A PHYSIOLOGIST AS ARTIST

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in carcinoma were much less encouraging. They are difficultto summarise, as all the patients referred to Dr. Pfahler,some of whom were in a dying state, were treated. Only afew cases of primary carcinoma of the breast were treatedand these were inoperable. The results were as good asthose obtained by other methods." In recurrent carcinomaof the breast brilliant results were obtained when the growthwas localised. On the other hand, when it was extensive

and metastasis had taken place (the majority of cases), onlypalliation and prolongation of life were, as a rule, obtained.In nearly all cases the tumours underwent some diminutionand the patient was made comfortable. In advanced casesremarkable results sometimes were obtained. Thus a woman

had two nodules in the scar left after removal of the breast and

enlarged supraclavicular glands. After 44 applications inthree months she recovered. The glands again enlarged andrecovery again took place under the treatment. She is now

living five years later. In four cases of carcinoma of the

cesopbagus improvement was obtained, the power to swallowsolid food being restored. In ten cases of advanced carci-noma of the stomach some improved and one patient seemedto recover. In cancer of the rectum good results were

obtained from post-operative x ray treatment; life was pro-longed for a year or more and the patients were renderedmore comfortable. 14 cases of inoperable cancer of theuterus were treated and two of the patients seemed to

recover. Pain and discharge were often relieved for a time.

A NEW SEAL OF A ROMAN OCULIST.

IN 1907 the Cabinet des Medailles in Paris, through thegenerous donation of Commandant Mowat, became possessedof his valuable collection of nine Gallo-Roman oculist seals;this brought up the number of these relics in the Biblio-

theque Nationale to 24. Early in 1908 M. Babelon, directorof the Departement Numismatique, was fortunately able toadd another perfectly preserved medical signet, which hadbeen found with a few other small antiquities in the gardenof a resident at Langres. The seal is of flat shape, similarto a small dog biscuit, and has its inscription graven uponall four of its edges. It is cut from a piece of pale green ’,

steatite and this displays the letters quite clearly. The

text is as follows, filling in the abbreviations :-Lucii Pamii Hygini ad aspritudinem crocodes." " ad omnem lippitudineiii." " ad sedatam diasmyrnes." " ad caliginem.

The name of L. Pamius Hyginus is new, not only as far asconcerns the cognomena of the old oculists, but also to thelarge Latin onomasticon. The collyria he employed and thecomplaints which by their aid he endeavoured to cure are allsuch as have been found mentioned upon previously knownseals, and have been referred to in our columns in recent

years. It is worthy of note that the arrangement of the

wording is unusual, for instead of, as was commonly done,placing the collyria in each case, first followed by the word"ad," preceding the malady, the order is reversed. In

the last line caligo, that is defective, or fading, vision is

mentioned but no special curative ingredient given, so forits improvement the oculist appears to have relied upon hisgeneral ability. It is not probable that the diasmyrnes, ormyrrh, was also intended for the treatment of caligo,because in no other oculist seal, and it is frequentlymentioned thereon, is its use suggested for the purpose.In commenting upon this seal, commencing with the collyria,crocodes or saffron was a favourite remedy among theoculists, as in this instance, for "aspritudo," the palpebralgranulations of trachoma. Diasmyrnes was the commoningredient for these collyria, and it has been mentioned

upon nearly half of the 225 seals hitherto edited. In most

cases it is stated to be useful for the cure of I I lippitudo, "

or suppurative conjunctivitis. Here, however, the mentionof the disease is qualified by the word "sedatam,"indicating that its virulence was abating when Hyginusdeemed the application of myrrh would prove beneficial.

This qualifying term has only twice before appearedupon these seals. Upon one the text reads, "ad sedatas

lippitudines," whilst upon the other "ad sedat(iones)"occurs. These oculists’ seals are relics of which it is quiteeasy to make plaster-cast replicas, and it would be interest-ing if the museums of different countries would exchangecasts of the respective seals in their keeping.

A PHYSIOLOGIST AS ARTIST.

Dr. Leonard Hill, who besides being an accomplishedphysiologist is a representative of the Faculty of Medicineof the University of London on the Senate of that body,finds time among his multifarious occupations to paintpictures, an exhibition of which is now being held at theCorner Gallery, 49, Old Bond-street, W. From a leaflet whichis inserted in the catalogue we learn that, 11 in paintinghe paints to please himself, and delights in trying to

catch some feeling of the light, atmosphere, and colour oflandscape, and the expression of the animals he keeps athis house at Loughton." The pictures are deliberatelyrough, but they succeed in the points to which attention isthus drawn. For instance, Nos. 17 and 18, ’’ The Tree Clumpby the Sea " and Autumnal Evening," well express a coolmisty atmosphere, while No. 7, entitled "Vanquished,"depicting a depressed-looking cock, should stimulate theartist to give his unhappy subject a dose of oxygen, makehim try again, and then paint another picture and call itI’ Victor." The little exhibition shows Dr. Hill’s versatilityand artistic accomplishment in a marked manner.

FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK IN TURNING ON THEELECTRIC LIGHT.

IN the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of Feb, 25thDr. F. E. Jones has reported the following case. A strongman, aged 21 years, worked at a forge in a machine shop.Over the forge hung a 16 candle-power incandescent electriclamp. He reached for the lamp apparently to turn on thelight and cried out. His fellow workmen rushed to him andfound him rigid, leaning against an adjacent wooden parti-

tion, and tightly clutching the lamp with his right hand.On breaking the contact with the lamp he fell to the

floor. Efforts to resuscitate him by artificial respirationfailed. All the middle joints on the back of the righthand were burned and the bone was laid bare. The

lamp was hung on cords from the rafters, where its

wires tapped the main wires of the building, which carried110 volts of electricity. Careful examination failed to reveal

anything out of order in the electric supply of the building ;the fuses were in place at the entrance of the wires and ineach lamp. In the vicinity of the building were wires carry-ing a much higher voltage (2300 volts) from the generatingstation to transformers, which reduced the voltage in the

secondary currents supplied to the houses to 110. The wires

from the building led to a transformer several hundred yardsdistant. A current of 110 volts is ordinarily used for electriclights and is quite safe to handle ; it may pass through thebody without causing anything alarming. The fatal shockmust have resulted in some way from the primary current of2300 volts escaping to the wires of the lamp. An electrical

expert explained the accident as follows. By various means,for example, by the limbs of trees rubbing against thewire of the primary current, an opportunity may begiven for escape to earth. This, however, may not occurunless a second mode of escape is possible. Then. a shortcircuit is formed through earth from one point of escape to