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through the curriculum, he is doubtless aware of the- attendaniexpense, and perhaps it may not have occurred to him thatmany, who have strained every point, and struggled throughtheir first and second years, have absolutely no alternative butto obtain some situation, where, with economy and time, theymay acquire funds sufficient to prosecute their studies.With passed men the case is widely different; instead ol

having only one resource, there are ample opportunities of em-ployment for them the three services, or, if those fail, themercantile marine, dispensary and hospital appointments. Itis therefore selfish and unjust to demand protection, and wishto create a monopoly in the only branch of the profession inwhich a needy student can hope to keep his head above water.Surely, Sir, men who have dispensed for perhaps five or atleast three years, snd completed a year or so of their hospitalattendance, are equal to all the requirements of a surgery.

If the " Qualified Assistant" complained of our employmentin ships and situations of responsibility, he would have reason;but I hope, and no doubt my feelings are echoed by a largesection of the incipient members of the profession, that, for thesake of justice alone, Mr. Rugg’s motion will terminate insmoke.

Apologizing for the length of this, and trusting to your im-partiality for its insertion,

I am, Sir, yours, &c., March, 1854. A COUNTRY UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT.

EXCISION OF THE WRIST-JOINT

D. MACKINDER, M.D.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—In the number of your journal for January 28th,

under the head of "Excision of the Wrist-Joint," by Mr.Fergusson, reference is made to the case of George G-, whoit appears was expected to show himself again at this hospital,so that this result of the treatment might be noted.

This man came under my care early in May, 1852, not longafter his discharge from King’s College Hospital, when hecomplained of rheumatism in his shoulders; but, on examina-tion, it was found that the pain arose from disease of thevertebra prominens, over which there was considerable swellingand eventual sloughing. Cough, diarrhoea, night sweats, andcomplete paralysis supervened, and the poor fellow died on the10th of June following.The sinuses at the wrist exhibited an unhealthy appearance,

and necrosed bone could be felt. A post-mortem examinationwas not allowed.

Yours faithfully,Gainsborough, March, 1854. D. MACKINDER, M.D.

Military and Naval Intelligence.MILITARY.—1st. or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards: H.

Lawrence, gent., to be assistant-surgeon. - ColdstreamGuards: Assistant-surgeon C. V. Cay, from the 97th Foot, tobe assistant-surgeon. - 4th Foot: Assistant-surgeon F. M.Smith, from.the staff, to be assistant-surgeon.-28th Foot:Assistant-surgeon W. H. Brice, from the staff, to be assistant-surgeon ; C. G. Irwin, gent., to be assistant-surgeon, viceMarlow, promoted to the staff.-33rd Foot: Assistant-surgeonW. M. Muir, M.D., from the 42nd Foot, to be surgeon, viceJohnston, appointed to the staff; St. John Stanley, gent., tobe assistant-surgeon.—50th Foot: P. G. Martel, gent., to beassistant-surgeon.-59th Foot: Staff-surgeon of the second classR. M’Whardie, M.D., to be surgeon, vice Braybrooke,appointed to the staff.—77th Foot: R. G. Burton, gent., to beassistant-surgeon. - 93rd Foot : R. Menzies, gent., to beaasistant-surgeon.HOSPITAL STAFF.-Surgeon W. Braybrooke, from the 59th

Foot, to be staff-surgeon of the second class, vice M’Wharrrie,appointed to the 59th Foot; surgeon J. T. 0. Johnston, M.D.,from the 33rd Foot, to be staff-surgeon of the second class;assistant-surgeon E. Howard, from the 20th Foot, to be staff-

surgeon of the second class; assistant-surgeon B. W. Marlow,M.D., from the 28th Foot, to be staff-surgeon of the secondclass; assistant-surgeon O’Connor D’Arcey, M.D., from the5th Dragoon Guards, to be assistant-surgeon to the Forces, viceRoss, appointed to the 39th Foot.ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.—Deputy Inspector General Verl-

ing, M.D., to be Inspector General of Ordnance Hospitals.NAVAL.—Walter Dickson, M.D., (1848,) to the Archer, 14

screw corvette; John A. Corbett, M.D., (1849,) to the

Miranda, 14 screw steam sloop, Sheemem; Nicholas Littleton,(1851,) to the Rosamond, screw steam sloop, Sheerness; JohnB. Nicholson, M.D., (1853,) to the Prometheus, paddlewheelsteam sloop at Devonport ; William Macleod, M.D., (1853,)from the Racehorse, to the Driver paddle-wheel steam sloop,Sheerness ; James J. Martin, (1853,) to the Gorgon, paddle-wheel steam sloop, Portsmouth, W. H. Sloggett, (1853,) tothe Conflict, 8 screw steam sloop, Portsmouth.

Medical News.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following gentle-men, having undergone the necessary examinations for thediploma, were admitted members of the College at a meetingof the Court of Examiners on the 3rd inst. :-

ALDRIDGE, CHARLES JOSEPH, Myddleton Square.BARTRUM, ROBERT HENRY, Norfolk Crescent, Bath.BRODRICK, HENRY CRITCHLEY, Hon. East India Company’s

Service, Madras.CHRISTIE, THOMAS BEATH, Pembroke House, Hackney.DAY, WILLIAM HENRY, Stratton, near Swindon.Fox, JOHN, Manchester.GouLLET, ARTHUR PETER, Australia.Ho CHEE, JAMES, Hon. East India Company’s Service, Bom-

bay.LAY, JAMES COCHRAN, New York.STAINTHORPE, GEORGE FARBRIDGE, Newcastle.LICENTIATES IN MIDWIFERY. -The following members of the

College, having undergone the necessary examinations, wereadmitted Licentiates in Midwifery at the meeting of the Boardon the 8th instant :-Messrs. John Theophilus Jenkins, PrinceEdward’s Island, Diploma of membership dated February 3,1854; James Stevens, Bloomsbury-square, August 4, 1843;William Richard Goylls, Lock Hospital, April 2, 1852 ; ArthurSalter, Exeter, December 17, 1852 ; John Skinner, Exeter,May 2, 1851 ; Thomas Carr Jackson, Hamilton-place, New-road, May 30, 1845; Henry Cundell Juler, Norwich, Decem-ber 2, 1853; and Eubulus Williams, Williton, Somerset, Feb-ruary 17, 1854.APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen who passed

their examination in the science and practice of Medicine, andreceived certificates to practise, on—

Thursday, March 2nd, 1854.BARTRUM, ROBERT HENRY, Norfolk-crescent, Bath.JAMES, JOSEPH WILLIAM WILMOT.JAMES, CHARLES POPE, Aldborough, Suffolk.RowcLiFFE, EDWARD HANCOCK, Tarporley, Cheshire.WEBSTER, HENRY.HuNTERiAN SOCIETY. - Mr. J. C. Wordsworth will

read a Case of Scalding of the Glottis requiring Tracheotomy, OnWednesday, the 15th instant.THE LEVEE.-The following members of the profession

attended the levee which was held on Wednesday last :-Doctors Locock, Aldis, Walter D. Jones, F. H. Brett, Ashley,Macloughlin, Billing, Granville, Richard Bright.NAPOLEON AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.—During

Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile in St. Helena the surgeon of theNortlmmberland was his constant visitor and his companionon riding excursions. On one of the latter occasions the ex-Emperor having proposed several questions to the surgeon re-lative to the comparative skill of the French and Englishmedical practitioners—the highest fees given to physicians inEngland-the expense of the medical staff attached to theBritish army and navy, &c.-stated that it was at one time hisintention to have divided the medical men in France into threedistinct classes; the first of which being selected from themost eminent of their profession should have had some hono-rary badge of distinction, whilst the third class should havebeen extremely humble, and allowed to administer none butthe most simple medicines. " According to my idea," said he,"a physician, like a general officer, should be a man possess-ing great powers of discernment and observation, which willenable him to discover the position and strength of the enemy:such a practitioner will dispossess the foe without employingforce, which might dilapidate the citadel. Now, I conceivethat the applications of the lancet, or the administration ofmercury, if carried too far, cannot fail of injuring the constitu-tion which they are designed to improve."

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BoLTON INFIRMARY AND DISPENSARY. - The annualmeeting of this charity was held at the Dispensary, the Rev. ICanon Staele, Vicar of Bolton, in the chair. During the past Iyear 3386 patients were admitted to the benetits of the institu-tion. The receipts, including a balance on the previour year’s Iaccount, figured £1446 14s. 3d., and the expenditure left a ibalance of C270 16s. 4d. A gratuity of £20 was presented tothe retiring surgeon, Mr. Livy, which, together with a vote ofthanks to the chairman, closed the day’s proceedings.METROPOLITAN’ DISPENSARY, FORE-STREET, CRIPPLE-

GATE.-A testimonial, consisting of a handsome epergne, value100 guineas, has been presented to Dr. Waller, upon retiring,after fifteen year’s services as physician to the institution, bythe governors and friends of the charity. The testimonial was

accompanied by a vote of thanks, beautifully embossed on

vellum.

CAUTION TO CIIE.NTISTS AND DRUGGISTS.-At the Liver-pool Police Court last week, Mr. John Price, of the firm ofPrice, Benson, and Co., druggists, was fined in the mitigatedpenalty of £25, for having in his possession a quantity of spiritswithout a permit.

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ADULTERATED FOOD.—A new local official—viz., a publicanalyzer, charged with the examination and suppression ofadulterations in all articles of consumption, has been appointedby the Town Council of Birmingham.THE CHOLERA.—Leeds has had the misfortune to stand

first in the present year as the scene of the cholera’s ravages.It has broken out among the workpeople engaged in the nax-spinning mill of John Wilkinson and Co., one of the mostrespectable firms in this district, and a mill which, for salubrity,cleanliness, ventilation, and care of the operatives, has alwaysranked among the very best. Fourteen cases of cholera havebeen reported to the Superintendent-Registrar of Leeds, andof these fourteen no less than twelve were persons working atMessrs. Wilkinson’s mill, the thirteenth being the mother, andthe fourteenth the husband, of one of the operatives. Up toTuesday morning there had been six deaths in Leeds, and oneor two others are reported of operatives from this mill whoreside out of the registrar’s district. The matter has beencommunicated to the General Board of Health by the LeedsBoard of Guardians, whose medical and other officers have beenunable to account for the visitation, the more especially as thegeneral health of the town is excellent. On Tuesday Dr.Gavins, deputed by the General Board of Health, arrived inLeeds, and is at present prosecuting inquiries. Many causesare assigned for the outbreak; among others, that the flax nowbeing used in the mill is Riga flax, and emits an odour verymuch worse than any other flax that has come thence; but,after all, these are the merest guesses, and worth nothing asyet. It was stated on Tuesday to be the intention of theMessrs. Wilkinson to close their mills immediately for a time.The occurrence of this scourge, and the consequent closing ofthe mill, is a very sad calamity for the many hundred operativesemnloved there.

A CURIOSITY.—The following extraordinary notice wasread last week at the meeting of the guardians of the poor ofGreenwich; it is the production of Mr. Arthur, one of the me-dical officers :-" Received, from the guardians of the Green-wich Union, the paltry sum of .620, for thirteen weeks’ extraservice as house to house visitor, sanitary inspection, and formedicines supplied to the sick poor of Deptford, by which Ifind my services as a professional man are valued at the samerate as a journeyman mechanic." It was unanimously resolvedto forward the document to the Poor-law Board.

NAVAL MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.—The rather unusualpromotion of Dr. M’Kechnie (1830) to the rank of medical in-spector of hospitals, passing over the grade of the deputy-in-spector, has occasioned some surprise and no small discontentin certain quarters. There is only one precedent for it-thatof Dr. Wilson, promoted in 1841 for service in China. It ap-pears, however, that Dr. M’Kechnie, of whose high profes-sional qualifications there can be no doubt, has given up a com-fortable position in Haslar Hospital for active service afloat,which sacrifice he could not be expected to make without thatrank which has been conferred upon him. Dr. M’Kechnie willbe employed with the Baltic fleet, on board the Belleisle, nowfitting at Devonport for a hospital ship. Dr. Bryson, whosepromotion to the rank of deputy-inspector has given generalsatisfaction, will still be employed at Somerset House.—UnitedService Gazette.

TURKISH MEDICAL PROVISIONS FOR THE SICK ANDWOUNDED. —Omar Pasha is paying the greatest attention tothe medical department of the army, which he seems resolvedto make commensurate with all the probable contingencieswhich threaten the seat of war. Dr. Monjere, physician of theGrand Vizer, and Dr. Faunel, physician to the French Embassyat Constantinople, have arrived at Shumla, to assist in organis-ing an efficient medical staff and a spacious hospital for the re-ception of the sick and the wounded. The site selected for thehospital is in every manner eminently adapted for that purpose.It is in a hollow, pleasantly and healthfully situated.HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE ’WEEK ENDING

Saturday, March 4.-The deaths registered in London exhibita decrease from 1334 in the preceding week, to 1135 in theweek that ended last Saturday. The sudden rise was precededby a fall in mean temperature from 420 to 35°; the temperaturethen rose to nearly its former position at 42°, and maintained.it during the last two weeks, and a reduction in the mortalityto the extent of 200 deaths is the consequence. In the ten

corresponding weeks of the years 1844-53, the average numberof deaths was 1086, which if raised iu proportion to increase of £population becomes 1195. The actual number of last week isless than the estimated amount by 60. The mortality fromhooping-cough is still above the average, but shows a gradualdecrease. The deaths from it are 64, and are considerablymore numerous than those referred to any other disease in theepidemic class. Scarlatina and typhus produced an equalnumber of fatal cases, 31 persons having died from each.Measles caused 16 deaths, diarrhoea 20, influenza 3, erysipelas11, syphilis 5. No death from cholera has been registered inthe last three weeks. Eleven women died after childbirth.Besides 5 cases attributed to delirium tremens, it appears that4 persons were the victims of intemperate habits. To this listmust be added a female, who died from injury received in astate of intoxication.

Last week, the birth of 893 boys and 846 girls, in all 1739children, were registered in London. In the nine correspondingweeks of the years 1845-53 the average number was 1530.

MEETINGS OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETIES INLONDON DURING THE ENSUING WEEK.

I NOTE.—When the day of the month is not specified, no meetings take place.