Volume 46 · Issue 08 · 1932

The classification of Bright's Disease has claimed much attention during the present century. Some clinicians content themselves with the simple division into acute and chronic nephritis. This seems hardly adequate when one considers the varying types of the disease which one encounters.

The results of injuries to nerves have been subjected to many extensive studies, especially in the European War (1914-1918). Reports of this nature have not been made, so far as the writer is aware, on Chinese soldiers. Among the Chinese there are living conditions which differ from those of the Western armies with special reference to diet. A relatively low intake of certain vitamins may affect the vitality of nervous function and predispose to disorders allied to beriberi in which the deficiency is assigned to one of the fractions of Vitamin' B. Further, the Chinese soldiers do not receive the same medical attention in camp, during fighting, or after injuries that is given to European soldiers. This difference may change the picture of the effect of trauma or shock, psychologically as well as physically, among the Chinese troops. With these points in mind observations were made on the wounded soldiers which were admitted to the:Chinese Red Cross General Hospital in Shanghai between January 28th and March 2nd. This paper reports only the distant neurological effects of the war injuries, where no direct anatomical connection could be traced to the wound itself. It is hoped that this study will prove of interest although the number of cases examined was limited to 228 and the period of observation was short.

In the LANCET of January 2, 1932, J. J. Coghlan describes six cases of lobar pneumonia treated by artificial pneumothorax which resulted in immediate relief from pain, rapid amelioration of other symptoms and onset of crisis within a few hours. Such a method, if of universal applicability, would prove revolutionary in the treatment of this often fatal disease; we can, therefore, ask indulgence for quoting only a small number of cases, since there is need for early, wide-spread trial of this inexpensive and comparatively simple method.

This case is considered worth publishing, because very neglected cases of strangulated hernia are by no means rarely seen in China and present a problem as to the best way of tackling them.

By "Familial Degeneration of the Cornea" we understand a clinical condition, which is characterised by the slowly progressive development of opacities in the central part of both corneae generally with the absence of inflammatory reactions. The disease usually begins at the age of puberty, and by the time when the patient is about fifty, the sight is invariably reduced to finger counting. Several members of the same family may be the victims of the same affection. This disease, as has been described in literature, may occur in various forms and shapes. The clinical picture may be, therefore, predominated by the formation of a meshwork, nodules, fine punctated opacities, small flake-like, disc-like or sausage-shaped opacities, and lastly in the form of little rings. Though the characteristic corneal opacities may be of different: shapes and sizes, they have many salient points common to all types. Therefore, we are able to divide them into the following three main groups.

Pfeiffer (1) initiated the studies on toxic substance derived from the cholera vibrio and found that filtrates of young broth cultures of the cholera vibrio were but slightly toxic, whereas the dead bodies of carPfully killed agar cultures were fatal to guinea pigs even in small quantities. In consequence, he regarded the cholera poison as consisting chiefly of an endotoxin. Fairbrother (2) stated that the substance of the cholera vibrio which gave rise to protection of animals was intimately connected with the body protoplasm and that it was heat stable at l00 �?for one hour. This antigen was present only in small quantity in the supernatant fluid of a 24-hour broth culture after ccntrifugalization. This opinion of the endotoxic nature of the cholera poison is, however, not shared by all workers. Metchnikoff, Roux and Taurelli-Salimbeni (3) succeeded m producing death in guinea pigs by the introduction into their peritoneal cavities of cholera cultures enclosed in colloidin sacs. Brau and Denier (4), Kraus (5) and more recently Hahn and Hirsch (6,7,8,9,) claimed that they have succeeded not only in the demonstration of a soluble toxin in alkaline broth cultures of cholera vibrio, but also in the production of true antitoxins. Bail (10) using a special strain of cholera vibrio obtained watery extracts which produced antitoxin, which worked according to the law of multiple proportion. Takano (11) compared various solutions obtained by washing either killed or living cholera vibrios and the residual bacterial bodies. He did not find any difference in the various immunological reactions and the symptoms produced in guinea pigs with these reactions and the symptoms pro- solutions, and be came to the conclusion that it was difficult to distinguish in cholera between the exotoxin and the endotoxin. Although opinions as to the nature of poisonous action of the cholera vibrio arc still divided, there is general agreement that a toxic substance exists in cholera cultures.

A cytopathological study of chronic morphinism in the albino rat (Ma, 1931) has shown that abrupt withdrawal of morphin in rats, chronically addicted, leads to severe pathological conditions of the Golgi apparatus in the cells of the various organs. Without treatment, these conditions are overcome in ten to twelve days. Feeding of lecithin, on the other hand, for a period of six days before and for some days after prevented the Golgi apparatus from becoming abnormally reduced and was accompanied by a condition of general well-being of the animal, absent in those receiving no lecithin.

The returns for the Prayer Cycle of the Missionary Section of the Chinese MedicaJ Association give us a fresh opportunity of estimating the work of Mission Hospitals in China and as questions of importance in connection with these hospitals must arise as a result of Dr. Lennox' valuable paper in a recent issue, a careful analysis of the figures received and of the work done-should receive attention.

Last September the Association purchased an attractive piece of property locafed right in the centre of the Shanghai International Settlement on MA 7-8 Tzepang Road, near the junction of Avenue and Tatung Roads, B.C. Lot 9771 comprising an arca of just a little over half a mou to serve as our headquarters. The acquisition of these premises for the Association had become necessary owing to the steady increase of its work. The temporary office at Thibet Road of the National Medical Association and at Yuen Ming Yuen Road of the China Medical Association had for some years been inadquate. With the amalgamation of the two Associatiohs, the need for increased accommodation has become more acute. In addition to accommodation for its staff, library, and other departments, there has been a steadily growing demand for better provision for the convenience and comfort of members visiting headquarters.

A year has elapsed since the Political Council issued the order to the Executive Yuan for the establishment of medical schools, which appears elsewhere in this issue. The manner in which succeeding officials in charge of the several technical fields of the national mechinery superimpose one set of regulations after another without apparent concern as to their feasibility would be a matter of concern were there any danger of such orders being put into effect.