THE INFLUENCE OF COLD IN PNEUMONIC INFECTION
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418 fectious disease, he passes on to consider some of the chief difficulties which in time past have prevented its rational treatment. The obscurity of its cause, the species of fatalism which regards various diseases as the natural barriers of early life, and the individualism which prefers a pernicious liberty to the needful control imposed by laws of health, are specially noticed. A policy of indifference in such matters on the part of the State is shown to be.clearly incompatible with public safety. Something like paternal legislation is there- fore called for, no less on grounds of material economy than of common humanity. In espousing this line of argument the paper before us does useful service to the public gene- rally, and represents a form of instruction in medical principles which can result in good only. It satisfactorily establishes its author’s contention that self-preservation such as he advocates implies the fullest regard for our neighbours’ welfare. - THE COURSE OF THE AFFERENT FIBRES FOR TASTE. A CASE has recently been published by Ziehl in F/’eAo’ Archiv which, on the whole, supports the view that the fibres conveying gustatory impressions from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue reach the brain through the fifth nerve, and not through the facial. The patient was a man thirty-six years old, otherwise healthy, who found on waking one morning that he had lost sensation in the left side of the chin and of the tongue, and had also lost taste on that side of the tongue. When he came under observa- tion some weeks later there was complete motor and sensory paralysis of the parts supplied by the inferior division of the fifth nerve. The muscles were wasted, and had lost faradaic excitability, and there was complete anaesthesia of the cutaneous distribution of the branches of the nerve, of the inside of the cheek, gums, palate, and of the tongue. The other branches of the fifth nerve were quite normal. The ears were perfectly healthy, and there was no affection of the facial nerve. Taste was com- pletely abolished for electrical and all other stimuli on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue on the left side. After treatment for several months the motor and sensory paralysis gradually passed off, and as the muscles regained power and common sensibility returned, taste also was restored. This clinical observation is in agreement with many others that have been made in this country and else- where. While there is no doubt that gustatory impressions pass from the tongue by the chorda tympani to the facial nerve, it is almost certain that they do not reach the brain by that channel. The most probable explanation is that the fibres pass from the facial by the Vidian nerve to Meckel’s ganglion and ascend by the second division of the fifth nerve to the brain. In this case there was no evidence of any affection of the second division, but, remembering how close to the third division the Vidian nerve passes, it is quite conceivable that it might be involved in a lesion affecting the larger nerve. - THE VENTILATION OF THE LAW COURTS. THE problem of ventilating a large building such as the Law Courts is one that presents many difficulties, and it would have been matter for great congratulation if these had been successfully surmounted. As a matter of fact they have been only very ineffectively attacked. The sub- ject, indeed, is one that is very little understood-that is to say, it has been very inadequately discussed in technical circles; and the results, such as they are, of technical dis- cussion are almost absolutely unknown to the general public and to those classes of the population upon whom the custody of our great buildings chiefly devolves. Its size and the complexity of its parts considered, the building in the Strand should be a comparatively easy one to ventilate, for the simple reason that there is abundant space for the neces. sary machinery and no lack of attendance in the various departments, so that the necessary work can be organised with the greatest facility. In spite of all this, the result actually attained ii very disappointing. All habitnés of the building concur in describing its ventilation as being faulty in a marked degree. Mr. Baron Huddleston has been the latest complainant. He said a few days since that, although a thermometer at his side registered over 700, a current of icy air was at the same moment playing about his feet. His complaint was promptly re-echoed from the bar, and even those whose visits to the Court have only been occasional will be well prepared to believe that the facts j ustitied the comment made. This is a condition of things which calls loudly for amendment, and we trust that, in the interest of all concerned, and not less of the jurors and the suitors than of the Bench and the bar, who have some sort of monopoly of the privilege of articulate complaint in the matter, such measures will be promptly taken to improve the ventilation of the various Courts as may be possible. If necessary, it surely should not be impossible or even ditticult to form a committee of scientific men who could thoroughly investigate the source of the mischief and prescribe a remedy. THE INFLUENCE OF COLD IN PNEUMONIC INFECTION. DR. G. LIPARI of Palermo in his recent experiments on the infectious nature of fibrinous pneumonia, essentially confirms what is known of Fraenkel’s pneumonococcus, and has also succeeded in proving the influence of cold as a factor in the origin of fibrinous pneumonia. The endo- tracheal injection of pneumonic sputa or pleuritic exuda- tion of animals which had died from pneumonococci gave a negative result, but when the author, before or after the endo-tracheal injection, exposed the animals to cold, the result was very different. Of eight animals so treated six died with clearly established pneumonic infiltration. The author supposes that the cold paralyses the ciliated epi- thelium of the bronchi, and at the same time causes their mucous membrane to swell, both of which pathological processes favour the descent of the infectious material into the alveoli. These experiments were doubtless undertaken with a view to harrnonise the old and new teaching upon the origin of this prevalent disease. THE DANGERS ATTENDING THE USE OF PARAFFIN LAMPS. EXPLOSION is evidently not the only possible source of danger that attends the use of a common petroleum lamp. At a coroner’s inquest held in East London on the 10th inst., it was found that the death of an infant was caused by inhalation of the noxious products due to faulty cora- bustion of a common paraffin lamp. It appears that the lamp, the chimney of which was patched in places with paper, was allowed to burn all night in the room where a mother and her child were sleeping. She awoke next morning and found the child dead beside her and the room full of acrid smoke. The atmosphere was, in fact, so foul that the medical man who was summoned could not remain long in the room. The post-mortem examination showed that death was the result of asphyxia- tion. It is difficult to understand why a paraffin lamp should have been used for such a purpose when common night-lights are not only cheap and convenient, but absolutely free from the possibility of an accident, either as the result of explosion or of imperfect burning. Petroleum lamps invariably require careful attention, the
Transcript of THE INFLUENCE OF COLD IN PNEUMONIC INFECTION
418
fectious disease, he passes on to consider some of the chiefdifficulties which in time past have prevented its rationaltreatment. The obscurity of its cause, the species of fatalismwhich regards various diseases as the natural barriers of earlylife, and the individualism which prefers a pernicious libertyto the needful control imposed by laws of health, are speciallynoticed. A policy of indifference in such matters on thepart of the State is shown to be.clearly incompatible withpublic safety. Something like paternal legislation is there-fore called for, no less on grounds of material economy thanof common humanity. In espousing this line of argumentthe paper before us does useful service to the public gene-rally, and represents a form of instruction in medical
principles which can result in good only. It satisfactorilyestablishes its author’s contention that self-preservationsuch as he advocates implies the fullest regard for ourneighbours’ welfare. -
THE COURSE OF THE AFFERENT FIBRESFOR TASTE.
A CASE has recently been published by Ziehl in F/’eAo’Archiv which, on the whole, supports the view that thefibres conveying gustatory impressions from the anteriortwo-thirds of the tongue reach the brain through the fifthnerve, and not through the facial. The patient was a manthirty-six years old, otherwise healthy, who found on
waking one morning that he had lost sensation in the leftside of the chin and of the tongue, and had also lost tasteon that side of the tongue. When he came under observa-tion some weeks later there was complete motor and
sensory paralysis of the parts supplied by the inferiordivision of the fifth nerve. The muscles were wasted, andhad lost faradaic excitability, and there was completeanaesthesia of the cutaneous distribution of the branchesof the nerve, of the inside of the cheek, gums, palate, andof the tongue. The other branches of the fifth nerve were
quite normal. The ears were perfectly healthy, and therewas no affection of the facial nerve. Taste was com-
pletely abolished for electrical and all other stimuli onthe anterior two-thirds of the tongue on the left side.After treatment for several months the motor and sensoryparalysis gradually passed off, and as the muscles regainedpower and common sensibility returned, taste also wasrestored. This clinical observation is in agreement withmany others that have been made in this country and else-where. While there is no doubt that gustatory impressionspass from the tongue by the chorda tympani to the facialnerve, it is almost certain that they do not reach the brainby that channel. The most probable explanation is thatthe fibres pass from the facial by the Vidian nerve toMeckel’s ganglion and ascend by the second division of thefifth nerve to the brain. In this case there was no evidenceof any affection of the second division, but, rememberinghow close to the third division the Vidian nerve passes, itis quite conceivable that it might be involved in a lesionaffecting the larger nerve. -
THE VENTILATION OF THE LAW COURTS.
THE problem of ventilating a large building such as theLaw Courts is one that presents many difficulties, and itwould have been matter for great congratulation if thesehad been successfully surmounted. As a matter of fact
they have been only very ineffectively attacked. The sub-
ject, indeed, is one that is very little understood-that is tosay, it has been very inadequately discussed in technicalcircles; and the results, such as they are, of technical dis-cussion are almost absolutely unknown to the general publicand to those classes of the population upon whom thecustody of our great buildings chiefly devolves. Its size andthe complexity of its parts considered, the building in the
Strand should be a comparatively easy one to ventilate, forthe simple reason that there is abundant space for the neces.sary machinery and no lack of attendance in the variousdepartments, so that the necessary work can be organisedwith the greatest facility. In spite of all this, the resultactually attained ii very disappointing. All habitnés ofthe building concur in describing its ventilation as beingfaulty in a marked degree. Mr. Baron Huddlestonhas been the latest complainant. He said a few dayssince that, although a thermometer at his side registeredover 700, a current of icy air was at the same moment
playing about his feet. His complaint was promptlyre-echoed from the bar, and even those whose visits to theCourt have only been occasional will be well prepared tobelieve that the facts j ustitied the comment made. This isa condition of things which calls loudly for amendment,and we trust that, in the interest of all concerned, and notless of the jurors and the suitors than of the Bench and thebar, who have some sort of monopoly of the privilege ofarticulate complaint in the matter, such measures will bepromptly taken to improve the ventilation of the variousCourts as may be possible. If necessary, it surely shouldnot be impossible or even ditticult to form a committee ofscientific men who could thoroughly investigate the sourceof the mischief and prescribe a remedy.
THE INFLUENCE OF COLD IN PNEUMONICINFECTION.
DR. G. LIPARI of Palermo in his recent experiments onthe infectious nature of fibrinous pneumonia, essentiallyconfirms what is known of Fraenkel’s pneumonococcus, andhas also succeeded in proving the influence of cold as afactor in the origin of fibrinous pneumonia. The endo-tracheal injection of pneumonic sputa or pleuritic exuda-tion of animals which had died from pneumonococci gave anegative result, but when the author, before or after theendo-tracheal injection, exposed the animals to cold, theresult was very different. Of eight animals so treated sixdied with clearly established pneumonic infiltration. Theauthor supposes that the cold paralyses the ciliated epi-thelium of the bronchi, and at the same time causes theirmucous membrane to swell, both of which pathologicalprocesses favour the descent of the infectious material intothe alveoli. These experiments were doubtless undertakenwith a view to harrnonise the old and new teaching uponthe origin of this prevalent disease.
THE DANGERS ATTENDING THE USE OFPARAFFIN LAMPS.
EXPLOSION is evidently not the only possible source ofdanger that attends the use of a common petroleum lamp.At a coroner’s inquest held in East London on the 10thinst., it was found that the death of an infant was causedby inhalation of the noxious products due to faulty cora-bustion of a common paraffin lamp. It appears that the
lamp, the chimney of which was patched in places withpaper, was allowed to burn all night in the room where amother and her child were sleeping. She awoke next
morning and found the child dead beside her and theroom full of acrid smoke. The atmosphere was, in fact,so foul that the medical man who was summonedcould not remain long in the room. The post-mortemexamination showed that death was the result of asphyxia-tion. It is difficult to understand why a paraffin lampshould have been used for such a purpose when common
night-lights are not only cheap and convenient, but
absolutely free from the possibility of an accident,either as the result of explosion or of imperfect burning.Petroleum lamps invariably require careful attention, the
