1939

adequate sum by private subscription. The committee

accordingly came to the unanimous decision that it would beunwise to attempt to continue the work of the sanatoriumunder existing conditions and it was agreed to close theinstitution on Jan. 31st.

Dec. 20th. ________________

PARIS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Trccctnacnt of Malaria.IN the treatment of malaria M. Lemanski strongly recom-

mends intramuscular injections of quinine in preference toadministration by the mouth. In speaking on this ques-tion at a recent meeting of the Therapeutical Societyhe pointed out the advantages of the intramuscular method,specifying the rapidity of action, the certainty of absorption,and the absence of unpleasant after-effects or of troubles dueto the irritating action of quinine on the stomach. Therewas also a notable reduction in the amount of quininerequired. because the intramuscular administration ofa total quantity of 8 or 10 grammes would put an

immediate stop to even the longest and most violent

attacks, attacks which would not always completelyyield to daily doses of 2 or 3 grammes continuedeven for a fortnight. In some of the various forms ofmalaria it will often be necessary along with the quinine togive subcutaneous injections of arhenal and extract ofcinchona. In certain cases of malarial hepatic disease, or

enlargement of the spleen, or cachexia, much advantage maybe derived from hydrotherapy or a course of Vichy treat-ment. M. Lemanski also said that opotherapic treatmentdeserved special mention, for daily doses of 60 or 100

_ grammes of fresh raw spleen were very beneficial to patientssuffering from extreme enlargement of the spleen associatedwith chronic malaria.

Rare Gases in Thermal Springs.At a meeting of the Academy of Sciences held on Dec. 13th

M. Moureu and M. Lepape stated that in the course of theirresearches on thermal springs they had found that kryptonand xenon existed in 26 French springs, including those ofAix-les-Bains, Plombieres, Luxeuil, Maizieres, Bourbon-Lancy, Bussang, Grisy, Saint-Honore, La Bourboule, Neris,Bagneres-de-Bigorre, Bagneres de Luchon, Dax, Eaux-Bonnes, Cauterets, Salins-Moutiers, La Chaldette, and

Uriage.Dec. 20th.

SWITZERLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Operative Pneumothorax in Phthisis.Dr. Lucius Spengler of Davos has published a series of 40

cases of operative intervention in phthisis for the productionof pneumothorax. The operation was first proposed in 1843by James Carson and taken up again in 1888 by Fortanini,Spaeth, and Murphy independently of each other. Dr.

Spengler recommends the operation solely in severe one-sidedaffections and according to the method of Murphy andBrauer. He reports 25 satisfactory, 6 fairly good results,6 indifferent ones,, and 3 deaths. In 2 of the latter thedisease progressed rapidly after the operation. In the thirdcase an air embolism into the brain took place whichresulted in death in three days. A detailed treatise on thissubject will shortly be published.

Prevention of Acute Ophthalmia.Dr. Auguste Dufour treated this important subject in a

paper read at a recent meeting of the Medical Society of theCanton of Vaud. Acute ophthalmia attacks 400 childrenannually in Switzerland, 64 of whom suffer definite loss ofvision. Of late years the number is on the increase owingto the negligence of midwives and parents. Dr. Dufourrecommends steps to be taken by the Swiss Federalauthorities to make general preventive measures such asexist in the cantons of Ziirich, Bern, and Fribourg. Thefollowing resolutions were unanimously passed :-

1. The midwives are to be reminded of their stringent duty to call inmedical advice in case of purulent secretion of the genital tract of themother and of the eyes of the infant. ’

2. Instructions are to be distributed to all the midwives in Switzer-land. Similar printed instructions are to be given gratuitously to theparents by the registrar of births.

Ziirich, Dec. 18th. _________________

BUDAPEST.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Aeq2cittal of a Dental Surgeon Charged with Culpable .

Negligence.IN a case recently tried before the High Court of

Justice the decision of the court, delivered on Nov. 17th,was to the effect that a surgeon is not legally re-

sponsible for injurious consequences arising out of an

operation which has been conducted in accordancewith accepted operative methods. The circumstances wereas follows. A business man consulted Dr. Maurice

Ronay, a dental surgeon, on account of a broken molartooth, which was hurting his tongue. Dr. Ronay accord-ingly began to file off the point of the tooth in question, butduring the operation the file slipped off the tooth, not onlycutting across the sublingual artery, but also making awound which measured 5-5 centimetres in length and 1-5centimetres in breadth. The injury was so severe that thepatient had to be conveyed to a sanatorium, where ProfessorHultl made an incision measuring 18 centimetres in lengthon the face, and through this he ligatured the torn vessel.The patient stayed four weeks in the sanatoriumand afterwards had to go to a climatic healthresort on account of an attack of pleurisy and pneu-monia owing to blood from the sublingual artery findingits way into the trachea. The Attorney-General said thatthe dental surgeon ought to have used either Pappenheim’s orHerbst’s tongue protector, and that in failing to do so he wasguilty of culpable negligence. Dr. Ronay, in defendinghimself, said that the accident was the consequence of thepatient not following his instruction to keep his tongue onthe other side. He further stated that it was not customaryin such operations to use either Pappenheim’s or Herbst’stongue protector, and to the best of his belief theseinstruments were not employed, even in the dental clinic ofthe University of Budapest. The judge thereupon sent forthe director of the dental clinic, who corroborated what hadbeen said by Dr. Ronay, and the latter was accordinglyacquitted on the charge of culpable negligence. In comment-

ing on the case the judge remarked that a person whosubmits to an operation must reckon with the possibility thatuntoward consequences may follow it.

The Antivivisection Movement in Hungary.In Budapest the opponents of physiological research are

endeavouring to revive the old argument that vivisection isuseless for the advancement of medical science, and may .

even be the cause of disastrous errors. A society has beenformed for the propagation of these views, the membersincluding several persons well known in society and in thefashionable world. It has not yet, however, made muchprogress, and at the first meeting held recently in the townhall the attendance was limited.

The Opening of the New Internal Clinic No. II.The recent opening of the new Internal Clinic No. II. is an

important addition to the medical institutions of Budapest.The buildings occupy an area of 5000 square metres, with afrontage of 80 metres in length; they are four storeys inheight and contain 168 beds. The lecture-hall is spacious,airy, and fitted up with every requisite for modern methodsof teaching. Apparatus for showing projection pictures, anX ray laboratory, and chemical and bacteriological labora-tories are provided. The wards for the reception of patientsare admirably designed and fitted up ; their sanitary arrange-ments leave nothing to be desired, and their excellence in allrespects is unanimously recognised by the foreign visitors.The nursing of the patients is done by Red Cross sisters.Dec. 18th.

THE SURGICAL AID SOCIETY.-At the annualmeeting of this society, held at the Mansion House under thepresidency of the Lord Mayor, it was stated that the year’sincome amounted to £ 30,499, against an expenditure of.621,683, which was employed in the supply of 39,204appliances to 25,424 patients.