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INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CONGRESS, 1914.
1331 merely in degree from what we regard as mental existence of air in the bronchi might be expected sufficiency. Such an assumption is, in fact, very frequently compensate for the denser character of the tissue
to in would
not
made in explicit terms, but without any serious scientific evidence in its support. We might be nearer the truth if, with Dr. Kerr, we considered these very numerous cases which fail to find any place in a pathological classification as instances of mental defect through physiological This view would stimulate the study of variation. the defective from the psychological side, and would in this way lead to a system of classification based on data more accessible to our existing means of investigation, and, therefore, likely to be of practical utility.
their walls and thus to diminish the shadow they throw ; but further experience must be awaited to decide the question. It is at least doubtful whether such streaks often indicate any pathological process in the lung. The shadows thrown by the bronchial glands are a subject on which much discussion centred. It is clear that a calcified gland will tend to throw a definite shadow, and doubtless enlarged and inflamed glands may also make themselves conspicuous on the plate or screen. Unfortunately, enlarged glands are common, and in course of time even in healthy persons the bronchial lymphatics may lay up a considerable quantity of dust and debris. No inference can be INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CONGRESS, 1914. fairly drawn as to the tuberculous nature of such bodies THE Sixth International Dental Congress will be held in merely on their X ray showing. On the whole, we must London from August 3rd to 8th, 1914, at the invitation of conclude that the X rays are of considerable use as an the British Dental Association. The King has consented to additional diagnostic aid in suspected cases of tuberculous be patron of the Congress, which will take place at the disease of the lungs, but cannot yet be relied upon to supply University of London and at the Imperial College of Science information which will set the matter beyond doubt. On and Technology, South Kensington. The President will be the other hand, there are a certain number of cases of fairly Mr. J. Howard Mummery, and the joint general secretaries advanced disease in which the physical signs are obscure and no sputum can be obtained, but in which skiagraphic are Mr. Norman G. Bennett and Mr. H. R. F. Brooks. Mr. H. Baldwin is honorary treasurer. A committee of organisation, examination puts the true nature of the disease on a sure under the presidency of Mr. W. B. Paterson (president of basis. We may expect that this certitude will gradually the International Dental Federation), with Mr. F. J. Pearce as extend to cases of earlier and earlier trouble, and that honorary secretary, has been engaged for some time in making before long quite small areas of infiltration will be revealed the preliminary arrangements. Previous Congresses were by this means and the great problem of early diagnosis held in Paris, 1889 ; Chicago, 1893 ; Paris, 1900 ; St. Louis, brought considerably nearer solution. In conclusion we 1904; and Berlin in 1909. The offices of the Congress are must lay stress on the importance of invariably associating 19, Hanover-square, London, W., to which address all X ray findings with clinical examination before a definite communications should be sent. judgment is arrived at. -
THE X RAYS
IN
THE DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS.
PLUMBERS’ WORK.
ONE of the principal functions of the ancient craft guilds the establishment and maintenance of a standard of proficiency in the work of the craft. The modern trade union pays little or no attention to this important factor to the commonweal, but contents itself for the most part with an assertion of the rights"of the workman, without any regard to his duties towards the commonweal. Some of the livery companies, however, recognise their obligations towards the public as well as their duty of sustaining the rights and privileges of their members. The two things are so far from being antagonistic that they are In the really complementary the one of the other. statutes and ordinances of many craft guilds in the Middle Ages provision was made for the inspection of the work of the craftsman by officials of the guild. In all work that can influence for good or ill the public health and economic efficiency it is especially important that there should be some means of stamping both the workman and his work-the former that the public may have guidance as to who is possessed of a reasonable competence in the matter before engaging him, and the latter that he may be held responsible for the quality of his work. The licensing of medical practitioners is a conspicuous example of the former. It is gratifying to note, as an instance of the latter, that the Worshipful Company of Plumbers have decided to revive the ancient practice of craftsmen marking their work. On April 4th Mr. John Knight, a member of the Plumbers’ Company, and himself a registered plumber, gave a lecture at the Royal Technical College at Glasgow, on the invitation of the local council, to explain the system, in which he pointed out its advantages both to the public and to the conscientious craftsmen. His remarks were illustrated by lantern slides and by specimens showing the method of attaching the marks of the master plumbers and the operatives to their work. The insignificant increase was
THE discussion at the Royal Society of Medicineon the use of X rays in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis led to the expression of many opinions of considerable interest, if it did not go very far towards settling the actual value of this procedure. We have to realise that this method of examination is as yet in a somewhat experimental stage, and experts do not so far agree as to the exact meaning of many appearances seen in diseased lungs or even as to the conditions which may be regarded as normal. Nevertheless, the outlook as to assistance from X ray investigation is distinctly bright, especially now that improvements in technique are making it possible to get photographs of much greater clearness and definition than was the case a short time back. Much is to be hoped from the almost instantaneous process which is now being developed. At the present time three chief features are relied upon as pointing to pulmonary disease-defect in the movements of the diaphragm, failure in one or other apex to exhibit increased translucency in inspiration, and the appearance of abnormal shadows and transparent areas in the substance of the lung. The first of these may be due to a variety of different conditions, and gives only indirect evidence of disease of the lung itself, while it might be expected that increase of translucency in the apices would differ markedly in degree in persons of various types of chest development. As to the third group of signs, it is noteworthy that lungs which are apparently healthy exhibit curious streaked or mottled shadows towards their roots. The streaks have been variously attributed to the bronchi and to the vessels entering the lungs. From an a priori point of view the latter seems more probable, as the 1 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, vol. vi., Nos. 5 and 6, Electrotherapeutical Section, Feb. 21st and March 19th, 1913, pp. 69
and 93.
MARKING OF
PULMONARY
to in would
not
made in explicit terms, but without any serious scientific evidence in its support. We might be nearer the truth if, with Dr. Kerr, we considered these very numerous cases which fail to find any place in a pathological classification as instances of mental defect through physiological This view would stimulate the study of variation. the defective from the psychological side, and would in this way lead to a system of classification based on data more accessible to our existing means of investigation, and, therefore, likely to be of practical utility.
their walls and thus to diminish the shadow they throw ; but further experience must be awaited to decide the question. It is at least doubtful whether such streaks often indicate any pathological process in the lung. The shadows thrown by the bronchial glands are a subject on which much discussion centred. It is clear that a calcified gland will tend to throw a definite shadow, and doubtless enlarged and inflamed glands may also make themselves conspicuous on the plate or screen. Unfortunately, enlarged glands are common, and in course of time even in healthy persons the bronchial lymphatics may lay up a considerable quantity of dust and debris. No inference can be INTERNATIONAL DENTAL CONGRESS, 1914. fairly drawn as to the tuberculous nature of such bodies THE Sixth International Dental Congress will be held in merely on their X ray showing. On the whole, we must London from August 3rd to 8th, 1914, at the invitation of conclude that the X rays are of considerable use as an the British Dental Association. The King has consented to additional diagnostic aid in suspected cases of tuberculous be patron of the Congress, which will take place at the disease of the lungs, but cannot yet be relied upon to supply University of London and at the Imperial College of Science information which will set the matter beyond doubt. On and Technology, South Kensington. The President will be the other hand, there are a certain number of cases of fairly Mr. J. Howard Mummery, and the joint general secretaries advanced disease in which the physical signs are obscure and no sputum can be obtained, but in which skiagraphic are Mr. Norman G. Bennett and Mr. H. R. F. Brooks. Mr. H. Baldwin is honorary treasurer. A committee of organisation, examination puts the true nature of the disease on a sure under the presidency of Mr. W. B. Paterson (president of basis. We may expect that this certitude will gradually the International Dental Federation), with Mr. F. J. Pearce as extend to cases of earlier and earlier trouble, and that honorary secretary, has been engaged for some time in making before long quite small areas of infiltration will be revealed the preliminary arrangements. Previous Congresses were by this means and the great problem of early diagnosis held in Paris, 1889 ; Chicago, 1893 ; Paris, 1900 ; St. Louis, brought considerably nearer solution. In conclusion we 1904; and Berlin in 1909. The offices of the Congress are must lay stress on the importance of invariably associating 19, Hanover-square, London, W., to which address all X ray findings with clinical examination before a definite communications should be sent. judgment is arrived at. -
THE X RAYS
IN
THE DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS.
PLUMBERS’ WORK.
ONE of the principal functions of the ancient craft guilds the establishment and maintenance of a standard of proficiency in the work of the craft. The modern trade union pays little or no attention to this important factor to the commonweal, but contents itself for the most part with an assertion of the rights"of the workman, without any regard to his duties towards the commonweal. Some of the livery companies, however, recognise their obligations towards the public as well as their duty of sustaining the rights and privileges of their members. The two things are so far from being antagonistic that they are In the really complementary the one of the other. statutes and ordinances of many craft guilds in the Middle Ages provision was made for the inspection of the work of the craftsman by officials of the guild. In all work that can influence for good or ill the public health and economic efficiency it is especially important that there should be some means of stamping both the workman and his work-the former that the public may have guidance as to who is possessed of a reasonable competence in the matter before engaging him, and the latter that he may be held responsible for the quality of his work. The licensing of medical practitioners is a conspicuous example of the former. It is gratifying to note, as an instance of the latter, that the Worshipful Company of Plumbers have decided to revive the ancient practice of craftsmen marking their work. On April 4th Mr. John Knight, a member of the Plumbers’ Company, and himself a registered plumber, gave a lecture at the Royal Technical College at Glasgow, on the invitation of the local council, to explain the system, in which he pointed out its advantages both to the public and to the conscientious craftsmen. His remarks were illustrated by lantern slides and by specimens showing the method of attaching the marks of the master plumbers and the operatives to their work. The insignificant increase was
THE discussion at the Royal Society of Medicineon the use of X rays in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis led to the expression of many opinions of considerable interest, if it did not go very far towards settling the actual value of this procedure. We have to realise that this method of examination is as yet in a somewhat experimental stage, and experts do not so far agree as to the exact meaning of many appearances seen in diseased lungs or even as to the conditions which may be regarded as normal. Nevertheless, the outlook as to assistance from X ray investigation is distinctly bright, especially now that improvements in technique are making it possible to get photographs of much greater clearness and definition than was the case a short time back. Much is to be hoped from the almost instantaneous process which is now being developed. At the present time three chief features are relied upon as pointing to pulmonary disease-defect in the movements of the diaphragm, failure in one or other apex to exhibit increased translucency in inspiration, and the appearance of abnormal shadows and transparent areas in the substance of the lung. The first of these may be due to a variety of different conditions, and gives only indirect evidence of disease of the lung itself, while it might be expected that increase of translucency in the apices would differ markedly in degree in persons of various types of chest development. As to the third group of signs, it is noteworthy that lungs which are apparently healthy exhibit curious streaked or mottled shadows towards their roots. The streaks have been variously attributed to the bronchi and to the vessels entering the lungs. From an a priori point of view the latter seems more probable, as the 1 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, vol. vi., Nos. 5 and 6, Electrotherapeutical Section, Feb. 21st and March 19th, 1913, pp. 69
and 93.
MARKING OF
PULMONARY