THE MICROBE OF CHICKEN CHOLERA.

1160 a vlllcal1ite case and communicate with a battery. It is sufficient, says Dr. Skene, that one blade only be In the case of the compresthus electrically fortified. sion instrument a modification of the original plan is introduced, a platinum wire passing inside a fiat watertight metal chamber applied along the inner side of one blade to the distal end of the instrument, where it is attached to a platinum plate. It is, of course, isolated. At its proximal end it is connected with a copper wire which traverses a vulcanite case and passes, together with a wire attached to the handle of the forceps, to the battery, as in the artery forceps. In order to develop sufficient electrical resistance the platinum wire in the metal chamber is made to take a zigzag course. Dr. Skene has also devised a clamp with the electrical modification. He states that by this means the required degree of heat-170o to 190° F.-can be attained very quickly, and that the apparatus can be easily adapted either to a suitable battery or to the current from the electric light mains. He has made use of his invention in treating the pedicle in ovariotomy, in operations on the broad ligament of the uterus, and in vaginal hysterectomy. As yet he has not employed it in abdominal hysterectomy, but he is confident that it is suitable for this operation also.

through

THE

SUPPLY OF STIMULANTS AT THE GAOL HOSPITALS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

EARLY in 1895 the Comptroller-General of Prisons brought under notice the extravagant use of stimulants in the hospital of one of the large gaols, and a report was obtained from the then Government medical officer on the subject. It was recommended that white spirit, diluted to

400, should alone be furnished in response

to

requisi-

tions for alcohol. This recommendation was approved. Two visiting surgeons to gaols-Mr. Carruthers and Mr. O’Connor-have recently objected to using this white spirit, and wish to be allowed to use their discretion as to what form of stimulants should be ordered, and Dr. Ashburton Thompson, the Government medical officer, has sent in a further report on the subject. He had the brandy previously supplied under contract to the gaols analysed, and found that it was composed almost entirely of the " white spirit" to which objection was taken, coloured and flavoured. It was not brandy from the grape, but a spirit of less certain wholesomeness than that to which Mr. Carruthers and Mr. O’Connor objected. He adds that everyone interested in the matter knows that the spirits of commerce very seldom have the origin their names specify, and the compound in question is everywhere accepted in the course of ordinary business as "brandy." As the complaint was that the medical officers were compelled to give up the contract article, now shown to be a more or less impure "white spirit," Dr. Thompson says, "nothing remains to be considered." Whether everyone will agree with him in this opinion is another matter.

POISONOUS ICE CREAMS. almost day by day, at any rate in the of the season, desirability of placing the manufacture of ice creams under definite control. There is no reason why an inspector should not be appointed to seize any materials intended for the preparation of ice cream that prove to be unfit for food, just in the same way as meat or any other article which is in an unwholesome state may be seized. As was shown in the report of THE LANCET Commission on the Sanitary Condition of the Italian Quarter as far back as Oct. 18th, 1879, the surroundings under which cheap ice creams are very commonly made are often loathsome in the extreme, and it is not surprising that recent bacteriological inquiry has demonstrated the presence in them of the organism that is a normal inhabitant of the human bowel, and it is well to bear in mind that any objectionable EVIDENCE

summer

comes

taste that the ingredients may have is not noticeable owing to the numbing effect of cold upon the tongue. Only this week an inquiry was held touching the death of a child,

four days after partaking of some obtained from a barrow in the street, died from ptomaine poisoning. The post-mortem examination showed that all the organs were healthy except the stomach, which was greatly congested, evidently by the action of an irritant poison. A verdict of accidental death was returned. There is little doubt that the ptomaines were derived from bad eggs or perhaps highly decomposed milk. Seeing the great number of innocent juvenile partakers who are to be found round the barrows almost every day, it is high time that ice creams and the ingredients employed in their manufacture should be subjected to the same control as are unsound meat, fruit, and tinned and other articles of

aged fourteen years, who, ice

cream

food. THE LATE MR. JAMES BLAKE BAILEY. IT is with great regret that we announce the death of Mr. J. B. Bailey, the Librarian of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Mr. Bailey, who was in his forty-ninth year, had for some time been suffering from symptoms of malignant disease of the liver, and no hope of his recovery had been entertained for the past few weeks. He had held the post of Librarian to the College for the period of ten years, and previously to accepting that appointment had been the Librarian to the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society since 1884. Before this date he had held the office of Librarian of the Radcliffe Library at Oxford under Sir Henry Acland. Mr. Bailey’s loss will be very much felt by all who have He was an admirable ever come into contact with him. man for his post, always able and willing to give information, and devoting his whole time to his books. He was never tired of hunting among the archives of the College, and brought to light many a forgotten pamphlet or book of interest, which he sometimes republished and illustrated with notes that showed a keen critical and literary insight. His latest publication was the interesting little book, " The Diary of a Resurrectionist."

THE MICROBE OF CHICKEN CHOLERA. mN

invasion

is

oi

line

of

various

the most agriculturists have to attempts have been made to

rabbits which

one

by trapping, by in

a

"

colonies

01

Ausliraua

oy

difficulties with contend, and numerous get rid of these animals

serious

poll-tax," by phosphorus poisoning

various other ways. Some time ago it was suggested that Pasteur’s fowl cholera organism or Koch’s rabbit septicaemia organism should be introduced into the colonies with the object of killing off the rabbits by a kind of artificial epidemic. It was objected, however, that the introduction of this organism might do more harm than good by killing all the poultry and perhaps not getting rid of the rabbits. Mr. C. J. Pound, Government Bacteriologist to the Colony of Queensland, now states in a report presented to the Houses of Parliament of the colony that fowl cholera is already present in the colony. This being the case he has taken the opportunity of carrying on a series of experiments with the fowl cholera organism, as a result of which he is convinced that by the judicious, use of food mixed with this organism in dry weather he will be able to set up an epidemic amongst rabbits, even those in wild state, which would in time a to a mitigate very marked degree this rabbit plague, and he recommends his Government to give permission to agriculturists to use this organism as a rabMt poison. Whether this can be carried out on a large scale, and whether it would be successful if carried out, still remains to be; proved ; but from all accounts the

and

1161 --,

rabbit nuisance has reached such proportions that any as can be gathered from the native returns, only 18 method of keeping down these ’’vermin " will probably be deaths of natives were due to cholera during the past year, tried in Queensland ; whilst, should it prove successful, it as compared with 928 in 1895. Among the natives 316 deaths that with are certified as due to small-pox. In the native hospitals vachas been cination is performed regularly twice a week by the native practitioners, whose returns show that the natives in and around Shanghai appreciate it more each year, and that 7160 vaccinations were performed in the city alone during 1896. COURSE. LONDON POST-GRADUATE were made against a threatened invasion of ON Monday, May 3rd, the summer term will commence, Preparations but the disease did not spread to Shanghai. During plague, and will include courses at Blackfriars (Skin), King’s September and October dengue prevailed extensively throughCollege (Bacteriology), London Throat Hospital, Parkes out the Settlement. This specific eruptive disease attacked Museum, Institute of Preventive Medicine (Urine Testing), alike foreigners and natives, adults and children, but in no and Cleveland-street Infirmary (General Medicine and case among foreigners was there a fatal termination. Surgery). All information will be afforded and fees received bypr. Fletcher Little, secretary, 32, Harley.street, OYSTERS AND DISEASE. London, W.

will be hailed with almost as much which Koch’s method for treating received by the South Africans.

delight as rinderpest

------

AT their

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON TUBERCULOSIS. WE understand that the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis has been much impressed with the general concurrence amongst the witnesses who have been heard as to the necessity of establishing public abattoirs wherever this is possible, both in the interest of the public health and to protect graziers and butchers against the present want of uniformity in the seizure of carcasses on account of tuberculosis. Several members of the Royal Commission have, therefore, commenced a tour of inspection of foreign cities to study this question and to learn generally what action is taken:abroad] both as to tuberculous carcasses and tuberculous milch cows. The first cities to be visited are Brussels, Cologne, Berlin, and Leipzig. Other visits will follow later. probably

Thursday, April 15th, the Brighton orporation drafted the petition which they intend to send ) the Local Government Board asking for a Bill to control 1e dissemination of oysters and other shell-fish proved to e contaminated by sewage. The support of other muniipalities is to be sought in the matter. Speaking first of he "increasing bulk of evidence" that enteric fever is meeting

on

ommunicated from this source, the memorial goes on to say hat certain of the memorialists have had within their listricts cases traced to this cause. The report of Dr. 3ulstrode, it is claimed, proves the danger and the need of emedial measures. It is suggested that these latter should nelude the giving of powers to locil authorities similar to 5hose of Section 4 of the Infectious Diseases Prevention Act, .890, in the case of milk-i.e., to prohibit the supply within iheir district of any shell-fish from any water proved to the ocal authority to be contaminated by sewage, the conTHE MUZZLING ORDER. sumption of such shell-fish being proved to be, or being to be, dangerous. An appeal to the Local GovernAN impassioned correspondence has been going on in the .ikely ment Board from the local authority is suggested. Further, daily press about the recent muzzling order and the Board ask that power to totally close oyster-beds or ponds on of Agriculture has been assailed with a virulence which they the representation of the local authority shall be vested in certainly seems excessive when we remember what slight the Local Government Board. it has for such abuse. On one we -

cause

given

point

can

agree with the objectors to the order, and that is we consider that the muzzling order ought to have been made universal throughout the kingdom, and that on the expiration of the appointed period a strict system of identification of dogs and their owners should be inaugurated by means of registration and the wearing of a marked collar by the dog. But in most ways many dog-owners seem to have completely lost their heads and to have imported political bias into the question, which is quite beside the mark. Anyone who is so foolish as to say that a Government or a candidate will lose his vote on account of this order is quite unfit to exercise the franchise If these silly persons had ever seen a case of at all. hydrophobia they would think no means too stringent to stamp out such a fearful disease, although we quite agree that the present methods of procedure are inadequate.

MORTALITY STATISTICS AMONG

THE Order of the Double Dragon has been conferred by the Emperor of China on four of the surgeons who took part in Red Cross hospital work during the Chino-Japanese war. The names of the recipients of the honour areThomas Brander, M.B., C.M. Edin., Dugald Christie,[L.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. Edin., Charles De B. Daly, M.B., M.Ch. Dub., and D. C. Gray, M.B., C.1_12. Glasg.

THE East London Hospital for Children, Shadwell, has been recognised by the Conjoint Board for England as a place of instruction for students, at which six months of their fifth year under the new regulations may be spent in clinical work. Full information on all points may be obtained from the secretary at the hospital. now

FOREIGNERS IN

THE annual dinner of the Army Medical Staff will be held this year in the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Metropole, at l P.M., on Monday, June 14th, the Director.General in THE annual report of Dr. J. Taylor Grant, municipal7.45 t the chair, and it is hoped that the Army Medical Staff band surgeon and medical officer of health, shows that during the f Aldershot will play during dinner. from year 1896 there were 141 deaths of foreigners registered in Shanghai, including 4 adults whose bodies were brought to Shanghai for burial and 2 stillborn infants. WE understand that Mr. Bennett May, Professor of Taking the whole foreign population, resident and non-resident, ESurgery in Mason College, Birmingham, is an intending including the French Concession and the foreign shipping, (candidate for the vacancy on the Council of the Roya this gives an annual death-rate of 22 per 1000, as compared
SHANGHAI.

___