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"THE REVELATIONS OF RADIUM."
245 even with this assistance and the most careful economy rays, and Schmidt in 1898 showed that thorium would dothe part of the committee the past year began with a the same thing. In the same year M. and Madame Curie deficit of £5463, which it is feared will show a considerable succeeded in isolating one decigramme of pure radium from increase when the accounts are closed. As we have already a ton of pitchblende and found that all the radio-active said it is impossible to estimate the amount of good this properties of uranium and thorium were intensified in radium hospital does for mankind. It is not only the poor who come at least 500,000 times. On March 16th, 1903, M. Curie from all parts of the United Kingdom and even from the announced that pure radium chloride is self-heating. The colonies (sometimes as many as 550 are relieved in one theory in regard to radio-activity is now commonly held to morning) who benefit, but the institution forms a school of be atomic disintegration and scientific men now speak ophthalmic science and surgery to which medical practi- of elemental decomposition, the pulverisation of atoms tioners from all parts of the empire come to study. And into electrons and the reduction of matter into its fourth there is probably not one ophthalmic surgeon of eminence state. What is undeniable, said Dr. Batten, is that the in the United Kingdom or the colonies who has not studied Daltonian atom has in the century of its acceptance as a Each of those there. The whole empire therefore is indebted to this insti- fundamental reality suffered destruction. tution and in common justice the whole empire should con- supposed "ultimates," he added, is now known to be the tribute towards its support. The King’s Hospital Fund for scene of indescribable activities, a complex piece of London in its annual report for 1903, referring to the Royal mechanism composed of thousands of parts, a star-cluster London Ophthalmic Hospital, justly said, "this hospital in miniature subject to all kinds of dynamical vicissitudes, should receive more support from the public," and this is to perturbations, accelerations, internal friction, total or abundantly clear to anyone who takes the trouble to read partial disruption. To sum up, the revelations of radium the annual reports of the hospital. The annual subscriptions seem to support the corpuscular electron theories of matter and donations must be increased to f,6000 a year if the and electricity. They open up quite a vista into a new and institution is still to carry on its good work, and in addition immense storehouse -of energy in the universe, the intrato this the sum of f,50,000 is required for the rent fund in- atomic storehouse beside which the ordinarily available intervestment the interest of which will pay the rent of the atomic and inter-molecular forces pale into insignificance, if hospital, and f,LJ500 for repayment of the balance of the loan only we can learn to tap that wonderful new source, and this, from the Charity Commissioners. Subscriptions should be Dr. Batten confessed, "is the most exciting thing about sent to the secretary, Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, radium and its congeners."
But on
City-road,
E.C. -
DESQUAMATION OF THE SKIN IN TYPHOID
"THE REVELATIONS OF RADIUM."
FEVER.
A VERY interesting lecture under the above title was THOUGH desquamation of the skin in typhoid fever wa& given by Dr. George B. Batten at a meeting of the Roentgen long ago described by the great French ciinician Louis it is Society held on Jan. 7Jh. Dr. Batten commenced by either unnoticed or little more than mentioned by most giving a short sketch of the theories of matter that had writers. Dreschfeld in Allbutt’s "System" says that been held since Newton postulated his projectile theory of desquamation of fne branny scales is often observed towards light in 1668. Then came Franklin’s imponderable fluid the end of the fever or during convalescence. Osler in the theory of electricity in 1746 and next Dalton’s atomic theory last edition of his book states that branny desquamation is of matter in 1803. Throughout the nineteenth century the not rare in children and that occasionally the skin peels off undulatory theory of light and heat associated with the in large flakes. The American Journal of the Medical atomic theory of matter was almost universally held. Passing Sciences for January contains an important paper by Dr. over Clerk Maxwell’s view that electricity, light, and heat David Riesman, in which he relates two cases and reviews were identical, Hertz’s remarkable experiments in support of the literature of the subject. The following is one of his this view were mentioned. Hertz demonstrated in 1888 that cases. A man was admitted to hospital on Jan. 23rd, 1902, radiant electricity consisted of large waves in the ether. with the eruption of typhoid fever. The attack was severe. Next came the announcement of Professor Bose that he had The rash became widespread, spots appearing on the face, been able to detect electrical waves as small as three milli- arms, thighs, and legs. The temperature became normal on metres in size. This was followed by Professor Langley Feb. 12th, probably at the end of the fourth week. On announcing the existence of heat rays as large as 70 March 3rd there was a severe chill, the temperature rose to micro-millimetres, leaving only a gap of about seven 1060 F., and there was pain in the right side. Pleural effuoctaves in the scale of radiant energy. This gap is sion followed and aspiration was performed. Early in April now partially filled, it would seem, by M. Blondlot’s the patient left hospital in fair health. Desquamation and Professor Charpsntier’s I In" rays. In this scale the began during convalescence (date not given). It was in red heat and all the are the a of the scales and some were ordinary rays light rays fully quarter widespread forty-ninth octave and up to the fifty-first octave chemical of an inch long. On the chest and abdomen it was most "
actinic and ultra-violet rays are known to occur. In 1895 Roentgen discovered the x rays which by some are thought to have still smaller wave lengths. Then Sir William Crookes annouriced the existence of a fourth state of matter and showed that in the vacuum tube the current is carried by material particles of matter in a much smaller state of subdivision than ordinary atoms—"corpuscles, inL fact," which form the cathode stream. In still higher, vacua the electric current ceases to pass at all, ani observation which suggested a difficulty as to accepting the ordinary undulatory ether theory of electricity andt
noticeable but it was little less marked on the limbs. It was distinct on the face and neck. On the arms and legs it was in the form of circular bands from oneeighth to one-quarter of an inch thick with intervals of apparently normal skin of the same width. The scalp, shoulders, palms, and soles were not affected. Dr. Riesman concludes that three forms of desquamation in typhoid fever 1. That confined to the roseolar may be distinguished. Sometimes each spot has a tiny vesicle on its summit spots. which forms a thin scale. 2. That appearing as a sequel This form is confined to the area of the to sudamina. light. Possibly the phenomena of radio-activity may help sudaminal eruption, though Louis states that the intervening us towards a solution. Becquerel, in 1896, found thatt skin may be readily peeled off. The desquamation is usually the metal uranium has the faculty of spontaneously furfuraceous but is sometimes scaly. It occurs upon the emitting rays closely analogous to cathode and to Roentgen1 trunk and proximal part of the limbs, never upon the distal
or
.
But on
City-road,
E.C. -
DESQUAMATION OF THE SKIN IN TYPHOID
"THE REVELATIONS OF RADIUM."
FEVER.
A VERY interesting lecture under the above title was THOUGH desquamation of the skin in typhoid fever wa& given by Dr. George B. Batten at a meeting of the Roentgen long ago described by the great French ciinician Louis it is Society held on Jan. 7Jh. Dr. Batten commenced by either unnoticed or little more than mentioned by most giving a short sketch of the theories of matter that had writers. Dreschfeld in Allbutt’s "System" says that been held since Newton postulated his projectile theory of desquamation of fne branny scales is often observed towards light in 1668. Then came Franklin’s imponderable fluid the end of the fever or during convalescence. Osler in the theory of electricity in 1746 and next Dalton’s atomic theory last edition of his book states that branny desquamation is of matter in 1803. Throughout the nineteenth century the not rare in children and that occasionally the skin peels off undulatory theory of light and heat associated with the in large flakes. The American Journal of the Medical atomic theory of matter was almost universally held. Passing Sciences for January contains an important paper by Dr. over Clerk Maxwell’s view that electricity, light, and heat David Riesman, in which he relates two cases and reviews were identical, Hertz’s remarkable experiments in support of the literature of the subject. The following is one of his this view were mentioned. Hertz demonstrated in 1888 that cases. A man was admitted to hospital on Jan. 23rd, 1902, radiant electricity consisted of large waves in the ether. with the eruption of typhoid fever. The attack was severe. Next came the announcement of Professor Bose that he had The rash became widespread, spots appearing on the face, been able to detect electrical waves as small as three milli- arms, thighs, and legs. The temperature became normal on metres in size. This was followed by Professor Langley Feb. 12th, probably at the end of the fourth week. On announcing the existence of heat rays as large as 70 March 3rd there was a severe chill, the temperature rose to micro-millimetres, leaving only a gap of about seven 1060 F., and there was pain in the right side. Pleural effuoctaves in the scale of radiant energy. This gap is sion followed and aspiration was performed. Early in April now partially filled, it would seem, by M. Blondlot’s the patient left hospital in fair health. Desquamation and Professor Charpsntier’s I In" rays. In this scale the began during convalescence (date not given). It was in red heat and all the are the a of the scales and some were ordinary rays light rays fully quarter widespread forty-ninth octave and up to the fifty-first octave chemical of an inch long. On the chest and abdomen it was most "
actinic and ultra-violet rays are known to occur. In 1895 Roentgen discovered the x rays which by some are thought to have still smaller wave lengths. Then Sir William Crookes annouriced the existence of a fourth state of matter and showed that in the vacuum tube the current is carried by material particles of matter in a much smaller state of subdivision than ordinary atoms—"corpuscles, inL fact," which form the cathode stream. In still higher, vacua the electric current ceases to pass at all, ani observation which suggested a difficulty as to accepting the ordinary undulatory ether theory of electricity andt
noticeable but it was little less marked on the limbs. It was distinct on the face and neck. On the arms and legs it was in the form of circular bands from oneeighth to one-quarter of an inch thick with intervals of apparently normal skin of the same width. The scalp, shoulders, palms, and soles were not affected. Dr. Riesman concludes that three forms of desquamation in typhoid fever 1. That confined to the roseolar may be distinguished. Sometimes each spot has a tiny vesicle on its summit spots. which forms a thin scale. 2. That appearing as a sequel This form is confined to the area of the to sudamina. light. Possibly the phenomena of radio-activity may help sudaminal eruption, though Louis states that the intervening us towards a solution. Becquerel, in 1896, found thatt skin may be readily peeled off. The desquamation is usually the metal uranium has the faculty of spontaneously furfuraceous but is sometimes scaly. It occurs upon the emitting rays closely analogous to cathode and to Roentgen1 trunk and proximal part of the limbs, never upon the distal
or
.