589

of pepsin as well as a peptolytic but not fibrin-digest-ing protease of the nature of an erepsin. If this

be so it will be the first clear demonstration of the existence

of a pepsin in the vegetable kingdom. The experiments,though they may not absolutely establish this conclusion, atleast indicate a method by which a physiological analysis ofpossible mixtures of enzymes may be effected. Probably bythe application of this method to the fresh juice of the

papaw the question will be settled for that plant. In the

meantime, Professor Vines is investigating other plants andhas already obtained some confirmatory results in the

case of the hyacinth bulb, of the pineapple, and of yeast.In the early " sixties Mayne Reid wrote a book called

"Bruin," in which he gave an account of a " barbecue " held

in the Southern States. One of the features of this was an

ox roasted whole upon a kind of gridiron made of papawwood, the sap of which Mayne Reid said had for years beenkownn as imparting a peculiar tenderness to meat with whichit came in contact.

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FATAL RESULT OF A FALL OUT OF BED.

IN the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps for r

December, 1904, Major H. S. Peeke has reported a striking ‘

illustration of the fact that a fatal injury of the head or 1

neck may result from a very slight cause. A private was E

taken to a military hospital on a stretcher at 1 A.M., com- (

plaining of pain in the neck and inability to walk. He

was sober. A comrade occupying the next bed stated that ‘

about midnight the patient, who had retired early, rose, sat (

up in bed, lost his balance, and fell over on to the floor onhis head. This statement was corroborated by the patient.Examination showed tenderness and pain in the neck andcomplete motor and sensory paralysis of the lower limbs.

The temperature was 99° F., the pulse was 65, and the

respirations were hurried and diaphragmatic. He was

placed on a water bed and the pain was relieved byhypodermic injections of morphine and cold applications tothe neck. The dyspnaea increased and he became comatoseand died on the following morning. At the necropsy the

body was found to be heavy and muscular. An incision was

made from the occiput to below the seventh cervical vertebra,exposing the spinous processes. On inserting the fingera spinous process was found detached. There was a

fracture through the base of the fifth cervical spinous pro-cess. There were also extensive haemorrhage and rupture ofthe dura mater and anterior spinous ligament. The cord

was not pressed on by bone but pressure from the haemor-rhage and from inflammatory effusion evidently was the

cause of death. As the bed was only 18 inches from thefloor fracture of the spine had not been suspected. It was

thought that the patient was suffering from concussion ofthe spine or from haemorrhage causing pressure on it.Therefore no operation appeared to be indicated and a

rapidly fatal injury was not anticipated. The paraplegia atfirst extended as high as the middle of the breast. Fromthe situation of the injury paralysis of the upper limbs

might have been expected but they lost scarcely any poweruntil just before death.

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CHLORÆTHOFORM.

THE name chlorsethoform has been given to a new Ianaesthetic containing chloroform and a small proportionof ethyl chloride suggested by John Wade, D.Sc., and

,

Horace Finnemore, A.1.0., of the chemical and pharma., ceutical departments at Guy’s Hospital. It has long been. noticed that chloroform prepared from acetone is inferior in

anxsthetic properties to chloroform derived from alcohol;with the former the patient shows a tendency to cough and

1 Journal of the Chemical Society, July, 1904.

to hold the breath, while the prolongation of the time of

induction increases the risk of administering an overdose.A series of careful fractional distillations gave the writersthe clue to this difference, for whereas acetone chloroformbegins to distil at 550 C., that from alcohol begins to distilat 540 C. The fraction distilling at from 54° to 550 C. was

proved to be ethyl chloride, which is present to the extentof about 0’ 05 per cent. and is formed during the process ofmanufacture by the action of chlorinated lime on alcohol.It is not formed, however, in the preparation of chloro-form from acetone. As ethyl chloride induces ansesthesia.rapidly, thus removing the irregularity of breathing anddiminishing the time of induction, the conclusion was drawnthat the difference in anaesthetic effect between the twokinds of chloroform is due to ethyl chloride. A small

quantity of ethyl chloride was therefore added to chloroformprepared from acetone and the mixture was proved clinicallyto be equal to chloroform derived from alcohol. In a later

note the writers remark that pure chloroform acts rapidlyand in a trustworthy manner in perhaps four cases out offive but the risk of accident is always present. This

risk, it is probable, is less with chloroform made fromalcohol. The 0’05 per cent. of ethyl chloride presentin alcohol-derived chloroform is not sufficient, however, toeliminate all uncertainty and the addition of a further

quantity is recommended. Chloroform derived from acetonemixed with 0’ 25 per cent. of ethyl chloride is stated to

act satisfactorily and to give as good or better results thandoes chloroform made from ethyl alcohol.

THE CORRECTION OF LOCAL BIRTHSTATISTICS.

IT is one of the anomalies of our modern methods of

,ocal self-government that, after considerable circumlocu-

;ion, public bodies have to obtain at a price from local

registrars facts which have already been gleaned at the

expense of the public. Thus, at present, the medical officerof health must pay considerable sums out of the local ratesin order to discover and to classify the causes of death ofcitizens within his district. His is often the first medical eyeto see the record of "uncertified deaths," and occasionallyafter much delay he discovers a case which should withoutdoubt have been promptly reported to the coroner. Withthe information so acquired the medical officer of healthis enabled to apportion to their appropriate localities thedeaths occurring away from home; this correction is an

item of no small moment if his local sanitary authorityhas within its jurisdiction several public institutions forthe care of the sick and the dying. Lately it has been

recognised that birth statistics are vitiated from a similarsource, for many strangers are delivered in lying-in homesand infirmaries for the poor, thus unduly raising the localbirth-rate. The recognition of this fact led to a desire thatsub-registrars should for a small fee issue to the medical

officer of health a return of the residence of all suchmothers. For a time this inexpensive and unofficial systemwas practised, until the Registrar-General issued a circularto his registrars instructing them that in future if a returnof all the births were desired they may exact for it the

same remuneration as in the case of deaths. This instruc-tion appears to have been the unforeseen outcome of aresolution of the public health committee of Southwark

passed in October, 1904, and circulated among the otlerborough councils in London. It is evidently to the interestof sub-registrars to insist on a high fee for limited returns inthe hope of securing a request for complete information, andalready 14 metropolitan local sanitary authorities havedeemed it wise to order a full weekly return. It is found

2 Chemist and Druggist, 1904, vol. ii., p. 611.