THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND ITS MEDICAL OFFICER
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617 taining more than from two to five grains in a dose, the I attention of the dispenser would probably soon be directed to the unusual character of the prescription, and he would therefore most likely exercise more than ordinary care in dispensing such a mixture. The subject is one of great importance, and deserves more attention than has hitherto been given to it. It is scarcely necessary to point out that it is most desirable that medicine should contain the proper quantity of active ingredient as prescribed by the practitioner. The authors have been engaged in examining medicines containing quinine, and they find the method of estimating quinine by the ammonia and ether method is lengthy and difficult, besides necessitating the use of an expensive reagent-viz., ether. They have accord- ingly been led to the suggestion of a method which they do not urge in the place of the ammonia one, but as a process which will enable one to decide pretty quickly whether any error in dispensing has been committed. It depends upon I the facts that quinine bisulphate is neutral to methyl orange, and that the base itself has no action on phenol- phthalein. To 25 cubic centimetres of medicine two drops of methyl orange (’25 gramme per litre of water) and two drops of phenol-phthalein (’5 gramme per litre, 50 per cent. alcohol) are added. Deci-normal baryta solution is then run in, until the red colour changes to brown-that is, until the free acid is neutralised. The number of cubic centi- metres used is noted. More baryta water is then added, until the pink colour of phenol-phthalein somewhat slowly appears. The difference between the two additions of baryta water, multiplied by the factor ’0218, gives the weight of quinine sulphate (7 mol. aq.) in grammes in the 25 cubic centimetres taken. Results obtained by the authors with samples of medicine compared well with those obtained by the gravimetric method. Standard solutions of quinine also gave good results. The method cannot of course be applied to medicine containing salts, the bases of which are precipitated by baryta water. "QUOTATIONS" BY QUACKS. THE very serious annoyance to which medical men are subjected at the hands of quacks by the misquotation of passages from their writings is an injury which there cer- tainly ought to be no difficulty in repressing. The mischief is both a public and a private one, since unskilled readers are misled and the authors are liable to be injured, it may be seriously, in reputation by the attribution to them of opinions and utterances wholly unworthy of men of science, or perhaps unworthy of honest men. Unhappily the notion has prevailed that an eminent medical man is not liable to be injured in a pecuniary sense by the unwelcome attentions of such lowly parasites as the vendors of quackery ; and upon this exceedingly narrow ground legal relief has been refused. This, for example, was the case in the suit brought by Sir James Clark to restrain a defendant named Freeman from the use of Sir James Clark’s name in an advertisement of what purported quite unwarrantably to be Sir James Clark’s consumption pill. The judge who decided that case in the defendant’s favour thought that he had no jurisdiction to interfere in circum- stances which did not involve a tangible injury to property. That, however, was a case decided so long as forty years ago, and it may well be that a more enlightened view of the rights of any man, with or without a reputation, to protect himself against an unauthorised use of his name would now obtain. Indeed, the late Lord Cairns, commenting upon the very case to which we have just referred, expressed an opinion that it had been wrongly decided, and this circumstance alone must have greatly reduced - may even, perhaps, be said to have destroyed-the value of that judgment as a precedent. We trust, then, that some one : of the many eminent medical men who at the present time : are subjected to the humiliation of seeing their names made use of to puff the wares of quacks will be in- duced to incur the trouble and expense of legal proceedings i to bring some one or other of the offenders to justice, i and strike a wholesome dread into the rest. It is much to be wished that the law upon the point were more un- . mistakable than it is; indeed, it seems to us that when . once it appears that there is any room for argument at all . as to the legal right of an author to restrain the misuse of i his own name to authenticate something which he has never approved, a case is shown, and even a strong one, for i a remedy to be applied either by a well-considered judgment . which would establish the law on a sound basis, or for still . more formal legislation by Act of Parliament. A NOVEL ENDOSCOPE. DR. F. HENEL, jun., of New York, describes in the New, York Medical J01.trnal of Feb. 22nd a very simple form of endoscope, which he asserts is also very efficicnt. It con- sists of a truncated cone of metal or vulcanite, the narrow end of which is passed into the urethra until the meatus is. plugged by it. The broad end of the cone is oblique and closed by a glass lens. By means of a rubber ball and tube L air can be forced into the speculum and through it into the urethra. Dr. Henel states that when the urethra is thus. distended with air a great length of the urethra is exposed. to view, and can be accurately examined. THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND ITS MEDICAL OFFICER. IN a recent article we discussed the inadequacy of the salary offered by the London School Board for the appoint- ment of medical officer. The duties obviously were full of importance to the public, and the Board proposed to pay only 9400 a year to an officer who was expected to devote the whole of his time to those duties. We now learn that a gentleman has been appointed who we cannot , believe will abandon the other offices he holds, among : these being that of medical officer of health. The School Board therefore must have altered its intentions as. , to the duties which must devolve upon the officer, and must , have departed from the advertised condition that no other : appointment was to be held by their officer. We do not I propose at the present moment to discuss the question , whether the Board is likely to be better served by one officer giving a part of his time or by another giving the whole of his. . time ; but it is quite obvious that a very different class of , man would apply under the two circumstances. The point : we desire to emphasise is the impropriety of a public body , altering the terms of an advertised appointment without the ; reissue of an advertisement. The proper course for the Board i to have adopted was to reconsider the whole question, to ; take counsel with those competent to give advice, and then > to have invited applications under the new conditions. The- , Board recently has not appeared in a good light before the r public, and its behaviour in regard to so important a matter as the appointment of a medical officer cannot escape- criticism. ____ CHLORAL POISONING BY MISADVENTURE. A VERY painful case of death from an overdose of chloral is reported from Oakham. The practitioner was much overworked, and got a neighbouring chemist’s assistant to help him to dispense. In this particular instance he seems to have dictated to the dispenser, who, misunderstanding his instructions and the nature of the preparation of chloral-a strong solution of the drug-gave. an enormous dose-600 grains. The lady was pregnant.
Transcript of THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND ITS MEDICAL OFFICER
617
taining more than from two to five grains in a dose, the Iattention of the dispenser would probably soon bedirected to the unusual character of the prescription,and he would therefore most likely exercise more than
ordinary care in dispensing such a mixture. The subject isone of great importance, and deserves more attention than hashitherto been given to it. It is scarcely necessary to pointout that it is most desirable that medicine should containthe proper quantity of active ingredient as prescribed bythe practitioner. The authors have been engaged in
examining medicines containing quinine, and they find themethod of estimating quinine by the ammonia and ethermethod is lengthy and difficult, besides necessitating theuse of an expensive reagent-viz., ether. They have accord-ingly been led to the suggestion of a method which they donot urge in the place of the ammonia one, but as a processwhich will enable one to decide pretty quickly whether anyerror in dispensing has been committed. It depends upon Ithe facts that quinine bisulphate is neutral to methylorange, and that the base itself has no action on phenol-phthalein. To 25 cubic centimetres of medicine two dropsof methyl orange (’25 gramme per litre of water) and twodrops of phenol-phthalein (’5 gramme per litre, 50 per cent.alcohol) are added. Deci-normal baryta solution is thenrun in, until the red colour changes to brown-that is, untilthe free acid is neutralised. The number of cubic centi-metres used is noted. More baryta water is then added,until the pink colour of phenol-phthalein somewhat slowlyappears. The difference between the two additions of
baryta water, multiplied by the factor ’0218, gives theweight of quinine sulphate (7 mol. aq.) in grammes in the25 cubic centimetres taken. Results obtained by the authorswith samples of medicine compared well with those obtainedby the gravimetric method. Standard solutions of quininealso gave good results. The method cannot of course be
applied to medicine containing salts, the bases of whichare precipitated by baryta water.
"QUOTATIONS" BY QUACKS.THE very serious annoyance to which medical men are
subjected at the hands of quacks by the misquotation ofpassages from their writings is an injury which there cer-tainly ought to be no difficulty in repressing. The mischiefis both a public and a private one, since unskilled readersare misled and the authors are liable to be injured, it maybe seriously, in reputation by the attribution to themof opinions and utterances wholly unworthy of men ofscience, or perhaps unworthy of honest men. Unhappilythe notion has prevailed that an eminent medical man isnot liable to be injured in a pecuniary sense by theunwelcome attentions of such lowly parasites as thevendors of quackery ; and upon this exceedingly narrowground legal relief has been refused. This, for example, wasthe case in the suit brought by Sir James Clark to restraina defendant named Freeman from the use of Sir JamesClark’s name in an advertisement of what purported quiteunwarrantably to be Sir James Clark’s consumption pill.The judge who decided that case in the defendant’s favourthought that he had no jurisdiction to interfere in circum-stances which did not involve a tangible injury to property.That, however, was a case decided so long as forty years ago,and it may well be that a more enlightened view of the rightsof any man, with or without a reputation, to protect himselfagainst an unauthorised use of his name would nowobtain. Indeed, the late Lord Cairns, commenting uponthe very case to which we have just referred, expressed anopinion that it had been wrongly decided, and thiscircumstance alone must have greatly reduced - mayeven, perhaps, be said to have destroyed-the value of thatjudgment as a precedent. We trust, then, that some one
: of the many eminent medical men who at the present time: are subjected to the humiliation of seeing their namesmade use of to puff the wares of quacks will be in-
duced to incur the trouble and expense of legal proceedingsi to bring some one or other of the offenders to justice,i and strike a wholesome dread into the rest. It is much tobe wished that the law upon the point were more un-. mistakable than it is; indeed, it seems to us that when.
once it appears that there is any room for argument at all. as to the legal right of an author to restrain the misuse ofi his own name to authenticate something which he hasnever approved, a case is shown, and even a strong one, fori a remedy to be applied either by a well-considered judgment. which would establish the law on a sound basis, or for still. more formal legislation by Act of Parliament.
A NOVEL ENDOSCOPE.
DR. F. HENEL, jun., of New York, describes in the New,York Medical J01.trnal of Feb. 22nd a very simple form ofendoscope, which he asserts is also very efficicnt. It con-sists of a truncated cone of metal or vulcanite, the narrowend of which is passed into the urethra until the meatus is.plugged by it. The broad end of the cone is oblique andclosed by a glass lens. By means of a rubber ball and tubeL air can be forced into the speculum and through it into theurethra. Dr. Henel states that when the urethra is thus.distended with air a great length of the urethra is exposed.
to view, and can be accurately examined.
THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD AND ITSMEDICAL OFFICER.
IN a recent article we discussed the inadequacy of thesalary offered by the London School Board for the appoint-ment of medical officer. The duties obviously were full of
importance to the public, and the Board proposed to payonly 9400 a year to an officer who was expected to
devote the whole of his time to those duties. We nowlearn that a gentleman has been appointed who we cannot
, believe will abandon the other offices he holds, among: these being that of medical officer of health. The
School Board therefore must have altered its intentions as.
, to the duties which must devolve upon the officer, and must, have departed from the advertised condition that no other: appointment was to be held by their officer. We do not
I propose at the present moment to discuss the question, whether the Board is likely to be better served by one officer
giving a part of his time or by another giving the whole of his.. time ; but it is quite obvious that a very different class of, man would apply under the two circumstances. The point: we desire to emphasise is the impropriety of a public body, altering the terms of an advertised appointment without the;
reissue of an advertisement. The proper course for the Board
i to have adopted was to reconsider the whole question, to
; take counsel with those competent to give advice, and then
> to have invited applications under the new conditions. The-, Board recently has not appeared in a good light before ther public, and its behaviour in regard to so important a matter
as the appointment of a medical officer cannot escape-criticism.
____
CHLORAL POISONING BY MISADVENTURE.
A VERY painful case of death from an overdose ofchloral is reported from Oakham. The practitioner wasmuch overworked, and got a neighbouring chemist’sassistant to help him to dispense. In this particularinstance he seems to have dictated to the dispenser, who,misunderstanding his instructions and the nature of thepreparation of chloral-a strong solution of the drug-gave.an enormous dose-600 grains. The lady was pregnant.
