- Email: [email protected]
THE MEDICAL MAN AND THE SERVANT.
1702 of
purgation, especially by enemata, the use of intestinal and so founding a basis for treatment, but with the ulterior antiseptics, of which sodium salicylate is that most object of procuring information for the employer. It is approved, and blood-feeding remedies to combat the anasmia better to make this a hard and fast rule, for if its application consequent on the destruction of blood-corpuscles which is is limited to those cases where a servant might be likely to present in all such cases. object"the practitioner will lay himself open to reprisals, however carefully and circumspectly he may otherwise act. "
-
IS SENSORY APHASIA COMPATIBLE WITH WILL-MAKING P IN the paper read by Dr. Mantle of Ilalifax at the last meeting of the Medical Society of London on Sensory Aphasia, which was reported in THE LANCET of Nov. 28th, he related the fact that one of his patients, while deaf and blind to words, as well as having complete paralysis of motor speech, expressed a wish to make his will and made his wishes known by forming the outline of the letters on the bed-sheet with his finger. The pitient made his lawyer and wife understand that when they meant " Yes" they were to squeeze his hand and when " No " they were to tap it. To satisfy the patient the will was executed and with his left hand he managed with difficulty to write his signature to it. Gowers remarks that inasmuch as the testator cannot understand what is said to him the testamentary capacity is worthless in the condition of word-deafness and blindness such as this patient had. But it seems difficult to conceive that a patient in the condition described could indicate correctly by forming letters on the sheet what his wishes were. If he did so, then he had no agraphia. And how he could sensibly indicate the somewhat involved arrangement by which "yes" or "no" were to be expressed is very difficult to understand. Such a case with reference to testamentary capacity would have to be judged on full and complete evidence. Undoubtedly, as a general rule, it is true that a patient who is word-deaf and word-blind is not in a condition to understand and therefore to make a valid will.
THE MEDICAL MAN AND THE SERVANT. A CASE of considerable interest was lately entertained by the Council of the London and Counties Medical Protection Society, Limited. The facts were briefly these. An employer requested a medical man to attend and prescribe for his servant. The information obtained by the medical man was communicated to the employer, and in consequence the girl was dismissed. Subsequently she commenced an action for slander against the medical man, but the action was compromised by a solatium and the payment of costs. We understand that a legal opinion was taken as to whether a report of a servant’s condition to his or her employer was privileged and that the implied question was answered in the affirmative, but that information given to a third personas happened in the above case-would not be covered. To the latter proposition we fully subscribe, but with all .submission we question the former-at least we should not care to run the gauntlet; of an action at law with any degree of confidence that the court would rule in our favour. The question of privilege is a very wide one and depends upon the circumstances in individual cases. The tendency is to limit its application and wisely so. The Council of the Association expressed the opinion "that a doctor consulted by an employer in reference to the health of a servant should obtain the written consent of the servant before presenting or divulging the result of his examination to the employer in such cases where the servant might, be likely to object to his .doing so." We are inclined to go a step further and say that when a medical man’s services are requested under the conditions above narrated, it is implied that the employer desires to know and expects to know the result of the medical mination. We are, therefore, of opinion that the servant should be acquainted with the fact that the examination is be made not only for the purpose of establishing a diagnosis
exa-
toI
THE CRY OF THE SHOP ASSISTANT. A MEETING of the Early Closing Association which has just been held in the South of London calls attention to the fact that in that district shop assistants are made to work from seventy to eighty hours per week. This state of things is by no means new. Four years ago we published the report of a Commission which went into the whole question of "Sanitation in the Shop,"and among other things showed the hours worked by this section of the community to be excessive. This year it was stated in the House of Commons that thousands of shop assistants were being worked fourteen hours a day and sixteen hours on Saturdays. If this obtains at ordinary times throughout the year it is still more the state on the approach of public holidays, and Christmas will add greatly to the woes of a much-suffering class. A week or a fortnight before Christmas the halfholiday rule is suspended by many proprietors, and life in the shop becomes one continuous round of toil. Some of the employes who have homes in the country are forced by the exigencies of the occasion to leave town on Christmas Eve by midnight trains, which they are barely allowed time to catch, and thus wih mental and bodily powers exhausted they reach their homes to take part in festivities which under the circumstances further exhaust vitality. We have only touched the fringe of the question, but when it is considered that to the strain of continuous working upon scanty or poor food must be added the effects of long standing, and that by far the greater number of hands are young girls, it will be readily believed that the amount of preventable sickness and suffering is very great. The question of long standing and insufficient food can be remedied by the employers, but the question of long hours is one for which the public are almost entirely to blame. Whatever may be the hour of closing women may be seen rushing into a shop, often for some trivial article, just as the lights are being turned low and the blinds are being drawn. The poor assistant, who has packed up for the night, is compelled to undo her wares. Nothing can be more cruel than this procrastination. We believe that it arises more from want of thought than from want of heart, but we earnestly hope that the women of England will maintain their reputation for kindness, and will look to it that their sisters, who are compelled to toil standing all day in a shop and put on a smiling face, however weary and ill they may be, shall not suffer through thoughtlessness. It is not possible for many customers to do their shopping until even-time, but all who can avoid supporting with their custom those shops which overwork their employes should do so, especially at a time when peace on earth, good-will towards men should be the prevailing sentiment. -
ANNUAL
DINNER
OF THE HARVEIAN SOCIETY OF LONDON.
THE Harveian Society of London held its annual dinner at the Cafe Monico on Thursday, Nov. 26th, the President, Mr. J. Knowsley Thornton, being in the chair. Nearly 100 members and friends were present. A very pleasant evening was spent. After the usual loyal toasts from the chair Professor Clifford Allbutt gave that of "The Society," congratulating the members on its continued prosperity and thanking them for their kindness in nominating him as a corresponding member in place of the late
purgation, especially by enemata, the use of intestinal and so founding a basis for treatment, but with the ulterior antiseptics, of which sodium salicylate is that most object of procuring information for the employer. It is approved, and blood-feeding remedies to combat the anasmia better to make this a hard and fast rule, for if its application consequent on the destruction of blood-corpuscles which is is limited to those cases where a servant might be likely to present in all such cases. object"the practitioner will lay himself open to reprisals, however carefully and circumspectly he may otherwise act. "
-
IS SENSORY APHASIA COMPATIBLE WITH WILL-MAKING P IN the paper read by Dr. Mantle of Ilalifax at the last meeting of the Medical Society of London on Sensory Aphasia, which was reported in THE LANCET of Nov. 28th, he related the fact that one of his patients, while deaf and blind to words, as well as having complete paralysis of motor speech, expressed a wish to make his will and made his wishes known by forming the outline of the letters on the bed-sheet with his finger. The pitient made his lawyer and wife understand that when they meant " Yes" they were to squeeze his hand and when " No " they were to tap it. To satisfy the patient the will was executed and with his left hand he managed with difficulty to write his signature to it. Gowers remarks that inasmuch as the testator cannot understand what is said to him the testamentary capacity is worthless in the condition of word-deafness and blindness such as this patient had. But it seems difficult to conceive that a patient in the condition described could indicate correctly by forming letters on the sheet what his wishes were. If he did so, then he had no agraphia. And how he could sensibly indicate the somewhat involved arrangement by which "yes" or "no" were to be expressed is very difficult to understand. Such a case with reference to testamentary capacity would have to be judged on full and complete evidence. Undoubtedly, as a general rule, it is true that a patient who is word-deaf and word-blind is not in a condition to understand and therefore to make a valid will.
THE MEDICAL MAN AND THE SERVANT. A CASE of considerable interest was lately entertained by the Council of the London and Counties Medical Protection Society, Limited. The facts were briefly these. An employer requested a medical man to attend and prescribe for his servant. The information obtained by the medical man was communicated to the employer, and in consequence the girl was dismissed. Subsequently she commenced an action for slander against the medical man, but the action was compromised by a solatium and the payment of costs. We understand that a legal opinion was taken as to whether a report of a servant’s condition to his or her employer was privileged and that the implied question was answered in the affirmative, but that information given to a third personas happened in the above case-would not be covered. To the latter proposition we fully subscribe, but with all .submission we question the former-at least we should not care to run the gauntlet; of an action at law with any degree of confidence that the court would rule in our favour. The question of privilege is a very wide one and depends upon the circumstances in individual cases. The tendency is to limit its application and wisely so. The Council of the Association expressed the opinion "that a doctor consulted by an employer in reference to the health of a servant should obtain the written consent of the servant before presenting or divulging the result of his examination to the employer in such cases where the servant might, be likely to object to his .doing so." We are inclined to go a step further and say that when a medical man’s services are requested under the conditions above narrated, it is implied that the employer desires to know and expects to know the result of the medical mination. We are, therefore, of opinion that the servant should be acquainted with the fact that the examination is be made not only for the purpose of establishing a diagnosis
exa-
toI
THE CRY OF THE SHOP ASSISTANT. A MEETING of the Early Closing Association which has just been held in the South of London calls attention to the fact that in that district shop assistants are made to work from seventy to eighty hours per week. This state of things is by no means new. Four years ago we published the report of a Commission which went into the whole question of "Sanitation in the Shop,"and among other things showed the hours worked by this section of the community to be excessive. This year it was stated in the House of Commons that thousands of shop assistants were being worked fourteen hours a day and sixteen hours on Saturdays. If this obtains at ordinary times throughout the year it is still more the state on the approach of public holidays, and Christmas will add greatly to the woes of a much-suffering class. A week or a fortnight before Christmas the halfholiday rule is suspended by many proprietors, and life in the shop becomes one continuous round of toil. Some of the employes who have homes in the country are forced by the exigencies of the occasion to leave town on Christmas Eve by midnight trains, which they are barely allowed time to catch, and thus wih mental and bodily powers exhausted they reach their homes to take part in festivities which under the circumstances further exhaust vitality. We have only touched the fringe of the question, but when it is considered that to the strain of continuous working upon scanty or poor food must be added the effects of long standing, and that by far the greater number of hands are young girls, it will be readily believed that the amount of preventable sickness and suffering is very great. The question of long standing and insufficient food can be remedied by the employers, but the question of long hours is one for which the public are almost entirely to blame. Whatever may be the hour of closing women may be seen rushing into a shop, often for some trivial article, just as the lights are being turned low and the blinds are being drawn. The poor assistant, who has packed up for the night, is compelled to undo her wares. Nothing can be more cruel than this procrastination. We believe that it arises more from want of thought than from want of heart, but we earnestly hope that the women of England will maintain their reputation for kindness, and will look to it that their sisters, who are compelled to toil standing all day in a shop and put on a smiling face, however weary and ill they may be, shall not suffer through thoughtlessness. It is not possible for many customers to do their shopping until even-time, but all who can avoid supporting with their custom those shops which overwork their employes should do so, especially at a time when peace on earth, good-will towards men should be the prevailing sentiment. -
ANNUAL
DINNER
OF THE HARVEIAN SOCIETY OF LONDON.
THE Harveian Society of London held its annual dinner at the Cafe Monico on Thursday, Nov. 26th, the President, Mr. J. Knowsley Thornton, being in the chair. Nearly 100 members and friends were present. A very pleasant evening was spent. After the usual loyal toasts from the chair Professor Clifford Allbutt gave that of "The Society," congratulating the members on its continued prosperity and thanking them for their kindness in nominating him as a corresponding member in place of the late