THE RECEPTION OF DEAD BODIES AT HOSPITALS.

50 brain was able to show that from 30 to 40 "areas" or centres could be mapped out on the brain in accordance with their times and rates of development. Important confirmation of the same had come from the researches of Schafrer of Budapest and Storch of Breslau on general paralysis. 1vÍucb attention had been devoted to the study of tendon reflexes. the most important and valuable discovery in this direction being the so-called Babinski reflex, which is now accepted of the pyramidal as a definite indication of Thesubjects of "toxaamia" and of internal secretract. tionwere receiving more attention, and further investigations in these directions were needed to elucidate the pathology of exophthalmic goitre, acromegaly, and allied disorders. Quite recently Professor Mills of Philadelphia had shown that the Roentgen rays were of use in determining the site and occurrence of certain kinds of cerebral tumours. Dr. Henry Head had published a suggestive report upon ILLNESS FROM THE PATIENT’S POINT OF VIEW. visceral disease and the mental changes accompanying them, OUR profession is, perhaps, accustomed to look at disease and there was still great room for the further investigation somewhat too exclusively from the point of view of the of such neuroses as hysteria neurasthenia and hypochonmedical man. We are apt to forget that from the patient’s driasis in which mental disorders co-existed. On the whole, side many symptoms wear a very different aspect. There concludes Professor Collins, there has been more than usual are many small contrivances which a patient learns only by activity in the realms of neurology and questions of the experience and which yet serve to mitigate greatly the pain vastest importance were still awaiting solution. and discomfort of the invalid. It would be of interest to gather the experience of medical men on the nursing and THE RECEPTION OF DEAD BODIES AT general management of illnesses from which they have HOSPITALS. themselves suffered, for medical men, alas, have no AN was held at the London Hospital by recently prerogative of immunity from disease. In the present Mr. inquest Baxter on the body of a female child, aged E. yVynne number of THE LAXCET (see page 455) we publish some about 14 days, of unknown parentage. It was stated in suggestions made by a member of our own profession who evidence that the child was brought in after death had takers has suffered for 24 years, and we cannot but think that they a woman who stated that the child had been by place may prove helpful to his fellow-practitioners. treated at the hospital on the previous day. The cause of death was found to be bronchitis. The woman gave a name THE PRESIDENTIAL AT THE ADDRESS and address but the information was found to be false. AMERICAN NEUROLOGICAL ASSOSome of the members of the jury made remarks which we CIATION. consider not only uncalled for but showing ignorance of theIN his presidential address delivered at the recent annual responsibilities which the resident medical officers should or meeting of the American Neurological Association and pub- should not take upon themselves. Dead bodies are fre. lished in the Jo2crnal of Nervous and Mental E’lsease for quently brought to the hospitals and the medical officer on July last Professor Joseph Collins gives a concise epitome duty having obtained the name and address of the deceased of the most important work that has been done in neurology and of those bringing the body, and having made inquiries, during the year past. Although no epoch-making con- as to the nature of the illness or accident which was to have caused death, has discharged his duties tribution has appeared there was no dearth of effort to solve It would be on very rare occasions that he the many problems in the anatomy and pathology of the would be The neuron nervous system with which we are confronted. justified in detaining persons who had brought in the and calling the police. The position of the dead of body as the basis all and which stands theory neurology to-day is strictly that of a medical man and not medical officer and of the in of criticisms I most neuro-pathology, spite I a of detective. elaborate histological investigations, has become more firmlythat

in coffee plantations and tea-gardens, but a Highland quarryman is very unlike an East Indian coolie, and if he strongly approves of the status in quo he is not likely to be far wrong. The" distant granite quarry," which is said to take Dr. Grant too far from the slate quarry, is, we understand, about four and a half miles from his house, from It employs about 60 which it is reached by a good road. or 70 men, and, considering the sparseness of the population, it is obvious that the men at the two quarries must be acquaintances. The distance between the places would not be reckoned great in that part of the country, and for the directors seriously to’ put this forward as their reason for dismissing the medical officer would almost lead us to imagine that they were influenced by some other motive which they were unwilling to disclose.

IB

degeneration

I

supposed

satisfactorily.

--

established than ever. Recent researches, notably those of ’, THE RESULTS OF A VOLCANIC ERUPTION. Apathy and Bethe, were, explains Professor Collins, uot in AT a recent meeting of the French Academy of Medicine reality in antagonism to the neuron theory. All investigation tended to show that "ontogeneticallythe neurons (or M. Kermorgant gave some details taken from reports of the colonial medical officers of the condition in which the nerve elements) became more intimately united in series and that such intimacy was structually heightened by victims of the St. Pierre catastrophe were found. In the use."" There were, however, many obscurities still sur- centre of the town there had apparently been the most rounding the question of the growth of axis-cylinders violent explosion. Bodies were found shattered to pieces or in relation to their cell bodies or trophic centres which with several fractures in the arms and legs. In many cases. There also remained for the skulls were broken to pieces and empty. Further away required to be cleared up. solution the question whether in the human cerebral from the centre of the town bodies were found lying exactly cortex the presence of the dendritic cell-processes and the as they had fallen at the moment of death and these were in neuroglia sufficed to account for the relative large separation great part carbonised. Death appears to have occurred either of the nerve cell-bodies, or whether a certain amount of from the inhalation of gases at an extremely high temperaintercellular substance remained which accounted for the ture which had brought about sudden coagulatior. of the Those persons who had appearance in question. In the field of cortical localisation blood or from electric shock. the results of Horsley and Beevor as obtained by the methods not been killed instantaneously must have had terrible of local electric stimulation of the cortex in the higher difficulty in breathing. The nose was generally full of dust anthropoid apes had been corroborated and expanded by and fragments of pumice. The pharynx and the larynx Sherrington and Grunbaum. Flechsig in the latest of his showed traces of burning as low down as the bronchi. In wonderful researches on the association-centres of the human some instances portions of mucous membrane had sloughed,