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RETICULATED RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES.
1062 well as of the second cat, though, as Major Simmons were there explained. admits, this cannot be proved. It is certain, however, Dr. Lotte, that Fleury that both cats
bacilli, and
were
carriers of virulent diphtheria therefore a danger to human beings.
were
RETICULATED RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES.
It appears now, according to give the day for Easter in any year, in the Gregorian and Julian calendars respeccan
tively and simultaneously, by some scheme equally original, of which the details are not, however, supplied. Thus, in 1662 Easter fell on April 21st and March 27th respectively (2 minutes 10 seconds), in 1746, March 30th
IN conditions of profound anaemia, it is often a matter and April 10th (2 minutes 20 seconds), and for 1946 the dates Numerous are April llth and April 17th (40 seconds). importance to the clinician to ascertain whether or other are furnished of this altogether illustrations no the bone marrow is actively engaged in the production of red blood corpuscles. Any method which promises remarkable case, which certainly equals if it does not to give reliable information of the existence of such surpass others that have become classical. It is interestto learn, on the authority of Dr. Lotte, that, thanks heematopoietic activity will be welcome. It is interesting ing in this connexion to note that Dr. Donald Cunningham in to more general recognition of Fleury’s exceptional the October number of Archives of Internal Medicine gifts, the opportunity is to be afforded him of further contributes a short paper on a Method for the Permanent education and instruction, and it is quite possible he rise to still greater heights of arithmetical attainStaining of Reticulated Red Cells. In specimens fixed will and stained by the ordinary methods the chief evidence ment and of mathematical attainment in a wider sense, of immaturity is the presence of nucleated, poly- if he is handled by some professional exponent of these case, the psychological interest and chromatophilic, and stippled red cells. If a vital stain subjects. Inofany such a wonderful example of developsuch as brilliant cresyl-blue be employed it is possible importance to demonstrate in certain of the red cells the presence ment of a practically isolated mental faculty warrants of a fine or coarse granular network ; and in recent our giving the case greater publicity. years considerable interest has been manifested in these so-called " reticulated cells." Among the first to observe this reticulation was Ehrlich, who considered these ’ ANÆSTHETIC RESEARCH IN AMERICA. forms to be an indication of erythrocytic THE National Anaesthesia Research Society is doing It was not till 1907 that Cesaris-Demel suggested that the reticulation was rather a sign of youth of the cell, useful work in America. One of its recent bulletins The percentage of deals with the annual meeting of the American Associaa conception which is held to-day. these cells in the blood stream forms a reliable indica- tion of Anaesthetists recently held at New Orleans. Dr. tion of haematopoietic activity, and the ease and A. H. Miller in his presidential address at this meeting the need for familiarising students with the science simplicity of the method of staining to which Dr. urged and practice of anaesthesia. Dr. A. M. Caine went on to of attention the reticucalls study brings Cunningham the relaxation obtained by gas and oxygen lated erythrocytes within the scope of routine blood anaesthesia, urging that with proper manipulation of the examination. oxygen supply, slight positive pressure, the use of warmed gases, preliminary medication, and concomitant A BLIND LIGHTNING CALCULATOR. local anaesthesia, the desired degree can be obtained. SOME eight years ago an account was given in He admits (and many in this country who object to 1 THE LANCET of a remarkable case in which will echo this) that some surgeons nerve-blocking extraordinary ability in arithmetical calculation was who are used to the profound narcosis of etherisaassociated with general mental inferiority, if not actual tion may not be satisfied with the relaxation insanity. The patient was a youth of the name of obtainable by gas and oxygen. In these cases he has Fleury, then aged 18, who was completely blind as found, in accordance with Dr. H. E. G. Boyle’s views, a result of ophthalmia neonatorum. Partly by that chloroform is a safe, efficient, and pleasant adjunct perseverence with the Braille method, partly by to gas and oxygen. The experimental work of Dr. A. devising certain mental "tips" of his own, he had Goodman Levy,however, suggests that light chlororeached a stage of extraordinary facility in performing form anaesthesia is not devoid of danger. Still, all will elaborate calculations. A large number of details as to that less damage is done to the patient with good agree his methods were given on that occasion and, striking relaxation under gas oxygen anesthol (though we would though they were, later information about the same ’! prefer ether in lieu of the mixture of chloroform, ether case provides us with still more wonderful data, a and ethyl chloride, commonly known as anesthol) and description of which by Dr. L. Lotte, of the asylum at gentle operative manipulation, than with gas and oxygen Armentleres, will be found in L’ Encephale for March, 1920. alone and the rougher surgery necessitated by inadequate Fleury, for example, can give the square root of any relaxation. The problem of anaesthesia in goitre surgery number running into four figures in an average of four is indeed difficult, and, as Dr. A. Crofti rightly states, too seconds, and the cube root of any number running into often failures and misfortunes are charged to the anæssix figures in six seconds; he gave the cube root of thetist, when the fault lies in thejudgment of the surgeon 34,012,224 (324) in 11 seconds, and the cube root of and an injudiciously performed operation. Dr. Vilray in 13 seconds. These seem mere trifles, P. Blair remarks that the 465,484,375 (775) proper correlation of the however, compared with the following : He was asked anaesthetic to the technique is of vastly more importhow many grains of corn there would be in any one of ance than the particular anaesthetic agent employed. 64 boxes, with one in the first, two in the second, and the Mayos respectively stand for Kocher, Crile, four in the third, eight in the fourth, and so on local, anociation, and open-drop ether. Dr. W. E. in succession. He gave the answers for the 14th Lower emphasises the value of anociation, and explains (8192), for the 18th (131,072), and the 24th (8,388,608) how with nitrous oxide-oxygen the degree of unconhe and the for the sciousness instantaneously, gave figures may be graded to suit the condition of the 48th box (140,737,488,355,328) in six seconds. Further, at every stage in the operation. The possipatient the boxes bilities of on the request to give the total in all very light anaesthesia have been advocated and to including the 64th he furnished here by Dr. Mary Dickinson Berry,whose results up answer the correct (18,446,734,073,709,551,615) in with light open ether are certainly most satisfactory, 45 seconds. When it is remembered that Fleury has both as regards increased safety and diminution of been blind from birth and can have no visual memories after-effects. Gwathmey’s ether-oil colonic disagreeable the feat becomes really impressive. In an average of anaesthesia is advocated by Dr. Walter Lathrop, but 12 seconds he can divide any number, say of four the to this method is the impossibility of objection figures, into its prime factors, thus : 2924 22 x 17 x 43; exercising control as to the depth. We are astonished 22 x 13 x 107; and so on. Instances were given not to find intratracheal ether referred 5564 to, for Dr. F. E. in our previous annotation of his faculty of telling has long employed this method, preceded in Shipway the day of the week on which any given date falls, and the original methods devised by himself for this 1 Proc. Phys. Soc., Jan. 21st and Oct. 21st, 1911, and Brit. Med Jour., Sept. 14th, 1912. 1 THE LANCET, 1913, i., 334. 2 Proc. Roy. Soc. Med., June, 1920. of
degeneration.
discuss
-
=
=
bacilli, and
were
carriers of virulent diphtheria therefore a danger to human beings.
were
RETICULATED RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES.
It appears now, according to give the day for Easter in any year, in the Gregorian and Julian calendars respeccan
tively and simultaneously, by some scheme equally original, of which the details are not, however, supplied. Thus, in 1662 Easter fell on April 21st and March 27th respectively (2 minutes 10 seconds), in 1746, March 30th
IN conditions of profound anaemia, it is often a matter and April 10th (2 minutes 20 seconds), and for 1946 the dates Numerous are April llth and April 17th (40 seconds). importance to the clinician to ascertain whether or other are furnished of this altogether illustrations no the bone marrow is actively engaged in the production of red blood corpuscles. Any method which promises remarkable case, which certainly equals if it does not to give reliable information of the existence of such surpass others that have become classical. It is interestto learn, on the authority of Dr. Lotte, that, thanks heematopoietic activity will be welcome. It is interesting ing in this connexion to note that Dr. Donald Cunningham in to more general recognition of Fleury’s exceptional the October number of Archives of Internal Medicine gifts, the opportunity is to be afforded him of further contributes a short paper on a Method for the Permanent education and instruction, and it is quite possible he rise to still greater heights of arithmetical attainStaining of Reticulated Red Cells. In specimens fixed will and stained by the ordinary methods the chief evidence ment and of mathematical attainment in a wider sense, of immaturity is the presence of nucleated, poly- if he is handled by some professional exponent of these case, the psychological interest and chromatophilic, and stippled red cells. If a vital stain subjects. Inofany such a wonderful example of developsuch as brilliant cresyl-blue be employed it is possible importance to demonstrate in certain of the red cells the presence ment of a practically isolated mental faculty warrants of a fine or coarse granular network ; and in recent our giving the case greater publicity. years considerable interest has been manifested in these so-called " reticulated cells." Among the first to observe this reticulation was Ehrlich, who considered these ’ ANÆSTHETIC RESEARCH IN AMERICA. forms to be an indication of erythrocytic THE National Anaesthesia Research Society is doing It was not till 1907 that Cesaris-Demel suggested that the reticulation was rather a sign of youth of the cell, useful work in America. One of its recent bulletins The percentage of deals with the annual meeting of the American Associaa conception which is held to-day. these cells in the blood stream forms a reliable indica- tion of Anaesthetists recently held at New Orleans. Dr. tion of haematopoietic activity, and the ease and A. H. Miller in his presidential address at this meeting the need for familiarising students with the science simplicity of the method of staining to which Dr. urged and practice of anaesthesia. Dr. A. M. Caine went on to of attention the reticucalls study brings Cunningham the relaxation obtained by gas and oxygen lated erythrocytes within the scope of routine blood anaesthesia, urging that with proper manipulation of the examination. oxygen supply, slight positive pressure, the use of warmed gases, preliminary medication, and concomitant A BLIND LIGHTNING CALCULATOR. local anaesthesia, the desired degree can be obtained. SOME eight years ago an account was given in He admits (and many in this country who object to 1 THE LANCET of a remarkable case in which will echo this) that some surgeons nerve-blocking extraordinary ability in arithmetical calculation was who are used to the profound narcosis of etherisaassociated with general mental inferiority, if not actual tion may not be satisfied with the relaxation insanity. The patient was a youth of the name of obtainable by gas and oxygen. In these cases he has Fleury, then aged 18, who was completely blind as found, in accordance with Dr. H. E. G. Boyle’s views, a result of ophthalmia neonatorum. Partly by that chloroform is a safe, efficient, and pleasant adjunct perseverence with the Braille method, partly by to gas and oxygen. The experimental work of Dr. A. devising certain mental "tips" of his own, he had Goodman Levy,however, suggests that light chlororeached a stage of extraordinary facility in performing form anaesthesia is not devoid of danger. Still, all will elaborate calculations. A large number of details as to that less damage is done to the patient with good agree his methods were given on that occasion and, striking relaxation under gas oxygen anesthol (though we would though they were, later information about the same ’! prefer ether in lieu of the mixture of chloroform, ether case provides us with still more wonderful data, a and ethyl chloride, commonly known as anesthol) and description of which by Dr. L. Lotte, of the asylum at gentle operative manipulation, than with gas and oxygen Armentleres, will be found in L’ Encephale for March, 1920. alone and the rougher surgery necessitated by inadequate Fleury, for example, can give the square root of any relaxation. The problem of anaesthesia in goitre surgery number running into four figures in an average of four is indeed difficult, and, as Dr. A. Crofti rightly states, too seconds, and the cube root of any number running into often failures and misfortunes are charged to the anæssix figures in six seconds; he gave the cube root of thetist, when the fault lies in thejudgment of the surgeon 34,012,224 (324) in 11 seconds, and the cube root of and an injudiciously performed operation. Dr. Vilray in 13 seconds. These seem mere trifles, P. Blair remarks that the 465,484,375 (775) proper correlation of the however, compared with the following : He was asked anaesthetic to the technique is of vastly more importhow many grains of corn there would be in any one of ance than the particular anaesthetic agent employed. 64 boxes, with one in the first, two in the second, and the Mayos respectively stand for Kocher, Crile, four in the third, eight in the fourth, and so on local, anociation, and open-drop ether. Dr. W. E. in succession. He gave the answers for the 14th Lower emphasises the value of anociation, and explains (8192), for the 18th (131,072), and the 24th (8,388,608) how with nitrous oxide-oxygen the degree of unconhe and the for the sciousness instantaneously, gave figures may be graded to suit the condition of the 48th box (140,737,488,355,328) in six seconds. Further, at every stage in the operation. The possipatient the boxes bilities of on the request to give the total in all very light anaesthesia have been advocated and to including the 64th he furnished here by Dr. Mary Dickinson Berry,whose results up answer the correct (18,446,734,073,709,551,615) in with light open ether are certainly most satisfactory, 45 seconds. When it is remembered that Fleury has both as regards increased safety and diminution of been blind from birth and can have no visual memories after-effects. Gwathmey’s ether-oil colonic disagreeable the feat becomes really impressive. In an average of anaesthesia is advocated by Dr. Walter Lathrop, but 12 seconds he can divide any number, say of four the to this method is the impossibility of objection figures, into its prime factors, thus : 2924 22 x 17 x 43; exercising control as to the depth. We are astonished 22 x 13 x 107; and so on. Instances were given not to find intratracheal ether referred 5564 to, for Dr. F. E. in our previous annotation of his faculty of telling has long employed this method, preceded in Shipway the day of the week on which any given date falls, and the original methods devised by himself for this 1 Proc. Phys. Soc., Jan. 21st and Oct. 21st, 1911, and Brit. Med Jour., Sept. 14th, 1912. 1 THE LANCET, 1913, i., 334. 2 Proc. Roy. Soc. Med., June, 1920. of
degeneration.
discuss
-
=
=