185

New Inventions.PERINEAL SPRAY OR DOUCHE.

THIS consists of a flexible metal tube made of pewterwhich can be easily bent into any fixed position. To oneend of this tube is attached a small piece of rubber tubingcarrying a glass nozzle, while the other end, which

--has a stopcock on it, isattached by rubber tubingto the ordinary douchecan. The whole apparatus,which can

be readilysterilised by boiling, isattached bymeans of a

slidingbracket toone of the lithotomyuprights. Saline or anti-

septic fluid is run throughthe apparatus from thedouche can and the nowis easily regulated by thestopcock. If the operation is in the region of the anus thepewter tube is so bent that the glass nozzle points downwardsand impinges on the central point of the perineum. If theoperation is on the vulva the nozzle is fixed just below thesymphysis pubis. From these points the regulated streamof fluid washes away all blood, gives the surgeon a clearview of the field of operation, and saves an assistant fromconstantly swabbing the wound, and to a certain extent

injuring the tissues. It has been found especially useful inoperating on haemorrhoids by Whitehead’s method. This

apparatus, which is shown in the illustration, was designedby me five years ago at the request of the late Sir FrederickWallis. It has been in use at St. Mark’s Hospital since thattime and has given the utmost satisfaction. Care must betaken in bending the pewter tube to do so always at thenozzle end and not near the joint at the bracket.The apparatus is made by Messrs. Allen and Hanburys,

Limited, Wigmore-street, London, W.Harley-street,W. H. GRAEME ANDERSON, F.R.C.S.Eng.H. GRAEME ANDERSON, F.R.C.S. Eng.

DECEMBER, 1913, AT HOME AND ABROAD.

The TVeather at Home.

UNTIL after the middle of the month the weather was

unusually mild for the time of the year throughout theBritish Islands, the wind being constantly between south-west and west, and often blowing a gale on various parts ofthe coast and sometimes with considerable force inland.

During the latter part of the period, however, the windshifted round to north-west and north, and very occasionallydied out altogether, the effect on the temperature beingmost marked. In the northern half of the kingdom thefrost was intense, and in the south and south-east thethermometer left its springlike level for a few degrees belowthe freezing point. The mean temperature for the wholemonth was, nevertheless, above the average for December inalmost all parts of the kingdom. A mild December generallymeans a wet one, but last month formed an exception,as the total rainfall was below the normal, the deficit

being very large in many districts. In the metropolitanarea, at Kew, the mean maximum temperature was 45’ 50,an excess on the average of 1 - 80, while the mean minimumwas 38°, an excess of 3°. The first fortnight saw thesheltered thermometer rise to 50° or above on several occasions,the highest figure being 540 on the 12th, but after the 22ndit seldom rose to 40°, and the minimum readings weremostly below 320, the lowest of all being 280 on Christmasmorning. The rainfall, which was just below an inch, fellon 14 days, and was just an inch below the normal, whilethe sun, which only shone on 14 days, yielded a total of 41

hours, an excess of 5 hours. Nottingham and Bath wereboth nearly 2° colder at night than Kew, and the formerwas slightly colder during the daytime also. Bath, how-ever, with a mean maximum of 470, had warmer days thanthe metropolitan station. The extreme south-west of Englandmaintained its reputation for mildness and equability. At

Newquay the mean maximum was 48 20, and the mean mini-mum 42.7°, while at Torquay the corresponding figures were49° and 41.5°. The Scilly and Channel Isles were milderstill. At both places the mean afternoon maximum was 50°and the mean mininum of the nights about 43°. The southcoast, as represented by Brighton and Bournemouth, had amean maximum of 470, while the minimum was 40° at

Brighton and 390 at Bournemouth. The duration of sun-shine varied a good deal in different parts of the kingdom.In the Midlands there was little, the figure at Nottinghambeing only 15 hours, or no more than half the normal, butBath had 45 hours, Newquay 47 hours, and Scilly 41hours. Brighton, Jersey, Torquay, and especially Bourne-mouth, were more sunny, the general figure beingabout 55 hours, and that at Bournemouth exceeding60 hours. The rainfall varied considerably in the south-west. At Torquay, where the total was 2.1 in., therewere only nine rain days, but at Newquay the total

equalled 3-9 in., and was contributed by as many as 18 days.Scilly had 20 rain days, giving an aggregate of 3-9 in., andJersey 15 days, with a total of 3.5 in. All these totals arebelow the normal, that at Torquay being 2 in. below. Thefrost at the end of the month was felt along the south andsouth-west coasts generally, but at Scilly and Jersey thesheltered thermometer fell no lower than 33°.

The Weather Abroad.

On the continent the weather was not cold for December,but colder than in the south and south-west of England. AtParis, Brussels, and Berlin the mean maximum temperaturewas 420 or 430, and the mean minimum 330 at Paris, 340 atBrussels, and 350 at Berlin. The most severe frost was

experienced in the eastern and central parts of France. AtParis the thermometer in the screen descended to 18° on the22nd and 23rd, and to 22° on the 24th and 31st, and atBrussels it went nearly as low on the same dates.Berlin, however, was not so cold, the lowest tem-

perature being 210 on the 19th. Berlin was, never-

theless, more wintry at the end of the month, whenan unusually heavy fall of snow occurred. During themonth as a whole Berlin had been rainy, the gauge yieldingat least as much as 0-04 in. on no less than 20 days,amounting to an aggregate of 4’ 6 in. At Paris, on the otherhand, there were only eight days with rain, giving a total of2. 6 in., and at Brussels 18 days, with a similar total. Manydays at the French capital were sunless, and the totalnumber of hours for the month was no more than 46 hours.The extreme south-east and south-west of France, as repre-sented by Nice and Biarritz, were colder at night than thesouth-west of England, both resorts having a mean minimumtemperature of 40°. The days were, however, warmer, themean maximum at Nice being 540 and that at Biarritz 49°.Neither place entirely escaped the frost at the endof the month, although its visitation was transitory.At Nice the month generally was bright and sunny.Only six days brought rain, and the total fall was

no more than 0- 7 in., but at Biarritz rain fell on twiceas many days and gave a total three times as large.Throughout Italy the weather was mostly fine, but frost wasexperienced at times as far south as Rome, and the tempera-ture of the northern half of the country was usually lowerthan on the Riviera. Even Naples had some cold days,although as a rule the temperature was about midwaybetween 50° and 600 during the afternoon. Madeiraremained unaffected by the cold snap that visited the southof Europe. At Funchal the sheltered thermometer rose to70° or higher on no less than 18 days, and fell no lower than570 on as many nights. The mean maximum temperaturewas as high as 690 and the mean minimum 570. Theweather was also very fine as well as warm. On only fivedays was there rain, and the total fall, 2 - 0 in., was nearlyall contributed by the 21st and 26th. Comparing theDecember mean temperature with that in the south of

England, it may be said that Funchal was as warm as

Brighton is in an average June during the day, and aboutas warm as an average July at night.