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THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY.
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with carbohydrates is to be deprecated because it makes a slimy film over the teeth, preventing efficient chewing. These are only some of the
THE NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT: THE REDUCTION OF CAPITATION FEES.
THE proposed reduction of quarterly advanced which a study of the mechanical value offers. be of interest It would payments to practitioners on the panel formed a of certain foodstuffs diet of effect of prominent subject of discussion at a conference at the the follow to up possibilities Chesterfield a that reversion to recently, a strong point being made as It is the possible gums. upon lack to the of evidence to justify the scale of simpler fare or simpler cooking in certain directions reduction in in proposed. It was urged that this general improvement may be found to result amounted to over 40 per cent., whereas the estito effect the lower not its due health, upon only mates of the of the but also to its Approved Societies with regard tract, improvement alimentary to enlistment pointed to an average of 12 per condition of the gums. cent. withdrawn from insurance through military service. A resolution was moved and carried, " That THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY. this meeting of the Medical Alliance is of opinion that any deduction from the current accounts THE specific gravity of the fluids and tissues of of doctors, chemists, or institutions exceeding the body is one of the commonplaces of physio- 15 cent. is more than is warranted by the per logical data. The specific gravity of the body as a circumstances, and trusts that where it may be whole, important though it is in connexion with necessary the Commissioners will give instructions the power of the human body to float in water, is for deductions not to exceed 15 per cent." At a one which has received less attention, at any rate, of panel practitioners convened by the meeting in recent years. An interesting paper by Dr. C. D. Brighton members of the Panel Medico-Political Spivak, of Denver, dealing with this subject was Union the same subject was discussed, special published in a recent issue of the Archives of stress being laid upon the responsibility of inInternal Medicine. The earliest record of observa- surance committees for the present position of tions on the specific gravity of the human body doubt and to their failure to difficulty owing which Dr. Spivak has been able to discover is that institute and maintain correct lists. This is by John Robertson, librarian of the Royal Society, the point raised by Mr. C. W. Hogarth at the published in the Philosophical Transactions of 1814. meeting of the London Panel Committee and Mr. Robertson undertook his experiments from the commented upon in THE LANCET of May 8th, desire to know what quantity of timber would p. 982. Speaking at Brighton Dr. H. J. Cardale suffice to keep a man afloat in water, on the sup- said it was impossible that the whole of the proposition that most men were heavier than river posed reduction could be due to men joining the water. But his experiments showed that all the army, adding that the registers kept at the Insurmen he examined, except the first one, were ance Committees’ offices were probably to blame. In lighter than an equal bulk of fresh water. Dr. comment we would suggest that the framers of the Spivak has employed an ingeniously constructed Insurance Acts failed in their estimate of the tank with a gauge graduated in centimetres enormous amount of clerical work and official and millimetres to read off the level of the water verification which would be necessary if accurate within it. The individual to be examined enters of the panel system was to be obtained. working the tank, and the level of the water is read before Hence the present unsatisfactory situation arising and after the immersion. The gauge was carefully out of the same cause which brought into existence calibrated in regard to the level of the water within " unallotted funds." it; the weight of water displaced by the individual could thus be determined easily. Dr. Spivak has THE EFFECTS OF ANTIMONY. also employed his method to determine the weight of the different parts of the body, reading off the ANTIMONY is used as an alloy in a large number level when the individual is immersed to the knees, of articles, such as type, axles for machines, and to the arch of the pubic bone, and so on. In the cases of projectiles, and forms a constituent of case of a gain in weight he is therefore able to certain glazes. From time to time an outcry makes determine to what part of the body the gain has itself heard as to the perils run by the workers in Dr. Spivak has taken the volumetric such trades on a par with that against lead poisonaccrued. measurements of 14 individuals-namely, 4 adults, ing. Professor E. Bertarelli, of Parma University, 3 males and 1 female, and 10 boys. The ages has lately investigated the hygienic conditions of ranged from 53 years to 8 years, the weights from workers in antimony in the Italian mines (Il 79 to 26 kilogrammes, and the heights from 1’71 to Morgagni, March 22nd) and was unable to trace 1’35 metres. All the measurements were taken any special morbid condition, nor any particular or at 7 P.M. before the evening meal. The specific general form of poisoning amongst them. Although gravity of the entire body varied between 0’976 and the suspicion might arise that workers in the 1’049. The average specific gravity of the adults antimony mines would be specially subject to was 1’003 and of the boys 1’006, the average of all ansemia, yet investigation showed that it was the individuals examined being 1’005. The other impossible to assert that the metal had acted in observations on record are according to Dr. Spivak producing it. Neither among the workers in the either too low, such as those of Robertson, 0’8706 ; sulphide were any cases of anaemia found which Suelzer, 0’970 ; Herman, 0’920 ; or too high, such as would suggest that antimony had any specific action those of Krause, 1’055 ; Ziegelroth, 1’055 ; Miess, in this respect. The trade which a priori would 1’012; Meeh, 1’012. Dr. Spivak maintains that his be considered most fraught with danger is the tank being of smaller diameter than any of the manufacture of antimonial glazes, which involves ’vessels hitherto used, is designed to get more fine pulverisation of the metal or of its oxide or accurate results than those of his predecessors. sulphide, as there is great probability of absorption The difficulty introduced by the amount of air in by the skin or buccal mucous membrane. The the lungs is discussed by Dr. Spivak, together with author, however, found nothing among the workers the means of overcoming it. in such a factory at Leghorn which would lead him
suggestions
,
____
with carbohydrates is to be deprecated because it makes a slimy film over the teeth, preventing efficient chewing. These are only some of the
THE NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT: THE REDUCTION OF CAPITATION FEES.
THE proposed reduction of quarterly advanced which a study of the mechanical value offers. be of interest It would payments to practitioners on the panel formed a of certain foodstuffs diet of effect of prominent subject of discussion at a conference at the the follow to up possibilities Chesterfield a that reversion to recently, a strong point being made as It is the possible gums. upon lack to the of evidence to justify the scale of simpler fare or simpler cooking in certain directions reduction in in proposed. It was urged that this general improvement may be found to result amounted to over 40 per cent., whereas the estito effect the lower not its due health, upon only mates of the of the but also to its Approved Societies with regard tract, improvement alimentary to enlistment pointed to an average of 12 per condition of the gums. cent. withdrawn from insurance through military service. A resolution was moved and carried, " That THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY. this meeting of the Medical Alliance is of opinion that any deduction from the current accounts THE specific gravity of the fluids and tissues of of doctors, chemists, or institutions exceeding the body is one of the commonplaces of physio- 15 cent. is more than is warranted by the per logical data. The specific gravity of the body as a circumstances, and trusts that where it may be whole, important though it is in connexion with necessary the Commissioners will give instructions the power of the human body to float in water, is for deductions not to exceed 15 per cent." At a one which has received less attention, at any rate, of panel practitioners convened by the meeting in recent years. An interesting paper by Dr. C. D. Brighton members of the Panel Medico-Political Spivak, of Denver, dealing with this subject was Union the same subject was discussed, special published in a recent issue of the Archives of stress being laid upon the responsibility of inInternal Medicine. The earliest record of observa- surance committees for the present position of tions on the specific gravity of the human body doubt and to their failure to difficulty owing which Dr. Spivak has been able to discover is that institute and maintain correct lists. This is by John Robertson, librarian of the Royal Society, the point raised by Mr. C. W. Hogarth at the published in the Philosophical Transactions of 1814. meeting of the London Panel Committee and Mr. Robertson undertook his experiments from the commented upon in THE LANCET of May 8th, desire to know what quantity of timber would p. 982. Speaking at Brighton Dr. H. J. Cardale suffice to keep a man afloat in water, on the sup- said it was impossible that the whole of the proposition that most men were heavier than river posed reduction could be due to men joining the water. But his experiments showed that all the army, adding that the registers kept at the Insurmen he examined, except the first one, were ance Committees’ offices were probably to blame. In lighter than an equal bulk of fresh water. Dr. comment we would suggest that the framers of the Spivak has employed an ingeniously constructed Insurance Acts failed in their estimate of the tank with a gauge graduated in centimetres enormous amount of clerical work and official and millimetres to read off the level of the water verification which would be necessary if accurate within it. The individual to be examined enters of the panel system was to be obtained. working the tank, and the level of the water is read before Hence the present unsatisfactory situation arising and after the immersion. The gauge was carefully out of the same cause which brought into existence calibrated in regard to the level of the water within " unallotted funds." it; the weight of water displaced by the individual could thus be determined easily. Dr. Spivak has THE EFFECTS OF ANTIMONY. also employed his method to determine the weight of the different parts of the body, reading off the ANTIMONY is used as an alloy in a large number level when the individual is immersed to the knees, of articles, such as type, axles for machines, and to the arch of the pubic bone, and so on. In the cases of projectiles, and forms a constituent of case of a gain in weight he is therefore able to certain glazes. From time to time an outcry makes determine to what part of the body the gain has itself heard as to the perils run by the workers in Dr. Spivak has taken the volumetric such trades on a par with that against lead poisonaccrued. measurements of 14 individuals-namely, 4 adults, ing. Professor E. Bertarelli, of Parma University, 3 males and 1 female, and 10 boys. The ages has lately investigated the hygienic conditions of ranged from 53 years to 8 years, the weights from workers in antimony in the Italian mines (Il 79 to 26 kilogrammes, and the heights from 1’71 to Morgagni, March 22nd) and was unable to trace 1’35 metres. All the measurements were taken any special morbid condition, nor any particular or at 7 P.M. before the evening meal. The specific general form of poisoning amongst them. Although gravity of the entire body varied between 0’976 and the suspicion might arise that workers in the 1’049. The average specific gravity of the adults antimony mines would be specially subject to was 1’003 and of the boys 1’006, the average of all ansemia, yet investigation showed that it was the individuals examined being 1’005. The other impossible to assert that the metal had acted in observations on record are according to Dr. Spivak producing it. Neither among the workers in the either too low, such as those of Robertson, 0’8706 ; sulphide were any cases of anaemia found which Suelzer, 0’970 ; Herman, 0’920 ; or too high, such as would suggest that antimony had any specific action those of Krause, 1’055 ; Ziegelroth, 1’055 ; Miess, in this respect. The trade which a priori would 1’012; Meeh, 1’012. Dr. Spivak maintains that his be considered most fraught with danger is the tank being of smaller diameter than any of the manufacture of antimonial glazes, which involves ’vessels hitherto used, is designed to get more fine pulverisation of the metal or of its oxide or accurate results than those of his predecessors. sulphide, as there is great probability of absorption The difficulty introduced by the amount of air in by the skin or buccal mucous membrane. The the lungs is discussed by Dr. Spivak, together with author, however, found nothing among the workers the means of overcoming it. in such a factory at Leghorn which would lead him
suggestions
,
____