MEDICAL SCIENCE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1922, Page 12

MEDICAL SCIENCE

itHE TYPHUS GERM WOMAN DOCTOR'S SUCCESS '•■■ •.':•'./ WORK IN-RUSSIA. (»oii ■ our own cpitßEsromm.) i ' :: • LONDON, 30th May. : .-. The1, discovery of the typhus germ by Dr. N., Kritch, the woman director/of the Sokolniphersky Hospital Laboratory, is announced by Dr. Walter P. Daver*port, of the American Relief Administration medical department, which supplied Dr. Kritch's laboratory: with' 'necessary supplies. Dr. Kritch. described her work before a meeting of the bacteriological section of the Moscow Medical Society on 26th April. In collaboration with Dr. V,. Barikan (director of the Microbiological Institute, Moscow), she' has been,working on the etiology of typhus fever since the autumn of .1916. She has succeeded, in isolating a coccus (literally a kernel), Which is disc or biscuit-shaped, and in appearance much like the pneu-. mococcus. . The germ was found in the brain tissue and spleen of 150 cases of typhus one. hour after death. The organism was then grown in media composed 'of a sterilised emulsion-of paricreatinised spleen. ' Inoculation of guinea pigs with it invariably produced j the ■..symptoms of typhus' fever.' No : vaccine or curatiye serum for typhus has yet been found, but this, it is hoped,, will develop from Dr. Kritch's disi covery. Typhus fever, long known as' one of the greatest scourges. in the world, is "also known by the names famine fever, hospital fever, spotted fever, gaol fever,' and Bhip fever. Some works of reference tell us "that the contagion is communicated through the air, and probably proceeds from the breath.V The Times medical correspondent is deeply interested, .though the work will I require confirmation. Up till now the impression has been that what are known as. rickettsia bodies were the causative organism. Indeed, vjn the newly published report of the Typhus Research Commission, of the League of Red, Gross Societies to Poland-r-a very, careful ac-. count—it/ is categorically' stated % that rickettsia prowazeki is ' the cause ■of typhus....Even 'as things-stand, however, it does not''absolutely follow that the, rickettsia bodies may not represent a link in the chain of infection, another link being the new coccus. It has been said ( that a full, history of typhus fever since the Middle Ages would be a history of Europe. It would certainly be a history.' of Europe-1 s "wars •and -famines, those twin, breeding grounds of lice,, by which.this dreadful affliction is carried from man to man. In* another sense, the history '.- of the disappearance. of ';typhus,is the history of modern .sanitation. ■ England, once a home, of "gaol 1 fever, ".-for example, has scarcely .seen a 'case for many years.' x ' ' ? ; If the new germ proves to be in fact 'the cause of the disease, it may furnish us with a weapon against'it. But: for preventivevpurposes, louse destruction is the great and only sure shield. For where there are no lice, this disease cannot spread.' ' . . ' . ■ ■' . \ Dr. J. S. B. Stppfprd,' Professor1 "of Anatomy at Manchester-*,TJniversity,'.' recprds in the Lancet'-f two causes', of neuritia in the hand caused by wearing tight wrist-watches.,' „The "first patient had a tingling . pain . along the inner border, of the hand" and an the little finger, "the persistence' of which Jyas causing' him anxiety, -,' : A tenderpbint was then discovered at the apex of-the bony prominence od the internal surface of the wrist,( pressure upon, which caused pain to- radiate into the dorsal cutaneous branch of. the ulnar nerve. There was some small loss of sensation, but no paralysis or wasting; of any of the muscles; of the hand. This localised neuritis was traced to the wearing of a tight. wristlet and watch, the. former producing compression of 'a - branch of the ulnar nerve as it curved round the lower extremity of the boric. The pain disappeared when the wristlet was left off. - . ■ ■ The second patient complained of a tingling pain on the inner side of the hand, whjch 'accompanied movements of the wrist. '. The localised point of tenderness was the same as that found in the first patient, and the sensory, disturbances corresponded again to the distribution iof the , dorsel cntaneous branch of the ulhar nerve. This patient had also worn* a tight wristlet, and the symptoms disappeared when it was discarded. The two cases were almost identical, and each being confirmatory of- the other, the cause of the neuritis cannot be in dispute. ■

These unusual instances convey a general warning against any form 'of constriction or pressure at points where nerves lie upon bonfl... Professor Stopford has himself seen clinical evidence of damage done by a tight sock-suspend-er, sensory and trophic troublesV ensuing on the outer part of the leg, and on the dorsum' of the foot owing to compression of a nerve curving round the outer side of the neck of the fibula or small bone of the leg. The neuritis produced is comparable in origin and development to wrist-watch neuritis,'1 and Professor Stopford's observations: suggest that the rather common and, sometimes annoying little, trouble among men of, "pins,and needles" in the feet, may have no more recondite origin than tight (sock suspendersT

-. Dr. Haydn JBrown, a well-known nerve specialist,' does not think that the - average , sensible person would surely strap a wrist-watch' .on so tightly as to cause neuritis.' If they did so, naturally the results w&ild lie unI pleasant. "But though I laugh at the wrist-watch', danger," he added', "in the. same.breath I wjll say that all over England there are people who, though they "may not know it, are suffering from the. effects of tight collars. When spft collars cams in, men, were tempted to tie their ties; into tight sailor knot, to make them look neater. These sailor knots are instruments of torture in hundreds of 'cases. There is not a huh- [ dredth part of the risk and danger from tight wrist-watches that, there-is; from tight neckwear."' .■■•■;' '.; ■ , .'"- HAY FEVER—A. CUBE.! [} As the outcome, of seven yeai's' diligent study and experiment, a ,Harley-street specialist is reported to have discovered a new.- cure for hay fever, and to have brought: it so. near perfection that it is almost1 always guccessfuL*! This distressing 'trouble'-;Results 'i rom-' any -undue irritation -of the facial'skin, and most frequently.this irritation is centred in the vestibule of/the^nose. The new treatment is-:'Aimed; directly at that centre. .The skin .is:'rubbed ■ with a. lotion, of which the -niiiin constituent is silver nitrate, particular attention being paid to the two spots where the skin . k generally tender.' The'chemical-'-application hardens the skin covering- those spota, and thus lessons their sensitivoness to irritation. In extreme cases of iuty fever an iiiiiiesthotic solution' of ■ three ' British chemicals is substituted for the. nitrate;' In -ill. ciiECif it slight reaction Hollows' 'this application, but \f\th fiirthev treatment it gradually lessfins, ,until a Etato of coinplote immunity-from hay fever /attacks ih ■ve.vjlicd. After a few simple' luusiil Kp;.)liealions lire djstresairig ey« sen-' 'SiitioH, the oreaf:;on,!il blurrinsf vision, and |l,h» faqial irritation .ent-iriily .t'is- | iippcai'. Gxparimeuls lun-s proved that. pntisnla irealsd about v month before the sviarttoma are due generally escape

attack. Further research worn- is being done in the hope that this treatment may bo developed into a certain cure for asthma. ' • .. :, ' ' „ CARE OF MOTHERHOOD. , .: T!fce> 'Medical -.Correspondent, of The; Times writes: Very considerabje anxiety is being caused at present "by the continued high incidence of puerperal-fever. Although it is now well understood that antiseptic: methods can reduce .danger, from this infection to vanishing, point, yet the number of cases has been increasing Binoe 1918. That, it is to be feared, means that carelessness has been increasing also, though another explanation may be that the education given to inidwives has-, fallen.; short in some important direction. Puerperal' fever is .caused by a,germ, the streptococcus, which is übiquitous and which, unless strict antiseptic measures are taken, constitutes a danger. St all times. It. was this germ among others, which used to kill so many of the patient* subjected to operation before Lister's day: Now a case which "goes septic" after a clean operation :'is regarded with the. gravest, disapproval by surgeons; The same spirit is required among those who attend women. Week % week the record of cases of this-disease is published,'and ; will continue, to be published, until the ga'eat lesson which Lister taught has been learned by every woman—for all women ought to be instructed in go vital a matter, . - , .•;/.,, The total elimination of this disease, which accounts for half of all the casualties attending child birth, is a matter of organisation only..' -Few ills are so certainly preventable.

POINTS FOR HEALTH. '•■Lecturing to the Paople'6 League of Health on "Personal Hygiene and the ■Importance of Food ■ and Sufficient Sleep, Standards of Living and Family Welfare," Sir Thomas Oliver referred to the essentials of-clothing as ventilation, moderate warmth, cleanliness, and freedom of movements. The graceful skirtsworn by women to-day compared most favourably froni a hygienic point of view with the number and weight of ■petticoats:worn.'some yeara-ago. The •short skirt at present worn vtas healthy; to lengthen it would' only -impede -the movements of the limbs, a circumstance j'not altogether freedom danger. On tliei subject "of food, i^'iwas not altogether a question of the amount consumed', but now it was enjoyed,.,digested, -and .absorbed. Many "women ate top little.". A i poor luncheon—a bun or two' and a cup of tea—was often the cause of indisposition and physical unfitn«=e for work.oh J. the •part of girls. 'Many young women. in business had not got money to spend,l ,upon a wholesome midday mealj .but 'married women, when alone at home, , would hardly sit down' to a' sustaining luncheon. Spund boots Were also ejeential. No. person could work properly when, owing to •leaking shoes ,or boots, ; the feet -were cold and. ' wet, "I have often advised lady typists.- and shopi. assistants,"., he proceeded, "to..'keep a change 'of stockings and a paii vof shoes, in the office." Apart from. th« hygienic ..aspect of the subject, women sKould be particular about their feet. 'Neat;feet. ;w«re an attraction, but' neatness 'must. not be sought to be secured by wearing .'boots', or shoes which caused ,pain, and' led to, deformity: Boots should make .walldnig a pleasure. In advocating personal cleanliness, he said that personal ablutions could be carried tflo far Some ■people' took two or thr«e baihs. daily. -was a .luxury,-, qt .a- fetish, .and, not a necessity.! 'One of the impelling;.needs of the, human body was fresh air ■ and plenty of it. - . .'. :' . \ '.■.', ,

MICROBE-MINDING: MACHINE.. ■ Ad extraordinary little machine "' for mincing microl^s lias-been seen by. the Daily Mail medical correspondent at E&o PicketfcThomspn research, laboratory In St. Paul's^Hospital,- Endell-street; ■W. 0.,' shown by Dr David Thomson, director of the laboratory Microbes are so 'infinitesimally small that 5,000,000 of them in a mass are invisible, and 1,000,000,000 are only about the size of the head of a small pin.- To cut up microber is therefore a-difficult task. But this little electrioaJly-drfven machine succeeds in cutting or "smashing" them. There are two discs, one of which is stationary while the other rotates.1. The stationary disc has 70 tiny steel knives, and the rotating one 80 cutting edgies. The microbes, suspended'm an alkaline liquid, are forced against these cutting edges at a speed of sixty miles per hour, with, the result that 28,000,000 cuts are made per mimite. During the' twenty minutes the germs usually remain in the machine they received 560 million cuts. But while somt> microbes' are smashed by this process, others are /so (tough.', that they com* out whole and sound. A machine is therefore heing constructed with 450 cutting edges., which will ' whirl , the microbes at the rate of 120. miles, an hour, giving 500 million cuts' per minut«.' •In the British Medical Journal, Dr. Thomson explains the use of this machine. Inoculations against. infectious diseases, such.'as typhoid fever, can be made with germs containing all th«ir poisons or with germs from which the poisons have been removed. If detoxi.cated vaccines,are used very much larger djoses can' be administered, 'and the larger the dose the greater, is the p-rotec-. fiion from the particular disease. . . ICES FOR HEALTH. A medical man, writing on ices for health, refers to. the.impression generally* held that, we are internally much hotter in the summer,than in the winter. "A little experiment with a clinical thermometer wfll soon prove'the contrary. Blood heat is more'or less normal in health all the year-round.. It 'is the surface of the; skin which feels the heat so intensely. It is all a question of radiation. In the winter we help to ■warm the cooler atmosphere, but in sum-, mer weather, the atmosphere does not need our assistance, and we do not find it so easy to rid ourselves o f body heat. The heart,, in consequence, has a little more work to do. Having decided that the digestive tract is not so intensely hot, we can banish thef idea that ice in summer is any more dangerous than it is in winter./ The vchief attraction about an ice in summer is that it is a means of ,cony.eying liquid, and owing to the skin just now carrying off so much of the water of the body, the general organism needs liquid in considerable quantities. Also in the summer the mouth has a. tendency to get dry and the. salivary • glands sometimes do not respond to the sight of food and drink ; as rapidly as they should.l The appearaime of an ice is usually so attractive that the mouth waters—that is to say, the salivary glands get busy. Since the whole of digestion depends on the activity of these glands, it may be concluded that the sight of an ice alone lias considerable uses. If it is sipped^ the enjoyment is continued,'.and'-there, seems, very little' reason to fear any dangerous result. Tile body lends itself to adaptation !»y sjow absorption." CHRISTIAN, VIEW OF HEALTH , : AND DISEASE.: : Tlib Bishop of v Kensington, speaking under'-the auspices of the Guild of Health, said that, until recently we had thought about health ws.material and of the borlyi . W(i had lost ,the truth that-' the body Must be''controlled, by the spirit. How many people, when 'iil, whilo falling in thf doctor, thought naturally to call in aisc the parson:' At the back of people's .minds was the belief ilniL God sends evil and disease. That win noL trun. It did not follow that because drains v/eni- wrong and brought diphtheria it_, should be pat dowmto God. It was due. to mail, his | selfishness, his cupidity, his jerry-build-

ingJ We should never be heaied ii it were.hot for the elan vltale, the Divine spirit, working, within- us for health. The new psychology had proved thaj, given a fair chance, mind was more powerful than . body. Inside and ,oiitside |he. Christian churches there hail been taany remarkable; cages of Spiritual healing. If we renewed the corporate faith of the Church to- release; the power of Christ for healing there were ho limitations.! to the Divine power. That was thex teaching of the Gospel. Wo could not fight digease if we believed thaV we were limited by circumetancep. ( But in union with the power of God we would fight and we would win. ',"'