XII PROCEEDINGS FOR 1914 



they had to be amputated. The hemmorrhage and shock of this 

 accident proved the turning point. His disease lighted up again, and 

 steadily progressed to the fatal termination upon June 13th 1913. 



Dr. Alcock was a genial companion, with a well-marked sense 

 of humor and an alert mind, combining the combativeness of the 

 north with that debonair attitude towards life which we are so 

 accustomed to associate with the south of Ireland. His bravery 

 was well shown by the gallant fight he put up against his illness up 

 to the very last moment, in which he was ably supported by his de- 

 voted wife. 



Dying at the age of forty-two, a college professor has little op- 

 portunity to provide for his widow and small family. Dr. Alcock's 

 friends in England and Canada have raised a fund of £3000 towards 

 the education of the four children, while recognizing his services to 

 Education in England Mr. Asquith has afforded Mrs. Alcock a pension 

 out of the Civil Service Fund. 



Among his more important contributions to scientific literature 

 may be mentioned researches upon electro-motive force of the negative 

 variation of the vagus and other nerves under the respiration stimulus 

 (in Pfluger's Archiv) ; upon fatigue in nerve and the velocity of the 

 nervous impulse in tall and short people (Proceedings of the Royal 

 Society, Vols. 73, 77, 78) ; numerous papers on the physical, chemical, 

 and electrical properties of nerves (Journal of Physiology) ; chapters 

 on the physiology of nerves ("in Further Advances in Physiology"); 

 "The Accurate Dosage of Chloroform by means of a Regulating In- 

 haler" (already noted); articles upon "Muscarine," "Carpain", &c; 

 Textbook of Experimental Physiology, with F. O'B. Ellison, M.D., 

 London, J. & A. Churchill, 1909.* 



IV. — Poisonous Matches. 



One of the most important subjects dealt with at our last annual 

 meeting was the use of poisonous phosphorus in the manufacture of 

 matches. A very large delegation from the Society waited on the 

 Hon. Thomas Crothers, Minister of Labour, on Saturday November 

 22nd. The Minister gave the delegation a very attentive hearing 

 and promised consideration. It is understood that a Bill has passed 

 through Parliament to prevent the use of poisonous phosphorus in 

 the manufacture of matches and will in due course become law. The 



*The main biographical details of this notice were obtained from the British 

 Medical Journal and the St. Mary's Hospital Gazette. 



