896

derivatives and the special provisions applicable tovarious named derivatives. The fourth schedule isconcerned with insulin. It is to be a condition ofeverv licence for the manufacture of insulin that itshall be issued either as a sterile watery solution orin the form of sterile compressed tablets readily andcompletely soluble in water ; that insulin shall notbe issued mixed with other therapeutic agents exceptwith the previous consent of the licensing authority ;and that insulin shall not be issued with the recom-mendation for its administration by any other methodthan that by injection through the skin. The scheduleconcerned with pituitary (posterior lobe) extract con-cludes the list.

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SCOTLAND.

(FR03I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Infectious Disease at Dairies.Tins is the title of a compact circular just issued by

the Scottish Board of Ilealth. The object of thecircular is to point out what the dairymen and theiremployees can do, and may be punished for notdoing, in their efforts to assist the local healthauthority to protect the milk-supply from contamina-tion with infectious diseases. In this regard the Milkand Dairies (Scotland) Act, 1914, which, after one ortwo postponements on account of the war or post-warconditions, is now in force, placed on dairymen andtheir workers very specific obligations. It is themanifest interest of dairymen to take every step atthe earliest moment to secure that no infected personhandles cows or milk, and to invoke the help of themedical officer of health. It appears to be the case,however, that, according to the circular, " when amilk-supply is suspected of causing disease the attitudeof the producer of milk and his employees is too oftenone of indifference or of actual obstruction." These,as every county or city medical officer knows, arevery mild words for the conditions experienced.Fortunately, the machinery for detection is nowefficient enough to create a wholesome fear, and fearis a good schoolmaster even for slow wits.The circular details with precision the legal duties

of dairymen and their employees and the powers ofthe medical officer of health and the local authority. iTo give special point to the new circular, the Board records the following :- -

" During 1926 several outbreaks of infectious disease werespread by milkers who, themselves infected, continued tomilk cows. In one outbreak about 150 cases of dysenterywere caused by a milker who had contracted the diseaseand continued at work, though she suffered from what wasapparently diarrhoea, and broke the law by continuing to work while so suffering. In another outbreak over 150 cases of scarlet fever were caused by a milkmaid who continued *

to milk cows while suffering from a mild attack of scarlet ifever. In spite of careful inquiries, essential facts were iwithheld from the medical officer of health which, had theybeen disclosed, would almost certainly have curtailed this ‘serious outbreak."

xThe circular is to be had from the Stationery

Office for 1d., and all concerned should possess it. tSampling of Bottled Milk. f

In response to representations by the Association xof Public Analysts the Scottish Board of Ilealtli 1

has issued a short set of directions for sampling bottled milk under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act. yAt first sight nothing seems more simple. But experience tells a different tale, for we learn that" unequal distribution of the butter-fat is particu-larly liable to occur in the case of bottled milk, and aas the sale of bottled milk is spreading rapidly, it is necessary to reconsider the methods of official sampling." The point is to secure that, before the t

sample is taken, the milk shall be thoroughly mixed. 0

Evidence laid before the recent Scottish Depart-mental Committee on the Milk Standard showed how °many pitfalls there are in sampling even when the apersons concerned are all honest. Case after case hhas been wrongly decided on account of slip-shod

sampling. This circular contains a scrips of nine

special precautions and these have obviously beencarefully thought out in concert with analysts andsampling officers. This circular also is to be hadfor ld. and should be in general circulation.

Physical Education.The College of Hygiene and Physical Education

at Dunfernmline continues to be the centre of Scottishactivities in physical education and related subjects.It is many years ago since, in cooperation with tlit-Scottish Education Department and its officers, theDunfermline Carnegie Trustees converted the Collegeinto a type of medical school, with a medical principaland medical teachers, and trained lay specialists inmodern methods of physical education and remedialgymnastics. The College is now a

" central institu-tion " under the code. Last week a four days’ specialcourse ended, having been attended by 135 studentsand teachers from all parts of England, Scotland.and Ireland. The course, which included lecturesand demonstrations in respect of physical education.swimming, gymnastics, dancing, and games (includingumpiring), was conducted under the auspices of theScottish League for Physical Education (Women), theCarnegie Trustees granting the use of the Collegeand gymnasium for lectures and demonstrations.How eminently fitted for these purposes this care-

fully designed College is, only those familiar with itspast work can understand. Andrew Carnegie placedScotland in an enviable position when he made thi-!fine institution possible.

The Reorganisation of Offices (Scotland) Bill.The Bill for the conversion of the Scottish Board

of Health and the Scottish Board of Agriculture from" boards " into ’’ departments " of health and agri-culture respectively, has not yet passed the secondreading, the debate having been adjourned under therules of the House. Meanwhile, the Executive Com-mittee of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotlandhave had the matter before them and have passeda unanimous resolution protesting " against this Billin so far as it proposes to abolish the Board of Agri-culture in Edinburgh." It is interesting to findthat, at last, the farmers have something good to sayabout the Scottish Board of Agriculture ; but theimportance of their resolution lies chiefly in the factthat this Board and the Board of Health stand orfall together. The resolution, however, stresses thewrong point. In his second reading speech, Sir JohnGilmour made it perfectly clear that, so far as therelation of London to Edinburgh was concerned, theBill made no difference whatever. At the presentmoment the Secretary of State for Scotland is head ofboth Boards and controls, positively and negatively.everything they do. The Boards are not independentin any sense. For each of them the Secretary of Stateis responsible and neither board is final in any decision.Sir John Gilmour pointed out that the day for the" board " type of executive was over and the " depart-ment " type, as in the Scottish Education Departmentand the Ministry of Health was, at least for thesetwo boards, preferable. There is much to be saidfor and against ; but when the change is made therelationship to London will remain as it is now. Thehistory of all the Scottish " boards " is long andinteresting. It would form a good study in theworking of political patronage. This, indeed, wasone of the points urged in favour of the reform.

CHEMICAL RESEARCH AT NOTTINGHAM.—It isannounced that Boots Pure Drug Company. Ltd., havedecided to extend the scope of their research work atNottingham ; new laboratories are being equipped andthe staff of research chemists will be increased. The headof the research laboratories will be Mr. F. L. Pyman, D.Sc..F.R.S., professor of technological chemistry in the Universityof Manchester and in the College of Technology. He iswell known for investigations into the chemistry of thealkaloicls and of related synthetic compounds ; recentlyhe has devoted much attention to the glyoxaline group andhas effected a synthesis of histidine.