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in the following diseases :-Typhoid fever; phthisis, with in-testinal complications; dysentery.

3. What are the physical signs of the following diseases ?-1. Pleurisy on the right side, with great effusion. 2. Obsoletepleurisy on the left side, with great contraction. 3. Cancer,commencing in the mediastinum, and infiltrating the whole ofthe upper lobe of the right lung. 4. Extensive tuberculosisand cavities throughout the left lung. 5. Great enlargementof the bronchial glands in a child.

4. Describe the symptoms produced by the passage of a renalcalculus. What is the composition of the principal calculi ?How would you treat a case of presumed calculous pyelitis ?

5. What are the chief diseases to be watched for in the firstweek after delivery? Give their symptoms and treatment.

6. What are the preparations of mercury in the Pharma-cepoeia? How would you test for mercury in a complex fluid ?What are the chief symptoms and the measures to be adoptedin chronic poisoning from mercury?

NATURAL HISTORY, &e.

DR. HOOKER.

Answer five or more of the following questions :-1. What is meant by the respiration of plants, and how is it

effected ?2. Give the botanical characters of the natural orders Labiatae,

Valerianeas, and Solaneae, and mention the medicinal plantsthey contain.

3. Contrast the reproductive systems in phanerogamous andcryptogamous plants.

4. By what characters are the orders of Dicotyledons groupedinto four divisions, and of Monocotyledons into three?

5. What are the kinds of aloes used in medicine, how arethey distinguished, and where do they come from?

6. To what constituents are the nutritious properties ofwheaten bread due? Give their chemical composition, and ex-plain the changes they respectively undergo during the opera-tion of mastication and digestion.

7. Describe the nature and products of acetous and vinousermentations.8. Give the dental formula and peculiarities of the alimen-

tary canal in ruminants.9. Describe the structure and mode of development of a

bird’s feather.10. Indicate the parts of the alimentary canal in which the

different intestinal entozoa are chiefly met with.11. Give the chemical composition of sea water, and contrast

hard and soft waters.12. Define tersely the terms-etiolate, diluent, demulcent,

viscid, plastic, elastic, dense, transparent, and translucent.

PARISIAN MEDICAL INTELLIGENCE.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

AT the last sitting of the Academy of Sciences some experi-ments by M. Matteucci on the electro-motor power of the elec.trical organ of the torpedo were communicated. This not

being a subject directly bearing on medical science, I shallconfme myself to a simple recital of the deductions drawn bythis learned physiologist. The first is, that the electro-motorpower of the torpedo exists independently of the immediate in-fluence of the nervous system, and that even eight days afterdeath this power may still be found to prevail, long after alltraces of nervous excitability or muscular irritability have- ceased. The second, that the electro-motor power of the

organ is augmented by the excitement of its action, and thatthis increase of power persists for a certain space of time. Thethird and last point is, that whilst muscular function is accom.panied by appreciable chemical changes, and most notably bythe development of heat, such is not the case with the organof the torpedo, the exercise of which is unattended by anysuch apparent physical manifestation.

At the same meeting, M. Bourguet presented a paper on thereparation of long bones, as occurring after extensive resectionsof their shafts. This essay, which possesses considerable merit,and the materials of which are drawn from the inexhaustiblemine of clinical observation, tends to establish the following:-The new bone formed after removal of part of the shaft of a

long bone is shorter and thicker than the old. The presenceof the periosteum in its integrity is desirable, but not indispen-sable to the reproduction of osseous tissues; as the surroundingtextures, such as vessels, muscles, fibrous and areolar tissues,are sufficient of themselves, in the absence of the periosteum,to do the work of regeneration. This last conclusion is, sofar as I know, a new view of things, and will require furtherconfirmation before it can be accepted.At the Academy of Medicine on Tuesday, the nomination of

M. Gosselin was confirmed by ballot, he obtaining 47 votes outof 61. The hour which remained after the ceremony of elec-tion was monopolized by M. Piorry, who wound up the discus-sion on the action of perchloride of iron by a dernier mot inanswer to M. Malgaigne. This dernier mot comprised areca.pitulation of his former speech, the only change being itsdirection: it was addressed to M. Malgaigne instead of toM. Trousseau; and I spare your readers the recapitulation of asubject now so trite, aad dry enongh when new.Two months of academical time have now been occupied in

the consideration of a question which never could be settledby any amount of rhetorical squabbling. Not a single newfact has been contributed to science by the discussion (for thereal text was utterly lost sight of from the first); not a singleconviction has been implanted or prejudice shaken in the mindsof any; and the result of this war of words has been vox etprcoeterea nihil-possibly also a little leaven of bitterness recalledinto activity de part et d’autre; and that is all. General Bosquetis said to have exclaimed, on the occasion of the celebratedBalaclava charge, " C’est trs beau, mais ce n’est pas la guerre." I feel inclined to return the compliment for the benefit of theAcademy, " It is all very fine, but this is not science."

I notice the Gazette des Hôpitaux replies with a tu quoqueretort to my strictures on the general character of the hospitalpractice now in vogue at Paris. The " look at home" defenceto a charge is a very weak one; and, besides this, the Londonpractice needs no apology or justification from me. But letme inform this journal of a fact which it seems to ignore, andthis is, that there exists in medicine as in religion, an atheism-an absence of conviction-an unsteadfastness of creed-fully asdangerous in its influences, as is socialism in the political sphere;and that this absence of definite principle-this recklessness-is engendered by the very capricious and experimental style oftreatment to which I referred in my letter. Let me give youa little sketch of his own confrerie, traced by a French physi-cian, one of the notabilities of the present day. I own that itis somewhat overdrawn; but, though a caricature, it is still verylike. An hospital physician, says my friend, goes through threephases of conviction. He enters the career at thirty, let ussuppose; he is then full of hope, places the most sanguine re-liance in the omnipotence of the materia medica, has at hisfingers’ ends twenty remedies for each disease, has a counter-agent for- each symptom, and passes fifteen years of his life intrying a legion of drugs with more or less success or disgust.In the second stage, at forty-five, on returning to him again,we find a sadder, but a wiser, man; he has no longer the sameindiscriminating confidence in the power of drugs; he has hadmany disappointments; his praises of the Pharmacopoeia havegradually grown fainter and fainter; and he has discarded allhis imaginary specifics. Two or three medicines, however,have proved less faithless than the rest, and these he usesa tout prpos,—adding, in his moments of conviviality, that" these are his sheet-anchors, and for all the rest he does notcare a ...... fig." At length our friend attains the age of sixty;his head is wonderfully clear, and between his intellect and hisexperience he ought to be an excellent therapeutist, and rendervaluable service to the cause of humanity. How now? Apathy,incredulity, medecine expectante, in place of energy, confidence,and vigorous treatment ? Yes, so it is, alas !-the career,

begun with hope and vigour, terminates in discouragement andinaction ! Now I do not mean to give to the above a generalapplication, but there is so much truth in the portrait that Ihave reproduced it for your contemplation. It is an omittedsheet of Gavarni à Paris.The Lonz6ccrd Medical Gazette reports the success obtained

by a well-known practitioner-Dr. Gamberini, of Bologna,(lecturer on clinical surgery at the Hospital St. Ursula,, in thatcity)-by means of injections of diluted tincture of aloes ingonorrhoea.. It is sail to cure the discharge, even in the mostrefractory cases, more rapidly than the usually prescribedastringents. The formula recommended is as follows :-"R Tra. aloës, 3iv.; aquae ad 5iv. : m. ft. lotio ; ter in dieinjiciend." Some of your readers may possibly think thisworth a trial in their practice.An excellent compte-rendu appeare lately in the Moniteur

Scientifique, due (as I understand) to M. Gratiolet, one of the

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curators of the Museum of the Tardin des Plantes, well knownby his important work on the "Brain and Nervous System."This résumé goes over all the evidence, experimental andrational, for and against the doctrine of spontaneous generation,primitive generation, heterogeny, or whatever it may be termed,revived since 1858 by Professor Pouchet, and communicated tothe Academy in his note " On the Proto-organisms, bothVegetable and Animal, produced spontaneously in ArtificialAir and in Oxygen Gas." Without passing a definite verdict,M. Gratiolet’s mode of summing up the evidence would implythat he is himself in nowise a partizan of the opinions expressed by M. Pouchet ; but still that he is desirous that the refutation !Iof the doctrine should be arrived at by scientific research and I,experiment, and this, to use his own words, " in common, without passion or prejudice; and that, for once at least, the noble and touching example of Schroder van der Kolk andVrolik should be imitated"-namely, that of two philosophersworking out the truth or falsity of a question on which theydiffer in harmonious co-operation, each lending his light to theother, and receiving back assistance when needed. Whether,however, Messrs. Pouchet and Pasteur are likely to follow thesuggestion does not at present appear. M. Pouchet’s pre-tension of being able to invoke a special creative power by themere juxtaposition of certain natural conditions seems, to saythe least of it, somewhat presumptuous, and the seriousnesswith which his views are propounded only confirms the factthat science as well as history has its share in the domain offable and romance, and that M. Pouchet’s revelations are onlya recent chapter of the philosophic contes des fées.Paris, Aug. 20th, 1860.

Parliamentary Intelligence.HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17TH.CASE OF MR. GEORGE BULL.

THE Earl of HARRINGTON moved for reports of the Coroner’sinquest and Crown trial at Lewes, of George Bull, a surgeon,tried for the manslaughter of Sarah Anne Bull, his own mother,by an overdose of prussic acid administered by him when in astate of excitement and intoxication, and found guilty at theinquest, though above suspicion of bad intention, and acquittedby the Assize Court. The noble Earl read extracts from theevidence given before the Coroner and the Judge at the trial,with a view of showing that portions of it taken at the inquirybefore the Coroner were not given at the Crown trial, and thatthe verdict of acquittal was therefore not to be justified.The LORD CHANCELLOR said he knew nothing of the case

himself; but the speech as well as the motion of the noble Earlwas, in his opinion, greatly to be deprecated. A British sub-ject had been properly tried and acquitted by a jury of hiscountrymen; and the noble Earl notwithstanding thought itconsistent with his duty to call in question that verdict, and toimpute guilt to the party charged. The man was tried beforea judge and jury in the face of a number of persons, and wasentitled to the verdict given in his favour. There never was ajudge more devoted to his duty than Sir Alexander Cockburn,and inasmuch as this man had had a fair trial, and obtained anhonourable acquittal, he thought it would not be well that thepapers asked for should be produced, as the production mighttend to the idea that there had not been a fair trial. It wasquite clear that their lordships had no right to compel the pro-duction of the notes made by the judge at the trial for his ownguidance. Lord GRANVILLE, on the part of the Government, declined

to accede to the motion.The motion was negatived without a division.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21ST.COUNTY CORONERS BILL.

The Lords resolved not to insist on their amendments, withwhich the Commons had disagreed.

HOUSE OF C O M M O N S.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17TH.IRISH MILITIA S U R G E O N S.

In reply to Col. Dunne and Mr. O’Connell, Mr. S. HERBERTstated that he had not yet been able to make any change inthe position of militia surgeons. In Ireland their case seemed

harder than it was in this country. Here the head-quarterswere generally at some large town, where there was a goodprivate practice to be got; but in Ireland the head-quarterswere often in some insignificant place, which did not afford themilitia surgeons the same advantages. If, in another year, hecould do anything to improve their condition he should be gladto do so.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18TH.On the vote of £2500 for the expenses of the inspection of

burial-grounds, &c.,Sir G. C. LEWIS explained that, under certain Acts of Par-liament, the Government were directed to close burial-grounds,

and also to interdict interments within churches; and in orderto carry out the provisions of these Acts two inspectors wereappointed, and their expenses constituted the sums mentionedin the vote before the committee.

Mr. E. JAMES asked when these two gentlemen were ap-pointed to perform these melancholy duties, as no other state-ment in reference to the vote had been made to the committeethan that which they had just heard.

Sir G. C. LEms said that the inspectors were appointed ill1855.

‘

The vote was agreed to.It was proposed that a sum of £6010 should be voted for

salaries and expenses of the office in London under the LocalGovernment Act, in connexion with the late Board of Health.

Mr. WILLIAMS considered the establishment was perfectlyuseless.

Sir G. C. LEWIS defended the vote, and promised, if possible,to avoid the necessity of filling up an existing vacancy in this:department.The vote was agreed to.The following votes were also agreed to :- £2721 to defray the

salaries and other expenses of the office of Inspectors of Lunatic-Asylums in Ireland; E6160 to pay contingent expenses of theoffice of the Commissioners in Lunacy in England, and thesalaries and expenses of the Board of Lunacy in Scotland;;£36,400 to pay salaries contingent, and other expenses, in thedepartment of the General Register-office, England and Wales £3331 to pay salaries contingent, and other expenses, in thedepartment of the General Register-office, Dublin; X5812 topay salaries contingent, and other expenses, in the departmentof the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, &c., Scotland.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH.MORTALITY OF THE " TASMANIA.

Mr. WAr,RE wished to be informed by the Secretary for-India of the result of the inquiry into the equipment andvictualling of the ship 2’asmania, which brought troops homefrom India some months ago.

Sir C. WOOD said, as the ship arrived in this country in amost melancholy state, he wrote by the mail to Calcutta, de-siring that some inquiry should be made into the state in whichit left Calcutta. The only answer he had received from Cal-cutta was that the inquiry had been instituted. He had notreceived the result of the inquiry.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.-The following is a list ofcandidates who passed the recent First M.B. Examination :-

First Division-John Bayldon, University of Edinburgh;John William Bell, Hull School of Medicine; Palemon Best,University College; Thomas Wemyss Bogg, University College,Alexander Crum Brown, M. A. Edin., University of Edinburgh;Arthur Wellesley Edis, Westminster Hospital; Henry StanleyGale, King’s College; Thomas Griffiths, University College;John Harward Hooper, St. Thomas’s Hospital; John TalfourdJones, University College; Edmund Cornish King, UniversityCollege ; Henry Thomas Lanchester, St. Bartholomew’s Hos-pital; John Langton, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; FrederickFawson Lee, St. George’s Hospital; Henry Colley March, St.Thomas’s Hospital; Frederic Marsdin, King’s College; FredericMeggy, Guy’s Hospital; John Thomas Mercer, Guy’s Hospital;Richard May Miller, B.A., University College; Thomas Morton,King’s College; Richard Orton, Royal College of Surgeons,Ireland; Edward Parson, King’s College; William Powell,London Hospital; Frederick Thomas Roberts, University Col-lege ; Thomas Starkey Smith, University College; EdwardThomas Tibbits, University College; Joseph Todd, Queen’sCollege, Birmingham; Forbes Watson, St. Thomas’s Hospital;Thomas James Woodhouse, St. Thomas’s Hospital.

Second Dirision-John Penning Baker, John Cooke, RichardDawson, Athenodore De Negri, Edward Mahony,. WilmotHorton Trevor Power, B.A., all of University College.