the jams, marmalades, sirups, confectionery, etc., contain glucose or cheap sugars, "inverted" or otherwise, which have their proportions of arsenic. The milk is either sterilized by air or neutralized by water, while the potted creams, which are now the fashion, are preserved like the sweets and fall into the same category. Even vinegar has not escaped, for here again the sulphuric acid figures in the "conversion" of the grain.

SUGAR AND SAUSAGE.

Demerara sugar, that innocent product of the colonies, has been found in an arseniated state from the practice of using phosphoric acid or chloride of tin to give it a "bloom," and sausage-makers have fallen into the habit of coloring their links with iron oxides that are particularly obnoxious to living tissues.

ENGLISH COFFEE.

Coffee is made up largely of chicory, which comes from Belgium, where the roots are dried in kilns heated by coke, and, like malt, exposed to the toxic products of combustion. I will venture to say that every American who has traveled in England will bear me out in the statement that a cup of pure coffee is absolutely unobtainable in ninety-nine out of every one hundred hotels in the country. Either as a food product or a stimulant, chicory is admitted to be inferior to coffee; yet the mixture is everywhere permitted and even sanctioned by law. An abominable compound of this nature is sold in the shops, while, in accordance with the requirements of an act of Parliament relating to the adulteration of food, the printed paper on the tin tells you what it is.

AMERICAN FOOD PRODUCTS ABROAD,

As far as American food products are concerned, I am happy to be able to state that the cry that was raised against them a few years ago has entirely subsided and their position in the market is now stronger than ever. In the case of American glucose, which is largely imported into England, not a single objection was raised by Lord Kelvin's commission. It stood the tests of the analysts in every instance where its purity was brought into question, while samples of the German article were found to contain slight traces of arsenic. I attribute our position in the food market, both here and elsewhere, to the free hand given to our agricultural department and the system of inspections which the latter has adopted and is carrying out with great success.

WM. P. SMYTH, Consul. TUNSTALL, ENGLAND, February 20, 1904.

EDITOR'S TABLE.

SANITARIAN, JUNE, 1904.

BURIED ALIVE-THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

Exulting in the apparently good riddance, the Governor having signed the bill abolishing the coroner's office, THE SANITARIAN and the medical profession of the city generally, all too soon, a month ago wrote obituaries of the office. Being a city bill, however, it required submission to the Mayor and his approval before it could become a law. Wholly regardless of the obituaries the Mayor has since sat upon it-a la “crowner's quest." The still would-be coroners adduced testimony to their good office in contrast with the contradictory opinions expressed concerning the proposed new measure, insomuch that the Mayor disapproved the bill, and it is buried-the coroner's office still lives.

MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY REPORTS AND REVIEWS.

SIR HENRY THOMPSON, Bart, the distinguished surgeon and sanitarian, died at his home in London, April 18, 1904.

Sir Henry Thompson was surgeon extraordinary to the King of the Belgians, consulting surgeon to the University College Hospital, London, and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Surgeons. But he was more distinguished as sanitarian than surgeon, particularly with regard to "Diet in Relation to Age and Activity"-the subject of a treatise by him first published in 1886. Revised and enlarged (Frederick Warne & Co., London and New York) 1902. The earlier edition seemed to encourage the propagandists of vegetarianism, in so much that they claimed him as a disciple. The

later edition, however, is explicit in this regard; exposes the fallacies of the vegetarians, so called, advocates mixed diet, points out the errors and excesses in diet as the fruitful sources of disease and short life.

Sir Henry was born in Framingham, Suffolk, August 6, 1820. He was graduated in medicine at the University College, London, where he won honors. He was created a baronet in 1899. He was also the author of numerous papers on scientific and surgical subjects which are generally accepted as authoritative, and wrote two novels, "Charley Kingston's Aunt" and "All But." He was known also as a painter of ability and a deep student of astronomy.

STATE OF NEW YORK.-Monthly Bulletin, Department of Health, for March, 1904, 7,738,000: Total number of deaths, 14,308; annual death rate, 21.7; deaths under 1 year, 2,116; deaths 1 to 5 years, 1,123; deaths at 70 years and over, 2,828; deaths from cerebrospinal meningitis, 105; typhoid fever, 163; malarial diseases, 10; smallpox, I; scarlet fever, 52; measles, 168; erysipelas, 73; whooping-cough, 50; croup and diphtheria, 252; diarrheal diseases, 182; consumption, 1,432; pneumonia, 2,011; acute respiratory diseases other than pneumonia, 1,072; puerperal diseases, 144; diseases of the digestive system (not acute diarrhea), 757; diseases of the urinary system, 1,040; diseases of the circulatory system, 1,458; diseases of the nervous system, 1,449; cancer, 492; accidents and violence, 619; old age, 660; general diseases not epidemic (except consumption and cancer), 572; unclassified,

1,442.

The largest number of deaths ever recorded in one month in this State. In twenty years covered by our records there have been fourteen months only in which the reported number of deaths has exceeded 12,000, and four times only has the monthly mortality reached 13,000; these were in January, 1890 and 1892; April, 1891, and July, 1892. July is uniformly the month in which the greatest number of deaths occur, and ordinarily there are between 11,000 and 12,000 deaths in July every year. But it is noteworthy that the periods of phenomenal mortality, when the number of deaths rises far above the ordinary for the month, occur in the winter or spring months. These extraordinary increases are mainly due to deaths from acute pulmonary diseases, which cause a far larger element of variability in mortality than do the diarrheal

diseases of midsummer. In the years 1890 to 1893, in which the great monthly mortalities occurred in the winter and spring months, the deaths from acute respiratory diseases for the year rose from less than 14,000 of preceding years to between 18,000 and 20,000 deaths for the year, mortalities which have hardly ever since been reached. No other causes or groups of causes of death have shown anything like this variation.

New York City, 3,838,024.-Total number of deaths, March, 7,684-annual death rate 23.6: Borough of Manhattan, 1,940,121; deaths, 4,413—death rate, 26.0. Borough of the Bronx, 294,939; deaths, 530-21.2. Borough of Brooklyn, 1,334,952; deaths, 2,345 -20.6. Borough of Queens, 193,494; deaths, 257-16.6. Borough of Richmond, 74,518; deaths, 139-22.2.

COLORADO.-Denver, 175,000. Report for February: Deaths, 305-42 under 5 years; premature and still births, 10; death rate, per annum, 20.89. Deaths from phthisis, 68-"61 contracted elsewhere"; typhoid fever, 3 cases, 3 deaths; smallpox, 20 cases; chickenpox, I case; diphtheria, 32 cases, 2 deaths; scarlet fever, 50 cases, 3 deaths; measles, 180 cases, 4 deaths; erysipelas, 18 cases, 2 deaths; deaths from heart diseases, 10; pneumonia, 66; broncho-pneumonia, 5; nephritis, II; cancer, 9.

CONNECTICUT.-Bulletin for March: Deaths, 1,517-130 more than in February and 96 more than in March of last year, and 115 more than the average number of deaths in March for the five years preceding.

January
February
March

1904. 1903. 1902.

1902. 1901. 1900. 1899. 1,439 1,420 1,172 1.439 1,367 1,565 1,387 1,303 1,124 1,381 1,261 1,192 1,517 1,421 1,239 1,441 1,691 1,221

Total 1st quarter.4,343 4,144 3,535 4,261 4,319 3,978

The death-rate was 19.3 for the large towns, for the small towns 19.1, and for the whole State 19.2.

The deaths reported from infectious diseases, including diarrheal, were 353, being 23.2 per cent. of the total mortality.

Cases of infectious diseases reported: Measles, 844 in 57 towns; scarlet fever, 191 in 47 towns; diphtheria and croup, 93 in 26 towns; whooping-cough, 55 in 8 towns; typhoid fever, 31 in 17 towns; consumption, 29 in II towns.

Annual Report, 1903: The mortality was larger than in the previous year. Partly ascribed to increase of population, but chiefly to greater prevalence of infectious diseases.

For the twelve months ended August 31, 1902: Total deaths in the State, 14,248; for the corresponding period, 1903, 15,338. Tabular statistics and diagrams show the relative prevalence of the infectious diseases and ratios of mortality severally, for the two periods. From tuberculosis, however, there is a continued reduction, proportional with the increase of preventive measures; percentage of deaths to total mortality, 9.34. The admirably situated sanatorium for the treatment of tuberculosis, in New Haven County, now approaching completion, is described with illustra

tions.

The reports of the county health officers throughout the State are eminently creditable to the service.

The death rate of the total registered mortality of the year, exclusive of still births, was 15.2 per 1,000 of living population—940,785. The greatest mortality was in July; the smallest in June.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 300,902-91,603 colored. Report for the week ended May 7: Deaths, 117, as against 104 during the previous week and 102 during the corresponding period of 1903. Of the deaths last week 70 were among the white inhabitants and 47 among the colored, which represent a death rate of 17.4 and 26.7, respectively; 20.2 as compared with 18.7 for the corresponding period of last year, and 17.9 for the previous week. The prevailing diseases responsible for the mortality of last week were