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BRIGHTON DRAINAGE.
695 The expenditure will no doubt be large, but there will be ultimate saving in greatly diminished pauperism, and in the improved health and comfortof all classes. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, JOHN ROSE, M.D. Kidderminster, May 10th, 1869.
"Regulations made by the Admiralty under this Act shall not have effect unless and until they are approved by her Majesty in Council. The Admiralty may from time to time permit Greenwich Hospital, or any part thereof, with the appurtenances, to be occupied and used temporarily for the purposes of the naval service or of any department of Her Majesty’s Government, or for any public or charitable or other useful purpose, with or without requiring a rent, and on such terms respecting repairs and other matters as the Admiralty may think fit; but so that the whole of the buildings of the hospital and their appurtenances shall be at all times available for the purposes to which the same would have been applicable if this section had not been enacted." It is to be noticed that the claims of the Seamen’s Hospital Society are not formally recognised in the Bill, though the last-quoted clause will of course apply to its wants. The Bill is prepared and brought in " by Mr. Trevelyan, Mr. Childers, and Mr. Adam, and was ordered to be printed on May the 4th.
an
11
LIGATURE, ACUPRESSURE, AND TORSION. To the Editor
of
THE LANCET.
SiE,—Some years ago I undertook, at the request of Sir James Simpson, a series of experiments to determine the process of union in the walls of vessels after the application of acupressure. Since then, as occasion offered, I have repeated the experiments, and have dissected many stumps in which acupressure had been used, with the invariable result of substantiating the conclusions derived from my experiments. Among the experiments were some such as are related by Professor Ogston in last week’s LANCET, and which were intended to form the basis of a paper for the physiological section of the British Association at Dundee. From these experiences I may be allowed to write a few words in BRIGHTON DRAINAGE. reference to Professor Ogston’s paper. In the first place, I am quite certain that no experiments ON Tuesday last, a large and most influential meeting on the vessels of the lower animals will be satisfactory unwas held at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, Dr. Carter in the less their results are confirmed by clinical experience ; and chair. Mr. G. Tatham proposed, and S. Laing, Esq., Chairman experience has also shown me that experiments on dead of the Brighton Railway, seconded the following important arteries, even when human, are equally fallacious. Although torsion as a hsemostatic has not succeeded well in my hands, resolution :I have never observed the untwisting mentioned by Pro. H That in the state of public opinion in reference to the fessor Ogston; and as this would inevitably lead to resystem of drainage in Brighton, and in view of the injury actionary haemorrhage, I should like to know if this is of£ caused by the existing prejudice against it, the Town Coun- frequent occurrence when torsion is used. That 11 a ligacil be requested to confer with the neighbouring authorities, ture can be applied as perfectly to a vessel removed from and to receive a deputation from this meeting, with a the body as to a living one," is no doubt true; but I much view to instituting further inquiry into the practicability question whether "torsion can be as efficiently performed on and expediency of removing the drainage away from the the one as on the other," and I am quite certain that none town." " of the forms of acupressure are equally applicable under The resolution was supported by a considerable number both circumstances." of speakers, and passed unanimously. A committee was The experiments performed by me, and all my dissections, also appointed to watch the further progress of the drainage have shown that acupressure properly performed on the question. The importance of this meeting cannot be over- living subject does not divide the inner coats, and they fully estimated, since it is now evident that public opinion is confirm the views promulgated by Manec, John Hunter, strongly in favour of the course we have never ceased to Travers (in opposition to Hodgson), and Dalrymple, of Noradvocate. wich, that the inner coats should not be divided. Professor Ogston’s experiments, then, in which those coats were divided (and the results of such alone are preserved) are, in my opinion, untrustworthy. The comparison between the acupression of a vessel stripped of its surroundings and of one in situ cannot be admitted, for I have frequently found that I was unable to occlude a large vessel if the needle were close upon it, but that if I dipped the needle further THE SANITARY STATE OF KIDDERMINSTER. from the vessel, so as to have a cushion of structure between To the Editor of THE LANCET. them, the, occlusion was readily obtained. The reason of this is, that in the latter case there is a greater area of the SiR,-The mortality returns for Worcestershire for the walls in coaptation than in the former ; and I believe that it quarter ended March 31st are of a very unfavourable cha- also explains the failure of acupressure in the hands of racter. many surgeons, more especially in the hands of one disThe report states "it is an easy thing to point to the tinguished surgeon of my acquaintance, who shall be black spot in the present return, as in going through the nameless. They have, indeed, been too careful in the applivarious districts in the county it is at once evident that Kid- cation of the needles. There is no mystery, then, in 11 what derminster presents an extraordinarily bad account. The becomes of the separated points of the internal and middle deaths in this district reached 178 in the first quarter of coats of the vessels, without which, unless a mass of tissue 1867, in the similar period of 1868 the number was 138, and is included, acupressure by the fourth method cannot be now the total is said to be 303,-a vast increase of nearly effectually performed," because such a mass ought always 125 per cent., the deaths being more than twice the previous to be included, and the coats ought never to be divided. number. It should be added that in the district of Kidder- Professor Ogston will be satisfied of this if he wait till the minster the deaths were more numerous by 16 than the appearance of the second part of Professor Spence’s textbook on Surgery, in which, I believe, that distinguished births." In this town it may be truly said that trade flourishes surgeon intends to insert a coloured plate of a brachial and wealth accumulates, but men decay, while children are artery, which I acupressed most effectually without the dinot seldom anaemic and stunted in their growth. I hope vision of coats, and which was permanently occluded, and that with the return of material prosperity there may soon the clot adherent, in thirty-eight hours. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, be a diminished death-rate, and that the contemplated saniLAWSON TAIT. to and water in reference March Wakefield, drainage 20th, 1869. tary improvements supply, at present under consideration of our Municipal THE Wigan Town Council have elected Mr. C. F. Corporation, may be speedily begun. In this matter there has already been great and culpable delay, which is far from I Rigg, M.R.C.S., surgeon to the town police force, at a salary creditable to the local parliament ofthe carpet metropolis. of .815 a year, in the stead of Mr. T. J. Heaton, resigned. a
Correspondence.
’
"Regulations made by the Admiralty under this Act shall not have effect unless and until they are approved by her Majesty in Council. The Admiralty may from time to time permit Greenwich Hospital, or any part thereof, with the appurtenances, to be occupied and used temporarily for the purposes of the naval service or of any department of Her Majesty’s Government, or for any public or charitable or other useful purpose, with or without requiring a rent, and on such terms respecting repairs and other matters as the Admiralty may think fit; but so that the whole of the buildings of the hospital and their appurtenances shall be at all times available for the purposes to which the same would have been applicable if this section had not been enacted." It is to be noticed that the claims of the Seamen’s Hospital Society are not formally recognised in the Bill, though the last-quoted clause will of course apply to its wants. The Bill is prepared and brought in " by Mr. Trevelyan, Mr. Childers, and Mr. Adam, and was ordered to be printed on May the 4th.
an
11
LIGATURE, ACUPRESSURE, AND TORSION. To the Editor
of
THE LANCET.
SiE,—Some years ago I undertook, at the request of Sir James Simpson, a series of experiments to determine the process of union in the walls of vessels after the application of acupressure. Since then, as occasion offered, I have repeated the experiments, and have dissected many stumps in which acupressure had been used, with the invariable result of substantiating the conclusions derived from my experiments. Among the experiments were some such as are related by Professor Ogston in last week’s LANCET, and which were intended to form the basis of a paper for the physiological section of the British Association at Dundee. From these experiences I may be allowed to write a few words in BRIGHTON DRAINAGE. reference to Professor Ogston’s paper. In the first place, I am quite certain that no experiments ON Tuesday last, a large and most influential meeting on the vessels of the lower animals will be satisfactory unwas held at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, Dr. Carter in the less their results are confirmed by clinical experience ; and chair. Mr. G. Tatham proposed, and S. Laing, Esq., Chairman experience has also shown me that experiments on dead of the Brighton Railway, seconded the following important arteries, even when human, are equally fallacious. Although torsion as a hsemostatic has not succeeded well in my hands, resolution :I have never observed the untwisting mentioned by Pro. H That in the state of public opinion in reference to the fessor Ogston; and as this would inevitably lead to resystem of drainage in Brighton, and in view of the injury actionary haemorrhage, I should like to know if this is of£ caused by the existing prejudice against it, the Town Coun- frequent occurrence when torsion is used. That 11 a ligacil be requested to confer with the neighbouring authorities, ture can be applied as perfectly to a vessel removed from and to receive a deputation from this meeting, with a the body as to a living one," is no doubt true; but I much view to instituting further inquiry into the practicability question whether "torsion can be as efficiently performed on and expediency of removing the drainage away from the the one as on the other," and I am quite certain that none town." " of the forms of acupressure are equally applicable under The resolution was supported by a considerable number both circumstances." of speakers, and passed unanimously. A committee was The experiments performed by me, and all my dissections, also appointed to watch the further progress of the drainage have shown that acupressure properly performed on the question. The importance of this meeting cannot be over- living subject does not divide the inner coats, and they fully estimated, since it is now evident that public opinion is confirm the views promulgated by Manec, John Hunter, strongly in favour of the course we have never ceased to Travers (in opposition to Hodgson), and Dalrymple, of Noradvocate. wich, that the inner coats should not be divided. Professor Ogston’s experiments, then, in which those coats were divided (and the results of such alone are preserved) are, in my opinion, untrustworthy. The comparison between the acupression of a vessel stripped of its surroundings and of one in situ cannot be admitted, for I have frequently found that I was unable to occlude a large vessel if the needle were close upon it, but that if I dipped the needle further THE SANITARY STATE OF KIDDERMINSTER. from the vessel, so as to have a cushion of structure between To the Editor of THE LANCET. them, the, occlusion was readily obtained. The reason of this is, that in the latter case there is a greater area of the SiR,-The mortality returns for Worcestershire for the walls in coaptation than in the former ; and I believe that it quarter ended March 31st are of a very unfavourable cha- also explains the failure of acupressure in the hands of racter. many surgeons, more especially in the hands of one disThe report states "it is an easy thing to point to the tinguished surgeon of my acquaintance, who shall be black spot in the present return, as in going through the nameless. They have, indeed, been too careful in the applivarious districts in the county it is at once evident that Kid- cation of the needles. There is no mystery, then, in 11 what derminster presents an extraordinarily bad account. The becomes of the separated points of the internal and middle deaths in this district reached 178 in the first quarter of coats of the vessels, without which, unless a mass of tissue 1867, in the similar period of 1868 the number was 138, and is included, acupressure by the fourth method cannot be now the total is said to be 303,-a vast increase of nearly effectually performed," because such a mass ought always 125 per cent., the deaths being more than twice the previous to be included, and the coats ought never to be divided. number. It should be added that in the district of Kidder- Professor Ogston will be satisfied of this if he wait till the minster the deaths were more numerous by 16 than the appearance of the second part of Professor Spence’s textbook on Surgery, in which, I believe, that distinguished births." In this town it may be truly said that trade flourishes surgeon intends to insert a coloured plate of a brachial and wealth accumulates, but men decay, while children are artery, which I acupressed most effectually without the dinot seldom anaemic and stunted in their growth. I hope vision of coats, and which was permanently occluded, and that with the return of material prosperity there may soon the clot adherent, in thirty-eight hours. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, be a diminished death-rate, and that the contemplated saniLAWSON TAIT. to and water in reference March Wakefield, drainage 20th, 1869. tary improvements supply, at present under consideration of our Municipal THE Wigan Town Council have elected Mr. C. F. Corporation, may be speedily begun. In this matter there has already been great and culpable delay, which is far from I Rigg, M.R.C.S., surgeon to the town police force, at a salary creditable to the local parliament ofthe carpet metropolis. of .815 a year, in the stead of Mr. T. J. Heaton, resigned. a
Correspondence.
’