The studies which I wish to bring to your notice were begun with the object of finding some bacterial cause for manic-depressive insanity. This problem has, of course, engaged other laboratories. I would refer particularly to the work done in the Cardiff Laboratory, which has been described by Goodall in the Journal of this Association.

The following is a brief synopsis of some notes relating to the acidity of the fleces in epilepsy. These results were obtained and compiled as preliminary data, anticipatory to the carrying out of further investigations with regard to epilepsy. The fæcal acidity of 50 female epileptics, who were chosen at random from those undergoingtreatmentin hospital, was determined. These estimations were not detailed, but were of sufficient accuracy for comparative purposes. In each case the term “acidit” denotes that quantity of normal sodium hydroxide solution, measured in cubic centimetres, required to neutralize the total quantity of acids extracted from 100 grm. of the given specimen of fæces. Several analyses were carried out in each case.

This is the Meinicke turbidity reaction (M.T.R.) for the serodiagnosis of syphilis improved and adapted to a microscope slide test; venous puncture is unnecessary, for sufficient serum is got from a drop of blood collected as for a Widal reaction.

This case was tried at Worcester Assizes on June 9, before Mr. Justice Avory. The prisoner was a crane driver, 24 years of age. He was accused of having murdered his half-brother, at Dudley, during the night of March 5–6, by smashing in his head with an axe. The prisoner's father had died when he (prisoner) was about 6 years of age. The mother had remarried about two years later, and the murdered lad was the only child of this second marriage. The family lived at a public-house owned by the mother. The prisoner and the murdered lad slept in one bedroom. On the evening of March 5 the prisoner came home at a late hour, and was rebuked by his mother, who told him that he must keep earlier hours or find another home. Nothing unusual was heard during the night. Next morning the prisoner came downstairs, and asked his mother to give him some money, saying that he was going away, and that if he did not have money he “would give himself up.” No questions appear to have been asked, but no money was given, and the prisoner left the house. Later, the body of the murdered lad was found in bed. The prisoner gave himself up, that same evening, to a police constable in Birmingham, to whom he used the words, “I had cause to do it.” The facts of the case were not disputed, and the defence raised was that of insanity.

On October 25 of this year falls the centenary of the death of Philippe Pinel, and we feel that we cannot let the occasion pass without paying a tribute to the fine character and great achievements of this illustrious physician and philosopher whose name is written indelibly in the annals of psychological medicine.

The lively hope expressed by our President at the Association's Commemoration Dinner on July 15 that the Report of the Royal Commission would recommend the abolition of the many anomalies and the relaxation of the legal restrictions which had for nearly a century handicapped the progress of psychiatry in England and Wales, has in a large measure been realized now that the Report is available to anyone who chooses to apply at H.M. Stationery Office—price 3s. 6d. At the same function the Rt. Hon. Hugh Macmillan, K.C., in a witty and cheerful speech, struck a vein of hopefulness respecting the future of psychiatry, as did also the speech of Sir Arthur Robinson.