- Email: [email protected]
" EXPERIMENTAL DEGENERATION OF THE PYRAMIDAL TRACT."
"EXPERIMENTAL DEGENERATION OF THE PYRAMIDAL TRACT."
501
to the General Officer commanding the district, urging him Horsley nor Dr. Mellus had the slightest idea that Pro.This course was adoptedfessor Sherrington was engaged upon the same research. Had’ to use his influence in the matter. as the result of a discussion of the late circular letter from they realised what Professor Sherrington was doing, of course Not the Duke of Cambridge calling attention to the state of they would have communicated at once with him. morality of garrison towns. Notwithstanding all that the for one moment suspecting the least reason for misopponents of these Acts have urged, it cannot, we think, be understanding, I quite recently had an interview with Prodenied that the morality and outward observance of decency fessor Sherrington about a totally different matter and in the
vastly altered for the better in those places which came under their operation or that the Acts exercised a beneficial influence in repressing sexual immorality. Moreover, unfortunate women had then an opportunity of being cured of their physical ailments and of obtaining moral and religious aid, and a chance of reclamation which they could not have otherwise procured. THE COLLISION AT WARINA BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH TROOPS. There can be no doubt whatever from the detailed accounts which have been published of the fighting at Waima that the collision between the French and English troops was entirely attributable to an unfortunate misapprehension. SurgeonMajor Morgan of the Medical Staff must have had his hands full of work on the occasion. The young French officer, Lieutenant Maritz, who was in command of the French force, was mortally wounded, and was buried side by side with the English officers and others who were killed. Lieutenant Maritz, it is gratifying to learn, received every attention from Surgeon-Major Morgan, who had medical charge of the West India Regiment and of the wounded during the fighting. The men of this regiment who have arrived at Freetown on their return from the Sofa expedition are said to be much broken down with malarial fever and the hardships they have undergone. A native sergeant and six men died on the march from the effects of that fever. H.M.S. J[alab(JlJ" is expected at Portsmouth about the 21st inst. with eighteen patients for Netley. were
Correspondence. ‘"
Audi alterdm
partem."
"PLACES AND COMMONPLACES IN THE TREATMENT OF RENAL DISEASE." Ti the Edito’J’8 of THE LANCET. hasten to remove an erroneous statement from SIRS,-I my climate table which appeared in THE LANCET of Feb. 10th. The mean daily range at Davos Platz is given as 46’8° F., which I find to be based on a misunderstanding and to be much too great. I cannot at this moment give the right figures, but lose no time in withdrawing the wrong ones in the hope that I may be in time to prevent any reproduction of them. From the point of view taken in the paper the detail is of little importance, as I suppose that under renal disease Davos Platz would have no interest save as a place to I am, yours truly, be avoided. W. HOWSHIP DICKINSON. Feb. 19th, 1894,
" EXPERIMENTAL DEGENERATION OF THE PYRAMIDAL TRACT." To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,—As I take to myself the blame, in the first instance, of the misunderstanding between Dr. Mellus, Professor Horsley, and Professor Sherrington, allow me to briefly state the facts that there may be no mistake as to the points at issue. It was acting upon the instructions of Professor Horsley, in October, that I informed Professor Sherrington of Dr. Mellus’ work ; I cannot, therefore, claim the initiative of having acquainted Professor Sherrington with the research commenced in the University College laboratory. As the result of the conversation which I had then with Professor Sherrington I communicated, at the first opportunity, with Professor Horsley and gave him to understand that Professor Sherrington was not continuing the work. I had gathered this from the brief conversation with Professor Sherrington, but if this was a misinterpretation of what he meant then I am alone to blame for it. I know that neither Professor
of conversation incidentally mentioned, in speaking of the results we were obtaining in our laboratory, that Dr. Mellus’ paper would be shortly published, inasmuch as I had seen a proof of it and knew it was sent in before Christmas to the Royal Society. Although I thus had an exchange of views with Professor Sherrington on the subject shortly before he published his note, he did not give me any hint of his intention or that he was working at the matter. In justice to Professor Horsley it must be pointed out that my name was in-troduced into this question by Professor Sherrington and not by Professor Horsley, as reference to Professor Sherrington’s,. note of Feb. 3rd will show. I am, Sirs, yours truly, RUBERT BOYCE. Pathological Department, University College, London, course
tfeo.
19th,
ism.
THE MEDICAL DEFENCE UNION. To the Editors
of THE
LANCET. SIRS,-In your issue of Feb. 3rd you make some comments. upon the report of the Medical Defence Union. As those comments were made before the annual meeting took place, and consequently before the members had an opportunity of expressing their opinion, we regret that no report of that meeting has appeared in your columns, especially as the. members who were unable to be present have no opportunity of knowing what took place except through the The acceptance of the medium of newspaper reports. report was strongly opposed in consequence of the Council having undertaken to defend a member of the union in. him by another member in an action brought against direct opposition to a resolution unanimously passed at the previous general meeting, "that the funds of the Unior., should not be used to support or defend any action made against another member of the profession." This action of the council is totally at variance with the feelings of practically all the unofficial members, and the case in question i= likely to cost the Union a large sum of money, as the member who is being fought by his own council is naturally indignant and has, we understand, taken legal proceedings. against the Union. As the general meeting was so poorly attended by private members it is proposed to call a special meeting with a view to passing a definite rule prohibiting the council from employing the funds of the Union in any disputes between members of the Union. In reference to your comments upon the question of amalgamation, you will be pleased to hear that the meeting unanimously passed a resolution requesting the council to take steps to resume negotiations with the London and Counties Medical Protection Society. We are, Sirs, yours faithfully, J. HENRY CHALDECOTT. J. H. GWYNNE. GEO. N. ROBINS. ERNEST A. SNAPE. SEPTIMUS SUNDERLAND,. ALEXR. LOUIS ACHARD, Feb. 20th, 1894.
"MORTALITY FROM CANCER." To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRs,-In brief reply to Dr. Walters’ criticisms upon my letter respecting the above subject, I would point out that by the same argument which makes parallelism of the male and female cancer curves indicate a stationary mortality, it follows
that divergence shows an increase and convergence a decrease. Hence it would appear that there has been an increase of cancer in Ireland, for the Irish curves diverge, and a decrease in Scotland, the curves here converging, and that neither in Scotland nor Ireland would the theory of the stationary nature of the mortality from cancer hold ; but the British figures are doubtless too rough for the application of the delicate principle involved in this test, and the exact parallelism of the English curves must be looked upon as largely accidental. Dr. Walters speaks of a convergence of
501
to the General Officer commanding the district, urging him Horsley nor Dr. Mellus had the slightest idea that Pro.This course was adoptedfessor Sherrington was engaged upon the same research. Had’ to use his influence in the matter. as the result of a discussion of the late circular letter from they realised what Professor Sherrington was doing, of course Not the Duke of Cambridge calling attention to the state of they would have communicated at once with him. morality of garrison towns. Notwithstanding all that the for one moment suspecting the least reason for misopponents of these Acts have urged, it cannot, we think, be understanding, I quite recently had an interview with Prodenied that the morality and outward observance of decency fessor Sherrington about a totally different matter and in the
vastly altered for the better in those places which came under their operation or that the Acts exercised a beneficial influence in repressing sexual immorality. Moreover, unfortunate women had then an opportunity of being cured of their physical ailments and of obtaining moral and religious aid, and a chance of reclamation which they could not have otherwise procured. THE COLLISION AT WARINA BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH TROOPS. There can be no doubt whatever from the detailed accounts which have been published of the fighting at Waima that the collision between the French and English troops was entirely attributable to an unfortunate misapprehension. SurgeonMajor Morgan of the Medical Staff must have had his hands full of work on the occasion. The young French officer, Lieutenant Maritz, who was in command of the French force, was mortally wounded, and was buried side by side with the English officers and others who were killed. Lieutenant Maritz, it is gratifying to learn, received every attention from Surgeon-Major Morgan, who had medical charge of the West India Regiment and of the wounded during the fighting. The men of this regiment who have arrived at Freetown on their return from the Sofa expedition are said to be much broken down with malarial fever and the hardships they have undergone. A native sergeant and six men died on the march from the effects of that fever. H.M.S. J[alab(JlJ" is expected at Portsmouth about the 21st inst. with eighteen patients for Netley. were
Correspondence. ‘"
Audi alterdm
partem."
"PLACES AND COMMONPLACES IN THE TREATMENT OF RENAL DISEASE." Ti the Edito’J’8 of THE LANCET. hasten to remove an erroneous statement from SIRS,-I my climate table which appeared in THE LANCET of Feb. 10th. The mean daily range at Davos Platz is given as 46’8° F., which I find to be based on a misunderstanding and to be much too great. I cannot at this moment give the right figures, but lose no time in withdrawing the wrong ones in the hope that I may be in time to prevent any reproduction of them. From the point of view taken in the paper the detail is of little importance, as I suppose that under renal disease Davos Platz would have no interest save as a place to I am, yours truly, be avoided. W. HOWSHIP DICKINSON. Feb. 19th, 1894,
" EXPERIMENTAL DEGENERATION OF THE PYRAMIDAL TRACT." To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,—As I take to myself the blame, in the first instance, of the misunderstanding between Dr. Mellus, Professor Horsley, and Professor Sherrington, allow me to briefly state the facts that there may be no mistake as to the points at issue. It was acting upon the instructions of Professor Horsley, in October, that I informed Professor Sherrington of Dr. Mellus’ work ; I cannot, therefore, claim the initiative of having acquainted Professor Sherrington with the research commenced in the University College laboratory. As the result of the conversation which I had then with Professor Sherrington I communicated, at the first opportunity, with Professor Horsley and gave him to understand that Professor Sherrington was not continuing the work. I had gathered this from the brief conversation with Professor Sherrington, but if this was a misinterpretation of what he meant then I am alone to blame for it. I know that neither Professor
of conversation incidentally mentioned, in speaking of the results we were obtaining in our laboratory, that Dr. Mellus’ paper would be shortly published, inasmuch as I had seen a proof of it and knew it was sent in before Christmas to the Royal Society. Although I thus had an exchange of views with Professor Sherrington on the subject shortly before he published his note, he did not give me any hint of his intention or that he was working at the matter. In justice to Professor Horsley it must be pointed out that my name was in-troduced into this question by Professor Sherrington and not by Professor Horsley, as reference to Professor Sherrington’s,. note of Feb. 3rd will show. I am, Sirs, yours truly, RUBERT BOYCE. Pathological Department, University College, London, course
tfeo.
19th,
ism.
THE MEDICAL DEFENCE UNION. To the Editors
of THE
LANCET. SIRS,-In your issue of Feb. 3rd you make some comments. upon the report of the Medical Defence Union. As those comments were made before the annual meeting took place, and consequently before the members had an opportunity of expressing their opinion, we regret that no report of that meeting has appeared in your columns, especially as the. members who were unable to be present have no opportunity of knowing what took place except through the The acceptance of the medium of newspaper reports. report was strongly opposed in consequence of the Council having undertaken to defend a member of the union in. him by another member in an action brought against direct opposition to a resolution unanimously passed at the previous general meeting, "that the funds of the Unior., should not be used to support or defend any action made against another member of the profession." This action of the council is totally at variance with the feelings of practically all the unofficial members, and the case in question i= likely to cost the Union a large sum of money, as the member who is being fought by his own council is naturally indignant and has, we understand, taken legal proceedings. against the Union. As the general meeting was so poorly attended by private members it is proposed to call a special meeting with a view to passing a definite rule prohibiting the council from employing the funds of the Union in any disputes between members of the Union. In reference to your comments upon the question of amalgamation, you will be pleased to hear that the meeting unanimously passed a resolution requesting the council to take steps to resume negotiations with the London and Counties Medical Protection Society. We are, Sirs, yours faithfully, J. HENRY CHALDECOTT. J. H. GWYNNE. GEO. N. ROBINS. ERNEST A. SNAPE. SEPTIMUS SUNDERLAND,. ALEXR. LOUIS ACHARD, Feb. 20th, 1894.
"MORTALITY FROM CANCER." To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRs,-In brief reply to Dr. Walters’ criticisms upon my letter respecting the above subject, I would point out that by the same argument which makes parallelism of the male and female cancer curves indicate a stationary mortality, it follows
that divergence shows an increase and convergence a decrease. Hence it would appear that there has been an increase of cancer in Ireland, for the Irish curves diverge, and a decrease in Scotland, the curves here converging, and that neither in Scotland nor Ireland would the theory of the stationary nature of the mortality from cancer hold ; but the British figures are doubtless too rough for the application of the delicate principle involved in this test, and the exact parallelism of the English curves must be looked upon as largely accidental. Dr. Walters speaks of a convergence of