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A VISIT TO KOLTUSHI
970 Since
commenced using megimide we have treated Two are noteworthy. In the first the patient had taken gr. 100 of phenobarbitone and treatment was not started until thirty-six hours later. This was a difficult case, and ten treatments were given before the patient recovered. In the second case gr. 114 of quinalbarbitone was consumed, but the patient was treated within three hours. An uneventful recovery ensued with
fifty
we
cases.
treatment. Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
one
F. II. SHAW.
A VISIT TO KOLTUSHI
SIR,—Mr. Ruscoe Clarke and Dr. Leonard Crome (April 2) write that the objective of study at Koltushi
"
understanding of the functioning of the organism in its unity with the environment." They state that among the " general principles " used at Koltushi one was expressed in the statement : " Descartes knew that determine the environmental factors already of the means of reflexes." In functioning organism by their conclusion, they state that they " had no more than a glimpse of the new science." They ask " was it a glimpse into the future ? We are entitled to ask whether a science based on the study of the " conditioned reflex " is so new. Is it a study likely to provide the kind of future we should all desire should come about ? In his introduction to The Use of the Self by F. Matthias Alexander, the late John Dewey wrote in 1932 : was an
"
’
"
The school of Pavloff has made current the idea of the conditioned reflex. Mr. Alexander’s work extends and It proves that there are certain basic, corrects the idea. central organic habits and attitudes which condition every act we perform, every use we make of ourselves.... This discovery corrects the ordinary conception of the conditioned reflex. The latter as usually understood renders an individual a passive puppet to be played upon by external manipulations. The discovery of a central control which conditions all other reactions brings the conditioning factor under conscious direction and enables the individual through his own co6r(iinated activities to take possession of his own potentialities. It converts the fact of conditioned reflexes from a principle of external enslavement into a means of vital freedom.’’ a
Mr. Alexander enables a person to provide for his use self acting as a unity with its environment by the
following procedure : The person inhibits his habitual reaction to a stimulus. Thus he allows the head to go forward and up. This sets in motion an innate reflex whereby the self as a whole instead of firstly directly reacting to its environment indirectly firstly acts as a whole outwards on the environment in all directions in the greatest possible degree. Thereby the integrative action of the central nervous system is given freedom to work at its best. Thereby the person is provided with a unified whole self he may use for reacting to his environment with kinæsthetic information about his guidance of his actions working in the best way. MUNGO DOUGLAS. Boiton. Lancs.
ARGININE DEFICIENCY AND MALIGNANT DISEASE noticed an abstract of a paper by D. L. SIR,—I the excretion of uracil in 3 out of Horriganreporting 5 patients suffering from myeloid leukaemia. It occurred to me that there might be a possible connection between this observation and the iindingthat the growth inhibition of a micro-organism by uracil was prevented by arginine. It may be that uracil encourages malignant change by suppressing the growth of normal cells rendered arginine-deficient by the invading neoplasm, which then grows at their expense. The simplest test of this hypothesis would be the administration of arginine in cases of experimental or human cancer. 1. J. clin. Invest. 1954, 33, 901. 2. Nature, Land. 1950, 166, 1035.
As
a
the
I am not equipped to make such of your readers may care to consider
microbiologist
tests, but
some
possibility.
E. J. MILLER.
Banstead. Surrey.
REGISTRARS AND REGISTRARS SIR,—I am a little surprised to read in your issue of April 23 so embittered and venomous an epistle as that
signed by Registrar (W plus). The writer’s ignorance of military ranks seems equalled by his lack of knowledge of teaching hospitals. If by any chance he is likely to become a failed registrar he may perhaps be able to "
take shelter under London, S.E.1.
"
the Strachan umbrella. J. J. CONYBEARE.
SIR,—Registrar (W plus) has raised a subject of keen One point which requires interest to all registrars. further stress in the inequality ef duties is the fact that thesame difference in the amount of work done by registrars also exists in the teaching, but non-professorial, units. There are many registrars (W plus) working in teaching hospitals-not only in peripheral hospitals, as your correspondent suggests. The group he describes as regis. trars (T) undoubtedly exists in professorial units. They add little or nothing to the every day (and night) running of a hospital service, but they use the time and facilities to acquire further qualifications, and write numerous papers. On these achievements they are often elevated to consultant status in preference to registrars (W plus) with a wealth of practical and useful clinical knowledge and experience. Of course, many of these experimental studies are of considerable value ; but it is unfair, with the ever increas. ing expense of the National Health Service, that an expanding number of hospital staff should be secluded in this type of work, whilst others of equivalent status a 24-hour hospital service. Clearly the proper time for writing theses for higher degrees and publishing articles is when one has sufficient knowledge and experience to write with authority on the subject of one’s choice. At the moment many higher degrees are obtained by men working in a laboratory on a subject chosen and supervised all through by their chiefs, who finally examine them. Unfortunately in the keen competition for obtaining a consultant post, higher degrees all count; but in reality are these higher degrees of any real clinical value?I doubt it ! REGISTRAR (W).2
provide
PROTECTING THE MOTORIST SIR,—There can be no doubt that in the near future motorists will be more willing to use safety devices against motor-car accidents. Crowding on the roads plus a high proportion of fast cars will ensure this. Most car accidents are preceded by a second or two of warning. During this period the natural reaction and behaviour of most passengers can be imagined without
description. May I propose
the following emergency drill for for consideration by those who have opportunity for experimental examination of the idea, or who have clinical experience of the type of injury in question ?This drill is specifically designed to avoid injuries to the head and face when passengers are fttung forwards against the windscreeil. The feet are raised and pressed against the dashboard or against the back of the front seat in the case of rear passengers. The hands are cupped under the chin, the elbows being wedged in the groins. This would prevent whip-lash strain of the neck. If this method were to gain medical approval, it might be possible to include it in the Highway Code. I. I. H. H. J. J. BOURNE. Hornchurch, Essex.
passengers,
commenced using megimide we have treated Two are noteworthy. In the first the patient had taken gr. 100 of phenobarbitone and treatment was not started until thirty-six hours later. This was a difficult case, and ten treatments were given before the patient recovered. In the second case gr. 114 of quinalbarbitone was consumed, but the patient was treated within three hours. An uneventful recovery ensued with
fifty
we
cases.
treatment. Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
one
F. II. SHAW.
A VISIT TO KOLTUSHI
SIR,—Mr. Ruscoe Clarke and Dr. Leonard Crome (April 2) write that the objective of study at Koltushi
"
understanding of the functioning of the organism in its unity with the environment." They state that among the " general principles " used at Koltushi one was expressed in the statement : " Descartes knew that determine the environmental factors already of the means of reflexes." In functioning organism by their conclusion, they state that they " had no more than a glimpse of the new science." They ask " was it a glimpse into the future ? We are entitled to ask whether a science based on the study of the " conditioned reflex " is so new. Is it a study likely to provide the kind of future we should all desire should come about ? In his introduction to The Use of the Self by F. Matthias Alexander, the late John Dewey wrote in 1932 : was an
"
’
"
The school of Pavloff has made current the idea of the conditioned reflex. Mr. Alexander’s work extends and It proves that there are certain basic, corrects the idea. central organic habits and attitudes which condition every act we perform, every use we make of ourselves.... This discovery corrects the ordinary conception of the conditioned reflex. The latter as usually understood renders an individual a passive puppet to be played upon by external manipulations. The discovery of a central control which conditions all other reactions brings the conditioning factor under conscious direction and enables the individual through his own co6r(iinated activities to take possession of his own potentialities. It converts the fact of conditioned reflexes from a principle of external enslavement into a means of vital freedom.’’ a
Mr. Alexander enables a person to provide for his use self acting as a unity with its environment by the
following procedure : The person inhibits his habitual reaction to a stimulus. Thus he allows the head to go forward and up. This sets in motion an innate reflex whereby the self as a whole instead of firstly directly reacting to its environment indirectly firstly acts as a whole outwards on the environment in all directions in the greatest possible degree. Thereby the integrative action of the central nervous system is given freedom to work at its best. Thereby the person is provided with a unified whole self he may use for reacting to his environment with kinæsthetic information about his guidance of his actions working in the best way. MUNGO DOUGLAS. Boiton. Lancs.
ARGININE DEFICIENCY AND MALIGNANT DISEASE noticed an abstract of a paper by D. L. SIR,—I the excretion of uracil in 3 out of Horriganreporting 5 patients suffering from myeloid leukaemia. It occurred to me that there might be a possible connection between this observation and the iindingthat the growth inhibition of a micro-organism by uracil was prevented by arginine. It may be that uracil encourages malignant change by suppressing the growth of normal cells rendered arginine-deficient by the invading neoplasm, which then grows at their expense. The simplest test of this hypothesis would be the administration of arginine in cases of experimental or human cancer. 1. J. clin. Invest. 1954, 33, 901. 2. Nature, Land. 1950, 166, 1035.
As
a
the
I am not equipped to make such of your readers may care to consider
microbiologist
tests, but
some
possibility.
E. J. MILLER.
Banstead. Surrey.
REGISTRARS AND REGISTRARS SIR,—I am a little surprised to read in your issue of April 23 so embittered and venomous an epistle as that
signed by Registrar (W plus). The writer’s ignorance of military ranks seems equalled by his lack of knowledge of teaching hospitals. If by any chance he is likely to become a failed registrar he may perhaps be able to "
take shelter under London, S.E.1.
"
the Strachan umbrella. J. J. CONYBEARE.
SIR,—Registrar (W plus) has raised a subject of keen One point which requires interest to all registrars. further stress in the inequality ef duties is the fact that thesame difference in the amount of work done by registrars also exists in the teaching, but non-professorial, units. There are many registrars (W plus) working in teaching hospitals-not only in peripheral hospitals, as your correspondent suggests. The group he describes as regis. trars (T) undoubtedly exists in professorial units. They add little or nothing to the every day (and night) running of a hospital service, but they use the time and facilities to acquire further qualifications, and write numerous papers. On these achievements they are often elevated to consultant status in preference to registrars (W plus) with a wealth of practical and useful clinical knowledge and experience. Of course, many of these experimental studies are of considerable value ; but it is unfair, with the ever increas. ing expense of the National Health Service, that an expanding number of hospital staff should be secluded in this type of work, whilst others of equivalent status a 24-hour hospital service. Clearly the proper time for writing theses for higher degrees and publishing articles is when one has sufficient knowledge and experience to write with authority on the subject of one’s choice. At the moment many higher degrees are obtained by men working in a laboratory on a subject chosen and supervised all through by their chiefs, who finally examine them. Unfortunately in the keen competition for obtaining a consultant post, higher degrees all count; but in reality are these higher degrees of any real clinical value?I doubt it ! REGISTRAR (W).2
provide
PROTECTING THE MOTORIST SIR,—There can be no doubt that in the near future motorists will be more willing to use safety devices against motor-car accidents. Crowding on the roads plus a high proportion of fast cars will ensure this. Most car accidents are preceded by a second or two of warning. During this period the natural reaction and behaviour of most passengers can be imagined without
description. May I propose
the following emergency drill for for consideration by those who have opportunity for experimental examination of the idea, or who have clinical experience of the type of injury in question ?This drill is specifically designed to avoid injuries to the head and face when passengers are fttung forwards against the windscreeil. The feet are raised and pressed against the dashboard or against the back of the front seat in the case of rear passengers. The hands are cupped under the chin, the elbows being wedged in the groins. This would prevent whip-lash strain of the neck. If this method were to gain medical approval, it might be possible to include it in the Highway Code. I. I. H. H. J. J. BOURNE. Hornchurch, Essex.
passengers,