THE POSITION OF INSPECTORS OF NUISANCES.

321 the " eighties," greater attention was of execution was granted when judgment was given conservative operations, and with a correspond- in the child’s favour so the question as to what ing growth in pathological knowledge the practice of dental may constitute evidence of negligence in a case of this surgery began to be considerably more surgical, requiring kind, as well as that of the responsibility of the education from the practitioner a more thorough knowledge of medicine authority, may be raised again in the Divisional Court. and surgery. In other words, the practice of dentistry Whatever the final result may be, however, the case shows became more the practice of dental surgery than that of what extreme care is necessary on the part of school dental mechanics. The curriculum, however, demanded by managers to prevent the presence of anything in a school the various examining bodies still continued to insist on three building or playground that is capable of leading to an years’ mechanical training and two years’ general and dental accident. Certainly no one who has the duty of examining hospital practice. Within the last 20 years, and especially in any capacity the fittings and apparatus used should be during the last 10, our knowledge of the important relation- reproached with "fussiness" or excess of zeal, because he ship between dental and general diseases has made marked points out the possibility of an ingenious or careless child progress, dental pathology has made rapid strides, and the being hurt by something which for years has proved harmless practice of dentistry has become more and more surgical to his fellows. in character and less and less mechanical, and there is every indication that the purely surgical aspect will continue to THE POSITION OF INSPECTORS OF NUISANCES. grow. Dentistry, therefore, at the present time demands SOME additions are made by the new Order of the Local that the surgical and medical training should be greater than Government Board with regard to public health administrathe mechanical. The curriculum, however, has not moved tion1 which, while they relate to the duties of the inspector with the gradual evolution of dentistry, for although the of nuisances, are of great general interest and of farRoyal College of Surgeons of England has reduced theI reaching importance in public health. The inspector of mechanical training to two years, the time still allotted nuisances is now required, if so directed by the council, equals that given to the more important part of the to remove cases of infectious disease to hospital and to training-namely, the surgical and medical. Without disinfect infected premises. He is also, if so directed, wishing to enter into detailed reasons, it seems to us more in to act as inspector of canal boats and as officer under the keeping with the actual knowledge required of the dental Canal Boats Acts, 1877 and 1884. Another duty devolving surgeon that the time allotted to the mechanical training on the inspector is to furnish annually to the medical should be reduced and that given over to the medical and officer of health a tabular statement as to the inspec-. surgical training lengthened. In connexion with the general tions made by him, the number of statutory and other and dental hospital training it does not seem rational that notices served, and the results of such service, data these should be taken concurrently, for it is unwise to try which it is presumably intended should be embodied by to learn a specialty before the ground principles of the medical officer of health in his annual report. With The training would be medicine have been mastered. to the work of of nuisances, the Board respect inspectors doubt more efficient, if the takes the view that in more rational, and without with a places population of over instruction at the general hospital were completed before it is desirable that the 10,000 generally inspector should the special study of dental diseases is undertaken, and it devote his whole time to his but in smaller districts duties, would be well if the hospital course included instruction in the is that the opinion expressed inspector may act as surveyor general pathology. under the Public Health Act, 1875, as inspector under the Infant Life Protection Act, under the Shop Hours Acts, THE LIABILITY OF AN EDUCATION AUTHORITY or the Factory and Workshops Acts, or as assistant officer FOR ACCIDENTAL INJURY TO A PUPIL. under the Unsound Food Regulations. He may also act as A CURIOUS case of accidental injury to a child attending a superintendent of scavenging. All these changes make for public elementary school at Darnall led recently to an action the appointment of better qualified and whole-time inspectors, in the Sheffield county court against the Sheffield Education and as such are steps in the right direction. Authority. The desks used in the school were of a type described as " dividing desks," a portion of which apparently TWO RAPID METHODS OF STAINING THE is hinged to the rest and capable of being raised. These had SPIROCHÆTA PALLIDA. been in use without any recorded accident for 20 years. The A SUBSTITUTE for the ordinary Giemsa method of staining plaintiff, a child 6 years of age, managed to insert the tip the spirochsete of syphilis is described by Dr. E. Klausner of the little finger of his left hand in a hole in the hinge in the Berliner Klinisehe Woehensehrift ot’ Jan. 23rd. The of the desk in front of him, and when on the order staining reagent is prepared in the same manner as in the "to push up desks"being given by the teacher the Gram method of staining bacteria. Three cubic centimetres moveable portion of the desks was raised his finger was caught of anilin oil are shaken with 20 cubic centimetres of disand injured, a portion of the tip about equal to the length of the nail being torn off. The child was treated at the tilled water for five or ten minutes, and the emulsion so a moistened filter-paper. is filtered To infirmary, so that no medical attendance had to be paid for, prepared fluid thus through obtained half its volume of a concenthe clear and the evidence did not predict any serious loss of power in of gentian violet is added. The the hand ; the injury to the finger-tip was disfiguring and trated alcoholic solution serum or secretion to be investigated is spread out in thin the child had suffered pain. The jury awarded .61.0 damages smears along an ordinary microscopic slide and to the plaintiff against the Education Authority, which pre- parallel fixed over a 1 per cent. solution of osmic acid forholding sumably implies that they were of opinion that the type of one orby two minutes. The gentian violet solution is then poured desk used was dangerous, as to which there was evidence over the specimen and it is heated for 20 to 30 seconds over that the hole in which the child inserted his finger was not a a flame. The stain is then washed off with water ; the necessary feature in the hinge. A point of law as to the is dried and examined microscopically with an oil specimen liability of a local education authority for such an accident immersion lens. The spiroobsetes are rendered clearly visible occurring in a non-provided school during the hours devoted this means, appearing reddish blue against a rose-coloured to secular instruction was argued and was decided -by his by 1 THE honour Judge Benson in favour of the plaintiff. Stay LANCET, Jan. 21st, p. 175. more

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