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ANTENATAL RIGOR MORTIS.
725 Dr. Whitehouse gives notes of 14 typical cases in which liquid air was variously applied, indicating the degree of pressure, the form of application, and other important points of the treatment. The use of liquid air is never likely to be very extensive in dermatology. Its action appears to be two-fold. It stimulates the part, producing a reaction, and it has an anaesthetising effect. It is possible, also, that it may have slight antiseptic power, but this is not
great.
-
"RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS."
Ulrich records a most interesting case in rigor mortis occurred in one of twins. The mother, a primipara, was delivered spontaneously of twins, the first child being born dead and in a condition of rigor mortis. The skin was pale but there was no maceration and the foetus preserved the normal attitude of general flexion. A further interesting point in this case was that the cord of the dead child split up on the membranes almost opposite the central point of the placenta, and from this insertion the vessels, some eight in number, spread out in a fan-like manner over the membranes. The second child was small but was born alive and lived. The labour lasted some 18 hours and unfortunately, as so often is the case, the exact time at which the child died could not be determined. It certainly appeared to be dead on the woman’s admission to the hospital 12 hours before the confinement took place. The membranes had ruptured in one of the intervals between two of the ramifying vessels and no ante-partum haemorrhage occurred. It is probable from the position of the umbilical vessels that there would have been injurious pressure on them during labour and had the child not been dead already that this would have such a result. There is no inherent reason why rigor mortis should not occur in utero and, as this case shows, it can occur in a healthy full-term child. As Ballantyne and Caruso, who have collected some 49 cases from the literature, have pointed out, the occurrence of rigor mortis is no proof of extra-uterine life and Dr. Ulrich’s case shows that it is possible for a living child to be born and a dead child showing antenatal rigor mortis already well established, a combination which might well be considered as proof that the dead child had a separate extra-uterine existence.
August 17th Dr.
which antenatal
article in THE LANCET of August 17th we of the principal points in the nature and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis which were raised in the discussion opened by Dr. A. P. Luff at the recent annual meeting of the British Medical Association. But little was said in reference to the dystrophic or neural theory of the origin of the disease, although some authorities still consider it to be the correct one. It may be remembered that some six years ago Dr. P. W. Latham contributed an article to our columns maintaining that the clinical symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis furnish undoubted evidence of pathological change in the nervous centres, and recorded the results of treatment directed specially to the nervous centres which had been followed by relief. He subsequently elaborated his views in a short monograph which he published in 1905. The treatment that he recommended was continuous counter-irritation over the section of the spine corresponding to the part involved. Other observers have adopted this method with success. In the Medical Times and Hospital Gazette Mr. W. J. Midelton, in writing on "Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Treatment by CounterIrritation," mentions that he is an earnest advocate of the THE Department of Public Health of Queensland in a blistering treatment recommended by Dr. Latham and bulletin dated July 20th states that for the week ending refers to other practitioners who have also employed it. noon on Saturday, July 20th, 1 case of plague was 12 o’clock That the suggestion is not new is proved by the reference in Brisbane. The patient was a man, 18 years of made by Dr. Latham to a paper which appeared in the notified A on July 19th who died the same night. notified American Jo1trnal of the Medical Sciences in 1831 by Dr. age, further bulletin dated states that for the Saturday, July 27th, J. K Mitchell, entitled own a New Practice in Acute and Chronic Rheumatism"; the means chiefly employed were week ending on that date 1 case of plague occurred, the a blisters, setons, and cupping to the region of the spine, patient being Kanaka, aged 21 years, who died suddenly on A post-mortem examination proved that he had Dr. Latham mainly recommends counter-irritation to July 25th. died from plague. As regards the Mauritius, a telegram the side of the cervical and lumbar enlargements from the Governor received at the Colonial Office on of the spine in the earlier stages of the disease. 31st states that for the week ending Thursday, When the disease is advanced, the ends of the bones are August 29th, 1 case of plague was notified and no deaths enlarged, and the cartilages are destroyed the normal con- August the from disease. dition cannot be restored by this method. Nevertheless, he thinks that in chronic cases where there are from time to ’ THE second Norman Kerr memorial lecture, held under time exacerbations of pain and swelling in some of the larger the direction of the Society for the Study of Inebriety, joints the application of leeches or cupping glasses, followed will be delivered by Dr. Robert Welsh Branthwaite, by the application of blisters to the spine, is of use. These H.M. Inspector under the Inebriates Acts, on Tuesday, therapeutic measures seem to be worthy of a more extensive Oct. 8th, at 8.30 P.M., in the hall of the Royal Society trial than they have yet received, for few diseases are more of Medicine, 20, Hanover-square, London, W. The subject ’ rebellious to treatment than rheumatoid arthritis. of the lecture will be its Causation and Control. IN
a
leading
discussed
some
__
Inebriety :
THE London County Council has issued an Order stating that Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, with respect to the notification of infectious disease, shall apply in the administrative County of London for a further period of 18 calendar months as from and including Sept. 13th, 1907, to the disease known as cerebro-spinal fever
ANTENATAL RIGOR MORTIS. THE occurrence of antenatal rigor mortis is a matter of considerable interest, although it is probable that it occurs more frequently than would appear from the number of the recorded cases. The medical attendant immediately after the birth of the child usually is occupied with the mother and possibly the endeavours made to resuscitate a stillborn infant may overcome the rigidity which is present and these facts may lead to a failure to recognise this condition. Casper in his well-known text-book on forensic medicine stated that he had never seen an instance, but this rigidity has now been described by many competent observers and would no doubt be more often met with if it were more carefully looked for. In the Zentralblatt fiir ynikologie of
(epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis). A TIMELY RESCUE.-A lady visitor whilst bathing at Port Gaverne, Cornwall, was suddenly seized with faintness, and being unable to call for assistance tried to draw attention by waving her arms ; she soon afterwards sank. Dr. Alfred Walker, who happened to be in the water, proceeded to the spot and succeeded in bringing the lady to I
the surface. She was unconscious when carried to the shore but eventually recovered.
great.
-
"RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS."
Ulrich records a most interesting case in rigor mortis occurred in one of twins. The mother, a primipara, was delivered spontaneously of twins, the first child being born dead and in a condition of rigor mortis. The skin was pale but there was no maceration and the foetus preserved the normal attitude of general flexion. A further interesting point in this case was that the cord of the dead child split up on the membranes almost opposite the central point of the placenta, and from this insertion the vessels, some eight in number, spread out in a fan-like manner over the membranes. The second child was small but was born alive and lived. The labour lasted some 18 hours and unfortunately, as so often is the case, the exact time at which the child died could not be determined. It certainly appeared to be dead on the woman’s admission to the hospital 12 hours before the confinement took place. The membranes had ruptured in one of the intervals between two of the ramifying vessels and no ante-partum haemorrhage occurred. It is probable from the position of the umbilical vessels that there would have been injurious pressure on them during labour and had the child not been dead already that this would have such a result. There is no inherent reason why rigor mortis should not occur in utero and, as this case shows, it can occur in a healthy full-term child. As Ballantyne and Caruso, who have collected some 49 cases from the literature, have pointed out, the occurrence of rigor mortis is no proof of extra-uterine life and Dr. Ulrich’s case shows that it is possible for a living child to be born and a dead child showing antenatal rigor mortis already well established, a combination which might well be considered as proof that the dead child had a separate extra-uterine existence.
August 17th Dr.
which antenatal
article in THE LANCET of August 17th we of the principal points in the nature and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis which were raised in the discussion opened by Dr. A. P. Luff at the recent annual meeting of the British Medical Association. But little was said in reference to the dystrophic or neural theory of the origin of the disease, although some authorities still consider it to be the correct one. It may be remembered that some six years ago Dr. P. W. Latham contributed an article to our columns maintaining that the clinical symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis furnish undoubted evidence of pathological change in the nervous centres, and recorded the results of treatment directed specially to the nervous centres which had been followed by relief. He subsequently elaborated his views in a short monograph which he published in 1905. The treatment that he recommended was continuous counter-irritation over the section of the spine corresponding to the part involved. Other observers have adopted this method with success. In the Medical Times and Hospital Gazette Mr. W. J. Midelton, in writing on "Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Treatment by CounterIrritation," mentions that he is an earnest advocate of the THE Department of Public Health of Queensland in a blistering treatment recommended by Dr. Latham and bulletin dated July 20th states that for the week ending refers to other practitioners who have also employed it. noon on Saturday, July 20th, 1 case of plague was 12 o’clock That the suggestion is not new is proved by the reference in Brisbane. The patient was a man, 18 years of made by Dr. Latham to a paper which appeared in the notified A on July 19th who died the same night. notified American Jo1trnal of the Medical Sciences in 1831 by Dr. age, further bulletin dated states that for the Saturday, July 27th, J. K Mitchell, entitled own a New Practice in Acute and Chronic Rheumatism"; the means chiefly employed were week ending on that date 1 case of plague occurred, the a blisters, setons, and cupping to the region of the spine, patient being Kanaka, aged 21 years, who died suddenly on A post-mortem examination proved that he had Dr. Latham mainly recommends counter-irritation to July 25th. died from plague. As regards the Mauritius, a telegram the side of the cervical and lumbar enlargements from the Governor received at the Colonial Office on of the spine in the earlier stages of the disease. 31st states that for the week ending Thursday, When the disease is advanced, the ends of the bones are August 29th, 1 case of plague was notified and no deaths enlarged, and the cartilages are destroyed the normal con- August the from disease. dition cannot be restored by this method. Nevertheless, he thinks that in chronic cases where there are from time to ’ THE second Norman Kerr memorial lecture, held under time exacerbations of pain and swelling in some of the larger the direction of the Society for the Study of Inebriety, joints the application of leeches or cupping glasses, followed will be delivered by Dr. Robert Welsh Branthwaite, by the application of blisters to the spine, is of use. These H.M. Inspector under the Inebriates Acts, on Tuesday, therapeutic measures seem to be worthy of a more extensive Oct. 8th, at 8.30 P.M., in the hall of the Royal Society trial than they have yet received, for few diseases are more of Medicine, 20, Hanover-square, London, W. The subject ’ rebellious to treatment than rheumatoid arthritis. of the lecture will be its Causation and Control. IN
a
leading
discussed
some
__
Inebriety :
THE London County Council has issued an Order stating that Section 55 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, with respect to the notification of infectious disease, shall apply in the administrative County of London for a further period of 18 calendar months as from and including Sept. 13th, 1907, to the disease known as cerebro-spinal fever
ANTENATAL RIGOR MORTIS. THE occurrence of antenatal rigor mortis is a matter of considerable interest, although it is probable that it occurs more frequently than would appear from the number of the recorded cases. The medical attendant immediately after the birth of the child usually is occupied with the mother and possibly the endeavours made to resuscitate a stillborn infant may overcome the rigidity which is present and these facts may lead to a failure to recognise this condition. Casper in his well-known text-book on forensic medicine stated that he had never seen an instance, but this rigidity has now been described by many competent observers and would no doubt be more often met with if it were more carefully looked for. In the Zentralblatt fiir ynikologie of
(epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis). A TIMELY RESCUE.-A lady visitor whilst bathing at Port Gaverne, Cornwall, was suddenly seized with faintness, and being unable to call for assistance tried to draw attention by waving her arms ; she soon afterwards sank. Dr. Alfred Walker, who happened to be in the water, proceeded to the spot and succeeded in bringing the lady to I
the surface. She was unconscious when carried to the shore but eventually recovered.