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MEDICINE AT THE POLLS.
MEDICINE AT THE POLLS.-AT
YPRES, 1914.
1085
.cent. of the infant mortality in England could be personal freedom the Act has now been submitted avoided if the health conditions of infant life in general to a plebiscite of the inhabitants. There are other .could be approximated to those which obtain among dangers which have to be combated by those con-
The maternity and child cerned with the promotion of medical science in the classes. do much to bring about this U.S.A. The Journal points out various ways in which people in that country are attempting to approximation by disseminating among mothers misguided research infant care. there ideas However, by the insertion of insidious clauses hamper concerning right is general agreement among all interested in the into comprehensive Bills, where their real purport indeed be grateful that question that the careful conduct of infant and child may be obscured. We may is a most essential factor in the well-being the liberty of scientific medicine in this country is and prosperity of a nation, and the gist of Dr. Kelley’s safeguarded by the watchfulness of the Research article lies in the query as to what part the medical Defence Society,1 which deserves all the support profession is to take in this movement in the United which medical men and women can give it. That the states, where, it seems, there is a definite tendency activities of those who are trying to prevent vaccinatowards non-medical leadership in the movements. tion has not yet resulted in a widespread outbreak He insists consequently that medical men who intend of small-pox is due only to the strenuous efforts of to specialise in the treatment of children must be public health authorities and practitioners working thoroughly trained and acquire special information, in collaboration, efforts which at the least must deflect remembering, however, that child hygiene is not the energies needed for other important work. The exclusive preserve of the specialist, but one of the Society have chosen well in naming their quarterly finest fields for general practice. publication " The Fight Aga’inst Disease." The fight is against physical and mental disease, including the disorder of mind which cannot see the truth when it MATERNAL MORTALITY IN CHILDBIRTH. is made plain. It may be hoped that in the new FROM a monthly review of vital statistics for Parliament ground may have been gained by those October, issued by the Department of Health, we whose minds are open to the claims of scientific and learn that during the first eight months of the current preventive medicine. year 134 deaths from puerperal septicaemia were registered within the area of New York State, with AT YPRES, 1914. .an estimated population of 10 millions and 20,500 IN our advertisement columns we publish to-day a live births in the year. The improvement over last for information concerning Trooper J. L. year, when 168 deaths were registered during the same request Northumberland Yeomanry, who was Pumphrey, period, is sufficiently striking. Nevertheless, 101 cases wounded in the head on Oct. 24th, 1914, at Polygon 62 of the same disease were a fact against notified, is he to have been sent by the Fourth Wood ; supposed which Dr. Hermann M. Biggs regards, not as significant of increased prevalence, but rather of improvement in Field Ambulance to the Convent School of Saintthe reporting of diagnosed cases. He ascribes this Charles, between Potyze and Verlorenhoek, and to have died there. In the early stage of the war, on improvement in case reporting to the efforts of the the top of struggles and disasters which need not be State Department. As the mortality from puerperal the tally of the wounded was necessarily recapitulated, septicaemia is highest in the winter months, he considers it as probable that the deaths for the entire year will taken in an imperfect manner. The purport of the be very much below that of the two preceding years. advertisement is that someone in authority, either at It is only in the septic causes of maternal mortality the field ambulance or at the temporary hospital, may Causes such as haemor- have some personal recollection of the man in question. that improvement is noted. of accidents rhage, pregnancy, convulsions, embolism, and sudden death show no important change thus far WE regret to announce the death at the age of in 1922 as compared with 1921. The trend of these 73 years, of Dr. Robert Milne, from 1880 to 1920 figures may be instructively compared with those in medical officer to Dr. Barnardo’s Homes and Hospitals, Wales, on which Prof. E. J. Maclean made comment at and whose name is associated with measures for the -a recent meeting (see p. 1071) of the Cardiff Medical home treatment of the common exanthems. Society. In Wales septic maternal mortality has been unduly high, it is not fully reported, and it is now AN lecture will be given at the Royal apparently diminishing. Whether or not this mor- Societyoccasional of Medicine on Wednesday, Nov. 22nd, at as the bears relation, Registrar-General any tality a by Dr. Hans Christian Jacobaeus, professor suggests, to a high incidence of erysipelas, there is no of P.M. internal medicine at Stockholm, on the Practical doubt whatever that the greater part of it can be of Thoracoscopy, especially in the avoided by the measures set forth by Dr. T. Watts Importance Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Pneumothorax Eden at a recent meeting of the Midland Medical Cases will be shown and instruments exhibited. in our and columns last week. Society fully reported the
professional
welfare centre
can
hygiene
-
1 11, Chandos-street, Cavendish-square, London, W. 1. SubMEDICINE AT THE POLLS. scription for membership 10s. per annum. NOT in this country alone are medical men and women just now competing for influence in the councils HuNTERiAN SOCIETY.-A meeting of this society of a nation In three of the United States of America will be held on Nov. 20th, at 9 P.M., at the Cutlers’ Hall, the success of those championing the proper safeWarwick-lane, Newgate-street, when Dr. Porter Phillips guarding of medical advances is of even greater will read a paper on the Position of Insanity in Criminal moment, perhaps, than in our own Parliamentary Law. A discussion will follow. Members of the medical contest, for the planks on which the elections are profession and of the Medico-Legal Society are invited to being fought have a direct and vital bearing attend. on medical progress. In Colorado and California, I ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF EDINBURGH.according to the Journal of the American JJ1edical ’, At a meeting held on Nov. 7th, with Sir Robert Philip, Associutio7a for Oct. 28th, one of the questions at President, in the chair, John Ronald Currie, M.D. issue is whether medical research involving the use I Harry Andrew Foy, L.R.C.P. & S. Edin., L.R.F.P.S. Glasg., Glasg., of living animals shall be prohibited. In Washington Gustav Lange, M.D. Edin., Nathaniel Hirschman, M.D. Edin., a referendum is being taken whether or not to restrict and Henry James Parish, M.B., Ch.B. Edin., were elected the activities of health authorities with respect to to the Membership of the College. The Honorary Fellowship the sanitary and hygienic control of the schools. of the College was conferred on Prof. J. Bordet, Institut Brussels, on account of his distinguished services In 1921 an Act was passed in this State granting to Pasteur, to medical science, and the Honorary Membership of the the of examination of their parents power forbidding College was conferred upon Sir Temulji Nariman, the Fort, children in schools by the health authorities. In Bombay, in recognition of his services to medical education view of the obvious danger to the State of such in India.
,
YPRES, 1914.
1085
.cent. of the infant mortality in England could be personal freedom the Act has now been submitted avoided if the health conditions of infant life in general to a plebiscite of the inhabitants. There are other .could be approximated to those which obtain among dangers which have to be combated by those con-
The maternity and child cerned with the promotion of medical science in the classes. do much to bring about this U.S.A. The Journal points out various ways in which people in that country are attempting to approximation by disseminating among mothers misguided research infant care. there ideas However, by the insertion of insidious clauses hamper concerning right is general agreement among all interested in the into comprehensive Bills, where their real purport indeed be grateful that question that the careful conduct of infant and child may be obscured. We may is a most essential factor in the well-being the liberty of scientific medicine in this country is and prosperity of a nation, and the gist of Dr. Kelley’s safeguarded by the watchfulness of the Research article lies in the query as to what part the medical Defence Society,1 which deserves all the support profession is to take in this movement in the United which medical men and women can give it. That the states, where, it seems, there is a definite tendency activities of those who are trying to prevent vaccinatowards non-medical leadership in the movements. tion has not yet resulted in a widespread outbreak He insists consequently that medical men who intend of small-pox is due only to the strenuous efforts of to specialise in the treatment of children must be public health authorities and practitioners working thoroughly trained and acquire special information, in collaboration, efforts which at the least must deflect remembering, however, that child hygiene is not the energies needed for other important work. The exclusive preserve of the specialist, but one of the Society have chosen well in naming their quarterly finest fields for general practice. publication " The Fight Aga’inst Disease." The fight is against physical and mental disease, including the disorder of mind which cannot see the truth when it MATERNAL MORTALITY IN CHILDBIRTH. is made plain. It may be hoped that in the new FROM a monthly review of vital statistics for Parliament ground may have been gained by those October, issued by the Department of Health, we whose minds are open to the claims of scientific and learn that during the first eight months of the current preventive medicine. year 134 deaths from puerperal septicaemia were registered within the area of New York State, with AT YPRES, 1914. .an estimated population of 10 millions and 20,500 IN our advertisement columns we publish to-day a live births in the year. The improvement over last for information concerning Trooper J. L. year, when 168 deaths were registered during the same request Northumberland Yeomanry, who was Pumphrey, period, is sufficiently striking. Nevertheless, 101 cases wounded in the head on Oct. 24th, 1914, at Polygon 62 of the same disease were a fact against notified, is he to have been sent by the Fourth Wood ; supposed which Dr. Hermann M. Biggs regards, not as significant of increased prevalence, but rather of improvement in Field Ambulance to the Convent School of Saintthe reporting of diagnosed cases. He ascribes this Charles, between Potyze and Verlorenhoek, and to have died there. In the early stage of the war, on improvement in case reporting to the efforts of the the top of struggles and disasters which need not be State Department. As the mortality from puerperal the tally of the wounded was necessarily recapitulated, septicaemia is highest in the winter months, he considers it as probable that the deaths for the entire year will taken in an imperfect manner. The purport of the be very much below that of the two preceding years. advertisement is that someone in authority, either at It is only in the septic causes of maternal mortality the field ambulance or at the temporary hospital, may Causes such as haemor- have some personal recollection of the man in question. that improvement is noted. of accidents rhage, pregnancy, convulsions, embolism, and sudden death show no important change thus far WE regret to announce the death at the age of in 1922 as compared with 1921. The trend of these 73 years, of Dr. Robert Milne, from 1880 to 1920 figures may be instructively compared with those in medical officer to Dr. Barnardo’s Homes and Hospitals, Wales, on which Prof. E. J. Maclean made comment at and whose name is associated with measures for the -a recent meeting (see p. 1071) of the Cardiff Medical home treatment of the common exanthems. Society. In Wales septic maternal mortality has been unduly high, it is not fully reported, and it is now AN lecture will be given at the Royal apparently diminishing. Whether or not this mor- Societyoccasional of Medicine on Wednesday, Nov. 22nd, at as the bears relation, Registrar-General any tality a by Dr. Hans Christian Jacobaeus, professor suggests, to a high incidence of erysipelas, there is no of P.M. internal medicine at Stockholm, on the Practical doubt whatever that the greater part of it can be of Thoracoscopy, especially in the avoided by the measures set forth by Dr. T. Watts Importance Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Pneumothorax Eden at a recent meeting of the Midland Medical Cases will be shown and instruments exhibited. in our and columns last week. Society fully reported the
professional
welfare centre
can
hygiene
-
1 11, Chandos-street, Cavendish-square, London, W. 1. SubMEDICINE AT THE POLLS. scription for membership 10s. per annum. NOT in this country alone are medical men and women just now competing for influence in the councils HuNTERiAN SOCIETY.-A meeting of this society of a nation In three of the United States of America will be held on Nov. 20th, at 9 P.M., at the Cutlers’ Hall, the success of those championing the proper safeWarwick-lane, Newgate-street, when Dr. Porter Phillips guarding of medical advances is of even greater will read a paper on the Position of Insanity in Criminal moment, perhaps, than in our own Parliamentary Law. A discussion will follow. Members of the medical contest, for the planks on which the elections are profession and of the Medico-Legal Society are invited to being fought have a direct and vital bearing attend. on medical progress. In Colorado and California, I ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF EDINBURGH.according to the Journal of the American JJ1edical ’, At a meeting held on Nov. 7th, with Sir Robert Philip, Associutio7a for Oct. 28th, one of the questions at President, in the chair, John Ronald Currie, M.D. issue is whether medical research involving the use I Harry Andrew Foy, L.R.C.P. & S. Edin., L.R.F.P.S. Glasg., Glasg., of living animals shall be prohibited. In Washington Gustav Lange, M.D. Edin., Nathaniel Hirschman, M.D. Edin., a referendum is being taken whether or not to restrict and Henry James Parish, M.B., Ch.B. Edin., were elected the activities of health authorities with respect to to the Membership of the College. The Honorary Fellowship the sanitary and hygienic control of the schools. of the College was conferred on Prof. J. Bordet, Institut Brussels, on account of his distinguished services In 1921 an Act was passed in this State granting to Pasteur, to medical science, and the Honorary Membership of the the of examination of their parents power forbidding College was conferred upon Sir Temulji Nariman, the Fort, children in schools by the health authorities. In Bombay, in recognition of his services to medical education view of the obvious danger to the State of such in India.
,