the leech memorial fund

1750

success is the voluntary work of the president (Mr. J.

Rutherford Morison), the treasurer, and the members of thevarious committees. Many of these gentlemen have no

personal interest whatsoever in the questions at issue ; theyhave no contract work or club practice, and they have onlygiven their assistance because they are actuated by thealtruistic conception that each member of the profession,whatever may be his individual position, should take partin all movements that tend to raise the standing and dignityof the profession as a whole. Thus, the organisers havezealously given advice and assistance to medical men whohave encountered difficulties ’in their practice, and in mostcases this has prevented contests that were threatening.For such purposes they have attended numerous meetings ofworkmen, they have received deputations and committees re-presenting various sick funds, they have spoken and argued,discussed and persuaded, and thus finally arrived at friendlyagreement. Then there have been much correspondence andwhat was, perhaps, most difficult and discouraging, muchcanvassing of medical men themselves. To be obligedto devote a great deal of time and energy to induce medicalmen to attend to their own interests is certainly irritating,

yet that is the main difficulty. Each member of the pro-fession, says the report, should cooperate because thebenefits attained by one section are reflected upon the whole.Then the report adds : "It is not too strong a deductionto make from the fact that this association has done so muchin so little time that were the whole of the medical professionin the county to join our ranks we could secure practicallyany desirable reform." Yet close on half the medical practi-tioners of the county still stand outside the ranks of the

union. The Northumberland and Newcastle Medical Asso-ciation is so ably managed and successfully organised that,there is no excuse for the practitioners of the county to with-hold their support. All should join and join at once.

THE CORTICAL REPRESENTATION OF THEFUNCTIONS OF THE STOMACH.

Dr. Paul Sollier and Dr. Henry Delageniere contributet the Revue Neurologique of Nov. 30th an account of a

case of local injury to the brain which appears to throw

light on the question of the cortical representation of thestomach. The researches of Openchowski and his pupilsand of Bechterew have shown that in animals there are

present cortical centres which preside over the functions ofthe stomach and intestines. In the human brain it has nothitherto been possible to localise the centre for the stomach.Dr. Paul Sollier in the course of a research into the corticalrepresentation of the visceral functions in hysterical subjectslocated the "stomach centre " in the middle portion of thesuperior parietal lobule, the principles and methods employedin the study being detailed in a previous article by the sameauthor. The case recorded below now furnishes the

anatomical data necessary to corroborate the localisation

propounded. It was that of a boy, aged 11 years, who receiveda wound in the parietal region of the skull from a pickaxe onMay 30th, 1900. He lost consciousness and remained help-less and in a comatose state for a week after the accident.

Respiration was slow, at the rate of 12 per minute, the pulsewas small and accelerated to 108 per minute, and the

temperature was elevated The wound was the seat of afree and abundant suppuration. There was relaxation of thevesical and anal sphincters. An operation was performedon June 7th and after the application of the trephine twoor three fragments of bone were removed. An abscess

cavity was now seen involving the brain-substance to thedepth of 52 centimetres (2! inches), the shape of the cavitybeing conical with its base at the surface of the hemisphere,

1 Revue Neurologique, 1900, pp. 101 and 365.

measuring 6 by 4 1/2 centimetres (2 2/5 by 1 4/5 inches). This cavitywas drained of its contents, light tampons of sterilised gauzewere packed in, and further drainage was secured by meansof small tubes. The temperature and pulse fell to normal onthe fourth day after the operation and the patient’s conditionimproved for a while. He could swallow with difficulty, and onthe sixth day he emerged from the state of coma and seemedto regain consciousness. He could not reply to questionsbut he swallowed with avidity everything that was given.The next day he uttered a few words demanding food, anddevoured greedily what was given. He could now givereplies as to his accident but relapsed into a state of slumberfrom which he from time to time emerged only to ask formore food. He consumed broths, eggs, meat, and all foodsand digested them with equal facility. This excessive

hunger (bulimia) became more marked during the next fewdays and to avoid gastric troubles he was now given four

regular meals a day. He continued to improve but his

voracity persisted. It was noted that marked right hemi-plegia was present after the operation. The paralysis was atfirst flaccid, but eventually contractures of groups of musclesbegan to develop. Passive movements and regulatedexercises were now adopted for the affected limbs and withperseverance a considerable degree of power of movementwas regained. The scalp wound was now completelycicatrised. Bulimia still persisted, and this was looked uponby Dr. Sollier as due to irritation of the gastric centre in theparietal lobe from its proximity to the wound which lay justin front of the middle portion of the superior parietallobule.

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THE LEECH MEMORIAL FUND.

A MEETING of the subscribers to the Leech Memorial Fundwas held on Dec. llth, at the rooms of the Manchester

Literary and Philosophical Society, with Alderman Thompsonin the chair. The report of the committee, which wasread by the secretary, stated that the sum of .61251 12s. 6d.had been received from 152 subscribers. Of this amount

.&1000 had been paid to the Owens College on condition thatthe money should be called the Dr. Leech Memorial Fund";that the income and such portion of the capital sum as thecouncil of the college may from time to time think fit,should be applied for the immediate maintenance of the

professorship in, and for promoting the study of, materia

medica and therapeutics in the Owens College; and thatthe chair should bear the name of Dr. Leech. The

money on these conditions has been gratefully acceptedby the council of the college with the desire that its bestthanks should be conveyed to the subscribers to the fund.Out of the balance remaining a portrait in oils of the lateDr. D. J. Leech has been commissioned for presentation to thecouncil of the Owens College, and it was also proposed, ifsufficient funds are available, to have another portraitexecuted as a bronze medallion to offer to the board of

management of the Royal Infirmary, Manchester, to whichhospital Dr. Leech was honorary physician for over 20 years.The report was adopted unanimously and the committee wasinstructed to carry out its proposals and to issue a balance-sheet and final report to all the subscribers when the fundhas been closed.

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THE NEW MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH OFJOHANNESBURG.

JOHANNESBURG, after having, in common with manyother towns in South Africa, passed through a period ofstorm and stress, is now returning to a normal condition.Week by week more stamps are being set up in the minesand civil life is being again entered upon. The latest

development is the appointment of a medical officer ofhealth of the town as distinct from the medical officer of the