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THE BATEMAN APPEAL.
628 THE CROWBOROUGH TRAGEDY. The long trial of John Norman Thorne for the murder of Elsie Cameron at Crowborough on Dec. 5th, 1924, came to an end on Monday night last with the verdict of Guilty. The verdict was determined by the general circumstances of the case, but at one point the medico-legal evidence was of great significance, and not unanimous. Full consideration was given to detailed testimony in opposition to Sir Bernard Spilsbury’s reasoned view, expressed for the Crown, that the bruises on the corpse were caused shortly before death and that there were no discoverable signs of hanging. The jury set aside the defence of an attempt at suicide by hanging. It is understood that an appeal is to be entered.
Correspondence. "Audi alteram partem."
THE BATEMAN FUND. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,-In enclosing my contribution towards the Bateman Fund, I should like to say that I hope this appeal will meet with a very hearty response. If every member of the profession would send even a very small contribution, I do not doubt but that this would be of vast material help to Dr. Bateman -though nothing in the way of money can ever hope to recompense him for what he has had to go through. But it will show him that he has the help and the practical sympathy of his professional brethrensurely of some solace. I think the Proprietors of THE LANCET are to be highly congratulated on their generous contribution. We are all a good deal at the mercy of patients, and even the most careful and conscientious medical man never knows the moment when he may be at the mercy of a jury utterly ignorant and incapable of judging a highly technical matter. It takes but little imagination to conjure up what Dr. Bateman has had to go through, and what the cost to him both in health and in practice must be. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, A. GRAHAM-STEWART. Margate, March 13th, 1925.
THE BATEMAN APPEAL. As already explained in THE LANCET, it has been felt that material assistance ought to be offered to Dr. Bateman to meet the legal expenses of his recentt successful appeal against conviction and to make good the deficiency in his professional income. Accordingly, the Bateman Fund has been opened and lists of contributions have appeared in recent issues. We have received additional contributions as follows :P, s. d. Amount already received and acknowledged 353 14 6 Dr. Henry Russell Andrews 5 50 J. T. R........... 5 50 5 0 0 Mr. Tyrrell Gray Dr. A. Graham-Stewart ...... 2 20 Dr. Joseph A. Arkwright...... 1 10 Dr. T. C. Blackwell ........ 1 10 Dr. J. Newman Darling...... 1 1 0 Dr. J. 0. Jefferson........ 1 10 Dr. W. Gifford Nash....... 1 10 1 10 Dr. Wilson Tyson Dr. J. H. Stephen........ 1 00 0 10 6 Dr. Montague Cutcliffe ....
......
Remittances should be forwarded to the Manager of THE LANCET, 423, Strand, W.C.2, and made payable to the " Bateman Fund Account." INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED MARCH 7TH, 1925. Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week, namely:—Small-pox, 122 ; scarlet fever, 1606 ; diphtheria, 941 ; enteric fever, 41 ;
pneumonia, 1441 ; puerperal fever, 39 ; cerebro-spinal fever, 6 ; acute poliomyelitis, 4 ; encephalitis lethargica, 61 ; continued fever, 1 ; dysentery, 8 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 121. There were no cases of cholera, plague, or
typhus fever notified during the week. The number of small-pox cases showed a decrease of 19 from the number for the preceding week. Thirty-one cases were notified from Derbyshire, 21 from Northumberland (Ashington, 13), 6 from Notts, and 45 from Yorks, North Riding (Middlesbrough C.B., 39). Deaths.-In the aggregate of great towns, including London, there was 1 death from enteric fever, 111 from measles, 11 from scarlet fever, 108 from whooping-cough, 40 from diphtheria, and 361 from influenza, as compared with 346, 352, 354, and 291 in the four preceding weeks. In London itself the deaths from influenza numbered 59, from whooping-cough 30, and from diphtheria 16.
ROYAL COMMISSION
ON
NATIONAL HEALTH INSUR-
ANCE.-The twenty-first meeting of the Commission
was
held at the Home Office, Whitehall, on March 12th, Sir Andrew Duncan in the chair. The National Federation of Rural Approved Societies, represented by Mr. W. Wood and Mr. W. Hyde, gave evidence on the position and experience Evidence of rural societies under the insurance scheme. relating to a particular society, the Scottish Rural Workers’ Society, was given by Mr. James Falconer and Mr. Wood. Thereafter Sir Norman Hill was examined on the working of the Seamen’s National Insurance Society. The Commission announce that proof copies of the oral evidence and the relative statements submitted at the meeting of Feb. 26th are now on sale at H.M. Stationery Office.
To the Editor
oj THE LANCET.
SIR,-I have great pleasure in forwarding you cheque as a small contribution to the Bateman Fmd. I trust you will be able to raise a large sum for this very deserving object. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, -,
Aberdeen, March 15th, 1925.
HEALTH I
JOHN H. STEPHEN.
STATISTICS OF THE MERCANTILE MARINE. To the Editor
of THE LANCET. I StR,—It is hoped that the timely leading article upon this subject which appeared in THE LANCET of March 14th will arouse the conscience of the Board of Trade as to its duty towards the men of this fine
service. In this connexion I would ask your permission to direct attention to one aspect of the health problem of the sailor which profoundly affects the general community. It is that of venereal diseases. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1916 provided that the expense of the treatment of the sick sailor should be borne by the owners of the vessel upon which he was employed ; but it excluded from this benefit the seaman suffering from venereal disease and made no provision for him. While the Civil and the Service sections of the population have special V.D. schemes provided for them, the merchant seaman is practically neglected. From the nature of his occupation, the site of his labours, and the general conditions under which he exists, very special measures are required for dealing with him when he is suffering from venereal disease. At the present time there exists a large floating population of venereally infected mariners; these are sowing, and others are reaping, syphilis and gonorrhoea in every port in r have the highest admiration for the the world. merchant seaman, and I can claim an intimate knowledge of his life, his health, and his temptations owing to the fact of having at one "time served as an ordinary seaman on ocean-going tramps." It is a calling which is heavily infected with venereal disease-and indeed it is little wonder. The drinkshops and the harlots of " sailor-town " are always upon the look-out for the seaman with wages to spend. His arduous and cheerless life at sea, with its perils and its separation from home-life, make him, when
’,
Correspondence. "Audi alteram partem."
THE BATEMAN FUND. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,-In enclosing my contribution towards the Bateman Fund, I should like to say that I hope this appeal will meet with a very hearty response. If every member of the profession would send even a very small contribution, I do not doubt but that this would be of vast material help to Dr. Bateman -though nothing in the way of money can ever hope to recompense him for what he has had to go through. But it will show him that he has the help and the practical sympathy of his professional brethrensurely of some solace. I think the Proprietors of THE LANCET are to be highly congratulated on their generous contribution. We are all a good deal at the mercy of patients, and even the most careful and conscientious medical man never knows the moment when he may be at the mercy of a jury utterly ignorant and incapable of judging a highly technical matter. It takes but little imagination to conjure up what Dr. Bateman has had to go through, and what the cost to him both in health and in practice must be. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, A. GRAHAM-STEWART. Margate, March 13th, 1925.
THE BATEMAN APPEAL. As already explained in THE LANCET, it has been felt that material assistance ought to be offered to Dr. Bateman to meet the legal expenses of his recentt successful appeal against conviction and to make good the deficiency in his professional income. Accordingly, the Bateman Fund has been opened and lists of contributions have appeared in recent issues. We have received additional contributions as follows :P, s. d. Amount already received and acknowledged 353 14 6 Dr. Henry Russell Andrews 5 50 J. T. R........... 5 50 5 0 0 Mr. Tyrrell Gray Dr. A. Graham-Stewart ...... 2 20 Dr. Joseph A. Arkwright...... 1 10 Dr. T. C. Blackwell ........ 1 10 Dr. J. Newman Darling...... 1 1 0 Dr. J. 0. Jefferson........ 1 10 Dr. W. Gifford Nash....... 1 10 1 10 Dr. Wilson Tyson Dr. J. H. Stephen........ 1 00 0 10 6 Dr. Montague Cutcliffe ....
......
Remittances should be forwarded to the Manager of THE LANCET, 423, Strand, W.C.2, and made payable to the " Bateman Fund Account." INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED MARCH 7TH, 1925. Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week, namely:—Small-pox, 122 ; scarlet fever, 1606 ; diphtheria, 941 ; enteric fever, 41 ;
pneumonia, 1441 ; puerperal fever, 39 ; cerebro-spinal fever, 6 ; acute poliomyelitis, 4 ; encephalitis lethargica, 61 ; continued fever, 1 ; dysentery, 8 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 121. There were no cases of cholera, plague, or
typhus fever notified during the week. The number of small-pox cases showed a decrease of 19 from the number for the preceding week. Thirty-one cases were notified from Derbyshire, 21 from Northumberland (Ashington, 13), 6 from Notts, and 45 from Yorks, North Riding (Middlesbrough C.B., 39). Deaths.-In the aggregate of great towns, including London, there was 1 death from enteric fever, 111 from measles, 11 from scarlet fever, 108 from whooping-cough, 40 from diphtheria, and 361 from influenza, as compared with 346, 352, 354, and 291 in the four preceding weeks. In London itself the deaths from influenza numbered 59, from whooping-cough 30, and from diphtheria 16.
ROYAL COMMISSION
ON
NATIONAL HEALTH INSUR-
ANCE.-The twenty-first meeting of the Commission
was
held at the Home Office, Whitehall, on March 12th, Sir Andrew Duncan in the chair. The National Federation of Rural Approved Societies, represented by Mr. W. Wood and Mr. W. Hyde, gave evidence on the position and experience Evidence of rural societies under the insurance scheme. relating to a particular society, the Scottish Rural Workers’ Society, was given by Mr. James Falconer and Mr. Wood. Thereafter Sir Norman Hill was examined on the working of the Seamen’s National Insurance Society. The Commission announce that proof copies of the oral evidence and the relative statements submitted at the meeting of Feb. 26th are now on sale at H.M. Stationery Office.
To the Editor
oj THE LANCET.
SIR,-I have great pleasure in forwarding you cheque as a small contribution to the Bateman Fmd. I trust you will be able to raise a large sum for this very deserving object. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, -,
Aberdeen, March 15th, 1925.
HEALTH I
JOHN H. STEPHEN.
STATISTICS OF THE MERCANTILE MARINE. To the Editor
of THE LANCET. I StR,—It is hoped that the timely leading article upon this subject which appeared in THE LANCET of March 14th will arouse the conscience of the Board of Trade as to its duty towards the men of this fine
service. In this connexion I would ask your permission to direct attention to one aspect of the health problem of the sailor which profoundly affects the general community. It is that of venereal diseases. The Merchant Shipping Act of 1916 provided that the expense of the treatment of the sick sailor should be borne by the owners of the vessel upon which he was employed ; but it excluded from this benefit the seaman suffering from venereal disease and made no provision for him. While the Civil and the Service sections of the population have special V.D. schemes provided for them, the merchant seaman is practically neglected. From the nature of his occupation, the site of his labours, and the general conditions under which he exists, very special measures are required for dealing with him when he is suffering from venereal disease. At the present time there exists a large floating population of venereally infected mariners; these are sowing, and others are reaping, syphilis and gonorrhoea in every port in r have the highest admiration for the the world. merchant seaman, and I can claim an intimate knowledge of his life, his health, and his temptations owing to the fact of having at one "time served as an ordinary seaman on ocean-going tramps." It is a calling which is heavily infected with venereal disease-and indeed it is little wonder. The drinkshops and the harlots of " sailor-town " are always upon the look-out for the seaman with wages to spend. His arduous and cheerless life at sea, with its perils and its separation from home-life, make him, when
’,