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THE LATE SIR MURRAY IRWIN
1201 TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE WARTS BY RADIO-ACTIVE OINTMENT
To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SIR,-During the past three years I have used a method for applying radon dissolved in petroleum jelly with success in selected cases of congenital nsevi, sycosis barbse, and hypertrichosis. Recently I have applied this method to multiple warts. new
A woman, aged 40, who came for treatment had than 120 warts distributed over the skin of the thumbs, fingers, palms, and dorsal surfaces of both hands. These warts varied in size from 0-3 mm. by 0-3 mm. to 0-7 mm. by 0-7 mm. During the past two years many methods of treatment, i.e., acids, caustics, X rays, and even wart charming had been tried without success. I thought the lesions were of an infective nature and prescribed treatment with full erythema doses of ultra-violet rays ; 40 such treatments were given at intervals of fourteen days without success. On May 4th, 1938, I prepared 20 c.cm. of petroleum ointment in which 20 millicuries of radon were dissolved. The patient applied this ointment which emits beta and gamma rays to each lesion for two consecutive evenings (the total period of application was 24 hours) and put on a pair of surgical rubber gloves. Little visible reaction followed and the patient had no symptoms. On June 5th the warts had completely disappeared. The patient had very little hair on the hands and therefore I could not make any observations on depilation. I saw the patient recently and she is perfectly healed. more
Since multiple warts of the hands and feet are, at times, a difficult problem and this method of treatment has now given repeated success it seems worthy of I am, Sir, yours faithfully, record. ALBERT EIDINOW. Upper Wimpole-street, W., THE
Nov. 15th.
ORIGIN OF STIGMATA
To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SiR,-In your issue of Nov. 12th you make reference to Dr. Walshe’s statement, regarding stigmata in the Roman Catholic religion, that states of mind cannot set in motion objective changes of a destructive order in the body tissues. This statement does not take into consideration experiments proving that such " stigmata " in the form of blisters can be produced experimentally under hypnosis. I published cases of such changes in THE LANCET of Nov. 3rd, 1917, and July 10th, 1920. Nor were these instances of the production of blisters under hypnosis by any means the first, although perhaps they were the most
scientifically controlled. T —
o’—
—. j’’n’-n—
J. A. HADFIELD. Upper Harley-street, N.W., Nov. 15th. THE LATE SIR MURRAY IRWIN
To the Editor of THE LANCET SrR,-lTay I supplement the brief outline in your issue of to-day’s date of the career of this distinguished member of the Army Medical Services with a picture of the man as we came in contact with him during the war. Murray Irwin was one of the few officers in the higher command to whom a civilian surgeon, temporarily in khaki, could talk and find a sympathetic listener. If one had a plan to improve the treatment of the wounded, one could go straight to Third Army headquarters and lay the scheme before him, certain that he would examine its merits, and if he approved, do all that he could to fit the innovation into the uncouth and cumbersome machinery of the
Murray Irwin stands out in my memory in bold relief against a background of stupid, obstinate, and often senile inefficiency. After three years’ work in the Third Army I felt more respect for him than for any other senior officer in the medical service. Courtly, lovable, chivalrous, he was intent on improving the welfare of the common soldier rather than on maintaining the status quo. If ever there was an English gentleman in the best sense of the word, a high official in the medical service who still remained a doctor, it was Murray Irwin. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, KENNETH WALKER. Harley-street, W., Nov. 12th. Army Medical Service.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED NOV. 5TH, 1938
Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week : Small-pox, 0 ; scarlet fever, 2040 ; diphtheria, 1457 ; enteric fever, 21 (34 " expected ") ; pneumonia (primary or influenzal), 583 ; puerperal pyrexia, 160 ; cerebrospinal fever, 13 ; acute poliomyelitis, 70 ; acute
polio-encephalitis, 3 ; encephalitis lethargica, 4 ; dysentery, 34 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 82 (of which 20 in Birmingham). No case of cholera, plague, or typhus fever was notified during the week. The combined notifications of acute poliomyelitis and acute polio-encephalitis total as follows for the current week and the previous fifteen weeks (working backwards) : 73, 74, 88, 85, 68, 56, 63, 83, 76, 82, 76, 83, 87, 63, 41, 29. The number of cases in the Infectious Hospitals of the London County Council on Nov. llth was 3018, which included : Scarlet fever, 770 ; diphtheria, 1020 (carriers, 21); measles, 10 ; whooping-cough, 305 ; puerperal fever, 20 mothers (plus 10 babies) ; encephalitis lethargica, 273 ; poliomyelitis, 13. At St. Margaret’s Hospital there were 2 7 babies (plus 9 mothers) with ophthalmia neonatorum.
Deaths.-In 126 great towns, including London, there was no death from small-pox or scarlet fever, 1 (0) from enteric fever, 1 (0) from measles, 4 (1) from whooping-cough, 19 (2) from diphtheria, 33 (12) from diarrhoea and enteritis under two years, and 37 (7) from influenza. The figures in parentheses are those for London itself. Croydon reported the only death from typhoid. Fatal cases
of diphtheria were scattered over 16 great towns, 2 each at Stoke-on-Trent and Plymouth. Birmingham had 4 deaths from diarrhoea, Manchester 3.
The number of stillbirths notified during the week was 266 (corresponding to a rate of 38 per 1000 total births), including 36 in London. ENLARGEMENT
ST. EBBA’S HOSPITAL, EpSOM. originally designed as a colony for the care and industrial employment of epileptics, and as such was opened in 1903. It was used for soldiers or This
hospital
OF
was
ex-Service men from 1918 until 1927 when it returned to the London County Council, and was known as Ewell Mental Hospital. When in 1930 the Mental Treatment Act permitted the reception of voluntary patients in public mental hospitals, plans were made for enlargement of St. Ebba’s Hospital (as it was renamed last year), because it was considered well suited to the needs of early and hopeful cases. This enlargement, which is now complete, was carried out in two sections. The first comprised an admission-hospital villa, a hospital block for the physically sick, and a convalescent villa for male patients who are consolidating their cure, as well as necessary enlargements of kitchen, laundry, and nurses’ home. This section was finished in 1936 and has since been in use. The second section, which was opened last Wednesday by Mr. Walter Elliot, the Minister of Health, comprises five more villas. The whole work (both sections) has cost approximately :S194,460, and provides additional accommodation for 504 patients, bringing the total to 933 beds (447 for men and 486 for women).
To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SIR,-During the past three years I have used a method for applying radon dissolved in petroleum jelly with success in selected cases of congenital nsevi, sycosis barbse, and hypertrichosis. Recently I have applied this method to multiple warts. new
A woman, aged 40, who came for treatment had than 120 warts distributed over the skin of the thumbs, fingers, palms, and dorsal surfaces of both hands. These warts varied in size from 0-3 mm. by 0-3 mm. to 0-7 mm. by 0-7 mm. During the past two years many methods of treatment, i.e., acids, caustics, X rays, and even wart charming had been tried without success. I thought the lesions were of an infective nature and prescribed treatment with full erythema doses of ultra-violet rays ; 40 such treatments were given at intervals of fourteen days without success. On May 4th, 1938, I prepared 20 c.cm. of petroleum ointment in which 20 millicuries of radon were dissolved. The patient applied this ointment which emits beta and gamma rays to each lesion for two consecutive evenings (the total period of application was 24 hours) and put on a pair of surgical rubber gloves. Little visible reaction followed and the patient had no symptoms. On June 5th the warts had completely disappeared. The patient had very little hair on the hands and therefore I could not make any observations on depilation. I saw the patient recently and she is perfectly healed. more
Since multiple warts of the hands and feet are, at times, a difficult problem and this method of treatment has now given repeated success it seems worthy of I am, Sir, yours faithfully, record. ALBERT EIDINOW. Upper Wimpole-street, W., THE
Nov. 15th.
ORIGIN OF STIGMATA
To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SiR,-In your issue of Nov. 12th you make reference to Dr. Walshe’s statement, regarding stigmata in the Roman Catholic religion, that states of mind cannot set in motion objective changes of a destructive order in the body tissues. This statement does not take into consideration experiments proving that such " stigmata " in the form of blisters can be produced experimentally under hypnosis. I published cases of such changes in THE LANCET of Nov. 3rd, 1917, and July 10th, 1920. Nor were these instances of the production of blisters under hypnosis by any means the first, although perhaps they were the most
scientifically controlled. T —
o’—
—. j’’n’-n—
J. A. HADFIELD. Upper Harley-street, N.W., Nov. 15th. THE LATE SIR MURRAY IRWIN
To the Editor of THE LANCET SrR,-lTay I supplement the brief outline in your issue of to-day’s date of the career of this distinguished member of the Army Medical Services with a picture of the man as we came in contact with him during the war. Murray Irwin was one of the few officers in the higher command to whom a civilian surgeon, temporarily in khaki, could talk and find a sympathetic listener. If one had a plan to improve the treatment of the wounded, one could go straight to Third Army headquarters and lay the scheme before him, certain that he would examine its merits, and if he approved, do all that he could to fit the innovation into the uncouth and cumbersome machinery of the
Murray Irwin stands out in my memory in bold relief against a background of stupid, obstinate, and often senile inefficiency. After three years’ work in the Third Army I felt more respect for him than for any other senior officer in the medical service. Courtly, lovable, chivalrous, he was intent on improving the welfare of the common soldier rather than on maintaining the status quo. If ever there was an English gentleman in the best sense of the word, a high official in the medical service who still remained a doctor, it was Murray Irwin. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, KENNETH WALKER. Harley-street, W., Nov. 12th. Army Medical Service.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES DURING THE WEEK ENDED NOV. 5TH, 1938
Notifications.-The following cases of infectious disease were notified during the week : Small-pox, 0 ; scarlet fever, 2040 ; diphtheria, 1457 ; enteric fever, 21 (34 " expected ") ; pneumonia (primary or influenzal), 583 ; puerperal pyrexia, 160 ; cerebrospinal fever, 13 ; acute poliomyelitis, 70 ; acute
polio-encephalitis, 3 ; encephalitis lethargica, 4 ; dysentery, 34 ; ophthalmia neonatorum, 82 (of which 20 in Birmingham). No case of cholera, plague, or typhus fever was notified during the week. The combined notifications of acute poliomyelitis and acute polio-encephalitis total as follows for the current week and the previous fifteen weeks (working backwards) : 73, 74, 88, 85, 68, 56, 63, 83, 76, 82, 76, 83, 87, 63, 41, 29. The number of cases in the Infectious Hospitals of the London County Council on Nov. llth was 3018, which included : Scarlet fever, 770 ; diphtheria, 1020 (carriers, 21); measles, 10 ; whooping-cough, 305 ; puerperal fever, 20 mothers (plus 10 babies) ; encephalitis lethargica, 273 ; poliomyelitis, 13. At St. Margaret’s Hospital there were 2 7 babies (plus 9 mothers) with ophthalmia neonatorum.
Deaths.-In 126 great towns, including London, there was no death from small-pox or scarlet fever, 1 (0) from enteric fever, 1 (0) from measles, 4 (1) from whooping-cough, 19 (2) from diphtheria, 33 (12) from diarrhoea and enteritis under two years, and 37 (7) from influenza. The figures in parentheses are those for London itself. Croydon reported the only death from typhoid. Fatal cases
of diphtheria were scattered over 16 great towns, 2 each at Stoke-on-Trent and Plymouth. Birmingham had 4 deaths from diarrhoea, Manchester 3.
The number of stillbirths notified during the week was 266 (corresponding to a rate of 38 per 1000 total births), including 36 in London. ENLARGEMENT
ST. EBBA’S HOSPITAL, EpSOM. originally designed as a colony for the care and industrial employment of epileptics, and as such was opened in 1903. It was used for soldiers or This
hospital
OF
was
ex-Service men from 1918 until 1927 when it returned to the London County Council, and was known as Ewell Mental Hospital. When in 1930 the Mental Treatment Act permitted the reception of voluntary patients in public mental hospitals, plans were made for enlargement of St. Ebba’s Hospital (as it was renamed last year), because it was considered well suited to the needs of early and hopeful cases. This enlargement, which is now complete, was carried out in two sections. The first comprised an admission-hospital villa, a hospital block for the physically sick, and a convalescent villa for male patients who are consolidating their cure, as well as necessary enlargements of kitchen, laundry, and nurses’ home. This section was finished in 1936 and has since been in use. The second section, which was opened last Wednesday by Mr. Walter Elliot, the Minister of Health, comprises five more villas. The whole work (both sections) has cost approximately :S194,460, and provides additional accommodation for 504 patients, bringing the total to 933 beds (447 for men and 486 for women).