HERBALISTS IN CONFERENCE
1894
The Lancet
was furred; the urine contained bile but no albumen. The lower edge of the livei could be felt two fingers' breadth below the costal margin. Eight days later the size of the liver had considerably diminished, and on palpation it could not be felt ; the spleen, on the other hand, was enlarged. At the same time the jaundice became intensified, the child was seized with convulsive fits and became extremely prostrated. The temperatare was 982°F., and the pulse 116 per minute. Death occurred
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... n days after the commencement of the disease. At the necropsy the lungs were cedematous ; subserous heamorrhages were numerous ; but very little bile was in the gall-bladder ; the liver was very small, yellowishbrown in colour, with a number of islets red in colour ; there was grey degeneration of the hepatic cells, with. round-cell infiltration in places. Swelling and grey degeneration of the renal epithelium, together with small haemorrhages in the kidney were noticed to be present. There was commencing degeneration of the cardiac muscle fibres. The cause of the disease, as is usual in such cases, could not be determined. ___ SUFFOCATED IN A SEWER. A CASE was reported in the daily papers last week in which it was stated that a number of sewermen whilst engaged in clearing the drains in the neighbourhood of Stamford-street had been overcome by noxious gases. This is not the first time, unfortunately, that a similar occurrence has been recorded, and we are led to enter a strong protest against the indiscriminate manner in which the authorities allow their employes to examine common sewers. It is a well-known fact that sewer gases, whatever their exact nature may be, are most frequently quite destitute of oxygen, and that therefore when an individual is lowered into a sewer he may be quickly overcome by simple asphyxiation. But a simple rule in such a case is never to descend into a sewer in which a lighted candle fails to burn or to burn satisfactorily, for it is well known that an atmosphere which will not support combustion will not support life. As has been shown, however, there may be present combustible gases (hydrocarbons &c.) sufficient to give rise to explosion on the application of a light ; but this emergency could be provided against by enclosing the lighted candle in a lamp of wire gauze, in the same way that the Davy lamp is used in coal mines. We cannot help thinking that, were these simple precautions adopted, fewer disasters-if any at all-of the kind indicated would in the future be heard of. THE SEPARATE SYSTEM. A LEAFLET published recently by the Howard Association is of interest on account of its relation to the controversy still occasionally revived respecting the comparative merits of the separate system of imprisonment in gaol and that which allows the association of prisoners. After exposing the misleading, because misinformed, character of the utterances made on this subject by the late Charles Dickens, the writer argues with much clearness and force in favour of the former method. Its proved efficiency in restraining and improving the criminal class in this country, in France, and in parts of America is quoted in its favour, and this experimental proof, we are reminded, is in harmony with the views of such eminent authorities as Blackstone, Howard, and Mrs. Fry. The somewhat qualified results obtained at Elmira notwithstanding, we cannot but recognise the rational and practical qualities possessed by the separate method as here explained. While maintaining the value of instruction recognised also by the system pursued in the well-known American reformatory, it is far more keenly, and, in our opinion, more wisely alive to the corrupting influence of eyi! associations. It is also very careful to avoid the dangerous extreme of solitude, or, even of separation itself, if persisted in for a long period and after its purpose has been achieved. It recognises fully and frankly the power exerted by religion in moral development, a power which is yet in its very nature irreconcilable with an atmosphere of moral corruption. The paper we have mentioned admits fully the need existing in British prisons for freer com-.munication by visitation between the imprisoned criminal and the healthier moral forces which rule in the outer world of social law and order. Its whole argument is a most candid one, founded on the sound clinical principle which associates all treatment with removal of the causes of disease. ___ THE DIFFUSION OF SMALL-POX. THERE was a somewhat serious rise in the number of small-pox attacks in London last week, the recorded cases having been 36, with 6 deaths, all of which, however, belonged to West Ham. The number of patients remaining under treatment at the close of the week was 191, of whom 166 were in Metropolitan Asylums Board institutions and 25 in the Highgate Small-pox Hospital; whilst 64 cases were admitted to hospital during the week. In West Ham itself the fresh cases were 21, and in Leyton 7. One death each occurred in Wolverhampton, Nottingham, and Birmingham, 51 attacks being recorded in the latter place. Salford was free from invasion, but Manchester had 4 cases, as also had Bradford. For the rest, there is not much to record. DULCIN. DuLCIN, or sucrol, a new sweetening agent, which is said to be from 200 to 250 times as sweet as sugar, was first produced by J. Berlinerblau. Structurally it must be described as para-phenacetol carbamid. It is an aromatic uric acid derivative related to phenacetin. It is a white powder which melts at 1730 C. to 174° C. and is soluble in about 800 parts of water at 15° C., fifty parts of boiling water, and twenty-five parts of a cold 90 per cent. solution of alcohol. These particulars are taken from a contribution by Professor Kobert of Dorpat to the Centralblattfiir hanere Nedicin.1 Particulars as to its physiological effects are also given. Dogs seem comparatively sensitive to dulcin, dying with such evidences of blood destruction as icterus, while rabbits appear to be quite impervious to its influence. Professor Kobert relates his own experience with the drug in the case of cats. These animals reveal no evidence of blood destruction, but seem to die with symptoms of cerebral paralysis ; this is also the manner of death of frogs subjected to subcutaneous injections of dulcin. These are, of course, the extreme effects of poisonous doses. In the relatively small doses necessary for sweetening the food of diabetic patients and the obese Professor Kobert considers the agent harmless and mentions a case in which eight grammes were taken daily for three weeks with impunity. It is quite evident, however, from the physiological experiences related that. some care is
doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(01)68965-7
fatcat:wijnddnsvbalpntvpwm66npyvm