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medical officers on the terms fixed by the professiorand the membership of others diminished by one-half, whilsimany of the well-to-do members owing to the publicity givento their action became ashamed of their position and calledin the assistance of the ordinary practitioners of the city.The two club medical officers met each other in con-
sultation but club patients often realised the incon-venience of being unable to procure the advice of otherpractitioners and these two gentlemen were repeatedlyobliged to submit to the indignity of resigning theircases into the hands of members of the local pro-fession. So things went on till last week, when one ofthe two sent in his resignation of the clubs and announcedhis intention of leaving the city. The clubs state that his
resignation is entirely due to family reasons, but for sometime past it was freely stated that he found his position ofisolation from his professional brethren very irksome. Hewas kept eternally on the move and no doubt time
taught him what was the experience of the medicalmen who had resigned the clubs that club practicein Cork means " much cry and little wool." The clubsnow are in a painfully perplexed condition. One of the
newspapers which had been always a strenuous supporterof the clubs referring to the resignation says: "Like thecase of the ten little nigger boys’ they have dwindled downto one." But no one man can possibly cater for the medicalwants of the clubs of Cork, neither can he hold a con-
sultation with himself. All the newspapers have had leadingarticles holding out the flag of truce and suggesting thatnow is the time for compromise. Be it so. But only onthe terms that a fair day’s work is worth a fair day’s wage.Dec. 6th.
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PARIS.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
T1’eatment of Tetanus by Intraeerebral Injections of Anti-tetanic 6<?MM.
AT the meeting of the Society of Surgery held on
Nov. 15th a discussion was opened upon the treatment oftetanus by intracerebral injections of antitetanic serum, amethod of treatment which some two months ago seemed to
promise such good results. Statistics brought forward bysundry surgeons, however, gave a most disappointing result.M. Francois Hue had treated a child, aged eleven years, whodeveloped tetanus after a compound fracture of the forearm.Many injections were made but the child died, although thetreatment was commenced immediately on the onset of thetetanic symptoms. M. Quenu had employed the method ofMM. Roux and Barrel in 2 cases without success althoughin 1 case where the tetanic symptoms had only lasted twodays the immediate results of the injections were good but thepatient succumbed from pneumonia on the third day.M. Lucas Championniere had tried the treatment in 2 casesand had had 2 deaths. In one case of chronic tetanus thepatient had recovered after one injection, but it must beremembered that patients do recover from the chronic form oftetanus. One surgeon stated that out of 7 cases he hadseen 4 of the patients get well spontaneously. The resultsobtained by I1IM. Reclus, Chaput, Richelot, Hartmann, andNelaton were all equally unsatisfactory. In all cases treatedby them with antitetanic serum death supervened. M. Peyrotpointed out the difficulty of differentiating tetanus fromcerebro-spinal meningitis and asked whether certain casesof tetanus reported as having been cured were not reallycases of meningitis.
Unveiling of tlw Charcot Ion1{ment.On Sunday morning, Dec. 4th, was unveiled the monument
to Charcot on a site in front of the Salpetriere. There were
present M. Leygues (the Minister of Public Instruction),the President of the Academy of Sciences, the Director of theAssistance Publique, the President of the Municipal Council Iof Paris, the Prefect of the Seine, Dr. Jaccoud (the Presi- Ident of the Academy of Medicine), and Professor Brouardel(the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and President of the 1monument committee). Many other scientific notabilities lalso attended the ceremony as well as the members of 1Charcot’s family, of whom the son, Dr. Jean Charcot, 1married the granddaughter of Victor Hugo and is at present sProfessor of Clinical Medicine (chef de cliniq1w) at the 1
Faculty. The statue is by Falguiores and shows Charcot.standing upright with his left hand raised and touching withhis right forefinger the head of a patient in front of him.The monument stands just to the left of the great gate.leading into the hospital. It is in bronze and on the
pedestal, which is perfectly plain, is this simple inscription:"A Charcot. Ses eleves, ses amis.-1898." Orations weredelivered by Dr. Brouardel, by the President of the
Municipal Council, by Professor Raymond (Charcot’ssuccessor at the Salpetriere), and by Dr. Carnil. Dr.
Gombaut, a fellow-worker with Charcot, has received theLegion of Honour.
Nedical Qualifieations in France and the Position of the’ Alien Medical Man.
In answer to your request for an explicit account of theposition of the foreign medical man or foreign medicalstudent I send you the following statement for the benefit ofyour readers :-Until quite recently there were two medicaLdegrees in France-the doctorat en merlecine and the offieiat.de santé. The possession of either of these conferred the
right to practise, but there was a difference in the conditionsunder which this right was exercised. Before a studentcould begin to study for the doctorat he had to have:gained the baccalauréat es lettres and the baccalauréat è$’sciences. After having graduated as a Doctor of Medicinehe could practise his profession anywhere in France or in anyFrench colony. For the y(CCiat de sante the two bacca-laurgats were unnecessary. The medical studies, however, onlydiffered very slightly, but they were less costly. But theofficier de santé could only practise in one department, and ifhe wished to change from one department to another he hadto pass another examination. This distinction has been doneaway with by a regulation passed in November, 1892, and thefaculties of medicine no longer receive students for thedegree of offloiat de sante. Those who took this degree priorto 1893 are, however, still allowed to practise. The passing
successfully through the course of study for the doctorate ofmedicine enables the student to take either of two forms ofthis degree, although there is but one course of study.The student can either take the diplôme d’état, givingthe right to practise anywhere in France or her colonies,or else the diploma d’ [fni1:enité, which has exactly thesame scientif]c value but does not authorise the holderto practise outside France herself. This last diploma was:inaugurated to remove certain abuses of privilege by whichforeign students who had finished their studies in Franceunder much easier conditions than natives were accustomedto set up in practice in their adopted country. Formerlyit was much easier for a foreigner to practise medicinein France than for a native, for the French students hadto break off in their medical studies for three years while
going through the prescribed course of military service.The protest to which this state of matters gave rise resultedin a new regulation being made by which foreigners whcrwished to practise in France were allowed to do so as beforeunder easy conditions, but they were only to receive thediplôme d’l1nivcrsité. To gain the diplôme d’itat they have-to submit to the same conditions as natives, that is to say,before commencing their medical studies they must pass forthe degree of bachelor (bachelier d’enseignement secondaire-francais), then they have to pass a second examination inphysics, chemistry, and natural sciences. This latterexamination is a new one and without having passedit no one will in future be able to study medicine.To sum up, a foreigner who wishes to pursue hismedical studies in France can choose either of two
diplomas. If he desires the dipl6me d’état giving himthe right to practise in France he must undergo the sameexaminations as a native Frenchman, and before commencing-his medical studies must pass the same preliminary examina--tions, the one for the degree of bachelor (baccala1tréat del’examen secondaire classiq1w) and the examination in physicsand chemistry. Nothing excuses him from these examina-tions even though he be the possessor of high degrees in his)wn country. Not even a doctor in medicine of the first-)lass English universities can practise in France unless heaas passed the above-mentioned examinations. If he wisheso obtain the degree of doctor in medicine merely as an-
honour without wishing to practise in France he mustLindergo the same course of study as any other student, but.;here are certain exceptions. Students of foreign univer-iities who can show testamurs from their university dulyranslated into French and properly authenticated are excused
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the preliminary examinations and sometimes even thefirst of their medical examinations, according to the point atwhich they have arrived in their studies in their own country.Those who have already graduated as doctors of medicine- are let off still more easily. If they produce a copy of theirtestamur translated into French and duly authenticated they.are excused the examination in anatomy, physiology, andhistology. In fact, they commence their studies as a Frenchthird year’s student. Being excused examinations, however,does not mean being excused fees. The expenses of foreignersand Frenchmen are exactly the same, however many exami-nations the former may be let off even when they only wantan honorary degree. The total sum is 1385 francs, of which760 francs are accounted for by entrance fee for four years’.study. 385 francs by seven examinations at 55 francs each,.and 240 francs by fees for a thesis.
Dec. 5th.
ROME.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Italian Preca1ltions against Pestis B1tbonica.ON board the Peninsular and Oriental liner Caledonia
’proceeding from Bombay and timed to touch at Naples twocases of pestis bubonica were reported en ?*OM. The
.Neapolitan sanitary authorities on being advised to this
.effect made every arrangement for meeting the infected
.ship in blue water so as to arrest her course and have her
.conducted to the island-station of Asinara under escort of awar-vessel. The Caledonia, however, gave Naples a wideberth and on leaving Port Said steered direct to London.
Recrndescence of Psittacosis.
In the spring of last year I drew attention to the
epidemic of infective pneumonia at Genoa, an out-break which numbered 14 victims and which was traced
"by the Municipal Board of Hygiene to parrots kept asdomestic pets. Cases of an identical form of pneumoniaascribed to the same source had also occurred in Florence.and the Genoese Town Council, acting on the adviceof its medical referee, issued a circular prohibiting thekeeping of parrots in private houses. Since then there hasbeen no recurrence of the epidemic in that quarter, but thetraffic in these domestic pets-a considerable one betweenSouth America and the ports of the Mediterranean-con-tinues and, diverted from Genoa by the municipal veto, hasfound markets farther inland. In the Julian Venetia, in theprovince of Udine, there has been a serious outbreak ofinfective pneumonia and in one house in Beano (commune«of Rivolto) three inmates fell victims to the disease and twoof them are dead. On investigation it was found that underthe same roof two parrots harboured as domestic pets haddied shortly before from the pulmonary disorder and that theyhad formed part of a consignment of these birds latelyimported *from South America. Dr. Rovere of the Sanitary<Office on becoming aware of the facts had an inquiry insti-tuted, and the provincial medical officer in his report fullyconfirmed the identity of the disease with that previouslymanifested at Genoa and Florence. Rigorous measures were- accordingly enforced to prohibit the keeping of parrots byprivate individuals in the commune. The whole subjectacquires a special significance in view of the growing convic-tion that mankind runs far more risks to health and lifefrom contact with the lower animals than till lately was sus-pected. The cow as a source of tuberculous disease has longbeen notorious, but it was only the other day, so to speak,that the rat in pestis bubonica and the mosquito in malariawere discovered to enter so largely into the etiology of thesedisorders. And now we have proof positive of the parrot’s.agency in causing at least one form of infective pneumonia.The moral to be deduced from the above-indicated phe-nomena points to a still wider and deeper recognition of.nature-study in the medical man’s equipment-confirms, infact, the Hippocratic doctrine that the study of disease
belongs to natural history and drives it home with a
relevance and a cogency of which the Father of Medicinellever dreamed.
Dec. 3rd.
Obituary.WILLIAM THOMAS WYATT, M.A., M.D.OxoN.
DR. WILLIAM THOMAS WYATT, who died at Worthing onNov. 7th, 1898, was the only son of Sir William HenryWyatt, J.P. and D.L,, and was born in London in 1854. He
was educated at Lancing and at Exeter College, Oxford,graduated B.A. with first-class honours in Natural Sciencein 1876 and M.A. in 1880, when he also took the M.B. degreeand proceeded to the M.D. in 1883. His graduation thesis,which was published, dealt with the Pathology’and Treat-ment of Diabetes, the malady which prematurely causedhis own death. He became a Member of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of England in 1879. His medicaleducation was received at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital,where his record as a student and after graduationspeaks for itself. He was scholar in Anatomy and Physio-logy in 1877, first prizeman in 1878, and Kirkes’ goldmedalist, He also held the posts of house surgeon andhouse physician at the hospital, after which he started in
general practice and for about twelve years conducteda large good-class private practice in Stoke Newington,to one of the well-known charities in which district,the Invalid Asylum for Women, Stamford-hill, he wasconsulting surgeon. During this period also he was
an active member of the Esculapian Society and oneof its earliest and most able presidents. His death is acause of sorrow to many of the members of that society andwill recall a period of its existence fraught in the memory ofthe survivors with many pleasant recollections of the goodwork which Dr. Wyatt did for it. Some years ago themalady from which he suffered rendered it inexpedient forhim to continue his life of activity and he left London to re-side at Worthing, hoping he might there do some consultingwork for which his abilities eminently qualified him. His
health, however, continued to deteriorate and frustrated thisdesire. He has left a son, two daughters, and a widow towhose care he, humanly speaking, owed some prolongationof his all too short life.
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WILLIAM FREDERICK CLEVELAND, M.D. ST. AND.
I DR. CLEVELAND who died very suddenly at his residencein Maida Vale from fatty degeneration of the heart on
Nov. 24th was one of the most prominent practitionersin that part of the metropolis. He was a native of Suffolk,having been born at Lowestoft in 1823. His medicaleducation was received at Guy’s Hospital and in 1846 hebecame qualified as M.R.C.S.Eng.and L.S.A. In 1862 hegraduated as M.D. at St. Andrews University, and at thetime of his death he was president of the St. AndrewsMedical Graduates’ Association, his membership dating fromthe establishment of the association in 1867. He gave muchtime to the work of the Obstetrical Society of London and theHarveian Society of London, the value of his services beingindicated by his election to be vice-president of the formerand president of the latter society. Dr. Cleveland filledseveral offices in connexion with the British Medical Associa-tion. In 1890 he was elected president of the MetropolitanCounties Branch ; he was also president of the EthicalSection when the Association met in London in 1895 andhis address on Medical Ethics delivered on that occasion waspublished in THE LANCET of August 3rd, 1895. Dr. Cleve-land had practised in Maida Vale since about 1852 andwas very popular both with his patients and his professionalcolleagues.
THE VACCINATION ACT, 1898.--At the meetingof the Honiton Board of Guardians, held on Nov. 26th, itwas unanimously resolved, on the motion of Mr. H. Ford
(the vice-chairman), to invite all other boards of guardiansto join in a petition to both Houses of Parliament, the LocalGovernment Board, and the County Council urging that thenew Vaccination Act should be reconsidered with a view tobeing repealed without delay. Mr. H. Marker (the chair-man), who seconded the resolution, spoke strongly againstthe Act and urged the guardians individually to do all theycould to get people to have their children vaccinated.