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MEDICAL WITNESSES' FEES.
1520 the tissues in
hibernating animals. It is alleged that large, of quantities glycogen are stored up even in the connective tissues --in such quantity that the masses of glycogen can"be’ seen in the cells under a moderate magnifying power after staining with a weak solution of iodine. Practitioners living in parts of the country where hibernating animals, such as dormice and hedgehogs, are abundant have theopportunity of making original observations which would beof the greatest value in throwing light on very obscure
physiological processes.
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MEDICAL WITNESSES’ FEES. AT the Westminster Police-court on Dec. 10th Mr. J. E. ’Coulson, assistant medical otticer of St. George’s Workhouse Infirmary, gave evidence in a pauper case and applied to the magistrate for a, certificate for his fee. Mr. Sheil refused, saying the petitioner had been sent by the workhouse and must ask the workhouse people for his fee. We do not believe that the "workhouse people"have any legal right to " send" their medical officers as witnesses, and next time such a case arises we should advise Mr. Coulson to refuse to .attend without a subpoena and his fee.
RUBBISH. WE had occasion, in our issue of Nov. 23rd, under the I heading" The Friend of Humanity-NewVersion," to conlment upon a letter sent out to publishers signed by Mr. Edward Curtice as managing director of the Newspaper Exchange and Advertisement Clearing House. The letter consisted, it may be remembered, of a proposal to supply the press with a popular medical article every week from the pen of ’, "’Dr.’ Allinson, the well-known Hygienic Physician," if ’, certain advertisements of Mr. Allinson’s books could be inserted in the columns of the various papers applied to. ’We have since received from a fellow-editor the following document, which would appear to be a circular letter to the provincial press from a " London correspondent." We have omitted certain reviews and notes on the trial of Jabez Balfour and the Spectator dog stories, but otherwise we print .the communication exactly as it purports to have left the offices of Messrs. Romeike and Curtice :THE JOURNAL OF UNIVERSAL INFORMATION AND ORGAN OF THE LONDON NEWSPAPER EXCHANGE AND CLEARING HOUSE COMPANY.
Saturday, December 7th,
No. 75.
I
1895.
sorry that my health prevented me publishing the Journal last week, and also that the weather stopped me calling on several big advertising agents to ask payment of long outstanding a!es due to distant subscribers. I sent a clerk to a well-known advertising agent and he was most indignant and refused to speak to anyone except the principal, who lives 400 miles away, but why should any honest man delay payment, surely he could send a cheque direct. I will call on him myself on Monday. am
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sorry that some of my friends have taken offence because I sent out Dr. Allinson’s advertisement. It should be understood that it is purely a matter of business, and I am paid to send it out. The me every evil wish and will give me anonymous scribbler who a kicking when he meets me, is only wasting his time and stamps. A few weeks ago I wrote that I had become a patient of Dr. .Allinson’s, and I am pleased to say that by diet only, and without physic, I am much better for his advice. I was entrusted with the advertising for the Patti concert, and I think the order was carried out to the satisfaction of those who employed me as they sent a cheque and two stall tickets for the Albert Hall. My wife and I went, and regretted that the many millions in London cannot hear this wonderfully gifted lady. Her encore "Comin’ thro’ the Rye" was sung with all the witchery and coquetishness of a girl of 16, yet it must be 30 years ago since I heard her for the first time at Covent Garden at a benefit concert of Mr. Harris, the father of Augustus Drurylanius.
I
am
wishes
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I have accidentally met with a booklet recently published by Messrs. Churchill, from which I think cancer-sufferers should derive much information of a decidedly encouraging nature. It is called "The Conditions of liadical Cure in Cancer." The author, Dr. Herbert Snow, a well-known Specialist on tumours and cancer, ,discusses the treatment of the latter which he regards as eminently curable by certain novel scientific methods and principles if taken in time. He considers opium, of old termed the " Divi donum," or special gift of God, as by far the best remedy for this fearful scourge we at present possess ; and while confessing that it is not an absolute cure goes on to affirm: " Opium is the only drug which
markedly checks the growth of caroinormata, and its early employment. even when no wyicvl operation takes place will counuunly add years of comfortable life."
Printed and Published by Romeike and Curtice, 359, Strand, London, W.C. We do not think that the firm of Messrs. Romeike and Curtice will add much to any prestige they may rightly enjoy among those concerned in journalistic work and newspaper production by assisting in the dissemination of rubbish of this class, and we are certain that Dr. Herbert Snow will be grieved to find his name offered prominence in such a place.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF THE THYROID I I I I I t a I AGLAND. " rA I ’t . DR. SIGMUKD FRÄNKEL has made some valuable experiments in the Institute of Medical Chemistry of Vienna on the active principle of the thyroid gland. The results of feeding with animal extracts of the thyroid gland, alrenals, &c., in certain diseases have been most successful clinically, although the exact composition of the remedies has not been thoroughly understood. Several previous attempts have been made to discover the active principle of the thyroid gland, but hitherto without success. Dr. Frankel experimented with known quantities of ccld and warm extracts of the thyroid glands of sheep. The albuminous
precipitated by acetic acid, and by feeding he ascertained that the precipitate had no marked effect, whilst the filtrate that was obtained possessed the well-known properties of the thyroid gland, or, in other words, contained the physiological active principle. The filtrate was then chemically examined. It was first evaporated to a syrup, and on cooling solidified, showing the presence of gelatine derived from the connective tissue of the thyroid gland. By other experiments this gelatine was shown to be inactive. Fresh material was then taken and the albuminous substances and the gelatine precipitated by neutral acetate of lead, and the metal separated by filtration after precipitation by sulphuretted hydrogen. The residue obtained from the filtrate after evaporation was dissolved in alcohol and ether added, when a body was obtained which had the following peculiarities : it was intensely hygroscopic, and was soluMe in water and alcohol. The watery solution had a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, and only applying the usual tests for an alkaloid a positive result was obtained. Dr. Frankel calculated the empirical formula as C6H11N3O5. He has provisionally named the substance " thyreo-antitoxin," as stated last week by our Vienna Correspondent. Investigations are being made clinically with this body, but sufficient time has not elapsed to establish any definite results. In experimenting on animals Dr. Frankel failed to find the fall of blood-pressure demonstrated by Schaffer upon intravenous injection of thyroid extract, but acceleration of the pulse-rate was well marked. He also found that the hearts of frogs which had ceased to beat, could muscarin, poisoned by be to act again brought by dropping on them a few drops of a watery solution of the thyreo-antitoxin. In animals, too, after the thyroid glands had been extirpated and convulsions and other symptoms had followed, temporary recovery followed subcutaneous injections of a 1 per cent. watery solution of the remedy. These experiments agree with those made by Gley of Paris with injections of thyroid juice. Dr. Frankel maintains, therefore, that he has demonstrated the isolation of the active principles of the thyroid gland, and that it is a pure chemical body, with well-defined chemical properties and occurring in considerable quantity in the gland. He anticipates that we shall eventually be able to administer this particular antitoxin in exact doses. As he has isolated it the body is odourless, and with a taste which reminds one of the extract of beef rather than of the thyroid or its extracts." Another advantage he claims for the antitoxin is that we shall be able to assure ourselves of its purity, and bodies
were
experiments
hibernating animals. It is alleged that large, of quantities glycogen are stored up even in the connective tissues --in such quantity that the masses of glycogen can"be’ seen in the cells under a moderate magnifying power after staining with a weak solution of iodine. Practitioners living in parts of the country where hibernating animals, such as dormice and hedgehogs, are abundant have theopportunity of making original observations which would beof the greatest value in throwing light on very obscure
physiological processes.
-
MEDICAL WITNESSES’ FEES. AT the Westminster Police-court on Dec. 10th Mr. J. E. ’Coulson, assistant medical otticer of St. George’s Workhouse Infirmary, gave evidence in a pauper case and applied to the magistrate for a, certificate for his fee. Mr. Sheil refused, saying the petitioner had been sent by the workhouse and must ask the workhouse people for his fee. We do not believe that the "workhouse people"have any legal right to " send" their medical officers as witnesses, and next time such a case arises we should advise Mr. Coulson to refuse to .attend without a subpoena and his fee.
RUBBISH. WE had occasion, in our issue of Nov. 23rd, under the I heading" The Friend of Humanity-NewVersion," to conlment upon a letter sent out to publishers signed by Mr. Edward Curtice as managing director of the Newspaper Exchange and Advertisement Clearing House. The letter consisted, it may be remembered, of a proposal to supply the press with a popular medical article every week from the pen of ’, "’Dr.’ Allinson, the well-known Hygienic Physician," if ’, certain advertisements of Mr. Allinson’s books could be inserted in the columns of the various papers applied to. ’We have since received from a fellow-editor the following document, which would appear to be a circular letter to the provincial press from a " London correspondent." We have omitted certain reviews and notes on the trial of Jabez Balfour and the Spectator dog stories, but otherwise we print .the communication exactly as it purports to have left the offices of Messrs. Romeike and Curtice :THE JOURNAL OF UNIVERSAL INFORMATION AND ORGAN OF THE LONDON NEWSPAPER EXCHANGE AND CLEARING HOUSE COMPANY.
Saturday, December 7th,
No. 75.
I
1895.
sorry that my health prevented me publishing the Journal last week, and also that the weather stopped me calling on several big advertising agents to ask payment of long outstanding a!es due to distant subscribers. I sent a clerk to a well-known advertising agent and he was most indignant and refused to speak to anyone except the principal, who lives 400 miles away, but why should any honest man delay payment, surely he could send a cheque direct. I will call on him myself on Monday. am
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
sorry that some of my friends have taken offence because I sent out Dr. Allinson’s advertisement. It should be understood that it is purely a matter of business, and I am paid to send it out. The me every evil wish and will give me anonymous scribbler who a kicking when he meets me, is only wasting his time and stamps. A few weeks ago I wrote that I had become a patient of Dr. .Allinson’s, and I am pleased to say that by diet only, and without physic, I am much better for his advice. I was entrusted with the advertising for the Patti concert, and I think the order was carried out to the satisfaction of those who employed me as they sent a cheque and two stall tickets for the Albert Hall. My wife and I went, and regretted that the many millions in London cannot hear this wonderfully gifted lady. Her encore "Comin’ thro’ the Rye" was sung with all the witchery and coquetishness of a girl of 16, yet it must be 30 years ago since I heard her for the first time at Covent Garden at a benefit concert of Mr. Harris, the father of Augustus Drurylanius.
I
am
wishes
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
I have accidentally met with a booklet recently published by Messrs. Churchill, from which I think cancer-sufferers should derive much information of a decidedly encouraging nature. It is called "The Conditions of liadical Cure in Cancer." The author, Dr. Herbert Snow, a well-known Specialist on tumours and cancer, ,discusses the treatment of the latter which he regards as eminently curable by certain novel scientific methods and principles if taken in time. He considers opium, of old termed the " Divi donum," or special gift of God, as by far the best remedy for this fearful scourge we at present possess ; and while confessing that it is not an absolute cure goes on to affirm: " Opium is the only drug which
markedly checks the growth of caroinormata, and its early employment. even when no wyicvl operation takes place will counuunly add years of comfortable life."
Printed and Published by Romeike and Curtice, 359, Strand, London, W.C. We do not think that the firm of Messrs. Romeike and Curtice will add much to any prestige they may rightly enjoy among those concerned in journalistic work and newspaper production by assisting in the dissemination of rubbish of this class, and we are certain that Dr. Herbert Snow will be grieved to find his name offered prominence in such a place.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF THE THYROID I I I I I t a I AGLAND. " rA I ’t . DR. SIGMUKD FRÄNKEL has made some valuable experiments in the Institute of Medical Chemistry of Vienna on the active principle of the thyroid gland. The results of feeding with animal extracts of the thyroid gland, alrenals, &c., in certain diseases have been most successful clinically, although the exact composition of the remedies has not been thoroughly understood. Several previous attempts have been made to discover the active principle of the thyroid gland, but hitherto without success. Dr. Frankel experimented with known quantities of ccld and warm extracts of the thyroid glands of sheep. The albuminous
precipitated by acetic acid, and by feeding he ascertained that the precipitate had no marked effect, whilst the filtrate that was obtained possessed the well-known properties of the thyroid gland, or, in other words, contained the physiological active principle. The filtrate was then chemically examined. It was first evaporated to a syrup, and on cooling solidified, showing the presence of gelatine derived from the connective tissue of the thyroid gland. By other experiments this gelatine was shown to be inactive. Fresh material was then taken and the albuminous substances and the gelatine precipitated by neutral acetate of lead, and the metal separated by filtration after precipitation by sulphuretted hydrogen. The residue obtained from the filtrate after evaporation was dissolved in alcohol and ether added, when a body was obtained which had the following peculiarities : it was intensely hygroscopic, and was soluMe in water and alcohol. The watery solution had a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, and only applying the usual tests for an alkaloid a positive result was obtained. Dr. Frankel calculated the empirical formula as C6H11N3O5. He has provisionally named the substance " thyreo-antitoxin," as stated last week by our Vienna Correspondent. Investigations are being made clinically with this body, but sufficient time has not elapsed to establish any definite results. In experimenting on animals Dr. Frankel failed to find the fall of blood-pressure demonstrated by Schaffer upon intravenous injection of thyroid extract, but acceleration of the pulse-rate was well marked. He also found that the hearts of frogs which had ceased to beat, could muscarin, poisoned by be to act again brought by dropping on them a few drops of a watery solution of the thyreo-antitoxin. In animals, too, after the thyroid glands had been extirpated and convulsions and other symptoms had followed, temporary recovery followed subcutaneous injections of a 1 per cent. watery solution of the remedy. These experiments agree with those made by Gley of Paris with injections of thyroid juice. Dr. Frankel maintains, therefore, that he has demonstrated the isolation of the active principles of the thyroid gland, and that it is a pure chemical body, with well-defined chemical properties and occurring in considerable quantity in the gland. He anticipates that we shall eventually be able to administer this particular antitoxin in exact doses. As he has isolated it the body is odourless, and with a taste which reminds one of the extract of beef rather than of the thyroid or its extracts." Another advantage he claims for the antitoxin is that we shall be able to assure ourselves of its purity, and bodies
were
experiments