282 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

the time would be proportionately cut down. So farthere will be little occasion for divergent views,and we cannot help feeling that in this respect Dr.Hamilton must have misread her authorities. Manypeople however derive their ideas about the dangerof carbon monoxide from the study of equilibriumcurves showing the saturation of blood with CO whenequilibrium is established with atmospheres of givencomposition. They forget that to produce a givenequilibrium you must, in theory, breathe for an

infinite time and, in practice, often for a long time.The amount absorbed per minute is the ruling factor.

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE HISTORY

OF MEDICINE

THE tenth International Congress of the Historyof Medicine will be held in Madrid from Sept. 23rdto 29th, 1935, and’ already an official programmehas been outlined. Three subjects will be discussedin plenary session-viz., Arab medicine in Spain,early medicine in America, and medical folk-loreas evidenced in civilised communities. It will beseen that already the organisation committee of theCongress are preparing to discuss the history ofmedicine in a very extensive manner. For earlymedicine in America, while to English-speaking folkthe phrase would generally imply the rise of medicinein the United States and Canada, to the Spaniardit may imply this much, but he will certainly thinkalso of the paramount influence of Spain in thediffusion of medical knowledge in Mexico and inSouth America. Under the third heading, medicalfolk-lore in civilised communities, opportunity is

given for the display of research into medical historyall the world over. What proportion, for example,of The Golden Bough is related to the investigationof medical superstition or medical accomplishmentit would not be easy to say ; certainly inquiry intomedicine plays an important part throughout SirJames Frazer’s great work. The organisation com-mittee desire to receive communications not neces-sarily directed to any of the official sections, andconferences of various sorts will be arranged by thescientific department of the Congress. The official

languages of the Congress are English, French,German, Italian, and Spanish, and those who wish tobecome adherents or to read papers should com-municate with the scientific secretary, Prof. Jos6Maria de Villa Verde. The president of the Congressis Prof. Gregorio Maranon, and the secretary-general,Prof. Francisco Oliver y Rubio, to whom any questionsmay be addressed at the Palacio de la Academia,Nacional de Medicina, Calle de Arrieta, 12, Madrid.

MEDICINE AS A CAREER

WE have received from the Ministry of Labour apamphlet recently published by the department andforming a chapter in a series devised to affordassistance in the choice of a calling. The work hasbeen compiled by arrangement between the Incor-porated Associations of Headmasters and Head-mistresses of public and secondary schools and theMinistry of Labour, and the information given withregard to the medical profession is well chosen andaccurate. The curriculum of professional studyand of consequent examinations, set out as an

example to readers of what may be demanded ofthem, is that to be followed by the aspirant to thedegree of M.B., B.S. Lond. Here no mention ismade of the fact that, while a large percentageof the medical profession take their place on the

Medical Register as diplomates of the licensingcorporations or bodies, the aspirants to graduationin medicine at a university (and at the Universityof London in particular) often do not complete theacademic course. The advice to those intending toenter general practice is sound, and much disappoint.ment would be avoided if newly qualified men

followed it and took steps to obtain practicalexperience before embarking on the purchase of a

practice, especially of a single-handed practice wherethe support of seniors is not to be obtained. Inspeaking of the careers of the specialist and consultantthe advisability and even the necessity of holdinghospital appointments is dwelt upon, and the increas-ing number of specialist clinical appointments at

municipal hospitals is pointed out, to show thatnothing impossible is being suggested. Thoseresponsible for the pamphlet consider that theopenings for women in medicine, now that theprinciple of equal pay for equal work as betweenmen and women is established, are increasing innumber. While the probability of obtaining hospitalappointments is certainly restricted, general practiceoffers, it is held, reasonable opportunities, whilewomen are finding improved chances, both for full-time and half-time appointments, in the public healthservices ; there is also a demand overseas for theservices of medical women. The pamphlet is a

clear statement that should be informatory to readersin the way intended.

CHILD GUIDANCE

AT the annual meeting of the Child GuidanceCouncil held in London last week it was stated that

during the year under consideration 3800 cases hadbeen dealt with at 13 clinics. As a result of follow-upschemes it is estimated that half the cases recover,a figure which Dr. W. Moodie considers comparesvery favourably with other ailments. The movementowes much to the generosity of the CommonwealthFund, but without the well-ordered routine in theclinics themselves the successes achieved couldnever have been reached. These clinics have startedwith an ideal in thorough investigation which mightwell be copied by those treating other diseases ; forwhilst the pathological investigation of each morbidcondition reaches a high standard at most hospitals, theinvestigation of factors which have rendered the

patient specially liable to the disease often passunnoted. The claim of those engaged in child guidancework is that not only will treatment of nervous dis-orders in childhood give more hope of the preventionof adult neurosis, but that when thus dealing withthe children there is an opportunity, not afforded atother times, of cooperating with parents. Parents are

ceasing to feel that difficult children imply a stigmaupon themselves ; they are more and more readyto ask the clinics to help them as well as to cure theirchildren’s disorders. An important side of the Coun-cil’s activities is the educational one. Training classesare held regularly and the syllabus for the psychiatricsocial service worker’s diploma comprises a consider-able amount of work at the London clinic. Lecturesare given to teachers in various parts of the countryand there is gratifying cooperation with educationalauthorities. One direction in which work might wellbe extended is in connexion with remand homes andwith adolescents whose behaviour has brought themto the notice of the judicial authorities ; this is

encouraged by some magistrates and overlooked byothers. It is testimony to the sound work done atthe clinics that they have been able to enlist the help