?94 



NA TURE 



[August 26, 1922 



of common cold was an organism of this type, measur- 

 ing 0.2-0.3M in diameter. Dr. Gordon gave an 

 account of his recent researches, which are entirely 

 confirmatory of the view that influenza is similarly 

 due to organisms of this type, which can be obtained 

 from the nasal and pharyngeal secretion during the 

 first three days of the disease, though not later. 



The section of physiology met on two days only, 

 each being taken up mainly with an interesting dis- 

 cussion. The first, on the " Etiology of Rickets," 

 opened bv Dr. Leonard Findlay and Prof. Mellanby, 

 was mainly of medical interest, but it left two distinct 

 impressions on the lay mind : (i) That there is still 

 much difference of opinion in regard to the cause of 

 this blot on the health of our great cities, and perhaps 

 too great a tendency to the belief that one single 

 factor is responsible rather than a complex of factors ; 

 and (2) A strong impression of the valuable return 

 which is bound to accrue to the community through 

 the activities of the Medical Research Council under 

 the guidance of its present secretary. 



The other discussion in this section had for its 

 subject " Basal Metabolism," i.e. the metabolism 

 during complete rest. In his interesting opening 

 address Prof. Cathcart incidentally emphasised the 

 extreme complexitv and elusiveness of the phenomena 

 grouped under that blessed word metabolism — facts 

 which are liable to be accorded insufficient weight by 

 biological writers and teachers. 



One of the most important features of the Glasgow 

 meeting was the discussion which took place on 

 Friday morning, July 28, in the section of medical 

 sociology upon " Alcohol as a Beverage in its relation 

 to certain Social Problems " — a discussion which 

 stood out in strong relief from most discussions on 

 this much discussed subject from its including 

 moderate and calmly reasoned statements from 

 scientific investigations of recognised status. The 

 discussion was opened with an admirable introductory 

 statement by Prof. Mellanby, of Sheffield, in which 

 he laid down the basic facts regarding the physio- 

 logical action of alcohol. As a drug it was to be 

 regarded as a narcotic, acting on the cells of the 

 cerebral cortex and slackening its control and dis- 

 cipline over the lower nerve centres. It was as a 

 narcotic drug that alcohol in small doses found its 

 usefulness in human life, dispersing temporarily 

 worries and troubles, and so facilitating bodily 

 functions that were known to be interfered with by 

 anxiety. As a food the value of alcohol in moderate 

 amounts rested on the fact that it is rapidly absorbed 

 and to the extent of about 98 per cent, oxidised so as 

 to set free heat. Experiment showed that as much 

 as 40 per cent, of the heat lost from the body during 

 a given period could be supplied by alcohol, but the 

 practical utility of this was to a great extent 

 neutralised by the poisonous drug action. Under 

 abnormal conditions, however, such as those of 

 Diabetes mellitus, the food value of alcohol in small 

 doses could be utilised to take the place of sugar. Dr. 

 J. T. MacCurdy, of Cornell, speaking as a psychiatrist, 

 emphasised the fact that " the Alcoholic is, before he 

 ever touches a drop, an abnormal person," and also 

 emphasised the great difficulty in carrying out a just 



comparison between the two evils of such abnormality 

 finding expression in alcoholism or in some other form 

 of vice or crime. From the purely scientific point of 

 view one of the most interesting contributions to the 

 debate was that from Prof. C. R. Stockard, of Cornell 

 Medical College, which told of his experiments, 

 extending over a long series of years, on the influence 

 of alcohol in causing abnormalities of developing eggs 

 and embryos. His experiments on mammals (Guinea- 

 pig) were of particular interest in demonstrating how 

 heavily dosing the parents with alcohol produces 

 marked effects in diminishing fertility, in increasing 

 pre-natal and early post-natal mortality, and in 

 causing defectiveness of the offspring. If we are 

 justified, as no doubt we are, in extending Stockard's 

 results to man, we are afforded incidentally a fine 

 illustration of natural selection at work in the civilised 

 community — for these individuals that are afflicted 

 with the particular form of " unfitness " that finds its 

 superficial expression in drunkenness are seen to 

 be subjected to a severe process of weeding-out 

 during fcetal and infantile life which works in the 

 direction of keeping up the standard of the surviving 

 stock. 



It must not be thought that the proceedings of the 

 sections exhausted the activities of the meeting. An 

 admirable " Museum " was got together by Prof. 

 Teacher, while Dr. Dunkerly arranged a micro- 

 biological exhibition, which included beautiful series 

 of Leishmania and of Spirochaetes exhibited by Sir 

 Win. Leishman, and Dr. Connal's series of develop- 

 mental stages of Loa loa in the body of the trans- 

 mitting fly. Numerous interesting demonstrations 

 were given at the afternoon meetings of the various 

 sei iioiis, and the meetings concluded on Friday 

 evening, July 28, with the " popular " lecture — 

 entitled " The Physician — Naturalist, Teacher, Bene- 

 factor " — delivered to a large audience by Prof. 

 Graham Kerr. 



The gold medal of the Association was presented to 

 the Right Hon. Sir. T. Clifford Allbutt and to Lieut. - 

 Col. A. Martin-Leake at the general meeting on the 

 evening of July 25. The presentations were made by 

 the president on rjehalf of the association. The medal 

 for distinguished merit was instituted by the associa- 

 tion at its annual meeting in Manchester in 1877. 

 The medal is awarded on the recommendation of the 

 Council to some person who shall have conspicuously 

 raised the character of the medical profession by 

 scientific work, by extraordinary professional services, 

 or by special services rendered to the association. 

 On this occasion the medal was in each case accom- 

 panied by a testimonial or address stating the grounds 

 of the award. 



The Stewart Prize of the Association was presented 

 to Dr. J. C. McVail at the same meeting on July 25. 

 The prize was founded by the late Dr. Alexander 

 Patrick Stewart, who was among the earliest to give 

 attention to sanitary questions and also to distinguish 

 between typhus and typhoid fever. The primary 

 object of the Stewart Prize is to afford recognition 

 of important work already done or of researches 

 instituted and promising good results regarding the 

 origin, spread, and prevention of epidemic diseases. 



Broadcasting in America. 



ML. A. P. M. FLEMING, manager of the research 

 and education departments of the Metro- 

 politan-Yickers Electrical Co., Ltd., who has been 

 closely identified with the development of radio 

 broadcasting in Great Britain, recently attended a 

 conference of the American Institute of Electrical 

 Engineers at Niagara Falls as a representative of the 



British Institution of Electrical Engineers and the 

 British National Committee of the International 

 Electrotechnical Commission. He took advantage 

 of the opportunity while in America to make a close 

 investigation of the position of radio telephony 

 extending over a period of two months, and, in 

 addition, studied the trend of public taste and opinion 



NO. 2756, VOL. I io] 



