THE HANDS OF THE AMATEUR GARDENER
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211 useful because it imitates the steady, continuous androgenic action of normal testes, and because it obviates frequent contact with the physician. THE HANDS OF THE AMATEUR GARDENER THE Manchester city coroner has been warning gardeners of the danger of wounds contaminated with manured soil. The case that inspired his comments was that of a solicitors’ cashier who pricked his finger while tying up roses and died soon after- wards from infection of the finger. Scratches and pricks of this kind are almost inseparable from gardening, and the question is how far these wounds must be taken seriously. In his first acquaintance with the casualty department of his hospital, the student learns that wounds contaminated with soil are regarded with concern because of the possibility of infection with the organisms of gas-gangrene or with tetanus spores that will become active in damaged tissues. Wounds severe enough to reach the casualty department receive such thorough treatment that the incidence of tetanus there must be very low ; but minor lesions are a different matter. The horny hands of the professional gardener are unlikely to be infected by trivial injury such as punctures from thorns, but the week-end gardener has a readily vulnerable epidermis, and should his wound become septic or show necrosis tetanus becomes a very real danger. The perils of manured soil should be as well known to the gardening public as to the doctor ; and though it is too much to expect the amateur gardener to rush to the doctor with every lesion, he should know of the special risk from penetrating wounds, and the advantage of antiseptic treatment of those that are more superficial. LONDON HOSPITALS IN WAR-TIME ON June 30 a letter appeared in the press signed by twelve chairmen and treasurers of London teach- ing hospitals, who complained that lack of a director, charged with full responsibility for the war-time organisation of the London hospitals, has meant that there is at the moment nothing more than an outline scheme on paper. The work of the sectors, it is widely felt, is not sufficiently coordinated, and many decisions of policy remain outstanding. Mr. Walter Elliot, the Minister of Health, on July 13 informed repre- sentatives of the hospitals of the Ministry’s plan for ensuring cooperation between the medical group officers and the lay sector officers. Dr. J. H. Hebb, director-general of emergency medical services at the Ministry, will meet the medical group officers every Monday ; Mr. Neville, the principal assistant secretary in the Ministry responsible for the administrative side of the scheme, will meet the lay sector officers every Tuesday ; and Sir Girling Ball, chairman of the medical group officers, and Sir George Cory, chairman of the lay sector officers, will meet Sir George Chrystal, permanent secretary of the Ministry, every Wednes- day. At this last meeting Sir Frederick Menzies, medi- cal officer of the L.C.C., and Sir Bernard Docker, repre- sentative of the London voluntary hospitals, will be present ; also Dr. Hebb and Mr. Neville. Immediately after it Sir George Chrystal will report to the Minister on matters of policy, and thus the Minister will himself deal direct with London’s special problems. While expressing the view that these arrangements would go a long way towards meeting the immediate, situation, and should be given a trial, the hospital representatives feared that Mr. Elliot might find it impossible, owing to his other burdens, to continue to play the personal part he had indicated. THE UNNATURAL ATHLETE ATTEMPTS to introduce more vitality into profes- sional football have become so widespread that the British Medical Association has decided to inquire next autumn into the alleged benefits of using endocrine extracts for this purpose. Hitherto, as Boje remarks,l there has been little serious research on the adventitious aids to athletic success. His own paper on the subject ranges over a wide field from cocaine to hormones and from glucose to vitamins. A rough-and-ready classification puts the preparations capable of " doping " athletes in three main categories according to the risk involved. Thus cocaine, Benzedrine (amphetamine), nitro- glycerin, digitalis, strophanthin, certain hormones and caffeine in large doses are in Boje’s opinion definitely dangerous. At the other end of the scale, ranking as quite harmless, are glucose, oxygen and vitamin Bl. In an intermediate category he would put the cardiac stimulants, Coramine and Cardiazol, ultraviolet irradiation, various salts and small doses of alcohol. Boje admits that there are certain substances which, when given with the skill which comes from a working knowledge of pharmacology, are capable of enhancing athletic activities and achievements. But when he singles out one drug after another for detailed discussion, there is more often that not some catch or " but " which robs the reader of any whole-hearted faith. From the stand- point of sport, this is perhaps all to the good. Mr. E. L. SHERIDAN, F.R.C.S.I., has been nominated, by the Privy Council, chairman of the Dental Board of the United Kingdom in succession to the late Sir Francis Acland. Mr. Sheridan, who is professor of dental surgery in the National University of Ireland, was an original member of the board and has for the past ten years represented qualified dentists prac- tising in Ireland. He is one of the additional members of the General Medical Council appointed by the Privy Council under the Dentists Act, 1921. 1. Böje, O., Nord. Med. June 30, 1939, p. 1963. NURSING COURSES FOR SCHOOL-GIRLS.-Last year the General Nursing Council passed a resolution (Lancet, 1938, 1, 867) approving the division of the preliminary state examination into two parts, the first of which might be taken before entering hospital, provided that the candidate had followed an approved course of instruction at school. The Board of Education has now issued a circular (No. 1471) explaining the arrangements which they have made in cooperation with the council for courses in anatomy, physiology and hygiene to be given in secondary schools and technical schools for girls who wish to enter the nursing profession. In view of the serious shortage of nurses, the board hope that many schools will find it possible to establish prenursing courses which they can recommend to the council for approval. In a report published some months ago the Interdepart- mental Committee on Nursing Services pointed out that the number of probationers required annually was 12,000. This figure is much in excess of the possible supply of entrants from secondary schools. The circular, therefore, follows the report in recommending that in addition to courses in secondary schools there should be evening courses in technical schools which can be taken by girls and young women already in employment. There may also be whole-time day courses in technical schools for girls and young women who have left school and are not employed or can afford to leave their employment.
Transcript of THE HANDS OF THE AMATEUR GARDENER
211
useful because it imitates the steady, continuous
androgenic action of normal testes, and because itobviates frequent contact with the physician.
THE HANDS OF THE AMATEUR GARDENER
THE Manchester city coroner has been warninggardeners of the danger of wounds contaminatedwith manured soil. The case that inspired hiscomments was that of a solicitors’ cashier who pricked
. his finger while tying up roses and died soon after-wards from infection of the finger. Scratches and
pricks of this kind are almost inseparable from
gardening, and the question is how far these woundsmust be taken seriously. In his first acquaintancewith the casualty department of his hospital, thestudent learns that wounds contaminated with soilare regarded with concern because of the possibilityof infection with the organisms of gas-gangrene orwith tetanus spores that will become active in damagedtissues. Wounds severe enough to reach the casualtydepartment receive such thorough treatment that theincidence of tetanus there must be very low ; butminor lesions are a different matter. The hornyhands of the professional gardener are unlikely to beinfected by trivial injury such as punctures fromthorns, but the week-end gardener has a readilyvulnerable epidermis, and should his wound becomeseptic or show necrosis tetanus becomes a very realdanger. The perils of manured soil should be as wellknown to the gardening public as to the doctor ; andthough it is too much to expect the amateur gardenerto rush to the doctor with every lesion, he shouldknow of the special risk from penetrating wounds,and the advantage of antiseptic treatment of thosethat are more superficial.
LONDON HOSPITALS IN WAR-TIME
ON June 30 a letter appeared in the press signedby twelve chairmen and treasurers of London teach-ing hospitals, who complained that lack of a director,charged with full responsibility for the war-time
organisation of the London hospitals, has meant thatthere is at the moment nothing more than an outlinescheme on paper. The work of the sectors, it is widelyfelt, is not sufficiently coordinated, and many decisionsof policy remain outstanding. Mr. Walter Elliot,the Minister of Health, on July 13 informed repre-sentatives of the hospitals of the Ministry’s plan forensuring cooperation between the medical groupofficers and the lay sector officers. Dr. J. H. Hebb,director-general of emergency medical services at theMinistry, will meet the medical group officers everyMonday ; Mr. Neville, the principal assistant secretaryin the Ministry responsible for the administrativeside of the scheme, will meet the lay sector officersevery Tuesday ; and Sir Girling Ball, chairman of themedical group officers, and Sir George Cory, chairmanof the lay sector officers, will meet Sir George Chrystal,permanent secretary of the Ministry, every Wednes-day. At this last meeting Sir Frederick Menzies, medi-cal officer of the L.C.C., and Sir Bernard Docker, repre-sentative of the London voluntary hospitals, will bepresent ; also Dr. Hebb and Mr. Neville. Immediatelyafter it Sir George Chrystal will report to the Ministeron matters of policy, and thus the Minister willhimself deal direct with London’s special problems.While expressing the view that these arrangementswould go a long way towards meeting the immediate,situation, and should be given a trial, the hospitalrepresentatives feared that Mr. Elliot might find it
impossible, owing to his other burdens, to continueto play the personal part he had indicated.
THE UNNATURAL ATHLETE
ATTEMPTS to introduce more vitality into profes-sional football have become so widespread that theBritish Medical Association has decided to inquirenext autumn into the alleged benefits of usingendocrine extracts for this purpose. Hitherto, as
Boje remarks,l there has been little serious researchon the adventitious aids to athletic success. Hisown paper on the subject ranges over a wide fieldfrom cocaine to hormones and from glucose tovitamins. A rough-and-ready classification putsthe preparations capable of " doping " athletes inthree main categories according to the risk involved.Thus cocaine, Benzedrine (amphetamine), nitro-
glycerin, digitalis, strophanthin, certain hormonesand caffeine in large doses are in Boje’s opiniondefinitely dangerous. At the other end of the scale,ranking as quite harmless, are glucose, oxygen andvitamin Bl. In an intermediate category he wouldput the cardiac stimulants, Coramine and Cardiazol,ultraviolet irradiation, various salts and small dosesof alcohol. Boje admits that there are certainsubstances which, when given with the skill whichcomes from a working knowledge of pharmacology,are capable of enhancing athletic activities andachievements. But when he singles out one drugafter another for detailed discussion, there is moreoften that not some catch or " but " which robs thereader of any whole-hearted faith. From the stand-point of sport, this is perhaps all to the good.
Mr. E. L. SHERIDAN, F.R.C.S.I., has been nominated,by the Privy Council, chairman of the Dental Boardof the United Kingdom in succession to the late SirFrancis Acland. Mr. Sheridan, who is professor ofdental surgery in the National University of Ireland,was an original member of the board and has for thepast ten years represented qualified dentists prac-tising in Ireland. He is one of the additional membersof the General Medical Council appointed by thePrivy Council under the Dentists Act, 1921.
1. Böje, O., Nord. Med. June 30, 1939, p. 1963.
NURSING COURSES FOR SCHOOL-GIRLS.-Last yearthe General Nursing Council passed a resolution(Lancet, 1938, 1, 867) approving the division of thepreliminary state examination into two parts, the first ofwhich might be taken before entering hospital, providedthat the candidate had followed an approved course ofinstruction at school. The Board of Education has nowissued a circular (No. 1471) explaining the arrangementswhich they have made in cooperation with the council forcourses in anatomy, physiology and hygiene to be givenin secondary schools and technical schools for girls whowish to enter the nursing profession. In view of theserious shortage of nurses, the board hope that manyschools will find it possible to establish prenursing courseswhich they can recommend to the council for approval.In a report published some months ago the Interdepart-mental Committee on Nursing Services pointed out thatthe number of probationers required annually was 12,000.This figure is much in excess of the possible supply ofentrants from secondary schools. The circular, therefore,follows the report in recommending that in addition tocourses in secondary schools there should be eveningcourses in technical schools which can be taken by girlsand young women already in employment. There mayalso be whole-time day courses in technical schools forgirls and young women who have left school and are notemployed or can afford to leave their employment.
