RISKS OF MEDICAL MEN FROM LUNATICS.

39 We do not question that the medical witnesses against he was a believer he was reluctantly admitted. Things Mr. Evans in this case acted conscientiously, and with a passed off pretty well. Dr. Shaw was satisfied of the lunacy view to maintain the reputation of the obstetric art. But of the parties, and reported accordingly to the magistrates, we regret with the Judge that the matter should not whereupon the magistrates immediately issued warrants to have been dropped after the careful examination by the the relieving officer to bring the alleged lunatics into court magistrates, after which a formal verdict of " Not guilty " for examination. When the relieving officer went to the It is lamentable house with two constables, the lunatic fired a six-chambered was returned, and the prisoner acquitted. to reflect on men for their evidence revolver, and wounded the relieving officer and one of the when judges have medical men. We not medical are against defending Mr. Evans’s constables, fortunately not seriously. Such cases are not it is in this too case; practice meagrely reported for us to very uncommon. As we understand the Lunacy Act, there be able to judge of it. But on the face of it, and in the light of is no reason for a medical man to run the risk which the Judge’s remarks, we regret the prosecution. Ours is a Dr. Shaw ran in this case. By the Act of 1853, referring to difficult art. The patient had been told on the occurrence such cases, the justice can require the constable, relieving of a previous labour that a subsequent labour would be hard officer, or overseer to bring such cases before him, who The surgeon’s attention had been, as the Judge may then call to his assistance " a physician, surgeon, or for her. said, close and unremitting. Under these circumstances, apothecary." But in the first instance such cases need to Medical men have the magistrates’ investigation and its result should have be dealt with as a matter of police. to encounter risks enough of their own, and in discharge satisfied all parties. of their own proper functions, as Dr. Shaw well knows, without being exposed to those proper to the police force. INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS. We congratulate this gentleman on his escape, and the police ARRANGEMENTS are already in progress for holding the on the fortunately slight injuries they sustained. tenth International Medical Congress at Berlin from the 4th to the 9th of August next. Dr. Rudolf Virchow has PRIMARY ACTINOMYCOSIS OF THE APEX OF been appointed President, Drs. von Bergmann, Leyden, and Waldeyer Vice-Presidents, Dr. M. Bartels Treasurer, THE LUNG. and Dr. Lassar (19, Karlstrasse, Berlin, N.W.) SecretaryDR. LINDT of Königsberg (Centralblatt fiir Klin. Med., General. The special committees of organisation are 48), records a case of primary actinomycosis affecting the arranged for the various sections, which comprise Anatomy, apices of both lungs. The patient was a woman who had Physiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Internal Medicine, suffered for several years from bronchial catarrh, the Diseases of Children, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, symptoms having become very much more severe after a Neurology and Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Otology, cold which she had caught before admission to Professor Laryngology, Dermatology and Syphilography, Diseases of Lichtheim’s clinic. She then complained of pain in the the Teeth, Hygiene, Medical Geography, State Medicine, upper part of the back and in the shoulders and arms. Soon and Military Hygiene. Invitations have been sent to the the muscular strength of the arms became impaired, and profession in England, and the subscription for members is there were tremor and a feeling of distension in the neck. fixed at .61, for which a copy of the Transactions will be On examination consolidation was made out in both apices, sent. The official languages of all the sittings will be also an abscess apparently connected with the cervical German, English, and French, and introductory addresses vertebrae. No bacilli could be discovered in the sputum. will be limited to twenty minutes, and speeches in the dis- The abscess was opened, and was found to contain a small cussions to ten minutes. quantity of pus, in which were but few corpuscles. It then appeared that the abscess was connected not with the A CHILD BORN WITH MEASLES. vertebrae, but with the muscles. Upon changing the dressDR. LOMER of Hamburg mentions (CerctraLbdcctt fi4r Gynä- ing a number of bodies scarcely as large as a pin’s head kologie) a case of a child born with measles. The mother- were found, which upon microscopical examination presented an unmarried woman who had not had measles in childall the characteristic appearances of the actinomycetes hood-was seized during a measles epidemic on June 7th fungus. The sputum, too, contained similar bodies. The with a rigor, cough, hoarseness, smarting of the eyes, and patient died four months afterwards, and the post-mortem diarrhoea. The next day the pains of labour commenced- examination showed that the diagnosis of primary actino. some five weeks before term,-and the child was born that mycosis of the apices of the lungs, which had been arrived evening. The next morning the mother was covered with a at during life, was quite correct. well-marked eruption of measles, and the child presented The mother some dark spots on the forehead and buttocks. NEW FOREIGN MEDICAL JOURNALS. was attacked by pneumonia on the fifth day, and made a A NEW ADDITION has just been made to the considerslow recovery ; the child died when a month old from intesable series of Centralblatten for which Germany is noted. of tinal catarrh, its death being hastened probably by want is It styled Centralblat fiir Allgemeine Pathologie und with the attention, and having probably nothing to do measles. The occurrence of measles at the time of child- Pathologische Anatomie, is directed by Professor Ziegler birth is not commonly described in medical literature, there- of Freiburg, and edited by Dr. v. Kahlden of the same university. The publisher is Gustav Fischer of Jena. This fore this case is of some interest. number is larger than the usual issue, which will consist of two sheets. The journal will appear fortnightly. RISKS OF MEDICAL MEN FROM LUNATICS. Another new comer into the ranks of medical journalism is AT Bedminster, a few days ago, a man and his wife, entitled La Medeeine Moderne, and is edited by Dr. both being insane, had put up a notice in the window Germain See, the acting editor, or secretaire de la rédaction, that anyone coming to the house, except her Majesty’s being M. Ch. Talamon. The first number appeared on officers in uniform, would be shot. The relieving officer Dec. 22nd, and the publication is to take place every This number contains a lecture by Dr. gave notice to the magistrates of the condition of husband Thursday. and wife, and the magistrates requested Dr. Shaw to report Germain See upon heart disease, and is especially notable its record of the proceedings of scientific societies, on the cases. Being warned, the latter obtained the preFrench and foreign. Sections are also devoted to sence of three policemen, and on satisfying the lunatic -

that I

for