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THE BAKKOLA "CURE" FOR CANCER.
1263 those waverers who are not wilfully deaf to reason. And in iintensely yellow substance, the tint recalling that of picric the book will be found much other argument in proof of the sacid. Tests for alkaloids gave negative results, and from t the general behaviour of the colouring matter with chemical supreme necessity of experiment to the fruitfulness of I it would appear to be related to chrysophanic acid reagents science, besides a plain and categorical statement of the or chrysarobin. Chrysophanic acid is occasionally employed small degree of suffering inflicted yearly in this countryin the treatment of skin diseases, for example, psoriasis in return for a mighty amount of present good and futureand chronic eczema, but is not so commonly used as
Annotations.
tained in the clefts or cavities which traverse the wood in the direction of the diameter and are prolonged through the entire trunk. _ According to the National Standard DispenINCORRECT REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS. satory it is deposited as an antiseptic preservative proTHE Notification of Births Act, 1907, is a measure which vision by the plant. The active yellow ;principle is seldom has met with a considerable amount of criticism and hostility employed internally, but is given in psoriasis in half grain in certain directions. The professional grcunds for this doses. Larger quantities produce irritation in the gastroopposition are very just, but we must not for that reason intestinal tract, increasing the flow of bile, producing copious decline to see that the Act itself may be the means of lead- watery stools, nausea, and vomiting. It is added that the ing to more correct notification of the precise date of birth local application of chrysarobin is not uncommon and has than has been the case hitherto. Mr. F. W. Alexander, medi- met with some success in the treatment of psoriasis and cal officer of health of the borough of Poplar, has recently other chronic affections of the skin. Unless care is exercised, drawn the attention of the borough council to the anomalous however, in regard to its employment it may cause pain, state of affairs which now obtains. It is enacted by swelling, and inflammation in the tissue. These observations Section 1 (4) of the measure in question that the registrar are of interest in connexibn with the bakkola cure " for of births and deaths shall at all times have access to the cancer, since apparently this fungus yields a substance notices of births received by the medical officer of health, showing chemical properties more or less of the same kind as and by Section 2 (5) the medical officer of health of every those exhibited by chrysarobin. metropolitan borough in which the Act is in force must EXTRACTION OF CATARACT IN THE CAPSULE. send to the London County Council a list of all notices of births received by him during the week. Now the public EXTRACTION of cataract in the capsule is no new operahealth department of Poplar, with the view of facilitating tion. It has long been performed in certain complicated matters, sends every week a copy of the weekly list to the conditions and has formerly been advocated as a method to registrars of births and deaths, and every week the be employed in the routine treatment of senile cataract. registrars themselves forward to the public health depart- During the last few years its strenuous advocacy by Major ment a return of births registered by them. It is found Henry Smith, I.M.S., of Jullundur, has revived the interest that when the registrars’ returns are received the children in the method. His enormous experience and the brilliant are for the most part more than six weeks old ; and it has results which have attended his practice have led many been discovered, on comparing the registrars’ returns with ophthalmic surgeons tentatively to reconsider the subject and the notifications received by the medical officer of health, again to apply a procedure which past experience had disthat the date of birth as given in the former differs from counted for general routine, thus confirming views founded that recorded in the latter, and Mr. Alexander furnishes upon theoretical considerations. These investigations and several illustrative instances. The explanation of this curious the renewed acquaintance with the difficulties and dangers anomaly is that the parent, having omitted to notify to the of the operation have led surgeons, many of them masters registrar the birth of a child within six weeks, post-dates trained in the same field as Major Smith himself, to extend the birth in order to bring it within the prescribed limit and only a qualified approbation. None have attained the success thus avoid the penalty. Sometimes the registrar is able to which his alluring statistics hold out. Indeed, when success the to admit the true date of birth- is obtained in over 99 per cent. of cases, as according to persuade parents that the medical officer of health within Lieutenant-Colonel D. F. Keegan in his paper on the notified to i.e., 36 hours of birth, but not infrequently the parent Charitable Dispensaries in the Punjab (on p. 1267 of the adheres to the date furnished to the registrar, in which present issue of THE LANCET) Major Smith claims, the It ’, question instinctively arises, "What is the criterion of case the registrar has no alternative but to accept it. ought not to be difficult to remedy these defects by means of success ? " It is notorious that in India it is impossible to a few prosecutions, if necessary, as it should be an easy follow up cases for any considerable length of time. Even matter to determine the precise date of birth. The Registrar- though the immediate result of an operation be gratifying, General has, we believe, been informed of the fact, and he what is the ultimate fate of the case ?7 Setting aside will doubtless take some steps in the matter. Mr. Alexander actual loss of vitreous during the operation-so rare also suspects that all the births taking place in the borough in Major Smith’s practice as to excite surprise in are not notified, although the fact of the adoption has been the mind of the experienced ophthalmic surgeon when duly advertised. he contemplates the risks of the procedure-there must be considerable disturbance of the vitreous, which THE BAKKOLA "CURE" FOR CANCER. to lead to remote is 11 No quid nImIs."
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i
A CORRESPONDENT has forwarded to us a specimen of a fungus which grows on birch trees in Finland. It is called " bakkola"and is used in the form of a decoction in cases of cancer, and has, he says, a great reputation in Finland as a successful "cure." The remarkable point about this fungus is that, according to our examination, it yields to alcohol an
’
changes seriously endangering patient with whom Major Smith has to deal differs essentially from that found in other parts of India or in Europe. So many factors of this nature have to be taken into account that any general rule founded upon Major Smith’s work may in the long run prove fallacious. We confess that we do not feel justified in likely
vision.
Moreover, the
class of
Annotations.
tained in the clefts or cavities which traverse the wood in the direction of the diameter and are prolonged through the entire trunk. _ According to the National Standard DispenINCORRECT REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS. satory it is deposited as an antiseptic preservative proTHE Notification of Births Act, 1907, is a measure which vision by the plant. The active yellow ;principle is seldom has met with a considerable amount of criticism and hostility employed internally, but is given in psoriasis in half grain in certain directions. The professional grcunds for this doses. Larger quantities produce irritation in the gastroopposition are very just, but we must not for that reason intestinal tract, increasing the flow of bile, producing copious decline to see that the Act itself may be the means of lead- watery stools, nausea, and vomiting. It is added that the ing to more correct notification of the precise date of birth local application of chrysarobin is not uncommon and has than has been the case hitherto. Mr. F. W. Alexander, medi- met with some success in the treatment of psoriasis and cal officer of health of the borough of Poplar, has recently other chronic affections of the skin. Unless care is exercised, drawn the attention of the borough council to the anomalous however, in regard to its employment it may cause pain, state of affairs which now obtains. It is enacted by swelling, and inflammation in the tissue. These observations Section 1 (4) of the measure in question that the registrar are of interest in connexibn with the bakkola cure " for of births and deaths shall at all times have access to the cancer, since apparently this fungus yields a substance notices of births received by the medical officer of health, showing chemical properties more or less of the same kind as and by Section 2 (5) the medical officer of health of every those exhibited by chrysarobin. metropolitan borough in which the Act is in force must EXTRACTION OF CATARACT IN THE CAPSULE. send to the London County Council a list of all notices of births received by him during the week. Now the public EXTRACTION of cataract in the capsule is no new operahealth department of Poplar, with the view of facilitating tion. It has long been performed in certain complicated matters, sends every week a copy of the weekly list to the conditions and has formerly been advocated as a method to registrars of births and deaths, and every week the be employed in the routine treatment of senile cataract. registrars themselves forward to the public health depart- During the last few years its strenuous advocacy by Major ment a return of births registered by them. It is found Henry Smith, I.M.S., of Jullundur, has revived the interest that when the registrars’ returns are received the children in the method. His enormous experience and the brilliant are for the most part more than six weeks old ; and it has results which have attended his practice have led many been discovered, on comparing the registrars’ returns with ophthalmic surgeons tentatively to reconsider the subject and the notifications received by the medical officer of health, again to apply a procedure which past experience had disthat the date of birth as given in the former differs from counted for general routine, thus confirming views founded that recorded in the latter, and Mr. Alexander furnishes upon theoretical considerations. These investigations and several illustrative instances. The explanation of this curious the renewed acquaintance with the difficulties and dangers anomaly is that the parent, having omitted to notify to the of the operation have led surgeons, many of them masters registrar the birth of a child within six weeks, post-dates trained in the same field as Major Smith himself, to extend the birth in order to bring it within the prescribed limit and only a qualified approbation. None have attained the success thus avoid the penalty. Sometimes the registrar is able to which his alluring statistics hold out. Indeed, when success the to admit the true date of birth- is obtained in over 99 per cent. of cases, as according to persuade parents that the medical officer of health within Lieutenant-Colonel D. F. Keegan in his paper on the notified to i.e., 36 hours of birth, but not infrequently the parent Charitable Dispensaries in the Punjab (on p. 1267 of the adheres to the date furnished to the registrar, in which present issue of THE LANCET) Major Smith claims, the It ’, question instinctively arises, "What is the criterion of case the registrar has no alternative but to accept it. ought not to be difficult to remedy these defects by means of success ? " It is notorious that in India it is impossible to a few prosecutions, if necessary, as it should be an easy follow up cases for any considerable length of time. Even matter to determine the precise date of birth. The Registrar- though the immediate result of an operation be gratifying, General has, we believe, been informed of the fact, and he what is the ultimate fate of the case ?7 Setting aside will doubtless take some steps in the matter. Mr. Alexander actual loss of vitreous during the operation-so rare also suspects that all the births taking place in the borough in Major Smith’s practice as to excite surprise in are not notified, although the fact of the adoption has been the mind of the experienced ophthalmic surgeon when duly advertised. he contemplates the risks of the procedure-there must be considerable disturbance of the vitreous, which THE BAKKOLA "CURE" FOR CANCER. to lead to remote is 11 No quid nImIs."
-
i
A CORRESPONDENT has forwarded to us a specimen of a fungus which grows on birch trees in Finland. It is called " bakkola"and is used in the form of a decoction in cases of cancer, and has, he says, a great reputation in Finland as a successful "cure." The remarkable point about this fungus is that, according to our examination, it yields to alcohol an
’
changes seriously endangering patient with whom Major Smith has to deal differs essentially from that found in other parts of India or in Europe. So many factors of this nature have to be taken into account that any general rule founded upon Major Smith’s work may in the long run prove fallacious. We confess that we do not feel justified in likely
vision.
Moreover, the
class of