COLOR IESTS, showing strength of Belladonna Plasters. 2 inches square of Plaster cut in strips, 2oz. Alcohol 80o Time 72 hours. "Physiological test" (Squibbs) may be made by using I minum of above solution, add ing 5 minums water, one drop in eye at end of one hour, pupil should be dilated. This test can be made by any one and should show results as above. SPECIFY J. & J. ON PRESCRIPTIONS Johnson & Johnson. NEW YORK, PART III. MEDICAL MISCELLANY. Reports, Transactions, and Scientific Intelligence. ROYAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE IN IRELAND, SECTION OF STATE MEDICINE. President-E. MACDOWEL COSGRAVE, M.D. Friday, February 19, 1892. The PRESIDENT in the Chair. The Control of Inebriates. DR. COSGRAVE read a paper on the above subject. [It will be found at page 177.] DR. DAVYS considered Dr. Cosgrave's paper a valuable contribution to the treatment of the inebriate. With reference to the second class referred to by Dr. Cosgrave, the intermittent drunkard, Dr. Davys considered and quoted cases in support of his assertion) that the only successful treatment or cure of the intermittent drinker is, the moment his family all on their physician to prescribe for the inebriate, for the doctor, with the approval of the family of the patient, to employ a strong maleattendant to wait on the inebriate, and by physical force prevent him taking any alcohol, the patient to be kept in his house. Much greater privacy is thus observed than by sending him to a Retreat; and having to bring him before a magistrate, as suggested in Dr. Cosgrave's paper, is obviously objectionable. The adoption of the course suggested by Dr. Davys effects a cure so far in about three days as to enable the inebriate to resume, in perfect sobriety, his ordinary avocation. The ame course should be adopted when, at the succeeding period, sometimes two or three months, the patient breaks out again. The latter, when returning to his sober state, fully approves of the course adopted by his physician. MR. EDGAR FLINN thanked Dr. Cosgrave for his most interesting paper. He quite agreed that the regulations for getting dipso-maniacs into Retreats under the Habitual Drunkards' Acts were made too stringent. They should be more relaxed, and such places would be much more availed of. It was a pity that the Habitual Drunkards' Act was not applied to Ireland, for it certainly was required, and would act most beneficially. Retreats in England for habitual drunkards did good in some instances, but in Mr. Flinn's experience they always failed in cure, unless the patient was committed to the Retreat under a warrant Persons addicted to drink were a class very difficult to treat by drugs the radical cure, no doubt, was to remove them to some place where they would be prevented from obtaining drink-in fact, in some instances, they might with propriety be placed in asylums. DR. J. W. MOORE instanced three cases of intermittent inebriety which had come under his observation, and expressed the opinion that physica restraint was a much more reliable means of treatment than any medicina remedies. He alluded to the unscrupulous way in which vendors o alcoholic beverages supplied the unhappy victims of inebriety with win or spirits. He considered that the use of the terms "beastly" an "bestial," in connection with drunkenness, was a libel on the brut creation. The whole question of the control of inebriates was we worthy of the attention of the legislature of the country. DR. THOMAS DONNELLY agreed with the previous speakers as to th value of physical restraint in the treatment of inebriates, and th necessity which exists for greater power in using it. DR. COSGRAVE, in reply, said that intermittent inebriety was un doubtedly the most interesting form from a scientific point of view Dr. Davys' treatment of restraint by a stalwart attendant was good, i the patient would submit to it; but there was no power to compel hin to do so. Easy admittance into an inebriate asylum for a short perin. exactly meets such cases, affording a chance of tiding over attacks Inebriety often caused neuroses in the descendants, sometimes whol families being affected with hysteria, epilepsy, inebriety, &c. In on case he (Dr. Cosgrave) had seen inebriety once in three generations. A lady, aged nearly seventy, suffered from intermittent attacks, her daughter died of delirium tremens at about thirty, and her daughter was seen under the influence of drink when only fifteen years old. The Reports of the Somerset House authorities show that alcoholic drinks are now seldom adulterated, so the evil done must be laid to the charge of the alcohol itself. Pollution of the South-eastern Foreshore of Dublin. MR. EDGAR FLINN read a paper on the pollution of the south-eastern foreshore of Dublin. He pointed out that the pollution at Dublin, extending from Merrion o Kingstown and Sandycove, not only existed but was increasing, and hat although several partial attempts had been made to remedy this tate of affairs, nothing radical had been effected; that this state of anitation, at places claiming to be health-resorts, was particularly eprehensible. There are eight main sewers and thirty minor ones at present disharging into the sea at this locality. He advocated a deep-sea outlet, ach as Llandudno possesses, which has been so advantageous to that >wn. In addition, he recommends an intercepting sewer, in which the wage is to be collected and then discharged at about 600 feet from the lore, at a depth of 30 feet below the level of sea water. He concluded his paper by a criticism of the present methods of disfecting sewage, and referred to that of Messrs. Adeney and Parry, nown as the oxygen process, which has the advantage of precipitating le solid matter of sewage without the addition of precipitative chemicals. DR. DONNELLY remarked that, as precipitation has been so successful many places, it could be adopted at the Salthill outfall, and avoid ollating the sea so close to the best bathing-place near Dublin—that is, andycove. DR. COSGRAVE strongly urged the importance of not carrying out new rainage into the sea, but of substituting precipitation as used so successlly at Drumcondra, and as about to be introduced in Dublin. At landudno the drainage is successful-for Llandudno, but not for the onway estuary, which, fortunately, is not fringed by houses as Kingswn and Dalkey are. Messrs. Parry and Adeney's method seems the ost promising. DR. PARSONS asked if any bacteriological investigation of the effluent quid after precipitation had been made, and if so with what result? MR. FLINN replied in the negative. Thursday, March 3, 1892. The PRESIDENT in the Chair. he Present Position of Dispensary Medical Officers in Ireland, and Suggestions for the Removal of their Just Grievances. DR. THOS. DONNELLY read a paper on the present position of dispensary edical officers in Ireland, and suggestions for the removal of their just ievances. [It will be found at page 275.] |