margarine, wine, and tomatoes

1363--

MARGARINE, WINE, AND TOMATOES.

lungs were congested. Tracheotomy, which was performedas soon as the breathing failed, was unsuccessful and respira-tion never returned. These facts certainly point to heartfailure as an element in the case. In all conditions in

which the upper air passages are swollen and oedematousand respiration is hampered nitrous oxide is contra-

indicated as it is liable to intensify the obstruction

by promoting venous engorgement. That nitrous oxide is

the safest of all known anaesthetics is now accepted on allhands, but as it is commonly given with little or no air

there is a tendency to asphyxial complications, themselvesnot a necessary part of nitrous oxide anaesthesia. Ifthere is a pathological state present in the patientthese complications may become dangerous. Again,incomplete anaesthesia under nitrous oxide is a source of

peril. In it heart failure not infrequently occurs and hason several occasions proved fatal. The death was no doubt

asphyxial in so far as the oedema of the glottis probablyunder the gas closed the air passages completely; butwhether death would have occurred if the nitrous oxidefactor could have been eliminated is, we think, a questionopen to argument. As we read the report it appears that

either too much or too little of the anaesthetic was given.We are certainly imputing no blame, for such cases are

extremely difficult to deal with and the judgment of eventhe most expert anaesthetist might lead him astray in hisendeavour to do his best for his patient. ,

MARGARINE, WINE, AND TOMATOES.MODERN adulteration is a fine art and there is little doubt

that fraudulent practices often escape detection. Any pro-posal, therefore, to make detection more certain must be

very carefully considered. Some time ago it was suggestedthat margarine should be compulsorily coloured in orderthat it may be distinguished from the yellow colouring ofbutter. Of course, if margarine manufacturers were com-pelled to make their margarine blue or pink there could beno possibility of mistaking this substitute for butter. A

better proposal, however, would appear to be that of

adding an infinitesimal proportion of phenol phthalein to

margarine, which would give the margarine no colourat all until it were made alkaline by adding sodato it, when it would turn a brilliant carmine. The

question remained to be answered, however, as to

whether the presence of such a minute amount ofcoal-tar derivative would be injurious. It has recently beenascertained that even large quantities of phenol phthaleinare quite harmless and produce no unpleasant symptomswhatever. This device could be applied to a number offood substitutes, the recognition of which as such would

thereby be much facilitated. It is well known thatlow-class wines are frequently worked up from the zitresidue of crushed grapes after the bulk of the juicehas been expressed. Such wine. which is known as marc

wine, may or may not be wholesome. It is certain to beof feeble quality. At any rate, it is desirable that thedetection of such wine should be easy. Phenol phthaleinadded in the proportion of 1 part to 100,000 of winewould not make the wine a bit more unwholesome, whilst theaddition of alkali to the wine would result in a brilliant redcolour which would brand at once its origin. Injury to

health :may obviously arise by the consumption of unsoundor unripe articles of food, and the worst form of fraud isthat in which a colouring or preservative agent is used toconceal bad characteristics. It would appear, for example,that tomatoes are cunningly coloured in order to makethem look attractive and ripe. The danger of consumingthese articles is great, for it is well known that

unripe and unsound food is constantly a source , of

diarrhaea and other serious disturbances. This proceeding

is not justified by the fact of the colouring matters

being possibly innocuous. Amongst the colours so

employed are the coal-tar colours and cochineal, both of

which may be detected by certain chemical tests. Thetomatoes generally coloured are those which are preserved.It is well that the whole subject of the artificial colouringand preservation of food is receiving the attention of a

Departmental Committee, whose labours we hope will

shortly be finished, and whose pronouncement, we trust,will give power to exercise a greater control over this formof tampering with food. -

A PARISH MEDICAL OFFICER FOR SOUTH UIST.

IN our issue of Oct. 20th there appeared an advertisementfor a medical officer for the parish of South Uist (NorthernDivision). We do not desire to put obstacles in the wayof South Uist obtaining a competent medical officer ; it is

an isolated parish and its medical officer will have greatresponsibilities ; but though we have inserted the advertise-ment we think it our duty to remind all candidates that theParish Council of South Uist was responsible for thescandalous treatment of Mr. J. Lamont to which we have made

frequent reference in our columns. All candidates for the

post should demand from this parish council satisfactoryassurance concerning fixity of tenure, free annual holiday,and adequate salary.

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THE HUGHLINGS JACKSON LECTURE OF THENEUROLOGICAL SOCIETY.

THE Hughlings Jackson lecture of the NeurologicalSociety of London for 1900 will be delivered by ProfessorHitzig of Halle at 9 P.M. on Thursday, Nov. 29th, in theTheatre of the Examination Hall, Victoria Embankment,W.C., on " Hughlings Jackson and the Cortical Motor

Centres in the light of Physiological Research." It will beremembered that this triennial lectureship was foundedby the Neurological Society in honour of Dr. HughlingsJackson, its first president, who also, three years ago,delivered the first Hughlings Jackson lecture. All membersof the medical profession are invited to be present at thelecture which will be delivered in English.

OBSCURE CEREBRAL SYMPTOMS SIMULATINGTUMOUR OF THE BRAIN AND ENDING

FATALLY.

DR. A. ENGELHARDT of the Augusta Hospital in Colognecontributes to the Hiinehoner Medicinische Woclwnsckrift,No. 36, 1900, an interesting case where the clinical symptomspointed to an obscure cerebral lesion, presumably cerebraltumour, but where the necropsy revealed only a conditionof degeneration of the optic tracts associated with profoundaneamia. The importance of the case lies in the fact that

owing to the uncertainty of diagnosis no attempt was madeto carry out artificial feeding of the patient who had refusedfood during the last few weeks preceding death. The casewas that of a young woman, aged 18 years, who was

admitted to hospital on March llth, 1897. Her familyhistory was good and the patient’s own personal historyshowed no serious illness. She had menstruated since the

age of 13 years and suffered at times from headache andchlorosis. Latterly there were present disturbances ofvision and temporary losses of eyesight, and ophthalmo-scopic examination revealed the presence of opticneuritis. Syphilis could be wholly excluded, and it

was concluded that a cerebral tumour was present. Hersight rapidly failed and a grey optic atrophy supervenedwith complete blindness. Headache was then severe, the

urine was free from albumin and sugar, and as microscopicexamination of the blood showed no anomaly except a simpleanasmic condition (the heamoglobin being 50 per cent, of the