430 THE WAR.-PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. THE CONFERENCE SUMMONED BY MR. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN, The Conference summoned by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, the Director-General of National Service, to consider the organisation of the medical profession with a view to meeting the needs of the military and civil population in existing circumstances, was opened on March 14th. Sir Donald MacAlister, K.C.B., President of the General Medical Council, presided, and all the representatives summoned to the Conference were present-namely ,Dr. T. Jenner Verrall, Mr. E. B. Turner, Dr. Buttar, Dr. Richmond, representing the Central Medical War Committee ; Dr. Frederick Taylor and Sir Rickman Godlee, representing the Committee of Reference of the English Royal Colleges ; and Dr. Norman Walker, Dr. J. C. McVail, and Dr. John Adams, representing the Scottish Medical Service Emergency Committee. The secretaries of these committees-namely, Dr. Cox and Mr. Bishop Harman, secretaries of the Central Medical War Committee, Mr. Hallett, secretary of the Committee of Reference, and Mr. T. H. Graham, secretary of the Scottish Medical Service Emergency Committee-were in attend- ance. The Conference was also attended by Sir William Babtie, V.C., representing the War Office ; by Sir Arthur Newsholme and Mr. Stutchbury, representing the Local Government Board in England ; and Sir Robert Morant and Mr. Smith Whitaker, representing the National Insurance Commission. The Conference did not conclude the important business brought before it and met again on March 15th. If the Conference should decide to advise the Director- General of National Service that compulsory powers must be obtained, there can, we think, be no doubt that legislation will be necessary. We believe that, from a preliminary survey of the position, the departments of the Government I particularly interested have come to the conclusion that If such legislation will be required. ’, ACCOMMODATION FOR THE WOUNDED AT PORTS- MOUTH.-The Portsmouth board of guardians have prepared a scheme which will enable them to place 200 additional beds at the workhouse at the disposal of the war authorities. This will make about 600 beds which the board have provided for the wounded. They have also given consent for hospital tents to be put up in the grounds adjoining the present military blocks and for the erection of a shelter-hut on the roof of one of the wards. Any damage that may occur to the existing buildings is to be made good by the military authorities at the conclusion of hostilities. VOCATIONAL RE-EDUCATION OF THE BELGIAN WAR CRIPPLE.-The Belgian Military Institute of Profes- sional Re-education at Port-Villerz, near Vernon, combines facilities for medical treatment with a complete course of vocational re-education continued until the man is fully trained. Whilst in British institutions at the present time medical treatment rarely occupies more than an hour each day of the man’s time, and his disabled part is re-educated for a small fraction only of the day, the training in the Belgian workshops ensures the movement of muscles and joints for several additional hours of the day. The cure of functional disability of limbs depends in large measure on the man’s psychology, and the Belgian experience is that the interest of his work and the mental stimulus of seeing something made by his own efforts have appreciable value in his cure. THE LATE DR. PATRICK W. MAXWELL.-The death occurred on Saturday, March 10th, at his residence in Dublin, of Dr. Patrick William Maxwell, one of the best- known ophthalmic surgeons in Ireland. He was only 61 years of age, but had been in unsatisfactory health for some time, and the death of his wife a year ago, and more recently that of his only son, who was killed in action, con- tributed to the sad end. Patrick Maxwell was a native of Glasgow and was educated at Edinburgh University, where he took the M.B. and M.C. degrees in 1880. After spending some time abroad he settled in Dublin, obtained the Fellow- ship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and held various hospital appointments. He was aural and ophthalmic surgeon to Dr. Steevens’ Hospital, Jervis Street Hospital, and to the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, and surgeon-aurist in ordinary to the Lord Lieutenant during the vice-royalty of Lord Zetland. Of the three daughters who survive him one, Miss E. M. Maxwell, is a member of the medical profession, and is at present engaged in ophthalmic work at Malta. Parliamentary Intelligence. NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS. Cocuine in Dentistry. THE’Committee appointed by the Home Secretary to inquire into the use of cocaine in dentistry has reported, and the report is signed by Sir CHARLES HOBHOUSE and three of the four remaining members. The inquiry took its rise in certain opposition which developed to the terms of a regulation under the Defence of the Realm Act forbidding the sale of cocaine to, or its possession by, any except authorised persons. This interfered with the supply of the drug to unregistered dental practitioners, and pending the completion of inquiry, temporary relaxation of the regulation was granted to them in the form of permits. The Committee has now come to the following conclusions :- We are of opinion that while there is practically no evidence to show any prevalence of the cocaine habit amongst the people of this country, and only one case of the improper use of cocaine by unregistered dentists, yet, as a drug, it is so uncertain and so potentially dangerous in its un- certainty that some restriction should be placed on its possession and sale. Accordingly, we recommend : (a) That preparations of cocaine containing more than 1 per cent. of cocaine for use as local anaesthetics in connexion with dental work should be procurable only from registered chemists, or from persons or firms licensed for the purpose by the Home Secretary, and subject to the condition that such preparations should be used for dental purposes only. (b) That such preparations should only be procurable for use by regis- tered dentists or members of a dental association, the conditions of membership of which have been approved by the Home Secretary. The above-mentioned classes will naturally be free to purchase all preparations not exceeding 1 per cent. strength. (c) That persons practising bona fide as unregistered dental practitioners, and who can so satisfy their local authority, should be entitled to apply for regis- tration, for right to purchase preparations of cocaine containing not more than 1 per cent. ot cocaine: Such authorisation to be granted by the county or borough council of the locality in which their business is situated, any refusal to register such persons being subjected to an appeal to the Home Secretary. Professor W. M. BAYLISS is the member of the Committee who does not sign the report. "The conclusion," he says in the course of a memorandum, "to which the evidence compels me to come is that, since the sale of cocaine is attended with serious risks to the community and is un- necessary in dentistry, there is no reason to interfere with the opera- tion of Regulation 40 B of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, and I would venture to recommend that the permit which has been issued to unregistered dentists to obtain preparations of cocaine should not be continued for any further period of time. Criminal Law Amendment Bill. Further consideration has been given to the terms of Clause 2 of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill by a Grand Committee of the House of Commons. The clause prohibits sexual intercourse by a person suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form. On Thursday, March 8th, Mr. GLYN-JONES moved an amendment so that the offence of soliciting or inviting by a person suffering from venereal disease should not extend to instances where the parties were husband and wife. Sir GEORGE CAVE, the Home Secretary, deprecated introducing an exception into the general language of the clause. The amendment was withdrawn. Mr. RAWLINSON moved an amendment to the effect that a person suffering from the disease- Shall forthwith consult a duly qualified medical practitioner either at a hospital or otherwise, and shall take reasonable precautions to prevent the communication of such disease to other people. He said that Lord Rhondda’s Bill had now been introduced in the House of Lords, but it only provided that unqualified persons should not practise as regarded venereal disease. There was not a word in that Bill requiring infected people to consult a medical man. Therefore it would be well to deal with the matter in the Bill before them. People should be persuaded at once to consult a physician. Mr. HAYE8 FiSHER (Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board), whilst hoping that the amendment would not be pressed, agreed that it was most desirable that a duly qualified medical man should be promptly consulted. That, indeed, was the whole policy of the Local Government Board, and arrangements were being made all over the country that proper treatment could be obtained gratuitously and secretly. That was being done on a purely voluntary basis. By this inducement it was hoped greatly to mitigate the disease. But the policy was one of inducement and not of punishment. If failure to consult a duly qualified medical practitioner was made a criminal offence, that would stifle the policy of the Local Government Board at once. It would be unwise to invoke too many penalties. Sir W. COLLINS referred to the scope of Lord Rhondda’s Bill and expressed disappointment at its limited character. He did not find in it any of the sanitary precautions with which it had been expected the Bill would deal. As to the amendment, he favoured education and not punishment. After some discussion the amendment was rejected with- out a division.
Transcript
430 THE WAR.-PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.
THE CONFERENCE SUMMONED BY MR. NEVILLECHAMBERLAIN,
The Conference summoned by Mr. Neville Chamberlain,the Director-General of National Service, to consider theorganisation of the medical profession with a view to
meeting the needs of the military and civil population inexisting circumstances, was opened on March 14th. SirDonald MacAlister, K.C.B., President of the General MedicalCouncil, presided, and all the representatives summoned tothe Conference were present-namely ,Dr. T. Jenner Verrall,Mr. E. B. Turner, Dr. Buttar, Dr. Richmond, representingthe Central Medical War Committee ; Dr. Frederick Taylorand Sir Rickman Godlee, representing the Committee ofReference of the English Royal Colleges ; and Dr. NormanWalker, Dr. J. C. McVail, and Dr. John Adams, representingthe Scottish Medical Service Emergency Committee. Thesecretaries of these committees-namely, Dr. Cox and Mr.Bishop Harman, secretaries of the Central Medical WarCommittee, Mr. Hallett, secretary of the Committee ofReference, and Mr. T. H. Graham, secretary of the ScottishMedical Service Emergency Committee-were in attend-ance. The Conference was also attended by Sir WilliamBabtie, V.C., representing the War Office ; by Sir ArthurNewsholme and Mr. Stutchbury, representing the LocalGovernment Board in England ; and Sir Robert Morant andMr. Smith Whitaker, representing the National InsuranceCommission. The Conference did not conclude the importantbusiness brought before it and met again on March 15th.If the Conference should decide to advise the Director-General of National Service that compulsory powers mustbe obtained, there can, we think, be no doubt that legislationwill be necessary. We believe that, from a preliminarysurvey of the position, the departments of the Government Iparticularly interested have come to the conclusion that Ifsuch legislation will be required. ’,
ACCOMMODATION FOR THE WOUNDED AT PORTS-MOUTH.-The Portsmouth board of guardians have prepared ascheme which will enable them to place 200 additional beds atthe workhouse at the disposal of the war authorities. This willmake about 600 beds which the board have provided for thewounded. They have also given consent for hospital tentsto be put up in the grounds adjoining the present militaryblocks and for the erection of a shelter-hut on the roof ofone of the wards. Any damage that may occur to theexisting buildings is to be made good by the militaryauthorities at the conclusion of hostilities.
VOCATIONAL RE-EDUCATION OF THE BELGIANWAR CRIPPLE.-The Belgian Military Institute of Profes-sional Re-education at Port-Villerz, near Vernon, combinesfacilities for medical treatment with a complete course ofvocational re-education continued until the man is fullytrained. Whilst in British institutions at the present timemedical treatment rarely occupies more than an hour eachday of the man’s time, and his disabled part is re-educatedfor a small fraction only of the day, the training in theBelgian workshops ensures the movement of muscles andjoints for several additional hours of the day. The cure offunctional disability of limbs depends in large measure onthe man’s psychology, and the Belgian experience is thatthe interest of his work and the mental stimulus of seeingsomething made by his own efforts have appreciable valuein his cure.
THE LATE DR. PATRICK W. MAXWELL.-Thedeath occurred on Saturday, March 10th, at his residence inDublin, of Dr. Patrick William Maxwell, one of the best-known ophthalmic surgeons in Ireland. He was only61 years of age, but had been in unsatisfactory health forsome time, and the death of his wife a year ago, and morerecently that of his only son, who was killed in action, con-tributed to the sad end. Patrick Maxwell was a native ofGlasgow and was educated at Edinburgh University, wherehe took the M.B. and M.C. degrees in 1880. After spendingsome time abroad he settled in Dublin, obtained the Fellow-ship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and heldvarious hospital appointments. He was aural and ophthalmicsurgeon to Dr. Steevens’ Hospital, Jervis Street Hospital,and to the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, andsurgeon-aurist in ordinary to the Lord Lieutenant duringthe vice-royalty of Lord Zetland. Of the three daughterswho survive him one, Miss E. M. Maxwell, is a member ofthe medical profession, and is at present engaged inophthalmic work at Malta.
Parliamentary Intelligence.NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Cocuine in Dentistry.THE’Committee appointed by the Home Secretary to
inquire into the use of cocaine in dentistry has reported,and the report is signed by Sir CHARLES HOBHOUSE andthree of the four remaining members. The inquiry took itsrise in certain opposition which developed to the terms of aregulation under the Defence of the Realm Act forbiddingthe sale of cocaine to, or its possession by, any exceptauthorised persons. This interfered with the supply of thedrug to unregistered dental practitioners, and pending thecompletion of inquiry, temporary relaxation of the regulationwas granted to them in the form of permits. The Committeehas now come to the following conclusions :-We are of opinion that while there is practically no evidence to show
any prevalence of the cocaine habit amongst the people of this country,and only one case of the improper use of cocaine by unregistered dentists,yet, as a drug, it is so uncertain and so potentially dangerous in its un-certainty that some restriction should be placed on its possession and sale.Accordingly, we recommend : (a) That preparations of cocaine containingmore than 1 per cent. of cocaine for use as local anaesthetics inconnexion with dental work should be procurable only fromregistered chemists, or from persons or firms licensed for thepurpose by the Home Secretary, and subject to the conditionthat such preparations should be used for dental purposes only.(b) That such preparations should only be procurable for use by regis-tered dentists or members of a dental association, the conditions ofmembership of which have been approved by the Home Secretary.The above-mentioned classes will naturally be free to purchase allpreparations not exceeding 1 per cent. strength. (c) That personspractising bona fide as unregistered dental practitioners, and who canso satisfy their local authority, should be entitled to apply for regis-tration, for right to purchase preparations of cocaine containing notmore than 1 per cent. ot cocaine: Such authorisation to be granted bythe county or borough council of the locality in which their businessis situated, any refusal to register such persons being subjected to anappeal to the Home Secretary.Professor W. M. BAYLISS is the member of the Committeewho does not sign the report."The conclusion," he says in the course of a memorandum, "to
which the evidence compels me to come is that, since the sale ofcocaine is attended with serious risks to the community and is un-necessary in dentistry, there is no reason to interfere with the opera-tion of Regulation 40 B of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, andI would venture to recommend that the permit which has been issuedto unregistered dentists to obtain preparations of cocaine should not becontinued for any further period of time.
Criminal Law Amendment Bill.Further consideration has been given to the terms of
Clause 2 of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill by a GrandCommittee of the House of Commons. The clause prohibitssexual intercourse by a person suffering from venereal diseasein a communicable form.On Thursday, March 8th, Mr. GLYN-JONES moved an
amendment so that the offence of soliciting or inviting bya person suffering from venereal disease should not extendto instances where the parties were husband and wife. SirGEORGE CAVE, the Home Secretary, deprecated introducingan exception into the general language of the clause. Theamendment was withdrawn.Mr. RAWLINSON moved an amendment to the effect that
a person suffering from the disease-Shall forthwith consult a duly qualified medical practitioner either
at a hospital or otherwise, and shall take reasonable precautions toprevent the communication of such disease to other people.He said that Lord Rhondda’s Bill had now been introducedin the House of Lords, but it only provided that unqualifiedpersons should not practise as regarded venereal disease.There was not a word in that Bill requiring infectedpeople to consult a medical man. Therefore it would bewell to deal with the matter in the Bill before them.People should be persuaded at once to consult a physician.
Mr. HAYE8 FiSHER (Parliamentary Secretary to the LocalGovernment Board), whilst hoping that the amendmentwould not be pressed, agreed that it was most desirable thata duly qualified medical man should be promptly consulted.That, indeed, was the whole policy of the Local GovernmentBoard, and arrangements were being made all over thecountry that proper treatment could be obtained gratuitouslyand secretly. That was being done on a purely voluntarybasis. By this inducement it was hoped greatly to mitigatethe disease. But the policy was one of inducement and notof punishment. If failure to consult a duly qualified medicalpractitioner was made a criminal offence, that would stiflethe policy of the Local Government Board at once. It wouldbe unwise to invoke too many penalties.Sir W. COLLINS referred to the scope of Lord Rhondda’s
Bill and expressed disappointment at its limited character.He did not find in it any of the sanitary precautions withwhich it had been expected the Bill would deal. As to theamendment, he favoured education and not punishment.After some discussion the amendment was rejected with-
out a division.
431PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.
It having been agreed that from Clause 2 there should beomitted Subsection 3, providing for the compulsory exami-nation of persons convicted of certain offences, on Wednesday,March 14th, the Committee, acting on an amendment movedby Commander WEDGWOOD, omitted also Subsection 4, theforce of which, it was admitted by the Home Secretary, hadnow disappeared. Sir WILLIAM COLLINS moved as anamendment to insert-Every medieat practitioner on becoming aware that any patient of
his is suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form shallforthwith inform him thereof, and warn him against any action orneglect on his part which might render likely the communication ofsuch disease to any other person.The amendment had been put down on the assumptionthat Subsections 3 and 4 were to be kept in the Bill, andafter some debate was withdrawn. A discussion took placeon a proposal to insert in the clause a subsection securingthe detention of a person convicted of an offence in theschedule to the Act, and certified to be suffering fromvenereal disease, until the disease may be no longer com-municable. The Home Secretary opposed the suggestion,which was rejected. In Subsection 6 of Clause 2 thefollowing defimtion of venereal disease was agreed upon:" Syphilis, gonorrhcea or soft chancre," necessary additionsto the list, if any, to be made by statute.
H OUSE OF LORDS.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH.Venereal Disease Bill.
Lord RHONDDA (President of the Local Government Board)moved the second reading of the Venereal Disease Bill, the
purpose of which is to prevent the treatment of venerealdisease otherwise than by duly qualified medical practi-tioners and to control the supply of remedies therefor. Hesaid that it was hoped that the measure would very con-siderably reduce the ravages of venereal disease. He did,not propose to emphasise in any detail the widespreadcharacter of the evil or the fell consequences of this terriblescourge on the health of the nation. At the same time he wishedto guard himself against any suggestion that because of theunpleasant nature of the subject with which the Bill dealtit ought not to be discussed. On the contrary, he thoughtthat the National Council for the Prevention of VenerealDisease were doing valuable work in trying to bring hometo the people of this country the terrible consequences ofthis contagion. It was most important that all should betaught to shun any possibility of contagion just as theywould shun deadly poison. The Bill was based mainly onthe conclusions of the Royal Commission which reportedlast year, and the conclusions of that body must carrygreater force than anything he could say on this subject.The Commission had not been able to arrive at exactfigures, but the evidence led it to the conclusion that thenumber of persons affected with syphilis, acquired or
congenital, could not falf below 10 per cent. of the popula-tion in large cities. Gonorrhoea must exceed that proportion.In connexion with the Royal Commission, all would beindebted to Lord Sydenham, the chairman, for the work hehad done, and he would heartily welcome any assistancewhich he would be good enough to give in the passage of theBill into law. If precise and definite figures regarding thedisease existed they would not be a full measure of the verygreat evil. The reason why figures were not available wasthat there were a number of deaths arising from this causewhich were not detected as such, or they were otherwisecertified in order to avoid wounding the susceptibilities ofrelatives. Deaths due to general paralysis of the insanewere mainly to be attributed to venereal disease. It wasoften a cause in locomotor ataxy and aneurysm ofthe aorta. Congenital debility in infants was oftendue to syphilis in the parents. It predisposed verylargely to tuberculosis. In the case of cancer it oftenhappened that the disease was started in an old sore.The evidence before the Royal Commission showed thatit was the cause even of the death of children beforetheir birth. It was estimated that a large percentage ofsterility in women was due to gonorrhoea, and a commoncause of the blindness in children was venereal disease ofthe parents. That amply proved the need for remedialmeasures. Urgency of Legislation.The urgency (Lord Rhondda proceeded) would be great at
any time, but it was greater now when the nation was atwar, History recorded this fact over several centuriesthat after every great war there was a great increasein the disease. The noble lord proceeded to quotefrom Sir Malcolm Morris to the effect that the great stridesin medical knowledge during the last 10 years gave morehope and encouragement that something substantial couldbe done in mitigating the evil. He referred also to the dis-covery of salvarsan by Ehrlich. The disease could be broughtunder control, and might now be regarded as curable if.treated in the early stages. The Local Government Boardhad been in communication with the county councils andcounty borough councils and had invited them to prepare
schemes of diagnosis and treatment in cooperation withhospitals and -general practitioners. It had arranged forelaborate facilities for diagnosis, hospital treatment, treat-ment to all comers irrespective of residence, free and con-fidential, and for the free supply of drugs to general practi-tioners. The county councils were asked to provide 25 percent. of the cost, and the Treasury had agreed to contribute75 per cent. The present Bill was a corollary to the treat-ment in these centres already being arranged by the localauthorities. Prevention of Quack Treatment.The Bill was designed to prevent quack treatment of the
disease. It prohibited treatment by unqualified persons,and also the sale or supply of any drug in this connexionexcept on the written prescription of a duly qualified practi-tioner. Clause 2 provided means for the Act being broughtinto operation in an area when the local authoritieshad provided for free diagnosis and free treatment. TheBill went rather beyond the actual recommendations madeby the Royal Commission. The Commission did not actuallyrecommend the suppression of unqualified persons, but itreported that the members had no hesitation in stating thatthe effects of unqualified practice were disastrous, and its con-tinued existence was one of the principal causes in hinderingthe eradication of venereal diseases. He had had conversa-tion with several members of the Commission, and hethought that they would have gone further in some of theirrecommendations to-day. The Commission had had regardto some practical difficulties, but some of these had beenremoved. He did not claim that the Bill was watertight,and it was possible that some of its provisions might beevaded by unscrupulous persons. On the other hand, itmarked a very considerable advance and the moral effectshould be great. Their lordships might wish to know howfar the schemes of treatment and diagnosis had been carriedout. Schemes prepared by county councils and boroughcouncils had been submitted for districts covering in
England and Wales a population of 2 millions out of atotal population of 36 millions. Of these, schemes coveringa population of 16 millions had been provided. In half thecountry, therefore, there was provision for free diagnosisand treatment. The practical difficulties which the Com-mission had in mind had been removed.
An Uncontroversial Measure.The Bill (Lord Rhondda hoped) would. be regarded as an
uncontroversial measure. No doubt it would press a littlehardly on druggists and chemists, but he had every confidencein believing tnat the pharmaceutical body as a whole wouldoffer practically no opposition to the measure. It would,no doubt, interfere to some extent with the livelihoodof herbalists, but after hearing from a deputation what theyhad to say he saw no reason to change his view that heought to stand firmly for having no exception made withregard to them. Their Lordships might consider the Billrather a mild measure for so great an evil, and he appre-hended that any criticism which they might make wouldbe towards the omissions in the Bill rather than on whatit contained. There was a considerable body of opinionin the country which favoured compulsory notification.
-
He approached that point with a perfectly open mind.He gave it every possible unprejudiced consideration, andhe came to the conclusion that the Bill was not closing thedoor to some modified form of compulsory notification lateron. For the present Parliament should give a fair trial to theaction which was being taken by the local authorities, and itwould prejudice that fair trial if compulsory notifica-tion were introduced now. Compulsory notification mightendanger the new scheme of treatment, as it would encouragepersons to conceal the presence of the disease. He hopedthat after the Bill passed through the House of Lords itwould be sent by the House of Commons for consideration tothe Grand Committee which was considering the CriminalLaw Amendment Bill.Lord SYDENHAM, as Chairman of the Royal Commission on
Venereal Disease, welcomed the Bill. There was abundantevidence brought before the Commission to prove that thetreatment of venereal diseases by quacks and by quackremedies had been disastrous in the extreme. It was vitallyimportant that these diseases should be treated in the veryearliest stages. The noble lord drew attention at somelength to the evils arising from quack remedies and quacktreatment. The Commission was impressed with the evilsof unqualified practice, but it did not like at the time whenit reported to recommend legislation for the suppression ofquacks, feeling that that ought to come when free and ampletreatment was made for all classes. The Bill was a con-siderable step in advance.Lord GAINFORD, speaking from his experience as President
of the Board of Education (an office which, as Mr. J. A.Pease, he held before his elevation to the peerage), referredto the tragic sufferings which many children endured as theresult of venereal disease in their parents.The Bill was read a second time.
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The Venereal Disease Bill passed through Committeeon Tuesday, March 13th, without amendment or comment.
432 PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENOE.-MEDICAL NEWS.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7TH.Nurses’ Registration.
Mr. MACCALLUM SCOTT asked the Parliamentary Secre-tary to the Local Government Board whether, before anyBill for the State Registration of Trained Nurses was intro-duced, an opportunity would be given to the organisedsocieties of nurses in England, Scotland, and Ireland tomake representations to the Government.-Mr. HAYESFISHER replied: Full consideration will be given to anyrepresentations made by organised societies of nurses beforethe Government introduces any Bill for the State registra-tion of nurses.Mr. DUNDAS WHITE : Will they be given an opportunity
of presenting their views personally by deputation?-Mr.HAYES FISHER : I will consider that.
Mr-. RENDALL: Is it the intention of the Government tointroduce a Bill of this kind ?-Mr. HAYES FISHER: That isa matter that is still undergoing consideration.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH.Treatntetit of Disabled Soldiers in Scotland.
Answering Mr. DUNCAN MILLAR, Mr. BARNES (Minister ofPensions) said: When I discussed the whole subject of thetreatment and training of disabled soldiers at a conferenceof the Provosts of Scottish towns at Glasgow recently, it wasarranged that the matter should be considered for Scotlandas a whole by them. In the meantime various proposalshad been made by local committees. Among these we maymention the provision of a hospital for cases of paralysis atRalston House, near Glasgow, and the use of the HairmiresColony, near Lanark, for tuberculous cases. In Edinburghthe Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons have under-taken the medical examination of cases for the local com-mittees, and a joint committee of the Colleges is now con-sidering arrangements for the medical treatment of dis-charged men. I am taking steps to arrange a conference oflocal committees with the object of securing the acceptanceof a scheme for the whole of Scotland.
MONDAY, MARCH 12TH.Free Treatment of Venereal Diseases. ’
In reply to Mr. ROWNTREE, Mr. HAYES FISHER, Par-liamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board,wrote: Twenty local authorities in England havealready provided facilities for the free treatment ofvenereal diseases in 28 hospitals. These facilities are alsoavailable for the treatment of persons residing in otherareas. The Local Government Board has approved theschemes of 24 other authorities for the provision of freetreatment, and the facilities afforded by these schemes willbe available shortly. In addition, the Board has underconsideration further schemes submitted by 44 local autho-rities. It is not yet possible to supply any statistics as tothe number of persons who are applying for treatment atthe hospitals where facilities are already available.
Infant Mortality.Answering Mr. W. THORNE, who asked for statistics as to
infant mortality in certain borough areas, Mr. HAYESFISHER wrote : The figures are :-
TUESDAY, MARCH 13TH.ffiedical Classification of Attested ilien.
Replying to Mr. MACCALLUM SCOTT, who asked whetherany decision had yet been reached as to the new instructionswith regard to attested men rejected on re-examinationand as to the new form of medical classification certificate,Mr. MACPHERSON (Under Secretary for War) said: It isintended to modify the present instructions and to issue anew form of medical classification certificate, but the newform and instructions have not yet been issued. 1.1..:.:11
Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND.-
An ordinary meeting of the Council was held on March 8th,Sir W. Watson Cheyne, the President, being in the chair. Areport was read from Mr. H. C. Golding-Bird on the pro-ceedings of the Central Midwives Board during the pastyear. The Council placed on record their high appreciationof Mr. Golding-Bird’s services as the representative of theCollege on the Central Midwives Board, and directed thatthe grateful thanks of the Council be conveyed to him forthe very efficient manner in which he has fulfilled the dutiesassociated with that office during the last eight years. Mr.H. J. Waring was elected as the representative of the Collegeon the General Medical Council in the vacancy occasionedby the retirement of Sir Henry Morris. The Councilresolved that they should place on record their great appre-ciation of the services of Sir Henry Morris in acting as therepresentative of the College on the General MedicalCouncil for 13 years. The President reported the de-livery of the Hunterian Oration by Surgeon-General SirGeorge H. Makins. K.C.M.G., A.M.S. The best thanksof the Council were given to Sir George Makinsfor his oration, and he was requested to publish it. Inresponse to a request from the secretary of the NationalMedical Union, it was resolved that the President shouldreceive a deputation from that body to confer with him onthe subject of the mobilisation of the medical profession.-Licences to practise dentistry were conferred upon 11 candi-dates (including one woman), who have passed the necessaryexaminations and have complied with the by-laws. Thefollowing are the names and dental schools of the successfulcandidates .
Cyril Charles Becker, Guy’s Hospital; Eric Bottomley, Leeds Uni-versity ; George Harold Danks, Guy’s Hospital; Thomas JohnDavies, London Hospital; Francis Malcolm Timothy Flintan,Middlesex and Royal Dental Hospitals; Florence Goodman, Uni-versity College Hospital; Clifford Morley John, Bristol University;Aubrey Thompson Madin, Birmingham University ; David ErrandRobinson, Guy’s Hospital; Alfred Williams, Bristol University;and Robert Wolff, B.Sc. Cape Town, Middlesex and Royal DentalHospitals.UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL.-At the Second Examina-
tion for the degrees of M.B., Ch.B., the following candidateswere successful :-Hilda Mary Brown, Sukhasagar Datta, Marjorie Smith Neville, and
Thomas Henry Algernon Pinniger.At the Third Examination for the Diploma in DentalSurgery William Holder Shipway was successful.
THE Wellcome Historical Medical Museum willbe closed from April lst to the 30th, inclusive, for cleaning.
Mr. Leslie Pearce Gould, M.A., M.Ch. Oxford,F.R.C.S. Eng., has been elected Radcliffe TravellingFellow at Oxford for 1917-20. He is the son of Sir AlfredPearce Gould.
’ THE honorary treasurer of Queen Mary’s Con.’
valescent Auxiliary Hospitals, Roehampton, has received.E1000 from the Executive Committee of the Saskatchewanbranch of the Canadian Red Cross Society for a year’smaintenance of a ward in these hospitals.ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.-The next meet-
ing of this society will be held on Wednesday, March 21st,at 8 P.M., when Mr. Kenneth Goadby will communicate" Bacteriology of War Wounds." I I
CHARITY ORGANISATION SOCIETY.-The third of aseries of lectures on social subjects will be held at 34, QueenAnne’s Gate, S.W., by invitation of Lady Glenconner, onWednesday next, March 21st, at 3.30 P.M. Dr. F. N.K. Menzies,Principal Assistant Medical Officer to the London CountyCouncil, will give an address on the Prevention ofConsumption.THE LATE ROBERT ROXBURGH, M.B. EDIN., F.R.C.S.
EDIN., J.P.-Dr. Robert Roxburgh, who died at his residenceat Weston-super-Mare, on Feb. 16th, graduated as M.B. Edin.in 1876, taking the F.R.C.S. Edin. in 1880. He had practised
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in Weston for many years, and was honorary physician tothe Weston-super-Mare Hospital and consulting physician tothe Royal West of England Sanatorium. He was held in
r high esteem in Weston, and his efforts in promoting every good public and sanitary work in that town will be gratefully1 remembered by his numerous friends and patients." MEDICAL WOMEN’S FEDERATION.-The first generals meeting of the Medical Women’s Federation will be held ata the rooms of the Medical Society of London, 11, Chandos-v street, Cavendish-square, W., on Friday next, March 23rd,I at 3 P.M. At this meeting a statement will be made as to the
