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to this work are usually to the form appended to the" De Corde," while there is evidence that several

separate editions of the tractate were published.Lower’s- other well-known work entitled " Bromo-graphia " is mainly an essay on the use of infusionsof barley in medicine. This work appears alsoto have run through many editions, as issued fromvarious continental, chiefly German, centres, but

presumably met with no success in London. Thebibliography closes with notes on the many referencesto Lower and his work occurring in scientific literatureor in biographies, and adds an extraordinary elegydedicated to him. They could certainly in theseventeenth century spread the adulation thickly,for the elegy closes as follows :—,

"And Reader, now wouldst thou his Equal know,Go follow him, for there’s none left below ;Go, follow to that Blessed Place Above,Where all your Admiration will be Love."

Mayow, whose name sounds the more familiarof the two, owes his fame to his " Tractatus Quinque "which was published after Lower had written " DeCorde " and also after the famous experiments ofBoyle, Hooke, and others on the respiration hadappeared. There seems little doubt that much ofMayow’s reputation has been due to the work ofothers. But Prof. Patterson, while allowing that muchof the work on respiration attributed to Mayow wasnot original, still finds things in the " TractatusQuinque " which had not been previously described.He points out that Mayow did in an ingenious mannershow that what we call hydrogen and nitric oxideexpand in the same kind of way as air : that is to say,obey Boyle’s Law. And Dr. Fulton finds thatMayow cannot be adequately visualised unless onemakes allowances for his youth. When still in histeens he was fired by the new scientific spirit whichwas abroad in Oxford, and he has left a creditablerecord of what was going on about him.

It is good to note the close and learned interestwhich is now being taken in the history of medicine,for undoubtedly the course of medical thought isoften directed usefully by knowledge of the theoriesand exploits, successes and failures of past leaders.

A PILGRIMAGE TO MENTAL HOSPITALS

THIS story of a laywoman’s pilgrimage through themental hospitals of France, Belgium, and Holland 1provides a useful sidelight on environmental condi-tions. In the mental hospitals of Belgium visited,most of which are connected with religious nursingorders, Miss Hankin was particularly impressed bythe devotion of the nursing sisters and by the attitudeof friendliness and affection obtaining betweenpatients and nurses. She noted that confessionappeared to play a valuable part as a means ofpsychotherapy and that many of the priests weretrained in human psychology. In Holland, a

Lutheran country, where much of the nursing isdone by deaconesses, she was also favourablyimpressed and in both countries, with the notableexception of one institution, she finds much to praisein the hospital conditions. In France, on the otherhand, she found both the nursing and the facilitiesfor occupying the patients and developing theirindividual interests far less satisfactory. Itwould clearly be unfair to judge of the conditions inany of the three countries from such a brief andlimited investigation. It is, however, of interest toobserve that Miss Hankin, who has nursed in mentalhospitals in England, although not in recent years,notes differences in the attitude adopted to thepatients by the nurses, in the provision of suitableoccupation, and in the prevalence of red tape. Inthese respects the foreign hospitals appear to score.In two of the hospitals visited a recovery-rate of60 per cent. is claimed; whereas in this country thisrate is generally considered not to exceed 35 per

1 Doors of Hope. By Mabel Hankin. London: John Bale,Sons and Danielsson Ltd. 1935. Pp. 59. 2s. 6d

cent. It would be interesting to know to what extentthe figures were based on similar classifications.Miss Hankin was particularly impressed by thecolony at Gheel and her regret that we have noparallel in this country is shared by many. Shenotes also that in certain hospitals where the bestresults are claimed there is a very high proportion ofboth nurses and doctors to patients.

NEW PREPARATIONS

MANDELIC ACID (BOOTS).—We have received fromMessrs. Boots Pure Drug Company Limited,Nottingham, a sample of their mandelic acid for, usein the treatment of urinary infections. This is acrystalline powder readily soluble in water, alcohol,and ether, has a melting point of 118° to 120° C.,and is represented by the formula CH(OH).COOH.Two years ago (THE LANCET, 1933, i.. 855) Mr. A. T.Fuller, Ph.D., described work performed at theBernhard Baron Memorial Research Laboratories,Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, on the ketogenic dietand the nature of the bactericidal agent concerned.The present use of mandelic acid in the treatment ofchronic infections of the urinarv tract follows thiswork of Dr. Fuller and that of Dr. M. L.Rosenheim (THE LANCET, 1935, i., 1032) who foundmandelic acid to be a valuable agent in cases of urinaryinfection unassociated with urinary obstruction.Since Dr. Rosenheim’s article appeared Messrs.Boots have received medical evidence from severalsources confirming the findings disclosed in Dr.Rosenheim’s paper, the urine of the patients beingrendered sterile and the improvement in conditionsfollowing in a satisfactory manner. It is admittedthat for the present the treatment may have to berepeated on occasion, as in some cases it has beenfound that on discontinuance the urine becomes non-sterile, when the symptoms reappear. The dosageemployed has been 12 g. of mandelic acid per day,and the fluid intake should be limited to two pintsand the acidity of the urine increased by theadministration of ammonium chloride. The standardmixture used in the treatment of cases at UniversityCollege Hospital contains 3 g. of mandelic acid perounce just neutralised by sodium bicarbonate andflavoured with lemon. One ounce of this mixture isgiven four times a day, while 8 cachets, each contain-ing 1 g. of ammonium chloride, are also given duringthe day. A useful leaflet on the whole subject issupplied by the manufacturers, which includes thewarning that careful supervision of the patient isrequired, lest the drug should act as a renal irritant.The preparation is non-toxic in therapeutic doses.

BRGOMETRINE.—The note published in THE LANCETon August 10th, 1935, p. 353, referring to this prepara-tion is stated to give the impression that Messrs.Allen and Hanburys Ltd. issued ergometrine some timebefore the drug was issued by British Drug HousesLtd. British Drug Houses Ltd. recall that on thepublication of a paper which appeared in the BritishMedical Journal on March 16th, 1935, ErgometrineB.D.H. was placed upon the market. This fact wasannounced in a letter published in THE LANCETon April 13th, 1935, from Mr. C. A. Hill, managingdirector of British Drug Houses Ltd. British DrugHouses Ltd. find that the note under " NewPreparations " of August 10th last gives the impressionthat not only were they not pioneers but were latein the field. In that note Mr. Hill’s letter of April 13thought to have been referred to.

THE MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER BULBS.—Themanufacture of rubber bulbs is now meeting with agreat variety of needs. In surgical work both thick-necked and thin-necked bulbs are required, forexample, in different varieties of ear and nose spray.Nozzles assume different shapes and for conveniencesome of the bulbs may be made with a flat bottom.The length of the neck may also vary according toneeds. We have received from Messrs. David