1405

by the Federal Serum Institute of Bern. Out of 1336 patientstreated in the pre-antitoxin period (from 1881 to 1894) 40 percent., or 534, succumbed bo the disease, whereas out of 1986cases registered from 1894 to 1908 only 13’ 4 per cent., or266, died from diphtheria. The mortality of the tracheo-tomised patients decreased from 66 per cent. during the firstperiod to 14 per cent. under the antitoxic 7’e’MKC. The

reduction of the death-rate in the other cases was from 32 - 5 5

per cent. to 6’ 8 per cent. The mortality rate varied con-siderably from year to year-under the old treatment from27 to 56 per cent., under the new from 5 to 20 per cent.

THE HYGIENE OF THE HANDLE AND THE STEM.

THERE is a feature connected with the construction of

certain modern drinking receptacles which in some circum-stances is hygienically objectionable. We refer to the

ordinary plain tumbler or goblet which has neither handlenor stem. It does not require the refinements of bacterio-logy or chemistry to indicate that in common places ofrefreshment the tumbler, the stemless glass, or the metal

drinking vessel without a handle may readily be a

source of contamination to the drinker. It is not cus-

tomary any longer to drink tea out of a cup without ahandle, and there are hygienic reasons in favour of the

modern cup. It is surely a transgression against sanitarylaw or cleanly requirement that the edge or rim (or thespace near it) of a drinking vessel is used both for

lifting that vessel and for applying it to the mouth in order

that the contents may reach the mouth. In public placesof refreshment where jit is the rule to serve drinks in

tumblers, it is common enough to see the glassful of beeror whisky-and-soda handed to the customer by the servingperson with his fingers and thumb on the rim-in fact, onthat very portion of the glass which comes into contact withthe drinker’s lips. That is an obviously repulsive proceedingand one which should (as it easily can) be avoided. It would

hardly be safe to assume that the hands and fingers of the

barmaid or barman are scrupulously clean, and therefore theuse of the tumbler or the handleless goblet in publicplaces of refreshment is open to objection. We are quitesure that this argument will appeal to all cleanly persons,and that they will agree that it would be much more

satisfactory if vessels with a handle were employed in public-houses, or if all glasses were provided with a stem. After

all, the function of the stem and handle of drinking vesselsis much the same thing, and in view of the above factsglasses either with stems or handles should be reinstalledin those places of refreshment where they have been

discarded. ____

THE HAROLD BARNARD MEMORIAL FUND.

WE have received a circular letter signed by a committeeconsisting of the Honourable Sydney Holland, Dr. W. J.Hadley, Mr. E. Hurry Fenwick, Dr. A. Dashwood Howard,Dr. R. C. B. Wall, Mr. James Sherren, and Professor ArthurKeith, and stating that soon after the lamented death ofMr. Harold Leslie Barnard a number of his colleagues,friends, and pupils met to determine* the best manner inwhich they could recognise his services to the London

Hospital and to the progress of surgery. An examinationof the manuscripts, unpublished observations, papers, anddrawings which he left behind him made it clear to his.friends that they owed him a double duty, not only to

keep alive his memory, but to see that the results of

his brief but laborious experience, of his keen observa-

tion and study, and of his vivid and ever-watchful imagi-nation are suitably - preserved for the use and advantage

of all who serve the cause of medicine and surgery. It is

proposed that Barnard’s name be perpetuated by the publica-tion of a memorial volume, which will include all his con-tributions to abdominal surgery. From the time he joinedthe staff of the London hospital in 1900 he concentrated hisenergy and ambition on the production of this work, but hedied when his task was approaching completion. He had

engaged two of his former pupils-Dr. F. Wood-Jones andMr. Stanley J. A. Beale-to prepare drawings of his specimensfor this work ; these drawings are of special merit and willenhance the value of the work, but at the same time willadd to its cost. It is hoped, therefore, that his friends andpupils will support liberally the attempt to fulfil the ambitionof Barnard’s career. The cost of publication of such a

volume is estimated at .6200. In the event of a sufficientsum being subscribed to cover the expense of publicationit is proposed that each subscriber should be presented witha copy, but in the event of the total subscription fallingshort of the cost of publication that only those who sub-scribe 10s. 6d. and over should be entitled to a copy, the

remaining copies being placed on sale. Mr. Sherren has

offered, and the memorial fund committee has accepted, hisservices as editor of the work. A short biography, withphotographs, will be contributed by his friend and pupil,Dr. H. H. Bashford. Dr. Cecil Wall, to whom Mr. Barnardconfided his manuscripts and papers, has consented to actfor the committee as honorary secretary and treasurer.

The committee appeals with confidence to Mr. Barnard’sfriends and pupils to assist them liberally and promptlyby forwarding their subscriptions to the honorary treasurer,at 6, Cavendish-place, Cavendish-square, London, W. This

is an appeal which should commend itself strongly to allwho knew Mr. Barnard and appreciated his tireless workin the cause of surgery. No more proper monument can be

raised to any truly scientific worker than is to be found in

his own writings, and we trust that the committee makingthe present appeal will meet with the support it rightly looksfor and will be able to enshrine Mr. Barnard’s contributionsto surgical literature in a form worthy of the reputationwhich their author found time in a too short life to win.

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THOMSEN’SDISEASE.

NOT since Thomsen’s classical description of this diseasein 1876 has it befallen the physician reporting it to behimself the sufferer. In the 1YIontreal Medical Journalfor November, 1908, Dr. Arthur Birt of Halifax, NovaScotia, has devoted an article to the subject of thedisease as it occurs in himself and his own familygroup. The diagnosis was made by the writer while hewas still a medical student and it has since been amplyconfirmed. Ever since he can remember he has been affiicted

with a painless stiffness and cramp on first attempting anyvoluntary movement, especially after rest. When a school-

boy he found this stiffness to be a source of great disabilityin sports and games. All the muscles of the body wereliable to the condition, including those of the eye, tongue,and jaw, and since early manhood there has been no

appreciable change. At the present time, conformably tothe usual rule, the musculature is exceedingly well

developed, although no systematic exercise has ever been

taken for any lengthened period. The muscles feel firm to thetouch, they quickly harden on palpation, and if they are putinto strong voluntary contraction they are found for a

number of seconds to be of iron hardness, which, however,rapidly passes off. The peculiarity of movement is entirelyrestricted to voluntary movement ; the patient, on rising froma chair to walk away, is checked in his first step by a painlesscramp of the extensors, and a similar accident occurs in the