journals and magazines
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series, consisting of 28 stories, is up to the usual goodstandard.-The monosyllabic title Strike, which Mr.FREDERICK WATSON has given to "A Story in Dialogue" (London: Lynwood and Co. 1914. Pp. 166. Price 18. net),is apparently intended to have a double meaning. The story,which uses a strike of workmen as a peg upon which to hanga diatribe on social unrest and the position of women, is notparticularly entertaining, and stories, qud stories, shouldcertainly possess that attribute. As an argument it is notconvincing.
JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES.
British J’owrnal of Inebriety.-In the new quarterly numberMr. J. W. Astley Cooper discusses the Proposed Legislationfor Inebriates, his contention being that, while changes inthe law are urgently needed to bring the inebriate undercontrol, those persons under whose care the patient has beenplaced should be thereafter empowered to exercise their
authority with as few rules and regulations as possible. Mr.
Cooper gives a qualified approval from this point of view tothe amending Bill recently before Parliament, but considersthat its provisions still show too much deference to pre-judices in favour of the liberty of the subject,-Dr. T.Claye Shaw, in a brief paper on the Alcohol Problemof To-day, points to the gratifying increase of temper-ance in the masses of the population, and urges counselsof reasonableness and moderation on the over-zealousadvocates of total abstinence, with whose principles,however, he expresses his personal agreement on scientificgrounds.-An article by Mr. Theodore Neild on ChronicAlcoholism and Reproduction summarises (from a review byDr. R. Wlassak) the results of the very important researchesof Dr. Bertholet, of Lausanne, into the effect of chronicintoxication by alcohol on the reproductive glands.Bertholet’s inquiry dealt with the pathological conditionsfound in a series of 163 "drinkers" (i.e., persons habituallyconsuming more than 100 c.c. of pure alcohol) and in aseries of 100 "non-drinkers." The most important factestablished by the inquiry is that testicular degeneration isby far the most frequent morbid condition which the bodiesof inebriates show. It was present in 86 per cent. of the"drinkers," as against 29 per cent. of the "non-drinkers."This result is the more noteworthy as the individuals in thealcoholic class were of lower average age, only 12 per cent.being over 60, while the corresponding ratio in the non-drinking group amounted to 28 per cent. Bertholet classifiedhis cases on the basis of a minute histological examination,the result being to bring out more clearly the relation ofdegenerative change to alcoholic poisoning. Thus the mostextreme stage of morbid alteration characterised by completeshrinkage of the cellular elements and entire absence ofspermatozoa was met with in 55 per cent. of the alcoholiccases, but only in 15 per cent. of the subjects regarded asI ’non-drinkers." Mr. Neild’s paper should be useful in
directing attention to Bertholet’s original memoir (’’ Actionde l’Alcoolisme Chronique sur les Organes de l’Homme,et sur les Glandes Réproductricesen Particulier." Lausanne,1913).
The British Dental Journal.-In a paper read before theRoyal Society in March Mr. J. Howard Mummery recordedhis observations on the nature of the tubes in marsupialenamel and its bearing upon enamel development. Anabstract of the paper, with a reproduction of the illustra-tions, appears in the Nov. 15th issue of this journal. Theauthor considers that the tubes run between the prismsand not in the prisms. In marsupial enamel the cementsubstance is imperfectly calcified compared to that in highermammalian enamel, and this imperfect calcification allowsthe penetration of the dentinal fibril from the previouslyformed dentine. The fibril has a distinct tube wall and isresistant to the action of acids.-In the same issue Dr.H. R. Burpitt contributes a short paper on the relationshipbetween defective teeth and malnutrition in children. 800children were examined and divided into two classes as towhether more or less than four teeth were carious. He findsthe boys and girls with the worst teeth are quite as wellnourished as the average of the children. The work wouldhave been of more value if the condition of children withfunctional mouths had been recorded against those withadvanced caries.-There is also an interesting article on theNaval Dental Service by Mr. E. E. Fletcher.
THE GENERAL COUNCIL OFMEDICAL EDUCATION AND
REGISTRATION.
WE continue our report of the proceedings of the GeneralMedical Council for
TUESDAY, NOV. 24TH.
A Removal from the Reqister.A report was received from the Executive Committee
stating that it had considered a request, transmitted by theScottish Branch Registrar, from Robert Ramsey, registeredas of 2, Sandyford-place, Glasgow, W., M.B., Ch.B. 1901,U. Glasg., F.R.C.S. Edin. 1904, F.F.P.S. Glasg. 1905, forthe removal of his name from the Medical Register on theground of his having ceased to practise. A statutorydeclaration in accordance with the Standing Orders hadbeen supplied, and the bodies concerned stated that theyhad no objection to the removal of the name from theRegister. The committee resolved "that this request bereported to the Council, with a recommendation that it beacceded to."The PRESIDENT moved that the recommendation of the
report should be adopted by the Council.The motion was agreed to.
Inspection and Visitation of Examinations.The following report was received from the Executive
Committee :-
At its meeting on July 13th, 1914. the Executive Committee con-sidered business arising out of the following resolution adopted by theGeneral Council on June lst, 1914 :-" That it be delegated to the Executive Committee to make all
necessary arrangements for the inspection and visitation of qualifyingexaminations directed to begin in 1915, and to nominate to the Councilat its November session suitable persons for appointment as inspectors."According to the Standing Orders, three inspectors-one for medi-
cine, one for surgery, and one for midwifery-must be appointed fordefinite periods. The remuneration is fixed at five guineas for eachday during which the inspector is absent from home on the business ofthe Council, together with an allowance for his actual travelling andhotel expenses. The committee authorised the Registrar to obtainfrom the licensing bodies the dates of their qualifying examinations tobe held during the year 1915 and to take other preliminary steps.The committee on the same day also considered business arising out
of the following resolution adopted by the General Council on June lst,1914 :-"That it is advisable that all examinations conducted for the purpose
of conferring the several registrable degrees, diplomas, or certificatesin Sanitary Science, Public Health, or State Medicine, specified inTable G at page lxxv. of the Medical Register, should be inspected, andthat it be remitted to the Executive Committee to consider and reportupon the necessary arrangements for the inspection."The committee resolved to recommend:-
(a) That an inspection of all the examinations for Diplomas in PublicHealth should* be commenced in 1915. Those bodies whose examina-tions in Public Health have been instituted since the last inspectionshould be first inspected.
(b) That one inspector should be appointed for all the examinations,and should be remunerated on the same scale as the inspectors of thefinal examinations. Where practicable a member of the Councilshould accompany the inspector as visitor. The further considerationof the appointment of an inspector was postponed till the next meet-ing of the committee.At a later meeting held on Sept. 15th, 1914, subsequent to the out-
break of the war, the committee considered what further action, ifany, should be taken in regard to the visitation and inspection ofqualifying examinations, and of examinations for diplomas in publichealth, respectively, during the year 1915, whereupon it wasresolved: " That the resolutions of July 13th, 1914, be rescinded, andthat the Executive Committee report to the Council that in view ofthe present unusual conditions it is inexpedient to proceed with theproposed inspection and visitation of qualifying examinptions and ofexaminations for Diplomas in Public Health during the year 1915."On the motion of the PRESIDENT it was agreed to adopt
the recommendations of the committee’s report and to
postpone the visitation and inspection for the present.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 25TH.The Council resumed its sittings at its offices, 299, Oxford-
street, W. Sir DONALD MACALISTER, the President, was inthe chair.
Charges against Prccetitioners.The Council considered charges brought against practi-
tioners.The first case to be considered was that adjourned from
May 29th, 1914, of William Blaikie Mason, registered as of218, Somers-road, Southsea, M.R.C.S. Eng. 1893, L.R.C.P.