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than body-weight, such is not the case with protein.There is, consequently, no reason to assume that a .smallanimal is less efficient as a converter of protein than alarge animal.

I am not convinced that the reasoning in my Naturearticle is at fault. If need for protein is of primaryimportance to the nation, then the hen deserves firstconsideration next to the dairy cow. If, on the other,hand, energy requirement is the primary need, then thepig should rank next to the dairy cow.Animal Nutrition Institute, Cambridge. E. T. HALNAN.

CANCER AND OILING OF FLOORS

SiR,-As the suggested method of oiling floors has, Ithink, been in use at certain schools for very many years,without any detriment to the health of a few generations,it would appear that the method is harmless., One isthankful for assurance on the new suggestion of oilingMf),T)kets.

’

Market Drayton. PETER W. EDWARDS.

PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF COLDS

SiR,-In his article of Nov. 1 (p. 534) Dr. Thrower men-tions experments carried out for controlling colds by ultra-violet light and states that the results were disappointing.This is by no means the experience of observers who haveused ultraviolet irradiation -for many years in this andother countries. The common cold can be aborted in alarge percentage of cases if proper technique is adoptedand suitable apparatus is used. The nostrils and pharynxcan be sterilised by application of ultraviolet rays bymeans of quartz applicators attached to the Kromayermercury-vapour lamp first used in Berlin in 1903. Thistreatment should be combined with infrared irradiationapplied over the antra and general U.V. irradiation toincrease the bactericidal power of the blood-stream.Apparatus has unfortunately not been standardisedin this country, the result being that innumerable piecesof apparatus now in use have but little therapeutic effect.In addition the technique adopted to carry out experi-mental investigations is often faulty.Wimpole Street, W.l. W. ANNANDALE TROUP.

TOWARDS A NATIONAL SERVICE IN CLINICALPATHOLOGY

SrH,—After reading Dr. Dyke’s article of Oct. 25doctors in general will be looking forward to the timewhen the scheme envisaged will have become an integralpart of the practice of medicine in this country. It may,however, be of interest to Dr. Dyke and others to knowthat a comprehensive pathological service very much onthe lines indicated has been functioning in at least onepart of the country for many years, and that conse-quently one or two statements in this excellent articleare not strictly correct.More than a quarter of a century ago the Kent countycouncil established a laboratory for carrying out public-health pathology. It soon became evident, however,that the line of demarcation between public-health patho-logy and clinical pathology was very indistinct, and itseemed desirable to extend the service to provide facili-ties for undertaking pathological work for all doctorspractising in the county. The development of thescheme was very rapid, and even before the war nearly100,000 specimens were being examined annually ; about30,000 in the six branch laboratories at the county hos-pitals and institutions and the remainder at the centrallaboratory at Maidstone. Briefly, the scheme as itoperates at present is that medical officers of health,general practitioners and the medical staff of hospitals inthe county which have no pathologist on the staff maysend into the main laboratory an unlimited number ofspecimens for examination. Field work for the purpose ofinvestigating and controlling the spread of epidemicdisease is undertaken by the pathologists in collaborationwith the district medical officers of health. In the caseof patients residing within a reasonable distance of Maid-stone, and who are able to travel, the doctors may wishto have specimens collected in the laboratory ; in somecases, of course, this is necessary, and is greatly appreci-ated when such investigations as glucose-tolerance curvesand urea-clearance tests are required. Furthermore, theservices of pathologists are available to assist in con-sultation with doctors in the investigation of clinical

problems at the bedside of their patients. Theseservices are entirely free of charge to the doctor and thepatient ; outfits for the transmission of specimens arealso supplied free, and the only expense incurred is that ofsending the specimens to the laboratory. The cost ofthe laboratory is a charge on the county rate and isrelatively small for the services provided.

It is not claimed that this pathological service is byany means ideal, and plans for future developments alongpresent lines have been made; but that there is ampleneed for such a service is evidenced by the general appre-ciation expressed of the value of the provisions alreadymade in this countv.

Maidstone. CONSTANT PONDER.

FIRST-AID IN WAR-TIME

SiB,—I was interested to read Dr. Hodgson’s letter inyour issue of Oct. 25. During the past year the Halifaxcasualty services have been instructed with specialreference to : shock ; haemorrhage ; wounds ; burns ;certain fractures ; war-time neuroses ; the speedyevacuation of casualties ; the diagnosis as betweenF.A. post and hospital casualties ; and the movement,parking and spacing of casualty vehicles. In addition,a thorough knowledge of local geography (helped bynight exercises) is part of their curriculum. We havecut out all elaborate bandaging and splinting at incidents.Tourniquet dangers are stressed. I am of the opinionthat a simple textbook on war-time first-aid would beappreciated by the casualty services.

G. C. F. ROE,Medical Officer of Health, Halifax.

Q CAMPSIR,-In your review of W. D. Wills’s book " The

Hawkspur Experiment " (Oct. 18, p. 474) the principleson which the Q Camp was run are summarised in a waywhich shows a deep understanding of our work, but thereis one correction I should like to make. The numbersnever reached 70, nor could we have carried on the methodswith so many at a time. We considered about 30 tobe a desirable maximum, although had the demand beenpressing we might have been willing to exceed this, butcertainly not to go beyond 50. This does not imply thatQ Camp methods are unsuitable for such institutions asBorstals or prisons, where large groups are at present therule. Rather does it mean that large groups are unsuit-able for the reformative work they aim to do. Thecombination of individual study and individual help withexperiments in community living, which seems to be thelines most hopeful for the re-education of offenders,requires that these larger groups be subdivided. ’

Oxford.MARJORIE E. FRANKLIN,Hon. Secretary, Q Camps.

HOME GUARD TERMINOLOGYSiR,-We are discussing what title should be given to

the minor aid-posts set up by the Home Guard andprovided by the authorities with a minimal equipment.I am told that in one area these posts, which do not differin any essential, are to have no less than three sets ofinitials according to whether they are associated withbattalion headquarters, companies or platoons. Theinitials proposed are H.G. B.A.P., H.G. C.A.P. and H.G.P.A.P. The prefix H.G. is necessary because the armyauthorities already use C.A.P. and P.A.P., as was pointed,out by one of your correspondents.

Surely it is time that we called a halt to this multi-plicity of initials and gave first place to brevity andaccurate description. Our Home Guard posts wouldbe called points by the civil authority and by this termthey intend to signify that the amount of assistancewhich can there be given is very much less than thatprovided at any post. The word point is not felicitousbecause the initial " P " may equally stand for post orparty but it does at least indicate an important distinc-tion which is missed by those who would use the expres-sion aid-post for every sort of place at which medicalattention is available. I must admit considerablesympathy with those who use the expression C.C.P.(casualty collecting post) as both descriptive and distin-guishing for all Home Guard posts and would ventureto hope that official authority may be given for the useof this term before a riot of. uneasy nomenclaturesubmerges us., BATTALION M.O.