NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ACCIDENTS AND RATE PER 100,000 EXPOSED, 1915 AND 1916, AMONG WHITE POLICYHOLDERS, BASED ON METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE CO. EXPERIENCE.

There was a slight increase in the mortality from burns. The rate in 1916 was 8.4 per 100,000, which may be compared with 8.1 per 100,000 in 1915. Absorption of deleterious gases showed an increase in mortality from 2.5 to 3 per 100,000. Accidental drowning showed a decrease in the rate from 11.9 per 100,000 to 9.5 per 100,000. The figure for 1915 was rather high because of the inclusion of the deaths in the Eastland disaster. With these deaths excluded the rate for accidental drowning in 1916 would still have shown a slight decline over the 1915 experience. Traumatism by firearms increased in rate from 1.4 per 100,000 to 1.6 per 100,000. Falls caused more deaths in 1916 than in 1915, the two rates being 13.7 and 12.4, respectively. Machinery accidents showed a higher mortality in 1916 than in 1915 as did also steam railroad and street railway accidents and injuries.

Mortality from automobile accidents and injuries showed by far the largest increase in the rate for any of the specified causes of accidental mortality. In fact, these automobile accidents were alone responsible for three-fifths of the increase in the total accident rate in 1916. In 1916 the rate was 8.8 per 100,000 as compared with 5.7 per 100,000 in 1915. Deaths from electricity also showed a slight increase in the rate, from 0.7 per 100,000 in 1915 to 1 per 100,000 in 1916. Accidental deaths caused by vehicles other than steam railroads, street railways, and automobiles had slightly less mortality in 1916 than in 1915, the two figures being 3.4 for 1916 and 3.5 for 1915.

ANTHRAX FROM INFECTED SHAVING BRUSHES.

In the annual report of the Local Government Board of Great Britain for 1915-16 (pp. 9-11), following a brief reference to a a number of cases of anthrax due to the use of infected shaving brushes, is an account of the examination of samples of suspected brushes, especially of the cheaper sort, and of samples of unmanufactured horsehair, at the board's laboratory, resulting in the finding of many cases of anthrax spores. To determine the presence of these spores the shaving brush is well rubbed up in a mortar with normal saline and the washings are heated to 80° C. (176° F.) for half an hour, after which plates are sown, and a guinea pig and mouse are inoculated, some of the material being kept in reserve in case further tests are required. In making the plates, it is explained, the agar is inoculated in the liquid condition before pouring, so that deep colonies may be obtained. A case is not reported as positive until both a typical culture has been obtained and typical anthrax has been produced in a guinea pig, in the latter case the bacilli in the tissues giving the characteristic staining reaction with polychrome methylene blue:

With regard to the cultures, when a typical colony is found the test for pathogenicity may sometimes be hastened by inoculating a fresh guinea pig with this, if there is any reason to suspect that the guinea pig inoculated with original material may not give a prompt and unequivocal result, owing to the paucity of anthrax spores inoculated or to interference by excess of extraneous organisms. But I do not think it safe to rely on the plate method alone for isolating anthrax from the original material. The plates may become overgrown unless a large number is used; and in any case a much larger quantity of material can be put into a guinea pig, a consideration which is of importance if anthrax spores happen to be present, but only in very small number. If the plates fail, but the animal test is positive, a typical culture can readily be obtained from the infected animal. There is sometimes advantage in inoculating a mouse as well as a guinea pig with the original material, as the former animal responds very promptly even to a very small number of anthrax spores. Thus it occasionally happens that the diagnosis can be most quickly made by using the tissues of an infected mouse for both culture and guinea-pig tests.

Experiments are being conducted in the disinfection of horsehair suspected of containing anthrax spores. The report states that in disinfecting with steam under pressure it is required that the temperature shall not be so high as to damage the horsehair, and it is essential that the steam shall penetrate every particle of the material at a temperature known to be efficacious in killing anthrax spores, This is made somewhat difficult owing to the fact that the horsehair is tied very tightly in small bundles 2 inches or more in diameter and these must be separated in some way if the disinfection is to be

1 Great Britain. Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Local Government Board, 1915-16. Supplement containing the report of the medical officer, London, 1917. 77 pp.

properly done. Mention is made of one test in which the bundles were infected artificially with anthrax spores by cutting in each case the cord over the tightest part of the bundle, inserting the infected material in the center, and retying the bundle with iron bands until reduced to its original diameter. In these bundles thermometers were inserted, the bulb being placed centrally in the most highly compressed part of the bundle, and it was found that at a temperature of 225 to 240° F. there was good penetration of heat with the result that the test spores were killed.

WHOLESALE PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES.

Figures compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that steep increases took place during the first three months of 1917 in the wholesale prices of many commodities. Between January and March the principal farm products increased on an average about 10 per cent and food articles about 7 per cent. Large increases also occurred in the groups of fuel and lighting and metals and metal products. All commodities, taken in the aggregate, increased about 63 per cent.

Among the commodities showing large price increases during the three months were corn (No. 2, mixed) at Chicago, which advanced from 931 cents per bushel early in January to $1.19 per bushel in the last week of March, and heavy hogs in the Chicago market, which rose from $10.30 to $14.95 per 100 pounds in the same time. Other articles increasing greatly in price during this period were prime contract lard at New York (15.40 cents to 20.35 cents per pound), short clear sides bacon at Chicago (15.75 cents to 20 cents per pound), near-by yellow onions at Chicago ($2.50 to $5 per sack of 60 to 70 pounds), and good to choice potatoes at Chicago ($1.60 to $2.25 per bushel).

No. 2 hard winter wheat at Kansas City ranged from $1.82 to $1.95 per bushel in the first week of January, and from $2.06 to $2.15 in the last week of March. At Minneapolis the range of No. 1 northern spring wheat was from $1.853 to $1.991 per bushel in the opening week of January, and from $1.943 to $2.11 per bushel in the closing week of March. In each case, however, considerably lower prices prevailed during February. Patent flour from hard winter wheat ranged from $8.80 to $9.10 per barrel at Kansas City in the early part of January, and from $9.60 to $10.10 late in March. Prices of standard patent flour from spring wheat at Minneapolis varied from $8.90 to $9.25 per barrel and from $9.70 to $10.25 per barrel during these two periods. Good to choice corn-fed steers at Chicago sold at prices ranging from $9.85 to $10.75 per 100 pounds early in January, and from $11.85 to $12.40 late in March.

Between January 1 and March 1 electrolytic copper at New York

to 51.50 cents per pound, and spelter from 9.75 cents to 10.875 cents per pound. In the same time North Carolina yellow pine lumber (No. 1 surfaced boards) at Norfolk increased from $26.50 to $29.50 per thousand feet and white pine lumber (No. 2 barn) at New York increased from $37.50 to $45.50 per thousand feet. Among drugs and chemicals in the New York market opium rose from $13.50 to $20 per pound, quinine (manufacturers' quotations) rose from 55 cents to 75 cents per ounce, and crude sulphur rose from $35 to $45 per ton in this time.

Some of the few articles showing a drop in price between January and March were eggs, flaxseed, hides, hops, milk, cottonseed meal, and news-print paper. The following table contains index numbers of wholesale prices, by years, from 1890 to 1916, and by months, from January, 1916, to March, 1917, inclusive:

INDEX NUMBERS OF WHOLESALE PRICES, BY GROUPS OF COMMODITIES, 1890 TO MARCH, 1917. [1916-100.]

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.

Statistics just compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the retail price of the principal articles of food as a whole increased 5 per cent between April 16 and May 15, 1917. Flour made the greatest advance-29 per cent. Corn meal advanced 15 per cent; beans, 14 per cent; bread, 13 per cent; and rice, which has heretofore remained at practically the same price, jumped 11 per cent. Two of the 27 articles listed declined in price-onions 36 per cent and butter 9 per cent.

The following table shows the average money prices and the relative prices of the principal articles of food on April 16 and May 15, 1917:

AVERAGE MONEY RETAIL PRICES AND RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD ON APR. 16 AND MAY 15, 1917.

[The relative price shows the per cont that the average price on the 15th of each month was of the average price for the year 1916.]

A comparison of prices on May 15 of 1917 and those of the same date of the year preceding shows an advance of 39 per cent in the year on all articles combined. Potatoes and flour made the greatest increases, 149 per cent and 122 per cent, respectively. Each of the other articles for which prices are reported also advanced in price.

In the four-year period from May 15, 1913, to May 15, 1917, prices