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THE LIONEL WHITBY MEMORIAL FUND
383
and no precautions are taken regarding of napkins or feeding, since there is a great disposal I feel, however, that cortisone should of nurses. shortage an be given adequate trial in a gastrointestinal unit. never
seen
General Hospital, Taiping, Perak, Malaya.
B. E. BARSBY.
AMAUROSIS FUGAX
SIR,-Sir Philip Livingston’s brings to mind a striking case.
very
interesting article1
A woman, aged about 50, had a large painful ulcer on the right side of her neck, following X-ray and radium treatment for a supposedly malignant tumour. The ulcer was larger than a man’s pahn, with a hard sloughing base. Its upper edge was 1-2 cm. below the mandible. Biopsy showed no malignant cells. I began treatment with injections of her own blood (40 ml., not altered by citrate) under the edges of the ulcer-a treatment which I had found successful in previous cases when healing was slow. After two injections the pain was less. At the third treatment, when about 5 ml. of blood had been injected under the superior edge, she suddenly became blind in the right eye; her right eyeball was protruded, and the pupil dilated and insensitive to light. The left eye was unchanged. I stopped the injection; sight returned to the right eye, and was normal in 4-5 min.
War-time conditions prevented me from investigating this case further. I have seen no similar event in over fifty years of practice, and I cannot explain it except as a reflex response. Stimulation of the carotid body was unlikely for anatomical
reasons.
ANDREW MAKAI.
Budapest.
THE LIONEL WHITBY MEMORIAL FUND
SIR,-We should appreciate your assistance in calling attention to a fund being raised by the Master and Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge, in memory of their late Master, Sir Lionel Whitby, regius professor of physic in the University. The Lionel Whitby Memorial Fund was established at the suggestion of the Downing College Association and an Appeal has been sent out to its members. It is proposed to use the fund to found Whitby Memorial Scholarships in the college, an object which, it is felt, would have met with his warm approval. As an undergraduate of the college he was a Scholar, and later became successively Honorary Fellow, Professorial Fellow, and finally Master, and the college was one of the chief interests of his life. It has been suggested to the Master and Fellows that among his wide circle of friends in the medical world there may be many, in adaition to members of the college, who would like to contribute to this Memorial Fund. The Master and Fellows would very much welcome such contributions, as the resources of the college are among the most limited of those of the Cambridge colleges. Although the college now spends from its general resources nearly E4000 annually on scholarships and exhibitions, only about El 000 of this is provided from specific endowments. It was the heavy demand thus made on the general endowments of the college, together with a wish to keep alive the memory of Whitby in the minds of future generations of undergraduates, which led the Association to allocate the present fund to the foundation of scholarships bearing his name. Contributions should be sent to the Bursar, Downing College, Cambridge, and if so desired, may be made by 1.
Lancet, 1957, ii, 1129.
seven-year covenant, forms for which will be
supplied
on
request. W. K. C. GUTHRIE GORDON GORDON-TAYLOR HAROLD BOLDERO E. C. DODDS R. W. SCARFF JOHN KIRK.
Parliament Children of Broken
Marriages
ON some of their most important recommendations the members of the Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce were divided. Not unnaturally these recommendations led to and discussion among the public. But the group controversy of recommendations urging that the children of broken marriages should be offered more protection and security was readily accepted on all sides, and on Feb. 7 Mr. ARTHUR MoYLE introduced, as a private member, the Matrimonial Proceedings (Children) Bill which will give legislative shape to the Commission’s suggestions. In his opening speech Mr. Moyle said that each year the parents of over 20,000 children were parted in divorce, which meant that 1 child in 20 was deprived of a normal home. That was not the kind of basis on which children could build well for their future lives. One main provision of his Bill was to ensure that no final decree, either in divorce or judicial separation, could be made final until the court was satisfied that as far as practicable satisfactory arrangements had been A second important made for the future of the children. provision was to set up a court welfare service to assist the judge in reaching decisions about the custody of the children. Mr. DAVID RENTON, joint under-secretary of State for the Home Department, in welcoming the Bill on behalf of the Government, said that the lives and happiness of a considerable number of children were affected by the disputes of their parents and it was right that the courts should pay regard to their welfare. If the Bill became law he was sure that those who administered the law would welcome the new powers and responsibilities which it would give them.
Shrimps, Prawns, and
Pickled Onions
On Feb. 10 Mr. FREDERICK WILLEY prayed against the proposed amendment to the Food Hygiene Regulations (S.I. 1957, no. 2157) which, subject to safeguards, would except shrimps, prawns, and pickled onions from the embargo on the processing of food in the homes of outworkers. Most of the debate rightly centred round the shrimps and prawns, for unlike the onions, they are peeled in the workers’ homes after and not before they are boiled, and no form of sterilisation, however informal, comes between them and the consumer. Many members were clearly uneasy about their preparation in the home. Time must elapse between preparation and sale, children must be cared for, babies must be changed, and constant supervision by the manufacturer or the local authority is impossible. Mr. RICHARD THOMPSON, parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Health, said that, though there was no reason why food could not be prepa,red in domestic premises in as clean a way as in a food factory, absence of supervision could admittedly permit lower standards than people nowadays expected for the preparation of food. But the present regulations offered some safeguards. They laid down that outworkers’ premises must be registered with the local authorities. Outworkers must also observe the ordinary provisions laid down in the food and hygiene regulations to ensure the personal cleanliness of the worker and the protection of the food from contamination. (These standards do not, however, seem too exigent, for in response to questions Mr. Thompson agreed that an " adequate supply of hot water " did not require a water heater, but could be met by water boiled in
and no precautions are taken regarding of napkins or feeding, since there is a great disposal I feel, however, that cortisone should of nurses. shortage an be given adequate trial in a gastrointestinal unit. never
seen
General Hospital, Taiping, Perak, Malaya.
B. E. BARSBY.
AMAUROSIS FUGAX
SIR,-Sir Philip Livingston’s brings to mind a striking case.
very
interesting article1
A woman, aged about 50, had a large painful ulcer on the right side of her neck, following X-ray and radium treatment for a supposedly malignant tumour. The ulcer was larger than a man’s pahn, with a hard sloughing base. Its upper edge was 1-2 cm. below the mandible. Biopsy showed no malignant cells. I began treatment with injections of her own blood (40 ml., not altered by citrate) under the edges of the ulcer-a treatment which I had found successful in previous cases when healing was slow. After two injections the pain was less. At the third treatment, when about 5 ml. of blood had been injected under the superior edge, she suddenly became blind in the right eye; her right eyeball was protruded, and the pupil dilated and insensitive to light. The left eye was unchanged. I stopped the injection; sight returned to the right eye, and was normal in 4-5 min.
War-time conditions prevented me from investigating this case further. I have seen no similar event in over fifty years of practice, and I cannot explain it except as a reflex response. Stimulation of the carotid body was unlikely for anatomical
reasons.
ANDREW MAKAI.
Budapest.
THE LIONEL WHITBY MEMORIAL FUND
SIR,-We should appreciate your assistance in calling attention to a fund being raised by the Master and Fellows of Downing College, Cambridge, in memory of their late Master, Sir Lionel Whitby, regius professor of physic in the University. The Lionel Whitby Memorial Fund was established at the suggestion of the Downing College Association and an Appeal has been sent out to its members. It is proposed to use the fund to found Whitby Memorial Scholarships in the college, an object which, it is felt, would have met with his warm approval. As an undergraduate of the college he was a Scholar, and later became successively Honorary Fellow, Professorial Fellow, and finally Master, and the college was one of the chief interests of his life. It has been suggested to the Master and Fellows that among his wide circle of friends in the medical world there may be many, in adaition to members of the college, who would like to contribute to this Memorial Fund. The Master and Fellows would very much welcome such contributions, as the resources of the college are among the most limited of those of the Cambridge colleges. Although the college now spends from its general resources nearly E4000 annually on scholarships and exhibitions, only about El 000 of this is provided from specific endowments. It was the heavy demand thus made on the general endowments of the college, together with a wish to keep alive the memory of Whitby in the minds of future generations of undergraduates, which led the Association to allocate the present fund to the foundation of scholarships bearing his name. Contributions should be sent to the Bursar, Downing College, Cambridge, and if so desired, may be made by 1.
Lancet, 1957, ii, 1129.
seven-year covenant, forms for which will be
supplied
on
request. W. K. C. GUTHRIE GORDON GORDON-TAYLOR HAROLD BOLDERO E. C. DODDS R. W. SCARFF JOHN KIRK.
Parliament Children of Broken
Marriages
ON some of their most important recommendations the members of the Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce were divided. Not unnaturally these recommendations led to and discussion among the public. But the group controversy of recommendations urging that the children of broken marriages should be offered more protection and security was readily accepted on all sides, and on Feb. 7 Mr. ARTHUR MoYLE introduced, as a private member, the Matrimonial Proceedings (Children) Bill which will give legislative shape to the Commission’s suggestions. In his opening speech Mr. Moyle said that each year the parents of over 20,000 children were parted in divorce, which meant that 1 child in 20 was deprived of a normal home. That was not the kind of basis on which children could build well for their future lives. One main provision of his Bill was to ensure that no final decree, either in divorce or judicial separation, could be made final until the court was satisfied that as far as practicable satisfactory arrangements had been A second important made for the future of the children. provision was to set up a court welfare service to assist the judge in reaching decisions about the custody of the children. Mr. DAVID RENTON, joint under-secretary of State for the Home Department, in welcoming the Bill on behalf of the Government, said that the lives and happiness of a considerable number of children were affected by the disputes of their parents and it was right that the courts should pay regard to their welfare. If the Bill became law he was sure that those who administered the law would welcome the new powers and responsibilities which it would give them.
Shrimps, Prawns, and
Pickled Onions
On Feb. 10 Mr. FREDERICK WILLEY prayed against the proposed amendment to the Food Hygiene Regulations (S.I. 1957, no. 2157) which, subject to safeguards, would except shrimps, prawns, and pickled onions from the embargo on the processing of food in the homes of outworkers. Most of the debate rightly centred round the shrimps and prawns, for unlike the onions, they are peeled in the workers’ homes after and not before they are boiled, and no form of sterilisation, however informal, comes between them and the consumer. Many members were clearly uneasy about their preparation in the home. Time must elapse between preparation and sale, children must be cared for, babies must be changed, and constant supervision by the manufacturer or the local authority is impossible. Mr. RICHARD THOMPSON, parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Health, said that, though there was no reason why food could not be prepa,red in domestic premises in as clean a way as in a food factory, absence of supervision could admittedly permit lower standards than people nowadays expected for the preparation of food. But the present regulations offered some safeguards. They laid down that outworkers’ premises must be registered with the local authorities. Outworkers must also observe the ordinary provisions laid down in the food and hygiene regulations to ensure the personal cleanliness of the worker and the protection of the food from contamination. (These standards do not, however, seem too exigent, for in response to questions Mr. Thompson agreed that an " adequate supply of hot water " did not require a water heater, but could be met by water boiled in