A Look Into Amazonia Tropical Deforestation Ross Pysh Susan Johnson Rachel Ross.
ROSS INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES
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1232 supports the general conclusion that the duration of life varies inversely as the rate of energy expenditure during life. In other words, the length of life depends inversely on the rate of living. The methods of analysis are essentially statistical, but the book is admirably written and should prove of great interest to the biologist. JOURNALS. ENDOKRINOLOGIE.—Zentralblatt fiir das Gebiet der Inneren Sekretion und Konstitutionsforschung. Edited bv Prof. LEON ASHEN and Prof. ARTHUR BIEDL. Leipzig : J. A. Barth. 1928.-This is a new monthly journal the publication of which is justified on the ground that up to the present there has been no scientific German journal dealing specifically with endocrinology. The morphological, experimental, and clinical aspects of endocrine investigation will be I within its scope. The first issue consists of 80 pages, of which approximately half are devoted to five original I articles and the remainder to abstracts of recent literature. The abstracts -are about 150 in number and are in many cases of greater length than is usual. The five original articles in the first issues are by well-known authorities, and the journal should serve as a readily accessible source of German work on endocrinology. The first issue dated January, 1928, contains articles on Leydig Cells in the Human Testis by Prof. Alfred Kohn ; Ovulation during Pregnancy brought about by Anterior Lobe Pituitary Hormones by Prof. B. Zondek and Prof. S. Aschheim; Infantile Myxoedema by Prof. F. de Quervain ; the Function of the Intrarenal Tissue of the Torpedo by Prof. B. Kisch ; on the Action of the Male Sex Hormone Obtained from Plants by Prof. S. Loewe. The paper by Prof. Zondek is of exceptional interest. He brings forward evidence to show that ovulation can be made to occur in the pregnant mouse by means of implantation of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. After the implantation the follicles ripen, burst, and ova reach the tubes. The state of the ova varies ; some show a well-developed nucleus, others a nucleus broken up into chromatin threads. In the majority, however, it is pigmented and degenerated. The ovary itself in this experiment shows in addition to the corpora lutea graviditatis young corpora lutea from the follicles produced under the new stimulus. These phenomena occur side by side with living foetuses in the uterus. The amount of anterior pituitary implanted varied from 50 to 100 mg. The third issue of the journal (March, 1928) contains original articles on the Hyperfunction of the Liver in Graves’s Disease by Prof. N. Pende of Genoa, and on the Ovarian Hormone and Blood Calcium by Drs. M. Reiss and K. Marx. Prof. Pende discusses the connexion between the func- tions of the thyroid and the liver. It has been found by various observers that the livers of thyroidectomised animals show certain changes- namely, cloudy swelling, fatty infiltration and atrophy, .and diminution in glycogen content. There is also an increase in blood cholesterol, diminution of, urea and an increase of amino-acids. It is known, moreover, that in hypothyroidism the blood-sugar curve is low, indicating diminished glycogenolysis. It has therefore been concluded that hypothyroidism is accompanied by hypohepatism. Prof. Pende attempts to show that the analogy can be extended further so as to ,correlate hyperhepatism with hyperthyroidism. The investigations which he has made include observations of the blood-sugar curve and other liver functions in patients with Graves’s Disease. The results are interpreted as showing that in each of the liver functions tested the patient with Graves’s disease - shows an exaggeration of the normal picture. The findings are suggestive, but it remains doubtful whether the existence of a condition of hyperhepatism has been proved. Dr. Reiss and Dr. Marx discusses the relationship between the ovarian hormone and the blood ealcium. Using rabbits and Biedl’s preparation of ovarian extract they were able to show that the blood calcium could be lowered as a result of daily injections from a control value of between 14-1 and 15-3 mg. per cent. to 11,3 mg. per cent. The experi- ment seems to have been well controlled and the conclusions justified. ROSS INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES. THE annual report for 1927 reaches us as we go to press. The resignations from the Council of Sir George Maxwell, and of Colonel Walter G. King, are recorded with regret. During the year, at the invitation of the Spanish Government, a visit was paid to Madrid by Sir Aldo Castellani, who gave e lectures on malaria before the Royal Academy of Medicine and other societies. At the Seventh Congress of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine, held in Calcutta in December, 1927, the Institute was represented by Sir Malcolm Watson, who proposed two resolutions, which were seconded by Lieut.-Colonel S. R. Christophers, and passed by the Malaria Section of the Congress. In the first resolution it was suggested that plans for railways, canals, harbours, and all similar engineering works likely to affect the conditions producing malaria should be submitted to the proper public health authorities before being sanctioned by govern- ments. The second resolution emphasised the fact that while there is no single method of malaria control applicable to all conditions and all countries, in large towns or works the control of the breeding places of the malaria-carrying species of mosquito is a method which should be employed whatever other anti-malarial measures are put into force. For wide rural areas, especially those with scanty, poverty- stricken populations, the first step in the control of malaria is adequate research, since suitable methods of prevention may vary in different districts. The need not only of thoroughly trained malarial research officers but of expert malarial engineers in any type of malarial prevention was stressed by the Congress. Sir Malcolm Watson, after many years active malaria control work in the Malay States, has now joined the Institute as Principal of Malaria Prophy- laxis and Control Department. There was a very large demand from India and the Colonies for the report on malaria control in Malay and Assam by Sir Ronald Ross, following his tour of inspection in 1926-27. Anti-malaria Propaganda Work.—In order to obtain a general idea of the manner in which malaria was being dealt with in different parts of the Empire, the organising secretary, Major H. Lockwood Stevens, made a tour of India, the Federated Malay States, and Ceylon, and also visited Burma. His tour will be the subject of a special report. Research Work.—Dr. P. Menonhas carried out experi- ments on the poisonous effects. of Paris green on the aquatic stage of mosquitoes other than anopheles. Work on fungi and fungal diseases has been continued. Several new species of mycetes and bacteria have been described. A satisfactory treatment for epider- mophytosis of the toes (so-called mango toe) has been found. Experiments have also been carried out on the longevity of certain microbes. Dr. J. A. Shaw-Mackenzie has continued his work on the blood and tissue changes in cancer with reference to diagnosis and treatment. Independent con- firmation of some of his conclusions has been obtained by Prof. W. C. Lewis and Mr. R. F. Corran working at Liverpool, and by Prof. D. Gardner, of Paris. Mr. J. Jackson Clarke has been engaged in further experimental study of diseases in which both specific alien cell-inclusions are present, and filter-passing stages of parasites have been found. A list of scientific publications, addresses, and reports by members of the staff of the Institute, visiting medical men working at the Institute, and a statement of accounts concludes the report.
Transcript of ROSS INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES
1232
supports the general conclusion that the durationof life varies inversely as the rate of energy expenditureduring life. In other words, the length of life dependsinversely on the rate of living.
- The methods of analysis are essentially statistical,but the book is admirably written and should proveof great interest to the biologist.
JOURNALS.ENDOKRINOLOGIE.—Zentralblatt fiir das Gebiet der
Inneren Sekretion und Konstitutionsforschung. Editedbv Prof. LEON ASHEN and Prof. ARTHUR BIEDL.Leipzig : J. A. Barth. 1928.-This is a new monthlyjournal the publication of which is justified on theground that up to the present there has been no scientific German journal dealing specifically withendocrinology. The morphological, experimental, and clinical aspects of endocrine investigation will be Iwithin its scope. The first issue consists of 80 pages,of which approximately half are devoted to five original Iarticles and the remainder to abstracts of recent literature. The abstracts -are about 150 in numberand are in many cases of greater length than isusual. The five original articles in the first issues areby well-known authorities, and the journal shouldserve as a readily accessible source of German workon endocrinology. The first issue dated January,1928, contains articles on Leydig Cells in the HumanTestis by Prof. Alfred Kohn ; Ovulation duringPregnancy brought about by Anterior Lobe PituitaryHormones by Prof. B. Zondek and Prof. S. Aschheim;Infantile Myxoedema by Prof. F. de Quervain ;the Function of the Intrarenal Tissue of the Torpedoby Prof. B. Kisch ; on the Action of the Male SexHormone Obtained from Plants by Prof. S. Loewe.The paper by Prof. Zondek is of exceptional interest.
He brings forward evidence to show that ovulationcan be made to occur in the pregnant mouse bymeans of implantation of the anterior lobe of thepituitary gland. After the implantation the folliclesripen, burst, and ova reach the tubes. The state ofthe ova varies ; some show a well-developed nucleus,others a nucleus broken up into chromatin threads.In the majority, however, it is pigmented anddegenerated. The ovary itself in this experimentshows in addition to the corpora lutea graviditatisyoung corpora lutea from the follicles producedunder the new stimulus. These phenomena occur sideby side with living foetuses in the uterus. The amountof anterior pituitary implanted varied from 50 to100 mg.The third issue of the journal (March, 1928)
contains original articles on the Hyperfunction of theLiver in Graves’s Disease by Prof. N. Pende ofGenoa, and on the Ovarian Hormone and BloodCalcium by Drs. M. Reiss and K. Marx. Prof.Pende discusses the connexion between the func-tions of the thyroid and the liver. It has beenfound by various observers that the livers ofthyroidectomised animals show certain changes-namely, cloudy swelling, fatty infiltration and atrophy,.and diminution in glycogen content. There is alsoan increase in blood cholesterol, diminution of, ureaand an increase of amino-acids. It is known, moreover,that in hypothyroidism the blood-sugar curve is low,indicating diminished glycogenolysis. It has thereforebeen concluded that hypothyroidism is accompanied by hypohepatism. Prof. Pende attempts to showthat the analogy can be extended further so as to ,correlate hyperhepatism with hyperthyroidism. Theinvestigations which he has made include observationsof the blood-sugar curve and other liver functionsin patients with Graves’s Disease. The results areinterpreted as showing that in each of the liverfunctions tested the patient with Graves’s disease- shows an exaggeration of the normal picture. Thefindings are suggestive, but it remains doubtfulwhether the existence of a condition of hyperhepatismhas been proved. Dr. Reiss and Dr. Marx discussesthe relationship between the ovarian hormone and theblood ealcium. Using rabbits and Biedl’s preparation
of ovarian extract they were able to show that theblood calcium could be lowered as a result of dailyinjections from a control value of between 14-1 and15-3 mg. per cent. to 11,3 mg. per cent. The experi-ment seems to have been well controlled and theconclusions justified.
ROSS INSTITUTE AND HOSPITAL FORTROPICAL DISEASES.
THE annual report for 1927 reaches us as we goto press. The resignations from the Council of SirGeorge Maxwell, and of Colonel Walter G. King,are recorded with regret. During the year, at theinvitation of the Spanish Government, a visit waspaid to Madrid by Sir Aldo Castellani, who gave electures on malaria before the Royal Academy ofMedicine and other societies. At the SeventhCongress of the Far Eastern Association of TropicalMedicine, held in Calcutta in December, 1927, theInstitute was represented by Sir Malcolm Watson,who proposed two resolutions, which were secondedby Lieut.-Colonel S. R. Christophers, and passedby the Malaria Section of the Congress. In thefirst resolution it was suggested that plans forrailways, canals, harbours, and all similar engineeringworks likely to affect the conditions producingmalaria should be submitted to the proper publichealth authorities before being sanctioned by govern-ments. The second resolution emphasised the factthat while there is no single method of malaria controlapplicable to all conditions and all countries, inlarge towns or works the control of the breedingplaces of the malaria-carrying species of mosquitois a method which should be employed whatever otheranti-malarial measures are put into force. For widerural areas, especially those with scanty, poverty-stricken populations, the first step in the control ofmalaria is adequate research, since suitable methodsof prevention may vary in different districts. Theneed not only of thoroughly trained malarial researchofficers but of expert malarial engineers in any type ofmalarial prevention was stressed by the Congress.Sir Malcolm Watson, after many years activemalaria control work in the Malay States, has nowjoined the Institute as Principal of Malaria Prophy-laxis and Control Department.
There was a very large demand from India and theColonies for the report on malaria control in Malayand Assam by Sir Ronald Ross, following his tourof inspection in 1926-27.
Anti-malaria Propaganda Work.—In order to obtaina general idea of the manner in which malaria wasbeing dealt with in different parts of the Empire,the organising secretary, Major H. Lockwood Stevens,made a tour of India, the Federated Malay States,and Ceylon, and also visited Burma. His tourwill be the subject of a special report.
Research Work.—Dr. P. Menonhas carried out experi-ments on the poisonous effects. of Paris green on theaquatic stage of mosquitoes other than anopheles.Work on fungi and fungal diseases has been continued.Several new species of mycetes and bacteria havebeen described. A satisfactory treatment for epider-mophytosis of the toes (so-called mango toe) has beenfound. Experiments have also been carried outon the longevity of certain microbes. Dr. J. A.Shaw-Mackenzie has continued his work on theblood and tissue changes in cancer with referenceto diagnosis and treatment. Independent con-
firmation of some of his conclusions has been obtainedby Prof. W. C. Lewis and Mr. R. F. Corran workingat Liverpool, and by Prof. D. Gardner, of Paris.Mr. J. Jackson Clarke has been engaged in furtherexperimental study of diseases in which both specificalien cell-inclusions are present, and filter-passingstages of parasites have been found.A list of scientific publications, addresses, and
reports by members of the staff of the Institute,visiting medical men working at the Institute, anda statement of accounts concludes the report.
