729QBITUARY

HEART HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN

To the Editor of THE LANCET

SiR,-It is much to be hoped that the " lack ofenthusiasm " perceived by your annotator (p. 661)in an American review of children’s heart hospitalswill not find an echo among those who have beenworking at this subject in this country. Whateverfailure may be found in such a hospital system, itwould be cynical to reject it unless an alternativemethod of control of the disease were simultaneouslysuggested. There has been much scepticism in thepast on the value of sanatorium treatment of pul-monary tuberculosis ; nevertheless sanatoria forthis disease continue to hold the field and withconsiderable effect. A similar position is prettycertain to evolve, in spite of financial considerations,in respect of rheumatism of childhood, about whichdisease it may still be said : If preventable, whynot prevent it "

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

Broadstairs, Sept. 18th, 1933.MARTIN RAVEN.

HYPERTENSIVE ENCEPHALOPATHY

To the Editor of THE LANCET

SIR,-I have read with great interest the paperby Dr. H. Evans in your issue of Sept. 9th (p. 583).May I suggest that the rise of venous pressure shouldbe estimated. If the cause of the encephalopathy isa rise of venous pressure-such a rise is usuallysmall enough to be measured in centimetres ofwater-a liberal venesection ought to be of immediatebenefit. A rise of venous pressure would producealso a rise of blood pressure, working probablythrough the vasomotor centres in the brain. Itwould also cause in some cases a pronounced spasmof the arterioles, in others a dilatation of them. Inthe first case a venesection would be of benefit ; inthe second case definitely harmful, if performedsuddenly and liberally. The complicated and intri-cate problems involved are sometimes clarified to acertain degree by measurement of the arterial pressurein the central artery of the retina.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,London, Sept. 18th, 1933. N. PINES.

OBITUARY

FREDERICK GARDINER, M.D., F.R.C.S.,F.R.S.Edin.

Dr. Gardiner, who died at his residence in Manor-place, Edinburgh, on Sept. 8th after a long illness,in his sixtieth year, was a well-known dermatologist.A native of Edinburgh, he graduated in medicineat the University in 1895, took the B.Sc. (PublicHealth) in 1901, and the M.D., with honours, in

DR. F. GARDINER

1902. He wasmade a Fellowof the RoyalCollege of

Surgeons of

Edinburgh in1904. He hadalso studiedmental diseasesand for a timewas assistant tmedical officerat Dundee

Royal Asylum.Later he workedwith Sir Robert

Philip in the

application ofX rays to the

diagnosis oftuberculosis. Atthis time heconsideredtaking up a

public health appointment, but, preferring to remainin Edinburgh, he turned to the study of skin diseasesand, as was to be expected from a man of hisworking power and tenacity of purpose, he was soonrecognised as a sound specialist.

In due time he became senior physician to the skindepartment of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and,shortly before his death, was appointed consultant.For a period he was a University lecturer on skindiseases and was consultant dermatologist at theEdinburgh War Hospital at Bangour. He was an.attractive lecturer and many will remember his,discourses on the management of the skin in infancy,

given when the child welfare travelling exhibitionvisited Edinburgh. He contributed articles on

diseases of the skin to Latham and English’s " Systemof Treatment," and his own handbook ran throughthree editions.

By his friends Dr. Gardiner was esteemed as a manof great force of character, a hard worker, readyto turn to any problem with his whole power, lucidin exposition, and well up in several departmentsof medicine. He has left his mark in the skindepartment of service and will be missed by colleaguesand patients. He leaves a widow and two sons,one of whom is a doctor in the city.

FELIX STEPHENS ROOD, M.B. Durh.

Mr. F. S. Rood, who died in London on Sept. 10thin his 51st year, was educated at University CollegeSchool and Hospital, and took the conjoint qualifica-tion in 1906. Five years later, after further workin Newcastle-on-Tyne, he graduated in medicine atDurham University. After qualifying he was surgicalcasualty officer, later house surgeon and ophthalmichouse surgeon to University College Hospital. Takingup throat and ear work as a specialty he becameattached to the Paddington Green and later to theLambeth and Norwood Children’s Hospitals, but hegradually devoted himself more and more to thegiving of ansesthetics, and at the time of his deathhe was senior anaesthetist to University CollegeHospital. Here he made a name for himself as a

pioneer in the intravenous administration of ether,designing the apparatus which was chiefly used solong as that method was in vogue. He then becameso expert in regional analgesia that surgeons willinglysought his assistance instead of keeping local an2es-thetics in their own hands. He also made consider-able use of spinal methods. In general anaesthesiahis chief work was in helping to establish the popularityof open ether, working in association with Mr. WilfredTrotter. Rood was naturally dexterous, and thisled him to be asked by some surgeons to assist in adegree unusual for the anaesthetist. He thus madea practical success in two distinct branches of surgicalwork. In his early days he was an active member ofthe anaesthetic section of the Royal Society of Medicine.