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BIRTHDAY HONOURSTHE list of honours published last week contains the

names of the following members of the medical profession :

K.C.V.O.

GEOFFREY SYDNEY TODD, c.V.o., O.B.E., M.B. Sydney, F.R.C.P.Superintendent, King Edward VII Sanatorium, Midhurst.

D.B.E.

Prof. HILDA NoRA LLOYD (Mrs. Rose), M.B. Birm., F.R.C.S.President, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynoe-cologists ; professor of obstetrics and gynxcology,University of Birmingham.

Knights BachelorCHARLES ARTHUR LOVATT EVANS, D.SC. Lond., LL.D. Birm.,

F.R.C.P., F.R.S.Emeritus professor of physiology, University of London.

ERNEST FREDERICK FiNCH, M.D., M.S. Lond.. Formerly professor of surgery, University of Sheffield.

JOHN WILLIAM McNEE, D.S.O., M.D., D.SC. Glasg., F.R.C.P.Regius professor of medicine, University of Glasgow.

PHILIP SANTO MESSENT, M.S. Adelaide, F.R.A.C.S.Director of surgical studies, University of Adelaide

C.B. (Military)Major-General JOHN MANDEVILLE MACFIE, C.B.E., M.C.,

M.B. Glasg., K.H.S., late R.A.M.C.

C.M.G.

JOHN MERRILL CRUICKSHANK, O.B.E., M.D. McGill.Director of medical services, Fiji ; inspector-general,South Pacific Health Service.

HERBERT JOHN SEDDON, D.M. Oxfd, F.R.C.S.Member of the Colonial Advisory Medical Committee ;clinical director, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital,London.

JOHN WILLIAM FIELD, M.D. Birm.Director, Institute for Medical Research, Federation ofMalaya.

C.V.O.

ALEXANDER GREIG ANDERSON, M.D. Aberd., F.R.C.P.Hon. physician, His Majesty’s Medical Household inScotland.

GEORGE RITCHIE MATHER CORDINER, M.B. St. And.’ Radiologist, St. George’s Hospital, London.

C.B.E. (Military)Air Vice-Marshal WILLIAM EDWARD BARNES, M.R.C.S., R.A.F.Colonel WILLIAM ALEXANDER DUNCAN DRUMMOND, O.B.E.,

F.R.C.S., late R.A.M.C.

C.B.E. (Civil)x THOMAS BEATON, O.B.E., M.D. Lond., F.R.C.P.

Superintendent, St. James’ Hospital, Portsmouth.EDMUND CECIL BEVERS, B.M. Oxfd, F.R.C.S.

4 Lately chairman, United Oxford Hospitals ; consultingsurgeon, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford.

EUSTACE HENRY TAYLOR CUMMINGS, M.B.E., M.D. Lpool.For services to the municipality of Freetown, SierraLeone.

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EVAN STANLEY EVANS, M.D. Lond., F.R.C.S.Chairman, Queen Elizabeth Training College for theDisabled, Leatherhead.

LEE TIANG KENG, M.B.Member for Health, Federation of Malaya.

JOSEPH STANLEY MITCHELL, M.B., PH.D. Camb.Professor of radiotherapeuties, University of Cambridge.

MATTHEW JOHN STEWART, LL.D., M.B. Glasg., F.R.C.P.Emeritus professor of pathology, University of Leeds.

EDWIN LAWRANCE STURDEE, O.B.E., M.R.C.S.A principal medical officer, Ministry of Health.

JAMES MATHEWSON WEBSTER, M.D. Birm., M.B. St. And.,F.R.C.S.E.

Director, West Midland Forensic Science Laboratory,Birmingham. -

,

O.B.E. (Military)Lieut.-Colonel DEREK GEORGE LEVis, M.B. Camb.; R.A.M.C.Surgeon Commander WILLIAM MACFARLANE DAYIDSON,

M.B. Belf., R.N.Lieut.-Colonel ANGUS JOHN MACIVER, M.B. Glasg., R.A.M.C.

O.B.E. (Civil)WILLIAM BLOOD, M.R.C.S.

Chairman, Brook Green disablement advisory committee.ARTHUR JOSEPH BOASE, M.R.C.S.

Ophthalmologist, Uganda. ,

Miss ELIZABETH CASSON, M.D. Brist. ’

Founder and director, Dorset House School of Oecupa-tional Therapy, Churchill Hospital, Oxford. _,

GERALD SAMUEL WILLIAM DE SARAM, M.B. Lond.Lately judicial medical officer, Colombo.

JAMES LESLIE McLETCHIE, M.B. GlaSg.Senior medical officer i/c Sleeping Sickness Service,Nigeria.

GEORGE MARANGOSHon. consulting surgeon, Limassol Hospital, Cyprus.

JOHN PERCY TRUELOVE MUSSON, M.B. Leeds.Deputy director-general of medical services, Ministryof Pensions.

Miss LENA FRANCES GORDON PRIESTMAN, M.B. Lond.Medical officer, Molai Leper Coloney, Nigeria.

HENRY DOUGLAS WEATHERHEAD, M.R.C.S.Lately director of medical services, North Borneo.

HARRY MONTEFIORE WILSON, M.B. Camb., F.R.A.C.S.Medical practitioner, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

M.B.E. (Military)Major RICHARD SWINTON HUNT, F.R.C.S.E., R.A.M.C.

M.B.E. (Civil)Mrs. MARGARET MERRY BROTHERSTON, M.B. Edin.

Organising secretary and hon. treasurer, VoluntaryHealth Workers’ Association, Edinburgh.

Miss ELIZABETH CATHERINE GUNN, M.B. Edin.Former director of the School of Hygiene, Wellington,New Zealand.

NINIAN GEORGE TROTTER, M.D.For public and social welfare services in New Zealand.

JOHN RICHARD WILSON, M.D.Visiting physician, Tuberculosis Hospital, Welisara ;and consultant to the Chest Hospital, Ragama, Ceylon.

M.B.E. (Honorary) .

ABDUL LATIF BIN ABDUL RAZAK, L.M.S.Medical officer, Federation of Malaya.

Medicine and the Law

Responsibility in the Operating-theatreA FEW weeks ago, in the _ High Court/ a widow with

three young children was awarded 2604 compensationfor the death of her husband, who died when adrenalinewas injected instead of a local anaesthetic for the removalof a cyst.An anaesthetist is personally responsible, not only

for doing his work skilfully, but also for seeing thathis drugs are correct and that his apparatus is in goodworking order. As his work becomes more complex hemust rely on some help from others in the operating-theatre ; but whoever has changed the cylinders, got theapparatus ready, and prepared drugs for injection, theanaesthetist is responsible for ensuring that this work isproperly done.

Anaesthetists themselves have long been concernedabout their responsibilities, which have lately beendiscussed at two important meetings. In Dublin 2 Mr.Arthur Cox, a lawyer, said : -

" The anaesthetist is responsible for anything he himselfdoes, and anything that falls within the scope of his duty.... The Court would hold that it is the duty of the an2es-thetist to see that the cylinder used is the right cylinder."

1. Times, May 8, 1951.2. Irish J. med. Sci. April, 1951, p. 157.

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At the Royal Society of Medicine 3 Mr. W. R. H.

Heddy, a coroner, remarked :" The independence of the anaesthetist is today so well

established that he is probably perfectly capable of lookingafter himself in this respect. Nevertheless, he shouldremember that his is the responsibility for the effects of hisadministration, and he should not hesitate to make hisopinion felt if there are aspects of the joint procedure whichis being undertaken which appear to him not in the bestinterests of the patient from his point of view."

At the same meeting Dr. Keith Simpson emphasisedthat it is plainly the duty of the anaesthetist " to checkhis apparatus and his drugs, to see that his patient is asfar removed as he can ensure from accident andunintentional overdosage."

Parliament

, QUESTION TIMEMidwifery Services in Scotland

Mrs. JEAN MANN asked the Secretary of State for Scotlandhow many local authorities were now providing a completeand comprehensive midwifery service, as provided in theScottish (Midwifery) Services Act, 1937 ; and how manyhad provided a substandard scheme of midwives only.-Miss MARGARET HERBISON replied: The main provisionsof the Maternity Service (Scotland) Act, 1937, were super-seded by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act, 1947.The services of general practitioners and specialist obstet-ricians are now provided under arrangements made byexecutive councils and regional hospital boards respectively,and the responsibility of local authorities is limited to

providing the services of midwives and ancillary aids.Mrs. MANN : Can the Minister give the percentage of cases

in Scotland where both doctor and midwife were present,and the percentage where the midwife only was present ? ’!-Miss HERBISON: In about 94% of the cases in 1950 bothdoctor and midwife were concerned.

Beds for Aged PatientsMr. A. C. MANUEL asked the Minister what was the number

of beds available in Scotland for aged and infirm patients ;and the total number of beds which would be necessary toaccommodate adequately the above patients.-Miss HEBBisoNreplied : 5936 beds are available in local-authority establish-ments for the care and attention of aged and infirm persons,and 3000 additional beds in voluntary and private establish-ments. Local authorities have estimated future needs as

5600 additional beds.

Specialists in ScotlandMr. MANUEL asked the Minister what was the number of

specialists in the health service in Scotland on Dec. 31, 1949,and Dec. 31, 1950, respectively.-Miss HERBISON replied :The numbers on these dates were respectively 928 and 993.

Leeds Regional Hospital BoardMr. DONALD KABERRY asked the Minister of Health

by what sum the recent annual estimate of the Leeds

Regional Hospital Board were cut by him ; how that cuthad been dealt with as between administration and medicaland hospital services ; how many officers and servants hadbeen dismissed or by what total amount establishments hadbeen reduced ; and what had been the over-all effect on thebed accommodation within the region.-Mr. H. MARQUANDreplied : The total sum approved for the board for 1951-52is 13,177,000 which is E900,000 more than last year but1,100,000 less than the board’s original estimate for thisyear. I have not yet had the board’s proposals for thedistribution of the approved total between committees orservices.

Emergency CasesMr. WILLIAM TAYLOR asked the Minister what provision

was made under his regulations regarding the admission ofan urgent case to a hospital when the regulation numberof beds therein was filled ; and for resident medical officersto improvise arrangements to deal with such cases.-Mr.MARQUAND replied : This is a matter which can never be

satisfactorily dealt with by regulations, but only by properaction by the hospital staff on the spot.

3. Proc. R. Soc. Med. 1949, 42, 697.

In England NowA Running Commentary by Peripatetic CorrespondentsWE reached Milan in just under four hours and thought

we had done well until we landed and found crowdsround a British " Comet " jet plane which had done thejourney in less than half the time. For some reasoneveryone thought I had come in the Comet, and sinceI could not disillusion them in Italian I became one ofthe sights of the town for the rest of my stay.The airport is 25 miles from the city, which seems

rather excessive, and this had to be added to the 100miles of light-hearted Italian driving which I had realisedwas inevitable. We broke our journey to inspect theold Carthusian monastry near Pavia ; we found no,

monks there because since the war there have apparentlybeen no candidates for the religious orders which imposea strict discipline. However, the visitor can still buychartreuse manufactured in secular fashion. Thefounder it seems, was Saint Hugo, an Englishman, andif the pictures round the monk’s refectory are reliable hemust have done some unqualified practice. Pavia isalso noted for hematology and mosquitoes ; the latterare one of the results of the extensive rice-growing,of which the neighbourhood is now the centre.At our destination we found a band playing and

a delegation waiting to receive us. But there was noconnection between them. The band was operating inhonour of the communist who had been elected deputyfor the district, and the tune was a favourite of his.entitled : " To hell with all foreigners." The receptioncommittee, in an understandable endeavour to correctthe tune’s effects on my susceptibilities, had hoistedthe New Zealand mercantile ensign, as the next bestthing to the Union Jack that had temporarily beenmislaid.

I was surprised at the size of my audience next dayand rather puzzled at its including the local bishop.However, on inquiry I learnt that much of the crowdwas drawn from non-medical faculties and had turnedup for a free English lesson. When I asked whether Ishould refer to the bishop’s presence I was advised to" ignore these irregular types "-and I did. In the

evening prizes were presented for an international medicalessay competition. These all went to Italian competitors,which would have seemed fishy if I had not sat in at thejudging and known that the decision was just.

* * *

An obese child weighing 73 lb. at 6 years was broughtto the outpatient department because for months she hadnever eaten a thing, not even enough to keep a sparrowalive. Here seemed to be the perfect answer to those whoclaim that all obesity is simply due to over-eating.All manner of tricks to stimulate the appetite had beentried, including television at meal-times, and her parentshad coaxed, bribed, and finally forced her to eat.

After a week’s observation in the ward she wasdischarged on Dexedrine’ to reduce her appetite.

* * *

Every now and then I look ruefully back at myselfa few years or even days ago and shudder at my crassstupidity at that time. Not fair, that I should want tokick myself now, for surely-oh, surely 1-1 have - sincegrown wiser (as well as sadder). ’But this brayingoptimism marks me still the ass, Nature’s perennialApril fool, fair game for the laughter of gods and men.If this be my fate I’ll laugh with them ... heigh-ho ...hee-haw.

Yes, the training analysis does knock the conceit outof a chap.

* * *

So there is at least one peripatetic who shoots rabbits inApril. I would supplement our domestic meat ration inthe same way without a qualm if we had not cleared allthe rabbits out some time ago. But listen to my story.From time to time I visit two middle-aged women who

work a smallholding and run a few cows. Two rationbooks do not go far when you are doing all the workon a place like that ; and there are no supplementaryrations if you are self-employed. The birth of a bull-calf