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1655 ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS DINNER. benefit of the public. What perhaps interested him most was the large number of general practitioners of all ages whom he saw present. He reminded members of the legislature that the work which was proposed to be done was of no ordinary kind and was not taken up for the benefit of any individual or number of individuals. The work had been taken up by reason of the fact that a large number of persons in the medical profession needed a certain amount of help owing to the great progress made by medicine in these days. Medical education-long-protracted as it now is-did not give a man the chance to acquire all he might wish to learn and within a few years the country practitioner felt himself to be behindhand. It would be the object of the College to enable such men to acquire in the easiest way new knowledge and technical skill. The Hon. ALFRED LYTTLETON, M.P., in an amusing speech responded for the two Houses. Sir JOHN LUBBOCK, in proposing "The Medical Graduates’ College and Polyclinic," said that as a general rule when it was proposed to found a new institution the object was to give a stimulus to some languishing cause or because existing institutions had failed in their duties. Neither of these reasons applied in the present case. The existing colleges and hospitals were admirably and efficiently fulfilling the beneficent purposes for which they were constituted and it was their very success and the marvellous progress of medical science which had led to the formation of the Polyclinic College. As evidence of progress he mentioned the invention of complex and ingenious instruments such as the stethoscope, the ophthalmoscope, the laryngoscope, the cardiograph, the sphygmograph, the pneumograph, and others. Then there was the application to medicine of other physical appliances and discoveries, such as the clinical thermometer, the microtome, and the Roentgen rays ; the discovery of many new and important drugs; the use of anaesthetics and the antiseptic treatment; the new modes of treatment, the operations which were formerly impossible, especially in brain and abdominal surgery. There was also the discovery of sciences, or at any rate of new branches of science, such as antenatal pathology and bacteriology. The mere mention of this list, he knew, very imperfectly showed the marvellous progress of medical science during the last balf century. Though the course of study had been prolonged from four to five years no student however diligent or able could hope to master in the time so vast a range of subjects. But even if that were possible science was still advancing, new dis- coveries were being made, new methods and new inventions were being devised, and in a few years the student would find himself left behind. The aim of the Polyclinic College would be to facilitate the life-long education of medical men in all directions and to give them the opportunity of making themselves acquainted with all fresh dis- coveries. It would contain a collection of instruments and appliances and a first-rate library. Special lectures would also be given within its walls. All this could be effected in one central and special institution which would not come in conflict or competition with the various medical schools but which it was hoped would work in close association with them. The arrangements of modern life and the rapidity of communication had made schemes now possible which would formerly have been out of the question. Medical men resident in the country in all parts of England could easily make short visits to London and avail themselves of the opportunities which the College would afford. It was hoped also that some would come from abroad and from our colonies. It was also proposed to organise a certain number of daily con- sultations. These would be open to all medical men who had joined the College, and they were designed for the double purpose of giving advice to patients and at the same time of affording medical men opportunities of becoming practically familiar with exceptional forms of disease and with the best and most modern methods of diagnosis. It was not, however, proposed to provide hospital accommodation or to undertake continuous treatment. In this matter the Polyclinic would act in concert and consultation with the hospitals and with private practitioners. It would not compete with hospitals but to some extent supple ment and assist their work. The institution had been prac tically founded by Mr. Hutchinson who was generously going to deposit in its museum his unique collection of clinical material and a splendid collection of books, and Le was devoting to it much of his invaluable time. It certainly seemed to him (the speaker) that this institution had been admirably devised and would be most useful. His opinion, however, was worth little, but their opinion was worth much and they had shown it to be the same by their presence that evening. With the toast he coupled the names of Sir William Broadbent and Mr. Hutchinson. Sir WILLIAM BROADBENT, in his reply, said Sir John Lubbock had rated his judgment on the work of the medical profession as not of any practical value; as a matter of fact, however, the medical profession appreciated his judgment and the countenance which he had given to their work very highly and they could have no better judge. The number of medical men present was a sufficient answer to the question, "Is this association likely to be of use ? " and was a sufficient demonstration of the interest which it excited. Wherever he went he heard of the value which general practitioners attached to the association, and it was most interesting to notice the zeal of the general practitioner for medical knowledge and his desire to keep up in every respect with the advances of medical science. Mr. HUTCHINSON, in the course of a long and interesting speech, spoke warmly as to the benefits which would accrue to the community from the Polyclinic. He said that Dr. Ord, the chairman, and Sir William Broadbent had described the advantages of the institution to medical men and he would like to point out that this institution much concerned the public. It was greatly in the interests of the public that the profession should be well educated and if a medical practitioner was willing to spare the time to keep himself abreast with the advance of knowledge the public ought to support him. Sir JOSEPH FAYRER, Bart., in proposing " The Medical Schools," looked forward to the time when the students at the medical schools of London would be considered as much undergraduates as if they belonged to the ancient universities and would eventually become graduates of the University of London. Dr. STEPHEN MACKENZIE replied and other toasts con- cluded an enjoyable evening. In the course of the pro- ceedings subscriptions amounting to 4000 guineas were announced, including E1000 from Mr. Hutchinson. ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS DINNER. THE annual dinner of the Royal Army Medical Corps took place at the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Metropole, on June 12th, Surgeon-General J. JAMESON, C.B., the Director- General, being in the chair. There was a large attendance of officers and the evening proved a very pleasant and successful one. After the toast of "The Queen" the CHAIRMAN, in an able and interesting speech, proposed "The Royal Army Medical Corps," this being the first occasion on which the officers of the medical service had met since their formation into a corps. The toast was, of course, received with enthusiasm.-Surgeon-General O’DWYER gave The Health of the Chairman and alluded to the great services which the Director-General had rendered in connexion with the reforms which had enabled them to become a Royal corps with army rank.- Surgeon-General JAMESON briefly acknowledged the com- pliment.-Lieutenant-Colonel Hector, who again acted as honorary secretary of the dinner, is to be congratulated on the result of his labours. I The following is a list of names of officers present: Surgeon-Generals J. Jameson, C.B. (Director-General), A. F. Bradshaw, C.B., C. McD. Cuffe, C.B., A. A. Gore, C.B., R. Harvey, C.B., D.S.O., H. S. Muir, W. Nash, T. F. O’Dwyer, A. F. Preston, J. B. C. Reade, C.B., P. B. Smith, and W. D. Wilson. Colonels W. F. Burnett, J. A. Clery, 0. Codrington, H. Comerford, W. G. Don, A. W. Duke, T. J. Gallwey, C.B., C. A. Innes, T. Ligertwood. W. H. Macnamara, C.B., W. T. Martin, J. Maturin, J. L. Notter, T. O’Farrell, and W. F. Stevenson. Lieutenant-Colonels W. H. Allen, W. B. Allin, J. F. Beattie, G. D. Bourke, U. J. Bourke, A. L. Browne, W. L. Chester, A. F. S. Clarke, W. Donovan, J. D. Edge, R. Exham, J. A. Gormley, W. L. Gubbins, J. Hector, R. D. Hodgson, J. P. Hunt, W. Johnston, W. Keir, W. W. Kenny, H. C. Kirkpatrick, B. W. S. Large, H. Mackinnon, D.S.O., W. A. May, W. Rainsford, W. F.
