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to interfere with his everyday life and work. His cheerilyshouted ’ hullo’ used to echo round the blocks as he made his

daily visits. Only a week before his death he attended the staffclub’s horticultural show and made one of those speecheswhich were always so apt and for which he had a

justified reputation. Staff and patients alike have lost a realfriend.

" For the last twelve months of his life he held the posts ofmaster of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers and renterwarden of the Worshipful Company of Inn Holders. Theformer office was held by his late father thirty years earlier.He was unmarried, and in all his work he enjoyed the activeinterest and support of his mother."

WILLIAM HENRY CASSWELL SPOONER

M.B. Lond.

Dr. W. H. C. Spooner, of Blandford, Dorset, wasdrowned at Brest on Aug. 1 when his yacht Remarie wasrammed and sunk at her moorings by a tug. His wife andthree children, who had joined him a few hours earlier,escaped.He was educated at Epsom College and qualified from St.

Mary’s Hospital in 1932. After holding house-appointmentsat St. Mary’s and at St. James’ Hospital, Balham, and anassistantship in North Wales, he went into practice at Bland-ford, where his greatgrandfather, grandfather, and father hadpractised before him. During the late war he served in theRoyal Air Force.

R. Mac K. writes:" Spooner was very modest about himself but he was a very

good doctor mdeed.. He looked forward all the year to hissummer holiday; for the last ten years he took his familycruising in Remarie on the Brittany coast. Skip ’ was a goodnavigator and knew the coast well. Often his was the onlyyacht among the fishing boats in the anchorage. Last week

when, after a week with two companions, he reached Abervrach,he said he was happy to be back on this coast. He was a goodpainter in water colours and oils and played a great part in theForum Club at which professional and amateur artists ofDorset met at Blandford. He was an excellent host. Conserva-tive in his outlook, he was open-minded and could admire theTeddy boys for the originality of their dress. Perhaps this wasjust an illustration of his most thoughtful and courteous waywith every one of us. He will be very much missed and notonly in Dorset."

A memorial service for Sir Arnold Stott will be held in West-minster Hospital’s Chapel at noon on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Appointments

BALLANTYNE, J. C., F.R.C.S., D.L.O.: E.N.T. surgeon, Royal Free Hospital,London.

CONNOLLY, R. C., F.R.C.S.: neurosurgeon, accident unit, Royal NationalOrthopsdic Hospital, Stanmore.

ORTON, PEGGY K. L., F.R.C.S., D.L.O. : E.N.T. surgeon, Elizabeth GarrettAnderson Hospital, London.

P;NKBR, G. D., M.B. Lond., F.R.C.S.E., M.R.C.O.G.: consultant obstetricianand gynaecologist, Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, London.

SPENCER, RALPH, M.B. Manc., F.R.C.S.E.: assistant radiotherapist, LiverpoolRadium Institute.

VAN WljK, P. J., M.B. W’srand: radiological registrar, Papworth and Adden-brooke’s Hospitals, Cambridge.

WEMYSS, CAMERON, M.B. Edin., D.P.H.: group medical superintendent,Victoria Hospitals, Glasgow.

Manchester Regional Hospital Board:GUYER, 0. K. G., M.D. Edin., M.R.C.P.E.: consultant geriatrician, Preston

and Chorley group of hospitals.LEES, V. T., M.B. Manc., D.O.M.S.: consultant ophthalmologist, Wigan

and Leigh group of hospitals.PopHAM, R. D., M.B. Lond.: consultant pathologist, Bury and Rossendale

group of hospitals.WADE, E. G., M.D. Maric., M.R.C.P.: consultant cardiologist, jointly with

the United Manchester Hospitals.

Notes and News

ACCIDENTS TO CHILDRENACCIDENTS have now become the leading cause of death

among children both in the United States and in Europe.At a seminar held at Spa last month by the World HealthOrganisation it, was pointed out that children must not beoverprotected, and should be taught to cope with dangeroussituations; but at the same time unnecessary dangers shouldbe removed.

In different countries the prevailing risks differ. Drowningis particularly frequent in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, andFrance. In Spain, small children lose their lives or are seriouslyinjured by falling into open braziers-a danger that is graduallydisappearing as housing is modernised. " A similar problemexists in the British Isles, where the open fireplace is the usualway of heating the home." In Italy and Poland, damage fromexplosives left from the last war is a prominent hazard, whichvigorous propaganda has done much to reduce. Poisoning ofyoung children is common in the U.S.A., Switzerland, andSweden-countries where many chemicals are to be found inthe home. Suffocation of small children who, while playing,put their head into a plastic bag is reported as a real dangerin France, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden.

" Small children do not understand dangers and must be

protected from them, particularly from life-threatening hazards, butas they grow older they must be taught to cope with dangeroussituations. They must learn to climb, to jump and to fall, to handleknives, forks and scissors, to swim, to use matches and understandfire, to get along in traffic. The wise parent will thus protect thechild as far as ever possible from dangers from which the child canlearn nothing and not worry about small accidents from which thechild can learn how to avoid them. It is through this positive approachcombined with the elimination of deadly hazards from the environ-ment of the child that it will be possible to reduce the number ofaccidents."

ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUNDDURING 1957 this Fund disbursed E43,942 in grants and

annuities. The number of cases (398) helped by grants wasalmost the same as in the previous year, but the grants rose byE2599. Though the number of annuitants decreased by 6,annuities amounting to E12,406 (E455 more than in 1956) weredistributed. " This increase in the amount of grants andannuities to approximately the same number of beneficiariesappears to reflect the rise in the cost of living, and the RentAct, of course, has made its expected impact. This may wellbecome more pronounced in 1958." The number of people whobenefit is much larger than the number of cases quoted. Manyof these include married couples, children requiring sustenanceand education, and widows with families.

In his report for the committee of management, Dr. T.Anwyl-Davies, the hon. secretary, asks for more help in meetingdemands which, in spite of the Welfare State, are ever

expanding." To increase our income, new subscribers are essential. We are

very grateful to those who subscribe annually and we appeal to themto suggest to their colleagues that they might wish to do likewise ...Surprisingly enough, many of the profession do not know of itsexistence or of its work. Many gladly subscribe when their attentionis drawn to its purpose of acting as a Good Samaritan to the wholeof the medical profession. The Fund gives assistance to distressedmembers of the profession, their wives, widows and children.Immediate help is given in urgent cases and all deserving applicantsare treated impartially."

Dr. Anwyl-Davies appeals to subscribers, new and old " toconsider the very profitable and simple procedure of signingseven-year covenants ". Some 1275 already subscribe bycovenant and last year E5845 was recovered, without furthercost to the " covenanted " subscribers, from the InlandRevenue. He also thanks those who remember the Fund intheir wills-however small the legacy may be. " Last year the

legacies received came to the welcome sum of E29.495, a veryvaluable addition to the accumulated funds."The report for 1956 mentioned that under the Giffen bequest

a house was to be bought and equipped for indigent doctors. A large

378

house in Putney is now to be converted into five self-contained flatseach consisting of a bedroom, sitting-room, bathroom, and kitchen.During the year the Ladies’ Guild distributed more than E13.000.

This auxiliary helps with visiting, the education of children, the careof young widows, and the distribution of medical comforts, gifts ofclothing, coal and other necessities. Parcels of clothing, with thedonor’s name and address inside, should be sent to the clothes room,Ladies’ Guild of the R.M.B.F., Tavistock House (North), TavistockSquare, London, w.e.1.At the annual general meeting on July 30 Sir Henry Tidy

was re-elected president, Mr. F. A. Juler hon. treasurer, andDr. Anwyl Davies hon. secretary. The Fund’s address is1, Balliol House, Manor Fields, Putney, London, S.W.15.

THE BIRMINGHAM DENTAL HOSPITALThe year 1958 is celebrated for many important centenaries

in medicine, including that of this unique hospital-uniquebecause it is the oldest dental institution in this country andpossiblv in the world.

It was Samuel Adams Parker, a son of Langston Parker, thefamous surgeon on the staff of the Queen’s Hospital, whofounded the Birmingham Dental Dispensary early in 1858when he had but recently finished his dental studies at theMiddlesex Hospital. The first premises were at 13, TempleStreet, and it is interesting that the committee set out toundertake not only extractions but also stoppings and scalingsas well as " the regulation of children’s teeth." C. J. Foxhad in 1855 opened a similar dispensary in London, but itwas not to last long. The Birmingham Dental Dispensary, onthe other hand, prospered and had already moved premisestwice before the passing of the Dental Act in 1878. Its moreactive concern with teaching necessitated in 1882 a third move,this time to 71, New Hall Street. When in 1900 Mason’s

College became the University of Birmingham, another movewas soon required, and in 1905 the hospital occupied its

present site which it has more than outgrown. A fifth move,we hope, will not be delayed long.

Mr. R. A. Cohen has gone to great pains in preparing ahistory of the hospital’ writing of the many devoted peoplewho have served it so well in this hundred years.

University of OxfordOn Aug. 2 the following degrees were conferred:D.M.-G. A. Rose.B.M.-M. A. Pratelli.

Shortage of Staff at YorkOwing to shortage of junior staff in the surgical departments

of York hospitals, admission to the surgical wards has beenrestricted (Yorkshire Post, July 30). At a meeting of the York"A" and Tadcaster Hospital Management Committee thesecretary said there should be five house-surgeons at the city,county, and military hospitals, but in fact there was only one,which was not enough for proper supervision of the wards. Theconsultant staff had therefore agreed for the time being to admitonly emergency cases, urgent cases from the waiting-list, andsome minor cases which would not need much supervision.At the York Maternity Hospital, owing to a shortage of nurses,only one ward is being used.

Future Role of the Special HospitalsWhen he opened a £100,000 ward block at the Royal Ortho-

paedic Hospital, at Northfields, near Birmingham, on Aug.2, Sir Harry Platt said that there was a powerful school ofthought whose adherents held that the day of special hospitalswas over. This was doubtless true of small special hospitals,situated in isolation and unable to share in the diagnostic fac-ilities of the modern general hospital. He was one who believed

, that a limited number of large special institutions would beneeded for many years to come. But such institutions must"

justify their continued existence not only by providing forlong-stay patients a comprehensive range of rehabilitationfacilities, but must, under the guidance of the universitymedical schools, become centres of research and teaching ".1. The History of the Birmingham Dental Hospital and Dental School.

By R. A. COHEN L.D.S., F.S.A. Published by the Board of Governors ofthe United Birmingham Hospitals.

Medical Research Council The Council announce that they have made the following

travelling awards for 1958-59:Rockefeller fellowship in medicine.-Dr. G. Burnstock, research

assistant, department of pharmacology, University of Oxford;Mr. P. J. Holloway, external scientific staff member, M.R.C.Laboratories, Hampstead; Mr. W. B. Jennett, lecturer in neuro.surgery, University of Manchester; Dr. A. P. Mathias, lecturer inbiochemistry, University College, London; Dr. R. P. Michael,clinical research fellow, department of experimental neuroendocrino.logy, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London; Dr.P. H. A. Sneath, scientific staff member, National Institute forMedical Research, Mill Hill, London.

Lederle fellowship in medicine.-Dr. R. J. Linden, lecturer inphysiology, University of Leeds.

Alexander Pigott Wernher fellowship in ophthalmology and otology-Dr. G. B. Arden, research assistant, Institute of Ophthalmology,London.

French exchange scholarships in medical science.-Miss J. E. Cremer,scientific staff member, M.R.C., toxicology research unit, Carshalton,Surrey; Miss S. Reiman, assistant lecturer in psychology, Instituteof Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London.The following awards have been made after nomination by

the Council:

Lilly fellowships in medicine.-Mr. J. D. Griffiths, senior registrarin surgery, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London; Dr. C. W. M.Wilson, lecturer in pharmacology and therapeutics, University ofLiverpool.

United States Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health,Bethesda, Maryland, fellowships in medical science.-Dr. B. S. Hartley,research fellow, department of biochemistry, University of Cam-bridge ; Dr. K. W. Cross, reader in physiology, St. Mary’s HospitalMedical School, London; Dr. A. Doig, medical registrar, RoyalInfirmary, Edinburgh.

Social Security Agreement with YugoslaviaThe convention on social security between the United King-

dom and Yugoslavia, which was signed on May 24, has nowbeen ratified and will come into force on Sept. 1. The con-vention covers cash benefits for unemployment, sickness,maternity, old age, widowhood, orphanhood, industrial acci-dents and diseases, death, and family allowances.

Licence of Ravensburg Doctor Withdrawn The Schleswig-Holstein Minister of the Interior has with- ’

drawn the medical licence of Dr. Herta Oberheuser. At the .

annual representative meeting of the British Medical Associa-tion (see Lancet, July 19, 1958, p. 148) a resolution was passedexpressing distress that a doctor who had been convicted ofmedical war crimes should be allowed to return to medical

practice.More Psychiatrists for BirminghamOn the recommendation of their consultant services com-

mittee Birmingham Regional Hospital Board have agreed tothe appointment of 12 additional consultant psychiatrists inthe region (Birmingham Post, July 24). Subject to the approvalof the Ministry of Health, it is intended to fill 3 of the postsimmediately. The committee believe that it would be impossibleto fill all 12 posts at once.

Dr. P. H. C. Fowell has left the residue of his estate, almostE30,000, to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

Surgeon Commander J. Alexander, R.N.V.R., has been awarded theRoyal Naval and Royal Marine Forces Volunteer Reserve decoration

Surgeon Captain W. P. E. McIntyre is to be promoted surgrear-admiral in November when he will succeed Surgeon ReAdmiral R. L. G. Proctor as deputy medical director-general of::;Navy.

Dr. J. T. Hayward-Butt has been appointed assistant professo: .’

anaesthesiology at the State University of Iowa.Dr. M. B. Mcllroy has been appointed an associate profess

medicine in the University of California.The Royal Society has awarded a Mr. and Mrs. John Jaffe don

studentship to Dr. Jennifer Wildy to work on the biosynthesis ofprotein and haem components of haemoglobin in the depattmentchemical pathology of University College Hospital Medical S