MUTILATING OPERATIONS.

213 MUTILATING To the Editor

the Council should take note of the possible action of the Scottish local authorities in seeking additional powers for the treatment of venereal diseases, such powers to be for a limited time, and of an experimental nature."

OPERATIONS.

of THE LANCET.

SiR,-Having witnessed the circumcision of an infant of humble Jewish parentage many years since, the correspondence under the above title has interested In order to ascertain the details of the present me. manner in which the rite of circumcision is performed, I consulted a high authority on the subject, and his description, which I now quote, differs only from that at which I was present in the absence of antiseptic

I am,

yours

faithfully, E. O. GRANT,

Secretary, British Social Hygiene Council. Carteret House, Carteret-street, S.W., Jan. 21st, 1930.

THE

measures.

FIRST ASYLUMS RESEARCH LABORATORY. To the Editor

" The rite is not performed by a priest; the official is called the mohel, and he is always licensed by the Jewish authorities. It is always a particular kind of surgical knife The mohel with the wine which is used and is very sharp. in his mouth exerts suction when he takes the penis into his mouth ; this is to draw blood, and it is usually done several times. But the actual stopping of the bleeding is by means of some astringent powder, or this mixture: sulphuric acid,. 1 part; alcohol, 3 parts ; honey, 2 parts ; vinegar, 6 parts. The mohel is supposed to wash his hands in a solution of bichloride of mercury beforehand."

of

THE LANCET.

SiR,-With reference to the statement made by your Scottish correspondent in your issue of Dec. 14th, 1929, and Dr. Douglas McRae’s support thereof and with every respect and admiration for the Scottish effort in 1898, the claim to be first in the field cannot be sustained. The research laboratories of the London County Mental Hospitals, subserving the purposes of nine mental hospitals, accommodating 16,000 patients, came into existence in 1895. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, JOHN R. LORD, Editor, " Mott Memorial Volume." Epsom, Surrey, Jan. 20th, 1930.

My friend states in a postscript: " Scriptural sanction exists for the rite only ; its performance, -i.e., the details-is not mentioned ; they have been gradually adopted." I am, Sir,

Sir,

r

yours faithfully, CHARLES W. CHAPMAN. Wimpole-street, W., Jan. 16th, 1930.

To the Editor

of

THE LANCET.

SiR,—An annotation in your issue of Jan. 18th, entitled the First Asylums Research Laboratory, claims this title for the laboratory opened in EdinCOMPULSORY TREATMENT OF VENEREAL burgh in 1898. It may be of interest to point out DISEASE. that the Central Pathological Laboratory of the London County Council Mental Hospitals Department To the Editor of THE LANCET. was established under the directorship of the late SiR,-On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Sir Frederick Mott in 1895. It owed its inception British Social Hygiene Council I should like to make to the report of a medical subcommittee of the clear the position of the Council in regard to the London County Council, made in 1893, whose question of compulsory treatment of venereal disease, recommendation for the appointment of one patholoas certain of the remarks made by Dr. Sequeira in gist of standing and position for the London Mental his letter published in your issue of Jan. 18th may Hospital Service found a very vigorous advocate in give rise to misunderstanding. The Council holds no Sir William J. Collins, the chairman of the subbrief either for or against compulsory treatment of committee. It was decided to establish a central venereal disease. At its meeting on June 13th, 1923, laboratory and museum at Claybury Mental Hospital, it accepted the report of the Committee of Inquiry at that time only just finished. It was not until on Venereal Disease presided over by Lord Trevethin 1916 that the laboratory was removed from Claybury " as a document that can bring together all personsto the Maudsley Hospital. A member of the original of goodwill in efforts to reduce venereal diseases." The staff recruited by Sir Frederick Mott in 1895, Mr. report contains the following references to venereal C. Geary, is still working in the laboratory. disease :I am, Sir, yours faithfully, " F. GOLLA, We think that in the present state of public opinion any Director, London County Council Mental Hospitals system of general compulsory notification of venereal Department, Central Pathological Laboratory. disease would tend to concealment, and would prove a Denmark Hill, S.E., Jan. 21st, 1930. backward step." " Notwithstanding what we have said above we are of .

I

that it may well be that in certain areas special measures for the prevention of venereal disease would be

opinion

measures for dealing with defaulters ........and we think that local health authorities who are able to make to the Ministry of Health a special case for some such special measure should be allowed, at any rate for some limited period, by way of experiment to carry out the measures they propose under the present system by which a contribution towards the expenses is made by the State. In this way there may ultimately be built up a body of experience of great value in determining future

justifiable, for example,

policy." The position adopted by the Council was reaffirmed in the following resolutions passed at the meeting of Council held on July 5th, 1928 :" The Executive Committee have received the information to the Edinburgh Corporation Provisional Order, and in their view it comes under the conditions for experimental areas as suggested in the report of the Trevethin Committee, and in that sense they propose to watch the experiment with care, and do not propose to take any action " ; as

and at the meeting of the Executive Committee held on December 2nd, 1929 :-

THE LATE SCARE IN BRIGHTON. To the Editor of THE LANCET. think it should be known among gentlemen SiB,—I of the medical profession who often send their patients here that there have been no further cases of illness in Brighton and Hove as a result of what has been called the " sore-throat scare." I have the personal assurance of the Medical Officers of Health concerned, Dr. A. Griffith, of Hove, and Dr. Rutherford Cramp, that no cases have come under their notice since the end of last year. The cause, as you may know, was traced to a certain milk-supply in a particular part of the county, which was fortunately traced to its source, the supplies stopped, and the danger removed. In no case, so far as it was possible to ascertain, was there any illness in the hotels, and this at a time when they were full to overflowing on account of the Christmas holidays. I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

"

The Executive Committee recommend that in pursuance of the decision previously taken upon the Trevethin report,

Jan. 21st, 1930.

FRANK EVANS, Chairman, Brighton and Hove Hotels and Restaurants Association.