982 POISONS IN THE HOME.-THE CINEMA IN NEUROLOGY.

this difficulty by summarising observations and theoriesin the form of diagrams, either original or else con-structed from the authors’ figures drawn in a morediagrammatic manner than the originals. " Thispictographic method has been adopted," as he states," as being more precise and more compact than it

is possible for merely verbal descriptions to be. Itenables the reader to survey a wide field more easilyand more rapidly than is possible in any other way."The paper of 40 pages, of which almost every secondpage is an illustration, has the charm of a picture-bookand succeeds in condensing a vast amount of informa-tion in the clearest possible manner. Dr. Ludford’sgeneral conclusion is that present microscopic methodsdo not enable us to distinguish between a normaland a cancerous cell. The cancer virus of Gye andBarnard is too small to be seen with the microscopein common use at the present time. The wide rangeof pathological variations described in the past " arethe morphological expression of the reaction of thecells to the peculiar conditions of tumour growth.There is no pathological state restricted to cancer cellsalone, so that there exists for the cancer cell no precisemorphological diagnostic character of any kind."The paper deserves to be read by every pathologistfor its contents and to be imitated in its method ofpresentation. ————

POISONS IN THE HOME.

THE letter from Mr. Frank Briant, M.P., whichrecently appeared in the daily press, draws attentionto a danger which is well known, but of which themagnitude is perhaps seldom realised. " On a shelfin practically every home," Mr. Briant writes, " liesa bottle the contents of which are capable of causinga violent and terrible death to the whole family."This bottle holding spirits of salt or some otherdomestic poison must, according to law, be a dis-tinctive one ; but it is fairly clear, Mr. Briant thinks,that in many cases the law is not adhered to. Harm-less substitutes might be found for domestic uses-this is a matter he leaves to chemists. Meanwhile,the public should insist that these poisons be soldonly to those who are capable of appreciating theirdangers and should take infinite care over the disposalof the bottle on the shelf.The general suggestions contained in Mr. Briant’s

letter seem eminently sound ; the difficulty lies intheir practical application. A tightening of theregulations with regard to the sale of poisons, ensuringthat they should only be sold in fluted bottles, mayaccomplish something, but much would still dependupon the public themselves, and the real crux of thematter lies undoubtedly in the better education ofthe public in these matters. It is no use rigidlyinsisting on poisons being sold only in an easilyrecognisable bottle if the latter is then subsequentlyused for storing some harmless domestic fluid withthe result that familiarity breeds contempt. It isonly a public educated and trained to reasonable carein these matters that can be relied upon to be immunefrom poison casualties. In any case there is a gooddeal to be said for the suggestion that harmlesssubstitutes might be found for domestic use. Poisonsin the home are used chiefly for three purposes-namely, for cleaning, for disinfecting, and for exter-minating vermin. Most of the accidents arise frompoisons used in the first two categories. The use ofcrude hydrochloric acid, popùlarly known as

" spiritsof salt," naturally finds much favour for removingcalcareous deposits, especially in districts with hardwater-supply. Vinegar may be used to some extentas a substitute, but in amounts necessary to producethe same effect it is, of course, more costly, and areally satisfactory substitute for " spirits of salt "would be welcomed. Accidents arising from the useof disinfectants and antiseptics are usually due tosome preparation of phenol or cresylic acid. Manyless dangerous substitutes for these are to be found,foremost amongst them the majority of essential oils,many of which possess extremely high carbolic acidcoefficients with relatively small toxicity to human

beings. For example, the coefficient of oil of origanumis 26, thyme 15, clove 9, rosemary 6, lavender 5, andsandal-wood 1. The high coefficient of oils such asoriganum and thyme is readily understood in viewof their high content of such powerful antiseptics asthymol and carvacrol, but the rather high coefficientof oils such as lavender and sandal-wood is surprising.These essential oils are, of course, more expensivethan disinfectants derived from crude carbolic acid,but the cost of saponaceous solutions of the cheaperessential oils should not be prohibitive. Other com-paratively innocuous antiseptics are to be foundamongst oxidising agents such as hydrogen peroxide,sodium hypochlorite, and the organic chloraminederivatives. A number of proprietary antiseptics oflow toxicity based on these substances are availableat a reasonable cost. Accidents arising from the useof vermin killers are rare, for exterminators of thespecific virus type are not poisonous to human beings.

THE CINEMA IN NEUROLOGY.

THE slow-motion cinematograph has gone far toprove that the sluggishness of man’s reflexes cuts himoff from a world where time moves leisurely andeverything is more beautiful and more gracefulthan we recognise. Bacteriology has abolished theconception of dirt, and it may be that the cinema,mirabile dictu, will convince us that ugliness is a

myth. In the meantime its possible applications tomedicine have escaped the notice they deserve, andit is pleasant to note the work on bradykineticanalysis by the cinematograph which has beencarried on during the past few years by Dr. FrederickTilney and Dr. S. Philip Goodhart, professor ofclinical neurology at Columbia University, New York.Working at the Montefiore Hospital and at the Univer-sity they have prepared a series of films showing move-ments in nervous diseases, and on Oct. 23rd Dr.Goodhart gave a demonstration of his work at theParis centre of the American University Union beforea distinguished audience of neurologists. The filmsare the only ones at present in existence dealing(from the technical aspect) with nervous disease,and they include records and analyses of muscularmovements in dystonia musculorum, encephalitislethargica, chorea, progressive muscular dystrophy,and multiple sclerosis. There are records at theusual speed and at slow motion, and they haveproved of value not only for undergraduate teaching,but for case records, verification of diagnosis, andfollow-up work. The six reels shown illustrated thespecial uses of the method-namely, determinationof the character of muscular movements ; analysis ofreflex movements ; revelation of movements in-appreciable by the naked eye ; differentiation betweenfunctional or psychic and organic states ; record forcomparison with necropsy findings, and prognosticindications. It is found that a long, slow, progressivemuscular wave appears in spasmodic movementsoccurring in encephalitis and seemingly in otherconditions referable to lesions of the basal ganglia(thalamic and striate regions). Whether this peculiarmovement is diagnostic of basal (striate) lesions isnot yet certain, but if so, slow-motion analysis shouldbe of special diagnostic value. Seemingly purpose-less movements prove, on analysis, really of associa-tive and symbolic character, showing emotive effectsand a segmental nature. They express a psychicstate, representing approach and retreat, entreatyand a negative feeling of shame. Slow-motionanalysis shows the relation of symbolic and emotivemovements to motor effects and reveals possibleconnexions between the corresponding sensory, or

thalamic, and motor, or striate, lesions. Hysteriamay thus have basal ganglionic relations. In allsuch conditions there is a suggestion of the effect ofconstant nervous stimuli in creating minute lesions,too fine for demonstration by present methods,which are at the basis of conditions now consideredpurely psychic or functional. In recording reflexmovements it is found that in some states the patellar