dhtiptt @opi(s. THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S NOTE ON INDIAN JAILS.
This note on the health and sanitation of Indian Jails is attached to the annual Government of India Resolution, reviewing the Provincial Reports for 1898. Surgeon-General Harvey quotes the following statement of the Inspector-General of Jails in Punjab, who wrote : 1 hold very strongly the opinion that sickness and mortality occurring the Punjab) are among the jail population (in "
great extent preventable. Satisfactory only be obtained, however, by unremitting attention to their duties on the parts of to
a
results will
Bec
457
MEDICAL PROGRESS IN BENGAL.
lg99-j
In especial Colonel Hendley asks that the folthose responsible for the welfare of the prisoners lowing improvements may be carried out in all from clay to day." This opinion, the Directorviz., the provision of separate waitdispensaries, General believes, is of general application, and or rooms for both men and we
ing-places
think
women,
correctly. "The labours of medicaland a screen and couch to be provided in the superintendents, howeYer capable and devoted,prescribing rooms for the private examination will
not however make up for the evil effectsof females. In Colonel Hendley's words these of bad sites and unsuitable buildings." Theare "absolute necessities for the proper, complete greatest care has been given to the water-and decent examination of patients." supplies for many years and the importance As regards the question of the number of of good cooking has been recognised; but purehospitals and dispensaries this must of course air is as necessary as pure water, and until itvary with the density of population, means of is possible to thoroughly ventilate the sleep-communication and the amount of disease in ing barracks in the cold nights of winter with-the district, but Colonel Hendley is of opinion out chilling the occupants, we cannot hope tothat we should not remain anything like satisbanish pneumonia from the jails or to bringfied till no person in Bengal is further than 15 respiratory diseases and tubercular affectionsor 20 miles from a dispensary and till every within the limits in which they should bevillage or rural area of 3,000 persons has its own restricted. " Pneumonia, under conditions ofdispensary. jail-life, seems to be frequently, if not always, an Another scheme for medical aid deserves a infectious disease, and should be treated accord-further and more extended trial, that is (1) to i"gly, more specially, we may add, as much ofentrust village headmen, in places remote from the pneumonia of nowadays is of a influenzal dispensaries, with simple medicine chests for type. the treatment of the more common diseases, as The Surgeon-General also discusses the preven-malarial fevers, bowel-complaints, cholera, &c.; tion of malaria from the point of view of the mosto arrange for a visit from the Assistant(2) quito theory. It will be comparatively easy toSurgeon, or medical subordinate in charge to keep the jail grounds free from puddles, or even places beyond a ten-mile radius from his dispenjail tanks free from mosquito larvse; but it will sary ; such places and times to be chosen where not be so easy to keep the larvre from flourishing people come in large numbers, as on market da3^s. in the rice-fields, tanks and puddles belonging to All the local authority would need to do would outsiders. Another question, which has yet to be to provide the medical man with means of he decided, is to what extent attacks of malarial transport and to give him a box to store his fevers are fresh infections or relapses. As the medicines and a place to dispense them. On pi rector-General says: " Few convicts in Indian such days his work at the head-quarter dispenjai Is have escaped malarial fever before being sary would be done by the senior compounder sent to prison," and many such case get fever, or the hospital assistant from the police hospital, apart from mosquitos, due to chills or other if at district head-quarters. Moreover, it is indiscretions. We are glad to see attention proposed, instead of accumulating supernudirected to the question of parasitic anaemia. meraries in Calcutta as under the old system, to Last year we called attention to the damage done keep them at each divisional head-quarters, to health Jail. where by worm diseases in Cannanore they would be available for emergent or " anjemia other many obscure cases of temporary duty in the neighbouring disand ankylostomata tricts. debility are due to parasites, " and others. There can be little doubt that the above proWhy the term debility should he retained in the returns at all we fail to see. of a practical nature and can be are posals It puts a carried into effect in all districts with compremium on carelessness. paratively little expense.
Undoubtedly
"
"
lines for medical progress in bengal.
A CIRCULAR has recently been issued by Colonel H. Hendley, i.m.s., c.r.E., in which he sketches out the lines on which future medical progress in Bengal should advance. Attention is first called to the fact that professional men, rich shopkeepers and other leading inhabitants do not subscribe liberally or in as large a proportion as they should do. The district and local authorities majr fairly look to men of this class for the erection and endowment of special wards or cottage hospitals, for the endowment of beds, gifts of surgical instruments and surgical appliances, pictures, and many other things which would add to the usefulness of hospitals and dispensaries.
LABORATORIES FOR CENTRAL JAILS.
?^
The
note is from the DirectorJails above alluded to:? ,fIt is in my opinion very desirable that a small laboratory should be fitted up in every central jail, with the necessary apparatus, to enable the medical officer to carry on investigations. It is only by investigation that we can hope to arrive at the truth regarding the causation of many of the diseases prevalent in our jails. Expenditure in this direction would be speedily rewarded, not only by the precision
following
General's Note
which
on
investigation will lend
to
preventive
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
458
and
throat,
tion,
there
and the
[Dec.
1899.
of X-Rajrs. In addiof lectures on general ophthalmology, insanity, morbid conditions of the urine, skin diseases and pathology, each delivered THE JIGGER PARASITE. by men who are experts in each line, as Marcus Dr. R. M. Kalapesi read a very interesting Gunn, G. H. Savage, A. P. Luff, J. Galloway and Woods Hutchinson. The journal presents paper at the August meeting of "the Bombay Medical and Physical Society on the recently monthly a record of the most interesting cases imported jigger parasite which has been already discussed at the Potyclinic with abstracts of described in our columns.* In the course of clinical lectures, &c. The present number contains an excellent the discussion, Surgeon-General R. Harvey said that he had received a letter from a medical practical lecture by Professor Clifford Allbutt on officer in Uganda giving an account of the paralysis agitans, and a long series of extremely jigger. When the prospect of the introduction interesting cases shown and discussed at the conof the parasite into India first arose, the news- sultations by Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson. These clinical consultations will probably be the most papers were alarmist on the matter, but he had available information consulted all the on the interesting part of the course. Already it is noted that no less than 521 medical men have the to conclusion and came that there disease, the college. A more admirable scheme was no ground for fear; that jigger was not joined for " study leave (when it comes) or for study a disease formidable to life, and was easily preventable with ordinary care and cleanliness. on furlough could scarcely be arranged.
by tlie opportunity for research that the existence of laboratories will furnish to medical officers of the Jail Department.
measures, but
are
use
courses
"
The letter was read by Surgeon-General Harvey, it gave an account of the introduction of the disease into East Africa in 1890 by a ship from South America, its rapid spread after introduction and its present widespread prevalence in East Africa. The letter entered fully into the symptoms and pathology of the disease, and remarked that death seldom resulted, although loss of the feet or portions of them were common. Surgeon-General Harvey thought that the danger of jigger had been greatly exaggerated, as the disease could easily be prevented by careful attention to cleanliness. Cases had also occurred in India among the regiments which had returned from East Africa. THE POLYCLINIC.
college in London for medical will probably be much patronised by medical officers from India at home on furlough. It is about time that London should organise the vast amount of clinical material it possesses, and its laboratories for post graduate work. More than a dozen years ago we spent five months at Vienna, and it amply repaid the professors and prival docents there to arrange special classes for the British and American medical graduates. The account given in The Polyclinic, the journal of the new college, is very interesting. The teaching consists of practical classes, clinical consultations and classes in connection with the college, as bacteriology under Professor Crookshank at King's College, mental diseases at Bethlem, and public health under Professor Winter Blyth. The practical classes (fees, one or two guineas) last for six weeks, usually twice a week; they are held in medical diagnosis, surThe
new
graduates
gical anatomy,
gery and the *
nervous
diseases,
ophthalmoscope,
V. pages
135, 147, 160,
ophthalmic
the ear, the
173 of 1899.
sur-
nose
EAST AND WEST. "
There are large granaries in or near this quarter of the town which are infested with rats, and we have an unique provision for the conveyance of infection from house to house. It was considered inexpedient to start a systematic campaign against these rodents, as the Marwaris and some of the other classes of the population It appears that object to their slaughter. rats enjoj7 the special protection of Ganesh, the Elephant-headed God of Wisdom.' These poor creatures,' writes the Bangobasi, have not been to Bombay, but were born and bred in Bengal. How then can they import plague.'" [Extract from Dr. Neild Cook's Plague Report.] With this contrast the following: " Were I now asked how I would protect a State from plague I would certainly answer?exterminate the rats as a first and most important measure; but in making this recommendation I would stipulate that the measure be taken in anticipation of the advent of the disease not when the disease had already shown its presence, and the rats are dying by thousands. It is too late then, an epidemic in full swing is hard to stop." [Extract from Dr. Manson's address at the opening of the Tropical School of Medicine.] Comment is needless?as Kipling sings " the "The East is East and the West is West." ...
...
'
EXTERMINATION OF MOSQUITOS.
We have much pleasure in publishing in this issue the paper by Captain S. P. James, I.M.S., on how to find and identify mosquito larvre. In our November issue Captain James extermination of the pointed out that the turn out to be the easy not mosquito may measure that readers of the accounts, in the home medical papers, of Major Ross' Sierra
Dec
MADRAS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
lg99,
459
joints due to gonorrhoeal rheumatism, if the be led to suppose. ankylosis leaves the limb reasonably useful had Most decidedly Captain James' observations that better be left alone?that fractured limbs of the most dangerous varieties of mosquitos breed infants give excellent results when put up in in rice-fields and other is of Paris as soon as any heat at the seat large areas of water plaster in strong of fracture lias disappeared, that Murphy's opposition to the teachings of the Sierra Leone expedition. If malarial mosquitos button was twice used, and in both instances confined themselves to puddles and small areas and septic peritonitis with death perforation " of stagnant water, it would be was the result. possible to indicate, with scientific certainty, the precise foci Apropos of beri-beri Captain A. E. Grant,. of malaria and to i.M.s, writes that only one acute case has been get rid of the mosquito larvre in them, but to do this with acres of rice-fields admitted to hospital within the past eight years. is a very different matter. This case came from a place a very long woy In a recent number of the Journal of Tropifrom the endemic area of the disease?which cal Meclic\ne, is stated to be the region between the Godaveri F.R.C.S., G. M. I.M.S, Giles, Major who is well known as a skilled biologist, gives and Liistna rivers." Even the more chronic a valuable forms of beri-beri are rarely admitted to the account of the various forms of culicidie employed by Ross in his investiga-General Hospital, Madras. The sufferers are tions of malaria. Ross described three species,nearly always people who have lived in Burma, the " dapple-winged," the "brindled'' andthe Straits, or in the Kistna district. The acute the "grey" mosquito. The "dapple-winged form is easy to diagnose, provided one has seen species was the one in which lie followed outone or two cases previously. The acute case the life history of the avian hsematozoon.referred to above is the only one among 12,000 Two of these, Major Giles tells us, are newadmissions to the hospital. Dr. A. 0. Rendle to science, the grey mosquito turns out "to bein the same report (p. 59) gives a few other the culex fatigans of Weidemann. The dap-cases of beri-beri, one which recovered is interple- winged" belongs to the genus anopheles,esting. He suffered from diarrhoea, slight fever, which is distinguished by the fact the palpioedema of the trunk, face and lower extreare about as long as the proboscis in bothmities, loss of knee-jerks and anaesthesia over sexes, whereas in Culex, those of the male alone front of both knees and back of elbows. The are as long, while those of the female aie" veiyova of ankylostoma were found. He slowly short. Associated," writes Major Giles, withrecovered under large doses of magnesia sulRoss' epoch-making researches, it appears phate and citrate of potash?the urine increased priate that the two new species should be and the oedema disappeared, the patches of named after him.'' The three species, therefore, anaesthesia disappeared. Another interesting will stand (1) anopheles rosii (or dapple- case was one with mixed symptoms resembling winged); (2) culex rosii (or brindled) and the pseudohypertropic " paralysis and myxoedema. culex fatigans. Dr. Rendle says although the existence of Specimens of the culex fatigans were sent o beri-beri in South India is denied by many authorMajor Giles by Captain Victor Lindesay, I.M.S., ities, yet many of the cases occurring in the from Bakloh which shows that this species wards scarcely admitted of any other explanaextends to a considerable elevation in the hi s. tion unless we adopt the debatable term As Major Giles' furlough will not be up till 'malarial neuritis.' the middle of March next, it is to be hoped that We hope to give more extracts from these more specimens will be sent to him as11 e interesting reports in a future issue. requested in these columns in July last (p. 2oo). Leone expedition might
"
"
"
appro-
"
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO CHARITABLE DISPENSARIES.
MADRAS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
Thk attention of the Government of Bengal The professional reports included in SurgeonGeneral Sibthorpe's last annual report on medical having been directed to the serious falling of institutions in the Presidency-town of Madras in the subscriptions to dispensaries of Glass IT, form exceedingly interesting and useful features that is those supported by district and municipal the report. In the report of the First authorities, it has been directed? (1) To appoint a Managing Committee for all. Physician it is noted that "Phthisis continues to be an disease." such common Captain dispensaries, and that such Committees extremely G. Gifford, i.ars., writes that cicatrising should meet more regularly than they do at granuloma (to o-ive it its most correct title) can present. only be treated'3by complete and early excision, (2) The distinction between the local authorand that scraping, cauterization, &c., are practi- ity and the special Dispensary Committee cally always useless methods, that even after should be made as clear as possible.. excision the disease frequently recurs and (3) The Civil Surgeon is to be a member of antisyphilitic remedies are absolutely of no every such Committee,
avail.
It
is
also
noted
that
ankylosis
of
4G0
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
(4) To this Committee the local authority should make an annual allotment fixed for three years. It will then rest with the Municipal Committee to supplement the income thus assured by raising subscriptions. The Lieutenant-Governor is of opinion that the more complete the separation between charitable and municipal administration, the greater will be the encouragement to private liberality.?[Resolution No. 523 T.? M., 2nd November 1899.]
[Dec.
1899.
This note on the health and sanitation of Indian Jails is attached to the annual Government of India Resolution, reviewing the Provincial Reports for 1898. Surgeon-General Harvey quotes the following statement of the Inspector-General of Jails in Punjab, who wrote : 1 hold very strongly the opinion that sickness and mortality occurring the Punjab) are among the jail population (in "
great extent preventable. Satisfactory only be obtained, however, by unremitting attention to their duties on the parts of to
a
results will
Bec
457
MEDICAL PROGRESS IN BENGAL.
lg99-j
In especial Colonel Hendley asks that the folthose responsible for the welfare of the prisoners lowing improvements may be carried out in all from clay to day." This opinion, the Directorviz., the provision of separate waitdispensaries, General believes, is of general application, and or rooms for both men and we
ing-places
think
women,
correctly. "The labours of medicaland a screen and couch to be provided in the superintendents, howeYer capable and devoted,prescribing rooms for the private examination will
not however make up for the evil effectsof females. In Colonel Hendley's words these of bad sites and unsuitable buildings." Theare "absolute necessities for the proper, complete greatest care has been given to the water-and decent examination of patients." supplies for many years and the importance As regards the question of the number of of good cooking has been recognised; but purehospitals and dispensaries this must of course air is as necessary as pure water, and until itvary with the density of population, means of is possible to thoroughly ventilate the sleep-communication and the amount of disease in ing barracks in the cold nights of winter with-the district, but Colonel Hendley is of opinion out chilling the occupants, we cannot hope tothat we should not remain anything like satisbanish pneumonia from the jails or to bringfied till no person in Bengal is further than 15 respiratory diseases and tubercular affectionsor 20 miles from a dispensary and till every within the limits in which they should bevillage or rural area of 3,000 persons has its own restricted. " Pneumonia, under conditions ofdispensary. jail-life, seems to be frequently, if not always, an Another scheme for medical aid deserves a infectious disease, and should be treated accord-further and more extended trial, that is (1) to i"gly, more specially, we may add, as much ofentrust village headmen, in places remote from the pneumonia of nowadays is of a influenzal dispensaries, with simple medicine chests for type. the treatment of the more common diseases, as The Surgeon-General also discusses the preven-malarial fevers, bowel-complaints, cholera, &c.; tion of malaria from the point of view of the mosto arrange for a visit from the Assistant(2) quito theory. It will be comparatively easy toSurgeon, or medical subordinate in charge to keep the jail grounds free from puddles, or even places beyond a ten-mile radius from his dispenjail tanks free from mosquito larvse; but it will sary ; such places and times to be chosen where not be so easy to keep the larvre from flourishing people come in large numbers, as on market da3^s. in the rice-fields, tanks and puddles belonging to All the local authority would need to do would outsiders. Another question, which has yet to be to provide the medical man with means of he decided, is to what extent attacks of malarial transport and to give him a box to store his fevers are fresh infections or relapses. As the medicines and a place to dispense them. On pi rector-General says: " Few convicts in Indian such days his work at the head-quarter dispenjai Is have escaped malarial fever before being sary would be done by the senior compounder sent to prison," and many such case get fever, or the hospital assistant from the police hospital, apart from mosquitos, due to chills or other if at district head-quarters. Moreover, it is indiscretions. We are glad to see attention proposed, instead of accumulating supernudirected to the question of parasitic anaemia. meraries in Calcutta as under the old system, to Last year we called attention to the damage done keep them at each divisional head-quarters, to health Jail. where by worm diseases in Cannanore they would be available for emergent or " anjemia other many obscure cases of temporary duty in the neighbouring disand ankylostomata tricts. debility are due to parasites, " and others. There can be little doubt that the above proWhy the term debility should he retained in the returns at all we fail to see. of a practical nature and can be are posals It puts a carried into effect in all districts with compremium on carelessness. paratively little expense.
Undoubtedly
"
"
lines for medical progress in bengal.
A CIRCULAR has recently been issued by Colonel H. Hendley, i.m.s., c.r.E., in which he sketches out the lines on which future medical progress in Bengal should advance. Attention is first called to the fact that professional men, rich shopkeepers and other leading inhabitants do not subscribe liberally or in as large a proportion as they should do. The district and local authorities majr fairly look to men of this class for the erection and endowment of special wards or cottage hospitals, for the endowment of beds, gifts of surgical instruments and surgical appliances, pictures, and many other things which would add to the usefulness of hospitals and dispensaries.
LABORATORIES FOR CENTRAL JAILS.
?^
The
note is from the DirectorJails above alluded to:? ,fIt is in my opinion very desirable that a small laboratory should be fitted up in every central jail, with the necessary apparatus, to enable the medical officer to carry on investigations. It is only by investigation that we can hope to arrive at the truth regarding the causation of many of the diseases prevalent in our jails. Expenditure in this direction would be speedily rewarded, not only by the precision
following
General's Note
which
on
investigation will lend
to
preventive
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
458
and
throat,
tion,
there
and the
[Dec.
1899.
of X-Rajrs. In addiof lectures on general ophthalmology, insanity, morbid conditions of the urine, skin diseases and pathology, each delivered THE JIGGER PARASITE. by men who are experts in each line, as Marcus Dr. R. M. Kalapesi read a very interesting Gunn, G. H. Savage, A. P. Luff, J. Galloway and Woods Hutchinson. The journal presents paper at the August meeting of "the Bombay Medical and Physical Society on the recently monthly a record of the most interesting cases imported jigger parasite which has been already discussed at the Potyclinic with abstracts of described in our columns.* In the course of clinical lectures, &c. The present number contains an excellent the discussion, Surgeon-General R. Harvey said that he had received a letter from a medical practical lecture by Professor Clifford Allbutt on officer in Uganda giving an account of the paralysis agitans, and a long series of extremely jigger. When the prospect of the introduction interesting cases shown and discussed at the conof the parasite into India first arose, the news- sultations by Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson. These clinical consultations will probably be the most papers were alarmist on the matter, but he had available information consulted all the on the interesting part of the course. Already it is noted that no less than 521 medical men have the to conclusion and came that there disease, the college. A more admirable scheme was no ground for fear; that jigger was not joined for " study leave (when it comes) or for study a disease formidable to life, and was easily preventable with ordinary care and cleanliness. on furlough could scarcely be arranged.
by tlie opportunity for research that the existence of laboratories will furnish to medical officers of the Jail Department.
measures, but
are
use
courses
"
The letter was read by Surgeon-General Harvey, it gave an account of the introduction of the disease into East Africa in 1890 by a ship from South America, its rapid spread after introduction and its present widespread prevalence in East Africa. The letter entered fully into the symptoms and pathology of the disease, and remarked that death seldom resulted, although loss of the feet or portions of them were common. Surgeon-General Harvey thought that the danger of jigger had been greatly exaggerated, as the disease could easily be prevented by careful attention to cleanliness. Cases had also occurred in India among the regiments which had returned from East Africa. THE POLYCLINIC.
college in London for medical will probably be much patronised by medical officers from India at home on furlough. It is about time that London should organise the vast amount of clinical material it possesses, and its laboratories for post graduate work. More than a dozen years ago we spent five months at Vienna, and it amply repaid the professors and prival docents there to arrange special classes for the British and American medical graduates. The account given in The Polyclinic, the journal of the new college, is very interesting. The teaching consists of practical classes, clinical consultations and classes in connection with the college, as bacteriology under Professor Crookshank at King's College, mental diseases at Bethlem, and public health under Professor Winter Blyth. The practical classes (fees, one or two guineas) last for six weeks, usually twice a week; they are held in medical diagnosis, surThe
new
graduates
gical anatomy,
gery and the *
nervous
diseases,
ophthalmoscope,
V. pages
135, 147, 160,
ophthalmic
the ear, the
173 of 1899.
sur-
nose
EAST AND WEST. "
There are large granaries in or near this quarter of the town which are infested with rats, and we have an unique provision for the conveyance of infection from house to house. It was considered inexpedient to start a systematic campaign against these rodents, as the Marwaris and some of the other classes of the population It appears that object to their slaughter. rats enjoj7 the special protection of Ganesh, the Elephant-headed God of Wisdom.' These poor creatures,' writes the Bangobasi, have not been to Bombay, but were born and bred in Bengal. How then can they import plague.'" [Extract from Dr. Neild Cook's Plague Report.] With this contrast the following: " Were I now asked how I would protect a State from plague I would certainly answer?exterminate the rats as a first and most important measure; but in making this recommendation I would stipulate that the measure be taken in anticipation of the advent of the disease not when the disease had already shown its presence, and the rats are dying by thousands. It is too late then, an epidemic in full swing is hard to stop." [Extract from Dr. Manson's address at the opening of the Tropical School of Medicine.] Comment is needless?as Kipling sings " the "The East is East and the West is West." ...
...
'
EXTERMINATION OF MOSQUITOS.
We have much pleasure in publishing in this issue the paper by Captain S. P. James, I.M.S., on how to find and identify mosquito larvre. In our November issue Captain James extermination of the pointed out that the turn out to be the easy not mosquito may measure that readers of the accounts, in the home medical papers, of Major Ross' Sierra
Dec
MADRAS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
lg99,
459
joints due to gonorrhoeal rheumatism, if the be led to suppose. ankylosis leaves the limb reasonably useful had Most decidedly Captain James' observations that better be left alone?that fractured limbs of the most dangerous varieties of mosquitos breed infants give excellent results when put up in in rice-fields and other is of Paris as soon as any heat at the seat large areas of water plaster in strong of fracture lias disappeared, that Murphy's opposition to the teachings of the Sierra Leone expedition. If malarial mosquitos button was twice used, and in both instances confined themselves to puddles and small areas and septic peritonitis with death perforation " of stagnant water, it would be was the result. possible to indicate, with scientific certainty, the precise foci Apropos of beri-beri Captain A. E. Grant,. of malaria and to i.M.s, writes that only one acute case has been get rid of the mosquito larvre in them, but to do this with acres of rice-fields admitted to hospital within the past eight years. is a very different matter. This case came from a place a very long woy In a recent number of the Journal of Tropifrom the endemic area of the disease?which cal Meclic\ne, is stated to be the region between the Godaveri F.R.C.S., G. M. I.M.S, Giles, Major who is well known as a skilled biologist, gives and Liistna rivers." Even the more chronic a valuable forms of beri-beri are rarely admitted to the account of the various forms of culicidie employed by Ross in his investiga-General Hospital, Madras. The sufferers are tions of malaria. Ross described three species,nearly always people who have lived in Burma, the " dapple-winged," the "brindled'' andthe Straits, or in the Kistna district. The acute the "grey" mosquito. The "dapple-winged form is easy to diagnose, provided one has seen species was the one in which lie followed outone or two cases previously. The acute case the life history of the avian hsematozoon.referred to above is the only one among 12,000 Two of these, Major Giles tells us, are newadmissions to the hospital. Dr. A. 0. Rendle to science, the grey mosquito turns out "to bein the same report (p. 59) gives a few other the culex fatigans of Weidemann. The dap-cases of beri-beri, one which recovered is interple- winged" belongs to the genus anopheles,esting. He suffered from diarrhoea, slight fever, which is distinguished by the fact the palpioedema of the trunk, face and lower extreare about as long as the proboscis in bothmities, loss of knee-jerks and anaesthesia over sexes, whereas in Culex, those of the male alone front of both knees and back of elbows. The are as long, while those of the female aie" veiyova of ankylostoma were found. He slowly short. Associated," writes Major Giles, withrecovered under large doses of magnesia sulRoss' epoch-making researches, it appears phate and citrate of potash?the urine increased priate that the two new species should be and the oedema disappeared, the patches of named after him.'' The three species, therefore, anaesthesia disappeared. Another interesting will stand (1) anopheles rosii (or dapple- case was one with mixed symptoms resembling winged); (2) culex rosii (or brindled) and the pseudohypertropic " paralysis and myxoedema. culex fatigans. Dr. Rendle says although the existence of Specimens of the culex fatigans were sent o beri-beri in South India is denied by many authorMajor Giles by Captain Victor Lindesay, I.M.S., ities, yet many of the cases occurring in the from Bakloh which shows that this species wards scarcely admitted of any other explanaextends to a considerable elevation in the hi s. tion unless we adopt the debatable term As Major Giles' furlough will not be up till 'malarial neuritis.' the middle of March next, it is to be hoped that We hope to give more extracts from these more specimens will be sent to him as11 e interesting reports in a future issue. requested in these columns in July last (p. 2oo). Leone expedition might
"
"
"
appro-
"
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO CHARITABLE DISPENSARIES.
MADRAS MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
Thk attention of the Government of Bengal The professional reports included in SurgeonGeneral Sibthorpe's last annual report on medical having been directed to the serious falling of institutions in the Presidency-town of Madras in the subscriptions to dispensaries of Glass IT, form exceedingly interesting and useful features that is those supported by district and municipal the report. In the report of the First authorities, it has been directed? (1) To appoint a Managing Committee for all. Physician it is noted that "Phthisis continues to be an disease." such common Captain dispensaries, and that such Committees extremely G. Gifford, i.ars., writes that cicatrising should meet more regularly than they do at granuloma (to o-ive it its most correct title) can present. only be treated'3by complete and early excision, (2) The distinction between the local authorand that scraping, cauterization, &c., are practi- ity and the special Dispensary Committee cally always useless methods, that even after should be made as clear as possible.. excision the disease frequently recurs and (3) The Civil Surgeon is to be a member of antisyphilitic remedies are absolutely of no every such Committee,
avail.
It
is
also
noted
that
ankylosis
of
4G0
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
(4) To this Committee the local authority should make an annual allotment fixed for three years. It will then rest with the Municipal Committee to supplement the income thus assured by raising subscriptions. The Lieutenant-Governor is of opinion that the more complete the separation between charitable and municipal administration, the greater will be the encouragement to private liberality.?[Resolution No. 523 T.? M., 2nd November 1899.]
[Dec.
1899.
