heroism of a "ship's doctor."
TRANSCRIPT
422 HEROISM OF A "SHIP’S DOCTOR."HEROISM OF A "SHIP’S DOCTOR."
things, and I have been often personal, but I hope neverscurrilous. Nevertheless, to work with St. George’s men inSt. George’s Hospital has occupied the pleasantest hours of mylife. I thank you most sincerely for the honour and kindnessyou have shown me to-day in accompanying me round thewards for the last time in such numbers ; but I am not goingto be sentimental, gentlemen, so I wish you all farewell, andthank you once again for your kindly God-speed. Good-bye."Dr. Isambard Owen, the present dean of the school, hasbeen elected physician to St. George’s Hospital in the placeof Dr. W. Howship Dickinson; and Dr. Lee Dickinson, the sonof the retiring senior physician, has been elected assistantphysician. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, a vice-presidentof the hospital, has accepted the presidency of a com-mittee which has been formed to present a testimonial toDr. Dickinson on his retirement.
things, and I have been often personal, but I hope neverscurrilous. Nevertheless, to work with St. George’s men inSt. George’s Hospital has occupied the pleasantest hours of mylife. I thank you most sincerely for the honour and kindnessyou have shown me to-day in accompanying me round thewards for the last time in such numbers ; but I am not goingto be sentimental, gentlemen, so I wish you all farewell, andthank you once again for your kindly God-speed. Good-bye."Dr. Isambard Owen, the present dean of the school, hasbeen elected physician to St. George’s Hospital in the placeof Dr. W. Howship Dickinson; and Dr. Lee Dickinson, the sonof the retiring senior physician, has been elected assistantphysician. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, a vice-presidentof the hospital, has accepted the presidency of a com-mittee which has been formed to present a testimonial toDr. Dickinson on his retirement.
HEROISM OF A "SHIP’S DOCTOR."
IN the published narrative of the recent dangerous voyageof the Atlantic liner Cereccn no point is more striking thanthe credit given, and apparently with justice, to the ship’ssurgeon, Dr. Smith of Uddingston, near Glasgow. When inthe gales which have lately prevailed the ship’s stoke-holdwas flooded, the furnaces were extinguished, the enginesstopped, and the leak steadily gaining, the entire ship’screw and passengers being kept steadily night and day at thepumps, the "doctor" seems to have exercised quite an unusual
degree of influence over those who for the time were underhis orders. It is not often that medical heroism is thus
acknowledged :-" At this work [pumping] we continued thewhole afternoon and evening. Knocking off at 10 P. M. weformed ourselves into watches under the doctor and purserrespectively, and then worked at the pumps with a will.All the afternoon and evening of Wednesday and till earlymorning on Thursday did we passengers work methodicallyin gangs under the bossing of the doctor, a young fellow ofsplendid pluck and endurance, though he looked not over-strong. His duty was to beat us up at every spell, and as hewent about dressed like a collier or a fireman his own motherwould not have known him. Under his leadership Jewworked with Gentile, Irishman rubbed shoulders with Pole,the Pole with the Yankee, the Yankee with the Dane, andthe Dane with the German, and so on. No male passengerwas allowed to rest, and at every spell the doctor had to huntthem up to take to the pumps again, seemingly much againsthis will, as all were thoroughly done up. It was pitiful to
- see the engine-room as the men lay around in heaps asleep,waiting to be aroused when their turn came to go back to thepumps again."
-
IN the published narrative of the recent dangerous voyageof the Atlantic liner Cereccn no point is more striking thanthe credit given, and apparently with justice, to the ship’ssurgeon, Dr. Smith of Uddingston, near Glasgow. When inthe gales which have lately prevailed the ship’s stoke-holdwas flooded, the furnaces were extinguished, the enginesstopped, and the leak steadily gaining, the entire ship’screw and passengers being kept steadily night and day at thepumps, the "doctor" seems to have exercised quite an unusual
degree of influence over those who for the time were underhis orders. It is not often that medical heroism is thus
acknowledged :-" At this work [pumping] we continued thewhole afternoon and evening. Knocking off at 10 P. M. weformed ourselves into watches under the doctor and purserrespectively, and then worked at the pumps with a will.All the afternoon and evening of Wednesday and till earlymorning on Thursday did we passengers work methodicallyin gangs under the bossing of the doctor, a young fellow ofsplendid pluck and endurance, though he looked not over-strong. His duty was to beat us up at every spell, and as hewent about dressed like a collier or a fireman his own motherwould not have known him. Under his leadership Jewworked with Gentile, Irishman rubbed shoulders with Pole,the Pole with the Yankee, the Yankee with the Dane, andthe Dane with the German, and so on. No male passengerwas allowed to rest, and at every spell the doctor had to huntthem up to take to the pumps again, seemingly much againsthis will, as all were thoroughly done up. It was pitiful to
- see the engine-room as the men lay around in heaps asleep,waiting to be aroused when their turn came to go back to thepumps again."
-
THE FUNGUS KINGDOM.
ON the 12th, 14th, and 16th of the present month ProfessorCharles B. Plowright gave, in the theatre of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons, three lectures on the Structure, Development,and Varieties of Fungi. Professor Plowright has previouslygiven some valuable lectures on the subject of fungi as food-stuffs, a report of which will be found in THE LANCET ofFeb. llth, 1893. We can give in this place only a baresummary of the lectures. At the present time studentsof natural science are expected to possess a certain
amount of knowledge of the life-history of fungi, whereaswithin a recent period the mycologists in the United Kingdomcould be counted on the fingers. The terminology of thesubject is probably too elaborate, and it is in this way thatthe science is hindered rather than helped. The most triflingmodification in structure and the minute variations in themanner of growth of plants are frequently designated, byseveral names. The mere ability to learn the meaning of thevarious botanical terms does not make the student a botanist.
After giving an outline of the various structures of which
ON the 12th, 14th, and 16th of the present month ProfessorCharles B. Plowright gave, in the theatre of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons, three lectures on the Structure, Development,and Varieties of Fungi. Professor Plowright has previouslygiven some valuable lectures on the subject of fungi as food-stuffs, a report of which will be found in THE LANCET ofFeb. llth, 1893. We can give in this place only a baresummary of the lectures. At the present time studentsof natural science are expected to possess a certain
amount of knowledge of the life-history of fungi, whereaswithin a recent period the mycologists in the United Kingdomcould be counted on the fingers. The terminology of thesubject is probably too elaborate, and it is in this way thatthe science is hindered rather than helped. The most triflingmodification in structure and the minute variations in themanner of growth of plants are frequently designated, byseveral names. The mere ability to learn the meaning of thevarious botanical terms does not make the student a botanist.
After giving an outline of the various structures of which
fungi are formed and the principal modes in which their
spores are produced. Professor Plowright described thephycomycetes, or moulds, a group insignificant in appearanceand size, but which contain amongst their members someof the most interesting of the fungi, possessing in manyinstances the highest and most complex methods of spore-formation, culminating in the sexually produced spore. Theyinclude both saprophytic and parasitic species; amongstthe latter are the fungi which produce salmon disease, thepotato disease, and a condition known to gardeners as the"damping off of seedlings." On the human body favus andringworm are conditions too well known to need more thanallusion. Of the last-named disease, which is now known to.be caused by at least two species of trichophyton, differingvery markedly in the size of their spores, it was suggestedas probable that further research would show that other
species existed as human parasites, judging from the analogyof what happens with the parasitic fungi on plants. In the
second lecture the axomycetes were dealt with. Some>botanists include with these fungi the sacebarorayees,one member of which (Oidium albicans) was familiar.
Many plant diseases are caused by axomycetous fungi,such as the hop and vine mildews, the peach"blister"-an affection which is very destructive to the
foliage of our peach trees,-the so-called "pocket" or"bladder plumbs," the canker of our apple trees, the larchdisease, and the caterpillar Sphæria. Ergot was also derivedfrom this growth. The lecture concluded with an account ofthe remarkable family of lichen-forming fungi. The thirdlecture was on the Basidiomyces, amongst whose memberswe find those important plant parasites, the uredineæ and
ustilagineæ, the factors which produce the familiar diseases..
of our cereals-rust, mildew, smut, and bunt. The large:family of the hymenomycetes, of which the mushroom is themost highly esteemed member, in our country at any rate,was also discussed. After an account of the gasteromycetes,
E or pufE-balls, the nidulanese and the phalloidei, the lecture.
-
concluded with an account of that remarbable family of fungi, the myxomycetes, in the life-history of which so manypoints of resemblance to animal organisms are found that.
even the name mycetozoa has been suggested for them.
fungi are formed and the principal modes in which their
spores are produced. Professor Plowright described thephycomycetes, or moulds, a group insignificant in appearanceand size, but which contain amongst their members someof the most interesting of the fungi, possessing in manyinstances the highest and most complex methods of spore-formation, culminating in the sexually produced spore. Theyinclude both saprophytic and parasitic species; amongstthe latter are the fungi which produce salmon disease, thepotato disease, and a condition known to gardeners as the"damping off of seedlings." On the human body favus andringworm are conditions too well known to need more thanallusion. Of the last-named disease, which is now known to.be caused by at least two species of trichophyton, differingvery markedly in the size of their spores, it was suggestedas probable that further research would show that other
species existed as human parasites, judging from the analogyof what happens with the parasitic fungi on plants. In the
second lecture the axomycetes were dealt with. Some>botanists include with these fungi the sacebarorayees,one member of which (Oidium albicans) was familiar.
Many plant diseases are caused by axomycetous fungi,such as the hop and vine mildews, the peach"blister"-an affection which is very destructive to the
foliage of our peach trees,-the so-called "pocket" or"bladder plumbs," the canker of our apple trees, the larchdisease, and the caterpillar Sphæria. Ergot was also derivedfrom this growth. The lecture concluded with an account ofthe remarkable family of lichen-forming fungi. The thirdlecture was on the Basidiomyces, amongst whose memberswe find those important plant parasites, the uredineæ and
ustilagineæ, the factors which produce the familiar diseases..
of our cereals-rust, mildew, smut, and bunt. The large:family of the hymenomycetes, of which the mushroom is themost highly esteemed member, in our country at any rate,was also discussed. After an account of the gasteromycetes,
E or pufE-balls, the nidulanese and the phalloidei, the lecture.
-
concluded with an account of that remarbable family of fungi, the myxomycetes, in the life-history of which so manypoints of resemblance to animal organisms are found that.
even the name mycetozoa has been suggested for them.
THE DANGERS OF OUR CALLING.
IT is with sorrow that we add to our annals of misfortuneanother record of a promising career cut short by one of therisks attached to the work of our profession. Mr. Lewis
Burrow, a most able and painstaking senior student of
St. Thomas’s Hospital, while acting as post-mortem clerk ina case of suppurative peritonitis on the lst inst., infected a.small scratch upon the forefinger of his left hand. The place>was carefully cleaned and no further trouble was anticipated,but on the third day pain and tenderness were felt in the-forearm, extending to the axilla, and the temperature rose to103° F. at night. At this time the original point of inocula-tion was quite healed, and there were no signs of lymph*
, angeitis or enlargement of glands. He was admitted into>
C the hospital under the care of Mr. Anderson on the 4th., A puffy swelling had then appeared over the left axilla, with
extreme tenderness to touch and severe pain on moving-i the shoulder; there was high fever, the temperature rising-
to 104° in the evening, but the pulse was strong and the:i tongue clean. Free incisions were made into the swollens parts, but without reaching any collection of pus. During;t the next two days the oedema spread to the neck and side of
the chest, the affected area being acutely tender, but still!without any sign of suppuration. The bowels, previouslyconstipated, were acted upon, a very offensive motion being:evacuated. On the 7th a low delirium set in and evidences
. of pleurisy appeared, first on the left side and subse--
a quently on the right. The fever began to assume a typhoid
IT is with sorrow that we add to our annals of misfortuneanother record of a promising career cut short by one of therisks attached to the work of our profession. Mr. Lewis
Burrow, a most able and painstaking senior student of
St. Thomas’s Hospital, while acting as post-mortem clerk ina case of suppurative peritonitis on the lst inst., infected a.small scratch upon the forefinger of his left hand. The place>was carefully cleaned and no further trouble was anticipated,but on the third day pain and tenderness were felt in the-forearm, extending to the axilla, and the temperature rose to103° F. at night. At this time the original point of inocula-tion was quite healed, and there were no signs of lymph*
, angeitis or enlargement of glands. He was admitted into>
C the hospital under the care of Mr. Anderson on the 4th., A puffy swelling had then appeared over the left axilla, with
extreme tenderness to touch and severe pain on moving-i the shoulder; there was high fever, the temperature rising-
to 104° in the evening, but the pulse was strong and the:i tongue clean. Free incisions were made into the swollens parts, but without reaching any collection of pus. During;t the next two days the oedema spread to the neck and side of
the chest, the affected area being acutely tender, but still!without any sign of suppuration. The bowels, previouslyconstipated, were acted upon, a very offensive motion being:evacuated. On the 7th a low delirium set in and evidences
. of pleurisy appeared, first on the left side and subse--
a quently on the right. The fever began to assume a typhoid