TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE AND THE PROSTATE

1366

prescribed to-day, and a comparison with such unnatural and toxic agents as thallium acetate and X radiation is totally unjustified. It is our opinion that it would be a great disservice to practical therapeutics if the use of sex hormones were to be in any way restricted on account of unsubstantiated speculation.

manner

We are, Sir,

yours

faithfully,

A. S. PARKES, National Institute of Medical Research, Hampstead;

P. M. F. BISHOP, Department of Endocrinology, Guy’s Hospital; E. C. DODDS, Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry, The Middlesex Dec. 1st. Hospital.

EPSOM COLLEGE: SHERMAN BIGG FUND

To the Editor

of THE LANCET representative meeting of the

British SIR, At the Medical Association at Oxford this year I met several members who were interested in the work of the Sherman Bigg Fund, which supplements the ordinary work of the Royal Medical Foundation of Epsom College by educational and other grants. I promised some of these inquirers that I would ask you to publish towards the end of the year a statement of the operation of the Fund. It will be seen that the income of Mr. Bigg’s bequest has been almost quadrupled this year by donations from various sources. We cannot guarantee that recipients of educational grants will receive similar help in the future ; but there is a moral obligation to do so if funds permit. This means that unless we obtain at least as much help next year as we have had in 1936, we may have to discontinue some of the grants ; and unless we get increased help, we shall not be able to take on many new cases. As several of my interlocutors at Oxford were Scottish members, they may be interested to know that (quite apart from pensions and foundationerships held by Scots) the Sherman Bigg Fund helped seven Scottish cases during 1936, a cost of 152. The council are anxious to augment not only the income but also the capital of the Sherman Bigg Fund ; and I appeal to medical men not to forget this when making or remaking their wills. During this year the number of estates left by medical men, running to five figures each, has been larger than I ever remember to have seen before; but legacies have been far below our normal expectation. I append a briefstatement of the Sherman Bigg Fund, and am, Sir, Yours faithfully,

at

HENRY ROBINSON, Nov. 27th.

Chairman of Council, Royal Medical Foundation of Epsom College. EPSOM

COLLEGE, SHERMAN BIGG FUND Income as at Nov. 30th, 1936

INTRACRANIAL INJURIES OF THE NEW-BORN To the Editor

of

THE LANCET

SIR,-I should like to support Dr. Capon in the "increasingly optimistic view" which he takes regarding the prognosis of intracranial birth injury. There is perhaps no condition in paediatric practice in which prompt and detailed treatment in the neonatal period yields so good a result in so many In the Birmingham Maternity Hospital, cases. during the past ten years, I have seen a large number of such infants and the contrast between the severity of the initial disturbance and the normal mental and physical development of many of these children is amazing. This fact should be recognised, not only because the new-born baby will thereby receive the care due to him, but also because the mother may be confidently reassured and so encouraged in the careful handling which is required in the early months of the baby’s life. I am. Sir, vours faithfullv, FRANCES BRAID. Birmingham, Nov. 30th. TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE AND THE PROSTATE To the Editor of THE LANCET

SIR,-I read with interest Dr. S. Zuckerman’s on the above (THE LANCET, Nov. 28th).

article

treated several cases of hypertrophy of the prostate with androsterone, I would like to point out that after several injections of 20 comb units severe haemorrhage has taken place. This ceases after a. On few days with rest and cessation of injections. repeating the injections with smaller doses there is no recurrence of the bleeding. I am of opinion that the hormone sets up a hyperaemia of the gland with exfoliation and absorption, the urine becoming loaded with threads which examined microscopically indicate a shedding of prostatic epithelium. The ultimate results were very satisfactory, as indicated by an absence of annoying symptoms, a great diminution in the quantity of residual urine, and a diminution in the size of the prostate judged by the size of catheter that can be passed. Now that the male hormone has been synthesised, large doses as 250 comb units are advised, and it seems to me a word of caution is necessary for such an active preparation may set up an alarming haemorrhage. Dr. Zuckerman’s experiments, while extremely valuable, offer I suggest little for clinical guidance. Artificial change produced in monkeys by the injection of cestrin cannot be compared to the slow process of enlargement that takes place in the human subject, and it seems to me that his experiments only prove that the one hormone neutralises the other where acute changes have been induced. I do not think that this paper has produced sufficient proof that 250 units injected will act for as long as a " week or two." What one would like to know is

Having

the rate of excretion, thus forming an opinion as to whether a depot is formed by a large injection. Therefore it seems to me advisable in order to avoid haemorrhage and until the rate of excretion has been determined to proceed slowly, with small but frequent doses. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, M. W. BROWDY. London W., Nov. 28th "

"

ROYAL NORTHERN HOSPITAL.-On Tuesday, Dec. at 2.45 P.M., Mr. Philip Hill will lay the foun. dation-stone of the Beecham laboratories at this hospital.

8th,