Class a pipe and pouch, and to Dr. Munro, on behalf of the Bank Top Class, a shaving outfit. Both gentlemen suitably acknowledged the gifts.

"'"I'"

The result was as follows :-1, North-Eastern, 27 2, South-Eastern and Chatham, 251; 3, Cheshire Lines, 245} ; 4, Great \"\ estern, 2441; 5, Great E 0.stern, 24 1 6, Alexandra Dock, 239; 7, Lancashire add Yorkshire, 23 6 }; 8, London and North-Western and Great Central, 228; 10, Metropolitan, 222}; I, London and South-Western, 12, Hull and Barnsley, 212; 13, Liverpool Overhead, 206}; 14, London, Brighton and South Coast, 200}. The following scored less than 200: 15, Furness; 16, North London; 17, Great Western and North-Western Joint ; 18, Midland and Great Northern Joint; 19, Mersey; 20, North Staffordshire; 21, Great Northern; 22, London and North·Western and Furness Joint; 23, Cambrian; and 24, Taff Vale.

It will be noted that as the London and NorthWestern aDd the Great Central tied for 8th place with a total of 228 points, there will be nine teams in the final instead of e ight.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

A display of ambulance work by teams and individuals then followed, given by the members of the classes named, which was very creditably done by both the older hands as well as the younger members, and a very "P.S.A." was brought to a close by the Chairman announcing his intention to give £5 annually for competition amongst the classes in the Darlington district.

1\fr. C. Thomes, of the Dewsbury and Distri c Corps, writes us, under date of May 7th: -" I may say that through your announcement in FIRST Am, I have had many enquiries."

ERRATA.-In our April number in one of our "Brevities," referring to the return of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales,. printer has substituted the word ?'elirclllent for return. ThiS IS so obviously a mistake that we should not have referred to it had not we been requested to explain what it meant.

31 E

Tile ambulance arrangements at Chester Race Course are of the most up-to-date description, and perhaps the complete of their kind in the Un.ited Kingdom. ::-here IS an ambulance at each starting-gate, With a speCIally traIned officer in charge, also at each bend and in the centre of the Ro?dee There are two medical men in attendance, also a veterInary surgeon, with a Greening gun included in his equipment, and there is a special ambulance room attached to the grand stand.

Brevities.

IT is stated in the .LVeIIe Freie Presse of the 28th ult. that report of the Committee on the fire-tests conducted in a model theatre built expressly for this purpose in Vienna has now been issued and relates to a series of seventy-two experiments. The conclusions of the experts will, if adopted, involve several important modifications in the existing regulations arfecting the design and construction of theatres in Austria. It is laid down that the h e ight above the stage should be not less than 21 times the total height of the proscenium opening, and safety exits must be provided by the introduction of a second wall immediately behind th a t of the proscenium, at a distance from it of not less than one metre. Outlets for smoke must be arranged in the roof above the stage, and they must be equal in are t to 15 per cent. of the superficies of the stage, with hinged covers working automatically. The safety curtain in the proscenium opening must be capable of being lowered at the millimum rate of one metre per second. Various other matters to which reference is made are the electric lighting, impr eg nation of scenery with fire-resisting solution, mode of the supply of air, and the cooling of the firecurtain.

* * *

Speaking at the aunual competiLion fur the EJ.st Anglian Challenge Cup, his Worship the Mayor said it was unnecessary for him to assure them of the great interest both he and the took in ambulance work. He was very glad th e cup had come to Ipswich, and was sure they had worked hard to regain it. It gave them much pleasure to see th e real hold ambulance work was taking on public interest. He remembered the time whell Miss Cou1cher was e nga ged in a very uphill fight, and it must be a source of gratification to her to find her efforts so well rewarded. The Mayor went on to deal at some lennth With the great advantage of being conversant with ambulance work. It was one of the best ways of showing one's sympathy with suffering that coulrl possibly be expressed. Th e old Latin quotation, "Bis dat qui cita dat "-" He who gives quickly gives twice "-was indeed appropriate in this case. In conclusion, he congratu lat ed them most heartily, ann wished them God speed in the work which lay before them.

* **

THE subject of rescue work in mines was discussed at le ngth at a meeting of th e South Wales and Monmouthshire lvlining Education Board at the University College, Cardiff, last month. The secretary, Mr. H. Davies, remarked that the presence after an explosion of a body of men conversant With the roadways, acquainted with the laws and practice of ventilation, competent to render first aid, and working und.er the direction of an acknowledged leader, would be of Incalculable assistance, for the first was. important, and so much depended upon its bemg utlltsed to the best advantage The rescuers them-

A I D.- May, 1906.

selves would know exactly what dang ers to expect, or how to avoid or overcome them, and to r each the survivors in the shortest possible time. He suggested that centres for brigade practice be arranged in differents parts of coalfield. It would not be easy to decide upon apparatus without long consideration, and he believed the best way of effectively dealing with the q uestion was to convene a meeting of persons interested. The following resolution was then moved and agreed to:- That this board recognises with pleasure the existence of a large number of ambulance classes in connection with the various collienes in the coalfield, and recommends the establishment of similar classes where they do not at present exist; also suggest that rescue brigades be formed at convenient centres for the special training of men in rescue work after colliery explosions; it also recommends that a meeting of colliery proprietors, mining engineers, medical officers connected with collieries and others interested in mining be convened to furthe; discuss the details of a scheme suitable for general adoption in the coalfield and report."

* * *

SPEAKING at the concert held in connection with the Bristol corps to celebrate the union of the S. T-A.B. and the M.A.C., Mr. S. White said that in the late months of last year, when the officers of both corps came to him for help, he expressed his view quite clearly to them that an amalgamation of the two corps would be advantageous, and would tend to greater economy and the removal of any duplication of operations. His suggestion was received with great courtesy, and he was invited to join in the deliberations of a com bined committee of the two corps, and eventually, with a few concessions on either side all difficulties were got over, and he should like to ledge the loyalty with which the men of the two corps had carried out the arrangement entered into by their officers. He should very much like the: corps to be known as the " Bristol Ambulance Corps," which title was much shortt r and simpler than its present long name. * *

BRAVO! /'l.11's well that ends well. F.A., in a small way, did wh;lt it could to bring this recol1cilliation about and we desire to unite with other friends in all good for future success.

The Church=Brasier Testimonial.

THE Committee of the above are anxious to close the thel:e are, however,. a few .outstanding subscnptlOns which they are waltll1g to receIve before tinally clos!ng. Will th.ose friends, therefore, who have not yet remitted, do so Jl1 order that the secretaries may call a meeting of the Committee.

V!e are to that Surgeon-Major Hutton is progressing satisfactorily. towards convale scence, although the sa?,s progress will be slow. Dr. Hutton is now permitted to Sit up In hiS arm-chair for a little time, although he is still confined to his bedroom.

l\Iay,

19t.6. -FIRST

Our Portrait Gallery.

M. RADANY, CHEF ])U BUREAU DES AFFAIRE:; DEl'ART:'IIl!:NTALE S ET COlll!llUNALES DU MINISTERE DE L' INTETIEUR

Tl\;ON SlEUR de l'Instruction Publiques, d Honneur de la .J:< ederatlOn des Sapeur-Pompiers, France· .des "Sapeurs-Pompiers Communant," &c.) occupies lt1 France a somewhat similar post to that held by

AI D.-

.IN e .are sure that our readers in the English Fire Service be pleased to the port.rait of M. Rabany in our Portrait Gallery and WIll Ul11te 111 our wish-that for ma?y years to come he m.ay pres.id.e over the Department whIch owes so to. hiS admll11strative tact and ability, as we are sure that It WIll always be his constant aim to draw closer the bonds of friendship which unite English and French firemen together.

are indebted to our contemporary Le SapeurPompter for the portrait which is here produc e d.

Coming Events.

ParLioLlars oj C'Ul1llts will be illserted in tllis W/1I11111 jree of cltarJ,'e, if recewed not later tllan tile l.f.th (!j eadl 1II01ltll.

.RelgiUllt .-Federation Congress, July 14th and 16th. All l:artlculars from C. Kusel, "The Federations," 36, Newtonroad, \Vestbourne Park, VI.

Crystal Palace.-South Eastern District N.F.B.U. Annual Competitions Whit Monday, June 4th, Captain Hedley Peters, Sittingbourne, hon. sec.

Crystal Palace.-London Private Fire Brigade's annual fire tournament. June 9 th. W. A. Stillwell, Ridge-road, Hornsey, Hon. Secretary.

Dalas, Texas, U.,C,·.A.-International Association of Fire Engineers, October 9th.

Dewsbtt1J1.-The :ompeti tion for the Thomes cup and to tl:e value of £7 lOS. takes place on June [6th. [" urther particulars from Supt. Secretary C. Thomes, 72, \Vestgate, DelVsbury.

Guilciford.=N.F.13.U. Camp and Competitions at Shalford Park, June 30th. Particulars from Hora ce S. Folker Trinity Chambers, Guildford.

Cuild/tall, LOlldon, E.C.-June 23rd, London Private Fire Brigade's second annual competition for Corporation Silver Shield.

- Yorkshire District, .F. B.LT., ,\ugu st DemonstratIOn. Hon. Secretary, Capt. Roper, Low Fold Fire Brigade, Leeds.

Heme Hill.-London Fire Brigade Annual Sports, i\Iay 26th. Hon. Sec., J. Adams, Fire Station, Southwark 13ridgeroad, London.

the Permanent Secretary of the Home Department in our counLry.

By virtue of his position he presides over the whole of the Fire Departmenl or Fire Service of France, all nominations of officers promotions, medals for long service, or for distinguished actions are issued from the Office under his jurisdiction.

M. Rabany is well -known in this country and is held in high esteem by a large circle of friends, who having made his acquaintance, have realised the sterling worth of his character, and his splendid conversational powers and straightforward character are such as to appeal to an Englishman.

In 1896 M. Rabany represented the French Government at the International Fire Congress in London, and in J 900 he was the principal guest of the contingent of British Firemen which visited Paris in that year Lo attend the Congress of the Sapeurs-Pompiers Francais.

M. Rabany has always shown the greatest sympathy with both the French and English Fire Services, and he is a Life Member of the National Fire Brigades Union.

Although from the nature of his duties he is an exceedingly busy man., he has yet found time to write many valuable books, and he has given many eloquent addresses on the Fire Brigade Service and on fire extinction.

LeytolZ.-Leyton and Leyton s tone Fire Brigade Annual Competitions, August 6th. All particulars from Chief Officer H. :'Ililler, Kelsal Lodge, Ley ton.

Paris.-N ewspaper Fete on behalf of \Vidows and Orphans of French Firemen, July [s and :!I1d. All particulars from C. Kusel.

Rode:::, [6th. Annual Congress of Firemen. All particulars [rom C. Kusel. .Frallce.-Septelllber. Jubilee o( the French Federation All particulars from C. Kusel.

SPALDlNG.-A large division of the above has lately been formed in this town amongst the employes of the joint railway companies. Mr. Mouncey, the station master, under whose direction the division has been formed, is a most earnest worker in the ambulance cause on the railway. On April 28th an examination was held by Chief Supt. Deighton, Lincoln, and the following have been recommended by him for appointment for the various ranks in the division :-S uperintendent, Mr. l\[ouncey j Sergeants, Messrs. Leeder and Chambers; Corporals, J\Iessrs. Preston, Swallow, Bourne, Westmorland and Charity. The whole of the candidates did remarkably considering the short time the division has been in existence.

Fin a l Co mpetiti o ns for 19 06 .

INTER-RAILWAY SHIELD, "DEWAR" SHIELD, AND "SYMONS ECCLES" CUP.

THE Portman Rooms presented a busy aspect on the morning of the IOth when the railwaymen, as usual, showed up in force to see the final stage of the contest which should decide the Railway Championship for the ensuing year. The North-Eastern Railway were strong favourites, although it was openly mooted that their Southern rivals might give them a shaking, and the East Anglians also stood well in favour. The game, however, is never won until it is lost, and as is sometimes the case in racing circles, it was a dark horse that carried home the winning colours.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway which, upon this occasion, secured premier honours, was not regarded by critics as a particularly strong team, but there is no doubt that since the preliminary stage they have put in a lot of useful work, and we heartily congratulate them on having secured the coveted honour. The judges were Col. Trimble, C.M.G., and Dr. Audland, and their decision was as follows :-1, Lancashire and Yorkshire, 232 marks; 2, Cheshire Lines, 3, Great Western, 218; 4, NorthEastern, 208; 5, Great Eastern, 201; 6, South-Eastern and Chatham, 196 7, London and North-Western, 195; 8, Alexandra Docks and Railway Company (last year's winners) 191 t; and 9, Great Central, 1821.

The interest in the fight for the "Dewar" Shield did not appear to our representat!ve so keen as was)hat taken in the struggle between the railwaymen. It was of interest to learn that, with the exception of the Newport (Mon.) team, the whol e of the competing teams were representing their districts for the first time. The judges were Hon. Surgeon J. M. Carvell (No. 1 DIstrict) and District-Supt. of Stores Pooley (No. 4 District), and after a keenly contested fight they made their award as follows :-1, No. District (Metropolitan Corps, Causton's Division), 2 marks; 2, No. 3 (Northampton Corps), 2 [4; 3, NO.7 Distri c t (Newport (Mon.) Corps), last year's winners, 4, No. 4 District (Nelson Corps), 5, No. 2 District (Newton Abbot Corps), I73}; 6, NO.5 District (Ilkeston Division), qot.

The Northampton team secured the "Symons Eccles" Cup, and Newport (Mon.), as representing their district in the Dewar Competition, became entitled to the" Griffiths" Cup, which has been presented in memory of the late Dr. Arthur Griffiths, who was District Chie: Superintendent in No. 7 District.

At the conclusion of the competition a move was made to the other hall where the prizes, a most valuable selection, had been arranged ready for presentation by H.R.H. Princess Henry of Battenberg. Assem bled to meet Her Royal Highness, we noticed, amongst others, Viscount Knutsford, Viscountess Parker, Lord Cheylesmore, Lord and Lady Hamilton and Miss Hamilton, the Bishop of Dunedl11, SIr Herbert and Lady Perrott, Sir John and Lady Furley, the Rev. the Hon. O. St. Maur Forester, Col. C. E. C.S.I., and Col. Wilson, c.B. The presentation was preSIded over by the Marq uis of Breadal bane, K. T. (Chairm.an of the Central Executive Committee, S.J.A.A.).

The Pnncess was attended by Lord William Cecil and Miss Cochrane, and was accorded a most enthusiastic welcome from the large company present. After the present?tion, the Chairman moved a hearty vote of thanks to Her Royal Highness for attending

AID - May, 19 0

and making the presentation, this was seconded by Lord Claud Hamilton and carried with acclamation. A vote of thanks was awarded to the Judges for their honorary services. The arrangements were under the direction of Mr. R. W. Edwards, accountant of the Association, and were admirably carried out.

The leading teams in both competitions had rousing receptions on their return home.

On Friday evening, May rth, the L. & Y. team arrived at Lime-street Station at 9.30, and was accorded a very hearty reception. A large number of the employes of the Company from all departments-Goods, Passenger, and Loco.-turned out, and when the winners alighted from the train they were raised shoulder high, and carried through the Station, amidst loud A procession was formed, with the magnificent shield in front, to Exchange Passenger Station, where the enthusiasm was very marked. Three cheers were given for Mr. Aspinall, the general manager of the line, Mr. Carmichael, the goods superintendent in Liverpool, and for the Mersey men.

Afterwards Mr. H. E. Mellor, the secretary of the L & Y. centre of the S.lA.A., who had taken charge of the team in London, and had brought them safely home, spoke a few words of congratulation, complimenting the men on their grand victory.

The winners of the "Symons Eccles" Cup (N orthampton) also had a hearty reception on arriving home. Amongst those who met them and warmly congratulated them on the splendid fight they had made for the Dewar was the popular .A ssistant-Commissioner of the District (Mr. T. H. Woolston). Proceeding to Franklin's Hotel, a short meeting was held under the presidency of Chief Supt. Harvey Reeves.

Assistant-Commissioner Woolston, in proposing the health of the team, very heartily congratulated them, on behalf of the district, on the success they had attained in the competition, and also on being such a good second. As one of the judges had said, to all intents and purposes there was nothing to choose betvveen two teams.

This was supported by the other officers and very heartily carried.

Sergt. Lloyd and Pte. Whiting replying, the former stating that the team had decided to keep together, and hoped next year to bring the shield to Northampton.

DEW SBURY - The annual service for mem bers of the Dewsbury and District Corps was held on Sunday afternoon, April 29th, at the Central Chapel, Cleckheaton. The Corps paraded at the Drill Hall at 2.30 p.m., Supt. H. Allott being in command. Headed by the Cleckheaton Victoria Brass Band and the Leeds Corps Bugle Band, the various divisions which came from Dewsbury, Batley, Morley, Ossett, Leeds, Bradford, Brighouse, Shipley, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike, Brierley, Silsden, Eccleshill, Huddersfield, Ravensthorpe and Ardsley, with 50 nurses from Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Morley and Hebden Bridge, marched by way of Whitcliffe-road, South Parade, and Westgate to the chapel, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. George Slack, pastor of the Westgate Congregational Church. A collection was taken at the close of the service for the Dewsbury and District corps. The whole of the arrangements, which were admirable, were carried out by Supt. Secreta r y C. Thornes.

May, 19 0 6. -F IR ST

My Experiences a s an Hospital Orderly durin g the Boer War.

By A. C. CARTER (ISt Officer and JJon. Sec. Western Division, Hull Corps).

(Continued fr om page I53.)

Shortly after 12 o'clock-we had dinner at the hospital at 12 o'clock-the Military Governor arrived, accompanied by his staff and essorted by a contingent of Welsh Yeomanry. The troops shouldered arms as the Governor

An old Kaffir standing near me nearly went wild with excitement, and when the cheering ceased he said, "Me English now." Indeed the Kaffirs, realising, I suppose, that they were now rid of their task masters (the Boers), and under the rule of civilised England, were, if anything, the most d e monstrative.

The cheering having subsided, all present who were able to do so joined in singing the National Anthem. Cheers were then given for Her Majesty, for Lord Roberts, and for the British Army. To conclude the ceremony, a salute of twenty -one guns was fired from the battery on the hill top by the Naval Brigade.

CAUSTON'S DIVISION-WINNERS OF THE "DEWAR" SHIELD.

The Causton Division, which has brought back the" Dewar" Shield to No. District, is recuited from employes of Sir Joseph Causton & Sons, Ltd., the printers The team was 111 charge of 1st .class S;rgt. Galsworthy, one of the best and keenest ambulance men 111 the l\Ietropolls, and II1cluded also Corp. and I and \Vhite. The Division has since its inception, six years ago, been under Supt. G. S. Elliston, and It IS that, by beating Northampton by the narrow margin of 21 .he wrested. the trophy from No. II 1. Dlstnct, of which his uncle, Col. G. S. Elliston, V.D., is Deputy-CommIssIoner. In Its bnef but successful .career, the Causton Division has had two Han. Surgeons whose efforts have largely contnbuted to the I:esult now leached. The first, Surg.-Lieut. J. S. Hudson, M.D., formerly of the Queen's Westminsters, resigned and was by Dr. T. Brown, R.N. (retired ), I>.ho unfortunately was not well enough to see hIS DIVISIon s \ IctOlY on the loth 1l1St.

rode into the enclosure and took up a position in the centre of the square, a general salute being given by the troops as Lord Archeson took up a position near the flagstaff. The Governor then in a loud and clear voice, which was heard all over the square, read the Proc.lamation, which was followed by a loud outburst of the .Gov.ernmer:t officials raising their hats aga111 and 111 the.lr enthusiasm. The cheers were renewed agam and aga111 -and came from Dutch and Kaffirs as well as Britishersas Lord Archeson unfurled the Royal Standard while the band struck up the National Anthem

In the afternoon the flagstaffs and hous es were decorated with the Union Jack and other bunting. I returned to the hospital at I o'clock, and a.m please? to say that no one had required my services dunng my bnef (four hours) from duty. Of course I had to do WIthout my dinner but that was a bagatelle. I had witnessed a gra.nd and one that will live in the annals of EnglIsh history.

On June 8th I am sorry to say we lost one St. J obn Orderlies. He h!ld .g :eat agony, hIS being enteric fever, while hIS condition was further com ph-

cated by inflammation of the brain. One very sad feature of his death was that his brother, who was also ilt the hospital, had to follow his· remains. to their last resting place. This was the only death whlch occurred amongst our St. John men. It is gratifying to mention the fact tbat tbe St. John men were buried in coffins.

During our absence from home our kmd fnends 111 London had not forgotten us, and early in July each man received a parcel containing [ shirt, I cholera belt, 2 pairs socks, 2 pocket bandkerchiefs, 1 pipe and lb. Navy cut tobacco.

Before proceeding further J should like to mention the kind ladies who came to visit our patients-Lady Roberts in particular was most solicitous ab?ut their never came empty handed, but wlth flowers, frUIt, JellIes, custards, &c., for the convalescents, and it is needless to say their kindness was much appreciated.

One of our greatest discomforts was caused by the vermin. The patients on arrival were invariably swarming with live stock, and as a result the orderlies, aye, and tbe doctors and nurses as well, got ditto. There seemed no possible way of ridding oneself of their company. I tried soaking my underclothing for a night in a bucket half filled with water and Izal, but to my surprise next day I found tbis had not kiiled them, for when the clothing was hung out to dry, no sooner did they feel the warmth of the sun then they were as lively again as ever. The flies, too, were an awful pest. Like tbe other carnivoria, they were everywhere, especially in our drink; and of course down they went-it didn't do to be too particular in South Africa.

There are several large churches and chapels in 13l0emrontein - both English and Dutch. On Sunday eve nings whcn I was off duty I used to attend the Wesleyan Chapel there, and it was a grand sight to see the place nearly filled with" Tommies" all in khaki. The preacher also was dressed in kbaki. I remember on one occasic,m he 2,ave a most touching sermon about men leaving their wives and familics behind them, some never to return, either meeting their death in the field or dying in hospital, whilst those loved ones at home were anxiously looking forward to tbe return of him who they were destined to see no more on earth. I saw many of his congregation with thcir handkerchief up to their eyes. It seemed a comfort to me, and I daresay it did tu others, to be in a place of worship when we ,vere so far away from home and loved on es.

'When the British entered this place thp.y took possession of twenty-Bve locomotives which proved of great service and saved hours of labour and hard work. On our arrival the town was practically deserted, only British troops to be seen. rhe Railway Station is not large, it is like Cannon-street Station, at Hull, but has no ground In front and has about six steps leading up to the entrance. The town was under strict martial law, and all Kaffirs were required to be in their houses or huts by 7.30 p m., and all white people by 8 p.m. Anyone found in the streets after the stated hour \vas promptly arrested placed in the Guardroom and tried on the following morning.

change in the weather between night and was most marked. From about 9 a. m. to 6 p.m., It IS Il1sufferably hot and from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., it is fearfully cold, f'verything bell1g covered with a white frost in the morning. Again, it is surprising to see it quite light about 5 and by 6 p.m , it is quite dark, th-.-re is no twilight.

The dust storms here are another terrible scourge, they come i.n showers and smother everything, and are enough to bhnd you.

A I D.- May, 1906.

About the middle of June the people started to return and it was a pleasure to see a few of the stores and shops opened. But oh, the prices! Butter was 2S. 6d. to 3S. per lb.; bread, 6d. per small loaf; biscuit3 (4d. lb. at home) here 2S. to 2S. 6d. per lb.; chocolates 4S to 4S. 6d, per lb.; cigarettes per packet of 10 (Woodbines), 4d.; lemonade (small) 6d. per bottle and so on.

It was a matter of surprise that all the hospitals were lighted with candles. Fancy a ward. patients in it and only two candles burnmg In It! Rather dowdy is it not?

Vehicular traffic here was very pnmltIve. Dunng the time I was in Bloemfontein I never saw a cab or like conveyance, save the one that was used by Lord and Lady Roberts.

(To be COil tin II ed. )

Obituary.

THE remains of the late Hon. Surgeon Henry Smith, of Shipley, were interred on Friday afternoon, May 4th, at the Nab Wood Cemetery, Shipley. Amidst every token of sincere regret the funeral service was conducted by the Rev. ]. Gleeson, of Idle. The coffin was carried for some distance by eight members of the Shipley Corps of the S.lA.B., who were under the command of SuperintendentSe c retary Allen.

The Sheffield Corps of the S.].A.B. has suffered a severe loss by the death of Mr. A. Hales, Inspector of Stores, which 0ccurred on Saturday, May 5th.

Widespread sympathy is felt for Sergt. James Elam, of the NO.9 Division, Metropolitan Corps, in the sad loss he has sustained by the death of his wife. Mrs. Elam, who was also a member of the No. 2 Nursing Division, was universally loved by a large circle of friends, and regret at her untimely death is sincere and general. Mr. and Mrs. Elam were only married last December.

The death of Chief Officer Tozer, at the comparatively early age ()f 56 years, came as a painful surprise to his many friends) for although he had been in indifferent health for some time, it was hoped that Lis recent stay at Bournemouth would have enabled him to eventually recover his health. The funeral of the deceased officer on April 28th testified to the great respect which was felt for him, the streets were crowded 'with large and sympathetic throngs of his fellow citizens.

At a meeting of the Birmingham Watch Committee, held on May 9th, before proceeding with the business, the Chairman (Mr. Godlee) moved the following resolution :-

"That this committee has received with very deep regret the intimation of the death of the chief officer of the fire brigade, Mr. Alfred Robert Tozer. They desire to place upon record their appreciation of the courtesy, zeal, and eminent ability with which for a period of morc than twenty-seven years he performed the responsible duty of his office. He has left behind him a conspicuous example of devotion to duty and enthusiasm in the public service, and the committee tender to the members of his family their sincere sympathy with them in their great bereavement."

Several of the mp.mbers present spoke feelingly on the loss sustained by the City, and referred to the high qualities of the deceased officer, and all bore testimony to the universal regard in which he was held by all of those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

-FIRST

Scottish Volunteer Ambulance Trophy.

TIm third annual competition for the Scottish Trophy took place in the Drill Hall of the Queen's RIfle Volunteer Brigade, Edinburgh, on Saturday, May 5th

Surgeon-Gen. A. M. D.,. C.B., Director-General. of the Army Medical SerVIce, preSIded, and was accompal1led by Brigade-Surgeon Lieut.-Col. A. D We.bster, M.D., S. M.O., of the Lothian Brigade, and of the Scottish Volunteer Medical Officers' ASSOCIatIOn, under whose auspices the trophy is .conducted; Gen. Leach V.c., C.V.O., CB., commandIng m Scotland; Gen. Col. T. M. Cosher, M.D., Col. Beatson CB., Col. Caverhill, and a large number of. EIghteen teams entered, representing 111 Edll1burgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, HamLlton, Andrew.s,. burgh and Haddington. The competItIOn w.as dIvLde.d mto three sections viz. stretcher and wagon dnll, first aId and bandaging, ge'neral knowledge including anatomy and physioloH. The arbiters :-

Drill: Lieut.-Col. W. DIck, M.B., RA.M.C., Edmburgh; Major A. D. Moffat, M.D., H.L.l. Bearer Glasgow j Major J. M'Gregor-Robertson, M.B., RA.M.C Vols. Glasgow. First Aid aNd Bandag Ing : H. J. Barnes, R.A.M.C., S.A.A.A.j Surgeon-Major]. MIll, A.M.R, 5th V.B.RS., Leith j Surgeon-Major R. StullOg, M.D., A.M.R., 4th V.B.RH., Perth. Gweral .A-IIo'wledge : Surgeon LIeut.-Col. A. D. !raser, M. D., 4th V .B. A. & S:H., Falki.rk j Surgeor-MaJor FoI· Kelly, M.D., Lanarkshue Impenal Yeomany; Captam

A. J. MacDougall, M.B., The drill part of the competItIOn place.111 in the large hall and before a large gatherIng of spectators the bandaging and general knowledge sectIOns being conducted concurrently in adjoining rooms. At the close of the competition the announcement was made the trophy had been won by " B " team of the 1st LothIan Bearer Co., the "runners-up" being the 1St Lanark Engineers and the Glasgow Highlanders. The trophy and badges were formally presented to the winners by Lady Cranston, wife of the Provost of Edinburgh. The following is the complete lIst, one team, the Q.R.V.B.R.S., having scratched:- ,.

1. 1st Lotllian Bearer Co., "E" Team (winner of trophy ) 94·5

2. 1st L.R.E. Vols., Glasgow... 9 0

3. 5th \T.B.H.L.L, Glasgow... 89

4. 2nd V.B.S.R., Hamilton ,.. 85

5. 3 rd V.B.R.H., Dundee n

6. 6th V.B.R.H., St. Andrew... n·5

7 (equal ) 1st V.B.R. H., Dundee 90

4th V B.S.R., Glasgow 9 2 .5

9 1st R. and D. RC.A., IIelen:,burgh "_,, 77·5

10. 1st LothIan Bearer Co., C 88 Team

I. 1st Lothian Bearer Co., "A" Team 87·5

12. Edinburgh City R.G:A. Vols. 78

13. 9th V.B.R.S., Ec1l\1burgh, "B" Team 73·5

14. 7th V B.R.S., Haddington... 83·5

15. Seaforth & Cameron Bearer Co., Inverness 94

J6. 3rd L.R. V., Glasgow ... 9 0 .5

J7. 9th V.B.R.S., Edinburgh, "A" Team 75

in a highly satisfactory manner by Capt. R. T. Halliday, M. B. Lhe ge neral secr e tary of the £\ssociation, and Capt. C. B.' Ker, M. D. , the local s ecretary in Edinburgh, while officers from Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh. Dundee, Perth, and Paisley acted as stewards, &c. While the marb were being counted a display of ambulance work was given by four combined squads and by a cycle squad of the Glasgow R.A.M.C (Vols.).

The following promblems formed the "first aid" part of the competition. Ten m ;nutes [tllowed:-

I. Treat patient with de.ep transverse on centre or upper part of abdomen and s l?1ple f:actu.re of right leg.

2. Give first aid to a patient With Simple fractures of left clavicle and left humerus.

3. Nos. I and attend to a pa.tient in a c.h air bleedillg profusely from ruptured vancose vein above rIght ankle.

4. Nos. 3 and 4 attend to a patient bleeding from wound in right popliteal spa ce involving popliteal artery.

METROPOLITAN CORPS

LEYTON AND LEYTON STONE. - A very succ essful concert of a hi uh -class character was given at the Town Hall on evening, May 1St, in aid of the of this division. The audience was unusually large the lateness of the season, and it was distinctly appreCIatIve. Mr. H. Fredericks, under whose dir ection the concert was given, is to be con g ratulated upon the programme provided.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

No. IV. Dr sTRIcT.-The annual re view of t.he .Sout?East Lancashire Corps and Divisions of thIS Dlstnct wIll be held this year at Dukinfield.

DLAcKBuRN.-A most successful dance was ·ointly by the members of the Ambulance and Nursmg JDivisions at the Co-Operative Rooms, Belper-street, on Saturday, April 7th. The r-r.c 's were Sergts: S. T. Hopwood and]. Gooder. It was regretted ow.mg to the many demands for the room it was found lmposslble to fix. date outside Lent. However the result justified the deCISIon of tl1e mcmbers for it was undoubtedly one of the best dances held \n Blackburn. It is hoped that t?e two divisions will again combine forces on an.other occaslC?nunnd enable their friends to spend nnoth.er enjoyable evenlll o ·

Dr. Moffatt is giving a senes ?f lectures to hls women's class illustrated with lantern. slLdes, the last"lecture was on "The Heart: Its constructIon and Work. The various diagrams were fully described by the Doctor who also had a model of the heal:t, which the members of the class were permitted to examme.

BRISTOL-At the Rifle Drill on May 3 rd , a tea and concert were .glven 111 aId o.f the funds of the City of Bristol Corps. Tlckets had eVIdently sold

May,

-FIRST

freely, and the large gathering present was evidenc.e o.f a desire to support the movement and place the on a firm financial footing. After the tea, preparatIOns were made for the concert, and there assem bled on the platform, Chief Supt. C. A. (in the t.he Deputy Commissioner J. S. GrIffiths, M.R.CS.; Dlstnct Chief Supt. Sprawson, District SJpt. Sec. H on. Surgeons B. Rogers, J. S. Mather and FortesCjue Bnckdale; Supt. Sec. Maynard Froud Supt. Treasurer, the Rev. Norman de Jersey; Capt. J. S. Tresize, Messrs. Samuel White, W. S. Paul, C. C. ChallengEr, H. G. Hill, W. Fox and Dr. Shingleton Smith, and others.

The Chairman announced that the King had been pleased to sanction the appointment of their Deputy Commissioner Dr. J. S. Griffiths as a Knight of Grace (of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. He said that as a corps they felt that a great honour had been conferred upon them.

Deputy-Commissioner Griffiths, who was cordially received, said as far as he could advance the work in which they were all 50 interested they could command his services. Since their amalgamation, other corps were now joining the district.

A capital musical programme was provided, the items being interspersed with short speeches. Mr. S. White warmly congratulated the corps on the recent amalgamation effected, and, continuing, dwelt on the financial condition of the organisation. He said that about £J,200 was needed to clear off the cost of two new wagons and to pay for new equipment. All funds were being most economically administered, and not a penny was wasted in any direct. If the sum of £ 2,OClO could be raised, the whole of the money would be spent to great advantage. Mr. White mentiontd, amid applause, that £600 had been already promised the committee. There were some ways, he went on, in which people could help the corps other than by putting their hands into their pockets. Men could join the corps and receive the benefits of the ambulance lectures. One never knew when one might be called upon to render assistance to some fellow-citizen in distress. The employers might help by giving the funds necessary to put the corps on a proper footing and by encouraging their men to give their time to the work. In conclusion, Mr. White made '1.n earnest appeal for further support.

CAMBORNE.-Mr. Bassett, of Tehidy, has presented this Division with a challenge shield for competition. It will probably take place at the Recreation Ground on Saturday, June 23rd.

A large number of members attended the weekly parade on !\pril 30th at the new headquarters in Chapelstreet. Dr. Blackwood, the hon. surgeon, referred to the recent marriage of Supt. Quintrell, and said on behalf of the non·commissioned officers of the division, he had great pleasure in presenting him with a case of pipes, and hoped that he would be long spared to enjoy them.

Supt. Quintrell, in reply, thanked Dr. Blackwood and his brother officers for their unexpected present.

CHICHESTER.-There was influential patronage for the w.hich. was given on Friday, April 27th, at the InstItute, m aId of the funds of this division, and the which assembled in support was a large and apprecIatIve one. The programme was in two parts-a general concert in the first half, and in the second a oneact farce. "Bamboozling," by Thos. Ederton Wilks. The piece was taken part in by well-known Cicestrians and aroused much interest. The actors wers G T. Apps, G.

A. Covey, A. J. Smith, H. Lake, C H Stone, and Misses A. Ballard, M Budden and A. Light. The concert part of the programme was contributed to by Dr. Sail, Miss Queenie Moyle, Mr. H. Parrington, Mr. C H. Stone and Messrs. Hill, Elderton, Price, Stewart, A. Mant, and W Mant, and an orchestra, conducted by Mr. F. J. W. Crowe

picturesque marriage took place at St. Andrew's Church, Shepherdswell, on Wednesday afternoon, April 25th, between Miss Ettie Beatr ice Wood, second da u ghter of Mr. and Mrs. F. Wood, of "Ivanhoe," ShepherdswelI, and Bench-street, Dover, and Mr. Frank Albert Adams, Officer in charge of the Folkestone Division S.J.A. B., youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Adams, of Elmscroft, Kearsney. The village of Shepherdswell was en fete for the occasion, there being a gay display of bunting, whilst at one point was a large device wishing long life and happiness to the bride and bridegroom

The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Canon Bartram, Rural Dean of Dover, assisted by the Vicar of Shepherdswell (Rev. T. Falkner). The bride looked charming in a very handsome gown of ivory orient satin. There were four bridesmaids, the Misses Edith and Gladys Wood, sisters of the bride, Flossie Britton, cousin of the bride, and Elsie Adams, niece of the bridegroom. They were wearing gold brooches, the bridegroom's gift; and carried, as did the bride, handsome bouquets, also the gift of the bride.

The bride was given away by her father, the best man being Mr. Fred. Freeman, of London. The service was fully choral, Mr. H. J. Taylor, F.R.CO., presiding at the organ, and playing the wedding march.

A largely attended reception was subsequently held at " Ivanhoe."

Later in the day th:! happy pair left for Tunbridge Wells, for the honeymoon.

There were over roo handsome and userul presents including one from the Dover and Folkestone Divisions.

4'l4l)

We a1 e in no way responsible for the opinions expressed, or tlu ,tatements made, by Correspondents.-EDITORS.

"FIRST AID" JOURNAL AND MEN

DEAR SlR,-As a railway man I am Just writIng a lines to thank you on behalf of self and mates for the kmd interest you show in our I can assure yC;>u your Journal is eagerly looked. forward to. by our. chaps, and Its contents are fully discussed m our tIme . It. IS grand to know what other companies are domg, an.d that IS why we all ciate it so. We have been chattmg over the thIS month and it has occurred to us tha.t it would be mterestm.g .to railwaymen if you were t.o. start a to remmlscences by railwaymen, glvmg detaIls of any case they may have had to deal with, and how they treated. It. I am sure it would be instructive as doubtless many a raIlway man has had to test his ingenuity at some time, and might be able to give his mates a wrinkle or two. We are not all smart to compete, but we all want to do our best to save lIfe and minimise suffering.

Thanking you for giving this a show next month. - - I am, honoured Sir, yours obediently.

GOODS GUARD.

[We are much obliged to correspondent, and we are pleased to know that he and hIS fellow employes take suc.h interest in our Journal ( FIRST AID ) vylth regard to hIS sugg-estion, we shall be pleased to adopt It, and we shall be willing to give a prize of a pocket ambulance case for account of the case, which, shall be adjudged as possess1l1g the highest merit.-ED. F.A.]

THE VOLUNTEER MEDICAL STAFF CORPS RESERVE.

AI D.- 175 HOW THEY "TURNED OUT" IN BRAIDWOOD'S TIME.

DEAR SIRS, - I t may prove interesting, especially to your firemen readers, to be able to read in " F.A." the following facts brought to light re Fire Brigade "turns out" in London in 1846. About that time the Commissioners of Police instructed their officers to note the time which elapsed between the earliest alarm of fire and the arrival of the first engine From papers on the subject which have lately con.le into my ,possessi.on, I find the following remarks of Mr. Braidwood, WIth a vIew to a report to be laid be!ore Parliament. The average of a engine turning out WIth horses was from three to seyen m1l1utes. The engines were drIven at the rate of ten mIles an hour along the streets, which, in the coaching days was considered the " best Royal Mail pace " I nformation of the breaking out of a fire was generally conveyed to the station of the brigade at the rate of about five miles an hour; thus in the occurrence of a fire within a mile of the station, the intelligence was con· veyed to the station in about twelve minutes, the horses put to, and the eng111e got out into the street in about five minutes, on the average traversing the mile in about six minutes The water had to be got into the engine, which occupied about five minutes, making under the most favourable circumstances for such a distance 28 minutes, or for a half·mIle, an average of not less than 20 minutes. From which it would appear that vast improvements have been. in this. direction alone in the London FIre BrIgade, notwlthstand111g it'i alleged shortcomings and defects.-Yours faithfully, L.A.C. May 13th, 1906.

DEAR SIRs,-In your last number of FIRST AI? I a report of the Midland Railway Ambulance Corps, 111 whIch It is said that they have a percentage ( 13 per cent. ) of the staff of effiCIent men; but I am sorry to say that there ,are a many of their men. wh? are out <,>f practice, for S1l1ce going through theIr thIrd exam1l1atJon, whICh been some years ago, they have not taken a bandage m theIr hands or read a first aid book. There are a few statIons where they meet to practice, but a great do not trouble further about it, although their names stIll remaIn on the books at Der?y.

National Fire Brigades Union.

Guildford is not very far from London, and Shalford Park is an ideal spot, so that doubtless many who are interested in our fire brigades will pay a visit to the ann u al camp Every effort is being made by the Executive to ensure a good attendance. The local committee have arranged a most attractive and interesting programme for t h e whole of the week. Military tournaments, house on fire, by Brock and Co., carnival, dancing and other amusements The park will be en fete every even i ng from 6 3° to ro All firemen and others who visit the camp wi ll thoroughly enjoy the programme laid out for the week.

The following bands have been retained :-Royal Mounted Artillery Band, 5th Royal Irish Lance r s, 3rd Worcestershire Regiment and the Seaforth Highlande r s (The pipers will perform sword dances twice a day)

DEAR SIR -As one of your correspondents \\ ho wrote asking if you 'COUld give about the above Reserve, I appreciate the kInd ,You have made, and your pwmise to watch over .our 1l1terests In .the but I fear that your locus slandz IS not of suffiCIent Importance-excuse my bluntness - to enable you to. do much towards forwarding our interests. It is to our ChIef Officers we must look to see that we are not pushed in the backg round. There is an old adage-" Proffered services are often held too cheap, they CO'it nothing, and are therefore regarded as of but ,lIttle value." Is it the case with us? We have shown a read1l1ess to comply with all the of the War for .the minimum sum of a few shIll1l1gs per annum, al!d It ha.ldly likely that a Government pledged to economy wIll be 111clmed to pay a costly sum for our sen ices when they find they can acquire them on such terms!

Personally speaking, I am only too wlllmg. to place my poor services at. the of my country WIthout ,fee or reward of any k1l1d, but It does make one put on one.s considering cap in order to find out whether are of any value when we find that the authOritIes are wIllIng to pay £9 J for member of the Volunteer MedIcal Staff Corps, wh ile we are considered to be worth only the small pi ttance now allotted to us Trusting that you wil l pardon my up valuable space on such a subject.-I remain, dear SIr, yours respectfully

P. C. W.

[We thank our corresponnent for his and. for his candour. Perhaps we can do but little, but 111tentlOns. are good, and we remember a .very old fable recordmg the. servIces once rendered to the K1l1g of the Forest by a t1l1y wee mouse.-ED F. A.]

The fact is, there is no encouragement for the men; If they practice they must do it in th eir time. member of the fire brigade practIses 111 the Company.s tIme receives £1 a year. If the Company .would only gIve a shIeld or a cup tor competition. amongst theIr ambulance servan.ts It would give them some httle encouragement to keep effiCIent. Sorry to trespass on your valuable tlme.-Yours, &c., BANDAGE.

GLASGOW POLICE AMBULANCE COMPETITION.

DEAR SI RS -On looking over your April issue, I chanced to notice a from a correspondent signing " oj Freedom," relating to Question 4 B, n Beef SandWIch, gIven at above competition. .Now as I, happen to be the auth.or of the said question, perhaps you WIll be good enough to 111sert my vindication in your next Issue.

"

Bird 0' Freedom" is evidently unaware of the fact that, in order to obtain the certificate of the St. Andrew's Ambulance A.ssociation, candidates are required to show, they possess an adequate knowledge, not only of first. aId III the narrow sense in which he seems to understand It by, but also, and rightly so, toO, a knowledge of the structure an? functions of the prInCIpal organs of the body. So long, therefore, as the AssociatIOn's syllabus remaIns unaltered, .and so long as the present ma.nu.al continues to. be the. authOrIsed text book of the ASSOCIatIOn, so. will. presenting themselves for the cel tlficate, 0.1 cO,mpetitors taking part 111 competItIOns to c.ome prepaled to answer similar elementary questIons 111 phY,slOl.ogy to that one to which" Bird 0' Freedom" takes obJectIOn.

The method by which a food, or a pOIson finds Its way 111tO the blood and fulfils its function, for weal or for woe, has surely sodJe be;ring on first aid

The failure, however, of "Bird 0' to. see any connection, forces me to conclude that he IS (as Judg1l1g. from the wording of his letter he hImself apparently seems slIghtly

-FIRST

to rea lise) good n tentioned, but simply, as he himself tru ly puts it, ill ill/dllj;l.'I/i"e, and unfortunately very ll1uch so. ApoJogising for taking up so much of your valuable space.-I am, yours truly,

I'. F SIL\W, L.R.C.P., &c.

CITY SIIIELD COMPET I TION.

DEAR SIRs,-The Right Hon the Lord Mayor h as decided that the City Shield Competition sha ll take place on Saturday, June 23rd, instead of the date hitherto adv-:rtised

The date has been.altered, owing to the City Corpora t ion ha\'lIlg previously prOl1lJsed, to afford facilities for the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society for a din n er in Guildha ll , to ce lebra te th e of their new offices by his Majesty the King, who has appointed May 26th, for the cerenlony.- Yours faithfully W. A. STILL WELL, Hon. Secreta r y [P.S.- The last day for receiving entries, viz., May I st has not been altered.]

BRADFORD RE-ORGAN I SATION

SIRS,-Y?ur paragraph on Bradford Corps ReorganisatIOn IS not qUIte correct. But tbe divisions are now working and .0f!icer here has !h.e right to rejJo7-t the affairs of other dZVZSZ071S, The men's divIsio n is for twe lve months to be under Dr Bateson as hon. s ur a-eon The nursinn divisi.on has been re-formed, and th,e Mrs. mentioned by your correspondent IS not to be continued.p, G. LODGE, Hon Surgeon ( I. Bearer Co , &c. )

H. \VILLIAi\TS (vVorcester).-\ Ve can recommend" First J\id to the and Injured,". by Warwick TL'nstall publIshed by Wright and Co., Bristol, as a capIta l book to those desiring further study

Many happy returns of the day to Mr. Church -Brasier who celebrates his <;)11 June 9th, the cla); by the London P,rI\'ate F Ire Brigades Association for tbe annua FIre. Tournament. the Crystal ala.ce. Doubtless of ItS members wIll gIve more than a passll1g to. theIr late popular chairman, and hope that the. aIr will en<l:ble hIm t.o yet live many years to take an I11terest, If not an actIve part, 111 the Association which he helped to found, and of whose reputation he was so justly proud.-BRANCH PIPE. -. --.

Sir T R. Dewar is p r esen t ing a shield for compe ition In the Eastern Counties 3" E

The entries for the N.F B.U. competit ons at Guildford are most satisfactory and are more numerous than usual.

The Hampton Fire r ecent ly held a C h urch the proceeds o f WhICh are o be devoted to t he WIdows' and O rphans' Fu n d N.F.B.U.

The

rat ors' & Pa int ers' lVl aga zin e.

THE PRACTICAL OReAN OF THE TRADE.

AI D.- May, 1 906

DEWSBURV NF IRMARV CAR N IVAL JUN E 16th. COl\ f PETIT[ON [or Thomes Cup ancl 5 CasesofCuLlery pieces ), \ alue (7S. 0d. ::!nd, 5 Electro Teapots Jrcl, 5 Cases of Can ers EntrIes 5s, (open ). E n tries c lose June 1st, to be sent to C. Thornes, I)ewsbury, Yorks.

CE on R u bber Tyres by Mars h a ll BI:os., WIth pol.e, bar, shafts, lamps and brake. A lso TelescopIc Stretcher, 111 excellent condition; a bargain £4 0 ,Apply to \ V II. Stevens, Marht Harborougb

F ourth R e,ised Edition. Just Ready. 20t h Thollsanci. \\'ith 200 Original Drawings. Cloth, 2S net; Paper, , s net,

"FIRST AID" TO THE INJURED AND SICK.

> An A d va n ced A mbulan ce Handbo ok

By F. J. WARWICK, B.A. , M.B. Cantab., and A. C. TUNSTALL, M.D. , F R C.S. Edin " H as already taken it s place as a standard work. "-Brit. M,·d. Jour Fourth Edition. Ready On 2ft.. 2in by 3ft. 4in, 2S each, or 2 7 S. 6 d. net. the set of 18 Sheets, Ith NIckel Head for Suspension.

Ad o pte d b y th e WAR OFFICE, h e A DMIRALTY, a n d th e LON DON SC H OOL BOAR D.

SHEET "FIRST AID" DIACRAMS

Of th e Illu s ra ti o n s in Wa r wick &. T un s t a ll 's'" F I RST A ID T O T H E NJU R ED S CK AND 'Now Ready. Paper Covers, IllterJeaveu, 6d net. AMBULANCE EXAMINATION QUESTIONS.

By D. M MACDONALD M.B.

FIRST AID.

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services. Conducted

by ARTHUR T. DALE, M.J."

N o 144.--VOL. X II . [NEW SERIES ] JUNE, T9 06

To Our Readers

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as instructive and entertaining as possihle, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can. Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambu ance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance Schoo of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will '1.1so send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Compet itions and other matters which will advance the in terest of the Journal.

We particlllarly desire to ask Ollr correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may se nd us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested to state on the hack of the same th e name or th e individual or the Corps or Brigade, and gi\'e also thc namc ;m d ad(lress or the sender.

" Firs t Aid " s publi sh e d o n t he 2 0 th o th e m o nth.

E D IT OR IAL .

THE RI CHESI' IN CREA M 'fb e Bes t for all Ser vices "FIRST

AlD.

"

This Coupon =ln s uran ce=T c k et m u st no t b e d et ac hed.

WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LlJ\lITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LONDON, E.C;., Lo the legal personal representative of the bOlu2 fi.de holder of thIS Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be kIlled by a.n accident within the United Kingdom or Channel I sland s to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such IS travellmg as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasontIcket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

th e a bove und er ta king s s ubj ect o th e foll owin g s pecial condi t IOn s, whi ch a re of he esse nce of t he co nt rac t , viz :

(aJ death result within one accident, (b) that such holder 's usual s Ignature shal! have been wntten 111 Ink, in the space provided underneath, before. the ac:cldent, (c) that. notice of the be given to the CorporatIOn at Its PnnClpal. Office In Londoll within fourteen days after its occurrence, medIcal certificates and other information be furnished b person claIming. upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) th;t thIS applJes only to persons over twelve and under seventy years of age, IS "mlted to one for each ho lder, and holds good for the current month of Issue only,

This entit,les the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to conditions of Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, LII1:llted, .Act, 1890, RIsks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incO!11patlble W th the special condit ions above stated

Thej;ossession of this Coupon-bzsurallce-Ticket is admitted to be Ihej;a ment of u"der Sec 33 of tlte A ct. A Print oJ tJu Act call be se 'Y t1. P,.,ncijJal OlJice Oft/Lt! Corporation en a Ie Sig-tlature , IlfontlL 0/ issue 111 a)', 1906.

Pr inted and Pl1hlished by Messrs DALE REYNOLDS & Co Ltd 6 Cannon St reet L ondon, E.c., to a ll be add ressed

A correspondent writing us this month--a foreigner, by the way-urges that the principles of Ambulance might be utilised to oppose the advance of Anarchism. Whether it would be possible to oppose to the principles of physical force the principles of the ameliorations of physical suffering, we cannot venture to predict. Time alone could prove for or against this theory; but in the main we are in complete sympathy with the views advocated in our correspondent's letter. We believe, and indeed we have always advocated, that International Congresses of Life Saving Societies could not but prove of inestima ble advantage to the world at large, and we should gladly assist in any properly organised plan which had as its goal an International gathering such as that outlined in the letter of our correspondent.

A mbul a n ce a nd Ana r chi s m.

We are led to

A FORI\[IDABLE heading this j not that we intend to imply by the con,bination that there 1S anything In common between the two, although both begin with the first letter of the alphabet. a retrospect of them by a variety of causes; firstly, in common with all who abhor criminal propaganda, and the violent methods which it advocates and propogates, we were horrifi e d and shocked by the dastardly outrage in Madrid, an outrage so fiendish in its inception and so cowardly in its execution that one can hard l y realise that such fiends can exist in any civilised country i n this, the twentieth century To the young monarch and his English consort we offer our smcere and hearty congratu lations on their providential escape, and with the sorrowing relatives of the victims of a madman's c r ime, we tender respectful sympa t hy. We bow our heads in horror and detestation of such a cr im e as that of the man Moral; it is not a question of na ti o n a li ty, we are a ll humanitarians, and it behoves each a n d eve r y nat ion to ta k e all precautions to prevent the extensio n a n d inc u lcation of such doctrines as those of A n a r chism and k indred vio l ent dogmas which have for t h eir aim the disruption and effacement of all lawfully constitu t ed authorit y

As regards the proposal to teach first aid in all the elementary and other schools of every country, yes, by all means! Not only would it inculcate a sympathy with human pain and suffering, but it would also tend to a kindlier feeling towards the m e mbers of the dumb creation, some of which are man's best friends, and who occasionally are the victims of juvenile cruelty - not always wilfully intended, b u t thoughtlessly inflicted without thinking of the pain and suffering entailed

Lessons in the principles of first aid to the injured would do much, we believe, to lessen the number of cases of juvenile cruelty, and in time the motto "Pro utilitate llOJIlimtm" would be as familiar to the rising generation as are those other national ones: cc H Olli soil qui mal J' pwse" and "Dielt et mOil d1'oit."

Birmingham and other up-to-date cities have first aid, fire, and ambulance boxes fitted up in all busy parts; why is London so much behind, is it that our councillors have not travelled, or is it want of sufficient intelligence to appreciate the use of such necessary appliances?

Mr. W J. Church Brasier desires, through our columns to thank the large number of fr ends who wired or sent' cards or letters conveying good wishes for his jubilee birthday. He has found it impossible to reply to all personally by letter, he trusts that his many friends who may not have ackn.owledgment 'wi ll accept his grateful thanks for theJr k1l1dly and for the good wishes extended to Mrs. Church BraSIer and h imse lf.

-FIRST

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem: BEING A BRJEV OF TilE ORICIN AND DEVELOPMENT 01<' Til 1£ ORDER Ot' ST. JOlIN.

Pro /llili/nle hOll/ill/flll.

COMPlLED

BY C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Co7ltinued from page I6J)

TIm Basha, disappointed in the expedie nt, got together a great number of boats to this floating and towed it in the night to the Side of the mole, where It v:as fastened. The soldiers got upon the mole, and were filmg continually one after another over the bridge, while the lighter vessels at the same time landed several companies of the bravest troops of the army on the other side. They were in hopes of surprising the Christians; but d' who had foreseen this second attack, after havmg re-mforced the garrison and lined the wall with a body of intrepid musketeers and a good number of cannon, expecting them resolutely on the breach. At the nOI se which the Turks made on getting upon the mole, they, by

AID. - June, 19 06

with the Turkish ga ll eys that battered th e forts, and set them on fire. The cries of those that crowd ed to get out o f the fire that bluzerl about them, the smoke and roar in g of the cannon, the groans of the wounded, the horror of the darkness, did not, however, damp the courage of th e combatants; they all seemed either to va':Cluish or die. The same va lour and resolutIon was conspicuous on both sides. How many heroic deeds hath the dar kn ess of th e night concealed from our knowledge!

As daylight appeared it discovered the loss s ust ained by the Infid e ls. The sea was covered with bows, arrows, turbans, and the hulks of theIr ga ll eys stIll In a smoke. To make their calamities sti ll greate r, the g unners of the fort observing when daylight appeared, the enemy's bridge thronged with soldiers that were coming t o the succour of their comrades, levelled their artillery agai nst it and beat the bridge to pieces; others say it was broken by the crowd of Infidels that fled over it. Those barbarians, no longer able to bear up against the Christians, gave over, notw it hstanding the prayers and threats of their officers, and fled for their lives to the vessels of their fleet.

Several Knights, at the head of th e garrison, pursued, and cut up a good number. Anthony Fradin was one of the hottest in this pursuit; he ran with a sabre in his hand

-

June, 1906. -FIRST

The Turks, proud of this beginning o f s u ccess, fixed th e ir colour s and fortified themselves in that post. The Basha's re-inforcements soon advanced, so that the ramparts were soon coverer! with them. The Grand Master seeing the danger the place was in, ordered the great Standard of the Order to be immediately displayed; and turning himself tow ards the Knights that he had kept about him in order to march to the places which should be most pressed, he said t o them, "Let us go, my brethren, to them with a noble fortitude, and fight for the Order and the defence of Rhodes, 0r bury ourselves in its ruins !"

lIe advanced immediately in great haste at the head of these Knights, and saw with surprise five-and -twenty hundr ed Turks masters of the breach, the rampart, and all th e platform abo ut it. As the houses and streets were much lower, there was no going to them or getting upon the rampart but by two staircases which had bcen made formerly, but which were then covered with the rubbish of the wall. The Grand Master took a ladder and placed it to a heap of stones, and without regarding those that the enemy threw upon him, mounted first with a half-pike in his hand; the Knights followed his example, some with ladders, ¥'hilst others, climbing up the rubbish, exerted themselves to the utmost in following him to get to the top of the rampart.

There was seen on this occasion, contrary to what is generally practised at sieges, the besieged them"elves mounting to the assault and the besiegers standing on the defensive. The In fidels repulsed the Christians with their musket shots and arrows, or else by rolling down great stones upon them. All the valour of the courageous Knights could not force its way through so vigorous an opposition.

AI D.The American White Cross First Aid Association.

THE following from lhe TVestenl Ft"rem ell will, we are sure, prove interesting reading to our readers :-

The American White Cross First Aid Association is a national organisation, devoted to the work of instruction in first aid, and is similar to the flrst aid associations of European countries, notably the St. John Ambulance Association of England, and the St. Andrews' Association in Scotland.

First Aid, which is so well known throughoul Europe, is comparatively unknown in this country, outside of the Regular Army and National Guard, where it is taught as a part of the curriculum of the soldier, but during the past year the American White Cross First Aid Association has been brought into existence, by men who have known through practical experience, how much such help means in the saving of life and limb.

The Society teaches principles and methods of First Aid Emergency treatment of the injured by accident ; for the organization of Ambulance Brigades and Nursing Corps and for Volunteer Service on all occasions of public need.

The work of the Association is carried on through Local Chapters, organised for the purpose of forming classes in instruction in First Aid, which are under the jurisdiction of the Home Office here in Chicago.

his orders, made in the dark two such furious discharges on all sides that a great number of the enemy were killed.

The Basha, who was in command, IIOt to expose his troops longer to the fire of the fortress, made them advance to the foot of the fort on that side where his artillery had made great breaches. They soon came to blows) and without any more light than that which came from grenades, firepots, and volleys of firearms, a long and obstinate engagement ensued

The bridge and galliots supplied the Turks cont inu ally with fresh troops-never did these Infidels show so much valour and so resolute a courage - some of them, by the means of ladders, mounted to the top of the breach, and, scorning to retire, chose rather to be killed than ask quarter.

Merla-Bey stood his ground almost a lone upon the ruins of the tower, and making himself a rampart with the bodies of dead soldiers, and although covered all over with wounds, he killed several Knights with his own hand; but at last striking a soldier who had just wounded him with sabre and whom he slew with a blow, he fell dead by his side

Nor was the combat upon the sea less furious. The fireships, which the Grand Master had prepared, grappled

into the sea as high as his waist to prevent the Infidels re-embarking, many of whom were killed by him. The enemy's loss in this engagement was reckoned at over two thousand five hundred men; and we may reasonably conclude, especially in a combat that was chiefly fought during the darkness of the night, that this co uld not have happened without the Order lik ewise losing severa l of their Knights 'fis indeed generally allowed that they were almost all wounded; but they did not reckon more than twelve Knights killed, and who, with the loss of thei r lives, sealed the profession they made of defending the Order to the last drop of their blood .

The Turks were for a time disheartened, but after a time the attack was renewed with great vigour; several batteries were kept firing a whole day and night without intermission, and the Turks then advanced in good o rd e r and with great caution, without making any noise upon the ramparLs, of which they made themselves maste rs. Th e Christians, who were upon guard, had, to avoid the fury of the arti ll ery that played continually, posted themselves at the bottom of a slope which was made by the rubbish of the wall, a nd most of them being worn out by watching and fatigue, were unluckily asleep.

Several were crushed to death by the weight of stones rolled upon them. The Grand Master himself was twice thrown down; but in spite of impending death, which presented itself on all sides, and without regarding two wounds he had just received, he got up and bravely mounted again through a continual fire of muskets and showers of arrows and stones, and seconded by his gallant Knights, leaped at last upon the rampart on which the Turks had posted themselves The com bat was then upon more eCJual terms; the Knights fell sword in hand upon the Infidels; they closed on both sides with reciprocal fury, and in a moment all were engaged, the one side endeavouring to maintain its first advantage, and the other to regain a post on which the Eafety of the place depended.

The Grand Master distinguished himself more by surprising valour than by his dignity; he killed several officers of the Turks with his own hand, and threw others of them down fr om the walls.

(To be

The late Prime Minister of ew Zealand (Mr. Seddon) wrote on l y recent ly: (( The book 'On Active Service with the St. John Ambulance Brigade,' which you brought under my notice, will well repay perusal, nnd I hope may be widely read in our Co lony."

E

BLACKBURN.-In our last issue we gave a brief notice of an ambulance dance held in this town. 'Ve are sorry to l earn that our report was not strictly correct. The dance was given by the Ambulance Division in conjunction with Dr. Moffatt's women's class, which shares the headquarters of th e Ambulance We gladly make this correction in fairn ess to a ll partIes concerned.

The Association is controlled by a Board of Directors, a Surgeon-in-Chief, head of the "Medical Board, and a General Manager, who has charge of organization and business management.

The work of the A merican White Cross First Aid Association is to deliver lectures to the fire, police, railway and other civic and private corporations employing men in hazardous positions

On Monday, February 12th, 1906, a series of ten lectures was started before the Fire Department at Engine Company No. 32, at 2, Washington-street, Chicago, by Dr. P. J. H Farrell, formerly Surgeon-General of the Army in the Philippines, and the keen shown in the wo:k bodes well for the success and effiCiency of the firemen m protecting themselves and others who may need their attention.

This interesting course will have ten or twelve prominent surgeons lecturing to as many different Fi:e throughout the city, and as soon as the course 1S fimshed, attentIon will then be given to the Police Department. The.re will also be classes started for the benefit of the publIC, wllich arc entirely free, so that in a sbort time there will. be thousands of people who will know how to adminster F1rst Aid work where practically few do to-day

This work shodd have the hearty support of every one as it will be the means of saving many lives yearly. interested in the work can become members, entitled to the literature, etc., upon the payment of a mem bership fee of 2 dollars per annnm, or active members on the payment of 15 dollins, which entitles th.e member to a very complete First Aid Case, supplIed w1th all the materials used in the work

The money raised by contributions and sale memberships, goes into a fund to extend the wO.rk: as It will be to every city in the United States of Amenca.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

TilE CITY OF RHODES IN 1483, FROM AN ENGRAVING BY ERIIAHD RENWICK, UTRECHT, 1486.

Ambulance Camps.

No. 3 (CENTRAL & EASTERN) DI STR TCT.-By the kind permission of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, K.G., K.T., the annual camp was this year pitched in Boughton park, Kettering, from Saturday, 2nd June to Thursday, 6th June.

The various corps and dIVISIOns assem bled m the Station-yard, Kettering, on Saturday afternoon, and about two miles to the camp, headed by the KetterIng Rifle Band. Officers and men from the following corps and divisions were in camp, viz. :-Northampton, Wellingborough, Birmingham, Kettering, N.E. Market Harborough, Bedford, Olney, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Dudley, Nun-

A 10.- June, 1906.

reserved for the m : n. The Rector (Rev. P. M. Smythe) based an appropriate discourse on the wor?s "The comforter which is the Holy Ghost." After havmg extended a hearty welcome to the men the preacher said their history was a noble one. In 1904, 30,640 men women obtained certificates of ability to render first ald. In r895 there were 250 corps and and 6,000 men and r,500 nursing sisters, showed how. mlghtil,Y the movement had grown. Whilst. t?ey we.re helpmg me.n s bodies might they have the inspHlng pnvtlege of domg something for their souls as Before a memora?le service closed, a verse of the NatlOnal Anthem was heartll y sung.

Jur.e, 1906 -FIRST and express the hope that other districts may furnish such efficient bodies of men as you have here."

Assistant Commissioner Woolston tendered to l:is Grace the heartiest thanks of the officers and men for his kindess in granting permission for the camp and for his presence that day. The Assistant Commissioner then called for three cheers for the Duke, which were heartily and vociferously given by all on parade.

In the afternoon Lieut.-Col. E. M. Wilson, C.B., C. M.G., ns.o., of the R.A.M.C., addressed those in camp on "Camp Sanitation." This lecture was inter es ting and thoroughly enjoyed by all who were privileged to hear it. Col. Wilson emphasised various points of his address by illustrations of his own experiences at homt and abroad.

AID.-

hall and Brown, 3, Ptes. Howe and Small tug of war, r, Northampton, 2, Oversea!. In the pillow fights the winners were so close that the prizes were divided equally amongst Ptes. Patrick, Catling, Howe and Jeffries.

During the day the remaining portion of the Markham Cup competition, viz., tent pitching and striking, took place.

On Thursday everyone in the camp was busy preparing for striking camp. Shortly after the breakfast hour the result of the cup competition was announced as follows :Winn ers, Birmingham No. 2 team, 265 points: second, Birmingham No. team, 230 points; third, Dudley, 2I3 points fourth, Kettering, 207 points.

KETTERIKG DIVISIOl, S.J.A.B. they reached about 12.45. Large numbers visited the park in the afternoon and evening, when the Kettering Rifle Band rendered an excellent programme of music.

The men then re -formed outSide the church, and a large crowd witnessed th e ir departure back to camp, which eaton, Rugby, Coventry, Leamington, Foleshill and Longford, Overseal and Smethwick. Altogether 352 officers and men were in camp.

The first portion of the competition for the Markham Cup was held. from Northampton, Wellingboroug?, Birmingham, Kettenng, Dudley, Overseal, and Foleshlll competed. The teams were selected by ballot so as to ensure the men chosen not being those of special abilities. The following teams were first, and proceeded to the other parts of the competition :-Birmingham No.!., Kettering, Dudley, and Birmingham NO.2. . . .

The cup and money pri.les were presented to the winning teams by Asssistant Commissioner Woolston.

Th e remainder of the morning was spent in striking tents and generally clearing up. At three o'clock the men assembled and marched down to the Market-square, Ketterin g There, before dismissing the men, Assistant-Commissioner Woolston tbanked Mr. T. R. Preston and the Kettering Rifle Band for their attendance at the camp. He hopeel it would not be the last time they should meet. He also remarked on the efficient way the drummers had carried out th eir duties.

The following officers were in camp:

Assist. Commissioner

T. H. Woolston, District Chief Surgeon W.

E. Audland, District

Supt. Secretary W. A. Gibb, M.D., District

Supt. Treasurer Major

W. Hughes, Chief Surgeon T. Nelson (Birmingham), Chief

Supt. T. Hilton (Wellingborough), Chief

Supt. F. Gilbert (Birmingham). Chid Supt.

W. Harvey Reeves (Northampton), Chief Supt. H. Luck (Kettering), Chief Supt. Rev.

W. Dore Rudgard (N.E. Warwickshire), ex-Chief Supt. F. T. Trenery, Assistant Quarter-Master j Supt.

Sees. H. Wilkinson (Northampton), J. H. Hawkins (Birmingham), and E. R. Lane (Kettering), Supts. Nicholson, Swindall,

Front row (from le n to right) Capt. lIughe s, District Supl. Tr eas urer, Northampton; W. A. Gibb s , M.D., Dis trict SUpl. Sec., Ips wi ch ; Lieul.-Co!. E. ?II. Wil so n, c.E., C.M.G., D.S.O., I':'oyaJ Army Medical Corps; Assi s tant-Commi%ioner T. II. ViToo lston, Northampton; Di st rict Chief Surgeon W. E. Audland, WellingGorough Chief Surgeon T. Nelson, ?If.D. Birmingh a m.

Second row - Supl. Dixon, Kett e ring; SUpl. n. II. Ri ce, Northampt o n; Supl. Sec. Wilkinson, Northampton; Supt. Sec. J. n. IIawkins, Birmingham; Supl. W !lall, Smethwick; Supt. Nicholson, Wellingborough; ex-Ch iefSupl. F. T. Trenery (A ss istant Quartermaster) KeLlering; Ch ief Supl. T. II. Hilton, Wellingborough; Chief Supl. Fred Gilbert, Birmingham; Chief Supt. N. Harvey Reeves, ::-\onhampton; Supt. IT. Luck, Kettering; Chief Supt. Rev. W. D. "Rudgard, N. E. Warwickshire; Supt. Sec. E. R. Lane, Kettering; Supl. Parsons, Rughy; Supl. Groome, Higham Ferrel's; 1St Officer Freestone, Overseal.

Back rOW -1st Officer R. Pattenhall, Higham Ferrers Supt. ITarLland, Dudley; Jst Officer Christopher, Wolverhampton; - SUpL. J. Laco n , Birmingham; 1st OAi ce r II. Francis, Wellingborough Supt. Swindall, Rushden.

On Monday morning the men were on early parade, and again at 10.45 a. m., when they were exercised in formation of companies in column and quarter column, and in marching past, also manc:euvering in sections with stretchers, &c. At midday the Duke of Buccleuch, with the Earl of Dalkeith and the Countess of Dalkeith arrived in camp and inspected the m e n who were formed up on parade in review order, and received his Grace with a general salute. His Grace then inspected the ranks, after which the brigade was formed into four companies and marched past in column and quarter column under thecommand of Assistant Rice, Dickson, Hartland, Parsons, Lacon, and Williams, First Officers Francis, Freestone, Paten hall and Christopher. Also Captain Goacher (Quartermaster). men were out for early parade on Sunday mornmg, and at 9.30 a.m. the bngade " fell in" for church parade to the Parish Church, Kettering.

The men presented an imposing spectacle as they marched along the road to Kettering preceded by DrumMajor Rixon and Kettering Rifle Band, which was under the conductorshlp of Mr. T. R. Preston. A large number of pedestrians and cyclists turned out to meet the Brigade, which its route by way of Montague-street, Gold-street and HIgh-street, entering the Church by the west door. The whole of the middle aisle had been

Commissioner T. H. Woolston (Northampton). Subsequently the men formed up into three sides of a square, and his Grace addressed the officers and men. He said-" I have great pleasure in seeing you here to -day, and hope you will have everything comfortable in this camp. It is a great advantage for such as you to have opportunities of meeting together to drill and make yours e lves efficient, upto-date, and prepared for every casualty that may occur. In our nation's wars we feel more secure, and there is no more valued assistance than that of the ambulance corps, as wars are fought with dangerous weapons, and can't be fought without casualties. It is very gratifying that such a body of men are ready and illing to carry out the country's needs whenever required. I can only wish you every success,

In the evening sports were held, ll1c1udll1g a pIllow fight, which caused intense amusement. A concert was held in the large marquee, at which many visitors were present.

On Tu es day the men were on parade at seven o'clock, and again at ten o'clock, when they were marched off in companies with all gear, a number of men being told off as patients to be treat ed for their supposed injuries by stretcher bearers, the treatment of the

patients afterd b · n U KE OF BUCCLEUCfI ADDRESSING OFFICERS AND war.:; e lng In.r ,' 1IE?\" OF

spected by the h LTTEh-INC DIVISION S J.A.B medical officers in camp. The camp was the Chief Commissioner Inspector General Bel grave Nmms, M.D., R.N. At two p. m. the men were paraded and underwent spection. Five companies paraded past Il1 quarter column in review order. .An InSpectIOn of tents, lines, kitchen, and the general eqUlpment of camp was made and the officers considered everythmg absolutely

The men were then dismissed for the day, and in the evening a few of these who had to leave camp were marched out headed by an improvised band. Dunng the evening a good concert was given; and was well patronised.

Similar work was done on Wednesday, and m the afternoon after the bugles bad sounded "no parade," th e camp were proceeded with before a large crowd of visitors.

The following were the res ults of the sports :-120 yards fiat, I, Pte. Corby, 2, Gro?me, 3, Church race, I, Pte. Jeffries, 2, Pte. WrIght, 3, Pte. Corby the bucket, I, Ptes. Newberry and Sheffield, 2,_Ptes. Whlte-

After the band had played the National Anthem the various companies were taken over by their officers, and parted by train to their respective destinations.

The duties of Adjutant were undertaken by each Chief Superintendent in turn, Chief Supt. T. H. Hilton acting on Saturday and Sunday Chief Supt. Fred Gilbert on Monday; Chief Supt. \ V. Harvey Reeves on Tuesday; Chief Supt. H. Luck on

Wedn esday; and Cbief Supt. the Rev· W. D. Rudgard on Thursday.

Amongst the guests of the officers may be mentioned Co!. the Earl of Euston, Major Sir Arthur de Capell Br.ook, Bart., Col. Ripley, Major Talbot, AllIson, Surgeon -Lieut. Lewis, Lieut. Edward, L,eut. Ha.l e (1st V.B.N.R.), A. H. Sartoris, Esg., A. Rieke, ,Esq. (French Vice-Consul), Douglas T. Thnng, Esq., 1\. Ryland D. Atkins, Esq., M.P. , the Rev. P. M. Smythe (Rector of K e tt ering), and the Rev. H. H. M. Howard, R.D., &c.

This year's camp was the most successful one ever held in the District, and the weath er proved all that could be desired. It is hop ed that arrangements can be made next year for the camp to be extended to a full week.

No. 4- 25? members of the various corps and divisions in thIS dlstnct under at Bla ckpool for Whit week. They Il1cluded contIngents from Accrington, Bacup, Burnley, Blackpool, Kendal, Padiham, Preston, Rossendale, Southport and other towns

-FIRST

in the district. Owing to the unavoidable absence of Col. Trimble, C.M.G., V.D., Deputy Commissioner of the district, the camp was under the command of Assistant Commissioner L eonard Whittaker; other vfficers present being District Chief Supt. A. L. Garnet, District Supt. Treasurer F. de Beho Pim, District Supt. Secretary Woodcock, Chief Supt. Ogden, Hon. Surgeons Clarke and Hayes; Superintendents Ellison, Graham, Bullock, Rushworth, Hall, Wilkinson, ec. The total strength of all ranks was about 250. During the meeting the usual routine work has been carried out, but as we have not been favoured with a report we are unable to give further particulars.

No. 5 ])ISTRlcT. - The various corps and divisions comprised in this district, of which Mr. S C. Wardell, of Doe Hill, Alfreton, is the popular Deputy Commissioner, ag a in went under canvas at Blackpool during Whitsuntide week. The camp was situate in an ideal spot for such a gathering at Squires Gate, about two miles out on the Lytham -road, and there is no doubt tbat those attending, in addition to tbe valuable instruction they received during the training, had a real good time of it in and about " Breezy Blackpool."

The weather was neitber too hot nor too cold, nor were the duties too exacting. During tbe week stretcher and bearer company drill has been the order of the day, interspersed witb physical exercise and bandage practice, and on Tbursday the brigade had a route marcb ; on Friday the was held and passed off most creditably, the men acqultt1l1g themselves well and gaining unstinted praise from a large crowd assembled. Following tbe inspection came tbe sports-always a popular p. vent in the week's programme. The events were keenly contested and later on the pri zes were prE'sented to the successful competitors. The calllp was under the command of District Chief Supt. H. C. Else, the popular commanding officer of the Sheffield corps, and the other officers in attendance included District Chief Surgeon Col. West Symes, Dist:ict Su.pt. Sec. Percy Radcliffe, Chief SuptEames (Acttng AdJutant), Supt. H. C. Chambers (Acting Quartermaster), and Hon, Surg eon Riddell, Supts. Noble (Keighley), Allott (Batley), Thomas (Dews bury), Whiteley (Huddersfield), Morphet (Settle), Brown (Sutton), Barraclough (Dewsbury), C.lough (Keighley), Haigh (Hudder;;field), FIrst Officers WI.ngrove (Sutton), Fowler (Dewsbury), Wo?d (H eanor), WItty (Denaby), Cooper (Lincoln) WhIteley (Huddersfield), and Simkins (Denaby).

. The camp broke up on Sunday, the various units leavtng Blackpool en route for their various destinations about ?inner time. the training the health of the men 10 camp, numbenng upwards of 350, has been like their conduct, excellent. It should be mentioned that the camp was pitched by a fatigue party under the direction of the Quartermaster.

Our medical contemporary, Til e Lan cet, has a brief n.otice on "First Aid to the Injured and by Warv.:lck and T,unstall. In concluding it says, We have nothll1g but praIse for an excellent and practical httl: but the might take an early opportun!ty of gIVIng the artist who drew their ornamental cover a hlOt or two .on anatomy." Quite so, we think the picture on the coyer 1S and glves the book the appearance of the :allway Sixpenny shocker, in fact , it's unworthy of th e subject matter contained within.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

AI D.- June, 1906.

"Nil Desperandum."

By A MEl\[8ER OF THE NEPTUNE STREET DIVISION (HULL CORPS) S.J.AB.

THE object of this article is to give encouragement to other Divisions, the members of which may find that interest and enthusiasm is flagging in their particular district. The Secretary of this Division having been in communication with several Officers of other Divisions, has to admit with sincere regret, that the tone of some of tbe letters is of such a character, that ambulance work with these men and officers would appear to be a drag involving painfully uphill work verging almost on to drudgery.

It does not seem so long ago since twenty-one employes of the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company decided to go through a course of study in arnbulance work This was in the early part of 19°3, so after obtaining the use of one of the offices for lectures and practice, the secretary, pro tem., began to seek the assistance of men, who were already holders of first aid certificates, and after securing the services of Dr. Moil', of Hull, who kindly undertook to lecture gratuitously, the men set to work earnestly to secure (}rst the certificate and eventually the medallion of the Association. In May of the same year, nineteen succeeded in obtaining their first aid certificate, and it is a pleasure to place on record the fact that sixteen of these men have since secured the medallion.

Having obtained our first aid certificateS we were helped by the Company, inasmuch as they paid the examination fees, found rooms, fire, light, and material for practice. We then made application to be enrolled in the S.J.A.B., Hull Corps, this was sanctioned in June, 19 0 3, and we were duly registered as the Neptune-street H. & B. Railway Division.

Shortly after, other employes requested to join, so it was decided to form another class for instruction. A similar request came from men working on the Alexandra Dock, and after visiting them on several occasions and finding that they could muster sufficient members, it was decided to form a separate class for them, and then to form another Division to be called the "Alexandra Dock DiviSIOn, H. & B. Railway, Hull Corps."

When the Neptune-street men became fully-fledged mem bers of the Brigade, tbey were invited to take part in the annual parade on June 25th, 1903. They were to fall in with the Western Division under the of Mr. F. Wilson, who had rendered valuable assistance both during the instruction of the class and when forming the Division. At the annual inspection in Septemoer, 1903, the members were again asked to parade, and also to attend the parade in October on Hospital Sunday. On each of these occasions all men not in uniform were asked to procure the regulation uniform as soon as possible, for by being in uniform it put a touch of dash-or shall I say, smartness-into the turn out, which undoubtedly proves attractive to the general public.

About this time another class had been formed and in the early part of 1904 fifteen more men joined the Neptune-street Division. Parades and inspections came and went, but in J904 the Neptune-street men were still without uniform. However, in Septem ber of the same year the members became desperate at not beincy able to take their share of public duty, such as fairs, demonstrations, sports, football-matches in the parks, etc., for uniform is necessary for these occasions, so it was resolved

June, 19 0 6. -FIRST

that if those wbo were willing to obtain uniform would sign their names to a paper, agreeing to take the responsibility of payment, a scheme should be devised whereby some assistance should be rendered towards paying part of the cost. Twenty-one men signed without demur.

October and November, 1904, were spent in asking various local firms to give estimates for uniform for han. surgeon, part for superintendent, first officer, and twenty-seven rank and file. The choosing of the firm went by vote, and although many firms gave estimates, the firm selected had not one member in the Division to speak in favour of their claim, but quality of cloth and price only was considered.

In December, Geo. Dimbleby & Co , Market-place, Hull, were favoured with the order. The Superintendent and Secretary signing an agreement to be responsible for the debt amounting to about £65, although at this time

A I D.-

men seem a little independent, and are trying to help and I shall be very pleased to help them by glVlng £ 5 towards their funds." The Superintendent of the Line, the Goods' Manager, Goods' Agent, Secretary of the Company, and chiefs of all departments came forward at the close of the financial year and assisted us, thereby enablmg us to present a clear balance-sheet at the yearly meeting of tbe corps officers.

It is the firm opinion of the Secretary of this Division that whatsoever a party of men or women set themselves to achieve, and provided the matter is taken up with that whole-heartedness and the determination to surmount all difficulties, "Failure" is impossible, and as soon as you ensure success it will always be found that you will have assistance offered you, and from quarters you little expected to receive it from.

To the officers of this Division also must be credited the scheme which the Hull Corps has now in hand for pro-

NEPTUNE

BARN SLEY RAILWAY Co. s), HULL CORPS S.J.A.B.

the Division had not a silver sixpence in band towards meeting the same, but the confidence of the men was such that they desired to do their utmost towards working up a scheme for clearing off the debt. ot one letter appealing for donations was issued, it was determined to show a little independence, and depend upon our own efforts rather than by begging and handing round the bat. Effor.ts were made to raise money by profit on the goods sold 111 connection with the classes, etc., and, in nine months time, £ 18 passed through the treasurer's hands for the work of tile Division alone.

It is here gratifying La place on record the fact that the Directors of the Company, when they saw that we were III earnest, gave £5 towards the funds. An of the accompanying photograph was hung up tn the head offices in Hull, when a remark was passed by the Chairman may well be mentioned here as it bears very forcibly on the object of this r esume, He said-" These

viding central meeting rooms, and it is. pleasing to report that after two years hammering away at It, SUItable premises have been viewed, and it is hoped that, in the near future, any" first aider " visiting Hull wi.ll, be able to pay the Headquarters of the Hull Corps a. VISIt.

The Supt. and First Officer, tn conjunction With other officers of the Division, have, after long study, been able to perfect an ambulance cabinet called the "Neptune Ambulance Cabinet" of which we shall have more to say anon.

At the Milan Exhibition Fire and Ambulance Display the horse ambulance supplied to the City of by lYlessrs. Wilson and Stockall, was very there was nothing to equal it in the E::hlblttOn , notwl.thstanding that the military ambulan ce dIsplay was an Important feature.

STREln' (HULL &

Brevities.

A MOST disagreeable tale is going t le round of the papers anent the Corporation ambulance wagon at Salford, or rather the methods adopted by the stafr in charge of it, upon receipt of a call. The facts came out at an inquest held at Salford on a carman who died from fatal injuries received at the Yeomanry Camp at Brackenbar Moor, Westmoreland, whilst engaged in moving luggage after the striking of the camp. After his injuries had been attended to by a local doctor, it was decided to remove him to the hospital at Salford, and a wire was sent requ es ting the ambulance to meet the train and convey the man to the hospital. On the train arriving no ambulance was in waiting, and a sergeant was dispatched to the Fire Station to ask the reason of the d ehy when he was told that as it was a private remova l case, the am bulance could not be sent unless the fee was paid.* -'/.*

WHEN the ambulance did arrive at the station, the person in charge said he wanted 3s. 6d. before he could tak e the injur ed man to the disp e nsary. The money was at once p aid and th e man go t away as speeJily as possible. * * .lr-

THESE briefly are the facts as repo rt ed in the local pre ss, we cannot vouch as to th e ir accuracy, hut we have not seen th em contradicted. Such inhuman conduct seems to us monstrous, and no wonder that, in returning their verdict, the jury made a recommendation that the matter should be inquir ed into. Seeing, as he took it, that the ambulance was paid for out of the rates, th e Coroner said it seemed to him a scandalous thing that the man should be k ep waiting. ***

SPEAKING at th e annual dinner of th e Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, Dr. Mayo-Robson, in proposing the" Royal Army Medical Corps," commended the valuable services performed by its members, not only in war but in time of peace, by scientific research in connection with tropical diseases. He predicted that the Army lVledical College to be established will play an important part in the unification of the Army M edical Service and in bringing it into touch with the civil medical service laying stress on th e desirability of forming an Army cal reserve in conjunction with the Volunteer branch.

MR. A. S. HOL!lfAN, of the Traveller's Insurance Company's San Francisco office, in the co urse of an interesting

" A magnifl ce ntRed Cross hospital service sprang eX Istence as if by magic. Supplies of food in large q uantItles flowed from the Government warehouses. Automobiles by the doz e n were flying to all districts with food returning flying the Red Cross flag and laden with injurt.d. The automobile saved the city. Without them we could have accomplished nothing. Automobile carried to lay bare intervening blocks of buildings they carned hose, and where wagons with hose would have

AI D.- June, 1906.

taken hours, they reached it in minutes; conveyed messages from headquarters, where horses would have died of exhaustion in racing aga inst time, when minutes meant millions. We take our huts off to the automobile."

* * "'-

TIlE writer's vi e ws on the automobile are interesting and should be read by those individuals who, had they the power, would wreck the motor indus' ry by prohibiting its appearance in our public str ee ts.

* * * SPEAKING in the Rhondda Valley, on the occasion of the competition for the shield which he had presented, Sir Charles Warren said :-" In these competitions was exemplified a combination of co-operation and competition . There was one set of people who always talked about cooperation, but experience had shown that they could not get on very well without both. It was hoped that soon there would be no colliery without an efficient staff of people capable of rendering first aid. Pot-hunting was a vice of the present day, and teams were going about the country merely for the purpose of winning pri ze s. The end which they should have in view, however, was to be in readiness at any moment to help their fe llow-creatures."

* * :;-

IN an appeal to the local press asking for financial aid for the ambulance and transport service of the City of Bristol, Dr. Hayman, says ;-" I may also state lhat with the exception of the drivers and attendants who are permanentl y attached to th e transport carriages and who are on duty day and ni g ht (whose combined wages amount to £5 IS. per week) th e whole of the work of the corps is done voluntarily by trained men who willingly give their services to aid the sick and suffering. I think I m ay say our ancient city is now enjoying the benefit of the finest volunteer ambulance organisation in the United Kingdom, and am confident that it is only necessary to appeal to our fellow citizens to receive the financial support which is to maintain and in1prove it. "

* *

WE should hope this will not be made in vain. J)r. Hayman is correct in his estimate of the value of the work rendered, and we trust all Bristolians will back up he and his enthusiastic officers in their efforts to maintain this unique position.

* **

AT the present moment, says the Colliery Gu ardian , the Cumberland mine owners and the Colliery Ambulance Association are engrossed with the subject of rescue brigades. Mr. William L ee k, H.M inspector for the Cumberland and Furness metalliferous mines, who is also the county secretary for the Ambulance is advocating the adoption of the brigades. With this object he is in correspondence with Mr. T. P. Martin, the secretary of the Cumberland Coalowners' Association . It is suggested that pur chase be made of the Wallach and Draeger apparatus The Whitehaven Colliery Company have already rec e ived three sets of Wallach life saving apparatus. The whol e question of the inauguration of these rescue brigades was first considered at a meeting of

the Cumberland Coalowners' Association, on the 7th ult., when Mr. Lloyd Wilson, managing director of the Flimby Colli ery Company, proposed the establi shment of a central rescue station. Later on the same ctay there was a meeting of the S.J.A..A., when a committee was formed to enquire into the suLject as to the best apparatus to use, and also as to the best course of training for the rescue brigades to receive. The committee was authorised to report to a further meeting of the association.

WE are g lad to see that this important s ubj ect is being seriously dealt with, and especially so to notice that the Coalowne,'s' Association and the St. John Ambulance Association are likely to co-operate.

Coming Events.

l'arL iut!ars of eve ll ts be ill serted in tlti s (Ollllllil free of If received Itot later titan tlte I4 tiz of each /IlO II tit

RelgiulIl.-Federation Congress, July 14th and r6th. All particulars from C. Kusel, "The Federations," 36, Newtonroad, \Ve s tbourne Park, W. j)alas, Texas, US.A.- Internation al Association of Fire Engineers, October 9th.

Camp and Compe titio,?s at Park, June 30th. PartIculars from Horace S. Folker, Tnnlty Chambers, Gu ildford.

Guild/tall Londolt, E.C.-June 23rd, London Private Fire Brigade's annual compe tition for Corporation Silver Shield, in the presence of the Right Hon. the Lorcll\1ayor and Sheriffs.

Harrooate.- Yorkshire District, N.F. B. V., August Hon. Secretary, Capt. Roper, Low Fold Fire Brigade, Leeds.

Ley tOil. Ley ton and Fire Brigad.e Annual Competitions, August 6th. All particulars from Ch Ief Officer II. lVI iller, Lodg e, Ley ton.

Paris. - Newspaper Fele on behalfof 'Wido ws Orphans of French Firemen, July Isl and 2nd. All particulars fro111 C. Kusel.

Rode::, FnlllCl.' .-July 16th. Annual Congress of Firemen. All particulars from C. Kusel. Z"(ully, Frilllce.-Septeillber. Jubilee of the French Federation All particulars from C. Kusel.

BLACKBURN.-Saturday, June 23rd,.is to be a redletter day in the history of. .amb'Jlance. work: The annual review and competitIOns m connectIOn WIth the North -Eas t Lancashire corps and divisions are to be held in this town. About 1,000 ambulance men, nursing sisters, and policemen will take part in pa.rade at the football ground, Ewood Park, where the r ev Iew IS to take place.

- :>0-+-<-

A.u sTRA LlA. -A telegram has been received by Mr. Walter M. Hitchcock, conveying the gratifying n e ws that lhe Han. Captaincy of the Geelong has b.ecn conferred on him in recognition of ser.vIces during the years of his active .men:bershlp of the brIgade as a volunteer from its formatIon m 1854, the interesl taken by him in London in 1903-4, m promotmg the success of the Brigade's Jubilee Celebration week. The official documents are due to reach England early m July. _

"First Aid" Competition, NO.3.

First iJrize to WM. 1,. GIRLING, Hon. Ambulance Secretary, Brighton Works L.B. & S.C.K

Consolation Prize to Sergt. W. PARKER, Durham Brigade Bearer Co. (Vols.) Light Infantry.

Special Com-olation Prize, presented by Dr. F. J. Warwick, awarded to WM. GOODLEY, First-Officer G.E.R. Brigade, March, Cam bs.

In many ways W. Goodley's paper was the best, but he had committed one serious error in treating the fracture of the ribs, he had overlooked th e injury to the lungs.

FIRST PRIZE PAPER.

I.-Th e injuries that I should suspect would be a fracture of spine in the vicil1lty of the fifth ce rvical vertebra, as indicated by the loss of power in all four Ii m bs.

2.-Fracture of ribs complicated with injury to lungs, causing internal ha=morrllage as indicated by painful breathing, sighing and coughing, feeble pulse, cold extremities, with blood issuing from mouth and nose, and semi-consciousn.ess.

3. - Extreme shock owing to severe injuries. TREATi\IENT.

I.-Summon medical assistance, as the case to my mind is a very complicated one.

2.-With very great care, and without in any way moving the p at ient, remov e all constrictions about th e ne ck, chest and waist, belt, braces, etc., gently incline the patient's head a little to one side to prevent the blood from choking him, giving it a chance to drain out of the corner of his mouth. If sensible give him a piece of ice to suck or a little cold water to drink. I should place a lar ge pad of lint or rag wrung out of cold water across the naked chest, or an ice-bag if available. I should c?ver th e patient with coats, blanket, shawls or any.thmg else available. The drivers and firemen of locomotIV eS usually carry enamel bottles with their refreshm ent in. I should borrow and fill with hot water from the englOecover them with anything that would prevent them burning the patient-and apply them to his ext remities, to counteract the influence of shock.

TRAr SPORT.

I should obtain a rug from one of the first or second class compartments of the train-these are usually about 6 ft. long and 3 ft. wide - also a piece of about 6 ft. 6 ins. hy 20 ins wide, a d?or or sh.utter, a of wood about 18 in';. long by 5 ms. to 7 ms. WIde. Thl.s l.a tter I should pass carefully under the head and the jacket to act as a support to the head whIlst IIftmg. I should pla ce the large piece of wood, door. or shutter end on with patient. I should call to my three o f the bystanders , and if th e ground was faIrly even I should get th e m to help me pass the rug carefully under the patient-working from the head downwardS - If the ground was uneven I should not attempt to pass the rug under th e patient, but should cut the out of the coat that he was wearing at the seam adJOIl1lng the shoul.der, and I should then cut the coat at the seams runn1l1g up the shoulders to th e neck, the coat would then fall flat and form a sheet for the upper part of the body, my own .1 should. pass base upp ermost under the patient 's legs tIll It reached the base of his coat; I should roll two poles-one

r86 -FIRST

at each side of the patient - in the loose part of both jacket or rug, and get my three ass istants to help me lift and carry him over the pIece of wood that bad acted as a support to bis head and ne ck. I should tie him to the piece of wood at the feet, thighs and hips, but 1Iot round the chest. I should then have him carried to the nearest place of shelter. I should not use a canvas stretcher unless boards were previously laid across it.

4.-Whilst awaiting the arrival of a medical man, I should renew my water bottles, supplementing them with hot bricks, wrapped up in the same mann e r as the bottles to prevent burning. If the patient was sensible I would give him Ice to suck, cold water to drink, vinegar and water, alum and water, or strong tea with ice in it. Having done this I should consider that my duties from a first aid point of view were finished. But if it was impossible to get medical assistance I should have the patient placed in a second class compartment of a train, with two pieces of wood extending from seat to seat, one for each end of the stretch e r to rest upon, convey him to the Station nearest a H03pital, telephorJe d e tails to the Hospital of what was coming, and convey him in an am bulance-wagon or the most suitable vehicle from Station to Hospital.

JUD GE ') COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT.

The probable injuries in this case are ;-

1. Fracture of the spine high up in the back somewhere about the first or second dorsal vertebra-indicated by paralysis of all four limbs.

2. Fracture of the ribs, complicated with injury to the lungs, indicated by the nature of the breathing and the pr,=sence of hcemorrhage from the mouth a.nd nose. As a result of the abov e injuries the patient is in a state of intense shock indicated by his state of semi-consciousness, his cold extremities, his almost imperc ept ible pulse and his sighing respiration.

The treatm ent indicated in this case (viz., the first aid and the immediate subsequent) and the method of transport to be adopted will be found by refe rring to "First Aid to the Injured and Sick," Warwick & Tunstall, 4th Edition, pp. 14I to 143 and p. 182.

N ex t month we propose to present our readers with an article on the Japanese Red Cross Society, and a descriptive account of some of its work durin g the late war. The article will be illustrate d by photographs which have been specially taken and placed at our disposal by one of our occasional contributors. There is much to interest and much that is worthy of emulation in the work of our and we are sure that those of our readers who are interes ted in Red Cross work will desire to read the particulars which have been carefully compilerl from works of reference published by the Society in Tokio, J apan. If you do not already to FIR ST AID, might we suggest that the present tIme IS a favourable one for taking up a year's subscription. We hav e se\'eral interesting articles in course of preparation, other schemes, which we hope will not ?nly be gratlfylng to our readers, but will l e ad to a lar ge mflux of new supporters, and as a result to a still further extension of our sphere of usefulness. This is not a manufacturer'.s journal, run for the purpos e of booming our own productIons, but an absolutely fair - minded and hon es t of all that appertains to th e ambulance or fire brigade servIces.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION (FIRST AID"

N.E.R. CENTRE. On the 16th ult. the West Hartlepool class held th eir annua l dinner at the Commercial Hotel, when Councillor W. T. Ryan presided over a large gatherin g, amongst whom were Drs. W. Gray and Wall, Messrs. Penty, Geo. Jackson (genera l secretary), W. Hantwell (district secretary), G. Slather (class secretary), J. R. A. Hall (league secretary), &c After dinner Dr. Gray handed the certificates to his class, also the prize money won in the rec ent competitions, and made some cheering remarks anent their work. Dr. Wall proposed the toast of the N. E.R. Centre, to which MI'. Jackson responded in a lengthy speech on the progress of the work, and Mr. Hantwell also responded. Mr. Penty proposed the West Hartlepool class, to which Mr. J. T. Metcalfe responded. Some capital songs, &c., were rendered during the evening.

On the 17th ult. the Leeds Joint Station (N.E. and L. & N. W.) class held their first social evening at the Boar Lane Cafe, over which Mr. Swaine (station supt.) presided, supported by In spectors Dobson and Wainwright, Mr. Geo. Ja c kson (general secretary); "Mr. S. Rocket (class secretary), and a number of the station staff, their wives, lady fri e nds, &c. The success of the evening was somewhat marred by a message from their lecturer (Dr. Collinson) that, owing to an urgent call, he could not possibly get to the gathering, and Swaine undertoook to co:w e y to the doctor the very handsome dressing case they had purchased for him, with their best wishes and thanks for his services to them as lecturer. Mr. Jackson also spoke of the valuable services of the dor.tor, and gave the men some interesting particulars of his work, more especially referring to competitions Some very fin e songs were rendered, and the e lo cutionist and ventriloquist were excellent turns.

On the] 8th ult. the York classes had another successful river trip to Bishopthorpe. A good company joined the party, and dancing was indulged in by a number to the strains of the Silver Subscription Band.

On the 19th ult. the Bensham class held their annual smoker at the Creighton Arms, Gateshead-on-Tyne, when M.r. J.ac kson (general secretary) presided, and Mr. Hollings (UISlrlct secr etar y,) Mr. Strom (class secretary), and a number of their members and friends attended, ana a roost enjoyabl e even.ing was spent, in spite or the ueluge outsiJe, when ram fellll1 torr ents for thirty hours in the district.

\ motor fire escape has b ee n added to the London Fire Brigade appliances, being the first of its kind in the metropolis. Like the horsed escapes, it has a machine for in extinguishing fires, but of a larger capacity, so that It should provt a useful acquisition.

June,

AID.-

their voluntary services have done much to popularise the ambulance m ovement in London , and we think the War Office would not go far wrong if they formed a Nursing Reserve from among these ladies in the same way that their brothers of the cloth form a Sick Bay Reserve for the Navy.

METROPOLITAN CORPS

No. I DrSTRICT.-The annual inspection of the metropolitan corps was held in the Moat, at the Tower of London, on Saturday. May 26th, by the Chief Commissi oner Inspector General Belgrave Ninnis, M.D., R.N. Ther e was a record muster, upw ards of 800 being on parade. The march past was specially commented upon as being carried out in a manner that would have done credit to regular troops. This was doubtless due to the fact that upon this occasion a band had been engaged, the performance of which enlivened the proceedings and

The members of the metropolitan corps on duty at the Alexandra Palace on Whit-Monday had an unusual experience. There was a parachute descent, and the parachutist had a narrow escape of losing his life owing to the collapse of the ballon when at an altitude of about 150 feet. A rapid descent took place, and just after the bursting of the balloon the parachute opened and the balloon fell on top of it. The parachutist Grand came to the ground with the mass of parachme and balloon on top of him. The S.lA.B. men carried him to the secretary's office in the Palace, when it was discovered that he was suffering fr om severe shock. In the descent the balloon broke down the telegraph wires and one of the guard wires of the e lectric tramway. Fortunately the live wire of the tramway was guarded by wires on account of the proximity of the telegraph wires.

L. & Y. Ry. ( ORTII :\1ERSEY U\ El{POOL )- \\ I:--.r l ERS OF THE INTER-RAILWAY SHIELD.

On Whit-110nday the usual Bank Holiday duty was undertaken by the Metropolitan Corps on the pleasureO'rounds in and around London. Our represe ntatIv e took stroll across Wanstead Flats, where he came across th.e Ley ton and Ley tons tone Division on duty Ilnd e r th e ir popular and" e ve r green," or shall we say" always young," Chief Officer Supt. Olley. About a do zen cases were treat e d cturin O' the day, none of which, however, were of a serious As is usual with this division, ample provision was made for the commissariat department-how

W. H. Parkins c))1, T. Pickerin g, T. Doyle, J.

A. i\lau des ey ( reserve ), D. Robinson. G. J. Tu cker ( Captain ) 1\1r. H. E_ Mellor ( Hon. Sec. of L. & \. Ry. Centre ) relieved the tedium of WaJt1Og. Among the offIcers on parade we re Asst. Commissioners F. Donald Mackenzie and. Morgan Dist. Supt. of Stores Piers; Dist. Supt. Treasurer W. H umphirs Winny ; Dist. Supl. Secretary W. J. ]>ont1O, &c. rh e nur s in g divisions were also well in evidence, and their attendance, as usual, ent a n added interest to tbe work of the afternoon. The nur s ing siste rs of S1. John are now an instilution in the metropolis, and no pub li c function would be complete without the attendance of these whil e aproned "sisters of mercy," and there is no doubt that

differently this is worked in some divisions-valuable assistance was rendered to the ambulance parties during the day by the police and forest keepers.

lVIASSEY MAINWARING COllIPETlTION.-The annual competition for the above cup, presented by the Han. W. Massey Mainwaring, one time Member for Finsbury, took place in the grounds of the Cbarterbouse, by kind permission of the Master, on May 12th. Three teams entered, viz., Causton's, Hampstead, and G.W.R. (paddington); two only of three, however, faced the music, the Hampstead team failing to turn up. After a keen competition the G. W. R. DivIsion was declared the winning team, this being the third consecutive year in which they have captured this trophy. Hon. Surgeon Carvell, in handing the cup to Sergt. Evans, who was in charge of the team, congratulated the members on having again won this competition. The following was the marking: G. W.R. 216 points; Causton's, T 75. The injury which the teams had to deal with was a fractured hip, and the patient had to be carried over a wall. This feat wa.s carried out with smartness and precision.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

BLAcKBuRN.-The new rooms in connection with the Ambulance Division and the St. John Association women's class were formally opened by Miss Poole, Matron of the Infirmary. Mrs. Thornton should have performed that duty, but was compelled to cancel her engagement on account of the Bishop's indisposition. Mrs. Thornton, it may be of interest to know, possesses the medallion gained out in Australia.

Miss Poole gave an address on the value of first aid and nursing work, after which Miss B. Fowler, the honorary secretary, thanked her for kindly coming forward and assisting them. Mr. Hopwood seconded the resolution.

The lecturer, on behalf of the class, asked Miss Townley s acceptance of a red leather writing case on leaving to take up her duties as a probationer at the Union Workhouse. The doctor said this was the second of his class who bad put her knowledge to practical work, and he also remarked that a few more of tbe 50 members were awaiting similar appointments at different institutions out of the town.

After refresbments, Dr. Lees gave a couple of recitations, as also did Miss A. Richmond and Mr. H. Eatough, :1.nd Mr. Holme, a member of the Whalley Division gave an exhibition of ventriloquism. Mr. Gornall, also' from Whalley, helped in the entertaining of the company.

REDRDTH.-With their characteristic enterprise members of the Redruth Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade raised sufficient funds a short time since to secure one of Wilson & Stockall's up-to-date borse ambulances and an interesting function in the form of a ceremony to?k recently in the presence of a large assemblage, lt1c1udll1g many of the elite of the town and district. Mr. W. M. Martin, chairman of the Redruth Urban District Council, presided, and in the course of well -chosen remarks, said he looked upon it as a very when they found a community identifying Itself, as It1 that It1stance, WIth the much-preached doctrine the brotherhood of He also paid a higb to Deputy-CommIssIoner C. R. Laurie and Mrs. La.ur.le for the .they had played for many years in trall1111g the pubIJc mind of Redruth to their duties towards their fellow creatures

Mrs. James Wickett, who, with her husband, has always shown practical sympathy with the movement in Redruth, christened the ambulance with the name " Humanity," which met with general approval.

Mr. James Wickett spoke a few words in commendation of the work of the brigade, especially Dr. C. l\ L1.urie. On the motion of Mr. A. Carkeek, ee, seconded by Mr. H. S. Lanyon, Mrs. Wickett was heartily thanked for her kindness.

Subsequently two squads of the brigade gave a highly creditable demonstration under Supt. R. .Parsons. A wellattended public tea followed, at which certificates for first aid and home nursing were presented by Mrs. James Wickett. The proceedings throughout passed off in a most satisfactory manner, Sergt. S. James carrying out the hon. secretarial duties in his usual able manner.

The brigade were on duty at the Royal Cornwall Show on the 13th and 14th inst., their services being requisitioned for several minor accidents. On the '3econd day " Humanity" was brought into use for the first time, a patient who broke a leg in a street accident being driven to St. I ves, a distance of 20 miles. So far the vehicle is coming up to expectations in the drills, &c.

London Private Fire Brigades' Association.

TIlE Eighth Annual Tournament of the Association was held on the cycle track at tbe Crystal Palace on Saturday, the 9th ult. The entries showed a marked improvement on last year, there being as many as 100 officers and men competing, and the evolutions were gone through in a manner which evoked much applause from the spectators.

TIle first competition was the one-man hydrant drill (dry). This event drew forty competitors. The procedure was :-Man to stand 30 ft. from hydrant, connect and run out 50 ft. length of hose and connect branch pipe. The winners were :-Evans, of C. IV. S. Ltd., Leman-street, who also carried the "Hebbert n challenge cup for this event (time 14 4-5th secs.), Goulden, of Robertson F. B., 2; Higgens, of the Railway Clearing House, 3 Osler, of Robertson F. B., 4.

The second competition was for the three-men hydrant and turn-out drill (wet). This was arranged so that men to stand back to clothes, and at signal put on cap, tUOlC and belt, run 10 ft. to hydrant, connect and run out 50 ft. length of hose and strike target. The successful competitors were :- Robertson Electric Lamps, Ltd. (time 54 4-5 tb secs), 1; Messrs. Faire Bros. & Co., Ltd., Rutland-street, Leicester, 2; Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, 3 Messrs. Willans & Robertson, Rugby, 4.

In the five men scaling ladder and bucket drill there was a new feature this year. Instead of rescuing the usual dummy a man was rescued from the front floor of the building. The winners of this competition were :- Messrs. Meux's Brewery Co., Ltd., also winners of challenge cup offered by B. Richard Isaac, Esq. (time 44 4-5th secs.), I;

R. S. A. F., Enfield, 2; Hotel Cecil, 3.

The five men hydrant drill (wet) was won by:-Tbe

R. S. A. F., Enfield (time 39 2-5th secs.), j Messrs. Faire Bros. & Co., Ltd .' Leicester, 2; Railway Clearing House, 3; Robertson Electnc Lamps, Ltd, 4.

Two-men hydrant drill (dry) :--Robertson Electric Lamps, Ltd. (time 28 I-5th secs., holders), winners of Hitcbcock's challenge shield, Messrs. Spencer, Turner and Boldero, Ltd., 2 ; Messrs. Stapley & Smith, London Wall, 3.

June, 19 06 -FIRST

In the four-men hydrant drill (wet), Messrs. Robertson's Electric Lamps, Ltd., look off the flrst prize (time 67 3-5th sees.), beating Messrs. Meux's Brewery by 3-5th sec.; Messrs. Stapley & Smith, 3: The champion cup of the ASSOCIatIOn, which carnes with it the "Marshall n challenge cup, was won by the Robertson Electric Lamps, Ltd. FIre Brigade, being the successful competitors of six various competitions with an aggregate time of 220 4-5th secs. The" Nestle" challenge cup was won by Faire Bros. &. Co., Rutlandstreet, Leicester. Tbls carnes the champIOnshIp of the United Kingdom.

The distribution of prizes did not take place on the ground as on former occasions, but will take place at a later date, when a smoking concert is to be given for the event.

AI D.-

gress, and it is hoped he will soon be seen again taking an active parl in the work which has earned for him the reputalion of being one of the best: judges in all England.

EASTERN DISTRICT VOf"UNTARY DEATH LEVY FUND.

-The result of the call made upon this district for the benefit of the survivors of the late Engineer H. T. U ngless, late a member of the Mildenhall Fire Brigade, wha died March 19th, 1906, resulted in the sum of £22 IS. being handed to the friends of tbe deccaseJ officer.

Tbe Hon. Sec. of the Widows, Orphans and Benevolent Fund, in acknowledging the receipt of cheque from Capt. Graham, Hampton, value £72 16s. Id., made up as follows :-Hampton Church Parade, £60 12S. rd.; Sir J. R. Ellerman, Bart., £2 2S.; Kempton Park Racecourse Co., £2 2S.; as a result of the recent Church Parade, desires, on behalf of the Committee of Management, to thank the inhabitants and the brigade mosl sincerely for their kind and generous support.

National Fire Brigades Union.

THE programme issued by th.e Exec.utive for the Annual Camp is as usual, of a most 1I1terest1l1g cha.racter, and gives the most complete details as to the :outlne for parades, drills, &. Given fine weather, the meet1l1g should prove one of the most successful yet held.

SOUTH - EASTERN DISTRICT.-The annual com petitions in connection with this district took place at the Cryslal Palace on Whit Monday, there being about 70,000 people present. . . .

The Tunbridge Wells FIre Brigade dId not take. in the competition this year; they having won the Dlstnct Challenge Shield outright, it was arranged that they should stand out for a year or two, in view of this fact. T.he Salvage Corps, however, and .the FIre Brigade entered and gave creditable exhIbitIOns 111 the tournament. The Southborough contingent, under Capt. Stringer, obtaine.d. the .third .prize in the four-men dry drill competitIOn, 111 whIch ther.e 20 competItors Although they failed to secure a prize 111 the four-men wet drill, the men from Southborough made a good. sh?w, being only ten seconds behind the time of the w1l1nmg team.

The other successful teams were as follows :-Folkestone (first prIze in wet drill, also winners of the Westbrook trophy, whIch has been presented t.o rate the valuable services of Capt. Westbrook In connectl.on with the Fire Brigades' Union); Sittingbourne (first prize in steam fire engine competition); Sittingbourne made the excellent time of 28 seconds, and gave a remarkably smart display in this event; Gillingham. (winners of fire escape shield also winners of hose cart shIeld).

The indisposition which has confined Capt. Westbrook to his room for some weeks past prevented hIS at the Crystal Palace this year.. This is the first tlme tor many years that the popular chIef officer has not been present at the annual tournament, and his absence was much regretted by all who were connected with th.e

It is gratifying to learn that Mr. Vestbrook IS making PIO

PROVINCIAL FIRE BRIGADES.

RODl'l[IN.- The following members of the have again passed the St. J oh n am bulance eXam1l1atLOr. :Capt. W. A. Bawden, Lieuts W. Hender and N. Shelley, Secretary G. B. Treverton, FIremen R. T. Buscombe, J. B. Lewis, W. Shelley, W. Solomon, F. Wherry, G. Henderson, L. N orthal11, W. Bickle, H. Solomon, T. Henderson, H. Webster and W L. Tonkin.

LEYTON.- With tbe view of promoting efficiency amongst the Essex fire Sir Thomas Dew !'.r ha.s presented a handsome shield to be competed for a pelpetual trophy. The arrangements for the competItIOn (the first of which will be held at Ley ton on the Bank Holiday) have been placed in the ha..nds of Capt. lVIdl.er, of the Ley ton Fire Brigade. That wdl be bl to compete. In addition to holding the shIeld, the una e d' 1 first prize winners will be presented WIth a Ip oma.

SKIPToN.-The annual re-examination of t.his division was held in the Drill Hall on May 21St, by ChIef Surgeon F F Bond of the Brighouse Corps. All the officers and 'were o'n parade. The men were put .through. stretcher and hand-seat drill and a series of first. ald questIOns, and practical work in arresting severe bleedIng, the hof fractures of various kinds, and how the restoratIOn 0 t apparently drowned under the means artificial respiration would be carned .out. Eac 1 ked se veral questions on first aId treatment. man was as .' d dd d b They were afterwards formed up In line an a the examiner, who remarked that he was very we p with all the work he had set to do, and t e men had satisfied him. The DIVISIon was most credItable to Hon. Surgeon Stuart and Supt. Morphet.

T he Milan Congress and Competitions.

TIlE British contingent, numbering 5-1- officers and men, under the command of Lieut. -Col. C. J. Fox, Chief Officer of the London Salvage Corps, left London on the 26th ult. and arrived at Boulogne in l1liddle day, where they were welcomed by the Mayor, Monsieur Henri Peron, and the officers and members of the Fire Brigade.

On arriving at Paris at 6.30 p.m., the contingent was met by a large gathering of members of the French Federation and I'Union Nationale of Firemen, including Messrs. Cuzon and Chausson. Their reception was most enthusiastic, and the amiable President of the Union, Capt. Simard, together with Capts. Moret and Hamet, deserve cordial thanks for their kind words and actions in wtlcoming the English contingent. At the Vin d'Honneur which followed the reception, Capt. Simard not only welcomed those who travelled under the "flag of humanity," but also the several English ladies who accompanied the party. The health of the King of England was drunk, and Col. Fox, in replying, drank to the health of the President of the French Republic and also to all French firemen, adding that for many years the eJ/tfllte cordiale had existed between French and English firemen.

Travelling through the night, the contingent arrived on Monday afternoon at Milan, and everyone expressed pleasure at the arrangements made by Mr. Kusel for their accommodation, although, as is usual on such occasions, there were numerous contretemps which that gentlemitn had to overcome.

The business of the Congress was seriously undertaken on the Tuesday, and the attendance was good. Four papers were read by Englishmen, but these dealt rather with fire prevention than fire extinction. In the competitions the Englishmen, as usual, were much to the fore, and the "Clarnico" Brigade was especially commended for its smartness in drill and equipment. The Yorkshire, Lydd, and Tonbridge Brigades were also good at their work, and considering the long distance from home and the absence of many desired appliances, great credit is due to the four brigades who gave displays.

The Milan Fire Brigade gave a dinner in honour of the foreign officers, at which a few speeches were made. The of the banquet was Monsieur Lepine, the of the Fre?ch Pollce. He was eloquent in his admlfatwn of .the dOIngs firemen and the risk that they ran. Space wlll not p.ermlt of our recording the details of the sI?eeches; suffice It to say that Col. Fox replied most effectively ?n of the English contingent.

At thiS dmner the Italian Government conferred special ,medals on Col. E. O. Sachs, Esq., Capt. flyer, H. S. l:<olker, Esq., A. 1. Dale, Esq., C. Kusel, Esq., and Capt. Scott.

The following honours \Vere presented by the Italian Federation :Fox, Dyer, Folker, Kusel, Sachs, Clark, Collms, Percy, Marsland and h e pperd.

Members of I:fo71 our.-Messrs. Sachs, Fox, Dyer, Folker and Kusel.

I:fonorarJ I Members.-Messrs. Dale, Freeman Scott, Finn, Roper, Lacroix, Bradley and norn.

Members .l! emnerito.-Messrs. Hounsom, Vigar, Marshallsay, Maitland, Coffin, Monat, Bigg, Strickland and Tovey.

The following prizes were received by each of the teams representing" C1arnico," Yorkshire, Tonbridge and Lydd :-Cash £30, Bronze Work of Art, and Silver Medals

AI D. - June, 19 0 6.

of the Italian Government and Italian Federation. Every fireman also received a small souvenir bronze medal.

The Visit to Milan will long be remembered with unmixed pleasure by all who took part in it, and we extend our hearty congratulations, together with our best thanks, to Commander Goldoni and his committee and officers for the many kind services and courteous attention shown to the contingent.

Just before going to press we have received from Mr. C. Kusel the following letter from the Syndic of Milan in reply to one Nfr. C. Kusel wrote on behalf of the contingent before leaving Milan. :[TRANSLATED. ]

June 5th, 1906.

Your thanks, and principally your expressions of admiraation are the greatest reward for our efforts, and flatter particularly our pride, as they come from a bocty of men whose competence in universally recognisect.

Personally, accept them with emotion, and assure you on behalf of the Town of Milan and its firemen, that tbe comradeship of these last days bas well shown us that frontiers disappear before the noble and humane feelings which unite the firemen of the whole world. Therefore only one desire remains in our heart , the desire tllat our salutations to you may mean not" adieu," but" au revoir" very soon.

Agree also, Mr. Kusel, the feelings of my personal and profound esteem, and believe me always.- Yours very truly, DOTT. ETTORE CANDIANI.

THE BRITISH FIRE PREVENTlON COMMITTEE.

The special commission which visited Italy on the occasion of the International Fire Service Congress at Milan, returned to London on Saturday, June 9th, after visiting also Venice, Florence and Rome on the outward journey, and Zurich, Lucerne, Bale and Strassbourg on the return journey, in each of which cities extensive facilities were accorded to them by the Government and local authorities to study the general fire preventive measures and fire service arrangements.

At Rome, the members of the commission were honoured with an audience by the King of Italy.

At Milan, at the International Congress, four of the members read papers.

The observations made by the commission on their visit are to be embodied in the form of a report dealing with such features in the organisation of the Fire Preventive legislation and Fire Service measures as are likely to prove of interest in this country, and the report will be issued by the committee as a quarto volume.

The" Vanguard" Fire Extinguisher which was shown recently at the Milan Exhibition was much admired, not only for its effectiveness in action, but also for its cheapness and easy adaptability for use evell by ladies.

3 • E

" ARGENTA" }\lIIllULANCE CHALLENGE CUP CO:\IPETITION.- The com;;etition for the above took place on ] 6th inst., ten teams competing. Kendal Division won the cup and gold medals with marks out of a possible 200. Blackpool Division secured the 2nd prize, consisting of gold sleeve-links and a certificate to each member of the squad, with 1701 marks; and Horwich Division were awarded the 3rd prize, which consisted of a silver match box and certificate to each mem ber of the squad, with J marks. Lieut.-Col. Watson, M.D., R.A. M.C., Fulwood Barracks, Preston, and Dr. J. Johnston, of Bolton, officiated as judges.

Al D.-

increasing it in both numbers and effi c iency-and they will do it, too.

For some time past it has been apparent to many of us that the relationship between the Brigade authorities and the \V.O. are not of the 1110st cordial charac ter, and if there were only more commi ss ions open to laymen, I feel sure that recruiting for the auxiliary bran c h of the regular corps would be treblecl. - Yours truly,

V \N HO SPITAL, S.A.

vVe a? e in no way rt!spon s ible for t/u opinions expressed, 01 th e Jtale/lt enls made, by Con-e spolidents.-EnTToRs.

INTERNATIONAL AMBULANCE CONGRESS.

DEAR SIR,-From time to time I have seen in your columns a suggestion for an Ambulance Congress, but no one seems to respond to the suggestion, aJld like the Londo!1 Ambulance service, whir:h still continues to provide padding for your journal, the subject disappears. Why is this? If it is necessary for our comrades in the fire brigades to hold congresses, how much more necessary should it be to hold international gatherings of those interested in a subject so intensely human as that of "aid to the sick and injured. " Cannot the various Red Cross societies arrange such a meeting? I feel sure that delegates from all parts of the world would gladly visit London to discuss such an all-absorbing question. The Cabinets of the whole world are just now a g itating as to the best methods to be adopted in dealing with that terrible vampire - anarchism. Here is in pa:t a solution .of. the problem. Extend and Il1 c rease the faCilities whereby It IS pOSSible for every boy and every girl to learn the princ iples "first :>id," and in addition prov ide some indu cement for them 111 their after life to maintain an active intere s in its principles. A love of its principles thus early grafted will, under proper conditions, continue to exer cise an ennobling on the c haracter of its d e'li oi es. I ll wa rrant that no anarchist was ever an ambulance man. The do ctrines of the one run counter to the p,-inciples of the other. The one the sympathy with pain and sickness and a desll·e to miti g ate 1ts sufferings. Such feelings mark the dividing line between ourselves and the brute creation. The lower animals worry and try to exterminate their sick and sufferin g fellows; the higher grade - that is, the human kind-endeavour to assua g e the suffering-s of their fellow s But not all. Su c h is not the creed of the anarchist; his miSSion is to exterminate, without thought or care as to the human misery or suffering involved in the prosecution of his damnable principles. Here then, in ambulance work, as I sa1d before, IS 111 part the solution of the way to deal with anarchy, edu cate the people of every country in the grand principles wh ich can never be better expressed, and are so aptly des c ribed in the motto the order of St. ] ohn "Pro utili tate hominum. " Educate the nations up to this creed, this if you like, you will have dealt one of the 1110st crushll1g' blow s at anarchIsm that It has ev,,:r had to face. Diplomatic methods are all very well for extradition purposes and kindred subje c ts, but for the purposes of confraternity and humanitarianism you want to let d iplomacy go to the wall and find a common platform on which all ra ces and creeds can meet, and no one knows thiS better than YOl:r o'wn grand King. He is, in th.e greatest statesman th1S generation has yet seen, he believes 111 InternatIOnal meetll1gs which have for their purpose peace and happiness. Oh, that there were more like him in the ranks of the ambulance workers, a congress would then be called, and its influence would soon be evident in the relegation to the background of international politics of the anarchist and all his devilish propaganda. - Yours fai thfully,

A. Co FRERE.

TIlE

MEDICAL STAFF CORPS RESERVE.

DEAR SIR - Like P.c.\V., I appreciate the efforts you have made on behalfofBrigade units desiring to join the above reserve, but I also fear that your efforts will prove ab?rtive; indeed, it is more or less an open secret that the are desirous of popularising the RA.M.C. (Vols. ) With a view to

SIRS,-Some men are born great and some are born grumblers. I fail to see the object of P.C.W.'s letter. He reminds me somewhat of the "fox and the grapes." He laments the fact that St. ] ohn men ( himself included, I presume ) are not accepted at £9 J 5s. per annurr., and then says that for his part he is only too willing to place his ser\'ices at the disposal of the authorities without re\vard of any kind. This being so, why" grouse ?" St. John men are \'olunteers, and prefer to remain so. We are proud of the Order under which we serve, and we are proud of its ancient traditions; we have, therefore, no incl ination to be enrolled in the R.A. M.e. Some of us had quite enough of their methods while in South Africa. Should the S.].A.B. be ever again called upon for active service hope that they will serve as an absolutely independent unit. \""Ie have our own surgeons, many of whom are some of the cleverest in our land, and we have our own ambulance officers, for appointment as adjutants and quartermasters, and as regards equipment, well we possess a amount, and we got the call I think there would be no dlffi c ulty about ralsmg the wherewithal to provide St. John men with the best that the old country could produce.

My advice to St. John men is, sti ck to the old flag, and you bet if you are wanted the training you will have had under its auspi ces will have been of an infin itely higher character than that laid down by the regulations of the RA.M.C. Ask the" Tommies " who mp.t both in the last war.- Yours truly, S. CRO SS THWA1TE S, RF.F

DEAR SIR, - Will you kindly permit me the use of your columns to call the attention of whomsoever it may concern to the following advertisement extracted from the Bridling /on GazetteST. JOH T AMBULA TCE

ACKNOWLED GES b-IRST-A.ID HE LP REC EIVED FROlll ZAM-BuK.

Mr. Joseph Mellor, a St. John Ambulance Brigade expert, connected with the Man:hester Corps, the purity and power of Zam-Buk, Nature s balm and skin cure. Mr. Mellor, who IS employed on the Manchester City Tramways .staff, and lives at 8 Dixon-street, Newton Heath, served SIX months with the forces in South Afri ca, and has had a very wide experience in ambulance work. To a local reporter he said: - "I have used Zam-Buk for cuts, brUises and sprains of every description, and have always found it excellent. An employe at the shed, who was sufferll1.g fr<;,m inflammation of the knee, allowed me to dress It With Zam-Buk, as do c tor's was doing no good. -:r: he knee was in a shockin g condltlOn when I commence.d With Zam-Buk, and after three days there 'vas a ,,:ery noticeable improvement. We used exclUSively, and result quite reached The mflammatlOn vanished under the coolmg II1fluence of Zam-buk, and the knee be c ame sound and healthy again.

" I have used Zam-Buk myself for an IIlJured shoulder, which gave me much pai,:, <l;nd here ag.ain the balm. proved its worth by quickly banlshmg the pam. and makmg the joint sound and strong. In all n?y expenence I have come across nothing that acts so consistently and so surely as Zam-Buk." . k. Zam-Buk is being offiCially adopted by experts 111 S ' II1 troubles and first-aid throughout the country. It should be kept handy everywh.ere.

I have always been gwen to understand that le -dresslllg an injury on the part of any member of the Brigade was contrary to

re<Yulations and in no case was he or she to interfere with the of the surgeoll. If this is so, I consider that this case should be inquired into. It should not. be forgotten tbat medical men are the backbone of the Brigade, and but for their unselfish services the whole fabric would collapse. Such a statement as the above is therefore to them a gratuitous insult.

I will say no more, although I could.-Yours truly,

JIM THE PENlIIA:-I.

UNRESPONSIVE LONDON.

DEAR SIR - For all·round excellence" F. A." for May will be hard to beat; both for the general good news it contains, the quantity and quality of the same, which whispers" hope» to one ( the writer ) by no means blessed with a large share of that inspiring inAuence, experience proving in his case continuous failure.

All the good things in the ambulance world continue to take place outside London. Bristol, Hull, Bexhill, anywhere but in the L.C.C. or Metropolitan Police District. Research tells me that all movements with any real bood in them are 50 or 60 years germinating in this country before they show any si g n of life at all. The bulk of the really good institutions existing around us to-day all date back So to 100 years since they were first contemplated, written about and spoken of, therefore an outsider like myself must be content to sit and watch, with one eye on my own clock, and one on the movements of the fire and ambulance services, and a sincere tbankfulness that I have my "F. A." to look forward to month by month, and the knowledge thn.t its influence is just what I would desire it to be. - Sincerely yours, L.A.c.

LONDON AMBULANCE SERVICE.

DEAR SIR, - I have read in the April edition of FIRST AT/) your report of the meeting of the City Corporation, with reference to the above, and am exceedingly pleased to see that the proposed L.C.C. service is ignored, or partially so. I should be glad to call the attention of your readers, and any L.C. S members, to the disgraceful state of affairs at the L.c.c.'s own door, viz., Victoria Park, East London. The ambulances llsed at this particular park are out of date, and I should think were originally used by the police for the removal of drunk andll1capable persons, and to-day they are used for the removal of those unfortunates wbo meet with an accident.

These litters are like the old-fashioned three-wheeled perambulators, and, from observation on Saturday last, cause extreme pain to those being removed on them, owing to the build of the litter, and the rough roads m·er which the same are pushed. The St. John men, when removing a case to hospital, have to go to either the German Hospital, Dalston, or the London Hospital, \Vhltechapel, and to see the way these noble fellows do their duty on Saturday afternoons (during the cricket season ) with such utensils i.s surprising, for when they are pushing a litter, yo.u would thll1k that they were pushing a lo-ton gun. On bell1g asked, they Will tell you that it is very hard and tiring work, and h.ad they the necessary cash they would provide a litter of their own --l1ot to save themselves labour but their patients considerable pain and suffering, and what :nust seem to them an endless journey.

The accide.nts I refer to happened on Saturday, May 12th, 190 6, and of a fractured patella, and a fractured claVicle and dIslocated shoulder, and both cases had to be removed on what is known as .the bone shakers, and they are nothll1g less, and an absolute disgrace to the L.C.C.

A word to the wise is sufficient, but in this instance words have failed, and I ask readers to go and see for themselves and draw their own conclusions (not these litters ) as to what the London Ambulance Service would be like if managed by so inhuman a body as the L.C.C. If they are allowed to do so, I with my whole heart say, " God help those who meet witb an accident in London and have to be helped by the L.c.c."- Yours truly, OBSERVER.

After for.ty years' service as a fireman in the High Wycombe Bngade, Mr. J. Abbolt, aged sixty, has just retired.

Proposed L.C.C. Ambulance Service.

" FEARS are entertained in some quarters," says the Dai1.Y News, "as to what the Lords may do with that part of the London County Council (General Powers) Bill which seeks to establish an ambulance service in the metropolis. The Bill has passed the House of Commons, where, at the Committee stage, testimony as to the need of an ambulance service in London was borne by Sir William Collins, Sir Shirley Murphy, and Sir Cooper Perry.

We note that the current issue of the British lI£edicaZ Journal, which approaches the matter in a purely nonpolitical spirit, has an article strongly endorsing the County Council's proposal. The J oumal adopts the view of Sir Cooper Perry, that" it is very painful to watch the arrival of persons suffering from the effects of ftreet accidents at the casualty department of any large hospital under the present system. The hansom cab or the four - wheeler are the worst possible conveyances for those with fractured limbs or with serious, but undetermined, internal injuries."

That is enough, from a humane point of view, to show how valuable a good ambulance system must be in a capital where street and other serious accidents are of hourly occurrence.

It is, therefore, to be hoped that the House of Lords, in its dislike of the Council, will not go the length of striking the clauses out of the Bill, remembering that it will be the injured and suffering, and not the Council, who will lose by the rejection of the scheme."

\Ve cannot for one moment credit the assumption that the Lords would do anything so foolish - we had well nigh said criminal-and we believe that our contemporary in its jaundiced dislike of the House of Lords has raised this bogey with the avowed intention of raising a clamour against the Lords in order to intimidate them with regard to the Education Bill. This is not fair fighting.

Policy No. "FIRST AlD."

600,093.

This Coupon-lnsurance=Ticket must not be detached.

WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIl\IITED, PRINCIPAL OFFI CE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STRIJ:ET, LONDON, E. c., to the legal personal representative of the bond fide holder of this Coupon-Insurance- Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel Islands to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasonticket -holder or trader's ticket-holder.

Pr.ovided the above undertaking is subject to the following speCial conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. :_

(a) That death result within one month after the accident, (b) that such holder's u s nal siJ?:nature shall have been written in ink, in the spac e provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the be given to the Corporati on at its Prin c ipal Office in London within fourteen days afler its occurrence, (d) that medical certificates and other information be furnished by person claiming. upon request for the same by Ihe Corpora tion and (e) that thiS Insurance appJtes only to persons over twel ve and under seventy years of age , is limited to one C0l!pon-Insuran ce. Ticket for each holder and hold s good for the current month of Issue oilly.

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890," Risks

The Independe n t Journal fo r th e Ambulance and Fire Services.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this J oumal as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can. Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it lmown amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will 1.1so send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the interest of the J ouma!.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested to state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also the name and address of the sender.

" First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

EDITORIAL.

It is not our intention to make a long valedictory address, there will doubtless be many items of much more interest in other parts of the Jouma1, but we are just going to make one little suggestion. As a rule you know it is customary to receive birthday cards and other gifts on one's birthday well, we don't ask our readers to recognise our services in this the orthodox manner. No, our plan is much more simple, and has furthermore the adv3.ntage of being thoroughly in accordance with our aims and aspirations. It is this: Will every reader of this month's Fm s T Am make a special effort to secure for us one additional subscriber? By so doing he or she will be conferring a double benefit, we shall benefit by an increased circulation and from the perusual of our columns your friend will benefit by having an added interest in Ambulance or Fire Brigade matters.

Our Birthday.

WITH this number FIRST AID makes its birthday bow and enters upon what we hope we may, without egotism, justly describe as another year of usefulness. Since the first number appeared many changes have taken place in the Ambulance movement, and we think we may rightly assume that it has always been our consistent policy to advocate and support that which we believed to be to the advantage of the work, while never failing to point out those defects which, in its interests, we desired to see remedied.

In the same way in connection with the sister service, on all matters connected with Fire Brigade work, being absolutely independent, we been enabled to bring to bear upon any matter affecting its interest a thoroughly unbiassed opinion. It may be that at times we have not pleased the whole of our readers, but we trust that in any of our comments, should we have given rise to feelings otherwise than those of pleasure, that at any rate we shall not be accused of heedlessly giving pain to anyone. Such action would be absolutely foreign to our nature. In criticising, if the criticism had necessarily to be of an adverse character, we have always endeavoured to be thoroughly fair and strictly impartial and to say as little as possible to wound the feelings of anyone.

Yes, gentle reader, and you will ultimately benefit, for an increase in our circulation means an increase 111 our sphere of usefulness, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the size of our J ouma!.

With these concluding remarks, and thanking all our readers for their kind support in the past, we now leave our suggestion in your hands, assured that the kindly feeling which has at all times existed between ourselves and our readers will be strengthened as time rolls on_ -.--.

The Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem,

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY fal.ling. this year .on the annual commemoration services 111 connectIOn WIL the Order were held on Monday, June 2 sth, at the Priory Church of St. John, Clerkenwell. The sermon was preached by His Grace the .l'l.rchblshop. of · York, who is Prelate of the Order. The prayers were mtoned by the Rector, the Rev. T. IV. Wood, and the lesson was read by the Rev. Edgar Sh.ephard, 1\1.V.O. (Sub-Dean of Chapels Royal), Chaplam of the Order. Other c.haplams present being the Primate of New Zealand (Bishop of Dunedin), and the Rev. T. C. Elsdon.

In the course of his sermon, the Archbishop drew attention to the various works of a philanthropic .and beneficial character carried on by the Order, espeCially referring to the ambulance department, which included those two great organisations the St. John. Am bulance Association and the Sr. John Am bulance Bngade. The object of this great movement, said the preacher, was to

2

-FIRST

create a large body of men and women trained to give first aid to suffcrers from the daily accidenls of life, and a valuable reservc for sen-ice at home stations in the place of the men of the Army MedIcal Corps sent abroad.

There was a large and representative congregatiun of all grades of the Order present at the service.

The Annual General Assembly was subsequently held in the handsome Chapter Hall at St. John's Gate. In the unavoidable absence of the Sub-Prior (the Marquis of Linlithgow), Earl Egerton of Tatton, Chancellor of the Order, presided. Interesting reports on the various works of the Order were read or referred to. Mr. George Lund, the hon. secretary of the Bombay Presidency Centre of th e St. John Ambulance Association, de liv ered an address, illustrated with some capital photographs, on the progress of am bulance work in India.

Among those taking part in the commemoration were Viscount Knutsford, Lord Brassey, Sir R. Douglas Powell, Sir R. Harvey, Sir Lees Knowles, General Sir R. Harrison, ir R. Temple, and Col. Sir Herbert C. Perrott.

On June 27th His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught presided at 7, St. James's-square, by the kindness of Earl Egerton of Tatton, over a largely attended meeting, held with the sanction of his Majesty the King, in order to furthp.r solicit financial assistance for the British Ophthalmic Hospital at Jerusalem.

Amongst those who had accepted invitations to be present were the Archbishop of Yo rk, the Primate of New Zealand, Earl Egerton of Tatton, and the Duchess 01 Buckingham and Chandos, Viscount Knutsford, Lord St. Levan, the Dowager Lady Kensington, Lady Jephson, Lady Furley, Lady Seager Hunt, Sir Charles Murray, General Sir Richard Harrison, General Sir Charles Warren, Sir James Andrew Clark, Sir Dyce Duckworth, Mr. and Mrs. Israel ZangwiIl, Sir R. Douglas Powell, the Baroness De Knoop, Sir Edward and Lady O'Malley, &c.

In opening the proceedings His Royal Highness said it was to he regretted that the Grand Prior was not able to be present, but having been asked by him to he gladly did so that he might show he took an interest in an undertaking which he could honestly say was one of the finest things done in recent years. The Ophthalmic Hospital under the Order at Jerusalem was and had been doing a great work, and he thought a still greater work lay before it. But, like every other hospital, in order to carry it on efficiently, a sufficiency of money was essential. The h)spital was opened in 1882, and the expenditure up to the period covered by the last annual report was £25,035, and It was a significent fact that the Sultan, as the head of the Mahommedians, showed his confidence in this, an Christian, institution, by presenting the freehold of the of about £820, towards it. Since 1890, WIth one exceptlOn, the cost of maintenance and working expenses had exceeded the income, and the deficit now amour: ted t.o £5,527. This seemed a large amount, but speakll1g WIth some knowledge of hospitals at home, he thought none of them would be satisfied if they did not possess good debt. Therefore, the hospital at Jerusalem was not 111 a worse position than those at home, and it was most fortunate in having a re3erve fund of '£8388 invested . , . ' 111 trustees secuntles. But owing to the increased work an? the popularity of the hospital, owing chIefly to the sktll of the medical staff and the absence of any attempt at proselytising, it was found necessary to ask for support to the extent of £ I, 500 a year. Since 1886 the hospital had thrown open its doors to 9,720 in -patients, and the number of beds had been incre,,-sed from sixteen

to forty-two. The numb er of out-pa tients during the same period was 93,282, which involved 25°,562 atte ndanc es, whilstnofewer than 18,786 operations had been performed. Many of those who had been in Eastern climates must hav e regretted to see the fearful ravages made by op htb a lmia ; if, therefore, they, a Christian people, and, above all, a philanthropic English people, cou ld do anything to mitiga te this terrible curse, they were doing a great and noble work.

General Sir Cha rl es Warren moved, Mr. Israel /',angwIll seco nd ed, and M r. Brudenell Carter su pported a resolution recognising the splendid work which was being done by the hospit:11, without distinction of creed or nationality, and affirmwg the worthiness of increased s upp o rt. This having been adopted, Ea rl Egerton of Tatton moved, and Lord Knutsford seconded, a vote of thanks to His Royal Highness for presiding, and the proceedings terminated after a brief acknowledgment.

The King has sanctioned the nomination of the Rev. T. C. Elsdon, Vicar of St. Philip's, Clerkenwell, as a Chaplain of th e Order. Mr. Elsdon has been an active mem ber of th e Restoration Commi tt ee of th e Crypt of St. John's Church, and has shown in other ways practical interest in th e Church and the Order. On the recommendation of H.R.H. the Grand Prior, his Majesty has appointed the Rev. T. W. Wood, Rector of St. John's, and for many years one of the Chaplains of the Order, to be " Officiating Chaplain," with a seat on th e Chapter.

Lord Iveagh's Gift to the Ambulance Association.

ALL who are interested in ambulance work in Irel and will be pleased to learn that a silver cup, to be known as the " Dublin Challenge Cup," has, through the instrumentality of Dr. Lumsden, superintendent and hon. surgeon of the St. ] ames' Division of the Brigade, been presented by Viscount I veagh to the Dublin Cent r e of the S. T. A.A. for annual competition.

This munificent gift will doubtless help to stimulate amb ul ance efforts, and should bring toger her for competition a large num ber of teams from other centres throughout Ireland, where this good and useful work IS being carried on.

The competition, which will probably take place about the end of August next, will be confined to holders of the first aid certificate of the S.J.AA., and is to be of a practical kind-squad and stretcher drill, and the application of first aid methods as taught by the Association.

The cup, which is a particularly fine one, standing on an ebonized plinth, measures 18 in. in height and I4Y in. across the handles; it is of ancienl Irish design, of a pattern peculiar to Ireland. It bas been supplied by the wellsilversmiths, Messrs West and Sons, College Green, Dublin.

No. 3 DISTRICT.-Owing to an erro r, wbich we since rely regret, tbe two pictures illu strative of the recent District Camp which appeared in our last issue we re credited to the Kettering Division. The photographs were received from that town and, by an oversigh t, were inserted as r epre senting the local division. The one was the g roup of officers at camp, the other His Grace the Duke of B uccl euc h adJressing th e men.

WHEN OORRESPONDING WITH ADVERT ISERS PLEASE MENTION "FIRST AID"

Our Portrait Gallery.

1\1R.

THE fea tur es portrayed in our Gallery this month will recall a very familiar first aider to Our Northern Am bulance readers. Fo r twenty years the chief hobby of Mr. Firth has been the practice and inslruction of ambulance principles. his native city. he. has won the highest respect for hIS loyal and enthUSIastIC efforts to sustain the dignity

Al D.3

His displayso.f first !'lid work, by squads, " -ere a very useful. method of lnCreaSll1g the Mayor's Fund in aid of the wIves and Jamilies of Reservists. Not only in the class-room, but ll1 the street has he been enthusiastic in his work_ l'rol11 the _ time of the Bradford riots in I89I, on throu.g.h the Ju btle.es, the Yorkshire Agricultural show (ental!lt1g day and I11ght duty), the annual Galas of the Joint Fund in the various parks are always graced by hIS gel11al presence, and his services have been the means of saving much suffering and at times the loss of a limb if not a life. The local Volunteers of the R.A.M.C. for the South African campaign were much indebted to him for their com forts.

pertains to yue ambulance work will always find m hIm a sympathetiC and experienced friend. His relations with the medical profession have always been enviable, as his intelligent appreciation of the dIplomacy required to avoid frictlOn enables them to trust him most fully

He has a natural gift of inspiring young people with a love of the better side of worldly things and by precept and example has been able to do much good Samaritan work apart. froll! wounds. His position as City bnngs hIm ll1to close contact with the tragic SIde of Clty lIfe, and has enabled him to do many kindly acts and sow much good seed, the harvest from which is known only to those concerned.

He has always been a methodical student and takes a pleasure in giving the results of his reading to those he meets or addresses. Probably there are few men who have so many genuine friends among the Police, Fire, and Railway Services and other bodies of useful and necessary public servants.

He was decorated by the Grand Priory of the Order of St. ] ohn of J erusalcm in England in the early part of 19°4, and while his past services fully deserved that recognition, the result has been to stimulate him to further efforts. He holds the position of Hon. Treasurer to the Association, Bradford Centre, and his knowledge of all local ambulance work makes him indispensable to the Chairman (Dr. Arnold Evans, B.Sc.), and the Hon. Sec. (Chief Constable J. Farndale).

:lnd forward the claims of the White Cross of St. John. He initiated police ambulance work in Bradford in the year 1889, under Chief Constable J. Withers. At that time no member of the force held a first aid certificate. Under succeeding chief constables, i.e. Mr. C. J. Paul, Mr. Roderick Ross (now Chief Constable of Edinburgh), and Mr. Joseph Farndale, the present Chief Constable, he has continued his efforts until at the present time 99 per cent. hold medallions, vouchers, or first aid certificatessome 400 in number. Not satisfied with ordinary instruction he has tutored their numerous competition squads that have won so many distinctions in fields of friendly rivalry. Hard ly a single squad having failed to secure medals, cups or challenge shields for their work.

Under the Jate Dr. Andrew Browne he was instrum enta l in forming a local branch of the S .J. AB. which st ill flourishes.

The number of private classes, Board Schools, Mechanics Institutes and similar places that he has found time to attend in the interests of ambulance work leads one to th e thought that he must have some greater number of hours in his day than are allotted to ordinary mortals.

He is also Treasurer and hon. member of the Bradford City Nursing and Ambulance Divisions, S.J.A.B. ] ust recently he was the recipient of a tobacco pouch with a handsomely engraved silver label, inscribed below the badge of the Association :-" To W. Firth, Esq., from the members of Dr. Bateson's Ambulance Class."

Often called in to adjudicate in contests, his tact and sound common sense make him a very welcome addition to other judges. He is an "enthusiastic enthusiast" of a type rarely met with, and one worthy as a model to all first aiders.

With the sanction and approval of His Majesty, the Sovereign Head of the Order, Dr. S. Hamilton, Chief Surgeon of the Newport Corps, S.J.AB., has been enrolled an Honorary Associate of the Ordtr of St. J olm of J erusalem.

A prominent ambulance officer writing FIRST AID, says, "Let me know when my subscription runs out, so that I can renew it without missing the numbers. Cannot do without it." The Editor appreciates your good wishes, Mr. Chief Supt., and commends the wisdom of your remarks to all and everyone of our subscribers.

WALTER FlRTH, HON. SER\ lNG BROTIII£R OV J OJ{DER 01 ST. JUIJN OF JJ<;RlfSALK\l.

AID. - July, 19 0 6

is to become the property of the competitor who wins it three times in succession.

AMBUlJ\NCt

No. 1. DISTRICT.

METROPOLITA T CORPs.-The Ambulance Church Parade of this corps took place on Sunday (St. John's Day) June 24th. Mustering in Finsbury-circus about 500 the men marched, headed by the Band of the Great Western Railway Division and under the command of Assistant-Commissioner Morgan, to St. John's Church, Clerkenwell, where a large number of member.s of the Nursing Divisions had already assem bled. In addItion to the ambulance brigade there were also a large number of visitors present in the congregation, and it required no little tact to find seating accommodation for all indeed notwithstanding that a large num ber of chaIrs and extra had been placed in the aisles, some of the congregation were compelled to remain standing during the service. The band was placed close to the organ and accompanied the hymns selected-those two grand old favourites-"Onward Christian Soldiers" and" Stand up for Jesus," the men joining in. the. indeed the service throughout was bnght and 1Ospmt1Og The sermon was preached by the Rector, the T. W. one of the Chaplains of the Order. Taking for hIS text the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan, the revere.nd gentleman preached. an and ImpressIve sermon, which was hstened to with marked 10terest and attention, and at its conclusion it was evident that it had been thoroughly enjoyed by all his hearers. Indeed the story of the Good Samaritan is one which at all times appeals to ambulance workers, emphasising, as it does, the fact that when appealed to by sickness or suffering we should know neither nationality or creed. The subject was dealt with by the rector in a way that was both practical and sympathetic. At the conclusion of the service the National Anthem was sung and the brigade, headed by the band, marched back to Finsbury-circus for dismissal.

No. 37 (G. W.R., LONDON) DrvlslON. ----:-This Division held its annual dinner on July 7th at the Prmce of Hotel, Paddington. Asst.-Commissioner Morg'ln occupied the chair, supported by Hon. Surgeon J. Carvell, Supts. Piers, Pontin, Vilven, Maunder, Sergt.-MaJor W. H. SmIth and P. Glover, Esq. In proposing the Royal Toast, the Chairman referred to the great interest the King and Royal Family had always taken in the work of the brigade. The toast of the "Brigade" was proposed by Ron. Surgeon Dr. Carvell and responded to by Morgan.

In proposing the .toast of that ?f .the "Division," Supt. Pontm gave a of the dlvlslOn, commenting on the usefulness, wIllingness for duty and recalling how nobly the members responded. to the call for volunteers to act as hospital orderlies dunng the South African War also mentioning the record the division had set up by the Massey Cup three times in succession Supt. Maunder, m response, thanked the proposer for the kind things he said as the division, and in thanking the vlSltors fO.r the smcere and genuine manner in which they receIved the toast, promised increasing zeal on behalf of hImself and men.

The toast of "The Visitors" was ably proposed by Corpl. Furber, and Mr. Glover replying, said that the spirit of ambulance workers was splendid in that there was no self-aggrandisment, nothing to be made out of it;. on the contrary, it involved a course of hard study and a conSIderable sacrifice of leisure time. In fact, as far as he could see, the" be all and end all" of the work was to carry out the Divine Master's commands.

Sergt. Evans proposed" The Chairman," and the toast was accorded musical honours.

In the course of the evening the Asst.-Commissioner presented th::: Massey Mainwaring certificates, and on behalf of the division presented Sergt. A. E. Evans (Hon. Sec. to No. 37 Division) with a handsome salad bowl, suitably engraved, as a small token of their esteem of the extreme appreciation in which he is held by the dlvlslOn.

A capital musical program me was arranged, Evans, Corp!' Griffith, Pte. Coalter and Harry Lack contnbuting, and Frost presiding at the A very enjoyable evenmg was brought to a close WIth God Save the King.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

July, I906. -FIRS T

division. He had been connected with the Brigade for over 20 years, and the work was progressing favourably. He was satisfied with the progress the Hinckley Division was making. There used to be a Hinckley Division years ago, but for some reason or other it fell through. Although they were last in the competition that took place in Leicester some time ago they did their work creditably. The inspection would take place at Leicester on the second Saturday in July, and he hoped to see the Hinckley members presen t.

Dr. E. L. Jenkins, in responding, said the work of the division was, in the case of an accident, to do all that is necessary until the doctor arrives. As their honorary surgeon he could say that it had been a great pleasure to him, not only to conduct the lectures, but to associate with the men, and to see what they could really do in the time of need.

Dr. Smith, in proposing the health of the Chairman, said he held four classes in Hinckley for a nu m ber of years. They took well for a considerable time, and Mr. W. Heaton was the secretary The reason that the classes "shut up" was that Mr Heaton" shut up"; he got tired of it because he could not get enough new members The speaker expressed a hope that a lik e fate would not befall the present enterprise.

The toast was received with musical honours.

The Chairman, in responding, said he was proud that his name was associated with the first convivial meeting in Hinckley in connection with the S J.A.B. It was a noble institution, and one that the country well be proud of.

A capital programme ot vocal and instrumental music was given during the evening.

HULL.-A very interesting ambulance competition took place in the Technical School yard, on Saturday afternoon, June 23rd, in connection with the Hull r:entres Challenge Trophy, the judges being Dr J. R. Crease, Chief-Surgeon No.6 District, and Dr. ?utherland, SUI?t.Secretary No. 6 District. The competitors representIng the Cen tral, '\IV estern, Eastern, Neptune-street, Pier, Alexandra Dock and Bearer Company. After an exhaustive test the judge awarded the challenge trophy to the Neptune-street team.

AI D.-

5

Deputy-Commissioner Lieut.-Col. Gibbon, V. D., and although none of the casualties reported were of a serious nature those on duty were kept fairly busy. The dressing stations were duly notified to the public through the press and by other means, and were also denoted by a Red Cross flag. Water carts were placed in positions along the line of route and two ambulance wagons were available at the Central Police Station, from whence they could have been promptly dispatched on receipt of a telephone message or urgent call. The police, who greatly appreciated the services of the ambulance parties, lent them every assistance. There were on duty, in all, 16 officers, 20 surgeons, 208 ambulance men, and 47 nurses, making a total of 291. They represented Hull, Hull and Barnsley Railway, Great Central Railway, Withernsea, Felling Colliery, Jewcastle, Gateshead Fell, South ShieldS Volunteer Life Brigade, Cowpen Colliery, Cramlington Colliery, Hetton-Ie-Hole, and Marsden Colliery.

At the close of the afternoon the various detachments had tea at Messrs. Crosby's Cafe, in Northumberland-street.

It is interesting to note as showing the appreciatio? in which the work of the brigade is held by our graclOus Sovereign and his consort, that shortly before leaving ewcastle one of General Sir Leslie Rundle's aide de camp's waited upon Col. Gibbon and expressed to him the Queen:s gratification at seeing the members of the ambulance .brIgade in streets of the cIty. Her Majesty also to be informed of the number on duty and the total lJst of casualties. This information was subsequently sent to the Queen at Alnwick Castle. We congratulate Col. Gibbon on the very complete arrangements he had made, and we further congratulate him on Her Majesty s gracious message.

NORTHAl\lPTO::-<.-An interesting account of the annual inspection of this Corps is held over owing to pressure on our space.

PENTRE, GLAt.I.- The first competition for the "Sir Charles Warren)) Ambulanc e Shield, presented by General Sir Charles Warren to the Rhondda yalley (Glam.), took place on the 9th inst, the judges bemg S?rgeon-Colonel Cureton Surgeon-Col. Lloyd, Surgeon-Major Jones and District 'Chief Supt. J. W. White. Eleven teams from the Valley competed and the result was announced as follows: Ferndale No. team; 2, Ferndale No.2 team ; 3, Mardl" This competition has given great impetus to ambulance work amongst the colliers of the Rhondda Valley.

No. 30

(EAST LONDON)

DlvrSION.-Through the generosity of Sergeant E. E. Sellinger, of this division, which is composed of Jews, the members last week took part in their first annual competition for a very handsome trophy, presented by him. The trophy, which is an elaborate silver cup with cover, on a plinth, bears a suitable inscription, recording the presentation and the object of the donor, i.e., the improvement of members in first aid work. In addition to the inscription the plinth bears a number of shields on which the winning member's name and the date will be engraved. The cover, we should mention, has been made especially to Sergeant Sellinger's own design, and bears the figures of two brigade men in uniform carrying a stretcher, and is therefore most appropriate. The competition, which took the place of the usual weekly drill of the division, was judged by Assistant-Commissioner W. H. Morgan and Hon. Surgeon M. Blok. Six members entered, but only two put in an appearance. After a keen competition, Private Arnold de Meza was awarded the cup, which he w1ll hold for the next twelve months. The cup

HINCKLEY.-In connection with this Division, the first annual dinner was held at the Union Hotel on May 31St. Amongst those present were Drs. Stanley, E. L. Jenkins, P. Cogswell, Chief Supt. King (Leicester), and Messrs. F. Goode, H. J\. Hall, &c.

After dinner a smoking concert took place, Mr. F. Goode presiding.

After the loyal toasts had been duly honoured, the secretary presented the report of the division for the year. In it mention was made of the handsome way the marJufacturers and townspeople of Hinckley subscribed towards the funds for the purchase of ambulance appliances to be kept in public positions available fcJr use in case of accidents. By this means three stretchers and havresacs, containing splints, bandages, and oth.er for ambulance work, had been placed m convenIent posltlOns in the town. By permission of the council, a rubber-tyred litter had been placed in the council chamber.

Chief Supt. King next proposed the toast of the local

The annual inspection of the Nursmg Dlvlslon took place on June nnd, the Central, Western and Eastern Divisions, on Saturday, June 23rd, and the Neptune-street, Pier and Alexandra Dock Divisions on Sunday, June 24th, by the Deputy-Commissioner (Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Gibbon) YD.) when there were present Dr. J. R. Crease, Dr. Johnston, Major Sutherland and Mr. C. B. Palmer, J. P., of the District Staff. The Hull Corps was represented by Dr. Scott (chief surgeon), Chief-Supt. Hopper, Supt.Secretary Vaughan, Supt. of Stores Wingate, Supts Wilson, Carter, Krause, Winter, Vaughan, Acting-Supt. and First Officers Johnson, Lamb and Lord; Nursmg Supts. Mrs. Krause and Miss Hargrca\·cs.

On Sunday, June 24th, the annual church at Holy Trinity Church took place All the Dlstnct Staff and Corps Officers were present. After the parade had returned to Corporation Field the men lined up and were addressed by the Deputy Commissioner who congratulated the Corps upon the splendid work it had shown during the three days he had been amongst them.

NO.6 DISTRlcT.-On the occasion of the visit of their Majesties to Newcastle, excellent arrangemen.ts "ambulancing)) the City were made under t lle dnectlOn of the

WESTGATE-ON-SEA.-A very pleasant social evening was spent on Monday, May 28th, at St. Sayiour's Schools by the members of the Westgate-on-Sea Nursmg. and Ambulance Divisions and a few friends. Songs and ll1strumental music were rendered by Mrs. K night, Miss Messrs. C. Case, Crawford, D. Dallas, J. Km.ght, and a stump speech by F. Holness. DUrIng evemng a handsome silver inkstand and pen rack. combmed was handed to Hon. Surgeon Street, as a wedd1l1g .p:e.sent from members of the Nursing and and

The presentation was made by Bngade Supt. ChurchBrasier, who warmly eulogised the se.rvlces rendered by Dr Street to the ambulance cause 10 Westgate-on-Sea. Lady Supt. Mrs. Church-Brasier, of the recently formed D'" I tended to Dr and 'Westgate-on -Sea N ursmg IV1SlOn, a so Mrs. Street the best wishes and congratulatlOns of the nursing sisters. k

It is not often that a division lS called upo.n to ta e part in two such opposite functions as a \\'eddll1g and a

funeral within a fortnight of each other. Yet such was the experience of the members of this division, who on Thursday, June 9th, followed to .their last. place in St. John's Cemetry, the remaInS of PrIvate Charles Ross. Deceased, who was very popular in the district, had only returned from South Africa about six months since, having gone out on two different occasions under the auspices of the Brigade. The immediate cause of death was pneumonia, after a very short illness. Representatives from all the local corps and divisions were present, as well as bess of the local fire brigades and local coastguard service. The cortege was met at the cemetery gates by the Rev. Cassidy, Vicar of St. James, who conducted the funeral service in a most eloquent and impressive manner. The coffin, which was conveyed on the am bulance litter, was covered by a Red Cross flag from the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, South Africa, on which were placed the deceased's cap, belt and medals, and some magnificent wreaths.

Rochdale Ambulance Corps New Drill Hall.

THE new drill hall was presented to the Rochdale Corps by Col. C M Royds, CB., Knight of Grace ;;l' RO(Ji][])A,LIE AM[ljULi!.flCE • COEPS·

AI D - July, 19 0 6.

Molesworth-street, and an extra panic ex it door to Oakdenstreet. At the Molesworth-street end a:-e provided store roo m s and the men's recreation quarters, wh ich a bi lli a r d and card room, and reading room. I t is also contemplat ed to have a miniature rifle range The e levations are of a plain and suitable style; the front is faced with the best Accrington p astic bricks and terra-cotta the whole of the building is suitably heated.

The work has been designed and carried out u nder the s u pervision of the architects, Messrs. a n d Eva n s, of Rochdale and Iv[anchester.

The building was officially opened on October 21St, 1905, by the donor, Co l. C M. Royds, CB who was accompanied by Mrs. Royds, and who unveiled a marb le tablet in the entrance hall.

The proceedings were presided over by His Worship the Mayor of Rochdale (Lieut.-Col. Fishwick, J.P.), who was supported by the Chief Commissioner Inspector General Belgrave innis, M.D., R.N., Col. Sir Herbert C Perrott, Batt, C.B., Lieut.-Col. C. J. Trimble, CM.G., V D., L.R.CP., Deputy-Commissioner of No. 4 Dis t rict, District Chief Surgeon G. Thomson, M. D., Assist.-Commissioner J. C Derham, District Supt. Secretary Woodcoc k District Supt. Treas. F. de B. Pim, L.R.C P., Dr. R. Bur-

Jul y, I90 6

-FIRST

Supt. J. T. Garner, of the Ce n tral Divis io n of the Roch d a le Corps , h as been made a n Ho n orary Servi n g B r o th er of the Order o f the Hosp ita l of St. Joh n of Jerusalem in E n g land. This d isti n ction has been earned by serv ices rendered to the St. John Ambu lance Association a n d the Brigade Supt. Garner joined the Rochdale Corps on its forma t ion in Ju ly 1893, and was appointed super i ntende n t about six years ago Before the Corps was forme d he devoted several years to the ina u guration of first a id classes in Rochdale and the surroundi n g districts.

Auxiliary Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve.

THE following a copy of a letter re--:eived by Hon. Surgeon and Supt. J. Lumsden, M.D from a member of the Dublin Division who as a member of the R.N.S.B.R. has just completed a course of instruction on board H.jj£.S Empress of I/ldia It will, doubtless, prove of interest and may lead others to join this very valuable body of auxiliaries

SIR,-I beg to submit an account of my training on board the man-of-war for your perusaL R. Lee, J. De\'itt and I left Dublin on Friday, June 2nd, at 9.20 p.m., and arrived at Holyhead 1.20 a.m . at London 7.30 and Devonport at 4 p.m.

A messenger was detailed by the Admiralty to meet us at Devonport, but owing to our being in plain clothes he did not identify us, so we went to the Naval Depot and the people there sent us forthwith to .l-£'M.S. E7JlPress of Illdia, where we arrived at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

V/hen we arrived on board tea was provided. Afterwards we changed from plain clothes into uniform. (The Steward was very particular we wear uniform duri ng training )

After changing clothes the steward showed us our duty in the Sick Berth, also showed us the Hospital Stores and the p:lrt of the ship Ilsed for the Hospital in time of war. (In war time the Sick Berth is below the water line).

We next had a short lecture on surgical instruments, the steward explaining how they were prepared and their names, as well as our duty when attending a surgeon After a short stay on deck, the Fleet Surgeon, P. N. Napean, M.D., visited us and remained talking with us for a long time. He told the Steward to make us comfortable, and said he was a great friend of Mr. W. E. R. Hamilton. He also asked us to mention his name to Mr. Hamilton when we returned (which I did.)

Sunday we were up at 6 a.m., breakfast at 7.30 a.m. The doctor went his rounds at 9 a m. After that the doctor saw six patients who were waiting for him. The steward attending to patients, showed us how to syringe the ear, put on fomentations and the roller bandage, and how to take temperatures. In the evening we went ashore.

Monday morning, a similar routine as Sunday. After the doctor went, the Sick Berth Steward brought us ashore, through the Naval Hospital, and on l'vlonday evening gave us a lecture 011 fractures, dislocations and practice with tbe roller bandage.

into his cabin he gave me the three certificates. and asked me to mention to you a week's training is not sufficient as he was not ab le to show us enoLlgh in such a short period.

S,:turday, at 8 a.m., the Writer (I think he is called ) asked us WhlCh route we would prefer to return by, we said the London South-Western (the way we came), he made out our warrant and we were then sent to the office to be paid for the days, and received 17S. 6d. A corporal of the Royal Mannes came to the Railway Station with us The train left Devonport at 12.20 and we arrived in Dublin 7 30 on Sunday mornl11g

Allow me, in to you for the efficient way in which have been Instructed for thiS service and also for tbe way you have arranged with the Brewery' for my week's training.-Your obedient servant.

JOHN DU)<NE, Engineer s Dpt.

June 16th, 1906.

Ambulance Competition.

THE GOUGH-CALTHORPE CHALLENGE CUP.

THE competition for the above was held at Shalford Park, Guildford, on the 3rd inst., in connection with the N. F.B. U. Annual Camp.

PROBLEM

A fire in a warehouse having been extinguished, one of your men is left on watch.

While going over the buildmg to see if all is well, he steps upon a charred beam which gives way and he falls upon some debris below.

Later on he is discovered by the police, who telephone to the fire brigade for help.

On arrival you find the man cannot move his lower limbs, and he says they are numb so that he cannot feel anything with them.

You are required to move this man to a suitable place in such a manner as to prevent aggravation of his injuries.

In doing so, it will be found necessary to lift him over a low wall.

RESULT-I, Brierley Hill 2, Gillingham; 3, Sittingbourne.

Dr. Wm. Ettles, Chief Officer of the Ambulance Department, officiated as Judge and expressed the opinion that the manner in which the problem was solved was most creditable in every respect to every team competing, and shows a great ad vance on any previous examina.tion.

Brierley Hill team was as near perfectIOn as It IS possible Gillingham and ran .the winning team very close indeed, and certalt1ly It reqUired the very careful judging of Dr. Ettles to arrive at the above decision.

Order of St. John of ] erusalem in England, and !VII's. Royds, Lady of Grace of the Order.

The main entrance to the hall which is from Summerstreet, gives direct access to the office of the chief superintendent, room, and separate retiring rooms for men and nursmg sisters also to the staircase leading to the first floo:, to the gallery overlooking the large hall, nnd to nursmg lecture room and committee room. The large dnll. hall, 75 ft. long by 36 ft. wide and 25ft. high, is, as preVIOusly stated, entered direct from the entrance hall having se;".i circular and hring decorativel;' treated. flp up seating IS prOVided on two sides of the hall, the floor of which is laid with maple: hoarding. It is well l!ghted the roof, at the end, and on one side, and effectively ventilated. There is also an entrance from

uell S e llers, M. R.CS., Chief Surgeon and Chief SupL of the Rochdale Corps, Alderman J. R. Heape, Esq., J.P., honorary pre.sident of the corps, and several other gentlemen and ladles of Rochdale.

Rochdale S=orps was formed in July 1893, and the drIlls were held 111 the board room, Town Hall, kind ly lent by the Watch Committee.

The corps now consists of four ambulance divisions and four nursing divisions, viz, -Central, Whitwort h , Castleton, and Norden, and has a membership of over 200.

The corps supply the ambulance c::trriages with materia l n.nd has 35 wall boxes in different parts of the town fo;' lise in the case of emergency. Under the guidance of Chief Surgeon and Chief Supt. R. D. Seilci sand Supt. Garnet the corps is making steady progress.

Tuesday, at 4 a.m., all hands (except the sick berth attendants) including officers started to coal the ship with 800 tOI1S of coal. The Sick Berth attendants' duty is to stand by in case of accidents. At 5 a.m. one case was brought in with a cut on the right temple; he fainted and had to be brought to. 'vVe washed the coal dust uff him and bathed the c ut for the doctor to stitch. We then put him to bed. Another man was brought in suffering from shock, a b:J.g of coal struck him between tbe shou lders; he was alright next morning. Several cases of cut fingers and other slight injuries were attended.

In the evening the Steward gave us a lecture on the circulation of the blood and practice in bandaging.

Wednesday, Thurscby and Fricby similar routine as l\ loncby, practical work in the Sick Berth in the morning and bandaging in the evening.

FriclilY, ilt a.I11., the eloctor sent for LIS. \ hen I Ilent

In addition to competing, the ambulance men did good work. The cases attended. to at permanent hospital tent were a record on prevIOus 5+ casualties occurred-some of such a seriOUS nature that removal to hospital or to their o\\'n homes was imperative. The local St. John Ambulance Corps-who attended to he public-always placed their services willingly at the disposalof t he N.F B. U Ambular:ce Staff ?fficers, who. O' lad to notice such a harmonious esprit de corps eXlstmg between both societies.

Messrs. Wilson and Stockall have been awarded a bronze medal at the Sanitary Institute llealth E:--htbition at Bristol.

Brevities.

THE Soutlz TVales Echo says: "The ambulance competition engaged in by teams representing the various collieries in the Rhondda should do something to remove the reproach which has been laid against them for neglecting the teaching of amhulance work. The St. John Association has been teaching its beneficent first aId method to all and sundry for a score of years at least, and yet here only the other day it was possible to say that perhaps among no body of workmen was ambulance work more neglected th:!n in the South Wales Coal Field. The opportunities or the demands for the rendering of first aid occur almost daily in every colliery, and yet--. But why recall the neglect of yesterday when the" Warren Shield" effort has been so successful? The spirit of competition which has been aroused by the presentation of the shield and the attendance of General Sir Charles Warren should lead to every colliery in South Wales boasting two or three skilled corps of am bulance men. When women and children acquire the certificate and medals for ambulance work, there is no reason why every third miner in a colliery should not know the simple rules of rendering first aid in times of accident. There is a further advantage still in this teaching of the principles of the St. John Ambulance Association-the general instfIJction in the simple rules of life which are given with it. One notes the enthusiasm and the success of the Ton Pentre meeting with pleasure. It will lead to still better things."

THIS is a warm tribute to Sir Charles Warren's kindly generosity, and one which he thoroughly deserves. We wish that other distinguished members of the Order would present challenge trophies and so encourage the work which has brought such eclat to the Order in modern times.

REPLyiNG to Morton in the House of Commons, the Secretary for War said the establishment of the Queen Alexandra's Imperi3.l Military Nursing Service was fixed to provide for the efficient nursing of the sick in military hospitals at home and abroad, and to establish in connection with these hospitals nurse training schools for the men of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Increased responsibilities in both respects had been delegated to the nursing service. The distribulion of the staffs had been decided upon by the civil matrons of the Nursing Boards and all matters relating to Arm y nursing formed the subjects of recommendation by that board, and was not in the opinion of the expert advisers in excess of the requirements. It must be remembered that the standards of the medical care and treatment which were requisite for the sick harl risen during the last few years, and that the improvement was resulting not only in more humane methods, but in a saving of public money, which was not less substantial because it was indirect.

AI D.- July, 1906

SPEAKING at the annual competition for the Challenge Shield, presented by the Corporation of the City of London, Mr. Ritchie, c.c., referred to the fact that the private fire bngades of the Metropolis formed a most efficient body of men, who acted in the capacity of "first aid." In the case of fire, the presence of such well-trained men on the spot was of the utmost value, and he trusted that as London grew in prosperity, the managers of the great emporiums of trade would give every encouragem:nt to a movement which had been initiated for the protectIon of life as well as of property. For a young Association this is very high praise, and, what is more to the purpose, its members are justly entitled to it.

* * *"

SPEAKING at thE: annual competitions 111 connection with the Furness Railway, Surgeon-Major Darwin said: "Ambulance work was very useful, and especially to railwaymen because there were constantly small accidents happening, by knowing first aid they were able to give relief. It was both a good work and an educational work, and he strongly advised the teaching of it. There was more in these competitions than they could conceive. Men as a rule took their am bulance certificates and then forget their work, but with the competitions there was a sort of sporting feeling engendered amongst the men, and perhaps in the course of time they would have a larger number of teams competing. It was impossible to have a better hobby than ambulance work. He himself had been interested in it for some 20 or 30 years. By having such a hobby they were not only learning something which might on occasion save their own lives but they were also helping to do good to other people. Did they not think then that ambulance work was very noble, and vt.ry God-like. He hoped the time would come when men would be compelled to attend am bulance classes and ,equired to learn how to stop bleeding and how to put up a broken leg."

* * Ie

A CORRESPONDENT wnt111g to the Schoolmaster says the importance of a knowledge of ambulance work or the elementary principles of first aid, is so undoubted that one often wonders that more people do not take advantages of the courses which are held in every centre or town of any importance. In the case of elementary school teachers one would think that knowledge of ambulance work was particularly desirous, dealing as they do with such large numi_'ers of children who may very easily hurt themselves whilst romping and playing about. Medical men all agree on the fact that proper treatment at first-first aid to use the phrase adopted-is extremely valuable in all cases. Quite recently I heard of a child being taken to the hospital in charge of two other children. Had the child been suffering from a fracture a great deal of harm might have been done. I would suggest that special classes should be arranged for teachers. Some, of course, have a good knowledge of the work, but this is not so with a good many according to my information.

July, 1906. -FIRST

WE quite agree with this suggestion. It is within our knowledge that teachers possessing a knowledge of first aid have on more than one occasion rendered valuable assistance not only in the playground but even in the schoolroom itself. The children, too, instinctively learn to take an intelligent interest in the skill shown by th.eir teacher in case of accident, and seed is thus sown whIch is sure to bring forth good fruit later on.

THE disaster at Salis bur;, says the Western Mail, has revived the contention that ambulance requisites should be carried on all passenger trains. In this connection it is not without interest to recall the recommendation made by the coroner's jury which sat at Llanelly to inquire into the Loughor disaster. Incidentally it may be mentioned that Colonel Yorke, the Board of Trade expert, who sat throughout the inquiry, declared himself as struck by two things-the intelligence of the jury and the thoroughness of the: coroner, Mr. Buckley Roderick. After a prolonged sitting the jury included in their finding a rider to the effect that all railway companies should be called upon to carry ambulance requisites on passenger trains. In dec.iding upon this rider the jury had in mind the awful of the injured passengers, who lay for hours on roughly improvised stretchers, while others had to be propped up against a neighbouring hedge until of the appliances from Llanelly. All this entaded addltlOaal sufferinO" upon the unfortunate victims, which would have been avooided had there been carried on the train a modern ambulance equipment. The Great Western Railway Company are paying an increased amount of attention to am bulance work, and, as was reported in our columns, are now arranging for a " mock disaster" in order to test the efficiency of the various ambulance teams on their system.

Coming Events.

Particltlars offortilcolllillg ez'cnts will be inserted ill this rollllllll free of cltargc, 7/ received Ilot later tltall the Ioftll of cadi lIIollth.

Daias, Texas, U.S.A.-International Association of Fire Engineers, October 9th.

Harrogate.- Yorkshire District, N .F.B. U., Demonstration. Hon. Secretary, Capt. Roper, Low Fold File Brigade, Leeds.

L ey ton.-Leyton and FIre Bngad.e Annual Competitions, August 6th. All partIculars from ChIef Officer H. Miller, Kelsal Lodge, Ley ton. Vailly, .l''rance.-.-SepteIJ1ber., Jubilee of the French Federation All partICulars from C. I\.usel.

COVENTRY. - Each week members of the Cooperative Division attended the matches ?f the Coventry Football Club, and rendered. servIce. In case of injuries, skilful first-aid is of Importance. At a ing of the division, the followmg lp-tter was read from MI. L. G. Pugh, hon. sec. of the Coventry Football Club: " I am instructed to forward you the enclosed for £2 2S. A vote of thanks was passed by my for the excellent services rendered by your BrIgade the season, and I was instructed to forward such expreSSiOn to you."

L. B. & S. C. R.- The annual distribution of prizes, certificates and badges took place at the Board Room, London Bridge, on Wednesday, June 27th, Lord Chairman of the line, presiding, supported by many of hiS co-Directors. The were made by Mr. Wm. Forbes (General Manager) and Mr. Gordon (Centre Sec.). The members of the Brighton Loco. team were awarded silver watches for winning the Directors' Challenge Cup, which, it may be of interest to mention, they have don.e for five successive years. Four men were awarded medalhons; 75 received first aid certificates, the bronze badge the Company and 5s. per man. men who .were entItled to medallions and six to medalhon labels were 111advertently overlooked, but will receive them at a later date.

N. E. R.-The York classes held their annual and competitions on the 2Jrd ult., again the ful park and grounds of Monk Myston, by kll1d perr:nlsslon of the Rev. B. and Mrs. Hemsworth, and a most enjoyable day was spent. Drs. E. J. Burnett and E. W. Gilroy (Middlesbro') judged the gave first place to the Carriage (whIch aga1l1 became the holders of the" PickersgIlI" Silver Challenge Cup), the Sack Dept. were second, and Carriage Silop team NO.2 third. A sumptuous tea was provid.ed by Cars.on ar:d races, d a ncing, cricket, &c., were lr,dulged 111 unt!! tram time. The Sheriff of York (Ald. W. Bentley) moved a votc of thanks to the judges for their labours. Mrs. son presented the prizes to the successful competItors III the competitions and races, and Mr. Geo. Jackson (Gen. Sec.) moved, and Mr. G. W. Scott (Dist. Sec.) seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the Rev. B. Mrs Hemsworth for again allowing them the use of theIr beautIful grounds. This was carried with loud applause and hearty cheers.

In the York Hospital Saturday Fund Parade the. YOlk Carriage Shop team (Captain Atkinson) took pnze for Ambulance Tableaux, and the SackPept. (Captall1 Watson) took second prize, and every credIt was due to the teams for the admirable display they made. At car.nLval afterwards held in Messrs. Rowntree's grounds SIX railway teams gave a display of work, a.nd thus .showed their interest in the welfare of tne whIch the citizens of York generally much appreciate.

On the 13th inst. the Bishop Auckland class had their new ambulance room opened by the gen.era.l of the Company. C. F. Bengough, Esq. (Dlstnct Eng1l1eer), Newcastle, presided. supported by A. Kaye E Es (General Mar:ager), C. A. Watson,. sq. IS nc Bishop Acukland, Dr. J. D. J,elgh turer) Mr. Geo. Jackson (General r. (Class Mr. Seymour. (StatIOn Master). Alar e number of ladies and the start: alm?st filled fhe hall, which is 50 ft. bY?5 ft., hned pItch boards has plenty of light and IS cO\'ered With on as explained by the chairman (who wa: statiOned a)t Auckland when the building was be1l1g erected

the amount allowed for the building not being sufficient to get a suitable room, his staff volunteered to build it in their own time and so allow the whole amount to go for materials. Thus they had got the very fine place they were assembled in, and he was proud to have had the honour of having a staff who so nobly did their work. Mr. Butterworth in declaring the room opell, gave a most interesting speeclJ, and wished the. \uckland men every success in their endeavours to achieve success in the forthcoming competitions, and assured them of his interest in the ambulance work and his desire to render it all the assistance he could.

Mr. Watson moved and Dr. Leigh seconded in eulogistic terms the resolu tion that the thanks of the meeting be accorded to ?lfr. Butterworth, which he suitably acknowledged.

Mr. Seymour moved and Mr Hellyer seconded a vote of thanks to Mr. Bengough for presiding, and for the great assistance and help he had rendered in the building.

Mr. Jackson then gave some interesting particulars of the work of the centre, after which a concert was held.

Reviews,

REPORT OF TijE CHAPTER GENERAL OF THE GRAND PRIORY OF THE ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOH OF JERUSALEM

1).1 ENGLAND FOR 1905.

THIS interesting record of the year 's work is just to hand. It has been, as usual, compiled with great care, and deals very thorough.ly with the various important departments of the Order and their work. Vle are glad to see that reference has been made to the question of an efficient ambulance service for London, and comparisons are drawn to the difference between the capital of the empire and several provincial cities notably the City of Liverpool.

Reference is made to the loss sllstained by the Order owing to the death of several of its members who had for many .years taken and active part in the promotion and extensIOn of ItS variolls humanitarian aims.

Amongst those more intimately known to many of our readers we may mention Lord Leigh, Lady Kennett Barrington Rev. YJ". K. R. Bedford, M.A., General R. W. Lowry, C. B.: Captain Thos. Lambert, ( Canterbury ) and Dr. Edward Atkinson ( Leeds).

I nteresting details and statistics of the work in connection the world are furnished by the Hqnorary OrganCommissioner Surgeon-Major G. H. Hutton. Allusion IS made to the spread of the, work in India, and it is gratifying learn fr<?m. the report of Col. A. C. Yate, the Hon. Organis111g C?mmlssloner out thel:e, that Lord Kitchener is taking a keen 1I1terest 111 the extension of the work amon <rst our fellow subjects in our great Indian dependency. 0

Col.. Bowdler, the for Special Services, has a most gratlfy1l1g report to make on the progress and cont1l1ued effiCiency of the members of the Sick Berth Reserve for the Royal Navy and of the Brigade Bearer ComCol. Bowdler also furnishes an interesting account of hiS Journey to but from it we gather that Canada does not. promise .equal to that afforded by India and other BrItish dependen("Ies Stdl, the visit may ultimately lead to awakened 1I1terest, especially If strong efforts are made to p,ush for\\'ard the \\'ork of the brigade. On the great State h.ad\\'ays Imp.etus would undoubtedly be given to the work by the presentalion of a. rhallenge shield, as in the case of the llome and Indian Rad\\ay s

The Report s of the Ambulance Assoriation ancl the Am1)ulan ce Ihigacle, whi ch also incorporated, show a steady and contll1Uedll1CreaSe both numbers and efficiency,anclthe Order has much to be proud of 111 the records furnished by the variOlIS

AID. - July, 19 0 6 .

Centres and Divisions. We have heald it said that the Order should be proud of its old traditions. 'Well, a pardonable pride may justly be taken in the records of the past, but for the sake of humanity we have to live ane! think for the present and the future, and in this sense none of the past history of the Order appeals so strongly to the thoughtful man or woman of to-day as does the recorcl of its I'vork in our OWll times. May it go on and prosper, and may each succeeding year see the numbers ranged under its banner augmented until there is no town or village within our \'ast Empire but which has had the privilege of receiving opportunities for acquiring the knowledge it imparts. The position of the Order to-day is a grand one, and aptly described in the concludll1g stanza of a historica poem which has been sent to us, and which runs as follows :-

Ah grand olel Knights, tbough rurle your day and purpose, The lessons which you taught were not in vain; Your faults forgotten are; your good works flourish

Here in your home again;

Toe pride and splendour of your ancient prowess

Come only as a story of the past;

Your higher deeds of simple faith and mercy

Live with us to the last;

And from these time-worn walls which saw your banner, When first its cross of mercy was displayed, Now, in these later days a Knight ly Order

Arms for a new crusade;

The world their battle-field; the work you left them -

" To aid the sick and suffering "-yet goes on, And in a holy warfare still is famous The Old Gate of St John.

RETURN RELATIVE TO FlEE BRIGADES AND FIRES IN ENGLAND AND WALES FOR THE YEAR 1903.

PUl1LISHED as an official Blue Book and presented to both Houses of Parliament, this work is of inestimable value to fire brigade officers and others taking an interest in the question of protection of life and property from fire In this sense it should find a place on the bookshelf of every fire bngade and fire insurance agent, as a perusal of its columns may at times afford much valuable and timely information.

It is published by Darling & Son, Ltd., 34-40, Baconstreet, E., and copies may be had price 2S. 3d. each.

SEVENTH AK TUAL REPORT OF THE LONDON PRIVATE FIRE BRIGADES' ASSOCIATION.

CONTIKUED success marks the growth of this valuable organisation, which now nUl1Jbers on its roll thirty-eig·ht brigades, with a membership of 93 officers and 596 men. Tr\lly a valuable force for fire fighting, either at the inception of a fire in capacity .a.s aiclers," or in the event of a big conflagration as auxiliaries to the Lonelon Fire Brigade service. The balance she.et shows that the finances are in a healthy state, as a credit balance of £2T IS. Sd. has been carried iorward. Generous testimony is paid to the past services of Mr. W. J. Church Brasier on his retirement from the office of chairman, a position whid he bad held since the formation of the Association in 1899.

I n conclusion, in wishing the Association increased success and prosperity in the future, we must express the pleasure we fee l at the harmonious relations existing between it and the London Fire Brigade Service, and the London Salvage Corps.

Fl1\E TESTS WITI[ FLOORS.

h;we to acknowledge the leceipt of another of those \ aluable little books issued by the British I'ire 1'revention Committee. It is a report of a fire test whi ch took place at the testing- station of the Coml1Jittee on October :l5th, 1905. /1 jlo()r 0/ reillforced [(illcreie Oil lite syslelII. The test,

whic h was made under the personal supervison of a sub·comm ttee, was o f a most thoroug h nature, and the details are th oroughly recorded in he little work under review, which is a so ill ust rated with copies of photos, plans, &c. Copies of the book may be obtained at the offices of the Committee, T, Waterloo-place, Pall Mall, S. W., price :lS. 6el.

British Contingent of Firemen to Paris, 19 06 .

REPORT BY THE OFFICER IN CHARGE.

ON June 29th the contingent, numbering 53, left London, some travelling by the South Eastern Railway and others by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, via N ewhaven. There was an excellent passage across the Channel, and the trains for Paris both reached their destination at the advertised time

The party, consisting of the officers and men of the Ley ton and Leytonstone, Gil1iIlgham, Herne Bay and the following Fire Brigades of the L.P.F.B.A.-McCorquodale's, Waddmgton, Railway Clearing House, London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, Borough Polytechnic and others, then proceeded to the Grand Hotel Bachaumont, Rue de Bachaumont, Paris, where accommodation, which was of the highest order) had been provided by Monsieur Thiroux, Hon. Foreign Sec., for the whole party.

On Saturday, June 30th, a reception was accorded the party by the organisers of the Fete, and 3. hearty welcome given by Mons . Adrien Dutey-Harispe, Editor of L e Petit Journal These kind greetings were acknowledged by Capt. H. Miller, of the Ley ton and Leytonstone Fire Brigade, who, with Mons. E. Thiroux, had charge of the British contingent. Later in the afternoon a deputation attended the annual meeting of French Federation de Sapeurs-Pompiers. At 8 o'clock a torchlight procession took place through the streets of Paris, concluding with a concert and dance at the Hall of the Markets.

On July 1st, in the Tuileries Gardens, competitions took place. Ley ton and Ley tons tone was awarded the first prize; Gillingham second prize, Herne Bay third prize, and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Brigade fourth Prize. On Sunday afternoon there was a grand march past in the Champs Elysees, over 18,773 firemen taking part. Such a concourse of firemen, and such an imposing sight it has never before been the privilege of the British firemen to witness, a special compliment being paid to the Englishmen, they having the honour to head the march past. The Home Secretary attended and conferred honours upon the following :-Councillor '\ Atkins (Ley ton), Counctllor J. Edwards (Caterbam), Dr. E. C. Warren (Gillingham), Capt. Plewis (Gillingham), Capt. Wacher (Herne Hay), J.ieut. Fredk. Hidden, Engineer C. Wm. Jones (J .eyton), and the Government Order of Chevalier Ordre Royal du Cambodge was conferred on Mons. Tbiroux, Capt. H. Miller (Ley ton and Leytonstone), and Mr. \Y. J. Church-Brasier (Vice-President London Private Fire Brigade Association) Genuine regret was felt by the members of the L.P.F.B.A., that owing to his health t he chief cou ld not accompany the party, and could not therefore personally receive the high distinction conferred upon him.

The French Federation confirmed the honorary memhership of the British officers in attendance. The honours hestowed were highly appreciated and carne quite Lll1CX peetedl), The H:ception at thc Hotel c.k \ illc by thc l\lunicipal Authori t ies was of a very brilliant character.

A I D.- II

On Monday July 2nd, a further visit was made to the Pet£! (ol/mal where the aw.ards, consisting of wreaths, medals, dIplomas, and medalllOns were presented.

In the afternoon the chief officers connected with the fire senice were honoured by being received at the Elysees by M. Fallieres, the President of the French Republic

The visit will long be remembered by the English firemen, not only for the magnificent scale on which the Fetes were carried out, but also for the great kindness received by them.

Thf'Y have recorded by a unanimous vote a resolution expres<;ing their appreciation of the same.

To. Mons. Thi:oux the of this gathering of Enghsh firemen IS due HIS kmdness and attention will never be forgotten by the firemen forming the detachment.

In conclusion, I have to thank the officers and men of the contingent for their loyalty and support, the result being that my, duties were rendered very light.

H. MILLER.

National Fire Brigade s Un ion .

YORKSHIRE J)ISTRlcT.-In connection with the annual Summer Demonstration which takes place at Harrogate on August 11th, Mr. Walter Oddy (N.E.R. Station Booking Office) was appointed organising secretary for the ambulance competitions wbich are to take place, under the rules of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Mayor (Dr. Neville Williams) has kindly promised prizes for this section amounting to five guineas.

We are pleased to learn that the Ambulance Committee, by virtue of the privilege vested in them by the Council, has elected the following medical officers honorary, members of the ambulance department, and presented each with the warrant and special red cross badge for conspicuous and brilliant services rendered.

Wm. M. D., F.R.C.S., Chief Officer Ambulance Department.

Arthur Greene, M.A., M. D., Chief Surgeon Eastern District.

Surgeon Lieut. -Col. E. Williams, V.1\, A. "YLR., Chief Surgeon North Wales District.

Heygate Vernon, F.R.C.S., Chief Surgeon Southern 1)istrict.

E. C. Warren, L R.c. P., Hon. Surgeon Gillingham Fire Brigade.

We offer these aentlemen our hearty congratulatIOns, and are glad to see fhat the Ambulance Committee. of the National Fire Brigades' Union know how to appreCIate the eminent services rendered by the medical profession to the noble cause of first aid.

,\ "c learn that at a mecling of the Ley ton and Ley tonstone Fire Brigade, held at the Town Hall on July 9 th , 19 06 l\Ionsieur Thiroux was unanimously elected an llonorary Officer of the Brigade.

The Fire Department of Glasgow.

By CHIEF OFFICER WILLIAM PATERSON.

Reproduced by kind per1JtiJsio?Z of" Public T;f/u1'ks."

THE cause which led up to the formation in Glasgow of an organization for the extinction of fires was the disastrous fire of July 17th, 1652, which nearly ruined the city, about one-third of it being destroyed.

Four years aft;:rwards a deputation was sent to Edinburgh to inspect" the ingyne for casting of water on land that is in fyre." The impression made seems to have been favourable, for on May 30th of the following year (1657) the council ordained that James Colquhoune be paid "the

AID. - July, 1906

thereupon, and to have them ready at all occasions tn their houses, and in time of sudden fire to send them out with their ablest servants for quenching of fire.

As showing how the organization for fire-extinguishing purposes began to make progress, the following extract is taken from the town's records, dated January 22 nd 17 26 :-

" Which day the magistrats represented, in pursuance of a former Act. . . they had mett with the proprietars of the suggar houses, and had received in from them some proposals-viz.: That, upon the towns exeeming their servants from keeping the town guard, in respect their labour and work in the suggar house necessarly requyres their working in the night time as well as throw the day, they in lieu thereof agree and condesct.nd that the suggar boyler of each of their suggar houses with their servants, which will be ten, at least, from each suggar house,

Ju ly, 19 06 -FiRST

ment of the three fire engines, which may be taken as the total in the city at that date

At the commencement of last century the fire department was specially under the charge of the magistrates, and before being placed under the police, the superintendent of the fire engines was a master slater carrying on business in town and country as a slater, and residing within the city wherever he might please to choose a dwelling-house,

In those Jays the fire drum was beat off from the main guard-house, Candleriggs, by the regimental drummer on duty. On midnight alarms he was escorted by two men of the military guard, and it was usual for the guard to turn out to assist at fires, by keeping the ground clear, and on occas ions of large fires of s e veral hours continuance there was a reinforcement of sometimes 200 or 300 men from the infantry barracks for the same purpose.

From documents available, about roo years ago it appears there were six manual engines in Glasgow, with

These first fire cocks were of the old V -screw pattern; the present bayonet coupling, which is perhaps the quickest and one of the most reliable couplings in use, was not then thought of.

In 18 4 it was decided to procure new "frocks" for such firemen as were without them, or whose « frocks" were much worn, all to be marked on the back with the number and mark of each respective engine. No better description as to the uniform of the then Glasgow firemen can be obtained

The following year it was resolved that some person should be got to lodge in the garret floor oVer tht:: collector's new office, that he might always be at hand to give assistance necessary in the event of fire. This is the first fireman in Glasgow for whom provision was made for living near to the fire engines.

In January, 18 6, the Police Board agreed to appoint a superintendent of fire engines, who was to have no other

THE ENGINE-HOUSE AT THE CHIEF STATION.

THE CHIEF STATION, ?oume of. fyve pund slairling for the pryce of the laltlIe maid be the said James Colquhoune for the occaSlOune of sudden fyre."

This without. doubt, the first fire engine in Glasgow, details of its construction are not available. The 1ngyne was settled near to its builder or maker, no doubt so that he should be ready to take it from the "house of deal.s," the first station in Glasgow, and assist at or supervIse the ,,:,orkmg of the engine in case of fire.

About th1s period great dependence was placed on for fire extinction. On December 28th, 1668, the and counsell" ordained that the "merchand and craft1s provide I 00 leather buckets and every and other responsible persons ane suffiCient leather bucket, and put their own names

INGRAM STREET.

a?d shall ?e ready at all tymes when fire happens 'in the cIty on thiS being advertised by drum, or bell, or first alarm thereof,. to attend the magistrats and give their best help ar: d The town provyding each suggar house WIth four and stands and buckets, so that upon the first of fyre they shall come to the place with them :Ilth water, and thereafter observe the orders and dnectlOns of the magistrats and others whom they shall appoynt." (Agreed to).

About 17 2 5 the first London-made fire engine seems to have come to Glasgow. It is recorded that "on the 2 5th Septem ber, 1725, Dean of Guild Stark was refunded £5 0 he. had paid in London for a fire engine for the use of the CltV."

Und'er date 1747 we have regulations for the manage-

about 1,000 ft. of leather hose, which was sewn (riveted not being known in Glasgow at that date). The engines were of a pattern now obsolete, and could not be used for the conveyance of men ; in point of fact, the men had, in almost all cases, to draw the engines to the scene of fire, The engines were located in different parts of the city, and were to all intents fixtures in their stations until an officer of police, or one of the city magistrates, had given an order to have them taken out; an arrangement certain to cause considerable loss of time in getting the engines to the fire.

No provision was made for horses, and the time lost in procuring the key would in every case exceed the time taken to turn out to-day.

In 1809 the Police Board appointed as general superintendent of fire engines, one Basil Aitchison, who laid down the first fire cocks in Glasgow, which were placed on the street, and not on the footpaths as at present.

employment, at a salary of from £60 to .£ 100. After due consideration it was agreed to appomt Mr. James Black, engineer, Parkhead, at a salary of one guinea per week.

About this date a most important change was going on in the removal of all fire-cocks from the street to th e and it is hardly possible to the great advantage which the Glasgow FIre BrIgade has enjoyed from the system thus early begun-a. system which has often been admired, and no doubt is often envied, by those in the fire service in many cities and towns in the kingdom

At this time (1816) there were 152 fire cocks in the city, and only 450 yards of hose.

The cost of the fire department for the year 18.z0 was about £300; it has now reached an annual expenditure of over '£23,000.

TrrE HO:-'E SHOP AT THE OrlEF STATlO)I.

About this date the average number of fires for three years was fourteen per year.

During his term of office Mr. Black complained that the fire cocks were being injured by the water-carts, and complaints as to the injuries from this cause alone compels the removal of about as many fire cocks each year for repairs as existed in the city about eighty years ago.

In December, 1825, some reflections appear to have been made on the fire establishment's alleged inefficiency; and at a meeting of a committee to consider the complaints it was agreed to raise the premiums paid to the firemen, to increase the number of firemen from thirty-five to fifty, and to allow the superintendent of fires a great

In 1846, by the annexation of Anderston, Gorbals and Calton, the engines were placed under the charge of the Supenntcndent of the Glasgow Brigade. The plant at this time consisted of nine ordinary manual engines, one small engine, and one large one (the" Clyde," which last appears in the valuation of that date at £300), fourteen watercarts, one pi pe carriage, and 760 yards of leather hose. The combined burghs of that day only possessed 243 fire cocks.

In 185 r the Central Station, in Collegestreet, was completed and occupied.

The use of a floating fire engine for the protection of vessels in the harbour was first considered in 1853, but no result followed until many years after, when the steam ferries used for cross-river traffic had fire pumps fitted on board and hose supplied.

In May, 1864, thele was made a pattern hose and ladder carriage, which was considered satisfactory, and five others were soon alter wards constructed. The six, with some modicontinue in use at the present day. Onglnally these machines were made to carry 500 ft. of leather hose, but they are nO'V altered so that 2,550 ft. of canvas hose is carried on each.

In 1870 Glasgow purchased its first steam fire engine. In r87I two new manual engines

were o rd ered. In 1:)72 t\\' o other steam fire engines were purchased, and were oilly lately replaced after over thirty years' service.

In tb e same year it was agreed to purchase horses so lely for thc use of the Fire Department, and the resolution was puL into effect in January, 1873.

The first of the electric street fire alarms were fitted up in r878, and these were the first to be used in Great Britain.

In 1878 it was decided to convert the staff into a permanent one, and it soon after consisted of about seventy men and fifty police auxiliaries.

The services of the constab les as firemen were dispensed with in 189 I.

The subjoined table contains some figures 01 interest, as showing the progress within the tenure of office of the present Chief Officer of the Brigade :-

Steam Manual Hose and \ ·ear. SLaff. ror,es Fire Engines Ladder Engine s Carriages.

1884 12 7 1 3 IS G 19 0 4 15 2 42 II [2

Tool and Public Fire IIand Fire Escapcs. Reel s Purposes Bulls. Alarms. Carriages. 14 1 9 82 4 2 ° 239

Pri \'ate Automalic Fire Fire. Hose. Fire Alarms. D elec lors. Yaros. Cocks.

0 9, 21 3 1,562 50 34 19,3 27 6,435

While the above shows the staff as 127 twenty-one years ago, fifty of that number were police constables, the permanent staff being thus seventy-seven.

For the period r875 to 1884 the average annual number of fires was 350, with an annnal average loss of £122,3° 0

July 19 06 -FIRST

For the period 1885 to J 894 the average annual number of I1rcs was 445'9, with an annua l average l oss of £106,800.

For the period 1895 to 1904 the average annual num ber of fires was 688' r, will, an annual average loss of £ 16 9,25 0

During the flrst period the loss per fire was £349 8s. 6d.

During the second period the loss per fire was £ 239 5s. Tod.

During the la.3t period the loss per fire was £245 T9 s 4 d

The Corporation has dealt with the Fire dep::uYr: ent on very liberal lines. There now butld11lgs used as fire-engine stations whIch were 1I1 servIce years ago, viz., the Southern and Western DIstrict Stations.

The handsome new Chief Station, in Ingram -street, erected at a cost of about £70,000, was occupied in April, 19 00 , and is perhaps the finest in the kingd<?m.

The City for fire protection purposes IS. 1I1to nine districts-Central, Northern, Maryhtll, Southern, Queen's Park, Eastern, Western, and Spnngburn.

The whole of th:,; staff are resident within the station buildings, and are available for duty at all times except when on leave.

At the Central Station, where a running squad is continuously on duty, thf' average time for a day turn-out is from eight seconds to fifteen seconds, and for an. night call from forty seconds to fifty seconds. In dIstnct stations during the day, with the men on the floor, the time is about equalled, while for overnight calls Itttle longer is taken, the men having to turn out from theIr own dwelling-houses.

The plant, horses, and apphances, are. the best that can be obtained and the staff is equal to any 111 the country. It is composed of building t who keep all stations in repair, and all runnlOg plant except steam fire engines. The electrIC street alarms (bo th inside and outside instruments), and the fittIngs for the quick hitching harness, are made and fixed up by lhem, and the necessary helmets, belts and .are also made within the Brigade workshops. In addItIOn, the staff, with a representative from the master of works' office, undertake the inspection of all means of egress, under the Factory and Workshop Acts.

The faults of bad building construction been notorious in Glasgow for the past fifty years, ,:nd whLle the Bllilding Regulation Act has effected an Improvement, much remains to be done to decrease, not only the number of fires but the large fire loss which is far greater than it should 'be under properly ordered conditions. I have on several occasions directed attention not only to the excessive number of fires in Glasgow but also to of a great conflagration su::h as was expenenced III Baltimore and Toronto two years ago. Nearly every building erected in the centre of the City during the past ten years is of eight and nine floors, and no. one seems. to gi ve a thought to will be s.ure to l:appen III a spread1l1g fire with a gale of Wind blowlOg. SIr E. M. Shaw, late Chief of th e London l:;'ire Brigade, wrote over twenty years ago with prophetic foresight :-" At the present rate of has for long existed in London a \\ iuespread fe.eling, which we share, that undue importance is attached to. for Lhe naval element in th e London Counly COLlncJl F He .B ngade. C;'iven physical fitness, m.en who know SOtn:,thln g construClion should make the Ideal rlfbbl /I o';'s.

A I D.- IS

progress the day cannot be far distant when firemen may be compelled to say that they are unable to deal with the vasl masses of property whi ch merchants insist on bringing together within one risk; but it is hard on a fireman to have to own himself beaten even when he knows he is, and it is still possible that in the end the quantity of stock massed together in one risk wlll be limited, not by the warni 19 or appeal of firemen, but by the self interest of merchants when they find insurance rates prohibitive."

The Handcross Disaster.

showing the bond of sympathy tbat exists between flremen throughout the world, we may quote the following letter, which we think will be of interest to our readers :Bruges, July J 5th, 1906. To M r. C. Kusel, Official Delegate of the Belgian Firemen, London.

DEAR SlR,- - The l{oyal Federation of Fire Brigades of Belgium, the Union of West Flemish Firemen, the Union of Firemen of the North of France, assembled in a Congress at Bruges, having heard with the greatest sorrow the terrible motor accident which has happened to their English comrades, beg of their delegate, :\-Ir. Kusel, to express to the families and comrades of the victims their sincere compliments of condolence and the expression of their deepest sympathies. -The General Secretary, A. PHILIPS.

Mr. C. Kusel also desires to express through these columns the sympathy of the French and I tali an Federations. .--.

London Private Fire Brigades' Association.

The second annual competition held under the direction of the City Lands Committee, assisted by the L.P. F.B.A., to decide this year's holder of the Challenge Shield, presented by the Corporation of London, took place at the Guildhall, on Saturday, June 23rd, before a large and interested number of spectators.

The competition is open to all Private Fire Brigades within the adminstration of the County of London, and considering that this is only the second year in which. it has been held, the entries, numbering 19, may be conSIdered very satisfactory.

The drills, which were arranged In Parts 1. and II., were of a thoroughly practical nature, though the latter (a dry drill) was not of so much to those of the spectators who had not a knowledge of. extinction. The first part, a wet dnll, the team conslstll1g of one officer and four men, was carried out in tht Guildhall-yard. The procedure was :-Connect up two lengths of hose add and substitute otber lengths.

Pa'rt 11., a surprise drill (dry), of I. officer and seven men This was carried out wlthm the GuIldhall, the men upon the command of their officer, were required to dress,' get to work on the supposed ore with hand -pump, four buckets, three hydrants, and five lengths of hose.

The winners of the shield were the Robertson Electnc Lamps, Ltd., Fire Brigade, who ha? the lowest aggregate score of 81 I-5th sec. in the two dnlls. Each member of the team received in addition a silver mEdal. The second team the Hotel Cecil Fire Brigade, ",ith 154 3-5 th sec ., winning tbe bronze medal.

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress and sheriffs arrived about 4.30 and were received with much enthusiasm. The Lord lVIayor, in distributing various awards, congn1.tulated the winning teams on theIr success,

THE ELECTRIC WORKSHOP AT THE CIflEF STATION.

r6 -FIRST A I D.-

and said he noticed with pleasure the increase in the number of competitors this year. He further urged that the work of Private. Fire should always be auxiliary or first aId to the FIre Brigade, and said he felt sure that they were efficient in that respect.

Amongst those present were Col. Fox, of th e London Salvage Corps, and S eco nd Officer Gamble, of the J,rmnnn Fire Bri gade Service.

This is the re,;!son why ,I was in of forming an independen,t WhIte Cross Society-that is an ambulance s?clety III time of peace, and based practically on the same lines .as the Red Cross Socie ties (in time of war), with this additIOn, that the representatives of affiliated societies to the International Ambulance Bureau might be convened to attend periodical congresses in countries, if possible, in order to study the best means of Improvement of their material and ways and means of succour to their brethren--m fact very much 0\1 the lines as the congresses held by the Geneva ConventIOn. I am well aware of the many difficulties which l:ave to be met, but I .feel certain that if 'you will start a campaign hke the one you did on "ambulanc1l1<Y of London "-which is practically decided idea will be met WIth a real response from other countries and if a start is made, however little it be at i,t will 'soon develop into a very Important orgamsatlon, whIch WIll g ladden the hearts of pioneers of the movement. shall watch with interest the Ideas of your readers and corres pondents on the subject.-

Yours very truly,

A. PONCEROT.

S, IVe au in no way responsible for the opin/ons expressed, or tile Jtateme1Zts made, by Correspondents.-EDITORS.

OUR COMPETITION.

DEAR SIR,-Please accept my best thanks for the beautiful .b?ok that you sent me as First Prize in FIRST AID CompetitIOn NO.3. I feel quite proud at beiug the fortunate possessor or two such good books as prizes -viz., "Peace and 'vVa.r," SIr John Furley, and" On Active Service in South Afnca,. by W. S. Inder. I value them very much indeed.

WishIng you and ,Your J success in your efforts to encourage a cause whIch many lIke myself are interested in.Yours, .very truly, W. L. GIRLING. BrIghton, 5th July, 1906.

PEAR beg to thank you for your favour of the 2nd InSt. Will you please allow me tbrough the medium of your to than.k Dr: F. J. Warwick for his useful present to me In connectIon WIth FIRST AID Competition No 3 May also be allowed to congra tulate Mr. W. L. L.B. & S.C.R. on winning the FmsT CompetitIOn TO. 3.

I sincerely hope that many of our railway ambulance men enter .these comretltlOns and try and do likewise. I think It a sp lendId way to Improve one's knowledge of ambulance work. Th a nkIng you, slr,-I remain, yours truly, 1ST OFFICER W. GOODLEY.

G .E.R. Brigade, March. March, Cambs., July 3rd, 1906.

[We published these two letters because we will frankly admIt we are not only pleased with them, but we are proud ot. them; they are sent by two men, both railway men a class perhaps, more than any other, realises the value' of first .ald, and they appreciably of the efforts we are makIng to further Its extensIOn. -ED .]

AMBULANCE CONGRESS.

DI£AR SIR,.- I was much 1l1terestecl in your "leader" of J also In. the letter "A Confrere," re the adof formIn g I nternatlOnal Ambulance Congresses to which kIndred ambulance societies of the civilised be convened to discuss the best ways and means for and very much on the sanle line s as the F' C?ngress. It may be inter.esting to your readers to know excellent Idea-and I rejoice to see taken up b an moependent correspondent-IS a subject which appealed n;an years ago to the mmds of your own self to Mr Ch - h B . Y and t h bl ,. urc rasler o yoU! um e servant, when we discussed the pros d cons. of such a scheme. To an appeal lllade' F _ an , d III lance we receJ\:e several ready answers, ar.d the idea bid fair be an ImI?ortant development. Unfortunately our efforts wer:e to a great extent by the la ck of interest from a socIety whICh could have given an extraordinar i I the movement if it had wished The reason wh)1 rh' mdPu se to was ninped' h b d IS eparture t' 111 t e u IS enshrouded in m ystery.

Avon House, 42, Culverden-road, Balham, S.\V., July 14tb, I906.

ST. JOHN AMBULI\NCE BRIGADE.-The secretary of ,Nelson S::orps deSires to learn whether any Corps or receIve g.ran ts from Lo cal Corporations towards the m.aIntenance of their waggons.-Any i nformation WIll be thankfully receIved by J. Green, hon, sec. Nelson Am blliance Corps, Ann-street, Nelso n, Lancs.

F OR SAL£,- To Hon. ,Surgeons and Supcrintendents., New Black Serge FatIgue Jacket, 2 5s.; new Black DoeSk111 Trousers? I 7s. 6d.; new Forage Cap, 22S. 6d. ; Forage Cap, .fair condltlOn, 7S. 6d ; perfectly new Overcoat, 32S 6d.; all WIth hon. surgeon's .b.adges c:f rank, comp lete and quite new; made by good mIlItary tailor; postage approval.-Dr. Henchley, I, London -road, Canterbury.

"FIRST AlD."

This Coupon=Insurance=Ticket must not be detached

WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET LONDON, to the lega l personal repre sentative of tbe bonii Ji.de holder of thiS Coupon-Insurance- Ticket if such holder shall be killed by a,n accidenl wilhin the U niled Kingdom or Channel I slands. to any ,Railway Company's passenger-train in which such S travelhng as an ordinary ticket-be aring passenger, seasonllcket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditIOns, which are of the essence of the contract, viz.(a) death result within one month after the accident (b) th a such h Id usual sIgnature shall have been written in ink, in the ;pace provided neath, before,the (c) that notice of the a:cident be given to the Corporallon at ItS Pnnclpal, Office ,In London within fourteen days after its occurrence, (c{) medIcal certificates and other nformation be furnished b person claImIng. upon request for the same by the Corporation and (e) thlt thIS appltes only to persons over twelve and under ty years of age, IS Itmlted to one Co,:,pon-lnsurance-Ticket for each holder and holds d for the current month of Issue only. ,goo

s ubject

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as instructive and enlertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can , Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will 'llso send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publicati on.

Correspondents sending in phOlOS a re urg enLly reque sted to state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also th e name and address of the se nder.

" F ir s t Aid" s publi s h e d on t he 20 t h of th e mon th.

EDITO RIA L .

by that much-respected ambulance veteran, SurgeonMajor Hutton, and which was included in its last annual report. South Referring to the extension of railway work in Africa, the Surgeon-Major, says:-

Ra il w a y a nd

IN our last month's issue it was our privilege to fully review the Annual Report of the Order of St. John, and Minin g we spoke in well-deserved commendaA mbulanc e tion of the value of the work the Order

W o rk : It s had inaugurated and still carried on in Exte n s io n the interests of humanity We are led in to once more allude to this valuable S ou t h Afri ca . book-which should certainly be in every public library-in its connection with the will of the late Mr. Alfred Beit. I t is well-known to our readers that the deceased financier left about one million sterling for the development of railways in South Africa. We trust that strong efforts will be made to obtain at least a portion of this handsome bequest to further encourage ambulance work, not only on the Railways but also in the mining districts. As will be seen by our columns, the dormant Transvaal Centre is to be revived, and at the i n augural meeting the Mayor of J ohannesberg spoke in warm terms of commendation of the work which was done in connection with the old centre. I n connection with our desire that financial aid and encouragement may be g i ven to the Ambu lance Movement in South Africa, ana the n eed that exists for its extension, we append extracts from the report presented to the Order of St. John

"It was Ii fty-one years since I went out to South Africa, taking sixty-five days on the voyage from Plymouth to Cape Town. At that time there was not an Inch of railway in South Africa, and it was thought that railways might be made along the coast, but that the engineering difficulties were so great that they would not be carried into the interior. The total length of railway lines in British South Africa, south of the Zambesi, at the present time is 7,000 miles, and in addition there are about 918 miles under construction, so that railways have been made everywhere into the interior, and not along the coast. It is hardly possible to over-estimate the important factor that railways constitute in the economics of South Africa. There are no navigable rivers, no deep estuaries-Nature has not endowed the country with any natural facilities of transport-and they are therefore dependent on communication with the interior on the railways, assisted by the ox-wagon. This rapid increase oj railway development points to a wide expansion of first aid and ambulance work over tIle 'Whole of Soutlz Africa."

'Vith regard to ambulance work in mining districts its value in this direction IS now recognised by the Government, whi c h recently appointed a Royal Commission to enquire into accidents in mines and the promotion of ambulance organisation. Dr. Hutton says in his report" Let me say after twenty-five years of ambulance experience I have had ample assurance over and over again, from the mine owners and managers of works, and also from the men, as to the useful work done for the benefit of the sufferers through accidents-the record of lives saved - some in cases of bleeding from severed arteries -others from the effects of gassing at furnaces, and in many cases fractured limbs have been temporarily set and the patients carefully removed to the hospitals, the staffs of which institutions have borne testimony to the bt'nefits conferred and the careful way the patients have been brought in The testimony of the medical profession is n-::>teworthy . One old practitioner, who had more than forty years experience of the Cleveland district, has said,

I have noticed that the home nursing of cases is done better in the houses where there has been ambulance instruction-the wives and daughters are more attentive to the instructions given by their medical men than formerly.' "

The testimony of an authority of Surgeon-Major Hutton's undoubted repute would, we are sure, convince even the most sceptical as to the value of the work for which he has worked so long and honourably, and we feel sure, that if the matter is brought to the notice of the right authorities that something will be done to encourage and foster ambulance extension in our South African possessions. That it way be so and tbat its progress may be great and prove of lasting benefit to our Colonial kinsfolk is, we are sure a wish that will find an echo in the hearts of all who pppreciate and value the benefits it has conferred on our own country.

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPl\IENT OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOlIN. Pro 11 tilitate l101lZi1Zl(1Jt.

COMPILED BY e. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Continued from page £79).

VICTORY began to declare itself in his favour. The Turks way, their battalions opened, the Basha, who perceived It, ?rdered a body of)anizaries to advance immediately to .he, hlmse.lf, advanced also by their side, WIth hiS sabre 111 ha?d, either to encourage them or to kill such as should retire back. He soon discovered the Grand Master, not so much by his armour, as by the deadly blows he gave.

A:s he had not been able to destroy him by poison, as he mtended, he engaged J ani.zaries, by the hopes of a great reward, to attack him particularly, and by his death revenge the blood of their companions. Twelve of the. most resolute s?ldiers of that body devoted themselves, as It were to death, 111 order to carry out the Basha's wishes. They into the engagement, they charged the Chnstlans With VIgOur, their ranks, opened a way to the Master, and 111 of the knights that surrounded hiS person, attacked him, and wounded him in several places. The ardour with which he was inflamed in the heat of the combat, hinde:ed him at first from feeling them; he fought on some tIme longer with his usual valour.

The Knights the blood that flowed from his :"ounds, begged of hIm to retire but this noble soldier of complying with their affectionate entreaties' cned out "Let. us die in this my dear brethren: :ather than retire. Can we ever dIe more gloriously than m the defence of our Faith and cause?)J

These heroic sentiments, the wounds he had received the blood that was streaming from them and the d' f' h' ,eSIre 0 :evengmg 1m, am mated the Knights and Christian soldiers 111 such a manner, that mad vexation, and like men that were resolved not to survIve their leaders, they threw

AI D.- August, 1906.

themselves like furies into the thickest of the enemies, and did great execution.

The Turks daunted at such an onslaught, which rage inspired with an uncommon force, took them for other men, or for something more than men. Terror seized them, and losing all sense and judgment in their panic, they took to their heels, and in disorder and confusion killed one another in their efforts to escape. The Knights taking advantage of this consternation, and not satisfied with having regained the breach, sallied out and pursued the Turks.

In vain did the Bashaalternately rage and reason, in spi te of his promises and threats the flight became general; they dragged him along with them and he was g lad to regain his camp for refuge. He afterwards the best of his way to his ships and galleys, and went on board with shame as much as vexation at the failure of his enterprise.

The Grand Master covered with hi" own blood and with that of his enemies, but more with glory, was carried in,to his palace,. where by the care of his Knights and good Wishes of all hiS people, he soon recovered his health, and when he was able to walk, went to the Church of St. John, to return thanks to God for the victory he had won.

If the Grand Master made all the inhabitants of Rhodes happy by his victory anJ liberality, Mahomet on the contrary, upon the first news he had of the raisina of the siege, fell into a rage that made everybody He for strangling his general, and the principal officers of hIS army. Nobody dared to appear in his presence. After the first violence of his passion was over, in order to console himself in some measure, he declared that his troops were never successful but when under [.is own command, and he resolved at the next compaign to put himself at the head of his army.

The which he made for that purpose were extraordll1ary; he mustered no less than 3 00 ,000 men, and the general rendezvous was in Bithynia, a province adjacent to Syria, where they said he was to embark, in order to pass over to Rhodes. Others suspected that this great armament was designed against the Sultan of Egypt, and they based their conjecture upon the that. Prince Zizim, one of his sons, had already gone to Syna by hIS orders. Be this as it may, Mahomet had passed the Hellesp::mt,. and was marching with great diligence Anatolia; a sudden stop was put to his enterprise. He was seIzed by a violent fit of cholic which carried him off at a little town in Bithynia' ca!led Tzair. He died on May 3rd, 148/ were carried to Constantinople for 111terment 111 the mosque of his own foundation; and though he had conquered two empires, twelve kingdoms, above towns, the epitaph put over hIm, whIch, It IS saId, he drew up himself, makes no mentIon of these great actions, as if he them as nothing in comparision to his last projects. All they put over his tom b were nine or ten Turkish words, the purport of which is as follows;"I designed to con:quer Rhodes and subdue proud Italy."

The army still advanced, and later on the attack was ren:wed with great vigour by this vast army, and the were compelled this time to experience the bItterness of defeat.

It was peace with honour, and the terms they came to with their conquerors were such as would be more applicable to present day warfare than to the ruder and more brutal methods of those days.

s:>ne the made by the Knights was with the Turkish Pnnce Zlzlm, who, after arranging for his own safety

August, 1906, -FIRST

from the bitterness of the opposition of his brother, agreed to th e term s imposed which should be most to his advantage and security. This was not the only document he signed; he executed another, wherein, after all the oblig:ltions he owed to the Grand Master and hiS he engaged himself, in case he ever recovered the EmpIre or any considerable part of it, to maintain a constant with the Knights, would give their fleets free entrance wto all his ports, would set three hundred Christians of both sexes at liberty every year without ransom, and pay a hundred and fifty thousand crowns of gold into the treasury of the Order, to reimburse them the expenses they had been put to on his account.

This document, signed with his own hand, is still kept in the archives at Malta, and is dated the day. of the month of Regeb, in the 887th year of the HegIra, which

A I D.-

that survived the long and bloody siege, were reduced to the dismal necessity of quitting the Isle of Rhodes, and the places and other islands that depended upon the Order, and in which the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem had maintained themselves with so much glory for nearly two hundred and twenty years,

(To be con till ued. )

A correspondent asks why the authorities at St. John's Gate are not taking any part in the proposed ambulancing of London. The men of the S.J.A B. have done so much in the past on all great occasions that they ought not now to "take a back seat," especially as they know more of what is required, and have already an organisation that could most economically be brought into service. The L.e.e. have more on their hands now than can be properly looked after, besides their work is always of the dearest and not necessarily the best.

3 e

The Canterbury detachment of the R.A.M,e.(Vols.) (Lieut. A. R. Henchley being in command) is now some 70 strong although only started some two months ago. They attended camp at Seaford, near Brighton, from the 4th to 1 Ith of August with the Maidstone Companies, to which they are attached, they were inspected by SurgeonGen. Charlton, A.M.S., and Col. A. E. J. Croly, R.A.M.e., and also by the Secretary for War, Mr. Haldane. The Maidstone Companies, including the Canterbury detachment, are now a little over strength and have enough names ready to iorm another company when the War Office has given permission.

== e

From Ca02f1'St"?I'S Risto?,) of tIle Siege of RI70des. Printed at Vim, 1496.

answers, according to our way of computation, to the 3 1St of August, A.D 14 82 ,

The treaty was varnished over by wh? drew It up with all those .precious pretences which pnnces are seldom at a loss to 111vent.

The Prince Bajazet paid over the \Yar indemnity, and indeed beforehand, in hopes of gaining the Master's friendship. These treaties of duratIOn, and the Knights were kept 1!1 contmual conflIct, through the agencies of spies, and by the treachery of the agents of the Turks. So things went on till 1523, when under the capitulation they left the Island on the first day of January. All the fleet the Grand Master being the last man. that went on made ready for sailing, and the few K!1Ights

SOUTH AFRICA.-At a public meeting held recently in the Council Chamber, Johannesburg, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Quinn) presiding, it was decided to reconstitute a centre of the St. John Ambulance Association for the Transvaal. The Chairman said that one thing that he did remember about tile old centre was the magni5cent work ,done by, its members in 1896 when they had a dynamIte explOSIOn at the west end' of the town, which o,f them would remember. On that occasion somethmg like 600 or 7 00 people were badly damaged, and a large number were killed. He remembered quite that the St John Am bulance Association at that time dId yeoman and although they did not l??k forward-a,t least he hoped they did not-to a of that of thing, at the time they did not know what mIght h As to the general value of such an amhulance, appen. ., . d b tLere could be no two opll1\Ons -It did not require e ating. In view of their mines and the more or less dangerous works on the railways, he thought would agree that something of the kind should be established. It was announced by Lieut.-Col. D. ,V. Johnston, commanding the Transvaal Volunteer Medical Staff Corps, that H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught had consented to become a patron of the Transvaal Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

THE GRAND MASTER RELIEVING THE POOR AT THE DOOR OF THE HOSPITAL.

No . 6 District, S.J.A.B.

THIS District, which includes North East Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, thanks to its eneraetic and popular Deputy Commissioner Surgeon Lieut.-Cof Gibbon, V. D., aided by a zealous staff of officers, has had so far a busy and prosperous year. New divisions are being formed and all are working hard for the good of the cause.

On Saturday, 23rd June, there was held in the Riding Newcastle-on-Tyne, an interesting series of competltJOns for valuable prizes, open to the members of the district. .There were offered for p.rizes a silver shield, open to all certIficated am bulance men m the North of England a b.ronze shield, open to brigade men, being given through Lieut.-Col. Gibbon by the nobility and gentry of the North of England.

To the bronze shield were added five silver challenge cups given by the district staff.

The Deputy Commissioner gave a handsome silver rose bowl and five medals as a prize for brigade men, 2nd C. B. Palmer Esq., J.P., Deput; Supt. of Stores, gave a handsome silver bowl and five medals for a priz e for coal miners only.

Teams, each consisting of five men, entered from Hull Newcastle - on - Tyne: 9"ateshead. Fell, Fellmg, Cramllngton, Hetton - Ie - Hole, South Shields Police and South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade.

After a keen conconsisting of practIcal ambulance work stretcher drill, and exhaustive vive voce examination, of the various teams Gateshead Fell Division

WINNERS

by Mrs Sutherland. This competition, tou, will be held in Hull next year.

A Short Hi s tory Wo r k in of Ambulance Ireland.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE ST. JAMES'S GATE DIVISION S.J A.B.

As Ambulan.ce w<;>rk in Ireland has not in recent years been ad.vancmg WIth the same degree of enthusiasm and ze.al whIch .has so characterised the effort in Engla n d, it will be of mterest to the readers of FIRT AID to learn of the success which has attended the formation of the St. Gate (Dublin) Division which has been and managed by Dr. J. Lumsden, the Chief MedIcal a.t Guinncss' Brewery.

In ancIent tImes Dublin was a powerful centre of the Order of St. John, and the possessions of the Order in

HETTON-LE-HOLE MINING DIVISION.

Ireland consisted of 2 commanderies the chief of which 'was situated at Kilmainham, Dublin, and historians inform us that here in 1679 the Duke uf Ormond obtained from Charles II. authority to erect an hospital of the same description as the one at Chelsea and the east of the chapel is the sole surviving remnant of the ancient Priory buildings. At the present time on this

site is the Royal Hospital, the official residence of the Commander of the Forces in Ireland.

August, 1906.

-FIRST the firemen, and no civilians appeared to take any interest in it.

In April 1904 the St. James's Gate Division was formed, all the members being employes of the famous Dublin Brewery owned by Messrs. A. Guinness & Co.

In 1906 the City of Dublin Division was enrolled and is progressing very satisfactorily, and also a number of the employes of the London North-Western Railway at North Wall are at present attending lectures in first aid preparatory to the formation of a Division of the St. John Am bulance Brigade.

The success which has so far attended Ambulance work at St. James's Gate is so remarkable, that a short account of the history of that Division cannot but be of interest, and should act as an encouragement and a stimulus to similar institutions. The first course of lectures was delivered in August 1903, by Dr. J. Lumsden, the chief medical officer to the Brewery, and at the examination every member of the class-thirty-six in number - passed.

So encouraged was Dr. Lumsden by the interest evinced,

A I D.-

154 men who have obtained the first aid certificates and in April last 72 .men had qualified for the medallion g:anted ?y the ASSOCIatIon. The present strength of the division 4 officers, 4 sergeants, 8 corporals, and 76 privates (92 10 all), and further classes of instruction are to be formed during the coming winter, and a large number of additional members are likely to join the division. In April last a of the members decided to get the brigade uniform at their <?wn and at the end of June 40 men paraded 10 full regImentals. This speaks well for the me.m bers, and shows they intend continuing that interest whIch all through has been so evident, and it is also creditable, as most of the members are of the labouring staff wag es averaging about 23S. a week, many of them 109 marrIed men with families.

In Septemb er 1905, 25 members volunteered as Sick Berth Reservists, and in order to comply with the regulalations, during the closing weeks of 1905, they all attended a course of lectures by Dr. Lumsden in advanced First aid and nursing, as prescribed by the Naval Authori-

First Officer Thomas Robson Ptes. Wm. Hilton, Robert Carr, John Steei,

Thos. Mills.

Ireland, and it is interestJOg to that the Duke Connaught, who was recently 10 command 10 Ireland, and who is the Bailiff of of the Order of St. John, is at the present time the ?f the Dublin Branch of the St. John Ambulance AssoClatlOn,

When, in ] 878, the Ambulance Department of the Oreer of St.. John of Jerusalem began to take active shape started Its career, the City of Dublin was remarkabl; and a I.arge number of first aid classes were formed, an IOterest work grew apace, however as was the 111 other centres, interest gradually OW,lOg to. the absence of a permanent organization to effiCiency, but now Dublin's interest has once agam tak.en on a new lease of life, and that City bids fair to take ItS share in the St. John Am bulance Brigade movement.

Since 1775, the office of Master of the Hospital has been attached to the Commander - in - Chief in were foun? to be the fortunate winners of the silver shield th sh,leld and District Staff cups, and the Deput miSSIOner s bowl and medals; while the Hetton-fe-Hole team was declared the winners of the Pal bid d 1 TI mer ow an me a s: 11S competitIOn will be held in Hull nex The pnzes were presented by Sir W. Plummer. t year. On Thursday 12th July held in St P " , a c?mpetltlOn of nurses was D" aul s Hall, South ShIelds, for nurses of No 6 Istnct only. The prizes were a silver e cup, presented by Mrs. Atkinson Ivy H N g castle-on-Tyne; and four Newcastle' souvenir ouse, ewsen ted by the ladies of Hull Rnd a silver ch sIP1oons, prepres t d b M ..' a enfTe cup en e . y rs. RItchie South Shields Th b whIch consisted of' 4 nurses e vanous fi clency in their work. The Atk' h II d great pro- '1 • mson C a enge cup and SI ver spoons were awarded to N N'D' 0 I team from Hull N urs:ng and the Ritchie cup to the South Shield ursmg IV1SlOn. The competin t s entertained to tea b M C g eams weI e afterwards y rs. rease and the prizes presented

In 1892 a Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade at Bel!ast amongst the mem bers of the Fi r e BTlgade 111 that City, however, it was entirely confined to

ST. JAMES'S GATE (DU BLIN ) DIVISION, S.J.A.B.

that another class was formed by him in October when thirty-eight more men qualified for the first aid certificates. These lectures were gratuitously given, and the Brewery -placed at Dr. Lumsden's disposal their yards and halls, supplied the necessary diagrams, splints, bandages, &c., and paid a1l the fees to the St. John Ambulance Association.

In March, 1904, four officers, three sergeants, eight corporals, and eighty -five privates (100 men all told) were enrolled as a Division of the S.J.A.B., Dr. Lumsden acting as Supenntendent and Hon. Surgeon. The services of a R.A.M.C. Sergeant were obtained at the Company's expense, and most of the mem bers attended regularly at the drills and practices which were held twice monthly.

In order to introduce fresh blood into tbe unit the Hon. Surgeon gave three 1T1Ore courses of lectures in first aid, and one course in "Nursing and Hygiene," ar:d in the lalter sixty-nine qualified for the S.J.A.A. certificate.

At the present time are in the brewery service

ties. This certificate entitled them to apply for a 7 days' Man-of-War experience, and during Jun.e and J,ul y were sent in batches to Devonport for theIr 7 days tramlOg -the Brewery generously granting them this holiday on full pay.

All the Reservists have expressed the greatest satIsfaction with their experience; they were kindly received, treated, were given the best of food, learnt much 10formation, and spent a thoroughly enjoyable holiday, and all at the Admiralty's expense, including tbe journey to and from TheDevonport.photograph shown above was recently taken at the Brewery fete, held at Ballsbridge, and the brigade men who were on duty on th.at

There is a fine spirit and enthUSIasm 10 thl.s umt, and keen interest is evinced in all matters relatlOg to first aid. The practices are noW being held once a week. Some hundreds of injuries have been treat ed by the. mem bers, most of lhem in th e brewery yards, but many 111 the

OF THE C. B. PALMER CHALLENGE BOWL.

AI D.-

-FIRST

streets and vicinity of Dublin, and on several occasions the hon. been complimented by the surgeons of the cIty hospItals on the excellent manner in which first aid was applied in cases brought to them for treatment.

On the 28th July last two ambulance squads from the brewery were brought up to Belfast by Dr. Lumsden to compete at the annual competition for the (( Lord Cup" and" Belfast Cup." They succeeded in winning the former the other brewery team being second in both competltlOns. and IS medals and the cup were brought back to Dublin.

AID.- August, 1906.

GRIMSBV:-At the annual Shield Competition. organby the Fnendly and Trade Societies Charity Gala Committee a large and mterested company, which included the Mayor and Mayoress (Councillor and Mrs. Biggall) were present.

Five teams competed, viz., Cleethorpes A, Cleethorpes B, Borough Police (outside staff), Borough Police (clencal s.taff), and G.c'R. These five teams are members 0: Gnmsby and Cleethorpes District Ambulance Assoclatlon. The judges were Dr. Scott and Dr Johnson of Hull. .

The idea the of the competition was that a cycltst, descendIng a htll, had lost control of his machine had dashed into a wall. When the ambulance arrIve on the they finJ a large, dirty, lacerated wound abo,ve the ear; a thin .blood is trickling from the no.stnl; he vomIts occasIOnally and blood comes With It; there is considerable but not total a wound on the right knee, also another He reqUIres to be carried home and must be taken Into the house through the window.

August, I906.

FAREHAlIr.-On Saturday, 2ISt July, the beautiful of Ro?kesbury Park, Wickham, were turned into a mlnl.ature hospital on the occasion of the annual demonstratIOn by the memb.ers uf this centre. Inspector General H. C. Woo.ds, who WIth Dr. J. T. Hunter organised the dem.onstratlOn, was most aSSIduous in seeing that it was carned to a successful issue. Mr. Lee M.P. and M Lee were keenly interested spectators, present were Ramsay, Mrs. Gawne, Hon. Sec., Wickham, Mrs. NapIer, Hon; ?ec., Fareham, Mr. Clay, hon. treasurer, the Revs. I'>..ntghts, Smith, E. H. Duke, and W. Morley. Much Interest was taken in the event, and was .a large attendance, over 140 journeying up by specIal traIn from Gosport and Fareham.

The program me. opened with accidents on the" ice" followed by a coal pit explosion-this was carried out tremely well and reflects credit on Supt. Edwards and his men. The men brought from the pit by means of a cra.ne, and. from poisoning by gas, whilst those senously Injured. were promptly swathed in the correct bandages a.nd sphnts. Twenty-four men of the 3rd V. B. Hants from .Fareham, in charge of Sergeant-Instructor Whltear, provIded the next item whl'ch T' ,was most hey splIt. themselves into attacking and defendIng par tIes, and a brISk "battle" raged around the chaffeur s. house for a guarter of an hour, and casualties wer e plentIful. The bnga.de men quickly removed the in 'ured to theIr hurts. Demonstrations in nJrsing were also gIven, and proved very attractive.

The company assembled in front of Mr L ' h h tl f ee souse s or y, a ter SIX, and about I20 certificates bars and medalhons were presented by Mrs Lee Th' .' b e recIpIents were mem ers of the Metropolitan Police, the Ham shire Constabulary, and members of the classes held at G;s ort and and Wickham. p

d After the dlstnbutlOn several interesting speeches were rna e and votes of thanks were passed to Mr. and Mrs L Inspector-General Woods and Mrs. Gawne. ee, G We must congratulate this centre, which includes also osport and Alversto.ke, on the successful way in which ambulance work continues to progress in the district I spector-General Woods has from its' t' 'd n- Incep Ion ren ered to the centre, and we have no doubt hIs. and zeal has had much to do maintaIning local Interest in the work.

team treated these injuries, applying bandages domg they thought best, in the light of their trainIng. One pOInt that was remembered by the G.CR. team and had been forgotten by the teams who had previousl; competed, Ivas that the window was the only available access to th.e .house, and that the wife, the succourers, as well as the Injured man on the shutter, had to enter by that means. The other men had, after putting the stretcher through the wll1dow, gained an entrance to the house by the" door." After going through this test the m.en had t? how to treat a fracture of the'ribs, WIth bleedIng Injury to the lungs, fracture of the lower jaw, a wound. on the hand. They were also examined as to theIr theoretIcal knowl,edge, the proceedings forming J. .thorough test. Dunng the evenIng Mr. Whitelam's band select.lOns. Mr. T. Newby, a member of the CommIttee, offictated as patient.

,The Mayor announced the results as follows (the pOSSIble number of points being 230)'- r G CRt ('I , '" earn 1,70; 2, eetho.rpes "A," 66k Borough Police stde staff), 165) 4, Borough PolIce (clerical staff) 15 8 5, Cleethorpes "B," I52. ' )

. N ORl\tANTON.- The third annual am bulance competitIon for the Normanton and District Silver Challenge C and Medals took place in Horsfall's Paddock on Saturda uP J u!y 28th, Dr. E. B. Pickersgill was the Mrs. Briggs presented the cup and medals. The winners were' I, Messrs. Henry Briggs Son & Co Ltd D Pd' C II' N ',., on e ro o lery o. I, 28 marks; z, N ormanton Station 28o' and Pearson's Colliery; 4, & Co., CollIery N? I, 276 5, Messrs. Bnggs, Whitwood Haigh Moor Collt.ery, 270; 6, Newland Colliery No. 2 254' 7 Messrs. ,Bnggs, Snydale Colliery No. I, 236; 8, Pope Pearson s NO.2,. 145;. 9, Don Pedro Colliery No.2, Oakenshaw Statton Withdrew after the stretcher contest. 35·

..ROYSTON, NEAR BARNSLEY.-At the am bulance competItIOn held here on August 4th-Judge, Dr. Hall of Barnsley-the result was declared as fo1l0ws' '1St, Pontefract Borough, 950; znd, Woolley Colliery' 900 3 rd , Cudworth, 845. The maximum was 1,000.

To Hon. Surgeons and Superintendents.

Cross Belt, practically new, 32S. 6d. L oeskm TroLlsers, 17s, 6c1, Measurements 5 ft. 82 In. height, 36t 111. waist.-Apply Dr H 11 London -road, Canterbury. enc 1 ey, I;

G, W.R.-At Greenford, on July 29th, a skilful display was given by detachments of the ambulance corps of this railway. A special train conveying over one hundred and fifty men from different parts of the line was drawn up in a siding which had been arranged to resemble the scene of a railway accident. "Dummy victims," labelled to indicate the nature of the injury, were rescued by the railway ambulance men, who administered first aid. The tests, which were carried out under the supervision of members of the S.J.A.B., lasted ·for over three hours. The apparent "railway accident" caused no small degree of excitement among the passengers in passing trains.

N.E.R. - On the 31st July the Hull classes held their annual picnic and competitions in the grounds of Goodmanham Rectory, near Market Weighton (by kind permission of the Rev. A. G. Braund), when over 200 members, their wives ann. families formed the party, amongst whom we noticed Dr. J. Stothard, Dr. P. R. Ash, Mr. C S. Page (Yard Master) and Mrs. Page, Dr. E. H. Ashwin, Dr. and Mrs. Manners (Blyth), Mr. Geo. Jackson (General Secretary), and Mrs. Jackson, Mr. W H. Healey (District Secretary) and Mrs. Healey, Mr. W. Yates, Mr. G. W. Rayson, &c. A competi:ion was held, which Dr. W. H. Manners judged, and the result was, first, five medals and five aneroid barometers, Drypool, 13 I points; second, Hull Goods, five china clocks, 12 I ; third, Staddlethorpe, five jelly dishes, I I4; fourth, Hull Kingston Street, five alarm clock, rIO; fifth, Marht Weighton, 105, five medals given by Dr. Stothard. Hull Railway team was sixth.

Dr. Manners announced the result, and expressed himself as highly pleased with the work done, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded him on the motion of Mr. Page, seconded by Dr. Ash. Mr. Page then handed to Dr. Ash on behalf of the N.E.R. ambulance men, an oak coal cabinet, with suitable inscription, as a wedding present from the men whom he had taught, examined, judged or met in some way or other during the last seven years he had been amongst them, and wished the doctor and his wife long life and happiness.

Dr. Ash feelingly responded, and assured them, on bebalf of himself and wife, of their thanks to the men, and hoped he might long continue to be associated with the N. KR. Centre.

Mr. Healey moved, and Mr. Geo. Jackson seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. Page for presiding, &c.

Dr. Stothard moved, and Mr. Page seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the Rev. A. G. Braund for all his kindnesses during the day, and to Mrs. Braund for her hospitality and for presenting the. prizes to the competitors, which was canied by hearty cheerIng.

The Rector, in reply, expressed the pleasure it had given him to entertain such a gathering of ambulance workers, he hoped to have pleasure of meeting them all agam on some future occasIOn.

The annual meeting of the Centre was held at Harrogate on the 29th ult., when Mr. W. Noble (District Supt.) extended a hearty welcome to the delegates on visiting his

and the general secretary presented his report, whIch showed 45 classes had been formed during the year, 371 had passed the first, 237 second, 246 third, and 89 the fourth examination, making a total since formation of Centre of 5,113 fi.rst, 2,766 second, I,966 third, and 89 fourth. The aCCIdents attended were 9,088, making a total to dale of 70,552. The valuable assistance and help of the medical gentlemen, the directors, general manager, and officers were gratefully acknowledged. There were 335 fully equipped ambulance stations on the system, and there was every prospect, all round, of another successful session during the coming winter.

All the officers were re-elected arrangements were made for np.xt year's competitions; two men were recommended for the' 'Special Meritorious Medal" for special first aid services rendered at West Hartlepool and Hartlepool; the remainder of the business being of a routine nature.

Obituary.

CAPT. EDWARD \VE STnROOK, CHIEF OF FICER T UNBRIDGE WELL S FIRE BR1GADE.

I T is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Capt. Westbrook, Chief Officer of the Tunbridge Wells Fire Brigade, who passed away on Wedn esday, l\UgUSt ISt, after an operation for malignant growth in the abdomen. The deceased officer, who was one of the most popular rlre chiefs in this country, had been ailing for some time but his many friends had hoped that with rest and care his life might bave been prolonged for some ye a rs.

Capt. Westbrook, who was only in his 53rd year, was appointed chief officer of the Tunbridge Wells Brigade in November, J882, and it was mainly due to his zeal and untiring energy that the brigade bolds th e high position it does to -day. For many years the Captain held the position of District Secretary to the South-East e rn District of th e N.F. B. D., resigning the post last year in consequence of ill health-it will be within the recollection of our readers that on his retirement Capt. Westbrook was th e recipient of a very handsome testimonial from the District he had served so long and faithfully.

Capt. Westbrook had also th e unique honour of being the only provincial fireman to hold rank as an honorary life member of the N.F.B.U., and it was a distinction of which he was naturally very proud. He held in addition many other distinctions, and was a Member of Honour of seve ral foreign fire se rvices.

Quiet and unassuming in manner his was a personality which instinctively inspired confidence and respect. As a fire brigade judge he was always courteous, cool, and impartial, and his services were consequently in great request. In his o vn town he will be greatly missed, for he was deservedly held in high esteem by the residents whom he had served so faithfully, and his brigade will mourn a chief for whom they had not only genuine esteem but affectionate regard.

Capt. Westbrook leaves a widow and two sons to mourn their irreparable loss, and we tender to them our deepest sympathy in this sad hour of their grief; it we trust, be some consolation to them to know that then loved one will be missed, and grieved for by a larg.e circle ?f friends who had learned to appreciate his genu me sterlll1g wortb of character.

The funeral was attended by tbe neighbouring Brigades and by many Chief Officers From a distan c e, who d e sired to show by their presence theIr respect and regard for a popular and valued comrade.

Brevities.

IN the Medical Press and C/1'cular for June 27th, under" Notes and Comments," appears the following:"Certain ambulance students have recently been unwise enough to add the letters M.B., M.A., to their names. The serious nature of this offence against good taste has brought the matter under the official notice of the British Medical Association. In the case of the St. John Ambulance Association it must be particularly vexatious to the leaders of the movement to note such unwisdom on the part of any of their flock. The success of their work has been conspicuous. It has supplied to the man in the street that practical knowledge of how to meet accidents and sudden illness which he may find of incalculable value at any moment. Such knowledge is indeed power, and its poss3ssion converts the helpless onlooker into a skilled assistant able to prevent suffering, and it may be to save life and limb. Of course, there is a tendency on the part of the am bulance student to make too much of his half knowledge, but none the less he is a distinctive and valuable product of our latter-day humanity. It would be a thousand pities were a handful of f00lish ambulance students to bring discredit on a great national organisation by their attempts to impose on the public by borrowed plumes. Nor is it likely that they will escape reprimand from headquarters."

* * *

N ow we will not question the accuracy of our contemporary, but w e have never yet found an ambulance student so vain, so idiotic, we may say, as to append M.B. or any other medical qtlalification after his name. Some may be so ill advised as to re-dress injuries or old wounds, but-Well, the 1If.p. &> c. has made an implied charge, not only against ambulance men in general, but St. John ambulance men in particular, and we think in common fairness to the Association and its loyal adherents, they should explain more fully their reasons for this charge; in other words, should give the names of the delinquents.

SINCE writing the above we have seen in the columns of our contemporary a letter on the matter in question signed" Ethics." We think we have seen something written in this strain before, and evidently penned by the same writer. Our medical contemporary, however, was not so guarded in dealing with the writer as we were. We declined to be the stalking horse for any man's jealous spleen, and returned the correspondence to the obscurity from which it should never have emerged. If the writer has a bonajide charge to make let him make it like a man and stand the responsibility for his assertion. We have no sympathy with writers who, not having the courage of their convictions or realising the falsity of their accusations, (( hit below the belt;" in other words, endeavour to besmirch a man's reputation by inuendo.

AI D.- August, 1906.

SPEAKING at Hastings recently, Dr. Locke, the Hon. Surgeon of the Division, said when he took th e St. John Ambulance work up, eight years ago, he was astonished at the waste in connection with it. Educated people studied and took certificates and then left the classes and forgot generally all they had learnt. He noted the work done by ambulance corps in other towns, and with the help of several assistants, a small Division was formed. They applied to the Corporation for assistance, but that was deemed outside their jurisdiction, and d was not until the Mc':-V01' interested himself in the Brigade that tlze Technical Committee gave tile grant which was now allowed, botll for tile Brigade and the Nursing Class. The italics are our own. This information will doubtless be of interest to the Secretary of the Nelson Corps, S.JA.B.

* * 01-

By the Bradford Telegraplz we see that a centre and corps of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association has been formed in Bradford. In forming a branch in an English constituency which already possesses a flourishing te ntre and divisions in connection with the St. John Am bulance Association and Brigade, we think the executive of the St. Andrew's has made a mistake. It has been common knowledge for some time past that certain individuals had made it almost impossible to carryon ambulance work in the city in a manner that was calculated to inspire confidence in the public and preserve harmony within its own ranks. The authorities, however, finally dealt seriously with the subject, with the result that the dissentient element withdrew, and ambulance work has since progressed more harmoniously in tlw city than it had done for some time past. And now when peace reigns at last, the sister Association appears on the scene, and we fear by its action will still further accentuate the old ill-feeling. We say this in all kindness, for we have a very warm feeling for the St. Andrew's Association and its work. The Association has proved its worth, but there is still ample scope for its labours across the border. As we said bFfore, we regard its present action in this instance as " a regrettable incident," for which we are sorry.

SPEAKING at Stanley-cum-W renthorpe, Dr. Pickersgill, of Sherburn, said it quite took him by surprise to see so many useful medical and surgical nursing appliances already acquired, and he added that he should take steps at once, on his return home, to form an association there. In announcing the results of the competitition, Dr. Pickersgill also remarked that in the accident case for treatment-a man whose spine had been fractured in the pit - only two of the teams thought it necessary to d0 what should be the first thing thought of- remove the rubbish that would have accumulated about the body. Another notable thing was that h e had handed the competitors various liquid substances to see if they knew what th ey were. They were the things they read about again and again in th e ir text-boo ks, and

August, 1906. -FIRST

yet here, when the practical test came, few seemed to know carbolic acid, opium, laudanum, and even sLlch a common thing as Friar's balsam.

* **

THE Viceroy of India bas accepted the office of president, and the Countess of Minto that of patroness, of the Indian branch of the St. John Ambulance Association. By permission of Lady Minto, a class for ladies, instructed by Surgeon-Lieut.-Col. Crooke-Lawless, Coldstrean Guards, is being hcld at the Viceregal Lodge, Simla.

* * *

WE beg to thank those of our readers who so kindly accepted our hint and sent along the names of new subscribers. we repeat the request? We have still an aching void which will not be satisfied until we muster a further contingent of new subscribers-we may say new friends, who will prove as staunch and true as the old ones have been.

* * *

AT a recent inquest the Southwark Coroner referring to the need of a proper ambulance service for London, said: (( There is no horsed am bulance provided in this district The other day I was at a fJnction at the Botanical Gardens when a lady very kindly suggested that I should give £ LOS towards the purchase of an ambulance for horses, but I pointed out that while there are plenty of conveyances suitable for sick horses there are none provided for human beings."

* * *

QUITE so, Mr. Coroner, we hope those in authority who, like yourself, see the urgent necessity for such a service, will never cease to call attention to it. * **

THE question of the use of motor ambulances in our own and other large cities, which, owing to the attendant vibration has been found impossible, should now have been settled, as the following would show, and it should be read particularly by those in any way interl.:!sted or connected with ambulance work. Military ambulances were recently required for use by the Po rtuguese in an expedition in some of their West African possessions which could accommodate twelve men in each, and they were to be drawn by steam motors. The rough country over which they would travel necessitated some means of suspension of the stretcher beds in order to com bat the vi bration. 1'h is difficulty was surmounted by Messrs. Carter, of London, the well-known firm of ambulance specialists whose ingenuity resulted in the invention of a new suspension, automatic, weight-adjusting gear, unlike 111 form, and superior to anything yet produced, permlttmg the lightest or heaviest man to be carried on the beds over the roughest road with all jar and VibratIOn reduced to a mll1lmum. It has been patented, will be known under the name of the '( Rastilon."

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

AID.- 25

The Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.

AT Marloorough House on Monday, July 23rd, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Grand Prior of the Order, presented medals and diplomas of honour granted during the ?ast year for saving, or attempting to save, life on land, and medals for conspicuous service to the Ambulance Department of the Order.

The Chancellor, Earl Egerton of Tatton, having announced the name of the recipient of the award, and the Secretary-General, Col. Sir Herber.t Jekyll, having in the case of life-saving awards read a bnef statement uf the service for which the award was made, the Genealogist, Garter King at Arms, handed the medal or diploma on a cushion to his Royal Highness, who presented the same to. the recipient, pinning the medal on the breasts of those entitled to them.

The members of the Chapter-General had the honour of receiving invitations to attend, and those included: Knights of Justice, the Ma:quls of Lmhthgow, Sub-Prior, Sir John Furley, and Viscount Honorary Bailiffs: Col. Sir Herbert Perrott, Col. SIr James Gildea, ')r. Edwin Freshfield, Lord Brassey, Earl Amherst, Col. F. A. Heygate Lambert, Col. Sir Wyndham the Earl of Meath, and Mr. R. B. Carter; Officlatmg Chaplains: The Sub-Dean of the Chapels and .the Rev. Thomas Wood; Knights of Grace: Sir Vlck, Col. Sir Charles Watson, Sir Dyce Duckworth, Sir Owen Burne Inspector-Gen. Belgrave innis, Col. Sir Clement Royds', Surgeon-Gen. Sir William Mr. Edmund Owen, M1'. E. Hanson Freshfield, LIeut. -Co!. R. Holbeche, and Major-Gen. Lord Cheylesmore; : Sir Edward O'Malley, Col. E. R. Pratt, and Ivor Philipps. Apologies for absence were receIved his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught and Pnnce Christian, and from several other members of The recipients of the awards were: Martm J enn1l1gs and Patrick Stuart (firemen), bronze medals, for great bravery displayed on M.ay 6th. at Burgh Quay.' Dublm, on the occasion of an aCCident m a sewer; Albert Linnell (Northampton Constabulary), certIficate of honour for presence of mind dis pia yE.d on J ul y 6th at N ortha'mpton, in stopping a runaway horse attache? to a trolly, the wheels of which had come and the dnver of which had been thrown; James SImmons,. Thomas Simmons, and Joseph Dawber certIficates of honour, for distinguished dIsplayed July nnd at Douglas Bank Colliery, Wlgan, m to their fireman who had been overcome by gas m the mme ; Thomas Jones (motor-'bus driver) and George B uer Helliar (motor-'bus guard), certificates of honour, for great presence of mind displayed on October th near The '( Vanguard II London to Brighton was running towards Crawley when, J ones, a mIller s .van with a pair of horses coming towards. hm1 at funous gallop, drew his omnibus to. the near Side, got hIS passengers off, and then with Helhar, ran to runaways. After throwing knee-aprons over the hOt.ses heads, they seized the reins and stopped th.e team Just s.hort of .the omnibus. Police-constable Hard1l1g (MetropolltZln. Poltce, received a certificate o( honour for presence of mmd and bravery displayed on October 16th at. .Bars, an d Arthur Edward Turner (postman) receIved a sll11llar aWa! d for courageous conduct displayed <:>11 January 6th near the Savoy Hotel, London, in attemptJl1g to stop a runaway horse attached to a four-wheeled cab.

-FIRST

The Service Medal awarded for conspicuous services to the Order and its departments were presented to :-

Deputy Commissioner J. S. Griffith, NO 2 District.

Assistant Commissioner J. C. Derham, NO.4 District.

District Chief Superintendent F. Sprawson, NO.2 District.

Distnct Super intendent of the Stores Shute B. Piers, No. District.

Chief Surgeon C. Cotton, Ramsgate Corps

Chief Superintendent J. Ogden, Accrington Corps.

Chief Superintendent J. C. Raspass, Ironbridge Corps.

Superintendent of Stores F. G<udner, Northampton Corps.

Honorary Surgeon Heaton C. Howard, Cyclist Division, Metropolitan Corps.

Honorary Surgeon F. Gordon Brown, Metropolitan Corps G. M. Mather, Ashford Town Division.

Superintendent \V. \Vebster, Brierfield Division.

Superintendent W. D. Liddell, Sl. John 's Gate No. J Division, i\letropolitan Corps.

Superintendent r. c. Lines, South :\Iet. Gas Co. Division, i\[etropoli tan Corps.

Superintendent A. R. Rundell, Hospital Saturday Fund Div ision, Metropolitan Corps.

Lady Superintendent E. Goodin, Children's Home Nursing Division, Metropolitan Corps.

Lady Superintendent B Burke, Children's Home Nursing Division, Tetropolitan Corps.

Lady Superintendent M. Noble, Lei ces ter Nursing Division.

1St Ambulance Officer T. P. Holmes, St. John 'S Gate No. I Division, l\letropolitan Corps

1St Nursing Officer and Lady Honorary Secretary E. N. Burke, Children's Home Nursing Division, l\Ietropolitan Corps.

2nd Nursing Offi ce r E. Hardy, Central Nursing Di\ ision, Hull Corps.

2nd Nursing Officer M. J. Hodges, Leicester Nursing- Division.

Sergeant G. T. Hines, Headquarter 's Division , Northampton Corps.

Sergeant T. Pilkington, Accrington Corps.

Sergeant L. Hargreaves, Read Division.

Corporal H. Bennett, St. ] ohn's Gate, No. 2 Division, Metropolitan Corps.

Corporal R. \Vade, Read Division .

Private A. Martin, H agge rston Division, Metropolitan Corps.

PriYate J. Dales, Headquarter's Division, Northampton Corps

Private ]. Smith, Preston Corps.

Private J. Howorth, H eadq uarter's 1) ivision, Preston Corps.

Our congratulations to our esteemed friend, Captain Varlet, of the Fire Brigade, Boulogne-sur-Mer, on his receiving the decoration of the Cross of the Legion of Honour of France.

IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL CONTRACT.-Siemens Electri.c Appliances, Ltd., of 12, Queen Anne's-gate, Westmmster, S. W., have secured a contract from the War Office for an electric fire alarm installation at the Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey.

MARKET HARBOROUGH. - This division was inspected by Asst.-Commissioner Woolston on Thursday, July 26th. Several drills S.upt. Green were gone hrough, and at the close the InspectIng officer complimented the division on its smart appearance and the efficiency of its work.

The Ley ton and Leytonstone Fire Brigade had th eir annual Fete Competitions at Ley ton on Bank Holiday, August 6th, In ldeal summer weather, but really too hot to work properly in the usual outfit of a fireman. The programme was of the usual description, and the new shield given by Sir Thomas Dewar for the four men compet ition in the Counties enlisted ten entrants Capt. Miller and hIS men are to be congratulated on the attendance which should do much to augment tbe brigade funds.

No. 1. DISTRICT.

HAMPSTEAD.-With that kindly interest in the ambulance division which has been so often evidenced by Mrs. MacInnes and Miss Hoare, the members of this division were invited to a most enjoyable At Home at North End House on Thursday, July 19th. The mem bers of the division paraded under the command of Capt. Hudson, the newly appointed superintendent. After inspection by Capt. Birrel, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, a number of competitions took place before a large and interes ted body of spectators. Tbe North End hand-bell ringers played an excellent selection of music during the evening. The Rev. Brooke Deedes, vicar and rural dean, in the course of a few kindly words anent the voluntary services rendered by the division, referred to the interest taken in the division by Mrs. MacInnes and Miss Hoare, who, said the speaker, were always foremost in a ll good works in Hampstead. He also referred in kindly terms to the retirement of Supt. Evans, and congratulated the division on having found so worthy a successor. Much of the success of the division, however, said the reverend gentleman, was undoubtedly due to the untiring energy and active interest shown in it by Dr. McFadden. The prizes were then presented by Mrs. McFadden, who also presented to Sergt. Osborn on behalf of the members, a smoker's cabinet, in appreciation of his long and valuable services. The mem bers of the division were afterwards entertained by Miss Hoare to an excellent supper in the North End Club-room, and a cordia l vote of thanks was passed to that lady before the company separated. Oh that there were more genero us hearted and appreciative ladies to tender kindly sympathy and assistance to our ambulance men It is courtesies like this which en liven the path of duty.

L EY TON AND LEYTON STONE.-To commemorate the winning of the Efficiency Cup by members of this division under 1St Officer J. T. Olley, a tea and garden party was g iven by Supt. J. J. Olley, at his residence 91, Fairlop-road. A capital programme had been arranged, and during the evening a display was g iven by the eam which won the cup. Supt. Olley, it is well known, does everything he tak es in hand well, and it is therefore needless to say that he made a model host. Assisted by a staff of stewards, members of his division, he made it his study to see that his guests were well looked after. " It was goot mein Jacob Strauss," and your guests have to thank you and your goo d wife and the members of your division for a very happy and enj('y able gathe rin g May the boy win th e efficiency cup again-

NORwooD.-On Sunday afternoon, July 29th, this division attended Divine Service at All Saints Church, Upper Norwood. The service, which includ ed appropriate hymns, was conducted by the vicar (Rev. W. Buckland Taylor M. A.), assisted by one of the curates. The sermon preached by the vicar, who gave an eloquent and appro-

August, 1906. -FIRST priate address, taking as his text v. xxi. from the 24th Chapter of the 1st Chronicles. In concluding the reverend gentleman made an earnest appeal to his hearers so to walk in this life that at the last Grand parade whc.n He who made us, the Great Captain, should review us we: might be found efficient and fully equipped. The collection at the c lose was in aid of the funds of the division and the All Saints Church fund.

A ID. -

an eloquent sermon - which we shall hope to publish at no distant date-was preached by the Rev. W. F. Ridley. Prior to the sermon, however, the rev. gentlemen introduced the Mayor, as one who having seen the good work the Hospital was doing, would no doubt be able to tell them something which would stimulate their interest in thp. splendid work which was being carried out by the Order in J e rusalem.

PROVINCIAL CORPS.

ASHFORD.- The Town Division had a march out to Godington Park on Saturday, July 28th. Supt. Mather was in command. On arriving at the rendezvous the division practiced the treatment of the wounded in the fi e ld, Han. Surgeon Coke being in charge. A number of patients duly labelled, were placed about the grounds and stretcher parties were detailed to search for the wounded, rend e r first aid and convey to the base; each unit having some obstacle to transport the stretcher over. The work was most

As president of the Brighouse Ambulance Corps, said his Worship, he had been asked to say a few words on that occasion on Hospital work in Jerusalem. How proud he felt as Mayor of Brighouse to be associated with such a noble institution as the Ambulance Corps of Brighouse. He always felt proud that there were so many young men and women, ready to make the sacrifice it was nec essa ry for them to on behalf of the Ambulance Brigade, and he hoped that the corps would be given all th e support it des e rved. As most of his hearers were aware, h e and Smith had made a tour through Palestine and th e Holy Land, and they had abundant opportunity of creditably performed, the first aid tr ea tment of the injured being excellent.

ASHTON - UNDERLVNE. - A very pleasant meeting, after the usual practice, took place at headquarters on Thursday evening, July 26th, when a presentation was made to Miss Collister, who has recently resigned her officersh ip in the N ursing Division. Mrs. Daniel Hall made the presentation which consisted of a hand. some wnttng case. In handing over the gift, with a few well chosen words, Mrs. Hall alluded to the valuable

WINNERS OF THE" THORNES" CHALLENGE CUP, 1906. seeing what was done in that part of the world in Hospital work. The first Hospital that th ey visi ted was one at a town familiarto them-Jaffa - and they were very pleased indeed to see the small Hospital there, which, though only small, was doing a very great deal of work. An English lady of considerable wealth was at the head of it, and had placed a very large fortune for the use of the Hospital, which deed spoke very well indeed

for English ladies. From Jaffa they aid that Miss Collister Pte. Clark. Sergt. Featherstone. Serg t. Fletcher. Pte. Hodgson. had to the Sergt. Smith. Sergl.-Inst. Bennett. Sergt. Parker.

journeyed to J erusalem, \vhere amongst other sights visited were two hospitals. He should never forget the sight that met Nursmg Dlvlslon, and said that during the time she had been an officer, she had won the affectlOn of one and all of those who had had the pleasure of benefitting by the valuable knowledge she had imparted.

BRIERFIELD.-The annual competition for the Tunstill Memorial Shield took place on Saturday, July 28th, in the grounds of Monkholme. Nine: teams entered, the judges being Bird, Hoyle, and Plm. Af'er competition the wmners were announced as follows :- Crompton (260 marks), Burnley (239), Kendal (228). Mrs. Pearson, the wife of the Bishop of Burnley, presented the prizes.

BRIGHOUSE.-This Corps has always taken a k.ee.n interest in the Hospital of the Order at Jerusalem, and It IS the pra c ti-::e on the occasion of its church parade to make a co llection on behalf of the hospital fllnds. On the occasion of the la'Ot parade at Park Church-wbic? was honoured by the presence of the Mayor (Alderman Srl1lth)-

them when they visited the Hospital at Jerusalem. There were seventy-six persons who put in an appearance for treatm e nt on the morning of the visit of the speaker and Mrs. Smith. To deal with all those cases it was that six different languages should be spoken, in order that the people who had to be treated could be understood. The doctor there could speak thr ee languages, but he had always other interpreters who could speak to the patients when it was required. All his hearers he thought, would have made themselves acquainted 'with the fact that there was one disease which was very prevalent all through the Eastern lands. It was very sad indeed for people making a tour .through the Holy Lwd to see how many there were suffenng from disease. A good many of these were worse thr?ugh nealected, when timely aid ought to have been glven, which woould have prevented them losing their sight Alderman Smith went on to say that hiS hearers, by their contributions that morning, could give help to this

-FIRST

work, and he was sure they would feel they had done good. There were none of the senses, in his opinion, so valuable and such a great loss as that of sight. If they had to depend upon the help there was in Jerusalem they would be badly off. He had done a little travelling in his life, but he did not think he had ever visited a part of the world where the poor were so exceedingly poor as in Palestine and the Holy Land. Tbe poor were poor indeed, and some of the poorest objects he saw were in that old city which was read so much of and with which they were so familiar in the Bible-Jerusalem. His hearers were called upon to help these suffering people out in Jerusalem.

Alderman Smith closed a short but sympathetic address by appealing to the generosity of the congregation on behalf of the work in the Hospital at Jerusalem.

We would recommend other Corps and Divisions to imitate the example set by the Brighouse Corps. As is well-known, H.M. the King, who is Patron of the Hospital, takes the keenest interest in its welfare, and we are sure that it would be a source of grati6cation to him to know that the Ambulance Brigade, which he also holds in high estimation, was doing its part in assisting the great and noble work which the Order is carrying out in the land of it!> early struggles and triumphs.

CANTERBURY.-This Division turned out for duty dunng the Cricket Week, and had several cases to deal with.

CLECKHEATON.-This division promoted a competition and carnival on July 25th, but the rain which came on late in the afternoon interfered with the complete success of the arrangements. Teams from Knottingley Railway Station, Dewsbury, Brownroyd Dyeworks, Woolley and Darton, and Bradford Police took part, Dewsbury gaining ilrst prize, and Brownroyd Dyeworks the second.

CROilfPToN.-On July 28th the Crompton Squad was successful in winning the Tunstill Memorial Shield at Brier6eld. The same day the division won the South East Lancashire Competition (the Wilson and Stockall Shield) for the second year. Early in the evening news of the double victory arrived at Crompton. and crowds of people assembled at the station. Shortly after 4 o'clock the squad arrived, and the crowd gave them a very hearty reception; a few minutes later the comp&ny arrived, when the cheering was renewed. The men were marched to the headquarters headed by the bugle band, augmented by the bugle band of the Church boys. After a few very choice remarks by Hon. Surgeon A. V. Davies, the men were dismissed by Supt. Morton. The headquarters were crowded to the utmost capacity.

The Am bulance and Nursing Divisions were inspected on August 2nd, District Chief Supt. Garnett being the inspecting officer. The inspection of the Nursing Division took place at Partington's Rooms, and at the conclusion the inspecting officer complimented Hon. Surgeon Vernon Davies on the skill a'1d neatness displayed in the bandaging, &c. The Am bulance Division was inspected in a 6eld adjacent to Entron House, the residence of Mr. Andrew Clegg. Company, stretcher, hand seat drill and bandaging having been gone through, Chief Supt. addressed the division, mentioning that he had been very favourably impressed with all he had seen. At the close of the inspection, 1\11'. Andrew Clegg, who had been an interested spectator, called up Sergt. Abbott and handed him a £ 5 note as a donation to the funds.

AID.- August, 1906.

DERBY.-This division was inspected on the Baseball ground on Wednesday, July 26th, the inspecting officer being Asst.-CommIssioner S. W. Malkin. There were 34 on parade, the officers present being Hon. Surgeon Cassidi and Supt. H. Gordon Ley. After going through the usual drills and 6rst aid work, the division was formed up and addressed by the inspecting officer. After complimenting those on parade on the satisfactory inspection they had passed, Mr. Malkin went on to express his great displeasure at the absence of so large a number of the division from the annual inspection; he was particularly sorry to learn that a sergeant and corporal were absent without leave, they should set a better example. Derby had 'l.lways been a good division and he urged them to spare no efforts to sustain the high reputation they had gained. With the exception of his remarks on the absentees he had nothing but praise for the discipline and drill of the division.

DUDLEY.-The annual inspection of this Division was held on Saturday, July 28th. by Asst.-Commissioner T. H. \Voolston. Mustering at headquarters under the command of Supt. Hartland, the Corps marched to the Cavalry Field Priory, where the clothing and equipment were first inspected. The division was then formed into search parties and set to work to treat a number of supposed patients, afterwards conveying them to a temporary field hospital for inspection. Addressing the officers and men at the conclusion, the inspecting officer said the work that day had been "ery well done, he congratulated them on the very marked progress they were making. He especially complimented them on getting into the 6nal for the "Markham" Cup at camp. The members and their friends subsequently had tea together at the Temperance Institute. This was followed by a capital programme of vocal and instrumental music, and during the evening the prizes won at the recent competition were presented. The strength of the division has been increased during the last few years from 7 to 70.

DUKINFlELD.-The annual review and competitions in connection with the South East Lancashire Corps and Divisions took place on July 28th. District Chief Supt. A. L. Garnett was in command, and the inspecting officer was Asst. Commissioner J. C. Derham. Unfortunately the day turned out very badly for outdoor pursuits, and marching to and from the parade ground the ambulance men were soaked; however, they were not "down hearted." Ambulance men have proved in South Africa that they are neither feather-bed soldiers, nor are they made of sugar. We understand that it is customary for this kind of weather to prevail at Dukiniield on the occasion of any great gathering, therefore the first aiders accepted it as the usual Dukin6eld welcome. However, if the weather was not all that could be desired, the welcome accorded by all classes, from the Mayor downwards, amply compensated for it. After the inspection, which necessarily had to be curtailed) the men and nursing sisters were entertained to tea at the CoOp<:rative Hall, after which the prizes won in the several competitions were distributed.

The officers were entertained by the Mayor and Mayore<;s, and at the close of the repast a hearty vote of thanks was passed to his Worship and the Mayoress; after which. the party adjourned to the Co-operative Hall, where Il1 the presence of a crowded gathenng the Mayor presented the prizes.

The Wilson and Stockall Shield was won by Crompton; the South East Lancashire Cup was won by Bury; the Lees Challenge Cup (given by Mrs. Lees, of Parks bridge, for competition among the nursing divisions) was com-

August, 1906. -FIRST AI D.-

peted for for the flrst time, and was won by Oldham N ursing Division. After the presentation several votes of thanks brought to a close what would have been, but for the weather, a most successful gathering.

HASLlNGDEN.-This Corps, under the comm1.nd of Chief Supt. and Chief Surgeon Broomhead, paraded on Wednesday, July .2 5th, for the annual inspection. The inspecting officer was District Supt.-Treasurer F. de Beho Pim. The men were first put through company and stretcher drill, and at the conclusion the inspecting officer expressed his satisfaction at the work done, especially complimenting the men on their bandaging.

HETToN-LE-HoLE.- The competition for the Sir Lindsay Wood Challenge Cup for which three teams competed, took place on Saturday, July 28th, the grounds of the residence of Dr. James Adamson, supenntendent of the division. Dr. Modlin acted as judge, and his award was as follows: I, Elemore Colliery; 2, Hetton Colliery; 3, North Hetton Colliery.

HULL.-Lady Supt. Krause, two nursing officers and eleven nursing sisters of the Central Nursing Division went to Newcastle for duty on the II th July. They were the guests of the Lady Superintendent and nursing sisters of South Shields Division, after being on duty on in Newcastle on the occasion of the Royal visit. On Thursday the' first competition in nursing in.No: ? District was held at South Shields; two teams from thlS dlVlslOn, four sisters each, took part in the competition. The first prize, a solid silver cup" was won by Miss Vaughan; Mrs. Townend, Miss Petty and Mis:; Beevers, also received a silver spoon each, engraved with the Newcastle coat of arms. The sisters had to submit to a vive voce and practical examination according to Cosgrave's latest edition. Points were given for prompt and correct arJswers to. questions, neatness in practical nursing and for general sktll and dexterity.

And now about the return journey. They wIll remember that if they forget everything else. Somewhere about 12 o'clock mid-night, they reached Selby, and had the horror of discovering that the train, which was to take on to Hull, had gone, their train having missed connectIOn. Here WIlS a pretty state of things! Ambulance men and nursing sisters all stranded at Selby, and they were so hungry. Some of the more 6rst. aiders succeeded in rousing an inn-keeper and mduced hl.m to make tea, which was gladly welcomed by the famIshed ones, which the time passed more pleasantly, the party gomg for a walk to Selby Park and Abbey about 3 a.m. However "all's well that ends well," and the wanderers reached H uIi in time to go to their homes on the first car at 5.30 a.m.

IRTHLlNGBOROUGH.- The annual church parade of this division took place on Sunday, July Mustering near Hon. Surgron Robh's residence, the dlVlslOn, by the Town Prize Band and under the command of ChIef Supt. Hilton, marched to the We?leyan Church where a hearty service was held and a capital sermon preached by the Rev. H. J. Atkinson. On returning to Dr. Robb's residence, refreshments were served out, and the band gave a sacred concert on the lawn.

LIVERPOOL.-The annual inspection of this division was held on July 30th at Pex Hill, near Widnes. The in-

specting officer, Col. C. J. Trimble, C.U.G., v'D., L.R.C.P., Deputy Commissioner No. 4 District, expressed himself highly satisned with the work done, and complimented Supt. J. C. Ellison on the smartness and efficiency of his division.

The appointment of 1st Ambulance Officer H. Pugh was confirmed. Sections from BootIe, Southport and Waterloo were prese;)t, and after the inspection the combined force, numbering about one hundred, marched to Supt. Ellison's residence at Bold, where ample justice was rendered to an excellent tea, provided by the kindness of Supt. and Mrs. Ellison.

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.-The sixth annual competitions in connection with this corps were held on July 21st, at Stoke, and were very successful, arousing considerable outside interest. Many ladies and gentlemen of the district were present, and the following ambulance officials :-Asst. Commissioner S. \Y. Malkin, Chief Supt. Arlidge, Hon. Surgeons Dobson (Ilkeston), G. H. List (P.E.T. Division), Read (Shelton Bar), Davey (Hanley), Young ( Staffs Infirmary), Allardice (Newcastle), Supts. Boardman, Frank Hatch, J. Hyslop, First Officer Bagnall, and Sergt. Griffiths (hon. secretary). -

The competition for the brigade cup was followed with the closest interest by the spectators, as it was a matter of public knowledge that the members of the Potteries Electric Tramway Division had set their minds on carrying off the trophy. So keen indeed were they that four squads had entered for it, the other competing squads being Shelton Bar (two squads), Burslem Halmerend and Tunstall, one each. The result was a victory for the P.E.T. men, for their four squads came out 6rst, second, third and fourth, the remaining place being occupied by Halmerend, Shelton Ba: (No. 2) Tunstall, Shelton Bar (No. I) and Burslem, m the order named. The ,victory was a highly popular one, and Supt. Hatch and Hon. Surgeon List were the recipients of many congratulations, for it was generally patience and perseverance had at length met WIth their reward.

The winning P.E.T. squad was composed of Ackerly, Corporal Bently, Privates Rowley,.and \" tid.

There was a fairly good contest 111 the. PolIce Squad Competition, the 6rst prize for which was .a sl.lver challenge cup, given by the County and Borough Hanley proveJ the winners, Stoke No. I squad hel11g second, and Longton third. P.C. Cox (Lon.gton) won the "One Man Drill)) (fireman's lift and questIOns) out of a large number of entrants.

It was a matter for regret that the North Staffordshire Railway Challenge Cup did not find petitors.. Here was a ha.ndsome prize offered by the 01 th directors, Wlth medals for the 6rst and second teams. yet there were no entries. the sake of. the cause it is hoped by next year that thIS order of th1l1gs will have changed.

During the afternoon selectIOns were played by the North Stafford Railway Band, and at the end of the proceedings the prizes were presented by Mrs. Arlidge, wife of the popular Supt. of the Nort.h Staffs. Corps. The competitions were, 111 pomt of pubilc. mterest, the most successful yet held by the corps, and by Its a great impetus has been given to the ambulance cause 111 the district.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION" FIRST AID"

Fire Extinction in Ancient Rome.

TIlE FIREMEN MlLITJA.

By HECTOR DE MAGISTRIS (Secolld /11 COlJlJJla77d of tlze Rom e F/re7l/en).

IT would appear from old manuscripts, that from the earl iest times, in order to minimise the risks of fire, that in ancient Rome there was a law which ordained that a ll houses were to be built detached one fwm the other. In process of time, however, th e civil customs of the first inhabitants a lt ered and many good laws were abrogated, and destructive fires were as a result, of more frequent occurrence.

It is not surpnsmg that ancient Rome should frequently have been afflicted by such calamities, when it is realised how easily a fire could develop in the Roman houses in which not only was fire always burning in honour of the household go ds, but near at hand would be stored wood and quantities of resinous material. The slightest negligence, therefore, on the part of the household might often result in dreadful conflagrations, which, owing to the narrow and t ortuous nature of the streets, the primitive co nstruction of the houses, which were mostly of wood, and the large stores or shops, many of which were stocked with cereals, and were situated in the. midst of the residential quarters or most populous part of the city, the flames once started spread rapidly.

Many of the fires, too, were incendiary, and promoted by malefactors and others, who hoped to benefit. The former cu lprits hoping in the confusion thereby created to have opportunities for pillage and robbery; and in some cases the owners were the c ulprits, hoping thereby to receive liberal public assistance towards recouping the loss

AID.- August, 19 0 6.

From this brief recital of the methods promoted for fir e ext inction in ancient Rom e, those of our r eade rs who are acquainted with the d e tails connected with public services will readily understand that an Institution for th e purposes of fire extinction, like that which exis ed in Rome at th e time of the Republic, could be of but little real us e, based as it was, as we have already observed, upon heterogeneous elements neith er disciplined nor organised.

In the year 759 of Rome, sixth of Christ, the Emperor Oesar Augustus - seeing the importance of effic ie ntly protecting Rome from the disastrous fires by which in those tim es many houses of the city had been devastated-organised a regular and proper militia for the purpose of rendering help in case of fire and charged to defend th e security of the town by arr es ting robbers and malefactors. This militia was formed in seven cohorts each abou t o n e th o us a nd strong.

With regard to the officers who commanded this fire service (the militia) first came the praefactus vigzium , who was the special chief; th e n his lieutenant, who bore the title of subpraefactlts, also seven tribunes, e;tch commanding a cohort and forty-nine centltrion es. It would also appear that four do c tors were attached to eac h cohort.

Th en came a large number of jJn'n cijJales, this nam e was gi ven in th e Roman army to every one who had a fixed office, that is to say, those who occupied the intermediate position between the common soldier and th e. centltrioJles, now called commissioned officers.

We will now proceed to consider the duti es and status of th e principales

On the Collian Hill, on the spot now occupied by the Villa Mattei, were found two bases for statues on which was engraved the list of the fifth cohort a nd particulars of the diffe rent duties of the principales .

August, 19 0 6. -FIRST

The seven cohorts of firemen were quartered in barracks called castra, which were distributed so that each one could easily prot ec t two of the fourt ee n di stri cts into which the town was divid ed . Th e barracks - cas tra - were situated in th e first of each of th e two districts allotted to a cohort, and in the second was situ:::tt e d a guard or watchhouse - the excubito rio

As to the form of the barracks, fortunately we have a relic of great importance in a marble fra gmen t of a plan of Imperial Rome. This fragm e nt can give us only a vague idea of the form and extension of the barracks of the firemen, because the guard-houses are not referred to as edifices expressly built for th e use of the fir e m e n, but were apparently simply privat e houses adapted to the purpose.

The ruins of the guard-house ex culz'toriztm, near St. Crissgone, in Trastevere, are of mu c h importance, both on account of th e topography of ancient Rome, a nd more particularly as it has r eference to the life of the special militia of which we a re speaking, hence we find that th e plastering of the edifice is covered with interesting g raph ites (pictures) traced thereon by the firemen who once occupied the buildings It was from these graphites th a t we first learned of th e offices of the sebaciarius and th e eml'tulian·us.

The e ntranc e of to-day is by an atrium, in which is an hexagon basin; the pav ement is composed of white and black mosaic with marv ellous representations. The wall, corresponding to the entrance, below with a bench; both this bench and a part of th e wall are composed of very bard plastering, finished in pur pIe colourings. This plastering is covered with most interesting graphites. P

Facing a most magnificent fountain

AI D.-

attaineJ to th e maximum of its development. It is a lso to be remembered th at about thi s time the th ermes had begun to be illuminated during the ni gh t, and they were much fr eque nt ed because in these colossa l ed ifices a great part of the physical and intellectural pursuits of the Romans were developed, as here, besides the baths, were to be fo und th e palestral, th e sello/a/, the bibliolltecal, the pina coth ecal, &c .; therefore it is easy to understand how this congregating of th e citizens along the streets of Rome would have been very difficult, not to say dangerous, in the dark. Even with th e aid of lantern men, therefore, we cannot explain the extraordinary dev elopment of Roman nocturnal life without admitting th a t if the ent ire city was n ot lighted, the principal and most frel1uented streets must ce rt ai nly have been so. It is generally believed th at it was Caracalla who underto ok the duty of providin g for th e lighting of the st reets, and that he delegat e d the duty to the fire militia, as having their barracks and guard-houses uniformly distributed throughout the city, they could carry out the duty more effectively than any oth e r organis:ttion. Furthermor e it would appear that this duty was delegated monthly to a certain number

HtIllll.HJJI. Ea;·tt'ollrllt'

"T

of the uremen belonging to each cohort and having for their chief (pri1Z cipales) the so-called sebaciarius. Each cohort was charged with the illumination of the streets comprised wi[hin the two districts under its guardianship or course each se baciariu s had also to be provided for th e preparation of the necess a ry torches for th e nightly inspection of his cohort. He was also to have lighted at the entrance to th e barracks and the g u ard - houses a special lamp as an ensign. This was a torch of bronze, hollowed out. It was fixed a few steps from

OLD FIRE STATlON, ROl\rE.

The buci7latores who sounded budna, a trumpet of bron ze, shaped like a semi-circle.

First we have an ensign bearer for every cohort called vexillarius. they had suffered. In the pr esent day this latter criminal course of conduct is carried out more often than many people are aware of.

From the ear liest times the Republic of Rome in to protect the city in case of fire, Tnumvers-styled NOctzt1 ?leS lat er on, because tlley also mounted guard during the night. The Ediles, too, to whom the of the buildings of the town belonged, also kept watch .m :lse of fire. A company of public servants were also dlstn buted at the vari ous gates and walls of tile city ready to le nd assistance in cas e of fire.

But in order to further secure the town from the da nger of fir.e, t.h ere was attached to the public service a orgamsatlOn of servants or employes who, with .the consent of theIr mast ers, ga ve their services gratUItously, the latter hoping by this means to ga in the favo'lr of the people.

Amongst others who held rank as pri7lcipales were the a 1'carius, who administered the finances of the cohort, and who was its secretary or cashier. The Noraii, who registered in books the accounts belonging to the soldiers, and the tabularii, that is, the r eco rder, who kept the registers and the accounts. Next came those employed in the superintendence, the store keeper, ItOnearz'us, and the inspector of th e bath, th e balncarizts, and, as we have before stated, th e firemen had also to assist the police, so we need not be surprised to find a qu,estiottarius, that is onepossibl y a slave-to whom was delegated the duty of applying torture. Finally, not specially mentioned in the list, we h ave the office of the sebaciarius, the siphonan'i, the aquarzi and the tJmitu/£arius of all of these officers and their duties we shall speak later on.

is a b ea utiful door, which gives admissio n to a small room which is decorated with different kinds of paintings, and on the walls of which were found many g raphi tes. Returning to the atrium we see two other doors, that on the left leads by a su bterranean passage to th e streets, and the door on the right g ives access to a well preserved bath. This certainly belonged to a private family, though it is not improbable that it :vas added to th e for the firemen, and it was for theIr use, when commg 111 from the street, that th e subterranean passage was constructed.

Among the first graphites discovered was one to the memory of a fireman who had held the office of It is probable that the sebaciaria had some WIth the public lighting of some of the streets of 111 the time of Caracalla, because we do not find thIS office mentioned in the list of Villa Mattei, where, '1S we have already said, even the most humble, entrusted to the firemen are fully s e t out. This is confirmed also by .the fact that about Caracalla's time the Roman nocturnal hfe must hav e

the ex mbdoriullt trasfev erills; the hollow portion contained the fat or oil which fed th e wick, and the torch was inclined in s uch a manner as to give the appearance of a flagstaff when suspended.

It now remains to deal with the methods and appliances which th e Roman firemen had at their disposal to stay the rav ages of fire. Firstly we may mention that the c.ity possessed an admirable water supply. The firemen water easi ly and rapidly by the llamal; these were noth.mg but very light pails; pitched baskets were also us ed, whIch, being lighter than th e lzamal we re more easi ly moyed Supposing such baskets to have been of proper dim enSions, we may presume that th ey were used as receptacles. or reservoirs for tile sipho71es, th ese latt er betng machmes which would correspond to our pompes. Such have been found in th e excava tions at Rome, at PompeII, and near Civitavecchia and Bolsena-that of Bolsena is now in the British Museum. Another, excavated out of the trunk of a tree, was also found at Silchester-a Roman town of England. The siplzo?larii then, by means of the sljholl es

URN OUT." - CHIEF FIRE STATION, RO:\[E, JUNE, 1906.

could with ease and rapidity throw water up in case of fire wherever it was mo st required, ,"

It was the duty of the aquarii,to help the not so much in dirf'cting the fetchmg and carrYll1g. of the water but in locatin a all possible snUl'ces of water SItuated in two districts of the town in charge of the cohort. to which they belonged. It :vas their duty to provlde the hose or pipes for the SlplWlU'S ; plpes were al.ternately of wood and leather, with.

Roman firemen possessed also fire engmes an? Iron instruments, scaling ladders, saws, cramps, &c. The dolaha corresponds to our mattock, such an mstrument ,was used by the firemen to stop the spread of the conflagratIOn

Lastly, we have learned that the firemen had methods for providing for the of the mmates from a burning building these dutIes were controlled. by the e11litulian'us, whose office it was t.o provide great ptllows. to diminish the risk to those who, ltl the case of a burnmg building, fell or jumped from a height.

In conclusion we must all admit, although In methods of fire extinction we have much to be proud of lI1 this the twentieth century, still there is much that we may give praise and credit methods that were adopted by those pioneers of CIvilisatIOn, the Roman people.

AI D.- August, [906.

I note that your correspondent ,'.'ho regarding one of these flagrant breaches of Brigade h .egulatlOl1S" states that he desires to "call the attention of whomsoever may concern," I should say that it calls primarily at the hands of the Deputy Commissioner of the !?Istnct 111 he practices his unauthorised system of usurpmg the duties of the medical mai1.

This particular specific may be of estimable value, but 111 undertaking to prescribe its In apparently reckless manner that he does, the man IS acceptmg a .very grave .responsibility and one, which in the event of serious complications resulting, he would incur very censLll:e.

To my mind the rule agamst IS a ,most wise one and one that has been framed both In the mterest of ambulance helpers and those to whom they render assistance. - Yours truly, M.R.C,S.

RETROSPECT.

DEAR SIR,-The first item on page "Our Birthday," of FIRST AID for July brought to my mind the very first page of FIRST AID, for 'July, 1894, which. began :-:-" We scarcely feel that any apology is for the Il1troductlon of a Journal of this kind to the notice of ambulance men.. We acknowledge the responsibility to be great, an? we know such a ] ournal as this may have a powerful ll1f1uence whIch should only be used for the furtherance of good and useful oblects."

Originally a 4-page sheet to what It has grown; naturally comes the thought, what its possibilitie.s? They are encouraging enough-judging an of J oumal as it is to-day, the surpnsmgly marked Improvement m paper, type, finish and display. The numerous blo,cks we are now accustomed to as a regular feature of old and, what is more important still, the ever reliable information re the Fire and Ambulance Service m ItS pages, that should prove a mine of knowledge to in any way connected wi th or interested in ei ther of the serVices,

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services.

SERIES.] SEPTEMBER, 1906, [E1LteredatStationers'Hall]

To Our Readers.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as instructive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can, Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instruction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their hest to make it l<I1own amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will '\lso send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions ancl olhe r matters which will advance the interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sendi ng in photos are urgen tly requested to state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also the name and address of the sender.

"First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

course of each year, although extraordinary meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the President or Chairman of the Council.

Branch es termed" Local Branches," shall be formed throughout the Empire, and it is here that we think that the Society will stand its best chances of obtaining the sympathy, and large-hearted support of the nation as a whole. It will permit a healthy rivalry amongst neighbouring towns as to which shall shO\v the best results; and in addition to this it is well known that associations and institutions hav ing local centres, or branches show hetter financial results than those which are worked solely from one head centre.

IVe aTe in no way responsible for tile opinions expressed, or th ,talelJlenls made, by Correspondents.-EDITORS.

AM13ULA CE WORK IN CANADA.

DEAR SIR, - I am at present a visit to the Old Country and have seen, for the first time, your valuable and instructive journal.

I n reading your review on .the Report of the Order of St. John, I notice that the. reviewer to. thmk that ambulance work is neglected m the !?omml?l1. ThiS, however, IS not the case. Ambulance work IS carned out on many' of our railroad and tramway systems, and the military are giving much time and consideration to the orgal1lzatlOn of field ambulances and other matters connected with Army ambulance organization,

I must admit that the Order of St. John Ambulance does not flourish with us as it does in other parts of the Empire. But it must be remembered that Canada is a self-governing Colony, and I do not think it would be to our advantage to be controlled by an Organization so many miles away, and whose knowledge of local requi rements could but be of a very elementary character, and whose insistence on what is regarded by some as "red tape" would be rather resented by our more free and easy Colonials, Never fear Mr. Editor, if you study our local Press, you will see evidence to convince you that Am bulance work is a very real and li\'ing organisation 111 the Dominion,- Yours truly, A, FORRESTER

INDISCRIMINATE REDRESSING BY FIRST AlDERS, SIR,-I was glad to see the protest .raised in YOLlr ambulance J oumal against the .effort s of amJ:>ulance to gain a little cheap notoriety actIOn m vauntmg the claims of certam patent salves, 111 which they do sot scruple to belittle the members of the profession to whom they are mdebted for their knowledge of first aid A poor way surely, of evincing their gratitude to the lecturer from whom they received tbeir instruction in its principles.

On page 40 of FIRST AID for November, r898, will be found under "London Ambul;nce Service ( L.A.c. ), ".The gentleman who writes to us ( I t?en wntten some 40 letters ) is thanked for hIS communicatIOn, but we wish he would send his name and address." He has sll1ce done so, and is sincerely as ever, wishing and .hoping that events may continually shape always m a manner beneficial to the Ambulance Cause 111 general, and that valuable adjunct, FIR ST Am in particular, -Faithfully yours, L.A.C.

Policy No. "FIRST AI D."

600,093. b d t h d

This Coupon=lnsurance =Tic ket must not e e ac e . WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos, 36 to 44, MOORGATE LONDON, E.c., to the legal personal representatIve of the bona fide holder of this if such holder shall be killed by an accident WIthIn the UOlted KI?gd,om or,Channel Islands to any Railway Con:pany's. In whIch such holder is travelling as an ordmary tIcket-bearIng passenger, seasonti cket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions which are of the essence of the contract! VIZ. : -

(a) T l;at death result within one mOl!tb (b) holder's usual signature shall have been In Ink, In the space prOVided underneath, before the accident, (c) tbat, notice of the be given to the C<?rporation a its Principal Office In London wlth!n fourt:en days Its occurrence, (d) that medical certificates and other mformatlon. be furnished by the person claiming. upon request for the same by the CorporatIOn, and (e) that this Insurance applies only to persons over. twelve and under seventy years of age is limited to one Coupon-Insurance. TI cke for each holder, and hold s good for ;he current month of issue o nly,

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890," Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incompatible with the special conditions abov; stated.

The possession 0/ tltis Coupon-Insurance· IS adlJlItted to be tlte paYllient 0/ a pre11li1411l1mder Sec. 33 0/ t!,e Act A Prmt 0/ tILe Act can be see" at tIle Pn'ncipal Office o/tlte Corporatloll.

Sig'lZat'<1'c

Monti, oj issue: A "g'. I906.

l'tinted and Puhlished by Messrs. DALE, REYNOLDS & Co., Ltd., 46, Cannon Street London, E. c., to whom all communications should be addressed

EDITORIAL_

THI S Society, which was inaugurat ed at The British a mceting held at Buckingham Palace Red Cross on 17th July, 1905, under the preSociety. sidency of Her Majesty the Queen, who has taken the keenest interest in its formation, as she always does in any Society having for its a:m the amelioration of human suffering and sickness, has tak e n up and placed on a more comprehensive and solid basis th e wo rk hitherto carried out by the National Society for aid to the Sick and Wound ed in War, which owed its inception to the generosity and large heal·tedness of that gallant soldier the late Lord Wantasc.

As proposed by Her Majesty, the primary object of the Society will be to furnish 'lid to tbe sick and wounded in time of war. Its further object will be to examine, systematise and co-ordinate all offers of help, and, by preventing waste and overlapping, to render them of the utmost possible value,

It is not proposed that any material or stores be prepared or collected in time of peace, but the Society will make it a feature of its work to ascertain where and on what terms the necessary supplies can be obtained when the need for them shall arise.

The affairs of the Society will be governed by a Council, which will hold two ordinary meetings in the

It is generally assumed that once a new project has rec eIved Royal approval its future IS assured. This may be so in a ge ner al sense, but it is to be hoped that this view will not lead to any dimunition in the effort to make the British Red Cross Society what it should be, a pattern for othcr nations to emulate.

In concluding, we would to recall to the minds of our lady readers the gracious words of our dearly beloved Queen when concluding the speE.ch before alluded to, Her Majesty said: "I therefore now appeal to all the women of the Empire to assist me in carrying out this great scheme which is essentially a woman's work, and which is the one and only way in which we can assist our brave and gallant army and navy to perform their arduous duties in time of war."

Never was an appeal to the womanhood of a nation more touchingly or patriotically conveyed, and it will, we are sure, find an echo in the hearts of all of thuse who during the South African war were brought into contact with the and misery which attended that campaign, Full particulars of the organisation of the Society and the mode of procedure to be adopted in the formation of local branches may be obtained from the courteous secretary, Mr. James G Vokes, British Red Cross Society, 9, Victoria-street, London, S. ,V" who will, we are sure, be only too pleased to assist any of our readers who may be desirous of taking up the work.

COALVILLE.-As a result of a recent prize-drawing organised on behalf of the funds of this division the sum of £ 27 2S. 9d. was realised.

The Knights Hospitallers of St. of Jerusalem: John BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN. Pro utilitate lzomimr7lJ. CO;'1PILED BY C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Con tinued from page I9)·

AND thus they wandered forth to seek a new home.. This they found at Malta, where nothing was now wantl.ng for the entire establishment of the Knights, but the arnval ?f the Grand Master, Villiers De L Isle-Adam, the CounCll, and all the Knights into the island. A number of vessels and transports were sent to convey hither the inhabitants of Rhodes, who being resolved to share the fortunes of the Order, had continued with the Knights ever since they had quitted that island.

straightened in Tripoli by other neigh bouring cities and towns, all of them Infidels, people who had ,formerly subject to the King of Tunis, sent dlffere.nt against these Africans, who penodically made IncurslOns into this neighbourhood and ravaged country. .

The inhabitants of Gienzor, weaned by the contInued attempts of these troublesome neighbours, finally a treaty with them, and Sangueffe, the Governor, WIth Grand Master's consent, and in consideration of a certaIn sum agreed upon between them, granted them a peace, and opened a free trade with them.

The Lord of Tachora, being more powerful than those of Gienzor, and master of a good port, not .hear a word mentioned of a tribute. The terntory of thiS lord consisted of a large plain, which extended itself to within four leagues of the City of Tripoli. .

Septem ber, 1906. -FIRST

Mustapha, who had acquired Solyman's esteem and by several great victories which he had gained, was appomted general of the land forces ..

!he Grand Master having heard from his spies at Conthat Solyman would open the campaign with the. SIege of Malta, and that after reducing the whole island, whIch he took for granted, he had given orders to his generals to go into Africa, and employ all his forces to drive out the Spaniards from thence.

Ambulance Competition in Dublin.

TH.E first for the handsome challenge cup whIch has been presented by Viscount I veagh to the Dublin Centre of the S.J.A.A. was held on the 28th August, at th e Eavesfort-terrace Rink, Dublin.

They also shipped on board these vessels the effects

This spacious plain was full of VIllages, which furmshed their lord with a considerable number of brave horsemen and musketeers whose chief business was robbery; these often engaged' with the Maltese, an.d each party \ai.d ambuscades for his neighbours. ThIngs passed 10 thiS manner at first with but little loss on either side, but these and records of the Order, and also various movables, together with ammunition and provisions.

A great number of Knights and soldiers in their pay, went over in this fleet, which, before its arrival, met with a severe storm, in which one of the galleys was dashed to pieces against a rock another one had already got into the port at Malta, when a gale sprung up, and not.vithstanding that the galley was fastened with three anchors she broke all her cables,

RAISING THE SIE GE OF MALTA (from a Painting by Larivier e, at Versailles)

and after twice runningaground at last sunk in the sand. All she was los.t, when a contrary wind springing up, raIsed her, after WhICh she floated, and on being examined was found to have .received no damage to her hull. Those were for draw10g predictions from everything, did not fall to adduce from this incident that Heaven seemed to point out the of the Order, which, after having suffered so great a vanety of dangers and storms should at last settle itself happily at Malta. The Grand Master had no sooner given the necessary orders for the defence of the island of Malta than he crossed over to that of Goza and here gave 8rders for the building of entrenchments.' He brought several pieces of cannon with ammunition and provisions into the and leaving a company of foot in It, he exhorted the 10habitants to be inviolably true to the Order and then returned to Malta. At the same time he sent reinforcements to the Governor of Tripoli, a Knight of great valour, who had signalized himself in the last siege of Rho?es by a great many deeds of heroism, and who, by fightmg under the orders of the Grand Master had acquired the of holding such places as should be entrusted to hiS charge. This commander seeing himself greatly

petty wars afterwards gave rise to others of much greater consequence, and in which we observe that the arms of the Knights of St. John were no less serviceable to the princes of Christendom in Africa than they had been b e fore in Asia, and during the time that the Order resided in Palestine, and afterwards at Rhodes.

On Sept. 7th, 15 6 7, Solyman held a great council of war on horseback in the open field. The first thing debated on was the necessity they were under for driving

the Knights out of the island Mahomet, the most experienced general of all the Pashas, W?? was advanced to the dignity of a grand VlZler, was entuely against the enterprise to Malta, urging that there was a great difference between the Isle of Rhodes that <?f Malta-that the former was situated in the mIdst of hIS territories at a great distance from Europe, and out of the way of succour from the Christians. On the contrary, as Malta lay near Sicily, it could receive succour f:om the.nce at any time, and the King of Spain, who con.sldered It a bulwark to his Italian dominions, would not fall to employ all his forces to relieve it. He pointed out also that most of the Christian princes would enter into the war; that they would meet with nothing at Malta but a steep barren rock and a body of brave Knights to defend it, men who were resolved to die rather than surrender; that they had reason to be apprehensive of a new crusade, and a league between the princes of Christ e ndom who, in that case would be able to send a numerous fleet in the spring with fresh troops on board to block up the Turkish vessels in the Isle of Malta. Notwithstanding the solidity of these reasons Solyman declared himself for the enterprise.

Th e Grand Master was not in the least daunted at the news; however, he communicated it to the council of the Order, and with their consent sent a general summons to all the Knights who were dispersed up and down the differe?t provinces of Christendom, ordering them to repair forthwIth to Malta. The agents employed by the Order in Italy, levied a body of 2,000 foot, and the Viceroy of Sicily sent the two Spanish companies he had promised. The ships and galleys of the Order were, till the beginning of the siege, continually employed in transporting arms, powder, ammunition and provisions to Malta; and the Knights were daily arriving there in considerable numbers, t<? disch arge the obligations of their profession, and to SignalIze their zeal and courage against the Infidels.

Such commanders as could not leave th eir provinces by. reaso.n of their age or infirmities, not being able to go thither 10 person, generously sent the best part of their effects to Malta, and some Priors were ordered by the Grand Master to stay in Italy and about the person of the Viceroy of Sicily in order to hasten the supplies promised, and to forward the embarkation of certain, French, Spanish and German Knights, who had not yet set out from their respective provinces.

(To be continued.)

City of London Ambulance Service.

WE understand that although the L.eC Ambulance scheme for greater London has been condemned by the Lords, this will not affect the scheme which the City Corporation has decided to carry out. Indeed, a beginning has already been made, and it is hoped that the service will be in working order before the end of the present year.

In addition to the two central stations at Bishopsgate and St. Bartholomew 's Hospital there will be over 50 ca ll stations of a similar pattern to the existing fire alarms these are now in course of installation by the Genera l Post Office, and as soon as this work is accomplished it will be possible to inaugurate the service.

The ambulance wagons are to be automobile, propelled by electricity; but although provision has been made in the scheme for the purchase of two such vehicles, only one has so far been ordered. We understand it is thought advisable to test this thoroughly before acquiring the second. We also understand that the memb ers of the Council were by no means unanimously in favour of the electric ambulances, which were thought by some to be too heavy and cumbersome for the narrow streets of the City

I pSWJcH -Sergt. C. W. Gooderham, of the Gippeswyk Division, has been presented with a handsome tea service on resigning from the division owing to his going to re side in Colchester. The presentation was made by Hon. Surgeon A. W. Paterson, who referred in eulogistic terms to the valuable services which Mr. Gooderham had re nder ed to the ambu lance cause. Mr. e W. Goodf'rham feelingly respo nd ed

Twelve te ams entered and after a very careful examination this fine trophy, which is now tile blue ribband of the world in Ireland, was won by the Belfast Fire Bngade (No. Belfast Division S J. A. B.) who scored 1.5 .marks out of a possible 200. The St. J ames's Gate DIVISion, S.J.A.B., won second and third places. The L.N..IV. Railway team, 4th, and the R. I. c., 5th , The rem ammg teams were represented by Messrs. Jacobs.

Biscuit Factory, South of Irel and Imperial Yeomanry, and the City of Dublin Division S.J.A.B.

Th ere was a good of the general public and the competition was spirited and interesting. The jud ges were Surgeon-General Edge, C.B., for Ireland, Surgeon-Major Pratt, F de.Beho PInl, M.D., a staff-officer NO.4 North-Western Dlstnct S.J.A.B., and W. A. Winter, :'1.D.

The cup and the medals were to the winning te am , who thoroughly deserved then victory, by Mr!'. J. Lumsden.

The organization and general a rr angemen ts of tile competition were carried out by J. Lumsden, M.D., Supt. and Hon. Surgeon St. Jam es's Gate. Division, S.J.A.B., and it was also through his instrumentalIty that the cup was present ed by Lord I veagh.

The cup, which is shown in the abov.e pbot.ograph, IS a particularly fine one, solid silver, of anCIent and standing on its plinth it measures 18 mches 10 height.

S!JOHN AMBUl",NCt

No. I District (Metropolitan Corps.)

Jo. 36 (CAUSTON) annual display of this division took place on Saturday, Sep.tember 1St., at the Causton \thletic Grounds, North Dulwlch. There was a brae body of spectators present, who appeared greatly in the various items on the As illustrating Bank Holiday duty a demonstrallon was of first aid work on 'Appy Ampstead, the replcsen ted were typical of this renowned para.dlse of 'Arry and 'Arriet, and several presumed casualties were. amongst the roysterers. This was followed by an 1l1cldent in the late South African war, "Attack on a Convoy," illustrative of ambubnce work in the field.

The Band of the London Irish Rifles was present and supplie d the music [or the programme of dances: The "Snargate-on-Sea" Pierrots also gave an Supt. G. S. Ellison, the popular comm.ander of diVISion was responsible for the arrangements, In the carryIng out of which he was ably assisted by 1st Class .Galsworthy. It is intcresting to note that the Causton DIVISIOn a:e thls year the holders of the 'c. Dewar Shield," the blue nbband of the S.J.A.B. competltlve field.

No. 2 District.

BRISTOL.-On Saturday afrernoon, Aug. 25th, the members of the Imperial Division (Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills) accompanied by Capt. Tresize (Supt. of the Marinc Division and Transport Department), had a pleasant drive to Rickford. By kind permissi.on of L?rd Winters toke on arrival the party were pertl1ltted to view the grounds, model dairy and prize cattle on his Blagdon estate. A capital tea was subsequently partaken of and afterwards a few speeches were made. In the of his remarks, Capt. Tresize spoke of the valuable help he had received from the division; often, he said, the men on duty would give the whole night, notwithstanding the fact that they had to be at their work the following morning. On returning to the village, some of the party elected to indulge in a smoking concel t, whilst others paid a visit to the reservoir and pumping station of the Bristol Waterworks. The company left for Bristol at 8 o'clock and had a pleasant drive home, all voting it a most enjoyable outing.

PORTSl\lOUTII.-The Deputy Cl)mmissio n er, J. S. Griffiths, Esq., M.RC.S., visited this district on Thursday, September 6th, and inspected the various local divisions. The Borough Police Division was inspected in the afternoon. In the evening the Gosport Division, under Supt. Edwards; the Portsmouth Division, under Supt. J. Malpas; and the Portmouth Nursing Division, under Lady Supt. Miss Kate Langster, were inspected. At the close the inspecting officer announced that he was extremely pleased with the drill and first aid work. Insp ector General H. C. \\ oods, RN., C. B., was an interested spectator.

A I D.- September, 1906.

No. 3 District.

.'

BIRMINGHAIII.-The annual mspectlOn of the ham Corps was held on Saturday, Septem.ber 1St, I? Volunteer Drill Hall, Thorpe -street lond permlsslOn of Colonel C. ]. Hart, V.D., commundmg 1st V.B. Royal 'Warwickshire Regiment).

There were about 200 men on parade under the command of Chief Supt. Fred. Gilbert, th e other officers on parade being Chief Su:geon T. Nelson, M.D., Supt. Secretary J. H. Hawk1l1s, Hon. Surgeons J. Henton White, M.D., Jas. Neal, M.RC.S., and G. Clement Belcher, M. D., Supts. J. Dudley, D. II. Williams,. 1Lacon, J. Gardner, S. Nutt, W. J. Spendlove, and FIrst Officers F Chaloner and F. G. Shaw.

The Corps marched from Headquarters, accompanied by its own buglers, and the bugle band of. the. C. arrival at Thorpe-street, were drawn up 111 lIne Jl1 review order. The inspecting officers were G. S. Elliston, V. D. (Deputy Commissione r NO.3 DistrIct), with whom was Assistant-Commissioner T. H. Woolston. Following the general salute, Colonel Elliston inspected the lines after which the men were put through anum ber of including hand-seat drill, stretcher exercises, and treatment of injurpd, &c., and were finally marched past in column of sections with all gear. All the mo.vernents were admirably carried out, the men shewll1g evidence of thoroughness in training as well as personal enthusiasm in the ambulance movement.

At the close the Inspecting Officer expressed himself thoroughly satisfied with the wor.k o! the Corps. He had been pleased to note that the Bml1lngbam Corps had for tbe second time won the Camp Cup, and remarked that the strength of the corps on parade constituted what was known as a "field ambulance."

Ambulance work seems to be coming into favour with women in the city, for among the most interested were a number of young ladies wearing the S.J.A. medallIOn, a large number of whom were members of the formed Nursing Division. For many years the Blrmll1gham Corps has done exce ll ent service in the interests of the community on occasions of public demonstrations, but the need of women skilled in first aid has often been emphasised. This additional branch of public service will be app reciated.

In the evening a smoking concert was held at the Great Western Hotel, presided over by the Chief Supt. and attended by the inspecting officers. An excellent programme of 111usical items was enjoyed th e members of the Corps and many fnends mterested m the work of the Brigade.

On Sunday afternoon, September 16th, the annual church parade was held, when Divine Service was attended at St. Martin's Church. The unsettled we:; ther prevented a large attendance, but 125 members of the Corps turned out and in their march tl) and from the church headed by the City Police Band (by kind permission of the Chief Constable). They presented a smart appearance.

Chief Supt. F. Gilbert was in command, and other officers present were Chief-Surgeon T. Nelson, M. D., Supt.-Secre tary J. H. Hawkins, Hon. Surgeon 1- Henton White, M.D., Supts. Williams, Harris, Gardner, Nutt, and First Officers Chaloner and Shaw

The preacher was the Rector of Birmingham (Canon J. Denton Thompson, M.A.) who took as hiS text: "\Vhatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

The necessity of a high ideal of duty was impressed on the the Brigade, the members of which were heartily welcomed by the Rector to "Birmingham's Mother Church."

September, 1906. -FIRST

COVENTRY.-The annual of the NorthEast Warwickshire Corps compnslOg the following Divisions :-Coventry Central, Coventry Co-Operative, Coleshill, Nuneaton, and Leamington, took place in the School ground, in Warwick-road, and the men headed by the Royal Warwicbbire Band subsequently marched to the Co-Operative Hall, where a su.bstantial .tea was of, at the conclusion of which Asslstant-ComrmsslOner Woolston thanked Chief Supt. Rudgard for his hospitality and congratulated him on commanding so fine a body of Several Officf'rs from neighbouring Corps and Divisions were also present.

NORTIIAIIIPToN.-This corps is taking up recruiting for th e Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve in a 1ll0St manner, and it is hoped that a large number of !ts members will join the classes now being formed to qualify for enrolment. 'V e are glad to learn also tbat with the legacy left by the late Dr. efforts will be made to provide the Corps With SUitable headquarters. Cbief-Supt. Harvey Reeves and bis brother. officers are so evidently in earnest tbat we trust that. their fellow. townsmen will rally round them and t.hem With the wherewithal to carry out a scheme whIch wIl! not only be of great practical service to tbe corps, but will also be of benefit to the town generally. The competition for the handsome cup presented by the Marquis of Northampton takes place on the 29th inst.

OLNEY. - Chief Commissioner Woolston conducted the inspection of this Division on Saturday evening, Aug. 29 th . The parade. which place on the lawn of Orchard House by kmd permiSSIOn of Mr. and lvrrs J. W. :\Iann was utlder the command of Supt. Knight. The ;nen 'were put through the customary drills, bandage practice, &c ., were very Addressing the DlVIslOn at the the Officer said he was very pleased With the drill and first aid work, and he was glad to have had such a good report of the Sick Bay Reserve members who had Just a course of instruction at one of the naval hospltals. He was sorry to learn, however, that in addition to do!ng this voluntary service that they had also had to put theIr hands into their pockets for funds. This not to. be, .and he urged tbe collectors to be more active m gettmg 111 subscriptions.

Colonel Bull, of Stony Stratford, who a.lso spoke a few words .in of the DIVISIOIl which he said was a credit to the DlstrIct.

Miss Mann then presented medallions, &c., to .several of the members enti t led to them, and at the conclUSIOn the men wcre entertained by 1\1r. and Mrs. Jlann.

The Olney Silver Prize Band l?layed a selection of music at intervals during the proceed111gs.

\VELLINGBORoUGH.-An am bulance parade and demonstration took place here on August 18th, when detacbments from Wellingborough, IIlgham Ferrel'S, Rushden, Irchester, Wollaston a?d Bozeal were present. The Officers :,'ere Chief Supt. T. H. Hilton, and Supts. FranCIS, SW1l1dall, and Eatley. The men mustered near tbe Council Schools, and marched headed by the Higham Ferrers Bugle Ban? to a field kindly lent by :Mr. C Knight, where a good was gone through. Tea having been partaken of, dancll1g on the lawn was indulged in.

The annual inspection of the me!11bers of this corps was h e ld in the Grammar Schoo l playll1g fields, on Satur-

AI D.- 37

day, September 8th Tbe men to the number of about ISO, assembled at the headquarters in Church-street at three o'clock, and headed by Wellingborough Volunteer Band, marched to the fields. Colonel Ellison, Deputy Commissioner No. 3 District, arrived about four o'clock, accompanied by Assistant Commissioner T. H. Woolston and District Chief Surgeon W. E. Audland. He at once inspected the men's equipment, whilst Dr. L. W. Dryland conducted a bandaging competition, in wbich the members of the nursing division were engaged. \t the close of the inspection the men were drawn up and were addressed by the inspecting office r, who congratulated them on their smart appea ranc e, and also on the excellent manner in which they bad acquitted themselves. Mrs. Platt then pres;:ll1ted the prizes given to the nursing division by Cbief Supt. Hilton. The proceedings terminated with ch e ers for Colonel Ellison, and tbe men march e d back to the town where tea was served.

No. 4 District.

ACCRINGTON.-Tbe annual inspection of tbis corps and the nursing division took place at the Drill Hall on Saturday, August 18th. The Il1spectll1g officer District Supt. Secretary Woodcock. Chief Supt. Odgen was in command, the other officers present being Hon. Surgeons Clegg and Greenwood, and Supt Bullock. There were about 80 members present on parade, and at the close of the ir:spection the officer expressed his entire at the way. 111 wh!ch the various drills had been carned out. The InspectIOn was followed by a short route march, concluding with a tea and smoking concert

BARROw. - Tbe funds of this division have just recei ved a welcome addition as a result of collections taken at the practice matches of the B a rrow Association Football Club On 18th £5 6s. 6d.; August 25 th , £5 13s. IO}d.; a total £rl os. 4}d. This is an example that football clubs 111 other parts of the country might well copy

LIYERPOOL.-..:\ route marcb promoted by this division and taken part in by sections from Liv e rpool, Bootk, Southport and Wdterloo took place on Saturday, Sept e mber 8 th. The combined units were under the command of Supt. J. C Ellison (Liverpool); other officers on parad e bein g Supt. Benson (BootIe), Supt. 1Illl1gworth (Southport ), and S upt. Smith (Waterloo) .

The journey to Tell' Brighton was made by boat, and on arrival the company marched direct to Wallaslay sandhills, were some useful drill undertak e n. The uneven and somewhat Lreacherous footing afforded by the sandhills proved an excellent test as to the capability.o! the bear e rs to transport wounded patients safely over d.dncult ground. By six o'clock, after the arduous work, the mner man began to feel the need of and the proceeded to New Brighton Tower, were a substantial tea was 'ded "first aid" being promptly rendered by scores of provi , t willing hands. Th e ren,ainder of the evel1lng was spen in taking part in the vanous pleasures and amusements for which the Tower is famous.

No. 5 District.

BIRcHwOOD. - On Tuesday evening, .-1.ug. 28th, a ade for preliminary inspection took place on the SomersCricket Ground. The inspection was made by lIon. S · 0 D Robson and the other officers on parade U1 geon ., ,

-FIRST

were Supt. Powis, 1St OffIcer Hill and 2nd Officer Kitts. At the close of a series of drills, bandaging practice, &c., Hon. Surg. Robson, who had minutely watched the proceedings, complimented the officers and the men on the admirable way in which the drills had been carried out. He especially complimented Supt. Powis on the high state of efficiency to which the Corps had attained and said the bandaging and first aid work was admirable. Supt. Powis thanked the Doctor for his kind remarks.

BRADFORD.- The annual inspection of the City Division took place on Aug. 15th, Surg.-Major E. WestSymes, District Chief Surgeon, being the inspecting officer. At the close of the inspection, Surg.-Major West-Symes briefly addressed the officers and men and complimented them on their drill, stating that the division was now in a higher state of efficiency than he bad ever known it before. It is gratifying to note tbat so marked an improvement has taken place since the re-organisation. The Nursing Division is also going ahead, Mrs. Chapman bas been appointed Lady Supt. and Mrs. Rose ISt Nursing Officer, and a series of interesting lectures and practices has been arranged for the coming session.

LEED s.-The annual inspection of this important Corps took place on Saturday, Aug. 25th, at the Corn Exchange. It is to be regretted that there was only a fair muster of men on parade, this, however, was to be accounted for, by a number of the men belonging to the City tramways and to the Post Office being absent, their duties preventing their attendance. Tbe inspecting officer was Surg.-Major E. West-Symes, M. D., AM.R., District Chief Surgeon. The officers on parade were Chief Surgeon A Ellison, Supt. Sec. A Eddison, Supt. Treasurer E. E. Dalton, Supt. of Stores (acting) J. Officers I. Kaye, Mortimer, and Sykes; ex-Cbief Supt. W. Matbieson, junr., was also present. The mem bers of the Corps were put through infantry, stretcher and hand-seat drill, and were also examined as to their first aid work. At the conclusion, tbe inspecting officer complimented the officers and men on parade on the smart appearance, and their work generally, and expressed his satisfaction at the way in which the conduct of the Corps and its efficiency had heen maintained; he trusted, however, that on future inspections he might see a larger number of men present.

ROTHERHAM.- This corps was represented at the amouco:npetition Ravensthorpe by a team under Sergt.Major BJrkett, and It speaks well for the strides they have made, the to pl8.ce on record that they succeeded 10 obta101Og thlrd place on this the first occasion they have competed. Halifax Police took first prize and the N.E.R., second prize. Supt. Chambers, who is in command of the Rotherham Corps, deserves every encouragement at the hands of his fellow townsmen in the efforts which he is making to bring his men up to the highest sense of efficiency.

WORKSOP.- This division was officially inspected on August 13th by Asst.-Commissioner S. W. Malkin. Mustering at headquarters. the division, headEd by the bugle band, marched to the cncket ground, where a close inspection was made of all ranks and their equipment. After the march past, however, the rain came down so heavily that an adjournment had to be made to the Town Hall where company an? dri.ll were gone through. 'At the close of the lt1SpectlOn the lt1specting officer addressed the members and complimented them on their steadiness on

A I D.- September, 1906.

parade and the excellence of their drill. He called to mind their first inspection and the progress they had made under the able superintendence of Dr. Helm Montague, and expressed a wish that the division might obtain the services of another officer in order to relieve him somewhat from the arduous duties which he still felt compelled to carry out. In alluding to the ambulance wagon, he stated that he had never seen a better or more fully equipped vehicle for transport service. In concluding, Asst.-ComMalkin said: "I am proud of the Worksop Division, and always shall be, but your officers devote an immense amount of time to you, and your thanks and mine are due to Dr. Montague for the efficient state of the Worksop Division."

Dr. Montague having thanked the inspecting officer for his remarks, the men were dismissed. The officers on parade were Supt. and Hon. Surgeon A. J. Helm Montaand 1St Officer E. G. Allen.

No. 6 District.

HlNDERwELL.-District Supt. e. B. Palmer gave an interesting on the work of the Ambulance Brigade on Aug I5th 111 the Wesleyan Schoolroom. The meeting was preSIded over by Mr. J. Bruce, and at the conclusion it was decided to form a Division of Brigade at the Grinkle Mines, and the enrolment sheet was signed by 17 members; Mr. Bruce was recommended for appointment as Supt. with Dr. Staniford as Hon. Surgeon. This is the first division to be formed in the Cleveland District but it is a further evidence that the movement is gaining in the counties of Durham and Northumberland.

FELLING.- ·A distribution of prizes coupled with the annual inspection of the Felling Colliery Division took place at Wardley Hall, the residence of Mr. and Mrs. e. B. F. W. Gibbon, YD., was the 1t1spectll1g officer, and among other interested spectators were Lord Ravensworth, the Hon. Agnes Liddell and Sir C. M. Palmer, Bart, M.P.

At the close of an interesting series of drills the Division was complimented by the inspecting officer the progress it had made since the formation, less than nine months ago. It reflected great credit on all concerned. He paid a warm tribute of thanks to the colliery proprietors fo: .t?e they had incurred in equipping the DlVlSlOn. He sll1cerely hoped that other employers in the district would emulate their example.

Sir Charles Palmer having briefly addressed the men the Hon. Agnes Liddell gracefully presented the prizes in the recent competition.

Lord Ravensworth, in the course of a few sympathetic remarks, referred to the valuable services rendered to the community by the S.J.AB., and urged the members to maintain or increase their efficiency. In connection with the hazardous calling of a miner, such an organisation as their's was most invaluable.

Col. Gibbon stated very soon divisions would be formed at Birtley and Walker Colleries, and at no distant he hoped they would have strong am bulance divisions at all the collieries in the district. of brought the proceedings to a close.

A bnef hIstory and photograph of this Division will appear next month.

September, I906. -FIRST

No. 7 District.

BLAIWAU FESTINIOG.-The first annual inspection of this took place ?n Wednesday, September 5th, officer bell1g Surgeon Lieut.-Col. Lloyd, Dlstnct Chief Surgeon. Mustering at headquarters the division, under the command ofSupt. Richard Jones, M.D., and Ist Ambulance Officer W. M. Owen, marched to the park, where stretcher and company drill was gone through under Sergt. J. R. Hughes; another section, under Sergt. W. W. Jones, being told off to treat wounded. Addressing the division at the conclusion, the inspecting officer complimented the officers and men on the way the various movements had been carried out, and congratulated them

A I D.- 39

Railway team, which in this contest had to be content with fourth place. The Mardy team has within a few months seven or eight first prizes, including two challenge shIelds and a challenge cup. It has been instructed by Dr. Granville Morris.

NEWP?RT. - In memory of late brother (Dr. Arthur GrIffiths), Deputy CommlsslOner J. S. Griffiths (No. 2 District) has recently presented to the No. 7 District a challenge cup, and on Saturday, Sept. 1st, the cup was h.anded over to the Newport Corps which had been nomll1ate.d by the Deputy Commissioner of the District (Colonel Cureton, V.D.) to be the first holders.

CARDENDEN AMBULANCE TEA;\l.-WINNERS OF THE "FIFE" CUP.

By

has been successful in winning the silver cup and gold badges by the Fife and Kinross 1\1 iners' Association and the Coalowners' Association for the best ambulance team amongst the m1l1ers of Fife and Kinross. The team consists of the following :-David Stev.enson (captain ),. Andrew. Spence, Forbes, John Andrew, and Alex. Beveridge. Out of a possible 100 marks they carned off the cup With the highly creditable total of 95·

on the progress they bad made considering the division was only formed eight months ago.

Certificates were afterwards presented by W. E. Oakley, Esq., of Plas Fan-y-Bw1ch. A section of the Portmadoc Division, in charge of Corpl. A Evans, was also on parade, and the two divisions subsequently sat down to a substantial tea.

MARDY, RHONDDA FAcH.-This place was en fete when it became known that the No. I Squad of the local division had won the White IIorse Challenge Shield in the competition at Abergavenny for South Wales and the West of England. Twenty-five squads competed. The holders of the shield for 1905 were the Gloucester Great Western

In presenting the cup to Colonel Cureton, Dr. said that the Newport Corps would ever be dear to hIm because it was the first fruit of his brother's efforts in " Tales, and because it had proved its worth by the high honours it had already gained and by the example it had. the:efore set the Brigade in general. The cup, whlch IS of CeltiC design, is of hand-beaten silver, the translucid enamels on the base show the eight-pointed cross of the Order of St. John, the red dragon, a sprig of St. John's wort, and a badge representing the name "Gruf-fydd."

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention" First Aid.'-

GATESHEAD,- This Division held a successful smoking concert on Aug. 25th.

(o lI rles) J [ T h e Dill/ dee CO li rie l'.

This is a photograph of Cardenden No. team which

-FIRST Brevities.

I 1 our Editorial this month we have drawn the attention of uur readers to the claims of the British Red Cross Society to national sympathy and national support. It will be our privilege and, indeed, our pleasure, to do all that lies within our power to assist in furthering a movement which is of such vast importance to our country. We hope to publish from time to time items of interest connected with its progression, and in other ways show our sympathy with a movement which has evoked such womanly sympathy from the beloved of our King.

* * *

LORD TWEEDlIIOUTH (First Lord of the Admiralty) speaking on the movement at the lVlansion House said :" I do not think that there is a more worthy object for tbe help of our country at large. I do not put it as a question of giving for charity's sake, I put it rather on the ground of national duty. ,Ve, who represent the Navy and the Army, are only to anxious to have the help. We are prepared to do what Wf' believe we are bound to do-to give all the assistance we can. We recognise that it is not in our power to do all that is neecessary, and we, therefore, venture to appeal :to that larger public to support our work, and to make it thoroughly perfect and sufficient."

* * *

SIR FREDER[CK. TREVES, on the same occasion, in the course of an intensely interesting speech said, in reference to the active personal interest taken by Her Majesty in the movement, "It is probably not known that Her sees the minutes of all Council meetings, as well as the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, that she comments upon them, that she constantly helps the Society by her advice, and that in no departure of any moment would any action be taken without consulting the Queen. I mention this because this is essentially a women's movement, and, if only a small fraction of the women of this country, say one hundredth part, would take as mtlch interst in the Red Cross Society as Her Majesty takes, and would be prepared to devote as much time to it as the Queen devotes, the success of the movement would be beyond question."

* **

THE editor of Til e .1lIedical Press alld Circular lIas complied with our request to name the ambulance students against whom he made a charge of adding the letters M.B., M.A., after their names. When we say he has complied with our request, we should say he has presumedly done so to his own satisfaction, but, while thanking him for his courtesy in giving the infurmation he has done, we would point out that it would have been more graceful if, in addition, he had expressed his regret at the somewhat reckless manner in which he had attacked ambulance students in gener31.

A I D.- Septem ber, 1906.

THE Editor of our Medical contemporary says :-- " In the current issue of FIRST AID (pu blished on the 2oth of the present month) the editor harks back nine weeks to quote the leaderettes on the M.B.M.A. question, which appeared in our columns for June 27th last, and t'llter alia remarks' 'Ve think, in common fairness to the association (St. John Ambulance) and its loyal adherents, they should explain more fully the reason for this cbarge; in other word::;, should give the names of the delinquents.' We have pleasure in conforming to the request of our contemporary, and give the name o f Mr. Vaughan Bateson, a registered medical practitioner, who affixed to his name on a pamphlet entitled, 'Notes on First the letters , M.B.l\I.A.,' in addition to over a score of others, including his medical titles. The editor of the screed mentioned shows in our opinion needleSS bias in his remarks, and we beg to point out to him that the matter has been fully dealt with, not only by the local (Bradford) Ethical Society, but what is more important, by the Central Etbical Committee of the B. M. A., who have considered the question of so much importance that they have specially inquired into the question and have issued a decision that these letters, 'M.B.M.A.,' may not be used in the way they were by any member of the British Medical Association "

So the delinquent is NOT after all an ambulance student, but a registered medical practitioner. Our readers will note that the Editor implies that we showed needless bias in Our remarks. We beg respectfully to differ with him, there were reasons, and very solid reasons, why we spoke out as strongly as we did. We do not doubt that :Mr. Vaughan Bateson is quite capable of defending himself, and we hold no brief for him. We should imagine, however, that in adding the initials in question he had no intention to deceive, and doubtless a suggestion from the B.M.A. would have beeh quiet sufficient to have secured the withdrawal of the offending pamphlet, and our contemporary would not then have been led on to make an attack on unofft>nding am!Jttlance students, Our contemporary must remember that this Journal represents the interests of the am bulance student-whose interests and reputation are equally as dear to us as is the reputation of the medical man to our medical contemporary.

* * *

WE have thanked the Editor for the imforrnation he has given, but we would ask him to refer once more to the paragraph to which we took exception, and tell us how far his explanation meets the following :-"0/ course, Ihere is a tendency 011 the part oj tl7e ambulal7ce student 10 ma/?e too 71tuc/t oj his hal/ knowledge, but !lone tIle l ess lze /s a dish'1!c· · tiv e alld valuable product if our Izumant'Ij'. Jt wott ld !J e a tlzolfsand pities w ere a handful of foolish amlJltlance students to brinl!: discredit on a great national organisation by their attempts to z'mpose on the public borrowed plumes."

Spetem ber, 190 6 -FIRST

Our Portrait Gallery.

T. 'v. TE]'.[PANY, ES(2., HONORARY SOLICITOR, LONDON PRIVATI!: FlRE BRIGADES \ SSOCJi\TlON.

MR. TIIOIlIAS 'YlLLlAlII TElIfPANY, whose portrait appears in our gallery this month, is a Londoner, having been born in the neigh bourhood of Regent's Park. He was educated first at a private schuol, and then at the University of London.

On leaving University College Mr. Tempany was articled to a solicitor, and subsequently was admitted a

I D.-

offices, Mr. Tempany has yet found some little time to devote to voluntary work in connection with the Ambulance Cause and the Fire ServicE'. For many years he was a mem ber of the Committee of tbe City and Port of London Centre of the S.J.A. :\.. and in connection with its work he had frequent meetings with the late Sir Vincent Kennett Barrington, the District Chairman, who entertained a very high opinion of Mr. Tempany s business qualifications and his grasp of detail in connection with the work of thi'S large centre.

Soon after the formation of the London Private Fire Brigades .\ssociation Mr. Tempany was asked to accept the post ion of Hon. Solicitor, and his valued aid was of much service in drafting the articles of Association, rules, &c. Thoroughly and genuinely kind hearted Mr. Tempany is at all times ready to assist with advice any worthy individual or society desiring his aid, and many have been indebted to him for kmd advice, not always relished perhaps at tbe moment, but which on mature reflection proved to be not only sound, but which may have eventually saved the enquiring one much ultimate worry and anxiety.

Both within and outside his profession Mr. Tempany possesses a large circle of friends, who entertain for him a warm feeling of regard which increases as the years roll on. Indeed, we think it might truthfully be said of him, that be nev e r willingly made an enemy.

We trust that he may be spared for many years and that each succeeding one may prove brighter than the last, enlivened as we trust it will, always be by the fri e ndship of many, who have learned to know and appreciate his worth and kindly nature.

Obituary.

WlDESPREAD and sincere will be the sympathy extended to Viscount Knutsford on the loss that he has sustained by the death of his wife. The deceased lady had a most kindly nature which at once inspired affection and regard in all of those with whom she was brought in contact.

member of that profession. From his youth he had a taste for literary pursuits, and in connection with his profession it is interesting to note that he is the author of several legal works, amongst which we may mention "The Legal Profession in England: Its Members and Status"; "A Short History of the Supreme Court and ItS Procedure"; "The Married Woman's Property Act of 1882," which, allhough originally published in America, was subsequently re -published in both England and Ireland. He is also the author of "The English Patent Laws Considered in Connection with the Patent Act of 188 3 ". "The Amalgamation of the Two Branches of the Legal )Profession," the last-r..amed being published in Canada He was also a contributor for many years to the legal and antiquarian journals of both England and the United States of America.

For some years Mr. Tempany was a member of the Richmond Corporation and the Rich 1110nd Board of Guardians, and on those two bodies he did much useful work for the benefit of the locality, and as an instance of his popularity we may mention that he was for many years in succession unanimously elected chairman of the Free Public Library Committee.

In spite of his professicmal a\'ocation and his public

During the time that Viscount Knutsford held the appointm e nt of Director of the Ambulance Department of the Order of St. John, Lady Knutsford was at all tim es ready to assist in the furtherance of the movement.

On the mobilisation of the Brigade for hospital service 111 South -Urica, the deceased lady accepted the position of chairman of the Ladies' Committee formed for the purp:.;se of raising funds to provide extra comforts for its members at the front, and she will always be gratefully remembered by Brigade men who did service in South Africa. Indeed, all of those members of the Brigade who had the pleasure of making Lady Knutsford's acquaintance will remember he kindliness of heart and her sympathy for those in sorrow or in pain. Her's W8S indeed a lovable nature and one may truthfully say of her that she played her towards making the world a little brighter and a little happier than she found it.

To th e veteran statesman who bas to mourn the loss of a devoted partner we tender respectful s ym path y. Y He \\'ho doeth all things for the best comfort and sustall1 him in the hea\'y sorro\\' he is called upon to bear.

We regret to ha\'e to record the death of the. Rev. Sir William Borradaile Savory, Bart., on the chaplams of the Order of St. John. The rev. gentleman was Vicar St. Bartholomew-the-Great and it was mainly due to hIS indefati uueable zeal and energy that the restoration of o

-FIRST

this grand old parish church has been so fully car.ried out. Re took a keen interest in the S.J. A. B. and mvarably witnessed the inspection of the Metropolitan Corps on St. John'S Day and his genial presence will be g reatly missed at future gatherings.

Reviews.

FIRE AND LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES.

THE Catalogue of Messrs. Henry Simonis & Co., of Norfolk House, Norfolk·street, Strand, W.C., contains illustrations and particulars of the various specialities issued by this enterprising firm Vye remember being much impressed by their Turntable Escape when we saw it at the FIre Exhibition, and we are not therefore surprised to learn that a large number of well-known fire chiefs award it praise. e.0. Frost ( Sheffield ) wr it es, referring to one that has been in use in his brigade since 1903 : "The gas driven escape supplied by you two years ago has given the greatest satisfaction, and has never failed to dn the work required of it. The whole machine is very stable, a necessary qualification in a hilly district. "

In addition to other appliances issued by this firm, attention must also be drawn to their mechanical curricle fire escape, pompier ladders, belts, etc. These latter are most favourably spoken of by C.O. Thomas ( Liverpool ), Supt. Sharrock (B lackpool ), and Supt. Holland ( Homsey ), amongst other well-known fire chiefs.

We advise chief officers, members of Corporations and others, who may be contemplating adding to, or replacing certain portions of, their fire equipment, to obtain one of Messrs. Simonis' Catalogues, and before placing their orders elsewhere to visit the works and inspect the machines turned out by this go ahead firm.

AMBULANCE REQUISITES (S econd Edition )

THE issued by the well-known firm of Reynolds & Branson, Bngga te, Leeds, has been carefully revised and brought up-to-date ::vI essrs. Reynolds & Branson were one of the first of the large manufacturing firms to realise the value of the movemen.t and the which it had opened for the provldmg of all kInds of requIsItes and material required by the. " first aider, " for many years past now they have been III the fOl:efront In the manufacture and supplying of ambulance applIances, whether for home, hospital or factory.

Space will not admit of more than a casual reference to many articles ably illustrated and described which appears III the Catalogue, but there are one or two to which we think spec ial allusion should be made.

Firs.t there are the japanned ?rst cases and bandage shoots, III the manufacture of whIch thIS firm has earned a world-wide renown, for they are to be seen in all quarters of the globe. The also supplies a natty little metal pocket case, for cyclIsts, tounsts, workmen, &c. Its measurement I" 4-k In. by 3 In. by in. deep, it weighs 4t ozs., and is retailed at the popular price of one shilling.

Members o! ambulance and nursing divisions who may be of makIng a presentation to their hon. surgeon should :vnte Messrs R. & B. for particulars of their aseptic pocket there is nothing in the ambulance w?rld .whlch. thIS Yorkshire firm cannot supply you wIth; If not In theIr list they wIll offer to obtain it for you in a few a courtesy which means much to the busy man who, n:nI1l.ng ambulance work as a hobby, has not too much time at hIS dIsposal for letter writing.

FIRST AID TABLETS OF FRACTURES.

THIS li.ttle manual, compiled by Chief Surgeon S. O. Eades, of t.he IpswI ch Corps, is to Surgeon Col. EllIston, D.eputy .Commlssloner .No Dlst:ICt. It has evidently been comrlied with. care, and IS <l: comprehensive style, and ItS author Justly claIms for It that 1t wIll enable first aid students and members of the and Brigade to recall to memory at a g:lance facts eas. Ily learned and as easily forg otten.

We commend It to officers 111 charge of corps and divisions,

AID.- September,

1906.

and to those conducting ambulance classes, as they .will fin? it a capital medium to impress upon those Il1structlOl1, things that they should do as well as those whIch they shoul.rl. avoid, when dealing with that most impo:tant of theIr instruction-the treatment of fractures. I t IS publIshed by W. E. Harrison, the Ancient House Press, I pswich, at 6d. net.

THE Annual Report of the North Eastern Railway Ambulance Centre just to hand proves that ambulance work under the careful supervision of Mr. Jackson and his colleagues is still making grea t headway among all classes of employes on this Company's system. By its pages we learn that upwards of [,000 certificates have been obta.ined the medium of the classes held 111 connectIon WIth the centre. This is a record of which the board of directors and its officers may well be proud.

Reports on the various competitions which have taken place during the past year are attached, and are not the least interesting part of its pages. We are glad to see that many of the judges are now condemning the various ridiculous methods adopted by some competitors in their effort!> to impress them. Amongst these the method of testing the stretcher by tossing one of the bearers upon it cannot be too strongly condemned. In fa ct, we hope in the near future to see all these catch devices, such as fanning the patient, obtaini ng water from an Imaginary tap, halting with the patient and ruthlessly overhauling him to see that the dresssings are still intact, etc., done away with.

We congratu late the committee of the centre on the good work done, and we heartily congratulate Mr. Geo. Jackson, the general secretary. All the judges pay tribute to his courtesy aTJd ability, and it is no more than his due, for it is the personality and geniality of Mr. Jackson and his capacity for hard work that has gone far to make first aid work so successful and so popular on the N.E.R.

BELFAST.-The interesting ceremony of naming the motor brougham ambulance built by the well-known ambulance experts Messrs. Wilson & Stockall for th e Fever Hospital was kindly undertaken by the Countess of Shaftesbury, on Friday, August loth. The ceremony took place in the spacious quadrangle attached to the headquarters of the Fire Brigade. Upon arrival the Countess was received by Alderman Dr. King, Chairman of the Public Health Committee, and witnessed a display with the new vehicle which was given under the direction of Mr. Stockall who subsquently presented her ladyship with a solid silver scent-bottle containing Eau de Cologne, with which she chr ist ened the vehicle the "Shaftesbury."

The carriage has accommodation inside for two recumbent patients at one time the stretchers being fixed in such a way that the top patient may be lowered down to the same level as the bottom patient, when he is placed in posi tion and secured, and then raised in position again above the bottom stretcher. This is quite a new arrangement as applied to brougham ambulances. Sitting accommodation inside for two other persons is also provided, the whole of the interior being a most compact and up-to-date arrangement. When unn ecessary to convey rec umbent pati e nts the stretchers and fittings can be removed and the interior can then be used as an ordinary four-seated brougham for sitting patients only. The motor chassis is 12-14 h.p. of th e Cottereau make, fitted with Gaulois tyres 8 [5 by 100. It has three speeds forward and one reverse speed, with ample power.

The chassis is specially built to suit this type of ambulance body, the engines being placed underneath th e driver's seat, thus reducing the e ngth considerably as compared with an ordinary motor car, which makes it more easy to turn and handle in narrow thoroughfares. This is a most important feature, as an ambu lance cannot always choose the way it has to go, being compelled to go where the patients requiring removal happen to reside at the time.

Septem ber, 1906. -FIRST

Simonis' Cycle Ambulance.

THI S remarkable cycle is, to start with, a first-class ordinary cycle, made of best material throughout.

The frame is so constructed that it will entirely divide into two at the vertical middle bar, giving a front and hind section with each one wheel attached. These two sections are movably fitted on the additional curved horizontal bar, on which they are held at right angles by means of two rods, which connpct this bar with each respective section, thus forming the firm framework of the two -wheeled litter.

The two litte r sides arc carned under the seat, in two books specially made for them, and which in no way disturb the rid er. By means of a very simple automatic lock they can be easily attached to the previously formed itter frame, when the cloth is pulled over and the litter is complete.

The whole manceuvre will be executed by a welltrained man within a very few moments. The mechanisms

L. B. & S. C. R.-I wish that I was an ambulance man. Such was the comment one could hear throughout Brighton Works when it became known that the Rt. Hon. Earl of Sheffield had invited the ambulance men, . their wives and children to spend an afternoon in Sheffield Park. About 250 availed thems e lves of the kind invitation, and were conveyed in special coaches provided by the generosity of Mr. Forbes, general manager of the line, to and from Sheffield Park, free of all cost, on Septem ber J st.

are most simple, and eve ry man can easily understand and work it.

There is also a special arrangement for getting the handlebar out of the way of the person on the litter. By means of a spring catch they are turned sideways, and remain in the length direction.

The price of the complete Ambulance Cycle, including accessories, such as air -pump, tools, bell, &c., is £22 ros.

RADCLIFFE.-In order to raise the necessary funds for the purpose of providing suitable headquarters, the ambulance and nursing divisions are contemplating a sale of work. Col. Mellor (the president of the division) has intimated that he is desirous that another "Mellor" competition should be held this year. The colonel will provide pri zes for the ambulance division, and Mrs. Mellor will give those for the nursing division.

Lord Sheffield does nothing by halves, and upon arrival at the park it was found that waiting for one and all. After a very brief rest, exhibitIOns of first aid methods were g iven on the cricket ground, famous to both lion and kangaroo. To the regret of the whole party, their generous host was, owing to illness, p.revented from being present, but was represented by MISS. M. A.ttenborough and Dr. Gravely (Lord Sheffield's medical adViser), both of whom expressed themselves pleased at the type of work performed.

Tea was provided m the paVIlion on the ground, an item on the to which n?ne nay.

After tea various games clalmed attentlOn, cncket, stoolball, swings for the children, &c.; others .of party strolled through the grounds, the beauty of .whlch IS beyond description, and must be seen to be appreCIated, and once seen never forgotten.

Before leaving the park, rmgmg cheers accorded to Lord Sheffield and Miss Attenborough for their gener.ous hospitality, to Mr. W. Forbes, general manager of the lme,

-FIRST

Mr. J. Gordon, centre secretary, and Mr. \Y. L. Girling, local secretary, for their respective shares in making the excursion such a splendid success. May it stImulate first aid work on the south coast is the wish of all interested workers.

N.-E.R.-On the 8th inst., the York District Council held their annual meeting aL Helmsley Station when a large company supported the chairman (Mr. F. Penty) amongst whom were Mr. Geo. Jackson (general secretary), Mr. G. W. Scott (district secretary), &c. The election of officers resulted in Mr. Penty and Mr. ScoLL being reelected as chairman and secretary, and Atkinson and Hutchinson were elected to serve on the General Council. Recommendations for certificates for special services were passed in favour or ]. Firth (Casterford), and J. Smith (York) for good services rendered to men who had been injured.

Death has called away a good ,york e r amongst the York classes in William Simpson (loco. fireman) who after a sharp illness passed away in the York County Hospital, on the 9th inst., and at the funeral, on the zth inst., he was carried to his last resting place by four colleagues in the am bulance work, as a last tribute of respect to one who was always ready to take his part.

On the 15th inst., the Newcastle District held their annual excursion when over a thousand members, their wives and families journeyed to Gilsland, Brampton, and Carlisle, and spent a most enjoyable day viewing the various places of interest at one or other of these places Through the kindness of Messrs. Carr their biscuit works at Carlisle where open for inspection; and the Earl and Countess of Carlisle gave permission for Naworth Castle to be visited in parties of thirty during the afternoon, and a most enjoyable day was spent, thankS to the admirable arrangements made by Mr. W. Hollings (district secretary) and his committee.

" Siemens" Morse System with Indicator.

THE fire alarm boxes, under this most approved system, are connected in series by means of a single wire or cable, any number up to about twenty boxes being looped together to form one circuit. In order to give a call of fire, all that is necessary is to break the glass and pull a handle, Simultaneously with the pulling of the handle, the number of the box, at which the alarm is given, is tolled ?n gongs in tbe Fire Station besides being shown on an ll1dlcator and recorded on a Mors e slip. The exact time of the call is printed on the Morse slip at the side of the number of the box.

There are many ?afe devices attached to this system, WhICh as regards effiCIency and reliability place it in the foremost rank.

Should one and the same circuit a call be given at a second pomt before the first alarm bas finished its signal, the .sec?nd ?OX w.ill wait for the flrst one to complete a 1d then gIve ItS SIgnal Immp.diately after.

In. order to safeguard the installation against faults t? officials at headquarters, closed .clrcUlt workmg IS adopted, which means that the battery lS permanently connected to line and a current therefore continuously flowing through the wires.

Should a break suddenly occur in one of the wires due to. some o f instant warning is given in the Flre StatlOn by the nngll1g of a bell, which can only be

AI D.- September, 1906.

stopped by manipulating a small switch. In the act of moving this switch to another position, the boxes In that circuit are all instantly placed in working order. For example, were a call to be given at one of the alarm boxes immediately after this switch in the Fire Station has been manipulated, the alarm is transmitted to the Fire Station in the ordinary way, III sp/te of th e to/a! break t'll tile line zmrf'.

This in itself is a most important feature and one which should not be overlooked. It is, moreover, a feature which no other system can lay claim to. In other systems it is necessary first to locate the position of the break, involving a great loss of time, during which all the alarm boxes in that circuit are temporarily incapacitated, a fact wbicb might lead to serious results.

In order to control the line against earth faults, an earth detector is adopted, which registers the current passing through the fault. Should a small fault develop, the needle of tile detector will show a slight deflection, wbicb, bowever, increases as the fault becomes worse. When tbe fault has reached a point at which it might disturb the safe working of the installation, a fault bell rings, warning the officials on duty in the Fire Station. Instruments are supplied also by means of which the fault may be located.

Auxiliary alarms form a most important adjunct to the system. The auxiliary alarm consists of an ordinary glass covp-red press button, by rneans of which a fire alarm box may be operated. If, for example, the nearest alarm-post a large factory were situated some few dozen yards dlstant, it would be possible to fit auxiliary alarms all over the factory, by means of anyone of which this fire alarm box could be started up and give the call to the Fire Station in the ordinary way. In case of fire, the fact of being able to give the alarm without having. to go to the fire alarm box itself would undoubtedly effect a great saving of time.

The f.pecial feature of the system just described as regards auxiliary alarms is that an unlimited num ber of these press buttons may be coupled with every firm alarm box, a fact, which from a financial point of view, might be turned to useful account.

The battery power may be supplied by means of gravity cells or accumulators, according to the convenience at hand for charging, but wherever feasible the use of is recommended. Tbe ballery is supplied in duphcate, so that a spare battery is always ready for immediate use in cas e of emergency.

Owing to the fact that a call box transmits its signal to the Fire Station in the shape of anum ber, false alarms are impossible, except when maliciously given. The great advantages ot this sysLem were practically demonstrated at tile very fine exhibition made by this firm at the Milan Exhi?ition, and th.e courteous explanations given by the Engltsh gentlemen 10 charge were much appreciated by the British contingent.

---. _,

TREORCHY.-A meeting was h e ld at the In sLitute on Wednesday evening, August 29th, und er the presidency of Dr. Armstrong, to form a Division of the S.J.A.B. Colonel. Cureton, V.D., was to have addressed the meeting but OW1l1g to other engagements his place was taken by Acting Chief Supt. Davies, of the Rhondda Corps, who gave a very lUCId address on the objects, rules and regulations of the Brigade.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

Septem

ber, 1906. -FIRST

Al D.- 45

AscoT.-Dr. Power has just concluded a course of instruction to 25 police constables, 22 of which have succeeded in passing the examination.

BANGOR.-At the police station, on Monday, August 27 th , Col. Sir T. H. Marshall presented certificates to constables of tbis division who had successfully passed the qualifying examination

BATH.-A largely attended meeting, under the presidency of his Worship tbe Mayor (c. Bryan

Oliver, Esq.) took place at the Guildhall on August 3rd, for the purpose of presenting the "Wyndham Mur· ray" ambulance challenge shield and the challenge shield presented by the Bath Humane Society, and cerlihcates awarded by the St. John Ambulance Association and the Royal Humane Society.

In opening the proceedings, his Worship eulogised tbe work of both societies.

Gen. Sir John McQueen, in handing the" Wyndham Murray" challenge shiclu to Sergt. Ravesteyn, who was in charge of

this class held their quarterly social, a number being present.. Dunng the evening the ladles' le cturer, by expres.s WIsh of the members of the class, presented first aid certtflcates to the successful candidates at the recent examination. The doctor also performed another pleasant duty. He asked l\fiss Florrie Grimshaw's acceptance of a ladies' toilet-case an d a nurse's dictionary of medical and nursing phrases, as a parting gift from the class. She is the third mem ber of the class who has joined the nursing profession. After refreshments had been handed round several !ady mem bers. co.ntributed to the evening's enjoyment wlth songs, recltatlOns, &c., greatly adding to the enjoyment of all present.

SCARBOROUGH.-Every member of the police force of this town holds a first aid c e rtificate, ancl the Mayor, when presenting medallions to a number of the men who had pa5sed the final examination, complimented the chief constable on the fact.

BATH CITY DIVISION.

WINNERS OF "WYNDHA:VT-:\1URRAY " SHIELD, reNE, 190 6 WOODSTOCK.Her Grace the Duchess of Marlborough presented medallions and certi ficates to successful students of this branch, at Bl e nheim Palace, on AuguSl loth.

YORK. - A man named Hardgrave was, on Septem ber 3rd, sentenced to fourteen days hard labour for a savage assault on a h,uvester. The men quarrelled, and Hardgrave struck the other man a violent blow with a broken glass, severing the tern poral artery. The hospital surgeon said that but for the prompt first aid given by the police the man woulu have bl e d to death.

W. A. Ra\ esteyn ,c apt a in ) H. (;. Arnold. ..

the winning team which repr e sented tbe Bath City Division, S.J .A.B., said the contest had been a very keen one, and he congratulated the winners on th e ir success. They must be prepared, be said, for a bard contest next year, for they had many energetic comrades who would endeavour to wrest it from them.

The Mayoress next presented the Bath Humane Society'S shield to the ladies sectiun of the Dolphin Swimming Club.

The meeting terminated with votes of thanks to the Mayor, Mayoress and Sir John McQueen.

Col. Sir Vlyndh am Murray, the donor of the ambulance shield, who has always taken a keen interest in ambulance work in Bath, wrote expressing his regret that he was unable to be present and personally hand the shield to the winning team.

B LACKBuRN.-On Septem bel' J 3th the mem bel'S of

NOT1{S IlY EXINcn:U R.

During the Journey to Vailly-sur-Aisne of party n e arly contriYed to set the compartment 111 WhlCh Lhey were travelling on fire, and, .but for .the action of another member who qUIckly extll1gUlshed lt with the b e st part of a bottle of a waste? and the weather at 93 in the shade, Mr. Edltor-we should, doubtless all have been cremated.

While in Paris I learn that two of the members of a certain Brigade ?ut to a letter their f!'iends notifying them of theIr safe arnval, they mIssed their way -did they? O.B.-and to make matte:s worse. they ha? forgotten the name of their hotel and ltS localIty, and .It was only at 6 a.m., tl-je next morning, when they fell 111 with a good Samaritan, in the shape of one. of Coo.k's Tourist Guide's that they were restored to theIr sorrow1l1g , ., b kf "R t " friends-footsore and weary 111 tIme for rea ast- a s. "I've done it myself, says the clerk." O.B.

[.'/' R. Ho/; ,,'11. Ratlt.

S. T. \Vilde. T. S Burt ( re s erve ) E. ]. Burt.

F. S. Sare.

Developments in Fire Appliances.

By S. I -I. EDDINGTON, CHIEF OFFICER TOTTENHAM FIRE BRIGADE.

THE following paper was read at the annual meeting of of Professional Fire Brigade Officers recently held at Leicester. The subject matter contained therein is so interesting and of such moment at the present time that we have decided to publish it in full. e.0. Eddington was one of the first fire chiefs to express an absolute belief in the future of the motor and in that opinion he has never wavered. With many of the views held by him we are in full accord, like him we hope that the advent of the motor for the purposes of fire extinction may be an inducement to clever engineers to enter the field, and thereby lead to a greater cOlnpetition than now exists. At the present time, with the exception of one journal, the whole of the Fire press in this country is in the hands of the small num ber of makers, wh') between them mainly control the manufacture and supply of fire appliances in the United Kingdom. This is not to the advantage of the Service. It necessarily follows that each maker has eyes only for his own appliances, and studiously ignores those of his rivals. With a larger number of manufacturers engaged in the work, as on the continent and in America, this practice would be largely discounted, and it would, we are sure be to the advantage of the Fire Service.

Within the last few years, mainly through the efforts of the National Fire Brigades Union, the status of the Fire been placed upon a higher level, and governIng bodies are more alert in seeing that in matters of fire extinction they are keeping up with the times this being so it should certainly act as an incentive to skilled mechanics and engineers, with the available capital at command, to take up the business, and we assert without hesitation that there will be found both scope for ingenuity and gratifying financial results

I think any person in this room, whether he be an Offic.er in of a. Fire or a person in any way Interested 111 the FIre ServIce of this country, if he has followed the work of the Service at all, must feel convinced that we are steadily entering upon a new era with regard to the and means to be adopted for dealing with fire.

IS also pretty clear, I think, that the new means WIll In many respects demand more care and attention from, and above all, will place a far greater responsibility upon officers and men than those means which we are behind, but I am, personally, firmly convinced that neIther officers nor men will shirk that responsibility and extra labour, and t.hat those who carefully and intelligently stU?y the new methods will be more than rewarded for theIr extra trouble by the great addition they will find to of consequently to the they WIll be aole to give to the public of their city or and, of course, in proportion as the fireman's and expert knowledge required increases, so must hiS social status improve.

Some of you will remem ber that two years' ago I to add:ess a few words to you on the automobile applIance then 111 the fire in my own Brigade, and, perhaps, I ou.ght to apologise for again trou bling you with the same subject.

Its to us all is, however, so great, I might so vital, and I have personally taken so much IOterest 111 It, that I hope you will forgive me if I ask you

to let me add, to the remaJ ks I formerly made, the result of a further two years' experience, making rather over three years' of actual work with chemicals and petrol, and oil fuel steam motors.

Since I last had the honour of addressing you my Council have themselves built a second 30 h.p. petrol propelled escape and double cylinder chemical engine, and they are now building a loa-gallon chemical engine, combined with a 100 h.p. petrol pumping engine, and hose tender, estimated to pump at least 800 gallons per minute, probably much more, but so arranged that whilst the full power can be applied when pumping from a river, or where there is an abundant supply of water, it can yet adapt itself to the street hydrants, like an ordinary small steamer.

I shall refer to this machine later on, but I mention it now to satisfy you that my Council's confidence in the new type of appliance, so far from being reduced by three years' experience, has heen strengthened enormously.

We have five horses left in the Brigade still, but it will not be my fault if they are much longer with us.

It is, however, not merely in improved appliances that in my opinion the new movement will benefit the Fire Service. It will bring into the field a greater number of firms competiug with one anothp.r to make the very best machines which skilled workmanship and scientific knowledge can produce, with the result that our field of choice will no longer be so limited as has hitherto been the case.

Personally, I am sorry that all the existing firms of fire appliance manufacturers have not come forward to help us with motors. I regret it for two reasons. First, because it has tended temporarily to restrict the area of our choice in this class of business, which was previously narrow enough, and, secondly, because the Service must be the poorer for the absence of the skill and brain-power which those who at present hold aloof must undoubtedly have imported into the arena.

I hope, however, that in the near future we shall have not only many firms of old standing in the engineering world helping us, but I also hope to see new firms crop up, so tha! the best brains of the kingdom may be brought to our aSSIstance

Too many people, I am afraid, have judged the motor as applied to the Fire Service by its mishaps and have carefully neglected to give it credit for its successes. Let a motor have the slightest hitch or accident and you are immediately surrounded by a chorus of croakers who will run it down to the uttermost, whilst taking care 'when they leave the scene of the accident to magnify the damage tenfold or more.

l.et me give you one incident as a proof of the extent to which this sort of thing is done. During some excavations for laying tram-rails in one of our main roads it became to erect. a temporary wooden bridge form a croSSlI1g. A tram raIl was put at the edge of this wooden st:ucture as a sort of guard. A vehicle passing along at 111ght happened to knock this rail askew so that one end of it came about 2 ft. on to the wooden bridge.

Shortly afterwards our motor passed, going to a call which proved to be a false alarm, and she struck this rail. It being a wet night, she skidded and struck a kerb breaking part of the woodwork of the wheel. This repaired in the next day or two, but meanwhile a turncock who was travelling in the very machine at the time, somebody at the other end of the parish, who told him that the Tottenham motor had gone headlong into a trench I don't know how many feet deep, had turned turtle, and

Septem ber, 1906. -FIRST it was believed several men were killed, certainly they were severely injured.

This tal e was diligently spread about and was undoubtedly believed by many at the time.

'iff' f

The other day a man told me he saw a motor 'bus on fire in the City, and he said nothing would ever l11duce him to ride in one of those vehicles again. " Well," I said, "I saw a house well alight the other day, in fact, I have seen many, and in some of them the inmates have unhappily lost their lives, but I have not for that reason decided to lead a patriarchal life and dwell in tents. I shall simply take every reasonable precaution that my house does not catch fire, but, if in spite of my care, it should do so, I shall regard myself as a very unlucky fellow and I will then proceed to get another home as quickly as I can, and I shall do precisely the same thing with motors."

I have set my hand to the plough and I won't turn back.

So far as I am concerned, I consider that, having run automobile machines to fires for over three years withoul a single failure, I have proved that motors are reliable for our service, and what one man proves is worth more than what a dozen men cannot prove. All those who have failed have only proved that either they or their machines could not work successfully. They do Dot, and cannot prove that other men and other machines will not be successful.

Not one of my mishaps occurred going to a fire, and neither of my machines has ever failed to respond to a call.

There appear to me to be some people who take a positive delight in collecting all the stories they can get hold of, true or untrue (the latter frequently preferred), about motor accidents, and I daresay they almost pray for a good smash up, in order tha.t they may have an additional case to put into their precious collection.

They remind me of a story I once heard about the inhabitants of Heligolond, and which attributed to them the habit of going to the seashore and praying for wrecks, because they have nothing to live on except the wreckage washed up by the sea.

One of these collectors of this descri ption of curiosity sent me a list of Fire Brigade motor accidents, carefully written out on a sheet of paper, and at the end he put these words :-"And you still believe in motors. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Well, gentlemen, I do still believe in Motors, and I am not ashamed of myself in the least. In fact, as far as my connection with motors goes, I am very pleased with myself, but I am very much annoyed with my unknown friend for his communication, and for this reason. In all his list of accidents, not one was put down to my little lot. Now that is not fair, it is not playing the game. I have had several accidents, and I want to know what is the good of my having accidents if, when a roll of honour like this is being sent around, I am left out of it.

This individual went a step further, however, he gave a lump sum of thousands, which his imaginary list of accidents had cost the Brigades to whom the motors belonged. As he gave no name either for himself or most of these victims, I may, I think, reasonably assume that he had not very good grounds for his allegations or his figures.

If you assume a motor to cost £ 1,000 to begin with, and you further assume she is going to be totally broken up every time she goes out, and that, in addition, she is going to do £500 or ;£600 worth of damage to other

people's. property, yc;>u can, by a very simple arithmetical calculatIOn, soon arnve at an exact estimate of her cost to her owners.

(To be continued.)

National Fire Brigades Union.

THE twenty-fifth of the Federation des Sapeurs' Pomplers Francalse took place at Vailly-Sur-Aisne, August 19 th , 20th. and 21St, the delegates from the National Fire were as follows :-Capt. J. H. Dyer, Senior VIce-PresIdent, London; Mr. E. O. Sachs, Vice-President N.F.B. U., Chairman British Fire Prevention Committee London; Capt. 1'. G. Dyson, Vice-President, Windsor Capt. S. Folker, Hon. General Secretary, Headquarters, GUlldford; Capt. H. e. Mars hallsay, Chief Dental Surgeon, Aldershot; Capt. A. Hill, District Hon. Secretary, . Bedford Surgeon-Major Maitland Coffin, Deputy-Chief, Ambulance Department, London Supt. A. Slater, Ambulance Department, London; Capt. J. G. Roper, District Hon. Sec., Leeds; Lieut. Crook, Military Fire Brigade, Aldershot M. Charles Kusel, Official Delegate of the French, Belgian and Italian Federations for Great Britain, London: they left Charing Cross, on Friday, 17th ult., at 2.30, arriving at Rheims about p.m., here they were met by the Officers of the Rheims Fire Brigade and conducted to the Grand Hotel.

On Saturday the delegates visited the various Fire Stations and afterwards left for Verzy pris Rheims where they were conducted over the Vine-yards and shown the whole process of how champagne was made they also visited the establishment of Messrs. A. Pierlot & Co., and afterwards were entertained at a luncheon at the Hotel D'Anvers.

The "Mayor and Councillors gave a reception at the Hotel de Ville and in the afternoon the delegates returned to Rheims and entertained the Officers of the Brigade to dinner. In the evening a grand concert, fete and ball was given in the beautiful Public Gardens, the Municipal band was 120 strong, a torch light procession escorted the delegates to the gardens.

On Sunday the contingent left for Vailly, a very pretty little village which was decorated for the occasion. After the official luncheon a review was held in the Public Gardens, M. Guesnet. President French Federation, presented the various prizes, and decorations were conferred on Chief Officers Hill (Bedford), Marshallsay and Crook, (Aldershot), and Supt. Slater, (Ambulance Department). The delegates afterwards returned to Rheims.

On Monday they visited various places of interest, among many, the great establishment of Messrs. Pommery and Greno, champagne merchants. The cellars are carved out of the rock 80 ft. under ground and are, in all, over twelve miles long, they send out t\velve million bottles of cham pagne every year to all parts of the world.

Chief Officer Dyer, senior vice-president, was in command, assisted by the other two vice-presidents (Messrs.

-FIRST

Dyson and Sachs. M. Kusel, official deleg.ate for Great Britain, carried out the arrangements, which gave the greatest satisfaction.

The delegates returned to England on Monday mght, the passage across the Channel bei ng very. rough.

A slight improvement has been made In the and many Illotor chemical eng in es are now to he seen In France, it being the general opinion that motor steam and chemical engine has a big future before It.

It was announced that a large deputation of French, Belgian and Italian officers to visit Engla?d for th e great French and English ExhIbItIOn to. ?e held 111 London in 1908, it will also visit all the large Cities and Inspect the improvements made by Brigades in Eng;land. The dele!Sates will afterwards attend the great gathering of the NatIOnal Fire Brigades Union to be held at the same time to commemorate the Coming of Age of this well-known and useful Institution. ------. --.

A I D.- Septem ber, 1906.

articles which. are really , perhaps, at this stage, best left as they are. Let sleeping dog-s lie , if we wish to preserve that paCific atmosphere mentioned by you. But one I must me,ntio?, viz., that the St. ] ohn people have been workmg for some tIme 111 Scotland and that the St. Andrew's Corps has also Colonial branches'. I enclose my card, -And am, dear sir, MEDICUS.

DEAR SfR,-I note alll0ng the seve ral leaclerettes in your issue of AUCfust that you deal at some Jeng th with the formation of a Branch of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association. In reading your remarks cannot help feeling sorry that your attitude should be so very antagonistic to the formation above referred to.

As a member of the Committee of the Bradford St. Andrew branch, consider it my duty to inform you that we have no feelings of rivalry whatever towards the St. John Ambulance AssoLiation, but it is our sincere wish that both branches may work together for one good cause, harmoniously and amicably.

Further, your first paragraph deals wi th the M.B. M.A. as though the matter were of quite recent origin; whereas in reality the subject has been tboroughly dealt with in the last nine issues of the "Circular."-Yours truly, C. E. P. Manningham, Bradford.

FIRST AID •

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services.

To

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this J oumal as in st ructiv e and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

4J>:%

"Ve a1 e in no way responsible for the opiniolls expressed, or th e Jtatellttllts made, by C01Tesj>011dents.-EnlToRs.

THE COi\ JPETITIO N FOR THE EFFICENCY CUP.

DI£.'\R SlR, - I have fa iled to find any repo:-t in your Journal of the Efficiency Cup Competition, I906. Is this of so litLle importance as to deserve ignoring.- Yours truly, " PINKO."

[In reply to OLl\' correspondent we desire to say that so fill' from regarding the competition to which he refers as of but little importance, we consider it a most important one, and we s hould have been pleased to have inserted a report had we been favoured with one; or we will go further and say that if headquarters had extended to us the courtesy of an invite, one of our representatives shou ld have attended.-Ed. "F.A."]

BRADFORD AND THE ST. ANDREW'S AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

SIR,- Will you kindly allow me to say a few words to your in llli g-ent readers, and ask them to delay judgment on the matters mentioned in "Brel'ities," of your last issue re St. Andrew's Am bulance Brigade and other matters. I is well to first hear the other side' Personally I am aware of the identity of the writer of the" Notes on First Aid," who used the" letterstitled" mentioned. As he is a medical man his name ca n scarcely he given, as it would le ad to bad feelin g, especially in a la y journal. Nor is it necessary, as the" Notes" in question were widely distributed. It is a mistake to ta cit ly ae<:ept the argument that the delinquent was merely an ordinary ambulance person. Such tactics are on a par with some smart and disagreeable methods, by which the affected portion of the Bradford City Corps was !:>roken up, and finally with some difficulty in part re·formed. The nursing division, however, in consequence, was lost to then] as well as some other new divisions these latter being now in a sort of neutral state. It is that the l itt le storm in a tea-cup mentioned has now been settled amicably by the aid of the St. Andrew's Ambulance which formed a resting place for the major party. IS no deSIre to keep up any sort of a silly feud by the maJonty.

Ambulance to be successful must be free from petty annoyance, and If persons don't get on well to o-ether that is no reason why they should not in their own way go on working for a good cause.

There are many points of a controversial nature in your

[The defence as outlined by the two letters above is not, we are afraid, very convincing Legal traditions say if you have a weak case abuse your opponent, Clnd that, we think, is the line which has been adopted by "i\1eclicus," who furthermore takes up the bo:;us M. B.M.A. question, a subject we also referred to in our last issue. Vife did not, however, imply in any way that this question was connected with Bradford, but we did venture to suggest that 'We lzad seen correspondence with a certain individual who bad endeavoured to obtain the privilege of using our columns for the purpose of venting what we can only regard as petty under-handed spite. 'Ve are pleased to see that our inference appears to be correct; and with all due deference to " Medicus," we would again say that if the charge is an honest and bona-fide one, let the individual making it, do so openly like a man and prove the honesty of his intentions. Perhaps, like "Medicus," he believes in let!t'nl[ sleejil7,t; dogs he, tbey are apt to inflict an awkward bite when fully aroused. As regards the last part of the letter, we are aware that the St. John Ambulance Association has one or two centres in Scotch towns, but we believe we are correct in stating that, if they were not formed before the formation of the St. Andrew's Association, they were inaugurated many years since, and the St. Jol1n Association does not now encourage the formation of its classes across the border.Eel. "F.A."]

Policy No. 600,093. " FIRST AlD."

This Coupon=lnsurance=Ticket must not be detached.

WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, l\lOORGATE STREET, Lo nON, E. c., to the legal personal representative of the bond fide holder of this Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel I slands to any Rail way Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary licket-bea ring passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are 01 the essence 01 the contract, viz. :-

(a) That death result within one month afterthe accident, (b) that such holder's usual signature sh,,11 have been written in ink, in the space provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of tbe be given to the Corporation at it s Principal Office in London within fourteen days after its occurrence, (d) that medical ce rtificates and other information be furnished by the person claiming upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) that this [ 'lsurance applies only to persons over tweke and under seventy years of age, is limited to one Coupon-Insurance- Ticket for each holder, and holds good for the current month of ss ue only.

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890," Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when they a re not incompatible with the special condiLions above sLated

TILe possession 0/ tltis Cottport-fJts,,,-ance. Ticket is admitted to be tILe jaymC1tt

Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the SL John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of In struction, and Chief Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will 1.1so send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and oLher matters which will advance the interest of the Joumal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photo s are urgenLly reque s tccl to stntc on the hack of the same Ihe nalllC of the indil'idunl or the Corps or Brignclc, ancl gil'e also Ihc namc anu address of the sender.

" First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

EDITORIAL.

Alderman, when first those fairy hampers were delivered on Lord Mayor's Day years ago, need only to be pictured to be well nigh realised. In his triumphal progress or, the 9 th Tove mber to and from the Law Courts we will venture to assert that London 's ,velcome to Si; William will, if possible, be all the warmer on account of his well-known sympathy with the least of London's citizens, her suffering little ones.

Miners and First Aid.

recent months great interest 111 ambulance \York has been created in the Rhondda Yalley, and a number of collieries have inaugurated corps. The movement should command the co-operation of both management and men, so that in each colliery there may be bodies of men qualified by experience, and training to render first aid in alleviating suffering, and saving of life when accidents occur.

London's New Chief

BEFORE the advent of our next number Lord Mayor's day, as the 9th of No\-ember is popularly known and called, will Magistrate. have come and gone, and London's new civic chief will. been duly sworn in and received the congratulations of all classes, from His Sovereign downwards. Our readers will perhaps reason: But why refer to this in our ambulance journal, where is the connection? 'Vait a moment, my friend. One of our highest ideals as ambulance workers is that of sympathy with the suffering j a desire to minimise pain.

In this sense our hearts go out to London's incoming Chief Magistrate, for he has gained that which is to be esteemed as of infinitely more value than the adulations of cheering crowds. He has gained the loving gratitude of London's little crippled children, amongst whom he is known and spoken of as the "Children's Alderman." Could any title be more noble, or describe more accurately the warm, lovabl e nature of the large-hearted man who bears it? It is as one of us, therefore, that we welcome Sir 'iVilliam Treloar to the Mansion House. May God grant that his year of office may be a singularly happy and auspicious one. How this wish will be re-echoed by every Tiny Tim among the little suffering ones who will regard Sir William almost in the light of a fairy Lord Mayor, as they did as a fairy

There are many workmen and officials in the Rhondda Yalley who individually are capable of rendering first aid, and have secured the St. John Ambulance Association's certificate of competency. What, however, is required is organised work under the auspices of the Association by the formation of corps and divisions. Apart from other considerations, the establishment of di"isions would mean the introduction of a healthy competitive element.

:\10re important still would be the provision by the colliery managements of the necessary appliances below surface, and the selectio:1 of ambulance corps' members to work at various parts of a colliery, and thus be ready for service at any emergency

MoreO\'er, now that the question of the establishment of rescue brigades is being mooted, ambulance corps would naturally be drawn upon in the selection of men to perform rescue work.

Notwithstanding the clause in the Miner s Regulation Act as to the provision of stretchers, splints, and bandgges, it is an admitted fact, that at some collieries no men are available to make good use of these appliances, and to a very great extent therefore this clause is a dead letter.

Instances are quoted where injured men are placed on stretchers and borne to their homes, bleeding to death during the journey, owing to the ignorance of well-meaning comrades to staunch the hcemorrhage.

In this connection attention is being drawn to the anomally of Welsh managers and under managers being allowed to gain their certificates without reference to a knowledge of ambulance work, whereas in the English coalfields th ose seeking such certificates are subjected to the

-FIRST

test indicated, unless already in possession of the necessary am bulance certificate of com petency.

It is noteworthy that Mardy occupies the place o[ honour as to the number of men competent to render first aid, it being stated in the report of Mr. F. A. Cray, H.I:M. for the district, that there is a larger percentage of effiCIent men in this colliery than in any other of the whole of the inspector's district.

The Knights Hospitallers of 8t. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEJi' SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOlIN. Pro 1t1i!t"tate lWJJZiJll{lI/.

COMPILED BV C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A. (ColltimteC/ from page 35).

TrIE Grandmaster, John de la Valette, recei\'ed them all with that pleasure which a good father feels upon seeing his children again. Care had been taken to provide accommodation and provisions beforehand. De la Valette was indefatigable in the conduct of affairs he had to manage; he insisted on being made acquainted with every detail, and discharged the offices of soldier, officer, overseer of the sick, and engineer; it was he who drew up the plans for new fortifications, and he act e d as pioneer in throwing up the ground. Now he would be among the workmen, then he would be visiting the magazines, and then he would be at the inflrmary busying himself in relieving the sick.

Before the enemy appeared he was anxious to know exactly what troops he had to oppose the Infidels, in order to distribute them to the various posts and forts likely to be attacked.

Accordingly he hdd a general review, and found that they consisted o()f about 700 Knights, besides servinO" brothers and 8,500 men, who were either soldiers of galleys or foreign troops in the service of the Order, or townsmen and peasants, who had been formed into companies. Having made the various dispositions under the several c:)mmanders of land and sea forces, so as to oppose the landing of the enemy, he, in order to put these designs into execution, took with him a good number of Knights, together with two hundred islanders on hurseback and a body of six hundred on foot, and with these he coasted along the sea shore to all those places where a descent seemed most practical.

.Such wise precautions were very necessary against so formIdable a power as that of the Turks' but the main security of i.sland lay in. the presence, who msplred. an in the Knights and He was contmually vlsltmg the different those places which he thought weakest, glvmg mstructlOns to each commander in case of attack and the places to which he should successively retire case he was driven out of his post; and wherever he went he left an impression of his courage that rendered his Knights and soldiers well-nigh invincible.

At length, on the 18th of May, the Turkish fleet appeared off Malta. It consisted of T 59 vessels of various kinds, having ?n board 30,000 troops, the bravest of the Ottoman Empire. The fleet passed between the island of Malta and the rock of Torfola, and about sunset it

A I D.- October, 1906.

anchored at the entrance of the creek, or Ray of Mugiarro. Whilst the Turks were in the bay, the Chevalier de ]a Riviere planted himself with twelve Knights behind some old rubbish in hopes of surprising some of the enemy who might be tempted to come ashore.

A Portuguese Knight, who had been sent on the same Side to get intelligence, discovering La Riviere, and advancing towards him, received a musket ball from a party of Turks who lay concealed among the neighbouring rocks and died upon the spot. La Riviere, imagining he was only wounded, ran immediately to assist him; but the

October, 1906.

-FIRST

from a!l the. Christian princes of Europe a strong fleet, eIther to gIve hIm battle or force him to retreal."

The Turkisl: general then commanded them to put 11.lm on the rack m order to extort from him a more partIcular account of the state of the island. The KYJight bore the tortur.e f<:)1' a long time with an heroic resignation; but a.t last, felgnmg as though he had been overcome by the of torments he had suffered, and affecting an lngenlous aIr he owned to Mustapha, that if Malta was to be taken, it could only be at the port of Castile, which he said was the worst fortified in thE' whole town and indeed in the whole island.

(To be ((J7l t/mf ed.)

AID.- 51

Chief Constable and several members of the Watch Committee were present. The parade strength was twentytwo of ranks, under the of A c ting-Inspector Way (FIrSt-Officer). Tbe usual drIlls wer e performed and all were very smartly executed.

At the conclusion the Inspecting Officer express e d satisfaction at the progress made.

At 7 o'clock the members of A Section were inspected at Headquarters. There was a total of twenty-three of all ranks on parade und e r the command of Supt. Bowden. Hon. Surgeon Pereira was unavoidably absent. After a examinatIon of the books, records, &c., the usual ?rIlls were gone at clos e of which the Inspect1I1g Officer expressed hImself as very satisfi ed with all he had seen, they had made marked improvement since last year.

FOJ.KESTONE.-The members of the East Kent Divisions in response to an invitation from First-Officer Adams met at the local Headquarters on Saturday, Sept. 16th, and marched beaded by the drum and fife band of the Folkestone Division, to St. Michael's Church where the Vicar was waiting to welcome them.

No. I District (Metropolitan Corps.)

lLFORD.-This Division attended Divine Service at the Congregational High -road, on Sunday, Octob e r 7th. Mustering m York -road, the parade which was attended by detachments from the neighbouring divisions of Ley ton, Toynbee Hall, East Ham, and East Ham Nursmg Division, marched, headed by the Ilford Volunteer Band, to the church were seats had been A hearty service was taken part in, and an aPl?ropnate sermon on the "Mystery and Meaning of Pam" was preached by th e Rev. Mr. C. H. Vine. After the service the various Divisions marched back to the Britannia Institute were light refreshments were served.

TOYNnrm HALL.-The mem bers of this Division, under Supt. Kimber, gave a most interesting ambulance display at the annual conversazione on Saturday, September 29 th

No. 2 District.

A SrIFoRD. - The annual re-examination of the Town Division, in conformity with Brigade Regulations, has just taken place and thirty-three members have passed. Dr. J. Cooper Wilkinson was the examiner.

HOSPlTALLERS ATTENDING TO TIII<: SICK.

Turks flring another volley, dispersed the little party, and having killed Riviere's horse, rushed up and made him a prisoner. He was at once taken before the general, who examined him as to the disposition of the Grand Master and of the Knights, and tile number and condition of their forces.

La Riviere answered: "That the Knights were to a man resolved to shed their last drop of blood in the defence of an island which they regarded as their country; that all the forts were manned with strong garrisons, and they

BOURNEI\10UTH.-On Sunday, September 22nd ) this Division paraded in the grounds nf the Royal Boscombe and West Hants Hospital for annual inspection by District Chief-Supt. Sprawson. Supt. C. J. Austin was in command, and First-Officer Gibson was also on parade. The Inspecting Officer addressed the men at the conclusion. In the evening the DivislOn attended Divine Service at St. John'S Church. The Vicar, who preached, spoke in terms of strong commendation of the ambulance movement, and the christianising influence that it had upon all who practised its duties.

EXETER.-District Chief-Supt. Sprawson conducted the annual inspection ot this 1 )ivision at the Headquarters, Court House, on September I9th. At 3.30 Section B composed entirely of City Police was inspected. The

After a shortened form of evening service, the hymn " 0 God, our help in ages past" was sung, and the Vicar with unusually brilliant effect played the organ solo (( 'Var March of the Priests," and the offertoire (( Vallie des Consuls" (the latter by request).

The rev. gentleman tben delivered an eloquent address on the Parabl e of the Good Samaritan. It was also a practical sermon full of encouragement to his ambulance hearers, and an appeal to those who wer e not mem bers to recognise the work that was being done and give liberally in support of it. It was a sermon in fact such as one is not often privil eged to hear, and we should have thought would have resulted in a lar g e offertory for the cause so happily and instructively dwelt upon and so eloquently pleaded for, and yet we learn that in spite of a crowded congregation the net result from a fin a ncial point of view was.£s 4S. 6d. Still, as our readers know, ambulance men are not avaricious, they do not hanker after this world's wealth. They look for no reward for the voluntary work they do, although, of course, if they have the cash they feel they can add to their equipment and render themselves possibly more efficient, but the words of the Vicar will remain with them and will encourage them. It is at times suggested that parsons know more about books than they do about men. This is evid e ntly not the case with Folkestone's Vicar. He will draw men, and will set them thinking, and thinking will be followed by action. May success crown your labours, Mr. Vicar, you are doing the Master's work in the Master's manner, and that's the way to be fishers of men. The Rev. W. S. Parker, himself a medallion holder, also addressed the congregation after which the hymn (( At Even ere the sun was set" was sung while the· offertory was taken. Then came (( The Lost Chord" as an organ solo after which the blessing was pronounced. As a fillale the Vicar played in grand form (( The Storm." The Brigade afterwards marched round the town, and before dismissing, hearty votes of thanks were passed to the Vicar (Rev. E. Husband), the Rev. W. S. Parker and the choir of St. :Michael's Church.

We offer our congratulations to First-Officer Adams on the very marked success of this parade and we are sure that as a result later on, that financial assistance which his Division stands in n e ed of will come to him.

KENT.-Early in the present year the officers of the

-FIH.ST

Corps and Divisions within the area of this County decided to meet periodically with a view to discuss and formulate methods for the benefit of the various units already enrolled, and to assist where possible in the formation of fresh ones. The first meeting was held at Margate, and the outcome was the most successful gathering of ambulance workers yet held in this part of the country, which took place at Canterbury on Whit-Monday.

The second meeting this year was held at Dover, on October 4th, when Chief·Surgeon Cotton (Ramsgate) presided over a representative meeting of officers from Ashford, Boughton, Doddington, Dover, Faversham, Sittingbourne, Westgate ·on -Sea, &c. Mr. W. J. Church-Brasier who bas been acting as H on. Secretary (p1'O lellt.) to the Committee was also present. The minutes having been disposed of, several matters of an interesting character were discussed. It was reported that funds for the challenge trophy were coming in slm"ly, and the individual officers were asked to try and whip up a few additional subscribers. At the conclusion of the meeting the delegates were shown over the Dover Hospital, the operating theatre of which was much admired. Dinner was subsequently partaken of at the Priory Hotel. Hon. Surgeon Noble (Sittingbourne) in the chair. At the conclusion of the repast, which was admirably served by l\Ir. Hale White, a few toasts were drunk and Supt. Clinch (Faversham) proposed a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Church Brasier for his many acts of kindness and for the way in which he had assisted them since he returned to reside amongst them. It was (said the speaker) a matter of pain to him, and he believed to others, to hear from Mr. Church-Brasier that that was his last official appearance amongst them. He regretted it-he knew they one and all regretted it. Although they all deplored the reason that had led to 1\1r. Brasier's return to his native town, they had hoped that for many years they might have had the great advantage of his advice and experience.

Mr. Church-Brasier feelingly replied and thanked his brother 0'!icers for their many evidences of good ff'eling hImself. He would candidly admit, be said, that thIS total severance from the work was the biggest wrench he had ever had in his life

LVMINGToN.-Lady-Supt. Mrs. E. F. Chinnery who, WIth her husband, Dr. Chinnery, is leaving England for New Zealand, has been the recipient of a handsome leather travelling writing case, presented to her by the members of her Nursing Di\ ision in recognition of the loyal and unselfish manner in which she has worked for the success of the Division. .Th.e inspection was held on September 26th, by Dlstnct Chlef-Supt. Sprawson, who complimented the members on their efficiency.

RE.\DlNc. - The annual Street Collection is an event always looked forward to by the members of these Divisions as a means of producing a welcome addition to the funds. This year the collection amounted to £37 5s. 7 and on behfllf of the. Ambulance and Nursing Divisions Supt. E. Salt, has written the local Press, tendering sincere thanks for the generosity of the inhabitants.

WOLVERTON.-The annual inspection of this Division took on Saturday, ber 29th, the inspecting officer bemg Deputy CommISSIOner J. S. Griffitbs, M.R.e.S. The men, thirty in number, were under the command of Hon. Sur&eon J. O. Harvey, M.R.e.S., and First-Officer J. H. They were first tested in company and stretcher dnll, and afterwards treated injuries in the field.

1906

Subsequently several promotions were made including that of First-Officer .'ldkinson to the rank of Superintendent.

\Ve heartily congratulate Supt. Adkinson, he has thoroughly earned his promotion, for he has been for a long time a keen and steady worker, oflen times against difficulties that would have taken the hp.art out of a less enthusiastic man.

No. 3 District.

HALLAToN.-The annual inspection of the Hallaton and Medbourne Divisions was held at Hallaton on Friday, September 28th, Assistant Commissioner Woolston being the inspecting officer. The Hallaton Division. under Dr. J [edIcy (Supt.), and Medbourne, under Supt. Skeffigton, mustered at the Bewicke Arms and marched to the Rectory, on the lawn of which they went through bandaging, and company and stretcher drill, at the conclusion of which they were addressed by the inspecting officer in appreciative terms. They subsequently marched back to the Bewicke Arms, where:l. knife and fork engagement was held. The commissariat, in the able hands of t'le staff at the "Bewicke" was voted excellent in quality and quantity. No half-rations. Dr. Hedley was a most able commander, and in conducting the campaign proved his own resourcefulness by readily assisting to flll up any breach. A most pleasant evening was spent.

IIAYERIIILL.-On Tuesday, the 18th September, this division paraded at the Council Schools, under Hon. Surgeon T. H. Goodman, for inspectIon by the Deputy Commissioner Col. Elliston, V.D. OlVing to the hour, the number on parade was only small, but those attending went through a very creditable drill and fully maintained the high reputation which the division holds for smartness and efficiency. In a few complimentary remarks at the close, Col. Elliston laid special stress on the cleanliness of the men's personal equipment. Subsequently the Division under the presidency of Col. Elliston, dined together at the Rose and Crown Hotel. A most enjoyable evening was spent. After the cloth was cleared and the usual loyal and patriotic toasts disposed of a smoking Goncert interspersed with some good speech-making took place.

KETTERING.-The annual competition for the "Luck" challenge cup took place in the grounds of Canewell Lodge, the residence of Hon. Surgeon L. W. Dryland. Three teams entered, and after a critical examination the cup was awarded to Corporal Miller's squad, Acting Sergeant Bosworth's squad being second, and Acting Sergeant Beeby's squad third. The Nursing Sisters also competed for a prize presented by Hon. Surgeon L. W. Dryland; this resulted in a tie between Nursing Sisters Mrs. Shortland and Miss Cole. A special prize for Police Officers, also given by Chief Supt. Luck, was awarded to P.e. Draper. In the unavoidable absence of Hon. Surgeon L. W. Dryland, Chief Supt. Harvey Reeves (Northampton) and Supt. H. (Wellingborough) acted as judges. At the close of the competition Chief Supt. Harvey Reeves presented a silver-mounted cane to Chief Supt. Luck, in recognition of the services he rendered in making all arrangements for the camp at Broughton Park. Before dispersing the members were kindly entertained to tea on the lawn by Dr. and Mrs. Dryland, for whom hearty cheers were given.

NORTHAl\lPTON.-On Saturday, September 29th, the annual struggle for the posession of the Marquis of Northampton's challenge cup for the next twelve months, was

October, 1906. -FIRST

satisfactorily concluded. The competItIOn, is open to teams of five men representing different units of the Northampton corps. The headquarters team which this year won the Symons cup in the Dewar competition was barred. ThIS we thll1k on the whole is a wise measure it gives a more encouraging outlook to competitors to feel they have not to meet the champions. In the end BILsworth secured the cup, Headquarter's team being 2nd. Far Cotton ,3rd, L. &. N. W.R. 4th, Blisworth II. 5th. At the conclUSIOn the pnzes were handed to the winners by Surgeon-Major Sidebottom. Subsequently the officers and judges dined together at Franklin's Hotel, while a meat tea at the.same hotel was partaken of by the competitors and orderltes and those who had acted as patients. Later on was a smoking concert to wind up the day's proceedll1gs.

RUGBY.- The annual inspection of this division took place on Saturday afternoon, 6th inst., the inspecting officer being Assistant Commissioner Woolston. There were on

AI D.53

the superintendent and the members of the dIVISIon on tbat afternoon, and also on the ?f theIr eqUIpment. The gathering was kept in good spmts by a splendid selection of songs, &c. Several toasts. were proposed and responded to, including "The " Visitors," "Host and Waiters" "ArtIsts," &c.

Woolston attended tblS town and inspected this corps on Saturday September 29th. .To the number of nfty-nve, the drawn from the varIOUS works paraded under the command ?f Supt. Hall, went through a somewhat exacting drill In the most credItable manner. At the conclusion the inspecting officer addressed tbe men. He first expressed regret at the absence of ilIr. Fox Allin, to whom he expressed thanks for the interest he had always shown in the corps. He also expressed his satisfaction with the work of the detachment which attended camp this year. N ext year he boped a larger number would attend.

parade twenty-live members under the command of Supt. Parsons. The men were closly tested in individual work and also in squads, and the inspecting officer at the conclusion, addressing them, expressed himself as well pleased with what he had seen. I Ie also urged them to take up the study of " camp sanitation" from the new text book of the brigade, and laid considerable stress on the necessity of the brigade members having a good knowledge of this branch of their work. rUter the inspection the men were entertained to tea by Mr. T. B. Eden, M.A., J.P. (the treasurer of the division), in whose grounds the inspection was held. Amongst the equipment on parade were four stretchers, wheeled litter, surgical havresacs, and water bottles. The tent, containing nursing basket, camp bed and other materials was also pitched on the ground.

In the evening the members and their friends assembled at the Central Hotel, where they held a smoking concert, Supt. ·Parsons occupying the chair, supported by Chief Supt. Harvey Reeves and Supt. Rice orthampton) amongst others. The visiting officers replying to the toast,

At the request of the District Cbief Surgeon, he drew attention to a new order which would shortly be issued in the district-that they were to carry two lots of material, one for practice and another (which must be sealed up and not exposed to air or dust) for use in case of accidents. After calling attention to the weight of the present stretchers, and suggesting that he hoped ere long they would be provided with the regulation one. The Assistant Commissioner spoke of the advantages of service with the Sick Berth Reserve, the Mayor (Councillor Adams), who with other local gentlemen had been an interested spectator, subsequently addressed a few kindly remarks to the men. His Worship also entertained them to tea and was heartily thanked for his generosity.

'VOL\ ERlIA,!PToN.-Tbe second annual inspection of this division took place on Sunday afternoon, September 23 rd at the Deanery. Assistant-Commissioner Woolston was the inspecting officer. There were twenty -nve men on parade under the command of the Superintendent (Lieut.-

Col. C. A. lVlacMunn), with whom was 1st Officer Christopher, who subsequently put the men through the company and stretcher drill. At the close the inspecting offiCer expressed his satisfaction and wished the division all success.

No. 4 District.

BRlERFIELD.-A pleasant and social evening was spent together by the members of the Ambulance and Nursing Divisions at the Co-operative Assembly Rooms on September 28th. Reference was made to the honour attained by Supt. Webster in receiving the Long Service Medal from the hands of H.RH. The Prince of Wales, and special pleasure was evinced at the further honour conferred upon him by his appointment as Hon. Serving Brother of the Order of St. John.

A splendid tea had been provided by the President, "Mr. Riley, and during the evening this gentleman presented to Supt. Webster a solid silver rose bowl, while Mrs. Webster was the recipient of a handsome bouquet of choice roses at the hands of Mr. F. Veevers. The rest of the evening was devoted to dancing.

DALTON-IN-I'URNESS.- The annual inspection and reexamination of this division took place in the Nelson-street schools on September 21St. Supt. J. W. W. Grigg was in command, and the inspecting officer was District Supt. of Stores, Capt. E. B. Pooley, who, at the conclusion, expressed his satisfaction at the smart and practical way in which the drills and bandaging had been performed.

HuulE.-The third annual concert of this Division of the Manchester and Salford Curps, took place on Saturday, October 13th, at the Town Hall, the chair being taken by Mr. Arthur A. Haworth, M.P.

The programme was rather short but very pleasing. Miss Bertha Guthrie, soprano rendered the "Sands O'Dee" and gave as an encore "Annie Laurie" which was sung with much clearness. The soprano, Miss Lilian Johnson, a pupil of Miss Guthrie's, sung with much feeling Grieg's "The Solveig's Song" and her performance of " Millard's Waiting" was highly appreciated.

Mr. Fred. Ashby, the tenor. sang" I'll sin a thee songs of Araby" with magni6cent grace. The artistes were, Carl ,baritone), Mr. J. Milton Hayes, (humOrISt), MISS. Llly Peck (solo pianist and accompanist). DUring the wlerval a display in ambulance work was given by the members, and in commenting upon the work Mr. IIaworth highly praised Supt. Manning on the smartness of the men. Mr. Haworth appealed for donations for the new drill hall and hoped there would be a rush of ,?S notes for Mr. the building fund secretary. Such a useful orgamsatlOl1 as the S.J.AB. cou ld not he dispensed with and he urged the audience to assist the Division in out their work. The concert arrangewere 111 the hands of Mr. Sydney H. Lamb, hon. secretary, entertainment committee

fr.Ol:n. the above, accompanied by members of the Nursmg Dlvlslon, turned out for public duty on the ult., the occasion be in g the unveiling of th.e fimshed memorial statue of the lat e Queen Vlct?na. The ceremony was performed H.R.H. Princess LOUlse, Duchess of Argyll, who was accompanied by His Grace The Duke of Argyll the Earl of Derby and other distinguisbed personages.

•

The men were under the of Supt. J. C. EllIson, and they demonstrated to the city their

A I D. - October, 1906.

usefulness, between 20 and 30 cases, mostly of a minor character, being treated.

Letters of thanks bee? received by the Supt. from the Lord Mayor and the ChIef Constable.

li. combined drill and route march was held at Southport on th e 6th inst, sections from Bootie and Waterloo joining in at their respective stations e7t route. The cO.m.p!lny was received at its destination by the Southport Dlvlslon, under the command of Supt. Illingworth. After a faIr march the drill ground was reached, wnere the afternoon was spent in stretcher work and genera l drill. The sections were directed by Supt. J. C. Ellison, of Llverpool.

WARRINGTON.-The large dining-room at Messrs. Crossfield's works was crowded on September 22nd to witness the annual competition for" The Cross6eld ChalShiel?" Fourteen teams entered, the judges being Dlstrlct Chlef Supt. Garr-et and District Supt. Treasurer F. de Beho Pim, their decision being announced at the conclusion as follows :-I (Shield and travelling clocks), Crompton,; 2 (6eld 9Iasses), Burnley; 3 (Silver photo frames), Liverpool. fhe pnzes were a lso generous ly provided by Messrs. Crossfield.

Col. Trimble, the Deputy Commissioner of lhe district, wl:o was present, asked Capt. Cross6eld to presen t the shIeld and prizes, and incidentally thanked the firm for what they were doing to encourage am bulance work.

Capt. Crossfield having presented the prizes in the course of an interesting speech referred to the which they as ambulance men were engaged in, and sald It was a pleasure to himself and his co-directors to encourage the patl iotic work they were doing.

Other speakers were Col. Trimble and District Chief Supt. Garnet.

The annual meeting of this division, under the presldency of Supt. J. W. Crossley, was held at on Sept. 26th. Very satisfactory reports were received, presented and adopted.

Hon. Surgeon Young presented to the division a cup o,n an oak stand, bearing the inscription, 1 be Young Challenge Bowl, Whitefield." It was, he said, to be by the member who should prove the most profiCient during the year, but he hoped it would not create any ill-feeling.

The Chairman, in accepting the cup, warmly thanked the for his handsome gift, and referred to Lhe kind way 111 he placed his services at the disposal of th e diVISion for Instruction, &c. Other members also voiced simi lar sentiments, and a formal vote of thanks which was ordered to be entered on the minutcs, passed to Hon. Surgeon Young.

No. 5 District.

AUDLEY.-The annua l inspection of the lIalmarend and District j)ivision took place here 011 Septcm ucr 2 wd. Hon. Surseon Clifford and 1St OlIicer F. Hancock were in and at the conc lusi on were congratulated on the sat isfactory state of lhe division.

annual meeting of the ])ewsoury and Corps was held at the Infirmary on September 25tl:. Chief Lee reported that he had recently received a VISIt fr()111 Col. Bowdler Commissioner for Special Services, with regard to establishment of a bearer company In connection with the brigade for the

October,

1906

-FIRST

Dews bury district. The members who joined the COtnpany. would have to be in possession of the Ambulance Cerlificate of th e Association, and would be required to on for ont They would not, however, be render1l1g themselves ltable to ac tiv e service, th e idea being that they should attend the place of mobilisation in case of war Thirty-six had already been g iv en, and more were reqUired. The honorary officers and committee were e lected.

n DISTRlCT (SCUNTHORPE).-

I he of tbls diVISion took place in the Assembly Rooms on S.eptembcr 26th, the inspecting bClllg ])IStriCt Chief Supt.. H. C. Else. The dlvlslon paraded under lhe command of Supt. Hardy, the other ofhcer present on parade being 1St Officer McIntosh. The officer was received with a general salute, followmg which there was a cluse inspection of all ranks. This was followed by company and stretcher drill. At the conclusion, the inspecting officer expressed himself as fully sa ti sfied with all he had witnessed.

ROTIlERHAl\I.-On Octobcr 6th, at the l"erham School, District Chief Supt. Else inspected this diVISIOn. Supt. H. C. Chambers was in command, and put Lhe. men through an interesting series of drills, th e whole of which were executed with commendable smartness. At the conclusion, the inspecting officer said he was pleased to had the duty of inspecting them that day. They had eVidently made up their minds that what was worth doing was worth doing well. The work he had seen done that clay could not be equalled by any corps in the district.

WOOLLEY COLLIERY, lJARTON.-This division was inspected by District Chief Supt. Else on the 7th inst. There was a total of 2 officers and 23 rank and 61e on parade, out of the enrolled strength ()f thirty, those not on parade .being absent with leave. At the conclusion, the Inspectmg officer expressed his pleasure at all he had seen, he was surprised, he said, to find so smart and well-drilled a division in an outlying district like Woolley Colliery.

No. 6 District.

SOUTH SHIELD S - /in :lmbulance competition amongst the members of the Police Ambulance Division took place on the parade ground on September 25th. The prizes consisted of five silver cups for the members of th e winning team, presented by members of the magistracy and corporation Five teams competed, and tbe winners were P.c.'s Bloom, l\IcCiure, White, Law and Gibb. A special prize was awarded t o P.e. Bloom for answering individual questions. The judges were Colonel Gibbon, V. D., Surgeon-Major Sutherland, V. D., and Dr. l\lodlin. The members of the Volunteer Life Division have just undergone inspection at the hands of SurgeonlVlujor Su th erland, V.n. (District Supt. -Secretary), who was 3ccol11panied by District Chief-Surgeon Robertson Crease. At the conclusion of the drill, the I nspectil1g Officer expressed his great satisfaction at all he had witnessed. He knew th e ir work was of a higb order, having often juclged them in competition. He expressed the hope thal the Division would increase in numbers and that ere long each large works and colliery in th e North would have its own ambu ance Division.

NO.7 District.

CHIRK.-c.::0l. J. 1). Lloyd, YD. (District ChiefSurgeon), ,PreSIded over a meeting of Welsh amlJUlance at. th.1S on Saturday, Septem ber 29th. It was dlsappoll1lll1g, sald Colonel Lloyd, to see that interest in ambulance \:ork was waning in Chirk, they had not Lhe same enthl!sJasm as Portmadoc and Festiniog In the course of a few remarks Mr. J. Darlington said it was absolu.tely lamentable the ignorance displayed nowadays by wIves when chIldren wp.re ill. Twenty years ago mothers knew elementary nursing, but now women neglected the most essential of a mother. Young wO.men should know the prinCiples of hringing up children.

l?r. J. D. S. Lloyd, who was the recipient of a presentat ion from the members of the Chirk Ambulance and Nursing Classes, in recognition of the time and skill he had devoted, that the feeding and care of children was a national question, and he thought the ignorance of mothe.rs was colossal. Many knew nothing about general cleanlmess and the use of soap. There should be classes throughout the land for the rearing of children.

PENTRE.-On Wednesday evening, OctoLer 3rd, a meetll1g of the whole of the officers and members of the neighbouring Divisions was held at the Workmen's Institute for the purpose of discussing the question of a corps for Fawr. The chair was occupied by Mr. Tom DaVies (the general secretary to the Sir Charles Warren Shield Committee). It was unanimously decided to form a corps, and the names of the following gentlemen were unanimously recoillmended for the appointment of co:ps officers :- Surgeon-Lieut. J. R. Armstrong to be chief surgeon Mr. Tom Davies, to be chief - supt.; Mr. T. O. Osmond to be supt.-secretary; Dr. R. Gabe Jones to be supt.-treasurer. The Divisions to be incorporated in the new Corps are Treherbert, Treorchy, Ton Pentre, Ystral Rhondda, Clydach Yale, and Llwynypia.

PONTYPRlDD. - The first annual inspection of the following Divisions-Ton Pentre, Mardy, Ferndale LI wynfid, Clydach Yale, and the Great Western Colliery. Mustenng at the Pontypridd Station the Divisions marched, headed by th e Great Western Colliery Band, to Ynysyngharad Gardens, a large proportion were wearing the regulation Brigade uniform and looked exceedingly smart. The Inspecting Officd was J. Aroallt Jones (District Supt.-Secretary) who was accompanied by Chief Surgeon Granville Morris, Chief-Supt. T. E. Richards, Hon. Surgeon Richardson White, Mr. T0111 Davies, Ton Pentre, and Drs. R. Gabe Jones, J. R. Armstrong, and Morgan. Company and stretcher drill, bandaging and general first aid work having been gone through, the men were formed up and lhe Insp ecting Officer expressed his great satisfaction at the marvelous advancement they had made in so short a period. He should have much pleasure in a most favourable report to the Deputy CommiSSioner.

TrumERIJERT.-The annual inspection of this Division took place at the Schools on September 24th. The inspecting officer was Surgeon-l\Iajor J. Arnallt Jones (District Supt.-Secretary) who was accompanied by Mr. Tom Davies as orderly officer.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

Br ev iti es .

IN comnllttmg for trial a prisoner recently charged with maliciously wounding a policeman by stabbing him, :Mr. :Mead, says Til e Lancet, commented thus upon the conduct of another constable who had rendered first aid to the injured man: "I must compliment Police-constable Rodgers on the way he rendered first aid. The efficient way in which it is rendered by the police is often brought to my notice. It shows how well the police are instructed in the exercise of this aid and how much the public benefit by it." Everyone will be glad that those who instruct the police should be thus congratulated, and that the force should be able Lo make practical use of the instruction imparted, which must have the effect of awakening their intelligence in many ways. For instance, it no douht assists them in the appreciation of those cases in which illness is likely to be mistaken for the effects of drunkenness. If th e re have bee n instances recently of such mistakes fewer have bee n reported in the newspapers, alld it is to be hoped that this dangerous error is of less frequent occurrence than it was some years ago. Police-constabl e Rogers was able to render effective assistance to his comrade, whose dangerous condition lllay be inferred from tbe fact that he collapsed almost immediately after receiving his wound, and from the evidence of a medical witness wbo deposed that he would be in ca pacitated fur at least a month.

* * *

SPEAKING at the presentation of the challenge cup and medals to the 1Iardy .i\mbulance Corps, Mr. William Abraham (},laban), :M.P., expressed his admiration for the humanitarian work performed by the am bulance men. How many times, he remarked, had he and his fellow agents and check weighers seen comrades lying crushed and maimed, bleeding slowly to death, yet wbile desiring to do sometbing to alJeviate their suffel ings and staunch the flowing life stream, fea ring to do anything OWll1g to want of knowledge in renderin g first aid? What a pitiable position to be in ! -seeing friends dying, and yet utterly unable to render any assistance. He was truly thankful they had got beyond that stage now.

* * *

WRITIN G to tht G!asgo'lo Ev enillg iVews On the question of ambulance equipment on trains, Dr. Halliday, one of the best exponents on railway ambulance work in Scotland says: "What is really wanted is not stretchers or appliances: but a knowledge of how best to render first aid to the injured. The man who is lifted by unskilled hands and placed on a strdcher might have, in consequence, much more suffering, and also much more deformily than if left alone. The man who died at rVIinster, Shepp)" recently as a result of tetanus, obtained through a dirty germ-laden cobweb which bad been applied by a fellow worker to a slight, bleeding wound, would bave been much better without this assistance. The same holds good in all cases.

WE are glad to see tha t th e s u bject o f l fe-savi n g a nd mining rescue corps is at last receiving t h e at t ention it demands At YVharncliffe Si lks t o.n e, nea r Bir d we ll s ta ti o n, recently, an interesting public demonstration was given of ambulance and life-saving work as applied to cases o f ac cident and explosion in ('oal mines . I t was tbe first occasion on which many colliery officials i n the Ba rn sley coalfield has had the opportunity of seeing in operation t be various types of apparatus for enabling rescuers to penetrate and work in an atmospbere of poisonous gases. The demonstration was the result o f the co-operatio n of t h e Yorkshire colliery owners wilb Mr. W. Walker, H M Mines I nspector, in establishing an am bulance eague fo r the Yorkshire district. One feature of the display was t he examination of teams of five in ordinary ambulance work. The examiner was Dr. Blackburn, of Barnsley, and before him eight teams of five presented t hemse ves fo r examination in four sections - (a) questions and answers, (b) bandaging, (c) artificial respiration, and (d) stretcher work . In reporting at the close on the result of his examination, Dr. Blackburn said the answers to questions had been "very fair," the bandaging had been "very well done," in artificial respiration drill the teams showed that they knew the work" fairly well," and in the stretcher exersise be had been particularly struck by the careful and gentle manner in which the men lifted up the patients.

* * . *

AT a meetIng of the l \rhroath School Board, on October 1st, the Rev. Andrew Douglas, says the Dundee C Ollrier called attention to the conducting of am bulance classes on Sundays. I1e asked if precautionary lt1easures had been taken whereby no others would be allowed to attend the classes other than those who absolutely could not attend during the week. The chairman (Mr. Reid) stated that the teacher, Dr. Duncan, had explained that only those that could not attend during the week were to be taught on Sundays. Of c()Urse that did not necessarily mean that only railway men were to be admitted Mr. Douglas observed that the Board was incurring a great responsibility in letting in the thin end of the wedge of Sabbath desecration. The chairman explained tbat the wbole matter had been before the Evening Continuation Class Committee, and it musl be regarded as settled.

* * * Sabbath desecra t/oll ! you, this is said by a Christian Lninister, and in the twentieth century. As the re were Pharisaical bigots in the days of the Great Teacher, so we suppose there always will be. To this latter day representative of the Scribes and Pharisees, we would point out that ambulance instruction has for its great a i m t he saving of hUlllan life, and we would co 111 mend t o his more earnes t perusal lhe volume of the Sacred Law, taking especial no te uf the 6th Chapter of Luke, and partic ul arly verse 9.

Our Portrait Gallery.

J AMES SCOTT, CHIEF OfFICER BRADFORD CITY FIRE BRIGADE, YORK SHIRE.

Vice· Pres iden t oj the Fire Clziejs ' Association oj Great Brdaill, j }fember oj tile IntenlatioJla! .Fire C02t1lcti, Chairman of the i Vational Fire Brigades' Ull iOll , Yorkslu"re District; lI.fember of .f.fOIlOltT of tile Fnllc!Z, and Ita/ian Federatiolls.

TIlE subject of our Portrait Gallery this month, perhaps the best known, and certainly one of the most popular of provincial fire chiefs, is the Chief Officer of the Bradford City Fire Brigade, which among the fire fighting organisations of the country, holds a premier position alike for the

A l D.- 57

Mr. Scott's appointment proved itself the initiation of an era of change in the organisation of the Fire Service· befo.re that the brigade had been an adjunct to the serVIce, the cblef constable act1l1g also as director of the brigade, but in VIew of the increasing responsibility lt1volved, the Bradford Corporation deemed it n e cessary to depute to a separate committee the cognisance of fire matters, and henceforth we see the fire brigade raised from its. auxiliary status to one of separate though collateral eXIstence.

It is difficult for one unacquainted with the great commercial centres of the county of Yorksbire, to , realise the unceasing activity and unfailing resource, the office of fire chief involves; labyrinthine miles of warehouses towering many stories high packed with materials, often of a most inflammable nature, and factories of one kind and another presenting problems in fire pr e vention which test to th e utmost the abilities of those who have to cope with them.

When Chief Officer Scott joined the brigade there were only thr ee officials Exclusively engaged in the work, but to-day "the men and the h orses that make up the forces " are much altered-a population of about 390,000 distribut e d ov e r an area of 22,843 ac res, five fire stations, a strength of 43 men, five steamers, thr ee chemical engines, three horse escapes, seven curricle escapes, 14 horses, and two-and-a-half miles of hose demand his care. The Garnewall system connecting the whole.

In addition to the central fire station, district stations have been established at Odsal and Idle, and escapes and fire appliances are provided at out-district police stations in th e city a nd at the Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Some idea of the present work of the brigade can be gathered when it is stated that in the year ending September, 19°5, there was on an average one call during every 551 hours of the year, and that more than 46 per cent. of those calls came between the hours of 6 p m. and 6 a. m.

During his 28 years of experience 1\1r. Sc o tt has had more than his share of the perils of an occupation, itself fraught with danger, and many are the exciting e pisodes which be co uld r e late of personal dangers undergone in the conflagrations which he has had to fight.

moderness of its equipment, and the high standard of efficiency among its members.

Chief Officer James Scott hai ls from the Lake district, he was born at Sedgwick, in Westmoreland, in 1853. Early in his teens he came to Bradford, where be learned the carpen ers' craft. In 1878, having meanwhile, on the expiration of his term of apprenticeship, spent some years in the n e ighbouring district of Leeds, returning in 1876, he became a member of the auxiliary staff of tbe Bradford Fire Brigade.

Here he acquired his first knowledge of the work which was to constitute the most important factor of bis l ife. After three years' service he was drafted into the Police Force, and from this point 11is advance was rapid.

In 1884, six years arter joining the service, we see as the firsL permanent sergeant in the fire brigad e and .In 1886, on the retirement of Mr. Withers, the then ChIef Constable of the Bradford Police Force, l\Ir. Scott wa! c b osen to occ u py tbe important position wbich be now fills with such administrative tact and ability.

In one six months there were in Bradford alone some six large fires at woollen and other warehouses and mills, involving a total loss of upwards of £300,000 worth of property-an anxious trial of the endurance a nd abilities of any fire chief; and in r893, when the small-pox hospital at School more was burnt down, Scott, in effecting the rescue of some of the inmates , contracted the dise ase in all its severity, an experience which, though unusu al, is indicative of the thousand and one ha za rds attendant on a fireman's life seldom realised in their fullness by the publi c at large.

Chief Officer Scott is one of the most of men, and only those who have close experience of him and his work are able to testify in th e fullness of his qualities. H e is gifted with that indefinable and invaluable. ability of exercising strict discipline over those under hIS control without ever making their duties irksome.

" He learns to Illake them like him

So they 'll learn to like their work, " and his genial and sunny disposition win for him the boundless enthusiasm of all with whom he comes 111 co ntact.

Inter es ted in all pertaining to the fire world, among the many other positions which he filled was for two years the Presidency of the Yorkshire Fire Brigades' Fnendly Society, and he is still viC E- President.

When c orresponding with Advertisers please mention" First Aid."

The numerous demands on his sen-ices as a judge at briaade competitions in various parts of the country are evidence of the fairness of his adjudications and the general ccnfidence felt in the justice of his arbitrament.

For many years "tIfr. Scott bas taken a deep interest in ambulance matters, having so far back as J890 taken bis first certificate in the work. He regards a practical knowledge of ambulance first aid principles as essential to every fireman's education. Formerly, too, the horse ambulances were under his direction and turnecl out with the same dispatch to save limb or life as the fire engines did to save property. Every member of the brigade holds a certificate or medallion of the St. John Ambulance Association, and the instruction by the han. surgeon, Dr. V. Bateson, is conducted on the lines of the ambulance department of the National Fire Brigades' Union.

As a generous worker in aid of the hospitals and any olher good cause, Mr. Scott can claim many friends outside the fire world, and has \Yell earned the respect and affection of the large number of fellow townsmen, who, throughout his lont; service have proved the sterling qualities he bides behind his unassuming manner.

He is ne\'er so happy as when assisted by his wife, he arranges pleasant, soci:ll and instructive evenings for tbe large family of firemen, :lnd their wives, under his command.

met their death. He had often seen a train go by, and had thought to himself, ''If the public only knew tbe anxiety of the work, they wou ld appreciate more highly than they do tbe work 9l 0t the railway men " He congratulated them from the bottom of his heart on the success of their class, and he should have have been sorry indeed to have missed the entertainment.

The Colonel, on resuming bis seat, was accorded musical honours.

N. E. R.-On tbe 27th ult., the Heselden class held their annual "smoker" in the village schoolroom, when Mr. Foster, J.P., presided, supported by l\ f r. Carhart (Chairman DistrIct Council), Dr. G. Russell, Dr. J. Muir, Mr. R. Arthington, Mr. W. Hauswell (District Sec.), Mr. Geo. Jackson (Gen. Sec.), Mr. J. Willis (Class Sec.), &c. Mr. Carbart proposed success to the N.E.R. Centre, to which Mr. J acksoll responded, giving .some particulars or the work in gel: era. 1. The chairman handed the certificates, &c., to the mem bers who passed the examination recently held, and to Dr. Muir he handed a silver mounted stick on behalf of the class, who, in responding, gave some interesting particulars and excellent advice to students

On the 1st inst. the Milford Junction class met in their ambulance room to be presented with their certificates, but owing to t he unavoidable absence of Dr. Pickersgill, Mr. Watson, the veteran mem ber of his class, handed them out, and a deputation was formed to take to their worthy doctor a very bandsome dressing case, which had been obtained as a slight token of their deep appreciation of their lecturer's assistance and interest in them

October 19 06 -FIRST

Th e Re d Cro ss Soci e ty of Japan.

So much has already been said in praise of the Red Cross work of our Eastern ally that to still further refer to it may appear to some of our readers like painting the lily or gilding refined gold; but, by the courtesy of an esteemed correspondent, a copy of the last report of the Society and a

A I D.- 59

In the year 1898 the ."ociety adopted a series of Articles of Association, by which we gather that it is under tbe exalted patronage of the Emperor and Enlpress, and its objects and functions are ;-

To care for the wounded anu sick III time of war and to undertake to render nid in case of national calamities or disasters, and for the attainment of these objects the Society shall undertake :-

(1) In time of peace to train a staff required for the carrying out of relief measures and to collect stores, so as to be sufficiently in readiness to meet a war or other emergency.

(2) In time of war to care for tbe wounded and sick, in conformity with the instructions of the proper authorities.

(3) In case of a disastrous occurrence to administer succour to the injured and sick, either at the instance of, or by the permission of tbe authority concerned.

The membership we find consists of three classes :-

(1) Regular members.-Those \yho make an annual subscription of from 3 to 12 yen, or those who make a subscription of not less than 25 yen.

Special mcm bers.-Tbose wbo ba ve rendered such services to the Society as the Standing Council deems entitled to be recognised as members without requiring them to make an annual subscription, and those wbo have made a donation of not less tban 200 yen.

G.W.R.-On Saturday, September 31st, Colonel Evan Llewellyn visited Bristol to present certificates and medallions to the members of the Ambulance Class.

The which was presided over by 1\1r. W. l)hillips (locomotive superintendent), took place at Stuckey'S Restaurant where an enjoyable smoking concert was held.

After presenting the certificates, &c., Colonel LlewellYll, on behalf of the class, handed to Dr. ])evis a handsome silver cigar casE', nnd a sih'er cigarette case to N. E. Connelly in appreciation of tbeir efflJrts on behalf of the class.

Later on the Colonel gave an effective and tell ina address in which he thanked bis hearers for inviting to be present. He referred in terms of warm commendation of the way in wbich railway Illen sacrificed of their little leisure to acquire this first aid Instr:JctlOn.

The g.?od work for which they were fitting themselves, said the Colonel, was not work tbat was simply good for those who won the hOlJours and certificates Apart from these, there was good work done by any man ,vho took the trouble to perfect and instruct himself in tbe work. The safety of travelling public, and the comfort of their fellow men depended not merely upon those who won certificates, but upon those who did their best to improve themselves in the work. He knew many of the mcn on the footplate. Many and many a time hact he gone through Grantham Statlon, where those two men

The Darlington district at their annual meeting at Bisbop Auckland, re-elected as chairman Mr. Hillyer, and as secretary Mr. T. H. Curry. The Leeds district at Leeds, Mr. Hill, Ripon, as chairman, and Mr. A. W. Elliott, Harrogate, as Tbe J ewcastle district, J. Keith, Newcastle, as chairman, and Mr. W. Hollings, Gate:.-head, as secretary; and the Middlesbro' district, Mr. R. Arthington as chairman, and Mr. Hauswell, West Hartlepool, as secretary.

The Hull, Darlington and districts are now in a position to purchase shields for their district competitions, tbanks to tbe handsome donation of the chairman of the company (the Rt. Hon. ]. Llloyd Wharton), who bas given a sum of money to make each of the three districts subscription lists up to £21, and thus put them on an equality with the other three districts (York, Leeds and Newcastle), which have already got shields. The Rt. Hon. gentleman bas also given the money [or a flnal trophy for the Centre competition, and the thanks of every member of the Centre is due to the spontaneous generosity of Mr. Wharton, who has thus given'the N.E.R. Centre such a fillip, tbat its prosperity for a long time to corne is more than assured.

COInin g E v e nt s.

Parliculars ojjorl/t{olllill. t: ';V <J llts wil/ be il/serLcd ill fhis (0/1111111 0/ dial"!,';:, If rtxeivcd ltot laLcr tllelll tile I ;.LII if cadi III(Jlltll.

LOlldon, E.-The Eastern Districl of the N.F.H U. will hold their annual meeting on December 1st, at the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgale, at 4.15 p.m. To be followed by a dinner at 6-45 p.m.; tickets for whicb, price 55. (enclusive of wine), must be obtained from the Hon. Secretary (1\1r. II. E II. Tracy ) J 5, Trinity-square, SOLlthwark, S.E., by November 20 th. Uniform or evening dreso.

series of photographs taken during the late war, have been placed at our disposal, and .we have culled fro.m the former a [ew facts which we belteve wIll prove of ll1terest to our readers as shcl\ving how keen is the love of this humanitarian work among all classes in Japan. The photographs, numbering upwards of 100, are illustrative of Red Cross work in the late campaign, and most interesting. Space will not permit of the repoduction of many, bUl ,,:e are permitted by our corresponde.nt to say that If of our readers should be deSIrous of reprodUCIng any of these photograpbs ror the purpose of lantern lectures, the whole series will be willingly sent them for the purpose of making a selection for slides lhe only stipulation being that the photograph's shall be returned with as little delay as jJossible

The Japant.:se Society was founded 111 1877, and was then known as the Enlarged Charity AssoCIatIOn. Its first war service was seen in connection with the rebellion in the south-west provinces, when ito btai necl perm iss ion fro m the in-chief of the Go\ -ernment forces to render al(J to the medical corps of the Imperial [orces; at the close of hostilities it was formed on a l1lore permanent basis, and at once commenced to take every possible step to perfect its organization for the carrying out of relief measures in time of war. In accordance with this desire, in 1886, when the Japanese Government joined the Geneva co.n-

(3) Honorary members.-Those wbom the Standing Committee considers entitled to be such members.

:Medals for meritorious services shall be conferred on those who have rendered distinguished services or made a donation of not less than I,OOO yen to the funds of the Society, in addition to wbich the honorary special and regu-

\\TOUNDED SOLlJlERS nWM TIlE FRO:-,rT ];EING TAKEN DOWN FRO]\[ TUE "YOJ';:OIJAMA l\1ARU," A HOSPITAL SIIIP. vention it bad its name changed to thal of ltS present'title, "The Red Cross of ] apan," ducing at tbe same time various. alte.ratrons and modifications in the regulations under which It worked

lar members shall each receive a medal for membership indicatina to \ybich class he or sbe 'Ve have briefly, we may say very brIefly, sUl1l111ansecl

FRONT VIEW OF THE MAIN HOSPlTAL OF THE RED CROSS SOCIETY OF JAPAN.

AI D.- O[

the particulars relating to the founda.tion and the regulations, &c., of the Society, and we shall now briefly touch upon its work in the late campaign. The report which is before us deals with a period dating from October, 19°4 to September, 19°6. By it we gather that at that period the Society had working two hospital ships, owned by, manned by, and managed by the Society; thirty-eight relief detachments*

on board eighteen hospital ships owned by the

The number of detachments serving on

Each hospital ship varies from one-and-a-half to three relief detachments, according to the tonnage of the ship. Seventy-three relief detachments were serving in home hospitals under the naval and military authorities; one was serving at the depot of supply, thirtytwo were at the front engaged in field hospitals and relief stations; one detach men t was engaged in am bulance transport duties, having the charge of stretchers, wagons, &c.

In addition to this work there were thirteen agencies at home, and one at the front engaged in the manag,=ment of the whole relief detachments at home and abroad- 1 5 2 detachments in all. Relief stations were also established in various parts and at railway stations, to assist in giving rest and refreshment to the wounded and sick and medical treatment, &c., if required. These were worked voluntarily by Red Cross surgeons and nurses, assisted by the members of the Ladies' Volunteer Nursing Association.

The report goes on to say that the number of nurses of both sexes dispatched up to date, numbered in all o",-er 4,7 00 , five detachments having been placed entirely in the hospitals and stations wherein were located the Russian prisoners.

The members of the Ladies' Volunteer Nursing Association of the Red Cross of Japan have constantly and strenuously rendered their services, ever since the outbreak ?f in making bandages and caps for the patients; 10 100kll1g after them at the relief stations, which have been referr.ed to; in. visitin.g. them in hospitals; in assisting them to write to their families at home; in distributing among them books, newspapers and various things they could collect; 111 actually nurs111g the sick and wounded of ?,oth belligerents, if necessary, and in various other ways.

1 he members of forty-one branches, together with those of the hea?4Uart.ers of the Association, num bered nearly 10,000, 1I1cludll1g amongst them princesses the wives of the. nobility and of diplomatic staffs, and distinguished adles who have joined.

(To be con till ued. )

ISLE OF WIGHT.-Chief-Supt. Victur Blake has been romoted to the rank of Chief-Surgeon, and Hon. Surgeon Preston has been appointed to succeed him in the rank of Chief-Supt.

'3 e

RADCLIFFE.- The annual meeting of these divisions (ambulance and nursing) was held at headquarters on Oct. 4th: The annual report showed that progress had been well that both in efficiency and financially the dlvlslOn was m a better position than last year. The report d also the balance sheet were adopted. The President d other honorary officers and the committee were elected .r the ensuing. year. Votes of thanks were passed to the lstriCt Council for use of a room, and to the firms and workople at places where copper collections had been t aken nd to the chairman.

* A relief consiSls of two surgeons, one apolhecary, ne clerk, two chief nurses (men or women), twenty nurses (men or me!1). \Vhen several delachmenls are dispalched for one place or lon, one s urgeon and one superinlending nurse e pldced as over all delachments.

St. John Ambulance Work at Lea mington Spa.

IN the course of last year, a public meeting was held in the Town Hall, Leamington Spa, for the purpose of forming a Division of the S.JA.B., and also to obtain a horse ambulance for the use of the town and neighbourhood.

In the course of an address Surgeon-Major Hutton, sald:-

"In the present day there are two words much in use, and on many and various platforms-science and efficiency-and im portan t, in their true meaning as these words may be, there is another word that I think as of more value to both young and old and that is-dtt!.y. Now, the reason I say this is, the people of Leamington have been sadly remiss in their duty.

"With regard to a good useful ambulance service for the town. Let me remll1d you that Leamington professes to take invalids in order to restore them to health- through our excellent mineral waters-and other health restoring influences of our beautiful and favoured district-immortalised as it has been by Shakespeare.

"Let me now mentioll a few places that have been provided with horse ambulances, and which have done excellent .and useful work in removing the sick and injured from thelr homes or place of injury to Hospitals:- York, Northampton, WelJingborough, Halifax and the Isl e of Wight, where, according to a report, I recently received, the horse-am bul.ance ha.d been out twenty-four times during th: year-coverIng a dIstance of 358 mIles-the following bemg some of the places to which it has been :- Cowes, Freshwater, Osborne, Parkhurst, Ryde, Shanklin and Whipping ham.

"I now come to the formation of a Division of the S.JA.B. for Leamington, and, I think, with the certificated members of the S.JA.A. located here you ought not to find any difficulty about it. The essential rules are that mem bers of the Brigade shall be of good character-shall hold the St. John Ambulance certificate, and shall attend twehle drills in the year-undergo an annual re-examination, and also be present at the annual inspection by an officer from Headquarters. Then it is necessary to wear the uniform-which is inexpensive-and must be of the regulation pattern."

Surgeon-Major Hutton, in concluding his remarks, said :-

". I only believe in results, and I hope for the establJshment of a service for Leamington, as a res,ult of meet1l1g. In commencing my address, I laId speclal stress on and if you want, what I b: termed the highest sense of duty, read whIch IS. wnt large on the base of Wellington's statue 111 the GUlldhall, and writ large in the story of our Island race :-' It is the law of DUTY! '"

We a re glad to :eport that since this meeting both objects have been attamed, and both have done and are doing good work. The horse-ambulance was to the \\ Tarneford Hospital, work it under r eg ul at ions, approved by the CommIttee of the Institution and the division of the Brigade has done some good and passed a creditable in spection by an Officer appointed 'from Headquarters.

WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH ADVERT [SERS PLEASE MENTION "FIRST AID."

Provincial.

BRADFoRD.--On Friday evening, 5th inst., the members of the ambu lance class, held at the Eastbrook lnstistute, under the allspices of the S.J.A.A., presented surgeon instructor, Dr. B. Wade, with a handsome cigar case, suitably engraved. The Rev. H. M. Nield complimented the mem bers of the brotherhood on their success and referred to the grand traditions of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, a nd its good and practical work at the present time, and assured them that be would always support the English Order in his Institute; as the brotherhood of helping those in need was identical with the aims of the large Eastbrook Brotherhood. Dr. Wade suitably responded, and was asked to again lecture in the ensuing winter. A very pleasant evening was spent.

LowEsToFT.-On Saturday, Septemuer 29th, Dr. Wilson Tyson, honorary ambulance lecturer to tlle Lowestoft and Deccles Police Division, was presented with a handsom e silver cigarette case, suitably engraved. The presentation was made by the Mayor, who said it was mainly due to the grea t pains and attention given to the l1\en by Dr. Wilson that they had been so successful at their examinations, and they desired therefore that he would accept th e ir gift as a slight acknowledgement of gratitude. Dr. Wilson suitably replied, and stated that 111 order to assist the men in retaining what they had learned

he would willingly give a lecture to them once a month. The usual votes followed.

PORTISHEAD.-The Rev. Norman de Jersey, who was supported by Dr. Wigan, Capt. Tresize and Capt. Gilmore, presided at a meeting at the Seamen's Institute for the purpose of presenti ng certi ficates to those mem bers who successfully passed the examination in first aid in May last. The presentation over, the men were afterwards enrolled as a Section of the City of Bristol Corps. The lecturer (Dr. Wigan) was presented with a fountain pen in recognition of his self-sacrifice of time, &c., to assist the members in their studies. Afterwards the Chairman and Capt. Tresize addressed the class in telling yet homely speeches, pointing out the good work which had been done by the Corps in Bristol for many years, urging upon them the importance of maintaining the interest in the work, always regarding the word "Efficiency" [\S their guiding motto. Both gentlemen were listened to with evident interest.

RHYl\[NEY VALLEY.-SO keen is the interest which is now being taken in ambulance work in this district that a movement is being initiated which may lead to the Powell, Duffryn Company, the .Tredega: Iron Co. B:n.d the Rhymney Iron Co. presentll1g a shIeld for competitIOn on similar lines to the "Sir Charles 'Warren" Shield in the Rhondda Valley

SLAITlIEWAITE AKD l)rsTRICT.- Dr. Poole gave his annual lecture to the members of the S.J.A.A., at the Spa Baths on Wednesday, October 3rd. The subject of the which was interesting throughout, was "The of Infectious Disease," and the lecturer dealt with all the well-known fevers from the time of incubation until convalescence. He explained some of the ways in which fever is spread, and gave some. rules for prevention of contraction when vlsltmg or attendmg patients. The usual votes followed.

Deve lopm ents in Fire Appli ances.

J3y S. J r. EDDI GTON, CHIEf<' OfFICER TOTTENflAIIl FIRE BHIGADE.

(Colltt'llZled from page 47.)

I HAVE, however, another method of proving the cost of motors as compared with horsed-appliances. It is not quite so simple as my unknown friend's, but it has the merit of being true, which may, perhaps, be held to be quite as useful as his for arriving at results. One also freC'juently hears the objection taken that the great initial cost of motors prohibits many Brigades from adopting them, so I thought I would ascertain also how far this was the case.

My Council happens to possess a Station where the appliances are automobile pure and simple. The Station built for these appliances, and if we therefore take their cost and compare it with the initial cost of horsedvehicles, horses, coachmen, stables, harness-room, fodder stores, additional, quarters, extra land, etc., we can arrive at an exact figure as to the difference between the cost of this station as it stands, and what it would have been had horses been placed there instead.

The Station contains one automobile hose tender chemical engine and escape and one oil fuel automobile steamer.

The manning of these machines, so far as the number of Firemen is concerned, is exactly the same whether horsed or automobile, but you would have, with horsed appliances, to provide two coachmen extra and one relief coachman, when the two regular men go on leave.

You would also have to allow for at least one of the coachmen being a married man lVith quarters, and a cubicle for the single men.

The following would be approximately the difference in the cost of establishing the Station :?l10TORS.

Cost of Steamer £75 0

Escape and Chemical Engine, Pompier ladders, &c. £ 75 0

Total £1,500 HORSED.

Steamer £35 0

Escape, Hose Tender and 6s-gal.

Chemical Engine, &c. 220

5 Horses at £40 each 200 rI arness, &c. 20

Extra Land, Stables for 5 horses, Fodder Store, Harness-room, Paved-yard Drainage, J extra cublcle, 4 exlra rool11s [or married coachman rooo

TOlal £, ,790

This item is based upon the actual cost that the provision of horsed-appliances, etc., would have entailed at our motor station, and the figures are furnished by the architect who designed it.

The engine room would be the same in both cases but you would not have to allow for poles in the moto; applIances you would have proportionately more room than in the horsed-engine house.

Thus in first outlay the motor Station works out at £29 0 less than a horsed-station with similar vehicles. So where does the" great initial cost" corne in? Like most of the other objections to motors it is a myth.

A I D.-

?l1AI NTENANCE. l\10TORS.

Petrol

*Extra Gas fo" Sleamer t0mall repairs

HORSED.

5 Horses, ISS. per week e'lch

Total

2 Coachmen, £78 per annuill each

1 Sp'lre clitto, 7s. 6cl. per week for 50 weeks

I Sp'lre ditto, 3os. for two weeks

::! Olllfits wilh bOOlS, per annum £6 each

C'lS in stables, ulensils, elc.

J leave out oil for steamer on one side and coals on the other. Chemicals would be the same in either case.

I make no charge for wear and damage in stables, and I taken no account of the fact that the life of a motor in the Fire Service would be more than twice that of a horse. I leave these items out because those who believe in motors can afford to be very generous towards their opponents.

(To be cOlltiuued.)

October, I9 0

6. - F I RS T

Boulogne it was given out that they replesented the N.F.B.U., and on arrival at Paris the L.P.F.B.A. This was denied by Capt. Miller, who slated they did not travel vift Boulogne al all, but by way of Calais, and they went in the capacity as British firemen. Capt. Miller was supported in his contention by another officer who accompanied the contingent. It was stated that the N.F.n.U. received an invite but did not accept it. Owing to the appointment of M Thiroux as delegate by the French Federation, M. Kusel had tendered his resignation. Correspondence r.ad taken place on the matter, and the Federation anthorities had written that M. Thirol1x was appointed official delegate for the L.P.F.B.A. and not the N.F.n.U. Under the circumstances M. Kusel had been asked to reconsider his decision-they all knew how faithfully he had discharged his duties in the past and all hoped he would continue to act for many years.

Col. Sea brooke suggested several alterations in connection with various competitions which, he thought, would tend to promote a higher sense of efficiency. As it was now-being mainly a question :of time-it often happened that tbose who went to work in the most reckless manner weI e often the winners .

The usual votes concluded the meeting.

------.--.------

" Cl a rn ico " F ir e B riga d e.

ON Saturday afternoon, September 15th, a large number of spectators witnessed the annual display and inspection of the above Brigade, consisting of the employes of Messrs. Clarlze, Nicholls & Coombs' confectionery works, at Hackney Wick.

National Fire Brigades Union.

Col. Seabrooke presided over the meeting of the Central Council held at the Holborn Restaurant on October 17th. The principal items on the agenda were the reception of the various committee's reports.

Surgeon Major Harrison, in submitting the report of the Long Service Medal Committee, suggested that in place of the numerous bars now worn that one denoting the years of service should be awarded. After some discussion, the subject was referred to a small sub-committee.

Capt. Johnson, in his report on the camp at Guildford, spoke of the meeting as being one ot the most successful yet held.

The Chairman read corresiJondence which had taken place between himself, M. Kusel and others, and the Hon. S.ecretary (Capt. Folker) read a report of the brigades and pnvate fire brigades which visited Paris at the invitation of '£ePetd/ou1'lIal. The brigades attending were in command of Capt. Miller and accompanied by M. Thiroux as delegate. They received a most enthusiastic welcome, each brigade paid its own expenses, no money being paid by the Union. The visit was in connection with the fetes in aid of the Widows' and Orphans' Fund of the Paris firemen. The report went on to say that wben they arrived_ at

"" If petrol were adopted instead of oil thi s item would almost disappear.

Th e sum of £30 is considernlJly in excess of whal we arc paying per annUIll, bUl I wi sh lo crr on the righl side.

AI D.-

are too well disciplined to allow me to butter you in any way, but I have never seen a body of Volunteer Firemen who, as a whole are so well trained, so thoroughly clean and smart, or Sf) efficient and practical in their fire work as yoursel ves.

C( In the recent VISit to Milan, Captain Horn was honoured by the Italian Government \\,ith a decoration for his services 111 connection with fire work, and the body of men selected from among you, who went to Milan with him, were the admiration of the Firemen of all other nationalities, and by their smartness maintained the reputation of .England and also the Volunteer Fire Brigades of Great Drltarn. It IS necessary that such a Brigade as this should be maintained in as high a state of elTlciency as possible, as having in your keeping these large works around us, in which you and a vast number of others earn your livelihood, I need bardly say how disastrous it would be to all of you, should an outbreak of fire be not promptly gnt under. Therefore I trust you will always maintain your present state."

The Brigade then re-formed ranks, the band played the Royal Salute and a very pleasant and instrul: tive afternoon was to a close.

The well-known Clarnico Military Band, under the able leadership of 1/Ir. J. Richards, discoursed sweet music during the afternoon.

The parade took place ill the King's-yard of the works, and among the visitors were members of the London Fire Brigade, the London Private Fire Brigades, and the National Fire Brigades Union, also Mr. G. Mathieson, Mr. J. G. and Mr. A. Horn (directors of the firm).

Capt. G. M. Horn was in r.ommand, other officers on parade being Second-Officer G. Simpson, Third-Officer G. Sorrell and Chief-Engineer P. Gordon.

The display consisted of escape drills, pompier ladder display, fireman's lift race, recruit's dressing race, general display and march-past.

The general display was well carried out, being arranged to show the working of nearly every fire appliance in use at the present time, and was made more realistic by the lise of a three-storied house built of wood for the occasion, this was set on fire electrically. The alarm was given by an automatic fire alarm (the invention of Capt. Horn) which, in turn, rang a large bell, and from then a continuous stream of fire appliance was brought up, and in a few minutes there were five jets of water being played on the fire from as lines of hose which had been connected up to the vanous steamers, pumps and hydrants in the works.

In the one -man drill, Fireman Lovett ran out three lengths in the very smart time of fifty-eight seconds, and secured the Brigade championship for the year, with Fireman Storey second, and Fireman Alden, third.

The B r igade then marched past in " fours," "column," "quarter-column" and then advanced in line. They were then formed in a hollow-square and addressed by Colonel Fox (London Salvage Corps), who said: -

"It g ives me much pleasure to be present once aga1l1 to inspect you and to take your salute.

"Capt. I-lorn is too good a disciplinarian, and you

During his stay in Paris, the Lord 1\1ayor, accompanied by the memb ers of the civic party, visited the handsome Fire Station in the Rue Carpeaux. .\fter inspecting the various details of the Station, including the men's quarters, Are exercises and drills we re witnessed. The most interesting was the extinguishing of a fue in a four -storey practice building. The alarm was rung and four-hook ladder wagons were horsed and manned fullowed by an auto mobile engine These drove out of the north gate, and making a detour of the adjacent streets re -entered by the west gate. The men at once got tv work and in an incredibly short space of time had fourteen jets playing. The Lord Mayor was loud in his praise at this smart display and congratulated Colonel Vuilquin on the skill and daring of his men.

A gallant but futile attempt to save a man's life was was made by Fireman Philipps, of the Clarnico 1<ire Brigade, in Carpenters-road, Hackney Wick, on October 12th. Three men in the employ of the Poplar Borough Council were clearing and flushing the sewer in the road and came to a manhole opposite Messrs. Clarke, Ticholls & Coomb's gateway. One of them went down the hole, whilst another went to the next manhole to remove the cover. He states that has soon as he removed the cover he heard a splash, and running to the first hole he founn his mate bad disappeared. He at once called for assistance and a number of Clarico men were soon on the spot with ropes and a smoke helmet. The Poplar man then went down with a rope attached, but was overcome by sewer gas in about half a minute, and had to be hauled to the surface. The smoke helmet proved useless, as the tube fouled the steps in tbe hole, and then Fireman Philipps volunteered to go down with a rope attached and try to effect a rescue. 1Ie was down the hole nearly four minutes, and was so overcome by the aas fumes that it was with great difficult)' he was brought the top. He was then suffering partial suffocation. Artificial respiration and oxygen haYing been used to revive him, he was then taken to his home, where he lies suffering from the effects of the sewer gas and shock.

<:l4J> 5S

We al e in no way nsponsible for the opinions expnssed, or th e "tatell/ents made, by Corl'eSpOndellts. - EoITORS.

THE EFFICIENCY CUP COMPETITION.

DEAR S1R,-Referring to a letter in your September issue, sicrned "Pinko," regarding the non-appearance of a report of Efficiency Cup Competition, 1906, in your j()urnal, would offer a slight apology to your corresponrlent and yourself for my oversight or negligence in not communicating with you on this matter cefore, but I suppose that after training for a competition one's enthusiasm dies for the time being, and here you have the excuse. However, r send herein a photo of the winning team, and if you do not consider it too late I should be glad if you would publish it in a future edition. The names of the members of the team are as follows - 1st Officer J. T. Olley (in charge), Corps. \Vhitmore and \Vinepress, Ptes. Reynolds, Shrimplin, Cox, F. Da\\son, Digby, G. [;' uller, Codling and Roberts.

The photograph also includes Supt. Olley, Superintendent of the (No .4 ) Ley ton and Leytonstone Di\'ision.-Yours truly, ]. T. OLLEY.

" M.B.l\1.A."

Sm,-Yom courteous reference to myself in your last issue induces me to depart from the position of silence r have preserved throughout a series oflibellous and contemptible attacks, all traceable to one source, and to which r and other ambulance workers have been subjected.

Two years ago I was forced in discharge of my duty, in an ambulance sense, to decide whether I would sanction by inaction what I felt to be obviously wrong-the subverSIon of an ancient and noble cause in order to serve personal ends, or by opposition thereto to take a stand for the right; this latter course I decided on, and with all courtesy to strongly and effectually oppose what I regarded as wrong, without, I sincerely trust, any hurt to the feelings of any hOl1 es t am bulance worker.

r have been forced into the position I now hold by a sense of duty to those who have more patiently than I, endured the attacks in the past. I have never claimed any position to which I have no right. • ei ther have I used am bulance work to ach-ertise myself, having given to my private class members sheets of notes on each lecture and only put in a paper cover to "father" them when I discovered another lecturer passing them off as his own-numerous handbills, as at present, being the ingenious (or is it ingenuous, Mr. Editor? ) method adopted by those whose names are printed thereon.

I only write in compliment to your fair and courteous comments, as I shall on no account reply to anonymous or other correspondence full of those same curious slips of the pen which an nounce the formation of a new corps, No. 2 Section, wi th headquarters, offices, and dates of drills, all of which are illusory, or the assumption of the control of pu blic officials and institutions also of the substance and fabric of a dream.

The modesty of this giant brain is so great that in order to gain its ends, it has, like the proverbial monkey in the fable, always to use a cat's paw to get at the chestnuts (T he chestnuts in this case being the fair fame of St. John ambulance work, incidentally my own repute and other aims I need not name). I am only too well aware that its few trusty tools will only get the burns and no chestnuts and admire their misand with their troubles, they claim my admIratIon for their honesty to what they think is right. Contention is abhorent to me :'s antagonistic to the spirit of the ambulance mo\'ement, and I have only taken my stand

A I D.- October, 1906.

as a duty urged on by the complaints I have re ceived, and as helieve notoriety is the sole aim of the modest anonymity shall not reply to any further corresponde nce, true or otherwise, as r am well satisfied with the thanks and lo ya l support I have always had from those who do know, laymen and professional; as also my own conscience in the matter.

" Do what thy manhood bids thee do, From none but self expect applause; He nobl est lives and noblest dies \iVho makes and keeps hi s self-made laws. All other life is living Death, A world where none but Phantoms dwell ; A breath, a wind, a sound, a voice, A tinkling of the ca mel bell." r am, yours, in the ca use of the Old \Vhite Cross.VAUGHAN BATESON. Reviews.

\VE duly received a copy of the A7Ilbuiance llfagazz'17e, the official organ of the Caledonian Ambulance Brigade. \Ve have !'Ilways welcomed thi s littl e booklet, for its pages were always full of interesting matter; it was, therefore, witb feelings somewhat akin to regret that we learned that this was its last appearance. We can, however, see the reason for this. \iVith the advent of an official journClI for the St. Anclrew's Association, its sphere of usefulness would ba\'e been curtai led and it was wiser therefore to cease from publication.

"Fz'1-e Tests with Glass " .Fire Tests witll Floors."-\Ve have received from the British Fire Prevention CommIttee two of their little" Red Books," giving detailed accounts of the above two tests. As is usual with every book issued by the Committee, they have been most carefully compiled and should certainly be read by anyone taking an interest in the all important question of building materials. They may be obtained at J, \Vaterloo Place, Pall-Mall, S .\V.

We are pleased t o r ecord that Lieut.-Colonel Fox is progressing favourably from the recent accident while riding on the Salvage conveyance. 'Vi; trust we shall be able shortly to see him in our midst as usual.

Policy No. "FIRST

600,093.

AlD."

This Coupon=lnsurance=Ticket must not be detached. WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LON DO]\, E. c., to the legal personal representative of t he bona )ide holder of this Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel I slands to any Railway Company's passenger -train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-braring passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader's licket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. : -

(a) That death result witbin one montb after the accident, (b) that such holder's uSl1 a signature shall have been written in ink, in the space provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the be given to the Corporation a t it Prin c ipal Office in London within fourteen days after its occurrence, (d) tbat medical cer tificates and other information be furnished by th e person claiming upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e that thi s ] nsurance applies only to persons over twelve and under seventy years of age, is limited to one Coupon-Insurance-Ticket for each holder and holds good for the current month o f ssue only.

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890, " Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when they are not incompatible with the special conditions above stated.

The possessiotl 0/ this COUpOtl-!nsurance- Ticket is adlllitted to be tl,e payment 0/ a p.-emi1l1Jl under Sec. 330/ ti,e Act. A P, -int oj the Act Ctl11 be sec" at the P,-il1cijJal Oflicc o.f the Corp01-alion. S,:"na/m-e MontI, oj issue: (let., fQ06.

Pfinted and Puhlished by Messrs. DALE, REYNOLDS & Co., Ltd., 46, Cannon Street London, E.C., to whom all communications should be addressed.

FIRST AID

The Independent Journal for the Ambulance and Fire Services. Conducted

To Our Readers.

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprie to rs to make this J ournal as instructive and entertaining as possib le, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instructi on , and Chiet Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organisations, and will '\lso send for publication their official news and notices Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance lhe interest of the Journal.

We particularly desire to ask our correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communicalions they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested to state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also the name and address of the sender.

•• First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

EDITORIAL.

ambulance equipment compulsory, it was naturally assumed that all employes would receive instruction in the various appliances, but it would appear that it has not been so. It is true that there is an awakening to the value of ambulance work in our collieries, and in South Wales-which has been proverbially slack in this respect - it is gratifying to learn that, thanks to the energy and self-devotion of a few enthusiastic men, principal amongst whom we may mention Dr. Glanville Morris, Mr. T. E. Richards, and Mr. Tom Davis, colliery corps are now being formed with the cordial support of the mine owners.

Ambulance Equipment and Instruction in

MOST of our readers are doubtless more or less in the habit of travelling by rail, and bearing In mind that accidents do and will happen on even the best regulated rail way systems, they must feel gratified that the directors of Collieries. our great railways encourage by every means in their power the extension of ambulance instruction among their employes. This by way of passing. If it is necessary, however, that our railway officials and other employes should receive instruction in first aid, how much more necessary is it that those who pursue beneath the earth's surface tht: dangerous calling of a miner should receive such instruction as will enable him to assist his injured comrades in the event of a sudden disaster overtaking them? Indeed, the instruction may aid him in saving his own life, for there are instances on record where a collier, working at a distance from his fellows, has met with a n injury which, but for his own knowledge of first aid, might h ave e d to most serious results.

This being so, it is surprising to learn that there are some collieries where ambulance instruction has not yet penetrated. Some years ago when the Mines Regulation Act was passed, making the provision of

This is good news; but, to our minds, what is wanted is legislation authorising His l\Iajesty's Inspectors, whether for Mines, Quarries or Factories, to have compulsory powers to compel companies, or individuals, employing men and women in dangerous occupations, to see that each one has the opportunity and privilege of learning what to do when an accident occurs This is a free country and we do not like compUlsion, and, fortunately, there are a large number of employers of labour who do support in a most generous manner everything apertaining to ambulance at their work.:;; but there are others, unfortunately, who nothing but an Act of Parliament can teach the lessons of sympathy towards those whom they employ. I t is these people who must be coerced. Why should they be permitted to shirk their r esponsibilities, and possibly laugh up their sleeve at neighbouring employers of labour who, voluntarily, expend large sums of money in safeguarding the lives and limbs of their employes

Th e Newport (Mon ) ambulance class held their annual dinner and distribution of certificates at the Shaftesbury Cafe on the 13th inst. The chair was occupied by Mr. J. H. Blackall, who was supported by Messrs. R. Wilkinson, J.P., J. L. Jones, W. Jesseman, A. Fudge, J. H. Hill and Drs Neville and Hamilton. The class has been successful-34 members receiving medallions and certificates. An interesting item on the occasion was the presentation by Mr. R. Parry of a salver to Dr. J. Neville on behalf of the class, and of a clock to thell' secretary, 1\1r. W. Roberts. All the gentlemen support!ng the chair spoke on the value of ambulance work. A programme of music was rendered, and everyone voted thiS the most enjoyable re-union yet held.

The Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem:

BEING A BRIEF SKETCH OF TIm ORIGIN DEVELOPMENT OF THB: ORDER OF ST. JOHN. Pro 11 tilt'tate lW11linlt17t.

CI)'1fPILED BY C. GRAHAM DEWSBURY, S.J.A.A.

(Continued from page 5f).

THE Basha, acting on this information, resolved to the siege of the town in that quarter. The Turkish army afterwards advanced higher up country, and encamped near a village called Mustapha, obliged his prisoner the Chevaher de la Rlvlere, to follow him, commanding him to point forts, and to give an exact account of m every with the number of troops statlOned therem. The ChevalIer did not fail to make them twice as many as they were; but, the Basha at length asked which was the port of Castile, which he had represented as the weakest 111 the whole island.

o sooner was it pointed out than Mustapha seeing it fortified with a large bulwark, a ravel in and casements at the bottom and in the ditch, at once saw that he had been imposed upon, that the Chevalier had only pointed out this place in order that the enterprise might miscarry. This put the Basha in a rage, that he struck the Chevalier a blow with his cane, after which the soldiers of the guard knocked him on the head.

Whilst this cruel scene was taking place on Mount Caicara, the Turkish army was spreading itself over the country, setting fire to the villages, murdering the peasants, and carrying off the cattle which had not been placed within the security of the forts.

The Marshall Copier was all this while observing the enemy closely, and whenever any of them happened to wander from the main body, for the sake of plunder, he fell upon them, and did great execution, besides taking many prisoners; so that on two or three occasions, in different skirmishes, he killed about 1,500 of their men. The Grand Master recalled all his troops and sent them back to their respective posts, judiciously reserving them for the defence of such forts as should be attacked.

While the Turkish musketeers fired continually upon the ravelin, their engineers, under cover of the fire, sallied out of the trenches and advanced openly and with great resolution to the foot of the ravelin, in order to discover the effect of the fire from their batteries. Meeting with no opposition they proceeded further and discovered a port-hole for cannOn made so low, that one of the engineers by standing upon the shoulders of another looked through the port-hole and saw the Christian soldiers lying carelessly extended on the ground and fast asleep. By means of ladders, the Turks pursued their advantage, and leaping upon the bridge did great execution amongst the Christians.

'Twas with great concern that the Grand Master heard of the number of the wounded, and the particulars of the loss of the ravelin.

From the 17th June to the 14th of July, not a single day passed without some engagement. The Basha, ashamed at having thrown away so much time before a place, the fortifications of which were so weak, resolved to come before it on the 16th with all his forces and make a general assault.

At daybreak On the day appointed, the Turkish galleys drew up over against the castle towards t?e sea, and shelled it with all their artillery. At the same tlme a land battery of thirty-six large cannon beat to pieces all the fortifications that were left standing At the beat of the drum and on the firing of a cannon, which was the signal for th'e assault, the Turks advanced with great resolution. Four thousand archers or arquebusiers being planted in the trenches, were of great service to them by the continous fire they made upon all who appeared on the breach. It was lined with several ranks of Christian soldiers, and between every thr e e soldiers a knight was posted in order to sustain and encourage them.

This was the only strength and defence vf the castle These brave warriors, with their half-pikes in their hand, formed a kind of new wall that was proof against all efforts of the enemy who soon began the attack, which was the most determined that had been made since the beginning of the siege for it often happened that the Christians and Turks, after hwing spent their fire and broke their sw?rds and pikes, grappled together, when the dagger determl11ed the fat e of the combatants, according to their vigour or activity.

The great and small shot played on both sides without intermission. ; it was on this occasion that the burning hoops were of great service to the Christians, who threw

November, 1906. -FIRST

discharge. This so frightened the rema111l11g Turks that they hurriedly fled to their trenches.

The Turks afterwards attempted to scale the front of the fort, and with great bravery mounted their ladders sword in hand, but the Chevalier John Anthony Guiggno, an Italian, who commanded at this post, being well supported by the Knights, and particularly by a serving brother of the town of Marseilles, who threw the flaming hoops (fireworks) already mentioned with so much oexterity that the Turks terrified, at these machines, abandoned the attack, not even the most intrepid amongst them, who advanced boldly sabre in hand to attack the bravest Knights, but abandoned his post at the sight of these burning hoops, and fled from their proximity with precipatation, and nothing could stay the flight.

At length the Knights had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy retire for the Basha, after having lost upwards of 2,000 men, was at length compelled to abandon the attack for the time, and order a retreat to be sounded.

Observing their departure the Christians of the fort gave a general shout which was echoed from the town and answered by the people with loud acclam'ltions. This success, greater than any had dared to hope for considering the weakness of the place, was entirely owing to the generous despair of the greatest Knights, who had devoted themselves as it were to death, and who, during the whole engagement, were less solicitous to gain the victory, than to sacrifice their enemies, though at the expense of their own lives Mustapha, at last, made a general trying to get in at every possible place-but in vdln.

(To be co 7l ti1ZU ed. )

Two Useful Ambulance Appliances.

THE INTERIOR OF THE GREAT HOSPITAL, MALTA.

them into the midst of their enemies with the result that most of those who we re caught in them were burnt alive. The cries of these victims, those of the combatants, the groans of the wounded and expiring, the noise and thunder of the cannon and muskets, all this spread a kind ot terror on both sides, which nevertheless could not make the Turks retire, nor would the Knights abandon an inch of ground.

The Grand Master, whose courage and capacity would not suffer him to be an idle spectator of the combat, fired continually upon the besiegers from the batteries of the Castle of St. Angelo, the town, and in the Isle de la Sougle.

Whilst the island, was in a manner in flames, the Turks observing that all the forces of the besieged were drawn to the quarter where the assault was made, endeavoured to make themselves masters of the bulwark, not so well guarded. To do this they placed ladders against the wall, and mounted up to the point of the bastion without meeting any opposition; which the Grand Master perceiving, he immediately levelled two cannon On that side, and killed twenty of the besiegers with the first

Al D.-

THE" RED CRO SS" HOU SEHOLD EMERGENCY Box.

This is a handy little cabi.net, 5 in. by 7 in. by in , and. on any conve111ent receptacle, so as ro be avallable 111 case of emergency. It contains mustard plasters, lint, vaseline, zinc ointment, Friar's balsam, Sal

. A SHORT time since it was our pleasure to call the attention of our readers to the Catalogue of First Aid Appliances' issued by that enterprising Midland firm, Messrs. Cuxson, Gerrard & Co., Crown -buildings, Corporationstreet, Birmingham. Doubtless many of our readers have also seen the advertisment of the firm, in which they are invited to send a post-card asking that a Catalogue may be sent. To those who have not up to now accepted this advice we would say, Do so NOW, you will be well repaid the little trouble entailed.

It has recently been our privilege to in3pect some of the specialities issued from Messrs. Cuxson & Gerrard's manufactory, and we propose to give a brief explanation of some of them which we believe only require to be more generally known to be readily purchased by those householders who, having learnt by experience the benefit of first aid instruction, know how requisite it is to have at hand in case of emtrgency the necessary equipment for dealing with the varied accidents which may happen even in ()De's own household.

fHE " RED CROSS" HOUSEHOLD El\IERGENCY CUPBOARD.

This is a substantial cupboard, 12 in. by 9t in. by 3i in., which, as may be seen by the illustration, can be hung on the wall or other convenient place. It contains roller bandages, swabs or wool sponges, oiled muslin, rubber plaster, cotton-wool, plain lint, zinc carron oil, vaseline, Friars balsam, chlorodyne, spmts of Sal volatile, medicine measure, safety-pins, boracic acid, mustard plasters, menthol, tooth essence, head·ache lets, throat tablets, soda, mint tablets, corn solvent. Pnce 15 s

volatile, tooth tincture, corn solvent, cold cream, adhesive plaster, wool sponges, bandages, cotton wool, safety-pins. This by no means exhausts novelties, albeit useful ones, issued by this enterprising firm. The "Sanoid" Midget" First Aid" Outfit, 9 in. by 3 in. by I in., is one of the handiest [little pocket cases we have seen, and we should strongly recommend it to those of our readers who cycle. The price is only on e shilling, and it contains two roller bandages, tape, pins, needles and ligature, lint, absorbent pad, ammonia, carbolic oil, camel-hair brush, adhes ive plaster.

Realising the numerous accidents which occur in connection with motors and motor omnibuses, Messrs. Cuxson, Gerrard & Co., have also put up a special case for motors,

and will be pleased to forward full particulars on application. Large ambulance cases for or. fire briO'ade stations collieries factories and raJlway statlOns, arebalso provided. We certainl;- those of our readers who may have th e opportul1lty, to .VlSlt Crownbuildings, and to see for themselves th.e ex.ten.slYe and ful assortment of first aid material whIch IS Issued by thiS

firm. If you cannot pay a personal visit, DON'T forget a halfpenny post-card will secure a thtng that impressed us was the small compass ltlto whIch the wools, &c. are packed, or rather, we should say, compressed.

No. 2 District.

ABBOTSKER WELL.- The certificates gained by the members of this Division of the Newton Abbot Corps were presented by Mrs. Marcus Hare at Schoolroom on October 23rd. Prior to the presentatlOn the men we:e put through a series of drills by Sergt. Wood. Captam Jukes-Hughes, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to Chief-Supt. Jewell and his men, congratulated them on the able manner in which they had been trained and the proficiency shown.

No. District (Metropolitan Corps.)

BROl\lLEY. - The eleventh annual meeting of this Division was held at St. Luke's Institute, Bromley Common, on Thursday, October 25th, and was presided over by Mr. A. C. Norman, J.p., who was supported by Assistant-Commissioner Morgan, Hon. Surgeon Yolland and several local gentlemen. The financial statement was read and considered satisfactory, after which First-Class Sergt. Field read the Secretary's annual Report, which gave an interesting resume of the progress of the Division since it was first formed twelve years ago.

The next business was the c.1ection of the president, vice-presidents, and committee for the ensuing year, after which Hon. Surgeon Yolland rose and reported that the Chief Commissioner had sanctioned the formation of a No. 2 Section with Headquarters at the Central Hall, Bromley. He explained that the formation meant pounds, shillings, and pence, as fully £70 would be required at the outset to properly equip the new Section, but the expenses afterwards would not be great--he appealed to the residents to render financial aid.

Assistant Commissioner Morgan in the course of an interesting address expressed his pleasure at being present, and complimented the Division on the way in which they had performed every duty which had been entrusted to them. He stated that Bromley was cne of the Divisions which was of very great help to headquarters. In coming up to London, as they constantly did, they had been of really very great assistance indeed, and he was most grateful to all who were kind enough to support the Division. He was also pleased to see present there that evening those who were taking part in the formation of No. 2 Section. From what they had heard from Dr. Yolland they would see it would not do to have any overlapping. The Division would only have one treasurer. They had already kind friends who were ,villing to help them, and he was sure when it was known at the other end of Bromley they would get all the help they wanted. They were all good comrades working together for one good cause. They must work well together. They had a good, kind friend in Dr. Yolland, and he did not know in the whole of the Brigade a more sympathetic or hardworking surgeon. He could never find one who could exactly fill Dr. Yolland's place. He welcomed those who were about to form the new section, and he trusted that the next time ':1e came among them he would be able to address them all as comrades. He looked upon everyone in the Brigade as his friend and comrade. Several votes of thanks brought the meeting to a termination.

In replying, Chier-Supt. Jewell expressed then thanks to Mrs. Hare, not only for her attendance there that evening to distribute the certificates, but also for so kindly instituting at her own expense the course of lectures which had led to the formation of the present strong division. Capt. Jukes·Hughes then brought forward the question of the formation of a Rifle CI u b in the village, Slating that Mrs. Marcus Hare with. her kindliness had most genorously promIsed to prOVide a range. He suggested that the subscription should ?ne penny a week, with 2 per ten rounds of ammunJtlOn, shooting to take place twice a week. Several promised to join. Refreshments were afterwards prOVided.

ASHFORD.- The annual meeting of the Town Divisions was held at the Institute on October 24th. Supt. Mather presided and the other officers present were Hon. Surgeon Frank Coke and First Officer E. J. Bowles. The Treasurer's balance-sheet having been read was passed. The Superintendent reported that at the recent officers meeting at Dover it was proposed that the annual church parade should take place next year at Ashford. It was also decided that it would tend to promote further efficiency if ad jacen t Divisions held periodical com bined drills. It was proposed to form a uniform fund to which each member should subscribe monthly. The necessity for an ambulance wagon was alluded to by several of the • speakers and it was resolved that steps should be taken to acquire one. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.

NEWTON ARBOT.-On November 9th there was a large attendance in the Butter Market to witness the christening of the new am bulance wagon which has been purchased for the local corps. Mrs. Watts performed the ceremony by breaking a bottle of wine against the wheel and christening it "Mercy." Chief Surgeon Grimbley thanked the subscribers and others for their kind aid in connection with the movement. Deputy Commissioner Griffiths, who was present, supported in a brief speech.

No. 3 District.

NORTHAMPToN.-The first of the individual com· petitions in connection with the Headquarters Division of this Corps took place on Tuesday, November 6th. The competition which is open to all sections of the Division will extend over three weeks. The work on the 6th was confined to bandaging, the injuries dealt with consisting of hcemorrhage from the arm, fracture of the fibula, and a dislocated ankle. Out of 27 competitors who had entered I9 faced the judge (Hon. Surgeon \Y. H. Chamberlain).

WIGSTON MAGNA.-On Monday evening, October 22nd, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, of the "King William IV." kindly entertained about thirty members of this Division of the Leicester Corps, and other friends to a capital supper. Hon. Surgeon Cowcher presided. Ample justice

November, 1906. -FIRST having been done to the good fare provided, a very hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Host and Hostess to which Mr. Hurst replied.

In the course of a few remarks Chief Supt. King took th e opportunity of congratulating Messrs. Elliott and H. Wale on their promotion to the rank of First Officer and Sergeant r espectively, and expressed the hope that they would continue to take the same keen interest in the work as they had hitherto shown.

Supt. Spencer (Wheatsheaf Division) also spoke a few words, urging the members to support their officers by a punctual attendance at drill, and attention when on parade.

First Officer Elliott and Seq:;eant Wale having replied, the r est of the evening was spent in harmony.

NO.4-District.

BARROW.- The sixth annual meeting of this division was held at the headquarters, Harley-street, on Thursday, November loth, Supt. J. McLarty presiding The chairman having given an interesting r eSU11le of the work during the past year, said it was a matter for congratulatlOn

A I D.-

There was a large audience present, over which Mr. Frank Wadsworth presided. During the evening an interesting programme of vocal and instrumental music was given and much appreciated. At the interval, opportunity was taken by 1st Officer Hall to make an interesting statement concerning the progress of the division since its inception, six ye.ars ago. In the course of his remarks, the 1st officer paid a high tribute to the services rendered to the division by its hon. surgeon (Dr. J. H. Man·h). He strongly advocated the formation of a nnrsing division in the town, and incidently mentioned that the members of the division who undertook duty in all weathers, wanted regulation great coats. This, however, would mean an outlay of .£25·

Mrs. Crow then presented medallions and certificates, and in the course of a few remarks afterwards, expressed her pleasure at being present, and speaking of the value of the work, urged all those who had taken certilicates to keep up their practices.

A presentation was made to Hon. Surgeon 1'larsh of a travelling rug, with his name worked upon it. First

FELLING COLLIERY (I O.

that notwithstanding a number of changes the efficiency of the division was well maintained. The annual report and balance-sheet were read and adopted. Sergt. gave. a report of the annual district conference at Altnn cham 10 September last. The for the .ensull1g year having been elected, the meetll1g closed With a vote of thanks to the chairman.

COLNE.-Formed eighteen years ago, this. continues to carryon the work in a progressive spmt. The officers arc just now negotiatin& with the ,:olne Corporat ion :or the acquisition of land 1D the Swan Croft, upon which to build new headquarters. We are pleased to gather from the report that the public still. t.o accord the division generous Tlus. IS how It should be, and apparently always IS In LancashIre.

MACCLESFIELD.-The second annual social in connection with this division was held at headquarters, the Central.Hall, Chestergate, on Monday, October 22nd.

6 DI STRICT) Dn' ISION.

Officer Hall was also presented with a handsome clock, suitably inscribed.

At the close of the presentations refreshments were served. Several votes of thanks were subsequently passed.

lYe understand that several ladies and have subscribed the sum of £,22 lOS. towards the purchase of great coats.

NEL s oN.-Mr. T. W. Wilkinson, who is president of the local centre of the S. T.A.A.1 is about .to present the Nelson Corps with a handsome moulded sJl.ve: challen ge shield for annual competition The trophy IS ll1 memory of his 'father the late Alderman John \Vilkinson, J.p., who was at the time of his death president of the c::!ntre, a position he had held for many years.

No. 5 District.

BRIGHOUSE.-An interesting demonstration 1D connection With this corps took place on October 27 th , whe

-FIRST

the extreme usefulness of ambulance organisalion was once more evidenced. The object was to test the competency of the ambulance and nursing divisions in coping with a serious disaster, which, had presumably happene? in the district, and to see how long it would take to pr?vide temporary hospital accommodation for the receptLOn of t?e injured. Precisely at three o'clock the necessary egUlpment including folding beds, stretchers, portable bOllers, &c. conveyed from Victoria School, Rastrick, to the School, which was to be utilised as the temporary hospital. In a very short time all .was arra?ged for the reception of the injured from an accident whIch had presumably happened near Rosemary Mills. In meantime stretcher parties had been sent out to admlnlster first aid and bring in the patients. On arrival at the temporary hospital they were received by the nursing sisters, who were in charge of Lady Supt. Mrs. Edwards, and put to bed, being afterwards served wi th beef tea or hot condensed milk which had been rapidly made. The work was most ably' executed, and showed that in the event of a disaster a temporary hospital and staff could be available in about an hour. Chief Surgeon Bond and Hon. Surgeons Edwards and Amison were in attendance.

No. 6 District.

FELLlNG.- This Division which was formed on November 27th last, with 21 members, nuw consists of 4 officers,s non-commissioned officers, and 35 men-or a total of 44.

There are sixty-six employes at Felling Colliery holding the First Aid Certificate of the S.J. A. A. On the occasion of the Royal visit to Newcastle 43 members were on duty and attended to 19 cases. In July it sent a team to compete in an ambulance competition at Dudley and won second prize, and also won second prize at South Shields, and at 11eoomsley won the first prize.

The prizes distributed on September 1St. were bought with money subscribed by friends and others interested in Ambulance work and given for competition amongst members of the Division. They consisted of:-

I.-The Ravensworth Challenge Shield competed for annually by teams of five. (a) Each member of the winning team securing a prize (b) each member of the second team securing a prize.

2.- The Liddell Challenge Cup for the best ambulance man in the Division. (a) The wmner receiv(:;s a prize (b) the second man receives a prize (c) the third man recei ves a prize.

3.-Special prize for the best first-year man.

The Division has had a most successful first year. On YIay 26th a successful concert and dance was held in order to raise funds for equipment.

On June loth, the Division had a Church parade when a total muster of 126 were present, including members from neighbouring Divisions, 1nd the whole parade marched to Heworth Church headed by the Felling Colliery Band.

It is anticipated that the membership of the Division will be nearly doubled during the coming year, and probably a bugle band will be formed.

John Bowes & Partners, Ltd, the owners of Felling Colliery, on the recommendation of Mr. C B. Palmer, manager of the Colliery and Supt. of the Division recently erected a new ambulance house at the Pit, designed by and erected under the direction of Mr. Palmer. It is built of red brick and has an inside measurement of 19 f t. 6 in. by IS ft. There is one window in front and the

AI D.- November, 1906.

house is further lighted by top lights containing an area of 70 ft. square of glass. The entrance has double doors to admit of a litter passing through. The inside walls are lined with white glazed bricks to a height of 5 ft. 6 ins. with an edging of black glazed bricks. The upper part of the walls are plaster tinted with Hall's distemper. The floor is of cement. There is a fire-place fitted with small ' boiler so that there is al ways hot water in readiness. Next the fire-place a large glazed tile sink is fitted up, with draining board, and cold water is laid on. A dressing table 6 ft. 3 in. by 2 ft. 3 in. of polished pine wood with a thick horse-hair mattress covered with leather is in the centre of the house. The wheeled litter and ambulance handcart are both kept in the house, the latter containing all the movable stores of the Division, !Ouch as splints, fl gstaff, flag, collapsible bed and blankets. This is drawn by four men by ropes and is exceedingly useful for public duty. Other furniture in the ambuladce house consists of a desk, in which to keep the Divisional records, chairs and two large boxes containing all ambulance stores for the Pit, where proper dressing stations are also maintained Ten stretchers are also kept in the house, and are placed In an iron stand. The roof which is sarked is of varnished yellow pine and is fitted with a ventilating cowl.

The Am bulance House was epened by Surgeon Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Gibbon, Deputy-Commissioner No.6 District, on Saturday, September 1st, in the presence of a large number of the workmen of the Colliery. Mr. C B. Palmer presided.

HYLTON.-A meeting was held at this Colliery, on Thursday night, November 8th, over which Mr. J. S. Cowell, manager of Hylton Colliery, presided, when Mr. Claude B. Palmer, District Supt. of Stores gave an address on the work of the Brigade.

At the close of the meeting it was unanimously decided to form a Division of the Brigade at the Colliery, and thirty-one men were enrolled in the new Division. It is anticipated that when a further number of men have obtained the First Aid Certificate of the S.J.A.A., the strength of this Division will be still further increased.

Mr. Cowell announced that it was the intention of the Owners of the Colliery to entirely support the new Division.

HULL.-The annual Church Parade of this corps took place on October 28th. Notwithstanding the inclement state of the weather there was a strong muster from the following divisions :-Central, Western, Eastern, Neptunestreet (H. & B. R), Alexander Dock (H. & B. R). Pier (G.CR), and Tramways' and Boys' Brigade.

Mustering in the Corporation Fields, Park-street, the corps marched, headed by the Artillery Band, along the Anlaby-road to the Newington Presbyterian Church, where the pastor, the Rev. W. Aikman McKee, preached a sermon, basing his discourse on St. John x, 10 v., "I am come that they might have life."

After the service the corps returned to Park-street for dismissal. Fortunately the weather held up, and a large number of people witnessed the return.

The following officers were on parade :-District Chief Surgeon A. H. Johnson, Chief Supt. M. Hopper, Hon. Surgeons Ash and Appleton, Supt. Secretary J. Vaughan, Supts. F. Vaughan, Krause, Wilson and Stead, and 1St Officer Lam b.

No. 7 District.

MARDY.- The No. Squad of this corps has been

N ovem ber, 1906. -FIRST

successful in securing first position in their last six comin July and August witho,ut a single exception, VIZ. :-

(1.) At Aoergavenny, first prize £3 3s., and West of England and South Wales Challenge Shield.

(2.) Glamorganshire County, first prize of £5 5s.

(3,) Glamorgan County Shield,

(4.) Merthyr Vale Challenge Cup.

(5.) Llanbussant Show, 1St prize £3 3s.

(6.) Porth Competition, 1St ptize £3 3s. This remarkable Sllccess shows what men engaged in colliery work can attain by perseverence and hard work.

It also redounds greatly to the credit of their Instructor Chief-Surgeoll Glanville Morris, M.D. (Surgeon to the Mardy Collieries) who spares nothing in his power to make his men thoroughly efficient in theory and practice of first aid. Chief-Supt. T. E. Richards, M.E. (agent to the Mardy Colleries) has also taken a keen and practical

AID.- 71

It is noteworthy that Mardy occupies the place of honour with regard to the number of men competent to render first aid-it being stated by Mr. F. A. Gray chief inspector of mines, that there is a larger of am bu lance men in Mardy Colleries than in any other in the whole of the Inspector s District.

For this state of affairs Mr. T. E. Richards (the agent and general manager) should be given the credit, for he makes it a point that all his officials at the collieries must be am bulance men, and gives preference for promotion to men with ambulance knowledge.

It is also interesting to mention that over IS0 men have enrolled themselves as students in this year's classes for instruction in first aid and home nursing, and that Dr. Glanville Morris conducts six different or separate classes in the town.

MOUNTAIN: ASH. - The annual inspection of this

THE SUCCESSFUL MARDY (No. 7 DI STRICT) TEA:-!. interest in this humanitarian wOlk, taking a special delight in training the corps in drill exercises.

Mabon, M.P. (Mr. Wm. Abraham, M.P.) at a public meeting presented the mem bers of the winning sq uad of the Mardy Ambulance Brigade with the trophies and medals won at the different competitions and in doing so expressed his great admiration of the admirable work done by ambulance men. He painted a terrible picture of men seeing their comrades injured and to onlookers being unable to do anythll1g for them OWIng to want of knowledge of first aid. He was truly thankful they had gone beyond that stage. He hoped all young men of would emulate the noble example set them and become efficient members of the S.J.A.B. Mr. Abraham (Mabon) bestowed a generous meed of praise upon Chief Surgeon Glanville Morris and Cbief-Supt. T. E. Richards for their efforts in the good and noble cause and complimented them heartily upon tIle efficiency of their corps.

corps was h e ld on Monday, October 23rd, at the Drill Hall. The Inspecting Officer being Chief-Supt. S. T. Beard, Abergavenny. The inspection for the night division was held at 2. 5 p.m. There was an muster of members, including Hon. Surgeon H. D. J ones, Acting Supt. J. C. Bluck, First Officer W. A. Cooper and forty -two members. The. corps was put through the various squad and stretchf!r drIlls by the Supt. and the First Officer, also by IV. P. Reynolds. Two squads of the night and two of tbe day division were picked out to treat and carry out a stretcher imaginary case. Mr. Buck and members of the Penrhuscester Division were also present at the inspection for day

The Inspecting Officer compltmented tbem ?n excellent way they performed their duties, etc., conSIderIng the disadvantages they had to work under, and the short time the corps had been formed.

WHEN OORRESPONDING WITH ADVERTISERS PLEASE MENTION" FIRST AID."

Brevities.

SPEAKING at the opening of the new Coroner's Court at Man c hester, the coroner, Mr. Ernest A. Gibson, said with reference to infant mortality, no doubt in some cases of suffocation it was due to carelessness, but he was sure from his large experience of such cases that the majority were purely accidental, but there was another class that was preventable. He referred to the burning cases amongst children. They were just entering on the season when there were a great many of these, and he did not think there was any more appalling duty that a coroner was called upon to perform than to investigate them. He appealed to parents to take such precautions as would safeguard their children from fire by securing fireguards and by not clothing their chIldren in highly inflammable material. Were that to be done these fatalities would be reduced to a minimum.

* * *

SPEAKING at Portsmouth recently, Mr. Baldwin Fleming, Local Government Board Inspector, said thal they had all listened with great interest to the report they had heard, and the satisfactory facts therein stated. It was especially gratifying to him and those who had to deal with Poor Law administration to see that some proportion of the certificates which had been presented that day had been earned by those connected with the Workhouse Infirmary. In a great town it was evident how important it was that some proportion of the population should be able to attend and render first aid, and the more knowledge and skill they possessed in attending those who were wounded or sick the better it would be for the community at large and th e locality in which they dwelt. Therefore they hailed with satisfaclion the large proportion of those in the police forc e and other directions who had qualified in rendering first aid under the St. John Am bulance AssoCiatIOn. Even now the proportion was very much smaller than it should be, and it was gratifying to know that those who had to deal with public employment were willing to take the troubll'! and to deal with cases of emergency which might occur when no mf!dical attendance was at hand.

* * *

WE regret to l:::arn that there is some friction between the Kidderminster Centre and St. John's Gate. The ambulance cause, based as it is upon the principles of fraternal love, should never, to our way of thinking, be a cause for ill-will or bitter strife. We arc convinced that a little give and take in the early stages would often smooth the way to a lasting peace and a better understanding in the future. Is it too late for that now in the case of Kidderminster? Dr. Stretton in the past, has done splendid service for the Association, surely it will not lose the services of so generous an ally, if by the e xe rcise of a little forbearance it is possible to yet retain them. * * *

THE need for a practical knowledge of ambulance

work in colliery districts was emphasised at the inaugural meeting in connection with the Ashington Ambulance Classes.

* **

"I AtlI inclined to think," said Mr. J. J. Hall, the manager of the Ashington group of collieries, "that applicanls for official positions under the Ashington Coal Company need not be surprised jf in future they are asked the question: 'Are you an ambulance man?' If the answer is in the negative, it is possible they may be advised to prove their desire to fit themselves for such a position by attending am bulance classes."

* * *

A MEANS of rendering aid to miners in the event of accidents has been brought to the notice of the Home who has promised that it shall have his immediate attention. It is stated that under the Austrian special mining code it is provided that mine-owners must provide what are called "Rescue Chambers" of a pattern laid down in detail, the construction being inspected upon completion and at intervals afterwards. The chamber must be large enough to accommodate at least 24 men without crowding, and of a build sufficiently stout to resist a heavy pressure on the walls and roof. There must be placed therein a nu 111 ber of articles necessary for the treating of sick or injured persons, including medicine chests and firstaid requisites; compressed rations or other fJreserved foods; water; inhalation apparatus capable of meeting the needs of a room full of people; and sufficient compressed oxygen in cylinders for the demands of 24 men for at least three days. It is anticipated that one of the Home Office experts will be sent to view the chamber, and to report on its suitability for adoption in British mines.

Coming Events.

Particulars ifforthcoming events will be z"usu'ted in this COIUIIIIl free 0/ ritaJge, if 1-ereived not later t/zan tile I4t/z oj each 11I01ltlz.

London, E.-The Eastern District of the N.F.B.U. will hold their annual meeting on December 1st, at the Three Nuns Hotel, Aldgate, at 4. IS p.m. To be followed by a dinner at 6-45 tickets for which, price 5s. (enclusive of wine), must be obtained from the Hon. Secretary ( Mr. H. E. H. Tracy ), IS, Trinity-square, Southwark, S.E., by November 20th. Uniform or evening dress.

London, W.C.-A smoking concert will be held on the 22nd inst. at the King's Hall, Holbom Restaurant, in connection with the L.I3. & S.c. Railway, to celebrate thp inauguration of an Athletic Club and a St. John Ambulance Centre.

Ramsgale. -Granel concert and entertainment at the Granville Hall in aid of the Ramsgate District Nurse Fund and Am bulance Corps, on N ovem ber 22nd. Further particulars from the hon. business manager, M r. J. T. Savage, Ramsgate.

We regret to have to report that the Marquis of Linlithgow, Sub Prior of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, is lying seriously ill at his Scottish residence, Hopetoun House, South Queensferry He was operated on for appendicitis on November loth.

Our Portrait Gallery .

CHIEF SURGEON SYLVANUS GLANVILLE MORRIS, M.D. MARDY CORPS, No. 7 DIVISION, S J.A B.

AMBULANCE work is now making such strides in Wales"that we are pleased to present to our readers the portrait of a gentleman who has done yeoman service in aiding its progression.

Dr. Sylvanus Glanville Morris, whose photograph appears in our Gallery this month, studied first at the Royal College of Science, London, and afterwards at St.

AI D . -

In 1903 Dr. Glanville Morris received the important appointment of Chief Surgeon to the Mardry Collieries, and, on leaving Nantgaredig, he was the recipient of a testimonial from those amongst whom he had laboured for so many years, and as marking the love and esteem in which he and his family were held by rich and poor alike, the testimonial was subscribed to by all classes, who were only too anxious to participate in the recognition of one from whom they were parting with deep and unfeigned regret.

The presentation, which took the form of an illuminated address, a gold watch and a handsome timepiece for Dr. Glanville Morris, a silver afternoon tea service for Mrs Morris, and a gold semi-hunter watch for Miss Morris, was made at a gathering at the Vellingrown Council School, presided over by Col. Gwynne Hughes. All of the gifts were suitably engraved, and we regret that space will not permit of our giying the text of the address, which bore witness to the way in which the services of the doctor had been appreciated by the warm-hearted people of his native county. Since his sojourn at Mardy he has shown an equal interest in ambulance matters, and has conducted numerous classes in addition to instructing the members of the Mardy Corps, one of the new corps formed in connection with the NO.7 District, and the remarkable success already achieved by this corps in the competition field is in great part due to the patience and devotion shown by their kind hearted Chief Surgeon in coaching them up.

Dr. Glanville Morris is an ambulance enthusiast from conviction, having realised its benefits he is only too anxious to do all that iJays within his power to further extend the knowledge. As a further proof of this, it may be mentioned that at the present time he has six classes in ambulance and home nursing going on in different parts of his district; and from the class registers we find that this gives a total of 207 pupils under instruction.

For many years Dr. Glanville Morris has been a life member and examiner of the St. John Ambulance Association, and with a record such as his we should anticipate that it would not be long ere we have to chronicle still further honours conferred on him.

Thomas's Hospital. Leaving London, he proceeded to the University of Edinburgh, where he qualified as M.B. and M.S. in 1893, two years later taking the degree of M.D. at the same University.

During his University course, Dr. Glanville Morris acted as a Demonstrator in Physiology, Pathology and Zoology, and also as a. class assistant in Public HEalth, Medical Jurisprudence, and Materia Medica at the University, and it is worthy of mention that in 1893 he contributed a paper on a case of Exompalos at the Edinburgh Obstetric Society, of which he is a Fellow.

In 1894 he was appointed, or selected, as Surgeon to a num ber of colleries in the Swansea Valley, resigning, however, in the same year to settle down in private practice at Nantgaredig. Here he received the appointments of Law Medical Officer and Public Vaccinator under Llandllo Fawr Union, and in this district he laboured successfully for nine years. During that period he devoted much time to the ambulance cause, lecturing to as many as seven classes in both ambulance and nursing in the same year. These classes were held in different villages, many of which were situated at long distances from Nantgaredig.

In the large and important district over which he now has medical supervision he is deservedly popular, and it is not necessary to go far to find the the reason. In addition to a generous nature and kindly heart, he has a strong sense of one's duty in life, and no matter when the call comes he is at all times ready to respond, and it is his constant aim to try and alleviate suffering and minimise pain; indeed, no what the weather, pelting rain or driving snow, Dr. Moms is always ready to respond to duty's call. A host of friends, especially from amongst those resident in his district will unite with us in wishing the doctor long hfe and happiness, and may his labours .his ambulance helpers in Mardy be crowned With further success' and result in lasting benefit to those 10 whose interest he sacrifices so much of his little leisure.

SURBITON.-The system for ambulancing the suburbs of London is still making progress, it is only within the four-mile radius that apathy exists. A movement is. on foot for providing an up-to-dale St. John AI?b.ulance lItter. f?r this town. It is hoped to obtam permission to place It m a small shed inside the railway station yard, and all that a person will have to do to obtain it will be to break a small glass panel in the door and lift the latch.

Am bula nce Organisation at Collieries.

IN December, 1905, Ris Majesty's ChiefInspector of Mines for Monmouthshire (Mr. J. S. Masters) suggested to the colliery owners and managers of the district the formation of a league to encourage the estab.lishment of an: classes and to stimulate the attamment of efficiency 111 ambulance work

The suggestion was responded to most heartily, and Mr. Jno. Liscomb e, Mayor of Newport, generously promised to present a silver cup to be competed for.

The Executive Committee consists of colliery owners and managers, workmen's representatives (miners, agents, and others) and his Majesty's Inspector of Mines.

The League embraces mines, quarries, and other industries associated therewith, such as steel and iron works; and for the encouragement of ambulance classes the League is providing a h andsome silver shield, to be competed for annually by t eams. Gold, silver, and bronze me dals will also be given, the members eligible for competition being those who have obtained the certificate of the St. John Am bulance Association.

It has been estimated that the cost of the installation would be about ..£200, after that a comparatively small sum annually would suffice. Subscriptions were invited, and up-to-date sums amo unting to "£143 have been contributed It is hoped that the first sum required will soon be forthcoming. Prior to the formation of the League ambulance classes had been successfully estab lished and were in existence at several places in the coalfields of Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire and Somers e tshire, and the purr-ose of the Leagu e is to stimulate their being, combined and univers a lly adopted. Colonel Ivor Herbert, M.P., has already consented to be president of the League and Mr. C. L. Robinson, His Majesty's In specto r of Mines, Newport, is the Hon. Secretary.

Drager's Oxygen Trunk.

THE object of this invention is to revive persons in cases of drowning and suffocation, or whether from poisoning through smoke, gas or other noxious fumes.

Many a rescue, whether in cases of suffocation or drowning, might have been crowned with success, if only oxygen had been on the spot.

In almost every case of gas poisoning, be it through

in most cases speedy relief, and is of great benefit for the patient in addition to assisting the effort.; of the party in charge. Up to the present time, however, but little has been done to provide oxygen for such emergencies. The chief value of oxygen lies in its being immediately at hand. But this is not all, as even when in exceptional cases oxygen can be procured, its value is ofttimes lost, because the gas escapes uselessly out of the bottle before the patient can profit by it, owing to the want of proper apparatus to administer it.

In spite of the fact, however, that up to now oxygen could be used but seldom, one reads now and then that lives have been saved by its use.

We have recently had the opportunity of inspecting an apparatus which has been placed on the market by Richard Jacobson, II, Water-lane, London, E.c., and which solves all the difficulties and renders a quick and effective administration of the reviving gas possible. Our illustration shows that the apparatus proper consists of a bottle of compressed oxygen, which is connected with a breathing bag and flexible steel tube with face mask, it is fixed in a most ingenious manner on the lid of a wooden trunk, and is easily portable. By opening the trunk and turning on the valve, which is the work of two seconds, the apparatus is ready for use and delivers automatically, as soon as the face mask is placed over the mouth and nose of the victim, five pints of pure oxygen into the lungs. The price of the apparatus is very moderate, and well within the reach of any individual, and we can, therefore, strongly recommend it to owners of mines, gasworks, factories, theatres, hotels or other establishments were such accidents may have to be dealt with.

Obituary,

THE LATE DI STR ICT CHIEF SURGEON GEO. THOMSON,

M. D.

IT is with deep regret that we have to report the death of Dr. Geo. Thomson, District Chief Surgeon for No. IV. District. The deceased gentleman, who had been in indifferent health for some time, was undergoing a course of treatment in Germany, and his many friends had hoped that he would have materially benefitted thereby, the intelligence of his death therefore came somewhat unexpec tedly. The body was brought to England for interment and was placed in Christ's Church, Glodwick, overnight, and there a service was conducted prior to the funeral. The interment subsequently t a king place at Greenacres Cemetery, amidst the silent sympathy of a large and sorrowful number of the townspeople who had assembled to pay a last tribute of respect to one who had lived and laboured amongst them for so many years.

November, 1906. -FIRST

The Red Cross Society of Japan.

(Concluded from page 60),

Tl:EIR Majesties the Emperor and Empress, tlleir Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess have always been greatly interested in the work, especially Her Majesty the Empress, who has greatly encouraged the members in many ways, subscribing largely to: the funds of the Association and visiting the depots to look at the mem bers

Russo) apanese conflict. The Report pays a warm tribute of gral1tude to the sister Societies of other nations for the assistance they rendered by offerings of gifts and money and we are glad to note that our own British Red Cross Society contributed the handsome sum of £ 1,000. By permission of the Ja panese Government the Red Cross Society of Germany kindly sent out Professor Adolf Henle and Dr. Otto Fittig, who were accompanied by a nurse. (Miss Margarethe von Sommogy) who rendered valuable aId at the military branch hospital at Sendagaya Tokyo. A party of American nurses, under Mrs. McGee, also proceeded to the front and did excellent work in the Hiroshima Reserve Hospital and on board the hospital ships running between Japan and Manchuria.

Mrs. McGee, in compliance with her request, :vas sent to the Matsuyama Ho spital 111 which Sick and wounded Russian prisoners had been placed. On returning to America the J apanese Society offered to th ese ladies the sum of 200,000 yen as a token o f the sincere appreciation felt for their kindly aid. The money was, however, returned to the Society, the ladies saying that they could not bear to carry any of the Red Cross money back with them to their homes.

As a mark of appreciation of their earnest and devoted work in caring for the sick and wounded on land and sea they were invited to join the Japanese Society as Special Mem bers. *

coal gas, sewer gas, or through smoke or other noxious fUl1:es, oxygen is the only remedy for coping with the

In cases also where persons are s.elzed With sudden fit of suffocation or fainting, a contmgency which happens daily in factories warehouses theatres, hotels, furna ces, mines, etc., etc.,

Dr. Thomson, who held the important office of Coroner for the Borough of Oldham, took a warm and active interest in many local charitable institutions, notably the Oldham Infirmary and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. His was a singularly lovable disposition, and even those who met Dr. Thomson for the first time were instinctively drawn towards him. His great influence for good has left many evidences behind in the town of his adoption. In manner, although somewhat reserved, he was always courteous and kindly, even towards those with whom he might differ. To those who knew him intimately he was regarded as a staunch friend; loyal and generous to a fault. he will be deeply missed in many circles. Of him it may truthfully be said-

" He oft' for others veiled his own heart's sorrow, And o'er his own tears smiled to soothe some other heart. "

\V ARV OF TOKYO RI£SERVE HOSl'ITAL.

making bandages. On September 3rd, 1903, she summoned Count Matsugata, the president to the' Palace, when she was graciously pleased to refer to the work of the Society in the following encouraging manner :-

"It is gratifying that the Red Cross Society of Jap an has dispatched a great number of relief detachments, by whom both Japanese and Russian sick and wounded thave been attended. We hope you will encourage

Our own country was also represented at the front, amongst others, by Mrs. Richardson who did duty at the front for abo ut eigh teen months, working en tirely at her own expense. During this period she made visits to the nursing hospitals in Nagoya, Osaka, Kokura, and Sasebo, and also to those in Dalny and Port Arthur. She also did duty on board hospital ships conveying the sick and wounded from the front to Japan. Her sympathy and kindness were also shown, not only by her actually nursing the SIck and wounded, but by giving them such things as

* Special J[embership shall be o ffered to those who ha\ e rendered distinguished sen'ices or made a donal ion of not less than 200 yen to the Society

these detachments in their work, and that the relief ..-----,--_---=--=-=----;--= work true to the principles of philanthropy will be I thoroughly accomplished by them."

Again, on the 4th of March, 1904, when Baron Ozawa attended at the Palace, previous to his departure for the front to visit the sufferers officially and to inspect all the relief detachments there, she was pleased to send by him the following gracious message :-

" Over one year has now passed away since the Red Cross Society started its relief work. We can imagine how hard it must be for the mem bel'S of the relief detach ments at the front, especially at this, the coldest season of the year. Still the care of the sick and wounded is very near to my heart. We deSire you to convey to the relief detachments my earnest hope that they will endure all the difficulties, and work hard in alleviating the sufferings of the patients."

Indeed it is impossible to speak too highly L------== of what the Japanese ladies from the Em press downwards did for the prestige of their nation as RUSSIAN weil as in the interests of humanity during tl:e

SURVIVORS OF "RURIK" BEING OPERATED UPON AT THE SASEDO NAVAL HOSPITAL, SASEEO, JAPA N.

-FIRST

might tend to comfort and interest them. She also subscribed libel ally to the Relief Fund of the Society.

Upon this lady's departure from Japan she was received at the Palace by the Empress, and subsequently the Honorary President of the Society (Prince Kan-in) aud Princess Kan-in, Honorary President of the Ladies' Volunteer Nursing Association, entertained her to a farewell banquet at their residence

In anticipation of the fall of Port Arthur, the Society dispatched to the nearest possible place to the front 3,000 suits of patients' clothing, together with blankets and other necessaries in order to provide for the Russian wounded. How highly this was appreciated by the Russians was expressed by General Walaschof, the President uf the Russia.n Red Cross Society at Port Arthur, when visited by Baron Ozawa, the General at the same time conferring upnn Baron Ozawa and upon Count Matsugata (the President of the Red Cross Society of Japan) an honourable medal in recognition of their humanity.

In concluding a record of splendid service in the cause of humanity, the Report says ;-

"At the close of this account we have pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of donations in various forms from every part of the world from rich and poor alike, including subscriptions from members of the Societynumbering in all 1,035,000-amongst whom are Japanese and foreigners in China, Korea, Hawaii, and other foreign countries. Nevertheless the expenditure entailed in this relief work was enormous and cannot be imagined by those outside. We have been trying to the utmost of our power ever since the commencement of the war to perform our duty in caring f-Jr the helplE.ss patients of both beligerents, only remembering the principles of humanity and brotherhuod, and we will do more hereafter under the guidance of Providence and with the assistance of our friends."

We trust that this all too brief account will prove of interest to our readers. It is a record of splendid service and such as the Japanese have good cause to be justly proud of. In token of our admiration for their work we salute them, and on behalf of al1 our countrymen interested in the work of alleviating the sufferings of the sick and injured we wish their noble Society" God Speed." May its future record be as bright as it has be(-n in the past, and while hoping that it may be many years before its services are requisitioned for duties on the battlefield may it find an honourable and useful sphere of labour in alleviating the ufferings of the sick and injured in civil life.

Ambulance Corps in Collieries.

AT an inquest the other day in Monmouthshire some discussi.on took place .between several leading gen'tlemen, includmg the mmes mspector, upon not only the desirability but. the !lecessity .of having an ambulance corps at ever; collIery It;l the Pnncipalitr Those of us who know by sad experIence the danger attached to mining, and the heavy roll of aCCIdents that occur, witl-.out heed, among our brave workmen, cannot fail to be more than ordinarily interested in such a suggestion.

At a !lumber of collieries am bulance corps have long been m eXIstence and are doing excellent service.

. To have a knowledge of rendering first aid in case of number of workmen who are daily engaged pits 1S beyond calculation, not only for temporary rellef to the wounded soldiers of industry, but 111 many cases to save life.

Ready as our medical officers are to go down into the

AI D.- N ovem ber, 1906.

pits to help the stricken workmen, it is difficult to get them there in quick time.

To supply. tbis felt want many of our leading CitIzens have gIven It conSIderable attention and trouble in their respective districts, but up to now the effort has been much handicapped owing to the lack of general and co-operation. In the Rhondda Valley substanttal headway has been made, thar:ks to the ActingSuperinten?ent Mr. Tom Davis (General Secretary of General SIr Charles Warren's Competition Shield), and other;;, towards amalgamating the respective corps into divisions and brigades, Hnd periodically there is an annual competition for the shield presented by Sir Charles ·Warren.

The reason for writing this is to secure, if possible, the establishment of an ambulance corps at every colliery in the coalfields, large and small, and also to have these corps linked together through the medium of divisions or brigades, and by having inter-competitions, to create that amount of interest that will make assured the skill of the individual members. Will some good friends take this matter in .hand It will require effort certainly, but the Ideal 1S one fully capable of realisation. The work's doctors at our colleries are more then ready and willing to undertake the teaching, and in no industrial centre in the world can there be found a body of workmen from which a larger percentage of suitable candidates could be to establish am b ulance corps. Everything reqUIred 1S at hand. All that is wanted to make this great humanitarian movement a powerful, invaluable and united one, are a few citizens who will undertake the problem of mapping out the coalfields and bringing into being a scheme which will co-operate the whole.

N ovem ber, 1906. -FIRST of a most interesting speech, referred to the value of the work. by the St. John Am bu lance Brigade at great public funct10ns such as the Royal visit to Sheffield when the staff on duty dealt with 1,200 cases. He also to the work done in South Africa in conjunction with the RA.M.C. They had a new corps in Rotherham which he had recently inspected, and found it AI. He advised his hearers to take up brigade work. Before resuming his seat Mr. Else presented Dr. Simpson with a handsume epergne as a token of gratitude for his kind services and a case of knives and forks to Mr. Vickers as a slight token of the value in which his services were held.

Both recipients returned thanks in suitable terms.

District Chief Supt. Else was accorded a most cordial vote ?f thanks for attending and making the presentations, and, 111 reply, stated it had given him the greatest possible pleasure to be with them and carry out the pleasant duties which had devolved upon him.

N.E.R-On the 18th ult., the York classes held their first ball of the season in the De Grey Rooms, at which a large party attended, and dancing was indulged in until the early hours of the morning.

On the 26th ult., the Trafalgar (Newcastle) Class held annual. smoker at the Chancellor's Head. Mr. J. Gibson preSIded, and was supported by Mr. ::vI. Swann, Mr. Geo. Jackson (General Secretary), Mr. J. Keith (Chairman Newcastle District), Mr. W. Hollings (District Secretary), Mr. J. \Y. Knill (Class Secretary), Mr. J. H. Curry (Darlington), &c., and a crowded audience enjoyed the various songs, &c., rendered. Mr. Swann handed the certificates, &c., gained at the recent examination to the successful students, and expressed the pleasure it gave him to do so. Mr. Jackson, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Swann, hoped that in his new position at the New Bridgestreet Goods Station just opened by the company he would be the means of getting a good class together, and also join himself, and thus set the example to his staff; and in retJly Mr. Swann promised to do so.

A I D.- 77

sided, and was supported by fir. Angus and Mrs. Fairweather, Mr. Geo. Jacks?n (Gen. Sec.), Mr. W. H. Healey (1)IS. Sec.), Mr. H. GIll (Class Sec.), &c. Mrs. Fairweather presented the certificates, &c. Mr. Britton h.anded to the doctor on behalf of the class a very chaste sllve.r box as a token of their appreciation of hiS as doctor responded and ex pressed hIS pleasure 111 assIstmg the railway men.

Mr. J acks?n gave some interesting particulars of new work on the rallway ; after which several members of the class a display of their ability to treat various injuries.

1 he General Secretary has just received a letter from one who received his first course of lectures at one of their HU.ll classes, and is now stationed on the Canadian Pacific RaIlway at Montreal, who states he is "acting as ambulance of that line, and trying to organise classes all over the lme from the Atlantic to the Pacific." Good luck to him is the wish of all his old comrades on the N.E.R

MIDLAND.-The Nottingham branch of this railway has now an enrolled strength of ISO mem bers, each of whom pays a regular subscription to the funds in addition to devoting much of his spare time to practice and drill m order to maintain his efficiency.

An unique example in connection with this line IS, we believe, its class at Masbro', which consists solely of mem bers of the clerical staff. It is, we understand, the only the country which is composed solely of clerks. It received ItS first lecture on April loth with a membership of thirty. Dr. J. Simpson kindly un'dertook to lecture, and Mr. G. W. VIckers as class secretary. On July 31St twenty-four of the members presented themselves for examination, Dr. Martin being the examiner. In the result twenty succeeded in qualifying for the certificate. These were distribuled at a concert recently held at the Prince of Wales' Hotel, Masbro', under the presidency of Mr. H. J. Burdett. A capital programme of vocal and instrumental music had been arranged, and some interesting speeches were delivered.

The certificates and Midland Railway ambulance were presented during the evening by District ChIef Supt. H. C. Else (No.5 District), who, in the course

On the 27 ult. the LeedS District held their smoker at the Grand Restaurant, to inaugurate the winter session, when Mr. \V. Noble (District Supt.) presided, and amongst those present were Dr. L. A. Rowden, Dr. A. Collinson, Dr. W. Lee Spink, Mr. W. H. Swaine (New Station Supt.), Mr. Geo. Jackson (G e n. S ec.), Mr. C. Hill (Chairman of District), Mr. W. A. Elliott (Leeds District Sec.), Mr. T. H. Curry (Dd.rlington), Mr. G. W. Scott (York), and stationmasters, inspectors, and other officers and staff from all parts of the district. A most enjoyabic evening was spent, and the songs, &c., rendered were of a much higher quality than is usual at "smokers." Mr. Swaine proposed the "Officers of the N.E. R. Co.," to which Mr. Noble responded, and promised, as in the past, to render all the assistance he could to the ambulance work. Dr. Rowden handed the certificates, &c., to the men who had gained them in the class recently conducted by him, and Mr. Noble handed to the doctor a very fine biscuit casket on behalf of his class, and expressed the pleasure it gave them to see him again restored to health, and he hoped he would long be spared to be their lecturer at Leeds. The doctor feelingly responded, and hoped they might have another successful season; be at the top in the district competition, and also at the top in the final.

The healths of doctors of the district was proposed and responded to by Drs. Collinson and Spink.

On the 30th ult. the Pocklington class gathered together to receive their certificates, &c., at the Public Rooms, at which Mr. J. Britton (Station Master) pre-

S. E. & C. R. - As showing the value set by railway companIes on a knowledge of ambulance work among their employes, we are constantly receiving evidence of new methods whereby they test the effi c iency of their staffs. The latest test adopted by this company has just shown in a manner how thorough has been the mstructlOn gIven, and how thoroughly the staff has ben.e fitt e d by it. On given dates a series of mimic railway aCCIdents were arranged at various points throughout the o.f t.he system, viz., Ramsgate, Paddock Wood, Red :tIll1, Slttmgbourne, and Bexhill. In every I11stance a number of patIents were labelled with tickets denoting various injuries which might be met with in case of a rail way accident. These patients were then distributed in various parts of the train, some of them on seats, some underneath the seats, &c. On arriving at the station at which the demonstration was held, the ambulance parties were kept out of sight while additional patients were placed-some und e rneath the carriages, and others between the footboards and carriages, and in one instance a patient was placed on the roof of a carriage.

At a given signal, the ambulance men came upon the scene, and proceeding to the train treated the various injuries from which the patients were presumedly suffering, according to the labels attached to their clothing.

In some instanCES the demonstration took place after dark, and the men had to search for their patients in the best way they could, and treat the injuries with any improvised material they could lay hold of. The patients were then removed to suitable rooms in the neigh bourhood of the station, where their work was examined by medical men, who afterwards expressed an opinion on the effectiveness or otherwise of the methods of treatment adopted.

It is needless to say that the demonstrations have been most popular, and have been attended by a large number of the general public in addition to the railway men, and it will, without a doubt, be the means of inducing a large number of men to join the "first aid" classes. We congratulate the energetic centre secretary, l\Ir. Ernest Richards, and all associated with him, on their capital conception and the thoroughness of detail with which the demonstrations have been carried out.

We are pleased to learn that Col. Fox, the popular Chief of the London Salvage Corps, who is now at Brighton, has well nigh recovered from the effects of his serious accident

London.

Owing to ill-health Mr. Levi Green,. who the inventor of the horsed-fire escape now muse m the London Fire Brigade, has just retired after twenty-six years service. Mr. George was placed by Sir Eyre 1\11. Shawwhen he was in command of the Brigade-in charge of the carpenters shop where he designed many improvements for the fire appliances.

With reference to the above statement, Capt. 'iVells, R.N., late Chief Officer London Fire Brigade, writes to the daily press as follows :-" In r897, soon after taking charge of the London Fire Brigade, I saw the great need for an improvement on the old hand machine. An idea came to me that fulfilled the requirements, and my sketchcs, &c., were approved by the Fire Brigade Committee. Mr. Gordon and Mr. George (of the staff) both helped me with the working drawings and rough model, and to both these gentlemen I should like again to tender my best thanks for the able way in which they carried out my instructions."

Dr. Collie, Medical Officer to the County Council, at the request of Capt. Hamilton, R.N., has recently made a searching medical examination of the eyesight of coachmen of the Brigade, as a result of which the eyesight offive of the coachmen has been adversely reported upon and the men will, therefore, be discharged with pensions or gratuities.

Provincial.

COVE ·TRY.-On Sunday, November 4th, the death occurred of Mr. Joseph Ward, who for upwards of forty years was a member of the Volunteer Fire Brigade. Deceased, who was a widower, was 76 years of age. Mr. Ward had had some remarkable escapes during his service. He received a silver medal for his services in connection with the fire at Whitley Abbey in r874. He also had the medal and five bars awarded by the N.F. B. D. The funeral took place at the Coventry Cemetery, and was attended by the officers and members of the City Fire Brigade.

OLDHA]\[.-A serious fire broke out on Wednesday, November 7th, at the Phcenix Mill. Supt. Harrison, with a full company of firemen and two engines, two tenders and an escape was promptly on the scene. For some time the fire raged furiously, but eventually the firemen got the upper hand. The operatives were working in the mill at the lime of the outbreak, but all wt:re got out safely. Several firemen had narrow escapes It was only owing to the promptitude with which the call was responded to by the firemen that any part of the building was saved. Damage amounting to about £ r, 500 was done. The is without sprinklers of any kind.

National Fire Brigades Union.

GUILDFORD.-A meeting of the local Committee, tn connection with the meeting of lhe N. F. B. D., this year at Guildford, was held on November 9th, at the Town Hall. The Mayor (Alderman Slnallpiece) presided and there was a good attendance.

The Secretary presented the balance-sheet which was considered satisfactory and approved I t was also decided that thf' balance in hand, £8 18s., should be handed over to the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Mr. Patrick, the local hon. secret8.ry, was presented by the Mayor, on beh::.tlf of the N. F. B. U., with a silver cigarette case, suitably inscribed, as a token of their appreciation of the valuable services he rendered during the meeting. Mr. Patrick briefly acknowledged .the gift. A vote of thanks to the Mayor concluded the bustness.

SOUTH EASTERN DlSTRICT.- The annual meeting of this important branch of the N.F.B. U. was held at the Guildhall, Rochester, on Wednesday, October 24th.

Capt. C. D. Levy (chairman of the District) presiding. There was a large num ber of delegates present. After the reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting the Chairman remarked that it was a strange coincidence that the very last minute read should refer to the presentation to Capt. Westbrook, one who was respected not only in that district, but throughout the country. He (the Chairman) hegged to propose a vote of condolence wi th his widow. The vote was carried, all present rising in support. The election of officers then took place.

Capt. Peters rendered his report which was very satisfactory Six new brigades had joined during the year. They had now an enrolled strength of sixty-three Brigades which compared very favourably with the Midland District which was sixty-four. He should not be satisfied until they were on top. Kent was top in the cricket world, and he wanted Kent to be top in the Fire Brigade world.

It was reported, by Capt. Farnham, that Mrs. Wesbrook desired that the money payable from the death levy fund, on the decease of her late husband, should be expended in the providing of a memorial shield to take the place of the South-Eastern District Shield, which was won outright by Tonbridge last year.

It was decided that next year's annual tournament shou ld be held at Gillingham, and the Spring meeting at Herne Bay. A vote of thanks was passed to th e Mayor and Corporation of Rochester for so kindly placing the Council Chamber at their disposal.

The visiti ng Officers were afterwards entertained to luncheon, by Capt. Levy, at the Bridge Hotel, Strood. Capt. Peters, in giving expression to the thanks of the delegates to Capt. Levy, assured him that the members of the District were always pleased to come to Rochester, where they were treated so well.

Capt. Levy, in reply, said if they had enjoyed them . selves that was the best thanks he could have.

November, 1906. -FIRST

A I D.- 79

items, for we always receive yeomen support fr om readers connected with tbe various companies. In conclusion, we may say that many readers eagerly look for the news co lumns in order to see what other corps and divisions are doing, and much healthy rIvalry has been promoted by these pars especially. In the efforts to provide suitable headquarters, up-to-date equIpment and challenge trophies for ambulance competitions. - ED. " F. A."]

AMBULANCE WORK IN BRADFORD.

We are in no way responsible for the opinions expl'essed, or the jtatements made, by Correspondents.-EOITORS.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM A SUBSCRIBER.

DEAR SIR,-In answer to your invitation to readers to assist in making FIRST Am as instructive as possible, I would like to suggest that you should devote a page, or at least a column, every month for dealing WIth problems and difficulties which arise from time to time in competitions and examinations, and to give details of the tests given at the competi tions similar to that of Darlington Railway Competition given in your March number.

I have no doubt that a large number of your readers have often felt the need of a medium through which they could obtain definite and precise information upon points which are not explained in text-books, or are referred to too vaguely to be clearly understood.

To illustrate what I mean I give the following problem as a test for a stretcher team:-

"A man painting a bridge over a river suddenly turns giddy and falls into the water He is rescued in a half-drowned condition, with fracture of the right ribs and crushed left foot."

The difficulty that presents itself is how to get the water from the man's lungs, on which side he should be turned, whether any pressure should be applied to the ribs, seeing the ribs J.re injured, and what methocl of artificial respiration should be adopted.

Another feature which should make the Magazine popular, and consequently increase the sale, would be to insert articles dealing with the progress in ambulance work made by the various railway companies. This could take the form of a short history of the formation of the centre, with particulars of it growth, membership, what is being done to promote the knowledge of first aid among their servants by "I ay of competitions, facilities and advancement to those who take it up, etc.

No doubt the centre secretaries for the various companies would only be too pleased to give the necessary information for an interesting and instructive article, if applied to.

By taking one or, perhaps, two companies each mOl"th, and by circularising the railway companies with a few specimen copies, or leaflets, etc., and so bringing it more prominently before railway men, must have a good effect on the demand for the book, especially in these days of keen competition between the different companies' teams

You will, I hope, accept these suggestions and criticisms in the spirit in which they are offered, viz., with the sole object of benefitting all parties, not only your readers in acquiring knowledge, but your good selves in acquiring a larger and readier sale. - I am, Sir, yours faithfully, CHARLES F. LACK. Broad-street Station, L.N.W.R. October 30th, I906.

[We thank Mr. L1Ck for his kind communication, and can assure him that we accept his suggestions and criticisms in the same kindly spi ri tin which they are made. We are in hopes shortly of havi ng ano ther series of first aid articles, but with the continued issue of fresh text-books on first aid, medical men constantly admit to us that it is difficult to open up fresh ground. We would point out that at the present time we have three continuing articles. It is very difficult to qUite decide the happy medium. Articles on railway centres, such as Mr. Lack suggests, it migbt be argued, would only appeal to one class of readers. We are at all times only too glad to insert railway

DEAR SlR, - I am glad to see that you have tried to use your influence towards restoring peace in ambulance circles bere, but fear that matters have now gone too far. However r believe that in the past your kindly efforts towards in other parts of the country have not been without success and those of I1S who love am bulance work for itself alone, and with no desire by its means to unduly aggrandise ourselves will live in hopes that at no distant uate YOll may be able promote re-llnion again.

One thing that in the past damped the zeal of many an ardent worker here was the persistent efforts which were made to render ambulance work in Bradford a one man show.Yours truly, LAISTERDYKE.

CHURCH BRASIER TESTI MO L 1AL FU D.

SlR,-It would be satisfactory to the subscribers to know either by letter from the secretary or through your columns as to the disposal of the above fund, and as to the health of our dear friend.- Yours truly,

A SUBSCRIBLR.

[I n reply to our correspondent we beg to say that we have heard nothing lately as to what is being done in connection with this. As regards the present state of health of Mr. Church Brasier, we regret [Q say that he has recently had a relapse owing to a severe attack of influenza, accompanied by pneumonic trouble. From enquiries we are pleased to hear that Mr. BraSIer is better, but owing to the severity of the attack his recovery will be slow, and the greatest care will have to be exercised to guard against further chills.-ED. "F. A "]

THE PRESENTATIO OF MEDALS BY RAILWAY COMPANIES.

SIR,-Some time since in your valuable paper you called attention to the practice which existed on the l\tI idland Rail way of giving medals as a rewarcl for meri torious ambulance service, and pointed out that the indiscriminate issue of these medals and certificates tended to belittle the value of genuine life saving awards.

Well, sir, a recent case at Kettering has, to my mind, proved even a stronger argument against their issue. Doubtless your readers will remember that a raIlway porter was charged with attempting to. wreck a t.rain at Desborough by placing obstructIons on the lll1e and whICh he professed to have discovered. However, he was suspected and arrested. In tbe course of the evidence it was stated that he had written to his mother as follows :-" I have had a bit of luck on the line. I am O'oino- to be awarded with the life saving medal and a bit of stopping an express from London Somebody been putting a lot of iron the metals I was put.tll1g lamps in the signals and saw tillS, so I gave them a red lIght and pulled them up within se\'enty yards, or else they ,,:ould have heen smashed up." The letter was, said counsel, a tIssue of falsehoods.

Now sir if this is what the issue of these medals is going to lead induce men to contemplate such criminal acts with the object of obtaining a meal, I, as a constant r.ailway traveller, best"ech the company to abandon such a premlUm.Yours truly,

A COMMERCIAL.

[We do not think our need anticipat.e such dastardly conduct would find many Imitators amongst raIlway men. As a class there are no men more conscientious as regards duty.ED." F. A."]

DEAR SIR,-" F. A." for October, though containing matter of general absorbing interest among those whom it is

8e '-FIRST

designed to circulate, should, the of the it conveys, be a means of stimulatIng ambulance workers.1n London to sorre kind of local (perman ent, not spasmodic) activity.

When I see on pages 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55 evidence ambulance workers are doing everywhere and anywhere, but In the administrative County of London I feel sad, and also a feeling somethiI?R near that of disgust,. that among a population of SIX mIllIOns, possessmg defimte areas of borouohs not one can show anything like the spirit that IS Folkestone. I t is beyond a Londoner's comprehension that, among those who profess and call themselves Christians even the sum of £5 4S. 6d. could be collected for such an object as " first aid." The true spirit of LO_J?don itself on p. 62, where the chief of a North London 1< Ire Brigade demonstrates how deserving fire brigade coachmen may be dispensed with, ar.d God s beautiful horses, as much the friend of man in the past as the fal thful dog, can thrown aside for machines, that may do as much damage III a ratepayer's shop window as an exploding bomb shell.. Th.e British idea is ever to force those measures along lilles It deludes itself to be "progress," that after years of experience we find, thoug h publicly unacknowledged, to be a pennyworth of good and ten pounds' worth of harm.

The Red Crose; Society of Japan; how their doings should humiliate humble and depress us; it would, only English speaking' people to open t.11e pages of our history that teems With fadures, disaster and disgrace..

" F. A.", however, is a disgrace to no one, and as It IS the unexpected that happens, we may yet be to read something sati sfactoyy re London If only III sense in Its rellable pages. RealiSing how often F. A. has effectively given the helping hand so grievously needed in everything appertaining to private endeavour in Lon.don and I hope being duly thankful for the same,-I remain, In all sincerity,

L. A. C. [May we suggest to our esteemed correspo?dent that should condense his correspondence. We are thiS month agam compelled to leave out an interesting letter of his, as our space will not admit of its insertion.-ED. "F. A."]

A correspondent writes us asking if we can favour him with a li st of all open competitions in connection with ambulance work. We regret that we cannot, bu t if any of our readers who are connected with ambulance competitions will forward us full particulars as to usual date of competition, entry fee (if any ), secretary's name and address, and any other particulars of interest, we shall be only too pleased to publish as complete a list as possible, with a view to its forming an interesting reference for those taking part in ambulance competitions.

I3ADGE.-In reply to our correspondent, we beg to inform him that we have made enquiries, and find that the badge which the members of the Ley ton and Leytonstone Division are wearing on the right forearm is that presented to the winners of the Efficiency Cup of the No. District.

We beg to advise our readers that we do not pay for photographs or copy sent unless previously agreed upon in writing.

Reviews.

RED CROSS A. D AMBULANCE NEWS.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from the courteous general secretary of the St. Andrews Ambulance Association of No. of the above magazine, the official organ of the Association and its ambulance corps I t will not, however, we learn, be confined solely to the interests of these two bodies, but will report and give interesting details in connection with kindred societies.

From the copy before us, which contains articles and 'information of more than passing interest, we anticipate for our contemporary a useful and successful career. As the

A

older journal devoted to similar objects, we bid our little sister from across the border a hearty Eng lish greeti ng. We trust that we shall always treat each other in a friendly spirit, and that the only riva)ry between us will be that a friendly character, as to which. shall render best service to the cause, the interests of which we both deSire to promote and encourage.

WE have received from Miss Coulcher, the courteous and hard-working honorary secretary of the I pswich Centre, the Annual Report for I905-6.

It is a record which proves that ambulance work m th.l s important town f'hows no sign of languishing. There IS a vem of pathos, however, in Miss Coulcher:s appeal .f?r financial aid. She says :-" In one POll1t the pOSitIOn IS not quite as it should be; ambulance work does not seem to come within the scope of' Ipswich Charities.' No legacies are left to it; many large firms do not subscribe to it; and yet day ,?r night whenever, wherever called for, ambulance work IS done."

This lack of financial sympathy is not as it shouid be, .and IS not creditable to Ipswich. Miss Coulcher has freely given her own time, and spent her own in order. to mak.e Ipswich the leading ambulance centre In East Anglla, and It is only just and fair to her that her fellow townsmen and townswomen who have the means should come forward and aid a movement which has done, and is doing, so much for Ipswich and its people. As Miss Coulcher says to these forgetful ones, Pay! pay! ! pay! ! !

THE Lzfe Boat Magazine to hand is exceptionally ing this time In addition to the usual record of splendid heroism and gallant rescues, there is an article of interest on "The Shetlands." Have you sent your subSCriptIOn along yet? I f not, do not delay, for the National Life B.oat Institution has now 280 life boats under its charge, and dunng the past year it has granted rewards for saving 550 lives from shipwrecks on our coast.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

Policy No. "FIRST AlD."

600,093. This must not be detached.

WILL be paid by THE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LONDO N, E. C., to the legal personal representative of the bona fide holder of if such holder shall be killed by an aCCIdent wlthm the Umted Kmgdom or Channel Islands to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader's ticket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. :-

(a) That death result within one mO':lth .the (b) that s!,ch holder's usual signature shall have been In Ink, In. the space .provlded underneath, before the accident, (c) that notIce of the be gIven to the poration at its Principal Office in London WIthin fourteen days after Its occurrence, (d) that medical certificates and other information. be furnished by the person claiming upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) that this nsurance applies only to persons over. twelve and under seventy years o f age, is limited to one Co,:,pon-Insurance-Tlckel for each holder , and holds good for the current month of Issue only.

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to the conditions of the" Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited,

As it is the wish and desire of the Proprietors to make this Journal as in structive and entertaining as possible, correspondents in all parts of the country are asked to give it all the help they can.

Superintendents of Corps and Officers of Divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), the Volunteer Ambulance School of Instructi on, and Chiet Officers of Fire Brigades will, it is hoped, do their best to make it known amongst the members of their respective organi sations, and will '1.lso send for publication their official news and notices. Suggestions are invited for Prize Competitions and other matters which will advance the interest of the J oumal.

We particularly desire to ask ou r correspondents to be brief and to the point in any communications they may send us for publication.

Correspondents sending in photos are urgently requested o state on the back of the same the name of the individual or the Corps or Brigade, and give also the name and address of the sender.

" First Aid" is published on the 20th of the month.

EDITORIAL.

such proportions that all nations may sit under its beneficent shade, and take advantage of its kindly shelter so aptly typified by that grand ideal, International Arbitration. Until that time shall come, we fear that the divine message which heralded the birth of the Saviour of this world, will be lacking somewhat in the tru e st aspect of its m e aning, but that each year brings us n e arer that longed-for period when nation shall no long e r strive with nation we are assured, and in His own good time the m e ssage of Bethehem will, indeed, be one of "Peace on earth and good will towards men."

" First Aid" Competition, NO.4.

PRIZE - One of Messrs. CUXSON, GERRARD & CO.'S "COMPfl_CTOID" FIRST AID CASES.

DR. R. J. ROBERTS, M.A., M.B., B.C., bas kindly suggested the following subject for the Competition, and he will adjudicate upon same :-

Peace on Earth, Good

NEARLY two thousand years have passed since the shepherds of Bethlehem heard this message proclaimed, Will Towards and there are those who argue, and Men. with some show of reason, that since that time we do not appear to have progressed to any great extent along the pathway ')f peace, and students of history are fain to admit that the record of the world's progress has been punctuated with war; and all its attendant horrors. But the message did not imply that there would be an immediate cessation of war, but that the mission of our Lord and that the whole of His teaching while upon earth would be directed towards the attainment of PEACE.

It is a well-known axiom that trees which are the most robust are those which tak e longest to grow. A great idea can take root only by virtue of the ve ry resistance it overcomes, and the resistance over which it triumphs IS necessary to its ultimate force, and a subs tan tial guarantee of its ultimate duration.

This is surely emblematic of the p eace movement, that its growth has been slow, aye, very slow, we must perforce admit, but take the tiny acorn which ultimately grows into the stately oak, we who are peace enthusiasts look forward to the time when our tiny plant shall hav e assumed

A man is knocked down by a motor car, meeting with a severe abdominal injury. There is no external wound, but he cannot stand, though there is no fracture of the legs; he has great pain at the lower part of the body; he can only pass a few drops of water tinged with blood; he is very pale, pulse very feeble, skin cold and clammy and patient keeps shivering.

I.-What are his probable injuries?

2.- What treatment would you adopt on the spot, where the accident occurred?

3.-How would you move him home?

4.-And what treatment would you adopt, until the arrival of the doctor?

RL'L ES

The following conditions must be noted and adhered to:Entry may be made under a n om d e plulIle if preferred, but in all cases the full name and address of the Competit o r must also be given for publication in the event of an award. MS. must be written on one side of the paper only. There is no restriction as to length of article, but same shoul d not be unduly extended.

The Editors reserve to themselves the right to publish any of the papers submitted to competition, giving due c redit to the authors of same Any papers selected for publ ca t ion will be regarded as the property of the Editors.

Entries in the present Competition will close on jallllll7]' 2ISt, I907, and all matter must by that date be in the hand s of THE EDITOR, FIRST Am, 46, Cannon-street, London, E.c., and marked" Compet ition."

The decision of the Judges ann the Editors in awarding the Prize will be final.

Cramp.

By J AMES KAY.

Member of tile RO)lal Illstitute of Pubhc 1feattlz,( University of Londoll) Gold j ),fedallist of the Royal Life Saving So ciety, GoM Medallist Paris Life Saving Society.

AFTER very careful search I have to that there is no work specially dealmg wIth cramp 1ll existence, the nearest approach to one being an article by Charlton Bastian, on "Disordered Motility," in Quain's Dictionary of Medicine. There is any amount of scattered allusions to the m3.tter, but the local condition of spasms, commonly called cramp, differs so much in its manifestations in the different organs that the medical writers have preferred treating of each local cramp separately when dealing with different structures.

Cramp is a sudden and violent contraction of some limb or muscle of the body, attended with pain and numbness; but to be fashionable and in full accord with the" Entente Cordiale," I dep.m it expedient to quote the definition of a French physiologist, who says that "cramp is merely involuntary and exaggerated muscular contraction."

Nevertheless we are all agreed that this painful and sometimes very painful seizure is by no means confined to swimmers, but is very frequently met with in people who suffer from rheumatism, neurosis, slow circulation, intestinal irritation, an'd some forms of poisoning, e.g., arsenic.

In nature, cramp is very nearly allied to a spasm, but opinions differ very greatly as to the cause and exact method of treatment. It seems to be one of those universal evils which are common to all humanity, but which are deemed too unimportant for systematic treatment. Nobody seems to know what it is.

Careful examination of facts, however, points to three theories, and it is a singular and significant fact that the three proposed causes have the same remedy.

By excessive contraction we experience :-ISt, pain; 2nd, cramp; 3rd, total loss of power. Therefore a complete collapse is the inevitable result of strain.

In order that this state should not be reached it is necessary that :-

1. All the cells of the fibres of the muscles should not be emptied at the same moment.

2. A sufficient supply of reparative material should be forthcoming.

3. The nervous system be in a normal condition.

4. And that the circulation should be normal.

Muscles contract and expand in obedience to nerve messages from the brain; and all muscles become instantly inert and useless as soon as t'-1e nerve connection is severed. It is therefore logical to say that cramp is an abnormal excitation of the nerve, and if so, then cramp is purely a nervous disorder, and the remedy is to be sought in promoting the recontinuence of the nerve action.

It is well known that nerves are very susceptable to a chill. Thus the first entering of the water, the contact of uneq ually heated water, too long immersion in the water or exposure to a chilly atmosphere would be likely to cause over stimulation of the sensory nerves. Any sudden movement under any of these conditions is liable to cause undue contraction and in the slowed circulation resulting from chill, this is more than likely the cause of cramp. This view is borne out by facts, for nearly all cases of cramp occur under the conditions described above.

The prevention and cure must be made to counteract the causes. An old maxim states that preventt'on is better tlza71 cure It appears, therefore, that only reasonable care is necessary to escape this bane of swimmers.

The second theory has reference to the supply of blood to the muscle. If a piece of string is tied tightly round the arm just below the shoulder, the muscle refuses to work, with the result that the arm becomes dull and lifeless. In this case the muscle continues in a state of obedience to the last message received from the brain; the loss of power being due to the failure of the blood-supply to the affected part. Cramp may be supposed, therefore, to be caused by the failure of the blood supply when a muscle is in a state of contraction. Normal circulation is necessary to contraction. Anything which impedes circulation or lessens heat must interfere with the muscular contraction in the first place, and if long continued or excessive, lead to the chronic spasms (cramp) in the second; in fact, the secondary effects of almost all physical actions are the exact reverse of the primary.

There is yet another explanat ion given. When one touches the point of a pin, by a reflex action, a message is sent to tbe brain and thence back to the muscles, which immediately contract, resulting in the removal of the hand from the muscle that is causing the pain. It is believed that in certain cases, and invariably when the body has been overstrained by exposure or other means, the muscles are put into a state of over exertion which makes them practically useless for the work they have to perform.

Cramp seizes a person in most cases very unexpectedly; at times the attack seems to pass away only to return at the slightest movement; in others the seizure continues until vigorous means are taken to remove it.

Cramp on land is, to say the least, most inconvenient; but in the water it is a source of positive danger, even if some optimists advise one to keep cool.

The land and water cures are essentially the same, the only difference being that the former is much more easy of accomplishment than the latter. Cramp can be removed by friction both of the muscle and of the limb generally. Whatever the cause, this appears to be the only and simple remedy.

Mons. Thiroux has been appointed Hon. Official Delegate of the Societe Fran<;,:aise de Sauvetage (French Life Saving Society) for England.

3' E

BRADFORD.-The newly formed centre of the St. Andrew's Ambulance Association commemorated St. Andrew's Day by holding a luncheon at the Midland Hotel, on November 30th. The Mayor (Alderman Godwin) presided, and amongst those present were Sir George Scott Robertson, M.P., Alderman Toothill (President of the local Centre), Dr. Rabagliati (chairman and treasurer), Dr. Percy Lodge (honorary Surgeon), 1\1r. Latimer Darlington (local honorary secretary) and othus. In a report presented by the local honorary secretary it was stated that although the Bradford Centre had only recently been formed, it had already about 200 members and half a dozen classes were now in progress. The toasts were "the Mayor and Corporation," "The St. Andrew's Ambulance Association," "The President" and Dr. Percy Lodge.

An advertisement in this Journal is the cheapest traveller you can have.

December, 1906. -FIRST Our Portrait Gallery.

CHIEF SUPT. TALIESIN E. RICHARDS, M.E., MARDY CORPS S.J.A.B.

THE subject of our sketch was born at Taibach, Glamorganshire, in 1860, and spent his childhood amongst the extensive iron, copper, and tin works at Cwmavon. Obtaining a scholarship as chorister of the Hereford Cathedral (where he was solo chorister for two years), he was appointed Assistant Mining Surveyor for the Cwmavon Collieries, and at the early age of 20 he was appointed head surveyor.

In 1884 he became Assistant Manager at Pentre

AI D.-

The saw his appointment as manager of a small colliery m Venezuela, where his ambulance knowledge stood him good stead . At the end of two years, after haVing had two attacks of jungle fever, he was obliged to return home, resuming office under his old Company as under-manager.

After a short interregnum of two years, during which penod was manager of a small adjoining colliery, he at last coveted honour of head·manager of the colhenes m whIch he had spent so many years of his life. On. assuming the chief command, new vigour was pressed mto am bulance work, and with the assistance of Dr. Glanville Morris the work was so successfully carried on! to earn the of F. A. Gray, Esq., chief Inspector of mmes for the district, so that in his annual report for r 905, he wrote" that there was a larger percentage of first aid men in Mardy Colleries than in any other colliery in his district."

Continuing the good work, two divisions of the St. John Amhulance Brigade were formed in 1906, and Mr. Richards wa.; in August promoted to the rank of chief superintendent of the Rhondda Fach Valley.

The interest taken in ambulance work has been so stirred, that this year the corps hold the Glamorgan County Challenge Shield, also the South Wales and West of England Challenge Shield, besides other valuable prIZes, which the prowess of its mem bel'S has won in other minor competitions.

In 1904 he was appointed agent of the coJleries, and since then he has acted as a member of the :vI:ining Education Board for South Wales, represer.ting on that body the important Association of the South Wales and Rhondda Colliery Officials.

The attention of the mining world has of late been concentrated upon the formation of mining rescue corps, and Chief Supt. Richards was requested to act as one of a committee appointed by the Mining Education Board, to go thoroughly into this matter, which, it is needless to say, is a subject after his own heart.

Colliery, Rhondda, proceeding in 1885 to the more extensive collieries at Mardy, to take up a similar appointment.

December 23rd, 1885, was a sorrowful day for the little village of Mardy, for on that date one of those terrible mining accidents took place, which caused a death-roll of 85 victims. The courageous behaviour of the subject of this sketch during the rescue operations was such as to obtain from his employers, Messrs. Locket's Merthyr Co., a valuable box of instruments, while the Order of St. John of Jerusalem conferred upon him its silver medal for meritorious conduct, which he will always regard as one of his most treasured possessions.

This was his first connection with the Order of St. John, but it was destined to lead to good results, for in less than twelve months, he, acting as secretrry, worked up an ambulance class, whereby, under the tuition of Dr. Griffiths, 24 pupils succeeded in gaining their certificates. During the next few years he continued to act as secretary to the classes until a large number of the workmen became efficient first aid men.

By his indefatigable efforts he has brought together forces which have resulted this year in the erection of a noble Institute for the workmen of Mardy Collieries, and this Institute (which is the headquarters of the Mardy Corps) contains six large rooms for various purposes, besides a hall capable of seating 1,000 persons. The science class was modelled by himself, and nothing pleases him more than to see this class room filled with science-loving mining students, especially when undergoing instruction in the noble work of first aid.

The success of the am bulance classes can be gauged by the fact that there are this year over 200 students who have paid their fees in the various classes, which embrace first, second and third year, entrants, in addition to a nursing class for men.

It may be truly said that any work has the hearty co-operation and support of Chief Supt. Richards, providing it embodies the noble motto of the Order of St John of J erusalem-" Pro IIt/htate And that he may long be spared to carry out the so in the motto of the grand old Order, IS a Wish that Will receive endorsement at the lips of every first aiderWelshmen especially-who have had the pleasure of meeting and have realised the stirling work of the Chief of Mardy ambulance men.

When corresponding with Advertisers please mention "First Aid."

My Experiences as an Hospital Orderly during the Boer War.

B\ A. C CARTER (IS! Officer alld 1-1017, Sn. f¥es terJl /Ji'£Iisi{)J7, Hu!! Corps), ( Concludedjroll! pal(e I12 )

BULLOCK-WAGON S appeared to be the predomin3.nt vehicle, they were to be seen at all times of the day in the Mark.etsquare, ready to be hired. The funerals are quamt amongst the civil population. The bearers carryll1g the coffin 0'0 first the mourners following in couples. Some of the who had returned to their homes tried taki ng liberties with J\1r. Thomas Atkins-but the latter generally came up "top sawyer." I remember one instance in which one of them was saucy to a captain, and naturally, the latter gave him an English drilling, with the result that for a short time the air resounded with cries of police, murder, &c., and the military police had to be summoned to separate the chastiser and his yictim. The postal arrangements were out of gear about t his and we had a rare job to get our letters. I was eIght weeks without receiving either a letter or a paper.

After all the rumours about the Hospital Scandals, you will naturally be desirous of learning how the patients really were treat e d. Well, as far as our particular hospital was concerned, I can and do deny all these rumours. On admission, the patient was first of all taken into a ward. He was then undressed and washed-not in a bath j this was one thing which our hospital lacked. He was then served out with a clean set of underclothing and put into a nice clean bed with sheets, and in most cases on a spring-mattress. He was then seen by the doctor who prescribed for him and ordered him such diet as was suitable. In most cases, on admission, the patient's diet consisted of 3 pints of milk and 2 pints of beef-tea, later on he had also arrowroot and custard puddings and either whiskey, brandy or port wine until he was able to be placed upon the ordinary rations, which consisted of 1lIb. bread, pint of coffee, I pint of tea, plate of meat and 20ZS. of butler. In addition some would continue to have custards, or other puddings, jellies, eggs, &c. If any man invalided on active service requires more than this I should diagnose his complaint as "gluttony."

Again, I have heard that it is stated in the newspapers, that the hospital orderly steals the patier.['s money, &c. It was the custom at our hospital to take all the articles, including money, from patients on admission. But a printed slip enumerating all his possessions, signed by an officer, was always handed to him. During the time I was at the front I never heard of any orderly doing such a disreputable trick. I admit that the R.A.M.C. Orderly is not as well qualified as a nurse, as is the St. John Orderly, but I will not hear him called a thief when I am in a position to deny it.

To the great regret of all the staff we lost our culonel. He died of enteric fever and Bright's disease. We also had to part with a major, a captain, and two lieutenants who were all invalided home. Several of our orderlies were also down with enteric and dysentery, and finally had to be invalided home. I failed to escape. I was on duty one Saturday night and had a very hard time with one of our patients, with the result that the strain took such an effect upon me that the next morning I was very illshivering all over. I stuck it until night time, but when I went on duty again, th e Sis ter of my Ward took my

temperature which was 102 '2, so I was at once reported sick and ordered to bed, and as we had no vacant bed at Grey's College, I was sent to a building across the road, which was known as St. Andrew's Hospital. Here I was given a nice, clean bed, and the doctor came and saw me. He said I had a slight touch of fever, but would soon be alright again. My temperature dropped a point each day until it reached normal. After being in bed for a little over a week, I was allowed up for about two hours each day, and after three weeks enforced rest I was about again and walking in the garden each day. This hospital, which contained three wards, was regarded as the luckiest one we had-no t having lost a single patient until July 10th, when a man died from pneumonia. After my recovery I was sent back to Grey's College, and on the following Thursday - myself with Pte. Cowley, of Hull, and others-left Bloemfontein for Wynberg. We left at 4.30, and travelling viii Kaal Spruit, Kaffir River and Bethuine, we reached Edinburgh where we had t ea

We had better accommodation on quitting Bloemfontein than we had when going to it. It was a Dutch train with sleeping compartments, so we were able to rest when we desired to do so. After tea we left Edinburgh, an::! travelling by way of Springfontein, Douker Poort, N orvals Point (which is a pretty place 3,988 feel above sea level <1nd 628 miles from Cape Town). We then passed Colesburg (Kruger's birthplace), Riefontein, Rendsburg, Arundel, Sweedale arriving at Nauwpoort at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

N auwpoort is a pretty and very healthy place, standing 4,884 feet above sea level, and 570 miles from Cape Town. Here th ere was a very larg e hospital camp. Leaving Nauwpoort at 12 a.m., we journeyed by way of Wildfontein, Dwaalfontein, Hanover-road Station, Taaibosihfontein, Reitfontein, arriving at De i \. ar at 4 p.m., where we had tea. De Aar stands 4,180 ft. above sea level, and is 501 miles from Cape Town.

We left here at 8,30 p.m. and passed Nieuwoeld Mountains, Beaufort West, Fraserburg-road Station, Great Karoo Mountains, Matjesfontein, Worcester, arriving at Wellington on Tuesday in time for breakfast. On renewing our journey we passed Paarl and went into Cape To wn, returning to Wynberg by another route, we arrived at 2.30 p.m., so our journey down had taken us four days twenty-two hours.

Here we found the Hospitals were composed of wooden huts covered with galvanised iron. They were laid out in rows and numbered" No. I Hut," and so on. As far as scenery was concerned we found the journey back very dull there being nothing to see but large barren kopjes. We passed several Kaffir kralls which were built of mud. The Kaffirs seemed delighted to see a train pass. We also passed several picquets guarding the line, they asked us for cigarettes, matches and papers. They looked very "jowly," each picquet only consisting of about six men all told.

Whilst staying at Wynberg, Pte. Cowley and myself obtained a pass, one Tuesday, and had a look round, leaving at 12.30 we return ed at 6,30, after a most enjoyable day's outing. On returning we set about packing our kits preparatory to leaving for England, and at I2 o'clock on Wednesday we left for Cape Town where we arrived at 2 o'clock. Going on board we left Cape Town at 6 p. m. in beautiful weather. Our second Friday out we c rossed the Equator, the weather being insufferably hot, and on the following IVlonda y we sighted Cape Verde, and experienced some very rough weather. We were all

Decem ber, 1906. -FIRST ordered "below," and the hatches battened-down to keep the water out.

On Tuesday, although finer, there was a strong wind blowing. On Thursday we arrived at Teneriffe and put in for coa l. Teneriffe is very similar in appearance to St. Vincent, being surrounded by mountains. We left again at 4 o'clock on Friday morning, and at 9 a.m. on the following Thursday we arrived at Southampton, the voyage having taken us 21 days IS hours. The time had passed very pleasantly, as ea,:h evening we had concerts on board. The vessel was the" Gascon," a thref'-masted vessel, fitted with electricity, and having three very large engines.

The accommodation for the troops was very bad. Ther e were 766 on board, and we had only two latrines, and the bakehouses were situated close by. Not particularly pleasant, but we had to put up with it. As there were only two washhouses, at six o'clock each morning th ere was a rush to get washed, as at about seven o'clock the water was turned off for the day; as a consequence some had to forego the pleasure of a wash except on alternate days. There were no baths on board, nor was there any accommodation for washing our clothes.

As regards the food, well it was very good indeed what there was of it. We were allowed lb. bread, ounce of butter, ounce of jam, and a verJ' ;mall portion of meat, pint of tea and t pint of coffee, both of which were generally cold. It was simply starvation, and complaints were frequent, but all to no effect. We often wandered down to the cook's galley, which was fenced in with large iron bars. I, in common with olhers, have often stood behind thos e bars like a caged lion, watching the cooks carving up chickens, &c., for the officers. If the -:ooks had disappeared but for a minute or two, I should have been inside, and a chicken would most assuredly have found its resting place in my inside.

The last night we were on board myself and another man did the cooks a favour, and I was only sorry I had not thought of it before. We were on deck about 12 o'clock and noticed the cooks carrying the brEad frum the galley to lhe bakehouse. Observing tbis we at once commenced scouting uperations, and when the cooks left the bakehouse and returned to the galley for a further supply we raided the bakehouse and helped ourselves. We only paid it six visits, and upon one of these I noticed a la;ge pan with some greasy compound in it. After consultatIOn with my fellow conspirator we decid e d that it must be dripping. The other man went below, and I went lifted a double handful of the fat and then made a hurned move for below. What ho! it W1S dripping. We at once set to and made a good square meal and then went t,o sleep. Of course we placed our spoils in a place It was not likely to be found by others. The next morOlng the whole of our mess breakfasted off bread and dripping. \V e had only one regret, and that was a keen that we had not thought ()f this little "wheeze" earher on the voyage. Prior to leaving the ship each man had a telegraph form handed to him, which he could fill up and send home if he chose. We were also the recipients of a box each, containing a pocket-handkerchief and five cigarettes. These were the gift of the" Absent-minded Beggar Fund." We disembarked 9.50, some proceeding to iildershot, others going to Gosport. I went to Aldershot, where I arrived at 12 o'cloc k. I then went forward to the Cambridge Hospital, where I had dinner. stay.ed at Aldershot until the following Tu esday when I received to proceed home. At I a.m. I left for London, arnvll1g at

AI D.- 85

Waterloo Station at p.m. I made straight for King's Cross an? left for at 3.45, arriving there at 8.45. Takmg the SIX months we were away from home, I th1l1k we all had a fair time, compared with what some poor did. Many are prematurely aged, owing to the pnvatlOns they had endured, others are minus a limb we have come safely through it to tell the tale, which is more than many thousands of our countrymen have done.

FL IS An Up=to=Date Ambulance.

THE Car says :-''In the adoption of automobiles for such purposes as ambulance cars, &c., the authorities have been very slow; but as far as the City of London is concerned a change for the better is now observable, as a very smart and well-equipped electromobile ambulance has lately been put into service. This vehicle is always ready, can get on

A NEW ELECTRO;\lOBlLE .l:'lBULANCE FOR THE CITY OF L ONDOX.

the scene ve ry quickly, and runs with perfect smooth?ess. Its superiority over horse ambulance on every co unt IS at once obvious.

The only drawback to this appears to us to be that it will be unable to turn round 111 some of the narrow streets of London, on account of its long base,. and would have considerable difficulty 1I1l11al1lpulatJl1g the wagon backwards, is un,able to see where is going. This car was 111 eVidence 10 the recent Lord Mayor S how."

WHEN CORREJ8PONDING WITH ADVER TISERS PLEASE ME.NTION "FIRST AlD."

No. [ District (Metropolitan Co rps.)

VICKERS, SON & MAXIl\I.-The division in connection with these works at Erith has now a fully equipped ambulance station in Church-road, and it is hoped that the public, for whose benefit it has mainly been established, r will give adequate support; vol'Jntary aid must be looked for to furnish the upkeep. Supt. Collings, 22, Church-road, will gladly receive suoscriptions, however small.

BECKTON.-The third annual Cinderella dance, in aid of the Divisional Funds, was held at the East Ham Town Hall, on December 2nd. There was a large gathering, and the function proved an unqualified success. Mr. Geo. Bow acted as M.e. The music was supplied by the Beckton String Band, under the conductorship of Mr. J. H. Taylor.

No 2 District.

CAI\IBORNE.-The first annual meeting of this division took place on Nov. 30th. The report presented by the superintendent was of a satisfactory character. A commodious room has been acquired as headquarters, and the Cam borne Urban District Council has placed its ambulance carriage at the disposal of the division. A handsome challenge shield, presented by Mr. Dunn, M.P., was won by a squad under Corp. Chaffe. It was decided to form a small committee to solicit subscriptions in aid of the division.

DOVER. - Supt. Lawes and a detachment of his division gave a demonstration in the schools at Eythorne on Nov. 27th. Dr. Graham, who presided, introduced Supt. Lawes wh? gave a brief history of the Order of St. John, after which the members of the division gave a demonstration in the methods of first aid, transporting patients, &c. As a result of the meeting, several names have been given in to form a class. A vote of thanks was proposed by the Rector, the Rev. B. Burrows.

RA1IrSG \TE.-An excellent concert and entertainment was given at the Granville Hotel on Nov. 22nd in aid of the District Nurse Fund and the funds of the 'Ramsgate Corps, S.J.A.B. The programme was a most attractive one.and was .enjoyed by a large and appreciative audIence. Dunng the Interval, Gen. Sir Charles Warren proposed a vote of thanks to all who had assisted that evening. He paid a warm tribute to the labours of Nurse Green and also to the value ot the work done by the Ambulance Corps, both of which, he said, had the warm approval of the medical men of the town and district. The proposal was carried with acclamation. As a result Society w.ill benefit by the addition of £15 16s. bClOg added to Its funds.

BRISTOL.-On November 23rd a smoking concert ll1

AI D. - December, 190 6

connection with the Imperial D ivi3ion (W. D. & H. O. Wills), was held at the Bedminster Hotel. The programme consisted of good talent and the performers were m u ch appreciated by the crowded audience. The chairma n, Supt. A. B. Mitchell, spoke of the progress made since its inception two years ago, when it consisted of twenty-one men, but it had now increased to two officers. nine noncommissioned ufficers and 55 privates.

Speaking of the good work done by the members, he stated that first aid had been rendered in 160 cases at places of amusement and in the public streets, and they had assisted the Transport Department with I7 2 cases since June, besides many cases in the factories. Captain Trezise, superintendent of the Transport Department, spoke very highly of the help he had always received from this division, to which 1st Officer W. Inghram Gunn replied. The chairman then spoke a few words regarding the work which had been done by the honorary secretary, and said it gave him (the chairman) much pleasure to present him with a smoker's cabinet from the officers and men of the division as a mark of his untiring energy on their behalf. The secretary briefly acknowledged the gift. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded a very pleasant and successful evening.

No. 3 District.

DERBY. - The second annual concert in aid of the funds of the division was held on November 22nd, in Ley's Concert Room, kindly lent by Sir Francis Ley, Bart. The room had been prettily d!:corated with flags, &c., and presented an attractive appearance. The chair was taken by Councillor Bromham, and there was a large attendance, amongst those present being Supt. H. Gordon Ley, J. P., Hon. Surg. Cassidi, M.D.

During the evening the chairman expressed his pleasure at seeing so much interest taken in ambulance work; it W8S the duty, he said, of every young man and woman to become acquainted with such necessary knowledge. It was never known when their services would be required, either in the fa.ctory, workshop, or elsewhere. They had an excellent surgeon in Dr. Cassidi, and he sincerdy trusted that the interest taken in the brigade would continue to grow

Dr. Cassidi, who was received with applause, congratulated the promoters of the concert upon the success they had achieved. He spoke of the necessity of having a body of men who were thoroughly acquainted with ambulance work, and said that at the recent Royal Agricultural Show the division had a large number of men stationed at various parts of the town ready to give assistance in case of accident. There was also an ambulanCE: station upon the Show Ground, were between 60 and 70 cases were treated by mem bers of the division. He trusted that the interest in ambulance work would continue to grow in Derby.

A most enjoyable musical programme had been arranged.

MARKET IIARBOROUGII.-A social evening in aid of the funds of the Infirmary, arranged by the members of this division, took place at the Assembly Rooms on November 29th. The arrangements were perfect, and we must congratulate the members responsible. The first of the evening's entertainment was in the hands of" The Scarlet Masqueraders," and was much enjoyed. Subsequently dancing took place to music supplied by T. B . Smith's band . The M.C.'s, who were assiduous in their

Decem ber, 190 6. -F IRST atte n tions to their guests, were Sergt. Smith, Corp. Knighton and Ptes. Plowright and Heycock.

STOWMARKET -A division has recently been formed here, and bids fair to be very successful. At the inaugural mep.ting some 20 members and two officers were enrolled. The division, which is the outcome of ambulance classes held in connection with the local company and the Boys' Brigade, consists largely of the elder members of the brigade railway employes. The parades are at present held fortmghtly, the. rooms of the Boys' Brigade having been placed at the dIsposal of the division by the Brigade authorities. Two parades, which were well attended, have been held.

No 4 Di s trict.

EDENFIELD. - In the Co-operative Hall on Nov. 24th the members of this division presented a concert which gained the unstinted applause of the audience. Councillor Elton presided. The report, which was also presented, rethat the funds were getting. rather low, the membershIp also was not nearly so good as 10 former years, and old members were invited to re·enrol. A class was in course of formation with a view of getting fresh recruits.

LIVERPOOL.-A grand concert was held on the 29th October, at the Picton Hall, Liverp001, in aid of the equipment fund of this Division, and, as every seat in the spacious hall was occupied it is hoped that the fund will reccive a substantial benefit.

N o . 5 District.

BARNSLEY & DISTRlcT.-Arrangements towards the formation of a division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade are progressing favourably, a meeting in furtherance of the object was held at the Town Hall, on November 25th. The chair was occupied by County Councillor Stott, who impressed upon the meeting the fact that the division would not be confined to Barnsley residents, but was open to those residing in the district. Subsequently 26 men signed the register sheet, and a committee of four was elected to draw up the rules.

LEEDs. - The fourth annual inspection of the G Bearer Company took place on November 17th, at the Corn Exchange, Leeds. The Inspecting Officer was Colonel O'Connell, M D., North Eastern Command. Dr. Ellison was the officer in command of the Company, and there were also present Dr. Sims, and Dr. McConechy--both officers of the Company.

The Company went through viva voce examination, and were afterwards put through a series of infantry and stretcher drills, by the officers. The Inspecting Officer was well pleased with the work throughout, and expressed satisfaction at the smartness and dicipline of the Company. Practically the whole of the Company were present on parade.

The annual training of the Company this year was at the Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, and from the manner in which the members carried out their work at the inspection it was evident that they had gained some practical information during their training.

SHEFFIELD.-The

annual inspection of the "C"

AI D -

bearer company S.J.A.B., took place on November 24th at the C;:orn Col. O'Connell, P.M.O., York, was the inspecting officer. There WEre 58 men on parade, officer In command of the company was Dr. Atkins Clarke, and there were also present District Chief Supt. H. e. Else. and ?Upt. H. Chambers (Rotherham). After a and examination in practical and theofirst aId, the inspecting officer expressed his satisfactIon at the efficient state in which he had found all ranks

STOKE-ON -TRENT.-The annual dinner in connection with the Potteries Electr.ic Traction Company's Division, was held at the Red LIOn Hotel, N ovem ber 21St. Mr. Stephen Mear (a director) presided, and was supported by Mr.. J. J. Walklate (general manager) and Chief Supt. Arhdge, and others. During the evening the chairman proposed "Success to the St. ] ohn Ambulance Brigade." Chie.f Supt. Arlidge, in responding, spoke highly of the team whIch recently won the challenge cup of the North Staffordshire Corps, and which, he said, they thoroughly to win. He should, he said, be still prouder of them If they won the" Dewar" Shield. They had a better chance than any division he knew, for they had a superintendent who stuck to his work, and a surgeon who was second to none. A smoking concert followed the dinner.

WORK SOP.- Under the genial presidency of their popular Supt. ann Hon. Surgeon (Dr. Helm Montague) the members of this division, supported by many friends, assembled at the Royal Hotel for the annual dinner of the division. The loyal toasts having been put from the chair, and duly honoured, Capt. Fylden-Wright proposed the toast of the division in felicitious terms, paying a warm tribute to the unselfish way in which Dr. Helm Iontague had devoted his time and energy to the movement. In acknowledging the toast, the doctor made a humorous speech, and referred to all that was left of the original members, or the "boys of the old brigade " - First Class Sergts. Makin and Hewitt, Sergt. Fuller and himself. He was glad to congratulate them on the excellent report they had received from Asst. Commissioner Malkin. Public duty had been undertaken on four occasions, including their visit to Derby, when the King went to the Royal Show and when they all got soaking wet through. Other toasts, interspersed with some capital songs, followed.

N o 6 District.

HULL.-The annual ball of this corps took place at the Assembly Rooms on November 30th, and, in spite of several oth!:r attractions, was well patronised. A reception by Mrs. J. H. Fisher opened the proceedings, after which Lax's County Band discoursed some delightful and up-todate dance music. There were a large number of spectators in the gallery, who watched with interest the pretty and animated scene below. Supper was partaken of in two parties in the side rooms; this enabled the committee to arrange for a sit-down meal. The supper rooms were most tastefully arranged, and the catering under Purchin's management gave every satisfaction.

The Most Noble the 1Iarquis of Breadalbane, K.G., Director of the Ambulance Department of the Order of St. John, has kindly consented to open the Bazaar in aid of the fund for the provision of headquarters for this corps, which will be held in April of next year.

Brevities.

IN a few days Christmas, the season which all Christendom associates with that message of over 190J years ago, Ie Peace on Earth, Good Will towards men" will be with us, and we take this opportunity of wishing our readers

A VERY HAPPY CHRISDIAS AND A BRIGHT AND PRO SPEROUS NEW YEAR. Politically we may regard it as a peaceful Christmas. The nations, at present, seem more intent in promoting peaceful alliances then stirring-up aggressive strife. It is true that the manufacture of all that appertains to war is not yct stayed, the times do not yet point to the transforming of the sword into the plough-share, but there is unl11istakeably a kindlier feeling between the peoples, which leads one to hope that it may be long ere the awful clamour of war shall disturb the peace of the world.

* * *

As will be gathered from the report of a meeting at Bexhill, which appears in another part of our Journal, the lo cal division has definitely decided to sever its connection with the S.J.A.B. and ca rryon its work as a separate corps under local control. There is not much in this announcement, and having reported it we should not have referred to it in this column but for the fact of alluding to the somewhat ext raordinary communication from the Chief Commissioner which was read to the meeting.

* * *

IN the course of his remarks, the Rev. E. Mortlock, who presided, said "He had r ecei ved a letter from the Chief Commissioner, Inspector-Ge neral Belgrave Ninnis, R.N., in which that gentlemall pointed out that ambulance work was entirely voluntary, and that a member of the Brigade could leave whenever he liked. The letter continued that 'Where tile ambltlance bod)' devoted ds eJle7'gies to local matters independence 'Wo,t/d per/laps be as beneficial to the loeald)· as cOllncction 'Zflit/Z a large Assoct'a tion of betweell [5,000 alld 16,000 members. That extract, remJ.1 kcj the Ch.li rm all, rendered the course proposed much easier of accomplishment."

* * *

W h:we printed in italics that portion of the Chief letter which, to our way of thinking, cuts at the whole formation of the movement, we might almost say actually advocates the disruption of the Brigade as a whole. For it must be borne in mind that in every instance a corps or division is formed first with a view to its benefit to the locality wherein its members reside, and secondly with the object of assisting in a great national movement having as its aim the formation of a large Ambulance Reserve willing to place its services at the disposal of the Naval and Military Authorities in time of ational emergency. This indeed has always been our contention when discussing with correspondent the much vexed question of red tape, and we

AI D - Decem ber, 1906.

have on more than one occasion urged units not to throw over allegiance to St. John's, but bearing in mind the fact that they form part of a grand National movement, to loyally submit to the regulations now in force, trusting that as time goes on many of thE' rules contained therein and which are totally unsuited to a purely civilian voluntary organisation, and to which exception has often been taken, might be modified if not altogether abrogated. We say that this has hitherto been our plea to complaining units, but it would appear that we are wrong in our argument if the contention of the Chief Commissioner is right.

* * *

ANYWAY we are deeply sorry to see such a statement made on the authority of the Chief of the Brigade. Our readers will, we are sure, acknowledge that ever since this Journal was founded, primarily in the interests of the St. John Ambulance Brigade-as it was in its early dayswe have always consistently upheld the authority of St. John's Gate in all matters appertaining to discipline, and we have urged its members to feel a pride in the fact that by enrolment within its ranks, they are part of that grand ancient order of chivalry which has as its Sovereign Head the Monarch of these realms. That the adverse views of the Chief Commissioner will be readily seized upon hy reactionery members, not too favourably disposed towards the rule of St. John's Gate, we can quite anticipate and doubtless these views will be quoted by them in argument, when advocating that their particular unit shall be placed under local control.

* * *

HOWEVER we wOLlld, in spite of the high authority from whom we quote, urge all Corps and Divisions to remain loyal to St. John. Undoubtedly local requirements have the first claim upon your time, but patriotism demands that every able-bodied male, aye, and female too, should do something for the country's weal, and if you belong to an ambulance unit in this country, and that unit forms part of the S.J.A.B. you are, undoubtedly, taking your part in the question of National defence.

* * Ji.

SINCE writing the above, and showing bow widely spread is the disaffec tion at the Chief Commissioner's views, we have received a large number of letters enclosing copies of the report taken from the Bexhill papers. Some of our correspondents ask whether we think the matter has been correctly reported, others ask whether we think a portion of the letter only from the Chief Commissioner was read, and suggest that the context would perhaps have put a different construction upon it. \Ve cannot, of course, ans.ver th ese problems. We have dealt with the matter as reported to us. The situation is, we admit, serious, but with a view to elucidating it, we gladly place our columns at the disposal of the Chief Commissioner of the Brigade should he desire to make any statement which will clear up the misconception at present existing.

December, 1906. -FIRST

Dr. F. J. Waldo, the coroner of the City of London, recently addressed the City United Wards Club upon the subject of fires and fire inquiries, and pointed out that in England, Ireland and Wales there was no general judicial inquiry into nvn-fatal fires, except in the City of London, where the coroner, by a local Act, had at his dis c retion , the power of inquiry into all fires in the City, whether fatal or otherwise. In ancient times all coroners had this right, but it fell into disuse after the reign of Edward 1. It remained unquestioned until the year 1860, when it was decided that non-fatal fires were outside the coroner's jurisdiction. The po,,'er was formally restored to the City of London by Parliament in 1888. The rout.ine inquiry into the cause and origin of fires led to the detection of crime and the prevention of fires. In restoring the procedure to the' coroner's court, a simple machinery would be at hand, and the whole question was now under the consideration of the Home Office.

* * k

SPEAKING at a presentation of am bulance certificates and medallions to railway men and miners at Creswell recently, Dr. \Vood, the lecturer to the class, said, "As a medical man, he knew the value of first aid and how often the injury from an accident was minimised by its prompt application. He considered that every man who worked in a coal mine, or was engaged in any dangerous employment, should have an ambulance training. In fact, he thought the State should step in, and make such training compulsory." And yet in face of the large preponderance of evidence in its favour as a subject that ought to be taught, County Councils still continue to decline to make granls in favour of classes formecl for the purpose of imparting such instruction. * * 'I-

PRESIDING at the annual meeting of the Sheffield Centre of the S.J.A.B., the Lord l\Iayor, in the course of a capital speech on the benefits which a knowledge of ambulance work conferred upon the community, said, one of most im;Jortant developments in recent times was the fact that they had taken up am bulance work in the Evening Continuation Schools in connection with the educational work of the city (Sheffield). He had made some remarks on the subject of continuation schools a little time ago, and speaking of the schools he had said that the classes should be of a suitable character. He could scarcely conceive any subject more suitable to be taught in the continuation schools than that of ambulance work, and he was very glad to see that it had been taken up as one of the subjects, and that during the past year no fewer than 28 classes had been formed. He hoped in the future that even more work would be done in the direction than had been done in the past.

* * *

PUDLIC bodies repres e nting the ratepayers are not always prompt to recognise \'oluntary service, il is gratifying therefore to recount the following:-

A I D.- 89

"Arising out of the receipt of a letter from the relieving officer, a discussion took place at a recent meeting of the Worksop Guardians as to the desirability of subscribing to the Worksop Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. The Clerl( said the members had been very good in conveying cases to the infirmary from various parts of the Union when the cases were serious, which frequently happened. They had four such cases since September 29th, on one occasion taking a patient to the Nottingham County Asylum, a distance of 70 miles, involving twelve hours. The Board had no claim on the ambulance, and offered to pay, but the di vision declined to make any charge. The mem bp.rs rendered their services gratuitously, and as they were not over well off for funds, it was suggested that the Board make an annual contribution, as the van was very often used. A member saict there was nu more noble thing than to minimise human suffering, which was frequently augmented by the ordinary means of conveyance. The ambulance van, however, was splendidly equipFed, and all honour was due to the noble fellows who devoted their time to this humane work. They ought in some way to acknowledge their indebtedness to them, and he thought the ratepayers would not begrudge it. He had great pleasure in proposing that, subject to the sanction of the Local Government Board, tbey make an annual subscription of £5. The resoultioll was u nanimousl y carried."

The British Red Cross Soc:ety.

THE Countess of Coventry presided on Tovember 31St, at a meeting held at the Shirehall, Worcester, of Worcestershire ladies, convened in response to an appeal by the Queen for the organisation of the society on a more practical basis. There was a good attendance, to \"bom the Countess of Coventry explained that the Queen desired to see a reorganisation of the society, so that the aid it was intended to provide in time of war by means of medIcal nectssarics and comforts, mighL be the more easily provided. It was decided to form a Worcestershire branch of the society, Lo which Lady Coventry was .e!ected presit! e nt, and the following were appointed a provlslonal commlttee to draw up rules: Lady Georgina Vernon, ?llrs. Forrest, Mrs. J. Holder, Irs. Roberts (Severn Stoke), I\lrs. Hi!l (Malvern), and Miss Gibbons (Waresley House). Slr Harry Vernon consen ted to act as hon. secretary pro. tern. and Mr. E. G. Bromley :,Iarten was elected trea;urer. Upwards of seventy ladies signified their intention of becoming members. ---.

Owing to the pressure on our space this. montll tIl'. Dewsbury's article on e The, Knights of .St. John," is left out. A further ll1stallment of thiS ll1tE:restll1g historical story will appear next month.

"This hill is dangerous." "/'1. stretcher may be ob tained at Hurst-cottaae below, when required," are two placards placed together on a hil! ... at Illd erley Edge, near :Manchester. 1. he second placal d has been added by a local doctor.

Provincial.

BEDFORD.-We·must again congratulate Mrs. Alfred Paine on the success which still attends her untiring devotion on behalf of this centre. The annual report just to hand is full of interest, not the least interesting item being a report of a balloon accident at Stagsden.

Special mention, says the report, must be made of good work done by three women at the neighbouring village of Stagsden. On the descent of a balloon there was a deplorable explosion of gas, and eleven men and boys rushed, with badly burned heads, necks and hands for the kindly aid of these women. The doctor certified that everything was to alleviate their suff;rings and help was gIven 10 conveY1Og ten of the victims to the County Hospital. These women received their medallions in 1897, when they a cupboard kept up .by yearly subscnptlOns from the VIllagers, with necessanes for any emergency.

These three kind -hearted women deserve all the fi.nancial assistance they require; they are a credit to their .and. have shown conclusively how valuable is this 1Ostructlon I? country villages. Other interesting items are refernng. to work of the Bedford Nursing DlVIsIOn and SIck DIet Guild.

DAR LINGTON FORGE.- The ambulance classes met in the /Issembly Hall on November 30th, under the presidency of Mr. Reginald Pease, director of the Forge Co., by Mr. Putnam, secretary, and several of the offiCIals.

Mr. Pease presented certificates to 38 members, viz., 27 first years and J second years. After which the memgave an ambulance display which proved most interest10g to those present. Mr. Pease then on bet-alf of the classes a.nd the firm,. pl:esented Dr. Munroe, the lecturer, With a sdver entree dIsh, and Mrs. Munroe with a silk umbre.lIa. Dr. Munroe suitably responded and paId a high to the members of the classes for the manner 10 whIch they had taken up the work. Mr. Pease also on of the classes, presented to Messrs. S. Hardwick and Par.ker, c:f the N. E.R. class, a momento for the assistance g.lven 10 the practical work during the lectures. Mr. responded for both. The secretarial duties were carned out by Mr. William Bethell.

FAvER s lJAl\I.-The annual meeting of this centre was at the I?rill Hall on November 26th, when Mr. J. Rlgden occupIed .the chair; the Mayor, Capt. Hooper and oth.er townsmen were present. The report whIch was of a satisfactory character was presented and adopted. The various officers were re -elected and votes of thanks closed the proceedings.

M.ALDJo'ORD. - Through the generosity of lvIrs Perridg p who kll1dly offered to pay the fee, classes for male females have been formed here. The first lecture was glVen on November 23 rd and mainly

AI D.- December, 1906. through the active work of organisation undertaken by Miss Ellen Barnes, was in both cases, well attended.

HEAVY WOOLLEN DrSTRICT.-The annual meeting of thiS' important centre was held at the Batley Ambulance Station on November 23rd, Mr. W. Critchley (President) in the chair. From the report it appeared eight courses of leciures had been held, the number of certificates and medallions gained during the year numbered 205, the grand total now being about 8,401. The financial statement showed an adverse balance of £17 IS. 7d. due to the treasurer. The whole of the officers were reelected

SHEFFIELD. - The Lord Mayor (Ald. Styring) presided at the annual meeting of this centre. The adoption of the report, which was of a most satisfactory charader, was moved from the chair. By it we learn that the total num ber of passes to date since the formation of the Centre is 15,257. Special attention is now being paid to the formation of classes in the large works situated in the City, and employers of labour are urged to encourage their employes to take up the study. The Sheffield Corps of the S.]. A.B. continues to maintain its high state of efficiency, and the value of the ambulance carriages provided at the Fire Brigade Stations is now thoroughly appreciated. Several votes of thanks brought the proceedings to a close.

Oxygen in the Home.

LIFE-SAVING GAS PRODUCED AT A MOME;'o<T'S NOTICE.

A has just been made which will be of great practlcal value to the medical profession, as well as to many of those in charge of ambulance fire brigades, and other life-saving institutIOns who have to cope with cases of asphyxiation. Known as "Oxylithe," the new substance is oxygen, in a latent Jt may be turned into a pure chemical gas, contam111g at least 98 per cent. of oxygen, by the action of water, as acetylene gas is produced from calcium carbide.

Messrs. Siebe, Gorman and Co ., the well-known diving experts, have rights to manufacture the new substance and their manager recently explained to a press representative how it came to be discovered

"The great need of supplying fresh air in submarines led us to make experiments in the production of tabloid oxygen. With one of our machines three cubic feet of pure oxygen may be generated with as much ease as three cups of tea may be made.

"Ten tablets of oxylithe are put into an enamelled perforated tube. This is immersed in water in a special jar, and t?eJl.ow of gas is checked or accelerated by a small tap. ThIS which is not expensive, has been taken up by men, because for those living in towns It IS often most difficult to obtain oxygen 111 cylinders promptly, and there are often cases where dela y is fata1.

" We have also brought out a small which we call the' Oxylithe'. First Aid Equipment. This apparatus fo: produc1I1g oxygen at a moment's notice, but in less quantIties than the large manchines. This apparatus, I am pleased to be able to say, is now installed in most of the large in this country. The entire equipment ?nly costs 35s., and the cost of fresh cakes of 'Oxylithe' IS small.

" In another way, for the lighting of cinematograph lamps, Oxylithe' is also usefu1."

December, 1906. -FIRST

Al D.- 9

L.B. & S.C.R.-A large audience assembled in the King's Hall, Holborn Restaurant on Thursday, November 22nd, and enjoyed a capital Smoking Concert in celebration of the inauguration of the formation of an Athletic Club and a Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association in connection with the Company. Lprd Cottesloe (chairman of the Company) was to have presided but was prevented owing to his recent sad bereavement. His place was taken by the Earl of Bessborough, c.V.O., C.B who was supported by Mr. William Forbes (General Manager), Inspector-General Belgrave Ninnis, R. N., Mr. W. R. Edwards (S.J.A.A.), Sir S. Walpole, K.c.B., and many of the principal officers of this and other Railway Companies were also

In proposing a vote of thanks to the Chairman, Mr. Forbes expressed regret at the cause of the absence of They had met that night to inaugurate thelr AthletIC Club and Ambulance Centre, and he was pleased to say the Directors had voted a sum of money in support of both objects. Mr. Loder had also generously offered a challenge cup of the value of twenty guineas for competition at the athletic meeting. With regard to the St. John Ambulance Centre which been recently organized there are, up to the present tIme, 864 members of the Company's Staff from all parts of the line who have joined, and are now either attending classes for first aid instruction or engaged in practice. Prior to the formation of the Centre a few detached classes had been formed upon the initiative of the men themselves, and frequently at their own expense The number attending such classes would not exceed 200, and no arrangements existed for keeping them in practice aftEr they had gone through their course of lectures. With the establishment of the Centre, classes have been formed at convenient stations and lecturers arranged for, all necessary materials has been provided, and every reasonable facility is being granted for the purpose of enabling men to attend, and to continue to practice ambulance work after they have undergone tuition.

In order to further encourage the Company'" servants to interest themselves in first aid it is proposed to offer prizes for competition in addition to the annual Challenge Cup given by the Directors. Particulars of these prizes will be shortly published in the" Weekly Special Traffic Notice." Mr. Forbes concluded in proposing the health of the Chairman which was accorded musical honours. The Earl of Bessborough, in a happy little speech, expressed his thanks for their kind welcome. He was glad to have that opportunity of meeting them and delighted to see the representatives of so many other Companies present. He wished both movements success and congratulated the men on their previous records. In conclusion, he gave them the toast "To our next Sor:ial Gathering."

The programme was of an unusually high standard and the various items were most enthusiastically received.

MIDLAND.-The distribution of medallions and certificates to t?e successful pupils of the Elmton and Cressv:ell Class 111 connectiun with this Railway, took place on November 30th, at the Cresswell Drill Hall. The chal: was taken by Mr. P. J. Houlton, JP., and the presentatIon was gracefully perrot med by the Duchess of Portland. The Chairman in opening the proceedings expressed the pleasure it gave them to welcome Her Grace them. Continuing, Mr. Houlton gave an interest1t1g address on the value the to .miners and railway He had seen dunng hlS experience more serious lnJury averted and many a life saved by a little knowledge gained in the am bulance class.

. Grace, who was most cordially received, in a boef speech expressed her thanks to the Chairrr.an for the. kmd words about herself, which she felt were quite unmerIted. It always gave her great pleasure she said to come to Cresswell, though she was unable to visit them as ?ften as she could wish: She always took great interest In. ambulance v:ork and It gave her much pleasure to distnbute. the and medalliuns that night. It was most lmportant, saId Her Grace, that railwaymen and those engaged in mines should have a knowledge of ambulance work, and she hoped that others would come forward .and join the classes. It was a grand thing, a noble thmg, to be able to render aid to an injured comrade a.nd thus often alleviate much suffering or possibly save lIfe.

The Duchess then presented the medal1ions and certificates, and afterwards, on behalf of the class made presentations to Dr. Wood, Mr. J Pettit and Mr. Hinton. Dr. Wood proposed a vote of th a nks to Her Grace which was carried with acclamation. A musical programme followed.

T E. R. - The Arthington class h eld a "smok e r" at the Wharfedale Hotel on the 23rd ult., at which W. Joble Esq. (District Supt.) presided. Amongst others present were Mr. Geo. Jackson (Gen. Se c.), 1\1r. A. W. Elliott (District Sec.), Messrs. Penty (York), Purvis (Harrogate), Taylor, Ellis and Syrat (Leeds), Hill (Ripon), &c. Mr. Noble handed the succesful students their certificates, &c., and addressed some appropriate words to each, and wished continued success to the class, he also stated that unfortunately th eir worthy lecturer, Dr. Bennett, could not attend, but he would ask the class secretary to convey to him their kind wishes and a very handsome present.

Mr. Jackson also addressed a fe w remarks to them of encouragement, and expressed the wish that they might get a good team together for the forthcoming competitions.

lVIr. Todd (Stationmaster) moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Noble for presiding and distributing the certificates, &c. Some excellent songs, re citations, glees, &c., were rendered.

The York classes held a most successful ball on the 7th inst. in the De Grey Rooms, at which a fair number enjoyed dancing until the small hours of the morning. As usual, excellent arrangements were made by District Sec. Scott and his stewards.

Examinations are now the order of the day, and very successful ones were held at Bishop Auckland on the 9 th York on the I2th and Newcastle on the 14th, at which Drs W. Gray, E. W. Gilroy, and R. Anderson were respectively the examiners, and good reports are expected in each case.

Nearly 700 books and bandages have already been issued to classes for this session, and hence a most successful one is expected, and there is every pr ospect of large entries for the competition in March next, when the several

-FIRST

district shields will bp competed for, and keen competition for bolding of the trophies is expected

S.E. & C.R.-We have from Mr. Ernest Richards, the courteous Ambulance Secretary of this Company a copy of the first annual report of the Am Centre. Much progress is reported in the first twelvemonths and judging by the comprehensive and interesting schemes for the of competitions in ]9 0 7, we anticipate still further llTIprOVement. We hope tbat the efforts of the men, backed up as they are by the Directors and Officials of the Company, may lead to victory wben next the Company's team foregather at the Portma.n Rooms or elsewhere to compete for the blue ribband of the Railway Ambulance world "The InterRailway Sbield."

We congratulate Mr. Richards on very excellent report, the compilation of wbich gives eVIdence of much care and foretbought.

------. --.

The Sparklogene.

IT is less than four years ago since Aerators Limited started, and no\\' the firm has a world-wide reputation for the various articles manufactured at its eAtensive factory in Edmonton, London, N. We remember what a boon the little " parklet" was to us a few years since, when at camp some miles distant from the nearest town. It was unusually hot weather and there was invariably a dearth of waters

AI D.- December, 1906.

necessitate a larger vessel than the 1903 " Prana)) Sparklet a nd of those who have hith er.to us ed the oldfashIOned Seltzogene. Among the speCial advantages of the "Sparklogene» we may mention that there are no powders, chemicals or complicated appliances required. Tb ere is no waiting, the water is cerated at once with pure natural carbonic acid gas. Any 83rate d mineral or medicinal water is prepared with the greatest ease by the use of soluble "Sparkloids." Any cold liquids, wines, milk, &c., may be cerated with or without dilution.

The machine should not only prove of inestimable service in the home, but it must be an undoubted acquisition in the hospital, and we cordially recommend it to medical men and nurses.

Further particulars may be obtained at the offices of Aerators Limited, Upper Edmonton, London, N.

Ambulance Work in the Coalfields. Yorkshire

To consider the desirability of forming an ambulance league, and to organise and conduct competitions among teams trom the mines in the Yorkshire mines' inspection district, a conference bas been held of coalowners, managers, and the representative workmen of the West and South Yorkshire colliery districts.

The outcome of the conference has been the issue of a circular, signed by Mr. Walker, chief inspecLor of mines for the district, in which he states that from returns received from the owners or the varioLls collieries, it has been found that there are only 3} per cent. of the persons employed in and about the mines under the Coal Mines Act who possess the requisite knowledge to render first aid to injured persons, and at some mines there is not a single person so qualified.

The result has been the formation of a society, of which the Han. E. L. \Vood, of Templenewsal1l, bas been asked to accept the position of president. The vice-presidents are: l\Iess·rs. W. Walker, J. R. P. Wilson and James Mellors, ILt\l. inspecLors of mines; and Messrs. W. E. Garforth, Marshall Nicholson, Wm. Scott, Dr. Bunch, and Dr. Nicholson. Mr. John Wainwright, of Clough House, Birstall, is secretary and treasurer, and Mr. Walker is chairllIan of the executive committee.

A competition is to be held annually between tbe teams from the mines for a handsome sh ield presented by the Hon. E L. Wood, in addition to seve ral other prizes. Each team is to consist of four mem bers with two reserves, these to be nominated before the competition. Every member of these teams must have obtained the certificate or medallion of the S.J.A.A. The last day for sending in entries to Mr. Wainwright is February 18th, I907, and the first round of the competition will commence not lat er tban March 15th, 19 0 7.

One of the conditions of the con test is that "each team shall be accompanied by a man to act as 'pati e nt,' who has not rec eived first aid instruction, the eague to provide such patient."

December, 1906.

Messrs. Cuxson, Gerrard & Co.

LAST month we had an article on some of the appliances of this en terprisi ng firm, by a regrettable error-and errors will happen in the best regulated composing-rooms- our printf:rs inserted the illustrati on of the large cabinet for factories and works instead of that of the Household Emergency Cupboard. As this might lead to some little confusion on the part of intending customers directly the error was pointed out we decided that the best way to

Bexhill Adopts Local Control.

A PUDLIC meeting was held at the Bexhill Inst itute on Friday, November 23rd, to authorise the local division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade to assume the Litle of the Bexhill Ambulance Brigade, and to act in the future independently of the St. John Ambulance Brigade The permission of the subscribers was also reauired to the transference of the appliances to the new

The Rev. E. l\Iortlock presided. supported, by a large and influential body of local residents.

The Chairman, in the course of his opening remarks, said the 31. John Am bulance Brigade must not be confounded with the St. John Ambulance Association, the latter being the authority which issues the ambulance certificate. The members of the Bexhill Brigade would possess the same qualification and would be required to hold the same certificate. The rev. gentleman then read a letter (referred to else\yherc) which he had received from the Chief Commissioner.

Dr. J. O. Harvey spoke in support of the secession, and in concluding his remarks, said they desired to emphasise the fact tbat the St. John Brigade was quite distinct from the St. John Ambulance Association, which was governed by an executive committee.

repair it was to insert the illustration of the cupboard describedjlast and give a detailed descripLon of the contents of the larger illustrated in last month's edition. Tbe works cabinet contains triangular and roller bandages, oiled muslin, cotton wool, double cyanide gauze, absorbent gauze, splinting, plain lint, zinc ointment, carr.on oil, vaseline Friar's Balsam, Sal volatile, measure, adheSive plaster, eye' probe, safety pins, sponge and carbolic acid. The size is 18 in. by 2 in. by 4} in. and the price complete is£17s.

We have also pleasure in presenting our readers with an illustration of l\Iessrs. Cuxson, Gerrard &: CO.'s " Sn.noid" Midget "First Aid" Outfit, size 4 in. by 3 in.

Dr. 11urdoch also supported, and said that the Chief Commissioner apparently agreed that it might possibly be better if the local organisation were controlled by local management than if it were subject t? rules and regulations from headquarters. He spoke 10 terms of warm praise of the work done by the local division, and said the new brigade would consist of the old members, who were unanimous upon the subject.

Councillor Jest), proposed" That all monies, uniforms, appliances and equipment hitherto to the B e xhill Division of the St. John Ambulance Bngade are, by consent of the subscribers ane'!. townspeople in public meetin a now here assembled, hereby handed over to the Bexhilt' Ambulance Brigade." Commander Loane, R.N., seconded, and after it was carried the financial statement, which was satisfactory, was submitted and approved

Councillor Stapylton-Smith proposed that the. Committee remain in office to carry out the provIsions of proposed new Rule No.2, a'1d to provide and rules for the constitution and management of the bngade. This was agreed to.

It was reported that 1\11'. F S Dunn had accepted the post of superintendent and Dr. O. Osborne that of honorary surgeon

A very enthusiastic and unanimous meeting was brought to a close with a vote of tbanks to the Chairman. .--.

in the mess. little bulLs wbich bad occupied so small a compass in packing proved indeed a boon; there was only one fault, we could not make enough at one time. The Company apparently also realised this, and it was not long before the "Sparklet" S) phon was placed on the market. It proved a success at once, and undoubtedly led to a large extension in the business of the Company Their latest triumph, is the" Spad.:logcl1c," dcsigned to meettbe demands of" Sparklet" users whose requiremen t s

The mines of West Yorkshire are divided into ten divisions, and those of South Yorkshire into eight divisions. The preliminary rounds in each district will be arranged by the divisional sub-committees. Th e two best teams in West and South Yorkshire respectively will compe te In the final, and in addition to the honour of holding the shield, each member of the winning team, together with their instructor, will receive a gold medal, while the runn e rs -up and th eir instructor will be each awarded a silver medal.

I in. ; by an error, the length of this pocket-case was given,as 9 inches, in last month's issue.

Have you sent for that Cuxson, Gerrard & Co.'s address IS Crown Corporation-street, Birmingham. You may find. :nany things suitable for presents. And what more sUltable Christmas or New Years '"gi ft for an am bulance man or woman than something with the work they love.

As a consequence of the extensive ex;:>eriments with motor ambulance wagons which have been cond.ucted at Aldershot the 'Var Office is about to place a fairly large order for fhese, as it is now thought that a suitable type of vehicle has been discovered. Those ,\ bo have seen these ambulances at work are agreed that they would be of great service in action, especially in a country where roads were good. Protection is to botb patients drivers by steel shields that are said to proof. agamst rifle fire while the Red Cross, of course, IS conspicuously displaye'd. During the tests at Aldershot the wagons were taken over very rough country with success" whlle they are said to be very economical in the consumptlOn of fuel and water.

December, 190 6

Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers).

TIlE Canterbury detachment of the Maidstone Company held its first smoking concert on November 27th, at the F uresters Hall, Can terbury.

Lieut. 1\.. R Henchley presided over a crowded gathering, included the Mayo r, Deputy-Mayor, Alderman Gentry, and several of the members of the Corporation. Major Pye Oliver (commanding Maidstone Company), Col. Lilley, RAM.C., &c

The loyal toasts having been duly honoured, the Rev. J. LeMere ShalJis (chaplain), in an eloquent speech submitted "The Mayor acd Corporation of Canterbury;" the speech was received with enthusiasm, and the Mayor in responding paid a special tribute of praise to the work of the Royal Army I\ledical Corps He had only that day, said His Worship, returned from Paris, and the previous night he was dining with some of the most prominent members of the French Government. One of those members (the Minister of War) was telling him among other things, how proud he was to think that the French organisation for the medical body in the field, was now, he hoped, almost as good as that of the great country to which he, the Mayor, belonged. That was a compliment to the Engligh nation, and they who belonged to that noble corps the (RAM.C.) would, he was sure, accept that compliment as he (the Mayor) accepted it.

Major Pye Oliver, in returning thanks to the toast of his health, said he was pleased to have the opportunity of meeting his comrades of the Canterbury Detachment. He offered his sincere congratulations to Lieut. Henchley upon the very marked success which had attended his efforts to raise a Canterbury Company. He was sure that all the zeal and energy-and he might also say the ability which he had displayed in the raising of that detachment, was a very sure indication that presently the War Office authoriwould be persuaded to convert the Canterbury Detachment into a Company. I ncidentally referring to the civil side of their organization, Major Oliver said the Company with which he had tbe honour to be connected at Maidstone had for the past 20 years been pioneers in the am bulance movement.

Other toasts were "The Guests," and the cha irman in referring to the latter, mentioned that the Mayor had offered a challenge cup for competitio n next year. The concert, which was of a high class character, was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.

WELLINGBOROUGH.-The large Assembly Room at the Clarence Restaurant was crowded on Nov. I9th, on the occasion of a concert in aid of the funds of the Railway Division of this Corps The chair was taken by the Chairman of the Urban District Council (Mr. Hedger Edwards, J.P.), who was supported by the Rev. E. P. Powe ll , M A ., District Chief Surgeon Audland, Chief Supt. T. H. Hilton, Supt. Francis, &c. A capital selection of items both musical and vocal appeared on the programme and were greatly enjoyed by the audience During the interval, Mr gave a short address in which be spoke of tbe Importance of ambulance instruction to railway men. He tbanked the members for inviting bim to be present a n d paid a higb compliment to Dr. Audland for the valuable services he had rendered to tbe cause, the work of Supt. Francis, amongst railway men, was also r eferred to and warmly eulogised. Certificates and medallions were afte rwards presen ted by the Rev G. P. Powell. Votes of thClnks a.nd the singing oftbe National Anthem brought the proceedll1gs to a close.

National Fire Brigades Union.

THE ann u a meeti n g o f the Easte rn D is tri c t was h e ld o n t he 1st inst. at t he "Th ree N u ns H ote l, " A ldgate. The meeting was very well attended and was followed by a dinner, at which latter some for ty-five members of the District p u t in an appearance . The toas t s were few but much to t he point. The musica l programme was of exceptional merit thanks to the good offices of the retiring Honora r y Secreta r y (Mr. H. E. H. Tracy).

The t oast ;of "Success to the Easte rn District" was proposed by Mr. H F. Ha ll ows, a n d replied t o by ChiefOffice r M iller.

Chief-Officer Woollard proposed "The Visitors," to which M r. Th i roux and Mr. R u bery replied The healths of the retiring Hon. Secretary and the Treas ur er were proposed by Chief Officer Miller, and received with m u ch enthusiasm . Replying, Mr. H. W. Tracy and Mr. H. E. H. Tracy expressed much regret that their obligations were suc h that t hey could no longer give proper attention to the affairs of the Union in this district, although their hearts would always be with the brigades.

Chief Officer Sharpen has been elected Hon. Secretary to the distric t on the retirement of Mr. H. E. H Tracy.

Mr. A T. Dale presided over the gathering, and it is hoped that an annual dinner will now be a regular institution

Developments in Fire Appliances.

By S. H . EDDINGTON, CHIEF OFFICER TOTTENHAr-[ FIRE BRlGADE.

(Continued from page 62.)

I AM n ow going to give a few figures to show how accidents with motors have compared, so far as my Stations are concerned, with accidents to horsed-vehicles and horses.

MOTOR.

Damage to woodwork of one wheel and bent radiator; cost of re-

£ s. d. pairs, including labour 7 10 0

Shop-front broken, 4 plates of glass, woodwork and damage to stock 70 0 0

Damage to Station-doors through motor starting with closed doors 20 0 0

Tota l £97 10 0

IIORSED.

r Horse, valued £42, disabled; ultimately recovered sufficiently to do light work in the Parks.

£ s. d. Loss, say 20 0 0 Horse, had on trial for one month, ruptured rectum and died one day after the month was up 50 0 0 Horse, damaged fetlock; treated for one month by Veterinary Surgeon: recovered, but again went lame; recovered again, but not sufficiently for our work. Original cost £44. Value, say, unless he goes lame again 20 0 0 Hire of Horses, during sickness and other charges connected with sickness 17 0 0 Damage to Steamer by collision and axle of manual engine broken 0 0

Total £I12 0 0

There have been several minor accidents such as broken shafts to horsed hose cart, etc., but I omit them as it would be too much trouble to hunt up their actual cost, but together I daresay they would amount to at least another £IO. -

N ow you '1'1 ill see by these figures that even in first cost the motors come out at 20 per cent. less than horsedmachinps, if you take all points into consideration, but in maintenance the difference is enormously in favour of the motors, the latter coming out at about one-fifth the cost of horses.

As regards accidents and trouble with horses, so far as my experience goes, the latter have been the dearest. You should also bear in mind that at least one of our motor accidents was a very heavy one, and is not likely to recur, but even if it did, we would well afford it, when you allow for the great difference in maintenance as compared with horses.

You must also remember that the life of a motor is several times that of a horse for fire purposes In fact the more you go into it and get at truth as opposed to prejudice the more is the superiority of the motor shown as well as its economy.

Now let us take its efficiency, in its various forms.

] st. -Starting

2nd.-Travelling, steering and control.

3rd.-Arrival at fire and promptness 10 getting to work.

I had a visit from the Superintendent of a neighbouring Brigade only a few weeks ago, Mr. McCall, a member of this Association

He was asking me what time it took to get our motor away in case of a call. I told him from twenty to thirty seconds by day. Just thert a call came in and he timed us with a stop-watch. When I returned he gave me the time as ten seconds.

Still more recently I had a visit from four gentlemen, one of them a K.C., and they asked the same question. I turned the machine out and asked them to take tbeir own time. They did so, and it was 13 seconds .

You will understand that the men have their gear on the machine They merely jump on and" rig" as they are travelling.

As to speed on the road, we maintain with.our 3o-h ·P· engi n e twenty miles eas ily per ho u r. I n the middle of the n ight this is frequently increased, when we have a clear

road, up to thirty miles, a speed which could not possibly be attained with horses.

Steeri71g.- This I consider is perfect. The machine is capable of being manreuvred through blocks of traffic in a manner absolutely unknown to borsed machines.

Skiddillg.-We had a certain amount of that, though not much. with our first machine, but by lengthening the wheel base and adopting twin tyres on the one we built oursel ves, this so far seems to have practically disappeared.

One great drawback to horsed escapes on the road is their terrific swaying from side to side. This is entirely absent in the motor, it will run as straight as an arrow at any speed

Confrol.- ·We have fixed to both the old and the new motor escapes a conlrol gear, made on our own works, which enables the driver to slow down or advance his engine at will, as the state of the road and traffic may require, without interfering with the actual speed gear at all.

I now come to efficiency at a fire These machines are termed by many people "nrst aid machines I consider the title, as far as it is applied to the Tottenham engines, to be absolutely wrong. They are, as events have proved time after time in Tottenham, well able to deal with very considerable fires.

You would not term the extinguishing of an oil shop well alight a first aid job. When a building of two floors, over 100 ft. long, and used as a rubber tyre works, is blazing and the flames are through the roof, 1 should not term a machine which stops such a fire as that a nrstaid machine

A hay and straw store, well alight and equally well stopped and confined absolutely to its place of origin, is the work of something more than a nrst-aid machine.

Yet all these and other similar fires have been stopped by our motor chemical engine...

The fact is that the combmatlOn of quahtIes, VIZ.:rapidity of starting, speed in. in getting to work and great addItlOnal extmgUlshll1g power, possessed by chemicals over water, go to constitute this machine a very formIdable fire fightmg appliance.

For the benefit of those persons who are always fearful of motor accidents, I may point out that in the two heaviest of our accidents the motor appliance was uninjured, and remained absolutely ready for work, whilst in the case of the accidents to horsed-vehicles, the appliances were in each case disabled.

As to the escape, that can be unshipped instantly. It is equalled by the rapidity with which it can be removed for work.

(To be continued.)

The Daily TelegraplL, rEferring to "The::Majesty of Red Tape," says :- " It was proposed to bold tbis winter free ambulance classes in the colliery township of Worsley, near Manchester, local doclors having proffered their services as instructors without charge, whilst the Earl of Ellesmf!re offered to supply bandages gratis. Similar classes held last winter and were attended by hundreds of colliers. The Board of Education, however, has intimated that these free ambulance c1asses must cease, and that a charge must be made. The local education authority has now fixed the lowest fee possible, namely, IS. fer the season " WHEN CORRESPONDIN G WITH AD VERTISERS PLEASE MENTION j/ F IRS T AlD ."

rVe me in 170 way nspol7sible /01' tlze opinions expl'essed, or tile ,/atelllents made, by C01'1'esj>olldcn/s. -EDITORS.

CHURCII - BRASIER TESTII\10NIAL.

DE \R SIR, --I was glad to see that someone callecl attention to tbe abo\'e in your last issue. Considering tbat the fund closed in April last, I have myself wondered at the delay 111 reportlllg the result Has the mo\'ement proved a failure? Pel-sonall)" I should not be surprised if it \I ere so, as the method of approaching- probable subscribers was somewhat faully. From the circular it might have been assumed that it was intended to make some pro\'ision for the future of our (riend: whereas we were all assured that this had been faithfully carried out by the Executive at The Gate. think the appeal should have made it clear that it was intended as a personal recognition fmm his many friends of the great work to which :\Ir. Brasier had so earnestly devoted the best years of his life.

Personally, I fa\'oured the suggestion of a Shllina Subscription, this \\'ould have resulted in a handsome gift, and pOSSibly have secured a larger number of subscribers.

To say it would have belittled the recipient is an argument that will not hold good, considering lhat at the present time a is on foot to raise a Shilling- Subscription in South Africa to present our Most Gracious Queen with a gift from tbat Colony. Nobody, I take it, would suggest tbat the acceptance of such a gift would lessen the dignity of our beloved Queen.

Sorry for .the length of this letter, but hoping to hear good news about thiS matter soon -I am, Sir, Your's sincerely.

\V. \Y. H.

Hertfordshire, Dec. 1906

[\Ye are sorry that it is not within our province to enlighten our readers further on tbis subject. As regards an)' misconception that may have existed, we do not think that anything has ever appeared in this journal that suggested that ]\Ir: Brasier s circutllstances were such as to require financial assistance. From the very first we advocated the raising of a fund to present hin] with a testimonial which should record the personal regarc! and affection which was entertained for him by a. very large circle of people of all classes who had had the pleasure of collaborating with him in a \VOl k which will be for ever indissolubly connected with the name of Church Brasier. --ED. " F.A. " ]

L'ENTENTE CORDIALE IN 1871.

SIR,-P.erhaps the following facts may not be known, and therefore of Il1terest to, the younger members of the fire service who are readers of" F. A."-

That DEnlenle was \'ery real in the terrible experiences of Pans was eVidenced when the fires raised by the Commune so menacing, and so far beyond the power of the 1 anSlan firemen to subdue, M. Their3, on the 35th of May, asked Lord Lyons, the British Amdassador in France for the assist<l:nce of the Fire Brigade in putting out'tlle conflagration -a long distance "call." The request was at once telegraphed to. the proper quarter, and Lord Granville authol'lsed an e::pendlture of J ,coo British pounds to send over a body of British firemen; he also set aside a Government vessel for their conveyance. Arrangements were made for despatching twelve engines and a hundred men; but on the 261h the Government telegraphed that a mastery had been obtal11ed o\'er the flames, ancl that consequent ly the

services of the British firemen would not be required Hearty thanks for the proffered assistance were added. This occurrecl 32 years before I had the opportunity of seeing in the nesh "Les Pompiers" at the Ac ricultural Hall Islington ( n:y nati ve vjllage), thanks to the enterprise of" F. A./ who so effiCiently organised the same.-Yours sincerely, L A. C.

" M.D. M.A."

DEAR SIR,- I alT. not aware of the full details of the troub les correspondent, Vaughan Bateson, complall1s of In your Issue of October. They are of no interest or moment to me; but the whole tenor of his letter is a surprise to me, and there is one particular statement in the mass of verbiag-e that I ca nnot allow to pass unchallenged. He refers his" position of silence." statement is made 'publicly In your co lumns, and I traverse It. Your correspondent wrote to 7Jle in orIOleI' to bring certain influence into play in the matter, although I was a rank outsider and knew neither of hi.m or his quarrel. If contention is abhorent to him, let him wltncln-lw that statement as to silence. Or will it be necessary for one or other of us to publish tbe correspondence? I write only in the interest of fair dealing, being impelled by his own quotation" Do what thy manhood bids thee do." I enclose my name.- Yours truly, FAlR PLAY. Glasgow.

We are glad to learn that Col. Fox, of the London Salvage Corps, has recovered from his recent 'l.ccident and is much in evidence and attends all calls.

3' e

At an inquest on the body of a man who dislocated his right shoulder, and who subsequently died while under chloroform at Guy's Hospital, the coroner said it had taken twenty-five minutes to take the man to the hospital, on a hand ambulance, during that time he suffered great agony, and a Guy's Hospital doctor agreed that the introduction of horse ambulances was very desirable.

"FIRST AlD."

This Coupon=lnsurance=Ticket must not be detached

WILL be paid by TIlE OCEAN ACCIDENT AND £100 GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LIMITED, PRINCIPAL OFFICE, Nos. 36 to 44, MOORGATE STREET, LONDO , E. c., to the legal personal representative of the bOllll }ide holder of this Coupon-Insurance-Ticket if such holder shall be killed by an accident within the United Kingdom or Channel Islands to any Railway Company's passenger-train in which such holder is travelling as an ordinary ticket-bearing passenger, seasonticket-holder or trader's licket-holder.

Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract, viz. :-

(a) That death result within one month after the accident, (b) that such holder's usnal signature shall have been written in ink, in the space provided underneath, before the accident, (c) that notice of the a:;cident be given to the Cor· poration at its Principal Office in London within fourteen days after its occurrence, (d) that medical certificates and other informat ion be furnished by the person claiming upon request for the same by the Corporation, and (e) that this Insurance applies only to persons over tweh'e and under seventy years of age, is limited to one Coupon-Insurance. Ticket for each holder, and holds good for tbe current month of issue only

This Insurance entitles the holder to the benefit of, and is subject to, the conditions of the "Ocean Accident and Guarantee Company, Limited, Act, 1890, " Risks Nos. 2 and 3, when thc)' are not incompati1le with the special conditions above stated.

Tlu possession 0/ tltis Coupoft-htS1Wance- Ticket is admittcd to be tlte paY'Jlcnt 0/alwemiuJilunder5ec.33o/tlteAct. A Prin/o.! tlte Act can b{!secnatthe !'1'I'l1cij>al O!Jice o/tlle Corporation.

Sig'Jtatlwe }Ifont" 0/ issue.' Dec., I906.

i',inted and Pnhlished by Messrs. DALE, REYNOLDS & Co., Ltd., 46, Cannon Street London, E.C., to whom all communications should be addressed.