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MEDICAL EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND

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395 Within the last few, years the subject of these springs has excited great interest there, And a regular investigation has been made of them by the army medical staff at Barbadoes; in a report also addressed to the house of assembly by Mr. Abel Stuart in July 1830, proposals were made for build. ing a hospital near the springs for the re- ception of those cases in which their pro- ducts had been found thus highly efficacious, and a bill has since passed for effeeting this humane and useful object. A supply of the genuine article has also again been brought to England, and distribu- ted among those in the profession who are most likely to fairly experiment and decide upon its merits. The results obtained have been so encouraging, that we mayconfidently look forward to a re.establishment of its former reputation. It hns been tried exten- sively at Bath, where Dr. Wilkinson pub- lished a pamphlet respecting it, and also of late at some of the London hospitals, but the results of these experiments remain to he made public. However, it is not a new medicine, but simply the re-introduc- tipn of an old one, and there can be no doubt that it possesses considerable powers, espe- cially in chronic coughs and intractable cu- taneous diseases, and as an antiseptic and stimulant in malignant ulet-ra, ’for which it was formorly employed. As a chemical substance it is extremely curious, and dif- fers, according to Mr. Faraday’s and Dr. Wilkinson’s analysis, from any other of the kind, being almost a simple compound of carbon and hydrogen, and beginning to de- compose at a temperature as low as that of the animal body. This latter circumstance may account for its remarkable difl’usibi1ity and penetrating qualities, and the speedy effect that it produces when given internally on the excretions of the skin and the sys- tem in general. If taken in large quantities, which is often the case in Barbadoes, it will stain the linen next the body, and after a horse has been dosed with it for a few days, he always smells strongly on being exer- cised. But the real properties of the green naphtha as a medicine have now as it were to be re-discovered, and in this inquiring age they will doubtless be cantiously iives- tigated and shortly ascertained. At Apothecaries’ Hall, Bridge Street, they have altogether drscardfd the spu- rious article, and consideriug the vast dif. ference between them, it is surprising they shoull have been so long imposed upon. In order to show that the Barbadoes mineral oil is not a novel medicine, but was well known to the practitioners of the last cen- tury, the following interesting case from "Mr. Joseph Warner’s Surgery," p. 279, is subjoined. It occurred in 1756, when he was surgeon to Guy’s hospital, and he deemed the results of such importance as to lay the case before the Royal Society. "A singular case of diseased knee-joint successfully treated by topical applications," I have known the Petroleum Barba- dense (Barbadoes tar) have so good an ef. fect by being applied every day to the joint, even after other remedies had been unsuc- cessfully tried, as to cure such a disorder of the knee-joint as had been hitherto judged desperate. In this case there was an enlarge: ment of the bones, also a very considera. ble one of the integuments and of the tendi- nous and ligamentous parts, but without any degree of inflammation. No extravasated fluid could be discovered, however there was an immobility of the joint and considera.. ble contraction of the ham-strings, the com plaint was great, and the patient described the pain as shooting through the patella and the lower extremities of the os femoris and upper end of the tibia. He was afflicted with a severe symptomatic fever, which had been of many weeks’ continuance, and he was at length greatly emaciated thereby. The reason for my giving so particular a re- lation of the circumstances attending this fact, proceeds from the desire I have of re- commending a trial of the same remedy in the like cases, which as far as I can judge from my own experience may always be safely done where there is no inflammation already formed in the integuments ; and I am further induced to communicate a short history of this case, as it is an application I never saw made use -of under the like cir- cumstances, though (it must be acknow- ledged) the use of it has not been very un- common in old sprains of the joints, in which cases the Petroleum Barbadense has frequently been tried with success." MEDICAL EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND. AR. J. AND MR. CARMICHAEL. SIR,—In your Journal of the 7th of Mny 1 appears another defence of the celebrated Richard Carmichael, whose works, let it never be forgotten, have been fH’ely trans- lated into High Dutch for the use of his admirers in Berlin, by Doctor Got-lob Kheen, and into the Aniericaii tongue by Dr. Emerson, for those of New York. Had they been translated from Longman’s dusty shelves into the possession of some surgical greenhorns, it would have been more satis- factory to those paper-lords of Paternoster- row. Richard Carmichael, your book—with all your first editioas and second editions, your reviews and advertisings, your intro-
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Within the last few, years the subject ofthese springs has excited great interest

there, And a regular investigation has beenmade of them by the army medical staff atBarbadoes; in a report also addressed to thehouse of assembly by Mr. Abel Stuart in

July 1830, proposals were made for build.ing a hospital near the springs for the re-

ception of those cases in which their pro-ducts had been found thus highly efficacious,and a bill has since passed for effeeting thishumane and useful object.A supply of the genuine article has also

again been brought to England, and distribu-ted among those in the profession who aremost likely to fairly experiment and decideupon its merits. The results obtained havebeen so encouraging, that we mayconfidentlylook forward to a re.establishment of itsformer reputation. It hns been tried exten-sively at Bath, where Dr. Wilkinson pub-lished a pamphlet respecting it, and alsoof late at some of the London hospitals,but the results of these experiments remainto he made public. However, it is not a

new medicine, but simply the re-introduc-tipn of an old one, and there can be no doubtthat it possesses considerable powers, espe-cially in chronic coughs and intractable cu-taneous diseases, and as an antiseptic andstimulant in malignant ulet-ra, ’for which itwas formorly employed. As a chemicalsubstance it is extremely curious, and dif-fers, according to Mr. Faraday’s and Dr.Wilkinson’s analysis, from any other of thekind, being almost a simple compound ofcarbon and hydrogen, and beginning to de-compose at a temperature as low as that ofthe animal body. This latter circumstancemay account for its remarkable difl’usibi1ityand penetrating qualities, and the speedyeffect that it produces when given internallyon the excretions of the skin and the sys-tem in general. If taken in large quantities,which is often the case in Barbadoes, it willstain the linen next the body, and after ahorse has been dosed with it for a few days,he always smells strongly on being exer-

cised. But the real properties of the greennaphtha as a medicine have now as it wereto be re-discovered, and in this inquiringage they will doubtless be cantiously iives-tigated and shortly ascertained.At Apothecaries’ Hall, Bridge Street,

they have altogether drscardfd the spu-rious article, and consideriug the vast dif.ference between them, it is surprising theyshoull have been so long imposed upon.In order to show that the Barbadoes mineraloil is not a novel medicine, but was wellknown to the practitioners of the last cen-tury, the following interesting case from"Mr. Joseph Warner’s Surgery," p. 279, issubjoined. It occurred in 1756, when he wassurgeon to Guy’s hospital, and he deemed

the results of such importance as to lay thecase before the Royal Society."A singular case of diseased knee-joint

successfully treated by topical applications,"’ I have known the Petroleum Barba-

dense (Barbadoes tar) have so good an ef.fect by being applied every day to the joint,even after other remedies had been unsuc-cessfully tried, as to cure such a disorder ofthe knee-joint as had been hitherto judgeddesperate. In this case there was an enlarge:ment of the bones, also a very considera.ble one of the integuments and of the tendi-nous and ligamentous parts, but without anydegree of inflammation. No extravasatedfluid could be discovered, however therewas an immobility of the joint and considera..ble contraction of the ham-strings, the complaint was great, and the patient describedthe pain as shooting through the patella andthe lower extremities of the os femoris and

upper end of the tibia. He was afflictedwith a severe symptomatic fever, which hadbeen of many weeks’ continuance, and hewas at length greatly emaciated thereby.The reason for my giving so particular a re-lation of the circumstances attending thisfact, proceeds from the desire I have of re-commending a trial of the same remedy inthe like cases, which as far as I can judgefrom my own experience may always be

safely done where there is no inflammationalready formed in the integuments ; and Iam further induced to communicate a short

history of this case, as it is an application Inever saw made use -of under the like cir-cumstances, though (it must be acknow-

ledged) the use of it has not been very un-common in old sprains of the joints, inwhich cases the Petroleum Barbadense hasfrequently been tried with success."

MEDICAL EDUCATION AND

GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND.

AR. J. AND MR. CARMICHAEL.

SIR,—In your Journal of the 7th of Mny1 appears another defence of the celebratedRichard Carmichael, whose works, let itnever be forgotten, have been fH’ely trans- lated into High Dutch for the use of hisadmirers in Berlin, by Doctor Got-lobKheen, and into the Aniericaii tongue byDr. Emerson, for those of New York. Had

they been translated from Longman’s dustyshelves into the possession of some surgicalgreenhorns, it would have been more satis-factory to those paper-lords of Paternoster-row.

Richard Carmichael, your book—withall your first editioas and second editions,your reviews and advertisings, your intro-

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ductory lectnrings and puffinas, your trans-lations and bookselling influences, yourDoctor Kbeens and Dr. Emersons-has ne-ver paid the expense of publication ! If Ibe wrong, the gazette-man, who is in yourservice, as well as that of your publisher,can set me right. Be advised; paper-cha-racter is at a fearful discount; the dayswhen a bookseller, with his review, couldmake a great man are gone ; laugh in yoursleeve at your success, and at the ignoranceand credulity which secured it ; the graveof your literary reputation is dug ; in withit, cover it up quickly, imitate the instinctof the cat, and save your neighbours fromfurther annoyance. Do not suppose that inthus deriding your ridiculous pretensions toliterary reputation, I am actuated merelyby a desire to expose them; no, but be-cause I see exemplified in your person theoperation of a detestable system, which hasdegraded medicine from the rank of a science,and eriven its literature to litter the stv ofsuch -swine as Longman’s gazetteer. Butpardon me, I must not deal too hardly withyou, for I do not believe that you dictatedthe last libels on my private character. No !here they would make of you a tool, whichknaves do work with, called a fool, tussispro crepitu, wadding for the paper musketof the Terry Alt of Channel-row. He wholibelled Mr. M’Dowal from the chair of sur-gery in the school of introductory lectures,thinks, by similar means, to divert me frommy purpose. I fear him not ; I defy him.In due time I will explain the true cause ofthis attempt to intimidate me ; but all par.ties concerned mav rest assured, that the

flourishing of the old and favourite weapons,libel and falsehood, shall not deter me fromusing every effort to plevent the School ofSurgery of Dublin from being sacrificed topetty interests, or borne down by reiteratedslanders. I

Richard Carmichael, here is the predica.ment in which you stand ; you have comeforward coolly, deliberately, and advisedly,with distinct charges against the membersof your profession, of which I must say youare not by any means the worthiest; youhave charged honourable men with dis-honourable acts, and how have you sup-ported these charges? Your counsel comesinto court as the executioner on the scaf-fold, masked, fearing the odium which mustattach to your advocate. Your witnesseshesitate, prevaricate, and break down ; youyourself retreat, defeated and disappointed,and, as a last resource, leave your attorneys, ithe Channel-row libeller, and the candidgazetteer, to finish your hopeful cause bypersonal abuse of your opponents. Yes, Mr. Richard Carmichael, you and your Icause have been defended by liars, slander-ers, and libellers, under the protection ofj

anonymous signatures, and you have nothad the manliness to come forward and eitheravow or disclaim participation in such actsor knowledge of the perpetrators. Do notmistake me ; I do not say you are the an-thor of these anonymous attacks on my

private character, but I have to tell youthat I am bound to come forward and ask

you the question. Here I am braving the

falsehood, slander, and libel, of a gang oftoadeaters, who, for seven years, have earn-ed their filthy dole by scratching at thefoundation of an institution which I am

ready to prove is justly the pride of Ireland.There are you, Richard Carmichaelbut where are you ? I have lost the needlein a bundle of straw. Oh ! here you are,in your other character, Mr. Reformer Car-michael ; I know you by your associates;you are one of a fraternity who talked loudabout reform and abuses when you enter-tained nofear of reform. Upon what occa.sion did you commence business? Likemany others, when you could use the topicto better vour trade. When vou becameproprietor of a waste house in Channel-row,and called it a School of Anatomy,Medicine,and Surgery, you very wisely concluded,that the apprentices of the neighbourhoodwould make but a poor and unprofitablcsclass. You knew that there were in Dublina great number of students who had beentaught, and for a similar purpose, to lookupon the Irish College of Surgeons with anunfavourable feeling, and who felt a jea-lousy of it, because the length of period ofeducation, the expense, and the difficulty ofthe examination, compelled them to take

diplomas elsewhere. To these men youaddressed your attack on the Irish College,and its members. By such means did youhope to fill your benches. How you mis-calculated,-how little did you know of theIrish character ! Although a few may bemade the dupes of trading lecturers, thegreat majority, under an apparent levity, andin the absence of that studied cultivation ofexterior which gives to blockheads a cha-racter for sagacity, generally conceal great

shrewdness and penetration, a talent for

taking the measure of the inside of a man’sbead, which makes a class of Irish students amost dangerous audience for a man of yourcalibre. No, no, here are no simpletons totake gilt fartliings for half-sovereigns. Pro-batum est, where is your Sclool of Anatomy,Medicine, and Surgery, for many years theanxious object of your schemes and ambi-tion, the school which was to be substitutedfor that of the college which you were soanxious to destroy? Where is it, with all itspompous pretensions, its introductory-puff-lecturings, its mock controversies, its Len-noxes, aud its Richmonds? It had a mal.formation of the heart, it struggled, squalled,

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and died. I speak of it as your school, asit depended on your resources or capability.I know it still exists in another form and inother hands.But to come to your defence of the charges

which you made against the College. Thefirst count in your indictment was, that theeducation assigned for the apprentice wasmerely the service of an apprenticeship,without hospital attendance, lectures, or

dissections. "No attendance upon lectures,110 attendance on hospitals, no dissections,are required by the framers of this wisesample of legislation." The falsehood ofthis charge I have proved in my letter inTHE LANCET of the 22d of January ; andnow how does your Channel-row-ensis de.fender apologise for you ? By saying, thatyou only " said that no attendance on hos-pitals or dissections was required by theold charter." Of the old charter you saidit, and so I stated ; here are my words (p.570)-" The introductory lecturer of NewYork and Berlin celebrity (and you knowyou are much celebrated in those cities),with a degree of truth and candour trulycharacteristic, in speaking of surgical edu-cation in Dublin, previous to the alterationin the College charter, says, ‘ that the char.ter enacted that no person shall be admittedto an examination who has not served anapprenticeship to a regularly-educated sur.geon, and this is the only test of qualifica-tion demanded from the pupil by the corpo-ration charter. No attendance upon lec-

tures, no attendance upon hospitals, no dis-sections, are required by the framers of thiswise sample of legislation.’a" Nay, more,your defender, after the manner of his con-geners, relying upon an established axiomof libelism, that a lie once told is sure of acertain effect, because all those who readthe. falsehood may not read its refutation,says, respecting the above quotation fromyour introductory lecture, that I have been" guilty of the paltry meanness, as well aseasily-detected temerity, of giving:a falsequotation ;" and " what will the readerthink of the candour of this honourable pro-fessor, this noble sample of integrity, whenwe assure him that we have searched Mr.Carmichael’s two published introductorylectures from beginning to end, and cannotfind any such passage?" Now, no man couldeven glance over the lecture for 1827,printed, " at the 7’equest of the pupils, forLongman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green,"without having the eye caught by the ita-lics in this very passage, in page 9, elevenlines from the bottom. But you have notbeen the first to make this charge, it hasbeen the point at all times urged by theenemies of our college. I have already said,that it was lugged in by Dr. Macartney, inhis eyidence before the Anatomical Com-

mittee of the House of Commons. Why hasit been so urged ? Because, if true, it wouldprove that the members and licentiates of theIrish College were not so well educated asthe public believe them to be, or betterthan some of those diplomatised by the briefprocesses of our neighbours.The next count in your indictment is,

that the apprentice-fee is merely a bribe forpatronage : here are your words, " And howis this patronage acquired ? By a bribe in theshape of an apprentice-fee, for which, underthe present system, the seniors of the pro-fession engage to overlook and discounte-nance merit, however pre-eminent, in allwho have not purchased this favour by atimely douceur." I have already said, andnow repeat it, that if this charge be true,you are yourself above all others most ob-noxious to it. You had, when you pro-nounced this tirade, pocketed six thousandguineas in these bribes and douceurs to dis-countenance merit, and have since receivedone thousand five hundred more. Whatis the defence set up for you by one of youranonymous advocates? That if you had nottaken the money some one else would-adefence worthy of the cause. True, I didthis dishonest act, but if 1 had not done itsome one else would. But the fact is, thatyou knew not what you said or did on that

occasion, -you were so intoxicated by thesplendid prospect opening before you ;drunk with flattery, giddy with applause,your name resplendent on the " rubric post"of our modern Lintots, your praises sungin a laus perennis of the journals, every-thing conspiring to the accomplishment ofyour destinies, you strutted abroad likePistol in the play, flourishing your lattenbilboa, and spouting forth-

" Shall packhorses,And hollow pampered jades of Asia,Which cannot go but thirty miles a day,Compare with Caesars, and with Cannibals,And Trojan Greeks 1"

No, Mr. Carmichael, if you have one

grain of consistency in your composition,one half grain of common honesty, or oneparticle of regard for that kind of characterwhich anonymous defenders cannot confer,you will do thus :-the next time some sim-

ple, pursy old citizen approaches your studytable, with a bag of sovereigns in one hand,and the hopes of the family in the other,saying,-Sir, hearing that you are muchcelebrated in New York, where I have

some friends likely to serve this youngman if he becomes a surgeon, I wish tobind him apprentice to you,—you shallinstantly start up with an t’xpression of theutmost surprise and indignation, and askinghim whether he has ever read your intro-ductory lectures, or your defender A. B:s

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excellent, honest, true, courageous letters inTHE LANCET, or your patriotic letter of re-signation to the College, you shall say, 11 Areyou not’ aware of the degradation whichawaits this ingenuous youth? Hear mewhile I read what I have written on the

subject. I I appeal to my young hearers,will they from the sordid prospect of thechance of putting a few additional poundsin their pockets, perpetuate this degt-ada-tion of themselves and their profession’t Isthere one of you with the liberal educationyou have received, that does not feel humbledby the necessity of submitting to the yoke ofan apprenticeship which is altogether use-less to the master to whom )ou are inden-tured, except so far as the fee is concerned,and to yourselves for the acquirement ofprofessional knowledge? Yes, Sir, I nowrepeat it to you, the apprenticeship is alto-gether useless to your son for the acquire-ment of professional knowledge, and 1 amhappy to inform you, that in consequence ofmy virtuous fulminations against the " fool- ’,islt ordinations" of the College of Surgeonsyour son can become a licentiate withoutsuffering this degradation. No, Sir, put upyour money, and instead of tying your sonto mv apron-string for five years in theRichmond Surgical Hospital, and tetheringhim in the Anatomical School in Channel.

row, go and pay your money for the bestinstruction the city can afford; let him at.tend the Richmond Hospital one year, Ste-vens’s for another, the Meath for another,and Mercer’s and Jervis’s Street, if you will,for two more. Let him go round the schoolsin the same way; let him go to Channel-row School for one year, to the College foranother, to Peter Street for another."

But, Mr. Carmichael, if you be, or everhave been, sincere in vour denunciations ofappenticeships, you would use the argumentwhich I now put into your mouth, as the

very strongest which can be urged againstthe system ; so strong an argument, indeed,thut it must be considered a most seriousobjection to this plan of education. It iscompletely exemplified in the case beforeus. The man who is apprenticed to youis restricted to peculiarities of the prac-tice in the Richmond Surgical Hospital,and to the meagre sources of instruc- tion which that neighbourhood, remote fromthe schools, affords; instead of being al-lowed to avail limselfaf the great and va-ried opportunities for acquiring informa-tion which this large city possesses. But IMust te)) you, that I do not believe that youare eincerely anxious to put an end to the.ystem of education by apprenticeship, be-eause I see you every day taking those

4ppreintices, and because every word anddeed of your professional life has tended to ,.the perpetuation of the system. Could you

have adopted any method better calculated’ to lead the inexperienced pupil to preferthis plan, than by wheedling him into the

t belief that it was the only practical one for becoming a licentiate of our College’! Haveyou so far forgotten yourself as not to recol-lect a circumstance in your College history,

which proves you to have been the greedtest; hunter of apprentices in this city? Do younot recollect coming down to the Collegeand complaining that you Were harassed byapplications to take apprentices without

fees, and more than hinting that the impor.tunities of some apothecaries were particu-

larly urgent, and observing that these impor.tuni ties often could not be resisted Do!you recollect the cure you proposed—thatany member who should be convicted oftaking an apprentice without a fee, shouldpay one hundred guineas to the College, orcause the eleemosynary apprentice to paysuch sum. Eleemoryuary was the veryword you applied to apprentices who hadpaid no fee. Eleemosynary ! Then, again,when some of the younger members of thpprofession propose to comply with the en-gagement which they make in the indenture,to cause their apprentices to be instructed

I by paying for their hospital attendance, youdescribe this as a system of petty-fogginsand your defender calls it underselling anhustering, and most cogently, and in tl

true trade spirit, says, .. Let me ask Ar. Jwhat balance will remain in the hstuda ofmember out of 150 guineas, who has neithe, school nor hospital to afford instruction t

the apprentice 1" To which I answer, Aver,small balance in money, certainly, but

very considerable one in honesty and fai

dealing. But what special pleading is ai

this? I take an apprentice, I sign a declaration that I have bontt fide received 1,,’),

guineas from him, and engage to instruehim, or cause him to be instructed, and, ac1 cordingly, not being myself a hospital surgeon, 1 pay for his hospital ; not beingsurgical lecturer, I pay for his lectures oi

surgery ; not being a chemist, I pay for hi4lectures on chemistry, and so on. What d<you do, Mr. Carmichael ? You take theyoung man’s 150 guineas, tell him he mayattend the practice of Richmond Hospital,but that you cannot, nor will not, instructhim in anatomy, chemistry, practice of me-dicine, or materia medica. You do not, for-sootb, care a pinch of snuff for your engage’ment to cause him to be instructed. RichardCarmichael! Richard Carmichael! youhave neither head nor heart to sustain thecharacter you have assumed ; to do so re-quires a strong mind, not a feeble one,&mdash;

modesty, not arrogance,- boldn9ss, notprecaution,&mdash;candour, not sophistry,&mdash;disintereatedness, not selfishness,what next? The service of an appren-

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tioship is a " degradation;" it is in thestate of a " mechanical trade;" " degradedstate of a liberal profession debased toa level with the mere mechanical arts :"useless to the master, useless to the studentfor the acquirement of professional know-ledge, all injustice, a corporation mono-pely." " Would you not, if this base andunnecessary yoke were removed, walk moreerect, and hold your heads more high amongthose jitvenile friends who are pursuingtheir studies in the other liberal profes-sions 1" Thus spoke the hero of the medicalDunciad, haranguing a pliant audience ofobsequious apprentices, on that great daywhen" High on a gorgeous seat which far outshoneHenley’s Rilt tub, or Fleckno’s Irish throne,Great Cibber sate; the proud Parnassian sneer,The conscious simper, and the jealous leer,Mix on his look. All eyes direct their raysOn hitn, and crowd’ turn coxcombs as they gaze.80, Ronte In her capital saw Querno sit,Thrope;i on seven hills, the anti-christ of wit."

I must be forgiven the poetry for the

picture. But the service of an apprentice-ship is a degradation. Why ? Not that theduties of the apprentice are degrading,--Mt that they are unsuited to the object, butbecause, forsooth, the trades are appren-ticed ; tailors and shoemakers are appren-ticed. Surely great Cibber does not appre-hend being taken for a tailor, or that bysigning a paper and learning surgery in aparticular way he degrades himself tc therank of a shoemaker. Cannot we removethe sting, so as to soothe the minds of menof rank entering the profession Cannot we ; meet the punctilio of such sensitive spiritsas Mr. Carmichael, or the high-minded gen- ,,tleman who defends him, by substituting a ’,less offensive document ? Away with it-away with the " base yoke,"&mdash;away withthe filthy " badge ;" let us hear no moreof indentures of apprenticeship; let us givethe covenant a new name. What shall wecall it? Medical gibberish is no longer the"English cut on’ Greek and Latin " it washeretofore: the Anglo-Gallic now best masksignorance and quackery. We do not, forinstance, say, that there is a softening of thebrain, but a ramollissement ;that there isdisease of a part, but a lesion, and so on.Suppose we call it an inscription-eleve-chi-rurgien, aud that it run thus :-Know allmen by these presents, that we, RichardCarmichael, author of the celebrated workson cancer, scrofula, and syphilis, translatedinto High Dutch by Dr. Gotlob Kheen, andinto the Yankee by Dr. Emerson, introduc-tory lecturer, and membre de Plusieurs So-cietes Savantes, do hereby authorise JohnGreenhorn to walk the wards of the Rich-mond Hospital for five years, upon paymentof 150 guineas; finding unto-the said Green.horn no further instruction whatsoever.And the said Greenhorn is hereby dis-

5 charged. from bleeding from vein or artery,i applying filthy plaatars, setting broken) bones, or performing any other art which’ may " debase him to a level " with the meret mechanic, but shall uuiformly strut throughthe wards of said hospital, " walkingerect," with his hat on one side of his head,Iand a cigar in the opposite side of his mouth.In witness whereof, &e. &e. Mr. Carmi-chael," Worth makes the man, the want of it the

fellow; ,

The rest is all but leather pr prunelio."f The couplet settles the matter so satis-rfactorily, that I could not avoid quoting it."The restis all but leather orprunello," andso they shall find, who place their relianceeither on indenture or diploma. If a manbe a good surgeon, the public will not stopto inquire by what unworthy means he ac:

quired his information; they will overlookthe degradation, and care very little whe-ther he ivalks enect or not. I cannot better

conclude what I have to say on this point,than by quoting the lugubrious lamentationsof the defender over his loss of heraldry,laerymaxxs loquitur: 11 Is it a mere laugh-ling matter to find ourselves deprived of those. badges which perhaps all our relatives en-joy ? " Alas alas! for our family honours, Well, Mr. Carmichael, what more haveyou to say against the Irish College of

t Surgeons? That to encourage and foster anapprentice trade, they made the other formof education more expensive. The fatse"

liood of this charge I have proved by an ap-peal to figures; even your friend and de-

! fender admits that. He says, aliuding tothe comparison between the -expense in-curred by the apprenticed and non-appren-ticed pupil, " This statement is so nearlytrue, that I shall take no exception againstany part of it; it is the truth, and nothingbut the truth, but it is not the whole truth ;it is an iniquitous and prevaricating sup- *pression of the truth." So, Mr. Carmichaelaccuses the College of obtaining a chartermerely to make it appear that they willadmit students to examination who havenot been apprenticed, but as soon as theyact on that charter, they adopt such regula-tions as " discourage all pupils from enter-ing into the profession by any other routethan that of an apprenticeship." I showthat, as far as the expense of education isconcerned, that of the non-apprenticed pu-pil is fifty pounds less than that of the ap*.prentice ; but I am guilty of an iniquitousprevarication. Why? I have not broughtinto the calculation 100l. for a year’s dietand lodging. So, Mr. Carmichael, yourcharge so pompously and circumstantiallybrought forward, dwindles down into this," That the College, in direct violation ofthe charter,’ with obnoxious by-laws, andcouncils short.sighted, imprudent, and op-

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posed to the honour and dignity of the Col-lege," do not give the non-apprenticedpupil credit for a year’s diet and lodging.If this be your defence, I give you all thebenefit of it ; hug it, it is a most triumphantapology for the insolent abuse you have

heaped on the College.One more quotation from your letter of

patriotic resignation, written on the eve ofan election, which you know well shouldhave saved you the troubie, had you waited.Speaking of the "unfair" measures takenby the College to exclude non-apprenticedpupils, you said, " It therefore follows,that the non-indentured candidate will enteron the ordeal of an examination, with animpression that he is about to stake his re-putation and future prospects in life beforea prejudiced tribunal, against whose pre-possessions he can have no other depend-ence save the publicity of his examination,which wise precaution, however needful,will not remove from his mind a conviction,that he goes to trial before judges impress-ed with a belief, that they will serve them-selves by his rejection. Now, Sir, what isthe meaning ot that passage however cau-tiously, slyly, or hypothetically it is put, itis clearly an insinuation that the membersof the Court of Censors. forgetting their Ioaths, their duties, and their characters,will reject the non-apprenticed candidate toserve themselves. I, as one of that Court,fling back the insinuation, if so intended,with contempt, and hold no terms with anyman who makes use of it. When you tellthe non-apprenticed pupils that the Collegewishes to discourage all pupils from enter- Iing into the profession by any other routethan an apprenticeship, and appear to insi-nuate, that the Court of Examiners is a p1’e-judiced tribunal, and will reject them to

serve themselves, what effect did you anti-cipate ? You could anticipate no other thanthat the non-apprenticed pupil should bedeterred from making the attempt, and thatthe apprenticeship system should be perpe.tuated, and so important a source of incomesecured to you. I tell you again and again,and to your beard, you are not, nor neverwere, sincerely opposed to the system ofeducation by apprenticeship. students of

Ireland, this friend of yours is a wolf insheep’s clothing, place no confidence in hisadvice. If you bo not afraid of the two

days’ public examination, and the laboriousexercises required by the College, you havenothing else to fear. I pledge myself from aknowledge of the examination and the exami.ners, that justice, impartial justice, shall beafforded you, and that if any one insinuatesthat your examiners are prejudiced againstyou, and will reject you to serve themselves,you must not beheve him. Moreover, I tell you that the expense of the education with-out apprenticeship, is fifty pounds less than

that by apprenticeship, and that in manyrespects you may find it a more convenientmethod of education. Students of Ireland,you know that I am no hunter after ap.prentices, that, in fact, I may say I have no

I apprentices, nor care whether I have themor not. I am not personally interested in thisquestion at all. 1117 character, my motives,my objects, are well known to you; themeans which I have used to counteract themachinations of the enemies of our institu.tions are before you; weigh them, measurethem, sift them, but, above all, eonti-astthem with those of my opponents.

AR. J.AR. J.

MR. WEISS’S STOMACH SYRINGE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,&mdash;Seeing on the wrapper of THELANCET, of the 28th of May, an advertise-

ment of a poison syringe, the invention of’ which is claimed by the advertiser, and theprinciple of it highly extolled by a corre.15 spondent of yours, 1 take leave to state,that it is not only an inftingement upon myt patent, but that the advertiser is not the

9first who has adopted it, for about five

r years ago Dr. Fox, of Derby, constructedone on a similar plan, and applied to me

respecting it, when on being shown mysyringe, he, in the most gentlemanly mau-ner, gave it up.,

My patent is taken out for the action ofthe cock in four different ways; one of

, them, however, is greatly superior to theother, as being more perfectly air-tight, andless liable to derangement, consequentlymuch better adapted for general purposesthan any other syringe yet invented. Thisis the syringe I usually recommend, and Iam sure that you, who are so well acquaint.ed with mechanical powers, will, upon ex-amining the two syringes, agree in what Ihave stated, and more particularly if youcall to mind the conversation that passedbetween us at the time I took out my pa-tent. I then explained to you the principleof the syringe, poiuting out more particu’larly the one I have just alluded to, whenyou expressed yourself in terms of the high-est approbation, and inserted an article inTHE LANCET in commendation of it.Although I am not one of those who are

fond of advertising, yet, as I am publishinga print of my syringe, showing the differ-ent applications of its principle, I shall re-quest the publisher to insert in one of theNumbers this print (see Wrapper), as it willprevent my patent being infringed uponunknowingly, and will save me a great dealof trouble, as I am determined to defend mytight. I am, Sir, your most obedient ser-vant, . JOHN WEISS.

62, Straad, June 3, 1831.JOHN WEISS.


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