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rather than to the giving of vitamin C, however necessarythis may be. " The preparation must be applied to theinterdental spaces by soaking pledgets of cotton-woolin the solution and probing them into these spaces wherepossible." This suggests personal daily supervision by adental officer and I am sure that therein lies the secret oftheir success. The solution applied is probably of littleimportance although I still pin my faith to the easilyseen erentian violet.

Lichfield, Staffs. CLIFFORD G. PARSONS.

SUPERFLUOUS PREPOSITIONS

SIR,-I have been distressed lately by meeting in THELANCET, not only in the original articles but even in theeditorial comments, the expression " try out." Havethe words " try " and " test " gone out of conversationalcurrency ? In crime stories I expect the chief of policeon receiving some new information to send one of hissubordinates to " check-up on it." It would be beneathhim to tell his subordinate merely to " check " theinformation. We used to refuse to " stand " or " toler-ate " an injustice ; now we refuse to " stand for " it (thisintrusive and unnecessary " for " finds no authorityin the Oxford English Dictionary, or justification in

Wright’s Dialect Dictionary). If my present grievancecannot be met I suppose I must face up to it.

Wakefield. REGINALD LAWRENCE.

** Under" tryout" the Concise Oxford Dictionarygives " put to the test, test thoroughly."—ED. L.

POSTURE DURING SLEEP

SIR,-It may be of interest to mention some factsbrought out by the experiments in bronchospirometryconducted by Bjorkman. He tested several persons, indifferent postures, and found that-in direct oppositionto views previously held-the uppermost lung did alesser share of the work than the lower, compressed lung.Results obtained during these investigations may be readin an article by H. C. Jacobaeus (Brit. J. Tuber. 1936, 30,114). -

Kelling Sanatorium, Norfolk. B. G. RIGDEN.

INFECTION- OF FOODSTUFFS

SiR,-There is one matter in connexion with the out-break of paratyphoid fever so fully and ably reported uponin your issue of Jan. 31 on which further informationwould I think be appreciated by those concerned withpublic-health administration. For many years effortshave been made, with more or less success, to secure that inall premises where food is prepared hand-washing facilitiesshall be provided as near as possible to w.c. accommoda-tion, and that the importance of hand washingimmediately after the use of the w.c. shall be impressedon all workers by suitably placed notices. May we askwhat were the arrangements regarding these matters atthe firm in question, and what was the practice of thecarrier who was responsible for the outbreak ?

Potters Bar. MAITLAND RADFORD.

RELAPSING FEVER

SIR,—The discovery recently in a London hospital, byDr. Stannus, of a refugee from the continent sufferingfrom relapsing fever (Lancet, Jan. 24, p. 103) is a freshinstance of the possibilities of transmission of disease byaircraft. Good fortune took the man to someone withAfrican experience. As to Ornithodoros tholosani beinga vector of the spirochsete in Persia, it may well be so ;but Dr.’C. M. Wenyon tells me that the latest reference(Donuschevsky, Latuishev Rev. appl. Ent. 1927, 15, 216)is not conclusive. It is certain, however, that the bodylouse is a. vector in epidemics there, generally withtyphus fever and in times of famine. This was so whenBritish troops were last in Persia-that is to say, duringand after the war of 1914-18.Perhaps another famous. vector problem may be

settled now. Will some enterprising medical officersucceed where others have failed and learn if " Mianehfever " really exists and if so whether it is a relapsingtick-borne disease conveyed by Argas persicus, the" aha,rib gez " (the stranger-biter)?

Droitwich. A. R. NELIGAN.

RED CROSS HOSPITAL IN CHINA

S SIR,-After consultation with representatives of theBritish Government, the war organisation of the BritishRed Cross Society and Order of St. John decided to offerto send out to China the personnel and full equipmentfor a hospital of 200 beds to work in close cooperationwith the Chinese Red Cross, and to be located in someplace accessible to the motor road system of Free China.The Chinese Ambassador was approached and cabled hisgovernment in Chungking which replied gratefullyaccepting the offer.

Dr. H. Gordon Thompson, secretary of the BritishFund for the relief of distress in China, is acting assecretary in this section of our work. The schemeenvisages a British staff of an administrator,, foursurgeons, three physicians, a radiographer, a storekeeperand accountant, a matron, and 14 nurses. Doctors andnurses, especially any who have knowledge of the Chineselanguage, are required and should communicate as soonas possible.with Dr. Gordon Thompson, 14, GrosvenorCrescent, London S.W.I. Their letters should bemarked " China."

HORDER,Joint Chairman, Hospitals andMedical Services Committee.

"STATUS OF WAAF DOCTORS"’

SIR,—On Jan. 31 (p. 156) you -published a, paragraphunder this heading completely at variance with the truthwhich is that :-

1. Women medical officers working with the RAFmedical service are not and never have been in the WAAF.

2. Women medical officers have always attended men aswell as women in the Air Force.

3. Women medical officers have not been granted equastatus with their male colleagues in the RAF.

4. A woman medical officer if appointed as SMO of a stationcould not carry out her duties efficiently with her presentstatus. -

As a woman medical officer I am greatly concerned at therecent Air Ministry order which has confirmed we arevirtually without rank. We are not allowed to beaddressed by our rank title and we hold our " relativerank " solely with regard to other women medical anddental officers.While writing this protest I would like to add that the

generous loyalty of our male colleagues has enabled usto carry out our duties without the lack of statusbecoming- annarent.

WOMAN MEDICAL OFFICER.

ObituaryCHARLES ARTHUR MOYNIHAN

M.R.C.S. ; CAPTAIN R.A.M.C.

Captain Charles Moynihan, who was killed in Malayain December, at the age of 28, was born in Santa Cruz,the second son of Mrs. D. M. Moynihan and the late Mr.H. J. Moynihan of GloucesterPlace, London. He was edu-cated at University CollegeSchool, King’s College and theWestminster Hospital where hetook his M.R.C.S. in 1937. Hehad already made up his mindto join the R.A.M.C., but firsthe was eager to do some post-graduate work in his chosenspecialty and within a few daysof qualifying he had obtained ahouse-appointment at St. Paul’sHospital, Endell Street, where

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he had opportunity to study the pathology and bloodreactions of disease. He was a sensitive man and afellow resident recalls sympathetically his anguish atthe horrors of the Spanish civil war in which many ofhis personal friends were involved. Moynihan enteredthe R.A.M.C. in 1937, was promoted captain a yearlater, and when he died was acting major.