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the coroner’s officer. A medical man, who was not in any.event going to certify, could hardly be expected to leavehis work, whether in a hospital or not, in order to verifythe parent’s statement. The incident, however, callsattention to the uncertainty which may be imported into’death certification by mistake or fraud, especially where hos-pitals are concerned. In existing circumstances it would beout of the question to expect the medical officers of hospitalsto visit the homes of deceased out-patients for the purposeof death certification, nor would it be possible to insist uponthe body being brought to the hospital. Where a motiveexists for obtaining a death certificate wrongfully it is

.usually, we may say invariably, to be found in the factthat the life of the deceased has been insured.

PROBABLE POISONING BY TANNIC ACID.

AN interesting case was recently inquired into at the-Southwark coroner’s court, when Dr. F..J. Waldo held an

inquest on the body of a man who died after being immersedin a quantity of oak-bark tanning liquor. The evidenceshowed that the deceased man was found up to his waist ina pit of the liquor, whence he was removed, after havingbeen seen by a medical practitioner who was summoned, to- Guy’s Hospital. He was then found to be suffering fromviolent diarrhoea and vomiting and was in a state of collapse.He died about three and a half hours after his removal fromthe tan pit. A post-mortem examination proved that he had- died from an irritant poison. A full chemical examinationof the liquor was made but no metallic substances werediscovered with the exception of minute traces of calciumand potassium. We are not aware that a case of this naturehas previously been reported in this country, but it was

mentioned during the course of the proceedings that a

similar instance had occurred in Germany 40 years ago.Tannin in small doses acts as an astringent, but in larger.doses would in all probability act as an irritant. It is

possible also that the irritant action would be produced insome individuals more readily than in others. From theseconsiderations we believe that the opinion expressed by Dr.;S. Hodgson, the house physician at Guy’s Hospital, that theman had died from poisoning by tannin to be a correct one.

MANCHESTER AND SALFORD SANITARYASSOCIATION.

THE annual report of the Manchester and Salford Sanitary IAssociation for 1902 has just been issued. This very useful Isociety has for over 50 years-last year being its jubilee-done much to educate Manchester citizens of all degrees inmatters affecting health. Amid many discouragements,much apathy and indifference, it has persevered with its

work, and from having been suspected and covertly opposedby some of the authorities it is now recognised by thecorporation and all public bodies as working usefully andunostentatiously for the good of the people. In an

inaugural address Dr. J. F. W. Tatham in 1887 said: "Thehistory of sanitation and of philanthropic endeavour forthe good of this vast community, especially during the

period anterior to the last decennium, is neither morenor less than the history of the Manchester and Salford

Sanitary Association itself." Its work is absolutely dis-

interested, for it is a voluntary agency composed of

merchants, professional men, and private citizens not

seeking their own benefit but striving to lessen the sanitaryevils still too common in our big cities, evils which affectmost of all the poorest, most ignorant, and most helplessof the people. The Manchester corporation is probably asregardful of the public health as any of our municipalauthorities, but it is not claiming too much for the asso-ciation to say that it has long acted, and still acts, as a

useful stimulus to that body. The chief event in tte history

of the association last year was the Jubilee Conference butthe report shows the wide range of subjects coming underits ken. The parks and playgrounds are watched with theview of preventing encroachments; the housing question,the ventilation of schools, the danger of domestic lamps,and a score of other allied subjects all receive attention.In view of an anticipated visitation of small-pox a leaflet onvaccination was reprinted and widely distributed, and apamphlet on the same subject by Dr. J. W. Hamill has beenpublished and has had a large circulation. A deputation fromthe association has urged on the paving committee of thecity council the desirability of using noiseless pavement infront of hospitals. At the request of the Jubilee Con-ference a petition " that physical training may be

promoted by the Government on a scale co-extensive withthe school system of the country" was influentiallysigned and presented to the House of Commons. Chemicalnuisances-and chemical manufacturers seem to the restof the world to exercise their talents largely in the

production of noxious odours-have engaged the attentionof the association ; and ap’l’op08 of the explosions that

have occurred in the Manchester sewers, the reportstates that the Manchester Corporation Act, 1902, "con-tains provisions empowering the corporation to preventthe discharge into sewers of poisonous or explosivegases." Letters signed by the chairman, ProfessorDixon Mann, have been sent to the Manchester and SalfordTramway Committees and to the Marquis of Londonderry,President of the Board of Education, on the subject of spit-ting in public conveyances, and Parliament has been peti-tioned as to the provision of sanitary conveniences in work-shops. The report also rejoices in "the achievement of aportion of the scheme for cottage baths and wash-

houses, which it has urged upon the baths committeefor several years past "-a subject which has from time totime been advocated in the columns of THE LANCET.A new series of "Health Lectures for the People" isnow in course of publication, and a series of 15 leafletson personal care of health, the feeding and care of

children, vaccination, infectious diseases, &c., has beenrevised and reprinted. They are largely circulated and mustsurely have influence for good. Lectures are given in thecourse of the year by medical men in the poorer parts ofthe town, and this work, involving the sacrifice of much timeand thought on their part, is evidently appreciated by thecommittee of the association, for in the report they desireto record their best thanks to the gentlemen who have sogenerously given their time for the delivery of these lectures."The report also contains that of the Manchester and Middletonbranches of the Smoke Abatement League, and of theLadies’ Health Society in affiliation with the SanitaryAssociation, and a very practical lecture on SmokeAbatement by Dr. William Graham, medical officer of

health of Middleton and chairman of the Smoke Abatement

League. The association is doing good work on a verysmall income and the committee again make an urgentappeal for increased support. The annual income from allsources is under ;S140, and another 100 a year would renderpossible a general extension of the educational work of theassociation." Perhaps one of the most useful functions ithas served has been to act as an example to other towns,many of which have formed sanitary associations of theirown.

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THE EXPECTORATION IN CHRONIC ENGORGE-MENT OF THE LUNGS.

IN the sputum of patients suffering from the pulmonaryengorgement resulting from cardiac failure certain cells,called by some German authorities cardiac-failure cells, arenot infrequently found and have been supposed to be of somediagnostic value as an indication of the existence of cyanotie