348

London), who opened the proceedings at 10 A.M. Hewelcomed warmly the many distinguished foreign workerspresent. He also briefly explained the reasons that had ledthe committee of the Pathology Section to select the twosubjects "Cerebro-spinal Meningitis" and "Regenerative;and Compensatory Changes in the Liver " for consideration.and then called upon Professor W. ST. CLAIR SYMMERS

(Belfast) to open the discussion on Cerebro-spinalMeningitis, which he did by summarising the various

points in the etiology, bacteriology, and serum treatmentof the epidemic form of meningitis, referring incidentallyto forms of meningitis due to bacteria other than the

meningococcus. Professor Symmers was followed by Dr.EMMETT HoLT (New York) who dealt with the clinical- employment of the anti-meningococcic serum of Flexner and- jobbing and the results achieved by its use ; Professor W.KoLLE (Berne, Switzerland) who described the methods of,preparing and standardising the Kolle-Wassermann serum ;Dr. C. B. KER (Edinburgh), Dr. F. E. BATTEN (London),Dr. T. HOUSTON (Belfast), and Dr. J. C. RANKIN (Belfast),Dr. GARDNER ROBB (Belfast), Dr. STUART MACDONALD

(Edinburgh), Dr. J. A. ARKWRIGHT (London), and Dr.W. T. R]ITCHIE (Edinburgh). As at 1 P.M. the discussionwas not finished the meeting was adjourned until the

following morning. -

PHYSIOLOGY.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH.

This section met under the presidency of Professor E. H.STARLING (London). It occupied itself with a discussion

upon the Physiology of Purine Metabolism which was

-opened by Dr. J. B. LEATHES (London). He consideredthe excretion of uric acid in its relation to diet, muscularactivity, external temperature, and general health, and thesignificance of this product in metabolism in reference to itsrate of excretion and its tendency to accumulate in the

’organism. The following gentlemen took part in the discus-sion : Professor A. R. CusArry (London), Professor I. WALKERHALL (Bristol), Dr. F. G. HOPKINS (Cambridge), Dr. A. P.LUFF (London), Dr. GusTAV MANN, and Professor T.MILROY (Belfast).

-

PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE,

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH.

This section was opened by a few words of welcome fromthe President, Dr. W. S. KAY (Wadsley).

The morning’s discussion was opened by Dr. T. CLAYE.SHAW (London), who read a paper on

The Question of the Treatment of the Habitual Drunkard,Legislative and Othermise.

He entered into the definition of the term habitual- drunkard," and was willing to substitute for it themodern term "inebriate." He referred to the difficulty inmanaging those cases not certifiably insane but whoyet required compulsory restraint. He suggested the

legal processes that should be invoked. He mentionedthe work of the Departmental Committee now sitting, andwas anxious that a resolution should be passed imparting tothat committee the views held by the section. This wasfollowed by a paper by Commander C. T. SCOTT, ChiefConstable of Sheffield (read by one of the Honorary Secre-taries), pointing out the inadequacy of the HabitualDrunkards Act, 1879, and the Inebriates Act, 1898.-Mr. J.:STEW ART (late of Clifton), Dr. WARD COUSINS (Portsmouth),Dr. J. S. BOLTON (Nottingham), Dr. T. N. KELYNACK (London),Dr. J. A. DONALD (Fife), Dr. H. G. SHORE (Newquay), Dr.-F. E. WYNNE (Leigh), Dr. BEDFORD PIERCE (York), and Mr.’G. E. MOULD (Sheffield) took part in the discussion, afterwhich Dr. CLAYE SHAW replied and proposed the followingmotion, which was seconded by Mr. J. STEW ART and- carried unanimously :—

That the members of the Section of Psychological Medicine of theBritish Medical Association are of opinion that the time has nowarrived when legislation for the compulsory detention of inebriates inretreats, homes, or other licensed houses is urgently required in theinterests both of the patient, of his family, and of society in general.The Section desires to present this resolution to the Council of the

Association with the view to its being adopted and forwarded to theDepartmental Committee on the Inebriates Acts now in session.

Dr. A. T. SCHOFIELD (London) read a paper onThe Psychology of Neurasthenia and Hysteria,

which was discussed by Dr. H. G. SHORE (Newquay) and Dr.T. CLAYE SHAW, and after Dr. SCHOFIELD’S reply thesection adjourned.

-

TROPICAL DISEASES.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH.I The President, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir R. HAVELOCK

CHARLES, K.C.V.0., I.M.S., opened a discussion on

Tropical Abscess of the Live.,which was followed by the following papers : (1) Dysenterywith Intestinal Amœbæ, but without Hepatic Abscesses, byMajor A. R. S. ANDERSON, I. M.S. ; (2) Intestinal Amcebiasis,by Dr. C. M. WENYON, protozoologist to the London School ofTropical Medicine ; (3) Tropical or Amoebic Abscess of theLiver as an Easily Preventable Disease and Post-operativeSepsis as an Important Lethal Factor, with a Suggestion forits Prevention, by Major LEONARD ROGERS, I.M.S.(Calcutta) ; (4) Is Dysentery the Sole Cause of the TropicalAbscess of the Liver, by Rai Dr. KOELAS CH. BOSE BAHADUR,C. I. E. ; and (5) the Treatment of Abscess of the Liver byAspiration and Injection, by Major A. HOOTON, I.M.S.The following gentlemen joined in the discussion : Sir

PATRICK MANSON, K.C.M.G. (London), Dr. L. W. Snmsorr(London), Dr. F. M. SANDWITH (London), Dr. J. L.MAXWELL (Bromley), Dr. A. PowELL (Minster), Dr. F.BUTCHER (Chesham), and others. The.section was wellattended, about 40 being present.

THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION.THE exhibition, held in the Drill Hall, was evidently in a

somewhat congested state. There was plenty to see and tostudy but there was not much room to move freely up anddown the avenues which separated the stalls. The I I traffic "

indeed was at times "blocked." There can be little doubtthat in the minds of many exhibitors Sheffield offereda good opportunity for bringing the latest developmentsin the direction of drugs, special foods, surgical appliances,and so forth, to the notice of the medical profession, and abig attendance was anticipated. The result was a largedemand for stall space and the accommodation of the

promenading avenues was to some extent sacrificed. Theall-round interest of the exhibits, however, proved to be acompensation and there were moments when the annualexhibition was obviously the centre of a very busy andanimated scene, such as must have appealed to the businessinstincts of the exhibitor.

In bringing before the notice of our readers the more im-portant exhibits it is convenient to classify them in thefollowing order : (1) Surgical Instruments and Appliances ;(2) Drugs; (3) Foods and Food Products ; (4) SanitaryAppliances ; (5) Mineral Waters, Beverages, &c. ; (6) Publi-cations ; and (7) Exhibits of a Miscellaneous Character.

I.-SURGICAL APPLIANCES

One of the principal features of this section of theexhibition this year was the attention given to electricalapparatus. There was the usual display of up-to-dateinstruments for the surgeon’s delectation but x rayapparatus, high-frequency apparatus, induction coils, newswitchboards, contact breakers, and so forth were consider-ably in evidence. A very attractive show in this connexionwas that of Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Co., Limited,of Queen Anne’s Chambers, Broadway, Westminster, London,S.W., who exhibited many forms of electro-medical apparatusof an up-to-date description. There were complete x rayoutfits, including one in a cabinet for working direct fromthe alternating current ; there were also a mercury vapourLamp, tantalum terminal x-ray tubes which have distinct

advantages over the platinum terminals, fluorescent screens,a new iris diaphragm, and so forth. One of the largest exhibitsof electrical apparatus was that of Messrs. Newton and Co.,the well-known scientific instrument makers of 3, Fleet-street,London, E. C. Here was shown the Apps-Newton heavy dis-charge coil for very rapid x ray exposures, working with eitheri mercury or electrolytic interrupter in connexion with achange-over switchboard of - a specially effective design.