1196

I fear can hardly be considered as either novel or generallyserviceable. Dr. Cory’s views on this subject appear tome from a practical point of view somewhat below thelevel of modern gynaecological teaching, at least as far asthat of the Dublin school is concerned; and in this respectthey might seem not a little strange to anyone believing in Ithe vaunted superior knowledge of the modern Londonspecialist (an opinion in which I for one do not acquiesce).The medical treatment recommended by Dr. Cory-viz.," twenty grains of bicarbonate of soda and twelve grains ofcitric acid in an ounce and a half of water three times a day "-appears to me incompatible, but certainly has one advan-tage-viz., that it can do no possible harm. But how anygood can be thus effected in the treatment of a disease likeendometritis I certainly fail to see. The local applicationof iodised phenol which is now advocated by Dr. Cory isunquestionably antiquated, and has been adopted (though,as I think, in a more effective way) for many years past bymyself and other Dublin gynaecologists. Nor do I under-stand how this or other endo-uterine application can be ofany practical value in cases of endometritis until the cervicalcanal is previously dilated and the diseased endometriumremoved by the curette, as well as the viscid mucus foundin every instance, and which, if allowed to remain, mustneutralise the effect of any attempted local medication.This most important point, on which the success or failureof our topical treatment mainly depends, is not evenalluded to in Dr. Cory’s paper.

I am. Sirs. vours trulv.THOS. MORE MADDEN.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—The treatment of endometritis described by Dr.Cory in THE LANCET of Nov. 7th has been used for yearspast by the Dublin gynaecologists, and I think I can getmany of them to join with me in differing from Dr. Cory inhis statement thac "the application of iodised phenol is themost efficacious means of curing this disorder." This treat-ment was first suggested by Dr. Battey of Georgia, U.S.A.,and I for one have found it fail, even when applied in a muchmore lasting way than merely dipping an armed probe in thesolution on passing the same into the uterus. I leave thewadding saturated with the iodised phenol in the uterustill expelled (as it is sure to be sooner or later by uterinecontraction) ; and it is now some years since I publishedthe description of an instrument designed for this purpose.This treatment is quite sufficient when done two or threetimes in ordinary cases, but fails utterly in those of a chronicnature; and I have of late treated such with markedsuccess by dilatation, curetting, and drainage by means ofmy spiral wire stems, which can be worn with impunitywhile the patient is up and about. The subsequent applica-tion of boric acid by filling the cervical canal with thepowder has also given me good results. Dr. Cory’s state-ment that " two applications of iodised phenol as a ruleare sufficient" does not agree with my experience, and I feelsure other gynaecologists will bear me out.

I am. Sirs. vours trulv.ALEXANDER DUKE.

A MEMORIAL TO THE LATE DR. WOOLDRIDGE.To the .Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—I should be much obliged if you would allow mespace in your columns to invite all old Guy’s men to subscribeto the memorial to our late assistant physician, Dr. Wool-dridge. Only a few weeks ago an important mode oftreatment was attributed to him in your columns byMr. Arbuthnot Lane, and his researches on the coagulationof the blood have been quoted throughout the scientificworld. The subscription list has been limited to Guy’s men,past and present ; and it entirely depends upon the amountreceived as to what form the memorial will take. Sub-scriptions may be sent to me addressed to Guy’s Hospital,and will be acknowledged in the columns of the Guy’sHospital Gazette.-I am, Sirs, yours truly,Guy’s Hospital, Nov. 17th, 1891. GUY MACKESON.

OPEN SPACES.-The Greenwich Board of Workshas voted 7000 towards the purchase of the Hilly Fields,Brockley, as an open space.

THE HOUSING OF THE AGRICULTURALLABOURERS IN WEST SUFFOLK.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

THE result of the second inquiry ordered by the WesbSuffolk County Council with reference to the parish of

Ixworth is embodied in a report made by Colonel Pocklingtonat the meeting of the Council held on the 2ad inst. Colonel

Pocklington has arrived at conclusions directly opposed tothose of Lord Francis Hervey, who held the first inquiry,and the "fiasco is now complete." Colonel Pocklington isof opinion "that the Thingoe rural sanitary authority hasnot proved its case, and if it put into force the powers italready possesses under the Public Health Act the parish ofIxworth is both able and willing to supply all the accom.modation necessary without calling into play the extraneousprocesses conferred by the Housing of the Working ClassesAct."

It is deeply to be regretted that the first inquiry heldunder this Act should have terminated in this manner.Other rural sanitary authorities who have been watchingthe march of events with the deepest interest, and who mighthave followed the example of the Thingoe Union had theirapplication been successful, will now be deterred from takingany such steps. It does not appear, however, that the un-fortunate issue is due to any inadequacv of the Act, butrather to the manner in which the Thingoe sanitaryauthority conducted its case. Lord Francis Herveysaid at the meeting above referred to that "when theinquiry was first held he was placed in a position ofgreat difficulby by the absence of testimony which mighthave been supplied him in support of the application bythe Thingoe Union." Lord Francis Hervey, however, hadtaken the trouble before the inquiry was held to inspect thecottages in the village, and from the results of his ownobservations he asserted that " twenty houses ought to beclosed and demolished," and that " the small expedients ofpatching and repairs were perfectly inadequate." ColonelPocklington admits that two great blunders have beencommitted. "The first was made by the sanitary authorityin applying for a second inquiry when they had got so faras they could see what they wanted. The second was madeby the Council in acceding to the application."Both reports are to be printed by the Council, and doubt-

less a study of them will prevent other sanitary authoritiesand other County Councils committing the blunders whichhave placed the Thingoe guardians and the West SuffolkCounty Council in such a painful yet ridiculous position. Itis to be regretted that the county had not a medical officerof health, whose advice in such a matter would have beensimply invaluable at the inquiries, and would probablyhave prevented the fiasco we have recorded.

LIVERPOOL.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Mayor at the Infirmary for Children. ,

FOLLOWING the example of his predecessors for someyears past, the newly elected Mayor (Mr. Jas. de Bels Adam)drove from St. Peter’s Cathedral Church to the Infirmaryfor Children, where he was received by the chairman(Colonel M. Belcher), members of the honorary and resident-medical staff, and visitors. The Mayor and Mayoress went,through the wards, and on leaving were heartily cheered bythe little inmates, who looked very smart in their littlered jackets.

Two Deaths from Preventable Cattses.Within the last few days two deaths have occurred, one

from the breaking of a paraffin lamp, the other from thecareless handling of firearms-both peifectly preventableaccidents. The dangers of paraffin lamps have been sofrequently shown within the last few years that it is a per-fect marvel how people can continue to use imperfectsamples of them. And so also with regard to the in.cautious use of revolvers and other firearms. The deaths.which have been caused in this way in Liverpool and its

1197

neighbourhood within the last few days havA beendeploiable. It would really seem as if legislation wouldhave to be adopted to prevent such lamentable fatalities.

The Medical Profession and Life Assurance.The leading article and Supplement which appeared in

THE LANCET of last week, preceded by those of the corre-sponding issue of last year, will tend to promote 1 he exten-sion of life assurance not only among members of the

profession, but also amcng their lay brethren. The savingof commission is a veritable argitmentum ad hominem,which wPl appeal powerfully to all men of business. How-ever incredible it may appear, it is stated confidently bythose who may claim to speak with authority that thenumber of assurers proposing who apply voluntarily to lifeassurance offices, or, to use the colloquial phrase, " do busi-ness across the counter," is so small as not to amountto more than 3 per cent. of the whole number. Inother words, all the offices which employ agents are

indebted to these very useful gentlemen for 97 per cent. oftheir business. The advantage of being one’s own agent,and so saving the commission, is one which need not belimited to solicitors or members of the medical profession.As the advantages of life assurance become more generallydiffused the agent will become less requisite ; at the sametime, a distinction should be drawn between au agentand a local resident secretary. There have been’several instances here lately of the families of deceasedmedical practitioners being left in very straitened circum-stances because the breadwinners were not insured-sadexamples, which ought to convey their warnings to thoseprofessional brethren who have not yet availed themselvesof this means of providing for those who are dependentupon them.

Squalor and Misery. ,

An inquest was held by the city coroner to-day uponthe body of a woman. The evidence disclosed the shockingstate ot squalor and filth in which all the family hadbeen living. The deceased was found dead and cold onSaturday morning last at 8 o’clock, Mr. Jolly’s opinionbeing that she had been dead some hours. There wereseveral wounds on the head, a fracture of the skull withprotrusion of the brain, and bruises. The wounds hadevidently been caused by a small hatchet used for cuttingwood. The jury found a verdict of wilful murder againstthe husband, who was committed for trial.

A Year’s Accidents in Liverpool.The yearly report of the head constable gives the following

Interesting details of the accidents which happened within thecity during the year ending Sept. 29tb, 1891. Out of a totalof 2159, 410 were of those run over by carts, cars, &c. ; 374were injured on board vessels in the docks ; 371 fell into-docks, canal, &c.; 92 fell from buildings ; 41 were burned ;24 were injured in dock works ; and 667 from causes notstated. Out of a total of 1600 for the police force, 676 6’hold the certificate of the St. John Ambulance Associationof qualification to render first-aid in cases of sickness or.accident.

A Year’s Inquests in Liverpool.During the same peiiod the city coroner held inquests on

the bodies of 507 males and 292 females, equal to 799 in all.In addition to these, he inquired into 897 other cases ofdeath withont holding inquests, thus making a total of1696 cases of deaths investigated by the coroner during theyear. Of the inquests, 165 were on infants of one year andunder, 68 on those above one year and under seven, and 32on those above seven and under sixteen. These figures showmarkedly the precariousness of life in young children.There were 144 children suffocated while in bed with theirparents, 264 were cases of accidental death, 30 were founddrowned, 105 died from excessive drinking, 39 were cases ofsuicide, and 91 deaths were from natural causes.Nov. 17th.

__

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Recurrence of Epidemic Influenza in the North of England.WE are now apparently in the midst of a wave of epidemic

influenza. It has broken out in several parts of DurhamCounty. At Wolsingham over eighty cases are reported;

also at Waterhouses, near the city of Durham, snme of thereboots havp been closed in ennreqnence of The Illnef1s of theteachers. Numbers of workmen are a!h0 suffering. At TowLaw it is also reported to be e. Several cases have beenobserved at Gateshead ; while at Newcastle it is also severe ;some of our medical men are laid n’) with it. Asregarda themode of invasion of the present epidemic, it differs somewhatfrom the last. It commences with inflammation of the fauces,which seldom goes on to abscess, and cough and bronchialirritation succeed, but are not followed by pneumonia.Orbital pain is generally present, and muqcular pains inthe limbs. For all tbese symptoms most relief follows theadministration of diaphoretics combined with salicylate ofsoda.

Darlington: Death in the Teapot.An inquest was held last week in Darlington on the body

of a woman aged fifty. five. It was shown that she hadbeen ailing for some time, but died suddenly after receivingsome tea from her son. Mr. Fraser, surgeon, her medicalattendant, said he had known deceased for twenty years,and she was an inveterate tea-drinker. She lived on teaand bread-and little bread, too. " She had tea almostevery ten minutes." She was in a destitute condition, andhe thought that the charitable ageneies had not performedtheir duty in allowing the woman to exist so long in such adestitute condition. A verdict was returned that deathresulted from syncope.

The late Dr. Broadbent of Bamburgh.A meeting was held last week to close the fund in con-

nexion with the Broadbent testimonial. It was stated thatafter placing a monumental shield in the parish church,there still remained the handsome sum of X200 to hand overto Miss Broadbent as a token of the deep respect in whichher late father was held by every class ; and that whilst therich in many cases had helped with a liberal hand thewidow, poor men had thrown in their mite most cheer-fully, and thus promoted the successful issue of this verywell-deserved testimonial. A hearty vote of thanks wasaccorded to Mr. Burman, surgeon, for his great kindness inwriting and publishing a short biographical sketch of thelate Dr. Broadbent, which had been eagerly bought up, andenabled Mr. Burman to remit a nice sum towards the fund.

The coming Election to the General Medical Council.The profession in the northern counties is much surprised

that there should be any opposition to the re-election ofthe present excellent direct representatives to the GeneralMedical Council. On all hands I hear the determinationexpressed to give them a solid vote, not only as showingconfidence in them for the future, but as a mark of appro-bation for their valuable services in the past.

Sunderland.

Mr. A. E. Harris, the medical officer of health for Sunder-land, has just delivered a popular lecture on "Dirt andDisease," which has been well attended and received. It isalso very opportune to have sanitary matters brought home,as it were, to the people of Sunderland, seeing that theWearside borough is attaining an unenviable notoriety fromits late high death-rate. I see in the Sunderland dailypapers an announcement of the completion of new slipperbaths by the corporation for ladies and gentlemen, but it isto be hoped that they are also intended for men and womenof the working classes. Water is not dear in Sunderland,and the use of some baths is to be bad there for a nomi[]alsum. Still, the Sunderland medical officer of health, in hislecture, said that he hoped sincerely that in these daysof free education and other advantages free baths for thepeople would not be forgotten, as it was impossible for thepeople, or nearly so, to obtain these baths at home.

North Ormsby Cottage Hospital.It is announced that the Countess of Falkland has con-

sented to open the new wing-built by the workmen-ofthis hospital early in January.

I am glad to hear that Dr. Jeaffrescn, who has been forsome months suffering from illness, has now quite recovered,and has resumed his post at the Newcastle Eye Infirmary.The treasurer of the Gateshead Sick Children’s Hos-

pital has received from an anonymous donor £300 for thei institution.; Newcastle-on-Tyne, Nov. 18th.