THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON.

403 demons’-ration of the conscious nature of hypnotic acts robs thi. theory of all value. 3. The theory of Mr. Hart, IRISH MEDICAL SCHOOLS’ AND which explains the phenomena by means of cerebral GRADUATES’ ASSOCIATION. anemia. There are two fatal objections to this view : (1) it has been experimentally proved that cerebral anæmia is absent during hypnosis ; and (2) changes in the bloodTHE annual summer meeting of the above association supply of the brain are not the cause, but the result, of was held at the Town Hall, Carlisle, on Wednesday, changes in the activity of the nervous matter. Braid’s later July 29th, Dr. Richard Heath of St. Leonard’s, vice-president theories exphined the phenomena entirely from a psychical standpoint. He considered the condition essentially one of of the association, being in the chair. A letter of regret from. mono-ideism. This view was adopted by Professor John Sir Richard Quain, Bart., President, stating his inability to Hughes Bennett in 1851 and explained physiologically by the be present, was read by the secretary. assumption of a functional disturbance in the" fibres of The Chairman proposed and Sir Charles Cameron association," with resulting suspension of the connexion seconded : "That the hearty congratulations of the Associabetween the ganglion cells of the cerebral cortex. Psycho- tion be conveyed to Sir William MacCormac on his election logically he explained it by "dominant ideas." A suggested as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England."’ idea acquired undue prominence because, owing to the dis- The resolution was passed with acclamation. connexion between the cerebral ganglion cells, it was unThe Chairman next called on the honorary provincial attended by its usual swarm of subsidiary ideas and lacked to make a statement as to what had been done their controlling influence. The genesis of ideas was not secretary since the last summer meeting in reference to the removal of interfered with, only their voluntary synthesis. At a disabilities. The secretary, Mr. J. Stewart, stated, much later date this psychological explanation was hospital that the Council had received and been much encouraged by adopted by Professor Bernheim. His views differ, however, promises of support from several influential quarters. A from those of Braid and Bennett in one important point. The long discussion followed, and it was proposed by Sir Charles, latter pre-supposed a definite change in the nervous system as Cameron and carried unanimously: ’’ That this meeting essential for the production of hypnotic phenomena, the of the resolution of the Council to proceed heartily approves former thinks that the only difference between the hyp- as soon as possible to obtain the repeal of the rule which notised and the normal subject consists in the increased Irish prevents diplomates from becoming candidates for suggestibility of the former and finds in " suggestion" an honorary hospital appointments in England." explanation of all hypnotic phenomena. Hypnotic phenoThe Chairman riminded the meeting that the members of mena, however, differ frequently in kind as well as in the profession in England and Wales would shortly be called degree from those of the normal state, and the subjects who on to give their votes for direct representatives on the are most suggestible in hypnosis are generally those who had General Medical Council, and that on the last occasion the constantly resisted suggestion in the normal condition. association gave its support to two of its members-SirDr. Bramwell referred at length to Professor Bernheim’s Walter Foster and Dr. Dolan. He understood that the view that crime could be successfully suggested to the former would not be a candidate at the coming election, but hypnotised subject, and pointed out that this belief rested that a life member of the association would be in the field as upon laboratory experiment and the assumption that the well as Dr. Dolan. He therefore proposed, and Mr. Somersubject was passing through a mental condition similar ville Johnston seconded, the following resolution : " That to that of the operator. A simple and important test the members of the Irish Medical Schools’ and Graduates" had been omitted-namely, that of questioning the sub- Association be invited to by their votes at the ject in hypnosis as to his own mental state. When coming election for direct support on the Generalrepresentatives this was done it was invariably found that the subject Medical Council Dr. Dolan, J.P. (Halifax), and Dr. Rentoul, fully recognised the imaginary and experimental nature (Liverpool)." The resolution was supported by Sir Charles of the suggested crime. Dr. Bramwell held that neither Cameron and carried unanimously. the intelligence n"r the volition was necessarily interThe proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the fered with in hypnosis and that the subjects, instead of Chairman. being ready to commit crimes, in reality developed increased moral sensitiveness. Dr. Bramwell pointed out that there existed a powerful argument against the explanation of THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS hypnosis by means of mono-ideism or dominant ideasOF LONDON. namely, that a wide range of different phenomena could be simultaneously manifested by the hypnotised subject. The most recent explanation of hypnotism-and apparently the THE ordinary comitia of the Fellows was held on, most satiafactory-was to be found in the supposed tapping June 30th, Dr. S. WILKS, President, being in the chair. of some sub-conscious state and the evoking of a secondary At the commencement of the proceedings the PRESIDENT personality. According to this view, the hypnotised subject, referred in feeling terms to the great loss sustained by the instead of being a stunted and maimed normal individual, in reality possessed far-reaching powers over his own College in the death of Sir J. Russell Reynolds, and by an organism which were not paralleled in the waking state. unanimous vote he was authorised to convey to Lady The researches of Azam and others have demonstrated the Reynolds the condolence and sympathy of the College in her existence of alternating personalities without the intervention bereavement. The PRESIDENT announced that Dr. Govvers would deliver of hypnosis, while recent hypnotic observations not only show the existence of the alternating personalities but demonstrate the Bradshaw Lecture on Nov. 5th. The following gentlemen were admitted to the memberalso that they co exist and communicate with each other. Before this theory can be accepted as a complete explana- ship of the College: Walter Broadbent, M.A., M.B. Camb. tion of hypnotic phenomena an answer must be given Samuel Haslett Browne, C.LE., M.D. Q. LT.L; William to two questions : (1) What is the connexion between Ronaldson Clark, M.B. Aberd.; Wilfred John Harris, B.A., hypnotic methods and the production of the sub-conscious M,h. Camb.; Guthrie Rankin, M.D. Glasg.; Daniel McClurestate’ and (2) How did the secondary personality acquire Ross, M.D. Durh.; and George Frederic Still, M.A., M.D. its rich physical and mental endowments ? To the first Camb. Licences were granted to 151 gentlemen who had passed question, according to Dr. Bramwell, nothing approaching a satisfactory reply has yet been given. An attempt had the recent examinations, and diplomas in public health tobeen made to explain the latter by the assumption that the! fifteen candidates. Attention was drawn by the Censors’ Board to the publicasecondary personality was able to voluntarily control functions which in some lower ancestral form had been performedtion of a confidental document which had been circulated conscioasly, but were now, as the result of development, among the Fellows, and a recommendation of the board on performed automatically. Dr. Bramwell pointed out that the subject was unanimously carried. there were many objections to this explanation, chiefly Communications were read from the Secretary to the Royal in regard to the intellectual phenomena of hypnosis. The: College of Surgeons of England communicating the proincreased intelligence and higher refinement of the hypno- ceedings of its Council. A communication was read from the University of Durham tised subject could hardly be explained by the assumption that the lost powers of some lower animal type had been College of Medicine enclosing a joint communication from the Deans of certain medical schools asking the Conjoint evoked ,

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404 Board to confer with schools before making important in the examinations, and also that at least a year’s notice should be given before enforcing such changes. The letter was referred to the committee of management. Dr. Philipson and Dr. T. Oliver were nominated delegates to the meeting of the Sanitary Institute at Newcastle. The resignation of his Membership by Dr. W. Wallis Ord owing to his entering on general practice was accepted. The gift by the London Hospital Medical Council of an autotype portrait of Dr. Hughlings Jackson was accepted with thanks. Lady Russell Reynolds presented to the College a portrait of Dr. Revell Reynolds, and a silver bowl, the gift of Sir W. Jenner, both bequeathed to the College by the late President, Sir John Russell Reynolds, Bart. The portrait Dr. Revell Reynolds was a copy in oils of one by Abbott. was the grandfather of Sir J. Russell Reynolds and physician to George III. He had been Censor, Registrar, and one of the Elects of the College. Dr. Theodore Williams presented on behalf of Captain Edward W. Williams a gift of £1000 to commemorate Dr. Francis Dissett Hawkins, who at the time of his death was the Senior Fellow of the College. A vote of thanks was accorded to the donor, and, on the motion of Dr. Theodore Williams, a committee was appointed to consider the most appropriate means of utilising the gift. On the motion of Dr. Norman Moore, seconded by the Treasurer, it was resolved "that a vote of thanks and the sum of 100 guineas be given to Dr. Munk as an acknowledgment of his services in writing the life of Sir Henry Halford, a work which he undertook at the request of the late President, Sir Andrew Clark, at a College meeting." The list of College officers and examiners nominated by the President and Council was then submitted, and after ballot the Fellows proposed were declared duly elected as follows :-Censors: William Selby Church, M.D., William Cayley, M.D., Henry Charlton Bastian, M.D., F.R.S., and Joseph Frank Payne, M.D. Treasurer : Sir Dyce Duckworth, M 1). Emeritus Registrar: Sir Henry Pitman, M.D. Registrar : Edward Liveing, M.D. Harveian Librarian: William Munk, M.D. Elected Members of the Library Committee: Samuel Jones Gee, M.D., Philip Henry Pye-Smith, M.D., F.R.S., Norman Moore, M.D., and William Henry Allcbin, M.D. Curators of the Museum: William Howship Dickinson, M.D., Henry Charlton Bastian, M.D., F.R S., William Cayley, M.D., and Norman Moore, M.D. Finance Alfred Baynard Duffin, M.D., Committee: George Vivian Poore, M.D., and Frederick Taylor, M.D. William Examiners : Chemistry and Chemical Physics Ramsay, F.R.S., Wyndham Rowland Dunstan, F.R.S., John Millar Thomson, F.C.S., Samuel Rideal, D.Sc., and Richard Tayler Plimpton, Ph.D.; Materia Medica and PharmacyNestor Isidore Charles Tirard, M.D., Sidney Philip Phillips, M.D., Hector William Gavin Mackenzie, M.D., Frederick Willcocks, M.D., and Francis George Penrose, M.D. ; Elementary Physiology-Henry Lewis Jones, M.D. ; Physiology-Vincent Dormer Harris, M.D., William Dobinson Halliburton, M.D., F.R.S., and John Wychenford Wash-

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bourn, M.D. ; Anatomy-Charles Stonham, F.R.C.S., and George Dancer Thane, M.R.C.S. ;Medical Anatomy and Principlas and Practice of Medicine-Isaac Burney Yeo, M.D., George Vivian Poore, M.D., John Mitchell Bruce, M.D., Frederick Taylor, M.D., Stephen Mackenzie, M.D., Horatio Bryan Donkin, M.D., Sidney Coupland, M.D., William Ewart, M.D., Julius Dreschfeld, M.D., and Seymour John Sharkey, M.D. ;; Midwifery and Diseases peculiar to Women John Baptiste Potter, M D., James Watt Black, M.D., Peter Horrocks, M.D., Walter Spencer Anderson Griffith, M.D., and William Radford Dakin, M.D. ;Surgical Anatomy and Principles and Practice of Surgery-John Langton, F.R.C.S., and John Neville Colley Davies-Colley, F.R.C.S. ;Public Health(Part I.) Thomas Stevenson, M.D., and (Part II.) William Pasteur, M.D. On the motion of Dr. Broadbent, Senior Censor, seconded by Dr. Pye-Smith, a hearty vote of congratulation was passed to the President on his appointment as Physician Extraordinary to Her Majesty the Queen. Reports were received from the representative to the General Medical Council and from the various committees of the College. That of the Library Committee contained mention of the gift by Miss Greenhill of the MSS. of her father, the late Dr. Greenhill, forming material for a lexicon to Galen’s works. -

Public

Health and Poor Law.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. REPORTS OF INSPECTORS OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOABD.

On an Outbreak of Poisoning by Potted Meat at Mansfield, Dr. G. S. BUCHANAN.-Early this year Mr. Wills reported the occurrence of this outbreak, and by his aid it was investigated by Dr. Buchanan on behalf of the Local Government Board. Altogether no fewer than 265 persons were attacked in Mansfield, Bolsover, Pleasley Vale, and Warsop, the symptoms varying from mere gastro-enteric disturbances to similar signs accompanied by rigor, a tempera. ture of 104° F., acute abdominal pain, profuse diarrhoea, and alarming collapse. One thing only was in common in the cases of all these persons-they were attacked within a period varying from about six hours to forty-eight hours after having purchased directly or through local agents potted Of 279 persons meat from a Mansfield manufacturer. ascertained to have eaten this potted meat not more than 14 could be said to have escaped. In not a few house. holds all who had partaken of it were attacked and all who had not eaten it escaped. Certain persons attacked in households into which potted meat had not been introduced were found in each instance to have consumed the potted meat elsewhere. And in each of the localities where the potted meat had been distributed the illness only occurred amongst persons who had consumed it. These points are convincingly proved by the details given in Dr. Buchanan’s report, and he further shows that the mischievous quality which this potted meat possessed must have been acquired subsequently to the actual process of its manufacture. In seeking the cause, the position of the shop, its appliances, the health of the animals from which the meat came, the cleanliness of the articles receiving it, and other matters all come under discussion. The making of the gravy and of a certain matter called "Indian Red" also came in for colouring careful inquiry. Dr. Klein and Dr. Chattaway examined all these materials bacteriologically and chemically. As to the potted meat, Dr. Klein found that every specimen contained microbes in altogether unusual and remarkable amount, the most abundant being proteus vulgaris and bacillus coli, At last suspicion came to attach itself somewhat prominently to the colouring matter, but no chemical proof of mischief could be made out. It must, however, be remembered that since the leading micro-organisms found have the habit, during their life-processes, of habitually forming an acid, it is quite possible that the hypothetical organism which led to this mischief was, as time went on, now fostered, now inhibited, as the result of chemical changes in the potted meat, and that this may account for the great dissimilarity in severity of the symptoms in different people. But no organism which in the ordinary sense can be considered to possess specifically infective properties was detected; and in this way this outbreak differs from former ones that have been investigated by Dr. Ballard and others. But both bacillus proteus and bacillus coli decompose albuminous substances into poisonous products, and either might thus, under excep’ tional conditions, itself manufacture such products within the human body in such a way as to cause symptoms of poisoning. This is the conclusion to which the report obviously leads us ; and it is suggested that the introduction of the Indian red of strong alkalinity simultaneously with the potted meat and its contained bacilli into the digestive apparatus may have had a potent influence in bringing about the results described.

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REPORTS OF MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH.

Essex County Cou.,neil.-Dr. Thresh, in the introductionto his annual report for 1895, draws attention to the general order of the Local Government Board relating to duties of medical officers of health, in which it is directed that at the same time any special report is forwarded to the Board in question a copy of it shall be despatched to the county council of the county in which the district is situated. This latter direction is, Dr. Thresh observes, often overlooked by the local health officers. The general death-rate of Essex (17-0 per 1000) was during 1895 lower by 1-7 per 1000 than that of England and Wales, but the difference is not so great