- Email: [email protected]
THE APOTHECARIES' SOCIETY AND THE CONJOINT EXAMINATION SCHEME.
920 drains, dilapidated yards with pools of slops and accumulalations of filth and refuse, panned privies from which the water-supply had been cut off, and which had consequently
become choked with excrement, or the near vicinity of a foul open ditch or sewer, or of offensive undrained pigsties." This in a much improved and improving place ! Of the un-
Foreign Cleanings. CASE
OF
ACUTE
ARTICULAR
RHEUMATISM
SUCCESSFULLY
TREATED BY THE APPLICATION OF STATIC ELECTRICITY.
and deteriorating places, the imagination may well be left to supply the picture. Tunstall, in addition to various marked sanitary shortcomings, has a speciality in unqualified practitioners. Of 196 deaths registered in this district in 1870, 1871, and the first quarter of 1872, from "fever," small-pox, and scarlatina, 86 had been attended by unqualified and unlicensed practitioners who gave certificates of the cause of death. As an illustration of local administration, the following is a sample. Tunstall has a medical officer of health who is paid a salary of .820 a year, but who is not aware that any particular functions devolve upon him by statute. Tunstall also has an inspector of nuisances, who is paid =830 a year, but who, although an intelligent man, is not even acquainted with the statutes under which he acts." This is the kind of mattei which abounds in these reports. We shall postpone a consideration of Dr. Ballard’s obser. vations on the pottery industry in its relations to the deathrate from pulmonary affections, as well as some general comments on the reports, until a future number.
THIS case is recorded by Dr. Poggioli, in La Tribune Médicale. The patient, aged twenty-nine, was taken ill in October, 1872, with an attack of acute articular rheumatism (a second one). Valerianate of quinine, nitrate of potash, applications of chloroform liniments, &c., were used to no effect. On October 31st the condition of pain had reached its paroxysm; besides the joints, the intercostal muscles were affected, and breathing was almost impossible ; movements quite impossible; no appetite; fever; general restlessness ; no sleep for eight days. Electricity was applied to all the painful situations by means of a conductor ending in metallic points, and the sensation of an agreeable, soothing breeze communicated to the patient. When a general electric subtraction was made during five minutes, by placing the conducting wire at the negative pole of the machine, the relief was immediate and most striking. From November lst to November 8th eight séances were effected, the sittings being double during the first three days. Pain rapidly disappeared on the third day, respiration was quite easy, movements possible, and sleep and appetite had returned. The patient is now completely well.
THE APOTHECARIES’ SOCIETY AND THE CONJOINT EXAMINATION SCHEME.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF EFFUSIONS OF THE PERICARDIUM BY MEANS OF ASPIRATION.
improved
11
A
has been addressed by the Master of the Apothecaries’ Company to the President of the General Medical Council, the object of which is "to remove from the minds of some of the most eminent members of the Council an impression which seems to have existed that the Society had seceded from, and refused to co-operate with, the other medical authorities in the formation of a Conjoint Board, and to show that such impression was entirely without foundation." It appears that shortly after the close of the session of the General Medical Council, in March last, a communication was made by the late Master of the Apothecaries to the Lord President, expressing a wish that the Government should introduce a Bill to remove the restrictions which appeared to prevent the Society of Apothecaries from concurring with the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in their proposed scheme for constituting a Conjoint Examining Board for England. Mr. Simon, in acknowledging, on behalf of the Lord President, the receipt of this communication, stated that he was directed by his lordship to say that Her Majesty’s Government would not undertake themselves to introduce the Bill which the Society had in view, but that, if privately introduced, they would be quite ready to express approval of its general purposes. The Lord President further suggested that the Bill should be introduced in the House of Lords, where, assuming the details to be such as he could approve, he would himself give the Bill his best support. In consequence of this communication the Society prepared a Bill to be introduced in the House of Lords to effect the purposes referred to in the communications which had passed between the Privy Council and the late Master, and a draft of such Bill was submitted for the consideration of the Lord President. Upon the Society subsequently forwarding, through their clerk, the draft of an additional clause proposed to be added to the Bill, enabling them to strike off from the list of licentiates the names of persons guilty of infamous conduct, he was informed by Mr. Simon, on behalf of the Lord President, that an application had been made to the Government with reference to a general measure, having for its object to enable the medical colleges and bodies to agree to a Conjoint Scheme of Medical Examinations, and that the subject was then under consideration. Mr. Simon, on behalf of the Lord President, further suggested that should such a measure be introduced it would probably be unnecessary for one to be brought in solely referring to the Society of Apothecaries. The Society of Apothecaries now consider it their duty not to proceed with the Bill which they themselves had proposed to introduce. LETTER
From experiments made on the dead body, Dr. Dieulafoy has come to the conclusion that the maximum of distension of the heart’s investing membrane takes place in and coincides with the fourth intercostal space on the left side. Furthermore, in the same situation, the lung is the seat of£ a marked échancrure or slope, which extends as far as the fifth intercostal space; so that the author fixes upon the fifth intercostal space, at two centimetres from the left edge of the sternum, as the suitable situation for performing aspirating puncture.-France Midicate, Dec. 17th, 1872. TREATMENT OF INFANTILE CHOLERA.
Dr. Peltier recommends in the above disease a double plan of treatment, consisting simultaneously of tonics and absorbents. He uses the subnitrate of bismuth internally (seven grains to half a drachm in a mixture) and in enemata, beaten up with the yelk of an egg. At the same time he occasionally employs enemata with starch or krameria. The tonics consist of the juice of beef, raw meat (one ounce to an ounce and a half twice daily), and syrup of pepsine (half an ounce to an ounce daily, in teaspoonfuls). He also advocates the simultaneous use of collodion paintings over the abdomen.-Mouvement Médicale, Dec. 7th, 1872. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF FIBROUS POLYPI OF THE UTERUS AND PARTIAL INVERSION OF THE UTERUS BY MEANS OF ACUPUNCTURE.
Several means have been pointed out, such as digital examination through the rectum, abdominal palpation, inIn cases where troduction of a sound into the bladder, &c. doubts may yet exist, Dr. Gueniot recommends the use of acupuncture. When the tumour is voluminous and of recent formation, a long needle affords two distinct characters of myomali-baldness and insensibility,-whereas, if the uterus were met with, there would be little resistance on pressure with the needle, and the patient would experience pain.-Transactions of the Société de Chirurgie. CASE OF RHEUMATIC CYSTITIS.
The inflammation of the bladder was obviously linked with rheumatism. It was brought on by dampness, in a rheumatic patient. There was no disease of the prostate or of any other part of the urinary apparatus, and the cystitis rapidly gave way on the employment of hot injections into the bladder, and the application of thick layers of cotton-wool to the abdomen.-Bordeaux Médicale, No. 42. ACID SMELL OF THE BREATH IN DIABETIC PATIENTS.
M. Duboue, of Pau, has observed a peculiar acid smell of the breath in four patients affected with diabetes. The symptom may be of use in certain cases where the existence of diabetes had not been previously suspected.-Transactions of the &bgr;ociété de Chirurgie of Paris.
become choked with excrement, or the near vicinity of a foul open ditch or sewer, or of offensive undrained pigsties." This in a much improved and improving place ! Of the un-
Foreign Cleanings. CASE
OF
ACUTE
ARTICULAR
RHEUMATISM
SUCCESSFULLY
TREATED BY THE APPLICATION OF STATIC ELECTRICITY.
and deteriorating places, the imagination may well be left to supply the picture. Tunstall, in addition to various marked sanitary shortcomings, has a speciality in unqualified practitioners. Of 196 deaths registered in this district in 1870, 1871, and the first quarter of 1872, from "fever," small-pox, and scarlatina, 86 had been attended by unqualified and unlicensed practitioners who gave certificates of the cause of death. As an illustration of local administration, the following is a sample. Tunstall has a medical officer of health who is paid a salary of .820 a year, but who is not aware that any particular functions devolve upon him by statute. Tunstall also has an inspector of nuisances, who is paid =830 a year, but who, although an intelligent man, is not even acquainted with the statutes under which he acts." This is the kind of mattei which abounds in these reports. We shall postpone a consideration of Dr. Ballard’s obser. vations on the pottery industry in its relations to the deathrate from pulmonary affections, as well as some general comments on the reports, until a future number.
THIS case is recorded by Dr. Poggioli, in La Tribune Médicale. The patient, aged twenty-nine, was taken ill in October, 1872, with an attack of acute articular rheumatism (a second one). Valerianate of quinine, nitrate of potash, applications of chloroform liniments, &c., were used to no effect. On October 31st the condition of pain had reached its paroxysm; besides the joints, the intercostal muscles were affected, and breathing was almost impossible ; movements quite impossible; no appetite; fever; general restlessness ; no sleep for eight days. Electricity was applied to all the painful situations by means of a conductor ending in metallic points, and the sensation of an agreeable, soothing breeze communicated to the patient. When a general electric subtraction was made during five minutes, by placing the conducting wire at the negative pole of the machine, the relief was immediate and most striking. From November lst to November 8th eight séances were effected, the sittings being double during the first three days. Pain rapidly disappeared on the third day, respiration was quite easy, movements possible, and sleep and appetite had returned. The patient is now completely well.
THE APOTHECARIES’ SOCIETY AND THE CONJOINT EXAMINATION SCHEME.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF EFFUSIONS OF THE PERICARDIUM BY MEANS OF ASPIRATION.
improved
11
A
has been addressed by the Master of the Apothecaries’ Company to the President of the General Medical Council, the object of which is "to remove from the minds of some of the most eminent members of the Council an impression which seems to have existed that the Society had seceded from, and refused to co-operate with, the other medical authorities in the formation of a Conjoint Board, and to show that such impression was entirely without foundation." It appears that shortly after the close of the session of the General Medical Council, in March last, a communication was made by the late Master of the Apothecaries to the Lord President, expressing a wish that the Government should introduce a Bill to remove the restrictions which appeared to prevent the Society of Apothecaries from concurring with the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in their proposed scheme for constituting a Conjoint Examining Board for England. Mr. Simon, in acknowledging, on behalf of the Lord President, the receipt of this communication, stated that he was directed by his lordship to say that Her Majesty’s Government would not undertake themselves to introduce the Bill which the Society had in view, but that, if privately introduced, they would be quite ready to express approval of its general purposes. The Lord President further suggested that the Bill should be introduced in the House of Lords, where, assuming the details to be such as he could approve, he would himself give the Bill his best support. In consequence of this communication the Society prepared a Bill to be introduced in the House of Lords to effect the purposes referred to in the communications which had passed between the Privy Council and the late Master, and a draft of such Bill was submitted for the consideration of the Lord President. Upon the Society subsequently forwarding, through their clerk, the draft of an additional clause proposed to be added to the Bill, enabling them to strike off from the list of licentiates the names of persons guilty of infamous conduct, he was informed by Mr. Simon, on behalf of the Lord President, that an application had been made to the Government with reference to a general measure, having for its object to enable the medical colleges and bodies to agree to a Conjoint Scheme of Medical Examinations, and that the subject was then under consideration. Mr. Simon, on behalf of the Lord President, further suggested that should such a measure be introduced it would probably be unnecessary for one to be brought in solely referring to the Society of Apothecaries. The Society of Apothecaries now consider it their duty not to proceed with the Bill which they themselves had proposed to introduce. LETTER
From experiments made on the dead body, Dr. Dieulafoy has come to the conclusion that the maximum of distension of the heart’s investing membrane takes place in and coincides with the fourth intercostal space on the left side. Furthermore, in the same situation, the lung is the seat of£ a marked échancrure or slope, which extends as far as the fifth intercostal space; so that the author fixes upon the fifth intercostal space, at two centimetres from the left edge of the sternum, as the suitable situation for performing aspirating puncture.-France Midicate, Dec. 17th, 1872. TREATMENT OF INFANTILE CHOLERA.
Dr. Peltier recommends in the above disease a double plan of treatment, consisting simultaneously of tonics and absorbents. He uses the subnitrate of bismuth internally (seven grains to half a drachm in a mixture) and in enemata, beaten up with the yelk of an egg. At the same time he occasionally employs enemata with starch or krameria. The tonics consist of the juice of beef, raw meat (one ounce to an ounce and a half twice daily), and syrup of pepsine (half an ounce to an ounce daily, in teaspoonfuls). He also advocates the simultaneous use of collodion paintings over the abdomen.-Mouvement Médicale, Dec. 7th, 1872. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF FIBROUS POLYPI OF THE UTERUS AND PARTIAL INVERSION OF THE UTERUS BY MEANS OF ACUPUNCTURE.
Several means have been pointed out, such as digital examination through the rectum, abdominal palpation, inIn cases where troduction of a sound into the bladder, &c. doubts may yet exist, Dr. Gueniot recommends the use of acupuncture. When the tumour is voluminous and of recent formation, a long needle affords two distinct characters of myomali-baldness and insensibility,-whereas, if the uterus were met with, there would be little resistance on pressure with the needle, and the patient would experience pain.-Transactions of the Société de Chirurgie. CASE OF RHEUMATIC CYSTITIS.
The inflammation of the bladder was obviously linked with rheumatism. It was brought on by dampness, in a rheumatic patient. There was no disease of the prostate or of any other part of the urinary apparatus, and the cystitis rapidly gave way on the employment of hot injections into the bladder, and the application of thick layers of cotton-wool to the abdomen.-Bordeaux Médicale, No. 42. ACID SMELL OF THE BREATH IN DIABETIC PATIENTS.
M. Duboue, of Pau, has observed a peculiar acid smell of the breath in four patients affected with diabetes. The symptom may be of use in certain cases where the existence of diabetes had not been previously suspected.-Transactions of the &bgr;ociété de Chirurgie of Paris.