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BORAX AS A MOSQUITO LARVICIDE.
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experts and to discuss with them peculiar to their everyday work.
the risks to health Thus the personal interest is aroused, as anyone must recognise who has been present at some village institute in a mining area and has heard discussions on miners’ nystagmus and pithead baths, or in a Lancashire hall when mulespinners’ cancer has been debated. The society began its work in Scotland, but during 1927 its headquarters were moved to London and its activities were spread over the south and the west. The demand for lectures seems to be already greater than can be supplied from the society’s funds. Hitherto, through contributions made from the Miners’ Welfare Fund, the coal-mining community has been able to command most attention. But workers in other industries are realising that health is an inheritance requiring to be guarded against sickness and disease incidental to specific occupations. Though the society doubtless owes part of its success to the fact that teaching on occupational risks can be fairly clear-cut and dogmatic as compared with instruction about health in general, a special tribute is due to the competence and energy with which the work is being carried out.
reached in this country whereby hundreds of thousands
of workers have the prospect of employment in conditions of industrial peace. In criticising the Government, Mr. Thomas Shaw could say with considerable conviction that Great Britain, in setting her signature to the Treaty of Peace, accepted certain principles for the betterment of the lives of the workers, but had made no attempt to carry out her agreements in that respect. We ought not, he said, to allow our labour legislation, particularly for women and young persons, to sink below the level of European countries which we have hitherto regarded as somewhat backward in industrial development. The ratification of the Convention will now presumably be suspended indefinitely unless a strong public demand for it should arise. Probably public opinion in Great Britain inclines to the view that our labour questions are intricate enough already without importing international problems, that our labour legislation compares favourably with that of other countries, and that our traditions of administering justice make the enforcement of moderate laws a better thing than the adoption of rigid and high-sounding principles which are imperfectly observed. Many people, too, are resentful of the apparent surrender of legislative BORAX AS A MOSQUITO LARVICIDE. independence involved if Parliament at Westminster is expected to give effect without modification to IN warm climates, when water is stored for purposes draft Conventions signed in foreign countries by other than drinking, regular oiling of the surface is persons of whom the average citizen here knows usually needed to keep it free from mosquito larvae. little. The controversy over the Lead Paint (ProtecThis is an expense and, when the cost is minimised by tion against Poisoning) Act of 1926 was not without employment of cheap (and generally unreliable) significance. Nevertheless, those who uphold the labour, an anxiety to those responsible for public of a British Parliament in relation to health. R. Matheson and E. H. Hinmanhave found importance as to British industrial conditions would legislation that the addition to such water of commercial borax be in a far stronger position if that Parliament would in the proportion of 1-5 g. to the litre, or about fulfil its made so long ago, for the revision promises, an ounce in six gallons, forms an efficient larvicidal of the Factory and Workshop Act. solution, since young larvae placed in it seem invariably to die. In the same way, although culex egg masses appeared at intervals in those experimental pails SPLENOMEGALY ASSOCIATED WITH containing borax which were left uncovered, the larvae which hatched never reached the second instar. ASPERGILLOSIS. Inasmuch as time and evaporation leave borax UNDER the name of splenomegalie primitive unchanged, the larvicidal effect remained as great at the end as it had been at the beginning of the six aspergillaire Drs. Emil-Weil, Chevalier, Gregoire, weeks’ experimental period described in the paper, and Flandrin in the current issue of Le Sang draw water having been added as required to make good the attention to a form of splenomegaly associated with the loss by evaporation. The original cost is small and there presence of fungi in that organ. The condition does seems no reason why renewal of the solution should be not appear to have been recognised in this country, required for many months. The explanation of the though it has attracted some attention in France. larvicidal character of borax does not seem to lie in The essential lesion is enlargement of the spleen, its reaction. The pH of the solution in the pails did though in the later stages patients may show cirrhosis indeed stand at 9 or over, but when boric acid was of the liver, ascites, and a severe degree of anaemia. used the hydrogen-ion content was indicated as 7 or The authors point out that attention is in many cases less and yet the fluid was fully larvicidal. The effect first directed to the condition by the occurrence of must accordingly be attributed to the boron. It is severe heematemesis ; in such cases a diagnosis is made of splenic anaemia of the type first hoped during the coming season to test the solution on usuallydescribed fully by Osler. A moderate degree of suitable natural pools. jaundice may be present and urobilin may appear in the urine. THE WASHINGTON HOURS CONVENTION. Differential diagnosis during life or before removal WHEN the Mouse 01 Uommons discussed, the of the spleen is difficult from that rather inchoate Washington Hours Convention during the past mass of syndromes passing under the name of Banti’s session, the debate proceeded mainly upon party ’I disease. When the spleen is available for examination lines and the results were negative. The Convention, the presence of mycelial threads and even of such the terms of which were scarcely mentioned, has for its organs as ascospores serve to define the condition. main purpose the adoption of the eight-hours day So far as can be judged from the descriptions given or the 48-hours week in countries where that by the authors, the mycelia show up fairly readily standard has not already been attained. The British with the ordinary histological stains ; the splenic Government has refused to ratify the Convention ; tissue shows presence of inflammatory cells including its spokesmen have described the document as giant cells and of areas of haemorrhage with a fibrous ambiguous and unworkable, the result of a series of tissue reaction. Much iron-containing pigment is compromises ; they have declared that it requires deposited in the neighbourhood of the haemorrhagic revision and they have argued in favour of awaiting areas. The authors succeeded in cultivating fungi the date (in three years’ time) when it must in any from a series of spleens examined and satisfied case be revised. They point out that ratification of themselves that their cultures represented fungi the draft Convention involves an international present in the cultured material and not contaminaobligation which can be enforced at The Hague tions. Cultures grew but poorly on ordinary bacterioInternational Court by all the sanctions provided by logical media at 370 C., but good growths were the Treaty of Peace ; they add that ratification would obtained on Sabouraud’s medium at room temperaimperil the existing agreements which have been ture. The fungus obtained on culture was identified by M. Jacques Duche as belonging to the genus 1 Amer. Jour. of Hygiene, March, 1928, p. 293. Eurotium and was named E. amstelodam. All ____
experts and to discuss with them peculiar to their everyday work.
the risks to health Thus the personal interest is aroused, as anyone must recognise who has been present at some village institute in a mining area and has heard discussions on miners’ nystagmus and pithead baths, or in a Lancashire hall when mulespinners’ cancer has been debated. The society began its work in Scotland, but during 1927 its headquarters were moved to London and its activities were spread over the south and the west. The demand for lectures seems to be already greater than can be supplied from the society’s funds. Hitherto, through contributions made from the Miners’ Welfare Fund, the coal-mining community has been able to command most attention. But workers in other industries are realising that health is an inheritance requiring to be guarded against sickness and disease incidental to specific occupations. Though the society doubtless owes part of its success to the fact that teaching on occupational risks can be fairly clear-cut and dogmatic as compared with instruction about health in general, a special tribute is due to the competence and energy with which the work is being carried out.
reached in this country whereby hundreds of thousands
of workers have the prospect of employment in conditions of industrial peace. In criticising the Government, Mr. Thomas Shaw could say with considerable conviction that Great Britain, in setting her signature to the Treaty of Peace, accepted certain principles for the betterment of the lives of the workers, but had made no attempt to carry out her agreements in that respect. We ought not, he said, to allow our labour legislation, particularly for women and young persons, to sink below the level of European countries which we have hitherto regarded as somewhat backward in industrial development. The ratification of the Convention will now presumably be suspended indefinitely unless a strong public demand for it should arise. Probably public opinion in Great Britain inclines to the view that our labour questions are intricate enough already without importing international problems, that our labour legislation compares favourably with that of other countries, and that our traditions of administering justice make the enforcement of moderate laws a better thing than the adoption of rigid and high-sounding principles which are imperfectly observed. Many people, too, are resentful of the apparent surrender of legislative BORAX AS A MOSQUITO LARVICIDE. independence involved if Parliament at Westminster is expected to give effect without modification to IN warm climates, when water is stored for purposes draft Conventions signed in foreign countries by other than drinking, regular oiling of the surface is persons of whom the average citizen here knows usually needed to keep it free from mosquito larvae. little. The controversy over the Lead Paint (ProtecThis is an expense and, when the cost is minimised by tion against Poisoning) Act of 1926 was not without employment of cheap (and generally unreliable) significance. Nevertheless, those who uphold the labour, an anxiety to those responsible for public of a British Parliament in relation to health. R. Matheson and E. H. Hinmanhave found importance as to British industrial conditions would legislation that the addition to such water of commercial borax be in a far stronger position if that Parliament would in the proportion of 1-5 g. to the litre, or about fulfil its made so long ago, for the revision promises, an ounce in six gallons, forms an efficient larvicidal of the Factory and Workshop Act. solution, since young larvae placed in it seem invariably to die. In the same way, although culex egg masses appeared at intervals in those experimental pails SPLENOMEGALY ASSOCIATED WITH containing borax which were left uncovered, the larvae which hatched never reached the second instar. ASPERGILLOSIS. Inasmuch as time and evaporation leave borax UNDER the name of splenomegalie primitive unchanged, the larvicidal effect remained as great at the end as it had been at the beginning of the six aspergillaire Drs. Emil-Weil, Chevalier, Gregoire, weeks’ experimental period described in the paper, and Flandrin in the current issue of Le Sang draw water having been added as required to make good the attention to a form of splenomegaly associated with the loss by evaporation. The original cost is small and there presence of fungi in that organ. The condition does seems no reason why renewal of the solution should be not appear to have been recognised in this country, required for many months. The explanation of the though it has attracted some attention in France. larvicidal character of borax does not seem to lie in The essential lesion is enlargement of the spleen, its reaction. The pH of the solution in the pails did though in the later stages patients may show cirrhosis indeed stand at 9 or over, but when boric acid was of the liver, ascites, and a severe degree of anaemia. used the hydrogen-ion content was indicated as 7 or The authors point out that attention is in many cases less and yet the fluid was fully larvicidal. The effect first directed to the condition by the occurrence of must accordingly be attributed to the boron. It is severe heematemesis ; in such cases a diagnosis is made of splenic anaemia of the type first hoped during the coming season to test the solution on usuallydescribed fully by Osler. A moderate degree of suitable natural pools. jaundice may be present and urobilin may appear in the urine. THE WASHINGTON HOURS CONVENTION. Differential diagnosis during life or before removal WHEN the Mouse 01 Uommons discussed, the of the spleen is difficult from that rather inchoate Washington Hours Convention during the past mass of syndromes passing under the name of Banti’s session, the debate proceeded mainly upon party ’I disease. When the spleen is available for examination lines and the results were negative. The Convention, the presence of mycelial threads and even of such the terms of which were scarcely mentioned, has for its organs as ascospores serve to define the condition. main purpose the adoption of the eight-hours day So far as can be judged from the descriptions given or the 48-hours week in countries where that by the authors, the mycelia show up fairly readily standard has not already been attained. The British with the ordinary histological stains ; the splenic Government has refused to ratify the Convention ; tissue shows presence of inflammatory cells including its spokesmen have described the document as giant cells and of areas of haemorrhage with a fibrous ambiguous and unworkable, the result of a series of tissue reaction. Much iron-containing pigment is compromises ; they have declared that it requires deposited in the neighbourhood of the haemorrhagic revision and they have argued in favour of awaiting areas. The authors succeeded in cultivating fungi the date (in three years’ time) when it must in any from a series of spleens examined and satisfied case be revised. They point out that ratification of themselves that their cultures represented fungi the draft Convention involves an international present in the cultured material and not contaminaobligation which can be enforced at The Hague tions. Cultures grew but poorly on ordinary bacterioInternational Court by all the sanctions provided by logical media at 370 C., but good growths were the Treaty of Peace ; they add that ratification would obtained on Sabouraud’s medium at room temperaimperil the existing agreements which have been ture. The fungus obtained on culture was identified by M. Jacques Duche as belonging to the genus 1 Amer. Jour. of Hygiene, March, 1928, p. 293. Eurotium and was named E. amstelodam. All ____