492 MDCAJORA LETTRS, NOTES, ETS. [FEB. 24, 1900. At other times I may think I am a little "run down," as the Americans say. It remains an uncertain time, sometimes for many days, sometimes only for hours, and goes away as suddenly and unex- pectedly as it came. The misery and irritation it causes while it lasts no one who has not suffered from it can imagine. My left ear is much better than my right i it is the one I prefer for stethoscopic work. When fthe tinnitus is on, it is almost useless. Although over 5, and "retired," I have not met any one who can hear the ticking of a watch at a greater distance than I can with my left ear when it is in good working order. The tinnitus began some years ago, and, except when actually present, has not so far affected the hearing. MOVTES- 1T:U'UTR_ Etv:. ynRATUM.-In the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL of Fetruary 17th, p. 371, Dr. Fletcher Beach was described as "President-elect of the Branch," instead of President of the Thames Valley Branch and President-elect of the Medico-Psychological Association of Great Britain and Ireland. VOLUNTEER MEDICAL STAFF CORPs RELIEF FUND. BMGEON-MAJOR VALENTINE MATTHEWS, V.M.S.C., Honorary Secretary, Headquarters, London Company, V.MS.C., 5s, Calthorpe Street, W.C., writes: This fund is established to assist the families on or off the 1krength of non-commissioned officers and men of Royal Army Medical Corps on active service in South Afrioa All moneys received will be liknded over to the Royal Army Medlcwi Corps Dep6t Mobilisation ROeief Fund, Aldershot. .L s. d. £Ls.d. Amount already acknow- V.M.S.C., No. 5 Company ledged. ... 267 2,Uj, (additional)... ... ... 2 6 o Collecting card (Mrs. Medical Officers, Plymouth Scanlan), per Captain L. V.I. Brigade ... ... i i 6 Way ... ... ... ... 5 0 0 TREATMENT OF COLITIS. lst. 3. NUMA RAT, M.R.C.S.Eng., Magistrate of Anguilla (St. Kittse. West Indies), writees: I have noticed in the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, October zith, I899, a request for advice regarding the treatment of a ease of catart;haI colitis, and, as I have lately cured a patient who had been sufferi;ng from this disease for seven years, I beg to communicate to your correspondent the treatment which proved successful: Two enemata of a quart ot warm water were administered in close succes- sion, night and morning, by means of an Alpha bag placed at a con- siderable height above the patient. These, having cleared the colon, were immediately followed during the first month by an enema night aid morning of a quart of warm watercontaining 20 grs. of potassium per- manganate, and during the second month by a similar one of unheated water in which the permanganate was replaced by niixl of formalin. During the third month, and from the end of that time to the present- which is a period of two months-the patient has used two enemata of a quart of unheated plain water every morning, and by this means has hitherto prevented any return of the complaint. The patient was not restricted to any particular diet, inasmuch as a previous course of a strictly milk diet during nine months, the last three of which were spent in bed. had been prescribed by me and followed very carefully without any benefit. OCUEAN VOYAGES IN PULMONARY PHTHISIS. DR. G. F. INGLOTT (Malta) writes: Dr. H. J. Jones writes in the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL of January 6th, xgoo, that " he is sorry to see the old Idea of sea voyages for phthisis aavocated again." He calls it an "old idea," but to be called old it must have stood the criticism of all times and ages, and must have consequently been formed upon a strong t foundation-that is to say, minute observation and long experience. If eminent practitioners have again had recourse to sea voyages in treating phthisical patients, it clearly shows that these have proved beneflcial to other paitients. We never meant to send to sea patients in an advanced stage of the disease; but Dr. Jones will admit that there is hreal benefit in the first stage when patients are still able to enjoy exer- cise on deck. Let Dr. Jones send his patients at the- outset of the dis- ease and in the summer months, when they can get fine.weather, and -d- In,n vinter time, as 'did the cases he mentioned, and; he will realise the good effects derived therefrom. I can bring forward many instances to prove my assertions, such as -the case of a priest who was advised by an 'emlnent Maltese practi- t'ftdfer (Dr. Adami) to take several voyages to check the disease from which he had been already suffering for some time. This gentleman, after having travelled for two years, returned to Malta in perfect health, so much so that he lived up to the age of 74 years. Another interesting case is that of an Englishwoman who had to leave Malta tofollow her husband, leaving a danghter behind. The mother profited a great deal from the sea voyages she underwent for several years, for she returned to Malta only a few months ago in very go9d health, while the daughter who was left behind is under my treat- nent for consumption. Even in the time of Christopher Columbus the good effects of sea voyages were recognised; in fact, I remember reading in an old Span- ish book that one of the crew who accompanied the discoverer of America suffered from phthisis, and on his return to Lisbon after the long voyage he was perfectly cured. PARTURITION AMONG THE EsKIPMos. IT has been said by many writers that the higher the development of the nervous system the more sensitive it is to pain, and the more severely does it respond to shock. In a recent article in the Pacific Medical Journal, Dr. Gleaves has had the opportunity of putting on record his experience on the above subject, having had the mre opportunity of being in attendance during the confinement of an Eskimo woman. He states that it is seldom that a " cablona" (white man) physician is per- sitted to witness this function among the Eskimo races. It is the custom not to allow a childbirth to take place in the " igloo," or house. The woman must go out into the woods or scrub alone, no one being allowed to be present, and she must remain there with no food except a piece of dried fish for "five sleeps," when she is allowed to return to the igloo. Then she and her husband proceed to take a bath and to change their undergarments for fresh ones. Gleaves describes. the birth of the child witnessed by him as taking place in, Alaska at a time when the temperature was about 300 below' zero. The mother was found by him hidden in the scrub in a snowpit which was oval in shape, and about 2 feet broad by 6 feet long.. She lay on a reindeer skin with no covering of any kind, and the only warmth obtained was that given off by a smoky filre made with twig . "On my arrival at the parturient field," says Gleaves, "I found the, woman in labour on her knees, with buttocks resting on her heels, and having severe bearing-down pains which came faster and faster and more severe until almostcontinuous when the ' bag of waters -ruptured."' The child was speedily born and " h.morrhage occurred, but she soon rallied again and expelled the placenta, whereupen she took a piece of sinew (which had been prepared from the hock of a caribou) and liga- tured the cord as close to the umbilicus as possible and then severed the cord close to the ligature with a piece of serrated flint. She washed' the babe in the snow, although it rebelled by kicking and squalling at such a cold reception. The woman wore a belt or a piece of thong to. confine her 'parka' around the waist, and to it was fastened by short; deerskin thongs bits of ivory, buttons, leather bags, in which she kept- tobacco, matches, and other small articles of value. After the snow' .bath she placed her babe underneath the folds of her ' parka,' which is the usual place of the young Eskimo, and proceeded in a bent-over- position, with a staff in hand, stepping slowly and laboriously, leaving a trail of blood, to another snew pit about sofeet away, which had been prepared. She would not remain any length of time where the baby was born, for it is considered unclean." It is said that the mortality of' both mothers and babes compares favourably with that which prevail& in the United States. LETTERS, COMMUNICATIONS, ETC., have bsen reodived from A Messrs. Adlard and Son, London.. B H. R. Bramwell, M.B., Tynemouth; Mr. C.. Bennetts, Falmouth; Dr.J. B. Brierley, Manchester; B.A., M.D.; Messrs. Burgoyne, Burbidges and Co., London; Dr. F. Beach, Kingston Hill; Mrs. Brodhurst, London; Mr. W. F. Brook. Swansea; H. G. Barling, M.B., Birminghamn; Dr. J. G. Blackman, Portsmouth; Mrs. k:. J. Battersby, Baqshot;. Mr. J. P. Bush, Clifton. C Dr. C. Camp,: bell, Uppermill; Dr. M. Coates, London; Dr. R. H. Cunningham, New York; Club' Doctor; Dr. E. 1. Callender, London: J..F. Crombie, M.B., North Berwick; Mr. A. H.- Cheatle, London; Mr. W. R. E. Coles, London. D Mr. W. H. Dolamore, London; Dr. -R. du Bois.-Reymond, Charlottenburg; W. Duigan, M.B., Oxford. E Dr. G. Hi. Edging- ton, Glasgow ; Dr. F. Edge, Wolverhamyton; Mr. J. Edmunds, London. F Mr. W. T. Freeman, Reading; Dr. W. E. Fothergill, Manchester. G Mr. G. M. Giles, P1ymptsth, 'C. H. Golding-Bird, M.B., London; Dr. F. Gourlay, Elgin; Mr. W. J Greer,' N6*#po, Mon.; E. W. Xt. Groves. M.B., Bristol; Mr. R. B. Graham, Leven; Dr. H. Gervis, Lot-- don; H. B. Grimsdale, MB., London; Mr. P.J. Grime, Blackpool. H Hibernidus; Mr. F. R. Humphreys, London; Mr. C. F. Haslam, Birmingham; Mr. A. W. Harris, Southampton; Dr. J. P. Henry,London Lienitenant-Colonel S. Harrison,V.D.,London; Mr. C. Heynesbergh, Kalutara; Dr. S. L. Haynes, Malvern. J Dr. N. B. Jenkins, Chicago; Dr. J. Johnston, Bolton; Dr. A. James, London; Mr. A. Johnson, London.' K Kilburn; Mir. E. Knight, Gravesend; Dr. R. Kennedy, Glasgow; Dr. G. H. Kenyon, Beckley: Dr. J. Kerr, Bradford. L Lieutenant-Colonel R.A.M.C.; Likajoka; Livertool Medical Institution, Secretary of, Liverpool; Mr. R. M. Littler, Southport. iMit1.O S9. Dr. H. P. Maior, Hungerford; Dr. C. W. M. Moullin, London; Miles; Dr. J. D. Mac- donald, Hassocks; A. Macphail, M.B., Glasgow; Dr. E. A. Martin, London; A. B. SMitchell, M.B., Belfast; M.S.A.; Mr. J. Murray, London; Mr. V. Matthews, London; M.D.; 3r. H. May, Birmingham; Dr.W. Mitchell, Bradford; A. M. Martin, M.B., New- castle-cii-Tyne; M. G. B.; Dr. A. A. Matheson, Edinburgh; Monday; Mr. E. Matthews, Redditch; Mr. Fitz J. Molony, Porlock; Dr. R. L.1)eade-King, Taunton; C. Martin,. M.B., Birmingham. N'Northern'Member; Mr. A. Neve, Srinagar ; Mr. T. W. Nor- bury, London. 0 Dr. J. Oliver, London; Optics. P Mr. E. H. Physick, Manchester; Mr. J. Poland, London; A. S. Percival, M.B., Newcastle-on-Tyne; Mr. H. J. Prangley, London; Dr. R. J. Probyn-Williams, London. R Dr. G. J. Robertson, Oldham; Dr, A.. Roberts, Harrogate; Dr. G. E. Rennie, Sydney; Dr. R.. It.Rentoul, Liverpool; Dr. G. D. Robinson, London; Mr. W. H. Rowthorn, Rotherham; Dr. J. S. Revely, Tettenhall ; 3Mr. A. Roche, Dublin. S R. E. Scholefield, X.B., London; Mr. S. N. Scott, Plymstock; C. R. J. A. S-an, M.B., London; E. H. E. Stack, M.B., Bristol. T Mr. W. T. Thomap,, Liverpool. W Mr. T. C. White, London; Wigan Medical Society, Secretary of, Wigasi E. B. Wagget, M.B., London; W.V.M.; Miss J. Wilson, London. X X. Y. Z. BOOKS, ETC., RECEIVED. The Illustrated Annual of Microscopy. Kirkes's Handbook of Pbysiology. ByW.D- London: P. Lund, Humphries and Co. Halliburton, M.D FRS. Sixteenthi 1900. Edition. London: Fohn Murray. 1900. La Peste et son Microbe. PasDr. Netter. Cyclopedia of Classified Dates. By C. E. Paris: G. Carre et C. Naud. 1900. Little. New York and London: Funk- The Refraction of the Eye. By A. E. Davis, and Wagnalls Co. 1900. £2. A.M., M D. London and New York: Macmillan a' d Co. 1900. 12s. 6d. SCALE OF CHARGES FOR ADVERTISEMENTO IN THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL. Eight lines and under ... ... ... £0 4 0 Each additional line ... ... ... 0 & & A whole column ... ... ... ... 1 17 6 A page .. ... ... ... ... 5 5 0 An average line contains six words. Advertisements should be delivered, addressed to the Manager, at the Office, not later than flrst post on Wednesday morning preceding public tion; and if not paid for at the time, should be accompanied bya reference. Post-Office Orders should be made payable to the British Medical Asso- ciation at the General Post-Office, London. Small amounts kiay be pA,id in postage-stamps. N.B.-It is against the rules of the Post Office to reAlve l(ters at Po"k Retans8 adOdressedeither in initials or number. o n 5 A p ril 2 0 2 1 b y g u e st. 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