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of providence " he broke down and eventually reached alunatic asylum. It is to be hoped that the common sense ofthe general community in Wales will prevent such excessesas are reputed to have occurred in 1859 and that the leadersof Welsh thought will do their utmost to stem the flood ofirrationality which appears to be sweeping over the land.

A WEEK’S FOG AND TS LESSONS.

ALL our cherished ideas about abatement of smoke have

been somewhat shaken by the remarkable prevalence andpersistence of fog in London last week. Prevention of

smoke may mitigate the evil to some extent but those

natural agencies which conspire to breed fog are sometimesinsuperable. We have been congratulating ourselves that bythe vigilance of our health authorities during the past fewyears the fogs of London have been less severe and it maybe said that on the whole there has been less local colouring.But in spite of electric light, increased consumption of gasfor heating purposes, and smoke inspectors the fog last

week was as bad, as persistent, as dense, and as irritating asever. In a large area such as London it is impossible tocombat meteorological conditions. A stream of wind is the 1only means of salvation from fog and it is the prevalence iof wind, however light, during the winter of past years ]which has kept London comparatively free from fog. To all ]of us, and especially to our health authorities, the result iis disheartening but that is no reason why our efforts tosuppress smoke should be relaxed. There are abundant jgrounds for thinking that the activity of the smoke inspector 1has done much good but his task is an .enormous one. ]We have at least had the satisfaction of seeing the <

local output of smoke considerably reduced. Until the (advance of a high atmospheric pressure which characterised 1the meteorological state last week we had enjoyed bright .,sunny weather and then it could be easily noted that, atany rate, there were few chimneys that could be regarded tas seriously sullying the air. So much at least may 1be said for the coal smoke abatement movement. If 1the meteorological records of the past comparatively 1fog-free winters be studied it will be found that the jreal reason why we have been free from general fogs Thas been the prevalence of a relatively low pressure which ain reality means that there was some wind in one direction ‘or another. Constant high atmospheric pressure with local afluctuations of temperature as in winter are conditions twhich must lead to fog and our only hope is to prevent as amuch as possible its colouration by smoke. The possibility fof dispelling fog by electrical means has been glibly dis- rcussed. The enormous area over which fog is formed renders 1any application of electrical energy impracticable. Taking a alesson from those meteorological conditions which on the (one hand give rise to fog or on the other prevent its

formation or continuance, a simpler course would appearto be to raise a draught when anticyclonic conditionsprevail. The best dissipator of fog is wind, and if

that wind happens to be a little warm the fog is <

rolled away and the particles are dissolved in the warmair. The question remains, Is it possible to sweep Londonwith a forced draught when the need arises ? Assuming, &egrave;however, the practicability of such a scheme, there is sure to carise a difficulty as to which direction the wind should be (made to take. If it were made to come from the south-west Ithe inhabitants of north-east London would be badly off for ca time, while if it were directed from the east the West- Iend would have to endure the foggy sweepings of Londonuntil the forced draught had gained the mastery. Thesuggestion to dispel fogs by electrical agencies, or even theproposal to alter every fireplace in London or to enforce ithe use of one kind of fuel would involve, we imagine,a greater undertaking than would any attempt to set up a

forced draught, while the latter system would be based uponthe method in which the great natural agencies effectuallyrid us of the intolerable evil.

A FORM OF FRACTURE OF THE RADIUS DUETO AN ACCIDENT IN STARTING A

MOTOR-CAR.

IN the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of Nov. 3rdDr. F. B. Lund has reported three cases of a form of frac-ture of the radins due to an accident in starting a motor-car-a condition which has been previously described byM. Lucas-Championniere who refers to it as a "profes-sional fracture" in chauffeurs.’ The gasolene motor-car isstarted by turning a handle from left to right which isconnected with the fly wheel of the engine. As thehandle is turned the piston descends and sucks a

charge of the explosive mixture into the cylinder. Thewheel continues to turn and the piston ascends and com-presses the mixture until the electric spark explodes itand drives the piston downwards. If, owing to careless

manipulations, the explosion takes place prematurelythe wheel and handle are driven violently in the oppo-site direction to which they are moving, carrying the

hand of the operator and not infrequently fracturing thelower end of the radius. The fracture is due to a violent

twisting backward of the hand at the wrist without the

impacting force usually present in the ordinary Colles’s

fracture. The hand is driven backwards and carries with itthe articular surface of the radius, which is torn off. The.

line of fracture is clean and transverse. The treatment is

simple and union takes place without deformity or stiffness,contrasting with Colles’s fracture. The following is one ofthe cases reported. An experienced mechanic, aged 30 years,was starting a 15-horse power three cylinder motor-car. He

"retarded the spark " by pressing down a button preparatoryto turning the handle. While he moved away for a moment to-answer a question a bystander raised the button and advancedthe spark. The mechanic turned the handle and a " back

kick " twisted his hand backward, producing a marked de-formity. The anterior edge of the upper fragment of theradius almost penetrated the skin. He was taken to hospitaland examined under ether and anterior and posterior splintswere applied. A radiograph showed that the styloid processand articular surface of the radius had been avulsed, andthat there was a vertical fracture through the middle of thearticular surface. Active movement of the fingers was per-formed every day and every other day the splints were

removed and active movement of the wrist and fingers wasperformed. The posterior splint was removed after ten daysand the anterior after 17 days. After three weeks the patientcould do light work.

PAUPERS AS NURSES.

IN the bad old days of Poor-law administration it was agenerally accepted practice to employ pauper labour in thesick wards of workhouses and, indeed, the General Consoli-dated Order of July 24th, 1847, allows certain pauperswhom the master may deem fit to perform any of theduties of a nurse " to act in that capacity. As to the master’scompetence to judge in such circumstances the Order is

discreetly silent. The objections to this proceeding havelong been recognised ; thus in 1865 the Poor-law Board re-commended guardians to discontinue as far as possible " thepractice of appointing pauper inmates of the workhouse toact as assistant nurses in the infirmary or sick wards." Thereare, however, it appears, still boards of guardians whichare not fully alive to their responsibilities in this matter. Aninquest was recently held at the Prescot union workhouse on

1 THE LANCET, April 2nd, 1904, p. 962.