841

this occurrence the house was fumigated by the health Iauthorities. The police sergeant said that the yard of thehouse in which this family lived was in a perfectly filthystate and the place generally was unfit for human habitation,

adding that it had been closed some time ago, but had sincebeen reopened. The coroner said that the place appeared tobe greatly overcrowded and recommended the jury to advisethe sanitary authorities to look into the matter. He ascribedthe high death-rate of the city of Belfast to poverty morethan anything else.

Lisbtlrrn Wate’l’-sllpply.At the monthly meeting of the Lisburn rural council it was

reported by the council’s analyst that the water taken from theKillullagh river was dangerous and quite unfit for cattle. It

appears that this condition is due to the washings of the filterbeds of the Stoneford water area being discharged into theriver in an unpurified condition. The council threatens toinstitute legal proceedings against the Belfast Water Com-missioners unless they abate the nuisance.

Queen Alexandrcc Sanatorium at Davos.On March 15th, in the City Hall, Belfast, the Lord Mayor

(Lord Shaftesbury) presiding, Lord Balfour of Burleighbrought the claims of the new sanatorium at Davos before alarge Belfast audience and asked for support. ProfessorJ. A. Lindsay having referred to the climate, other speakersfollowed and a considerable sum of money was promised forthis deserving object.

Queen’s College, Belfast.The fifth annual dinner of past and present students of

Queen’s College, Belfast, was held on the eve of St. Patrick’sDay, March 16th, in the examination hall of the College,Sir John W. Byers presiding, when there was a verylarge attendance of professors, graduates, and students.Sir John Byers gave some interesting reminiscences ofthe College, contrasting its present condition with whatit was when he first entered as an arts student. Hereferred to some of his fellow-students who had shed lustreon the College, such as Dr. Joseph Larmor, Lucasian Pro-fessor of Mathematics at Cambridge; Dr. Leslie Porter,Commissioner in the Lucknow United Provinces; and SirJohn N. Jordan, K.C.M.G., Minister at Pekin. Otherspeakers were Dr. J. W. Browne, the President of Queen’sCollege, Professor W. St. Clair Symmers, Professor JohnsonSymington, Professor G. Wilson, Professor J. A. Lindsay,and Sir Otto Jaffe. The dinner, which was well attended,was a great success.

The Belfast Ophthalmic Institution.At the annual meeting of the supporters of this hospital

held on March 18th the report submitted showed that 1492extern eye and 754 ear, nose, and throat patients weretreated during the year and 174 cases were received intothe wards. The improvement and refitting of the externdepartment are urged by the staff at an expense of about250, and of this Dr. J. Walton Browne (senior surgeon)announced that a friend had promised .S50. Financially,the amount due to the bank has been reduced to a littleover ,f,100, and as to yearly expenditure there was a shortageof L60 3s. 1ld. Several speakers referred to the admirablework done at the hospital.

Oerrt brro-spinal Fever.Up to to-day (March 19th) 186 cases have been notified

with 105 deaths.

- Ulster Hospital for Women and Children.At the annual meeting of the supporters of this hos.

pital held on March llth it was reported that therehad been of intern patients 247 children and 81 womenThere had been in the out-patient department 2584 children(of whom 637 were eye cases) and 609 women. Therfwere six intern and 260 extern maternity cases. Th<rebuilding of the hospital was urged. The only change iIthe medical staff is that Mr. H. H. B. Cunningham replace:Dr. C. E. Shaw as ophthalmic surgeon. Financially, the totaincome for the past year was L1217 9s. 6d. and the expenditure was L1163 9s. 9d., leaving a balance in hand oL84 3s. 4d. Mr. G. W. Wolff, M.P., has promised .61000 01condition that all the money (f.1O, 000) is secured for erectingthe new hospital before commencing work.March 19th. ’

PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Rad’iothe1’apy and Spasmodic Spinal Paralyses.M. Babinski recently published an account of a case in

which he had obtained a successful result from radiotherapy.The case was that of a child, aged 15 years, who, after amotor-car accident, suffered from general spastic contrac-tions of the neck, the trunk, and all four limbs. A spinalhaemorrhage or pachymeningitis was suspected. At themeeting of the Hospital Medical Society, held on March lst,M. Babinski brought forward a somewhat similar case. The

patient, a woman, aged 24 yearp, suffered from contractionsof the legs, with paralysis and involuntary spastic move-

ments. The tendon reflexes were exaggerated, there wasspinal epilepsy, and the great toe sign was obtainable. 12sittings for radiotherapy brought about considerable im-

provement. Except in the cases of Pott’s disease or ofsyphilitic spinal paralysis no other kind of spasmodicparalysis has run a similar course. M. Babinski consideredthat the woman had either a patch of spinal sclerosis orelse a sarcoma compressing the spinal cord.

Stripping off the Pulmonary Pleu’l’a.On March 5th M. Delorme read before the Academy of

Medicine a paper dealing with the case of a patient, underthe care of M. Picque, who had an empyema due to a knifestab. For this he was operated upon three times but thewound did not heal. M. Picque thereupon cut down on tothe contracted lung and stripped off the thickened and in-elastic pleura which prevented expansion of the lung, withthe result that very soon the patient was perfectly well.M. Delorme discussed the indications for this procedurewhich he was the first to advocate. Stripping off the pleurashould be employed only in cases of diffuse empyema wherethe two surfaces, visceral and thoracic, of the pleura areseparated to an extent of at least six centimetres. More-over, the operation should not be done unless respiratorygymnastics, begun a few days after the operation for

empyema, have failed to make the lung expand. Empyematastarting from simple outside infection seem to give betterresults than those which are consecutive to pleuro-pulmonaryinfections.

The Radiotherapy of Chronic and Gonorrhceal RhewmatiS1n.M. Dominici and M. Gy have been making researches into

this subject and the results thereof were presented to theAcademy of Medicine on March 5th in a paper read by M.Albert Robin. M. Dominici and M. Gy made use of metalscreens or squares of cloth to which the radio-active sub-stances were fixed by means of varnish. They came to theconclusion that radium exercises a remarkable influence forgood in either form of rheumatism treated. The oedema, thepain, and the reflex contractions all disappeared. The jointsrapidly regained their proper functions and as a consequencethe muscular d3 strophy gradually disappeared also.

The Antitoxic R&ocirc;le played by Calcium Chloride in Brright’sDisease.

At the meeting of the Biological Society held on Feb. 23rdM. Iscovesco read a paper on the above subject. He statedthat he had found that patients suffering from Bright sdisease of the non-polyuric form but who passed from three

l to 15 grammes of albumin per litre showed a very consider-ably diminished globular resistance and their serum was veryhoemolytic. If, however, calcium salts were added to theserum of these patients the hasmolytic power was diminished

- or even suppressed altogether. He therefore gave a

; number of patients coming into the above category. chloride of calcium by the mouth in doses of from 20 to 75i centigrammes per diem. In all the cases the amount of} albumin excreted was diminished ; in one case at the end of a month it had fallen from 8 grammes per litre to 1 - 501 grammes. In another the amount fell from 12 grammes pers litre to 1 - 50 grammes. The general condition of the1 patients also improved and the heetnolytic power of the- serum diminished. M. Iscovesco could not find any case inf which the albuminuria disappeared altogether. In his

1 opinion albuminuria depends upon two factors, the one renal, on which calcium chloride exerts no influence, and the other

has to do with the blood. It is upon this last that calciumchloride acts so well. Milk has long been recommended as a

842

most suitable food for albuminurics and it may be that itssuitability is due to the calcium salts which it contains.

Le Certificat d’&Eacute;tudes Medieccles 8tljJ&eacute;rieures.In THE LANCET of Nov. 24th, 1906, p. 1477, I gave your

readers some account of the various protests made by theFrench medical profession against the decree creating thecertificat d’&eacute;tudes medicales sYjJ&eacute;’l’ietl’l’l?s which dated fromJuly 25th, 1906, The great objection was to the title whichit was thought would make the public believe, thoughwrongly, that the holders of this certificate possessed superiormedical knowledge to that of those who did not possess it.The opponents of the decree have now gained the day, forthe President of the Republic has just issued another decreemaking the certificate in question null and void. TheMinister of Public Instruction has, for his part, appointed anextra-Parliamentary Commission of 73 members to inquireinto the question of what modification can be imported intothe organisation of medical studies as at present existing. IMarch 18th.

__________________

SWITZERLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

New Unit’ersity Buildings in Ziirrich.VERY important enlargements of the premises occupied b;

the University of Ziirich and its scientific and clinicaannexes are being planned at a cost of about ae:300, 000. Thfirst series of buildings proposed by a scientific committeeheaded by the professor of zoology, Mr. Lang, will bicommenced as soon as the necessary credit has beelgranted by public vote to the cantonal and tow)authorities. This series consists of a new university building which is to occupy a prominent position near th,Federal Polytechnic School ; it will be an imposinstructure and is to cost &pound; 150,000. Next to it th

Zoological Institute is to be erected at a cost of &pound;57,00(and last, but not least, a new building for hygiene an(bacteriology costing &pound;6,000. There is some anxiety iIuniversity circles as to whether the inhabitants of the canto!of Zurich, already burdened by heavy direct taxation, wilgrant these considerable sums of money, because late:a further grant of some &pound;60,000 will be required to;new isolation wards and for the enlargement of thl

surgical wards and the Institute for Physical TherapeuticsThe inhabitants of Ziirich regard with no very favourable eye the increase of foreign students, especiallyRussians, which increase is partly responsible for theslnew structures. The Universitv of Zurich has at presen11339 regular students and 336 " Auditoren " who onl3attend a few lectures. Of the 1339 regular students onl3576 are Swiss, the remaining 763, who, of course, forrrthe majority, being foreigners. The Russian students arE

quite to the front, with 455 male and female students, jus1numbering one-third of all the students. The question is

being raised whether this number should not be reduced b3new legislative steps.

Therapeectics of Searrlet -Fever.At a meeting of the Society of Zurich Practitioners, held on

March 7th, Dr. Theodore Zangger read a paper on the Patho.logy and Therapeutics of Scarlet Fever. He gave some in.teresting details about the mortality of this disease in Zurich.In the years 1904 and 1905 the endemic prevalence ofscarlet fever, from which some 300 patients suffer everyyear (the population of Ziirich is 170,000), took an

epidemic form, 1321 and 1468 cases being announcedto the sanitary authorities. No doubt several hundredcases in these years escaped notification through beingtreated at home without medical aid or by quacks. The

majority of cases were treated at the Cantonal Hospitalunder Professor Eichhorst. In 1904 there were 15 deathsand in 1905 there were 23 deaths. For 2789 cases this givesa mortality of scarcely 1’5 per cent., a very low averagewhen compared with other statistics. Dr. Zangger pro-posed more active treatment for all cases of scarlet fever inthe form of a spray of a 2 or 3 per cent. solution of peroxideof hydrogen applied to the nostrils and throat twice a dayso long as abnormal secretion and inflammation continued.Wet packs and baths also form part of this treatment whichgave good results as regards complications.March llth.

Obituary.ARTHUR ERNEST SANSOM, M.D. LOND., F.R.C.P. LOND.

CONSULTING PHYSICIAN TO THE LONDON HOSPITAL.

THE announcement of the death of Dr. A. E. Sansom willbe received by his many friends with very deep regret. Hehad been in failing health for some years and retired fromactive practice about two and a half years before his death,residing first at Hampstead and subsequently at Bournemouth,where he died on March 10th.Arthur Ernest Sansom was born at Corsham, Wiltshire, on

May 13th, 1838. His father was a gentleman farmer; hismother a lineal descendant of the celebrated divine, Dr. IsaacBarrow. He was educated at Queenwood College, Stock-bridge, Hants, where he had the advantage of studying underProfessor Tyndall. On leaving school he was under the-care of a private tutor at Chippenham in order to prepare-for the University of London. He entered King’s College,London, at the age of 16 years, at which institution hebecame Warneford scholar, in addition to gaining many otherprizes and successes. He afterwards acted as clinical clerk tothe late Dr. Todd. After filling the usual out’patient andin-patient appointments, and being then too young to obtainhis diplomas, he proceeded to Paris in order to study at.the Hopital St. Louis. and was a devoted disciple ofPoirry. He became a Fellow of King’s College. He tookthe diplomas of M.R.C.S. Eng. and L.S.A. in 1859. In thesame year he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Medicine ofthe University of London and that of Doctor of Medicine in1866. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College ofPhysicians of London in 1878.

Dr. Sansom held the post of assistant physician and sub-sequently that of physician to the London Hospital and tothe North-Eastern Hospital for Children and at the time ofhis death he was consulting physician to both these institu-tions. He had also held the appointment of physician to-the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum and physician to the RoyalHospital for Diseases of the Chest, City-road. His earlierworks were: Chloroform : its Action and Administration,.published in 1865 ; and Ana3stheties in Obstetric Practice,published in 1869, in which he advocated the more generaluse of a mixture of chloroform and of absolute alcohol. He-was the first member of the medical profession in this countryto bring before his colleagues the important deductions fromPasteur’s researches in fermentation, but his papers readbefore the Medical Society of London were not received’with the favour which they deserved and their embodimentin book form entitled "The Antiseptic System" met withno encouragement. His insight into a subject which was inthe future to cause a revolution in surgical practice was,however, remarkable, and the correctness of his views wassubsequently confirmed by the researches of Mr. (now Lord)Lister. His best known work was entitled The Diagnosisof Diseases of the Heart and Thoracic Aorta," published in1892, and is recognised as one of the standard works on thesubjeut. His valuable researches and observations on

diseases of the heart were further recorded in the Lett-somian lectures on the Treatment of Some of the Forms ofValvular Disease of the Heart and also in his articles in

Keating’s Cyclopaedia of Diseases of Children, Quain’s"Dictionary of Medicine," the "Twentieth Century ofPractice of Medicine," and Allbutt’s "System of Medicine."These publications proved him to be one of the leadingauthorities on diseases of the heart.In all his writings Dr. Sansom’s earnest desire was to

inculcate precision-precision of observation and precision ofrecord. He was accustomed to lay particular stress on

practical points in diagnosis and treatment. He took.nfinite pains to procure accurate records of tracings)btained by the sphygmograph and cardiograph. Hispublished works afford ample proof of his labours in thislirection. Another feature of his book on " The Diagnosis)f Diseases of the Heart" is the numerous reproduc-ions of outlines of the heart and positions of the physicaligns as obtained from superficial tracings taken fromhe actual chest wall in cases of heart disease. His,ormer house physicians or those students who accompaniedim in his visits to the wards of the London Hospital willemember the enthusiasm and perseverance with which heStained such tracings and the pains which he took to explain.o those around him the significance and importance which