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so, it is so simple and efficacious that it deservesto be more widely known and practised. There is,moreover, the further point’that it may actuallysave life, though such cases must be rare, apartfrom those other conditions, such as apoplexy, inwhich its value is admitted by the medical pro-fession. In this latter state, it is relevant to observe,the importance of Bowles’ postural treatment isofficially taught to every member of an ambulancefirst-aid course ; so that there should be a consider-able number of the general public to whom it isperfectly familiar. ____
KING EDWARD’S HOSPITAL FUND FOR LONDON,
WE are asked to state that hospitals in theCounty of London, or within nine miles of CharingCross, desiring to participate in the grants made bythis Fund for the year 1914, must make applicationbefore March 31st to the honorary secretaries,7, Walbrook, E.C. Applications will also be con-sidered from convalescent homes which are situatedwithin the above boundaries, or which, beingsituated outside, take a large proportion of patientsfrom London. Applications will also be consideredfrom sanatoriums for consumption which take
patients from London, or which are prepared toplace beds at the disposal of the Fund for the useof patients from London hospitals.
THE NERVOUS COMPLICATIONS OF VARICELLA.
VARICELLA is usually regarded as a trivial disease,but occasionally it is accompanied by as grave com-plications as may occur in the other exanthemata.In the British Journal of Children’s Disease for
January Dr. Reginald Miller and Dr. James A.Davidson have contributed an important paper onthe nervous complications, which are so rare thatthey are not mentioned in the majority of descrip-tions. They consider that there is good evidencethat focal lesions of the central nervous system(encephalomyelitis) may occur. They report thefollowing case of encephalitis. A boy, aged 2iyears, had a mild attack of varicella, in which thetemperature did not exceed 100° F. On the fifth
day he was found to be unable to stand or to talkdistinctly, and there was some tremor of thelimbs, head, and tongue. The tremor of the
tongue passed off quickly, but four days latertremor was marked - in the limbs. It was a
- slow rhythmic movement which prevented himfrom standing without support. The movementsof the limbs were slow and stiff. The child wasirritable and emotional. The reflexes were normal.The tremor in a few days gradually diminisheduntil it was noticeable only during excitement andat the end of the month had practically disappeared.The child completely recovered but was thoughtto be more excitable than previously. Dr. Millerand Dr. Davidson considered that the symptomswere due to a destructive lesion of the cerebello-rubro-spinal system. A similar case has been
reported by Caccia. A boy aged 3 years developedtremor on the fifth day of varicella. Its onset waspreceded by two days’ vomiting. He was unable tostand erect and speech was slow. Ankle clonus,increase of knee-jerk, and extensor plantar responsewere present on the right side. The cerebro-spinalfluid was sterile but contained 0’3 per cent. ofalbumin. After four weeks all the symptoms haddisappeared. Caccia attributed them to encepha-litis of the left cerebral hemisphere. Marfanhas reported a case of varicella complicated
by encephalitis affecting the oculo-motor nuclei,and Sir William Osler one complicated by hemi-plegia. Poliomyelitis and peripheral neuritis havebeen recorded as complications, but the evidence isnot altogether satisfactory. The occasional associa-tion of varicella with herpes zoster has beendescribed by several writers. Other nervous com-
plications recorded are convulsions, intracranial
complications of otitis media, optic neuritis,hsemorrhagic pachymeningitis, and neuromyositis.Chorea has been noted to develop at the end of anattack of varicella, and tuberculous meningitis hasbeen recorded as a sequel.
THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR NEUROLOGY,MENTAL DISEASES, AND PSYCHOLOGY.
OUR Bern correspondent writes that this congresswill be held in Bern from Sept. 7th to 12th. Theinvitations for the congress are just being issued.The committee of organisation is presided over byProfessor Du Bois, of Bern. Dr. Schnyder, Monbij oust.31, Bern, is secretary, and will receive all applica-tions of intending members. The fee is 25 francsand will include the official report. Facilities forrailway travelling will be offered and arrange-ments made for trips in the most beautifulparts of Switzerland. Twenty-nine countries havedeclared their adhesion to the congress andhave appointed delegates. The list of distinguishedneurologists and psychologists who will openthe debates is already complete and includesthe following names: Professors Alzheimer, Ramony Cajal, Sherrington, Pierre Marie, Donaldson,Edinger, Ehrlich, Mingazzini, von Stauffenberg,Biedl, Dejerine, and Oppenheim in the Neuro-
logical Section; Professors Gaupp, Gilbert Ballet,Strausky, Tamburini, Bechterew, Lepine, Isserlin,Redlich, Abderhalden, and Binswanger in the
Psychiatric Section ; and Professors Mott, Ladame.Ziehen, Morton Prince, Sante de Sanctis, and Imey inthe Psychological Section. As 53 of these and theircolleagues will speak on 11 neurological, 8 psy-chiatric, and 7 psychological subjects, only a limitednumber of special papers can be read, and thesemust be announced to the secretary by July lst.The Swiss National Exhibition, which takes placethis summer in Bern, affords an extra attraction.The President of the Swiss Republic is honoraryPresident of the Congress.
HERPES SUPRALARYNGEUS.
UNDER this appellation Dr. Vittorio Grazzi, pro-fessor of laryngology in the University of Pisa,draws attention in a recent number of Il Policlinico 1
to an unusual form of herpes localised in theglosso-epiglottic folds, the free edge of the epiglottis,and the upper parts of the larynx. He quotesMorell Mackenzie and StClair Thomson as havingon very rare occasions observed herpes in theupper parts of the larynx, and he has himself onlyseen four cases, three of which had not previouslybeen diagnosed. Usually there are manifestationsof herpes in other parts of the body, but the condi-tion may be limited to the laryngoscopic region,while the fauces may not even be congested. Thecourse of the disease is five or six days, and a promi.nent symptom is the severe burning pain, which isincreased by deglutition, coughing, and speaking,so much so that one of the patients in order tosatisfy his urgent craving for water was obliged to
1 Il Policlinico, Anno xxi., Fasc. 8, Feb. 22, 1914, Roma.