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PROPOSED TESTIMONIAL TO DR. EYRE.
111 occurred in these reactions. I have employed the agglutination reaction with various micro-organisms in several hundred cases both in man and animals, but I have only met with such a condition in the cases already referred to and have not seen it recorded in the literature. I am. Sirs. yours faithfullv. LEONARD S.
July 6th, 1904.
Superintendent
DUDGEON,
of the Clinical
St. Thomas’s
Laboratory,
Hospital.
PROPOSED TESTIMONIAL TO DR. EYRE. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-In August, 1903,
Dr.
J. Eyre
was
investigating
some
points in the biology of the micro-organism of Malta fever in the bacteriological laboratory at Guy’s Hospital when he accidentally inoculated himself with this micro-organism. A few days afterwards he developed an attack of Malta fever, causing incapacity for work for six weeks. As he was insured in a company against accidents and several diseases, including septicaemia, he made a claim under his policy. As he had been given to understand by the agent who induced him to take out the policy that it included accidental bacterial infections, contracted in his laboratory, he was astonished to find his claim repudiated. Acting on the advice of counsel Dr. Eyre insisted on his claim, and the dispute, owing to a clause of the policy, had to be decided, not publicly in court but by private arbitration. The
decision of the arbitrator was in favour of the company. This decision is, I think, one of great importance to members of the medical profession who hold accident policies. Dr. Eyre’s costs for the arbitration amount to some £140 and it is thought by many of his friends, amongst whom I count
myself, to be a fitting opportunity to present him with=a testimonial in order to assist him in meeting these costs. Cheques may be sent addressed to me at Guy’s Hospital. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully. J. H. BRYANT. Mansfield-street, Portland-place, W., July 7th, 1904 *** Dr. Bryant incloses a list of subscribers of sums varying between Z33s. and 10s. 6d., showing that the medical profession are recognising’ the hardship which Dr. Eyre has undergone. The circumstances will be found in detail in THE LANCET of June 25th, p. 1811. We shall publish the list of subscribers next week.-ED. L. ACCIDENTAL VACCINIA OF THE NASAL CAVITY. To the Fditors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-Mr. W. H. Bowen’s account of a case of the above in THE LANCET of July 2nd, p. 20, exactly describes a I had some years ago, except that in my case I found well-marked vesicle inside the ala nasi. Shortly afterwards I had a similar case in which the vesicle appeared on the lower lip. Both were women and no trouble ensued. I am. Sirs. vours faithfully. R. M. H. WALFORD. Stonebroom, Alfreton, July 5th, 1904. case
a
IN THE MATTER OF PATENT MEDICINES. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-I should be greatly obliged if you could give an authoritative answer to the following questions. May a medical man if he knows the composition of any patented proprietary article prescribe its exact formula so as to have it made up as an ordinary prescription or is a hospital dispenser legally entitled to make up any proprietary article of which he can discover the formula or composition ? If the general answer to these two is in the affirmative would the answer also be in the affirmative if the article in question could only be made by special patented process ? I am,
July 4th,
Sirs,
yours
1904.
VACCINATION GRANTS.-Mr. J. D.
faithfully,
INQUIRER. Staple, public
vaccinator of the Ashley district of the Bristol union, has been awarded the Local Government Board grant for successful vaccination for the fourth consecutive year.Dr. A. W. Woodman Dowding has obtained the grant for successful vaccinations in the St. Newlyn East district of
Cornwall.
THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH OFFICE. PROGRESS
(BY
OUR
AND
MODIFICATION
SPECIAL
OF THE
SANITARY
PROJECT.
COMMISSIONER.)
Paris, July 4th. AT the last official International Sanitary Conference which met off and on in Paris from Oct. 10th to Dec. 3rd, 1903, a resolution was adopted in favour of constituting a permanent International Sanitary Office. This proposal, as related at the time, was not unanimously approved and the representatives of the British Government notably made some reserva. tions. Since then there has been time for reflection, for a further exchange of views, and for a better understanding of the project. The idea has been ripening and within the last few days a distinct step forward has been On the other hand, there has been no undue taken. haste. For more than half a century various governments of Europe have held international conferences on sanitary matters. There have been in all 11 such official gatherings and it cannot be said that they have overburdened the world with proposals, schemes, and projects of legislation. The first conference met at Paris in 1851 and 12 nations were represented ; the last conference met in 1903, also at Paris, but there were no less than 24 nations and governments represented. The earlier conferences were more like scientific gatherings. The governments were represented by diplomatists who held a sort of watching brief while men of science discussed. Motions were carried and pious wishes were expressed. This sort of platonic procedure prevailed at the conferences held in 1851 at Paris, in 1859 at Paris, in 1866 at in 1874 at Vienna, in 1881 at Washington, and in 1885 at At Vienna in 1892 a considerable change took Rome. place. Europe was then menaced with the cholera and now the representations of the various governments began to take action. Conventions were signed and the conference met again the next year at Dresden and again, the year following (1894) at Paris. Later, in 1897, the tenth International Official Conference was held at Venice and this time for the purpose of drawing up an international convention in regard to the precautions which were to be taken to prevent the spread of plague. Thus out of 11 conferences only the last five have resulted in the signing of international treaties and agreements. It may be said that, while the first conferences met to discuss theories and to study sanitary problems, this task has of late years been relegated entirely to the international medical and sanitary congresses. The official conferences, therefore, now meet, not to discuss theories, but to legislate ; the debates relate to the regulations that it may be thought wise and possible to impose and to the international conventions that are necessary for such purpose. So far the object of such understanding was to prevent the spread of disease from one nation to another while at the same time striving to reduce the inconvenience of such precautions, notably of quarantines, to the lowest possible degree. These various agreements were grouped together and codified at the conference held in Paris last year. The new convention thus drawn up, which codifies and ratifies all the previous agreements, bears the date of Dec. 3rd, 1903, and is divided into six chapters with 184 clauses or articles. But this international convention of 1903 not only codifies, it also modifies the measures to be taken so as to bring them in harmony with the more recent discoveries of science. For instance, it is now believed that the period of incubation for plague is only five days, so that the period of observation )f the passengers coming from a ship where there has been cases of plague on board has been reduced from ten to five lays. Also it is now no longer necessary in such a case to retain the passengers in quarantine for these five days : they )an be allowed to proceed if they are going to a place where there is a competent sanitary administration which can keep them under efficient observation. Then, again, according to the Venice Convention, every government had to to all the governments which had signed the convention whenever a case of plague occurred. But if this- case came from abroad and the disease did not spread to inhabitants of the country then it was not necessary to take rny measures against the district in question. In practice many authorities failed to notify the first case and only
Constantinople,
notify
July 6th, 1904.
Superintendent
DUDGEON,
of the Clinical
St. Thomas’s
Laboratory,
Hospital.
PROPOSED TESTIMONIAL TO DR. EYRE. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-In August, 1903,
Dr.
J. Eyre
was
investigating
some
points in the biology of the micro-organism of Malta fever in the bacteriological laboratory at Guy’s Hospital when he accidentally inoculated himself with this micro-organism. A few days afterwards he developed an attack of Malta fever, causing incapacity for work for six weeks. As he was insured in a company against accidents and several diseases, including septicaemia, he made a claim under his policy. As he had been given to understand by the agent who induced him to take out the policy that it included accidental bacterial infections, contracted in his laboratory, he was astonished to find his claim repudiated. Acting on the advice of counsel Dr. Eyre insisted on his claim, and the dispute, owing to a clause of the policy, had to be decided, not publicly in court but by private arbitration. The
decision of the arbitrator was in favour of the company. This decision is, I think, one of great importance to members of the medical profession who hold accident policies. Dr. Eyre’s costs for the arbitration amount to some £140 and it is thought by many of his friends, amongst whom I count
myself, to be a fitting opportunity to present him with=a testimonial in order to assist him in meeting these costs. Cheques may be sent addressed to me at Guy’s Hospital. I am, Sirs, yours faithfully. J. H. BRYANT. Mansfield-street, Portland-place, W., July 7th, 1904 *** Dr. Bryant incloses a list of subscribers of sums varying between Z33s. and 10s. 6d., showing that the medical profession are recognising’ the hardship which Dr. Eyre has undergone. The circumstances will be found in detail in THE LANCET of June 25th, p. 1811. We shall publish the list of subscribers next week.-ED. L. ACCIDENTAL VACCINIA OF THE NASAL CAVITY. To the Fditors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-Mr. W. H. Bowen’s account of a case of the above in THE LANCET of July 2nd, p. 20, exactly describes a I had some years ago, except that in my case I found well-marked vesicle inside the ala nasi. Shortly afterwards I had a similar case in which the vesicle appeared on the lower lip. Both were women and no trouble ensued. I am. Sirs. vours faithfully. R. M. H. WALFORD. Stonebroom, Alfreton, July 5th, 1904. case
a
IN THE MATTER OF PATENT MEDICINES. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-I should be greatly obliged if you could give an authoritative answer to the following questions. May a medical man if he knows the composition of any patented proprietary article prescribe its exact formula so as to have it made up as an ordinary prescription or is a hospital dispenser legally entitled to make up any proprietary article of which he can discover the formula or composition ? If the general answer to these two is in the affirmative would the answer also be in the affirmative if the article in question could only be made by special patented process ? I am,
July 4th,
Sirs,
yours
1904.
VACCINATION GRANTS.-Mr. J. D.
faithfully,
INQUIRER. Staple, public
vaccinator of the Ashley district of the Bristol union, has been awarded the Local Government Board grant for successful vaccination for the fourth consecutive year.Dr. A. W. Woodman Dowding has obtained the grant for successful vaccinations in the St. Newlyn East district of
Cornwall.
THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH OFFICE. PROGRESS
(BY
OUR
AND
MODIFICATION
SPECIAL
OF THE
SANITARY
PROJECT.
COMMISSIONER.)
Paris, July 4th. AT the last official International Sanitary Conference which met off and on in Paris from Oct. 10th to Dec. 3rd, 1903, a resolution was adopted in favour of constituting a permanent International Sanitary Office. This proposal, as related at the time, was not unanimously approved and the representatives of the British Government notably made some reserva. tions. Since then there has been time for reflection, for a further exchange of views, and for a better understanding of the project. The idea has been ripening and within the last few days a distinct step forward has been On the other hand, there has been no undue taken. haste. For more than half a century various governments of Europe have held international conferences on sanitary matters. There have been in all 11 such official gatherings and it cannot be said that they have overburdened the world with proposals, schemes, and projects of legislation. The first conference met at Paris in 1851 and 12 nations were represented ; the last conference met in 1903, also at Paris, but there were no less than 24 nations and governments represented. The earlier conferences were more like scientific gatherings. The governments were represented by diplomatists who held a sort of watching brief while men of science discussed. Motions were carried and pious wishes were expressed. This sort of platonic procedure prevailed at the conferences held in 1851 at Paris, in 1859 at Paris, in 1866 at in 1874 at Vienna, in 1881 at Washington, and in 1885 at At Vienna in 1892 a considerable change took Rome. place. Europe was then menaced with the cholera and now the representations of the various governments began to take action. Conventions were signed and the conference met again the next year at Dresden and again, the year following (1894) at Paris. Later, in 1897, the tenth International Official Conference was held at Venice and this time for the purpose of drawing up an international convention in regard to the precautions which were to be taken to prevent the spread of plague. Thus out of 11 conferences only the last five have resulted in the signing of international treaties and agreements. It may be said that, while the first conferences met to discuss theories and to study sanitary problems, this task has of late years been relegated entirely to the international medical and sanitary congresses. The official conferences, therefore, now meet, not to discuss theories, but to legislate ; the debates relate to the regulations that it may be thought wise and possible to impose and to the international conventions that are necessary for such purpose. So far the object of such understanding was to prevent the spread of disease from one nation to another while at the same time striving to reduce the inconvenience of such precautions, notably of quarantines, to the lowest possible degree. These various agreements were grouped together and codified at the conference held in Paris last year. The new convention thus drawn up, which codifies and ratifies all the previous agreements, bears the date of Dec. 3rd, 1903, and is divided into six chapters with 184 clauses or articles. But this international convention of 1903 not only codifies, it also modifies the measures to be taken so as to bring them in harmony with the more recent discoveries of science. For instance, it is now believed that the period of incubation for plague is only five days, so that the period of observation )f the passengers coming from a ship where there has been cases of plague on board has been reduced from ten to five lays. Also it is now no longer necessary in such a case to retain the passengers in quarantine for these five days : they )an be allowed to proceed if they are going to a place where there is a competent sanitary administration which can keep them under efficient observation. Then, again, according to the Venice Convention, every government had to to all the governments which had signed the convention whenever a case of plague occurred. But if this- case came from abroad and the disease did not spread to inhabitants of the country then it was not necessary to take rny measures against the district in question. In practice many authorities failed to notify the first case and only
Constantinople,
notify