1
55 or epigram with which he often resolved what had seemed a weighty question or with which he demolished pomposity or insincerity. He had few interests outside his happy home life and his beloved pathology, which was his hobby. For the greater part of his last illness, six months or more, he earried on his work as though nothing was wrong ; indeed he worked until only a fortnight before his death, from an inoperable retroperitoneal tumour, which there is no doubt he himself correctly diagnosed some weeks earlier. He was poised and smiling to the last. Dr. Carmichael leaves a widow and a daughter. LORNA MURIEL ADELHEID GOULDEN BACH M.R.C.S., D.P.]Ell Dr. Goulden Bach, assistant principal medical officer to the London County Council, died on Dec. 26. She qualified from Westminster Medical School in 1930, and after serving at Westminster Hospital as house- physician and casualty-officer she took appointments at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital and Battersea Maternity Hospital before joining the maternity and child-welfare and school health services in Barking, Essex. In 1938 she was appointed an assistant medical officer of health for Wembley, and during the late "W"ar she was responsible for the borough’s refugees. As assistant casualty officer for the area she was continuously on duty at night at the town hall. In 1946 she was seconded to the Ministry of Health as special assistant to the director of health services of UNRRA. She was sent to do relief work in Athens, later she joined the antimalarial team in Macedonia. The team also helped to establish public-health services under difficult and sometimes hazardous conditions, and Dr. Goulden Bach was forced at one time to escape from bandits. In 1948 she was appointed as medical officer to the public-health department of the London County Council. Her wide experience in public health and outstanding administrative ability were early recognised, and she was transferred in 1950 to the central staff at County Hall. In 1952 she was promoted to assistant principal medical officer. A colleague writes : ’’ Her capacity for establish- ing good personal relationships as well as her deep knowledge of child health made her advice valuable. Her high courage in her illness was an inspiration and, at the same time, humbling to her friends." Dr. HUBERT WYERS G. F. K. writes : Hubert Wyers’s attitude to his specialty was never sectarian and he held strongly that " Medicine should not rest on any theoretical system of ideas, for once one part is discredited the whole is liable to suffer loss." Since he acted as adviser to several firms he was in a happily independent position which accorded with his temperament, and enabled him to speak with authority on such diverse hazards as asbestosis and vanadium poisoning. No doubt his earlier experience in industry also made it possible for him to see things in the factory from the point of view of people other than the doctor ; he had no time for empire-builders in occupational health and he had the firm opinion that doctors in industry only undermined their position as specialists in their own field when they encroached on the problems of the engineers or other specialists. Hubert Wyers was simpático to a degree, and by many he will be remembered best as their friend however little they could aspire to his erudition and achievements. He had had more than his share of anxiety and troubles one way or another, but he never gave more than a hint of his difficulties, and there is no doubt that he was greatly sustained by his deep religious feeling which led him through Anglo-Catholicism to be received quite recently into the Roman Catholic Church. Births, Marriages, and Deaths BIRTHS DixoN.-On Dec. 23, at King’s College Hospital, to Gabrielle, wife of Dr. W. M. Dixon, M.R.c.p.-a son, Peter (a brother for Christopher). ). Notes and News SICKNESS BENEFIT FOR CERTAIN WIDOWS CERTAIN widows who are not at present entitled to National Insurance sickness benefit will become eligible for it from Jan. 7, 1957. The widows who may be affected are those who in the past have drawn a widow’s benefit but are no longer getting it and those who are now drawing a widow’s benefit of less than 40s. a week, including the widows on 10s. con- tributory pension. Some widows may not be aware of this change. Any practi- tioner attending a widow whom he considers to be incapable of work and who is not receiving sickness benefit or a retire- ment pension may like to suggest to her that she should inquire from her local National Insurance office to find out whether she is now entitled to sickness benefit. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE THERE was no major change in the world food and agricul- tural situation in 1955-56. Agricultural production continued to increase and in all regions of the world was some 2-5-3% above the average of the previous quinquennium. Estimates of the increase of populations varied from 0-7% in Western Europe to 2-4% in Latin America. With the general food situation throughout the world for once stable, F.A.O. has devoted most of its annual report to special factors influ- encing national and international trade. The main interest in the report is in economics. In general, farm incomes have fallen and possible deterioration of the farming population in many countries must give rise to anxiety. There appears to have been no corresponding fall in retail food prices. The" marketing margins " have probably increased ; in the U.S.A. the increase was 3%. The basic dilemma of most governments is how to reconcile the dual responsibilities of maintaining the economic position of the farmers, at the same time providing consumers with adequate food-supplies at low prices. PHYSIOLOGY OF VOLUNTARY MUSCLE A New number of the British Medical Bulletin 2 is devoted to the physiology of voluntary muscle. The medical reader who is unfamiliar with such matters should not be discouraged, for, though he may not understand the details of what he reads, he cannot fail to grasp the main points in each of these interesting articles. Moreover, some of the remarks deserve attention because their meaning has application far beyond the immediate context ; for instance, A. V. Hill comments that it is never safe, because one sees a particular need, to assume that a muscle " is ideally designed to meet that one alone : under other conditions other demands also must be met." In the chapter on comparative physiology of muscle, C. F. A. Pantin points out that the physico-chemical basis of movement is very often substantially the same. " This restricted pattern of variation is not simply of evolutionary origin ... it depends also upon the peculiarly limited chemical materials available for living systems, and the limitations set by the properties of matter." A. F. Huxley and H. E. Huxley write elegantly on the ultrastructure of muscle and on the function and composition of the familiar striations. K. Bailey and S. V. Perry give lucid accounts of present ideas on contraction and relaxation and on the part played by the various muscle proteins and phos- phates. B. Katz is, as usual, clarity itself in discussing the role of the cell membrane in muscular activity ; and the account of the nervous gradation of muscular contraction by P. H. Hammond, P. A. Merton, and G. G. Sutton is very well done. A. V. Hill’s article on the thermodynamics of muscle makes it easy to understand the kind of information which can be obtained by physical measurements of this type. Of great interest, too, are the accounts of energy production in muscle, its comparative physiology, activity during locomo- tion, problems of fatigue, and changes after death. The article on muscular effort is written by R. G. Bannister, whose knowledge is both subjective and objective. To anyone whose interest in physiology is largely based on a desire to under- stand human physiology the chapter on familial periodic paralysis by B. McArdle will be of particular interest, since it provides an admirable summary of possible causes underlying 1. The State of Food and Agriculture, 1956. Rome : Food and Agriculture Organisation. Obtainable from H.M. Stationery Office. Pp. 143. 7s. 6d. 2. Brit. med. Bull, 1956, 12, no. 3. Price 15s.

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Page 1: Births, Marriages, and Deaths

55

or epigram with which he often resolved what had seemed aweighty question or with which he demolished pomposity orinsincerity. He had few interests outside his happy homelife and his beloved pathology, which was his hobby. Forthe greater part of his last illness, six months or more, heearried on his work as though nothing was wrong ; indeed heworked until only a fortnight before his death, from aninoperable retroperitoneal tumour, which there is no doubthe himself correctly diagnosed some weeks earlier. He was

poised and smiling to the last.Dr. Carmichael leaves a widow and a daughter.

LORNA MURIEL ADELHEID GOULDEN BACHM.R.C.S., D.P.]Ell

Dr. Goulden Bach, assistant principal medicalofficer to the London County Council, died on Dec. 26.She qualified from Westminster Medical School in 1930,and after serving at Westminster Hospital as house-physician and casualty-officer she took appointmentsat Queen Charlotte’s Hospital and Battersea MaternityHospital before joining the maternity and child-welfareand school health services in Barking, Essex. In 1938she was appointed an assistant medical officer of healthfor Wembley, and during the late "W"ar she was responsiblefor the borough’s refugees. As assistant casualty officerfor the area she was continuously on duty at night at thetown hall.

In 1946 she was seconded to the Ministry of Healthas special assistant to the director of health servicesof UNRRA. She was sent to do relief work in Athens,later she joined the antimalarial team in Macedonia.The team also helped to establish public-health servicesunder difficult and sometimes hazardous conditions,and Dr. Goulden Bach was forced at one time to escapefrom bandits.

In 1948 she was appointed as medical officer to thepublic-health department of the London County Council.Her wide experience in public health and outstandingadministrative ability were early recognised, and she wastransferred in 1950 to the central staff at County Hall.In 1952 she was promoted to assistant principal medicalofficer. A colleague writes : ’’ Her capacity for establish-ing good personal relationships as well as her deepknowledge of child health made her advice valuable.Her high courage in her illness was an inspiration and,at the same time, humbling to her friends."

Dr. HUBERT WYERS

G. F. K. writes :

Hubert Wyers’s attitude to his specialty was never sectarianand he held strongly that " Medicine should not rest on anytheoretical system of ideas, for once one part is discreditedthe whole is liable to suffer loss." Since he acted as adviserto several firms he was in a happily independent positionwhich accorded with his temperament, and enabled him tospeak with authority on such diverse hazards as asbestosisand vanadium poisoning. No doubt his earlier experiencein industry also made it possible for him to see things in thefactory from the point of view of people other than the doctor ;he had no time for empire-builders in occupational healthand he had the firm opinion that doctors in industry onlyundermined their position as specialists in their own fieldwhen they encroached on the problems of the engineers orother specialists.Hubert Wyers was simpático to a degree, and by many he

will be remembered best as their friend however little theycould aspire to his erudition and achievements. He had hadmore than his share of anxiety and troubles one way oranother, but he never gave more than a hint of his difficulties,and there is no doubt that he was greatly sustained by hisdeep religious feeling which led him through Anglo-Catholicismto be received quite recently into the Roman Catholic Church.

Births, Marriages, and Deaths

BIRTHS

DixoN.-On Dec. 23, at King’s College Hospital, to Gabrielle,wife of Dr. W. M. Dixon, M.R.c.p.-a son, Peter (a brother forChristopher). ).

Notes and News

SICKNESS BENEFIT FOR CERTAIN WIDOWS

CERTAIN widows who are not at present entitled to NationalInsurance sickness benefit will become eligible for it fromJan. 7, 1957. The widows who may be affected are those whoin the past have drawn a widow’s benefit but are no longergetting it and those who are now drawing a widow’s benefitof less than 40s. a week, including the widows on 10s. con-tributory pension.Some widows may not be aware of this change. Any practi-

tioner attending a widow whom he considers to be incapableof work and who is not receiving sickness benefit or a retire-ment pension may like to suggest to her that she shouldinquire from her local National Insurance office to find outwhether she is now entitled to sickness benefit.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

THERE was no major change in the world food and agricul-tural situation in 1955-56. Agricultural production continuedto increase and in all regions of the world was some 2-5-3%above the average of the previous quinquennium. Estimatesof the increase of populations varied from 0-7% in WesternEurope to 2-4% in Latin America. With the general foodsituation throughout the world for once stable, F.A.O. hasdevoted most of its annual report to special factors influ-encing national and international trade.The main interest in the report is in economics. In general,

farm incomes have fallen and possible deterioration of thefarming population in many countries must give rise to

anxiety. There appears to have been no corresponding fallin retail food prices. The" marketing margins " have probablyincreased ; in the U.S.A. the increase was 3%. The basicdilemma of most governments is how to reconcile the dualresponsibilities of maintaining the economic position of thefarmers, at the same time providing consumers with adequatefood-supplies at low prices.

PHYSIOLOGY OF VOLUNTARY MUSCLE

A New number of the British Medical Bulletin 2 is devotedto the physiology of voluntary muscle. The medical readerwho is unfamiliar with such matters should not be discouraged,for, though he may not understand the details of what hereads, he cannot fail to grasp the main points in each of theseinteresting articles. Moreover, some of the remarks deserveattention because their meaning has application far beyondthe immediate context ; for instance, A. V. Hill commentsthat it is never safe, because one sees a particular need, toassume that a muscle " is ideally designed to meet that onealone : under other conditions other demands also must bemet." In the chapter on comparative physiology of muscle,C. F. A. Pantin points out that the physico-chemical basis ofmovement is very often substantially the same. " Thisrestricted pattern of variation is not simply of evolutionaryorigin ... it depends also upon the peculiarly limited chemicalmaterials available for living systems, and the limitationsset by the properties of matter."

A. F. Huxley and H. E. Huxley write elegantly on theultrastructure of muscle and on the function and compositionof the familiar striations. K. Bailey and S. V. Perry give lucidaccounts of present ideas on contraction and relaxation andon the part played by the various muscle proteins and phos-phates. B. Katz is, as usual, clarity itself in discussing therole of the cell membrane in muscular activity ; and theaccount of the nervous gradation of muscular contraction byP. H. Hammond, P. A. Merton, and G. G. Sutton is very welldone. A. V. Hill’s article on the thermodynamics of musclemakes it easy to understand the kind of information whichcan be obtained by physical measurements of this type. Ofgreat interest, too, are the accounts of energy production inmuscle, its comparative physiology, activity during locomo-tion, problems of fatigue, and changes after death. The articleon muscular effort is written by R. G. Bannister, whoseknowledge is both subjective and objective. To anyone whoseinterest in physiology is largely based on a desire to under-stand human physiology the chapter on familial periodicparalysis by B. McArdle will be of particular interest, since itprovides an admirable summary of possible causes underlying1. The State of Food and Agriculture, 1956. Rome : Food

and Agriculture Organisation. Obtainable from H.M.Stationery Office. Pp. 143. 7s. 6d.

2. Brit. med. Bull, 1956, 12, no. 3. Price 15s.