628

valves of the heart were quite healthy. It appears thatfull directions were given to Dr. Walker to stop taking thedrug as soon as certain symptoms (dizziness, &c.) were felt

by him; but notwithstanding that he felt dizzy after thefirst dose, he took three more (since no mitigation of thespasm occurred), and died in consequence with the sym-ptoms of syncope.

’

The "fluid extract of the seeds," which proved fatal inthe case, has no place in the British Pharmacopeeia. The

preparation which most resembles it is presumably the11 tinctura conii fructus." The 11 succus conii," of whichDr. John Harley has given as much as an ounce for a dose,is probably equivalent to the 11 fluid extract of the leaves,"of which 180 drops had no effect on Dr. Walker. It seems

highly probable that the preparation which proved fatal,and which had been prepared by an eminent pharmaceutist,Dr. Squibb, was of very superior quality to that which hadno effect.

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POISONING BY NITRATE OF SILVER.

A CASE is reported in the Brighton Guardian in which s

man hastily took a piece of lunar caustic, thinking it to bEan antibilious pill. Soon after he felt a burning in thEthroat, and was taken to a chemist’s shop; then to twcmedical men, who both were said to be too ill to see him,

Finally he saw Mr. Eugene J. Hart. The patient said hEfelt the caustic in the right side of the throat, but Mr,Hart searched for it with his finger, and could feel nothing.Two or three hours after Mr. Hart was sent for, and foundgreat difficulty of breathing, for which he performed anoperation, and carried on artificial respiration. But the macdied. At the post-mortem the stomach was found con.

gested. "On examining the throat, at the back of thE

tongue, he found a large black patch in the fold of thEmucous membrane, where the poison had lodged. ThE

passage into the lungs was completely blocked up, and thethroat much swollen. Deceased died from suffocation."Few deaths from this substance are reported, it not provingvery fatal when taken into the stomach, especially if com.mon salt is given, as it was in this instance. A similar caseto the above, in which croup was caused by a bit of causticdropping into the windpipe, is recorded by Dr. Albers, of

Bremen, and mentioned by Christison.

THE DISCUSSION ON PUERPERAL FEVER ATTHE OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY.

THE discussion on this important subject will be resumedat the meeting of the Society on Wednesday next, May 5th,at eight o’clock precisely, when Dr. Barnes will reopen thedebate. We understand that among other visitors Pro-fessors Stoltz of Nancy, and Howitz of Copenhagen, areexpected to be present. It is also hoped that Dr. ArthurFarre, who is an Honorary Fellow of the Society, will attendand take part in the discussion. We are sure that any con-tribution on this important subject from Dr. Farre will bemost valuable, and will be accepted by the profession withthe respect his high position and distinguished reputationalike command.

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ENTERIC FEVER IN SUBURBAN LONDON.

THE Registrar-General in his last Weekly Return againcalls attention to the greater fatality of fever in the outerring than in London itself. In the week ending the 24th ofApril 13 deaths from fever were recorded around London, ofwhich 5 occurred in Croydon, and 2 each in Willesden,Tottenham, and West Ham sub-districts. These 13 deathswere equal to an annual rate of 8’9 per 1000 persons livingwithin the metropolitan police district outside registrationLondon. Within London the 23 deaths referred to fever

during the week were 19 below the average weekly numberin the corresponding week of the last ten years, and wereequal to an annual rate not exceeding 3’5 per 10,000.

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND HALFQUALIFICATIONS.

Tnis evening (Friday) Mr. Waddy, Q.C., will ask the

Vice-president of the Committee of Council on Education,if the Government has any information from the MedicalCouncil of the success of attempts on the part of the me-dical examining bodies in the three divisions of the kingdomto form conjoint boards for giving diplomas that shall con-stitute a complete qualification in all branches of the me-dical art; and if the Government, in the event of its notreceiving or of not having yet received satisfactory infor-mation, is likely to bring in a Bill, or otherwise initiatelegislation, with a view to remedy the present system ofhalf qualifications by nineteen competing bodies.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

WE are enabled to state that Sir Alexander Armstrong,K.C.B., Medical Director-General of the Navy, is activelyengaged in preparing a special set of directions for the

guidance of the medical staff appointed to the Arctic expe-dition. The experiences gleaned by the Director-Generalsome years ago in the Arctic regions may lead us to anticipatethat the forthcoming instructions will be specially valuableand workable; and we shall await the publication thereofwith considerable interest, inasmuch as the success of theexpedition will most materially depend upon the scales ofdiet adopted and the general hygienic arrangements.

DR. SEDGWICK SAUNDERS has presented to the Commis-sioners of Sewers a report upon the Sale of Food and DrugsAmended Bill. He is of opinion that the Bill has beendrawn out more in favour of the trader than of the public,and points out the defects of numerous clauses to supporthis belief. It is claimed that a clause should be added tothe Bill giving to sanitary inspectors the right of entry andsearch into all bonded warehouses, with power to destroyanything unfit for human food. Dr. Saunders, in conclud-ing his report, expresses his regret that the Governmenthas not fixed certain standards of purity below which noarticle of food, drink, or drugs should be sold, on pain ofconviction before a magistrate.

DR. FUSSELL, medical officer of health for the EasternDivision of the County of Sussex, reports that of eighty townsand villages visited by him during the past year, nearly allwere found to beinefficiently drained. Diphtheria had beenprevalent in many localities, but the disease was not of afatal type. Forty-eight cases of enteric fever had comeunder his personal observation, a very large number ofwhich had been imported into the district, and he citesinstances in which the fever proved both contagious andinfectious. Dr. Fussell’s report is a comprehensive one,and its value will no doubt be fully appreciated by thesanitary authority under whose supervision he acts.

MR. ANDERSON, of Queen’s College, Birmingham, has for-warded to Mr. Sclater-Booth a series of suggestions for

simplifying legal proceedings taken under the AdulterationAct. Inter alia, he recommends that a chemist of undeni-able reputation-such as Dr. Frankland or Dr. Williamson-should be employed by the Board of Trade as a referee in allcases where the official analysis is disputed. Recent eventswould seem to demonstrate the necessity for the early ap-pointment of such an authority, whose decision shall befinal.