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free from all petty bickerings and jealousies, we may speedilyobtain a great triumph for a noble cause." For my ownpart, I cannot disguise from myself the fact, that there aretwo antagonistic principles fully at work in this much-talkedof reformation of our profession, and that these two principleshave not yet been brought fairly face to face.The principle that would establish a superior, a middle, and

an inferior grade in one profession, or rather, that would createtwo heads and one body, in a tripartite nondescript, is totallyopposed to the principle which declares the profession of medi-eme to be one and indivisible-to be a unity in its study, aunity in its action, and a unity in its object. Being a faithfuldisciple of the latter principle; and being convinced that nothorough reformation of our profession can ever take placetill this principle is fully acknowledged by our laws, I am pre-pared to do all in my power, both in and out of the profes-sion, to establish its claims to the consideration of all thought-ful men; and with your permission I will, as time and oppor-tunity occur, recur to this subject in the pages of your valuablejournal, and till next week permit me to remain, Sir, as ever,

Yours obedientlv.WILLIAM ROBINS.Oxford-terarce, Hyde-park, Feb. 1850.

ALARMING RESULTS OF CHLOROFORM.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-After reading the case of death from chloroform, pub-

lished in THE LANCET, a few weeks since, by Mr. Solly, it wasmy intention to have sent you the following. Having omittedto do so, I now offer it, as confirming the treatment recom-mended by M. Ricord, in his letter, copied into your last num-ber. On July 3rd of last year, I removed a large scirrhousbreast from a strong stout woman, Mrs. K , aged forty-two,the wife of a plumber, of this town. It was her wish thatshe should be put under the influence of chloroform, whichwas accordingly done. For several minutes her system re-sisted the influence of the remedy, and it was not till threedrachms were used, and the vapour concentrated by placinga fold of lint over the back of the inhaler, that she was ren-dered unconscious.The removal of the breast occupied about four minutes,

during which she showed not the slightest consciousness ofpain, or of what was going on; just as the last incision wascompleted, she slipped from the chair in which she was sitting,and from the grasp of an athletic woman who was holdingher, and fell apparently dead upon the floor; her face was ofa deadly pallid and livid colour, and her lips, lobes of the ears,and finger-nails, of a deep pnrple hue; her eyes were fixed,pupils rather dilated; irides motionless; her limbs relaxedand perfectly still; no pulse to be felt at the wrist or carotids;and on placing my ear upon her chest, not the slightest soundof the heart’s action or respiratory murmur was audible. Thewindow was thrown open, and cold water, ammonia, &c., calledfor. I immediately perceived that all these would availnothing, when it occurred to me that artificial respiration, bydirect insumation,—in the way, indeed, in which I have alwaysused it for resuscitating still-born children, and which I learntfrom my midwifery preceptor, the late Dr. Hugh Ley,-mightpossibly save her. Intervening a single fold of my pockethandkerchief, I placed my lips within hers, and breathedstrongly into her mouth, at the same time closing her nostrilswith the thumb and forefinger of my left hand, and pressingher larynx towards the spinal column with my right fingersand thumb, so as in some degree to close the oesophagus. Atthe fourth inspiration she gave a slight convulsive gasp, andthis was soon followed by other and more regular respiratoryefforts; her pulse returned, and her countenance soon resumedits natural colour, and I had the delightful relief to see herrevive. After a few minutes, I proceeded to remove a dis-eased gland from the axilla; at this she cried out a little;though it w as evident that the ansesthetic influence of thechloroform was still to a degree kept up, yet she was quiteconscious of what was being done. There had been but littlehsemorrhage during the operation, and only one vessel re-quired to be tied. She complained much of headach duringthe rest of the day, but went on favourably, and the woundsoon healed. She has not shown any symptoms as yet of a re-turn of the disease. I was assisted in the operation by myfriends, Mr. Frederick Seagram, of this town, Mr. E. B.Thring, of the Bengal Medical Service, and my own assistant.We all looked on the woman as irrecoverably dead, and wereas much surprised as gratified to see her restored.

I remain. Sir. vour constant reader.CHARLES BLEECKWarminster, Wilts, Feb. 26, 1850.

NAVAL ASSISTANT-SURGEONS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—I shall feel obliged by your giving insertion in THELANCET to an extract from a letter received by me, relative toaccommodation on shipboard.-I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

Jan. 10, 1850. F. J. B.(EXTRACT.)

" H.M.S. -, Bashika Bay, Dec. 8th, 1849."***** The Prince Regent and Thetis

have left to-day, for Malta and Lisbon. The former ship de-monstrates the futility of want of space for cabins for assistant-surgeons ; or, at least, that this objection is entirely retrospective,and by no means prospective. Every one knows that she is of thenew school of fitting and equipment, which will become commonin our service. I went on board a Turk the other day, and foundher fitted in the same way. The Prince Regent has an entireorlop, with cabins the whole extent, so numerous that midship-men have washing cabins, and the captain’s cook (a Frenchartiste, on a good salary) has a cabin to himself. Why should wenot, then, all have cabins ?"

_

I SiR,—I trust that you will afford me space for some observa-tions respecting the rank of naval surgeons, with other mattersthat also require reformation.

I do not complain of the absolute rank conferred on these gen-tlemen, (which is that of lieutenants in the royal navy, or of cap-tains in the army,) but of the relation invariably maintainedbetween officers holding equal rank in the executive and civilclasses. The civilian (as he is improperly called) is made to rankwith, but after the executive officer. Precedency should takeplace according to seniority-that is, date of commission-whichwould be an equitable arrangement, and which would do awaywith the inconveniences attending the present system; one ofwhich is location in the cockpit, in a dark cabin, as a matter ojcourse.

. Naval medical officers above the rank of surgeons do not holdequal rank with their brother officers in the army, but one steplower; and this disparity affects the director-general himself,who ranks with a brigadier-general, whilst the army director-general takes rank with a major-general. Equalization of rankshould take place between the medical officers of the two services,and with it, equalization of privileges, (especially in the case ofthe assistant-surgeons.) With such an equalized scale, the navaldeputy-inspector would rank with the lieutenant-colonel in thearmy, and an additional rank would be granted to the naval ser-vice, to correspond with that of the major. Such a rank exists inthe army in the case of the first-class staff-surgeon. The rank ofmajor should be given to surgeons of twelve years’ active service,(as is the case in the United States navy;) and such surgeonsshould have line-of-battle-ship and hospital appointments.

Another matter requiring inquisition is the pension given tothe widows of surgeons and of the superior medical officers. Itis lower than that of officers of corresponding rank in the execu-tive class. The Medical Fund (to which the subscriptions areobligatory) does not supply a fair argument for the clipping ofthe pension. But granting that it does, why not then force theexecutive officers to pay to a fund, and clip their widows’ pen-sions ?

Medical officers are denied military rewards and distinctions.This subject, however, must be now well known to the professionand the public by means of the pamphlet entitled " Summary ofthe Claims of the Medical Officers of the Army and Navy toMilitary Rewards and Distinctions."

In concluding these observations, I would remark that the un-dress uniform of surgeons is so ordered that it cannot be distin-

I guished from that of pursers, assistant-surgeons, mates, secondmasters, and clerks. I do not advocate distinctions in dress--onthe contrary, I prefer uniformity; but whilst they exist, ward-room officers should not be subjected to the minimum amount ofrespect from sentries, which they are now very likely to receivein consequence of mistakes. The truth is, Sir, the Royal Navywants a thorough overhauling, when some of the monopolies ofthe privileged executive class will be broken up, to give place toa fair adjustment of the claims of all classes.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant, F. J. B.January 10, 1850.

H.M.S. - March 7,1849.

SiR,—There is a strong disposition on the part of the Admiraltyto bring forward the mates as an obstacle to the improvement re-

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quired for the assistant-surgeons as regards their position in theservice.

It would take but little trouble to show the disparity betwixtthese two classes of officers, their first entry, their education, theperiod of life at which they attain to their rank in the service,&c., but these subjects have been exhausted; and it only remainsto examine into the nature of a mate’s studies, and compare themwith those of medical men, to convince the stoutest defenders ofthe rights of the executive class that few and trivial are thelabours of mates in that way.The midshipman, at the age of nineteen, (having completed

six years of servitude,) passes an examination for lieutenant, forwhich he has been gradually preparing in the schoolroom withthe naval instructor, and on deck in the duties of the ship. Theboatswain must not be emitted from the list of instructors, he isthe foster father of our embryo admirals. The examination forlieutenant once being passed, the midshipman is entitled a mate,and receives a commission as such. Study is immediatelyDefected, as the second examination, or that at the Royal NavalCollege, is prepared for in two months by the assistance of somegentlemen at Portsmouth, too well known in the neighbourhood z,of medical institutions by the name of grinders. ’

Mates for some time past have received their promotion withina few months of passing; at present, they will wait for it fromone to two years. The latter period renders a young man oftwenty-one a lieutenant, and, of course, a ward-room officer ;medical men rarely enter the service till after this age, and arecompelled, by the nature of their profession, to study all theirlife, (unlike the mate, whu having passed his examinations for alieutenant, may be said to have passed for an admiral.)The mates can obtain promotion immediately on passing-

namely, at the age of nineteen, and usually do obtain it before

they are twenty-one or twenty-two; whereas, assistant-surgeonsare unable to be promoted previously to three years’ service.Assistant-surgeons can never join the ward-room mess before theage of twenty-three or twenty-four, and it is seldom that theyattain to the rank that at present entitles them to mess withlieutenants before the age of twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Sevenyears in a gun-room after majority, are not to be compared withthe six years of a naval cadet and midshipman, and the occa-sional further stay in that mess for one or two years as a mate.Education by the naval instruction and boatswain will scarcelybe considered as parallel to an university course ; nor will a day’swork, and the keeping of a watch-bill, be esteemed studies ofequal magnitude with those of pathology and therapeutics, with-out mentioning the numerous collateral branches of medicine.The Admiralty are fully aware, that mates are not desirous to

enter the ward-room until after promotion to the rank of lieu-tenant. The mates would be junior members of the ward-roommess, which would be less agreeable than seniority in the gun-room.

This circumstance is not felt by assistant-surgeons, becausethey are professional men, irrespectively of the rank which theyhold in the navy.

I must apologize for occupying so considerable a space in yourjournal, and continue, Sir, your obedient servant,

ONE OF THE THREE HUNDREDASSISTANT-SURGEONS, R.N.

SURGEON-SUPERINTENDENTS OF EMIGRANTSHIPS.

THE following statements, which must be read with feelingsof painful interest by the members of the medical profession,are taken from the Parliamentary Report in The Times ofWednesday last, of a discussion in the House of Lords on thepreceding evening:—The management of emigrant vessels having been brought

before the House by Lord Mountcashell, the noble lord, in thecourse of his speech, stated that,-In a pamphlet published by Mr. Sidney, the following

summary was given of cases reported in the Blue Book onemigration, ordered by the House of Commons, July, 1SI9:-"It is impossible," observes the Immigrant Board of Sydney," to convey a just idea of the gross abuses and infamous mis-conduct which occurred (on board the Subraon’), owing tothe’ imbecility’ of the surgeon-superintendent. Unrestrainedintercourse took place between the sailors and the women, andbetween certain officers and certain single women. Amongthese girls were twelve girls from a foundling institution inDublin, one of whom-a very interesting girl, too-wasseduced by the chief officer, and died in consequence of mis-carriage before she could be landed from the vessel. The sur-geon of the Canton’ is pronounced not qualified for his office.

—* Equestrian.’ Surgeon not sufficient energy or activity.ńTa.irlie.’ Surgeon’s manners violent and grossly offensive— Agincourt. Deficient in energy, and principles bad.—’ Char.lotte Jane.’ Surgeon, bad habits; intoxication ; undesirablethat he should be employed again.-’ Emperor.’ Great free-dom of intercourse appears to have existed between the singlewomen, the mates, and seamen. ‘ General Hewitt.’ Intimaciesbetween some of the sailors and the single women have fallenunder my notice, that induce me to suspect that their inter-course during the passage was not sufficiently prevented.‘Cornwall: Surgeon,young and inexperienced, but attentiveto the performance of his duties. A formal charge was madeaffecting the conduct of the mate of the ship, with referenceto certain of the single women. The superintendent reportedthat, without doubt, the accusation was not devoid of founda-tion, and that a certain degree of immorality must have p:e-vailed on board.’-’ Hyderbad.’ Duties of surgeon-superin-tendent not performed in a satisfactory manner, and shouldnot be employed again.-’ Lady Peel.’ Total unfitness of thesurgeon for his duties." "Out of twenty surgeon-superinten-dents selected by the emigration commissioners, eleven werereported by the colonial authorities as more or less unfit fortheir very responsible duties." Could proper caution be takenif this was so ? In an article in the Adelaide Observer, of the6th of October, it was said-" From what college of surgeonsthe ships’ doctors are usually draughted for the Australianvoyage we are at a loss to conjecture. The many declaredinstances of incompetency and inhumanity are appalling, andthe numerous fatal results call loudly for a thorough reforma-tion in the system of selection. The practice of excessivedrinking is so general that a kind and sober doctor seems tobe quite an exception." The letters which he (the Earl ofMountcashell) had received from many private individualswho had been on board various vessels, convinced him thatthe treatment of emigrants, particularly women, was of a mostdisgusting character, and that it often happened, not only thattheir morals were corrupted, but that scarcely any attentionwas paid to them in sickness.The following is a copy of a letter which has been addressed

to Earl Grey on this interesting subject :-4, Euston-square, Feb. 27, 1850.

MY LORD,—I beg most respectfully to submit to your lord-ship that the evils complained of by the Earl of Mountcashell,in the conduct of the medical superintendents of emigrantships, can only be remedied by raising the present professionalremuneration of ten shillings a head to the amount paid by theEast India Company for the medical care of their troops,which is fifteen shillings a head.

If the medical superintendent is required to perform extraprofessional duties, he ought to receive extra professional pay-ment. This, with proper precautions in the selection, wouldsecure respectable medical men.

Rules should be laid down for their authority and guidanceduring the voyage, a wilful infringement of which should dis-entitle them to remuneration.One of the emigration commissioners should be a medical

man, whose especial duty should be, not only to inspect certi-ficates of professional character, but also to make inquiry toascertain the moral fitness of the candidate for so importantan office.Moral and professional character fetch a higher price in the

market of the world than the commissioners are inclined to, give, and the result is the inferior and inefficient article they

have purchased-a result which might have been anticipated.I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your Lordshiu’s obedient servant,AMICUS HUMANITATIS.To the Right Ilon. the Earl Grey.

MERCURY IN TYPHOID FEVER.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—Observing in your journal of the 23rd inst. an extractfrom the lectures on clinical medicine, delivered by Dr.Schoenlein at the -University of Berlin, upon the treatment oftyphoid fever by calomel; I beg leave to trespass upon yourvaluable columns with a few observations upon the samesubject, in the hopes of obtaining the opinions and experienceof some of your readers, who have tested the efficacy of ider-cury in the treatment of continued fever, in its differentstages; and of knowing whether they be corroborative of myown opinion of it, as not merely a remedy,but the "sheet anchor"in the treatment of that disease in all, but more especially inits middle and latter stages; for in this respect I differ fromDr. Schoenlein, who limits its employment to the early stage