1114

Society for the Study of AddictionDr. Erik Jacobsen (Copenhagen) will speak at a meeting

of this society on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8 P.M., at 1, WimpoleStreet, London, W.1, on Biochemical Methods in the Treat-ment of Alcoholism with special reference two Antabuse.’

Oxford Graduates Medical Club

The 100th dinner of this club will be held at the RoyalCollege of Surgeons, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, W.C.2,at 7.30 P.M. on Friday, Jan. 27, when Dr. C. M. Hinds Howellwill take the chair. Tickets (price 26s.) may be had fromMr. E. G. Tuckwell, 73, Harley Street, W.1, before Jan. 13.

Plan for W.H.O. HeadquartersThe World Health Organisation building committee has

tentatively approved a plan by which the organisation willestablish its headquarters in the Palais des Nations at Geneva,under a 99-year lease. The plan provides for additionalconstruction at a cost of 3,684,000 Swiss francs ; and theoffer by the Swiss government of a grant of 3,000,000 francshas been accepted.

Congress of Obstetrics in the U.S.A.The international and fourth American Congress on

Obstetrics and Gynaecology will be held at Hotel Statler,New York, from May 14 to 19,1950. The English speakers willinclude Prof. H. L. Sheehan, who will read a paper on theKidney in Abruptio Placentæ. Further particulars maybe had from Dr. Fred L. Adair at 161, East Erie Street,Chicago, 11, Ill.

Claims to Sickness BenefitIn England and Wales new claims to sickness benefit under

the National Insurance Act during each of the four weeksended Nov. 1, 8, 15, and 22 were as follows : 121,900, 135,000,142,300, and 136,800. These figures are given in the

Registrar-General’s return for the week ended Nov. 26,which also records the weekly averages for new claims in eachmonth from January to October of this year. These are asfollows : 157,800, 180,100, 185,400, 114,400, 97,900, 83,700,78,500, 88,900, 100,900, and 119,200.No Health Centre for the FestivalThe London County Council’s public-health committee

has informed the council that it has proved impossible toproceed with the building of the comprehensive health centrewhich was to have formed part of the

-" live architecture "exhibition in the Stepney-Poplar reconstruction area for the1951 Festival of Britain. The Minister of Health was willingto approve the construction of a simple building to accom-modate a small group practice ; but this suggestion wasunacceptable to the committee, and the site is to be reserveduntil a comprehensive centre can be built.

Anti-histamine Drugs as Cold CuresThe American Medical Association is reported by B.U.P.

to have issued a warning against the indiscriminate use ofanti-histamine drugs for the prevention and treatment ofcolds. The association’s council on pharmacy and chemistrysays that " experience with these drugs is not yet longenough to know whether or not they are harmless whenused over long periods of time. Furthermore, the amountstaken during persistent colds may definitely be beyondwhat has been established as safe." The council is reportedas stating that records show that about one-third of thosewho take these drugs become drowsy or even fall asleep whileat work or occasionally even when driving a car.

Nuffield Grants for Research on Cortisone

The Nuffield Foundation have given the University ofOxford a grant of £10,000, payable over three years, forresearch, to be carried out under the direction of Sir RobertRobinson, P.R.S., into the synthesis of ’ Cortisone ’ and

analogous substances..

The foundation have also made a grant to the Universityof Cambridge of i5000 over three years for work, underProf. A. R. Todd, F.R.S., on the convenient synthesis ofpeptides and their application in particular to the adreno-corticotropic hormone problem and on the synthesis of

compounds with cortisone activity but simplified structure.A second grant, of 911,000, will be spent on work, underProf. F. G. Young, F.R.S., on pituitary adrenocorticotropichormones.

Diary of the WeekDEC. 11-17

Monday, 12thINSTITUTE OF LARYNGOLOGY AND OTOLOGY, 330, Gray’s Inn Road,

W.C.1 -

5.30 P.M. Prof. Gosta Dohlman (Lund) : Mechanism of theVestibular Reactions.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 11, Chandos Street, W.1 18.30 P.M. Dr. J. F. Brailsford, Dr. H. A. Sisson : Bone Tumours.

Tuesday, 13thINSTITUTE OF DERMATOLOGY, Lisle Street, W.C.2

5 P.M. Dr. G. B. Dowling : Scleroderma.CHELSEA CLINICAL SOCIETY

7.30 P.M. (South Kensington Hotel, 47, Queen’s Gate Terrace,S.W.7.) Mr. James Laver : Fashions and the Freudians.

Wednesday, 14thINSTITUTE OF DERMATOLOGY

5 P.M. Dr. C. W. McKenny : X-ray Technique.MIDDLESEX COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY

3 P.M. (Ashford Hospital.) Mr. E. N. Callum : EndemicDiseases of Egypt.

ROYAL FACULTY OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF GLASGOW,242, St. Vincent Street

5 P.M. Dr. C. H. Andrewes, F.R.s. : The Common Cold.

Thursday, 15thST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL, S.W.1

4.30 P.M. Dr. Denis Williams : Neurology lecture-demonstration.

Friday, 16thFACULTY OF RADIOLOGISTS

2.15 P.M. (Royal College of Surgeon’s, Lincoln’s Inn Fields,W.C.2.) Mr. P. R. Allison, Prof. A. S. Johnstone : TheChest after Thoracic Operation.

MAIDA VALE HOSPITAL FOR NERVOUS DISEASES, W. 95 P.M. Dr. J. W. D. Bull: Radiology clinical demonstration.

BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY2 P.M. (Guy’s Hospital Medical School, S.E.1.) Short papers

and demonstration.

Births, Marriages, and DeathsBIRTHS

BAINES.—On Nov. 26, in Birmingham, the wife of Mr. Guy Baines,F.R.C.S.—a son.

BEARD.—On Nov. 29, at Nazeing, the wife of Dr. T. C. Beard-a daughter.

CONNOLLY.—On Nov. 29, the wife of Mr. Campbell Connolly,F.R.C.S.—a daughter.

GLOvER.-On Dec. 2, in London, the wife of Dr. E. C. Glover-a daughter.

LUCAS.—On Nov. 30, in London, the wife of Dr. R. D. Lucas.THOMPSON.—On Nov. 30, the wife of Dr. R. E. M. Thompson-

a son.

MARRIAGEHIGGINSON—MCKEE.—On Nov. 26, at St. Andrews, John Higginson,

M.R.C.P., to Agnes Gentleman Russell McKee.

DEATHSANDERSON.—On Nov. 29, William Anderson, O.B.E., M.B. Aberd.,

F.R.C.S., F.R.C.S.E.BIRKINSHAW.—On Oct. 2, Frank Thornton Birkinshaw, M.R.C.S.,

aged 50.CAIRNS.—On Nov. 28, at Wallasey, William Murray Cairns, C.B.E.,

M.D., C.M. Edin., aged 83.CRUMP.-On Dec. 1, at Malvern, James Arthur Crump, M.R.c.s.,

aged 79.GORDON-MUNN.—On Nov. 29, at Castle Douglas, Scotland, John

Gordon Gordon-Munn, M.A., M.D., C.M. Edin., F.R.S.E., aged 86.GRIMSHAW.—On Oct. 11, at Birkenhead, John Grimshaw, M.D. Lond.,

D.P.H., aged 82.HUMPHREY.—On Dec. 1, in London, Leslie Alfred Humphrey,

B.A. Camb., M.B. Lond., M.R.C.P., major, R.A.M.C., aged 32.KiNG.-On Nov. 21, at Southampton, Arthur King, M.D.,

B.HY. Durh., D.P.H., aged 87.NODINE.—On Dec. 1, Alonzo Milton Nodine, M.R.C.S., D.D.S.New

York. -

NUTTALL.—On Nov. 30, at Colwyn Bay, Harold Nuttall, M.A.,M.D., aged 79.

SMITH.-On Nov. 29, at Pembury, John Smith, M.B. Glasg., aged 48.STORK.-On Nov. 27, Ernest Stanley Stork, D.s.o., M.B. Lond.,

aged 79.TRETHOWAN.—On Dec. 1, at Stoke-on-Trent, Joan Durham

Trethow-an, M.R.C.B.WILSON.—On Nov. 28, in London, Anna Justina Augusta Wilson,

F.R.C.P.E.

A concentrate of vitamin B12, obtained by deep fermenta-tion of the mould streptomyces, is now marketed by GlaxoLaboratories Ltd., as Cytamen.’

Dr. J. McK. A. Lowson, principal medical officer of Johore,has been awarded the Order of the Crown of Johore.

Doctors may now obtain free copies of the 1949 editionof the Register of Dietitians from the Board of Registrationof Medical Auxiliaries, B.M.A. House, Tavistock Square,London, W.C.l.