34 ment in the physique of the troops. We cannot find any detailed information as to these measurements of an earlier date than Jan. 1st, 1875, but the following results are ob- tained fnr the two vea.ra’— This table shows a very marked decrease in the proportion of chests of smaller size ; and although there is also a decrease in those of 38 inches and upwards, this is an obvious conse- quence of the reduction in the number of men serving above thirty years of age. The result of the three tables is satis- factory, as showing that under the present system a con- siderable proportion of the immature and insufficiently de- veloped men has been eliminated from the ranks. We recently pointed out that the recruiting returns exhibited a similar improvement in the physical qualities of the recruits now being passed into the army (THE LANCET, April 2nd, 1881). The state of education in the army is very satisfactory compared with what it was so recently as ten years ago, as will be seen by the following summary of the educational acquirements of the non-commissioned officers and men serving on the 1’t January, 1870, and 1881 respectively :— Of the " better educated" now serving, 271 hold fourth class certificates, 149 third class, 143 second class, 6 first class, and 108 do not hold certificates. There is no similar infor- mation regarding the acquirements of this group in the earlier periods. Notwithstanding the marked advance in education, we regret that the records of courts-martial and of the fines inflicted for drunkenness furnish anything but pleasant evidence of the habits of our soldiers. During the year there were 2264 trials for being " drunk on duty under arms" as against 1428 in 1870, and 1884 for drunkenness against 2175, or, taking the two offences together, there were 4148 courts, martial against 3603, being an increase of upwards of a seventh. This may possibly have been to some extent a result of changes introduced into the service by the Army Discipline and Regulation Act of 1879. But, in addition to these trials by court-martial, it appears that 22,029 men were fined for drunkenness, being in the pro- portion of 122 per 1000 of the strength, or nearly one-eighth of the men serving ; the number of fines thus inflicted was 40,684 ; three men were fined twelve, and the same number ten times. The only satisfactory feature in the matter is that the number of men fined and of fines inflicted have both been lower than in any of the preceding ten years. REPORT ON THE HEALTH OF THE NAVY. THE statistical report on the health of the navy for 1880, prepared by Deputy Inspector-General Dick, has just been issued. It shows the average strength to have been 44,770, the cases of sickness 52,487, the deaths 563, the invalidings 1393, and the mean daily sick 20,124. These numbers give as the proportion per 1000 of mean strength : 1172 cases, 12’57 deaths, 31’11 invalided, and 44’94 constantly sick. Compared with the preceding year there has been a con- siderable increase in the cases and deaths, but a reduction in the invaliding, while the ratio of mean sick in the two years closely corresponds. Compared, however, with the average of the last ten years, the death-rate alone shows an excess. This was chiefly due to the loss of the Atalanta, in which 279 hands perished ; if these are deducted the death- rate would be only 6’34 per 1000, or 3’92 per 1000 under the average. The prevalence of disease varied from 919 cases per 1000 of strength on the home station to 1591 on the North American and West Indian-the mortality from 3’70 on the latter to 57’19 in the irregular force ; or, omitting this as resulting from the loss of the Atalanta, to 12’08 on the West Coast of Africa and Cape of Good Hope station ; the invaliding from 25’17 in the irregular force to 50’33 on the West African and Cape ; and the mean daily sick from 40’33 on the Home to 55’42 on the China station. The great excess of admissions on the North American and West Indian station was from diseases of the cellular and cutaneous systems, probably ulcers-though on that point no information is given,-diseases of the digestive system, especially diarrhoea and dyspepsia, and from syphilis. On the East Indian station the amount of sickness was very nearly as great, the principal diseases being those of the cellular tissue and cutaneous system, paroxysmal- and con- tinued fevers, and diseases of the digestive system. A large proportioa, amounting to about ’ two-sevenths of the cases of paroxysmal fevers, occurred in the Lonclon, permanently stationed at Zanzibar, and chiefly in the first five months of the year. The specific ‘cause of the large proportion of cases is doubtful, but it is noted that the men whose duties confined them to the ship suffered to a much greater extent than those employed in the cruising boats, who did not furnish a single case whilst away on detached duty, and during their alternate month on board the London were not attacked in half as large a proportion as the others. The prophylactic use of quinine in four-grain doses, night and morning, during the period of the great prevalence of paroxysmal fever in March and April, is stated to have been attended with marked benefit in checking the disease. On the China station diseases of the cellular tissue and cutaneous system, and of the digestive system, and syphilis and gonorrhoea furnished five-sixths of all the cases ; y their prevalence, however, with the exception of the first of these classes, was under the average of the preceding ten years. The rate of mortality did not exceed 12 per 1000 on any of the foreign stations, and there was no occurrence of fatal disease which seems to require notice. The results showing the influence of age on mortality in the navy have been completely upset by the loss of the Atalanta, which, being a training ship, had a very large proportion of lads on board. If the deaths by injuries, under which this calamitous event is entered, be deducted, the ratio of mortality by disease per 1000 of average strength will be as follows :-Between fifteen and twenty-five years 3 8 ; between twenty-five and thirty-five years 3’67; between thirty-five and forty-five years 8’63; and above forty-five years 13’39. These figures indicate a very low death-rate under thirty-five; above forty-five the number serving is too small-only 1120-to warrant any very reliable deductions. The volume shows very satisfactory results as regards the health of the navy during the year under review. We would suggest to the author of the report, however, that he should enter a little more into detail on the subject of the most prevalent diseases, as the absurd and injudicious curtailment of the tables in the appendix, enforced upon him by the governmental committee on statistics, has affected the report most injuriously, from a scientific and professional point of view, and has deprived us of the means of comparing the influence of special diseases on the health of the men, or of tracing those which may be con- sidered likely to have resulted from insanitary conditions of the ship, food, clothing, or duty. The appendix to the volume contains the usual tables of the prevalence of syphilis and gonorrhoea at the various seaports, distinguishing be- tween those under and those not under the Contagious Diseases Acts, but without any comment upon the subject in the report itself. We presume Dr. Dick considers that it has been already sufficiently discussed, and that a repetition of the facts developed by these tables is unnecessary, and WILLS AND BEQUESTS. I THE will and codicil of Mr. Thomas Willis, of Hove, Sussex, physician, who died on August 4th last, have been proved by Mrs. Laura Willis, the widow, Mr. Edward Cooper Willis, the son, and Mr. John Wilson, the executors, the personal estate being over ;1310,000. The testator leaves legacies to his wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and others, and the residue of his property upon various trusts for the benefit of his wife and four children. The will of George Alexander Simpson, M.D., of High- gate-lane, Highgate, who died on October 13th last at Banchory, Aberdeen, has been proved by Mrs. Jane Hewzell Simpson, the widow and sole executrix, the personal estate
Transcript
34
ment in the physique of the troops. We cannot find anydetailed information as to these measurements of an earlierdate than Jan. 1st, 1875, but the following results are ob-tained fnr the two vea.ra’—
This table shows a very marked decrease in the proportionof chests of smaller size ; and although there is also a decreasein those of 38 inches and upwards, this is an obvious conse-quence of the reduction in the number of men serving abovethirty years of age. The result of the three tables is satis-factory, as showing that under the present system a con-siderable proportion of the immature and insufficiently de-veloped men has been eliminated from the ranks. Werecently pointed out that the recruiting returns exhibiteda similar improvement in the physical qualities of the recruitsnow being passed into the army (THE LANCET, April 2nd,1881).The state of education in the army is very satisfactory
compared with what it was so recently as ten years ago, aswill be seen by the following summary of the educationalacquirements of the non-commissioned officers and menserving on the 1’t January, 1870, and 1881 respectively :—
Of the " better educated" now serving, 271 hold fourth classcertificates, 149 third class, 143 second class, 6 first class,and 108 do not hold certificates. There is no similar infor-mation regarding the acquirements of this group in theearlier periods.Notwithstanding the marked advance in education, we
regret that the records of courts-martial and of the finesinflicted for drunkenness furnish anything but pleasantevidence of the habits of our soldiers. During the year therewere 2264 trials for being " drunk on duty under arms" asagainst 1428 in 1870, and 1884 for drunkenness against 2175,or, taking the two offences together, there were 4148 courts,martial against 3603, being an increase of upwards of aseventh. This may possibly have been to some extent aresult of changes introduced into the service by theArmy Discipline and Regulation Act of 1879. But, inaddition to these trials by court-martial, it appears that22,029 men were fined for drunkenness, being in the pro-portion of 122 per 1000 of the strength, or nearly one-eighthof the men serving ; the number of fines thus inflicted was40,684 ; three men were fined twelve, and the same numberten times. The only satisfactory feature in the matter is thatthe number of men fined and of fines inflicted have both beenlower than in any of the preceding ten years.
REPORT ON THE HEALTH OF THE NAVY.
THE statistical report on the health of the navy for 1880,prepared by Deputy Inspector-General Dick, has just beenissued. It shows the average strength to have been 44,770,the cases of sickness 52,487, the deaths 563, the invalidings1393, and the mean daily sick 20,124. These numbers giveas the proportion per 1000 of mean strength : 1172 cases,12’57 deaths, 31’11 invalided, and 44’94 constantly sick.
Compared with the preceding year there has been a con-siderable increase in the cases and deaths, but a reductionin the invaliding, while the ratio of mean sick in the twoyears closely corresponds. Compared, however, with theaverage of the last ten years, the death-rate alone shows anexcess. This was chiefly due to the loss of the Atalanta, inwhich 279 hands perished ; if these are deducted the death-rate would be only 6’34 per 1000, or 3’92 per 1000 underthe average. The prevalence of disease varied from 919cases per 1000 of strength on the home station to 1591 onthe North American and West Indian-the mortality from3’70 on the latter to 57’19 in the irregular force ; or, omittingthis as resulting from the loss of the Atalanta, to 12’08 onthe West Coast of Africa and Cape of Good Hope station ;the invaliding from 25’17 in the irregular force to 50’33 on
the West African and Cape ; and the mean daily sick from40’33 on the Home to 55’42 on the China station. Thegreat excess of admissions on the North American and WestIndian station was from diseases of the cellular andcutaneous systems, probably ulcers-though on that pointno information is given,-diseases of the digestive system,especially diarrhoea and dyspepsia, and from syphilis. Onthe East Indian station the amount of sickness was verynearly as great, the principal diseases being those of thecellular tissue and cutaneous system, paroxysmal- and con-tinued fevers, and diseases of the digestive system.A large proportioa, amounting to about ’ two-seventhsof the cases of paroxysmal fevers, occurred in the Lonclon,permanently stationed at Zanzibar, and chiefly in the firstfive months of the year. The specific ‘cause of the largeproportion of cases is doubtful, but it is noted that the menwhose duties confined them to the ship suffered to a muchgreater extent than those employed in the cruising boats,who did not furnish a single case whilst away on
detached duty, and during their alternate month on boardthe London were not attacked in half as large a proportionas the others. The prophylactic use of quinine in four-graindoses, night and morning, during the period of the greatprevalence of paroxysmal fever in March and April, is statedto have been attended with marked benefit in checking thedisease. On the China station diseases of the cellular tissueand cutaneous system, and of the digestive system, andsyphilis and gonorrhoea furnished five-sixths of all the cases ; ytheir prevalence, however, with the exception of the firstof these classes, was under the average of the preceding tenyears. The rate of mortality did not exceed 12 per 1000 onany of the foreign stations, and there was no occurrence offatal disease which seems to require notice.The results showing the influence of age on mortality in
the navy have been completely upset by the loss of theAtalanta, which, being a training ship, had a very largeproportion of lads on board. If the deaths by injuries, underwhich this calamitous event is entered, be deducted, theratio of mortality by disease per 1000 of average strengthwill be as follows :-Between fifteen and twenty-five years3 8 ; between twenty-five and thirty-five years 3’67; betweenthirty-five and forty-five years 8’63; and above forty-fiveyears 13’39. These figures indicate a very low death-rateunder thirty-five; above forty-five the number serving is toosmall-only 1120-to warrant any very reliable deductions.The volume shows very satisfactory results as regards thehealth of the navy during the year under review. Wewould suggest to the author of the report, however, that heshould enter a little more into detail on the subject of themost prevalent diseases, as the absurd and injudiciouscurtailment of the tables in the appendix, enforced uponhim by the governmental committee on statistics, hasaffected the report most injuriously, from a scientific andprofessional point of view, and has deprived us of themeans of comparing the influence of special diseases on thehealth of the men, or of tracing those which may be con-sidered likely to have resulted from insanitary conditions ofthe ship, food, clothing, or duty. The appendix to thevolume contains the usual tables of the prevalence of syphilisand gonorrhoea at the various seaports, distinguishing be-tween those under and those not under the ContagiousDiseases Acts, but without any comment upon the subject inthe report itself. We presume Dr. Dick considers that ithas been already sufficiently discussed, and that a repetitionof the facts developed by these tables is unnecessary, and
WILLS AND BEQUESTS.
I THE will and codicil of Mr. Thomas Willis, of Hove,Sussex, physician, who died on August 4th last, have beenproved by Mrs. Laura Willis, the widow, Mr. EdwardCooper Willis, the son, and Mr. John Wilson, the executors,the personal estate being over ;1310,000. The testator leaves
legacies to his wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren, andothers, and the residue of his property upon various trustsfor the benefit of his wife and four children.The will of George Alexander Simpson, M.D., of High-
gate-lane, Highgate, who died on October 13th last atBanchory, Aberdeen, has been proved by Mrs. Jane HewzellSimpson, the widow and sole executrix, the personal estate
35
amounting to nearly jC4000. The testator appoints his shareand interest under the will of his late father, Dr. AlexanderSimpson, of her Majesty’s Indian Service, to his son,Alexander Malcolm Simpson, and subject thereto gives thewhole of his estate to his wife.The will of Samuel Prall, M.D., of Town Malling,
Kent, who died on August 23rd last, at Broadstairs, wasproved on the 2nd ult. by Mr. Henry Edward Prall, thebrother, and Mr. M. A. Adams, the executors ; the personalestate amounting to j62300. The testator bequeaths to hiswife, Mrs. Emma Prall, his household furniture and effects ;the goodwill, &c., of his practice as a surgeon is directed tobe sold, and the proceeds with the remainder of his propertyheld upon trust for his wife for life, or until she shall marryagain, and then for his children.The will and codicil of Dr. Archibald Billing, of 34, Park.
lane, who died on September 2nd last, have been proved byMr. Alexander Sim, Mr. George Long, and Mr. EdmundHenry Ellis, the executors, the value of the personal estateexceeding je45,500. The testator bequeaths to his wife,Mrs. Caroline Billing, all the cash in house and at bankers,and his furniture, plate, pictures, household effects, horsesand carriages ; and to his executor, Mr. Ellis, 9100. Theresidue of his real and personal estate is to be held upontrust for his wife for life ; at her decease a sum of consols isto be set aside to pay £ 100 per annum unto his daughterFlorence until her marriage, upon the happening of whichevent the said consols are given to three granddaughters ;and the ultimate residue is to be divided between his fourdaughters, Mrs. Agnes Sim, Mrs. Rosa Hamilton Long,Miss Florence Billing, and Mrs. Edith Niebold Newton.
The following legacies have recently been left to hospitalsand other medical charities :-Mrs. Sarah Smith, of 2, Wini-fred-dale, Bath, £ 100 to the Royal United Hospital, Bath.-Rev. Frederick Dobson, of Stratfield - Mortimer, Berks,£ 1000 to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.-Mrs. CarolineColler, of 37, Montpelier-square, Brompton, £ 100 to St.James’s Dispensary.—Mrs. Sarah Crozier, of 20, Clifton-road, Brighton, £ 300 each to the Sussex County Hospitaland the Children’s Hospital, Dyke-road, Brighton.—MissSusan Brown, of Weston-super-Mare, E300 each to theHospital at Taunton, the Weston-super-Mare Hospital, andthe Weston-super-Mare Sanitorium.-Sir John Musgrove,Bart., of Rusthall House, Speldhurst, Kent, i500 to theTunbridge Wells Infirmary.-Mr. William Ward, of Hon-duras Wharf, and The Lawn, Brixton, 9100 each to the
Royal Hospital for Incurables, Putney Heath, and the RoyalHospital for Diseases of the Chest, City-road.
Correspondence.PERMANGANATE OF POTASH AND SNAKE
POISON.
"Audi alteram partem."
To the Editor of THE LANCET.SiR,—With reference to the correspondence which has
appeared in the London daily press, regarding the researchesof M. Lacerda, of Brazil, on the treatment of snake poison-ing, to which you refer, I may remark that I have not hadthe advantage of perusing that correspondence, my attentionto the subject having been attracted by an extract in theCalcutta Englishnaan; but it would appear that M. Lacerda’sdeductions are based upon some experiments made withviper poison. In the last paragraph of your leading articleon M. Lacerda’s experiments, contained in your issue ofNov. 5th, you make the very apposite observation that it isprobable that antidotes, if they exist, are not equally effi-cacious for all serpent poisons. You have here struck amost important keynote. I observe that Mr. A.Wynter Blyth, in the same issue of your journal, de-clines to accept M. Lacerda’s claims " to have dis-covered that permanganate of potash is an antidote tocobra poison." Not having had an opportunity of ex-
amining the account of M. Lacerda’s experiments, I amnot in a position to judge how far he is justitied in advancingany such claims ; but inasmuch as the physiological effectsof cobra poison differ so materially from those of viper
poison, with which M. Lacerda seems to have experimented,any deductions in regard to the value of an antidote basedupon experiments with one particular poison cannot be con-clusively or even fairly applied to both. It is quite possible,as you have suggested, that an agent which would prove tobe an antidote in the one case would be utterly powerless inthe other. The poison of the cobra is one which affects par-ticular nerve centres, while that of the viper is essentiallya blood poison. But be this as it may, there can be noquestion that if it is proved-as is admitted by Mr. Blyth-that permanganate of potash possesses the power of neutral-ising snake poison while lying in the tissues, a very im-portant practical advance has been made. Hitherto the onlymeans of saving life in an efficient snake-bite has been imme-diate ligature and subsequent amputation. Now, if wehave an agent which is capable of neutralising the poisonlying in the tissues below the ligatured part, we may savethe life of the victim without sacrificing his limb. Afterconsiderable experience in the subject of snake poisoning, Iam persuaded that no decided opinion should be given untilafter the completion of most searching and ott-repeatedexperiments. I have performed thirty experiments withcobra poison and permanganate of potash, and will here setforth what results appear to be fairly deducible therefrom.I may state that I am still continuing the experiments,which I will hereafter publish in extenso.1. That in dogs no appreciable symptoms of cobra poison-ing followed the hypodermic or intravenous injection of awater solution containing from two to seven’centigrammes ofcobra poison when previously mixed with from one to threedecigrammes of permanganate of potash, though under ordi.nary circumstances such quantities are more than sufficientto produce fatal results.
2. That when similar quantities of a water solution ofcobra poison were hypodermically injected into dogs,and were followed either immediately, or after an intervalof three minutes (the longest interval I have yet tested)by the hypodermic injection into the same part of a solu-tion of from one to six decigrammes of permanganateof potash, no appreciable symptoms of cobra poisoningresulted.
3. That when glycerine was used instead of water to dis-solve the dried cobra poison, the permanganate of potashappeared to have no power over the virulence of the cobrapoison.
4. That after the development of symptoms of cobrapoisoning the injection of the permanganate of potash,whether hypodermic, or intravenous, or both, failed to exer.cise any influence upon the symptoms.
5. That permanganate of potash possesses no prophy-lactic properties in cobra poisoning, since death followed thehypodermic injection of three and a half centigrammes ofcobra poison in water solution, in the case of a dog whichhad been hypodermically injected a few hours previouslywith eight decigrammes of permanganate of potash insolution.
6. That it would appear to be absolutely necessary thatthe permanganate of potash, to prove efficacious, should comeinto actual contact with the cobra poison.What would be the behaviour of the permanganate in
viperine snake poisoning I have yet to learn, and I have stillto perform many experiments before I can speak positivelyas to its practical value in cobra poisoning. Even if it isfound that permanganate of potash hypodermically injectedis an antidote, I fear that, however scientifically valuablesuch a discovery may be, it will be of no great practical valuein India for many years to come, seeing that not one per cent.of the victims of snake poisoning would be likely to comeunder the treatment of persons capable of efficiently applyingthe remedy. Still, it will be something if it can be shownthat life can be saved in what has hitherto been believed tobe a hopeless case. In conclusion, I would offer as a sug-gestion that it might be advisable to try the permanganateof potash in cases of the bite of rabid animals. I wouldrecommend that, after incising the wounds, the parts shouldbe well hypodermically injected with the agent-say with asolution of two grains to one drachm of water-the woundsbeing afterwards dressed with powdered permanganate. Ifthe agent possesses the power of neutralising the subtle virusof the snake, it may possibly possess a like power over thevirus which causes hydrophobia.
I am, Sir, yours truly,’ VINCENT RICHARDS,
Late Member of the Indian Snake-poisoningGoalundo, Nov. 26th, 1881. Commission.
VINCENT RICHARDS,Late Member of the Indian Snake-poisoning
