- Email: [email protected]
LECTURES ON THE EYE.
ASYLUM REPORTS.-LOOKING BACK.-VITAL STATISTICS.
854
both from yellow fever and from malaria, thus enabling the construction of the Canal to be carried on in security. The practical sanitary labours of Colonel Gorgas have given the world the most brilliant possible example of what such work can effect in the tropics. 9. Waldemar Mordecai W. Haffkine, C.I.E. In 1893 he - discovered a method of inoculation against cholera and proceeded to India in order to persuade the people to use it In 1896, on the outbreak of plague in on a large scale. India, he elaborated a similar method of inoculation against that disease also. Since then over 6,000,000 doses of his prophylactic have been prepared and issued by the Government of India and it has been shown to reduce the mortality among the inoculated to one-sixth. Prophylactics against other diseases have been prepared on the same
principles.
10. Dr. Arthur Looss, professor of parasitology, School of Medicine, Cairo. He has done much work of great value in connexion with parasitology in general. His discovery of the fact that the young of the parasites called ankylostomes, which produce fatal anemia in thousands of persons in many tropical countries, enter the body by the skin is one of
in course of erection, and further that the building of a nurses’ block has also been begun. The committee for a long time has had under consideration the question of providing separate accommodation for private patients and has now decided in the first instance to adapt one ward for that purpose at a cost, including fittings and equipments, are
not exceeding 120, to be charged to the private patients’ account. The minimum charge for such patients is to be .61ls. per week. The committee has also been considering for some years the question of formulating a scheme of superannuation allowances for the officers and staff of the asylum. This has now been completed and presented to the West Sussex county council for its approval. The profits derived from private patients for the year ending March 31st, 1907, were .6407 15s. 2d. ; from out-
county patients .62356 14s. 10d.together making .62764 10s., spent on account of the surgery The weekly rate and isolation block the sum of .B1068. out of which there has been
of maintenance for cases belonging to the West Sussex Union has been reduced to 10s. 6d. The farming and garden account shows a profit of over .61100.
leading importance.
11. Dr. Theobald Smith, professor of comparative pathology, Harvard University. In 1893 he discovered a new kind of blood parasite in the so-called Texas fever of
cattle, and also showed that it is carried from diseased to healthy animals by ticks-a work of great importance in .connexion with diseases both of man and animals."
Looking Back. FROM
THE LANCET, SATURDAY, Sept. 19th, 1829. LECTURES
ON
THE
EYE.
ASYLUM REPORTS. To the Editor
1ear 1906-07).-The number of patients in the asylum on March 31st, 1907, was 802, being five less than at the corresponding time last year. The county patients numbered 605, out-county patients 40, and private patients 157. During the year 1906 there were 153 patients (78 males and 75 females) admitted into the asylum, and of these 40 (19 males and 21 females) were private cases. Dr. P. W. Macdonald, the medical superintendent, reports that the number of first admissions is six less than last year, which he considers may be taken as an indication that at the present time no actual increase of insanity is manifesting itself among the population from which the bulk -of the patients are drawn. He further adds that the type of case admitted during 1906 was not generally of a favourable character, in spite of the fact that only two cases of general paralysis were included among the admissions. The recovery-rate for 1906 was a high one, being 46’ 2 per ’cent. calculated on the total number of persons admitted. 67 patients (40 males and 27 females) died during the Je:1r, and the causes of death call for no special mention. The ra,te of maintenance, which has for some years past been 9s 4d., was only 9s. 0. during the whole of 1906. The chairman of the visiting committee reports that six new cottages for attendants have been erected under the supervision of the medical superintendent and the county surveyor without the assistance of a contractor, the inmates of the asylum contributing to the skilled and unskilled labour to a large .extent. This course was adopted in consequence of the tenders received being considerably higher than the estimated cost, the actual outlay being .&1430. West Sitssex Oounty Asylum, Chiehester (Report for the Year 1906-07).-There were 750 patients on the books of this asylum on Jan. lst, 1906, of whom 205 were out-county cases and 14 were private patients. During the year 1906 there were 162 patients (71 males and 91 females) admitted. Mr. H. A. Kidd, the medical superintendent, reports that the character of the cases admitted continues to be bad. He has drawn up a table giving an index of the expectation as to the chances of recovery in these cases-viz, recovery probable, 34; recovery possible 18; recovery improbable, 47 ; and recovery impossible, 63 ; in other words, no less than 68 per cent. of the cases were of an incurable nature, and in only 21 per cent. was there a reasonable chance of recovery. The mean age of admission was 42, and ten persons were over 70 years of age. Of the 67 patients discharged, 43 were sent out as "recovered" and 21 as "relieved." There were 76 deaths (42 males and 34 females), giving a death-rate of 833 on the total number of persons under treatment. The vice-chairman of the visiting co nmittee states in his report that a surgery and isolation block
Dorset
County Asyl1tm (Report for the
{If THE
LANCET. the SIR,-Permit inconvenience, many students are put to, who receive their surgical education at the west end of the town. There are four or five leoturers on s1t’rgery, and strange to say, only one of them delivers lectures on the pathology of the eye. Now considering the number of diseases this beautiful and delicate organ is liable to be affected with, and the enormous sums received from pupils for attendance on these lectures, surely, some of the gentlemen might make an extension of a few lectures to their "extended courses,"*at once beneficial to their students, honest as regards themselves, and conferring that information which is calculated to alleviate, in a greater or less degree, the sufferings of mankind. The insertion of this letter as early as possible will much oblige, and should this hint be the means of producing a reformation in this branch of surgical education, I shall be greatly rejoiced at having called the attention of the Surgical I am, Sir, yours, Lecturers to the subject. H. W. DEWHURST. September 15, 1829. H. me
to
state
* Vide their advertisements.
VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH
OF
ENGLISH
TOWNS.
IN 76 of the largest English towns 8072 births and 3793 deaths were registered during the week ending Sept. 14tb. The annual rate of mortality, which had been equal to 11 5, 11’ 8, and 12’ 3 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, was again 12’ 3 per 1000 in the week under notice. During the first eleven weeks of the current quarter the death-rate has averaged 12’0per 1000, the rate during the same period being 11 9 per 1000 in London. The lowest death-rates in the 76 towns last week were 4’7 in Handsworth (Staffs), 5.8in Hornsey, 6.0in West Bromwich, 6.8in Burton-on-Trent, and 6’9 in King’s Norton ; the highest rates were 17’4 in Sunderland, 17.5 in Rotherham, 17.7in Sheffield, 18’ 0 in St. Helen’s, and 20 - 0 in Tynemouth. The 3793 deaths in the 76 towns were slightly in excess of the number in the previous week, and included 485 which were referred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numbers increasing from 362 to 471 in the six preceding weeks; of these, 278 resulted from diarrhoea, 95 from whoopingcough, 39 from diphtheria, 35 from measles, 26 from scarlet fever, and 12 from "fever" (principally enteric), but not any from small-pox. No death from any of these epidemic diseases was registered last week in Tottenham, Hornsey, York, Aston Manor, King’s Norton, Newport (Mon.), or in
854
both from yellow fever and from malaria, thus enabling the construction of the Canal to be carried on in security. The practical sanitary labours of Colonel Gorgas have given the world the most brilliant possible example of what such work can effect in the tropics. 9. Waldemar Mordecai W. Haffkine, C.I.E. In 1893 he - discovered a method of inoculation against cholera and proceeded to India in order to persuade the people to use it In 1896, on the outbreak of plague in on a large scale. India, he elaborated a similar method of inoculation against that disease also. Since then over 6,000,000 doses of his prophylactic have been prepared and issued by the Government of India and it has been shown to reduce the mortality among the inoculated to one-sixth. Prophylactics against other diseases have been prepared on the same
principles.
10. Dr. Arthur Looss, professor of parasitology, School of Medicine, Cairo. He has done much work of great value in connexion with parasitology in general. His discovery of the fact that the young of the parasites called ankylostomes, which produce fatal anemia in thousands of persons in many tropical countries, enter the body by the skin is one of
in course of erection, and further that the building of a nurses’ block has also been begun. The committee for a long time has had under consideration the question of providing separate accommodation for private patients and has now decided in the first instance to adapt one ward for that purpose at a cost, including fittings and equipments, are
not exceeding 120, to be charged to the private patients’ account. The minimum charge for such patients is to be .61ls. per week. The committee has also been considering for some years the question of formulating a scheme of superannuation allowances for the officers and staff of the asylum. This has now been completed and presented to the West Sussex county council for its approval. The profits derived from private patients for the year ending March 31st, 1907, were .6407 15s. 2d. ; from out-
county patients .62356 14s. 10d.together making .62764 10s., spent on account of the surgery The weekly rate and isolation block the sum of .B1068. out of which there has been
of maintenance for cases belonging to the West Sussex Union has been reduced to 10s. 6d. The farming and garden account shows a profit of over .61100.
leading importance.
11. Dr. Theobald Smith, professor of comparative pathology, Harvard University. In 1893 he discovered a new kind of blood parasite in the so-called Texas fever of
cattle, and also showed that it is carried from diseased to healthy animals by ticks-a work of great importance in .connexion with diseases both of man and animals."
Looking Back. FROM
THE LANCET, SATURDAY, Sept. 19th, 1829. LECTURES
ON
THE
EYE.
ASYLUM REPORTS. To the Editor
1ear 1906-07).-The number of patients in the asylum on March 31st, 1907, was 802, being five less than at the corresponding time last year. The county patients numbered 605, out-county patients 40, and private patients 157. During the year 1906 there were 153 patients (78 males and 75 females) admitted into the asylum, and of these 40 (19 males and 21 females) were private cases. Dr. P. W. Macdonald, the medical superintendent, reports that the number of first admissions is six less than last year, which he considers may be taken as an indication that at the present time no actual increase of insanity is manifesting itself among the population from which the bulk -of the patients are drawn. He further adds that the type of case admitted during 1906 was not generally of a favourable character, in spite of the fact that only two cases of general paralysis were included among the admissions. The recovery-rate for 1906 was a high one, being 46’ 2 per ’cent. calculated on the total number of persons admitted. 67 patients (40 males and 27 females) died during the Je:1r, and the causes of death call for no special mention. The ra,te of maintenance, which has for some years past been 9s 4d., was only 9s. 0. during the whole of 1906. The chairman of the visiting committee reports that six new cottages for attendants have been erected under the supervision of the medical superintendent and the county surveyor without the assistance of a contractor, the inmates of the asylum contributing to the skilled and unskilled labour to a large .extent. This course was adopted in consequence of the tenders received being considerably higher than the estimated cost, the actual outlay being .&1430. West Sitssex Oounty Asylum, Chiehester (Report for the Year 1906-07).-There were 750 patients on the books of this asylum on Jan. lst, 1906, of whom 205 were out-county cases and 14 were private patients. During the year 1906 there were 162 patients (71 males and 91 females) admitted. Mr. H. A. Kidd, the medical superintendent, reports that the character of the cases admitted continues to be bad. He has drawn up a table giving an index of the expectation as to the chances of recovery in these cases-viz, recovery probable, 34; recovery possible 18; recovery improbable, 47 ; and recovery impossible, 63 ; in other words, no less than 68 per cent. of the cases were of an incurable nature, and in only 21 per cent. was there a reasonable chance of recovery. The mean age of admission was 42, and ten persons were over 70 years of age. Of the 67 patients discharged, 43 were sent out as "recovered" and 21 as "relieved." There were 76 deaths (42 males and 34 females), giving a death-rate of 833 on the total number of persons under treatment. The vice-chairman of the visiting co nmittee states in his report that a surgery and isolation block
Dorset
County Asyl1tm (Report for the
{If THE
LANCET. the SIR,-Permit inconvenience, many students are put to, who receive their surgical education at the west end of the town. There are four or five leoturers on s1t’rgery, and strange to say, only one of them delivers lectures on the pathology of the eye. Now considering the number of diseases this beautiful and delicate organ is liable to be affected with, and the enormous sums received from pupils for attendance on these lectures, surely, some of the gentlemen might make an extension of a few lectures to their "extended courses,"*at once beneficial to their students, honest as regards themselves, and conferring that information which is calculated to alleviate, in a greater or less degree, the sufferings of mankind. The insertion of this letter as early as possible will much oblige, and should this hint be the means of producing a reformation in this branch of surgical education, I shall be greatly rejoiced at having called the attention of the Surgical I am, Sir, yours, Lecturers to the subject. H. W. DEWHURST. September 15, 1829. H. me
to
state
* Vide their advertisements.
VITAL STATISTICS. HEALTH
OF
ENGLISH
TOWNS.
IN 76 of the largest English towns 8072 births and 3793 deaths were registered during the week ending Sept. 14tb. The annual rate of mortality, which had been equal to 11 5, 11’ 8, and 12’ 3 per 1000 in the three preceding weeks, was again 12’ 3 per 1000 in the week under notice. During the first eleven weeks of the current quarter the death-rate has averaged 12’0per 1000, the rate during the same period being 11 9 per 1000 in London. The lowest death-rates in the 76 towns last week were 4’7 in Handsworth (Staffs), 5.8in Hornsey, 6.0in West Bromwich, 6.8in Burton-on-Trent, and 6’9 in King’s Norton ; the highest rates were 17’4 in Sunderland, 17.5 in Rotherham, 17.7in Sheffield, 18’ 0 in St. Helen’s, and 20 - 0 in Tynemouth. The 3793 deaths in the 76 towns were slightly in excess of the number in the previous week, and included 485 which were referred to the principal epidemic diseases, against numbers increasing from 362 to 471 in the six preceding weeks; of these, 278 resulted from diarrhoea, 95 from whoopingcough, 39 from diphtheria, 35 from measles, 26 from scarlet fever, and 12 from "fever" (principally enteric), but not any from small-pox. No death from any of these epidemic diseases was registered last week in Tottenham, Hornsey, York, Aston Manor, King’s Norton, Newport (Mon.), or in