NEW CENTRE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

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work the discoveries of Haworth and Hirst are

complementary to those of Szent-Gyorgyi ratherthan of Karrer, though Karrer did also make somecontribution to confirming the correct formula forascorbic acid.

PAINT-BRUSH FOR SCALPEL

THE Royal College of Surgeons has assembled aremarkable collection of works of art by fellows andmembers. Properly enough, the two most skilfulare by a surgeon who made art his profession-thelate Henry Tonks-but there are several that runthem close and none are without interest. Like mostother exhibitions of pictures this one illustrates thedifficulty of achieving a genuinely personal style,and one welcomes the planned individuality of Mr.T. H. Somervell’s three studies. With less striving forindependence fine work has been done by Mr. FosterMoore, Prof. John Hay, Dr. E. W. Twining, and severalothers among the water-colourists ; Dr. Harold

Hodgson’s architectural detail, for example, is beauti-ful of its kind. The pictures of wind and trees byDr. E. B. Waggett, the late Sir Squire Sprigge, andDr. L. W. Scargill form an instructive contrast, andmuch may be learnt from the handling of pastelsby various contributors. Among the more ambitiousof the oil-painters, Dr. A. C. D alzell uses a now familiarstyle with outstanding success, and Dr. A. B. Hewlett,employing a somewhat similar technique, is bothdecorative and convincing. Sir Leonard Hill, F.R.S.,shows a fine self-portrait which places him in achieve-ment outside the class of successful amateurs ; andthere are features of the work of Dr. John Rammell,Dr. W. G. Barnard, Dr. Helena Wright, and (espe-cially) Prof. C. A. Pannett, organiser of the exhibi-tion, that make one wish their painting had not beenmerely a pastime. Unfortunately only seven worksof sculpture are shown : Dr. Leo Spira’s, with theirstrength and spirit, are nearly very good indeed ;Dr. Edward Tait’s recumbent figure is charming.The exhibition, which remains open till Nov. 27th,

provides unexpected information about the per-sonalities of many distinguished members of our

profession, and it is a pleasure to meet them in theirhappiest moments.

NEW ANTICOAGULANT IN BLOOD TRANSFUSION

IN this country and in the United States sodiumcitrate is widely used as an anticoagulant in bloodtransfusion. The indirect transfusion of citratedblood has definite advantages, for both operator anddonor, over the direct arm-to-arm technique withwhole blood, and it is extremely doubtful whether asmall addition of this anticoagulant salt (0-3 g. per100 c.cm. of blood) is deleterious to the recipient oftransfused, blood. Such reactions as may occur fromtime to time are more probably dependent on factorssuch as atypical agglutinins, uncleanliness of appa-ratus, the presence of bacterial protein in the distilledwater or saline used, and products of metabolism inthe donor’s circulation. Some observers, however,still maintain that whole blood-i.e., blood withoutadditions or subtractions-should be used in trans-fusion, and Dr. Hedenius has described an ingeniousway of overcoming the usual technical difficulties ofwhole-blood transfusion. Before the transfusionhe injects a preparation called Heparin into the donorso as to reduce the coagulability of the blood, and onp. 1186 he is able to report excellent results from thisprocedure. The only objections that appear are thatthe donor might run some small risk by the temporarylengthening of his coagulation-time, that he might beunduly apprehensive about this risk, or that with

successive donations he might develop a toleranceor sensitivity. These possibilities though not per-haps important nevertheless mean that for the useof heparin to become established it will have toshow distinct advantages over the convenient, safe,and cheap citrate salt.

NEW CENTRE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

l WE are informed that the Chicago lumor institute,l which has been established, not for profit, to conductI research on cancer and to instruct and assist physicians,l surgeons, clinics, and hospitals in the diagnosis andj treatment of the disease, will open next March.3 It is to be directed by a scientific committee consisting, of Dr. Max Cutler (Chicago), Dr. Henri Coutard. (Curie Institute, Paris), Sir Lenthal Cheatle (London),. Dr. Arthur H. Compton (physicist, Chicago), and Dr.. Ludvig Hektoen (Chicago). Dr. Coutard has beenL granted leave of absence for three months to workL with the million-volt X ray machine in the laboratory. of Prof. R. A. Milliken at Pasadena, California,r but will return to Chicago next spring. Sir Lenthal. Cheatle is now in Chicago and it is stated that he. will spend most of his time there in laboratory research and post-graduate instruction. Although: the scope of the activities of the new institute will

be national, the funds have been raised entirely bycitizens of Chicago.VASODEPRESSION NOT DUE TO HISTAMINE

SOME of the difficulties that may arise in usingbiological tests are illustrated by the work of Kinardand Martin 1 on the vasodepressor activity of theblood of normal and burnt dogs. Solutions preparedby the method of Best and McHenry 2 were injectedinto anaesthetised cats. Normal dog’s or cat’s bloodand egg-albumin solution all produced a fall in bloodpressure, but the time of onset and the durationof this fall were quite different from those obtainedby giving a dose of histamine sufficient to cause anequivalent depression. The blood of burnt dogsgave a greater fall than normal blood, but this mightbe because of concentration of protein in the bloodfrom loss of fluid. Injection of atropine into thetest animal reduced the fall due to blood extractsbut did not affect that due to histamine. It wasconcluded that the vasodepressor action of thesetest solutions was probably attributable to a proteinsplit-product formed during preparation, and not tohistamine.

THE Hamburg School of Tropical Medicine hasawarded centenary medals in England to Dr. PhilipManson-Bahr, senior physician to the Hospital foi

Tropical Diseases, London, and Dr. G. H. F. Nuttall,F.R.S., emeritus professor of biology at Cambridge.The medal is named after Dr. Bernhard Nochtof the Hamburg school, who has been celebrating hiseightieth birthday.ON Thursday, Dec. 2nd, Sir Charles Gordon-Watson

will deliver the Bradshaw lecture of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons of England. He will speak on the originand spread of cancer of the rectum in relation to

surgical treatment. On Dec. 9th and 16th Sir CharlesSherrington, O.M., will deliver the Thomas Vicarylecture in two parts. His subject will be JeanFernel with special reference to his work in astrology.All the lectures will be held at the college at 5 r.M.and fellows and members are invited to attend.Other medical practitioners and students will beadmitted on presentation of their card.1 Kinard, F. W.,Martin, F. N.,Amer. J. med. Sci. Oct., 1937, p. 560.2 Best, C. H., and McHenry, E. W., J. Physiol. 1930, 70, 349.