982

cardiac failure. The witness was not satisfied with the certifi-cate, although he had nothing to complain of in Mr. Phipps’s’treatment of his father. The widow of the deceased gavesimilar evidence. The nurse and the matron gave evidenceto the effect that the patient was never left alone for hours.The coroner made some very strong observations about the,freedom with which visitors were allowed at all hours, andthe jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical’evidence and they entirely exonerated the hospital authori-ties from all blame. We do not doubt in the least thatthe deceased thought that he was neglected or that the

’relatives believed the statement. But everybody knows thatpatients suffering from extravasation of urine very commonly.suffer from delusions ; those ignorant of such matters may<very well believe statements made in this way. It is to be

hoped that this occurrence will not, as the coroner remarked,raise a prejudice against the hospital, for cottage hospitals-are a great boon to rural districts.

THE MELTING POINT OF FATS.

IT is well known that the melting point of a fat under.examination affords a useful guide to the elucidation of itsmature and probable origin. Thus the determination of the

melting point of fat is important in making an analysis of- substances intended for food. The different fats used,,as articles of food have a wide range of melting point.Butter has a low melting point, while the melting,point of suet is comparatively high. The simplest way-of ascertaining the melting point of a given fat is to placesome of the solid fat on a loop of platinum wire and theno immerse it in cold water, next to gradually raise the tem-(perature and note that point at which the fat becomestranslucent. The process may be reversed and the pointnoted at which it becomes opaque again. The methodis not exact, the accuracy of the observation dependinglargely upon that personal element which enters into a

,.good deal of analytical work. A more exact method has

been recently proposed which seems easy of manipula-tion and which should give concordant results. Two

platinum wires are coated with the fat under examinationand then dipped into a cup containing mercury and con-nected with a battery in the circuit of which an electric bellds placed. The mercury is then gradually warmed, the tem-,perature being noted by means of a thermometer immerseddn the fluid metal. A point arrives at which the fat will bemelted on the platinum wires and the platinum gainingcontact with the mercury an electric current is established

which is indicated by the ringing of the bell. The reading.of the thermometer is then observed. The process is very

ingenious and it should be a valuable aid in the discrimina-tion of fats and in affording a clue as to the probable natureof a fat in a given food under analysis.

THE MEDICAL DEFENCE UNION.

" A YEAR’S Work in Medical Defence " is the title of the.annual report and statement of accounts for the year 1898 ofthe Medical Defence Union-a society which is doing mostuseful work. A perusal of the report will give some idea of<the enormous number of cases considered by the Council ofthe Union during the year. The work of the Union not

only consists in defending its members from charges ofvarious kinds brought against them during the year, but alsotin prosecuting unqualified practitioners and in other ways.assisting in maintaining the status of the medical profession..generally. The Council also had to deal with certain casesof undoubted personation-that is to say, cases in which an

unqualified person has assumed the name and qualificationsof a qualified practitioner. The Nugent case was an example.of the kind. In many important cases also the representa-tives of the Union have rendered great aid to the Treasury in I

criminal prosecutions, and this assistance has been dulyrecognised and appreciated. Medical men are at all timesliable to have attacks made upon them. It is a veryserious matter for a member of the profession when servedwith a writ claiming damages for alleged malpraxis or pre-sumed negligence to have to defend himself ; but with thefull resources of the Union to aid him and with the skilled

assistance provided for him as a member the anxiety islessened considerably and the cost becomes comparativelytrivial. Assuming that a member has claimed the aidof the Union and has had his case accepted he practicallyhas no further trouble to meet until, should the case go fortrial, he has to give evidence upon his own behalf. In

every case taken over by the Council the best legal assist-ance is given and where necessary leading counsel are in-structed. As stated in the report the members feel thatno case is lost either by want of care or by the

non-employment of skilled legal advice. It has become

well recognised that the Union never under any circum-stances compromises any action undertaken on behalfof a member which involves his professional honour or

reputation and this wholesome principle has told its talewith marked effect upon reckless and blackmailinglitigants and their advisers. The mere receipt of a

letter from the general secretary indicating that themedical man threatened was "a member of the MedicalDefence Union has in itself been sufficient to effectuallyput a stop to any further threat or proceedings. There are

several reasons therefore, why it is advisable for a medicalman to join this or some kindred association, both frompurely personal and from general professional standpoints;he may find such a course useful in defending himself froman unjustifiable attack and he will also aid in maintainingthe honour and integrity of his profession.

THE STRUCTURE OF NERVE CELLS.

IN an article published in a recent number of the ArchivesItaliennes de Biologic Professor C. Golgi gives the results ofsome observations which he has made upon the structure ofnerve. In the first place, by the action of certain reagentshe believes that he is able to demonstrate the presence of a

special investing membrane in various nerve cells and,secondly, that he is able to show that there is a peculiarreticular structure in the interior of nerve cells. Themethods which he has adopted in making the preparationsare the well-known chromo-argentic method and more

particularly a mode of rapidly hardening small fragmentsof nerve-tissue in a mixture of two or three partsof a 3 per cent. solution of potassium bichromate andone part of a 1 per cent. solution of osmic acid and thenexposing them for a short time to dilute solution of nitrate ofsilver (0’75 to 1 per cent.). The addition of a 10 per cent.solution of phosphate of soda to the osmio-bichromic solutionis advantageous and the fragments can be allowed to remainin this fluid for some days. Sections should be made fromtime to time to see the effect produced. The cell coveringthat can be demonstrated by these means is some-

times continuous and homogeneous and sometimes it

appears in the form of delicate scales disposed side

by side ; more frequently, however, it presents the

appearance of a fine and delicate network, with uniformlyround and regular meshes which completely invests the cellbody and is prolonged upon the protoplasmic processes ofthe cell as far as to the second and even the third division,but on these it becomes a more continuous and homogeneouslayer. The scale-like and striated characters of the invest-ment are particularly observable on the cells of Purkinje inthe cerebellum. The second structure to which Professor

Golgi draws attention is a delicate network which he shows