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hardly ever performed. Meanwhile, Littre’s operation hasbeen undergoing various modifications which have enhancedits value until it is now practically perfect. Mr. F. T.

Paul of Liverpool, who has himself made some im-

portant improvements in the operation, took colotomy forthe subject of a recent address which we print this week.His words show how success depends on attention to manysmall points. The discomfort due to the escape of fascesfrom which the patient formerly suffered no longer neces-sarily occurs, and if the operation has been performed forsome non-malignant obstruction a man may lead a long andcomfortable life even though he be the subject of a colotomy.

THE FLY PLAGUE.

THE presence of flies in the house is a reproach. It is a

falling away from a high hygienic standard, for the fly is apestilential fellow. It must be admitted, however, that it isvery difficult to keep habitable places free from flies.Poisonous fly-papers are unsightly and glutinous cords andtraps are not very pleasant accessories in the household. Yetit is a matter not only of comfort but also of health thatthe fly should be excluded. The fly may easily be a patho.genic agent owing to the fact of its choice of environment

being oftentimes of the most disgusting character. When a

fly walks across a suitable culture medium it leaves infectionbehind it, as shown in the colonies of organisms whichdevelop on the points with which the insect’s legs have beenin contact. The fly therefore should be driven out of ourhaunts. Preventive measures are best and at this season ofthe year, when flies are beginning to infest our houses, it isan excellent precaution to cover the window openings withwire gauze. It is a curious fact that flies will not passthrough netting even though the meshes be quite largeunless there be a source of light as from a window behind it.Thus in rooms with windows only on one side a net over thewindow will absolutely keep the flies out, although the

meshes of the net may be an inch apart. It is surprisingthat in railway carriages a sliding frame fitted with wiregauze is not provided as well as the window. Such a

sliding screen could be used when ventilation is wanted,while dust and rain would be excluded at the same time.The gauze frame would certainly keep flies out. We have

seen carriages on certain of the continental lines providedwith a gauze-screen of this kind. There is no reason whya similar arrangement should not be fitted to the ordinarywindow sash. This would do much to mitigate the greatnuisance of flies in the house.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON LONDON TRAFFIC.

THE Royal Commission on London traffic, on the successfulissue of whose recommendations the improved convenienceof Londoners in their daily business largely depends, has

recently taken steps that augur well for its efforts.The Commissioners have shown that they hold the

worthy desire of seeing with their own eyes the thingsin judgment upon which they sit, and that they will notbe content with mere reports and accumulated evidence. On

July 31st, instead of sitting at the Westminster Palace

Hotel to hear evidence, the Royal Commission took the

practical and laudable step of personally inspecting the con-dition of the roads and of the congested neighbourhoods inand around the north-west and north-east districts of

London. Six motor-cars were put at the disposal of theCommissioners by the members of the Automobile Club. The

route taken was the Mall, Piccadilly, and so throughHammersmith-broadway to Hammersmith Bridge. A sugges-tion that seems to us of much value was made by Mr.Jeffreys, the honorary secretary of the Roads ImprovementAssociation. This is to the effect that in order to relievethe pressure of traffic in Piccadilly it would be well

a instead of setting back the frontage to continue Pall

i Mall through Green Park so as to converge on Piccadillyat the widened portion near Hyde Park Corner. The

. value of such a road as an alternative route to

Piccadilly would obviously be great. And there shouldbe no great difficulty in carrying out such a sugges-

. tion, although the interference which would probably: be necessary with part of the courtyard of St. James’s

Palace or with Warwick Home and the little passage intothe Green Park might be regrettable from the artistic andantiquarian point of view. Unfortunately, the practicaldemands of progress often bring about the demolition ofthe old, the graceful, and the comparatively extravagantto make way for the new, the useful, and the economical.Changes of some such nature are inevitable to procure morespace for the traffic which at certain seasons of the yearhopelessly blocks parts of Piccadilly.

IN connexion with the Royal visit to Ireland His Majestythe King has been pleased to confer honours upon variouspersons notable in their several stations. Among the namesof more particular interest to the medical profession arethat of the President of the Royal College of Physicians ofIreland, Dr. Arthur Vernon Macan, and that of the Presi-dent of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Mr.Lambert Hepenstal Ormsby. Both of these gentlemen havereceived the honour of knighthood.

THE death at the age of 69 years is announced of Dr. JohnTatham of Burton-in-Lonsdale, and late of George-street,Hanover-square. Dr. Tatham was for many years a memberof the staff of the Hospital for Consumption and Diseasesof the Chest, Brompton, and at the time of his death wasconsulting physician to that institution. The memory of his

genial shrewdness with his patients and his powers of

internal organisation will long be preserved there.

LORD IVEAGH has given to the King the sum of £50,000to be divided among the Dublin hospitals of all denomina-

tions and the National Hospital for Consumption, Newcastle,county Wicklow. The gift is a worthy commemoration ofthe visit of the King and Queen to Ireland.

THE death is announced at the age of 84 years of Dr.

Joseph Griffiths Swayne of Bristol, author of the famousObstetric Aphorisms. In a future issue we hope to give amore extended notice of Dr. Swayne’s career.

THE CANCER RESEARCH FUND: THEFIRST ANNUAL REPORT.

A MEETING of the general committee of the Cancer ResearchFund was held on the afternoon of July 30th, at the officesof the Conjoint Board, Thames Embankment, London, W.C.,the Right Hon. A. J. BALFOUR, Prime Minister, beingin the chair. The first annual report of the Fundwas presented and showed that the Cancer Research Fundhad its origin in October, 1901, when a gentleman of con-siderable standing and pecuniary influence in the Citystated to a well-known surgeon that he believed that hecould raise in the City a sum of .6100,000 or .8150,000 forthe carrying on of a systematic investigation into the causeof malignant disease. The Royal College of Physiciansof London and the Royal College of Surgeons of Englandwere approached by the surgeon, a member of the Councilof the latter body, and as a result a general committee of thetwo Colleges was appointed to formulate a scheme ofresearch. After a little unavoidable delay an appeal letterwas published in the Times of April 18th, 1902, and leadingarticles were written in the columns of that paper and the

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medical journals advocating the scheme, which was under-stocd from the beginning to have had Royal approval. Asum of £30,000 was quicklyicollected and a start was madein the investigation by the securing of a strong executivecommittee, the appointment of five trustees for the Fund,and the choice of Mr. Henry Morris as honorary treasurerand Mr. Frederic G. Hallett, secretary of the Conjoint Board,as secretary. Then a general superintendent, Dr. E. F.Bashford, was unanimously elected and given general controlof the central laboratory of the Fund. Last autumn His

Majesty the King was pleased to accord his patronage tothe Fund and pathological and statistical subcommitteeswere appointed, while the laboratories of the Conjoint Boardwere placed at the disposal of Dr. Bashford by the RoyalColleges. The work of the Cancer Research Fund beganimmediately.The report of the general superintendent, which, dating

from November, 1902, may be said to cover little more thanhalf a year’s work, forms a clear statement of the steps whichhave been taken to organise a research upon as wide a basisas the funds available would allow. Extensive experimentalwork has not yet been undertaken, although progress hasbeen made in studying varieties of malignant new growths inanimals. Certain alleged therapeutic measures applied tocancer in man have been the object of serious attention andin particular the results of electro-therapeutics, the Finsenlight, high-frequency currents, and the x rays, have been care-fully examined, the medical men in charge of the electricaldepartments of hospitals having cordially cooperated, whilemany medical men have made reports on the treatment oftheir cases. Work has also been directed to endeavour toestablish the statistics of cancer on a secure pathological basis.An investigation and analysis have been undertaken of therecords of deaths from malignant new growths in the Londonhospitals and the statistical committee after considerationof the results of preliminary investigation has recommendedcontinuation of work upon these lines. Under Dr. J. F. W.Tatham’s supervision certain clerks in the General RegisterOffice are now engaged in abstracting from the registersof the last three years facts bearing on the relativeincidence of fatal cancer on the more important occupa-tions. A memorandum approved by the pathological andexecutive committees of the Cancer Research Fund hasbeen printed by the Colonial Office as an official paperand issued by the Colonial Secretary to self-governingand Crown colonies along with covering despatches. The

questions formulated in the memorandum are very definiteones and it is hoped that when they are answered therelations of the incidence of cancer to race and localitymay be compared to some extent. An interesting financialstatement by the honorary treasurer is added to the report,showing how carefully the work done has been propoitionalto the money received and pointing out how vitally necessaryto the chances of success of the research a large incrementof funds is. It was mentioned that contributions might besent to the honorary treaurer, Cancer Research Fund,Examination Hall, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C., orto the account of the Fund, London and Westminster Bank,Marylebone Branch, Stratford-place, London, W.

Mr. BALFOUR then called upon Lord Strathcona to proposethe adoption of the report.Lord STRATHCONA, in moving the adoption of the report,

directed attention to the lines laid down for work by theFund, but said that it was too early to draw any deductionfrom the experimental researches, though important resultswere expected to follow the statistical information now

being prepared on the same basis in the different parts ofthe world under the auspices of the Fund. There was onefeature which was regrettable-namely, that the revenuederived from the Fund already subscribed was not sufficientto meet the expenditure which was necessarily being incurred,and in consequence it had been found necessary to drawupon the capital account. The fund so far subscribed was

slightly under £50,000 and had been reduced by about .E100in the past year. It was most important that the amountshould be made up to .6100,000. Hitherto only 213 sub-scribers had contributed to the Fund. The report had beenplaced before the President of the Fund, the Prince of Wales, who had given his approval.

Mr. BALFOUR mentioned that if the Prince of Wales had been able to be present he would have taken an active part iin suggesting that the report be adopted. 1

Mr. 0 W BELL seconded the motion which was carried.Sir FREDERICK BRAMWELL moved a vote of thanks to the

officers of the Fund and others wlio had assisted in its workduring the year, and this having been seconded by Mr.HAROLD J. STILES, representing the Royal College ofSurgeons of Edinburgh, was also carried.

Sir WILLIAM S. CHURCH, replying on behalf of theexecutive committee and the consultative staff, referredto the great difficulty which had been experienced in

organising such an undertaking as that which they, thetwo Royal Colleges in London, were directing. At theoutset two main points were considered to requireimmediate attention. In the first place it seemed tobe essential to collect statistics in which attention hadbeen paid not only to the diagnosis of the diseaseduring life but also to post-mortem verification. In thesecond place, it was found extremely difficult to obtain aconvenient locality-a few acres of land with suitablebuildings, something of the nature of a small farm-forcarrying on experimental work. Some of the lower animalswere afflicted apparently with exactly the same forms ofcancer as the human species and the object of the experi-mental work was to ascertain whether it was possible inthem to establish a cancerous breed, whether the diseasecould be transmitted from parents to progeny.

Sir WILLIAM BROADBENT moved a vote of thanks to Mr.Balfour for presiding at the first annual meeting. In thecourse of his speech he referred to the interest which Mr.Balfour had for some years taken in the subject and saidthat in the medical profession more importance was attachedto the prevention of the disease than to its cure. It was onthese grounds that researches as to the pathological or

etiological factors of the disease were felt to be so

necessary.Mr. JOHN TWEEDY seconded the motion which was carried.Mr. BALFOUR, in the course of his reply, said that the

results of modern medical and surgical treatment showed agreat advance as compared with what could be accomplishedby medical skill and science 100 years ago and the progressof medicine was likely to be as rapid in the future as it hadbeen in the past. With regard to cancer, isolated endeavourhad now been going on in every hospital and by everymedical practitioner in every civilised country of the worldfor years past. What was wanted was cc operationbetween all the different workers in this field-not merelycooperation among those engaged in combating to the bestof their ability as practitioners the ravages of this diseasebut of those who, by their scientific and biological attain-ments, could throw some light upon the cause and origin ofthe disease. He noticed with much satisfaction that thescope of these researches would include the manifestationsof the disease, not enly in man but also in the lower animals.He believed that it would come as a surprise upon a largenumber even of the instructed public to know the degree towhich not only mammals but even species lower in the scaleof organisation suffered from a disease which in all its pecu-liarities seemed to be absolutely identical with that fromwhich the human race suffered so greatly. It was probablethat the wider sphere of fruitful study thus opened wouldcontribute to the formation of some estimate of the cause andcourse of the disease, and some knowledge of the cause andcourse of the disease must after all be the basis of anyreasonable attempt to find a mitigation or a cure. It wastrue that happy experiments, or the inspiration of some for-tunate man of genius, might, in anticipation of these widergeneralisations, suggest some fffective remedy, but it wasimpossible to count upon this ; and in any case thework of this fortunate genius could not fail to be aided

by the generalisations to which the researches now beingcommenced must inevitably lead. He also sympathised withwhat was said by Sir William Broadbent to the effect thatthere was no supposed or suggested cure which the com-mittee would regard as unworthy of investigation. Thenumber of quack remedies, the number of perfectly futileremedies, which had from time to time been suggested,sometimes by those who were ignorant and sometimes bythose who only desired to make money out of other people’signorance, had been so great that none could wonder at theimpatience with which the trained practitioner looked atmost of the proposed cures ; and it was to be feared that thevast majority of them would not bear any examination atall. But undoubtedly the proper spirit in which to enterinto these investigations was not to reject hastily any-thing which has even a primd facie claim to be considered.It was allowable to use hypothesis as a guide to thecollection and examination of facts but not to start the

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collection and investigation of facts with any hypothesis sofirmly rooted in the mind as to allow it to interfere withimpartiality of the judgment. He was certain that thisinvestigation had been, and was going to be, carried out withdue attention to this precaution, and he earnestly advised thepublic not to show impatience at the slow march of discoveryupon a matter which had defied the greatest physicians ofthe world up to the present time. He trusted that thepublic would go forward in a liberal spirit, recognising thatsuccess, however certain, must be slow ; not to be too im-patient of results nor too anxious to receive some equivalentin discovery for every subscription that they might giveto the work. He hoped that they would be anxious toendow this great machinery for scientific and pathologicalinvestigation in a way which should, by the accumulatedlearning and experience of years, do something to mitigateone of the greatest curses under which humanity groaned.It was, however, disquieting to find that, though the sumwhich had been collected appeared to be a large one, it wasnevertheless contributed by only 213 persons out of a

community of 40,000,000. Considering that all of these40,000,000 had either in their own persons or in the personsof those dear to them-wives, children, grandchildren-adirect interest in the successful result of these investigations,it was surprising that the contributors should be so few innumber. He hoped that when the next annual meeting tookplace it would be found that others had come forward andthat the result of their united efforts would be the providingof an assured financial basis which would be the best

guarantee of ultimate success.Sir WILLIAM CHURCH proposed that Sir Henry Howse

should be added to the general committee as, in consequenceof his having vacated the office of President of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of England, he necessarily went off theexecutive committee.

This was unanimously agreed to and the proceedings thenterminated.

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANSOF LONDON.

AN ordinary Comitia was held on July 30th, Sir WILLIAMS. CHURCH, Bart., the President, being in the chair.Seven gentlemen, having satisfied the Censors and given

their faith to the College, were admitted Members.Licences were granted to 122 gentlemen who had satisfiedthe examiners and conformed to the regulations of theConjoint Board. The Diploma in Public Health was

awarded to 17 candidates on the recommendation of theexaminers. George Francis Angelo Harris, M.D. Durh.,elected on April 30th, was admitted to the Fellowship inabsentiâ and the seal of the College was set to his diploma.

Communications were received from the secretary of theRoyal College of Surgeons of England, reporting certain pro-ceedings of its Council on July 9th ; from the WorshipfulCompany of Spectacle Makers, asking the views of the

College on a proposal that competency in sight-testing shouldin future form a subject of examination and certification forthe diplomas granted by them to opticians (this was referredto the Censors for consideration and report) ; from theDean of the Faculty of Medicine. University of Edinburgh,reporting the award of the Murchison scholarship, July, 1903,to Charles John Shaw, M.B. Edin. ; and from Dr. NormanMoore, offering for the acceptance of the College an auto-type portrait of Dr. Fitz-Patrick.The election of Censors, other College officers, and exa-

miners, on the nomination of the President and Council, wascarried out.A confidential report by the visitor and inspector of the

General Medical Council on the Final Examination of theConjoint Board was referred to the council of managementfor consideration and report.A report was received and approved, dated July 22nd, from

the conjoint committee appointed to consider and to reportupon any alterations that may be desirable in the regulationsfor the First Conjoint Examination.A report was received from the committee appointed to

consider and to report on the question of the alleged physicaldegeneration of recruits for the army, the tenour of whichwas to the effect that the information furnished was not ofsuch a character as to enable the College to express a

decided opinion, .

A report was received from the committee appointed toconsider and to report on the practical safety and prophy-lactic value of anti-typhoid inoculation. This was to the effectthat not only was a lessened susceptibility to the diseasebrought about as a result of the inoculation but that the case-mortality was largely reduced ; also that with due care therewas no direct danger, except possibly from some temporaryincrease of susceptibility immediately following inoculation.A report was received from the representative of the

College in the General Medical Council on the proceedingsof that Council during its session in May last and at a specialsession in July.The Parkes-Weber prize was awarded to Hugh Walsham,

M.D. Cantab., F.R.C.P. Lond. The Council recommendedthat the Moxon medal should be awarded to John HughlingsJackson, M.D. Aberd., F.R.S., as having especially distin-guished himself by observation and research in clinicalmedicine. The Council also recommended that the Balymedal should be awarded to Johp Newport Langley, D.Sc.,F.R.S., of Trinity College, Cambridge, as having pre.eminently distinguished himself in the science of physiology.The quarterly report of the College finance committee

was received and adopted, as were also the annual reports ofthe library committee and curators of the museum.The quarterly report of the examiners for the Licence on

the results of the April examination was received and alsoan application from Horatio George Adamson, M.D.Lond.,praying for the restoration of Membership resigned by himin 1897.The newly elected officers, examiners, and members of

standing committees gave their faith to the College.

Looking Back.FROM

THE LANCET, SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1825.

FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN MEDICAL JOURNALS.

On the insensibility of the .Retina.By M. MAGENDIE.

It has already been shown, that some parts usuallyconsidered as nerves, and consequently as the organs pos-sessed of the greatest sensibility, were, notwithtanding,impervious to tactile impressions ; that they could be evenpricked and lacerated without appearing to induce the leastfeeling of sensibility, and such were the olfactory and opticnerves of the retina.About four months since a young woman was brought to

M. MAGENDIE, having two perfect cataracts, for the removalof which she expressed a very great desire, and the greatwish M. M. had of ascertaining whether the retina did

possess that exquisite sensibility so much insisted on byphysiologists and metaphysicians, soon induced him to

comply with her request. The cataract being of the softkind could not be couched at once, it yielding to the

pressure, and therefore only a portion could be depressed ata time ; each time, however, a bit was carried down, theresistance from the parietes of the eye could be distinctlyfelt, forming at once a convincing proof of having pressed onthe retina. Notwithstanding this, the patient not only didnot complain, but appeared not even to have been consciousof such pressure being used, and which she necessarily musthave shown had the retina been so sensible as is usuallybelieved. Somewhat emboldened by this result, M. MAGENDIEdirected the needle towards the bottom of the eye and touchedthe retina very slightly ; this was repeated five or six times, butthe woman evinced no feeling of sensibility. It could nothave happened that the retina was paralysed, for the instantthe nervous membrane was touched she expressed her great

delight on again seeing the light.The other eye underwent the same treatment, the nature of

the cataract being the same. This time, however, lesscaution was observed. The crystalline lens was depressed as

completely as possible ; the retina was freely touched in

many parts with the point of the instrument, even with a ’