relaxation of muscles in organic hemiplegia

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doubt the assertions of the League. We applied for

proof, but unless Miss Woodward’s letter can be con-

sidered as such we did not procure it. A second appealhas also failed to get any information from Miss Wood-

ward-but then we are not clergy. We are, therefore,reluctantly compelled to the belief that the Church Anti-

Vivisection League is one of those secret societies with

which the Church, according to a recent correspondent inthe Tinua, is honeycombed. A society which only suppliesinformation to the clergy is evidently sacerdotal to a mostdangerous degree. -

YELLOW FEVER IN AMERICA.

THE situation caused by the spread of yellow fever in thestate of Mississippi is somewhat threatening. There havebeen 470 cases and 36 deaths in the state since the outbreakof the disease. It is curious to notice the interdependence ’,existing between sickness and commercial interests. The

price of several of the United States railroad shares in the ’’London market was no doubt affected by the reports of thespread of the yellow fever epidemic in the South. It seems

probable, however, that the accession of colder weather inMississippi will repress the spread of the disease and allaythe fears entertained that the entire State will be infected.

THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND THE GENERALMEDICAL COUNCIL.

WE gather from a paragraph in the Tinaes that at a con-ference of the leaders of friendly societies the interim reportof the General Medical Council on Medical Aid Associationswas under discussion. A sub-committee was appointed togo into the whole subject, from which we may hope for theexistence of a desire on the part of the friendly societies toadopt reasonable proposals for the adjustment of differencesbetween them and the medical profession.

MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS AND SCIENTIFICCRITICISM.

A CASE of great interest and importance with regard tothe publication of scientific criticism of proprietary articleshas recently been decided in France. The decision wasarrived at in March last, but was not publicly known until acertain time for appeal had been allowed in accordance withthe requirements oE French law. The findings of the courthave recently been made public. The facts of the case are

briefly as follows. A firm of opticians in Paris were the pro-prietors of a glass containing baryta, from which lensesdescribed as " isometropic " were prepared. With the view oftesting the statements made in favour of those lenses by theproprietors, Dr. Javal, the director of the OphthalmologicalLaboratory of the Sorbonne, instructed his assistants to

make a careful examination of the glass and lenses and toreport to him the results. Subsequently these results werepublished and presented to the French Academy of Medicine,the conclusion being that the differences between barytaglass and ordinary glass were insignificant ; there was

nothing in favour of the former, and the "isometropic" "

lenses did not offer any advantages to purchasers. The

proprietors brought an action for damages to the extent of20,000 francs, but the court decided that a scientific manmight rightly examine and criticise on public groundsany manufactured article for which special merits wereclaimed, and they found for the defendant upon all the

issues, condemning the plaintiffs in costs. Nothing could bemore satisfactory than this decision and we could wish tosee this example followed in this country. How instructiveand useful to the community at large would it be if theFellows of the Royal Society or the Chemical Society couldleave abstruse pursuits for a while and present papers, say,

on the composition of "Munyon’s Remedies," "Pink Pills," i

"Siegel’s Syrup," "Blood l4Tixture," 11 Microbe Killer," andso on ad nallseam. Could, indeed, this be realised we mightat last hope that the scales would be removed from the eyesof a remarkably gullible public. -

RELAXATION OF MUSCLES IN ORGANICHEMIPLEGIA.

IN 1896 M. Babinski read a paper on this subject at a,

meeting of the Societe de Biologie. He observed in several

cases of hemiplegia and monoplegia due to a cerebrallesion a relaxation of muscles which allowed passive move-ments in the affected limbs of greater extent than in

the sound. His observations particularly refer to the degreeof passive movement of flexion of the forearm, whichcould be carried to a greater extent on the paralysed side.He observed this phenomenon at first in recent cases of hemi-plegia with flaccid paralysis without increase or with de-crease of tendon reflexes. In a case of twenty hours’ dura-tion when the legs were hanging the angle formed by the-foot with the leg was greater on the paralysed side;when the forearms were horizontal and pronated flexion ofthe hand was also greater on this side. In none ofthe cases was there amyotrophy. Afterwards he observedthis phenomenon in several cases of hemiplegia of severalmonths’ duration with exaggeration of reflexes. M. Babinskithinks that the phenomenon is of the same nature as the-drooping of the angle of the mouth which is observed in

hemiplegia ; it is due to a loss of tonicity of muscles. It.is somewhat singular that relaxation of muscles shouldoccur with exaggerated reflexes. In the various cases of

hysteria which he observed since his attention was directedto the phenomenon it was absent. He is therefore led to.

believe, without being dogmatic, that it may serve to.

distinguish organic from hysterical monoplegia and

hemiplegia. -

THE TREATMENT OF SPASMODIC TORTICOLLIS.

IN the Boston Medical and S2trgieal Journal of August 18th"1898, Dr. H. J. Hall relates two cases of spasmodic torti-collis-one cured and the other much relieved by the use of’a spring to press on the cervical muscles. A woman, agedthirty-six years, was seen five months after the onset of’

spasmodic torticollis. Whilst recumbent there were no un-natural movements of the head, but on sitting up rhythmiccontraction of the right sterno-mastoid muscle and of all theposterior rotators and retractors began. The head was turnedwith much force to the left and was markedly retracted. Heobserved that a firm grasp of the hand on the neck greatlydiminished the spasm. The application of a spring clamp to.the back and sides of the neck at once decreased and con-trolled the spasm, which recurred on removal of the pressure.The clamp was of simple construction, being made of light,spring steel broader than, but similar to, that used as.

trousers’ guards by bicyclists. A tail-piece ran from themiddle of the spring about 6 in. down the back so as to,

keep it in position. A gentle pressure was thus exerted onthe back and sides of the neck as far forward as the anteriorborder of the sterno-mastoid muscles. After a month the-

spring could be discarded for several hours a day. As a final

result there remained slight painless and fixed left torticollisdue to permanent contraction of the affected muscles, butthe patient could turn her head freely and there was noretraction. The second was a severe case of five weeks’duration which was relieved at once and in three months.was practically cured by the clamp and gymnastic exercises.

THE opening lecture of the winter session of the Hospitalfor Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, Brompton, willbe on Aneurysm of the Aorta, and will be delivered by