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THE PROBLEM OF SLUM AREAS.
1031
intervals
The cause of sexual incompatibility. He goes still excellent subject for this investigation. 165 killed of at further. To him his material animals, suggests that a large genital apparatus after insemination varying from 18 hours to 42 days, amount of the prenatal death which occurs in the usual period of gestation, yielded a considerable mammals is normal, that it is not dependent amount of material for detailed microscopical upon disease of the parents, detrimental environexamination, the results of which have been ment, insufficient nutrition, or disease of the tabulated by Professor ROBINSON. gametes, but is in a sense a side issue of the The prenatal death-rate of the extruded ova process which gives rise to the variations which works out at 24’16 per cent., but since the animals appear so universally in all mammals and probably in all living beings. were killed at various periods of gestation, and not at Again, if prenatal death is the end, the figure is not comparable with the horse admitted to be constant and normal, Professor figures. Professor ROBINSON suggests that some of ROBINSON points out the obvious corollary that in the ova and zygotes which appeared normal in the some animals abortion also must be normal. In first week or two of gestation would doubtless mammals which produce multiple young at birth, have shown signs of degeneration had the killing any dead zygotes are removed by absorption in all of the mothers been delayed. These and other con- but the very latest stage, for obvious reasons. In siderations lead Professor ROBINSON to place the animals which produce only one young after a normal prenatal death-rate at not more than long gestation period abortion immediately follow39 per cent. ; but, as he says, the exact percentage ing death of the zygote, is an economical and is unimportant. His main point is that in ferrets, necessary arrangement, as the uterine mucosa as in horses, the prenatal death-rate in healthy quickly regains a condition favourable to a new animals in a normal environment is high and gestation. Thus the changes in the decidua usually variable. In general support of the contention that regarded as degenerative, and as the possible cause this is probably true for other animals he adduces of the death of the zygote may be the result the observations of J. P. HILL on marsupials, thereof, and should in this case be regarded as of J. HAMMOND on swine, and of C. R. STOCKARD regressive changes adapted to bring about as and G. N. PAPANICOLAOU on guinea-pigs, though he soon as possible a normal pro oestral condition of the uterine mucosa. If Professor ROBINSON is right admits that the evidence is not conclusive. Professor ROBINSON makes other interesting that a considerable number of abortions are not deductions, positive and negative, from his material. only normal but necessary, and adapted to prevent From breeding experiments alone, unless carried diminution of the birth-rate, his further contention out on a very extensive scale, he considers that it that the condition of the uterine mucosa associated would not be possible to say that any stallion, or with them is not degenerative or diseased and that probably any other male animal, was impotent. treatment directed thereto is unnecessary, if not One thoroughbred stallion was infertile with 51 detrimental, is justified. The discussion on out of 52 mares with which he was mated, a second sterility, its causation and treatment, reported with 93 out of 103 mares, and one Clydesdale in our present issue, would certainly appear stallion with 96 out of 104 mares. The horse data to show that the practical clinical experience give no help as to where, when, and how death of obstetricians at least does not conflict with takes place, but the evidence offered by the ferrets his experimental findings. appears again to be confirmed by the work of HAMMOND on swine and rabbits, G. W. CORNER on swine, HILL on marsupials, and A. W. MEYER on THE PROBLEM OF SLUM AREAS. intra-uterine absorption of which show ova, THE slum area of Brady-street, Bethnal Green, was that the cause of prenatal death cannot in the subject of a recent question in the House of some cases be attributed to uterine disease. Commons. The Minister of Health was asked whether Professor ROBINSON finds that in ferrets extruded the London County Council had presented to his the peritoneal cavity, into which Department a plan for dealing with the area, whether ova die in they have escaped; in the periovarial sac, the plan had been approved or rejected, and when the from which they have failed to escape into the Council had been informed of the decision. Sir ALFRED oviduct; in the oviducts; and in the uterine MOND replied to the effect that a local inquiry was held June, 1920, into the scheme proposed by the London cornua. They die when still ova, either lost in the in it was then found that adoption of the County peritoneal cavity or because they fail to unite with scheme Council; involved a number of legal and administrative the spermatozoa present. As zygotes they die in questions, of which settlement was necessary before the morula and in the blastula stage, after attach- a decision could be given upon the case in quesment to the decidua and after differentiation into tion. Action upon the scheme would in any case embryo and appendages. The majority of the have to be deferred until further progress was made extruded ova become zygotes, and of these the with provision of new houses. The numerous complicaunder existing conditions, upon any majority which die in the prenatal period die tions attendant, after they have become attached to the decidua. conveyancing of densely-populated property must How they die is more difficult to decide, but it inevitably tend to hamper the advancement of health in this country; and it is made plain in is always apparently by an alteration of their public the answer of the Minister of Health that even when structure, ending in disintegration. " The death is slums have been acquired by local authorities for not due to inflammation or to micro-organismal purposes of destruction, shortage of new houses still attack, but apparently simply to an incapability to bars the way to demolition of property unfit for live and develop properly under conditions which habitation. It may be true, as some would have us are quite favourable to immediately adjacent believe, that the slum-bred tenant speedily reduces
an
-
any house he occupies to the level of his own personal squalor; but if any progress is to occur After discussing and dismissing other possible this fact constitutes no argument against the making Professor that the ROBINSON concludes factors, of a steady effort to supply dwellings built and cause of prenatal death is the constitution of the drained and lighted in such a way that the slum gametes and zygotes, and further, that it is a tenant may have at least the opportunity to prove structural peculiarity of the gametes which is the the statement false.
zygotes."
intervals
The cause of sexual incompatibility. He goes still excellent subject for this investigation. 165 killed of at further. To him his material animals, suggests that a large genital apparatus after insemination varying from 18 hours to 42 days, amount of the prenatal death which occurs in the usual period of gestation, yielded a considerable mammals is normal, that it is not dependent amount of material for detailed microscopical upon disease of the parents, detrimental environexamination, the results of which have been ment, insufficient nutrition, or disease of the tabulated by Professor ROBINSON. gametes, but is in a sense a side issue of the The prenatal death-rate of the extruded ova process which gives rise to the variations which works out at 24’16 per cent., but since the animals appear so universally in all mammals and probably in all living beings. were killed at various periods of gestation, and not at Again, if prenatal death is the end, the figure is not comparable with the horse admitted to be constant and normal, Professor figures. Professor ROBINSON suggests that some of ROBINSON points out the obvious corollary that in the ova and zygotes which appeared normal in the some animals abortion also must be normal. In first week or two of gestation would doubtless mammals which produce multiple young at birth, have shown signs of degeneration had the killing any dead zygotes are removed by absorption in all of the mothers been delayed. These and other con- but the very latest stage, for obvious reasons. In siderations lead Professor ROBINSON to place the animals which produce only one young after a normal prenatal death-rate at not more than long gestation period abortion immediately follow39 per cent. ; but, as he says, the exact percentage ing death of the zygote, is an economical and is unimportant. His main point is that in ferrets, necessary arrangement, as the uterine mucosa as in horses, the prenatal death-rate in healthy quickly regains a condition favourable to a new animals in a normal environment is high and gestation. Thus the changes in the decidua usually variable. In general support of the contention that regarded as degenerative, and as the possible cause this is probably true for other animals he adduces of the death of the zygote may be the result the observations of J. P. HILL on marsupials, thereof, and should in this case be regarded as of J. HAMMOND on swine, and of C. R. STOCKARD regressive changes adapted to bring about as and G. N. PAPANICOLAOU on guinea-pigs, though he soon as possible a normal pro oestral condition of the uterine mucosa. If Professor ROBINSON is right admits that the evidence is not conclusive. Professor ROBINSON makes other interesting that a considerable number of abortions are not deductions, positive and negative, from his material. only normal but necessary, and adapted to prevent From breeding experiments alone, unless carried diminution of the birth-rate, his further contention out on a very extensive scale, he considers that it that the condition of the uterine mucosa associated would not be possible to say that any stallion, or with them is not degenerative or diseased and that probably any other male animal, was impotent. treatment directed thereto is unnecessary, if not One thoroughbred stallion was infertile with 51 detrimental, is justified. The discussion on out of 52 mares with which he was mated, a second sterility, its causation and treatment, reported with 93 out of 103 mares, and one Clydesdale in our present issue, would certainly appear stallion with 96 out of 104 mares. The horse data to show that the practical clinical experience give no help as to where, when, and how death of obstetricians at least does not conflict with takes place, but the evidence offered by the ferrets his experimental findings. appears again to be confirmed by the work of HAMMOND on swine and rabbits, G. W. CORNER on swine, HILL on marsupials, and A. W. MEYER on THE PROBLEM OF SLUM AREAS. intra-uterine absorption of which show ova, THE slum area of Brady-street, Bethnal Green, was that the cause of prenatal death cannot in the subject of a recent question in the House of some cases be attributed to uterine disease. Commons. The Minister of Health was asked whether Professor ROBINSON finds that in ferrets extruded the London County Council had presented to his the peritoneal cavity, into which Department a plan for dealing with the area, whether ova die in they have escaped; in the periovarial sac, the plan had been approved or rejected, and when the from which they have failed to escape into the Council had been informed of the decision. Sir ALFRED oviduct; in the oviducts; and in the uterine MOND replied to the effect that a local inquiry was held June, 1920, into the scheme proposed by the London cornua. They die when still ova, either lost in the in it was then found that adoption of the County peritoneal cavity or because they fail to unite with scheme Council; involved a number of legal and administrative the spermatozoa present. As zygotes they die in questions, of which settlement was necessary before the morula and in the blastula stage, after attach- a decision could be given upon the case in quesment to the decidua and after differentiation into tion. Action upon the scheme would in any case embryo and appendages. The majority of the have to be deferred until further progress was made extruded ova become zygotes, and of these the with provision of new houses. The numerous complicaunder existing conditions, upon any majority which die in the prenatal period die tions attendant, after they have become attached to the decidua. conveyancing of densely-populated property must How they die is more difficult to decide, but it inevitably tend to hamper the advancement of health in this country; and it is made plain in is always apparently by an alteration of their public the answer of the Minister of Health that even when structure, ending in disintegration. " The death is slums have been acquired by local authorities for not due to inflammation or to micro-organismal purposes of destruction, shortage of new houses still attack, but apparently simply to an incapability to bars the way to demolition of property unfit for live and develop properly under conditions which habitation. It may be true, as some would have us are quite favourable to immediately adjacent believe, that the slum-bred tenant speedily reduces
an
-
any house he occupies to the level of his own personal squalor; but if any progress is to occur After discussing and dismissing other possible this fact constitutes no argument against the making Professor that the ROBINSON concludes factors, of a steady effort to supply dwellings built and cause of prenatal death is the constitution of the drained and lighted in such a way that the slum gametes and zygotes, and further, that it is a tenant may have at least the opportunity to prove structural peculiarity of the gametes which is the the statement false.
zygotes."