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BENZYL-CINNAMATE.
875 In rare cases-and they are very rare in my experience-seepage will occur in spite of everything. Apart from seepage, in some 20 years I have corne across only three or four genuine cases of patients really unable to take paraffin. With this type the form of emulsion mentioned will often get over the difficulty. The audible gurglings, rumblings, and tenesmus mentioned by Dr. Green as being produced by the use of paraffin, can be easily got over by simultaneously employing the taxol pills and the belladonna. The taxols must be regulated to suit the individual patient —one, two, or three a day generally being enough to get two good actions daily, stopping short, of course, of all purging. It is in the combination of these three
special liability
seepage.
of the
anus
to
for the skin in the neighbourhood X ray burning in certain
undergo
persons."
Surely the accepted view is that X rays have a special action on elementary embryonic tissue. Of course, the anal region is predisposed to malignant disease, but this is very different from X rays having a special action on it. I
i
Sir,
yours
London, Oct. 10th, 1930.
F.
am.
faithfully.
HOWARD
HUMPHRIS.
OF DEFECTIVES. To the Editor of THE LANCET.
MARRIAGE ,
’ SIR,—Much attention has been drawn in the and the excellent results to the recommendation of the Board of Control press got lie. If Dr. Green cares to try the combination I put forward in its report for 1929 that the marriage think, in his own words, he will find it of a harmless of defectives should be prohibited by law. The nature and yet efficient and confidence-giving. law the marriage of defectives of object prohibiting by I am. Sir. yours faithfullv. to prevent their procreation. This end, however, is A. GRAHAM-STEWART. can be realised (1) more effectively, (2) more humanely, Ulster-place, Upper Harley-street, N.W., Oct. 12th, 1930. and (3) less dangerously by making the marriage of defectives conditional on their sterilisation before
preparations that the virture
1
marriage. (1)Effectiveness.-It is well known that certain high-grade defectives are very fertile and have many illegitimate children. One of the acknowledged objects of marriage specified in the marriage service and applicable to normal people is that it acts as a deterrent from promiscuity. Why should not this also apply to defectivest If defectives are legally prohibited from marrying, the incentive to promiscuity will be increased and illegitimate children will be
A DANGEROUS PHANTASY.
To the Editor
‘
of THE LANCET. annotation last week on the subject SIR,—Your of my letter concerning the youth with homicidal phantasies brings out very clearly the defects in our legal procedure. It will be a matter for serious reflection to most people, I imagine, when they learn, as you point out, that there is no regular machinery by which mental abnormalities in an accused person can be brought to the notice of the court; and, secondly, that even if an examination were carried out and suspected disorder of mind brought to light, the court would be embarrassed by the difficulties of disposal and treatment. These facts constitute in themselves a sufficient indictment. It is, consequently, hardly necessary to draw attention to the further development in the case in question. From reports in the papers I see that the youth is again in the hands of the police, this time for setting fire to the training ship
of which he was a member of the crew. I am, Sir, vours faithfully, FREDERICK DILLON.
Wimpole-street, W., Oct. 10th, 1930. PRURITUS ANI ET VULVÆ.
of THE LANCET. SIR,-Mr. Lockhart-Mummery says he has read with interest the communication by Dr. Knuthsen and myself upon this subject, and feels strongly that our advocacy of X rays must be challenged. His when I and was abroad, vigorous challenge appeared has only just come to my notice. Dr. John McGinn has already replied to Mr. Lockhart-Mummery’s condemnation of our views, but as I was responsible for the criticised section of the article I hope I may i be allowed a few lines in reply. To the Editor
1. Like Dr. McGinn I have treated many cases of et vulvæ with success and without any of cancer sign occurring from the treatment. 2. Mr. Lockhart-Mummery has a high and deservedly high reputation for surgical skill in the region under discussion, and had he given a surgical opinion I should have accepted it, but he cannot have had the training to make him a judge as to who is " thoroughly expert in the use of rays." 3. It would be a matter of interest to know what is the evidence for his assertion that there is " a
pruritus ani
born. The measure will thus be ineffective in that it will promote illegitimate procreation by defectives. (2) Humanity.—Many high-grade defectives have strong sexual needs. To deprive such persons of the right to express these needs in lawful marriage is hardly humane. Moreover, it is hardly in the interests of children to be born illegitimately by defectives. (3) Social Danger.—Much is made by the opponents of sterilisation of the argument that the measure would result in the dissemination of venereal disease. But many who in one breath condemn sterilisation on these grounds in the next breath advocate the prevention of marriage of defectives as a means of limiting their fertility. Such persons are apparently unaware of the inconsistency between these two arguments. The increase in promiscuity which would follow from preventing the marriage of all defectives would clearly be accompanied by a dissemination of venereal disease. In this sense, the prevention of marriage of defectives would be socially dangerous. We are. Sir. vours faithfully. R. LANGDON-DOWN, J. A. RYLE, C. P. BLACKER. London, Oct. 13th, 1930.
BENZYL-CINNAMATE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—In reply to Dr. Jacobson we wish to say that, in our note on benzyl-cinnamate to which he refers, we had no intention of contesting the pioneer work done by him and others, being under the impression that it was widely known that he was the originator of this form of treatment. We did not give a history of the subject because we did not deem it necesary in so short an article dealing with the results of our cases. We are. Sir, yours faithfully. T. W. WADSWORTH. J. T. FLANAGAN. Oct. 1930. llth, ’ Liverpool,
special liability
seepage.
of the
anus
to
for the skin in the neighbourhood X ray burning in certain
undergo
persons."
Surely the accepted view is that X rays have a special action on elementary embryonic tissue. Of course, the anal region is predisposed to malignant disease, but this is very different from X rays having a special action on it. I
i
Sir,
yours
London, Oct. 10th, 1930.
F.
am.
faithfully.
HOWARD
HUMPHRIS.
OF DEFECTIVES. To the Editor of THE LANCET.
MARRIAGE ,
’ SIR,—Much attention has been drawn in the and the excellent results to the recommendation of the Board of Control press got lie. If Dr. Green cares to try the combination I put forward in its report for 1929 that the marriage think, in his own words, he will find it of a harmless of defectives should be prohibited by law. The nature and yet efficient and confidence-giving. law the marriage of defectives of object prohibiting by I am. Sir. yours faithfullv. to prevent their procreation. This end, however, is A. GRAHAM-STEWART. can be realised (1) more effectively, (2) more humanely, Ulster-place, Upper Harley-street, N.W., Oct. 12th, 1930. and (3) less dangerously by making the marriage of defectives conditional on their sterilisation before
preparations that the virture
1
marriage. (1)Effectiveness.-It is well known that certain high-grade defectives are very fertile and have many illegitimate children. One of the acknowledged objects of marriage specified in the marriage service and applicable to normal people is that it acts as a deterrent from promiscuity. Why should not this also apply to defectivest If defectives are legally prohibited from marrying, the incentive to promiscuity will be increased and illegitimate children will be
A DANGEROUS PHANTASY.
To the Editor
‘
of THE LANCET. annotation last week on the subject SIR,—Your of my letter concerning the youth with homicidal phantasies brings out very clearly the defects in our legal procedure. It will be a matter for serious reflection to most people, I imagine, when they learn, as you point out, that there is no regular machinery by which mental abnormalities in an accused person can be brought to the notice of the court; and, secondly, that even if an examination were carried out and suspected disorder of mind brought to light, the court would be embarrassed by the difficulties of disposal and treatment. These facts constitute in themselves a sufficient indictment. It is, consequently, hardly necessary to draw attention to the further development in the case in question. From reports in the papers I see that the youth is again in the hands of the police, this time for setting fire to the training ship
of which he was a member of the crew. I am, Sir, vours faithfully, FREDERICK DILLON.
Wimpole-street, W., Oct. 10th, 1930. PRURITUS ANI ET VULVÆ.
of THE LANCET. SIR,-Mr. Lockhart-Mummery says he has read with interest the communication by Dr. Knuthsen and myself upon this subject, and feels strongly that our advocacy of X rays must be challenged. His when I and was abroad, vigorous challenge appeared has only just come to my notice. Dr. John McGinn has already replied to Mr. Lockhart-Mummery’s condemnation of our views, but as I was responsible for the criticised section of the article I hope I may i be allowed a few lines in reply. To the Editor
1. Like Dr. McGinn I have treated many cases of et vulvæ with success and without any of cancer sign occurring from the treatment. 2. Mr. Lockhart-Mummery has a high and deservedly high reputation for surgical skill in the region under discussion, and had he given a surgical opinion I should have accepted it, but he cannot have had the training to make him a judge as to who is " thoroughly expert in the use of rays." 3. It would be a matter of interest to know what is the evidence for his assertion that there is " a
pruritus ani
born. The measure will thus be ineffective in that it will promote illegitimate procreation by defectives. (2) Humanity.—Many high-grade defectives have strong sexual needs. To deprive such persons of the right to express these needs in lawful marriage is hardly humane. Moreover, it is hardly in the interests of children to be born illegitimately by defectives. (3) Social Danger.—Much is made by the opponents of sterilisation of the argument that the measure would result in the dissemination of venereal disease. But many who in one breath condemn sterilisation on these grounds in the next breath advocate the prevention of marriage of defectives as a means of limiting their fertility. Such persons are apparently unaware of the inconsistency between these two arguments. The increase in promiscuity which would follow from preventing the marriage of all defectives would clearly be accompanied by a dissemination of venereal disease. In this sense, the prevention of marriage of defectives would be socially dangerous. We are. Sir. vours faithfully. R. LANGDON-DOWN, J. A. RYLE, C. P. BLACKER. London, Oct. 13th, 1930.
BENZYL-CINNAMATE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—In reply to Dr. Jacobson we wish to say that, in our note on benzyl-cinnamate to which he refers, we had no intention of contesting the pioneer work done by him and others, being under the impression that it was widely known that he was the originator of this form of treatment. We did not give a history of the subject because we did not deem it necesary in so short an article dealing with the results of our cases. We are. Sir, yours faithfully. T. W. WADSWORTH. J. T. FLANAGAN. Oct. 1930. llth, ’ Liverpool,