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THE TREATMENT OF SEPTIC WAR WOUNDS.
623
chemically the same"as neosalvarsan was intended to only that they are both commercial preparations of the same chemical compound. They both contain the essential organic compound of arsenic, but also small amounts of unknown impurities, a circumstance at present mean
Correspondence.
unavoidable.
THE MANUFACTURE OF SALVARSAN PRODUCTS IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. .
Ferrivine, as supplied by the British Drug Houses, Limited, diffuses through parchment paper, not, of course, as rapidly It is, as ferric chloride, because it has a larger molecule. therefore, not a colloid. Moreover, it gives the typical chemical reactions of electrolytically dissociated ferric salts, whereas compounds of iron in true organic combination do not. On the other hand, ferric hydroxide is a typical electro-positive colloid. If colloidal properties determine the activity in question, why is ferric hydroxide ineffective, while ferrivine is supposed to be effective ? I am, Sir, yours faithfully, University College, London, Sept. 25th, 1916. W. M. BAYLISS.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. LANCET of May lst, 1915, I published a communication describing cases of acute arsenical poisoning following the use of novarsenobenzol and kharsivan, one case in which the latter preparation was employed, proving fatal. In a newspaper a few weeks ago there appeared an account of an inquest held on a girl of 27, a patient at Guy’s Hospital, whose death followed the administration of a dose of salvarsan "of English manufacture "-in other words, kharsivan. In the E’vening Standard of August 23rd I find the account of an inquest held on a man, aged 40, also a THE APPLICATION OF DROP-MEASURING patient of Guy’s Hospital, who died from acute arsenical TO THE WIDAL poisoning following two injections of kharsivan. After my unfavourable experiences with novarsenobenzol To the Editor of THE LANCET. and kharsivan, I had recourse to a French substitute for issue of Sept. 23rd Dr. E. W. Ainley Walker, SIR,-In salvarsan-viz., galyl-and have used this preparation almost in a critical your on An Application of Drop-measuring to paper exclusively for the past 18 months with most satisfactory Widal Technique, writes very strongly against the stateIn THE results. LANCET of Dec. llth, 1915, Mr. Harold ments made by Mr. R. Donald, and Dr. Ainley Walker’s last Spence, house surgeon at the Male Lock Hospital, gave sentence is such that, as head of the Bacteriology Laboraan account of the clinical results of 1000 intravenous to it. tory of the London Hospital, I must take injections of galyl, which elicited your opinion that galyl The sentence in question is, "It was still more unfortunate was "certainly a substitute which deserves the careful study that such unsubstantial criticisms should appear under the of the medical profession. Since that communication more name and aegis of an important institute." than 1000 further injections of galyl have been given at the Dr. Donald is a highly skilled, trustworthy, and meticuMale Lock Hospital, and continue to be given at the rate of accurate worker who has carried on laborious researches I lously more than 50 a week, and with quite satisfactory results. in the London Hospital Laboratory over a number of years. consider its effect on the symptoms of syphilis to be almost His paper was submitted to me, and I consider his stateequivalent to that of the original salvarsan, whilst the ments accurate and his criticism just. It is also certain that reaction following immediately after its introduction is several of Donald’s pipettes could be made by a tyro in a trifling, and up to the present no instance of arsenical fraction of the time that it would take to clean one of the poisoning has been observed. made for the Oxford Laboratory, and at the finish I have given a fair trial to luargol, a new remedy for syphilis pipettes their accuracy would be such that they might in fairness be described by Dr. N. S. Bonard, house surgeon to the Female considered and called’’ standard " pipettes. Lock Hospital, in THE LANCET of Sept. 23rd, and regret to I am, Sir, yours faithfully, say that my experience of this substance does not tally with WILLIA:’I BULLOCH. WILLIAM his, for in quite 50 per cent. of my cases thrombosis of the Bacteriological Department, London Hospital Medical College, dept. 25th, 1916. injected vein ensued, and extended so far up the arm as to give rise to some anxiety on my part. The injections were given with the most careful attention to technique and in THE TREATMENT OF SEPTIC WAR strict accordance with the printed instructions. I pointed out this objection to Dr. Bonard three months ago, and was WOUNDS. informed by him that thrombosis following the injections To the Editor of THE LANCET. was due to insufriciency of soda in the alkaline solution, is a to is not be in SIR,-It that pure sodium hydrate this dangerous business to intervene in quarrels, procured country, and that consequently he had to obtain his sodium but, now that the President of the Royal College of Surgeons rough-and-tumble hydrate from Paris. It is satisfactory to learn that the risks of England has said that his of thrombosis are now reduced to a minimum by the intro- with the Chief Bacteriologist to the Medical Research Comduction of sodic luargol, a preparation I hope to avail myself mittee is over, it may perhaps be safe to suggest the two of at the earliest opportunity. following propositions for the consideration of the proI am, Sir, yours faithfully, tagonists, their disciples, and indeed anyone else who feels that he must set the world straight in disputable matters: J. ERNEST LANE, F.R.C.S. Eng., Major, R.A.M C. (T.); Senior Surgeon, London Lock Hospital. (1) That if you want to establish your point as against an Sept. 25th, 1916. opposing view, all that is necessary is that you should show that you are right, it is quite immaterial to demonstrate that THE EFFECT OF FERRIVINE AND the other man is wrong ; (2) that nearly all controversies of the present kind end in the discovery that both views are INTRAMINE ON SYPHILIS. right and both are partly wrong. partly 10 the Editor of THE LANCET. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, A. E. SIR,-There are two statements in the letter by Mr. J. E. R. I Radlett, Sept. 21st, 1916. A. E. BOYCOTT. McDonagh in THE LANCET of Sept. 2nd that seem to me to require comment, although I regret to occupy further space. To the -Editor of THE LANCET. I admit, of course, that the physical condition of a compound have an effect on its activity. But this physical conSIR,-In May last I read before the Royal Society of may dition is under the control of the manufacturer, just as the Medicine a paper in which I ventured to criticise from the chemical nature is I am not acquainted with the authority laboratory standpoint the work on wound treatment of on which Mr. McDonagh bases his statement as to the supply Sir Almroth Wright, my former chief. As the criticisms of neokharsivan. It is to be remembered that none of the have not been replied to, I would ask your kind permission preparations of salvarsan. or substitutes for it, is a perfectly to call attention to them again. In order not to trespass on your space, I will only refer pure substance. They all contain impurities, partly of an unknown nature, in variable proportion. Hence the necessity now to one subject-that of the drawing power of salt. In of testing for toxicity each batch, even of the same maker, as this connexion Sir Almroth Wright in his paper in your issue is actually done. It is perfectly clear that the statement of of Sept. 16th repeats a statement ’-that the outflow of lymph the Medical Research Committee that neokharsivan is from the tissues is due to osmotic forces brought into play
SIR,-In THE
TECHNIQUE.
exception
"
unedifying
__________________
624 by the salt." wjuld therelore ask him, first whether the o financ:al support which the Council receives from the explanations I offer4Dd in the case of the experiments by public. Surely for a purpose of suoh national importance we which be supported this statement are sufficient, and, if so, shall not appeal in va7in. We are. Sir, yours faithfully, why they were not ,given by him when the ,experiments were shown to his audience as analogous and as illustrating the C,LEIIENTINA BLACK, President CLEMENTINA president same phenomenon ? F. V. M. TAYLOR, Secretary. Secondly, I would ask whether be has Secretary. Women’s Industrial Council, 7, John-street, Adelphi, made any quantitative experiments (or quantitative beyond Strand, W.C., Sept. 25th, 1916. those I criticised) to justify his statements on this subject. he me to direct And can any reputed authorities who would assent to his use of the expression osmotic forces or to his STATE ECONOMY AT THE EXPENSE OF footnote recapitulating his explanations of the subject? MEDICAL MEN. In conclusion, in order to avoid misconception,I would not I have To that Fditor of THE LANCET. -for the say myself publicly passed judgment from the clinical point of view on any methods of wound SIR,—I do not think "Major’s " letter has come any too treatment, certainly not on the treatment by salineg. That soon, and I do think by your addendum you have thrown judgment must be pronounced ultimately by the surgeons in cold water on it. The two chief medical organs-viz., charge, and it is interesting to note in this connexion that THE LANCET and the British Medical Journal-should support when they are declaring in favour of hypochlorite solutions the profession as a whole, and not take sides with the Sir Almroth Wright, in seeking explanations of their action, whether their intention, firm or otherwise, be to Government, tacitly refuses to take into account the peculiar bactericidal husband their resources at the expense of medical men. Of I am, Sir, yours faithfully, effects. course this is the result of the profession being disunited ; WM. PARRY MORGAN. Cardiff, Sept. 26th, 1916. and not only the Government, but societies like the
THE CHOICE OF ANESTHETIC FOR A MILITARY HOSPITAL. Editor of THE LANCET. to learn from his letter to THE LANCET of Sept. 16th that Mr. A. de Winter Baker uses chloroform given by a Junker’s inhaler as an anesthetic for prolonged operations on soldiers. The method has been regarded by many as obsolete, and his patients must have been in comparatively good condition to stand The exhausted, anaemic, and septic men the process. upon whom we have to do serious operations at the base hospitals in France would certainly be bad subjects for the administration of chloroform, especially for long periods. Hence we welcome anyone like Captain A. G. Wilkins (whose communication appeared in THE LANCET of Sept. 9th) who tries to minimise risks and give us better and safer ansesthetic agents than chloroform. I can assure Mr. Baker that Captain Wilkins has given anaesthetics for me and other operators in what may be truly termed a faultless manner. Moreover, his patients have run a minimum of risk in the ansesthetic state and have suffered little inconvenience from sickness or other trouble afterwards. His intravenous alcohol, given by his modification of Rood’s apparatus, is particularly satisfactory in men run down by sepsis or loss of blood. It is equally suitable for small or great operations and for operations upon the abdomen, chest, head, or extremities. It deserves full and sympathetic consideration. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, JOHN CAMPBELL, F.R C.S.Eng., M.Ch. Ch. M.D , M. C.S.Eug., M.D, The Anglo-American Hospital, Wimereux, Sept. 18th, 1916. To the
.
SIR,-It is somewhat surprising
INDUSTRY AND MOTHERHOOD.
Oddfellows and Foresters are aware of this state of things among us. There is no unity among us, and the cause is jealousy among the profession in every large town. Had we been united, the corporations would never have dared to reduce our fees for notification, nor would our panel money have been reduced to Is. 41/2,d. We appear to take every insult lying down. I would like to know if the salaries (?) of the Members of Parliament are to be reduced because of this firm intention to husband the national resources in our trial." I am, Sir, yours faithfully, MEDICUS. Sept. 25th, 1916. %* Our correspondent has misread the footnote ; we are of those who regret the action that has been taken. But we recognise that in other callings similar economies may have to obtain.-ED. L.
Medical News. ROYAL COLLEGE Comitia
held
OF
PHYSICIANS
OF
LONDON.—A
Dr. Frederick Taylor, the President, being in the chair. Arising out of a resolution passed by the Committee of Reference at its meeting on Sept. 14th, the following resolution was proposed by the Second Censor (Dr. W. Pasteur) and seconded by the Third Censor (Dr. Sidney Martin), and carried :The College authorises its representatives on the Committee of Reference to consider in that Committee, and if necessary in conjunction with other bodies, urgent medical questions arising out of the war, such as the treatment of disabled soldiers, and when necessary to advise the Government thereupon, the President undertaking to report was
on
from time to time to the
Sept. 21st,
College.
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN.To the Editor of THE LANCET. The seventy-fifth session of the School of Pharmacy will SIR,—The Women’s Industrial Council is undertaking an open on Wednesday, Oct. 4th, at 3 P.M. The Pereira medal inquiry into occupations and conditions of occupations likely will be presented to Miss Ella Caird, and the inaugural address delivered by Mr. Edmund White, President to prove injurious to girls or women as prospective mothers At present, although a good deal of information bearing of the society. upon this point must exist in official records and in the KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL : private notes of medical practitioners, none of it has been ROLL OF HONOUR.-The dean of the school would be glad Yet to receive the names of past and present members of the so collected and collated as to be readily accessible. the guidance of ascertained facts would be of great service to medical school who are serving in H.M. Forces, together details of rank and regiments and of any honours which parents, teachers, and advisers of girls entering upon in- with dustrial occupations, as well as to women workers of all have been awarded, in order that the roll of honour may be brought up to date. grades, and ultimately to the country at large. The difficulties of the inquiry will obviously be great, but WELLCOME HISTORICAL MEDICAL MUSEUM: FOLK’ the methods employed in a somewhat similar American LORE EXHIBITION.-An exhibition will be opened on Monday investigation furnish useful suggestions, and the officials of next, Oct. 2nd, at the Well come Historical Medical Museum, two Government departments have kindly promised advice illustrating the folk-lore of London. The exhibition consists of medical charms and amulets, which have been lent by and assistance which will be invaluable. Our aim is, Mr. Edward Lovett, of Croydon. primarily, to ascertain facts, and, secondarily, to agitate SHELL SHOCK AND CRIMINAL ACTS.-At the for the alteration of any unsuitable conditions which may As a general principle, we think the pro- London Sessions recently Sir Robert Wallace, K.C., had to come to light. hibition of any particular employment for women undesir- deal with the case of a lieutenant in the Army who had guilty to several charges of obtaining money and able, but if there does exist any employment likely to injure pleaded means of worthless cheques. He had been congoods by women as mothers we think it important that the facts which victed and bound over to come up for judgment when called make it so should be known to women. How far we shall be upon for other offences of the same ktnd in May. The able to carry our inquiry will largely depend upon the amount prisoner had been at one time a rnedieal student, but
sessional
o
chemically the same"as neosalvarsan was intended to only that they are both commercial preparations of the same chemical compound. They both contain the essential organic compound of arsenic, but also small amounts of unknown impurities, a circumstance at present mean
Correspondence.
unavoidable.
THE MANUFACTURE OF SALVARSAN PRODUCTS IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. .
Ferrivine, as supplied by the British Drug Houses, Limited, diffuses through parchment paper, not, of course, as rapidly It is, as ferric chloride, because it has a larger molecule. therefore, not a colloid. Moreover, it gives the typical chemical reactions of electrolytically dissociated ferric salts, whereas compounds of iron in true organic combination do not. On the other hand, ferric hydroxide is a typical electro-positive colloid. If colloidal properties determine the activity in question, why is ferric hydroxide ineffective, while ferrivine is supposed to be effective ? I am, Sir, yours faithfully, University College, London, Sept. 25th, 1916. W. M. BAYLISS.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. LANCET of May lst, 1915, I published a communication describing cases of acute arsenical poisoning following the use of novarsenobenzol and kharsivan, one case in which the latter preparation was employed, proving fatal. In a newspaper a few weeks ago there appeared an account of an inquest held on a girl of 27, a patient at Guy’s Hospital, whose death followed the administration of a dose of salvarsan "of English manufacture "-in other words, kharsivan. In the E’vening Standard of August 23rd I find the account of an inquest held on a man, aged 40, also a THE APPLICATION OF DROP-MEASURING patient of Guy’s Hospital, who died from acute arsenical TO THE WIDAL poisoning following two injections of kharsivan. After my unfavourable experiences with novarsenobenzol To the Editor of THE LANCET. and kharsivan, I had recourse to a French substitute for issue of Sept. 23rd Dr. E. W. Ainley Walker, SIR,-In salvarsan-viz., galyl-and have used this preparation almost in a critical your on An Application of Drop-measuring to paper exclusively for the past 18 months with most satisfactory Widal Technique, writes very strongly against the stateIn THE results. LANCET of Dec. llth, 1915, Mr. Harold ments made by Mr. R. Donald, and Dr. Ainley Walker’s last Spence, house surgeon at the Male Lock Hospital, gave sentence is such that, as head of the Bacteriology Laboraan account of the clinical results of 1000 intravenous to it. tory of the London Hospital, I must take injections of galyl, which elicited your opinion that galyl The sentence in question is, "It was still more unfortunate was "certainly a substitute which deserves the careful study that such unsubstantial criticisms should appear under the of the medical profession. Since that communication more name and aegis of an important institute." than 1000 further injections of galyl have been given at the Dr. Donald is a highly skilled, trustworthy, and meticuMale Lock Hospital, and continue to be given at the rate of accurate worker who has carried on laborious researches I lously more than 50 a week, and with quite satisfactory results. in the London Hospital Laboratory over a number of years. consider its effect on the symptoms of syphilis to be almost His paper was submitted to me, and I consider his stateequivalent to that of the original salvarsan, whilst the ments accurate and his criticism just. It is also certain that reaction following immediately after its introduction is several of Donald’s pipettes could be made by a tyro in a trifling, and up to the present no instance of arsenical fraction of the time that it would take to clean one of the poisoning has been observed. made for the Oxford Laboratory, and at the finish I have given a fair trial to luargol, a new remedy for syphilis pipettes their accuracy would be such that they might in fairness be described by Dr. N. S. Bonard, house surgeon to the Female considered and called’’ standard " pipettes. Lock Hospital, in THE LANCET of Sept. 23rd, and regret to I am, Sir, yours faithfully, say that my experience of this substance does not tally with WILLIA:’I BULLOCH. WILLIAM his, for in quite 50 per cent. of my cases thrombosis of the Bacteriological Department, London Hospital Medical College, dept. 25th, 1916. injected vein ensued, and extended so far up the arm as to give rise to some anxiety on my part. The injections were given with the most careful attention to technique and in THE TREATMENT OF SEPTIC WAR strict accordance with the printed instructions. I pointed out this objection to Dr. Bonard three months ago, and was WOUNDS. informed by him that thrombosis following the injections To the Editor of THE LANCET. was due to insufriciency of soda in the alkaline solution, is a to is not be in SIR,-It that pure sodium hydrate this dangerous business to intervene in quarrels, procured country, and that consequently he had to obtain his sodium but, now that the President of the Royal College of Surgeons rough-and-tumble hydrate from Paris. It is satisfactory to learn that the risks of England has said that his of thrombosis are now reduced to a minimum by the intro- with the Chief Bacteriologist to the Medical Research Comduction of sodic luargol, a preparation I hope to avail myself mittee is over, it may perhaps be safe to suggest the two of at the earliest opportunity. following propositions for the consideration of the proI am, Sir, yours faithfully, tagonists, their disciples, and indeed anyone else who feels that he must set the world straight in disputable matters: J. ERNEST LANE, F.R.C.S. Eng., Major, R.A.M C. (T.); Senior Surgeon, London Lock Hospital. (1) That if you want to establish your point as against an Sept. 25th, 1916. opposing view, all that is necessary is that you should show that you are right, it is quite immaterial to demonstrate that THE EFFECT OF FERRIVINE AND the other man is wrong ; (2) that nearly all controversies of the present kind end in the discovery that both views are INTRAMINE ON SYPHILIS. right and both are partly wrong. partly 10 the Editor of THE LANCET. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, A. E. SIR,-There are two statements in the letter by Mr. J. E. R. I Radlett, Sept. 21st, 1916. A. E. BOYCOTT. McDonagh in THE LANCET of Sept. 2nd that seem to me to require comment, although I regret to occupy further space. To the -Editor of THE LANCET. I admit, of course, that the physical condition of a compound have an effect on its activity. But this physical conSIR,-In May last I read before the Royal Society of may dition is under the control of the manufacturer, just as the Medicine a paper in which I ventured to criticise from the chemical nature is I am not acquainted with the authority laboratory standpoint the work on wound treatment of on which Mr. McDonagh bases his statement as to the supply Sir Almroth Wright, my former chief. As the criticisms of neokharsivan. It is to be remembered that none of the have not been replied to, I would ask your kind permission preparations of salvarsan. or substitutes for it, is a perfectly to call attention to them again. In order not to trespass on your space, I will only refer pure substance. They all contain impurities, partly of an unknown nature, in variable proportion. Hence the necessity now to one subject-that of the drawing power of salt. In of testing for toxicity each batch, even of the same maker, as this connexion Sir Almroth Wright in his paper in your issue is actually done. It is perfectly clear that the statement of of Sept. 16th repeats a statement ’-that the outflow of lymph the Medical Research Committee that neokharsivan is from the tissues is due to osmotic forces brought into play
SIR,-In THE
TECHNIQUE.
exception
"
unedifying
__________________
624 by the salt." wjuld therelore ask him, first whether the o financ:al support which the Council receives from the explanations I offer4Dd in the case of the experiments by public. Surely for a purpose of suoh national importance we which be supported this statement are sufficient, and, if so, shall not appeal in va7in. We are. Sir, yours faithfully, why they were not ,given by him when the ,experiments were shown to his audience as analogous and as illustrating the C,LEIIENTINA BLACK, President CLEMENTINA president same phenomenon ? F. V. M. TAYLOR, Secretary. Secondly, I would ask whether be has Secretary. Women’s Industrial Council, 7, John-street, Adelphi, made any quantitative experiments (or quantitative beyond Strand, W.C., Sept. 25th, 1916. those I criticised) to justify his statements on this subject. he me to direct And can any reputed authorities who would assent to his use of the expression osmotic forces or to his STATE ECONOMY AT THE EXPENSE OF footnote recapitulating his explanations of the subject? MEDICAL MEN. In conclusion, in order to avoid misconception,I would not I have To that Fditor of THE LANCET. -for the say myself publicly passed judgment from the clinical point of view on any methods of wound SIR,—I do not think "Major’s " letter has come any too treatment, certainly not on the treatment by salineg. That soon, and I do think by your addendum you have thrown judgment must be pronounced ultimately by the surgeons in cold water on it. The two chief medical organs-viz., charge, and it is interesting to note in this connexion that THE LANCET and the British Medical Journal-should support when they are declaring in favour of hypochlorite solutions the profession as a whole, and not take sides with the Sir Almroth Wright, in seeking explanations of their action, whether their intention, firm or otherwise, be to Government, tacitly refuses to take into account the peculiar bactericidal husband their resources at the expense of medical men. Of I am, Sir, yours faithfully, effects. course this is the result of the profession being disunited ; WM. PARRY MORGAN. Cardiff, Sept. 26th, 1916. and not only the Government, but societies like the
THE CHOICE OF ANESTHETIC FOR A MILITARY HOSPITAL. Editor of THE LANCET. to learn from his letter to THE LANCET of Sept. 16th that Mr. A. de Winter Baker uses chloroform given by a Junker’s inhaler as an anesthetic for prolonged operations on soldiers. The method has been regarded by many as obsolete, and his patients must have been in comparatively good condition to stand The exhausted, anaemic, and septic men the process. upon whom we have to do serious operations at the base hospitals in France would certainly be bad subjects for the administration of chloroform, especially for long periods. Hence we welcome anyone like Captain A. G. Wilkins (whose communication appeared in THE LANCET of Sept. 9th) who tries to minimise risks and give us better and safer ansesthetic agents than chloroform. I can assure Mr. Baker that Captain Wilkins has given anaesthetics for me and other operators in what may be truly termed a faultless manner. Moreover, his patients have run a minimum of risk in the ansesthetic state and have suffered little inconvenience from sickness or other trouble afterwards. His intravenous alcohol, given by his modification of Rood’s apparatus, is particularly satisfactory in men run down by sepsis or loss of blood. It is equally suitable for small or great operations and for operations upon the abdomen, chest, head, or extremities. It deserves full and sympathetic consideration. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, JOHN CAMPBELL, F.R C.S.Eng., M.Ch. Ch. M.D , M. C.S.Eug., M.D, The Anglo-American Hospital, Wimereux, Sept. 18th, 1916. To the
.
SIR,-It is somewhat surprising
INDUSTRY AND MOTHERHOOD.
Oddfellows and Foresters are aware of this state of things among us. There is no unity among us, and the cause is jealousy among the profession in every large town. Had we been united, the corporations would never have dared to reduce our fees for notification, nor would our panel money have been reduced to Is. 41/2,d. We appear to take every insult lying down. I would like to know if the salaries (?) of the Members of Parliament are to be reduced because of this firm intention to husband the national resources in our trial." I am, Sir, yours faithfully, MEDICUS. Sept. 25th, 1916. %* Our correspondent has misread the footnote ; we are of those who regret the action that has been taken. But we recognise that in other callings similar economies may have to obtain.-ED. L.
Medical News. ROYAL COLLEGE Comitia
held
OF
PHYSICIANS
OF
LONDON.—A
Dr. Frederick Taylor, the President, being in the chair. Arising out of a resolution passed by the Committee of Reference at its meeting on Sept. 14th, the following resolution was proposed by the Second Censor (Dr. W. Pasteur) and seconded by the Third Censor (Dr. Sidney Martin), and carried :The College authorises its representatives on the Committee of Reference to consider in that Committee, and if necessary in conjunction with other bodies, urgent medical questions arising out of the war, such as the treatment of disabled soldiers, and when necessary to advise the Government thereupon, the President undertaking to report was
on
from time to time to the
Sept. 21st,
College.
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN.To the Editor of THE LANCET. The seventy-fifth session of the School of Pharmacy will SIR,—The Women’s Industrial Council is undertaking an open on Wednesday, Oct. 4th, at 3 P.M. The Pereira medal inquiry into occupations and conditions of occupations likely will be presented to Miss Ella Caird, and the inaugural address delivered by Mr. Edmund White, President to prove injurious to girls or women as prospective mothers At present, although a good deal of information bearing of the society. upon this point must exist in official records and in the KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL : private notes of medical practitioners, none of it has been ROLL OF HONOUR.-The dean of the school would be glad Yet to receive the names of past and present members of the so collected and collated as to be readily accessible. the guidance of ascertained facts would be of great service to medical school who are serving in H.M. Forces, together details of rank and regiments and of any honours which parents, teachers, and advisers of girls entering upon in- with dustrial occupations, as well as to women workers of all have been awarded, in order that the roll of honour may be brought up to date. grades, and ultimately to the country at large. The difficulties of the inquiry will obviously be great, but WELLCOME HISTORICAL MEDICAL MUSEUM: FOLK’ the methods employed in a somewhat similar American LORE EXHIBITION.-An exhibition will be opened on Monday investigation furnish useful suggestions, and the officials of next, Oct. 2nd, at the Well come Historical Medical Museum, two Government departments have kindly promised advice illustrating the folk-lore of London. The exhibition consists of medical charms and amulets, which have been lent by and assistance which will be invaluable. Our aim is, Mr. Edward Lovett, of Croydon. primarily, to ascertain facts, and, secondarily, to agitate SHELL SHOCK AND CRIMINAL ACTS.-At the for the alteration of any unsuitable conditions which may As a general principle, we think the pro- London Sessions recently Sir Robert Wallace, K.C., had to come to light. hibition of any particular employment for women undesir- deal with the case of a lieutenant in the Army who had guilty to several charges of obtaining money and able, but if there does exist any employment likely to injure pleaded means of worthless cheques. He had been congoods by women as mothers we think it important that the facts which victed and bound over to come up for judgment when called make it so should be known to women. How far we shall be upon for other offences of the same ktnd in May. The able to carry our inquiry will largely depend upon the amount prisoner had been at one time a rnedieal student, but
sessional
o