...

weakness, soon accompanied by muscular twitchings and tremblings of the legs and arms; at this time the pulse was much softer. . . . The next series of observations were made on a lad aged nine, convalescent from pneumonia. We experimented somewhat differently. . . . Between one and two we noticed that his face was flushed, and he looked dull, and that there was some tremor when his hand was held out. In the evening the tremors were more marked. At five a.m. the following day he vomited. . . . His symptoms were very marked, and for the most part, of the same characters as the other lad. . . . These symptoms were at their height at midday, and were so marked, and the pulse and respiration so quick, that we confess that we felt a little relief when the toxic symptoms, which became far more marked than we had expected, abated: not that at any time the boy was dangerously ill; but as the symptoms progressed after discontinuing the medicine, we did not know how long or to what degree they might increase. . . . Even sixty-five hours after the last dose he was still dull, rather deaf, and there was slight tremor of the hands and irritability of percussed muscles. . . . In our third series of observations on a lad aged ten, and weighing 64 lbs., we experimented in a somewhat different way. . . . I shall next speak of the effect of salicylic acid on the temperature of the healthy body. Dr. Riess has investigated the action of salicylates on the healthy temperature in twenty-three experiments on seven healthy persons. . . . I have made some investigations with Mr. Morshead, but the results are not so satisfactory as with salicine, as we failed to get symptoms with the acid, though we gave large doses, as much as 160 grains in one day. A boy aged eight, and weighing 44 lbs., the subject of our investigation, was convalescent from an attack of acute rheumatism complicated with pneumonia.

The following extract is from the section "Lead Salts," p. 216 of sixth edition :

"There, too, is the fact, in further confirmation of Dr. Garrod's discoveries, that if to a gouty person, free at the time from acute attack, a salt of lead is administered, it develops acute gout, with its accompanying symptoms of severe pain and high fever. The author has repeatedly verified this fact. . . .'

I will now give a few extracts from the public press, to show what were the feelings of the medical profession last year on this subject, and to call attention to the fact that, although a section of that profession may condemn human

experimentation, young men are still being trained to follow upon Dr. Ringer's footsteps-his book is running through several editions,-and that each man who now leaves his school, to take place amongst his colleagues, is nine times out of ten a reinforcement to the section which upholds human experimentation. In a short time the whole medical profession will have had its thought vitiated by the poison.

The following extract from the Medical Times appeared in the Standard of the 13th November, 1884 :

"EXPERIMENTS WITH SODIUM NITRITE.-In publishing, and indeed, in instituting their reckless experiments on the effect of nitrite of sodium on the human subject, Professor Ringer and Dr. Murrell have made a deplorably false move, which the ever-watchful opponents of Vivisection will not be slow to profit by. They cannot even allege that they were driven to the experiments by the Vivisection Act, for they preface their account of their clinical observations by a description of pathological observations on two cats, who rapidly succumbed to the drug. Nor have they the excuse that the effects of nitrite of sodium on the human subject were unknown, for Dr. Ramskill and Dr. Ralfe have placed on record six cases in which its administration was attended by the most serious consequences-lividity and semi-collapse. It is impossible to read the paper in last week's Lancet without distress. Of the eighteen adults to whom Drs. Ringer and Murrell administered the drug in ten-grain doses, all but one avowed they would expect to drop down dead if they ever took another dose. One woman fell to the ground, and lay with throbbing head and nausea for three hours; another said it turned her lips quite black, and upset her so that she was afraid she would never get over it. The next series of experiments was with five-grain doses. The same results followed in ten out of sixteen cases. One girl vomited for two hours, and thought she was dying. Even in three-grain doses the drug caused unpleasant symptoms in four out of the thirteen patients to whom it was administered. All these observations are recorded with an innocent naiveté, as though the idea that anyone could possibly take exception to them was far from the writers' minds. But whatever credit may be given to Drs. Ringer and Murrell for scientific enthusiasm, it is impossible to acquit them of grave indiscretion. There will be a howl throughout the country if it comes out that officers of a public charity are in the habit of trying such useless and cruel experiments on the patients committed to their care; and the whole profession will be placed in a false position."

The following extract is from a letter to the Standard, dated Nov. 12, 1884, and signed M. D.:—

"CORPORA VILIA.

"Sir,-Those of your readers who have attentively followed the interesting experiments on persons of patients of the humbler class, so obligingly communicated by Drs. Ringer and Murrell, will be much gratified by reading pp. 340-1 of Dr. Ringer's Handbook of Therapeutics,' eighth edition, 1880.

"We here read: 'Dr. Rickards and I gave to an habitual drunkard, making him "dead drunk," twelve ounces of good brandy in a single dose, without the smallest reduction of temperature.'

66

". . . . In a boy aged ten, who had never in his life before taken alcohol in any form, I found, through a large number of observations, a constant and decided reduction of temperature.'

... 'If it comes to be generally known that this is the way in which the contributions of the benevolent are expended, Hospital Sunday is likely to become, year by year, less productive."

The next extract, which shall be the last, is also extracted from the Standard of November, 1884.

"THE USE OF HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

"Sir,-A few days ago an anonymous letter appeared in your columns, which, emanating (as the signature M.D. appears to show) from a medical practitioner, ought not to be allowed to pass without an energetic protest.

"As far as I can see, the writer intends to bring a charge against a distinguished member of his own profession-a physician who, by his labours in the field of therapeutics has done eminent service to medicine, and has been instrumental to the relief of much human suffering;-a serious charge I say, viz., that of having used patients in a hospital for other purpose than those tending to their own direct benefit.

"Now I should like to ask 'M.D.' whether his whole career as a medical student, from the day he handled his first bone to that on which he passed his last clinical examination, did not involve abuses very similar to those for which he now joins the unfortunately ever-growing pseudo-humanitarian outcry against the methods of rational medicine? . . . . I think we, as medical men, should not attempt to conceal from the public the debt of gratitude they owe to the 'Corpora vilia'-for such they are and will be as long as the healing art exists and progresses. So far from there being a reason why moral and pecuniary support should be refused

to hospitals on the ground that their inmates are made use of otherwise than for treatment, there is even ground why more and more should be given to them, in order to compensate, by every possible comfort, for the discomforts necessarily entailed by the education of succeeding generations of medical men and the improvements of our methods of coping with disease.

This letter is signed

"50, Welbeck Street, Nov. 22.

"A. DE WATTEVILLE, M.A., M.D., B.Sc."

I may mention that as these extracts show that private medical opinion was divided on the subject of Dr. Ringer's experiments, so was the medical press, but the stronger utterances in favour of them.

SARAH HECKFORD.

LONDON

THI

SOCIETY FOR

THE PREVENTION

OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.

HIS Society was formed at the Mansion House on the eight of last July, and it came into operation in the following October. Its object was the prevention of cruelty to children. The term children was to include all young persons who were unable to protect themselves. This Society, which has long been sorely needed, and which seeks to deal the same justice to children which the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has long extended to the dumb creatures, has formed for itself the following rules :(1.) To prevent all cruel treatment, neglect, or improper employment of children; also

(2.) All conduct by which life or limb, or health is endangered or sacrificed, or by which

(3.) Morals are imperilled or depraved.

The Society hopes to effect these objects by,—

(1.) Remonstrance and moral suasion.

(2.) The enforcement of existing laws.

(3.) The promotion of such amendments of the law as may prove necessary or desirable.

(4.) And lastly, by such other means as may be deemed from time to time expedient.

On the 27th of October, 1884, a shelter for suffering and cruelly used children was opened at 7, Harpur Street, Bloomsbury.

The Society then declared themselves ready to commence their proper work. Their shelter was open, their inquiry officer at hand, and they wished to receive information with regard to cruelties practised on children from anyone-from a neighbour, from a city missionary, a Bible woman, a clergyman, a labourer, a rent collector, a relieving officer,—in short, from anyone who chose to bring the complaint. It was promised that all complaints brought to this office should receive immediate attention. Children suffering and needing protection were to be brought to the Shelter, and culprits were to be prosecuted. About this last fact, the Council were particularly anxious that cruel people should be in no manner of doubt.

The Shelter was not to be regarded as a Home. It was