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of the Medical Research Council and the works ofthe British Aluminium Co., Ltd., at Kinlochlevenand Lochaber were chosen for the investigation ofthis problem. Certain of the men at these worksare exposed to a considerable amount of aluminadust of a very fine order, and at the same time tofumes containing traces of fluorine which is generatedin the decomposition of cryolite. Some of these menwere subjected to a clinical and radiological examina-tion, designed first towards ascertaining whetherthere is evidence of lung damage following exposureto alumina dust, and secondly, whether there isevidence of any pathological effects resulting fromthe absorption of fluorine. The number of cases

examined was 49, among whom the period of exposurevaried from 5 to 39 years. No evidence of pneumo-coniosis or other lung disease arising from the dustwas discovered and there was no indication that anysystem or organ was adversely affected by it. Theoutcome of the inquiry so far justifies the conclusionthat alumina does not produce lung disease underthe conditions met with and is therefore infinitelyto be preferred to powdered flint for the bedding ofchina biscuit ware in saggers.As to fluorine, no lesion arising from this gas was

discovered, but the suggestion is made that a bio-chemical investigation of the body tissues for fluorineand other gases produced in the furnace-room shouldbe made. We shall watch with interest the resultsof the application of the new process.

DRUGS FOR INDIA

THE extent to which the practice of drug adultera-tion exists in India was revealed in the report ofthe Drugs Inquiry Committee. Internal legislationalone can put a stop to it, and this is the prerogativeof the provincial governments. The central legis-lature can only regulate imports, and the Import ofDrugs Bill, recently introduced in the Assembly andreferred to a select committee, is limited in its scopeand will not when it becomes law put a stop to adul-teration in the country itself. It can ensure that the

drugs which are landed at Indian ports conform tocertain standards, but it cannot ensure that the drugswill be of the same standard when they reach theconsumer. It may be hoped, however, that the

example which the central legislature is setting willbe followed in the provinces, and it may well be thatthrough the influence of the press which, for a longtime, has been enlightening the public in this matterof sophistication, the provincial governments will beinduced to follow the lead of the central government.Be that as it may, the Bill to regulate imports, whichis based upon the recommendations of the InquiryCommittee, will serve a useful purpose even if it doesno more than stop the entry of inferior goods. Itcan be readily understood that some exporters to acountry where there are no standards of purity maybe less careful about the quality of the drugs shippedto that destination than they are when the goodsare exported to countries where drug laws are rigidlyenforced. This is no reflection on British drug firmswhich trade with India for it must be rememberedthat the ports of India are open wide to all comers,and that a considerable proportion of imports arereceived from the Far East and elsewhere. Thestandards which the Bill seeks to set up are, in thecases of drugs and medicines, those of the B.P., theB.P.C., and the Extra Pharmaeopceia published bydirection of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Societyof Great Britain. In the case of vaccines, sera andother biological products the standards are those

proposed by the Permanent Commission on Bio-

logical Standardisation of the League of Nations orthose prescribed by the B.P. The powers which theBill seeks to confer on the central government arenot confined to the regulation of staple productsbut extend to proprietary medicines ; there are nostandards for such articles but they will fall into the" misbranded " category if the container " bears astatement or device relating to the drug or ingre-dients therein which is false or calculated to mis-lead." A year ago a central biochemical standardisa-tion laboratory was established at Calcutta, this

being in accordance with the recommendations ofthe Inquiry Committee. The laboratory is an essen-tial part of the scheme which is now being planned.

THE MEDICAL USES OF RADIUM

THE activities during 1936 in the experimentallaboratories and the clinical research centres coöperat-ing in the special investigation of the effects ofradiation are summarised in a green book issued bythe Medical Research Council. The subject of radio-sensitiveness is receiving much attention ; this is, ofcourse, of the utmost importance to the clinician whohas to consider suitable treatments for tumourswhich may vary widely in their response. The workof Mr. F. G. Spear, D.Sc., and Dr. A. Glucksmann atthe Strangeways Research Laboratory has shown thatit is possible to discriminate between the effects ofradiation, of chilling, and of fasting on mitoticdivision in tadpoles, and that radiation in the dosesused is only effective in producing degeneration whenmitosis is either active or approaching a state of

activity. The occurrence of degenerate cells has alsobeen studied quantitatively in this laboratory, andthe results support the theory that the effect of

gamma rays on cells about to divide makes themunfitted for the ordeal of mitosis. Mr. D. E. Lea, Ph.D.,in collaboration with the Low Temperature ResearchStation, has investigated the action of gamma rayson bacteria and concludes that large doses of radia-tion have in addition to their lethal action the

property of inhibiting division without hindering theincrease of volume of the individual organism. Hehas also demonstrated an interesting difference in thereaction of certain organisms to beta radiation thoughtheir reaction to gamma radiation is very similar.Dr. J. C. Mottram of the Mount Vernon Hospitaland the Radium Institute has attempted to relateradio-resistance to anaerobiosis. Basing his argu-ment on observation of the effect of radiation onthe deep lying cells of tar cancers in mice, he suggeststhat the better the blood-supply the more sensitivethe cell. He believes that periods of rapid growth,which can be found by measuring the tumour, areassociated with an increased blood-supply and thatradiation during these periods is more effective.Certain cases of advanced but slowly evolving cancerin the human subject have been treated by radiationgiven only during the times of growth, 500 r beinggiven each time radiation is applied, and it is saidthat a number of tumours have been made to

disappear locally. The influence of abundant mitoticdivision has also been studied and it seems thatthere must be some difficulty in distinguishingbetween the two effects with tumours treated in vivo.The statement that tumours composed of small cellmasses should be more sensitive than those withlarge cell masses is open to question, since certain

1 Medical Uses of Radium. Summary of Reports fromResearch Centres for 1936. Medical Research Council, SpecialReport Series No. 226. London: H.M. Stationery Office.1937. Pp. 41. 1s.