Notes, Comments, and Abstracts.
1
498 Notes, Comments, and Abstracts. ’LAVERAN JUBILEE CELEBRATION IN NAIROBI. THE annual meeting of the Kenya Branch of the British Medical Association this year took the form of a jubilee to celebrate the discovery of the malaria parasite by Alphonse Laveran 50 years ago. Members attended from all parts of .the Colony at sessions on three afternoons (Jan. 15th-17th, 1930) devoted to the consideration of various aspects of malaria. The President, Dr. J. H. Sequeira, opened the conference with a historical sketch of Laveran and his place in scientific medicine, and gave a brief account of the ,.developments which followed his discovery. Dr. Kauntze gave a lantern demonstration of the blood changes in the several types of the disease, and Mr. Symes described the incidence of the types of anopheles found in Kenya Colony. The second day was devoted to the clinical aspects of malaria, Dr. G. V. Anderson describing the protean forms under which the disease occurs in Europeans, while Dr. Procter gave a résumé of observations made in the Africans in the native reserves. The major portion of this session was taken up by a debate on the treatment of malaria and blackwater, opened by the Hon. Dr..T. L. Gilks, the Director of the Medical and Sanitary Services in the Colony. Many members participated in a useful and profitable discussion. The third day was dedicated to preventive measures, and -was opened by Dr. Paterson with a historical account of the conditions which led to the disappearance of malaria in those parts of the United States in which pioneer conditions obtained essentially similar to those met with in some parts of the colony. Mr. Leigh-Bennett, the Antimalaria Engineer, read an instructive paper on soils and drainage. Dr. Steel, of the Tanganyika Medical Service, and Dr. de Buer, who has done much good work at Mombasa, discussed the measures suitable for towns, and Dr. Philip gave an .account of the measures required in certain native reserves to render the population, debilitated by worm-infection, especially ankylostomiasis, fit to undertake the housing and other improvements required to combat the malarial infection. The annual dinner, at which 80 members and guests attended, was held at the New Stanley Hotel. H.E. the Governor was represented by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Monck-Mason Moore. The Medical Department of the Colony during the week held a Health Exhibition at the Memorial Hall, showing graphically by specimens, models, pictures, &c., how to make Africa healthy. The Governor opened the Exhibition, and he was accompanied by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, who gave an address. No fewer than 15,000 persons, European, Asiatic, and African, attended this educational demonstration of practical hygiene, NEW PREPARATIONS. DIGITALIS LEAF TABLETS (Allen and Hanburys, Ltd. Bethnal Green, London E.2).-This is a preparation of digitalis leaves whose physiological standardisation is valuable because it is recognised that digitalis leaves of different batches do not contain necessarily the same propor- tion of active principles. At the Geneva Conference of 1925 it was decided to adopt as an international standard a mixture of ten different specimens of digitalis leaf, the final mixture being carefully assayed. Preparations, like this, adjusted to the international standard can be relied on to have an unvarying therapeutic activity, and the new drug is presented in a convenient form for prescribing. Tablets Digitalis (A. and H.) each contain 0-033 gramme ( grain) International Standard digitalis leaf equivalent to of ;an International Unit. The recognised daily dose is to 1 International Unit-i.e., one to three tablets. They are supplied in bottles of 100. SUNNYCOMB (Macfie and Sons, Ltd., 34, Moorfields, Liverpool).-This is a pure invert sugar, a palatable mixture ,of dextrose and Ievulose, suitable for infant food and pre- pared from sugar cane under close supervision. Its composition is as follows : dextrose 37-6 to 38.5 per cent. ; lævulose, 35 to 36 per cent. ; sucrose 1 to 3 per cent. ; . iron, 0-01 to 0-03 per cent.; lime, 0-01 to 0-03 per cent. We ’have received satisfactory reports on its use, and it can Teplace sugar for most purposes-e.g., in coffee or with stewed fruit or, as a change from jam, on bread. ERBOLIN CAPSULES (Stafford Allen and Sons, Ltd., Cowper- street, Finsbury, London, E.C.).-Erbolin is a physio- logically standardised and stable ergot, and the preparation should be valuable in view of practical experience with the extract Ergotse Liq. B.P. Erbolin is powdered ergot in capsule form, and each capsule contains the equivalent of 0-5 mg. (1/200 grain) ergotoxine phosphate. This com- position has been determined by a biological test carried out through the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The capsules are issued in packages of 100, 600, and 1000, duly labelled poison. " GOSSAMATEX." THIS is a fabric which has been brought to our attention by the firm of T. M. Lewin, 39, Panton-street, Haymarket. It washes well and does not shrink. It can be supplied in all kinds of materials and garments, in plain or coloured fabrics, and can be made to order. Considerable hygienic claims are made for this substance, and its protective value is certainly aided by its porosity. It is very light and pleasantly soft to wear. THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT. WE have received a copy of a revised and enlarged edition of " The Progress Book," being an illustrated register of the child’s development from birth till coming of age and after by Mr. W. M. Pilley, M.A., printed for Mellins Food Ltd. and published by Mears and Caldwell (Cranmer-road, London, S.W. 9). It is a squarish book of 144 pages containing space to record details of the child’s birth, family history, growth in weight and height, important happenings in early life such as his funny sayings and the first attendance at Sunday School, his educational record, leading on to recreations and amusements, clubs and associations joined, with sections for a running account of health and character, and for the insertion of photographs at every yearof life, We miss, however, any place of entry for the first and last caning which, as recent correspondence has shown us, plays still such a large part in the upbringing of adolescent boys and even girls. Apart from blank spaces to fill in, there are suggestions of suitable names for boys and girls, what books to read at various ages, and the appropriate speed to gain weight and height. Such intimate details will afford parents pleasure both in recording and recalling, and, should little Willie become a Shakespeare or baby Florence a Nightingale, the record will have retrospective value for the world at large. " FISGARD." To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—The letter of " Etymologist 11 in THE LANCET of Dec. 14th, 1929, p. 1292, asking for the origin of the word " Fisgard " as the name of a ship, has probably been answered before now. If, however, it has been overlooked, the following quotation from Wheeler and Broadley’s " Napoleon and the Invasion of England," Vol. I., p. 62, may suffice : " The St. Fiorenzo was appropriately rechristened the Fisgard (Fishguard), and in the latter part of the last century was still the receiving ship at Sheerness." The change of name was, of course, in commemoration of, or rather in jubilation over, the easy victory over the French force of about 1200 men under the American Colonel Tate, who landed at Fishguard on Feb. 22nd, 1797, and surren- dered ignominiously two days later. Colonel Tate received his orders from Admiral Hoche after the failure of the latter to land and carry on war in Ireland. Details may be found in the book above mentioned, and in many others. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, F. LUCAS BENHAM, M.D. Semaphore, South Australia, Jan. 21st, 1930. *** A letter from "Sea Captain" on this subject appeared in THE LANCET of Dec. 21st, 1929.-ED. L. ALEXANDRA DAY. WE are informed by Miss C. May Beaman, C.B.E., the organiser of Alexandra Rose Day, that her address is 33, The Grove, The Boltons, London, S.W.10, and not as previously announced. THE LITESOME BODY-BELT. THE Litesome is a body-belt with a scrotal pouch attached made of a washable and unshrinkable woollen material. The suspender is an appliance which not only the subjects of varicocele but the pursuers of many field sports find serviceable, and this belt is well made and should prove comfortable, if a little hot for wear in warm weather. WE regret that in a report of a discussion on Intra- thoracic Tumours, at the Section of Surgery of the Royal Society of Medicine (THE LANCET, Feb. 15th, p. 350), the statements made by Mr. A. Dickson Wright were wrongly attributed to Mr. W. A. White, whose name does not appear on the Medical Register.
Transcript of Notes, Comments, and Abstracts.
498
Notes, Comments, and Abstracts.’LAVERAN JUBILEE CELEBRATION IN NAIROBI.
THE annual meeting of the Kenya Branch of the BritishMedical Association this year took the form of a jubilee tocelebrate the discovery of the malaria parasite by AlphonseLaveran 50 years ago. Members attended from all parts of.the Colony at sessions on three afternoons (Jan. 15th-17th,1930) devoted to the consideration of various aspects ofmalaria. The President, Dr. J. H. Sequeira, opened theconference with a historical sketch of Laveran and his place in scientific medicine, and gave a brief account of the,.developments which followed his discovery. Dr. Kauntzegave a lantern demonstration of the blood changes in theseveral types of the disease, and Mr. Symes described theincidence of the types of anopheles found in Kenya Colony.The second day was devoted to the clinical aspects ofmalaria, Dr. G. V. Anderson describing the protean formsunder which the disease occurs in Europeans, while Dr.Procter gave a résumé of observations made in the Africansin the native reserves. The major portion of this sessionwas taken up by a debate on the treatment of malaria andblackwater, opened by the Hon. Dr..T. L. Gilks, the Directorof the Medical and Sanitary Services in the Colony. Manymembers participated in a useful and profitable discussion.
The third day was dedicated to preventive measures, and-was opened by Dr. Paterson with a historical account of theconditions which led to the disappearance of malaria in thoseparts of the United States in which pioneer conditionsobtained essentially similar to those met with in some partsof the colony. Mr. Leigh-Bennett, the AntimalariaEngineer, read an instructive paper on soils and drainage.Dr. Steel, of the Tanganyika Medical Service, and Dr. deBuer, who has done much good work at Mombasa, discussedthe measures suitable for towns, and Dr. Philip gave an.account of the measures required in certain native reservesto render the population, debilitated by worm-infection,especially ankylostomiasis, fit to undertake the housing andother improvements required to combat the malarialinfection.
The annual dinner, at which 80 members and guestsattended, was held at the New Stanley Hotel. H.E. theGovernor was represented by the Colonial Secretary, Mr.Monck-Mason Moore.The Medical Department of the Colony during the week
held a Health Exhibition at the Memorial Hall, showinggraphically by specimens, models, pictures, &c., how tomake Africa healthy. The Governor opened the Exhibition,and he was accompanied by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, whogave an address. No fewer than 15,000 persons, European,Asiatic, and African, attended this educational demonstrationof practical hygiene,
NEW PREPARATIONS.DIGITALIS LEAF TABLETS (Allen and Hanburys, Ltd.
Bethnal Green, London E.2).-This is a preparation ofdigitalis leaves whose physiological standardisation isvaluable because it is recognised that digitalis leaves ofdifferent batches do not contain necessarily the same propor-tion of active principles. At the Geneva Conference of1925 it was decided to adopt as an international standard amixture of ten different specimens of digitalis leaf, thefinal mixture being carefully assayed. Preparations, likethis, adjusted to the international standard can be reliedon to have an unvarying therapeutic activity, and the newdrug is presented in a convenient form for prescribing. TabletsDigitalis (A. and H.) each contain 0-033 gramme ( grain)International Standard digitalis leaf equivalent to of;an International Unit. The recognised daily dose is to1 International Unit-i.e., one to three tablets. They aresupplied in bottles of 100.SUNNYCOMB (Macfie and Sons, Ltd., 34, Moorfields,
Liverpool).-This is a pure invert sugar, a palatable mixture,of dextrose and Ievulose, suitable for infant food and pre-pared from sugar cane under close supervision. Itscomposition is as follows : dextrose 37-6 to 38.5 per cent. ;lævulose, 35 to 36 per cent. ; sucrose 1 to 3 per cent. ; .iron, 0-01 to 0-03 per cent.; lime, 0-01 to 0-03 per cent. We’have received satisfactory reports on its use, and it canTeplace sugar for most purposes-e.g., in coffee or withstewed fruit or, as a change from jam, on bread.
ERBOLIN CAPSULES (Stafford Allen and Sons, Ltd., Cowper-street, Finsbury, London, E.C.).-Erbolin is a physio-logically standardised and stable ergot, and the preparationshould be valuable in view of practical experience with theextract Ergotse Liq. B.P. Erbolin is powdered ergot in
capsule form, and each capsule contains the equivalentof 0-5 mg. (1/200 grain) ergotoxine phosphate. This com-position has been determined by a biological test carried outthrough the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Thecapsules are issued in packages of 100, 600, and 1000, dulylabelled poison.
" GOSSAMATEX."
THIS is a fabric which has been brought to our attentionby the firm of T. M. Lewin, 39, Panton-street, Haymarket.It washes well and does not shrink. It can be supplied inall kinds of materials and garments, in plain or colouredfabrics, and can be made to order. Considerable hygienicclaims are made for this substance, and its protective valueis certainly aided by its porosity. It is very light andpleasantly soft to wear.
THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT.
WE have received a copy of a revised and enlarged editionof " The Progress Book," being an illustrated register of thechild’s development from birth till coming of age and afterby Mr. W. M. Pilley, M.A., printed for Mellins Food Ltd.and published by Mears and Caldwell (Cranmer-road,London, S.W. 9). It is a squarish book of 144 pagescontaining space to record details of the child’s birth, familyhistory, growth in weight and height, important happeningsin early life such as his funny sayings and the first attendanceat Sunday School, his educational record, leading on torecreations and amusements, clubs and associations joined,with sections for a running account of health and character,and for the insertion of photographs at every yearof life,We miss, however, any place of entry for the first and lastcaning which, as recent correspondence has shown us, playsstill such a large part in the upbringing of adolescent boysand even girls. Apart from blank spaces to fill in, there aresuggestions of suitable names for boys and girls, what booksto read at various ages, and the appropriate speed to gainweight and height. Such intimate details will afford parentspleasure both in recording and recalling, and, should littleWillie become a Shakespeare or baby Florence a Nightingale,the record will have retrospective value for the world at large.
" FISGARD."
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SIR,—The letter of " Etymologist 11 in THE LANCET ofDec. 14th, 1929, p. 1292, asking for the origin of the word" Fisgard " as the name of a ship, has probably beenanswered before now. If, however, it has been overlooked,the following quotation from Wheeler and Broadley’s" Napoleon and the Invasion of England," Vol. I., p. 62,may suffice : " The St. Fiorenzo was appropriatelyrechristened the Fisgard (Fishguard), and in the latter partof the last century was still the receiving ship at Sheerness."The change of name was, of course, in commemoration of,or rather in jubilation over, the easy victory over the Frenchforce of about 1200 men under the American Colonel Tate,who landed at Fishguard on Feb. 22nd, 1797, and surren-dered ignominiously two days later. Colonel Tate receivedhis orders from Admiral Hoche after the failure of the latterto land and carry on war in Ireland. Details may befound in the book above mentioned, and in many others.
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,F. LUCAS BENHAM, M.D.
Semaphore, South Australia, Jan. 21st, 1930.
*** A letter from "Sea Captain" on this subjectappeared in THE LANCET of Dec. 21st, 1929.-ED. L.ALEXANDRA DAY.
WE are informed by Miss C. May Beaman, C.B.E., theorganiser of Alexandra Rose Day, that her address is 33, TheGrove, The Boltons, London, S.W.10, and not as previouslyannounced.
THE LITESOME BODY-BELT.THE Litesome is a body-belt with a scrotal pouch attached
made of a washable and unshrinkable woollen material. Thesuspender is an appliance which not only the subjects ofvaricocele but the pursuers of many field sports findserviceable, and this belt is well made and should provecomfortable, if a little hot for wear in warm weather.
WE regret that in a report of a discussion on Intra-thoracic Tumours, at the Section of Surgery of the RoyalSociety of Medicine (THE LANCET, Feb. 15th, p. 350), thestatements made by Mr. A. Dickson Wright were wronglyattributed to Mr. W. A. White, whose name does not appearon the Medical Register.
