Public Health

cle Medecine Publique was recently presented by M. Vallin (Rev. d'hyg., Paris, ]Sro. 5, tome xxi.). It concerns itself chiefly with infection from phthisical persons, as this seems the most clamant danger, considering that in Prance they have to cope not only with the phthisis among the travelling public of their own country, but with that among the numerous foreigners who travel by rail to the health resorts of the Mediterranean. Its recommendations, which were unanimously adopted after discussion (ibid., Xo. 7), have been sent to the Minister of Public Works. The chief of these are?(1) That in every waiting-room and platform of a station, and in every railway carriage, notices be posted expressly forbidding expectoration on floors, etc.; (2) that spittoons containing a disinfecting liquid be put in all these places; (3) that dry sweeping of the floors and platforms be abolished, all such cleansing to be done with wetted cloths or brushes; and (4) that as far as possible wooden flooring be replaced by mosaic or asphalte, and that the floors of third-class carriages be coated with coal-tar or oil paint; in first and second-class carriages the carpets to be replaced by linoleum.