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Taking into account the smallness of these glands, it is seenthat their secretion must be most virulent, more especially asno reservoir exists, as in the viper. The poisonous symptomsdetermined by inoculation of this gland-product were identicalin character and severity with those provoked by the blood andserum of the same animals. The alcoholic extract was inactive.It is evident that the immunity enjoyed by the adder in respectof the viper’s venom (echidnine) is due to the fact that thecontinual internal secretion of an analogous poison by the ,,

superior labial glands constitutes an auto-inoculation which is i

protective. The importance of this discovery is great, seeing that we are only beginning to become alive to the immenseimportance to the system of the internal-i. e., reabsorbed-secretion of such bodies as the thyroid, thymus, pancreas, &c.

Heated Cabs and their Dangers.Many English visitors to Paris who have occasion to utilise

the cabs, labelled chauffée, which abound in its streets atthis period of the year are loud in their denunciation ofLondon cabowners, who neglect this provision for thecomfort of their fares. Such critics little dream of thedanger incurred in remaining shut up in these poison trapsduring a course. Professor Brouardel2 relates the two

following histories of accidents that happened from thiscause on the same day (Dec. 31st, 1893) to a cabman and amedical practitioner. The former fell asleep in his heatedcab after having carefully closed the windows. Half an hourlater he was taken out dead, and post-mortem examinationat the Morgue revealed carbonic oxide poisoning as the causeof the catastrophe. On the other hand, the practitioner hadre-entered his heated and closed carriage after an absence ofan hour at a consultation. After a drive of five minutes hewas seized with giddiness, nausea, and a degree of muscular loss of power that rendered the throwing open of the car- i

riage windows a matter of extreme difficulty. He sufferedfrom the effects of this carbonic acid poisoning for tenfurther days. In the course of the discussion that ensuedM. Moissan stated that this danger was not limited to thebriquettes of public vehicles, but extended to nearly all thehousehold heating apparatus. The joints of these appa-ratuses were mostly composed of glazed earthenware, which,under the influence of the heat, soon cracked and allowedthe carbonic oxide gas to escape. He said that non-fatalaccidents were very common, and he knew many people whocomplained every winter of malaisp, which disappeared insummer with the exit of the determining cause-the deadlybriquette of the comfortable(?) Paris heated cab. The Academyof Medicine decided to submit the question to its sanitarysection, which will report thereon at the next meeting.Jan. 23rd.

BERLIN.(FBOM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Cholera at Tilsit.PROFESSOR VON ESMARCH, writing on Cholera in East

Prussia,3 describes an outbreak at Tilsit, in a house inhabitedby forty-five people, amongst whom there were seventeencases with eight deaths. The house was situated close to theTilsit waterworks. It was evacuated immediately and allits inhabitants were put under observation. The outbreakdid not spread.

Curious Case (If Phosphorit Poisoning.Freyhan describes 4 a curious case of phosphorus poisoning.

A young man, a performer at fairs who was in the habitof exhibiting the strength of his digestion by eating shavings,glass, leather, soap, coals, blacking, &c., added matches tothis already sufficiently miscellaneous list, selecting thosetipped with phosphorus. For a time, in consequence of thesmall number taken, he suffered no inconvenience, but,business becoming brisk in this department, he had occasionto give twenty to thirty performances daily, and in a littlemore than a week symptoms of phosphorus poisoningoccurred, which ended fatally.

Icterus Neonatorum.

Quisling publishes an interesting and exhaustive paper 5 onicterus neonatorum. Dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, eructa-

2 Académie des Sciences, Jan. 16th, 1894.3 Deutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift, No. 1.

4 Ibid., No. 3.5 Archiv für Kinderheilkunde, Band xvii., Hefte 1. 11.

tions, and flatulence, with sour and green stools, are constansymptoms, and are either contemporary or occur soon afterthe appearance of the jaundice. In a large number of casesfever was present, especially in the evening. The periodafter birth at which the cord was tied had no apparent effect.The writer discards the theory that the jaundice is due to dis-turbance of circulation from closure of the placental circula-tion, and agrees with Stadelmann that the hasmatogen theoryis not tenable. He is of opinion that the cause is a gastro-intestinal catarrh caused by the irritation of the first food,which is often of an unsuitable character. The catarrhextends into the duct, which thus becomes blocked. Boysseem to him to be rather more common victims of the diseasethan girls.

Cholera Statistics at the Moabit Hospital.Professor Renvers, reporting s on cholera in the Moabit

Hospital, Berlin, says that from Aug. 23rd to Nov. 21st,1893, 122 cases were taken in as suspicious cases. He dividesthe cases into four groups: (1) those in which the comma

bacillus was found in the stools ; (2) those of acute gastro-enteritis without preliminary fever, where the clinical

symptoms were undistinguishable from those of cholera, butwhere either the rice-water stools were remarkably free from

bacteria or no predominating form could be detected, thoughstreptococci were often present ; (3) similar cases to group 2,but with high fever at first ; and (4) those of simple gastro-intestinal catarrh. According to Professor Renvers’ ex-

perience, there is no sure clinical symptom by which cases ofenteritis can be distinguished from cholera ; the presenceor absence of the comma bacillus is the only certain dis-tinction. A number of examinations of the stools ofmedical men, attendants, and patients for comma bacillusgave a negative result. These examinations were madewhilst cholera cases were in the hospital.

The Action of Tetanus Antitoxine.Professor Buchner7 discusses the question whether or not the

tetanus antitoxine in blood-serum acts by decomposing thetetanus poison. He comes to the conclusion that this de-composing action does not occur, and that the effect of theantitoxine is rather to be referred to its power of causingimmunity. He prepared a mixture of tetanus poison andantitoxine in such proportions that its effect when injectedinto white mice was nil. He then, with a similar mixture,injected guinea-pigs, which are more susceptible to tetanus-than are white mice, with the result that they showed dis-tinct symptoms of the disorder; thus proving that in themixture of poison and antitoxine the former was not decom-posed by the latter, and that the two substances do not acton one another, but that both affect separately the animalorganism. The same result was obtained when the mixturewas allowed to stand some time before use, so as to give theantitoxine an opportunity of decomposing the poison, if thatwere possible. The explanation of the action of the anti-toxine appears to be that it makes insusceptible to the

poison all those parts of the organism which, being susceptibleto tetanus, have not yet been attacked. Professor Buchneris further of opinion that the antitoxine is not a product of-the reaction of the organism to the poison, but is a bacteria.1product closely allied in composition to the poison. Time,of course, and more practical work with its tabulated results.are required to properly test such theories.Jan. 23rd.

_______________

AUSTRALIA.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Sydney Benevolent Asylum and Lying-’in Hospital.THE dispute at the Sydney Benevolent Asylum has practi-

cally terminated by the board of directors accepting the’

resignations of the medical staff and appointing the follow-ing gentlemen to the vacancies :-Drs. W. H. Crago, J.Foreman, W. S. M.Kay, and J. Graham. It has also beendecided to open a new Lying-in Home in Botany-street,-Moore-park, at which all midwifery cases will be ieceived,and moved to the main building as soon as convalescent.Miss Grace Robinson (M B , Ch.M. Sydney Univ.) has been,appointed resident medical officer at this branch home,and this is the first occasion in Sydney in which a ladyhas been appointed medical officer to a public institution.

6 Deutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift, No. 3.7 Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift, No. 4.

240

In Melbourne Miss Margaret Whyte (M.B. Melb. Univ.)was for some time resident medical officer to the Women’s

Hospital.Necessity for a Founding Hospital in Melbourne.

Following close on the execution of Makins, the "babyfarmer," in Sydney for the horrible murders of childrenentrusted to the care of himself and his wife, a Mrs. Knorrhas just been found guilty in Melbourne of the murder ofinfants whose remains were found buried in the backyards ofseveral houses successively occupied by her in varioussuburbs. The horrifying details of these crimes have

forcibly directed public attention to the necessity of somebetter means for protecting infant life. In 1890 the many- inquests held on "farmed-out" infants and the scathing- comments of the coroner for the city of Melbourne, Dr.Youl, led to the passing of an Infant Life Protection Act,which provides that houses where infants are boarded outmust be registered and regularly inspected by the police, aregister of all children received must be kept, and every deathreported and an inquest held. The Act, however, was notenforced until February, 1893. During the eight months.since then forty-two inquests have, been held on boarded-outchildren under the Act, the usual cause of death being intes-tinal catarrh from improper feeding. During the same periodtwenty-five inquests were held on infants abandoned by theirmothers soon after birth, the usual cause of death beingsuffocation, while eighty children who were abandoned, butfound alive, have been kept by the State. A very wellmanaged Infant Asylum exists in Melbourne, where motherswith their infants can stay, but the mothers do not care tostay there very long, and the only remedy for the present.state of affairs seems to be the establishment of a FoundlingHospital, though public sentiment is strongly opposed to sucha proposal.

Deaths under Anæsthetics.Deaths during the administration of chloroform continue

to be very frequent in the colonies. This month two haveoccurred in Melbourne. One case was at the Alfred Hospital.While a patient was being operated on for fistula theanaesthetist was called away and another practitioner con-tinued the administration. On turning the patient on tohis side he suddenly collapsed and died. The other case wasat the Melbourne Hospital. A girl, who was about to havea tuberculous knee excised, died before the operation wascommenced. The necropsy revealed extensive tuberculous,disease of the lungs and a weak, fatty heart. Another andmore unusual case, recently the subject of a colonial inquiry,was the sudden death of a female patient in a physician’s con-sulting-rooms after the local application of cocaine. The

physician was engaged in applying the galvano-cautery to thebase of a nasal polypus, having previously rendered the parts- insensitive by a 20 per cent. solution of cocaine, when thepatient fainted and, in spite of all the methods of restorationadopted, died. At the post-mortem examination it wasfound that both lungs were very emphysematous, there wasa. hæmorrhagic infarct in the right lung, the heart was dilated.and thin-walled, weighing 10 oz., and the mitral valve wasslightly diseased and obstructed.

Hyp-notism in Medicine.Considerable publicity has recently been given to the

practice of hypnotism as a therapeutic agent by a series of .questions asked in the Legislative Assembly of New SouthWales. Mr. Haynes, M,S.A., drew the attention of thePremier to a statement in the Australasian 3ledieal Gazetteby Mr. J. M. Creed that in a case where ordinary medicaltreatment had failed he had successfully resorted to hypnotism.Mr. Haynes asked whether the regulations of the Medical Boardpermitted such a resort to hypnosis, and, if so, would theboard allow the practice of hypnotism by non-registered men ? ‘!He was informed that the sole duty of the board was toexamine certificates and credentials, and when satisfiedto register persons as duly qualified medical practitioners.

Porro- Cæsarean Operation for I’ibro-myomcc, complicatingPregnancy and Preventing Delivery.

Dr. Dunbar Hooper has also recorded a case where heperformed the Porro-Cæsarean operation on a woman who ,had a large fibro-myoma and was pregnant. When seen shehad constant vomiting and a temperature of 101° F. In

performing the operation the uterine arteries were ligatured ’,.and the stump sutured and covered with peritoneum as inSchroder’s operation, but instead of being dropped back itwas fixed in the lower angle of the abdominal wound. Recovery was satisfactory.

Obituary.WILLIAM HENRY PLATT, L.R.C.P.EDIN., L.R.C.S.I.To many of his professional brethren, as to his patients

and a troop of friends, it was with a grief beyond wordsthat they heard of the sudden death of this most

estimable man on the Thursday preceding Christmas Day.He died at work, without any warning of impending illness.While seeing a patient late in the evening after a hard andanxious day he felt giddy ; he was laid down, his speechbecame thick, there was marked strabismus, in a fewminutes he was deeply unconscious, and the end came insomewhat less than three hours, doubtless from haemorrhageinto the pons. Born nine-and-forty years ago in Chester,the son of an old-fashioned apothecary of the time,he began his medical studies in Dublin at so earlyan age that all his examinations had been passed whenhe was not more than nineteen, and, being thereforeunable to obtain his diploma to practise, he went to theUnited States and served as a medical officer in the CivilWar. Then, no doubt, was developed that military spiritwhich he showed in after years, more especially in his longand honourable connexion with the Volunteer Medical StaffCorps, of which he was one of the original promoters and,at the time of his death, colonel, with the Volunteer decora-tion. Some twenty-five ears ago he commenced practicein the neighbourhood of Kilburn, where he remained duringthe rest of his life. If we mistake not, he was the first toestablish a non-dispensing practice in this part of London.His practice steadily increased, and with it his influencein the district, so that he was heard of in variousschemes of public usefulness, at one time as taking anactive part in the fourldation of the Kilburn ProvidentMedical Institute in conjunction with his friend Dr. Morton,at another as the originator of the No. IX. Centre ofthe St. John Ambulance Association, of which he was

made an Honorary Associate. This activity and success

had been foreshadowed by the successes of his student career,for the distinction of the Carmichael Prize had fallen to himwhen he was in Dublin. Thus he was widely known andgreatly respected by a vast number of patients and friends,both rich and poor, as one who was ever ready to devote him-self to the good of his fellow men. Everyone who sawhim behind the veil of professional life recognised at all timesthe worth and goodness and unselfish kindliness of a manwhose love it was to do his duty in the sphere of life to whichhe had been called. "Multis ille bonis fiebilis occidit."

; EDWARD FOWLER SCOUGAL, M.A. ABERD.,M.D., C.M. EDIN.

THE news of the death of Dr. Scougal of Huddersfield,which occurred on Sunday, the 14th inst., was received by thewhole town with the deepest regret. Dr. Scougal was theson of Mr. James Scougal, one of Her Majesty’s inspectors ofschools for Scotland, and settled in the neighbourhood of

Huddersfield soon after completing his classical and medicaleducation. He was widely known in both social and medicalcapacities, having been president of the Huddersfield ChoralSociety, for many years secretary of the Huddersfield MedicalSociety, as well as one of the most skilful supporters of thecricket and football clubs. The members of the HuddersfieldMedical Society on the occasion of their meeting on the15th inst., while conveying to Mrs. Scougal and her familytheir sympathies, took occasion to express the great respectwhich they entertained for the high character and worth oftheir late friend, colleague, and officer. Dr. Scougal, whohad suffered from cancer for several months before his earlydeath, was only thirty-eight years of age.

ROLPH LESLIE, M.A., M.D. TORONTO, L.R.C.P. LOND.FEW men, perhaps, have been more fortunate in making

friends, or more successful in keeping them than Dr. RolphLeslie. Thoughtful, kind-hearted, and generous to a fault,as he was, this need excite no surprise. After graduating atToronto University in 1876, Dr. Leslie left his home inCanada, and did not return, except for occasional short visits.In 1876 he volunteered for service in the Turkish Army, and