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MALIGNANT GROWTHS AND NORMAL REPRODUCTIVE TISSUES.
396
MOSQUITOES To the Editors
be
AT SEA.
of THE LANCET.
.
SiRS,-As mosquitoes have been found to be distributers of many serious diseases it may not be out of place to call attention to the frequent presence of these pests on sailing ships at sea and to suggest the possibility of their being responsible for the continuance of certain fevers on these vessels. Sailing ships leaving a tropical port always take away many mosquitoes which breed and keep a succession for weeks or even months. It is conceivable that, if a fever be epidemic at the port left, some of the mosquitoes carried away may belong to the variety capable of conveying that fever from one human subject to another. There are many places on a sailing ship in which mosquitos may increase; stagnant rain water in boats, firebuckets, and elsewhere, receptacles for keeping the day’s issue of fresh water in cabins and forecastle which are often never completely emptied for weeks together and in which the larvae can come to maturity. If salt water be added to the stagnant fresh water and tanks and buckets for the daily issue of fresh water be entirely emptied frequently or at least once a week mosquitoes soon disappear. This is, however, so simple a proceeding that it is often omitted and a constant succession of mosquitoes is kept up in some cases for the whole voyage. On steamships the conditions do not seem to favour the continuance of mosquitoes and I have never noticed them after the first day or two. I may add that I speak from an experience of 30 passages in sailing ships.
decided, but in general terms it seems to point before to the determination of which of the" extrinsic" factors of cell growth varies from the normal, as compared with the "intrinsic." A fuller explanation of the phenomena of cell growth from the period of fertilisation of the ovum to the adult stage, of acromegaly, of the potentialities for secretion of glands, such as the testis, cannot fail to throw light on the origin and ovary, &c., nature of the disease. It is to be hoped that the Cancer Research Fund, the British Medical Association, and other bodies will assist those medical men who reside in the provinces to carry out both general and cytological investigations when opportunities arise and the workers are to b& found.-I am. Sirs. vours faithfully. F. BUSHNELL, M.D. Lond., Honorary Pathologist in charge of the Clinical Laboratory, as
I am, Sirs, yours faithfully. F. C. SHAW, M.R.C.S.
South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital,
Plymouth.
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS.
medical
To the -Editor8 of THE LANCET.
SiRs,-Would you be kind enough to insert the inclosed! appeal in an early number of THE LANCET ?7 This boy is the only candidate at the April. 1904, election who is the son of a medical man and so ought to have the sympathy of all Freemasons. I
am.
THE INCIDENCE OF LEPROSY IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE. To the Editors of THE LANCET. to the report on the incidence of leprosy, &c., in the British Empire, which I am preparing for the forthcoming International Congress of Dermatology at Berlin, I should feel obliged if you would kindly mention in your esteemed journal the lines on which it is proposed the data should be collected, viz. :1. 8tatistios.-(a) According to official reports (Government) ; and (b) leper asylums, settlements, missions. Details as to these-race, sex, and age of inmates. Type of disease. 2. Methods employed tù oope with leprosy betmeen 1897 and 1903 (inolusive).-(a) Government laws as to leprosy ; and (b) means taken by governments, municipalities, parishes, private societies, &c., for the suppression of leprosy : (1) number of leper asylums, hospitals, and settlements ; (2) number of beds, &.c. ; (3) fluctuations in the number of lepers, c. ; (4) occupation of lepers in institutions, settleand (5) transport by rail, steamer, ambuments, &c. ;
SIRS,-With reference
Sirs.
vours
faithful1v.
U. W.
Eng.
N. MILES.
>B< *’" The case referred to by our correspondent is that of Patrick Trevor Webster, whose father, the late Mr. TrevorWebster, a member of the Lechmere Volunteer Lodge,. No. 1874, practised at Bewdley, and died on Oct. 28th, 1902, leaving a widow and seven children very inadequately provided for.-ED. L. NOTES FROM INDIA. (FROM A
OUR
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
Sanitary Association for Bombay City.-Technical Seholarr. ships for Bengal.-The Plague Epidemic. AN attempt is being made in Bombay city to excite an.
general study of sanitation and the Governorpresided recently at a meeting for the purpose of establishing a sanitary association. A number of objects are specified as being aimed at in connexion with the associathree of them being: (1) to create an educated tion, lance, &c. 3. Lepers in general hospitals, infirmaries, lunatio.asylums, public opinion with regard to sanitary matters in general ; (2) to provide its members with such advice as shall insure prisons, 0’0. As the request for the treatment of the subject on the a proper sanitary condition of their dwellings and enable above lines only came to hand after I had got out my them to procure practical advice as to the best means of circular letter to our numerous colonies and protectorates, remedying defects in the houses of the poorer classes in it would help me very much if I could have the valuable which they are interested ; and (3) to deliver lectures in English and the vernaculars to all people (males and assistance of publicity in your columns. females) of different castes and creeds. This is a very comI am, Sirs, yours faithfully, prehensive programme and is, I believe, due to the initiative GEORGE PERNET, Assistant to the Skin
Department, University College Hospital, &c.
MALIGNANT GROWTHS AND NORMAL REPRODUCTIVE TISSUES. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-The theory of spermatic influence has long been discarded as an explanation of the origin of carcinomatous Professor J. B. Farmer, Mr. J. E. S. Moore, processes. and Mr. C. E. Walker have expressed their opinion that the malignancy of cancer is due to tissues which have undergone a reducing division and have demonstrated that heterotypic and homotypic mitoses occur in the deeper layers of carcinomata and sarcomata. This has been confirmed by Dr. E. F. Bashford and Dr. J. A. Murray in malignant tumours from the trout, the mouse, and the dog. The interpretation of these "intrinsic"changes remains to
interest in the
of Dr. J. A. Turner. Another educational movement is being provided for Bengal, in the shape of State technical scholarships. The subjects of study are law, medicine, forestry, veterinary science, agriculture, and engineering. The scholarships will be of the value of £ 150 a year and tenable for two years. They may be held in Great Britain, the continent of Europe, or in America. Natives of India only will benefit. No age limit is fixed. The idea is to provide higher technical education for promising natives of India in order to promote the improvement of existing native industries and, if possible, todevelop new ones. As medicine and veterinary science are included it will give opportunities to deserving students to enlarge their knowledge and ideas upon these subjects irn the advanced countries. The value of this scheme cannot be questioned and may be placed next to the establishment of industrial institutes and experimental research laboratories among the new institutions arising in India. The plague mortality, as expected, is resuming the increase which has been in progress during the past few months.
MOSQUITOES To the Editors
be
AT SEA.
of THE LANCET.
.
SiRS,-As mosquitoes have been found to be distributers of many serious diseases it may not be out of place to call attention to the frequent presence of these pests on sailing ships at sea and to suggest the possibility of their being responsible for the continuance of certain fevers on these vessels. Sailing ships leaving a tropical port always take away many mosquitoes which breed and keep a succession for weeks or even months. It is conceivable that, if a fever be epidemic at the port left, some of the mosquitoes carried away may belong to the variety capable of conveying that fever from one human subject to another. There are many places on a sailing ship in which mosquitos may increase; stagnant rain water in boats, firebuckets, and elsewhere, receptacles for keeping the day’s issue of fresh water in cabins and forecastle which are often never completely emptied for weeks together and in which the larvae can come to maturity. If salt water be added to the stagnant fresh water and tanks and buckets for the daily issue of fresh water be entirely emptied frequently or at least once a week mosquitoes soon disappear. This is, however, so simple a proceeding that it is often omitted and a constant succession of mosquitoes is kept up in some cases for the whole voyage. On steamships the conditions do not seem to favour the continuance of mosquitoes and I have never noticed them after the first day or two. I may add that I speak from an experience of 30 passages in sailing ships.
decided, but in general terms it seems to point before to the determination of which of the" extrinsic" factors of cell growth varies from the normal, as compared with the "intrinsic." A fuller explanation of the phenomena of cell growth from the period of fertilisation of the ovum to the adult stage, of acromegaly, of the potentialities for secretion of glands, such as the testis, cannot fail to throw light on the origin and ovary, &c., nature of the disease. It is to be hoped that the Cancer Research Fund, the British Medical Association, and other bodies will assist those medical men who reside in the provinces to carry out both general and cytological investigations when opportunities arise and the workers are to b& found.-I am. Sirs. vours faithfully. F. BUSHNELL, M.D. Lond., Honorary Pathologist in charge of the Clinical Laboratory, as
I am, Sirs, yours faithfully. F. C. SHAW, M.R.C.S.
South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital,
Plymouth.
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS.
medical
To the -Editor8 of THE LANCET.
SiRs,-Would you be kind enough to insert the inclosed! appeal in an early number of THE LANCET ?7 This boy is the only candidate at the April. 1904, election who is the son of a medical man and so ought to have the sympathy of all Freemasons. I
am.
THE INCIDENCE OF LEPROSY IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE. To the Editors of THE LANCET. to the report on the incidence of leprosy, &c., in the British Empire, which I am preparing for the forthcoming International Congress of Dermatology at Berlin, I should feel obliged if you would kindly mention in your esteemed journal the lines on which it is proposed the data should be collected, viz. :1. 8tatistios.-(a) According to official reports (Government) ; and (b) leper asylums, settlements, missions. Details as to these-race, sex, and age of inmates. Type of disease. 2. Methods employed tù oope with leprosy betmeen 1897 and 1903 (inolusive).-(a) Government laws as to leprosy ; and (b) means taken by governments, municipalities, parishes, private societies, &c., for the suppression of leprosy : (1) number of leper asylums, hospitals, and settlements ; (2) number of beds, &.c. ; (3) fluctuations in the number of lepers, c. ; (4) occupation of lepers in institutions, settleand (5) transport by rail, steamer, ambuments, &c. ;
SIRS,-With reference
Sirs.
vours
faithful1v.
U. W.
Eng.
N. MILES.
>B< *’" The case referred to by our correspondent is that of Patrick Trevor Webster, whose father, the late Mr. TrevorWebster, a member of the Lechmere Volunteer Lodge,. No. 1874, practised at Bewdley, and died on Oct. 28th, 1902, leaving a widow and seven children very inadequately provided for.-ED. L. NOTES FROM INDIA. (FROM A
OUR
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
Sanitary Association for Bombay City.-Technical Seholarr. ships for Bengal.-The Plague Epidemic. AN attempt is being made in Bombay city to excite an.
general study of sanitation and the Governorpresided recently at a meeting for the purpose of establishing a sanitary association. A number of objects are specified as being aimed at in connexion with the associathree of them being: (1) to create an educated tion, lance, &c. 3. Lepers in general hospitals, infirmaries, lunatio.asylums, public opinion with regard to sanitary matters in general ; (2) to provide its members with such advice as shall insure prisons, 0’0. As the request for the treatment of the subject on the a proper sanitary condition of their dwellings and enable above lines only came to hand after I had got out my them to procure practical advice as to the best means of circular letter to our numerous colonies and protectorates, remedying defects in the houses of the poorer classes in it would help me very much if I could have the valuable which they are interested ; and (3) to deliver lectures in English and the vernaculars to all people (males and assistance of publicity in your columns. females) of different castes and creeds. This is a very comI am, Sirs, yours faithfully, prehensive programme and is, I believe, due to the initiative GEORGE PERNET, Assistant to the Skin
Department, University College Hospital, &c.
MALIGNANT GROWTHS AND NORMAL REPRODUCTIVE TISSUES. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-The theory of spermatic influence has long been discarded as an explanation of the origin of carcinomatous Professor J. B. Farmer, Mr. J. E. S. Moore, processes. and Mr. C. E. Walker have expressed their opinion that the malignancy of cancer is due to tissues which have undergone a reducing division and have demonstrated that heterotypic and homotypic mitoses occur in the deeper layers of carcinomata and sarcomata. This has been confirmed by Dr. E. F. Bashford and Dr. J. A. Murray in malignant tumours from the trout, the mouse, and the dog. The interpretation of these "intrinsic"changes remains to
interest in the
of Dr. J. A. Turner. Another educational movement is being provided for Bengal, in the shape of State technical scholarships. The subjects of study are law, medicine, forestry, veterinary science, agriculture, and engineering. The scholarships will be of the value of £ 150 a year and tenable for two years. They may be held in Great Britain, the continent of Europe, or in America. Natives of India only will benefit. No age limit is fixed. The idea is to provide higher technical education for promising natives of India in order to promote the improvement of existing native industries and, if possible, todevelop new ones. As medicine and veterinary science are included it will give opportunities to deserving students to enlarge their knowledge and ideas upon these subjects irn the advanced countries. The value of this scheme cannot be questioned and may be placed next to the establishment of industrial institutes and experimental research laboratories among the new institutions arising in India. The plague mortality, as expected, is resuming the increase which has been in progress during the past few months.