LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT.
1
819 kinds of jurymen are drawn ; the selection of a coroner’s jury is largely in the coroner’s discretion. Section 52 of the Juries Act of 1825 authorised coroners to continue to choose their jurors as theretofore accustomed. Indeed in itself the practice of using a limited list .of jurymen is not necessarily reprehensible. The great Lord Mansfield, when laying down the broad lines of our mercantile law, is said to have relied habitually on certain merchants of proved aptitude and experience as his special jurymen at the Guildhall. Coroners’ juries, as Hawkins J. once observed, must be brought together in haste and therefore cannot be summoned in the normal leisurely manner. The recent judgment is. however, a broad hint to coroners not to let their officers summon on every occasion the same handful of familiars. In this connexion the judges had to consider another point in the Hull proceedings. The coroner had, before the inquest, gone to view the damaged vehicle with a man who was one of the "’ regular jurymen " and was subsequently the fore- man of the jury. The judges accepted the coroner’s statement that no discussion of the causes or circum- stances of the accident then took place, but they declare the incident to have been an irregularity which would technically have been " misconduct " even at common law and which justified the quashing of the inquisition as a course " necessary or desirable in the interests of justice " within the extended powers of the High Court under Section 19 of the amending Act of 1925. It was not really needful that the High Court should have examined into the several matters of alleged irregularity in the Hull proceedings. Fresh evidence had become available since the original inquest had been held, and on this ground alone the High Court decided (a month earlier) that a new inquest should be held. No reflection was made upon Dr. John Divine, the coroner for the city and county of Kingston-on-Hull ; an attackupon his summing-up was held notto have been substantiated. Having become aware of the allegations of irregularity, the High Court had to take notice of them; thus, after summarily ordering a new inquest on the ground of the fresh evidence available, the judges took time to consider the other aspects of the case in the postponed judgment lately delivered. ’There is no need to dwell further upon the ancient and peculiar usages of the coroner’s inquest, the wider terms of the oath administered to the coroner’s jury, or the other matters which differentiate the inquest from the ordinary forms of criminal procedure. Clearly, any practices which damage the credit of the inquest as a judicial tribunal either in the eyes of the High Court or in public opinion will, if persisted in, challenge the continued existence of the office of coroner. A practice may not be forbidden by statute and yet may be open to considerable objection. LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT. Prof. F. A. E. Crew, addressing the Royal Society ’Of Arts on April 9th, stated that the lag between demonstrated scientific fact and its incorporation into practice was usually about 20 to 50 years. It is, Tie said, of the first importance that genetical methods with a scientific foundation should be applied to livestock as quickly as possible if the country is to recover from the present depression in agriculture. A number of factors combine to hinder the develop- ment of comprehensive breeding schemes at present, 110t the least is the financial insecurity in which agriculturists are involved : they literally have not the capital to attempt new methods. Then, traditional -Nvisdoni is not readily shaken by new theories, and breeders will not reconsider lightly their old practices. Prof. Crew emphasised the need for establishing a standard of excellence at which breeding should aim, and this is not a simple matter. Sheep breeding, to take an instance, must aim at the production of good mutton as well as good wool ; but the fleece of the more thriving sheep is not necessarily the best in the wool market; it is important to decide what .qualities must receive primary consideration. The habitat will also demand variations in the ideal type. Ignorance among the stock-breeders is responsible for many fallacies in present methods. Prof. Crew mentioned " those who sell the quickest growing sows and keep the slowest for further breeding, not knowing that the economical conversion of food into pig is an inherited character, and that the quickest growers are the most economical feeders." These, and similar mistakes, he considers can be avoided by the application of genetical methods by the breeders themselves, but this cannot be accomplished without better education of the breeders. Ability should be rewarded, but not as at the present agricultural shows, where emphasis is too often laid on the wrong points. He thinks that too much weight is given to pedigree and too little to the milk record, the bacon quality, the pulling power, the egg and the fertility records. The waste resulting from existing methods is not easily assessed, but he stated that 40 to 50 per cent. of all mares put to the stallion each year fail to produce a foal, and that about 50 per cent. of unfertile matings are due to genetic causes ; sterility can be bred into a stock, and it is as important to breed for fertility as it is for any other valuable quality, a point too little realised at present. He concluded with some interesting suggestions on the potentialities of laboratory experiments if applied to agricultural stock. Ductless gland therapy might be used to determine the rate and limit of growth, the duration of lactation, the deposition of fat, and other qualities at present obtained only by the slow process of selective breeding. Research which has been carried out successfully on rats and mice promises to give the same valuable results with agricultural stock if the opportunity is forthcoming. LOCAL SEQUELÆ TO RADIUM TREATMENT. THE fact that radium has a more lethal effect on malignant cells than on normal ones is now generally assumed to be the basis of the treatment of cancer by this powerful agent. There are many other disorders, however, in which it is sought to profit by the differential action of radium on various types of non-malignant cell. One of the methods of studying the differential action of radium is to make careful observations of the nature of the local sequelse to its use. Mr. N. Asherson 1 has noted among the 226 patients treated for non-malignant conditions at University College Hospital during the period 1921-28 the following sequelae : (1) annular (hour- glass) constriction of the vagina; (2) atrophy of the portio vaginalis of the cervix; (3) shortening and stenosis of the vagina ; (4) ovarian neuralgia. Up to 1927 the average dose of radium treatment per patient with a non-malignant pelvic condition was 1200-1800 mg.-hours, but during 1927 and 1928 bigger doses (above 2000 mg.-hours) were given in many cases. It was with the advent of these big doses that certain sequelae came to light, mostly in women over 40. Among more than 200 cases treated with radium during the years 1921-27 annular (hour- glass) constriction of the vagina was not once observed, but it was found in two out of ten cases treated with doses varying from 2500 to 3000 mg.-hours of the element in 1927-28. In both cases this condition, which was detected within three to four months of the treatment, was associated with complete atrophy of the portio vaginalis of the cervix. The mucous membrane of the vagina was normal. The constric- tion, situated about one inch from the introitus, was apparently a fibrous ring which yielded slightly to firm pressure. Atrophy of the portio vaginalis of the cervix has been frequently noticed by Mr. Asherson in the routine examination of patients followed up. This atrophy may, however, be only apparent, depending on changes in the uterus and vagina. Complete obliteration of the vagina by 1 Jour. of Obstet. and Gyn. of the Brit. Emp., 1930, xxxvii., 84.
Transcript of LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT.
819
kinds of jurymen are drawn ; the selection of a coroner’sjury is largely in the coroner’s discretion. Section 52 ofthe Juries Act of 1825 authorised coroners to continueto choose their jurors as theretofore accustomed.Indeed in itself the practice of using a limited list.of jurymen is not necessarily reprehensible. The greatLord Mansfield, when laying down the broad lines of ourmercantile law, is said to have relied habitually oncertain merchants of proved aptitude and experienceas his special jurymen at the Guildhall. Coroners’juries, as Hawkins J. once observed, must be broughttogether in haste and therefore cannot be summonedin the normal leisurely manner. The recent judgmentis. however, a broad hint to coroners not to let theirofficers summon on every occasion the same handful offamiliars. In this connexion the judges had toconsider another point in the Hull proceedings. Thecoroner had, before the inquest, gone to view thedamaged vehicle with a man who was one of the"’ regular jurymen " and was subsequently the fore-man of the jury. The judges accepted the coroner’sstatement that no discussion of the causes or circum-stances of the accident then took place, but they declarethe incident to have been an irregularity which wouldtechnically have been " misconduct " even at commonlaw and which justified the quashing of the inquisitionas a course " necessary or desirable in the interests ofjustice " within the extended powers of the High Courtunder Section 19 of the amending Act of 1925.
It was not really needful that the High Court shouldhave examined into the several matters of allegedirregularity in the Hull proceedings. Fresh evidencehad become available since the original inquest had beenheld, and on this ground alone the High Court decided(a month earlier) that a new inquest should be held.No reflection was made upon Dr. John Divine, thecoroner for the city and county of Kingston-on-Hull ;an attackupon his summing-up was held notto have beensubstantiated. Having become aware of the allegationsof irregularity, the High Court had to take notice ofthem; thus, after summarily ordering a new inqueston the ground of the fresh evidence available, thejudges took time to consider the other aspects of thecase in the postponed judgment lately delivered.’There is no need to dwell further upon the ancient andpeculiar usages of the coroner’s inquest, the widerterms of the oath administered to the coroner’s jury, orthe other matters which differentiate the inquest fromthe ordinary forms of criminal procedure. Clearly,any practices which damage the credit of the inquestas a judicial tribunal either in the eyes of the HighCourt or in public opinion will, if persisted in, challengethe continued existence of the office of coroner. A
practice may not be forbidden by statute and yet maybe open to considerable objection.
LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT.
Prof. F. A. E. Crew, addressing the Royal Society’Of Arts on April 9th, stated that the lag betweendemonstrated scientific fact and its incorporationinto practice was usually about 20 to 50 years. It is,Tie said, of the first importance that genetical methodswith a scientific foundation should be applied tolivestock as quickly as possible if the country is torecover from the present depression in agriculture.A number of factors combine to hinder the develop-ment of comprehensive breeding schemes at present,110t the least is the financial insecurity in whichagriculturists are involved : they literally have notthe capital to attempt new methods. Then, traditional-Nvisdoni is not readily shaken by new theories, andbreeders will not reconsider lightly their old practices.Prof. Crew emphasised the need for establishing astandard of excellence at which breeding shouldaim, and this is not a simple matter. Sheep breeding,to take an instance, must aim at the production ofgood mutton as well as good wool ; but the fleeceof the more thriving sheep is not necessarily the bestin the wool market; it is important to decide what.qualities must receive primary consideration. The
habitat will also demand variations in the ideal type.Ignorance among the stock-breeders is responsiblefor many fallacies in present methods. Prof. Crewmentioned " those who sell the quickest growingsows and keep the slowest for further breeding, notknowing that the economical conversion of food intopig is an inherited character, and that the quickestgrowers are the most economical feeders." These,and similar mistakes, he considers can be avoided bythe application of genetical methods by the breedersthemselves, but this cannot be accomplished withoutbetter education of the breeders. Ability should berewarded, but not as at the present agriculturalshows, where emphasis is too often laid on the wrongpoints. He thinks that too much weight is givento pedigree and too little to the milk record, the baconquality, the pulling power, the egg and the fertilityrecords. The waste resulting from existing methodsis not easily assessed, but he stated that 40 to 50 percent. of all mares put to the stallion each year fail toproduce a foal, and that about 50 per cent. of unfertilematings are due to genetic causes ; sterility can bebred into a stock, and it is as important to breed for
fertility as it is for any other valuable quality, apoint too little realised at present. He concludedwith some interesting suggestions on the potentialitiesof laboratory experiments if applied to agriculturalstock. Ductless gland therapy might be used todetermine the rate and limit of growth, the durationof lactation, the deposition of fat, and other qualitiesat present obtained only by the slow process ofselective breeding. Research which has been carriedout successfully on rats and mice promises to givethe same valuable results with agricultural stock ifthe opportunity is forthcoming.
LOCAL SEQUELÆ TO RADIUM TREATMENT.THE fact that radium has a more lethal effect on
malignant cells than on normal ones is now generallyassumed to be the basis of the treatment of cancerby this powerful agent. There are many otherdisorders, however, in which it is sought to profitby the differential action of radium on various typesof non-malignant cell. One of the methods ofstudying the differential action of radium is to makecareful observations of the nature of the local sequelseto its use. Mr. N. Asherson 1 has noted among the226 patients treated for non-malignant conditionsat University College Hospital during the period1921-28 the following sequelae : (1) annular (hour-glass) constriction of the vagina; (2) atrophy of theportio vaginalis of the cervix; (3) shortening andstenosis of the vagina ; (4) ovarian neuralgia. Upto 1927 the average dose of radium treatment perpatient with a non-malignant pelvic condition was1200-1800 mg.-hours, but during 1927 and 1928bigger doses (above 2000 mg.-hours) were given inmany cases. It was with the advent of these big dosesthat certain sequelae came to light, mostly in womenover 40. Among more than 200 cases treated withradium during the years 1921-27 annular (hour-glass) constriction of the vagina was not once observed,but it was found in two out of ten cases treated withdoses varying from 2500 to 3000 mg.-hours of theelement in 1927-28. In both cases this condition,which was detected within three to four months ofthe treatment, was associated with complete atrophyof the portio vaginalis of the cervix. The mucousmembrane of the vagina was normal. The constric-tion, situated about one inch from the introitus, wasapparently a fibrous ring which yielded slightly tofirm pressure. Atrophy of the portio vaginalisof the cervix has been frequently noticed byMr. Asherson in the routine examination of patientsfollowed up. This atrophy may, however, be onlyapparent, depending on changes in the uterus andvagina. Complete obliteration of the vagina by
1 Jour. of Obstet. and Gyn. of the Brit. Emp., 1930,xxxvii., 84.
