2
662 ral artery, an aneurism of the thoracic aorta, and a wax pre- paration of an embolism of the splenic artery, all from a man who had died in the infirmary, and who had been some weeks under Dr. Heath’s care. In this very instructive case the aortic valves were found studded with vegetations, some loose and waving. The spleen was enlarged and disorganized, and its artery distended and nearly obliterated by a eongulum. It was thought probable that some of the vegetations had become washed into the circulation, and been carried upwards until arrested by the branches of the splenic artery. Dr. Wm. Murray exhibited a quantity of hair discharged from an abdominal abscess. I gave you the particulars of this curious case in the proceedings of the last meeting of the New- castle and Gateshead Obstetrical Society. Dr. Donkin has since then made a careful microscopical examination of the speci- men, and finds that it has every characteristic of human hair. Dr. Gibb exhibited some " fragments of fibrin expectorated in a case of thoracic aneurism." Similar bodies had been ex- pectorated before in the case, along with some pure blood. Mr. May showed a specimen of hypertrophy of the prepuce, and read a paper on a case of " traumatic tetanus terminating on the twenty-fourth day after receipt of the injury." In the discussion which followed this paper, Mr. Broadbent, of Hetton - -a locality where accidents are frequent,-related some suc- cessful results which he had seen in traumatic tetanus from the administration of hourly doses of five minims of tincture of opium. The disease had been in lads of from ten to twelve years of age. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1‘ ov. 27th, 1865. EDINBURGH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) IN a former letter I alluded to the existing feeling amongst the profession here that a testimonial should be presented to Drs. Smith and Lowe for their conduct in the vexatious prose- cutions they were subjected to in the case of Mr. Angus M’Intosh. I have now the satisfaction to record in the pages of THE LANCET that a subscription, under the auspices of the College of Physicians, was commenced some time ago, and that the sum of 190 guineas was subscribed, and has been pre- sented to those gentlemen as an expression of professional sympathy and respect. A further honour has been conferred on Dr. Smith. He is one of the senior Fellows of the College of Physicians who has not occupied the chair, but at the an- nual meeting held on the 30th ult. he was raised by the unani- mous voice of that body to the office of President, a position which it is expected he will fill with much honour to himself and benefit to the College. The late President (Dr. Burt) was nominated the Vice-president. During his period of office he has given much satisfaction to the profession, has dis- charged his duties with dignity and vigour, and has well maintained the prosperity of his College. The College of Surgeons, at their meeting held some weeks ago, conferred the honourable office of President on Dr. Duns- mure, Consulting Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary, and a much respected member of that College. Dr. Bell, the former occu- pier of the chair, has been appointed Vice-president. A death has lately occurred here whilst the patient was under the influence of chloroform. As I understand the case is to be made the subject of a communication to the Medico-Chirurgical Society at its next meeting, I abstain from comment, but cannot avoid remarking that it is very desirable that the particulars of such cases should be made public. ’, The office-bearers of the Obstetrical Society were elected at ’i the last meeting. The chair is now filled by Professor Simpson, Drs. Charles Bell and Burns occupying those of Vice- presidents. During the last few weeks fever has shown a tendency to increase in this city, and it is satisfactory to know that the authorities are not inactive, but already have been engaged in the consideration of providing accommodation in the event of the cases becoming too numerous for that at present existing. Our civic chair is just now filled by a Provost, who promises to do great things in the way of sanitary improvement; and, supported as he is by the most energetic of officers of health, there is some hope that the overcrowded, ill-ventilated parts of the old town will be improved, and the high death-rate of that division of the city very considerably reduced. Edinburgh, Dec. 4th, 1865. FRANCE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) THE Medical Congress of Bordeaux, after twelve sittings laboriously employed, terminated its operations on the 7th of October. A memorable Congress indeed, if the two projects which have taken rise in its body prove feasible, and be carried into execution. Just as the last official proceedings were about to close the session, M. Villemin, of Strasburg, got up to vindicate in favour of that city the honour of assembling within its walls a medical congress for the approaching year. This, of course, was greeted with general approbation. But another project, and a more lofty one, had been kept in reserve, and we were all taken by surprise when M. H. Gintrac pro. posed a great international medical congress, to take place in Paris coincident with the Great Exhibition of 1867. It was then rumoured that the idea proceeded from a most high and august personage, and that M. Gintrac had only served as an inter- mediary. Whatever may be its origin, it will evidently meet with material obstacles, which render its eventual issue diffi- cult to be foreseen. But there is something singularly pleasing in the thought, and it is to be hoped that it will enlist the sympathies of all ardent lovers of science and the profession. This proposition was immediately followed by the nomina- tion of a committee to prepare its foundation, and if I am not mistaken, of the same committee which presided over the actual Congress. With what admirable ability the proceedings were conducted by this body it is almost needless to mention. But if your correspondent may be allowed to make a suggestion, he would say that in order to ensure the success of such a general undertaking as the one now proposed, the actual committee should soon be embodied, or another and a larger one-to wit, a truly international commission. What a progress in the course of medical congresses since Rouen first set the example! Whatever may be thought elsewhere of the utility of these scientific gatherings, it may be said that in this country they have settled into an institution. This much, at least, must be a matter of universal consent. Men meet and appreciate each other, and thus the confraternal feeling which should unite all the members of the profession is fostered and developed ; whilst science cannot but reap many advantages from the mass of personal experience and of careful observation thus brought together, and from the exchange of ideas which necessarily follows. It may be added that in the official scientific bodies of this country, the debates must assume too classical a tone, discoveries must have ripened to a certain degree, and be presented under a certain form; nay, some questions cannot be discussed at all ; whereas, in these free gatherings of the scientific, there is something in the very spirit of them which gives greater independence and liberty to the discussion, and is particularly pleasing to an English mind. But to return to the actual Congress, of which it is more par- ticularly our business to treat. Its success could not but be most complete, for everything had been prepared to multiply its attractions. The municipal body of this town, the General Council of the Department, had voted 3000 f. towards the printing of the different memoirs presented during the session- an active and most useful stimulus. In addition, the South Railway Company not only diminished by half the price of its tickets in favour of the members of the Congress, but held out to them the promise of a most magnificent festival, which took place on the 8th of October, and an account of which I will have to record in my next communication. But let us now to the Palais de Justice, the seat of the Con- gress, in order to give you some idea of the aspect of the assembly, at least on its first meeting. There a splendid hall, admirably adapted for all the requirements of the occasion, had been graciously provided for the accommodation of the Congress by the First President of the Cours. A goodly spectacle indeed! Men with grave and thoughtful counte nances, who have toiled in the field of science, whose heads have grown grey amidst the wear and tear of practice-men who have acquired eminence and honour and esteem in the ac- complishment of the arduous but noble duties of the profession, still ardent as ever in the pursuit of knowledge,-come together from all the quarters of the land to submit to each other the fruit of hard-bought experience, of patient and careful investi- gation, and endeavour to throw some new light on a science which is so dear to us all. Three hundred of them at the
