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FRACTURE OF THE HUMERUS BY DIRECT MUSCULAR ACTION (THROWING A CRICKET-BALL); NO DISPLACEMENT.
699 the buildings have only just been opened to the public. The same arrangements are much more complicated in the Trocadero Palace, but I cannot now describe them, as this structure is not quite finished.
as
SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF WIDOWS AND ORPHANS OF MEDICAL MEN. THE annual general meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday, April 24th, by permission of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at their rooms in Berners-street. The chair was taken by Mr. J. Gregory Forbes, Vice-President. A letter was read from the President, Sir George Burrows, expressing his regret that absence from town would prevent him presiding at the meeting. From the statement of the affairs of the Society, read by the Secretary, it appeared that during 1877 a sum of jE2949 had been voted to the widows and orphans, X63 10s. in excess of the grants of 1876. The expenses of the year were JE187 Os. lld., f/27 15s. less than those of the previous year. The receipts, with the exception of legacies and entrance-fees, all showed
FURTHER
NOTE ON THE BLOOD-SPIRILLUM OF BOMBAY.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—Just as has been done in Europe, it is possible here also to prepare and preserve samples of blood containing the Spirochoete febris recurrentis in situ, and I have now before me characteristic specimens made in Bombay after the newer methods given by Dr. Koch in Cohn’s " Beitrage zur biologie der Pflanzen : zweiter band, drittes heft. Breslau, On comparing these Indian speci1877(page 399, &c). mens with the photographs illustrating Dr. Koch’s article, and with another photograph on glass kindly sent me by Dr. B. Sanderson, also bearing in mind the aspects of a specimen of stained blood taken from a European (Russian) fever patient which I saw lately in the possession of Professor at Berlin, I am of opinion that no appreciable difference exists between the blood-parasites of Europe and of India, and this conclusion, I beg leave to add, is in entire accord with inferences drawn from the natural history and symptoms of the Bombay epidemic, as compared with recorded experience in Europe. When a sufficient number of typical specimens has been of this collected I hope to submit some for main point, which, however, seems already sufficiently
Virchow
confirmation
increase. The interest from funded property had been :E2576 Is. Id., subscriptions f:5] 15s., entrance fees 10 gs., donations f:l11 4s. Only one legacy had been received established—Iam Sir during the year-viz., £ 250 from the executors of James H. V. CARTER. had been increased by Graham, Esq. The funded the purchase of E593 19s. 10d metropolitan consolidated stock. The Society lost 22 members by death during 1877, FRACTURE OF THE HUMERUS BY DIRECT and 4 members resigned. Among the deaths may be menMUSCULAR ACTION (THROWING A tioned those of Sir Wm. Fergusson, V.P. ; George Cooper, CRICKET-BALL); NO DISPLACEMENT. a 9 new members and Dr. director. Carr, Esq., V.P.; Only were elected. At the end of the year the Society consisted To the Editor of THE LANCET. of 385 members. During the year fresh applications had been SIR,—The great rarity of cases of fracture of long bones received from 6 widows and 2 orphans, 4 widows had died or which may be certainly attributable to direct muscular become ineligible, and 3 orphans had ceased to receive grants. On Dec. 31st there were 60 widows and 10 orphans receiving action has induced me to place this case on record. assistance from the Society, and 4 orphans on the Copeland A short time since I was sent for into the country to see a Fund. The following gentlemen were elected directors in lad fourteen years of age, who had an obscure injury to the the place of the six senior who retired by rotation-viz., Dr. upper arm. He was a well-made, muscular boy, fond of Barnes, Dr. Taylor, A. Willett, Esq., G. Eastes, Esq., Dr. games, and on one occasion, when he had made a great Andrew, and J. Langton, Esq. A vote of thanks to the effort in throwing a cricket-ball, he felt a sudden " crack," editors of the medical journals, for their kindness in for- as he described, in his arm, which immediately fell useless to warding in every possible way the objects of the Society, his side. I did not see the patient until some while after was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks to the Chairthe accident happened, and from what I gathered, the fact man closed the meeting. of fracture could not have been so evident. On lifting the arm there was no bending to be noticed, and it was only by rotating the shaft of the humerus gently that I could detect that the bone was really broken. The seat of fracture lay a little below the insertion of the deltoid. If we analyse the several movements by which a ball would be set in motion "Audi alteram partem." by the combined action of the muscles called into play, the last act of all being a violent twist, if the ball be properly THE COUNCIL ELECTION AT THE COLLEGE thrown, I cannot help thinking that it is possible to explain thereby an instance of the "scraube-fractur"" or screwOF SURGEONS. fracture, and which we may refer to mathematically under To the Editor of THE LANCET. the condition of equilibrium in pairs or twists. There was slight lengthening, which was replaced by the SIR,—Having been here for a few days I did not see THE rotation I mentioned, and which rotation both gave me LANCET of last Saturday until too late for a reply to Mr. and rendered the length of the humerus normal, as crepitus letter in number for this As the Bennett May’s week. your compared with the opposite arm. only provincial member of the Council of the Royal College It is interesting to note that the fracture took place at or of Surgeons who will feel special interest in the professional close to the " deltoidcurve of the humerus, and, conseaffairs of Birmingham, I infer that the personal reference is to quently, had it not been that the opposing surfaces of the me. From what source Mr. May derived his untrustworthy were in such form of contact, as I must presume, any information I need not inquire, but I can give an emphatic deviation must have been immediately recognised. contradiction to his statements and imputations. The case is, at all events, excessively rare and suggestive. 1. I did not father a scheme in the Council of the Royal I remain. Sir. vours, &c., EDWARD BELLAMY, F.R.C.S., College of Surgeons of England by which the " operation of Surgeon to Charing-cross Hospital. any of its laws might be eluded." 2. I never advised anyone to " obtain the fellowship diploma of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons,
an
property
Correspondence.
bones
"
Glasgow."
I do not know that such "ccd eundem admission to the
3.
a
degree
fellowship
would of the
College. 4. Within my knowledge I have supported tending to an " abasement and depreciation of "
the
diploma " of the College.
give
English
TURPENTINE AS AN EXTERNAL APPLICATION IN SMALL-POX. To the Editor
of
THE LANCET.
no measure
SIR,—I wish, through the medium of your journal, to the value of direct the attention of the profession to the great prophy-
Without further comment I subscribe myself, Faithfullv
an
vours.
ALFRED BAKER
lactic value of
turpentine
as
an
external
application
in
small-pox. It at
once
relieves any
smarting or irritation, it effectually
as
SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF WIDOWS AND ORPHANS OF MEDICAL MEN. THE annual general meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday, April 24th, by permission of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at their rooms in Berners-street. The chair was taken by Mr. J. Gregory Forbes, Vice-President. A letter was read from the President, Sir George Burrows, expressing his regret that absence from town would prevent him presiding at the meeting. From the statement of the affairs of the Society, read by the Secretary, it appeared that during 1877 a sum of jE2949 had been voted to the widows and orphans, X63 10s. in excess of the grants of 1876. The expenses of the year were JE187 Os. lld., f/27 15s. less than those of the previous year. The receipts, with the exception of legacies and entrance-fees, all showed
FURTHER
NOTE ON THE BLOOD-SPIRILLUM OF BOMBAY.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—Just as has been done in Europe, it is possible here also to prepare and preserve samples of blood containing the Spirochoete febris recurrentis in situ, and I have now before me characteristic specimens made in Bombay after the newer methods given by Dr. Koch in Cohn’s " Beitrage zur biologie der Pflanzen : zweiter band, drittes heft. Breslau, On comparing these Indian speci1877(page 399, &c). mens with the photographs illustrating Dr. Koch’s article, and with another photograph on glass kindly sent me by Dr. B. Sanderson, also bearing in mind the aspects of a specimen of stained blood taken from a European (Russian) fever patient which I saw lately in the possession of Professor at Berlin, I am of opinion that no appreciable difference exists between the blood-parasites of Europe and of India, and this conclusion, I beg leave to add, is in entire accord with inferences drawn from the natural history and symptoms of the Bombay epidemic, as compared with recorded experience in Europe. When a sufficient number of typical specimens has been of this collected I hope to submit some for main point, which, however, seems already sufficiently
Virchow
confirmation
increase. The interest from funded property had been :E2576 Is. Id., subscriptions f:5] 15s., entrance fees 10 gs., donations f:l11 4s. Only one legacy had been received established—Iam Sir during the year-viz., £ 250 from the executors of James H. V. CARTER. had been increased by Graham, Esq. The funded the purchase of E593 19s. 10d metropolitan consolidated stock. The Society lost 22 members by death during 1877, FRACTURE OF THE HUMERUS BY DIRECT and 4 members resigned. Among the deaths may be menMUSCULAR ACTION (THROWING A tioned those of Sir Wm. Fergusson, V.P. ; George Cooper, CRICKET-BALL); NO DISPLACEMENT. a 9 new members and Dr. director. Carr, Esq., V.P.; Only were elected. At the end of the year the Society consisted To the Editor of THE LANCET. of 385 members. During the year fresh applications had been SIR,—The great rarity of cases of fracture of long bones received from 6 widows and 2 orphans, 4 widows had died or which may be certainly attributable to direct muscular become ineligible, and 3 orphans had ceased to receive grants. On Dec. 31st there were 60 widows and 10 orphans receiving action has induced me to place this case on record. assistance from the Society, and 4 orphans on the Copeland A short time since I was sent for into the country to see a Fund. The following gentlemen were elected directors in lad fourteen years of age, who had an obscure injury to the the place of the six senior who retired by rotation-viz., Dr. upper arm. He was a well-made, muscular boy, fond of Barnes, Dr. Taylor, A. Willett, Esq., G. Eastes, Esq., Dr. games, and on one occasion, when he had made a great Andrew, and J. Langton, Esq. A vote of thanks to the effort in throwing a cricket-ball, he felt a sudden " crack," editors of the medical journals, for their kindness in for- as he described, in his arm, which immediately fell useless to warding in every possible way the objects of the Society, his side. I did not see the patient until some while after was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks to the Chairthe accident happened, and from what I gathered, the fact man closed the meeting. of fracture could not have been so evident. On lifting the arm there was no bending to be noticed, and it was only by rotating the shaft of the humerus gently that I could detect that the bone was really broken. The seat of fracture lay a little below the insertion of the deltoid. If we analyse the several movements by which a ball would be set in motion "Audi alteram partem." by the combined action of the muscles called into play, the last act of all being a violent twist, if the ball be properly THE COUNCIL ELECTION AT THE COLLEGE thrown, I cannot help thinking that it is possible to explain thereby an instance of the "scraube-fractur"" or screwOF SURGEONS. fracture, and which we may refer to mathematically under To the Editor of THE LANCET. the condition of equilibrium in pairs or twists. There was slight lengthening, which was replaced by the SIR,—Having been here for a few days I did not see THE rotation I mentioned, and which rotation both gave me LANCET of last Saturday until too late for a reply to Mr. and rendered the length of the humerus normal, as crepitus letter in number for this As the Bennett May’s week. your compared with the opposite arm. only provincial member of the Council of the Royal College It is interesting to note that the fracture took place at or of Surgeons who will feel special interest in the professional close to the " deltoidcurve of the humerus, and, conseaffairs of Birmingham, I infer that the personal reference is to quently, had it not been that the opposing surfaces of the me. From what source Mr. May derived his untrustworthy were in such form of contact, as I must presume, any information I need not inquire, but I can give an emphatic deviation must have been immediately recognised. contradiction to his statements and imputations. The case is, at all events, excessively rare and suggestive. 1. I did not father a scheme in the Council of the Royal I remain. Sir. vours, &c., EDWARD BELLAMY, F.R.C.S., College of Surgeons of England by which the " operation of Surgeon to Charing-cross Hospital. any of its laws might be eluded." 2. I never advised anyone to " obtain the fellowship diploma of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons,
an
property
Correspondence.
bones
"
Glasgow."
I do not know that such "ccd eundem admission to the
3.
a
degree
fellowship
would of the
College. 4. Within my knowledge I have supported tending to an " abasement and depreciation of "
the
diploma " of the College.
give
English
TURPENTINE AS AN EXTERNAL APPLICATION IN SMALL-POX. To the Editor
of
THE LANCET.
no measure
SIR,—I wish, through the medium of your journal, to the value of direct the attention of the profession to the great prophy-
Without further comment I subscribe myself, Faithfullv
an
vours.
ALFRED BAKER
lactic value of
turpentine
as
an
external
application
in
small-pox. It at
once
relieves any
smarting or irritation, it effectually