CANINE REJUVENATION EXPERIMENT
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857 VENEREAL DISEASE IN LONDON AND ENVIRONS. else to find supplementary allowances making up his wages to this amount. For the social department of a sanatorium of 100 beds a single whole-time public health nurse is considered sufficient. Voluntary workers may help, but cannot replace her. No patient may be discharged until his future has been assured in advance. - VENEREAL DISEASE IN LONDON AND ENVIRONS. THE London County Council proposes to continue the arrangement, which has worked well in the past, of joining with the County Councils of Buckingham, Essex, Hertford, Kent, Middlesex, and Surrey, and the Croydon, East Ham and West Ham CountyBorough Councils, for the common utilisation of the facilities afforded by certain London hospitals for diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases. During the year 1921 the number of patients’ attendances at the various clinicswas 496,209, as compared with 464,033 for 1920. The number of new cases was 25,418, representing a reduction of 5628. Only four clinics showed an increase of numbers.. The reduction is attributed mainly to the disappearance of abnormal conditions associated with the war and demobilisation. " No doubt it would be reasonable to assume," state the L.C.C. Public Health Committee, " that it is also due, to some extent, to the effects of the continuous anti-venereal campaign." -- INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF OTOLOGY. THE Tenth International Congress of Otology will take place in the Ecole de Médecine, Paris, on July 19th, 20th, and 21st, immediately following the two days’ annual meeting of the Societe Francaise d’Oto- Bhino-Laryngologie. The date originally fixed for the Congress was altered to prevent its clashing with the meeting of the British Medical Association at Glasgow; the French organisers of the Congress are anxious to welcome a large number of English-speaking visitors. The president of the British Organising Committee is Dr. Urban Pritchard, the chairman, Sir StClair Thomson, and the hon. secretaries are Dr. Lionel Colledge, 22, Queen Anne-street, London, W. 1, and Dr. J. S. Fraser, 50, Melville-street, Edinburgh, either of whom is prepared to give all information concerning present arrangements. The subscription to the Congress is Fr.100 ( £ 2 ), which should be forwarded to the treasurer, Dr. G. Laurens, 4, Avenue Hoche, Paris, 8°. Those who intend to read papers or join in debates should write direct to Dr. Hautant, 28, Rue Marboeuf, Paris, 8°. It has been decided to hold an exhibition of anatomical and pathological specimens (macroscopic and microscopic) connected with diseases of the ear, nose, larynx, and pharynx. Those who desire to exhibit specimens should com- municate the number and description of the latter to Dr. P. Truffert, 2, Rue Ambroise Paré, Paris, 10°. CANINE REJUVENATION EXPERIMENT. Dr. Knud Sand communicates 1 an interesting example of Steinach’s methods, which as an isolated case he does not wish to overstress, but which seems well attested and of a striking character. In May, 1921, an acquaintance brought to him at a pathological institute in Copenhagen, a pedigree German pointer, 12t years old, whose life the owner despaired of owing to senile changes; he contemplated having the dog killed. Sand took the precaution of sending the animal to Prof. Hansen, of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College of the same city, for a preliminary report. This affirmed that the dog suffered from pronounced senility, with the symptoms of dull eyes, thin coat, deafness, and thickened inelastic skin. It could move only with difficulty, was emaciated, and often had incontinence of urine and faeces. There were no signs of organic disease except cirrhotic kidney, which was almost universal in old dogs. A 1Zeitschrift für Sexualwissenschaft, March, 1922. tuberculin test proved negative. In spite of misgiving as to whether an ana’sthetic would be borne, Sand performed on May 23rd resection of the left epididymis and right-sided vasectomy. The effects of the opera- tion had been completely recovered from by June 15th. In a week s time from this both testicles were felt to be distended, the right more so. However, very little retrogression of senility occurred, and at the end of the month the animal was returned to its owner, who, on Oct. 25th, wrote that three or four weeks after discharge the dog became brisker, its appetite better, and its coat thicker. By the end of August it could run behind a bicycle slowly ridden and the sexual appetite revived : sight and hearing improved and it no longer slept all day. In September great strides were made, so that he again used it for sporting purposes and regarded it as equal in every way to a dog seven years old. The animal was again examined by the veterinarian already mentioned, who expressed great surprise at the change in it. The author concludes by recommending such treatment to the attention of the veterinary profession. ____ COMPULSORY EVIDENCE AT INQUESTS. As many coroners are medical men it may be of interest to note a point dealt with exhaustively by Mr. Justice Riddell recently in the Supreme Court of Ontario in an appeal in which the decision of a coroner was questioned. The point at issue was whether a man already in custody upon a charge of manslaughter in respect of a death into which the coroner was inquiring could he subpoenaed and compelled to give evidence at the inquest. Mr. Justice Riddell, after reviewing at length the cases decided in English courts on the subject, held that such a person had the right to give evidence and equally could be compelled to do so, and concluded by pointing out that the object with which the law is administered is to discover the actual facts for the public safety, the duty being laid upon every citizen to tell all he knows for the sake of the public at large. The question whether a person already committed for trial by magistrates, or in custody upon a charge of murder or manslaughter, can legally be compelled to go into the witness-box in a coroner’s court in the same matter, appears, however, at any rate so far as this country is concerned, to be of academic rather than practical interest, because, although there may be questions which such a witness might properly be made to answer, they are necessarily few. This is because no such witness can be com- pelled to answer a question if the effect of his answer might be to criminate himself. Consequently, a person charged with the death, the subject of the inquest, is usually allowed, but not obliged, to be present, and allowed, but not obliged, to go into the witness-box. ____ TREATMENT OF GASTRIC CRISES. Dr. Albert R. McFarland, assistant in the section on dermatology and syphilology of the Mayo Foundation, draws attention to the helplessness of the physician and the abject misery of the patient during the gastric crises of tabes, in which hitherto hypodermic injection of morphia has been the only method which can control the pain and vomiting. The condition is often mistaken for gall-stone colic or some similar definitely organic cause, and the drug may have to be repeatedly employed before the true nature of the disease is discovered, by which time the habit of morphinism is well established. After experiments with many drugs and different methods of administration, Dr. McFarland has found that the most satisfactory mode of treat- ment, palliative only it is true, is the administration of chloral hydrate and sodium bromide in large doses by rectum. The results have been at least as good as those of morphia in the majority of the cases and the risk of establishing a drug habit has been avoided. A watery solution of chloral hydrate and sodium bromide in which half an ounce (15 c.cm.) of the fluid 1 Journal of the American Medical Association, March 18th, 1922.
Transcript of CANINE REJUVENATION EXPERIMENT
857VENEREAL DISEASE IN LONDON AND ENVIRONS.
else to find supplementary allowances making up hiswages to this amount. For the social department ofa sanatorium of 100 beds a single whole-time publichealth nurse is considered sufficient. Voluntaryworkers may help, but cannot replace her. No patientmay be discharged until his future has been assuredin advance. -
VENEREAL DISEASE IN LONDON ANDENVIRONS.
THE London County Council proposes to continuethe arrangement, which has worked well in the past,of joining with the County Councils of Buckingham,Essex, Hertford, Kent, Middlesex, and Surrey, andthe Croydon, East Ham and West Ham CountyBoroughCouncils, for the common utilisation of the facilitiesafforded by certain London hospitals for diagnosisand treatment of venereal diseases. During the year1921 the number of patients’ attendances at the variousclinicswas 496,209, as compared with 464,033 for 1920.The number of new cases was 25,418, representing areduction of 5628. Only four clinics showed an increaseof numbers.. The reduction is attributed mainly tothe disappearance of abnormal conditions associatedwith the war and demobilisation. " No doubt itwould be reasonable to assume," state the L.C.C.Public Health Committee, " that it is also due, to someextent, to the effects of the continuous anti-venerealcampaign." --
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF OTOLOGY.
THE Tenth International Congress of Otology willtake place in the Ecole de Médecine, Paris, on July 19th,20th, and 21st, immediately following the two days’annual meeting of the Societe Francaise d’Oto-Bhino-Laryngologie. The date originally fixed forthe Congress was altered to prevent its clashing withthe meeting of the British Medical Association atGlasgow; the French organisers of the Congress areanxious to welcome a large number of English-speakingvisitors. The president of the British OrganisingCommittee is Dr. Urban Pritchard, the chairman, SirStClair Thomson, and the hon. secretaries are Dr.Lionel Colledge, 22, Queen Anne-street, London, W. 1,and Dr. J. S. Fraser, 50, Melville-street, Edinburgh,either of whom is prepared to give all informationconcerning present arrangements. The subscriptionto the Congress is Fr.100 ( £ 2 ), which should beforwarded to the treasurer, Dr. G. Laurens, 4, AvenueHoche, Paris, 8°. Those who intend to read papersor join in debates should write direct to Dr. Hautant,28, Rue Marboeuf, Paris, 8°. It has been decided tohold an exhibition of anatomical and pathologicalspecimens (macroscopic and microscopic) connectedwith diseases of the ear, nose, larynx, and pharynx.Those who desire to exhibit specimens should com-municate the number and description of the latter toDr. P. Truffert, 2, Rue Ambroise Paré, Paris, 10°.
CANINE REJUVENATION EXPERIMENT.
Dr. Knud Sand communicates 1 an interestingexample of Steinach’s methods, which as an isolatedcase he does not wish to overstress, but which seemswell attested and of a striking character. In May,1921, an acquaintance brought to him at a pathologicalinstitute in Copenhagen, a pedigree German pointer,12t years old, whose life the owner despaired of owingto senile changes; he contemplated having the dogkilled. Sand took the precaution of sending theanimal to Prof. Hansen, of the Royal Veterinary andAgricultural College of the same city, for a preliminaryreport. This affirmed that the dog suffered frompronounced senility, with the symptoms of dull eyes,thin coat, deafness, and thickened inelastic skin. Itcould move only with difficulty, was emaciated, andoften had incontinence of urine and faeces. Therewere no signs of organic disease except cirrhotickidney, which was almost universal in old dogs. A
1Zeitschrift für Sexualwissenschaft, March, 1922.
tuberculin test proved negative. In spite of misgivingas to whether an ana’sthetic would be borne, Sandperformed on May 23rd resection of the left epididymisand right-sided vasectomy. The effects of the opera-tion had been completely recovered from by June 15th.In a week s time from this both testicles were felt tobe distended, the right more so. However, very littleretrogression of senility occurred, and at the end of themonth the animal was returned to its owner, who,on Oct. 25th, wrote that three or four weeks afterdischarge the dog became brisker, its appetite better,and its coat thicker. By the end of August it couldrun behind a bicycle slowly ridden and the sexualappetite revived : sight and hearing improved and itno longer slept all day. In September great strideswere made, so that he again used it for sporting purposesand regarded it as equal in every way to a dog sevenyears old. The animal was again examined by theveterinarian already mentioned, who expressed greatsurprise at the change in it. The author concludes byrecommending such treatment to the attention of theveterinary profession. ____
COMPULSORY EVIDENCE AT INQUESTS.As many coroners are medical men it may be of
interest to note a point dealt with exhaustively by Mr.Justice Riddell recently in the Supreme Court ofOntario in an appeal in which the decision of a coronerwas questioned. The point at issue was whether aman already in custody upon a charge of manslaughterin respect of a death into which the coroner wasinquiring could he subpoenaed and compelled to giveevidence at the inquest. Mr. Justice Riddell, afterreviewing at length the cases decided in English courtson the subject, held that such a person had the right togive evidence and equally could be compelled to do so,and concluded by pointing out that the object withwhich the law is administered is to discover the actualfacts for the public safety, the duty being laid uponevery citizen to tell all he knows for the sake of thepublic at large. The question whether a person alreadycommitted for trial by magistrates, or in custody upona charge of murder or manslaughter, can legally becompelled to go into the witness-box in a coroner’scourt in the same matter, appears, however, at anyrate so far as this country is concerned, to be ofacademic rather than practical interest, because,although there may be questions which such a witnessmight properly be made to answer, they are necessarilyfew. This is because no such witness can be com-pelled to answer a question if the effect of his answermight be to criminate himself. Consequently, a
person charged with the death, the subject of theinquest, is usually allowed, but not obliged, to bepresent, and allowed, but not obliged, to go into thewitness-box.
____
TREATMENT OF GASTRIC CRISES.
Dr. Albert R. McFarland, assistant in the section ondermatology and syphilology of the Mayo Foundation,draws attention to the helplessness of the physicianand the abject misery of the patient during the gastriccrises of tabes, in which hitherto hypodermic injectionof morphia has been the only method which can controlthe pain and vomiting. The condition is oftenmistaken for gall-stone colic or some similar definitelyorganic cause, and the drug may have to be repeatedlyemployed before the true nature of the disease isdiscovered, by which time the habit of morphinism iswell established. After experiments with many drugsand different methods of administration, Dr. McFarlandhas found that the most satisfactory mode of treat-ment, palliative only it is true, is the administrationof chloral hydrate and sodium bromide in large dosesby rectum. The results have been at least as good asthose of morphia in the majority of the cases and therisk of establishing a drug habit has been avoided.A watery solution of chloral hydrate and sodiumbromide in which half an ounce (15 c.cm.) of the fluid
1 Journal of the American Medical Association, March 18th,1922.
