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but differed in some points. The radium rays acted moredirectly on the blood-vessels and on the deeper layers of thetissues and, moreover, had a rather strong bactericidalinfluence. As to their therapeutic effect, he had found thatthe radium rays acted more vigorously on malignant growthsof the skin, especially on cancers; they had a curativeaction in telangiectasis and small angiomata, and, finally,might be applied to regions of the body which were

inaccessible to the Roentgen rays, especially to the greatcavities-the pleural, peritoneal, and cerebral.

Skin Diseases and ]Jfetabolism.Professor VON NOORDEN (Frankfort) discussed the matter

from a theoretical standpoint, alluding especially to the

theory of auto-intoxication.Professor JADASSOHN (Berne) said that dermatoses

indicated the existence of anomalies of metabolism, beinginfluenced but not caused by these anomalies. Probablycertain substances which were present in the circulationwere the causes of the dermatoses. These toxins mighteither act directly on the skin, as in icterus and in

pruritus, or they might produce vaso-motor troubles, asin urticaria, or act indirectly, as in diabetic xanthoma.Dermatoses might be produced when the toxin of thecirculation appeared in the secretory; system of the’ skin.In other cases the liability to contract a disease of theskin was perhaps augmented by the anomaly of meta-bolism as bacteria which were present in the skinshowed an increased growth. As to the individual dis-turbances of metabolism, Professor Jadassohn said that in goutthere were no specific skin diseases, tophi excepted. Diabeticxanthoma only occurred in real diabetes, as in cases allegedto be pentosuria the diabetes was obviously in a latent

state ; in a case of prurigo ferox an affection of the pancreascould be ascertained by examination of the bowels.

(To be continued.)

SECOND LATIN-AMERICAN MEDICALCONGRESS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

THE report of this Congress, which was held at

Buenos Ayres in April, 1904, has just been published.Among other papers of special interest are the following :-Dr. MAXIMILIAN ABERASTURY of Buenos Ayres, on

Idiopathic Multiple Sarcomata. The author’s conclusionsare the following : 1. The primitive sarcomata of theskin must be actually of relative frequency in theArgentine, as in less than five years a single observerhad been able to see all the described clinical types withthe exception of one (type Piffard). Unna described fiveirregular types-namely, Unna, Piffard, Neumann, Perrin,and Funk Hyde. 2. With the exception of the type KaposiDr. Aberastury had proved that in all the other forms ofsarcomatosis the morbid process seemed to begin in a cir-cumscribed spot which served as a centre for the ultimatemultiplication of the cutaneous nodules or might be regardedas a door of entrance for an infection. 3. In spite of carefulresearch in no case had Dr. Aberastury found microbic orparasitic forms in the non-ulcerated nodules, or in the blooditself which had only presented conditions of anasmia ofvariable intensity. 4. The clinical differences of the typesNeumann, Perrin, and Funk Hyde were in evident relationwith their differences in histological structure, but variablegrades of malignancy could not be based on it. In thethree cases alluded to the morbid process had shown itselfto be as inexorably progressive and fatal as in melanoticsarcoma, the most infectious of all. 5. Finally, in presenceof these grave and generalised morbid processes, up to thepresent efficacious therapeutic measures could not be countedon. If arsenical treatment could temporarily influenceKaposi’s sarcomatosis, on the other hand, it had no appre-ciable action on the other forms.

Professor LiGNlERES (Buenos Ayres) read a paper on

Human and Bovine Tuberculosis in which he said that thetrue tuberculoses found in man and the domestic animalswere due to bacilli which all belonged to the same group,the same species as the Koch bacillus which, however, cameunder the general law of variation of type. So that besidespossible varieties still undetermined they knew now the

following different types (a) bovine tuberculous bacillus,which was only a variety of the human type and vice

1Jersâ; and (b) avine and piscine bacilli which were of dis-tinct races respectively and which differed from thehuman and bovine bacilli. Now that they knew, howeverexceptional it might be, that the bovine tuberculous bacilluscould infect man especially in infancy, it would be a gravemistake to abandon the campaign so wisely initiated against.the bovine tuberculosis. On the contrary, it was necessary tofollow it up, to extend it, and to complete it, against theother animal tuberculoses, not only to prevent a possiblecontagion to man, but to combat particularly bovine tuber-culosis which tended to increase alarmingly amongst cattle.

BIRMINGHAM.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Dangers of the -r -Hys.AN interview with a local medical man, in which the

matter of lesions of the skin as a result of the x rays wasalluded to, having appeared in the columns of the local dailypress, a reporter called upon Sir Oliver’ Lodge and inquiredhis opinion upon the point. Sir Oliver Lodge said: "Ithas long been known that x rays might produce, or were

apt to produce, sores, and it has also long been known thatsome sores are apt to develop into what is popularly calledcancer. But there are many varieties of cancer and it isnot strictly the medical term, so that it is difficult to sayanything about it. My own idea is that it is not the x raysthemselves which are responsible for this result but some-thing which accompanies them and which can be screenedoff by suitable appliances, whereas no screen will com-

pletely obstruct the x rays. Hence it is likely thateffective precautions can be taken by operators whose long-continued exposure to the x rays must be regarded as

specially dangerous. The danger does not affect the

patients to the same degree, though I believe some

unfortunate results in the past have been producedupon patients also. Certain experimental results have

suggested that cells can be stimulated into abnormal

activity by the x rays themselves and if this theory iswell founded then there may be some danger arising fromthis cause. At present it appears most likely, however, thatx-rays dermatitis is the adventitious result of some con-comitant which can be avoided by suitable precautions. Itwould be injudicious for the public to jump at the conclusionthat the sores are of the nature of cancer, or have anythingto do with it, although they may simulate its appearanceand in certain cases may stimulate some previously existingcancerous tendency. On the whole it is probable that thesores are more akin to burns, in the infliction of which pre-liminary symptoms are able to afford no warning. It shouldbe clearly understood that they only come after prolongedexposure."

The Bishop of .Worcester and Faith Healinrg.At the last annual service of the local Guild of St. Luke

the sermon was preached by Dr. Gore, Bishop of Worcester,whose striking personality has made so much impression onthe great city which is so shortly to cease to be a portion ofthat diocese. After alluding to the fact that at one time theclergy, being the only learned men, controlled politics andmedicine as well as the religious exercises of the public, andthat increasing knowledge and specialisation had altered allthis, Dr. Gore went on to plead that the health of the bodydepended on the recognition of specialism. It was to be re-

cognised, he said, that those who were outside the specialdepartments of knowledge were obliged to accept the know-ledge in which they themselves could not participate on theauthority of those who knew. If the physician who knewwere to tell him who did not know what he observed, whathe suspected, and what he thought, it would convey to himeither no information at all or else a false informa-tion. It would alarm him, because he would misinterpretit, for, as a matter of fact, the exact state of things as per-ceived by a scientific man was only intelligible to one whohad that context of general knowledge which the termsand phraseology involved. Each in his department shouldrecognise the place of others in that which went to make upthe various and manifold well-being of human society. Andin the matter of healing he wished to make an appeal tothose who, as physicians and as nurses, were occupied about