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sequence of being obliged to return those casks into store whenthe ship came to England, or to pay a sum equivalent to theirvalue. Those empty casks were a great encumbrance in thehold of the vessel, and they would have made good firewoodAt Balaklava at a time when it was much wanted there.

Captain FREEMAN, commander of the Pyrenees, said that,when at Eupatoria, he saw immense quantities of wheat, flour,and vegetables in store there, which it occurred to no one tosend to Balaklava, where they would have been of great ser-vice. He appeared on one occasion off Balaklava in thePyrenees, laden with a cargo of provisions, including vegetables,but which he was unable to land, in consequence of beingunable to get an order from the authorities for that purpose.The ship was shortly afterwards lost near the entrance to theKatscha, in the great storm of the 14th November, and thewhole of her cargo of provisions.

Captain DARKE, of the Courier, 3S6 tons, said he left for theEast as supercargo, laden with all kind of preserved meats,broths, vegetables, tea, brandy, sherry, beer, porter, whisky,and many other comforts. The vessel arrived off Balaklavaabout the 19th of October, but she was not allowed to enter theharbour for some time. He offered the whole of his cargo forsale to the English Commissariat, at a reasonable price, at Malta,Constantinople, and Balaklava, and twice at the last place;but they having all declined to take it, he sold it to the

French, with the exception of the tea ; they gave him the pricehe asked for it. The French harbour at Kamiesch was in ex-cellent order.

Dr. ANDREW SMITH was recalled for the purpose of givingexplanations as to certain misapprehensions between himselfand the chairman about the particular documents required bythe committee. Inquiries being put to this witness as to thecorrectness of the returns made by the storekeeper, he sug-gested that such explanations should be required from the Com-missariat who furnished the return. It was true that he hadsigned it himself, but it was quite impossible for him to knowwhether every item was correct or not. It appeared as if thecommittee wished to throw a suspicion over the conduct ofsome persons concerned in furnishing the stores. If so, he

hoped that the strictest investigation would take place. Inanswer to a question as to whether offers had been made byprivate medical gentlemen to go out and assist in the hospital,Dr. Smith said he had been overwhelmed with applications forappointments, and he had employed as many as he wanted.

Mr. MAXWELL, the barrister, who went out as a commis-sioner with Dr. Spence and Dr. Cumming to inspect the stateof the hospitals at Scutari, was next examined. He statedthat, owing to the death of Dr. Spence, there was a difficultyin filling his place, and the commission could not act without athird person being named. Their duties, consequently, did notbegin officially until November 28th. One principal cause ofmismanagement was the want of a good head to preside overthe establishment. He said that many complaints had beenmode as to the want of different stores which were withoutany foundation, and they had arisen from no inquiries beingmade of the proper people; for instance, Mr. Osborne told him,as a good joke, that Dr. Smith had advised the use of tinctureof muriate of iron in cases of hospital gangrene, but that therewas no medicine of the sort in the stores; whereas he (abarrister) had been to the stores, and found a quantity of thatmedicine. With regard to the wine, he said he had tasted itupon various occasions, and always considered it very good portwine. The system of washing in the hospital was very defectiveat first, but had been much improved by Miss Nightingale.The arrangement as to orderlies was also very bad.

This witness was examined also on the 17th instant, when itappeared that Lord Raglan very properly interfered to preventhis retailing all sorts of canards about the surgeons. He ad-mitted that he was not gazetted as a commissioner. He did notconsider it was his duty to report himself to Lord Raglan,though sending home accounts that would inculpate his lord-ship. He remonstrated, and of course Lord Raglan set thingsstraight again. He (a barrister) thought there was a deficiencyof some medicines. The state of the hospital at Balaklava.was better than he was led to believe from reading the papers. He found that the want of medicines was owing to the re-quisitions of the surgeons not receiving attention. He askedDr. A. Smith for instructions as to the terrible scenes describedin The Times. Dr. A. Smith had none to give.

The latest account from the troops before Sebastopol, up tothe 28th ultimo, represents the sanitary condition of the armyas improving. We regret, however, to find two cases of cholerareported, the disease appearing amongst the French at Pera.

Parliamentary Intelligence.HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, APRIL 30TH.

ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

COLONEL DUNNE wished to ask the Under-Secretary for Warwhether it was the intention of the Government to associate acivil practitioner with the military medical officers who directedthat department of the army; to state who had been selected,and what amount of pay he was to receive; also, whether hewas to become subject to the articles of war ?

Mr. F. PEEL said that a civil practitioner had been appointed.He was not prepared to answer the latter part of the hon. andgallant gentleman’s question.

Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.-The -following gentle-

men having undergone the necessary examinations for thediploma, were admitted Members of the College at the meetingof the Court of Examiners on the 27th ult. :-

BLETCHLY, EDMUND, Ashley-crescent, City-road.CAPRON, EDWARD, Guildford, Surrey.FERGUSON, CHARLES, Army.HEATHCOTE, GODFREY, Army.LEVER, JOHN, Army.LowNDS, JAMES RICHARD, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

- PROCTER, JAMES COOPER, Lydd, Kent.SHOOLBRAID, JOHN, Army.WALES, THOMAS GARNEYS, Downham, Norfolk.

At the same meeting of the Court, Mr. ROBERT CREIGHTON,of H.M.S. Trafalgar, passed his examination for naval surgeon.This gentleman had previously been admitted a member of theCollege, his diploma bearing date 18th May, 1849.The following gentlemen were admitted members on the

30th ult :-ARNOLD, GEORGE RiCHARD, Brook-street, Ratcliffe.ATKINSON, THOMAS, Dublin.BLAND, EDWARD, Sandiacre, Derby.ELKINGTON, JOHN, Turkish Contingent.FERGUSON, ARTHUR FORSTER, Army.HALL, EDWARD THOMAS, Church-street, Chelsea.REES, HARDiNG, Beaconfield, Bucks.SHAW, WILLIAM JOSEPH, H. E. I. Co.’s service.WHALLEY, THOMPSON, Holbeck, near Leeds.

LICENTIATES IN MIDWIFERY.-The following members of theRoyal College of Surgeons of England, having undergone thenecessary examinations, were admitted Licentiates in Mid-wifery at the meeting of the Board on the 1st instant :-BURTON, WILLIAM, Chatham, Kent, diploma of membership

dated April 9th, 1855.DoLMAN, BERNARD CHAPMAN, Melbourne, Derbyshire, August

10th, 1849.EDWARDS, SEPTIMUS, Oswestry, March 9th, 1855.GuiKMON, BENJAMIN WILLIAM, Ellesmere, March 23rd, 1853.JONES, WALTER, Fetter-lane, December 10th, 1841.PENHALL, JOHN THOMAS, Brixton, April 23rd, 1855.REES, HARDING, April 30th, 1855.STRONG, HENRY JOHN, Sloane square, Chelsea, December 22nd,

1854.TYLECOTE, EDWARD THOMAS, Haywood, Staffordshire, April

20th, 1855.WHALLEY, THOMPSON, Holbeck, near Leeds, April 30th, 1855.APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen who passed

their examination in the science and practice of Medicine, andreceived certiticates to practise, on-

Thursday, April 26th, 1855.ADAMSON, ALEXANDER RATTRAY, Cupar, Fife, N.B.BADER, CHARLES, Germany.BEST, HENRY DEwES, Bilston, Staffordshire.BLAND, EDWARD, Denbighshire.FARRAR, CHARLES, Chatteris.HEMINGWAY, CHARLES ALFRED, Dewsbury.LANGDON, HENRY WILLIAM, Chard.PlERPOINT, NATHANIEL BRADFORD, London.SULLIVAN, EDWARD WHITTINGTON, Gt. Ilford, Essex.WHALLEY, THOMPSON, Holbeck, Leeds.

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COLLEGE NEWS.-Professor Owen concluded his courseof lectures on Saturday last, and, as an illustration of the greatinterest they excited, we may mention that during their de-livery, we observed amongst the constant attendants some ofthe most learned palaeontologists of the day, and most distin-guished visitors, as the Duke of Argyll, the Earl of Enniskillen,Sir Philip Egerton, Mr. Harcourt Vernon, Dr. Moorhead ofCalcutta, &c. Professor Hewett commenced his course on

Tuesday last, and will give three lectures on " Anatomy," andthree on "Injuries and Diseases of the Head. "-From an ad-vertisement in our present number, it will be observed thatthe Council propose to elect another student in human and

comparative anatomy. The Council have also chosen, as a veryappropriate subject for the Jacksonian Prize of this year,"Gun-shot Wounds and their Treatment. " For the year 1856,there are two subjects-viz., "The Pathology and Treatmentof Syphilis," and an "Inquiry into the Nature and Treatmentof the different forms of Gangrene," another capital subject forour friends in the East as well as those at home. The candidatesfor the College diploma are still flocking up, as evidenced by twomeetings of the court per week. The professional examinationfor the fellowship takes place on Monday and Wednesdaynext.

NAVAL MEDICAL NEWS.-Admiral Berkeley boldlystated in the House of Commons, about ten days since, thatthere was no scarcity of medical men in that department of thepublic service over which he presides. The following will showwhat amount of reliance may be placed upon such an assertion.We will quote the case of H.M.S. Trafalgar, a three-decker,which, during the action of the 17th of October on the forts ofSebastopol, had only two medical men on board-viz., Mr.Morgan, acting-surgeon, and Mr. Creighton, assistant-surgeon.The crew of this ship were so grateful for the kind assistancethey had received during the prevalence of the cholera, thatthey voluntarily subscribed sufficient funds to present to theformer gentleman (since specially promoted) a silver tankard,and to Mr. Creighton a magnificent sword, &c. To Mr. Rosie,assistant-surgeon of H.M.S. Queen, kindly lent to the Trafccl-gar during the cholera, they also presented a gold snuff-box, allof which bore the following inscription :-" Presented to (hereappears the name of the recipient) by the Trafalgars, in April,1855, for his invaluable services, and also for his kind and

prompt attention to them while pestilence in its worst formwas amongst them, when in the Black Sea, in the year 1854."The public will scarcely believe that these testimonials of thegratitude of our brave sailors to their medical officers must not,by a regulation of the service, be accepted by the gentlemen towhom they are offered; but, we need hardly add, that Jackalways finds a ready way to evade so absurd a regulation.-During the past week, Sir Alexander Cockburn has presenteia petition, signed by all the medical men of Southampton andits vicinity, in favour of the claims of naval medical officers.THE LONDON HOSPITAL. - A large number of the

governors, house-committee, medical officers, and supportersof this charity, dined together at the London Tavern, on April26th, in celebration of the 115th anniversary of the institution.His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, K.G., Presidentof the Hospital, took the chair. In proposing prosperity to theInstitution over which he had the gratification of presiding, hisRoyal Highness remarked that he was unacquainted with anysimilar establishment more entitled to energetic patronage andsupport than this. Situated in the midst of a poor and crowdedneighbourhood, it had for many years administered most effec-tually to the cure and relief of injuries and infirmities incidentalto the daily occupation of a working population, the majorityof which were employed in docks and large manufactories.The London Hospital was, in fact, one of the largest accidenthospitals in the kingdom. During the last year no less than10,780 cases had been treated either as in- or out-patients.This number of casualties, together with cases of disease, hadamounted to 22,574. He should mention, however, that thisdid not nearly represent the actual amount of cases that hadbeen under treatment during the past year, inasmuch as severalthousand trivial casualties had come under the care of themedical officers, but of which no record had been kept. Ofthe 22,574 registered admissions, 12,635 had occurred withoutthere having been any letter of recommendation. It wouldthus be observed that the London Hospital was to a consider-able extent a free hospital. He regretted to state, however,that for several years the annual expenditure of this institutionhad exceeded its fixed income of £11,000 by about £ 4000.This condition of things would, he hoped, act as a stimulus topublic bounty, for without adequate support this splendid hos-

pital would of necessity be obliged to limit its range of useful-ness. It must be particularly gratifying to the supporters ofthe hospital to know that the internal arrangements of theinstitution were as economical and effectual as possible, andthe strictly professional duties conducted by a body of gentle-men of recognised ability and scientific intelligence. He madethis remark with confidence, having only the day before under-taken a careful personal investigation of the entire details ofmanagement. His Royal Highness had also inspected the newMedical College with great interest and pleasure. He con-sidered it a model of what a medical school ought to be, and hefelt that the governing body of the hospital, in having erecteda building adapted in every way to the convenience of teachersand students, had taken a liberal and comprehensive view ofthe objects of the large institution over which they presided;and he could but compliment them highly on the discrimina-tion and judgment they had thus displayed. During theevening, James Scott Smith, Esq., Chairman of the HouseCommittee announced subscriptions to the amount of £1320.SCHOOL OF ANATOMY AND MEDICINE, GROSVENOR-

PLACE. -On Tuesday last the annual distribution of prizes to thestudents took place at the Institution,-Sir James Clark, Bart.,in the chair. A report was read, which gave a very satis-factory account of the progress of the school, and stated, thatin no session during the twenty-five years of its existence hadits objects been more thoroughly carried out than in the pre-sent. Several of the students had distinguished themselvesat the seat of war, and had received honourable mention fromthe Commander-in-Chief. A vacancy having occurred in theanatomical chair, by the retirement of Mr. Lane, the positionhad been filled by the appointment of Dr. Deville, from theschools of anatomy in Paris; and this gentleman was about todeliver a course of lectures on operative surgery, which it washoped would receive especial attention. The following prizesand certificates of honour were then presented :-Summer Session of 1854.-Medical Jurisprudence: prize,

Mr. H. Cook; certificate, Mr. E. A. Hart.-Botany: Mr. C.Meller.-Practical Chemistry: prize, Mr. E. A. Hart; certi-ficate, Mr. M. Bloxam. -Midwifery: senior prize, Mr. C.Meller; certificate, Mr. G. G. Gascoyen; junior prize, Mr.E. A. Hart; certificate, Mr. E. W. Joleye.-.Materia Medica:prizes, Mr. E. A. Hart and Mr. H. Cook.Winter Session of 1854-5.-Anatomy and Physiology: gold

medal, Mr. E. A. Hart; silver medal, Mr. C. Meller.-JuniorAnatomy: medal, Mr. A. J. Bannister; certificate, Mr. Clifton.--zlfedici2?e: Mr. E. A. Hart.-Surgery: prize, Mr. E. A.Hart; certificate, Mr. Constant; certificate, Mr. Joleye.--Chemistry: prize, Mr. J. A. Pope; certificate, Mr. J. A. Ban-nister.-Clinical .S’urgery: Mr. E. A. Hart.-Clinical Medi-cine: Mr. Hopson.Amongst the gentlemen present were Mr. Alderman Salo-

mons, Mr. Phillips, together with Dr. Lankester, Mr. Pilcher,Mr. Bloxam. Dr. Ballard, Dr. Deville, Mr. Rodgers, and theother professors attached to the school.TESTIMONIAL TO DR. CUNNINGHAM, OF LARNE.-" In

our advertising columns to-day will be found an address, pre-sented, together with a service of plate, a valuable carriagecar, and a time-piece, to the above-named estimable gentlemanby his friends in Larne. The inscription on the time-piecesufficiently records the history of the well-merited testimonial.It is as follows:-‘Presented, with a service of plate and acarriage car, to John Cunningham, Esq., surgeon, by his nume-rous friends, as a tribute of regard, and of the very high esteemhe is held in, professionally, as a man, and as a friend, butmore particularly as a momento of his philanthropic exertionsduring the prevalence of cholera in this neighbourhood in 1854,when he gave his medical services, medicines, and comforts,liberally and unremunerated, amongst the destitute poor.’Belfast News-Letter.

APPOINTMENTS,—Dr. Mackenzie has been unanimouslyelected Physician to the Western General Dispensary.-Dr.Andrew Clark has been elected Assistant-Physician to the Cityof London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest.THE FRENCH MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.—The terrible

pressure of sickness in the Crimea seems to have taxed eventhe well-organized medical administration of the French army.It is said that civil practitioners have been called in aid.CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.-A special meeting of the

governors of this institution took place on Tuesday, for theelection of two assistant house-surgeons, when Messrs. B. Bar-well and F. Hird, both fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons,were elected to fill these posts.

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ARMY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.-RIFLE BRIGADE.-To be Surgeon: Assist. -Surg. Henry Shearly Sanders. -To beAssistant-Surgeon: Assist.-Surg. George Lawson, from theStaff, vice Sanders.HOSPITAL STAFF.-Staff Surg. of the First Class William

Cruickshank, M.D., to be Deputy Inspector-General of Hos-pitals, vice Spence, deceased; Surg. Frederick Foaker, fromthe 38th Foot, to be Staff Surg. of the First Class, vice Cruick-shank, promoted; Assist.-Surg. Matthew Combe, M.D., fromthe Ordnance Medical Department, to be Staff Surg. of theSecond Class, vice Wall, appointed to the 38th Foot.To be Acting Assistant - Surgeons: Valentine Mumbee

M’Master, Gent.; Alfred Hoyte, Gent.; Nathaniel Philip Betts,Gent.; Thomas Kennedy, C-rent. ; Nathaniel Norris, Gent.;James Robert Crawford, Gent.; John Whittle Rimmer, Gent.;George Bayly, Gent.; Edward Ralph Blackett, Gent.; JosephWatts, Gent.; George Thomas Bourke, Gent.; David Strana-ghan, M.D.-Froma the London Gazette of April 24th.

HOSPITAL STAFF. -To be Deputy-Inspectors-General of Hos-pitals : Staff Surg. of the First Class William Austin, M.D.;Staff Surg. of the First Class Thomas Hall; Staff Surg. of theFirst Class Daniel Armstrong; Staff Surg. of the First ClassJohn Brown Gibson, M.D.-To be Staff Surgeons of the FirstClass: Surg. Patrick Gammie, from the 9th Foot, vice Gibson;Staff Surg. Second Class Henry Cooper Reade.-To be StaffSurgeons of the Second Class: Assist.-Surg. Charles RobertRobinson, from the 92nd Foot, vice Reade; Assist. -Surg.James Leitch, M.D., from the 78th Foot; Assist.-Surg. GeorgeHyde, M.D., from the 69th Foot; Assist.-Surg. James Hamil-ton Bews, from the 83rd Foot.

Surg. Sandford McVittie Lloyd, M.D., from the Royal New-foundland Companies, vice Surg. John Hartley Sinclair, M.D.,of the Depot Battalion, at Birr, who retires upon half-pay.Edward Campbell, Esq., to have the local rank of Deputy-

Inspector-General of Hospitals in Turkey while employed withthe Turkish Contingent Force.

Surg. Frederick Harrington Brett, M. D., of the East IndiaCompany’s Service, to have the local rank of Staff Surg. of theFirst Class while employed with the army in the East.The undermentioned gentlemen, being about to be attached

to the Medical Staff of the Turkish Contingent Force, to havethe local rank in Turkey of Staff Surgeon of the Second Classwhile so employed :-Thomas Littleton, M.B.; Henry P. Ben-net, Esq.; Thomas Coutts Morrison, Esq. ; Christopher Wolston,Esq.; William Druce Cattle, Esq.; Robert Boxall, Esq.-Lon-don Gazette, May lst.

THE TURKISH CONTINGENT. - vr are gratified tofind that our remonstrance (ante, page 350) with respect tothe India surgeons now in England en furlough was not with-out effect. Dr. ’Macpherson has been placed at the head of anefficient surgical staff, mostly India surgeons, accustomed tocholera, and tropical fevers, and who have all had large ex-perience of gun-shot wounds in the late Indian engagements atSobraon, Aliwal, and generally through the Affghan campaign.The medical staff is to consist of Dr. Macpherson and hisdeputy, Surgeon E. Campbell: the former was present, assurgeon, at the bombardment of the Bocca Tigris, was woundedin China, and served in the army of the Nizam; his deputy served all through the Affghan campaign, was left at Cabulwith the wounded, and taken prisoner for nine months. Atthe head of six first-class staff-surgeons we find Surgeon J.Vaughan, of the Bombay establishment, who served eightyears at Aden, and was the first to notice the efficacy of thedrug " kousso " in our own pages. We mention these par-ticulars as men of this class are exactly those now required.To these are added twenty-six surgeons, (second class,) thirtydressers, chiefly members of the College recently examined,and twenty-four dressers, (second class,) third- or second-year’s students.

DUBLIN CHEMICAL SOCIETY: THE ADULTERATION OFFooc, &c.-An important meeting of the Dublin ChemicalSociety took place last week in the Society’s Rooms, Dame-street, when the President, Dr. Aldridge, in delivering an ableaddress on the opening of the session, in which he alluded tothe great success that had attended all the labours and re-searches of the Society, thus commented on the scandalousadulteration, of articles of food and medicines, thereby showinghow necessary such a society was for the detection and punish-ment of unjust and dishonest traders :-‘ The subject of theadulteration of articles of food and medicine has latterlyattracted much attention. That the practice of adulteration isextensively pursued cannot be doubted; but how is that prac-

tice to be prevented ? Not by stringent laws and heavypenalties; not by a vexatious and intolerant police. It is no-torious that these means have failed in every country in whichthey have been practised; and they are not only inefficient,but, like our excise laws, injurious, because they suppose thatour present knowledge is perfect, and therefore they throw im.pediments in the way of all improvement. Flour, salt, barm,and water made into dough, fermented for a certain length oftime, and baked in an oven, constitute the popular idea of purebread; but the scientific baker seeks to make it whiter and

lighter, and to diminish its tendency to acescency. He may dothis by additions not only innocuous, but calculated to improvethe condition of the digestive organs. Is it not right that heshould be allowed this liberty ? But tie him down by a legal

definition, and you put him, if he attempts to improve, into thesame position as the dishonest adulterater with mashed potatoesor plaster of Paris. Again, it is well known that drugs arelittle, if at all, adulterated by the retail druggist. It is out inAsia Minor that impurities are added to scammony and opium;it is in the great commercial entrepots, that jalap and guaiacum,rhubarb and turmeric are mixed together. The retail drug-gist buys these adulterated articles because he gets them cheap,and his customers demand cheap drugs. If the workhouse phy-sician is disappointed in his treatment, and the pauper dies forwant of the proper medicine, the fault is principally due to theblind and stupid economy of the guardians, who will accept

none but the lowest tenders. But the true remedy to put astop to this practice of adulterations is the extension of che-mical, and I may add microscopical, knowledge. Let not onlymedical men, but the classes from among whom gnardians forthe poor are usually selected, and not only they, but all edu-cated persons, become acquainted with a little chemistry, andall adulterations, at least of a gross description, will soon cease;for nobody will think of committing fraud if he is almost cer-tain of being detected. Indeed, chemistry ought to be a branchof general education; not merely theoretical, but practical che-mistry. After this address, Sir James Murray, V.P., havingbeen moved to the second chair, a vote of thanks was passedto the President, and the meeting separated.THE LATE VISITATION OF CHOLERA AT OXFORD.-Theinhabitants of St. Clement have presented a testimonial to C.

J. Vincent, Esq., surgeon, of this city. in acknowledgment ofhis professional services in that parish during the recent visita-tion of cholera, from which it suffered so severely. It is couchedin the following terms -" We, the rector, churchwardens, andother inhabitants of the parish of St. Clement, Oxford, desireto

express to Cyril John -Vincent, Esquire, our sincere thanks

for his unremitting energy and attention, as well as for the skilland humanity displayed by him in the discharge of his profes-sional duties during the recent visitation of cholera in thisparish, whereby a great amount of suffering was alleviated,and, under God’s providence, many valuable lives spared."The parchment bears 187 signatures.MANCHESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY.-Mr. Eeatll and Mr.

Lund have been elected surgeons to this institution. Therewere five candidates, and the following is the result of thepoll :-

_ _ . _ . _

THE LocK HOSPITAL. - The anniversary festival ofthat most excellent charity, the Lock Hospital and Asylum,was held on Saturday, at Willis’s Rooms. H.R.H. the Dukeof Cambridge presided. The secretary read the list of subscrip-tions, amounting in the whole to .62200.FATAL POISONING OF FIVE PATIENTS IN THE TOULON"

GALLEY -SLAVE HOSPITAL, BY THE WiNM OF COLCHICUM, AD-MINISTERED, BY MISTAKE, INSTEAD OF BARK WINE.- InL’ Union Médicale, of the 27th of March, 1855, M. Jules Roux,chief surgeon to the above-named hospital, relates the cases offive of his patients, who, being just recovering from surgicaloperations, all died, three within nineteen hours and twowithin twenty-six hours, after having taken two ounces ofcolchicum wine, which were administered, through an unfor-tunate error, instead of the same quantity of bark wine. Noneof the men experienced any ill effects until about two hours afterthe ingestion of the colchicum wine. Two of them, however

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who had felt an unusual burning at the epigastrium and colickypains, then began to vomit; and when the house-surgeon ex-amined the five men, to whom he had been summoned in greathaste, he found them pale, cold, with a small pulse, and suffer-ing from severe abdominal pain, nausea, constant vomiting, andfrequent and abundant alvine evacuations. There was &lsofound by M. Roux himself, who saw the patients about sixhours after the colchicum wine had been taken, a burning sen-sation in the pharynx and along the oesophagus, ardent thirst,and frequent yellowish serous stools, without mucus or striae ofblood. The mental faculties were, however, unimpaired, andno alteration had taken place in the motor or sensory power.Sulphuric ether and laudanum, in an aromatic infusion, werenow administered, in conjunction with emollient drinks, ene-mata of the same kind, and warm cataplasms on the abdomen.At five o’clock in the afternoon, nine hours after the vinumcolchicum had been given, the symptoms were unchanged,except with one patient, whose vomiting and purging hadceased, and whose skin had become warm and moist. Threedied after nineteen hours’ suffering, and the two others aftertwenty-six. These two last were, shortly before dissolution, ina deplorable state, presenting lividity of the lips and nails, icy.skin, and heaviness about the head; they complained, besides, ofa vesical and rectal tenesmus, great thirst, burning throat, andsevere pain in the loins and limbs. The post-mortem appear-ances were similar in the five patients, and were as follows :-No ulceration or traces of inflammation in the pharynx andœsophagus; stomach and intestines distended with a little gas,but containing a great deal of opaque fluid; mucous membranemuch softened and red, but presenting no ulcerations; liver.considerably congested, and spleen gorged with blood. Noother alteration existed, except a strongly-marked vascularityof the brain and spinal marrow. The aspect of the musculartissues was rosv in all regions, and three days after death nodecomposition had begun. No veratrine was found in thevomited matters, but by comparative analyses, it was provedthat the men had been poisoned by colchicum.HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK ENDING

SATURDAY, APRIL 28.-In the week that ended on Saturdaythe number of deaths registered in London was 1132. This israther more than the number of the previous week; but thelast two returns together afford sufficient proof that the public

health is advancing to a more satisfactory state. In the ten

corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 the average numberof deaths was 1006. That the actual number may be comparedwith the average, 100 should be added to the latter, to allowfor increased population; and the comparison will then showthat the mortality of last week did not much exceed the ordi-nary mortality at the end of April. Diseases of the respiratoryorgans grow less prevalent and fatal, and to this circumstancechiefly the decrease of the total mortality is owing. Excluding

phthisis and hooping-cough, that class of diseases which whenthe weather was cold caused 433 deaths in a week, producedin the last three weeks 282, 222, and 190, showing a steadydecrease. Phthisis was fatal in 176 cases last week, a numberas great as that which usually occurred in the depth of winter.Hooping-cough, which carried off 50 children in each of the lasttwo weeks, prevails less than it did. The mortality fromzymotic diseases in the aggregate is near the usual amount; 00deaths are referred to small-pox, .15 to measles, 45 to scarlatina.Five from the last-mentioned disease occurred in Woolwich, 3in Peckham, and 3 in Kensington.

Obituary.At the British Hospital, Scutari, Mr. HARVEY LUDLOw,

aged twenty-nine, late of Charterhouse-square, London. Thedeceased, a promising surgeon, the son of Mr. Ludlow, ofChrist’s Hospital, Hertford, went out to the East as an actingassistant-surgeon to the forces, and most honourable mentionwas made of his services on board the transport ship Trent byLieut. -Col. C. Townsend before the Roebuck Committee.At Beccles, Suffolk, on April 17th, MARTIN BARRY, M.D.,

F.R.S., aged fifty-three.On Wednesday, the 25th ult., at Langharne, Carmarthen-

shire, HENRY HAMILTON, Esq., M.R.C.S.On April 21st, at Hatfield, WILLIAM LLOYD THOMAS, Esq.,

F.R.C.S, in his sixty-fifth year.At Hanley Castle, near Worcester, of apoplexy, JAMES

LEWIS, Esq., surgeon, aged sixty-eight.On the 26th ult., at Barton-an-Humber, RICHARD EDDIE

Esq., surgeon, aged eighty-one.

Medical Diary of the Week.