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" SCIATICA "
681 I am not in a position to express any opinion as to whether such solutions are greatly superior to water in dealing with incendiaries and the fires caused thereby, but I do express the opinion that, unless this be so, the possible dangers involved from their use are such that it would be most undesirable for the public to have unrestricted use of them. St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.
G. ROCHE LYNCH.
SULPHADIAZINE
SiR.-The clinical trials with what you call in your annotation of Feb. 15 a promising new sulphonamide - sulphadiazine-have exceeded much of the original hopes for it. It has been found to be exceedingly well tolerated by the human body, much better so than sulphathiazole or sulphapyridine. Whether or not it is inherently more active, as you have pointed out, is questionable, but higher blood concentrations are well tolerated in man as was suggested by the experimental work with animals. This has resulted in more effective action on the setiological agents of the various infections in which it has been used. These have included pneumococcal, streptococcal, Welch bacillary, staphylococcal and Friedlander’s bacillary infections. The effect of sulphadiazine on refractory cases of gonococcal infections in man is being investigated by Dr. Hugh H. Young and his co-workers at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Experimentally type A as well as type B Friedlander’s bacillary infections have been successfully treated with sulphadiazine. Experimentally, also, the work in progress at the school of medicine of the University of Rochester indicates that sulphadiazine is much more effective in the treatment of Welch bacillary infection than any of the other sulphonamides. This infection was produced in dogs in such a manner that it very closely simulates gas gangrene as it is found in the field. Stamford, Conn., U.S.A.
W. HARRY FEINSTONE.
" SCIATICA "
gratifying to note that Dr. Walshe agrees with me in stressing the frequency with which sciatic neuritis is wrongly diagnosed. The diagnostic criteria which he lays down for this complaint, such as pain along the course of the nerve, pain on pressing or stretching the nerve, pain and tenderness in muscles supplied by it," were however present in my 70 cases, and it was precisely these signs that had led to the diagnosis of sciatic neuritis by various doctors whose competence SIR,-It
was
"
cannot be doubted. These signs are so familiar to us all, that in my case-reports they were for brevity covered by this single term " sciatica." The fact that Dr. Walshe still regards these signs as reliable evidence of neuritis shows a happy disregard for the mass of original work which has been done on this subject during the past 30 years, and suggests that the diagnosis of sciatic neuritis will continue to be made with great frequency. J. H. KELLGREN. Leavesden Hospital. ENDOCARDITIS LENTA I SiR,-May ask Dr. Parkes Weber in what way his case of subacute bacterial endocarditis, and the others mentioned by him, differ from the well-known clinical picture of the bacteria-free stage described by Libman (Amer. J. med. Sci. 1913, 146, 625). I have seen at least one case recently in which the blood-culture was repeatedly negative and even at autopsy bacteria were not found in the vegetations. Neither heparin nor sulphonamides were used in this case. In reviewing cases of endocarditis lenta it should be remembered that spontaneous remissions occur, and that the disappearance of organisms from the blood and heart valves in no way negatives a fatal termination to the disease. Westminster Hospital.
MAGNUS HAINES.
GEORGE THEODORE ROBERTSON WATT M.B. ABERD. ; SURGEON LIEUTENANT, R.N.V.R. Surgeon Lieutenant G. T. Robertson Watt is reported to have been lost during the evacuation of the Imperial Forces from Greece, and the Admiralty have intimated that he must be presumed to have been killed on active service. Watt, who was in.his 29th year, was the eldest son of Mr. Theodore Watt, LL.D., managing director of the Aberdeen University Press, and Mrs. Watt of Culter House, Aberdeenshire. He spent 13 years at the Aberdeen Grammar School, and during his last year he was a prefect. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1936, and became assistant to Dr. George Mitchell of Insch. The following August he was appointed a resident medical officer at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Later he became house-surgeon at Mount Vernon Hospital, at the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, and at the lor Jessop Sheffield, for j essop Hospital. nOSpl1JI:tl. oneiiieiu., :M had already determined to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. In June of last year he was commissioned as a surgeon lieutenant in the R.N.V.R., and shortly afterwards was posted to H.M.S. Wryneck. L. F. writes : George Watt had a wide interest in student activities but was happier breathing the free air of the Cairngorms than on the organised playing-field. He was willing to fight and die for his country, knowing that liberty itself was in jeopardy, but had he been spared to see his country victorious he would still have fought on for the creation of peace and unity among nations. His vision was the wide vision of youth. —————— ——
SiR,-In the official memorandum on Gas Casualties printed in your issue of May 10 (p. 613) should not the first sentence of the concluding paragraph, which reads The gas-mask, if adjusted properly and in time, gives full protection to the lungs and eyes against all these gases " have added to it the words except carbon "
"
monoxide "? A. G. SANDERS.
———...——.
JOHN MURDOCH McKILLOP GLASG. ; LIEUTENANT, R.A.1BLC. Dr. J. M. McKillop was educated at the Kelvinside Academy and Glasgow University. He was a young man of powerful physique, keen on all sports. At school he played rugger and he was an enthusiastic yachtsman ; for many years he competed in the Loch Long dinghy 1BI.B.
class.
1938
He qualified
and
M. B.
in
held resident
appointments at three of the at corporation hospitals Stobhill Hospital lie was house-physician to Prof. B oah -
Morris. McKillop was a careful worker and his frankness combined with a well-developed sense of humour made him popular with his patients. He joined up as soon as war was declared and he served as a lieutenant in the R.A.M.C. attached to the 2nd battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders. He went to France in October, 1939, and on June 11. 1940, he was wounded at IngouvilleHe died the sur-mer, Seine.
Murdoch McKillop Jack
CARBON MONOXIDE
Oxford.
Obituary
McKillop
was the only son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Nora McKillop. He was 26
years old. The Minister of Food has made an order, to come into force June 2, prohibiting, except under licence, the manufacture or sale of vitamin C. The order does not apply to the manufacture or sale of vitamin C for medicinal, pharmaceutical or scientific purposes. Applications for licences should be made to the Ministry at St. John’s College, Oxford. on
G. ROCHE LYNCH.
SULPHADIAZINE
SiR.-The clinical trials with what you call in your annotation of Feb. 15 a promising new sulphonamide - sulphadiazine-have exceeded much of the original hopes for it. It has been found to be exceedingly well tolerated by the human body, much better so than sulphathiazole or sulphapyridine. Whether or not it is inherently more active, as you have pointed out, is questionable, but higher blood concentrations are well tolerated in man as was suggested by the experimental work with animals. This has resulted in more effective action on the setiological agents of the various infections in which it has been used. These have included pneumococcal, streptococcal, Welch bacillary, staphylococcal and Friedlander’s bacillary infections. The effect of sulphadiazine on refractory cases of gonococcal infections in man is being investigated by Dr. Hugh H. Young and his co-workers at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Experimentally type A as well as type B Friedlander’s bacillary infections have been successfully treated with sulphadiazine. Experimentally, also, the work in progress at the school of medicine of the University of Rochester indicates that sulphadiazine is much more effective in the treatment of Welch bacillary infection than any of the other sulphonamides. This infection was produced in dogs in such a manner that it very closely simulates gas gangrene as it is found in the field. Stamford, Conn., U.S.A.
W. HARRY FEINSTONE.
" SCIATICA "
gratifying to note that Dr. Walshe agrees with me in stressing the frequency with which sciatic neuritis is wrongly diagnosed. The diagnostic criteria which he lays down for this complaint, such as pain along the course of the nerve, pain on pressing or stretching the nerve, pain and tenderness in muscles supplied by it," were however present in my 70 cases, and it was precisely these signs that had led to the diagnosis of sciatic neuritis by various doctors whose competence SIR,-It
was
"
cannot be doubted. These signs are so familiar to us all, that in my case-reports they were for brevity covered by this single term " sciatica." The fact that Dr. Walshe still regards these signs as reliable evidence of neuritis shows a happy disregard for the mass of original work which has been done on this subject during the past 30 years, and suggests that the diagnosis of sciatic neuritis will continue to be made with great frequency. J. H. KELLGREN. Leavesden Hospital. ENDOCARDITIS LENTA I SiR,-May ask Dr. Parkes Weber in what way his case of subacute bacterial endocarditis, and the others mentioned by him, differ from the well-known clinical picture of the bacteria-free stage described by Libman (Amer. J. med. Sci. 1913, 146, 625). I have seen at least one case recently in which the blood-culture was repeatedly negative and even at autopsy bacteria were not found in the vegetations. Neither heparin nor sulphonamides were used in this case. In reviewing cases of endocarditis lenta it should be remembered that spontaneous remissions occur, and that the disappearance of organisms from the blood and heart valves in no way negatives a fatal termination to the disease. Westminster Hospital.
MAGNUS HAINES.
GEORGE THEODORE ROBERTSON WATT M.B. ABERD. ; SURGEON LIEUTENANT, R.N.V.R. Surgeon Lieutenant G. T. Robertson Watt is reported to have been lost during the evacuation of the Imperial Forces from Greece, and the Admiralty have intimated that he must be presumed to have been killed on active service. Watt, who was in.his 29th year, was the eldest son of Mr. Theodore Watt, LL.D., managing director of the Aberdeen University Press, and Mrs. Watt of Culter House, Aberdeenshire. He spent 13 years at the Aberdeen Grammar School, and during his last year he was a prefect. He graduated in medicine at Aberdeen University in 1936, and became assistant to Dr. George Mitchell of Insch. The following August he was appointed a resident medical officer at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Later he became house-surgeon at Mount Vernon Hospital, at the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, and at the lor Jessop Sheffield, for j essop Hospital. nOSpl1JI:tl. oneiiieiu., :M had already determined to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. In June of last year he was commissioned as a surgeon lieutenant in the R.N.V.R., and shortly afterwards was posted to H.M.S. Wryneck. L. F. writes : George Watt had a wide interest in student activities but was happier breathing the free air of the Cairngorms than on the organised playing-field. He was willing to fight and die for his country, knowing that liberty itself was in jeopardy, but had he been spared to see his country victorious he would still have fought on for the creation of peace and unity among nations. His vision was the wide vision of youth. —————— ——
SiR,-In the official memorandum on Gas Casualties printed in your issue of May 10 (p. 613) should not the first sentence of the concluding paragraph, which reads The gas-mask, if adjusted properly and in time, gives full protection to the lungs and eyes against all these gases " have added to it the words except carbon "
"
monoxide "? A. G. SANDERS.
———...——.
JOHN MURDOCH McKILLOP GLASG. ; LIEUTENANT, R.A.1BLC. Dr. J. M. McKillop was educated at the Kelvinside Academy and Glasgow University. He was a young man of powerful physique, keen on all sports. At school he played rugger and he was an enthusiastic yachtsman ; for many years he competed in the Loch Long dinghy 1BI.B.
class.
1938
He qualified
and
M. B.
in
held resident
appointments at three of the at corporation hospitals Stobhill Hospital lie was house-physician to Prof. B oah -
Morris. McKillop was a careful worker and his frankness combined with a well-developed sense of humour made him popular with his patients. He joined up as soon as war was declared and he served as a lieutenant in the R.A.M.C. attached to the 2nd battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders. He went to France in October, 1939, and on June 11. 1940, he was wounded at IngouvilleHe died the sur-mer, Seine.
Murdoch McKillop Jack
CARBON MONOXIDE
Oxford.
Obituary
McKillop
was the only son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Nora McKillop. He was 26
years old. The Minister of Food has made an order, to come into force June 2, prohibiting, except under licence, the manufacture or sale of vitamin C. The order does not apply to the manufacture or sale of vitamin C for medicinal, pharmaceutical or scientific purposes. Applications for licences should be made to the Ministry at St. John’s College, Oxford. on