REMUNERATION ON THE PANELS.

339 than it was during the previous year. During 1914 1113 cases were investigated, and in 239 IT is fairly evident that if there had been no war cases I proceedings were instituted, and the council there would have been a considerable amount of was successful in all but one or two. The disappointment and resentment felt by medical men list of offenders is headed by unqualified on the panels of many districts owing to theirIdrug store proprietors, of whom 93 were receiving as their remuneration for 1914 less than proceeded against, the offence generally being that they had reason to expect, and owing to theirof keeping open shop for the sale of poisons. only receiving the balances acknowledged to be due Among the persons by whom penalties were paid by the committees after appreciable delay. In the there were also a number of qualified pharmapresent circumstances the war is responsible for ancists who had committed one or other of the increase in the difficulty of the position owing to the irregularities which are offences under the law number of insured persons who have enlisted. regulating the sale of poisons. The list of offenders There are no contributions made by them or on also includes unqualified assistants in drug stores, their behalf by their employers, and owing to the unqualified managers and assistants to chemists, drain upon clerical staffseverywhere arrears of work executors to chemists, limited companies trading as have accumulated, with general dislocation of busi- chemists and druggists, unqualified directors of ness. It is too early to say what may be done in the limited companies, grocers, herbalists, general future in order to relieve the situation, but it storekeepers, and one ironmonger, one seedsman, seems very doubtful whether committees can be one oilman, one manure agent, and one uncompelled to find money and make payments where qualified assistant to a doctor. It is evident the ordinary working of the Insurance Act does not from the variety of the occupations of the provide it. At the same time the hardship to the persons proceeded against that the task of premedical profession and to the druggists must be venting the irregular sale of poisons is no light great when payments which they have had every one. In five cases of alleged infringement of the right to expect are postponed or withheld. The Pharmacy Acts which had been reported it was medical practitioners have had to arrange the found upon analysis that the poison asked for had organisation of their professional work to meet the been omitted from the articles purchased, and demands of their insured patients upon their proceedings could not, therefore, be taken under time and attention, and the druggists have had these Acts; but pursuing the policy decided upon to meet anticipated requirements by laying some years ago the council proceeded in two of in stocks of drugs which have to be paid for. these cases under the Merchandise Marks Acts, and Both have to contemplate the return of many the defendants were convicted for selling goods to insured persons serving in the army with wounds which a false trade description was applied. or with impaired health, and a general alteration of the probabilities with regard to their need for medical care. For the rectification of THE STREPTOCOCCUS VIRIDANS IN INFECTIONS some part at any rate of legitimate causes of comOF THE UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT. plaint it may be necessary to wait until the war is AN interesting paper is published in the c7nes over and legislation can proceed upon more normal Medicine for Jan. 15th by Dr. Russell lines than now. At present it may be urged on of 7&t"Me behalf of the medical men affected that they are L. Cecil, of New York. He adopts the classification entitled to demand payment upon all patients on of streptococci put forward by Schottmueller, based their lists until they have been notified as provided on the appearances of the colonies on blood-agar for by Regulation 29, and that if the financial pro- -namely, S. haemolyticus (longus, pyogenes), visions of the Insurance Act do not meet the S. viridans (mitior), and S. mucosus. Dr. Cecil needs created by war, legislation should supply the states it to have been found by many investigators that clinically the S. hsemolyticus produces suppuradeficit. tive or phlegmonous inflammations, while the THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PHARMACY ACTS. S. viridans usually leads to catarrhal processes. His own work has been specially devoted to THE annual report of the Registrar of the determining the part played by the latter organism Pharmaceutical Society, which was presented to in infections of the upper respiratory tract. From the the council at the February meeting, shows that study of 89 cases of such infections he found the as regards membership the steady progress which S. viridans to be the predominant organism in 50 has been revealed by these reports during the last cases, or 56’2 per cent. In general these infections ten years or more is well maintained. The number were characterised by a mild course and a tendency of members is now well over 8000, which is about to chronicity with frequent recurrences, which he half the number of registered persons; the attributes to the short duration of the acquired majority of the non-members no doubt consist of immunity. These infections of the upper respiraqualified chemists who are not yet in business tory tract due to S. viridans, especially those of the on their own account. There is also an increase tonsils, sinuses, and the tooth sockets, are frequently in the number of names on the Pharma- associated with endocarditis and arthritis, and he is ceutical Register, and although this increase is of opinion that there is a good deal of evidence that only slight it is satisfactory to know there is an the latter conditions are secondary to the former. He increase, while the fact that there has been a con- has found autogenous vaccines to be of considerable siderable accession to the ranks of the registered value in cases where the structural changes are not students is very promising. From the general too advanced, but he takes care to point out that in point of view the most interesting part of the cases of bronchitis with emphysema or bronchireport is that which deals with the administration ectasis, old sinus infections with thickened walls, of the penal clauses of the Pharmacy Acts. The and advanced pyorrhoea with retraction of the number of cases of alleged infringement that gums, vaccines can bestow only limited benefits. require investigation is still large, but smaller He believes that vaccines are more especially REMUNERATION ON THE PANELS.

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