PARIS.
1
411 PARIS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Contaminated Spring Tf’ater in Paris. SOME six years ago a movement was set on foot to increase the amount of spring water available for drinking in Paris, as there is never at any time too much of this necessity of life. Accordingly the Aire, a stream hitherto unused, was pressed into the service and its water brought into the seventeenth arrondissement by means of aqueducts and other works the cost of which mounted up to several millions of francs. The water was very pure and of excellent taste. One month ago, however, it suddenly became yellow and developed a most suspicious flavour. Upon making a micro- scopic and bacteriological examination it was found that a vibrio was present closely allied to the cholera bacillus. The population of the affected arrondissement naturally began to get somewhat alarmed although no epidemic has as yet broken out amongst them. The engi- neers of the supply have stated that they were aware of the presence of this vibrio but that it was harmless thanks to the presence of other micro-organisms which kept it in check. An inquiry is on foot and M. Brouardel who has been consulted considers that circumstances point to the infection of the springs at their source, so a searching investigation has been carried out from this point of view. This inquiry took place at Verneuil in the district where the springs rise. It is now established that these springs which were thought to be collected at their real source for the supply of drinking-water are really only fed by subterranean sheets of water of which the source is some long distance away. As a matter of fact, they are offshoots from the River Aire and not real springs-i.e., they have to do with percolations from the river water and are more or less purified by passage through the soil. After the late very dry summer the first rainfall was absorbed very quickly by the thirsty soil so that the first supply of water percolating through was somewhat impure. The most serious part of the matter is that the Aire a little above where it apparently loses the por- tion of its waters which goes to feed the subterranean sheets of water which supply the Paris aqueduct receives a small stream, the Iton, which runs through the town of Verneuil and thereby serves the town as a kind of sewer. Again the public wash-houses are on the bank of the Aire at about the same level and the use of fiuorescine has shown that this colouring agent when put into the water of the Aire can be traced in the reputed springs which serve the town of Paris. A Sanatorium for Tuberculous Soldiers. The question of providing a sanatorium for soldiers attacked by tuberculosis has just come before the Chamber of Deputies. The matter has come to a head owing to the alarming and progressive increase which tuberculosis shows in the ranks of young soldiers. In 1890 there were 5’70 per 1000 soldiers discharged during their term of service on account of being tuberculous, but in 1895 the figures had reached 8’34 per 1000. For a tuberculous man to live in barracks is not only bad for himself but a source of danger to his companions. As a matter of fact when the malady reaches a certain stage of development the military surgeons send him home. Unfortunately, how- ever, when arrived there he very seldom finds the conditions necessary for his cure. There is therefore the risk not only that the patient will get worse, but that he will also infect his family and his village. The term of military service which is obligatory upon all Frenchmen is a potent agent in the dissemination of tuberculosis throughout France just as it unhappily is in the case of syphilis. The proposed military sanatorium will allow of the immediate withdrawal of all tuberculous soldiers from their regiments and will at once put a stop to their spreading infection either in the barracks or in their own homes. A Fraudulent Druggist. The Paris Tribunal has just had to deal with the case of a druggist who falsified his pills and potions with an audacity which is happily uncommon. He had sold his business which apparently had realised good profits. But his successor very soon saw that by selling drugs and medicines at the same prices as his predecessor, he would soon be on the brink of ruin. He then discovered that the vendor of the business while copying all prescriptions accurately into his register, in accordance with the law, gave his customers very different preparations which, according to him, would produce the same effect as those ordered in the prescriptions, but were naturally much cheaper. At other times, when, for instance, the drug ordered had a very characteristic odour, he simply reduced the dose. He was in the habit of replacing salophen by antipyrine, glycerophosphates by ordinary phosphates, syrup of ipecacuanha by some emetic solution coloured to look like the real thing, while all mineral waters sold were manufactured in the shop. In defence he stated that some of these substitutes were made by his assistant without his knowledge, and as for others his customers had asked for them so that they might have less to pay. The tribunal awarded a heavy punishment, but. allowed an appeal which will come up before the court shortly. The Bieyele in the Treatment of Hernia. At the meeting of the Academy of Medicine held on Jan. 31st M. Lucas Championniere read a paper by M. Loir, the director of the Pasteur Institute at Tunis, upon the treatment of hernia by means of a bicycle. M. Loir recounted the history of a patient who for four years had suffered from an inguinal hernia and who had tried various trusses without success. He tried bicycle riding, but at first because he used too high a machine the hernia slipped out under the truss. He then got a low machine and was astonished to find that the hernia became reduced when he got on. After four months his hernia had disappeared alto- gether. M. Loir considers this case unique, but as a matter of fact it is not so. Some ten years ago Dr. Oscar Jennings, in his work on "The Influence of the Tricycle on the Health," had noted the happy results on hernia of tricycle riding. For some time past M. Lucas Championniere has considered that the rest usually prescribed for those suffering from hernia is worse for them than muscular efforts. All workers suffer far less from a hernia than those who lead inactive lives, grow fat, suffer from cough, and get into a saddle with difficulty. M. Lucas Championniere related a case in which the use of a tricycle made two irreducible hernias quite com- fortable to a patient in whom formerly they had given rise to various discomforts both local and general. Of course, to obtain a favourable result certain precautions must be observed. A rider with hernia must have his saddle low and placed far back ; he must not ride too fast and must avoid hills. The use of the bicycle is an excellent way of con- solidating the scar at the site of operation on a hernia and may be prescribed with advantage as soon as the patient is well enough to get about. Feb. 8th. BERLIN. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The German Malaria Commission. THE official report of the German Commission for the Study of Malaria in Italy, under the presidency of Professor Koch, has been published in last week’s number of the Deutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift. The Commission was directed (1) to study the so-called "febbri malariche estivo- autunnali " ; (2) to ascertain the relations between Italian and tropical malaria; and (3) to study the mode of infection, especially by insects. The work of the Commission was accomplished partly in Milan and partly in Rome, where an abundant supply of cases was at its disposal. It was found that the " febbri estivoautunnali," though presenting clinical differences, were, from an etiological point of view, caused by one and the same well-characterised parasite. Recent cases showed the tertian type which in course of time became altered by the use of quinine or by natural immunity. The parasites of Italian and tropical malaria are identical, the differences alleged by Italian physicians to exist between them being based upon differ- ences in the methods of investigation. The Commission farther ascertained that the semilunar form of the para- sites was not caused by a degeneration as it contained chromatin, a certain symptom of a still existing capacity for propagation. A parasite very similar to that of the human subject was discovered in birds ; it was the pro- teosoma which has been described recently by Major Ross, Indian Medical Service, and Major Ross’s opinion as to the development of proteosoma was fully
Transcript of PARIS.
411
PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Contaminated Spring Tf’ater in Paris.SOME six years ago a movement was set on foot to increase
the amount of spring water available for drinking in Paris, asthere is never at any time too much of this necessity of life.
Accordingly the Aire, a stream hitherto unused, was pressedinto the service and its water brought into the seventeentharrondissement by means of aqueducts and other works thecost of which mounted up to several millions of francs.The water was very pure and of excellent taste. Onemonth ago, however, it suddenly became yellow and
developed a most suspicious flavour. Upon making a micro-scopic and bacteriological examination it was found thata vibrio was present closely allied to the cholera bacillus.The population of the affected arrondissement naturallybegan to get somewhat alarmed although no epidemichas as yet broken out amongst them. The engi-neers of the supply have stated that they were awareof the presence of this vibrio but that it was harmless thanksto the presence of other micro-organisms which kept it incheck. An inquiry is on foot and M. Brouardel who hasbeen consulted considers that circumstances point to theinfection of the springs at their source, so a searchinginvestigation has been carried out from this point ofview. This inquiry took place at Verneuil in the districtwhere the springs rise. It is now established that thesesprings which were thought to be collected at their realsource for the supply of drinking-water are really only fedby subterranean sheets of water of which the source is somelong distance away. As a matter of fact, they are offshootsfrom the River Aire and not real springs-i.e., they have todo with percolations from the river water and are more or lesspurified by passage through the soil. After the late very drysummer the first rainfall was absorbed very quickly by thethirsty soil so that the first supply of water percolating throughwas somewhat impure. The most serious part of the matter isthat the Aire a little above where it apparently loses the por-tion of its waters which goes to feed the subterranean sheetsof water which supply the Paris aqueduct receives a smallstream, the Iton, which runs through the town of Verneuiland thereby serves the town as a kind of sewer. Again thepublic wash-houses are on the bank of the Aire at about thesame level and the use of fiuorescine has shown that thiscolouring agent when put into the water of the Aire can betraced in the reputed springs which serve the town of Paris.
A Sanatorium for Tuberculous Soldiers.The question of providing a sanatorium for soldiers
attacked by tuberculosis has just come before the Chamberof Deputies. The matter has come to a head owing to thealarming and progressive increase which tuberculosis showsin the ranks of young soldiers. In 1890 there were 5’70
per 1000 soldiers discharged during their term of serviceon account of being tuberculous, but in 1895 the figureshad reached 8’34 per 1000. For a tuberculous man tolive in barracks is not only bad for himself but a
source of danger to his companions. As a matter of factwhen the malady reaches a certain stage of developmentthe military surgeons send him home. Unfortunately, how-ever, when arrived there he very seldom finds the conditionsnecessary for his cure. There is therefore the risk not onlythat the patient will get worse, but that he will also infecthis family and his village. The term of military servicewhich is obligatory upon all Frenchmen is a potent agent inthe dissemination of tuberculosis throughout France just asit unhappily is in the case of syphilis. The proposedmilitary sanatorium will allow of the immediate withdrawalof all tuberculous soldiers from their regiments and will atonce put a stop to their spreading infection either in thebarracks or in their own homes.
A Fraudulent Druggist.The Paris Tribunal has just had to deal with the case of a
druggist who falsified his pills and potions with an audacitywhich is happily uncommon. He had sold his businesswhich apparently had realised good profits. But hissuccessor very soon saw that by selling drugs and medicinesat the same prices as his predecessor, he would soon be onthe brink of ruin. He then discovered that the vendor ofthe business while copying all prescriptions accurately into
his register, in accordance with the law, gave his customersvery different preparations which, according to him, wouldproduce the same effect as those ordered in the prescriptions,but were naturally much cheaper. At other times, when,for instance, the drug ordered had a very characteristicodour, he simply reduced the dose. He was in the habit of
replacing salophen by antipyrine, glycerophosphates byordinary phosphates, syrup of ipecacuanha by some emeticsolution coloured to look like the real thing, while allmineral waters sold were manufactured in the shop. Indefence he stated that some of these substitutes were madeby his assistant without his knowledge, and as for others hiscustomers had asked for them so that they might have lessto pay. The tribunal awarded a heavy punishment, but.allowed an appeal which will come up before the court
shortly.The Bieyele in the Treatment of Hernia.
At the meeting of the Academy of Medicine held onJan. 31st M. Lucas Championniere read a paper by M. Loir,the director of the Pasteur Institute at Tunis, upon thetreatment of hernia by means of a bicycle. M. Loirrecounted the history of a patient who for four years hadsuffered from an inguinal hernia and who had tried varioustrusses without success. He tried bicycle riding, but at firstbecause he used too high a machine the hernia slipped outunder the truss. He then got a low machine and wasastonished to find that the hernia became reduced when hegot on. After four months his hernia had disappeared alto-gether. M. Loir considers this case unique, but as a matter offact it is not so. Some ten years ago Dr. Oscar Jennings, inhis work on "The Influence of the Tricycle on the Health,"had noted the happy results on hernia of tricycle riding. Forsome time past M. Lucas Championniere has considered thatthe rest usually prescribed for those suffering from hernia isworse for them than muscular efforts. All workers sufferfar less from a hernia than those who lead inactive lives,grow fat, suffer from cough, and get into a saddle withdifficulty. M. Lucas Championniere related a case in whichthe use of a tricycle made two irreducible hernias quite com-fortable to a patient in whom formerly they had given riseto various discomforts both local and general. Of course,to obtain a favourable result certain precautions must beobserved. A rider with hernia must have his saddle low and
placed far back ; he must not ride too fast and must avoidhills. The use of the bicycle is an excellent way of con-solidating the scar at the site of operation on a hernia andmay be prescribed with advantage as soon as the patient iswell enough to get about.Feb. 8th.
BERLIN.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
The German Malaria Commission.
THE official report of the German Commission for theStudy of Malaria in Italy, under the presidency of ProfessorKoch, has been published in last week’s number of theDeutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift. The Commission wasdirected (1) to study the so-called "febbri malariche estivo-autunnali " ; (2) to ascertain the relations between Italianand tropical malaria; and (3) to study the mode of infection,especially by insects. The work of the Commission wasaccomplished partly in Milan and partly in Rome, where anabundant supply of cases was at its disposal. It was foundthat the " febbri estivoautunnali," though presentingclinical differences, were, from an etiological point ofview, caused by one and the same well-characterisedparasite. Recent cases showed the tertian type which incourse of time became altered by the use of quinine or bynatural immunity. The parasites of Italian and tropicalmalaria are identical, the differences alleged by Italianphysicians to exist between them being based upon differ-ences in the methods of investigation. The Commissionfarther ascertained that the semilunar form of the para-sites was not caused by a degeneration as it containedchromatin, a certain symptom of a still existing capacityfor propagation. A parasite very similar to that of thehuman subject was discovered in birds ; it was the pro-teosoma which has been described recently by MajorRoss, Indian Medical Service, and Major Ross’s
opinion as to the development of proteosoma was fully
