NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE
1
179 Annotations. THE MUSEUM OF THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. "Ne quid nimis." THE most noteworthy event recorded by Sir Arthur Keith, conservator of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, in his recent annual report is the completion of the series of specimens which illustrates the principles of pathology -the great series which is now exhibited on special stands on the floor of Room III in the museum. In 1910 Prof. S. G. Shattock and Mr. Cecil Beadles began to select, arrange, and catalogue specimens for this purpose, and now, for the first time, a complete and systematic treatise on disease has been compiled, not in words, but in illustrative specimens. The work was broken into by the war, and subsequently by the high prices charged for museum materials, but in the spring of the present year the series of general pathology was completed. The scope of this section of the museum is now fixed ; if changes are made in the future they will have to be done by replacement rather than by addition. The re-arrangement, re- mounting, and re-cataloguing of that department of the museum which illustrates disease of the various parts, organs, and systems of the human body is now being undertaken. During the year a special room was provided to house and exhibit the War Office collection of medical specimens-now known as the Army Medical Collection-which had been handed over to the custody of the College. During the last 12 months 370 specimens have been mounted ’, and added to this collection and considerable progress has been made with its cataloguing. The series of teratology and of human osteology have received valuable additions during the year, and the mounting and arrangement of the material of the Onodi collec- tion has made good progress. The preparation of a new catalogue of the human remains preserved in the museum, a task undertaken by Miss M. L. Tildesley, working under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, is still in progress. The completion of this work, which involves much labour and research into records, is regarded by the conservator as most important in view of the desirability of arranging the human remains at our disposal in a proper time sequence, in order to study structural changes in succeeding periods, and an appeal has been made to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to have Miss Tildesley’s appointment renewed for at least another year. Reports on various human remains submitted to the College for examina- tion have been made during the year and facilities have been afforded and material supplied to investigators in various fields. In a brief report from the curator of the physiological department of the museum, special attention is drawn to a series of eel larvae presented by Dr. Johannes Schmidt in illustration of his important researches on the peculiar and till recently unknown breeding habits of this fish, among other recently acquired specimens. Mr. Alban Doran has almost completed the descriptive catalogue of the collection of surgical instruments in the possession of the College, a task to which he has given 12 years of his life. He is now engaged on the last section of the collection-the surgical instruments used by barbarous and semi-civilised peoples. 11,688 students and visitors used the museum during the past year. Specimens recently added to the museum will be on view in Room I from Oct. 8th until Nov. 5th next. NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE. IT has been officially announced that Surgeon Rear-Adrniral Joseph Chambers will succeed Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Hill as Director-General of the Medical Department of the Royal Navy on Oct. 1st. Sir Robert Hill, whose retirement will be received with regret, before his appointment some four years ago was Principal Medical Officer in the Grand Fleet, serving under both Lord Jellicoe and Lord Beatty. His excellent organisation at the Battle of Jutland received special commendation, and was recognised by his promotion to the rank of Deputy Surgeon-General. He was many times selected as medical officer on the ships which have carried the King and Queen when Prince and Princess of Wales on tours to India and the colonies. Surgeon Rear-Admiral Jose pit Chambers, who has had much administrative experience at Haslar, was appointed in 1908 health lecturer at the home ports, and later took over the charge of the Naval Hospital at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1913 he was appointed medical officer of the cruiser Suffolk, the original flagship during the war of the late Admiral Cradock, and in 1915 was transferred to Chatham Hospital. Since October last he has been in charge of Plymouth Hospital. We con- gratulate him on the high charge to which he has now been appointed. ____ OUTBREAKS OF SEPTIC SORE-THROAT SPREAD BY MILK. OUTBREAKS of sore-throat, usually accompanied by other complications, spread by contaminated milk and due to streptococci, although not very common are yet sufficiently numerous to warrant careful consideration. Nearly all the earlier out- breaks were reported in this country, and Savage, i in 1912, gave particulars of 18 outbreaks in Great Britain. Since that date few further outbreaks have been reported here, but a considerable number has occurred in the U.S.A., many of which have been very extensive and have been studied in considerable detail. Notable American outbreaks are those in Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore. The pioneer scientific work upon the relationship between mastitis in the cow and human disease was done by Savage between 1906 and 1909, and is contained in three reports made to and published by the Local Government Board. 2 3 4 His views as to the relation- ship were summarised in a paper read before the Epidemiological Section of the Royal Society of Medicine, in February, 1911.5 While in common with earlier continental workers he found that the setiological factor in most cases of bovine mastitis was invasion by streptococci, he carried the subject further and differentiated between the types present. It is a striking fact that while on the one hand bovine mastitis is a widely prevalent condition and the importance of excluding from the milk-supply all the milk of infected animals is not well realised or acted upon, on the other hand, outbreaks of septic sore-throat from milk are rare. Savage was able to demonstrate that the ordinary type of streptococcus (Streptococcus mastitidis) associated with bovine mastitis is non-pathogenic to mice and other rodents, readily sets up mastitis in experimental goats, but fails to set up disease when inoculated upon the human throat. In contra-distinction the streptococci asso- ciated with human sore-throat possess a considerable pathogenicity for mice and guinea-pigs, but do not readily set up mastitis in goats. In one case, however, a streptococcus was isolated from a case of bovine mastitis which was of the human type. From his extended investigations Savage advanced the hypo- thesis which may be stated in his own words (1911) : " Briefly stated, I regard the bovine udder and teat lesions, as commonly met with, as of purely bovine origin and, as such, harmless to man. Occasionally, either as an invasion superadded upon the original bovine lesions or as a primary infection of the milk- organs, there is a local infection with organisms of 1 W. G. Savage : Milk and the Public Health, 1912. 2 Report of the Medical Officer, L.G.B., 1906-07, pp. 205-252. 2 Ibid., 1907-08, pp. 359-424. 4 Ibid., 1908-09, pp. 294-315. 5 Proc. Royal Soc. of Med., Epidemiological Section, 1911, iv., 73.
Transcript of NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE
179
Annotations.
THE MUSEUM OF THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS."Ne quid nimis."
THE most noteworthy event recorded by SirArthur Keith, conservator of the museum of theRoyal College of Surgeons of England, in his recentannual report is the completion of the series ofspecimens which illustrates the principles of pathology-the great series which is now exhibited on specialstands on the floor of Room III in the museum. In1910 Prof. S. G. Shattock and Mr. Cecil Beadlesbegan to select, arrange, and catalogue specimensfor this purpose, and now, for the first time, a completeand systematic treatise on disease has been compiled,not in words, but in illustrative specimens. Thework was broken into by the war, and subsequentlyby the high prices charged for museum materials, butin the spring of the present year the series of generalpathology was completed. The scope of this sectionof the museum is now fixed ; if changes are made inthe future they will have to be done by replacementrather than by addition. The re-arrangement, re-
mounting, and re-cataloguing of that department ofthe museum which illustrates disease of the variousparts, organs, and systems of the human body isnow being undertaken. During the year a specialroom was provided to house and exhibit the WarOffice collection of medical specimens-now knownas the Army Medical Collection-which had beenhanded over to the custody of the College. Duringthe last 12 months 370 specimens have been mounted ’,and added to this collection and considerable progresshas been made with its cataloguing. The series ofteratology and of human osteology have receivedvaluable additions during the year, and the mountingand arrangement of the material of the Onodi collec-tion has made good progress. The preparation ofa new catalogue of the human remains preserved inthe museum, a task undertaken by Miss M. L.Tildesley, working under the Council of Scientificand Industrial Research, is still in progress. Thecompletion of this work, which involves much labourand research into records, is regarded by the conservatoras most important in view of the desirability ofarranging the human remains at our disposal in aproper time sequence, in order to study structuralchanges in succeeding periods, and an appeal has beenmade to the Council of Scientific and IndustrialResearch to have Miss Tildesley’s appointmentrenewed for at least another year. Reports on varioushuman remains submitted to the College for examina-tion have been made during the year and facilities havebeen afforded and material supplied to investigatorsin various fields. In a brief report from the curatorof the physiological department of the museum,special attention is drawn to a series of eel larvaepresented by Dr. Johannes Schmidt in illustration ofhis important researches on the peculiar and tillrecently unknown breeding habits of this fish, amongother recently acquired specimens. Mr. Alban Doranhas almost completed the descriptive catalogue of thecollection of surgical instruments in the possessionof the College, a task to which he has given 12 yearsof his life. He is now engaged on the last section ofthe collection-the surgical instruments used bybarbarous and semi-civilised peoples. 11,688 studentsand visitors used the museum during the past year.Specimens recently added to the museum will be onview in Room I from Oct. 8th until Nov. 5th next.
NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NAVAL
MEDICAL SERVICE.
IT has been officially announced that
SurgeonRear-Adrniral Joseph Chambers will succeed SurgeonVice-Admiral Sir Robert Hill as Director-General ofthe Medical Department of the Royal Navy on
Oct. 1st. Sir Robert Hill, whose retirement will bereceived with regret, before his appointment somefour years ago was Principal Medical Officer in theGrand Fleet, serving under both Lord Jellicoe andLord Beatty. His excellent organisation at theBattle of Jutland received special commendation,and was recognised by his promotion to the rankof Deputy Surgeon-General. He was many timesselected as medical officer on the ships which havecarried the King and Queen when Prince and Princessof Wales on tours to India and the colonies.
Surgeon Rear-Admiral Jose pit Chambers, who hashad much administrative experience at Haslar,was appointed in 1908 health lecturer at the homeports, and later took over the charge of theNaval Hospital at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1913he was appointed medical officer of the cruiserSuffolk, the original flagship during the war of thelate Admiral Cradock, and in 1915 was transferredto Chatham Hospital. Since October last he hasbeen in charge of Plymouth Hospital. We con-
gratulate him on the high charge to which he has nowbeen appointed. ____
OUTBREAKS OF SEPTIC SORE-THROAT
SPREAD BY MILK.
OUTBREAKS of sore-throat, usually accompaniedby other complications, spread by contaminatedmilk and due to streptococci, although not verycommon are yet sufficiently numerous to warrantcareful consideration. Nearly all the earlier out-breaks were reported in this country, and Savage, iin 1912, gave particulars of 18 outbreaks in GreatBritain. Since that date few further outbreakshave been reported here, but a considerable numberhas occurred in the U.S.A., many of whichhave been very extensive and have been studied inconsiderable detail. Notable American outbreaksare those in Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore. Thepioneer scientific work upon the relationship betweenmastitis in the cow and human disease was done bySavage between 1906 and 1909, and is contained inthree reports made to and published by the LocalGovernment Board. 2 3 4 His views as to the relation-ship were summarised in a paper read before theEpidemiological Section of the Royal Society ofMedicine, in February, 1911.5 While in commonwith earlier continental workers he found that thesetiological factor in most cases of bovine mastitiswas invasion by streptococci, he carried the subjectfurther and differentiated between the types present.It is a striking fact that while on the one hand bovinemastitis is a widely prevalent condition and theimportance of excluding from the milk-supply allthe milk of infected animals is not well realised oracted upon, on the other hand, outbreaks of septicsore-throat from milk are rare. Savage was able todemonstrate that the ordinary type of streptococcus(Streptococcus mastitidis) associated with bovinemastitis is non-pathogenic to mice and other rodents,readily sets up mastitis in experimental goats, butfails to set up disease when inoculated upon the humanthroat. In contra-distinction the streptococci asso-ciated with human sore-throat possess a considerablepathogenicity for mice and guinea-pigs, but do notreadily set up mastitis in goats. In one case, however,a streptococcus was isolated from a case of bovinemastitis which was of the human type. From hisextended investigations Savage advanced the hypo-thesis which may be stated in his own words (1911) :" Briefly stated, I regard the bovine udder and teatlesions, as commonly met with, as of purely bovineorigin and, as such, harmless to man. Occasionally,either as an invasion superadded upon the originalbovine lesions or as a primary infection of the milk-organs, there is a local infection with organisms of
1 W. G. Savage : Milk and the Public Health, 1912.2 Report of the Medical Officer, L.G.B., 1906-07, pp. 205-252.2 Ibid., 1907-08, pp. 359-424. 4 Ibid., 1908-09, pp. 294-315.5 Proc. Royal Soc. of Med., Epidemiological Section, 1911,
iv., 73.
