FATAL CASES OF PTOMAINE POISONING.

1894 visit Washington have been received from the headsI number of people who have eaten of the same poisonou of the Medical Departments of the United States of! article of diet should be affected so differently as re America, and to visit Baltimore at the instance of thei gards the period of onset of ’the symptoms, their degree authorities of the Johns Hopkins University. The expedition, of severity, and their duration. It must be borne in which consists of Dr. H. E. Durham (Grocers’ Research mind, however, that food may be poisonous in two Scholar) and Dr. Walter Myers (John Lucas Walker Student), ways: (1) from the direct irritant and toxic effects of both of Cambridge University, sailed from Liverpool on animal alkaloids developed by the action of germs before Tuesday, June 26th, for Canada, and will proceed thence to the food is ingested; and (2) by the germs themWashington and Baltimore. After conferring with the selves setting up an infective process in the body and bacteriological experts in those two cities the expedition will liberating during their culture the alkaloidal poison, proceed to New York and will sail from that port to Fara, just as in acute specific infective fevers. Writing on this their subsequent movements being guided by circumstances. subject Sir George Buchanan remarked : " The phenomena Advantage will be taken of the opportunity to test still which were spoken of as food-poisoning are claiming an ever. further the work of the Liverpool school in malarial fever growing evidence to be regarded as true infective diseases, as carried on by Major R. Ross, I.M.S., and also to prose- much so as was scarlet fever or tuberculosis. They have not A public meeting was held been generally admitted into this rank (1) from the circum. cute the study of dysentery. at the Exchange Buildings in Liverpool on June 25th, stance that some of them have seemed to be wanting which was presided over by Mr. Alfred L. Jones, the chair- in the incubation period, and (2) because they are man of the Liverpool School of Tropical Diseases, to con- rarely recognised as being transmissible from person to sider what action should now be taken to press upon the person."" Thorough cooking kills the germs, but it does Government the necessity for the amelioration of the con- not destroy the animal alkaloids which they have formed. ditions of life in West Africa and other tropical countries The poisoning is then a chemical one. On the other by improved sanitation, better water-supply, segregation of hand imperfect cooking fails to destroy the organisms, and Europeans, clearance of bush near towns, the introduction of so the individual is subjected to two influences-the de. light railways to the mountainous districts, and such other veloped alkaloid and the infective or fermentative process A motion to this effect in his body. Now it is well known that the tissues, organs, means as science may direct." was carried unanimously in an influentially attended and secretions of some people are more susceptible to the meeting. It was also proposed: " That the Liverpool action of infective organisms than are those of othersChamber of Commerce be requested to cooperate with "vulnerability," as it is termed-and thus it becomes the School of Tropical Diseases, and to ask the abundantly clear why the results of implantation of the Government to receive a joint deputation on the sub- organisms should vary so extremely in different individuals. ject." In the evening, on the invitation of Mr. Alfred L. Moreover, as regards simple poisoning by animal alkaloids Jones, a company of gentlemen sat down to a banquet at the the effects will vary with the dose, with the empty or replete Adelphi Hotel to do honour to the members of Liverpool’s condition of the stomach, and with the rapidity with which third expedition to the tropics who were about to sail for the alimentary tract gets rid of the offending matter. Unthe Amazon. The toast of " The Yellow Fever Expedition" fortunately, articles of diet-especially meat-which have was proposed by the chairman and seconded by Professor become charged with animal alkaloids not seldom are free Osler of Baltimore, to which Dr. Durham and Dr. Myers from noxious smell, and thus the warning given by the odour suitably responded. The chairman referred to the high of putrescence is wanting. To avoid dangerous and even esteem in which the late Miss Kingsley was held by West fatal consequences the meat should be examined to see that African natives and he suggested that the proposed hospital it is quite fresh and free from disease. It should be cooked in Liverpool for the treatment of malarial diseases should bear early and thoroughly, and whilst kept in the raw condition her name. Mr. Jones generously offered to head the sub- it should be placed in healthy surroundings. Other subscriptions, scription list with a donation of .&1000. to were also towards the erection THE LECTURERS AND LECTURES AT THE ROYAL 1200, amounting promised of the hospital. It is proposed to build the hospital on some COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND FROM waste land near the Royal Southern Hospital. 1810 TO 1900. AMONG the various preparations which have been made in view of the now fast-approaching centenary of the Royal FATAL CASES OF PTOMAINE POISONING. of Surgeons of England a great many details of much ON June 19th an inquest was held at Plymouth touching College historical interest will be found in a list of lecturers and the death of Mabel Elizabeth Starling, aged 20 years. This lectures compiled1 by Mr. Victor G. Plarr, the accomplished was the second death in the family as alleged from the same librarian of the College. The Hunterian Professors, by whom A week previously to her death the deceased with cause. have invariably been the "Museum Lectures " were eight other members of the family partook of pork for men of eminence in their delivered, respective subjects, and many of dinner. Of these nine persons eight suffered from symptoms their discourses have been published in THE LANCET, the of poisoning, two had died, and one escaped entirely. Mr. latest Mr. A. W. Mayo-Robson’s three lectures Starling suffered in the slightest degree ; Mrs. Starling on theexample being of the Stomach, which appeared in our Surgery suffered severely, but the symptoms went off quickly. One columns on the 10th, 17th, and 24th of March last. Surprisson escaped for 24 hours. The other children were taken ill have occurred in the science and art of surgery at varying periods of from two to four hours after dinner ing changes and in most of the allied branches of knowledge since these but recovered during the night." The family had partaken lectures were instituted at the instance of the Government of fish (gurnet) for breakfast, but since none of them when the Hunterian collection was handed over to the were affected until after dinner it may reasonably in the beginning of the present century. The first be concluded that the fish was not the offending agent. College Museum Lecture was delivered on Feb. 13th, 1810, No other cases of persons who had eaten pork from the same between which date and the following May 10th carcass being attacked have been reported, and since there two courses of 12 lectures each were delivered, one was direct evidence that the meat when delivered to the on Morbid Parts and Surgery by Sir William Blizard family was to all appearance fresh and good it would seem and the other on Compaxative Anatomy by Sir Everard in the highest degree probable that it became subsequently 1 Printed b infected with micro-organisms. It seems strange that a Taylor and Francis, Red Lion-court, Fleet-street.