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1466 ’villages have been attacked on the Nile between Mansourah su and Damietta ; also there has been a case at Mansourah in fe the person of a native medical man’s daughter. It appears it ’that he was summoned to an infected village to perform a kr cholera necropsy, and in so doing he soiled his shirtsleeves. pa Disdaining the use of the disinfector in the town, he had pc ’his clothes washed at home, by this child among others. ’There have also been 2 cases in the town of Zagazig, one of w< which has already recovered. la Examination of Suspicious Cases. th 1 Examination of Suspicious Cases. i A circular letter in three languages has been sent to all medical men informing them that the bacteriologists of the sa Egyptian Government are ready to examine, free of charge, in all suspected material sent to them. Instructions are also dE ’given as to how discharges or soiled linen are to be st; despatched from a living patient, and how two portions of ce .the ileum are to be forwarded after the necropsy of a fatal ba case. Extra assistants are now working in the two labora- tories of Cairo and Alexandria, and to save time a consider- bE able amount of the work is done by night. bE Vaccination Statistics. The figures for 1894 have just been published and show that there have been 336,605 births in Egypt during the year, only 1056 of which were among Europeans. The number of deaths was 194,256. No one knows the present popula- al tion of this country. It is guessed at by various people as al being something between seven millions and ten millions. pr If the lowest computation is taken it is found that there is a sa death-rate of 27’7 per 1000, but if there are now as many A as eight millions the mortality is at once reduced to 24’2 per mille. It is a great pity that the Government does not yet E: see its way to arranging for a new census. The successful vaccinations of the year amount to 312,188, and the unsuc- vi cessful to 3548, some of those vaccinated having doubtless pc already had small-pox. The successful revaccinations were al 3257. Since 1890 vaccination has been obligatory for cc Europeans as well as natives. The statistics of the first week h: of November show that there were 58 cases of small-pox fo with 4 deaths, and, moreover, that this disease was scattered tl over no less than four provinces of the Delta. Small-pox is ti therefore more widely spread than cholera. in British Troops in Cairo. 01 The Cairo garrison now consists of 3200 men, with a sick- bl rate as low as 5’5 per cent., and this includes only twelve pi cases of enteric fever. This disease is much less common fc this year than usual, and the general sick-rate is very low, ty because the army of occupation has lately consisted entirely of troops who have been a long time in Egypt. When a new segiment arrives the enteric fever rate is certain to go up. Ever since 1883, when 194 of the English soldiers were vi attacked by cholera and 142 died, it has been recognised ni that if the troops are to be moved at all they must be moved before cholera has actually appeared among them. Arrangements have been carefully made on paper for several ir cholera scares, but this is the first time that it has been it deemed necessary to take any practical steps. Now the -nucleus of a tent hospital has been made at Abbassiyeh, d, where the desert permits an unlimited stretch of fresh air. A health camp for 1000 men, with a field hospital, has been made beyond the Pyramids. At Helouan a similar health camp could be made, and the troops now at Abbas- siyeh could be moved further afield into the desert, thus leaving in Cairo only the men actually necessary for military reasons. But none of this preparation will be made use of unless cholera should actually break out in Cairo itself. In the meantime an extra strict sanitary inspection has been made of all barracks and other buildings. It is greatly to be n regretted that the Pasteur-Chamberland filter has not yet V been granted for the use of English troops in Cairo. In this respect the army of occupation is several years behind the 0: German Hospital, the Egyptian Government Hospital, the T schools, hotels, and other large buildings in Cairo. 1, Britis7e Troops in Alexandria. a In Alexandria there are only 1100 men with a sick-rate P ’to-day of 5-8 per cent., including three cases of enteric fever. A There are only two companies now at Ras el Tin barracks, h the bulk of the troops being established in new huts - at Ramleh, near the old Mustapha Pasha barracks, a which have been condemned and partly pulled down. The cl situation was good enough and the sea air was perfect, but o it was found that the young soldiers of any new regiment C suffered from a high rate of enteric and simple continued fevers. Many explanations for this have been proffered, but it is not necessary to search for any mysterious cause if one knows that in the early days of the British occupation, partly from ignorance and partly from economy, the cess- pools and conduits which honeycomb the basement of Egyptian barracks were never filled up and, worse than that, were employed for several years as drains for sink, bath, and laundry water. The Royal Engineers in 1882 contented themselves with closing all latrines superficially and sup- plying a movable system of tubs for urine and feeces. The army system which expects Royal Engineers to act as sanitary engineers without giving them an adequate training in this subject is responsible for much of the disease and death among our troops in Egypt. I am glad to be able to state that for the last year medical representations have suc- ceeded in obtaining Pasteur-Chamberland filters for the barracks and hospital in Alexandria. In the event of Alexandria ever being threatened by cholera the troops would be moved out to a camp at Abukeer and tent hospitals would be established. Sanitary Officers. The only good thing which as yet cholera has done for Egypt is that the Government has consented to increase the European personnel. Dr. Rogers Pasha has obtained leave to appoint another permanent English medical inspector and also to create an Institute of Public Health, which is to be presided over by a bacteriologist. For this latter post it is said that Dr. Bittar, at present sanitary inspector to the Alexandria municipality, will be one of the candidates. Leave has also been granted to appoint a temporary English inspector for the ensuing twelve months. At the present moment there are working in the affected villages four English medical men, with European police officers, and forty-four native medical men, all additional to the usual strength. The expenditure is, of course, met by a special cholera grant, and no difficulties have yet been raised by the financial authorities. Mansourah, for instance, is being kept clean at the rate of f.8 a day, though the whole budget for municipal expenses in ordinary times is only &pound;6 daily. The sanitary department has the intention of at once providing permanent disinfectors for some of the chief towns in the Delta, for at present it is only Cairo and Alexandria which possess them, and also of buying some portable disinfecting machines for work in the provinces. These will, of course, be of great use, not only for cholera, but also for the annual small epidemics of typhus fever, relapsing fever, small-pox, and measles. The Tourist Season. The hotels and tourist agencies are still confident that visitors will not be afraid to come to Egypt, because as yet no places already engaged on the Nile steamers and house- boats have been counter-ordered. Greece is still the only country which has put Egypt into quarantine. Two imperial archdukes from Austria are on their way here, and it is certain that they would not be allowed to come if the authorities in Egypt believed that there was any risk in their doing so. Obituary. PROFESSOR ANDREA VERGA. MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGY has to lament the loss of one of its lost able and original votaries by the death of Dr. Andrea ’erga, for many years associated with the Ospedale Maggiore f Milan as professor of that subject. He was born at ’reviglio, of comparatively humble parents, on May 30th, 811, and received his education, literary, philosophical, nd medical, at the University of Pavia. He was a favourite upil of the celebrated Bartolomeo Panizza, Professor of ,natomy in that school, and under his influence became, for is time, one of the profoundest physiologists, particularly a the department of neurology, south of the Alps. His ttention was early attracted to the phenomena of mental isease, and, shortly after his brilliant graduation as Doctor f Medicine, he became director of the Manicomio of San Jelso in Milan. This he soon made conspicuous by the
Transcript
Page 1: Obituary

1466

’villages have been attacked on the Nile between Mansourah su

and Damietta ; also there has been a case at Mansourah in fethe person of a native medical man’s daughter. It appears it’that he was summoned to an infected village to perform a krcholera necropsy, and in so doing he soiled his shirtsleeves. paDisdaining the use of the disinfector in the town, he had pc’his clothes washed at home, by this child among others. ’There have also been 2 cases in the town of Zagazig, one of w<

which has already recovered. la

Examination of Suspicious Cases. th

1Examination of Suspicious Cases. i

A circular letter in three languages has been sent to all medical men informing them that the bacteriologists of the sa

Egyptian Government are ready to examine, free of charge, inall suspected material sent to them. Instructions are also dE’given as to how discharges or soiled linen are to be st;despatched from a living patient, and how two portions of ce.the ileum are to be forwarded after the necropsy of a fatal bacase. Extra assistants are now working in the two labora- tories of Cairo and Alexandria, and to save time a consider- bEable amount of the work is done by night. bE

Vaccination Statistics.The figures for 1894 have just been published and show

that there have been 336,605 births in Egypt during the year, only 1056 of which were among Europeans. The number of deaths was 194,256. No one knows the present popula- altion of this country. It is guessed at by various people as al

being something between seven millions and ten millions. prIf the lowest computation is taken it is found that there is a sa

death-rate of 27’7 per 1000, but if there are now as many Aas eight millions the mortality is at once reduced to 24’2 per mille. It is a great pity that the Government does not yet E:see its way to arranging for a new census. The successful vaccinations of the year amount to 312,188, and the unsuc- vicessful to 3548, some of those vaccinated having doubtless pcalready had small-pox. The successful revaccinations were al3257. Since 1890 vaccination has been obligatory for cc

Europeans as well as natives. The statistics of the first week h:of November show that there were 58 cases of small-pox fowith 4 deaths, and, moreover, that this disease was scattered tlover no less than four provinces of the Delta. Small-pox is titherefore more widely spread than cholera. in

British Troops in Cairo. 01

The Cairo garrison now consists of 3200 men, with a sick- blrate as low as 5’5 per cent., and this includes only twelve picases of enteric fever. This disease is much less common fcthis year than usual, and the general sick-rate is very low, tybecause the army of occupation has lately consisted entirelyof troops who have been a long time in Egypt. When a new

segiment arrives the enteric fever rate is certain to go up.Ever since 1883, when 194 of the English soldiers were viattacked by cholera and 142 died, it has been recognised nithat if the troops are to be moved at all they must be moved before cholera has actually appeared among them.Arrangements have been carefully made on paper for several ircholera scares, but this is the first time that it has been itdeemed necessary to take any practical steps. Now the-nucleus of a tent hospital has been made at Abbassiyeh, d,where the desert permits an unlimited stretch of freshair. A health camp for 1000 men, with a field hospital,has been made beyond the Pyramids. At Helouan a similarhealth camp could be made, and the troops now at Abbas-siyeh could be moved further afield into the desert, thusleaving in Cairo only the men actually necessary for militaryreasons. But none of this preparation will be made use ofunless cholera should actually break out in Cairo itself. Inthe meantime an extra strict sanitary inspection has beenmade of all barracks and other buildings. It is greatly to be n

regretted that the Pasteur-Chamberland filter has not yet Vbeen granted for the use of English troops in Cairo. In this

respect the army of occupation is several years behind the 0:

German Hospital, the Egyptian Government Hospital, the Tschools, hotels, and other large buildings in Cairo. 1,

Britis7e Troops in Alexandria. a

In Alexandria there are only 1100 men with a sick-rate P’to-day of 5-8 per cent., including three cases of enteric fever. AThere are only two companies now at Ras el Tin barracks, hthe bulk of the troops being established in new huts - at Ramleh, near the old Mustapha Pasha barracks, a

which have been condemned and partly pulled down. The clsituation was good enough and the sea air was perfect, but o

it was found that the young soldiers of any new regiment C

suffered from a high rate of enteric and simple continuedfevers. Many explanations for this have been proffered, butit is not necessary to search for any mysterious cause if oneknows that in the early days of the British occupation,partly from ignorance and partly from economy, the cess-pools and conduits which honeycomb the basement of

Egyptian barracks were never filled up and, worse than that,were employed for several years as drains for sink, bath, andlaundry water. The Royal Engineers in 1882 contentedthemselves with closing all latrines superficially and sup-plying a movable system of tubs for urine and feeces. Thearmy system which expects Royal Engineers to act as

sanitary engineers without giving them an adequate trainingin this subject is responsible for much of the disease anddeath among our troops in Egypt. I am glad to be able tostate that for the last year medical representations have suc-ceeded in obtaining Pasteur-Chamberland filters for thebarracks and hospital in Alexandria. In the event ofAlexandria ever being threatened by cholera the troops wouldbe moved out to a camp at Abukeer and tent hospitals wouldbe established.

Sanitary Officers.The only good thing which as yet cholera has done for

Egypt is that the Government has consented to increase theEuropean personnel. Dr. Rogers Pasha has obtained leave toappoint another permanent English medical inspector andalso to create an Institute of Public Health, which is to bepresided over by a bacteriologist. For this latter post it issaid that Dr. Bittar, at present sanitary inspector to theAlexandria municipality, will be one of the candidates.Leave has also been granted to appoint a temporaryEnglish inspector for the ensuing twelve months. Atthe present moment there are working in the affected

villages four English medical men, with Europeanpolice officers, and forty-four native medical men,all additional to the usual strength. The expenditure is, ofcourse, met by a special cholera grant, and no difficultieshave yet been raised by the financial authorities. Mansourah,for instance, is being kept clean at the rate of f.8 a day,though the whole budget for municipal expenses in ordinarytimes is only &pound;6 daily. The sanitary department has theintention of at once providing permanent disinfectors forsome of the chief towns in the Delta, for at present it is

only Cairo and Alexandria which possess them, and also ofbuying some portable disinfecting machines for work in theprovinces. These will, of course, be of great use, not onlyfor cholera, but also for the annual small epidemics oftyphus fever, relapsing fever, small-pox, and measles.

The Tourist Season.

The hotels and tourist agencies are still confident thatvisitors will not be afraid to come to Egypt, because as yetno places already engaged on the Nile steamers and house-boats have been counter-ordered. Greece is still the onlycountry which has put Egypt into quarantine. Twoimperial archdukes from Austria are on their way here, andit is certain that they would not be allowed to come if theauthorities in Egypt believed that there was any risk in theirdoing so.

Obituary.PROFESSOR ANDREA VERGA.

MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGY has to lament the loss of one of itslost able and original votaries by the death of Dr. Andrea’erga, for many years associated with the Ospedale Maggioref Milan as professor of that subject. He was born at

’reviglio, of comparatively humble parents, on May 30th,811, and received his education, literary, philosophical,nd medical, at the University of Pavia. He was a favourite

upil of the celebrated Bartolomeo Panizza, Professor of

,natomy in that school, and under his influence became, foris time, one of the profoundest physiologists, particularlya the department of neurology, south of the Alps. Histtention was early attracted to the phenomena of mentalisease, and, shortly after his brilliant graduation as Doctorf Medicine, he became director of the Manicomio of SanJelso in Milan. This he soon made conspicuous by the

Page 2: Obituary

1467

success of his treatment in obscure cases, and in conse-

quence was in 1848 promoted to the direction of thestill greater Manicomio della Senavra. By this timehis fame as a medico-psychologist was high and his

capacity for administration not less so, in recognition ofwhich he was made Director of the Ospedale Maggiore ofMilan, one of the largest and, historically, one of the mostcelebrated institutions of its kind in Italy. To him it owesthe foundation of a professorship in the doctrine of medico-psychology and of a clinical lectureship in connexion withthe same, while its general efficiency, far in advance, in manyimportant respects, of Italian hospitals attached to even greaterschools, dates from his active association with its administra- tion and work. Dr. Verga was not less busy with his penthan in his professorial and consultant capacity. He wasthe author of many important memoirs and monographsscattered through the Atti or transactions of medical con-gresses, while his great treatise, composed in elegant Latin,on

" Hallucinations" received the prize of the Acad&eacute;mie deMedecine of Paris, and his work on Leprosy was similarlyhonoured at the Congresso Scientifico of Naples. These andother emanations from his pen have been translated into most of the European languages, and in many cases preceded his elec-tion to learned bodies, particularly those of medicine, in theseveral Continental capitals. Probably no Italian physicianwas "Corresponding Fellow of so great a number of suchsocieties and associations. In the Peninsula itself his

presence at national and provincial medical congresses wasalways welcome, and at that of the medico-psychologicalspecialty, which he may be said to have founded, his inter-vention sufficed to maintain the discussions at a high level ofscientific and clinical thoroughness. Besides this profes-sional distinction he was a loyal friend of literature and fineart, his skill in Latin epigrams being not inferior to that ofCesare Cantu, his brilliant contemporary who predeceasedhim last spring. As President of the Lombard Institute ofScience and Literature he raised that body to rare efficiency,but always refused, though often invited, to enter Parliament.He was, however, provincial and communal councillor, takingmuch interest in the sanitary duties of the post, and inrecognition of his public as well as professional services hewas made by King Victor Emmanuel senator of the kingdomm 1876. For some time past Dr. Verga had been sufferingfrom gouty eczema, and was attended by his colleaguesDr. Rossi and Dr. Bertarelli, Professor of Dermatology inthe Milan school. Quite lately an abscess of the lip had tobe opened by Dr. Ricordi, and while this seemed to be doingwell grave pleuritic symptoms supervened, which on Nov. 20thdeveloped alarmingly. On the 21st he died, at a quarterto four in the afternoon, retaining his intelligence andserenity to the last. His tall, striking figure and kindlyaddress will long be missed at medico-psychological con-gresses, Italian and foreign. But the mark he left onhis specialty will perpetuate his name. He anticipated a greatdeal of what is most sound in the teaching of Lombroso, andhis relegation of incorrigible crime to the class of moralimbecility has had an important bearing on the judicialprocedure of his country. His insistence on the necessity ofattaching a lunatic side to prisons and penitentiaries hasfructified usefully in more than one centre of population.Again, in the literature of his subject, a selection from hisnumerous writings will have permanent value, in connexionwith which the republication is contemplated of his lectureson Lazarettos and on the Functions of the Brain, lectureswhich always drew crowds to his class-room, not of studentsonly, but of past masters in the profession.

HENRY LAWRENCE, M.R.C.S. ENG., L.R.C.P. EDIx.MR. HENRY LAWRENCE, who died recently at Clifton,

was a well-known and popular practitioner in Bristol, hisfather having been for several years chaplain to the prisonthere. Born in 1848, he became a Member of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of England in 1871, receiving part ofhis medical education at the Royal Infirmary, Bristol, andat the Middlesex Hospital. He became a Licentiate of theRoyal College of Physicians of Edinbugh in 1874. Thedeceased gentleman was public vaccinator for Bristol, andwas at one time surgeon accoucheur to the Bristol Dispensary.To the Bristol Lying-in Institution he acted as honorarysurgeon. By his friends Mr. Lawrence was held in highesteem, and his death, which took place after a short illness,will be deeply felt by the public among whom he practised.

THE GENERAL COUNCIL OFMEDICAL EDUCATION AND

REGISTRATION.

So far from the business of the recent meeting of theCouncil being of an easy and formal character requiring onlya short time for its disposal, the Council sat six days and.had to come to decisions of unusual difficulty and import-ance. Some of these we have already noticed as disposed of &pound;

by the Council in the two first days of the session. Through-out the session the absence of the initiative of the Medical-Defence Union was felt. Had the full energy of this.a,nd the sister society-the London and Counties MedicalProtection Society-been put forth on one or two matters.which engaged the attention of the Council it is possible that,different conclusions would have been reached. It is to be

hoped that an understanding will be come to with thesebodies that will encourage them to undertake the presenta-tion of cases to the Council which affect either the honour orthe interests of the profession. It is to be remembered that.

they are voluntary societies, doing much work that shouldbe done, if not by the General Medical Council, then by the.Public Prosecutor or the Registrar-General. To expect fromsuch societies all the force and formalities of legal procedureis unreasonable. The wonder is that the work has been done

with so much approach to legal precision without the powerto enforce legal methods.

-

The report of the Examination Committee on the variousreports of the inspector and visitors of examinations, andthe series of recommendations arising out of them occupied.a day, or a day and a half, of the Council’s time. The dis-cussion was a little too prolonged, and, indeed, led to thaCouncil not being able to finish its business on Saturday. It.cannot be said that any new principle for the guidance ofthe examining authorities was enunciated. The action ofthe committee led by Sir Dyce Duckworth was rather toemphasise points in the old set of recommendations.Mr. Teale has given notice of resolutions-to be found.in our report of the proceedings-which aim at cryinga halt in the immense burden of examinations which is nowlaid on the student’s back, and at reducing the number of &pound;them. The time was not sufficient for the discussionof such an important suggestion. But the resolutions have.been put on the minutes, and Mr. Teale, who speakswith great thoughtfulness and authority on such matters,.has given notice that he means to go very fully into thissubject at the next session of the Council.

A very noticeable feature of the proceedings was the-

report of the Public Health Committee, showing that in thechairman, Dr. Thorne Thorne, the Council has got a

successor to Sir John Simon who has the same determinationto hold high the standard of examinations for diplomas insanitary science. It was in no abatement of this determina-tion that the report gave a kindly and almost a humorous hintthat there were practical limits to the subjects of examina-tion, even of the " distinctively high" diplomates, and thatthey could not reasonably be asked far-fetched questions inphysical science, as of the mass of Jupiter, the oscillation ofthe pendulum, or concerning the law as to admissibility to’evidence of dying declarations, or in mental physiology, andthe like. It is much to be regretted, as Dr. Thorne Thornepoints out, that no less than fifteen registered bodies in theUnited Kingdom now confer registrable diplomas in the

United Kingdom. It adds much to the difficulty and the ex-pense of inspecting examinations when they are so numerous,and it must also tend to some competition downwards. V’e


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