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groups with and without crises suggests that there is no relationbetween the presence or absence of a cryoprotein and a painfulcrisis of sickle-cell anaemia.

MARGARET G. ROBINSONRUGMINI SATHIAPALAN.

Department of Pediatrics,State University of New York,Downstate Medical Center and

Kings County Hospital,Brooklyn, New York 11203.

Parliament

Last-minute LegislationTHE Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill was read a

third time in the House of Lords on Oct. 26 and passed by169 votes to 75. The Lords’ amendments were agreed to inthe House of Commons on Oct. 28. This completes the

parliamentary progress of the Bill which now only awaits theRoyal Assent before the end of the session.On Oct. 28 Lord Arran’s Bill to amend the law on homo-

sexual offences passed its third reading in the House of Lordsby 116 votes to 46. It will be extinguished by the end of thesession and Lord Stonham, under-secretary for the Home

Office, said that this was a Bill for a private member and notfor the Government, but it would be remarkable if a member ofthe Commons who was fortunate in the ballot could not befound to sponsor it next session.

Diary of the Week

NOV. 7 TO 13

Monday,8thROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON, 11, St. Andrews Place, Regent’s

Park, N.W.15 P.M. Dr. D. A. Kilgour: Renal Rete Mirabile. (Bradshaw lecture.)

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF LONDON, Ducane Road, W.124 P.M. Dr. G. F. Joplin: Therapeutic Pituitary Ablation.

INSTITUTE OF DISEASES OF THE CHEST, Brompton Hospital, London, S.W.36.15 P.M. Dr. F. J. Millard: Pulmonary Hypertension in Chronic Lung

Diseases.ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, Gray’s Inn Road, London, W.C.1

5 P.M. Dr. D A. Long: The Polymyxins..

Tuesday, 9thPOSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF LONDON

6 P.M. Dr. E. A. Cooper: I.P.P.R. Dead Space and Ventilation duringAnaathesia.

MANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY8 P.M. Surgery. Mr. S. S. Rose: Treatment of "Rest" Pain. Mr.

Michael Lentin: Arterial Perfusion of the Breast with CytotoxicDrugs.

Wednesday, 10thPOSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF LONDON

2 P.M. Prof. R. B. Fisher: Effects of Insulin on Hexose Metabolism.INSTITUTE OF DISEASES OF THE CHEST

5 P.M. Dr. J. C. Batten: Macleod’s Syndrome.INSTITUTE OF DERMATOLOGY, St. John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin,

Lisle Street, London, W.C.24.30 P.M. Dr. W. C. Noble: Ecology of the Bacterial Flora of the Skin.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL5.15 P.M. Prof. Ivor Mills: Aldosterone and Other Sodium-retaining

Mechanisms.MANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY

5 P.M. Pathology. Dr. A. H. Gowenlock, Dr. A. D. Clarke, Dr. J. B. L.,

Howell: Acid-base Balance.

Thursday, llthROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London,

W.C.25 P.M. Mr. N. L. Browse: Veins and Cardiovascular Reflexes.

NATIONAL HEART HOSPITAL5 P.M. (Royal College of Physicians of London.) Sir Thomas Holmes

Sellors: Genesis of Heart Surgery. (St. Cyres lecture.)ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL, Paddington, W.2

5 P.M. (Wright Fleming Institute.) Mr. D. K. Williams: Problems inthe Cancer Detection Clinic.

ALFRED ADLER MEDICAL SOCIETY8 P.M. (11, Chandos Street, London, W.I. ) Dr. Walter Schindler: Sexual

Deviation.UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS

5 P.M. (Queen’s College, Dundee.) Sir John Bruce: Enigma of BreastCancer.

Friday, 12thPOSTGRADUATE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF LONDON

10 A.M. Prof. A. D. M. Greenfield: Nervous Control of Human Skinand Muscle Blood Vessels.

4 P.M. Dr. Sheila Callender: Iron Absorption.

Obituary

THOMAS GRAHAM BROWNM.D., D.Sc. Edin., M.R.C.P.E., F.R.S.

Prof. T. Graham Brown, who held the chair of physio-logy in the University of Wales from 1920 to 1947, diedin Edinburgh on Oct. 28.He was born in 1882, the son of Dr. J. J. Graham Brown, a

former president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edin-burgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and theUniversities of Edinburgh and Strasbourg. He was a pastpresident of the Royal Medical Society. After graduatingM.B. with honours in 1906 he held a Muirhead demonstrator-ship in physiology in the University of Glasgow and later,with a Carnegie fellowship, he worked in the department ofphysiology in the University of Liverpool. In 1912 he wasawarded the gold medal for his M.D. thesis, and the followingyear he was appointed lecturer in experimental physiology inthe University of Manchester. In 1914 he took the degree ofD.SC. Edin. His work at Manchester was interrupted byservice in the R.A.M.C. From 1916 to 1919 he was with theBritish Salonika Force and latterly he was in charge of theneurological department.

Soon after his return to civilian life he was appointed tothe chair of physiology at the Welsh National School ofMedicine in Cardiff. The first years were spent in organising,equipping, and staffing his institute, which had only just beenset up. But he also found time for research, and he published aseries of studies on the physiology of the nervous system in theQuarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology. He was electedF.R.S. in 1927. After he retired from his chair in 1947 hereturned to live again in Edinburgh.

Outside his profession he had won a second reputation as amountaineer. He sprang into fame with a number of newroutes on Mont Blanc between 1927 and 1933, and he was amember of the parties that made the first ascent of MountForaker in Alaska in 1934, and of Nanda Devi in 1936. In1944 he published an account of his climbs under the title ofBrenva. In 1949 lie became editor of the Alpine Journal, andhe held this appointment for five years. With Sir Gavin de

Beer, he wrote in 1957 the First Ascent of Mont Blanc tomark the centenary of the Alpine Club’s foundation.

J. P. writes:" Graham Brown never married and his main interests were

almost equally divided between neurological physiology, inwhich he was a disciple of Sir Charles Sherrington, and hisexploratory mountaineering which covered the Alps and tookhim to the Karakoram and Himalaya and to the remoter partsof Alaska. Despite the call for far-off high places he was deeplyinterested in his university department and in the welfare ofhis staff and students, albeit somewhat impatient of the detailsof academic routine. He followed his physical and intellectualpursuits with an almost boyish enthusiasm and the tireless

application of a keenly analytical mind."

PETER BYERS ASCROFTM.B.E., M.S. Lond., F.R.C.S.

Prof. P. B. Ascroft, who was director of the surgicalunit at Middlesex Hospital from 1947 until 1952, died athis home in Teddington on Oct. 27 at the age of 59.D. H. P. writes:" The quiet charm and brilliant intellect of Peter Ascroft

stood out all through his student career at Middlesex. Fromthe dissecting-room to the final clinical year he almost auto-matically scooped the major prizes, and he qualified with highhonours in 1930. Within a couple of years he had obtainedboth the F.R.c.s. and the M.S., and with the latter the universitygold medal. After junior house-appointments at Middlesexand a period under MacIntosh in the Bland Sutton Instituteof Pathology, he worked for a year at Strasbourg underLeriche, then at the height of his powers and reputation.Ascroft returned to Middlesex to become registrar to me and

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to Pearce Gould. Having someone of Ascroft’s brilliance as aregistrar was a stimulating experience for a chief. In additionhe embarked on some personal investigations. The moststriking was the working out of the X-ray appearances ofintestinal obstruction by distending to varying degrees seg-ments from different parts of the intestinal tract, a subject thenjust beginning to come to the fore. But soon his attention wasdirected to neurosurgery, then the main advancing edge ofsurgery, and for this reason alone likely to attract a man ofAscroft’s calibre. Cairns had been the main vehicle for thetransference of the Cushing philosophy to England, and it wasto Cairns’ clinic at the London that Ascroft went, revertingin the process to the rank of house-surgeon. Cairns at once

recognised his potentialities, and after a year sent him to workfor a year with Fulton in the department of neurophysiologyat Yale. The results of this work were the subject of aHunterian lecture which Ascroft gave after his return.

" In 1937 he joined the staff of Middlesex, and at oncebegan to make his mark. He was almost certainly the surgeonbest prepared for the modern era who had ever been appointedto the staff of Middlesex. Soon, however, Munich and thewar were upon us, and Ascroft became head of one of theteams organised by Cairns from Oxford to deal with headinjuries. After a period dealing with blitz casualties, Ascroftwas transferred to the Middle East, and thus became theBritish surgeon with most knowledge and experience of thehead injuries of modern warfare. For his work in the WesternDesert he was appointed M.B.E., and when America entered thewar he was sent there to share his experience with our Allies.During and after the Allied landings in Italy, he continued tomake an intensive study of head injuries, making it his business forthis purpose to investigate not only cases admitted to hospitals,but also those who died of head injury on the field of battle.

" After the war, Ascroft was the obvious choice for the

newly established chair of surgery at Middlesex. He relin-

quished his special interest in neurosurgery and agreed to theappointment of someone else to take over this work. But it

gradually became obvious to his friends that something of theold zest and enthusiasm had gone under the trials and strainsof war. All hoped that time would prove a healer, butunfortunately these hopes were not realised, and in 1952 heresigned from his chair. With great courage, and under thestrain of increasing disability, he continued for a time to

engage in surgical research, but eventually this too had to go." In all vicissitudes Peter remained a man of lovable charm.

His. friends must inevitably feel sad that such brilliant promisedid not have the opportunity of complete fulfilment. But

perhaps we are wrong and, like so many other lives of promise,Peter’s reached its fulfilment in the war and in its example ofquiet courage in adversity."

R. W. C., who was Ascroft’s anxsthetist during strenu-ous war-time years, relates:

" The evening of Nov. 18, 1941, was the opening of thesecond Libyan campaign in the Western Desert. It found ourteam forming a small unit of the original Eighth Army,attached to the South African C.C.S., close to Fort Maddalena.In atrocious weather, Ascroft, assisted by R. S. Hooper andGeorge Northcroft, worked and moved forward with energy.Just after Christmas we changed from our tented operating-theatre to the Italian civil hospital in Benghazi. Ascroft’senergy, dexterity, and care for the patients were given to friendand enemy equally. Soon we were short of essential medical

supplies, but we had already learnt our lesson, for medicalunits in a rapid advance cannot expect a high priority. Ammuni-tion, petrol, oil, and food rightly came first. And so Ascroftled us into other escapades, in which we searched carefully andthen removed for our own use the most necessary medicalstores abandoned by the retreating enemy. Very soon it wasour turn to retreat; and during this busy, working withdrawalwe received a young soldier, who had suffered completetraumatic amputation of both hands. After the necessary sur-

gery Ascroft personally transported this boy all the way backto Cairo, supervised his mental and physical management for

the next months, and after his return to England helped to gethim started on a new life.

" But it was the battle of Alamein that gave Ascroft hisgreatest trial and his greatest triumph. For Alamein we wereto do ’ ‘ heads ’ only, operating under first-class conditions. Thepatients were investigated and diagnosed by McAlpine andKremer, resuscitated by Northcroft or Kremer, then producedready for Ascroft to operate upon. He had two first-classtheatre nurses, and a team of ’ boys ’ whom we loved andcherished through years of association. Peter operated onpenetrating head injuries only, from the start of this sessionuntil the end, 33 hours later. We stopped a few times for foodin the surgeon’s room, our nurses changed when they couldstand no longer, and I believe our boys went off for short rests.But Ascroft remained, always giving the closest attention tohis two friends, Michael and Crazy Calpers ’, often with

kindly humour, never with irritation. When occasion demandedthat he examine a patient between cases he did so with thatextreme care and probing question which gave him his answerin the minimum of words. His practical work was alwaysbeautiful to watch; he was quick, too, and my diary recordsthat he operated on 72 patients in this session. Physical fatigueovercame us all. But Ascroft had shown us an example ofsurgical work in the operating-theatre, combined with strengthof character, which I shall not forget. His principle that onemust never give up concentration of thought and practicalapplication of this knowledge on behalf of a patient, no matterwhat the physical circumstances may be, remains as clear todayas when he was actually operating.,"

EMILY CATHERINE LEWISM.S. Lond., F.R.C.S.

As we announced last week, Miss Catherine Lewis,consulting surgeon to the Royal Free Hospital, died onOct. 25 in London.

She was the daughter of a naval officer, and she spent herearly years in Cornwall. Later her mother took her to Ger-

many, where she studied music. But she turned from her pro-fessional work as a musician to study medicine, and shequalified from the Royal Free in 1917. While holding house-appointments at Charing Cross Hospital, the Hospital forWomen in Soho Square, and the Royal Free she took theF.R.c.s. and the M.S. In 1920 she was appointed surgeon tothe Royal Free and to the South London Hospital for Women.Later she also joined the staff of the Marie Curie Hospital.She was one of the first women to specialise in general surgery,as opposed to gynaecology. She became especially interestedin the surgery of the female urinary system, and her writingsincluded an important paper on the pelvic ureter in women.She was the first woman to become a member of the Associa-tion of Surgeons and of the British Association of UrologicalSurgeons. During the late war she served in the Royal Freesector of the Emergency Medical Service, taking her fullshare of emergency surgery in the blitz and at Arlesey. Aftershe retired from her hospital appointments in 1947 she settledin Cambridgeshire.Of her work at the Royal Free G. B. writes:" Miss Lewis was a lady of distinction-always well dressed

and smart. Her extremely small neat hands made it a joy towatch her operate, for she had a beautiful technique. She wasan excellent teacher, and all of us at the Royal Free were veryproud of the position she had attained as the first woman

general surgeon on the staff of a London teaching hospital."D. C. S. has sent the following personal appreciation:" Catherine Lewis was an indomitable person. She had

more than her share of illness and misfortune but always pre-ferred to keep her own counsel. Who else would have had acataract operation without mentioning the reason for her

temporary absence? No-one who knew her will forget thesteady courage with which she faced her last illness. She wasa perfectionist, and any failure in accuracy or honesty wastreated with mordant condemnation. Her passion for punctu-ality was renowned. She was a linguist and loved holidays

960

abroad, generally in France and often alone. Her beautifulembroidery had to be given up as her sight failed. Afterher retirement she went to live in Ely.where she slowly inte-grated herself with life in the Cathedral city; fully enjoyingthe music, giving voluntary service in various ways, and,surprisingly, working steadily in her garden. She was a charm-ing hostess; her elegant manners and subtle sense of humourwere a continual joy. Her incisive comments in her beauti-fully articulated voice, which never lost a slight West Countryburr, will not be forgotten by her friends."

TERENCE GRANTHAM PARKERM.B. Glasg.

Dr. T. G. Parker, psychiatric registrar at Deva Hospital,Chester, died on Sept. 28, at the age of 44.

Dr. Parker’s medical education was delayed by war service,during which he lost a leg in action. Despite this disabilityhe qualified from Glasgow University in 1951, and after

house-appointments at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, heentered general practice in Chester. Owing to ill-health hehad to relinquish his practice at the age of 38, and to take upan appointment as psychiatric registrar, which despite continuingill-health he held until his death.

J. S. M. writes:" Both in general practice and in his specialty, Terry

Parker gave himself to his patients with selflessness and com-passion. From his understanding, his sympathy, and hischeerful acceptance of his own illnesses they derived the

hope and strength to surmount their misfortunes. Doctorsand nurses learnt also from him: kindly, quizzical, withendurance gained from the unobtrusive practice of his religion,he imparted to his companions playfulness and a steadywarmth. The same qualities were apparent in his home,where the unexpected visitor would be greeted by his joyfulScottish voice, emerging from a chuckling tumble of infants.His life, so scanty in years, was rich in humour and affection."

Dr. Parker is survived by his wife and six children.

AppointmentsANDERSON, P. ST. G., O.B.E., M.CH. Dubl., F.R.C.S.E.: consultant general

surgeon, Pontefract and Castleford area.BARRIE, HERBERT, M.D. Lond., M.R.C.P.: consultant paediatrician, Charing

Cross Hospital group.EASTWOOD, D. S., M.B. Cantab., F.R.C.S.E.: consultant plastic surgeon,

Leeds area.ECKSTEIN, H. B., M.D. Cantab., F.R.C.S.: consultant pxdiatric surgeon,

country branch of the Hospital for Sick Children, Great OrmondStreet, at Tadworth.

LUDMAN, HAROLD, M.B. Cantab., F.R.C.S.: consultant E.N.T. surgeon, I<ing’sCollege Hospital.

MCWILLIAMS, D. J., M.B. Belf., F.R.C.S.E., orthopaedic surgeon, Leeds Aand Wharfedale hospital groups.

SOUTHERN, JOHN, M.B. MariC., F.F.A. R.C.S., D.A.: consultant anaesthetist,Leeds A and B hospital groups.

ROBERTS, D. W. T., M.CHIR. Cantab, F.R.C.S., F.R.C.O.G.: consultant gynse-cological surgeon, Samaritan Hospital for Women, London.

STEWART, J. G., M.B. Aberd., M.o.: Sheffield Regional Hospital Board.WALKER, J. C., M.B. St. And., D.P.H.: deputy M.O.H. and deputy principal

school M.o., West Hartlepool.WALKER, KATHLEEN R., M.B. Manc.: asst. M.o. and school M.o.: Cumberland.WALSH, L. S., M.B. Cape Town, F.R.C.S. : neurosurgeon, St. Mary’s Hos-

pital, London.North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board:

BATTERSBY, E. F., M.B. Otago, F.F.A. R.C.S., D.A.: consultant anxsthetist,Hackney and Queen Elizabeth hospital group.

FARNAN, N. D., M.B. Belf., D.P.M.: consultant psychiatrist, Warley hospitalgroup.

FRY, LIONEL, M.D., B.SC. Lond., M.R.C.P.: consultant dermatologist,Thames hospital group.

JELINEK, GusTAV, M.D. Prague: consultant venereoldgist, Hackney andQueen Elizabeth hospital group.

PITT, B. M. N., M.B. Lond., D.P.M.: consultant psychiatrist, Claybury andForest hospital groups.

South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board:ARNOTT, E. J., M.B. Dubl., F.R.C.S., D.o.: consultant ophthalmologist, South

West London hospital group.BIRKS, DOREEN A., M.B. Lond’., F.R.C.S., D.o.: consultant ophthalmologist,

St. Helier hospital group.HERRIDGE, C. F., M.B. Cantab., D.P.M.: consultant psychiatrist, Springfield

Hospital, Tooting.KENT, R. P., M.D. Lond., D.P.M.: consultant psychiatrist, Banstead

Hospital, Sutton.Low-BEER, G. A., M.B. Lond., D.P.M.: consultant psychiatrist, Horton

Hospital, Epsom.MACKENZIE, D. Y., M.D. Lond., M.R.C.P., D.C.H., D.P.H. : consultant in

physical medicine, Guildford and Godalming hospital group.

Notes and News

FROM HOUSEMEN TO THE REVIEW BODY

THE Hospital Junior Medical Staff Action Group sent anumber of questions to 10,996 junior staff, and answers havenow been received from about 8000. Announcing the resultsof analysis of the first 5000 at a meeting in London on Sunday,Dr. MAURICE ROSEN said that 7-6% of those who answeredwanted to go into general practice (" that means God helpgeneral practice "); 16-2% of those questioned had definitelymade up their minds to emigrate; and 40.1 1 01/o at presentintended to be consultants. Of the 40-1%), 10.3% declared thatthey too would emigrate if they did not seem likely to gain aconsultant post and conditions did not improve. 36-1% hadqualified overseas: many of these would presumably returnhome ultimately. Since some overseas doctors were known notto have replied, the proportion of potential emigrants wasprobably well over 60%. 42% of those replying were B.M.A.members.

In a speech lasting nearly an hour, Dr. MICHAEL HESSIONoutlined the recent history of the pay negotiations and said, toloud applause, that " the failure to improve the pay and condi-tions of junior staff is due to the inactivity of the B.M.A."Junior staff had never been allowed access to the Review Body.Six years ago junior staff were awarded double what the B.M.A.had asked for them-certainly the first case in which a " tradeunion " had been given twice its demands.The B.M.A.’s recent Richmond document had actually

recommended reductions for some grades. Mention of theB.M.A.’s other recent document, the New Deal, provoked loudlaughter. Displaying a chart of the various B.M.A. committeeswhich made up the present channels of communication, Dr.Hession maintained that this negotiating machinery was

impossible to deal with. After summarising some of the 100-page draft of evidence to be placed before the Review Body, hesuggested that a pay research unit should be set up for doctors,on the lines of that of the Civil Service. Perhaps then we couldavoid the situation where some junior staff were not allowed toleave the hospital grounds for the whole six months of theirappointment, and for this received a net wage of about E8 lox.a week. The group would work for an autonomous associationof young doctors, independent of the consultants, and withdirect access to the Review Body, the Whitley Council, and theMinistry of Health.

Dr. E. A. HARVEY-SMITH, chairman of the B.M.A. juniorhospital group, said that the case had been conceded by theconsultants, and the two groups should go forward together.But there was little support from the meeting for unity behindthe B.M.A. approach to the Review Body, and a decision tosubmit the action group’s own evidence was carried by a verylarge majority. The group suggested a starting salary of &pound; 1200(E770 at present), rising to E3000 for senior registrars. Each

April 1, the Government’s recommended 31/2% increase shouldbe added. To Dr. Harvey-Smith’s point that the B.M.A.proposals (although not disclosed) were said to include salariesas high, and sometimes higher, than these, Dr. Hessionanswered that the group was asking for the maximum it waslikely to get and anything outside that would be unreasonableand impracticable. Further, the group’s proposals kept withinthe Government’s 31/2 % norm, with which the B.M.A. wouldhave no truck. He described the B.M.A.’s attitude on this issueas

" irresponsible ".Dr. D. G. DELVIN said the group was financially dependent

on the support of housemen and registrars, and he suggested apossible subscription of lOs. or El. It would require a fightingfund of about E2000 to take a case to the High Court-as wasproposed in the matter of income-tax relief for expensesincurred in getting higher qualifications. Many of the audience,Dr. Delvin added, were sending some guineas a year to theB.M.A., and what did they get for it ? (Cries of " Nothing ".)These guineas could be put to a far better use.