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infection being the point of origin of the disease;in the case of influenza organised bacteriologicalinvestigation of the naso-pharyngeal secretion, ofthe blood, the sputa, and the excreta are stronglyurged. In passing we may remind our readers thatan excellent paper giving the results of an investi-gation somewhat on the lines indicated aboveappeared in our issue of March 15th, by Dr. BraxtonHicks and Dr. Elizabeth Gray, of the HerbertHospital, Woolwich. If intensive investigations werethus undertaken on imperial pattern, and withadequate scientific equipment, the world would nodoubt benefit quickly and enormously. Indeed, muchof what has occurred to Dr. Watson as the necessarysteps to be taken for ensuring the national establish-ment of medical research has occurred to others indifferent degrees of similarity-and how should thisnot be when the circumstances are revealed to usall ? None the less, the publication of this well-considered scheme is timely, for it brings manyloosely related matters into a coherent whole.

PLEURO-TYPHOID.

THE subject of pleuro-typhoid, as typhoid feverushered in by pleurisy is called, is discussed byMondolfo,1 who states that the first case of thiskind was recorded by Lecorche and Talamon in1881. Rendu and Gennes in 1885 were the first toisolate the typhoid bacillus from a pyo-pneumo-thorax in a typhoid patient. Similar cases wererecorded by Valentini (1889), Loriga and Pensuti(1890), and Mya and Belfanti (1898). Authoritiesdiffer as to the frequency of pleurisy in typhoidfever. Liebermeister found it in 4 per cent. of histyphoid cases. Some writers give lower figuresranging from to 2 per cent. (Lears, Fraenkel, Louis,McCrae, Lesne, and Ravaut), while others reckonit to be as high as 14 per cent. The malesex is most affected, as 10 out of 11 cases collectedby Labiche, and 18 out of 19 collected by Remlingerwere males. In the great majority of cases thepleurisy is situated on the left side, this localisa-tion being attributed to the neighbourhood of thespleen, the chief habitat of typhoid bacilli. In

support of this view Labiche cites Merklen’s casein which purulent pleurisy in typhoid was

accompanied by a splenic abscess. Pleurisy usuallyoccurs towards the end of typhoid (Charrin andRoger, Fernet, Dineur, Weintrand, Menetrier,Achard, Remlinger, Sacquepee) or in convalesence(Loriga and Pensuti, Warburg, Remlinger, Siredey,Dopter), and pleuro-typhoid properly so-calledis comparatively rare. Mondolfo’s case was thatof a soldier, aged 38, who was admitted to hospitalwith signs of a right pleural effusion. The con-stitutional disturbance was severe and deliriumwas a pronounced feature. Bacteriological examina-tion of the blood and Widal’s reaction were bothnegative on the sixth day of disease, but positiveresults were obtained on the twelfth day. In thesecond and third weeks characteristic symptoms oftyphoid fever developed, such as enlargement ofthe spleen, epistaxis, and intestinal heamorrhage.The disease lasted eight weeks in all and endedin recovery. The case thus confirmed the generalrule as to the prognosis in such cases, theoutlook being all the more favourable theearlier the pleurisy develops. On the other hand,when the pleurisy appears at the height ofthe disease, and especially in convalescence, thereis a greater tendency for the effusion to become

1 II Policlinico, Roma, 1919, xxvi., Sez. Med., 193-9.

purulent. Examination of the pleural fluid inMondolfo’s patient showed a pure culture of typhoidbacilli, as in the cases reported by Loriga andPensuti. Charrin and Roger, Fernet, Weintrand,Achard, Remlinger, and Dopter. More frequentlythe typhoid bacillus in the pleural fluid is asso-ciated with staphylococci or pneumococci, or

staphylococci and streptococci. Cytological exa-

mination in such cases is of value as the presenceof polymorphonuclear and endothelial cells inexcess suggests that the pleurisy is of typhoidorigin (Levi and Widal). Some writers maintainthat the presence of typhoid bacilli in the pleuralfluid prevents agglutination, but Widal has foundthat the fluid possesses a definite agglutinatingpower which is sometimes equal to, but more

frequently below, that of the blood serum, andsimilar results have been obtained by Finley.2

FAT-SOLUBLE A.

THREE instructive papers on the r6le in nutritionand the nature and properties of the fat-solubleaccessory substance A by Mr. J. C. Drummondappear in the May number of the BiochemicalJournal. The investigation was conducted in theBiochemical Laboratory of the Research Institute,Cancer Hospital, London, part of the expenses ofthe investigation being defrayed by the MedicalResearch Committee. At the outset Mr. Drummondaccepts generally as experimentally proven thatthe dietary requirements of the higher animalsinclude, in addition to a satisfactorily balancedration of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and mineralsalts, an adequate supply of three accessory foodfactors: (1) fat-soluble A ; (2) water-soluble B, orantineuritic factor; (3) water-soluble C, or anti-scorbutic factor. Proceeding to a discussion on thenature of " fat-soluble A " as it occurs in oils andfats, Mr. Drummond regards it as doubtful whetherit is a clearly defined chemical substance of com-paratively simple constitution, but the discovery ofits destruction by long exposure to relatively lowtemperatures (e.g., 37° C.) narrowed the field of

possible identity very greatly; further, when itno longer appeared probable that oxidation or

hydrolysis was responsible for the destruction, it waspossible to rule out many substances, such as theunsaturated acids and the lecithins. Fat-soluble Ais not extracted from oils by water or dilute acids,but is soluble in alcohol and may be removed insmall quantity from oils in the cold by means ofthis solvent. Hydrolysis of oils in a non-aqueousmedium at room temperature causes the disappear-ance of fat-soluble A, as the factor is not foundpresent in any of the fractions derived from theoriginal oil. There is no evidence so far whichsuggests that fat-soluble A is not a single substance,and it has not been identified with any of the recog-nised components of fats, such as glycerol, saturatedor unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, lecithin,phosphatides or the lipochromes. In view ofthe low temperatures at which destruction mayoccur it is suggested that fat-soluble A may bea labile substance of ill-defined constitution. Inthe physiological experiments on rats the evidenceis as follows :-

1. Fat-soluble A is necessary for the maintenance ofhealth in the adult rat.

2. An ample supply of the factor is particularly importantto the female rat during pregnancy and lactation.

2 THE LANCET, 1912, ii., 1095.

991

3. A deficiency apparently brings about a serious loweringof the resistance against disease of bacterial origin.

4. No obvious characteristic pathological lesion has beendetected in adult rats deprived of fat-soluble A for longperiods, such animals usually showing normal reserves ofbody-fat.

5. The symptoms associated with a deficiency of the factorappear in comparable groups of rats after the same period oftime whether the diet contains neutral fat or not.

6. Rats are able to absorb large amounts of fatty acids,and presumably synthesise these into fats, in the absence offat-soluble A in the diet.

7. A deficiency of fat-soluble A in the diet does not exertany direct influence on the absorption of fat.

Indirect evidence suggests from the experimentsthat pure neutral fats may be dispensable com-ponents of the diet. -

A SMATTERING OF GREEK.

IN a letter which will be found in our correspond- ence columns Dr. E. W. Ainley Walker calls attention to the last stand likely to be made at Oxford to ]retain a knowledge of the ancient Greek language tas a condition of present admission to a University Icareer. A course of severe mental discipline is as useful to the medical student as to any other, but medicine provides at several stages the necessary ttraining in orderly method and precise thought, and there is no evidence that to the practitioner of medi- cine an acquaintance with Greek is anything morethan a gracious accomplishment. Moreover, the amount required for test purposes is hardly morethan a smattering. It would be a regrettable thing for Oxford to lose intending medical students on an irrelevancy, and we trust that Oxford medical graduates will say so decidedly.

THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF " RAGS."e

THE Local Government Board have received c

complaints to the effect that the Rag Flock Act is 1not uniformly administered throughout the country, c

and in a circular issued to the local authorities it is pointed out that some of these authorities have a

been in doubt as to what flock is covered by the xterm flock manufactured from rags " as used in c

Section 1 (1) of the Act. A case is quoted in which a

the flock consisted of jute refuse, such refuse being rcomposed partly of waste fluff from the machines Iand partly of cuttings from woven jute fabric a

thrown away as waste in the process of manufacture. I

No part of the material had been otherwise used tnor had any part been washed. The magistrateheld that such flock was not flock manufacturedfrom rags and dismissed the summons, but the gdecision was reversed in the High Court and the a

case was remitted to the magistrate to convict. r

While it was admitted that the cuttings in question gwere rags in the ordinary sense of the word, it wascontended that they were not rags within themeaning of the Act, because it was held that i

nothing, however dirty, is a rag within the tmeaning of the Act unless it has been cut or torn from a piece of material which has been i

used as a garment and has become foul throughcontact with the human body. The court refusedto accept that the word rag as used in the Act was 1intended to receive that limited meaning. The Janalysis of the material in question proved the (presence of an excess of chlorine, and there wasnothing in the Act to justify the contention that anoffence is only committed when the pollution has c

arisen from the one cause suggested. The flock thad been manufactured from rags which were in I

such a state of pollution, however caused, that theydid not conform to the standard of cleanlinessprescribed by the regulations. We have long con-tended that materials intended for use as beddingshould be scrupulously clean, and we approve thedecision of the High Court. The Local GovernmentBoard add that they regard it as desirable thatmedical officers of health should state in theirannual reports what steps have been taken toadminister the Act.

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MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS UNDER THE MINISTRYOF PENSIONS.

THE problem of disablement is one of the

many embarrassing legacies of the war, and islikely to employ a large proportion of medicaltalent for a long time to come. The Ministryof Pensions employs at the present time about140 medical boards, each with a whole-time chair-man and some 20 part-time officers. The number ofmedical referees can hardly be less than anotherthousand, and in one way or another 4000 or 5000medical men are associated with the care of dis-abled men. The Minister of Pensions has justissued a circular letter to his staff pointing outthat in consideration of the fact that large numbersof military medical officers have now been demobi-lised and desire employment under the Ministry, itis his intention to bring under review all existingappointments consistently with the prime aim ofmaintaining efficiency. So far as whole-timeappointments are concerned preference has alwaysbeen given to medical men who left their practices toserve in H.M. Forces, and the same principle is nowto be applied to appointments involving part-timeservice on medical boards or as medical referees.The Commissioners of Medical Services are thereforeenjoined gradually to replace whenever possiblecivil practitioners who have not served by demobi-lised officers, it being understood that attendanceon medical boards is not to count as war service.Appointments as medical referees will be reviewedand thrown open to the candidature of all thepractitioners in a district as soon as the majorityof those who have served have returned. Everyapplication will then receive consideration on itsmerits. In issuing the letter the Minister ofPensions takes the opportunity of expressing hisappreciation of the excellent services rendered bymedical men who have acted on the boards duringtimes of unexampled stress.

PART of the long list of Birthday Honours, agoodly proportion of which fall to medical men,appears on p. 999 of our present issue.. Theremainder will be given next week. We con-,gratulate the recipients.

Professor J. G. Adami, F.R.S., C.B.E., has beeninvited by the University Council of Liverpoolto occupy the Vice-Chancellorship of the University,which becomes vacant in September on the retire-ment of Sir Alfred Dale.

Sir George Makins will deliver the Cavendishlecture at the West London Hospital on Friday,June 20th, at 8.30 P.-Ai., on "The Role of the

Consulting Surgeon in War."

THE death has occurred at his home in the Isleof Wight of Dr. Wyndham Cottle, who was for sometime physician to the skin department of St. George’sHospital, London.