MEDICAL MEN AND MUNICIPAL HONOURS.

1407 much obstructed by swelling but the drums could be seen suchnotification to be paid for in the ordinary’ and showed nothing abnormal. On the following day a little way. He further recommends that a letter should be pus was found in the external ear but it came from the addressed to the members of the medical profession inviting posterior wall of the canal and not from the tympanum. The their invaluable assistance in educating patients suffering temperature was 99". The question whether the aural from pulmonary tuberculosis as to the observance of necescondition was the cause of the symptoms was very difficult. sary precautions, and that to assist their efforts a supply The state of the patient caused concern for though the of printed cards setting forth such precautions in simple temperature did not rise above 100° there was marked and language should be sent with each letter. Dr. Porter also increasing depression. It was decided to trephine the right suggests that every facility should be afforded as occasion mastoid as this appeared 10o be the most severely affected. offers for disinfecting the premises occupied by patients On chiselling into the bone creamy pus was found at a affected with tuberculosis and that such disinfection should short,distance. The mastoid cells were extensively involved. be carried out in all cases in which death has occurred, such The lateral sinus was laid bare and an extradural abscess deaths to be notified promptly by the registrars. Dr. Porter is The other mastoid antrum was of opinion that provision at the public expense of sanatoriums was found over the vein. then opened and exactly the same condition was found. for tuberculous patients is not advisable at present. He also" Large cells along the posterior wall of the bony meatus believes, and we think quite rightly so, that amongst natives were found extensively diseased and communicating with the and coloured persons the most practical procedure in canal. This accounted for the discharge in the ears. The combating tuberculosis is the vigorous enforcement of aditus and tympanum were left alone as they showed no general sanitary regulations, and especially of those relating evidence of disease. The pus was of pneumococcic origin. to conditions of housing. The universally favourableHealing was rapid. A straw-coloured discharge containing outcome of attention to sanitary matters in the prevention of tuberculosis is undoubted and the results thus achieved pneumococci persisted for about ten days. are most encouraging. We are entirely in accord with Porter’s recommendations. It is to be hoped that with> Dr. MEDICAL MEN AND MUNICIPAL HONOURS. the regulations necessary to carry out his views tuberculosis THE following is a list of members of the medical proespecially of the pulmonary variety, will considerably fession who have been elected or re-elected to the mayoral decrease in the Transvaal and all South Africa if similar, chair for the forthcoming year : Aldeburgh, Mr. C. D. regulations become general throughout the colonies. Somerg, M.B., B.C. Cantab., M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Lond. ; Arnndel, Mr. G. W. Eustace. M.D., B.Ch., B A O. Dub. ; CORPORA AMYLACEA IN URINE AND BILE. Bootle, Mr. J. Pearson, M.R.C.S. Eng., L,R C.P. Lond. THE peculiar bodies to which Virchow applied the name of Brecon, Mr. G. P. Francis, L.R.C.S. Elin., L.A.H. Dub. ; R A.M.C. Lieutenant-Colonel R Anderson, corpora amylacea have been found in various situations BmySc. Edmunds, within the M.R.C.S. L.R C.P. Lond., body, including the spinal cord, the ependyma Eng. ; (retired), F R.C.S. Edin., of the cerebral M.R.C.S. Mr. R. A. L.R.C.P. Edin., ventricles, the lungs, and the prostate. They Prichard, Conway, also sometimes occur in the sputum in cases of bronchial R. Mr. M.D., C.M. Caton, ‘Eng. ; Liverpool (Lord Mayor), Fairiesasthma and N. W. F.R.C.P. Mr. Edin., Lond. ; Montgomery, pulmonary tuberculosis, in colostrum, and in J. carcinomata. Mr. M.R.C.S. W. L.S.A. ; Neatb, Recently they have been found under certain Eng., Humphreys, in Mr. conditions the bile and urine by Dr. Anton Veit and Dr. L R New C.P. M.R.C.S. Lond. ; Romney, Thomas, Eng., R. R. Daglish, M.R.C.S. Eng., L.S.A. ; Oldham, Mr. R. K. J. Wederhake of Dusseldorf, who have recorded their Gourlay, M B , C.M. Glasg.; Rotherham, Mr. G. H. Lodge, observations in the Miinehener Medioinisohe Woohensohrift of L.R.C.P., L.R C.S. Edin., L.D.S. R.C.S. Irel. ; Welshpool, Oct. 7th. In addition to the ordinary test with iodine Mr. R. D. Thom1s, L R C.P., L.R.C.S. Edin., L.F.P S. and sulphuric acid, which stains these bodies a bluishGlasg. ; and Wimbledon, Mr. S. R. Collier, M.D., M.Cb., green, a bluish-red, or a deep-blue colour, they have emM.A.O. R.U.I. ployed a modification introduced by Seigert who described two kinds of corpora amylacea-viz., corpora versicolorata, THE PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS IN SOUTH which are stained deep-brown, and corpora flava which, AFRICA. do not give an amyloid reaction. This method conits the lransvaaZ 1tl’edical JúU’rnaZ for September, 1907, is sists in hardening in alcohol, washing in water, stainpublished a report by Dr. C. Porter, medical officer of health ing with a strong solution of iodine in iodide of potasof Johannesburg, to the public health committee of the sium, decolourising in absolute alcohol, counter-staining Johannesburg Municipal Council in regard to the prevention in a mixture of one part of tincture of iodine and four and compulsory notification of tuberculosis. Dr. Porter has parts of alcohol, and mounting in oil of origanum. Dr. evidently thoroughly considered the evidence obtainable from Veit and Dr. Wederhake have found it a tedious and difficult. all sources and sets forth in detail the reasons which induced process to find these bodies in urine and bile by this method him to take up a certain attitude as to the measures and have therefore adopted a method discovered by Dr. which should be adopted to endeavour to check the Wederhake himself. The fluid to be investigated is centrispread of the disease. His conclusions and recommenda- fugalised and the supernatant fluid is poured off, leaving only tions are as follows. He states that in Johannesburg the about one cubic centimetre in the tube ; to this is added one mortality per 1000 from tuberculosis amongst whites and drop of tincture of iodine and the mixture is vigorously Asiatics is about two-thirds of that in England and Wales ; shaken. One cubic centimetre of a concentrated solution of that it is much higher amongst the natives working in crocein-scarlet 7B in 70 per cent, of alcohol is then added mines, especially amongst the Portuguese, but that other and the tube is again well-shaken, then filled with water, and. classes of natives are apparently rather less affected than again centrifugalised. The deposit is drawn up by means of whites. He considers that for the present, at any rate, a pipette and examined in Farrant’s solution. The typical compulsory notification of tuberculosis should not be corpora amylacea are blue-black or deep blue in colour and recommended. He supports this contention by quoting marked by characteristic lamination ; to these they apply the late Sir Richard Thorne’s remarks in his third the name of iodo-amyloid bodies ; in addition they find Harben lecture in 1898. Dr. Porter recommends, how- bodies of similar structure but oval in contour, often larger ever, that the Johannesburg- council should invite volun. in size and staining red. These forms they call erythro-tary notification of tuberculosis by medical practitioners, amyloid bodies. Tested with iodine and sulphuric acicb ’

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