97VIENNA.-SCOTLAND

the true Sandford and Merton spirit. Among hisoldest exhibits were three pear trees planted in thereign of Louis XIV. Later in the day a meeting washeld in the large amphitheatre of the Ecole where thebusiness of the association was discussed, and anaccount was given of the machinery devised for theexchange of horticultural products among themembers. The next meeting will be held in a rosegarden. The secretary-general, Dr. Dejust, of

58, rue Saint-Lazare, Saint-Ouen-L’Aumone, is tobe congratulated on his success.

VIENNA

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

AUSTRIAN OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGISTS IN GRAZ

THE Austrian ear, nose, and throat surgeons, whowere formerly almost without exception members ofthe German society of oto-rhino-laryngo legists, havefor the most part resigned their membership there,owing to the political and racial tension between thetwo countries. An annual congress takes placetherefore in this country, attended only by theAustrian surgeons, together with their pupils andfriends from abroad. This year the congress tookplace in the University Clinic in Graz ; 200 membersmet and 72 papers were presented. The work doneat the congress proved that the scientific standing ofthis society is not in the least hampered by its

independence of Germany. ’

HOUSING

In a publication by the Vienna Municipal Board ofHealth details of the density of population andof housing have been very interesting to students ofsociology. On March 22nd, 1935, there were in thiscity 59,785 buildings used for residence. They con-tained 613,436 homes, inhabited by 1,845,852 persons,or on an average, 3 persons per home. In 1910 this

figure stood at a little over 4 persons. There were63,315 open shops, 25,249 workshops, 27,117 store-houses, 15,308 offices, 6952 garages and stables, and1702 artists’ studios. There were 4500 uninhabited

dwellings; 141,206 persons had classified themselvesas " subtenants "-i.e., living only in a part of a

dwelling. The greatest number living in one roomwas 9, but this was only in a few instances. Therewere 6 or more persons in a single room in over2500 rooms. The number of childless couples is

growing constantly, especially those who marriedwithin the last six years. This coincides with the

alarming decline of the birth-rate, in which Viennanow heads the list of all the large European cities.It is also interesting to note that out of the total,75 per cent. of the houses had both electric currentand gas-supply, 2 per cent. only gas, 12 per cent.only electricity; the others had neither gas nor

electric current. With the building of large muni-cipal tenements in the place of slums, which beganin 1919, public health has much improved. In theseblocks every single dwelling has at least three parts :kitchen, bedroom, and sitting-room, every one withample air and light, every window opening on a largeairspace, and with all hygienic appliances. Viennahas now about 60 such blocks, accommodating over10 per cent. of the city’s entire population, and thishas done away with nearly all the overcrowding.

GOITRE IN HOUSEHOLD ANIMALS

In the course of an extensive research on theincidence of goitre among the population of Austriathe Ministry of Health has advised a search for

goitre amongst animals. It is already known thatin certain districts of Austria goitre is common incalves. The Ministry has now issued to all veterinarysurgeons, as well as the inspectors of cattle marketsand butchers’ shops, a leaflet in which the followingitems are to be noted in all cases of animal goitrethat they find : age, sex, pedigree, if possible theheight at the withers, the circumference of the throat,the approximate size of the enlarged thyroid gland,its consistency, and any pathological conditionsresulting from it. Furthermore, the investigatorshould try to ascertain whether there is goitre in thefamily of the animal or in the neighbourhood. Similarleaflets have also been issued to gamekeepers toobtain similar information about the deer, chamois,and stags. They also have to report any case ofgoitre observed in any other animal seen by them.The authorities desire to obtain this informationabout animals chiefly with a view to the possibleuse of iodised salt in agricultural and veterinaryestablishments. The use of this salt on a very largescale by the human population has had excellentresults.

LUDWIG BRAUN

Prof. Ludwig Braun, who has died at the age of 69,held for more than a quarter of a century the post ofhead of the medical department in the RothschildHospital, which he had organised as a centre of

training for the Jewish doctors who were unable, forvarious reasons, to continue their studies in the

municipal or governmental hospitals. Prof. Braunhad to abandon his original intention to be a surgeonbecause he was hypersensitive to iodine, iodoform,and other antiseptics used in his time. He took tothe study of internal medicine and soon turned hisattention to the problems of cardiac disease. Heinvestigated the effects of digitalis on the heartmuscle, the correlation between psychic conditionsand the heart, and the effects of hypertonia on heartand kidney-decapsulation of the kidney in suchcases was originally his idea. He was a keen experi-menter and a shrewd observer ; he was at the headof numerous philanthropic Zionist societies and forsome time also of the Vienna medical faculty.

SCOTLAND

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

PREVENTION OF DISEASE

THE report of the committee on the ScottishHealth Services which was summarised in last week’sLANCET has aroused widespread interest. One ofthe sections of the report concerns the value of

proper nutrition in the prevention of disease. The

importance of educating the public cannot be toostrongly emphasised. The Society of Medical Officersof Health (Scottish Branch) in their evidence stated :"To be efficacious, health education should be aspersonal as possible. The family doctor would appearto be the most suitable person to undertake thiswork, were it not that his training is directed ratherto the cure than to the prevention of disease, that heis seldom consulted until illness has actually developed,and that he cannot reasonably be expected to devotemuch of his time to work for which, under existingconditions, he can receive no recompense. Some

change in the conditions of medical practice wouldappear necessary before the services of generalpractitioners as teachers of hygiene can be properlyutilised." The report later states that " unless

98 IRELAND

medical training is such as to produce the preventiveoutlook, many of our recommendations for the

development of health policy will be stultified."Many teachers of clinical medicine feel bewildered

by the suggestion that they neglect the teaching ofpreventive medicine. They look round their wardsand ask themselves " How could these diseases havebeen prevented " Many of them would have

difficulty in giving a single clinic on the subject.They could only repeat from case to case that someauthorities believe that if this patient had beenproperly nourished from birth and taught the elementsof personal hygiene, this illness would never have

developed. Admittedly the practitioner shouldknow what constitutes a healthy diet and shouldknow the principles of personal hygiene, but the knownfacts are easily learned and are widely known. The

subject of preventive medicine seems to be surroundedby mystery, whereas the practical applicationof our present knowledge of the subject can bewritten on a few pages in a language which all canunderstand, and can be taught by any intelligentlayman. The teachers of clinical medicine havesome reason, therefore, for feeling that the first stepin the development of preventive medicine liesneither with them nor with the general practitioner,who is seldom consulted on the matter. They feelthat the public as a whole should be educated bypropaganda. Every householder has received a

copy of the Highway Code, should he not also be givena Health Code The medical profession will, of course,continue to elucidate the causes of ill-health anddisease, but the responsibility for educating thepublic should not rest primarily on the shouldersof the practitioner, who is consulted by the publicabout disease, not health.

EDUCATION OF DEAF AND DUMB CHILDREN

At the annual meeting of the Edinburgh RoyalInstitution for the Education of Deaf and DumbChildren held on June 29th, the directors’ reportexpressed satisfaction that the Government had

accepted an amendment to the Education (Scotland)Act now before Parliament, making it mandatoryon local authorities to give every deaf child in Scotlandfrom the age of three the special educational facilitieshis affliction required, provided the parents con-

sented. The adoption of the report was moved byMr. Allan Chapman, M.P., who remarked that theamendment referred to would not have reached theStatute Book but for the progressive outlook of theScottish Office. In this matter they were far ahead ofEngland, and he did not doubt that in course of timeEngland would take a leaf out of their book, andput into their own Act a similar clause. The adoptionof the report was seconded by Sir David Wilkie.

PRESENTATION TO PROF. MUNRO

Prof. Munro, who retired from the chair of the

practice of medicine in Glasgow University on

June 30th, a position he had occupied since 1913,was presented on his retirement with a silver salverbearing the signatures of all the resident physicianswho had been associated with him in his work in theWestern Infirmary. At the presentation, which tookplace in the board room of the Western Infirmary,the speakers made reference to the high position whichProf. Munro occupied in the profession, and to theaffection with which he was regarded by the studentswho had passed through his hands.

SHORTER WORKING WEEK FOR NURSES

From Sept. 1st the staffs of the mental institutionsunder the corporation of Glasgow are to have a

48-hour working week. The cost of operating thenew system will be 12,394. A new nurses’ home isbeing built to accommodate the extra staff.

IRELAND

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

PROPOSED RADIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE FOR DUBLIN

THE Hospitals Commission recently received a

deputation from the Radium Committee of theRoyal Dublin Society to discuss a proposal to estab-lish an institute for the development of the use ofradium in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.The deputation consisted of Sir Edward Coey Bigger,chairman of the Radium Committee, Prof. T. G.Moorhead, Drs. 0. Murphy and 0. Chance. It wasstated that at present the Royal Dublin Societysupplied radium (or radon) for the treatment ofsome 600 cases annually, but was capable of meetinga much greater demand if treatment were organisedand its value appreciated. The institute shouldbe independent of existing hospitals but should workin cooperation with them, and it should not beconfused in the public mind with a cancer hospital.It was possible that one of the hospital buildingsat present in existence, should the proposed amalgama-tion of some of the hospitals be carried out, mightbe made available as premises for the institute.Sir Edward Bigger suggested that a start should bemade at once by the appointment of an expert inradium therapy, under whose guidance medicalworkers might be trained in technique. The Com-mission gave a lengthy and sympathetic hearingto the views submitted by the deputation.

PROSECUTIONS UNDER THE CRIMINAL LAW

AMENDMENT ACT

Section 17 of the Criminal Law AmendmentAct, 1935, made it a criminal offence" to sell, orenforce, offer, advertise, or keep for sale or to importor attempt to import into Saorstat Eireann for sale,any contraceptive." The first prosecutions underthis section of the Act in Dublin have recentlybeen undertaken, and in several cases the maximumpenalties have been imposed. In one case fines

amounting to S250 were imposed together with sixmonths’ hard labour, and other terms of imprison-ment in default of payment; in another fines

amounting to S200 with six months’ hard labour ;and in a third a fine of :E100. Notice of appeal wasgiven in one case. The magistrate expressed thehope that the putting into effect of the sections ofthe Act would have a salutary effect and that theywould not be troubled with such prosecutions infuture.

PLAISTOW MATERNITY HOSPITAL.-A new wingof this maternity hospital and the district nurses’home which has been erected in its grounds have beenopened by the Mayor of West Ham. There are 60beds for patients, and the extensions, which costabout 10,000, will provide an additional 36 beds forthe nursing staff.

VICTORIA HOSPITAL, BLACKBURN.-The firstportion of the work at the new hospital is nearlyfinished. It is estimated that the total cost will be170,000, and when the first contracts were signed60,000 had been received, and a loan of a further 60,000had been promised from the corporation. Since then

upwards of 35,000 has been collected.