Volume 49 · Issue 11 · 1935

Although the nutritive values of green leafy vegetables and eggs are well known, the important position which they occupy in a cereal diet does not seem to be fully appreciated. In certain parts of North China the diet of the peasants consists mainly of millet and sweet potato. We have therefore chosen this diet to test the value of green leaves and eggs. The result obtained is so striking that we deem it worth reporting.

The following statistics relate to autopsies carried out on 367 consecutive examinations on adult Chinese bodies brought to the Kowloon Public Mortuary during the last four years, and examined by me. In no case in this series was death due, in the writer's opinion, to the clonorchiasis present; it was however a contributary cause in one case only, (amoebic dysentery.)

Although as early as 1828 Wiedemann described new species of mosquitoes from Canton and Foochow and in 1878 Manson discovered the rôle of household mosquitoes in the transmission of human fiIariasis in Amoy, there has been no extensive study of these insects in China, except that from time to time a few specimens have been colIected and sent abroad for identification. In recent years, students of medical entomology and tropical medicine in China have gradually become interested in these insects: Due to the work of various investigators in the last few years, a considerable amount of information has been added to our knowledge of the subject in this country.

The Council on Chemistry and Pharmacy of the American Medical Association(1), in a recent statement on the intravenous use of the soluble barbiturates stated, "The evidence overwhelmingly sustains the previous conclusions concerning the limitations for the use of the soluble barbiturates in the induction of anesthesia. Their intravenous use should be limited for the present to the conditions in which the oral administration is not feasible, either because the patient is unconscious, as in cerebral hemorrhage, eclampsia or status epilepticus or because he resists as in delirium, or because a very prompt action is imperative as in convulsion."

Several reports have been published from China on typhoid and paratyphoid A and B fevers (1). Because of its relative prevalence and importance, typhoid fever naturally formed-either the main or the only thesis in those reports. Recently, however, considerable interest has been given to human systemic infections with B. paratyphosus C, B. suipestifer and other members of the Salmonella group in addition to B. paratyphdsus A and B. It is infections with these organisms as encountered in Peiping that we present in this communication, which we hope may be of some interest to the medical profession in general.

The escape of lipiodol into the utero-ovarian venons system during hystero-salpingographic examination seems to be much more common than it was supposed to be. The condition was first demonstrated by Pujol and his collaborators (1) in 1929. This report was followed quickly by one from Witner, Cushman and Leucutia (2) in 1930. Solal (3), in 1932, added another case. In the same year, Wong, Wu and Chien (4) demonstrated the occurrence in Chinese patients. In l933, came reports from Kilroe and Hellman (5) in America, Béclére (6) and Portus and Béc1ére (7) in France, and Zacharin (8) in Australia. Mare recently, Macias de Torres (9), Coventry (10) and Meaker (11) have also demonstrated the same condition.

The clinical term "scleroderma" may be applied to a number of conditions in which the principal or partial pathological process consists in a hardening or induration of the skin which may extend to the subcutaneous tissues. Thus, the infiltration which may occur around chronic ulcers, especially on the leg, in cancer en cuirasse, in elephantiasis, on the skin of elderly persons and in scarring may be described by this term. There is, however, a group of diseases in which induration of the skin is the chief and sometimes the only apparent pathological change. In this group Scleroderma Verum (syn: generalised sclerodermia, sclerema, scleroderma) is the most outstanding clinical entity and indeed, it seems wise to reserve the term scleroderma for this disease alone.

Hospital No. 13480. A child of three, male, was admitted to our Hospital on November 21, 1932, with obstinate constipation and abdominal distension since birth. After birth, meconium passed on the 3rd day after taking cathartics or by rectal suppositories. Defecation averaged once in two to four days.

Because of the unusual prevalence of malaria in the community around Changchow during the past few months, it was decided to make a study of cases entering the hospital from January 1933 to and including January 1934, and this study covers 203 cases diagnosed as malaria during that time. Since this review was not the result of a study of treatments planned beforehand and controlled throughout, its conclusions as to treatment arc of limited value.

Mintsing is one part of Fukien Province which is overrun with malaria of all types and unusual manifestations. For this reason we have been interested in collecting all the in-patient cases of malaria which we have treated since 1928, and tabulating them according to symptoms.

It is a matter of great satisfaction to put on record the success of the Parker Centenary Conference at Canton. Among other things, it was remarkable for its unprecedented attendance and spontaneous display of esprit de corps. Like all notable undertakings, the Conference had entailed an enormous amount of preparations on the part of the local and Association executives. To them and to the Canton Government and Municipal Officials who vied with one another in according the delegates a cordial welcome, the thanks of all who were, present are due.