MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON

614

of Government by expressing an opinion as to the precau-tions that should be observed in vaccination.The PRESIDENT said that the hour for the conclusion of

the meeting had arrived, upon whichMr. HENRY LEE moved the adjournment of the debate to

the next meeting.Mr. BRUDENELL CARTER seconded the motion, and entered

into a detailed history of the circumstances on which hisstatement of the quality of the lymph supplied by the PrivyCouncil was founded.Mr. SIMON said that he had not meant to question the

statement with regard to any particular instance, but onlyif regarded as a general one.The motion for adjournment was then put and carried.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.MONDAY, APRIL 3RD, 1871.

DR. ANDREW CLARK, PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR.

DR. BRUNTON read a paper "On the Co-existence ofcertain Acute Specific Diseases," which gave rise to an

interesting discussion to which reference has already beenmade.The PRESIDENT showed a case of Peribronchial Phthisis.

He first ran over the current notions relative to the patho-logy of "phthisis," and proceeded to point out the dis-tinctive characters of fibroid phthisis as noticed duringlong observation in the particular case brought before theSociety. The patient was a lad nineteen years of age, whohad suffered from pleuro-pneumonia, but never fully re-covered, bronchitis supervening after a while, and sub-sequently the symptoms of breaking up of the lung. Theleft side contracted; the vocal thrill and bronchophonydecreasing, all fever disappeared, and the respiration andpulse became normal. The microscope detected small

particles of areolar tissue in the sputa, showing the exist-ence of a small cavity in a quiescent state. The consolida-tion and cavity followed pleuro-pneumonia. The cor-

puscular stuff left after the subsidence of the bronchitishaving been converted into a fibroid mass, the patientgradually returned to health with no evidence of aughtbut consolidation and contraction. The prognosis in suchcases is favourable.

Dr. CRisr asked if hereditary tendency was observed inregard to fibroid phthisis. He thought he had observedthe fact.

Mr. WEEDEN COOKE referred to the differences, as seenin the testicle, between the fibroid deposit following simpleinflammation, a local affair, and tuberculous disease of thesame organ, a constitutional affection.

Dr. SANSOM said he did not think that there was apleuritic phthisis; but that phthisis took its origin in in-flammation of the lung more frequently than is generallysupposed.

Drs. BROADBENT and THOROWGOOD agreed with the Pre-sident in his views.

Dr. ANDREW CLARK, in reply, said he could not make outany hereditary tendency in regard of fibroid phthisis, butonly a history of lung weakness. The prognosis varies inthe different kinds of phthisis ; in tubercular phthisis, if nosecondary (pneumonic) inflammation occurs, it is favourable.In pneumonic phthisis the exudation sometimes takes placeextensively, the lung breaks up, and secondary depositsoccur in the other lung. The prognosis is therefore grave.But it is favourable in pleuro-phthisis (fibroid), especiallyif albumen be absent from the urine.

Dr. MEYMOTT TIDY read a paper on °° The Estimation ofSugar in Diabetic Urine." After criticising some of theordinary tests, he suggested a modification of Vogel’s. Aseries of solutions of four ounces each were placed on thetable, containing different but known quantities of sugar,but in each the same quantity of alkali. They rangedfrom 0’25 gr. of sugar to 2’0 gr., and the differences in tintwere marked. For experiment it was desirable to make apotash solution, containing 1 gr. of potash in every septemof water (7 gr.), and to carry out the test 10 septems ofthe urine were taken; to this were added 10 septems of thesolution of caustic potash. This solution was to be boiledfor one minute, and then diluted until the tint approached

that of either of the standard solutions. If the tint wasmore than that indicated by 2 gr. standard bottle, it mustbe halved and diluted. An experiment made gave 1’25 gr.in 10 septems, = 12.5 in 100 septems, = 15’2 gr. in ’700 gr.,= 17’86 per 1000 gr. of urine, or about 83 per oz. Dr.

Tidy proposed to get rid of the standard solutions by theuse of tinted gelatine slips.

ORATION AND CONVERSAZIONE.

A large gathering of visitors and Fellows of the MedicalSociety of London was held at the Hanover-square Roomson Monday to hear the annual oration delivered by Dr.Cholmeley, who received the hearty and well-merited ap-plause of his audience.

After a few introductory remarks, the orator said that, asthe Society would so soon be called on to celebrate its cen-tenary, it seemed very desirable to look back, and get someclear knowledge of its labours in past years; and that,therefore, following the lead of the able orator of the pre-vious year, he proposed, from the copious records of theSociety’s proceedings, to show how its Fellows had, throughit, worked for the advancement of therapeutics and thescience of medicine, at the same time showing the progressmade in these since the Society began its labours. He thengave numerous proofs from the Minute-books of theSociety’s proceedings, from 1773 downwards, of the earlyand careful appreciation of new remedies; also how in thevery earliest years of the Society’s existence there occurrednotices of the value of modes of treating some diseases,which modes had been almost or quite forgotten, and hadof recent years been again brought forward-as the treat-ment of scarlatina by carbonate of ammonia, typhus bynitro-muriatic acid and stimulants, and acute dysentery byninety-grain doses of ipecacuanha powder. And he spokealso of the former use and the real value of venesection,and its abject abandonment of late years. He then pointedout how the Society has always been open to communica-tions on every department of the vast field of medicalscience, showing itself to be a catholic society of medicine;and, having claimed for it, on the strength of its records,no mean share in stimulating and fostering the progressmedical science had made, he pointed out the heavy respon-sibility that lies on its present Fellows of keeping up itsfame and reputation. He then gave a very brief summaryof the proceedings of the Society of late years, and afterremarking on the variety, scope, and value of the subjectswhich had been brought before it, and on the eminence of themen who had introduced and of those who had discussedthem he observed that as it was in its early days so now, theMedical Society of London is a great catholic medicalsociety. As earnest workers in the various departments ofmedical science have multiplied, they have required morespace and more consideration for their special fields of workthan this Society could afford them, and hence other andspecial societies - Medico-Chirurgical, Pathological, Epi-demiological, Obstetrical, Clinical-have gradually arisen;this being an inevitable consequence, and the strongestproof, of the progress and increase of knowledge. But stillcome workers in each and every department to the oldSociety, which still receives communications from all, andgives them all the best and truest of welcomes, the welcomeof earnest, intelligent attention, and of frank, skilled criti-cism, -facts which warrant the assertion that the So-

ciety is, KaT’ eoxv, the Society of Medicine of London.And they who are now Fellows of it, while they can lookwith just pride on its past career, have reason to trustthat they have not allowed its honour to be tarnished, itsfame to be dimmed, or its vigour and usefulness to waneanc lessen: and looking onwards to its future, they mayfeel a confident assurance of the fulfilment of their loyalprayer, "Floreat semper."

After the delivery of the oration a conversazione followed,at which a number of interesting objects were exhibited,including the celebrated etching of Mr. Seymour Haden,11 The Agamemnon," Japanese enamels and ophthalmologicalinstruments (including Burke’s reflecting ophthalmoscope,Wecker and Roger’s prismatic ophthalmoscope for two ob-servers, Perrin’s artificial eye, &c.) by Mr. Brudenell Carter,surgical instruments, microscopic preparations, and che-micals by Messrs. Matthews, Krohne and Sesemann, Ross,Walker, Barraud, Ernst, Pratt, Young, and others.