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TaE author of the following remarks having had his attention painfully called to two or three unfortunate cases of puerperal fever, prior to his visit to the Continent, had subsequently an opportunity, in walking the hospitals of Paris and Vienna, of obtaining some more extended information relative to the causes of this disease. Believing that the facts he has observed are sufficiently important, he ventures to call to them the attention of the profession. These remarks, however, must be regarded as applying especially to Vienna, although it is believed that similar causes are brought into operation in other countries, and might as effectively be combated.A short explanation of the manner in which labours are conducted in the Vienna Hospital, and the system of clinical instruction carried on, is a necessary prelude to a clear understanding of the question.There are three lying-in departments in the general hospital. The first, a secret department, to which strangers are not admitted, and which, therefore requires no further comment. The remaining two are open to medical investigation. For the sake of clearness, we shall speak of one of these as thefirst division, and of the other as the seconddivision.The first division is for the instruction of medical men and midwives. The second division for midwives exclusively.

THIS veteran amongst British Obstetric Physicians died on February 19th, at the advanced age of 87. His medical studies began seventy years ago, and he had been f o r sixty-six years a legally qualified practitioner. He came of a very old family which took its name in the 12th century from Ruda o r Routh in Holderness. He was born at Valetta, Xalta, on ,January 4th, IS22 ; his father was Sir Randolph Isham Routh, K.C.B., Commissary General in the Army. In 1840 he joined the Jfedical Faculty of University College. As a sign of the times we may add that in the course of the same year T. Spencer Wells reported a case of " Placenta Presentation " in the Lancet, the same volume of that famous journal including a clinical lecture on "Ovarian Cysts" by Ingleby, at Birmingham, a great obstetrician. Routh distinguished himself as a student in his school, where Liston,

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