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THE GRANULES OF THE TUBERCLE BACILLUS.
106
original instance, it is understood that the husband was of the opinion that the comfort and ease of the
the
" HEALTH COLUMNS" IN THE PUBLIC PRESS.
was far superior to that of the alternative routes and that the slight jarring caused when the aeroplane was taking off and landing, although quite perceptible, was never likely to cause any injurious discomfort to the patient. We are, Sir, yours faithfully, IMPERIAL AIRWAYS, LIMITED.
journey
of THE LANCET. is this SIR,—Where promiscuous medical advice in the " health columns " of various journals going to end ? In the current number of a certain magazine an amazing amount of advice is given to correspondents which is far beyond the scope of diagnosis and treatment by correspondence. One reader is advised to Airways House, Charles-street, S.W., Jan. 1st, 1929. get treatment, " such as injection of a polyvalent vaccine of staphylococci-streptococci and Micrococcus catarrhalis." Another is told to ask her doctor if she have a course of about twelve injections of might THE ASTHMA RESEARCH COUNCIL. arsenic and manganese. A further inquirer is told to ask for injections of glycerophosphates ! These are To the Editor of THE LANCET. only a few samples of the variety of advice and SIR,-In view of statements which have recently prescriptions which are proferred. It seems to me should take steps to limit appeared in the press to the effect that a " certain that the medical profession out of so-called this wanton medical help. dealing cure " for asthma has been found, we, the underI am, Sir, yours faithfully, desire to that there is no on record signed, place HAROLD LONG. such " cure " known to medical science and that Stormont-road, Highgate, N., Jan. 4th, 1929. there is not any one form of treatment which is effective in all cases of asthma. Investigations are being made under the auspices of the Asthma Research Council and with the approval and support of the Medical Research Council and the Ministry of Health into the mysteries of this distressing complaint which, it is hoped, will lead to a better knowledge of its origin and to the disNOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. covery of improved methods of prevention and To the Editor
Parliamentary Intelligence. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. (Concluded from p. 52 of last issue.) Exemption of Maternity Homes.
treatment. We hope that all interested in the subject, and especially well-to-do sufferers, will give their moral and financial support to the campaign, which will be inaugurated by the Lord Mayor of London at the Mansion House on Jan. 15th, for a national fund to provide research centres at several of the leading London and provincial hospitals, where asthma and its allied diseases will be scientifically and exhaustively investigated. Donations and offers of assistance should be sent to Sir Albert Stern, K.B.E., C.M.G., Hon. Treasurer, Asthma Research Council, London Clinic, Ranelagh-road, London, S.W. 1. We are, Sir, yours faithfully,
Miss BONDFIELD then moved
an
amendment to
remove
maternity homes from the operation of the clause, and particularly from the operation of the uniform enforcement of the provision which had just been discussed. She said that the work in connexion with maternal mortality was still in an experimental stage, and anything which shook the present position was bound to act to the detriment of the service. For instance, the psychological effect of making a provision so that the operation of the financial arrangements in regard to municipal maternity centres were on precisely the same lines as those of the poor-law would be a deterrent so far as a great many women were concerned. Sir KINGSLEY WOOD said that while he agreed as to the HUMPHRY ROLLESTON, importance of making due provision for maternity, and encouraging as many mothers as possible to enter maternity DAWSON OF PENN, homes, if Miss Bondfield thought that under this clause they were swopping horses and altering the present practice ARTHUR F. HURST, she was greatly mistaken. The provision which was being FREMANTLE. F. E. Jan. lltb, 1929. inserted in the clause generally was already the invariable practice so far as maternity homes, both municipal and voluntary, in this country were concerned. The clause, so far from making any alteration, really set out what was the universal practice of the voluntary maternity hospitals and THE GRANULES OF THE TUBERCLE homes to require that inmates or their relatives should pay what they could for the service. Some 60 or 70 municipal BACILLUS. maternity homes recovered appropriate contributions unless To the Editor of THE LANCET. they were satisfied, having regard to the circumstances of the inmate, that nothing could be paid. Therefore, there no ground for saying that there was any alteration in SiR,-In your issue of Dec. 29th, 1928, under the above heading, when you favour me by making the practice, or for anyone being frightened away from the this some criticisms upon my book upon the tubercle maternity homes of the country by the application of clause. virus, you make a mistake which is of importance Replying to further debate, Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said that when you say that the photomicrographs reproduced they were faced with the fact that there was not a sufficient there were taken with 1/18th immersion lens. These number of maternity homes. They wanted more to be photomicrographs have been taken direct, no enlarge- provided, but there would be still greater difficulty in ments whatever, with the " Davon super micro- getting local authorities to build more maternity homes in "2 and they are all at a magnification of future if they were faced with the prospect that when they scope x 4000 and x 5000, and so far as I am aware they had built them they were going to be a heavy charge on These them because the authority would not be able to recover are the first to be published in any book. from patients. have the great advantage that from a morphological expenses The amendment was negatived by 250 votes to 145. of view are more reliable than
I
was
point and they
they
others,
therefore worthy of the especial notice of research workers. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, WM. C. MINCHIN. 1929. Jan. 4th, Quarry-road, Hastings, are
1 Study in Tubercle Virus.
London : Baillière, Tindall, and
Cox. 2 Messrs. Davidson and Co., Great Portland-street, London.
Definition of Infectious Disease. Mr. RENNIE SMITH moved an amendment providing that the term " infectious disease" in the clause should be declared to include tuberculous and venereal disease. Sir KINGSLEY WOOD said that the Ministry had placed the amendment before their legal advisers, and they had stated that both tuberculosis and venereal disease could be regarded as coming within the meaning of the clause relating to infectious diseases, and that the amendment was therefore unnecessary.
original instance, it is understood that the husband was of the opinion that the comfort and ease of the
the
" HEALTH COLUMNS" IN THE PUBLIC PRESS.
was far superior to that of the alternative routes and that the slight jarring caused when the aeroplane was taking off and landing, although quite perceptible, was never likely to cause any injurious discomfort to the patient. We are, Sir, yours faithfully, IMPERIAL AIRWAYS, LIMITED.
journey
of THE LANCET. is this SIR,—Where promiscuous medical advice in the " health columns " of various journals going to end ? In the current number of a certain magazine an amazing amount of advice is given to correspondents which is far beyond the scope of diagnosis and treatment by correspondence. One reader is advised to Airways House, Charles-street, S.W., Jan. 1st, 1929. get treatment, " such as injection of a polyvalent vaccine of staphylococci-streptococci and Micrococcus catarrhalis." Another is told to ask her doctor if she have a course of about twelve injections of might THE ASTHMA RESEARCH COUNCIL. arsenic and manganese. A further inquirer is told to ask for injections of glycerophosphates ! These are To the Editor of THE LANCET. only a few samples of the variety of advice and SIR,-In view of statements which have recently prescriptions which are proferred. It seems to me should take steps to limit appeared in the press to the effect that a " certain that the medical profession out of so-called this wanton medical help. dealing cure " for asthma has been found, we, the underI am, Sir, yours faithfully, desire to that there is no on record signed, place HAROLD LONG. such " cure " known to medical science and that Stormont-road, Highgate, N., Jan. 4th, 1929. there is not any one form of treatment which is effective in all cases of asthma. Investigations are being made under the auspices of the Asthma Research Council and with the approval and support of the Medical Research Council and the Ministry of Health into the mysteries of this distressing complaint which, it is hoped, will lead to a better knowledge of its origin and to the disNOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. covery of improved methods of prevention and To the Editor
Parliamentary Intelligence. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL. (Concluded from p. 52 of last issue.) Exemption of Maternity Homes.
treatment. We hope that all interested in the subject, and especially well-to-do sufferers, will give their moral and financial support to the campaign, which will be inaugurated by the Lord Mayor of London at the Mansion House on Jan. 15th, for a national fund to provide research centres at several of the leading London and provincial hospitals, where asthma and its allied diseases will be scientifically and exhaustively investigated. Donations and offers of assistance should be sent to Sir Albert Stern, K.B.E., C.M.G., Hon. Treasurer, Asthma Research Council, London Clinic, Ranelagh-road, London, S.W. 1. We are, Sir, yours faithfully,
Miss BONDFIELD then moved
an
amendment to
remove
maternity homes from the operation of the clause, and particularly from the operation of the uniform enforcement of the provision which had just been discussed. She said that the work in connexion with maternal mortality was still in an experimental stage, and anything which shook the present position was bound to act to the detriment of the service. For instance, the psychological effect of making a provision so that the operation of the financial arrangements in regard to municipal maternity centres were on precisely the same lines as those of the poor-law would be a deterrent so far as a great many women were concerned. Sir KINGSLEY WOOD said that while he agreed as to the HUMPHRY ROLLESTON, importance of making due provision for maternity, and encouraging as many mothers as possible to enter maternity DAWSON OF PENN, homes, if Miss Bondfield thought that under this clause they were swopping horses and altering the present practice ARTHUR F. HURST, she was greatly mistaken. The provision which was being FREMANTLE. F. E. Jan. lltb, 1929. inserted in the clause generally was already the invariable practice so far as maternity homes, both municipal and voluntary, in this country were concerned. The clause, so far from making any alteration, really set out what was the universal practice of the voluntary maternity hospitals and THE GRANULES OF THE TUBERCLE homes to require that inmates or their relatives should pay what they could for the service. Some 60 or 70 municipal BACILLUS. maternity homes recovered appropriate contributions unless To the Editor of THE LANCET. they were satisfied, having regard to the circumstances of the inmate, that nothing could be paid. Therefore, there no ground for saying that there was any alteration in SiR,-In your issue of Dec. 29th, 1928, under the above heading, when you favour me by making the practice, or for anyone being frightened away from the this some criticisms upon my book upon the tubercle maternity homes of the country by the application of clause. virus, you make a mistake which is of importance Replying to further debate, Mr. CHAMBERLAIN said that when you say that the photomicrographs reproduced they were faced with the fact that there was not a sufficient there were taken with 1/18th immersion lens. These number of maternity homes. They wanted more to be photomicrographs have been taken direct, no enlarge- provided, but there would be still greater difficulty in ments whatever, with the " Davon super micro- getting local authorities to build more maternity homes in "2 and they are all at a magnification of future if they were faced with the prospect that when they scope x 4000 and x 5000, and so far as I am aware they had built them they were going to be a heavy charge on These them because the authority would not be able to recover are the first to be published in any book. from patients. have the great advantage that from a morphological expenses The amendment was negatived by 250 votes to 145. of view are more reliable than
I
was
point and they
they
others,
therefore worthy of the especial notice of research workers. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, WM. C. MINCHIN. 1929. Jan. 4th, Quarry-road, Hastings, are
1 Study in Tubercle Virus.
London : Baillière, Tindall, and
Cox. 2 Messrs. Davidson and Co., Great Portland-street, London.
Definition of Infectious Disease. Mr. RENNIE SMITH moved an amendment providing that the term " infectious disease" in the clause should be declared to include tuberculous and venereal disease. Sir KINGSLEY WOOD said that the Ministry had placed the amendment before their legal advisers, and they had stated that both tuberculosis and venereal disease could be regarded as coming within the meaning of the clause relating to infectious diseases, and that the amendment was therefore unnecessary.