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THE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—Having entered to a course of surgery at the Middle-

sex Hospital School, I was much puzzled by the lecturerreferring to certain specimens, which were not to be found inthe museum, and upon inquiring the reason, was told that theyhad been taken by the professor of surgery at * * * * *who, I further discovered, has been in the habit of doingso ever since the commencement of the session: and as thatfunctionary appears to do pretty much as he likes here, I havewritten this, for I am convinced that publicity alone will putdown the nuisance. Have they no museum at * * * *!

I am, Sir, yours obediently,Middlesex Hospital, Jan. 1850. STUDENS.

*.* This note has been duly authenticated; still we haveomitted words, which, if inserted, would lead to the identifica-tion of the gentleman to whom our correspondent refers. Westrongly suspect that "Studens" has been misinformed.—ED. L.

Medical News.

APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen whopassed their examination in the science and practice of medi-cine, and received certificates to practise, on

Thursday, Jan. 24,1850.DAVIES, JANES HAMILTON, as an Assistant, Haverhill.Fox, HENRY TREGELLES, Dunmow, Essex.LATHAM, CHARLES WILLIAM, London.NORTH, SAMUEL WILLIAM, York.THE NEW SECRETARY OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL

AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY.—The effort to place one of the mostactive members of the late John-Hunter Club in the positionof secretary to the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society hasexcited the indignation of a vast number of the fellows. Wetrust that the council will not persist in thrusting theirnominee on the Society. We hear, however, that should theypersist in their course, his election will be made void at theanniversary.

ASSISTANT-PHYSICIAN AT THE MIDDLESEX H4C),-,-PITAL.—Dr. A. P. Stewart will " walk over the course" at theMiddlesex Hospital, there being no opposition.

APPOINTMENT.—Dr. Freer has been appointedphysician-accoucheur and lecturer on midwifery at the Mid-dlesex School, in the room of Dr. West.

PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.-Dr. P. M. Latham isthe new president of the Pathological Society.WESTMINSTER MEDICAL SOCIETY.—The president

of the Society, Mr. Hird, gives a soirée on Wednesday next,the 6th instant, previous to his retirement from the chair,after, perhaps, the most important and successful term ofoffice ever held by any president in any Society.THE ROYAL SOCIETY.-The abolition of the com-

mittees of this Society has given universal satisfaction to theprofession. As an illustration of this, we may mention, thatat the present moment there are twenty-eight papers sent into be read at the ordinary meetings.

ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL.—One of the wings of thisinstitution will be opened in May next, if it be possible tocomplete it. Although no elections have yet taken place, avery active canvass has been long going on by several candi-dates for the medical offices.ROYAL MEDICAL AND CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY.-

The " in-and-out" system of election is be kept up in the nexthouse-lia of the council. Two of the past secretaries, we hear,are to hold office in the governing body. Jobbing is theorder of the day in this institution.-We hear nothing of anyrêunion of the fellows or council of this society, as formerly ob-tained. Dr. Seth Thompson is to be the new medical secretary.TESTIMONIAL TO M&. GEORGE KIRIi, SURGEON, OF

MIDDLESBROUGH.—On Friday evening, the 28th Decemberlast, a number of the friends of Mr. George Kirk met, in theIndependent School-room, Middlesbrough, for the purpose ofpresenting him with a testimonial of their appreciation of hisexertions during the time of the cholera. Mr. Cooke, in pre-senting the testimonial, which consisted of a handsome silvertea-service, value £25, said that it afforded him great pleasurein presenting the beautiful testimonial now before them toone who was so well deserving of this token of their esteem.

WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.-The medical officers ofthis hospital and the liberal portion of the governors are de-termined to reject the proposition of timing the medical men,as alluded to in THE LANCET a fortnight ago.

CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.-It is rumoured thatthe senior physician to this hospital is about retiring from theinstitution. The advanced age of this gentleman has longsince prevented him from taking an active part in the hospital.Dr. Rowland is confidently spoken of as his successor.

CONVERSAZIONE AT ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL.-ThePresident and Treasurer of St. Thomas’s Hospital gave, on the23rd ult.,a conversazione, which was much crowded. It was an-nounced that Dr. Leeson would favour the company with illus-trations of the advance of medical and chemical science: thiscircumstance raised much expectation, which was heightenedby the magnificent display of scientific apparatuses, which weretastefully displayed on the table. We shall not attempt tofollow Dr. Leeson in the scientific views he expounded withmuch earnestness and skill, but be content to give a sketch ofthe principal points which were touched upon by the learnedlecturer. Dr. Leeson inquired what was meant by science ingeneral, and medical science in particular; the latter beingdefined the knowledge of life. The various kinds of sciencewere then passed in review, and chemistry and medicine

*

pointed out as branches of physical science, which latter can-not ever reach the exactness of mathematical science. Whenmedical science was treated, the incomprehensible connexionbetween body and soul was touched upon, and steam-engines,or self-acting machines, compared with the mediate volitionby which the various movements of the human frame areperformed. Human ingenuity has made the steam-enginemore and more independent of immediate attention, followingtherein the principle upon which the human body is con-structed ; both likewise are worn out by friction. When thematerial elements of which our frames are composed werediscussed, it was shown that the properties of matter are theresults of the forces existing in it, and that sensation is de-pendent on the stimuli brought in contact with the ultimatenervous nbriUas. Treating of sensation, it was mentionedthat for distinguishing colours one-eighth of a second is ne-cessary ; if less time be given, as may be done by the many-coloured revolving wheel, no colour is discerned. Dr. Leesonthen entered upon the consideration of electric forces; thepower of the latter was shown by causing the combustion ofcharcoal under an exhausted bell, and this was also made toprove that combustion does not always depend on the presenceof oxygen. It was maintained that every force is magnetic,and that, in general, electricity and magnetism encircle eachother. After various considerations respecting animal andvegetable life in a chemical point of view, the solid carbonicacid was exhibited, and was made to produce intense cold bypassing first from the solid to the liquid state, and then fromthe latter to the gaseous state-a lump of solid mercury wasthus produced. Dr. Leeson, like many of the philosopherswho are much engrossed by physical science, believes that thehuman frame acts principally by electric force, and an ex-periment was exhibited by which a muscle was in somedegree made to contract by the electric current. It hasnever been shown how nerves actually terminate; may theynot end in muscular fibrillm bathed in a fluid containing iron,through which the current passes, and produces contraction?At all events motion is ever dependent on a current of elec-tricity running along the nerve. Besides these opinions, thelearned lecturer likewise held that exosmose and endosmose

depend much on electrical force, and an illustration was takenfrom cholera, where exosmose was considerable because the

fluids were alkaline; it was of no use to give medicine becauseendosmose was not taking place from the absence of elec-tricity. Many very entertaining and instructive chemicalexperiments were made after the conclusion of the discourse,i while refreshments were being served in an adjoining room.1The guests, among whom were a great number of gentlemen! eminent in the profession, and others of high reputation invarious departments of science, appeared to be exceedinglygratified with the evening’s entertainment.

, BREACH OF COVENANT.—In the case of Atkins v.Kinnear,a. new trial was moved for, on the ground of misdirec-

tion, and that the damages sustained were, in reality, merelynominal. The new trial, however, was refused, the Judgestating that the amount of damages named in the covenantwas properly awarded, inasmuch as a specific sum was namedin the deed, because, in such cases, it was difficult, if notimpossible, to assess the exact amount of damage which theplaintiff might sustain under such circumstances.

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TESTIMONIAL TO lBIR. HARLAND WHITEMAN, SUR-GEON, or PUTNEY.—On Wednesday, Jan. 16th, there tookplace, in the public school-rooms at Putney, a meeting of avery interesting description, convened for the purpose of pre-senting a testimonial to the medical officer of the district, Mr.R. Harland Whiteman. The testimonial, for the purchase ofwhich several hundreds of inhabitants-from the peer to thepeasant-had subscribed, consisted of a handsome silvertankard and salver, manufactured expressly for the occasion,together with a valuable gold lever watch, upon each of whichgifts was engraved a suitable inscription, indicative of thesense entertained by the subscribers of Mr. Whiteman’s" zealous and efficient services, as the medical officer of thedistrict, during the late visitation of cholera." The presenta-tion was prefaced by a suitable address from the officiatingminister of the parish, the Rev. Edward East, to which Mr.Whiteman subsequently replied, at considerable length.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.ALL communications sent to this journal for publication should be addressed

as follows :-To THE EDITOR OF THE LANCET,

THE LANCET Office,423, Strand, London.

We hope that this intimation will receive attention, as we occasionallyfind that letters and papers for THE LANCET are addressed to gentlemenwho are not in any respect connected with the literary departments ofthat publication.

Argus will find a sensible communication on the same subject by BrotherDaylight at p. 159. The question is likely to engage much of the atten-tenbon of the profession. Provision for publicity at such examinationsshould be made by parliament.

THE advertisement sent by Mr. loung did not reach us in time to be pub-lished in the last LANCET. It is published this week.

THE report forwarded by 1111’. TV. T. Keal shall be inserted.Mr. E. L. Go2-don has been misinformed. He must re-investigate thewhole affair.

THE report sent to us by llr. B. F. lllutthews (Bedford Asylum) shall bepublished.

IT is not unlikely that ]If)-. F. is a F.R.C.S. of Scotland or Ireland.Yeritas is quite right in noticing the subject, and we will take care that thematter shall receive due attention.

Mediclls, (Bristol.)-The " Report of the Hospital for Consumption" maybeobtained at any bookseller’s. It consists of about forty pages of admirablychosen and arranged materials, and is, without doubt, the best thing ofthe kind that we have ever examined. It refiects infinite credit on its

authors, the physicians of the hospital, whose names are subscribed to thepreface, as follows:-" Hamilton Roe, M.D., Theophilus Thompson, M.D.,George Cursham, M.D., Richard P. Cotton, M.D., Richard Quain, M.D.,and John J. Bowie, M.D." It is due to such labourers in the field ofscience that they should be universally known. They are indeed theauthors of a MODEL MEDICAL REPORT.

Dir. R. Thomson, of Rothbury, has written to us to state that Mr. Todddid not "attack the house of Mr. Farrage, (see THE LANCET, Jan. 19th,p. 99,) nor was he bound over to keep the peace." Mr. Thomson has

attached to his letter the following P.S., which we must refer to theproper authorities at Glasgow :-"Perhaps you will be kind enough to inform me if a person, who only

serves part of his apprenticeship, say three years and ahalf, and then goes toGlasgow for two winters, and part, say six, or, at the outside, seven weeksof a third, has performed a curriculum of study, which entitles him to passthere."

Mr. E. W. Howey, of Bromyard, asks the following questions :-" Can the Editor, or any of the readers of THE LANCET, refer me to a

Union, under the Poor-law Act, where the medical men are paid for attend-ance only, and the medicine supplied from a voluntarily supported dispen-sary, by paying for each union-patient at the same rate as private sub-scribers pay for their tickets. Or what valid objections can be made againstsuch a plan ?"A. B. C.-We confess that we think it absurd to adopt, either in writing, oron the title-pages of books, the absurd distinctions between Licentiate andExtra-licentiate ; both are really Licentiates, and now, in practice, both areallowed the same advantages.

H.—We do not believe that such a journal would be read by a sufficientnumber of the profession to render its publication useful.

THE " numbers" required could not be forwarded to Afr. Hanbury untilan additional quantity had been printed. Had it not been for this circum-stance, they would have been sent, as requested, by return of post.

Xeno will find that his communication was acknowledged in THE LANCETof the l9th ultimo, and that it was published on the 26th.

THE continuation of the papers " On Certain Important Points in the Che-mistry and Pathology of the Urine" did not reach us in time for publica-tion in THE LANCET of this week.

IT is impossible that Mr. Carmichael or any other person should havealleged that chloroform within the last two years has been successfullyused in Edinburgh in from 80,000 to 100,000 cases.

Medical Society of London, (reported in THE LANCET, Jan. 26th.) Note fromMr.DENDY:—

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—Will you excuse my correction of the brief sentence containing ob-

servations on the Cerebral Sympathies in Children, in the Medical Society,on Monday, the 14th instant. Many words should he inserted between thesemicolon and the period, which would refer to two opposite states, onerequiring a tonic mode, the other, a depletory course.

- I am, Sir, yours obediently,St. James’s-park, Jan. 28, 1850. WALTER C. DENnv.

The sentence alluded to is printed as follows .-" Mr. DENDT had seen, in children, an eruption on the scalp appear to

relieve a state of pupil depending on congestion of the membranes of thebrain; in these cases, stimulants and tonics were of use."A Subscriber, (York.)-The regulations of the Universities of St. Andrewsand Aberdeen were published in THE LANCET of Oct. 6th, 1849. If our cor-respondent will favour us with his address, the number shall be for-warded to him. We have not space for re-printing the regulations.

UNQUALIFIED MEDICAL WITNESSES.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—There are few circumstances connected with the medical profes-

sion which escape your notice, and, when proper, your criticism. As a con-stant reader of your journal, I have felt disappointment, that the WinterAssizes, at Liverpool, escaped your notice. Allow me to draw your atten-tion to the trial, before Mr. Serjeant Talfourd, of Richard Cheetham, for thewilful murder of his wife. I wish especially to draw your attention toMr. Wraith and Mr. Entwistle, the latter a chemist, who attended the injuredwoman, and whose evidence was received in court; the former, a medicalpractitioner, who appears to me to have given absurd evidence. As far as Ican judge, if the woman had been at first properly treated by a qualifiedpractitioner, thrre is nothing in the evidence to induce a doubt that shewould have recovered. The Times of December 15th contains the trial. Icannot help thinking that the judge ought to receive some censure. But Iwill not dictate to you. Excuse me for drawing your attention to the sub-ject, and believe me, Your obedient servant,

Colchester, Jan. 1850. SAMUEL A. PHILBRICK.

*** We shall be glad to receive a Liverpool paper which contains a full re-port of the trial. The report in the Times is, we think, an abridged re-port.—ED. L.

F. A. S.—No, is the reply to questions 1 & 2 ; and yes, to question 3.F. C.-Students who are candidates for the licence of the Apothecaries’

Society may commence their studies at the schools in summer sessions.At the College of Surgeons an opposite regulation prevails, with respectto lectures on anatomy, surgery, and anatomical demonstrations.

WE have received a letter from Dr. Donkin, of Morpeth, relative to thereply which is given in the last LANCET, to Medicus, (Morpeth.) Dr. Don-kin informs us that he obtained the diploma at the Royal College of Sur-geons, Edinburgh, on July 26th, 1849, and on August 1st following, hehad the degree of Doctor of Medicine conferred upon him by the facultyof the University of Edinburgh. These, without doubt, are substantialand valuable qualifications. The Doctor states that his qualifica-tions will be found recorded; in the lists of the University and Collegeof Surgeons of Edinburgh. We have again referred to the MedicalDirectory for 1850, and we can assure Dr. Donkin that his name is notto be found therein. Dr. Donkin is probably deceived with respect tothe identity of " Medicus.11 At all events we cannot publish the letterof Dr. Donkin, as its contents are highly libellous.

J7f. Spencer, surgeon, of Whitchurch, Bucks, has written to state, that thereport which appeared in the newspapers, to the effect that an inquesthad been held on a living child, is entirely unfounded. The inquest washeld on the body of the mother, who had been attended in her confine-ment by a female. The poor woman died from haemorrhage. The childwas born alive, and is doing well.

THE letters forwarded to us by Arr. F. Bennett, of Gateshead, shall bepublished next week.

THE request of Dr. Dick shall receive attention.THE requisition of the Naval Medical Officers, forwarded by Dr. F. J.Brown, R.N., shall be published next week.

WE will introduce into the manuscript the alteration which Mr. H. Feather-stonehaugh has ferwarded to us.

IN the pass list of the College of Surgeons, published in THE LANCET of lastweek, instead of "Taylor, James, Bolton, Lancashire," the entry shouldhave been " Taylor, Samuel, Bolton, Lancashire."

A Student, (Denbigh.)-The work of Dr. West, or that of Drs. Evanson andMaunsell.

. COMMUNICATIONS have been received from-Dr. Tilt; Argus; Mr. Pollock;Mr. W. H. Newman; Mr. Young; Mr. R. Douglas, R.N.; Mr. Thomas

: Chandler; Mr. R. Jones; Mr. Schiller; Mr. W. T. Keal, (Oakham;) Mr.E. L. Gordon; Mr. B. F. Matthews; Mr. Highton; Veritas; Mr. H.Rees; Brother Daylight; Medicus, (Bristol;) Mr. M. Broke Gallwey;Mr. E. P. Hanbury, (Peterborough Infirmary;) Xeno; Pythagoras; Mr.Barnes; Mr. Carr; Medicus, (St. Bartholomew’s;) Dr. R. W. Crighton ;Dr. Armstrong; Mr. R. Thomson; A. B. C.; H.; Dr. Gavin; Report ofthe Manchester Ethical Society; Dr. W. H. Ashley, (Notting Hill;) TheMiddlesex Hospital Report; Mr. T. H. Smith; Mr. Winzar, (Salisbury;)Mr. J. Godfrey, (Madras;) Studens; T. G.; A Student; Dr. Donkin ;W. G.; A Subscriber, (York;) Dr. J. N. Bainbrfdge; Dr. Dick; Mr.Frame; Mr. Spencer, (Whitchurch;) Mr. F. Bennett, (Gateshead;) Mr.Scott; Dr. Hassall; Mr. Robson; Mr. J. Wood; Mr. S. Taylor.

THE Wellington Independent, (New Zealand,) Aug. 29th, has been received.