ANTWERP SCIENTIFIC EXHIBITION.

843 no way from those of that give even poisonous properties to the loaf. Dr. Worth Subcultures injected into a monkey caused illness, Hale says that his results show the artificial bleaching of and when the agglutinating power of its blood was tested flour to have a deleterious action because of the lessened with a strain of micrococcus melitensis from Malta positivedigestibility of the gluten of such flour, and possibly also results were obtained in dilutions of 1 in 200. Conversely, because of the presence of definitely toxic substances, a rabbit inoculated with the Malta strain had its blood tested although these, it must be admitted, are present, even Indewith the 11 mubin-,vo " organism, when the results were in over-treated flour, in only minute amounts. the 1 in was thus established in 200. It these dilutions of bleaching process may points, also, pendently of positive that the microbe obtained from the spleen of "muhinyo’’ produce harmful results on account of the presence in flour patients and that from cases of Malta fever were identical- bleached by such processes of small amounts of the nitrites. The people among whom "muhinyo"had raged for some This action is exerted in two ways-by a decrease in the rate years comprised two tribes, the first being one of the lowest of protein digestion and by changing other medicinal subclass, morally and socially, in Uganda. They are dirty in stances which may be taken at the same time into markedly their habits and persons, living in rude grass huts which they toxic agents, or by decreasing their normal action, or share with their domestic animals, including goats. A few of possibly through the chemical change, altering entirely the better-off persons in the tribe keep cows, but goats’ milk their therapeutic effects. That the nitrites may enter is largely consumed by all. The members of the second tribe the stomach from other sources does not alter the fact are of a higher type : they are more prosperous and use the that they act deleteriously, and that their ingestion first tribe as their serfs. They keep both cattle and goats, should be decreased as much as possible. consuming the milk of both animals. The flesh of goats, partially cooked, is eaten by both tribes. Our readers may ANTWERP SCIENTIFIC EXHIBITION. remember that the Malta Fever Commission in 1905 found of international that the drinking AN scientific exhibition will be held in goats’ milk was the means by which the disease was conveyed to man in Malta, and that 50 per cent. Antwerp from Sept. 17th to 25th next, on the occasion of of the goats in the island were affected in some way or the Fourteenth Flemish Congress of Natural and Medical The exhibits will be classified in four principal other by the malady, 10 per cent. actually excreting micro- Science. The condition of the Ankole sections, viz. :coccus melitensis in their milk. Section 1. Physico-chemical Sciences: Including new apparatus and goats was, therefore, inquired into, and for this purpose by the laboratory installations, lanterns, microscopes, and the directions of Sir Apolo Kagwa a flock of 24 goats was collected inventions, scientific applications of photography ; collections of chemical prowithin the infected area and brought to the investigators. ductions, geological specimens, and crystals. Section 2. Biological Science: Apparatus for experimental research The blood of three of these animals gave a positive reaction and demonstration, zoological and botanical collections, fossils, microand micro-photographs. when tested with a strain of the micrococcus melitensis scopical preparations, Section 3. Medical Science: Experimental apparatus, pathological " from Malta, as also with the " muhinyo organism obtained specimens, radiograms, surgical instruments and appliances ; operationroom, sanatorium, and hospital furniture; electro-medical and X ray from the Ankole patients. Further, micrococcus melitensis apparatus. Section 4. Scientific books and reviews. It seems, was isolated from the tissues of two of the goats. " that called " the Uganda disease therefore, clear The aim of the promoters is to make a complete collection muhinyo is in reality Malta fever and that goats also suffer from of all that has contributed to recent advances in the the malady and act as a " reservoir of the virus. There theoretical and applied sciences, and they appeal to all can be no doubt that, as in Malta, the infection in Uganda scientists for their cooperation and assistance, which can is spread by consumption of milk from infected goats. best be given by intrusting to the officials for the purpose and period of the exhibition any suitable instruments, BLEACHED FLOUR. apparatus, or specimens they may possess. Particulars will AN interesting review of the circumstances which led step be supplied by Dr. G. Van der Gucht, Cuylitsstraat, 11, by step to the modern processes of bleaching flour appears Antwerp. in a bulletin (No. 68) recently issued from the Hygienic THE TREATMENT OF PROLAPSE OF THE Laboratory, Washington, by Dr. Worth Hale, assistant RECTUM. It is shown that in the in the

cultural characters differing in

organism.

"

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pharmacologist old days of grinding

laboratory.

the wheat between stones the resulting flour was stored "for the purpose of ageing it." Incidentally, the flour lost during this time a part of its natural yellow colour. At first public feeling appeared to be against the introduction of flour whitened by even a natural process, but with the introduction of roller-milled flour a demand gradually arose for the whitest possible flour. Storage, however, was an uncertain and a costly method, and soon the idea of bleaching rapidly by chemical The first process was agents was put into practice. introduced in 1898, when ozone was employed. It was soon shown, however, that the bleaching effect was not due to ozone, but to certain oxides of nitrogen. Later, a was in which was patented process nitrogen peroxide produced by means of the Samlug electric arc in air. Another method consists in employing the same agent obtained from nitrosyl chloride. Dr. Worth Hale has made a number of interesting experiments with bleached and unbleached flour, and his conclusions agree with those of Professor Halliburton, who does not hesitate to condemn the practice of bleaching flour by nitrous acid on the ground that it renders the gluten indigestible and may

THE extreme form of prolapse of the rectum, or, as it is sometimes called, procidentia recti, does not respond well to most methods of treatment, and from time to time new operations have been devised to cure this condition. Several the were made of bowel to the descent by attempts prevent operations intended to narrow the lower portion of the gut, but it cannot be said that any great degree of success followed them. T. R. Fowler endeavoured to suspend the rectum by sutures carried round the coccyx. J. P. Tuttle the bowel a of it by drawing portion suspended through an opening just in front of the coccyx. Jeanneal in 1889 endeavoured to give the rectum complete rest by making an artificial anus in the left iliac region, but he drew up the sigmoid and rectum from below into the wound, and it is probable that the success he obtained was due to the fixation of the bowel to the abdominal wall. Verneuil was the first intentionally through an abdominal wound to draw the bowel up and to fasten it. This operation has been called colopexy have been or sigmoidopexy, and several variations of it employed. The intestine at first was stitched to the parietal peritoneum, but there is certainly a risk of the adhesions stretching. Others raise a peritoneal flap and stitch the