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The medical uses of radium
1933.
213
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Council to make a survey of the isolation hospital facilities in the administrative county and to submit a scheme, for the Minister's approval, for the provision of " adequate hospital accommodation for the treatment of infectious disease in the whole countv." A provisional scheme was prepared by the county council, but for various reasons it has not yet been put into operation.
The Tonsils and Adenoids Problem. ARGEI~Y as a result of the attention it L has received in economy reports recently issued, interest in the operative treatment versus non-interference controversy in regard to tonsil and adenoid cases has been well sustained. W i t h the need for operative treatment, in many instances, seriously questioned in various quarters, additional interest is given to the findings at reexaminations carried out by Dr. H. R. T i g h e (Senior Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Swansea), and submitted to the Welsh Branch in a paper entitled " A Criticism of some Recent Reports and Publications on the Tonsils and Adenoids Problem." Amongst cases treated at the clinics of the 'Education Authority at Swansea, 300 were re-examined (155 personally by Dr. Tighe). All had been operated on at various times ranging from six months to seven years prior to the date of the re-examination, and in assessing the results regard was had to ~he nature of ttie operatiQn, and the date ; the indications for the operation ; the parents' opinion as to the results of operation, and subsequent as compared with previous health; and the examiner's opinion as to the relief of special symptoms and effects on the general health of the child. OutJof the 155 cases, the examinerand the respective parents were of the opinion that 1.20 were cured, 14 much improved, and one improved; eleven were cured but the parents did not agree, one was probably cured, but the parent was absent, one improved, but needed further investigation, four were doubtful and three were definitely not cured. Regarding the relief of special symptoms, it is noted that five who were asthmatical ceased to have attacks after the operation, three were noted as having had bronchitis but were free from symptoms subsequent to operation, 43 cases were subject to tonsilitis and 49 were cured, and the remaining case appeared to be cured though the parent thought otherwise. In April, 1930, ~7 cases of otorrhcea, operated
on five months to three-and-a-half years previously, were re-examined and it was found that 17 (or 62 per cent.) had been cured. More recently, 53 cases of otorrhcea, operated on from two months to four-and-a-half years previously, were re-examined and it was found that 37 were cured since operation, three were cured after operation and subsequent treatment, four were improved, four were cured but relapsed, three were cured by operation and subsequent treatment but relapsed, and two were not cured by operation and subsequent treatment. ak
~
-'k
*
.,v.
The Medical Uses of Radium. R O B A B L Y one of the p statements in the report
most important on the medical uses of radium for 1931, ¢ the tenth of the series, is that as a result of the augmentation of tile amount of radium salt made available to the Medical Research Council by the R a d i u m Commission, tile scope of experimental work has been extended. The object of the report, as in the case of its predecessors, is to provide a summary of tile work done in the treatment of cancer in the several centres throughout the country by means of radium lent by the Council. In the s u m m a r y there is reference to cancer of various parts and organs--the breast; uterus; the mouth, naso-pharynx, larnyx, and oesop h a g u s ; the rectum, bladder, prostate, and penis; and the eye, with, in addition, a special section on sarcoma and lymphosarcoma. D u r i n g the year the number of cases treated by all methods at the centres was 2,333. Of these, 761 were treated by radium alone, and 758 by surgery alone; the remainder by various combined methods. These figures are definitely in excess of those for the previous year, and so far as radium therapy is concerned the report reveals that the main lines at present are the treatment of cancer of the breast, buccal cavity, and cervix uteri. Also, though it is disappointing to learn that no one method has yet been devised and tested which gives the fullest scope to radiological methods, it is interesting to note that the exploration of new lines of technique was actively prosecuted. Evidence of this is to be found in the experimental section, given a place for the first time in this report and providing a feature rich in interest, suggestion and encouragement. *Special Report Series, No. 174. H.M. Stationery Office, !932. Price Is, 3d, net,
213
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Council to make a survey of the isolation hospital facilities in the administrative county and to submit a scheme, for the Minister's approval, for the provision of " adequate hospital accommodation for the treatment of infectious disease in the whole countv." A provisional scheme was prepared by the county council, but for various reasons it has not yet been put into operation.
The Tonsils and Adenoids Problem. ARGEI~Y as a result of the attention it L has received in economy reports recently issued, interest in the operative treatment versus non-interference controversy in regard to tonsil and adenoid cases has been well sustained. W i t h the need for operative treatment, in many instances, seriously questioned in various quarters, additional interest is given to the findings at reexaminations carried out by Dr. H. R. T i g h e (Senior Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Swansea), and submitted to the Welsh Branch in a paper entitled " A Criticism of some Recent Reports and Publications on the Tonsils and Adenoids Problem." Amongst cases treated at the clinics of the 'Education Authority at Swansea, 300 were re-examined (155 personally by Dr. Tighe). All had been operated on at various times ranging from six months to seven years prior to the date of the re-examination, and in assessing the results regard was had to ~he nature of ttie operatiQn, and the date ; the indications for the operation ; the parents' opinion as to the results of operation, and subsequent as compared with previous health; and the examiner's opinion as to the relief of special symptoms and effects on the general health of the child. OutJof the 155 cases, the examinerand the respective parents were of the opinion that 1.20 were cured, 14 much improved, and one improved; eleven were cured but the parents did not agree, one was probably cured, but the parent was absent, one improved, but needed further investigation, four were doubtful and three were definitely not cured. Regarding the relief of special symptoms, it is noted that five who were asthmatical ceased to have attacks after the operation, three were noted as having had bronchitis but were free from symptoms subsequent to operation, 43 cases were subject to tonsilitis and 49 were cured, and the remaining case appeared to be cured though the parent thought otherwise. In April, 1930, ~7 cases of otorrhcea, operated
on five months to three-and-a-half years previously, were re-examined and it was found that 17 (or 62 per cent.) had been cured. More recently, 53 cases of otorrhcea, operated on from two months to four-and-a-half years previously, were re-examined and it was found that 37 were cured since operation, three were cured after operation and subsequent treatment, four were improved, four were cured but relapsed, three were cured by operation and subsequent treatment but relapsed, and two were not cured by operation and subsequent treatment. ak
~
-'k
*
.,v.
The Medical Uses of Radium. R O B A B L Y one of the p statements in the report
most important on the medical uses of radium for 1931, ¢ the tenth of the series, is that as a result of the augmentation of tile amount of radium salt made available to the Medical Research Council by the R a d i u m Commission, tile scope of experimental work has been extended. The object of the report, as in the case of its predecessors, is to provide a summary of tile work done in the treatment of cancer in the several centres throughout the country by means of radium lent by the Council. In the s u m m a r y there is reference to cancer of various parts and organs--the breast; uterus; the mouth, naso-pharynx, larnyx, and oesop h a g u s ; the rectum, bladder, prostate, and penis; and the eye, with, in addition, a special section on sarcoma and lymphosarcoma. D u r i n g the year the number of cases treated by all methods at the centres was 2,333. Of these, 761 were treated by radium alone, and 758 by surgery alone; the remainder by various combined methods. These figures are definitely in excess of those for the previous year, and so far as radium therapy is concerned the report reveals that the main lines at present are the treatment of cancer of the breast, buccal cavity, and cervix uteri. Also, though it is disappointing to learn that no one method has yet been devised and tested which gives the fullest scope to radiological methods, it is interesting to note that the exploration of new lines of technique was actively prosecuted. Evidence of this is to be found in the experimental section, given a place for the first time in this report and providing a feature rich in interest, suggestion and encouragement. *Special Report Series, No. 174. H.M. Stationery Office, !932. Price Is, 3d, net,