253

ORTHOTRICRESYL PHOSPHATE POISONING

SiR,-Dr. Hotston’s interesting paper of Feb. 9(p. 207) on the development of polyneuritis due to ortho-tricresyl phosphate poisoning refers quite briefly torecent outbreaks in Germany. I have had the opportunityof seeing a number of these cases which occurred atEckenforde in Schleswig-Holstein. The civil populationhad been using the heavy oil from the German navaltorpedo experimental station for cooking purposes. Thisoil contained appreciable amounts of the tricresylphosphate, and a considerable number of cases of peri-pheral neuritis resulted. The exact figures are not knownbut they are certainly well over a hundred, and in onefamily examined four generations were afflicted.The clinical features were not without interest, in

that typically the knee-jerks were retained while theankle-jerks were lost. This accords with Dr. Hotston’sexperience in the Merseyside outbreak, and is probablydue to the relative intactness of the quadriceps group.Similarly the patients found more difficulty in standingerect and immobile than in walking. Spontaneous pain.was not conspicuous, and superficial sensory impairmentwas but slight and transient, while postural loss persistedfor a much longer time.

These cases are being studied by Professor Creutzfeldtof Kiel, who will no doubt eventually publish hisobservations.London, W.C.I. MACDONALD CRITCHLEY.

WAR PENSIONS

SiB,—No, I have not seen the film Burma Victory.But I can assure Mr. J. H. Wood (Feb. 2) that I shouldnot recommend the jungle as a health resort nor theconditions of tropical campaign as hygienically ideal.He might just as well assure me that if a man’s militaryservice is restricted to encampment on Salisbury Plainhe is not likely to suffer from sandfly fever or parago-moniasis.

I have a pretty considerable experience of militaryservice under all sorts of conditions, and T do not departfrom the opinion that in ’general a man is better offthan in civil life. I hesitate to refer to the Royal Navy,lest, while presuming the hygienic advantages of amarine life, I forget the horrors of shipwreck.But Mr. Wood’s letter has taught me a lesson-to

refrain from meddling with matters of which I amignorant. For now I learn that the royal warrant pro-vides for the award of a pension for any disability unlessthe Ministry can prove that war service was not respon-sible for its causation or aggravation. What puzzlesme is that on this interpretation of the royal warrantthere can be any argument about eligibility for a pension,whatever the disease or condition on which the claimis based. Yet there is argument, any amount of argu-ment. There must be a catch somewhere.

Mr. Wood invites (or perhaps challenges) me to tell theworld " the real cause of peptic ulcer. No theory, please."I think not. Clearly, any " real cause " I advancedwould be rejected by him as a "theory." And thiswould apply to a large number of diseases : in fact, theonly one about which I would feel really confident isvenereal disease. In my peripatetic meandering whichstimulated Mr. Wood’s letter I gave specious reasonswhy the influence of military service in its causationshould entitle the sufferer to a pension. No " theory "

there ; yet I have very little doubt that so far the BritishLegion has not been importuned to support a claim.But your peripatetic correspondence is widely readand it seems not improbable that Mr. Wood will at somefuture date be called upon. If so, I should be mostinterested to learn the result.

YOUR PERIPATETIC CORRESPONDENT.

TODAY, Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 P.M., at the Beaver Hall, GarlickHill, London, E.C.4, Mr. Herbert Morrison, Lord Presidentof the Council, will speak at the introductory session of theconference on Science and the Welfare of Mankind, which theAssociation of Scientific Workers is holding in cooperation withother scientific organisations. The programme includes dis-cussions on the Implications of Recent Scientific Developments(Feb. 16, 2.30 P.M.), the Responsibilities of Scientists inModern Society (Feb. 17, 10 A.M.), and the Organisation ofScience (Feb. 17, 2.30 r.M.).

On Active Service

CASUALTIES

KILLED

Captain WILLIAM DONALD WILSON, M.B. Lpool, R.A.M.C.

REPORTED P.o.W., NOW REPORTED DIED AS P.O.W.Captain MARK GORDON BRAHAM, L.M.S.S.A., R.A.M.C.

AWARDS

O.B.E.

Lieut.-Colonel CYRIL BAIN-BRIDGE, M.B.Durh.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel H. V. BRENNAN,M.B.E., R.A.M.O.

Lieut.-Colonel J. B. BuNDOCK,R.C.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel J. C. CAIRD,M.D. Edin., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel J. A. DAU-PHINEE, R.C.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel M. R. ELLIOTT,R.C.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel R. S. HANDLEY,M.B.Camb., F.R.c.s.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel S E Y M 0 U RH E A T L E Y, M.B. Dubl.,F.R.C.S.I., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel F. F. HELLIER,M.D.Lond., F.R.C.P.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel G. H. G. HOPE,M.C., M.B. Glasg., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel D. F. HUTCHIN-SON, M.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.

Colonel W. D. JAOKSON, M.C.,M.D. Edin., R.A.M.C.

Colonel W. A. JONES,R.C.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel G. A. KANE,M.B. Belf., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel R. B. KERR,R.C.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel A. G. RossL O W D O N, M.B.Edin.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel R. L. MACKAY,<M.D. Glasg., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel G. A. G. MIT-CHELL, M.B. A b e r d.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel JOHN NEILL,M.B. Edin., R.A.M.C.

Colonel A. R. OBAM, M.C.,M.B. N.U.I., R.A.M.C.

Colonel R. W. RiCHABDSON,E.D., R.C.A.1,1:.C.

’

Colonel C. C. Ross, R.C.A.M.C.Lieut.-Colonel ROBERTRUTHERFORD, F.R.C.S.,R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel K. G. W. SAUN-DERS, F.R.C.S.E., R.AL.3f.C.

Lieut.-Colonel F. L. SHIPP,R.C A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel HENRY Sissoxs,M.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel J. M. TAIT,M.D. Durh., R.A.M.C.

Lieut.-Colonel F. W. WARREN,L.R.C.P.I., R.A.M.C.

Colonel G. E. WIGHT,R.O.A.M.O.

M.B.E.

Major IVOR AUBREY, M.C.,1ILR.0.S., R.A.M.C.

Major S. 0. AYLETT, M.B.

Lond., F.R.C.S., R.A.1ILO..Major RONALD BARRACLOUGH,

M.B. Aberd., R.A.M.C.Major W. F. Bm, R.C.A.M.C.Major JOHN BLEAKLEY, M.B.

Lond., R.A.M.C.Major P. W. H. BLEASDALE,

M.B. Edin., R.A.3i.C.Major J. A. C. BURRIDGE,

M.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.Major G. B. CARTER, M.B.

Manc., R.A.M.C.Major W. N. CHISHOLM, M.B.

Edin., R..A.M.O.Captain R. W. CLARKE,

M.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.Major C. H. DAVIES, M.D.

Wales, R.A.M.C.Major M. H. A. DAVISON, M.D.

Durh., R.A.M.C.Major C. M. ELLIOTT, L.MED.

Dubl., R.A.M.C.Major N. J. ENGLAND,

R.C.A.M.C.

Major T. A. GANDER, R.C.A.M.C.Major D. K. GRANT, R.C.A.M.C.Captain P. J. HARDIE, M.R.O.S.,

R.A.M.C.

Major G. W. HEARN, M.D.

Lond., R.A.M.c.Major G. A. HODGSON, B.M.

Oxfd, R.A.M.C.Lieut.-Colonel K. E. A.HUGHEs, M.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.

Lieutenant R. J. HUGHES,R.A.M.C.

Captain F. A. JENNINGS,R.C.A.M.C.

Captain NATHAN KAUFMAN,R.C.A.M.C.

Major W. S. KEITH, R.C.A.M.C.Major A. E. LODEN, M.B.

Lond., R.A.M.C. -

Major F. J. McLEAN, R.C.A.M.C.

Captain D. D. MUIR, M.R.C.S.,R.A.M.C.

Captain AGNES MURRAY, M.B.Glasg., R.A.M.C.

Major J. B. NEILSON, B.C.A.M.C.Major W. F. H. O’NEILL,

R.C.A.M.C. ’

Major H. 1. PALMER, R.C.A.M.C.Lieut.-Colonel ROBERT PAUL,

M.B. Glasg., R.A.M.C.Major H. H. 1. PEARSON, M.B.

Sydney, R.A.M.C.Major A. F. W. PEART,

R.C.A.24.C.

Major H. G. PERCY, M.R.C.S.,B.A.M.C.

-

Lieut.-Colonel R. J. PHILLIPS,M.B. Wales, R.A.M.C.

Major S. F. RAISTRICK,M.R.C,S., R.A.M.C.

Major R. L. REEVES, R.C.A.M.C.Major W. D. RICHARDSON,

M.B. GrIabSg., R.A.M.C.-Captain H. A. ROBERTS,

R.C.A.M.C.

Major G. M. Ross, M.B. Edin.,R.A.M,C.

Major W. H. SCRIVEN, M.R.C.S.,R.A.M.C.

Lieutenant J. C. E. SUNDELL,R.A.M.C.

Captain, G. C. SWEET,R.C.A.M.O.

Major A. P. D. THOMSON,M.B. Glasg., R.A.M.C.

Major C. I. TuCKETT, M.OHIR.Camb., F.R.C.S., R.A.M.C.

Captain F,. C. VANDEBVOORT,R.C.A.M.C.

Major R. H. WEBBER, R.A.M.O.Major C. J. WELLS, M.B. Sheff.,

R.A.M.C.

Major K. S. WILSO-N7. M.B.

Belf., R.A.M.C.Captain J. C. G. YouNG,

B.C.A.M.C.