- Email: [email protected]
A PLEA FOR MORE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF UTERINE APPENDAGES.
1327
given me the following extracts dealing with the part played by birds as destroyers of mosquitoes.
Beutenmuller, of the Museum of Natural History, New York, in his "Essay on the Destruction of the Mosquito and House Fly," and also in Lamborn’s " Dragon Flies v. Mosquitoes," 1890
(pp. 117-120),
says :Fish and Water Fowl.
consider, in the second place in natural remedies, the importance of fish and water fowl for the subjection of the mosquito. These instrumentalities I regard as of very considerable importance, and amongst natural remedies place them as the equivalents of and possibly of more interest than the dragon fly. For in this connexion it must be remembered that a method which attacks at its inception is more likely to lead to radical results than one applied later, after the scourge has reached considerable dimensions, and is not so readily grasped. If the larval stages of the mosquito can be reached effectively we have nipped the disorder, as it were, It is true that distinguished entomologists in the bud. state that the dragon-fly in its water life attacks and destroys the larvea of the mosquito, but I have no information on that point, though from the manner in which the larvse of the I
dragon-fly destroy each other it seems probable that their carnivorous propensities might lead them to attack the young of mosquitoes. Yet in this case I think the injury inflicted on mosquitoes would be slight, and the larger number would escape. But young and old fish, and also aquatic birds, will devour them in great numbers where they occur in large masses, and the cultivation of these denizens of our pools and lakes is, therefore, most advisable, as striking means for the diminishment of these pests. Mr. Ludwig Riederer, of New York, informs me that he has dissected a fish caught in a fresh water lake, and found in its stomach hundreds of mosquito larv2e and pupae. I said in the discussion of the problems that we might find it well to use some remedies, in some circumstances, that would preclude the use of others equally effective, while these latter would be again valuable under different conditions. Here is an illustration. Aquatic birds can be adopted for the purpose of destroying mosquito larvse in ponds, rain-pools, &c., near houses, and in ponds in well-cleared fields, rolling and cultivated land, where there is no extent of wood, and management of the fowl can be made simple and their breeding profitable ; and fish can be introduced in our public lakes. In these different provinces the different agents of this compound remedy will effect beneficial changes. It has been observed by myself how infrequent the larvse are in the Central Park (New York City) lakes, and that their absence is due to the industry of the fresh water fowl, though there is another suggested cause which I will mention in a succeeding section. The obvious dissatisfaction over these remedies is their probable insufficiency ; but as helpful and useful in the absence of more perfect means there is in my mind no doubt.
of these birds brought about the deterioration of the air, and hence insalubrity in the region. Two reasons were put forward in support of the contention. In the first place it was pointed out that swallows feed on the small flying insects which are so troublesome and hurtful to man and animals during the hot season, and secondly that by their frequent and rapid flight they produce a constant movement of the air which rarefies and purifies it. The petition was strongly endorsed by Dr. Giampietro Picconi, the local physician, who stated that the destruction of insects by the swallows would not only prevent annoyance but remove a cause of sickness. In his report to the S. Consulta on this Supplication Dr. Domenico Morichini admits that swallows do feed on those insects which multiply exceedingly during summer time, especially in low marshy places. He quotes the great Italian naturalist, Spallanzani, who recommended the protection of these birds on account of their destruction of mosquitoes and other troublesome insects. He also believes that their flight may cause a useful ventilation and prevent those reactions of the atmospheric elements which are known to give rise to febrile miasmata. He states that for this very purpose the Trappensi monks of Casamari and Fossanuova always keep large quantities of pigeons to continually renovate and improve the unhealthy air of the malarious places they inhabit, and that they have obtained from the Popes the right to threaten excommunication and five years of imprisonment in irons to anyone who dared to kill their pigeons.
Doubtless many other instances could be cited but those given will serve to illustrate the subject to which you have drawn attention. I am,
Sir, yours faithfully, ANDREW BALFOUR
Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research, Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square, W., Nov. 23rd, 1914.
FOR MORE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF UTERINE APPENDAGES.
A PLEA
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SIR,-Mr. E. P. Furber, in a letter in your issue of Nov. 28th, has raised an important question, and one which shows, if demonstration be needed, that a sound pathological knowledge is one of the essential accomplishments of what may be called the " compleatsurgeon. The whole question of treatment in the case recorded should have depended on the nature of the infecting organism and the character of the lesions which it is known to produce. The organism was found to be a streptococcus. The use of birds for dealing with the imagines Mr. Furber’s diagnosis of the lesion produced, and has also been advocated. Thus Weeks, writing in I presume that of the other surgeons who saw the case-" pyosalpingo-oophoritis "-could not have 1890 in Lamborn’s book (loc. cit.), says :No woman who has had double pyoInstead of devising methods to artificially breed dispro- been correct. (tubal abscesses) has ever resalpingo-oophoritis numbers of insectivorous is it not insects, why portionate covered and borne children, at least without much more advisable to foster and preserve with little expense the means which we have at hand ?2 I refer to the various species of insectivorous birds, which used to remain with us throughout the year, with the exception of two or three of the colder months, the most short-lived of which would be more effective in the destruction of noxious insects than 10,000 dragon flies.
operation. However, the point of the case is that the patient was infected by streptococci, and if in these circumstances there be salpingitis without the formation of pyosalpinges a perfect functional result may
ensue.
I emphasised this point in my "Principles of In this connexion Dr. Sambon has been good enough to furnish me with an historical allusion Gynaecology"(1910), where I made the following which is very interesting and remarkable, and once statement on p. 269: "It must not be forgotten, streptococcal more goes to prove the truth of the old saying that however, that staphylococcal and infections do not destroy the mucous surfaces of there is nothing new under the sun. Over a hundred years ago (exact date uncertain, but some- the tubes in the way that gonococcal infections do ; where between 1790 and 1812) a Supplication was presented consequently complete functional recovery may to the Sacred Tribunal in Rome by the Commune of occur after puerperal infection." I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Marsciano, Umbria, asking for a papal decree prohibiting the ’
killing of nesting swallows
for food because the destruction
_
.
_
-.
,
<<
TIT
W. BLAIR TI.............. BELL. J.TT"’Io.
r
given me the following extracts dealing with the part played by birds as destroyers of mosquitoes.
Beutenmuller, of the Museum of Natural History, New York, in his "Essay on the Destruction of the Mosquito and House Fly," and also in Lamborn’s " Dragon Flies v. Mosquitoes," 1890
(pp. 117-120),
says :Fish and Water Fowl.
consider, in the second place in natural remedies, the importance of fish and water fowl for the subjection of the mosquito. These instrumentalities I regard as of very considerable importance, and amongst natural remedies place them as the equivalents of and possibly of more interest than the dragon fly. For in this connexion it must be remembered that a method which attacks at its inception is more likely to lead to radical results than one applied later, after the scourge has reached considerable dimensions, and is not so readily grasped. If the larval stages of the mosquito can be reached effectively we have nipped the disorder, as it were, It is true that distinguished entomologists in the bud. state that the dragon-fly in its water life attacks and destroys the larvea of the mosquito, but I have no information on that point, though from the manner in which the larvse of the I
dragon-fly destroy each other it seems probable that their carnivorous propensities might lead them to attack the young of mosquitoes. Yet in this case I think the injury inflicted on mosquitoes would be slight, and the larger number would escape. But young and old fish, and also aquatic birds, will devour them in great numbers where they occur in large masses, and the cultivation of these denizens of our pools and lakes is, therefore, most advisable, as striking means for the diminishment of these pests. Mr. Ludwig Riederer, of New York, informs me that he has dissected a fish caught in a fresh water lake, and found in its stomach hundreds of mosquito larv2e and pupae. I said in the discussion of the problems that we might find it well to use some remedies, in some circumstances, that would preclude the use of others equally effective, while these latter would be again valuable under different conditions. Here is an illustration. Aquatic birds can be adopted for the purpose of destroying mosquito larvse in ponds, rain-pools, &c., near houses, and in ponds in well-cleared fields, rolling and cultivated land, where there is no extent of wood, and management of the fowl can be made simple and their breeding profitable ; and fish can be introduced in our public lakes. In these different provinces the different agents of this compound remedy will effect beneficial changes. It has been observed by myself how infrequent the larvse are in the Central Park (New York City) lakes, and that their absence is due to the industry of the fresh water fowl, though there is another suggested cause which I will mention in a succeeding section. The obvious dissatisfaction over these remedies is their probable insufficiency ; but as helpful and useful in the absence of more perfect means there is in my mind no doubt.
of these birds brought about the deterioration of the air, and hence insalubrity in the region. Two reasons were put forward in support of the contention. In the first place it was pointed out that swallows feed on the small flying insects which are so troublesome and hurtful to man and animals during the hot season, and secondly that by their frequent and rapid flight they produce a constant movement of the air which rarefies and purifies it. The petition was strongly endorsed by Dr. Giampietro Picconi, the local physician, who stated that the destruction of insects by the swallows would not only prevent annoyance but remove a cause of sickness. In his report to the S. Consulta on this Supplication Dr. Domenico Morichini admits that swallows do feed on those insects which multiply exceedingly during summer time, especially in low marshy places. He quotes the great Italian naturalist, Spallanzani, who recommended the protection of these birds on account of their destruction of mosquitoes and other troublesome insects. He also believes that their flight may cause a useful ventilation and prevent those reactions of the atmospheric elements which are known to give rise to febrile miasmata. He states that for this very purpose the Trappensi monks of Casamari and Fossanuova always keep large quantities of pigeons to continually renovate and improve the unhealthy air of the malarious places they inhabit, and that they have obtained from the Popes the right to threaten excommunication and five years of imprisonment in irons to anyone who dared to kill their pigeons.
Doubtless many other instances could be cited but those given will serve to illustrate the subject to which you have drawn attention. I am,
Sir, yours faithfully, ANDREW BALFOUR
Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research, Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square, W., Nov. 23rd, 1914.
FOR MORE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF UTERINE APPENDAGES.
A PLEA
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SIR,-Mr. E. P. Furber, in a letter in your issue of Nov. 28th, has raised an important question, and one which shows, if demonstration be needed, that a sound pathological knowledge is one of the essential accomplishments of what may be called the " compleatsurgeon. The whole question of treatment in the case recorded should have depended on the nature of the infecting organism and the character of the lesions which it is known to produce. The organism was found to be a streptococcus. The use of birds for dealing with the imagines Mr. Furber’s diagnosis of the lesion produced, and has also been advocated. Thus Weeks, writing in I presume that of the other surgeons who saw the case-" pyosalpingo-oophoritis "-could not have 1890 in Lamborn’s book (loc. cit.), says :No woman who has had double pyoInstead of devising methods to artificially breed dispro- been correct. (tubal abscesses) has ever resalpingo-oophoritis numbers of insectivorous is it not insects, why portionate covered and borne children, at least without much more advisable to foster and preserve with little expense the means which we have at hand ?2 I refer to the various species of insectivorous birds, which used to remain with us throughout the year, with the exception of two or three of the colder months, the most short-lived of which would be more effective in the destruction of noxious insects than 10,000 dragon flies.
operation. However, the point of the case is that the patient was infected by streptococci, and if in these circumstances there be salpingitis without the formation of pyosalpinges a perfect functional result may
ensue.
I emphasised this point in my "Principles of In this connexion Dr. Sambon has been good enough to furnish me with an historical allusion Gynaecology"(1910), where I made the following which is very interesting and remarkable, and once statement on p. 269: "It must not be forgotten, streptococcal more goes to prove the truth of the old saying that however, that staphylococcal and infections do not destroy the mucous surfaces of there is nothing new under the sun. Over a hundred years ago (exact date uncertain, but some- the tubes in the way that gonococcal infections do ; where between 1790 and 1812) a Supplication was presented consequently complete functional recovery may to the Sacred Tribunal in Rome by the Commune of occur after puerperal infection." I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Marsciano, Umbria, asking for a papal decree prohibiting the ’
killing of nesting swallows
for food because the destruction
_
.
_
-.
,
<<
TIT
W. BLAIR TI.............. BELL. J.TT"’Io.
r