A SEVERE CASE OF MULTIPLE NEURITIS.

1361 is ultimately proved there can be no doubt that opportunities, and therefore are not, when they give the of fresh antitoxin will be frequently and urgently results of their experience to the world in a book, depriving needed ; and, considering the rapidity of the disease and the a fellow creature of the chance of doing the same. No one desirability of early treatment, it is a disagreeable and even without the unique opportunity can write the book. In the very painful reflection that valuable time may be lost while second place, such literary work will often be the recreation the powder supplied is being sent back to be exchanged for of men engaged during the day in the round of official the liquid. This delay has already arisen in one case, and routine, and not the strictest of trades unions as yet procertainly ought never to occur again. If the two terms must poses to exercise control over the play-time of its members. exist side by side the only safeguard appears to lie in the In the third place, by as much as such public officials have adoption of the somewhat cumbrous names "diphtheritic incomparable material at their disposal, by so much does the antitoxin " and "antipyretic antitoxine," but we still hope world at large lose if the body that employs them prevents that the substance which has so widely excited interest will them from disseminating their knowledge. b& allowed to retain the name under which it is so well known; while "antitoxine," which seems to have been MEDICAL COÖPERATIVE STORES IN BERLIN. - dormant since the registration of the name in the United SOME time ago a medical cooperative society was estabStates in October, 1892, may yet prove its value on its own lished in Berlin for German medical men, and this, it seems, merits under a new title. This hope is not expressed without has recently excited the ire of a certain " Association for the a full sense that the earlier proprietor of the title may feel Protection of Commerce and Industry," which has retaliated very little inclined to give it up ; and what is the exact publishing a threatening letter as an advertisement in the justice of the case as far as he is concerned is a little difficult by Elberfeld local journals. The document is addressed "To to see. Medical Men," and says: We have learned that stores have been established in Berlin for the use of German doctors, a LOCAL TAXATION RETURNS AND PAUPER proceeding which makes a fresh development in the cooperaLUNATIC ASYLUMS. tive societies scandal. The 500 members of orr association THE abstract of the accounts of visiting committees of beg to inform you that they will no longer employ any pauper lunatic asylums (other than those belonging to doctor who belongs to the Medical Cooperative Society." the county and city of London) for the year ended March 31st, 1893, gives the financial tables in three parts. A SEVERE CASE OF MULTIPLE NEURITIS. Part I. deals with maintenance accounts, Part II. with buildIN a recent number of the Neqtrologise7zes Centralblatt there ing and repair fund accounts, and Part III. with farming and an abstract of an interesting case published by inappeared doubt these tables contain much accounts. No garden Professor Leyden in the Ber7iner Kliniscke n-ockensaMift. formation with respect to the receipts and expenditure of The was a woman twenty-seven years of age, who had patient but the various county and borough asylums individually; it is impossible to make any comparative estimate of the cost been ill since the commencement of 1892. She came under of the different asylums by studying the abstract. Its useful- observation in May, 1893, and at that time was in a most helpless condition. She was unable to move her extremities, and ness for purposes of reference or comparison would be very Her memory was enhanced the addition of two columns-one could not raise herself or sit upright. by greatly much impaired, and she was low-spirited and emotional. the of the or another and population county borough giving giving the average daily number of inmates during the year The extensor groups of muscles were much wasted, the kneeof the asylum in each case. If this slight and easily jerks were absent, and conduction of painful impressions obtainable addition were made the return would become both was delayed. The patient was much wasted. No distinct useful and interesting to anyone who might take it up for cause could be found to account for the condition, an3. Professor Leyden regarded the case as probably one of rheu,perusal or study. On account of the extremely matic multiple neuritis. severe character of the disease the prognosis was some" ONE MAN, ONE JOB." what doubtful, but energetic treatment by means of gymTHE London County Council has, we are informed, innastic exercises, electricity, and strychnia injections was in structed its General Purposes Committee to prepare a the course of ten months effective in completely restoring standing order prohibiting every officer of the Council- the patient to health and activity. from the highest to the lowest-from engaging in any outside work whatever. The Council, in fact, seeks to lay down in a FEVER AT NEWPORT. stringent and sweeping manner the principle of I I one man, of THE council town one job." It is no province of ours to inquire into the sonndNewport have, as the result of a ness of this principle, or even to point out that however lengthened discussion, decided to proceed with works conthoroughly it may possibly hold good in the mechanical nected with the sewer outfall which will prevent the damming employments at low wages it need not necessarily hold up of the sewage in the town sewers at every tide, and thus good in higher and less obvious walks of life ; but give a chance to the existing system of sewer ventilation to surely the new standing order will, if it comes into act without causing that nuisance which has been complained force, have one result that the Council has not anti- of. But in one division which was taken the execution cipated, or, at any rate, has not understood : it will of the necessary works was only carried by the casting vote prove a direct deterrent to science, for it will prevent a of the chairman, and it is evident that there is as yet no large body of men from doing excellent literary work. In unanimity as regards this question, which has already been under debate for a number of years. our opinion this is so serious that we cannot refrain from We have already expressing a hope that the new standing order may be found indicated that the epidemic has extended beyond the area to contain special words of exemption meeting this con- of any influence of the Newport sewers, and this under circumtingency. For from every point of view-public, private, stances that make it clear that some of those attacked could logical, and sentimental-to prevent their officers fromnot have been exposed in any way to the sewer emanations. occupying their leisure time in literature because such This fact adds materially to the suspicion which attaches writing would be"outside" work must be wrong. In theto the Newport water-supply, which is derived from first place, the maxim "one man, one job" does not apply chalk wells in Carisbrook, a place that still pours its most there, for the officers of large public bodies enjoy uniquei ofeensive excreta and refuse into cesspools sunk into


____

-

TYPHOID

’