1762 The German 4mbclances with the Boers. ago Dr. Lostorfer caused an animated controversy among the his of A second letter from Dr. Hildebrandt, one of the German leading histologists by alleged discovery specific the of but on medical officers to the Red Cross ambulances with the Boer corpuscles in blood syphilitic patieats, the occasion he did not mention whether his army, has been in the Miinchener Medicinische present recently published discovered were similar to those found before Woehensek’l’ift. In this communication, which was dated corpuscles June llth. from Pretoria on April 7tb, he referred to the occurrences after the capture of Jacobsdal by the British troops, a turn of events with which he was well satisfied, not only because the ambulance had then plenty of work, but also because the British authorities were much more agreeable to deal with Obituary. than the Boers. The members of the ambulance had to pay for food and, in fact, for everything they’ GEORGE EDWARD WILLIAMSON, F.R.C.S.Exs. wanted, and they were hindered in every way when DEATH has been in the ranks of the medical they made requests for the sake of the wounded., very busy The British authorities, on the other hand, met their wishesprofession at Newcastle-upon-Tyne during the last 12 months, as much as possible. One of the surgeons and two attendantsseven well-known medical men having died. The latest of caught enteric fever. After the battles near Jacobsdal thethese is Mr. G. E. Williamson who succumbed to an acute ambulance had to for about 120 wounded the provide soldiers, attack of on June 6th. On serious but it pleuro-pneumonia Wednesday, majority being cases, fortunately happened the Mr. Williamson did his work in the that the wounds inflicted modern rifle-bullets . previous Thursday by required in his usual health. Befo.,e operation only very seldom ; wounds of the brain, however, Royal Infirmary, apparently the institution, however, he to his house where suppuration often ensued had to be operated on in leaving complained of not well, and on arrival at his house in many instances. The majority of intestinal wounds healed surgeon feeling Eldon-square he had a rigor and retired to bed. Dr. D. by conservative treatment. The ambulance received not, Drummond saw him the same and found him to be only Boers but also British officers and men. evening June llth. suffering from an attack of pneumonia which ran a very acute course and terminated fatally on the sixth day. Throughout his illness he was most assiduously attended VIENNA. by his old friend Dr. Drummond and by Dr. J. D. Wardale, who for some years has acted as his assistant in the (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ophthalmic department of the Royal Infirmary. Mr. Williamson was born at North Shields 48 years ago The Bacillus of Hospital Gangrene. and received his medical education at the London Hospital, where he was a student and held several AT a recent of the Vienna of distinguished meeting Society Physicians resident He also studied for a time in Paris. there was an discussion on the of appointments. interesting Etiology In 1874 he received the of M.R.C.S. and in It was introduced a com- diploma Eng, Hospital Gangrene. by paper 1875 that of in 1878 he was admitted municated Dr. Matzenauer, an assistant in Professor L.S.A. ; F.R.C.S. Eng. by He came to Newcastle to be house in the Neumann’s clinic for and dermatology, who surgeon Royal syphilis Infirmary and was assistant to the late Mr. stated that he had observed 22 cases of gan- subsequently hospital until in 1879 he commenced on his own situated on the and On micro- Heath, practice grene penis prepuce. account as an He had shown examination he found that the ulcers showed ophthalmic surgeon. already scopical his inclination towards this branch of work an inflammation necrosis of professional causing early coagulation - while the Moorfields, the tissues. In all these cases, at attending Royal Ophthalmic Hospital, especially the and he made a which led to his of the inflamed and the necrotic there eventually reputation being junction tissues, to the and was a bacillus which could be stained appointed ophthalmic surgeon Royal Infirmary by Weigert’s lecturer in in the of Durham method and seemed to be anaerobic. Cultures of the physiology University College of Medicine in Newcastle. On the death of Professor bacillus could be obtained with and inocula- only difficulty Arnison a few months Mr. Williamson became the tion did not result. Dr. Matzenauer ago experiments give any of Professor F. in the chair of and out that these ulcers did not colleague Page surgery pointed gangrenous produce any was to the time of his death in his of the Some of the engaged up conducting enlargement inguinal glands. speakers class. were of that the cases not to be called operative surgery opinion ought hospital He was till and treasurer a disease which had been seen for the quite recently honorary secretary gangrene, hardly of the North of Branch of the British Medical last 30 It was, therefore, that no less England years. improbable Association and a of the branch on the than 22 cases of that extinct disease should have occurred in representative General Council of the Association. At the of the one ward of the clinic in the course of the last three meeting years, Association in Newcastle in 1893 he over the section and the of the was that the cases presided general opinion meeting of his address at the of the section described Dr. Matzenauer were Ophthalmology, opening by merely phagedenic on the refraction and medical chancres and ulcers. On the other it was admitted being subjects of testing band, education in Mr. Williamson was connected that the ulcers described him showed the clinical ophthalmology. by signs for 12 as with the Northern attributed to various and that years honorary surgeon hospital gangrene by authors, Counties Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and he took a as the bacillus discovered him was found in all the cases by very active interest in the Surgical Aid Society. The it might be the cause of the disease, even the experi- though deceased was held in the highest esteem by his medical ments made on animals gave no result. colleagues as well as by a wide circle of friends in the city, Pecoliar CO’l’jmscles in the Blood of Syphilitic Persons. and much sympathy is felt for his widow and five young Dr. Lostorfer of Vienna has published a preliminary com- sons. The funeral took place on June 9th at St. Andrew’s munication in which he states that some days after the Cemetery, Moor Edge, in presence of a numerous appearance of a chancre, but before the coming out of the assemblage. syphilitic eruption, small round corpuscles of the size of the blood-granules, having a peculiar lustre, are to be found in the blood of the patients. These THOMAS FITZ-PATRICK, M.D., M.A. DuB., corpuscles M.D. M.R.C.P. LONa. aggregate after some hours in groups of from two to 20, CANTAB., forming oblong bodies. After three days they begin to DR. THOMAS FITZ-PATRICK of 30, Sussex-gardens, Hyde when mercurial treatment has been disappear, especially Park, W., whose death is announced, was a distinguished and after 20 or 25 inunc’ions can no commenced, they graduate of Dublin University, obtaining his M.D. degree longer be found. Dr. Lostorfer could not find these cor- in 1862 and his M.A. in 1864. He was admitted M.D. of puscles either in the blood of healthy persons or in that of patients suffering from other diseases than syphilis. Pro- Cambridge in 1867 and 11LR.C.P. Lond. in 1868. In 1856, fessor Paltauf confirmed this statement of Dr. Lostorfer ; the same year in which he was awarded the silver medal of he said that these corpuscles were not stained with the the Pathological Society of Dublin for his work on " Chronic ordinary staining solutions ; they became more visible on Diseases of the Liver," he indicated his future suc- the addition of acetic acid, and he believed that they were cesses in his profession by passing, at a competitive products secreted by tissues or coagula, but be could not examination,I for the post of assistant surgeon in the state if they had a specific character. More than 20 yearsI’service of the Honourable East India Company. His 1763 health, however, soon broke down and after practising spectacles, a fact which was often the cause of injury to for some years in Ireland he settled to private practice their eyesight. He therefore gave out that he would supply in London. He married in 1865 Agnes Letitia, youngest any applicant whom he considered deserving with a pair of daughter of the late William Robinson, LL.D., of Totten- spectacles, and in addition he personally saw the applicants ham, Middlesex, of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-law, J.P., and tested their sight. He was a firm supporter of the local and deputy-lieutenant of the county. He became a Fellow cottage hospital and dispensary, the former of which institu- of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and served as tions was mainly founded by members of his family. a member of its council in 1894-95 ; he was also a member of the Clinical Society of London. Dr. Fitz-Patrick was, DEATHS OF EMIB’E1T FOREIGN MEDICAL MEN.-The however, far more than a talented physician.