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THE MEDICAL DIRECTORY.

THE new Medical Directory reaches us on Dec. llth,well up to time. It is the eighty-sixth annual issue andthe publishers have almost left off looking for newfeatures, being as contented as are most of theirsubscribers with the present arrangement of thematerial. Graduates and licentiates in dental surgery,whose names were excluded from the Directory in1925 to appear in a separate Dental Surgeons’Directory, are justified in regarding the discon-tinuance of this volume as a grievance. We do notknow what may be felt by others who use the MedicalDirectory for constant reference-we have heardregret expressed for the omission of the year and thekey-names at the head of the page-but the two incon-veniences which we encounter with any frequency arethe absence of private addresses under the heading ofNaval, Military, Indian, and R.A.F. Services, and theabsence of an alphabetical index covering the namesin all seven sections. The latter might be rectifiedby a sudden act of grace in 1931 but the former mighttake long to achieve. The volume has increased in sizeby about 30 pages this year, owing principally to theinclusion of 391 more names. This annual increment,by far the smallest in the last ten years, is the netresult of a profit and loss account, for the sectionsheaded Scotland ( - 93 ) and Ireland (-120) havediminished, while those headed London (+48),Provinces (+304), Wales (+4), Abroad (+232), andServices (+16) have increased, although in unequalmeasure. We have given the actual figures inparentheses. It is, no doubt, time that the rate ofincrease did diminish unless new fields of medicalpractice are to be explored, for there has been theenormous increment of 10,257 names during thedecade 1920-30, and obviously this could not go onsafely. A special word of commendation might begiven to that part of the introduction which treatsof the health resorts of the British coasts and hasbeen fully revised. An island may have its draw-backs, but it ensures a coastline sufficient to supplythe needs both of its own workers and of visitors fromother countries. The English littoral is estimated at2350 miles, that of Scotland at 2300 miles, and of theBritish Isles at not less than 6000 miles, even were thecircumventor to jump all the narrow creeks. Wewelcome the care and enterprise of the publishers inproducing so valuable a work of reference. Thepublishers are Messrs. J. and A. Churchill and theprice is 36s. net.

A NEW CAUSE OF INFLUENZA.

THE recent statement in the lay press that Prof.Falk, of Chicago, has discovered the cause of influenzain a pleomorphic streptococcus does not excitebacteriologists as much as it might have done 15 or20 years ago. Many alleged causes have been dis-cussed to the point of weariness and it has beenrealised that any such discovery would require longand searching criticism before it found generalacceptance. In the first place, neither the definitionof influenza in general nor its diagnosis in a particularpatient are simple tasks. Under the convenientname of influenza are included illnesses with a verywide range of symptoms. The clinical recognitionof such an indefinite disease is not’beyond dispute,unless many synchronous cases occur in the courseof a widespread outbreak which is comparable intype to previous acknowledged epidemics. Thedisease cannot readily, if at all, be recognised inanimals, though monkeys, which are said to havebeen used by Prof. Falk for his experiments, appearto be the most hopeful subjects. The aetiologicalcandidates for the position of causal organism ininfluenza pandemics have been many : they includePfeiffer’s bacillus, Bacterium pneumosintes, variousstreptococci, and an unknown filter-passing virus,which latter has of late claimed manv adherents.None of these has established its claim, but all havemuch in their favour, especially in connexion with

particular outbreaks or certain areas. It is possiblethat two or more infections may be associated inthe same outbreak or even in the same case. Thepleomorphism or uncertain morphology of Prof.Falk’s micro-organism, which is said to resembleone described by Dr. D. and Dr. R. Thomson in ourcolumns, adds to his difficulties in establishing itsimportance, since irregularity in shape and size donot make for conclusive recognition. If his con-

clusions, based on the successful experiments which heis said to have made, withstand the criticism to whichthey will no doubt be subjected by other bacterio-logists, bacteriology will be the richer for a micro-organism pathogenic to both man and monkeys,whose importance is in proportion to its prevalence.Whether the disease it produces is rightly called" influenza " is a problem which will require for itssolution observations extending over a long time and awide area.

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THE house and library of the Royal Society ofMedicine will be closed from Monday, Dec. 22nd,to Saturday, the 28th, both days inclusive.

. AT a recent meeting of the Court of AssistantsLieut.-Colonel C. T. Samman, J.P., was elected torepresent the Society of Apothecaries of London onthe General Medical Council for one year, in successionto Mr. Samuel Osborn. who has resigned.

THE Royal College of Physicians of London willbe closed for the Christmas vacation from TuesdayDec. 24th, to Monday, Dec. 30th, both days inclusive.

The Services.

ROYAL NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE.

Surg. Lt. T. C. H. Neil to be Surg. Lieut.-Comdr.The following appointment is notified : Surg. Comdr.

J. F. Haynes to President, for R.A.F. and Medical Officel’s’Course, and to Glorious.

ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER RESERVE.

Surg. Sub.-Lt. E. G. Thomas to be Surg. Lt.Proby. Surg. Sub-Lt. H. E. Holling to be Surg. Sub.-Lt.

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.

Capt. E. P. N. Creagh to be Maj. (prov.).Maj. J. Heatly-Spencer is apptd. a Professor, R.A. Med.

Coll., vice Lt.-Col. W. P. MacArthur, vacated.

TERRITORIAL FORCE.

Capt. W. L. S. Cox, to be Divl. Adjt. 53rd (Welsh)Div., T.A., vice Maj. J. K. Holland, who vacates the appt.

Capts. W. Gault and W. B. A. Lewis resign their commns.Capt. J. Rowland, from T. A. Res. of Off., to be Capt.

INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE.

Lt.-Col. to be Col.: Bt. Col. E. A. Walker.Temp. Lts. to be temp. Capts.-B. R. Bhaskar, H. K.

Handoo, L. D. Sarronwala, P. N. Sathe, D. N. Basu, H. S.Ahluwalia, M. N. Pai, and T. R. R. Pai.Dev Datt to be Temp. Lt.Maj.-Gen. R. W. Anthony retires.

1THE LANCET 1927, i., 252 and 1125.

A PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL FUND.—Sir Gomer Berry,High Sheriff of Bucks, last week opened two new wards ofthe Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital at Aylesbury. Hesuggested that a fund for provincial hospitals, similar tothe King’s Fund for London, should be established and thatpermission should be asked to call it King George’s Fund.