EMPIRE RHEUMATISM COUNCIL
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1494 British Medical Journal a case of myxaedema success- fully treated with thyroid extract given by mouth, which represented a substantial advance on the treat- ment by injection introduced by G. R. Murray bwelve months previously. Elected to the staff of the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital (now the Prince of Wales’s Hos- pital) in 1894, he gave himself thenceforward to the life of the town and won the respect of his fellow citizens. He had strong views, and maintained them against any opposition ; but his strong and upright character included also great generosity. His kind- ness and help, especially to the poor, were unfailing ; indeed the poorer the patient and the more chronic the disorder the more trouble he took. He carefully abstained from self-advertisement and his considerable benefactions to charity were made anonymously. Dr. Fox was for many years physician to the Royal Eye Infirmary and to the Plymouth Public Dis- pensary. During the late war he held a special reserve commission as lieut.-colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and in war hospitals at Plymouth and Tavistock had charge of the wards for neurological cases, in which his interest mainly lay. He resigned from the Prince of Wales’s Hospital in 1924 under the age-limit. Dr. ALICE NEVILLE VowE JOHNSON, who died at Wimbledon on Dec. 14th, was born in London in 1869 and spent five years at the Mansfield House University Settlement in Canning Town before entering the London School of Medicine for Women where she qualified L.S.A. in 1893. In the following ten years she took a number of higher diplomas, including the M.D. Brux., D.P.H. Camb., and F.R.C.S.I., while she was gaining clinical experience at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, at various mission hospitals, and at the Carmarthen joint mental hospital. Later she was medical officer to the Lambeth Schools Infirmary and medical inspector to the Board of Education. Of the many calls on her time her best-known work was at the Bird in the Bush welfare centre, which she helped Mrs. Una Morris to start in a little shop at 616, Old Kent-road. Here she was medical officer for twenty years, and it was largely by her doing that difficulties were surmounted and the centre firmly established. Colleagues at the centre speak of Dr. Johnson’s kindness and thoughtfulness. She was, it is said, the friend of all the lame dogs. A DEMONSTRATION OF PHYSICAL TREATMENTS.- The London branch of the Chartered Society of Massage and Medical Gymnastics held a demonstration of remedial treatments on Dec. 16th at the Middlesex Hospital. The procedures were carried out by members of the society and witnessed by a large gathering of medical men and women. Miss C. Sparger showed a series of exercises, performed to music, in which the technique of ballet- dancing was skilfully applied to the correction of postural deformities, especially of the feet. Miss M. Randall exhibited another series designed to improve the physical and mental efficiency of the expectant mother, and to train the muscles and joints of the pelvis for the work of carrying and expelling the child. Miss H. Angove showed how sufferers from asthma can be relieved by training in relaxation and deep breathing, and Mrs. Guthrie Smith, principal of the Swedish Institute, demonstrated exercises in slings for infantile paralysis patients and others who need to be relieved of the handicaps of friction and gravity. Three methods of applying short-wave current to the antra and sinuses were shown by Miss G. E. Bristow, and Miss B. Copestake instructed the visitors in the prepara- tion of Pistany mud packs for the treatment of rheumatism and sciatica. EMPIRE RHEUMATISM COUNCIL Lord HORDER, presiding over the annual meeting of the Council on Monday last, said that progress in the coordination of the resources of the community against rheumatism had been continuous. The Council had during the year taken over the publication of the " Reports on Chronic Rheumatic Diseases " issued by the British committee on chronic rheumatic diseases of the Royal College of Physicians, which was now dissolved, and in January a new series would be started under the editorship of Dr. C. W. Buckley, Dr. W. S. C. Copeman, and Mr. Timbrell Fisher. Unfortunately the financial needs of the Council were now really pressing. Almost every month brought proposals of great moment that could not be put into effect immediately, and valuable and urgent work waiting to be done would call for three times the present resources. The naval research foundation would cost at least E5000, apart from the costs which will be met by the Admiralty, and though a generous gift of H500 had been received from the Sir Halley Stewart trust towards this, more help was urgently needed. It had been suggested that a brochure or leaflet should be issued by which laymen, as well as doctors, would be told about what was being done in the campaign. Mr. J. SPEDAN LEWIS said that when one looked at the total sum contributed and then saw that the estimated damage to the community in a single year was 50 million, one felt like a microscopic David advancing against a colossal Goliath. Sir ERNEST GRAHAM-LITTLE, M.P., referred to the House of Commons discussion on the Cancer Bill. The imagination of the House, he said, was undoubt- edly stirred by the information that 70,000 persons died of cancer every year, but rheumatic disease was really far more important to the community. The disability, the enormous amount of unemployment, and the individual pain and discomfort were not perhaps so clearly visualised as that appalling number of deaths. Because rheumatic disease was not a sensational figure in the mortality tables, it had not captured the public imagination as it ought to do. That was one of the reasons why more publicity of the damage done by rheumatism should be offered to the public. Well-directed research was required and the lay public ought to have a clear lead from the medical profession. One of the great services of the Council was that it had united medical opinion. Sir Ernest added that there was an immense waste of material for research in the great hospitals. Sir WILLIAM W]ILLCOX said that the work of the hospitals in the treatment of rheumatism had not been sufficiently recognised ; at St. Mary’s Hospital many cases of arthritis were being investigated. It was a mistake to remove any particular class of patients, unless their condition was infectious, from the teaching hospitals ; the students did not see them and the possibility of research was perhaps lost. Mr. A. G. TIMBRELL FISHER said that a democratic Government must be influenced by public opinion, and the Council was determined to bring home to the people of the country, and through them to the Government of the day, the vital importance of rheumatism. The annual report of the Council estimates that specialised treatment of rheumatism is available for less than 10 per cent. of adult sufferers and less than 25 per cent. of juveniles. In England and Wales there are thought to be over a million adults, and half a million juveniles, suffering from rheumatism.
Transcript of EMPIRE RHEUMATISM COUNCIL
1494
British Medical Journal a case of myxaedema success-fully treated with thyroid extract given by mouth,which represented a substantial advance on the treat-ment by injection introduced by G. R. Murray bwelvemonths previously.
Elected to the staff of the South Devon and EastCornwall Hospital (now the Prince of Wales’s Hos-pital) in 1894, he gave himself thenceforward to thelife of the town and won the respect of his fellowcitizens. He had strong views, and maintained themagainst any opposition ; but his strong and uprightcharacter included also great generosity. His kind-ness and help, especially to the poor, were unfailing ;indeed the poorer the patient and the more chronicthe disorder the more trouble he took. He carefullyabstained from self-advertisement and his considerablebenefactions to charity were made anonymously.
Dr. Fox was for many years physician to the RoyalEye Infirmary and to the Plymouth Public Dis-pensary. During the late war he held a specialreserve commission as lieut.-colonel in the RoyalArmy Medical Corps, and in war hospitals at
Plymouth and Tavistock had charge of the wards forneurological cases, in which his interest mainly lay.He resigned from the Prince of Wales’s Hospital in1924 under the age-limit.
Dr. ALICE NEVILLE VowE JOHNSON, who died atWimbledon on Dec. 14th, was born in London in1869 and spent five years at the Mansfield HouseUniversity Settlement in Canning Town before
entering the London School of Medicine for Womenwhere she qualified L.S.A. in 1893. In the followingten years she took a number of higher diplomas,including the M.D. Brux., D.P.H. Camb., and
F.R.C.S.I., while she was gaining clinical experienceat the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, atvarious mission hospitals, and at the Carmarthenjoint mental hospital. Later she was medical officerto the Lambeth Schools Infirmary and medicalinspector to the Board of Education. Of the manycalls on her time her best-known work was at theBird in the Bush welfare centre, which she helpedMrs. Una Morris to start in a little shop at 616, OldKent-road. Here she was medical officer for twentyyears, and it was largely by her doing that difficultieswere surmounted and the centre firmly established.Colleagues at the centre speak of Dr. Johnson’skindness and thoughtfulness. She was, it is said,the friend of all the lame dogs.
A DEMONSTRATION OF PHYSICAL TREATMENTS.-The London branch of the Chartered Society of Massageand Medical Gymnastics held a demonstration of remedialtreatments on Dec. 16th at the Middlesex Hospital. Theprocedures were carried out by members of the societyand witnessed by a large gathering of medical men andwomen. Miss C. Sparger showed a series of exercises,performed to music, in which the technique of ballet-dancing was skilfully applied to the correction of posturaldeformities, especially of the feet. Miss M. Randallexhibited another series designed to improve the physicaland mental efficiency of the expectant mother, and totrain the muscles and joints of the pelvis for the work ofcarrying and expelling the child. Miss H. Angove showedhow sufferers from asthma can be relieved by trainingin relaxation and deep breathing, and Mrs. Guthrie Smith,principal of the Swedish Institute, demonstrated exercisesin slings for infantile paralysis patients and others whoneed to be relieved of the handicaps of friction and gravity.Three methods of applying short-wave current to theantra and sinuses were shown by Miss G. E. Bristow, andMiss B. Copestake instructed the visitors in the prepara-tion of Pistany mud packs for the treatment of rheumatismand sciatica.
EMPIRE RHEUMATISM COUNCIL
Lord HORDER, presiding over the annual meetingof the Council on Monday last, said that progress inthe coordination of the resources of the communityagainst rheumatism had been continuous. TheCouncil had during the year taken over the publicationof the " Reports on Chronic Rheumatic Diseases
"
issued by the British committee on chronic rheumaticdiseases of the Royal College of Physicians, whichwas now dissolved, and in January a new serieswould be started under the editorship of Dr. C. W.Buckley, Dr. W. S. C. Copeman, and Mr. TimbrellFisher. Unfortunately the financial needs of theCouncil were now really pressing. Almost everymonth brought proposals of great moment that couldnot be put into effect immediately, and valuable andurgent work waiting to be done would call for threetimes the present resources. The naval researchfoundation would cost at least E5000, apart from thecosts which will be met by the Admiralty, and thougha generous gift of H500 had been received from theSir Halley Stewart trust towards this, more helpwas urgently needed. It had been suggested thata brochure or leaflet should be issued by whichlaymen, as well as doctors, would be told about whatwas being done in the campaign.
Mr. J. SPEDAN LEWIS said that when one looked atthe total sum contributed and then saw that theestimated damage to the community in a singleyear was 50 million, one felt like a microscopicDavid advancing against a colossal Goliath.
Sir ERNEST GRAHAM-LITTLE, M.P., referred to theHouse of Commons discussion on the Cancer Bill.The imagination of the House, he said, was undoubt-edly stirred by the information that 70,000 personsdied of cancer every year, but rheumatic disease was
really far more important to the community. The
disability, the enormous amount of unemployment,and the individual pain and discomfort were notperhaps so clearly visualised as that appalling numberof deaths. Because rheumatic disease was not a
sensational figure in the mortality tables, it had notcaptured the public imagination as it ought to do.That was one of the reasons why more publicityof the damage done by rheumatism should be offeredto the public. Well-directed research was requiredand the lay public ought to have a clear lead from themedical profession. One of the great services of theCouncil was that it had united medical opinion. SirErnest added that there was an immense waste ofmaterial for research in the great hospitals.
Sir WILLIAM W]ILLCOX said that the work of thehospitals in the treatment of rheumatism had notbeen sufficiently recognised ; at St. Mary’s Hospitalmany cases of arthritis were being investigated. It wasa mistake to remove any particular class of patients,unless their condition was infectious, from the
teaching hospitals ; the students did not see themand the possibility of research was perhaps lost.
Mr. A. G. TIMBRELL FISHER said that a democraticGovernment must be influenced by public opinion,and the Council was determined to bring home tothe people of the country, and through them to theGovernment of the day, the vital importance ofrheumatism.The annual report of the Council estimates that
specialised treatment of rheumatism is available forless than 10 per cent. of adult sufferers and less than25 per cent. of juveniles. In England and Walesthere are thought to be over a million adults, andhalf a million juveniles, suffering from rheumatism.
