LONDON TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18906, 22 January 1927, Page 4

LONDON TOPICS.

TWO MEDICAL DISCOVERIES.

THE POPULAR PRINCE. (SPECIALLY WBITTEB FOE THZ PBESS.) (By DR. A. J. HAEEOP.) B LONDON, December 14. Keports of two important medical j discoveries have created great interest c during the past week. The work of M. Spahlinger on tuberculosis is well known i New Zealand, where the Government lias been ever ready to help any move- ( ment which seemed likely to tend to remove the white scourge. In this I country M. Spahlinger has been the sub- J ject of violent controversy. Much of j this has been caused by the scientist's own methods. He seems to be tho- ] roughly unpractical, though by many he is accused of mercenary aims in his ! work. The latest development he an- ] nounces, after official tests, is the discovery of a method of immunising cat- 1 tie which will be practicable on a large scale at a cheap rate. The significance of this discovery was pointed out to ] me by Sir Bruce Bruce-Porter, the well-known London physician, who has ; himself visited Spahlinger's laboratories ! and investigated his experiments upon cows. He stated that if immunisation j of cattle was carried out on a large , scale, it would not be loner before surgi- ■ cal tubercle, which is always bovine tubercle, would completely disappear and tuberculosis would become a disease of the past. Cows, live relatively a short time, and with all the new generations immunised, the great object for which scientists have long been striving would be attained. From the immediate result of preventing tuberculosis in cows alone, the discovery lay be regarded as of the highest importance. Sir Bruce BrucePorter remarked that livestock generally got more attention than human beings, and that this fact would secure attention for the discovery which It would probably not otherwise have obtained. As it is now, when live cattle ' arc exported from this country to the Argentine, for example, they have to be insured against the development of tuberculosis during the voyage. The fee paid is a considerable one and would pay the cost of immunisation many times over. Details of M. Spahlinger's discovery and news of the steps which the Governments of the world intend to take to make it available for their farmers will be awaited with the greatest interest. Synthetic Thyroxin. The-Avorld has heard much in recent years of tho thyroid gland, the deficiency of which in a human being may ' ..be the cause of dwarfishness or imbecility. It has been possible by supplying thyroid gland from sheep to cure apparently hopeless cases of imbecility, while many women who appear worn out after the age of 50 are restored to healtU by its influence. That such a substance should be produced in a test tube might seem impossible, but it has been done, and to University College Hospital Medical School, London, falls the honour of winning an international race to be the first to produce thyroxin synthetically. Dr. C. R. Harrington is the successful scientist. A Cambridge graduate and • only 28, he has spent years in research on this subject. It is an open secret that if succesß had fallen to his German cdnrr/etitors 'the preparation would have been patented, but I am assured on good authority that there will be no question of this in Dr. Harrington's case.. The synthetic thyroxin will be available freely to all workers. Its great advantage over the present product will be its uniform standard. At present the health of the sheep . and other factors cause the standard to vary considerably. fThe new product will also be cheaper than -that at present in use. Its discovery points the way to the syn- ' thetic production of insulin, which would be even more valuable. . The Prince of Wales. : The Prince of Wales has been much in the limelight recently, especially after a'surprise visit which he paid to the East End to attend a concert of the British Legion (a body corresponding to the Returned Soldiers' Association) in Stepney Green. The Prince is at his best at such informal gatherings. Not unnaturally, formal ceremonies have lost any attraction they might once have had for him.- At Stepney, he met all sorts and conditions of men and women, spoke with them about their troubles, and revealed himself as one who had an abundant sympathy for those not as well off as himself. When a local Councillor, ' who is licensee of a tavern close by ■• the hall where the concert was held, asked him to go over for a drink, the ■ Prince's reply was perfectly natural and unaffected: "Right, but I should like some coffee first." So far perhaps tl. first time the Prince got right among the people who make the real East End, and it is safe to say that however disconcerting it might to those who advocate prohibition, the visit will have the most important results. The divine , right of Kings has few advocates in thee, lays and the monarchy needs the strong prop of affection if it is to withstand the F forces which a*e undoubtedly- trying to undermine it in this country, ns in so many others. Another member of the Royal Family, Princess Mary, gave the support of her presence to an entertainment whose object was to help provide Christmas stockings for men disabled in the war who are still being treated m hospitals. It-is astonishing that, for tne ninth Christmas since the war, there should still be 15,000 such cases in Great Britain. The work of the "Not Forgotten" Association is carried on throughout the year. By means of concert parties and outings of ' ******* kinds, the men are shown that their sacrifice has not been forgotten. At Christmas some special effort m tnis connexion is natural, and a gift of £IOOO from Ceylon has helped the Association considerably to effect its obiect At '<? cntertammen 1 , Mr ton- - est Mackinlay, the New Zealand tenor. Aho serve in the war and was gassed, sang.two songs which were very warm 1 V applauded. In introducing him M Hansell, who was formerly tutor of the Prince of Wales, said that he wouW bring a breath of fresh air from Ne« Zealand, and he certainly did so.