- Email: [email protected]
THE TREATMENT OF DIPHTHERIA BY THE INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-DIPHTHERITIC SERUM.
1712 for snake-bite ; and he certainly has, on his side, authority ; for the treatment has been recommended by, among others, Fayrer, Lacerda, and Lauder Brunton. We believe that certain experiments in the treatment of dogs inoculated in the thigh with fresh viper venom showed permanganate of potassium to be efficacious as a remedy, but to ’leave an indolent ulcer-an after-result which did not follow upon injection of chromic acid.
offices and at the private addresses of members of our staff, while numerous correspondents have forwarded similar envelopes addressed to them. There could have been no difficulty in stopping such matter if the German lottery circulars are stopped, and we ask the Postmaster-General, to whom we have forwarded specimens of the envelopes and who has acknowledged their receipt, why they were not stopped ? If the law is too weak to deal with such cases the law must be altered.
-
____
ROYAL INSTITUTION
OF GREAT BRITAIN.
THE
THE first of the Friday evening meetings before Easter, 1903, of the Royal Institution will take place on Jan. 16th, when it is announced that Professor Dewar, F.R.S., will lecture on Low Temperature Investigations. On Jan. 23rd
THE evidence in favour of the treatment of diphtheria by anti-diphtheritic serum is rapidly accumulating. The value of the serum cannot now be denied and many observers could be found who would consider it to be practically a criminal act to withhold it in actual practice. It has been shown that the results are better when the serum clearly has been injected in the early stage of the disease ; in fact, it has been recommended that the serum should be administered in all cases pf doubtful throat disease, since, if all due antiseptic precautions be adopted, its use is
Dr. Tempest Anderson will deal with the subject of Recent Volcanic Eruptions and on Jan. 30th Professor W. E. Dalby will discourse on Vibration Problems in Engineering Science. The lecturers for the month of February will be the Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., Professor Sheridan Delepine, Principal E. H. Griffiths, F.R.S., and Mr. Adolf Liebmann. The title of Professor Delepine’s lecture, which is announced for Feb 13th is "Health Dangers in Food." During the month of March Professor J. G. McKendrick, F. R. S., Professor Karl Pearson, F. R. S., Professor E. A. Schafer, F.R.S., and Professor W. A. Herdman, F.R.S., will lecture on successive Friday evenings, Professor McKendrick taking for his subject on March 6th Studies in Experimental Phonetics and Professor Schafer on Lord Rayleigh, O.M., March 20th the Paths of Volition. F.R.S., will discourse before the institution on April 3rd. The lectures which are announced for delivery during the afternoon on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from Dec. 30th to April 4th, include Locomotion (the Christmas lectures), by Professor H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.; the Physiology of Digestion, by Dr Allan Macfadyen ; Recent Advances in Photographic Science, by Sir William Abney, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; and discourses by Lord Rayleigh, Mr. A. J. Evans, F.R.S., Sir Clements Markham, F.R.S., Mr. G. R. Murray, F.R.S., Mr. C. H. Firth, Sir Frederick Bridge, M.V.O., Sir Robert Ball, F.R.S., and Mr. A. B. Walkley.
THE
harmless even when very large doses are given. Many cases of diphtheria, however, do not come under notice until the disease has reached such a stage as to render all forms of treatment almost hopeless. In an original article which we publish in another column (p. 1685) Dr. D. Louis Cairns advocates the intravenous administration of the serum instead of the usual subcutaneous method. His results are certainly most striking, although, as he himself admits, the number of cases dealt with is small. He advocates the employment of intravenous injection in the malignant forms of the disease -i.e., those characterised by haemorrhage from the or nose into the skin, by great glandular enlargement with marked cellular infiltration, and by extreme blanching of the skin; also in those cases in which the lungs are markedly involved or in those instances in which the patient is moribund before coming under observation ; and finally when the patient is in a profoundly toxEemic condition. These are precisely the cases in which the serum has not yielded satisfactory results. Dr. Cairns’s method, therefore, is worthy of further trial. The cases which he records tend to show that the technique is not attended with any great difficulty, whilst the results are most
PROSTITUTION OF THE POST-OFFICE.
WE have frequently referred to the way in which the Post-Office aids in the dissemination of filth such as the pamphlets sent out by "Dr." Bell. The Post-Office also distributes betting circulars, money-lenders’ circulars, and catalogues of pornographic books, to say nothing of lottery circulars and advertisements of quack medicine. The Postmaster-General, when questioned on the subject, as a rule confesses himself unable to do anything, although the PostOffice officials seem always able to surcharge communications of the nature of a letter which are sent in open envelopes for one halfpenny. With regard to lottery circulars the Postmaster-General, on being questioned in the. House of Commons on Dec. 10th, stated that any which had been observed in open envelopes had been stopped. A correspondent informs us that on Nov. 21st he received a singularly filthy pamphlet sent out by the Od. Chem. Co. of New York, which arrived at his house in an open envelope. He forwarded this pamphlet to the Postmaster-General and received a courteous answer that many similar complaints had been made but that he had no power to interfere with the transmission by post of such circulars. Neither did such pamphlets come under the prohibition of the postal laws and regulations of the United States. Another odious advertisement has now been sent out by the Etna Chemical Company, dealing with a drug called phenalgin. The envelopes inclosing the advertisement are emblazoned with a large scarlet heart held by a skeleton hand. These abominations have been delivered both at our
TREATMENT OF DIPHTHERIA BY THE INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-DIPHTHERITIC SERUM.
satisfactory.
I
--
A DISCUSSION on Puerperal Insanity will take place at the Obstetrical Society on Wednesday, Jan. 7th, 1903, at The discussion will be opened by a paper by Dr. 8 p. M. Robert Jones of Claybury and will be continued by the following gentlemen : Sir John Williams, Bart., Dr. G. F. Blandford, Dr. F. H. Champneys, Dr. W. S. A. Griffith, Dr. G. E. Herman, Dr. T. B. Hyslop, Dr. Charles Mercier, Dr. W. D. Moore, Dr. F. W. Mott, Dr. G. H. Savage, Dr. R. Percy Smith, Dr. T. Seymour Tuke, and Dr. Ernest W. White. ____
THE Queen has graciously signified her intention of giving Christmas dinner on Saturday, Dec. 27th, to the widows and children, living in London and its suburbs, of all soldiers and sailors of the Imperial and Colonial Forces who lost their lives during the South African war or who have died from the effects of service in South Africa since their return home. a
-
His Majesty the King of Denmark has created Lord Lister a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog on the occasion of the jubilee of his Fellowship of the Royal
1713
College of Surgeons of England. We congratulate Lord Lister upon the receipt of this highly prized honour. Professor Francis Darwin, F.R.S.,
Bart , M.P., and Sir John
joined
the
Imperial
Sir Andrew
Nottingham.
League
as
Agnew,
vice-presidents.
THE MIDLAND MEDICAL UNION. WE have received the
following
letter for
union has concerned the outNottingham. The branch at has therefore little to add to the reports from Mansfield, and With Chesterfield, Belper. regard to the executive, it should be stated that there have been six meetings of the council. one of which was held at Chesterfield and the rest at Nottingham. The principal business transacted at such meetings was the consideration of theTeversal matters and of the Medical Aid Association at Chesterfield. The appeal made under the authority of the council to aid Dr. Rainsbury in defraying the judgment in the case of Webster v. Rainsbury met with a generous response. The total amount required was .e182 6s. 2d. and the appeal has up to the present realised £ 71 15s. 9(Z. a balance of .E110 10s. 5d., which has been paid by Dr. leaving
lying Nottingham
Williams, Bart., M.D., have
Vaccination
Nottm.,
To the Editors of THE LANCET. DEAR SiRS,—We are directed by the council of the Midland Medical Union to communicate to you for publication in your columns the result of a conference which has recently been held in Nottingham for the purpose of inquiring into and deciding upon certain and ethical questions associated with certain colliery appointments in the neighbourhood of Mansfield and which have been the cause of local friction amongst members of the medical profession and at which a satisfactory result was obtained. The raison d’etre of the conference had reference to the manner in which certain medical appointments to the Silverhill and Butcherwood collieries of the Stanton Ironworks Co. were held by Drs. Rainsbury and Mitchell and given to and held by Drs. Crawford and Farman in succession to Drs. Rainsbury and Mitchell, and in connexion therewith the two latter gentleman felt that they had cause for complaint on both professional and ethical grounds. Prior to the conference all matters complained of were formulated by the parties preferring them and agreed to by those against whom they were directed as being the object of the conference proposed to be held to inquire into them. The conference was held at the Victoria Station Hotel, Nottm., on Tuesday, 2nd Dec., and there were present the following gentlemen : Drs. Oldham, Houfton, Palmer, Rainsbury, and Mitchell as representing the Midland Medical Union ; Drs. Crawford and Farman and Messrs. Piggford and Greatorex, the two last-named gentlemen being officials of the collieries referred to. Dr. J. Goodwin Shea, J.P., of Chesterfield, President of the Union, presided, and Dr. Bateman, general secretary of the Medical Defence Union, attended the conference at the desire of all parties with a view to elucidating the matter involved. Evidence was given by Drs. Mitchell, Rainsbury, Palmer, Crawford, and Farman, and Messrs. Piggford and Greatorex, and documentary evidence was also produced. After an exhaustive inquiry, in which every party in the dispute was permitted to take part, and after all evidence for and against the truth of the charges was given, it was quite clearly proved that the charges made against Drs. Crawford and Farman could not be sustained and were not borne out by the evidence given to support them. As a result of the conference ’Drs. Crawford and Farman were entirely exonerated from unprofessional and unethical conduct and a complete, amicable, and cordial settlement of all matters in dispute was arrived at. We are directed to add that the council of the union desires that the result of the conference should be made known to the members of the profession. With this object Drs. Crawford and Farman have been consulted and it is with their approval that this letter is written. We are, yours faithfully, J. GOODWIN SHEA, M.D.,
professional
Chesterfield. During the past year the work of the Chesterfield branch has been devoted chiefly to dealing with the rate of remuneration paid by the friendly societies in this district. In the last annual report it was stated that a conference was to be held between representatives of the union and the Chesterfield and District Friendly Societies Council. This was duly held and was followed by several others. It was hoped that these would lead to a fair and amicable settlement, but there were parties in the friendly societies at work from the first who were opposed to any fair consideration of the question and these ultimately succeeded in persuading the Friendly Societies Council to send to this union a resolution couched in such terms that it was virtually an ultimatum that unless. it was acceded to that they would at once proceed to form a medical
The terms of the resolution were so unreasonable in character that it was felt no good could possibly arise from further conferences and consequently negotiations were discontinued. This was followed by notices being served by a number of lodges upon their medical officers. The present state of affairs is that a number of these notices will expire at the end of the year and the friendly societies have established a medical association and have secured the services of a registered medical practitioner. The most satisfactory part of this dispute is the fact that all the members of the union have remained other and to each that each member recognises he is helping, loyal perhaps at some pecuniary loss, to fight a battle not only for himself but for the profession generally. association.
THE TEVERSAL DISPUTE.
aggrieved
President.
GEORGE S. O’RORKE, LL.B., Midland Medical Union.
UNION.I
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MIDLAND MEDICAL We have received from Mr. G. S. O’Rorke, the secretary of the Midland Medical Union, an account of this meeting, which was held at the Hotel Portland, Chesterfield, on The President, Mr. J. Goodwin Shea, J.P., Dec. 4th. The officers of the union were appointed and presided. the honorary treasurer presented his report which was adopted. Reports of which the following are summaries were presented and adopted :-
PRESIDENT referred to a dispute between Dr. and Dr. Mitchell on the one hand and Dr. Crawford and Mr. Farman on the other, which had arisen in the Mansfield district with regard to certain professional and ethical questions associated with the medical appointments to the Teversal and Stanton Hill collieries and which had been the subject of a conference held at Nottingham on Dec. 2nd and which had resulted in a satisfactory and He read to the meeting a letter amicable settlement. written to him by Dr. Bateman, the general secretary of the Medical Defence Union, who attended the conference at the desire of all parties concerned, and in which he set out the conclusion at which the conference had arrived that, after hearing the evidence of the gentlemen who felt and the evidence in defence, it was clearly proved that the gentlemen against whom complaint had been made had not been guilty of any unprofessional or unethical conduct and were entirely absolved from the grounds of complaint which had been alleged against them. The President added that he was pleased to report that he hoped an amicable settlement had been arranged and that a friendly relationship had been restored between the parties to the dispute, and that he only regretted that the conference had not been held months ago, since it now appeared that if such a course had been taken the friction (now shown to be groundless) which had so long existed between certain professional brethren in the neighbourhood would have thus been easily removed. He moved that an account of the conference and the decision thereat be made known to the profession and that Dr. Crawford and Mr. Farman be consulted as to the steps to be taken to effect their object. Dr. E. H. HouFTON seconded and observed that the evidence given before the conference convinced all present that the allegations preferred could not be sustained. He suggested that the result of the conference should be communicated to the professional journals for publication and a resolution to this effect was carried unanimously. Later in the evening the Midland Medical Union held its annual dinner. The
Rainsbury
any
Secretary,
particularly
Rainsbury.
publication :—
Albion Chambers, King-street, 16th Decr., 1902.
the past year the work of the During than districts more
THE IMPERIAL VACCINATION LEAGUE. THE Imperial Vaccination League held its first meeting at the Westminster Palace Hotel, London, en Dec. 12th. The chair was taken by the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND*
who commenced the proceedings by calling upon the secretary, Dr. E. J. EDWARDES, to read letters of regret.
offices and at the private addresses of members of our staff, while numerous correspondents have forwarded similar envelopes addressed to them. There could have been no difficulty in stopping such matter if the German lottery circulars are stopped, and we ask the Postmaster-General, to whom we have forwarded specimens of the envelopes and who has acknowledged their receipt, why they were not stopped ? If the law is too weak to deal with such cases the law must be altered.
-
____
ROYAL INSTITUTION
OF GREAT BRITAIN.
THE
THE first of the Friday evening meetings before Easter, 1903, of the Royal Institution will take place on Jan. 16th, when it is announced that Professor Dewar, F.R.S., will lecture on Low Temperature Investigations. On Jan. 23rd
THE evidence in favour of the treatment of diphtheria by anti-diphtheritic serum is rapidly accumulating. The value of the serum cannot now be denied and many observers could be found who would consider it to be practically a criminal act to withhold it in actual practice. It has been shown that the results are better when the serum clearly has been injected in the early stage of the disease ; in fact, it has been recommended that the serum should be administered in all cases pf doubtful throat disease, since, if all due antiseptic precautions be adopted, its use is
Dr. Tempest Anderson will deal with the subject of Recent Volcanic Eruptions and on Jan. 30th Professor W. E. Dalby will discourse on Vibration Problems in Engineering Science. The lecturers for the month of February will be the Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., Professor Sheridan Delepine, Principal E. H. Griffiths, F.R.S., and Mr. Adolf Liebmann. The title of Professor Delepine’s lecture, which is announced for Feb 13th is "Health Dangers in Food." During the month of March Professor J. G. McKendrick, F. R. S., Professor Karl Pearson, F. R. S., Professor E. A. Schafer, F.R.S., and Professor W. A. Herdman, F.R.S., will lecture on successive Friday evenings, Professor McKendrick taking for his subject on March 6th Studies in Experimental Phonetics and Professor Schafer on Lord Rayleigh, O.M., March 20th the Paths of Volition. F.R.S., will discourse before the institution on April 3rd. The lectures which are announced for delivery during the afternoon on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from Dec. 30th to April 4th, include Locomotion (the Christmas lectures), by Professor H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S.; the Physiology of Digestion, by Dr Allan Macfadyen ; Recent Advances in Photographic Science, by Sir William Abney, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; and discourses by Lord Rayleigh, Mr. A. J. Evans, F.R.S., Sir Clements Markham, F.R.S., Mr. G. R. Murray, F.R.S., Mr. C. H. Firth, Sir Frederick Bridge, M.V.O., Sir Robert Ball, F.R.S., and Mr. A. B. Walkley.
THE
harmless even when very large doses are given. Many cases of diphtheria, however, do not come under notice until the disease has reached such a stage as to render all forms of treatment almost hopeless. In an original article which we publish in another column (p. 1685) Dr. D. Louis Cairns advocates the intravenous administration of the serum instead of the usual subcutaneous method. His results are certainly most striking, although, as he himself admits, the number of cases dealt with is small. He advocates the employment of intravenous injection in the malignant forms of the disease -i.e., those characterised by haemorrhage from the or nose into the skin, by great glandular enlargement with marked cellular infiltration, and by extreme blanching of the skin; also in those cases in which the lungs are markedly involved or in those instances in which the patient is moribund before coming under observation ; and finally when the patient is in a profoundly toxEemic condition. These are precisely the cases in which the serum has not yielded satisfactory results. Dr. Cairns’s method, therefore, is worthy of further trial. The cases which he records tend to show that the technique is not attended with any great difficulty, whilst the results are most
PROSTITUTION OF THE POST-OFFICE.
WE have frequently referred to the way in which the Post-Office aids in the dissemination of filth such as the pamphlets sent out by "Dr." Bell. The Post-Office also distributes betting circulars, money-lenders’ circulars, and catalogues of pornographic books, to say nothing of lottery circulars and advertisements of quack medicine. The Postmaster-General, when questioned on the subject, as a rule confesses himself unable to do anything, although the PostOffice officials seem always able to surcharge communications of the nature of a letter which are sent in open envelopes for one halfpenny. With regard to lottery circulars the Postmaster-General, on being questioned in the. House of Commons on Dec. 10th, stated that any which had been observed in open envelopes had been stopped. A correspondent informs us that on Nov. 21st he received a singularly filthy pamphlet sent out by the Od. Chem. Co. of New York, which arrived at his house in an open envelope. He forwarded this pamphlet to the Postmaster-General and received a courteous answer that many similar complaints had been made but that he had no power to interfere with the transmission by post of such circulars. Neither did such pamphlets come under the prohibition of the postal laws and regulations of the United States. Another odious advertisement has now been sent out by the Etna Chemical Company, dealing with a drug called phenalgin. The envelopes inclosing the advertisement are emblazoned with a large scarlet heart held by a skeleton hand. These abominations have been delivered both at our
TREATMENT OF DIPHTHERIA BY THE INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF ANTI-DIPHTHERITIC SERUM.
satisfactory.
I
--
A DISCUSSION on Puerperal Insanity will take place at the Obstetrical Society on Wednesday, Jan. 7th, 1903, at The discussion will be opened by a paper by Dr. 8 p. M. Robert Jones of Claybury and will be continued by the following gentlemen : Sir John Williams, Bart., Dr. G. F. Blandford, Dr. F. H. Champneys, Dr. W. S. A. Griffith, Dr. G. E. Herman, Dr. T. B. Hyslop, Dr. Charles Mercier, Dr. W. D. Moore, Dr. F. W. Mott, Dr. G. H. Savage, Dr. R. Percy Smith, Dr. T. Seymour Tuke, and Dr. Ernest W. White. ____
THE Queen has graciously signified her intention of giving Christmas dinner on Saturday, Dec. 27th, to the widows and children, living in London and its suburbs, of all soldiers and sailors of the Imperial and Colonial Forces who lost their lives during the South African war or who have died from the effects of service in South Africa since their return home. a
-
His Majesty the King of Denmark has created Lord Lister a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog on the occasion of the jubilee of his Fellowship of the Royal
1713
College of Surgeons of England. We congratulate Lord Lister upon the receipt of this highly prized honour. Professor Francis Darwin, F.R.S.,
Bart , M.P., and Sir John
joined
the
Imperial
Sir Andrew
Nottingham.
League
as
Agnew,
vice-presidents.
THE MIDLAND MEDICAL UNION. WE have received the
following
letter for
union has concerned the outNottingham. The branch at has therefore little to add to the reports from Mansfield, and With Chesterfield, Belper. regard to the executive, it should be stated that there have been six meetings of the council. one of which was held at Chesterfield and the rest at Nottingham. The principal business transacted at such meetings was the consideration of theTeversal matters and of the Medical Aid Association at Chesterfield. The appeal made under the authority of the council to aid Dr. Rainsbury in defraying the judgment in the case of Webster v. Rainsbury met with a generous response. The total amount required was .e182 6s. 2d. and the appeal has up to the present realised £ 71 15s. 9(Z. a balance of .E110 10s. 5d., which has been paid by Dr. leaving
lying Nottingham
Williams, Bart., M.D., have
Vaccination
Nottm.,
To the Editors of THE LANCET. DEAR SiRS,—We are directed by the council of the Midland Medical Union to communicate to you for publication in your columns the result of a conference which has recently been held in Nottingham for the purpose of inquiring into and deciding upon certain and ethical questions associated with certain colliery appointments in the neighbourhood of Mansfield and which have been the cause of local friction amongst members of the medical profession and at which a satisfactory result was obtained. The raison d’etre of the conference had reference to the manner in which certain medical appointments to the Silverhill and Butcherwood collieries of the Stanton Ironworks Co. were held by Drs. Rainsbury and Mitchell and given to and held by Drs. Crawford and Farman in succession to Drs. Rainsbury and Mitchell, and in connexion therewith the two latter gentleman felt that they had cause for complaint on both professional and ethical grounds. Prior to the conference all matters complained of were formulated by the parties preferring them and agreed to by those against whom they were directed as being the object of the conference proposed to be held to inquire into them. The conference was held at the Victoria Station Hotel, Nottm., on Tuesday, 2nd Dec., and there were present the following gentlemen : Drs. Oldham, Houfton, Palmer, Rainsbury, and Mitchell as representing the Midland Medical Union ; Drs. Crawford and Farman and Messrs. Piggford and Greatorex, the two last-named gentlemen being officials of the collieries referred to. Dr. J. Goodwin Shea, J.P., of Chesterfield, President of the Union, presided, and Dr. Bateman, general secretary of the Medical Defence Union, attended the conference at the desire of all parties with a view to elucidating the matter involved. Evidence was given by Drs. Mitchell, Rainsbury, Palmer, Crawford, and Farman, and Messrs. Piggford and Greatorex, and documentary evidence was also produced. After an exhaustive inquiry, in which every party in the dispute was permitted to take part, and after all evidence for and against the truth of the charges was given, it was quite clearly proved that the charges made against Drs. Crawford and Farman could not be sustained and were not borne out by the evidence given to support them. As a result of the conference ’Drs. Crawford and Farman were entirely exonerated from unprofessional and unethical conduct and a complete, amicable, and cordial settlement of all matters in dispute was arrived at. We are directed to add that the council of the union desires that the result of the conference should be made known to the members of the profession. With this object Drs. Crawford and Farman have been consulted and it is with their approval that this letter is written. We are, yours faithfully, J. GOODWIN SHEA, M.D.,
professional
Chesterfield. During the past year the work of the Chesterfield branch has been devoted chiefly to dealing with the rate of remuneration paid by the friendly societies in this district. In the last annual report it was stated that a conference was to be held between representatives of the union and the Chesterfield and District Friendly Societies Council. This was duly held and was followed by several others. It was hoped that these would lead to a fair and amicable settlement, but there were parties in the friendly societies at work from the first who were opposed to any fair consideration of the question and these ultimately succeeded in persuading the Friendly Societies Council to send to this union a resolution couched in such terms that it was virtually an ultimatum that unless. it was acceded to that they would at once proceed to form a medical
The terms of the resolution were so unreasonable in character that it was felt no good could possibly arise from further conferences and consequently negotiations were discontinued. This was followed by notices being served by a number of lodges upon their medical officers. The present state of affairs is that a number of these notices will expire at the end of the year and the friendly societies have established a medical association and have secured the services of a registered medical practitioner. The most satisfactory part of this dispute is the fact that all the members of the union have remained other and to each that each member recognises he is helping, loyal perhaps at some pecuniary loss, to fight a battle not only for himself but for the profession generally. association.
THE TEVERSAL DISPUTE.
aggrieved
President.
GEORGE S. O’RORKE, LL.B., Midland Medical Union.
UNION.I
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MIDLAND MEDICAL We have received from Mr. G. S. O’Rorke, the secretary of the Midland Medical Union, an account of this meeting, which was held at the Hotel Portland, Chesterfield, on The President, Mr. J. Goodwin Shea, J.P., Dec. 4th. The officers of the union were appointed and presided. the honorary treasurer presented his report which was adopted. Reports of which the following are summaries were presented and adopted :-
PRESIDENT referred to a dispute between Dr. and Dr. Mitchell on the one hand and Dr. Crawford and Mr. Farman on the other, which had arisen in the Mansfield district with regard to certain professional and ethical questions associated with the medical appointments to the Teversal and Stanton Hill collieries and which had been the subject of a conference held at Nottingham on Dec. 2nd and which had resulted in a satisfactory and He read to the meeting a letter amicable settlement. written to him by Dr. Bateman, the general secretary of the Medical Defence Union, who attended the conference at the desire of all parties concerned, and in which he set out the conclusion at which the conference had arrived that, after hearing the evidence of the gentlemen who felt and the evidence in defence, it was clearly proved that the gentlemen against whom complaint had been made had not been guilty of any unprofessional or unethical conduct and were entirely absolved from the grounds of complaint which had been alleged against them. The President added that he was pleased to report that he hoped an amicable settlement had been arranged and that a friendly relationship had been restored between the parties to the dispute, and that he only regretted that the conference had not been held months ago, since it now appeared that if such a course had been taken the friction (now shown to be groundless) which had so long existed between certain professional brethren in the neighbourhood would have thus been easily removed. He moved that an account of the conference and the decision thereat be made known to the profession and that Dr. Crawford and Mr. Farman be consulted as to the steps to be taken to effect their object. Dr. E. H. HouFTON seconded and observed that the evidence given before the conference convinced all present that the allegations preferred could not be sustained. He suggested that the result of the conference should be communicated to the professional journals for publication and a resolution to this effect was carried unanimously. Later in the evening the Midland Medical Union held its annual dinner. The
Rainsbury
any
Secretary,
particularly
Rainsbury.
publication :—
Albion Chambers, King-street, 16th Decr., 1902.
the past year the work of the During than districts more
THE IMPERIAL VACCINATION LEAGUE. THE Imperial Vaccination League held its first meeting at the Westminster Palace Hotel, London, en Dec. 12th. The chair was taken by the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND*
who commenced the proceedings by calling upon the secretary, Dr. E. J. EDWARDES, to read letters of regret.