- Email: [email protected]
CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INSANE.
1183 TOXIC EFFECTS OF LOCAL ANÆSTHESIA. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,-Dr. Dan McKenzie deserves our thanks for setting forth his method of using pure cocaine hydro-
chloride powder mixed with sufficient adrenalin solution to form a mud or paste for direct application
earlier stages of disseminated sclerosis, presumably this would precede the organic lesion in general Therefore this functional derangement paralysis. would be likely to occur in extremely early cases only, and then probably not as regards all the signs. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, G. DE DE M. RUDOLF. Claybury Mental Hospital, May 28th, 1924.
to the nasal mucosa for producing local anaesthesia. Further, that thus applied he habitually uses as much as 4 to 6 g. of cocaine for each case, and never has he GASTRIC AND DUODENAL HÆMORRHAGE. had one single case of cocaine poisoning. Assuming To the Editor of THE LANCET. that this is the cocaine paste referred to in the report of Medical Association the committee the American of SIR,-The paper by Dr. A. F. Hurst in THE LANCET should never be used," Dr. of May 30th contains many useful suggestions for which they recommend McKenzie’s letter is a timely and authoritative treatment in this serious emergency-e.g., rest, protest against such sweeping general statements. starvation, neutralisation of acid; but washing out Yet it seems curious to find that Dr. McKenzie the stomach, however skilfully performed, seems to In my judgment, however, goes on to lay down " a rule that cocaine, whether me rather dangerous. in powder or in solution, should never be employed Dr. Hurst overlooks the one essential fact-that The need for caution in the gastric and duodenal ulcers are secondary results of without adrenalin." exhibition of all local anaesthetics must be borne in trouble in the ileo-caecal region and in the large mind, nevertheless many of Dr. McKenzie’s colleagues intestine. This is a commonplace of medicine to regard it as one of the unrivalled advantages of those who are conversant with Sir Arbuthnot Lane’s cocaine over all other local surface anaesthetics that doctrine of stasis, but even those who have not yet cocaine may be used for light anaesthesia of the nasal wholly accepted stasis agree that gastric and duodenal mucosa without the disadvantages accruing from the z, ulcers are secondary to mischief lower down. I have application of adrenalin. Probably Dr. McKenzie ’, searched Dr. Hurst’s paper in vain for any sign of referred to the use of strong cocaine application for a recognition of this fact so essential to effective pronounced degrees of anaesthesia, but if this be so, it treatment. only emphasises the need for care in avoiding such Surely the first step, after putting the patient to generalisations as Dr. McKenzie himself condemns bed, is the evacuation of the intestines by enemata. and which tend to hinder rather than help us in I venture to assert that this one step is more effective in arresting gastric or duodenal haemorrhage than all arriving at sound conclusions. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, the local measures advocated by Dr. Hurst. He PATRICK WATSON-WILLIAMS. draws an analogy between the stomach and the Clifton, Bristol, June 2nd, 1924. uterus. The analogy is partially true of the healthy stomach which does contract when empty, and does MALARIAL TREATMENT OF GENERAL reduce its lumen to a small size, though never to zero like the uterus. My experience with bismuth and PARALYSIS. X rays in gastric ulcer shows that the stomach is To the Editor of THE LANCET. dilated and dropped. It does not contract invariably SIR,-In your leading article of May 24th it was when empty, and cannot until a long course of stated that " we are at a loss to undertreatment (for three weeks or more) by rest in bed, stand how the cerebral sclerosis and the degeneration enemata, &c., has overcome the duodenal distension of the nervous tissue can be permanently affected " and pyloric spasm which are keeping the lumen of by the malarial treatment of general paralysis. It is, the stomach widely open. however, unlikely that the lesions are affected. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, In a limited experience of about 30 general paraALFRED C. JORDAN. I have noticed that the Upper Wimpole-street, W.,June 2nd, 1924. lytics treated with malaria, physical signs known to depend upon a lesion of a definite locality of the nervous system, such as the CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE Argyll Robertson pupil and the loss of ankle-jerks, INSANE. remain the same after treatment as before, although the tremor, the slurring of the speech, and the abnormal To the Editor of THE LANCET. mental state may have vanished and the general SiR,-Will you allow me to correct an error that physical condition greatly improved. So far as I has crept into your otherwise excellent sUlllmary1 of am aware, no reports have been published of the pathological condition of patients treated with my remarks at the Section of Psychiatry of the Royal malaria who have died of intercurrent disease whilst Society of Medicine ? I am reported as saying that about such impulsive states as epileptic improving as regards the general paralysis, so it is "a great point and puerperal mania was, not that the impossible at present to be sure whether the struc- insanity constituted irresistible impulses, but tural organic lesions of the nervous system are obsessions not been resistible which had resisted." impulses a case of affected. The pathological condition in I am afraid these words must have puzzled your advanced general paralysis who had been treated with malaria and had subsequently died of the readers. They suggest that I propounded the view actions of epileptic and paralysis does not assist us, as the typical appearances that the violent impulsive of the untreated paralytic would presumably be puerperal insanity are controllable by penal sancWhat I did say was that found as the patient had died from this disease. As tions-which is absurd. as in the case of epilepsy and puerperal mania, regards the macroscopical appearances, I found this where, to be the case in one such instance. The micro- the degree of" impulsive action is high enough to be described as irresistible," it is difficult to say that scopical examination is not yet completed. knows or appreciates the nature and Therefore, if other observers have also found that the patient the physical signs known to be dependent upon quality of the act. Consequently such cases are quite organic disease of thenervous system persist after capable of being brought within the law as stated in the malarial treatment, it would appear that the the McNaghten rules. There is nothing novel in that It was made 50 years ago by Fitzjames destruction of the nervous tissue is not healed, at point. It Stephen. any rate, as regards the power of functioning. On the other hand, in regard to such states as would be interesting to know what has been found in are merely obsessional, I said that it was impossible this connexion at other institutions. It should be added that although it is possible for on legal or logical grounds "to describe the impulses a neurone to be functionally deranged without being to which they gave rise as irresistible." We know organically destroyed, as probably occurs in the 1 THE LANCET, May 24th, p. 1057. "
I:
...
1184 that such impulses are powerful, but we also know that they can be and are resisted. There is nothing new in that either. Mercier and many others have was pointed it out. What" I wanted to emphasise that the doctrine of irresistible impulse " was of no value, for it could not properly be applied to any case that is not within the four corners of the existing law. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, DONALD CARSWELL. New-square, Jjhicohi’s Irm. May 2Gth, T)4. A
COUNTY VENEREAL DISEASES SCHEME.
THE TERM "HÆMOCHROMOGEN." 2’0 the Editor
of THE LANCET. in a joimt paper (Biochem.
SiR,—Some years ago Jour., xiii., 1919, 195), Dr. O. Rosenheim and I entered a protest against the continued use of the term haemochroniogen as a synonym for reduced haematin. The former word, introduced by HoppeSeyler, is illogical-for the substance is not a chromogen; and unnecessary-for Stokes’s original name correctly describes it. This simplification of nomenclature was originally suggested on behalf of students, but Prof. A. V. Hill’s lecture (THE LANCET, May 17th, p. 994), where he confuses it with hæmatoporphyrin, is a demonstration that these long words are perplexing to teachers also. Many who read the original lecture may not see the correction in your issue of to-day.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, W. D. HALLIBURTON. ITALLIBURTON.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,,-Being interested in venereal diseases, and in charge of a municipal clinic, I read the article on this subject by Dr. J. J. Butterworth in your issue of May 24th. I was, however, surprised to find his laborious piece of statistical work lacking in important details, and so rendering his Tables II., III. (B) (C) Marylebone-road, London, N.W.. May 31st, 1924. Dr. Butterworth misleading and in part valueless. divides the attendances at the V.D. clinic into (1) those who complete the full course of treatment, VACCINE FOR ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA. and (2) those who ceased attending before completion To theEditor of THE LANCET. of treatment. Unfortunately, he does not give the whether SIR,—It may be still open to question slightest indication of what " the full course of " meningitis, treatment " is. Does he mean one course of eight or or no encephalitis is simply ’’ influenzal ten injections or does he mean several ? In the but one clinical fact that makes me believe this that in the one instance in which I used an headings of his tables he speaks of final tests as to is cure," and " persons discharged from the clinic after "influenza" compound vaccine, out of three‘’ cases under direct observation since 1918, the apparent" completion of treatment and observation." What my does this mean in dealing with syphilis and soft result was very striking, and the patient made a good chancre ?P How long has he kept the patients under recovery. The patient herself is convinced that the vaccine was the factor that turned the scale in her observation ? Take syphilis : When does lie havee complete favour. The formula was that used in the R.A.M.C. influenza " plague, and in the confidence " to discharge patients from the clinic " during the 1918 which is tantamount to discharging them as cured ? dearth of any other specific remedy it is surely worth Is he satisfied with a negative blood Wassermann for while trying this vaccine in other cases. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 3, 6, 12 months or more ? How long does he keep J. PIRIE, Leamington Spa, May 27th, 192J:. PIRIE, M.D. Without some his soft sores under observation ? reasonable information on these points, some of his tables as they stand are, to my xnind, quite valueless TARTAR EMETIC IN BILHARZIASIS. to others, and I feel it is a pity he has spoiled part of his labours by neglecting what to me are essential To the Editor of THE LANCET. details in work of this kind. SiR,—Mr. J. E. R. McDonagh alleges inaccuracy I am, Sir, yours faithfully, in the footnote on p. 1071 (THE LANCET, May 24th). W. HERBERT BROWN. Glasgow, May 29th, 1924. There is none whatever. With regard to priority for first having given the injections, readers of MEDICAL TREATMENT OF CATARACT. THE LANCET interested in the matter are referred to the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for To the Editor of THE LANCET. June 15th, 1923. In the article entitled the Antimony SiR,,-I have read with much interest the article Treatment of Bilharziasis will be found all I wish to Dr. on the above I as have Inglis subject, by Taylor write about my share in the discovery or re-discovery in been myself for several years the habit of using medical treatment for incipient senile cataract. of the remedy. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Where the patient can come to me regularly I use J. .T. B. CHRISTOPHERSON. subconjunctival injections of cyanide of mercury, Devonshire-place, W., May 31st, 1924. 1 in 5000, with 4 per cent. solution of sodium chloride, injected about once a week for about three months. When the patient lives at a distance I prescribe a ST. MONICA HOME OF REST, BRISTOL. collyrium of pot. iod. and sod. iod. each 3iiss. to To the Editor of THE LANCET. a pint of water to be used for five minutes twice a am anxious to bring to the notice of any be rubbed round the eyes SiB,—I day; vasogen of iodine to at bed-time. persons who may be described as gentlefolk in poor I hope to tabulate my results some day, but not circumstances the benefits which are intended for having time to do so just now I will give briefly the them by my late husband, Mr. H. H. Wills, the result of my first case treated by the subconjunctival founder of this institution, and should be very method, the result of this case being typical of many grateful if you would enable me to do this through the medium of your columns. others and being apparently permanent. The object of the St. Monica Home ofRest, WestMrs. T., aged 50, consulted me on April 27th, 1918, complaining that the sight of her left eye had been failing for bury-on-Trym, Bristol, is to receive as inmates. a year. Vision was 6/12 (2), not improved by glasses. Exami- gentlefolk who are members of the Church of England, nation revealed an incipient cortical cataract. I gave her suffering from certain chronic or incurable ailments,. a subconjunctival injection once a week. By June 12th in needy circumstances and having led honourvision had improved to 6/9 (4), and by August 28th, when I being able lives. The council of the home have also power ceased injecting, it was (5), improved to 6/5 (3) by -0-50 to give financial assistance to a limited number of spher. Now, after nearly six years, the vision remains the persons who cannot be accepted as inmates. Prefersarme. With the pot. iod. treatment the results were good, ence will be given, in both cases, to those having but not so striking as with the subconjunctival family or residential associations with the city of Bristol or the counties of Somerset, Gloucester, and injections.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Wilts. Persons mentally afflicted, epileptics, sufferers SEAGHAN P. MACENRI. MACENRT. an infectious or contagious complaint, or from from 1924. May 27th, Galway, Averard, "
"
6/6
chloride powder mixed with sufficient adrenalin solution to form a mud or paste for direct application
earlier stages of disseminated sclerosis, presumably this would precede the organic lesion in general Therefore this functional derangement paralysis. would be likely to occur in extremely early cases only, and then probably not as regards all the signs. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, G. DE DE M. RUDOLF. Claybury Mental Hospital, May 28th, 1924.
to the nasal mucosa for producing local anaesthesia. Further, that thus applied he habitually uses as much as 4 to 6 g. of cocaine for each case, and never has he GASTRIC AND DUODENAL HÆMORRHAGE. had one single case of cocaine poisoning. Assuming To the Editor of THE LANCET. that this is the cocaine paste referred to in the report of Medical Association the committee the American of SIR,-The paper by Dr. A. F. Hurst in THE LANCET should never be used," Dr. of May 30th contains many useful suggestions for which they recommend McKenzie’s letter is a timely and authoritative treatment in this serious emergency-e.g., rest, protest against such sweeping general statements. starvation, neutralisation of acid; but washing out Yet it seems curious to find that Dr. McKenzie the stomach, however skilfully performed, seems to In my judgment, however, goes on to lay down " a rule that cocaine, whether me rather dangerous. in powder or in solution, should never be employed Dr. Hurst overlooks the one essential fact-that The need for caution in the gastric and duodenal ulcers are secondary results of without adrenalin." exhibition of all local anaesthetics must be borne in trouble in the ileo-caecal region and in the large mind, nevertheless many of Dr. McKenzie’s colleagues intestine. This is a commonplace of medicine to regard it as one of the unrivalled advantages of those who are conversant with Sir Arbuthnot Lane’s cocaine over all other local surface anaesthetics that doctrine of stasis, but even those who have not yet cocaine may be used for light anaesthesia of the nasal wholly accepted stasis agree that gastric and duodenal mucosa without the disadvantages accruing from the z, ulcers are secondary to mischief lower down. I have application of adrenalin. Probably Dr. McKenzie ’, searched Dr. Hurst’s paper in vain for any sign of referred to the use of strong cocaine application for a recognition of this fact so essential to effective pronounced degrees of anaesthesia, but if this be so, it treatment. only emphasises the need for care in avoiding such Surely the first step, after putting the patient to generalisations as Dr. McKenzie himself condemns bed, is the evacuation of the intestines by enemata. and which tend to hinder rather than help us in I venture to assert that this one step is more effective in arresting gastric or duodenal haemorrhage than all arriving at sound conclusions. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, the local measures advocated by Dr. Hurst. He PATRICK WATSON-WILLIAMS. draws an analogy between the stomach and the Clifton, Bristol, June 2nd, 1924. uterus. The analogy is partially true of the healthy stomach which does contract when empty, and does MALARIAL TREATMENT OF GENERAL reduce its lumen to a small size, though never to zero like the uterus. My experience with bismuth and PARALYSIS. X rays in gastric ulcer shows that the stomach is To the Editor of THE LANCET. dilated and dropped. It does not contract invariably SIR,-In your leading article of May 24th it was when empty, and cannot until a long course of stated that " we are at a loss to undertreatment (for three weeks or more) by rest in bed, stand how the cerebral sclerosis and the degeneration enemata, &c., has overcome the duodenal distension of the nervous tissue can be permanently affected " and pyloric spasm which are keeping the lumen of by the malarial treatment of general paralysis. It is, the stomach widely open. however, unlikely that the lesions are affected. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, In a limited experience of about 30 general paraALFRED C. JORDAN. I have noticed that the Upper Wimpole-street, W.,June 2nd, 1924. lytics treated with malaria, physical signs known to depend upon a lesion of a definite locality of the nervous system, such as the CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE Argyll Robertson pupil and the loss of ankle-jerks, INSANE. remain the same after treatment as before, although the tremor, the slurring of the speech, and the abnormal To the Editor of THE LANCET. mental state may have vanished and the general SiR,-Will you allow me to correct an error that physical condition greatly improved. So far as I has crept into your otherwise excellent sUlllmary1 of am aware, no reports have been published of the pathological condition of patients treated with my remarks at the Section of Psychiatry of the Royal malaria who have died of intercurrent disease whilst Society of Medicine ? I am reported as saying that about such impulsive states as epileptic improving as regards the general paralysis, so it is "a great point and puerperal mania was, not that the impossible at present to be sure whether the struc- insanity constituted irresistible impulses, but tural organic lesions of the nervous system are obsessions not been resistible which had resisted." impulses a case of affected. The pathological condition in I am afraid these words must have puzzled your advanced general paralysis who had been treated with malaria and had subsequently died of the readers. They suggest that I propounded the view actions of epileptic and paralysis does not assist us, as the typical appearances that the violent impulsive of the untreated paralytic would presumably be puerperal insanity are controllable by penal sancWhat I did say was that found as the patient had died from this disease. As tions-which is absurd. as in the case of epilepsy and puerperal mania, regards the macroscopical appearances, I found this where, to be the case in one such instance. The micro- the degree of" impulsive action is high enough to be described as irresistible," it is difficult to say that scopical examination is not yet completed. knows or appreciates the nature and Therefore, if other observers have also found that the patient the physical signs known to be dependent upon quality of the act. Consequently such cases are quite organic disease of thenervous system persist after capable of being brought within the law as stated in the malarial treatment, it would appear that the the McNaghten rules. There is nothing novel in that It was made 50 years ago by Fitzjames destruction of the nervous tissue is not healed, at point. It Stephen. any rate, as regards the power of functioning. On the other hand, in regard to such states as would be interesting to know what has been found in are merely obsessional, I said that it was impossible this connexion at other institutions. It should be added that although it is possible for on legal or logical grounds "to describe the impulses a neurone to be functionally deranged without being to which they gave rise as irresistible." We know organically destroyed, as probably occurs in the 1 THE LANCET, May 24th, p. 1057. "
I:
...
1184 that such impulses are powerful, but we also know that they can be and are resisted. There is nothing new in that either. Mercier and many others have was pointed it out. What" I wanted to emphasise that the doctrine of irresistible impulse " was of no value, for it could not properly be applied to any case that is not within the four corners of the existing law. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, DONALD CARSWELL. New-square, Jjhicohi’s Irm. May 2Gth, T)4. A
COUNTY VENEREAL DISEASES SCHEME.
THE TERM "HÆMOCHROMOGEN." 2’0 the Editor
of THE LANCET. in a joimt paper (Biochem.
SiR,—Some years ago Jour., xiii., 1919, 195), Dr. O. Rosenheim and I entered a protest against the continued use of the term haemochroniogen as a synonym for reduced haematin. The former word, introduced by HoppeSeyler, is illogical-for the substance is not a chromogen; and unnecessary-for Stokes’s original name correctly describes it. This simplification of nomenclature was originally suggested on behalf of students, but Prof. A. V. Hill’s lecture (THE LANCET, May 17th, p. 994), where he confuses it with hæmatoporphyrin, is a demonstration that these long words are perplexing to teachers also. Many who read the original lecture may not see the correction in your issue of to-day.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, W. D. HALLIBURTON. ITALLIBURTON.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,,-Being interested in venereal diseases, and in charge of a municipal clinic, I read the article on this subject by Dr. J. J. Butterworth in your issue of May 24th. I was, however, surprised to find his laborious piece of statistical work lacking in important details, and so rendering his Tables II., III. (B) (C) Marylebone-road, London, N.W.. May 31st, 1924. Dr. Butterworth misleading and in part valueless. divides the attendances at the V.D. clinic into (1) those who complete the full course of treatment, VACCINE FOR ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA. and (2) those who ceased attending before completion To theEditor of THE LANCET. of treatment. Unfortunately, he does not give the whether SIR,—It may be still open to question slightest indication of what " the full course of " meningitis, treatment " is. Does he mean one course of eight or or no encephalitis is simply ’’ influenzal ten injections or does he mean several ? In the but one clinical fact that makes me believe this that in the one instance in which I used an headings of his tables he speaks of final tests as to is cure," and " persons discharged from the clinic after "influenza" compound vaccine, out of three‘’ cases under direct observation since 1918, the apparent" completion of treatment and observation." What my does this mean in dealing with syphilis and soft result was very striking, and the patient made a good chancre ?P How long has he kept the patients under recovery. The patient herself is convinced that the vaccine was the factor that turned the scale in her observation ? Take syphilis : When does lie havee complete favour. The formula was that used in the R.A.M.C. influenza " plague, and in the confidence " to discharge patients from the clinic " during the 1918 which is tantamount to discharging them as cured ? dearth of any other specific remedy it is surely worth Is he satisfied with a negative blood Wassermann for while trying this vaccine in other cases. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 3, 6, 12 months or more ? How long does he keep J. PIRIE, Leamington Spa, May 27th, 192J:. PIRIE, M.D. Without some his soft sores under observation ? reasonable information on these points, some of his tables as they stand are, to my xnind, quite valueless TARTAR EMETIC IN BILHARZIASIS. to others, and I feel it is a pity he has spoiled part of his labours by neglecting what to me are essential To the Editor of THE LANCET. details in work of this kind. SiR,—Mr. J. E. R. McDonagh alleges inaccuracy I am, Sir, yours faithfully, in the footnote on p. 1071 (THE LANCET, May 24th). W. HERBERT BROWN. Glasgow, May 29th, 1924. There is none whatever. With regard to priority for first having given the injections, readers of MEDICAL TREATMENT OF CATARACT. THE LANCET interested in the matter are referred to the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for To the Editor of THE LANCET. June 15th, 1923. In the article entitled the Antimony SiR,,-I have read with much interest the article Treatment of Bilharziasis will be found all I wish to Dr. on the above I as have Inglis subject, by Taylor write about my share in the discovery or re-discovery in been myself for several years the habit of using medical treatment for incipient senile cataract. of the remedy. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Where the patient can come to me regularly I use J. .T. B. CHRISTOPHERSON. subconjunctival injections of cyanide of mercury, Devonshire-place, W., May 31st, 1924. 1 in 5000, with 4 per cent. solution of sodium chloride, injected about once a week for about three months. When the patient lives at a distance I prescribe a ST. MONICA HOME OF REST, BRISTOL. collyrium of pot. iod. and sod. iod. each 3iiss. to To the Editor of THE LANCET. a pint of water to be used for five minutes twice a am anxious to bring to the notice of any be rubbed round the eyes SiB,—I day; vasogen of iodine to at bed-time. persons who may be described as gentlefolk in poor I hope to tabulate my results some day, but not circumstances the benefits which are intended for having time to do so just now I will give briefly the them by my late husband, Mr. H. H. Wills, the result of my first case treated by the subconjunctival founder of this institution, and should be very method, the result of this case being typical of many grateful if you would enable me to do this through the medium of your columns. others and being apparently permanent. The object of the St. Monica Home ofRest, WestMrs. T., aged 50, consulted me on April 27th, 1918, complaining that the sight of her left eye had been failing for bury-on-Trym, Bristol, is to receive as inmates. a year. Vision was 6/12 (2), not improved by glasses. Exami- gentlefolk who are members of the Church of England, nation revealed an incipient cortical cataract. I gave her suffering from certain chronic or incurable ailments,. a subconjunctival injection once a week. By June 12th in needy circumstances and having led honourvision had improved to 6/9 (4), and by August 28th, when I being able lives. The council of the home have also power ceased injecting, it was (5), improved to 6/5 (3) by -0-50 to give financial assistance to a limited number of spher. Now, after nearly six years, the vision remains the persons who cannot be accepted as inmates. Prefersarme. With the pot. iod. treatment the results were good, ence will be given, in both cases, to those having but not so striking as with the subconjunctival family or residential associations with the city of Bristol or the counties of Somerset, Gloucester, and injections.-I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Wilts. Persons mentally afflicted, epileptics, sufferers SEAGHAN P. MACENRI. MACENRT. an infectious or contagious complaint, or from from 1924. May 27th, Galway, Averard, "
"
6/6