TAXATION OF MEDICAL MEN IN FRANCE.

1010 After this time became quite satisfactory. The " wormswhich were rule be safely dis- brought to Dr. Cohn were larvae of the common house fly continued and this term therefore is alone covered by the about 8 millimetres (-13- in.) in length. The Schüppchen were ordinary confinement fee. It follows that the practitioner about It millimetres Gû- in.) in length and were found on in the case quoted erred by doing injury to his own microscopic examination to be flies’ eggs containing mature interest. Fortunately for the course of justice a further embryos. Dr. Cohn was not present when the eggs were examination of his claim brought out such evidence of his passed from the bowel, but he discusses the question fairness and of certain tactics on the part of the defendant at some length and accepts the account given by the, He considers it is unlikely that the eggs that the suit was given against the latter. We congratu- mother. in the milk and thinks that they were swallowed late both judge and plaintiff on having, after a difference were which need more not have arisen, arrived at a settleof opinion probably deposited by several flies on the and milk about the lips as the child lay of saliva which is abundantly self-evident. ment the justice and that asleep they then found their way into the mouth. The other case of myiasis was of a different EGGS AND LARVÆ OF FLIES IN THE HUMAN character. Dr. Bachmann was consulted last August by a BODY. gendarme, who complained of bilious vomiting, loss of Two cases of myiasis interna are described in the IJe1dsahe appetite, and other symptoms which pointed to atony of the Ateclicinische Wochenschrift of March 24th, one by Dr. stomach ; there was, however, no actual dilatation. The Michael Cohn (Berlin) and the other by Dr. Bachmann man had given way to drink and had for five years been (Ilfeld, Hanover). Dr. Cohn’s patient wag a child, three much worried by a lawsuit. For a long time he had eaten months old, who had for the first two months been fed on minced beef, either cooked or raw, and generally with eggs, condensed milk and subsequently on cow’s milk diluted with as other food disagreed with him, but now he was hardly able water. The milk was on all oocasions given by means of a to take the minced beef. Three weeks before coming to feeding bottle having the ordinary indiarubber fittings. Dr. Bachmann he had vomitedworms" and had done the After the cow’s milk began to be used the faecea, same thing twice subsequently. On each occasion he felt which had previously been firm, soon became thinner uneasiness and spasmodic pain in the pit of the stomach, and more copious; eventually frothy offensive motions after which he vomited over a hundred white maggots mixed mixed with mucus were passed five or six times in the course with mucus and bile ; he was also suffering from diarrhoea, of the day and three or four times at night. The child at theand increased loss of appetite. He brought for inspection same time often expectorated small cheesy masses (gekastea dozen living maggots about 1 centimetre (0’4in.) long Brockel, Kilsekliimpehen, Milchklumpchen), was generally derived from some species of fly. His previous medical uneasy, had fits of sudden screaming, and suffered fromattendant had given him extract of fern, which made the attacks of internal pain which usually lasted about fivediarrhoea worse but did not increase the number of i minutes. On Oct. 19t.h the mother found a quantity of what 11 worm" in the motions. Dr. Bachmann prescribed she called living "worms" on one of the child’s jacketsinfusion of insect powder with syrup of orange peel, which which had been taken off three days previously and kept. caused discomfort and frequent profuse perspiration but not in a dry wash-tub under some other dirty clothes ; thesevomiting. There were now discovered in the fmces small "worms"were in the very same places where the cheesy7white masses (Klumpchen) which Dr. Bachmann found to masses which had been expectorated had lain, their position1 be half-digested remains of insect larvs that had obviously being marked by yellow stains which could not be easilybeen killed by the insect powder and subsequently acted on washed out. On Oct. 21st, intending to observe the result,bp the digestive fluids. After this the patient did not she purposely set aside, without washing it, anotherr experience any further symptoms due to 11 worms," and jacket soiled with similar cheesy matter which had been1 has not passed any more. expectorated, and on Oct. 23rd she found that it contained a large number of living round "worms," some of which, TAXATION OF MEDICAL MEN IN FRANCE. wrapped in paper, she brought to Dr. Cohn. Moreover, she A DISCUSSION arose on Friday, March 11th, in the had on the previous day found in the child’s napkin, after the French Chamber of Deputies, upon a proposal put forward bowels had been moved, similar whitish masses which were Dr. Pédebidon for the reform of the law relating to the intimately mixed with the faeces and some of which she by duties payable by medical practitioners under professional brought to Dr. Cohn. They had partly broken up into licences. Two amendments were submitted. The first was small white scales (Sohuppchen) and the mother was conin the following terms: 11 So far as medical practivinced that the worms"had been developed from such couched are concerned the liability to pay duty shall arise scales because the child had never passed worms. Dr. tioners in Cohn soon examined the patient and found nothing only respect of places occupied by them for professional unusual either in the general appearance, or in the mouth, purposes to the exclusion of such as are occupied for habitation only." The second amendment provided that a or about the anus; the child was fairly well nourished, was rather pale and had a prominent abdomen. A motion medical man should be subject to payment of duty only in which had been recently passed showed no abnormal con- the commune in which he actually exercises his profession stituents. Next morning the mother reported that in the and in which his diploma is registered in accordance with evening after Dr. Cohn had seen the child she found a great the law of Nov. 30th, 1892. Both amendments were number of the 8c7tiippohegb about the anus, whereupon she thrown out. The second amendment is of special interest administered an enema and caught the escaping water in 2 to medical men practising at watering places-that is to say, dish. It contained a large number-about 100-of thesE who for the summer season or, as it may be, for the winter white objects without any admixture of fseces; they werE season on the Mediterranean coast, occupy consulting-rooms shown to the father and to some neighbours, but wer4 at one or another of these places, but for the greater part of thrown away before Dr. Cohn’s next visit. ]’aeces were no the year retire to the country or into some town and disconpassed until some hours after the enema ; Dr. Cohn sav r tinue the practice of their profession. A doctor of medicine this motion ; he did not observe any abnormal appearance 3 is liable to the duty solely by virtue of the practice of the in it and there has been no recurrence of the Schiippchen profession of medicine, and not in respect of the possession The digestive troubles and restlessness soon disappeared , of the title which is a university degree, since by the law of the cow’s milk was resumed, and the child’s condition i April 29th, 1844, it is the professional and not the educational

lying-in period at from seven has elapsed medical attenda.

t.o ten

may

days.

as a

’

_ -._

I

.

1011

ground of the impost. The provided that a licensee who occupied one or more dwellings besides his principal place of residence should be chargeable with the duty in respect cnly of those houses which he occupied for professional purposes. Under this law it was decided that a medical man practising at a bathing-place was not bound to pay the duty in another locality where he did not practise. The law of 1892 concerning the practice of medicine requires every medical man under a penalty to register his diploma at the prefecture or sub-prefecture and at the court of the district in which he practises. It is illogical to lay an impost upon a medical man in a place where he cannot effectively exercise his profession. This is the hard fate of medical men practising at French watering places. The Government requires them to register their diplomas in the arrondissements in which they reside for some months but do not practise and the law itself requires them to register where they do practise. la this way they are rendered liable by a flagrant piece of injustice to double dues. The Chamber, however, would have nothing to do with the amendment. Upon the principle of being thankful for small mercies the French practitioners may congratulate themselves on having escaped an augmentation of the licence duty upon all liberal professions proposed by the Budget Commission but rejected by the Chamber, by which, if it had been adopted, their assessments would have been standing

which is made the

tenth article of that law

,

raised from Is. 8d. to 2s. in the E upon their annual rateable values. __

ACETYLENE AS AN ILLUMINANT. To the electric furnace must now be ascribed the production of acetylene on a commercial scale. By mere fusion at the heat of the electric arc, the current itself being derived from water power, carbon combines with the calcium of lime to form carbide of calcium, a brown, slaggy - looking material, which in contact with water gives off acetylene in a state of purity, a residue of quicklime remain. ing. As is now well known acetylene possesses a remarkably high illuminating power owing to the high proportion of carbon it contains and to the fact that great heat is given out when acetylene barns. Although a perfectly stable gas under ordinary conditions acetylene under a few atmospheres pressure will explode with fearful violence. Care is therefore required when this gas is employed and this cannot be too widely known, especially as its use is becoming general for a great number of purposes. Thus for bicycles and other vehicles a light, compact container is carried provided with a small charge of carbide, and all that needs to be done is to add water, when the gas is disengaged and may be burned in a specially constructed burner. To cyclists water as a source of illumination must prove a great advantage. Acetylene gas is quite safe if used in properly constructed apparatus and we are glad to learn that the public will soon have an opportunity of knowing which apparatus is to be trusted. The Council of the Imperial Institute have authorised, we hear, the holding of an exhibition of acetylene gas apparatus in the grounds of the Institute at an early date, and in order to ensure that no apparatus should be admitted to the exhibition unless it is shown to fulfil the requisite conditions of safety, the council of the Society of Arts have appointed a committee to decide upon those conditions, and to lay down rules for the admission of apparatus. The committee will consist of several well - known experts. We think that this is a very wise departure, as there are many who will be glad to know the conditions under which acetylene may be used safely for illuminating purposes. Amongst other applications for which acetylene is convenient and well

adapted is the lighting of a country house; the plant is very simple, easily managed, and occupIes but little space. The light is over 200-candle power. As yet experience connected with the employment of acetylene for domestic lighting purposes has not been sufficiently long to enable us t) mark its disadvantages, but it might reasonably be expected, so rich is the gas in carbon, to lead to a rapid blackening of the ceilings and other light surfaces of a room so illuminated. ___

THE ROYAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

HOSPITAL,

WINCHESTER. UNDBB circumstances to which we shall probably consider it advisable to refer at some length next week the honorary medical staff of the Royal Hampshire County Hospital at Winchester have unanimously resigned their appointments. Until the present strained position is relieved we cannot think it right that medical men sbould apply for vacancies on the staff of this hospital. We are able to give this advice we understand that the services of unhesitatingly because the honorary staff are being continued to the sick, so that the only argument imaginable for urgent filling of the vacancies does not exist. ___

" ABBASSO IL DUELLO." OUR Rome Correspondent writes as follows:-" ’Down with duelling!’ Amid all the rhetoric that has filled the air since Felice Cavallotti’s death in a duel loosened tongues of mourning friends and sympathetic foes, the one sane and reassuring outburst arose from ’the man in the street,’ ’Abbasso il duello.’ It needed such a calamity as the extinction at the age of fifty-five years of a nobly, if not always prudently, inspired life to accentuate the indignation felt by all right-minded Italians at the retention of a practice uncivilised in itself and capable of inflicting a loss so irreparable. For what is the justification of duelling advanced by its apologists ?7 I It acts as a restraint on the fire-eating publicist,’ they allege; . it secures respect for the courtesies of debate in Parliament and in the press.’ Indeed ?7 Is it not precisely in those countries where it survives that the contention of parties in Legislature and journalism is still accompanied with language the most intemperate and uncontrolled ?7 The Zola trial in France and the Crispi prosecution in Italy are instances in point too recent and too eloquent to require more than mention; while all that is best, morally and intellectually, in Italians and Frenchmen looks to far other forces than the lethal menace of pistol or sabre for the rehabilitation of public life in word and deed. ’Let it not be said,’ remarks one of Italy’s ablest public men,that abstention from duelling is an encouragement to brow-beating The exact contrary is the case. In the British the duel is unknown, and yet,’ he continues, press , la quella stampa prima del mondo, ed il suo linguaggio e quello della discussione, non quello dell’ invettiva’ (that press is the first in the world and its language is that of discussion, not that of invective). As I write there lies before me the draft of a Bill to be introduced to Parliament for the suppression of duelling and its provisions with that view are stringent enough in all conscience. But if it pass into law, will it have the effect desire7 History, I fear, replies in the negative. Penal enactment cannot secure social comity. The sic volo, sic jubeo’ of the Legislature cannot evoke civilisation. In France such State intervention proved worse than useless. The edicts of Charles IX., Henry IV., and Louis XIV. bore heavily on duellists and only multiplied duels. Not much, if anything, is therefore to be anticipated from the Bill in question. Rather by the growth of the humane, philanthropic spirit, which, with all his failings, was poor Cavallotti’ S

the

politicians.