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college of surgeoiis, and, secondly, that hehas not proposed a scheme for the institu-tion of a faculty of medicine. True, the

quotation from the pamphlet, given above,beginning thus Instead, therefore, of

anypartial alteration or regulation, I shouldadvise that one faculty of medicine be con-stituted," &c.-would, if taken alone, leadthe profession to believe that Mr. GREEN

had promulgated a scheme for the institu-tion of another " COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ;"but if we take the sentence in the pam-

phlet which immediately precedes it, then

it will be instantly seen that if we appliedDr. JOHNSON’s encomium to any plan at all,it must have been to the only plan whichMr. GREEN had laid before the profession.Let the author of" distinction without sepa-ration " speak for himself -

" If (says he) a petition for such a

charter (referring to his proposal for an

altered college of suirgeons) were presentedto me as a MINISTER OF STATE, Ishould pause before I granted it, for Ishould be led to reflect on the state of thewhole medical profession ; and consideringits vital importance to the state, its objectsand purposes, I should come to the conclu-sion that, however desirable it might be forits practical administration that its depart-ments should be distinguished, yet from theunity of its character and purposes, theycould not be divided. Instead, therefore,of any partial alteration," &c. &c.

Thus Dr. JOHNSON must acknowledge thatwe were correct in attaching his commenda-tory remarks to Mr. GREEN’S plan for re-

modelling the government of the College ofSurgeons, for, as respects instituting " onefaculty of dicine " Mr. GREEw addressedhimself to his readers hypothetically, andindicated what would be his course of con-

duct with regard to medical reform, 11 ifhe were a MINISTER OF STATE." (Ra-ther an important qualification !) Now al-

though it is possible that the evolutionswhich Mr. GREENr may perform in his" clesceusive circle" may at last plece himupon the summit of some very exalted emi-

nence, yet such a contingency is rather

too improbable to make it the foundation

for a " general movement of the profession.’* fDr. JOHNSON, however, now tells us that it

: was in support of tltis scheme, which Mr., GREEN has not recommended for the adop-tion of the profession,-but which he says, he would strenuously advise " IF he were aminister of state,"—that he proposed " theinstant formation of a committee of physicians, surgeons, and general practitioners, to

deliberate and act upon this all-importantmeasure."

Upon re-consideration we are certain thatDr. Joxasorr will readily acquit us of havingintentionally misapplied his encomium, foron looking to the grammatical constructionof Mr. GREEN’S language, and to the obvi-ous tenor of his expressions, it is indisputa-ble that he has only proposed one schemefor effecting an alteration in the governmentof the College of Surgeons, and that theother project relates merely to what he

would propose " iF he were a MINISTER.OF STATE."

SIR WILLIAM BURNETT.

CORRUPTION IN THE ADMIRALTY.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—Audi alteram partem is a maxim

so clearly essential to the decrees of jus-tice, that you, who officiate professedly asone of the high priests at the altar of thisdivinity, will not, I am sure, throw any ob-stacle in the way of an approach to it by a.more humble votary ; that you will not, inother words, give currency to any-thinglike detraction or calumny, without also in-serting the refutation.

Absence from town prevented me untilyesterday from seeing the unjust and un-’merited attack upon Sir William Burnett,contained in your 4l6th Number, under thesignature of " Harculo." I regret this lios-tile display, for the ignorance exhibited bythe writer of the official powers possessedby Sir William to remedy the grievances,no doubt great and glaring, of the body overwhich he presides. I regret it for its evi-dence of bad feeling. I regret it as comingapparently from a member of that corps tGwhich I myself belong, and in being levelledat our mutual chief, as eviucina in the as-

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sailant the worst possible taste. And Ire-gret further ,that you, Mr. Editor, shpuld,by the remarks prefixed to it, countenancean uncalled-for attack upon a meritoriouspublic officer, who, in the performance ofvery responsible duties, bas never, that Ihave heard, had an imputation cast uponhim, and who, it has happened to me to

know, dispenses the common lot of servicewith unflinching impartiality.. A general conviction of this in the mindsof the best-informed medical officers of thenavy, has, it seems, given rise to the designof presenting him with a token of their es-teem. This seems to me a very- harmless

compliment. Your pages, however, furnishevidence that by some it is disapproved asan attack upon their purses, and is thencemade a handle for unsparing censure. Yetwhat had Sir William to do with the pro-positinn? Nothing whatever; no more

than he had with originating the ordon-nances of Prince Polignac, or the insur-rections at Brussels or Warsaw. Did heanticipate such a measure at. the presentmoment? It is said by his friends, and Ibelieve it, that he did not. What was hiscourse of proceeding when the affair reach-ed his ears? Why, earnestly to requestthat the proposition might be dropped.Surely there is in this nothing with whicheven fastidiousness can find fault ; no ca-

joling, no intimidation, no lures thrown outto attract subscribers, no undue readinessto grasp at the proffered gift.

If the Committee, who act in this busi-ness, have not attended to his remonstrance,they have no doubt sufficient reasons. Ihave .no personal knowledge of any of itsmembers. I know not even one of them bysight. But as men of some standing andcharacter among naval surgeons, they must,be supposed to know something of theirown feelings and those’of their professionalbrethren on the subject; and as alreadyfiling situations which are considered themost eligible in the service-at least threeout of the five, 1 have a right to presumethat their motives are disinterested. Totheir conviction of the deserts of the gen-tleman in question, I beg to add mine.Nay, I would even submit to the betterjudgment of " Harculo" the propriety ofthe gift. If Sir William Burnett deservesit, he ought, of course, to receive it. If hedoes not, or has in any way neglected’ theinterests of his corps, which I do not thinkhe has, it will put him in mind of his duty.Your correspondent complains that his

chief has not accomplished the redress ofgrievances, or prevented the issuing of ob-noxious orders. How is he to remedy thesethings? Could Sir James Macgrigor pre-vent the scandalous order issued some yearsago to atrip the army medical officers of their

epaulet or epaulets 1 Is it not known tothis writer that the power of both is con-fined to the testing of medical officers’ quah.fications, and their distribution on service;not to their organisation as a military body,the consideration of their pay, rank, dress,or cornforts ? The efforts of the medical di.rectors must be confined to the representa-tion of a grievance. This, I am told, SirWilliam Burnett has done repeatedly,though as we see without effect. Whatthen is the remedy? Why, not to assail him,but those who have the power, and whoevade or refuse to use it. If rumour speaktrue, it is even said that he has had much tostruggle with in the Board-the VictuallingBoard—with which he is so anomalouslyconnected :-that the buttei- and cheese

gentlemen—the sages xvhose abilities ascendto the height of judging of pork, peas, andcabbage, assume the privilege to do whatthey think proper with medical officers, andactually by their superiority of votes, havequashed the deliberate decisions of theMedical Commissioners on medical affairsand appointments.

If Harculo " will travel a little further,to the Admiralty, he will there find the sameindisposition to do justice to his corps. Ido not pretend to be deeply versed m thesecrets of that den of arrogance and tyranny.1 have not often presumed to ascend thegreat staircase of that establishment, lestthe insolence that pervades every depart-men of it, from the first lord to the porters,might perchance order me down ; but Ihave occasionally craw led up the back stairs,and listened a little to what was going on.Ask the people there-first lord, naval lords,or the quill-driving menials, who, strange asit may appear, are in -this, as in every otherpublic department, the most determined andoften the most powerful foes to any speciesof amendment-ask them why the medicaldepartment is depressed. They hesitatefor a reply. Ask them.if the qualifications,characters, literary or scientific attainmentsof its officers. are inferior to those of anyother body of the same profession in theservice of the crown. The reluctant ad.mission is, They are not. Why then with-hold from them their fair rank and emolu-ments ? The rejoinder is, It has alwaysbeen so and finally it slips out, that such a

change would give them a species ot supe-riority over lieutenants !Here then is the old quarter-deck griev.

ance, which we have all felt and complainedof-the grievance of others-pursers, mas-ters, marine officers and chaplains-as wellas ours—that no officer in the service de-serves much consideration, excepting thosewho are called executive, that is, those in theline of promotion to be captains ; while theinterests, claims, and services of all others,

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more especially of civilians as they are

termed, or non-combatants, are overlookedor disregarded. This has been the spirit ofthe navy ever since it existed,-a spirit bru-tal in its origin, and brutalizing in its in-fluences. It is a spirit also ofiutense self-ishness, for no man, they almost all believe,is entitled to rewards or honours but them-selves. All merit, except purely nauticalmerit, has no value in their eyes. It is thisthat makes them in their hearts hate the

army, and renders a soldier, of course be-hind his back, a standing subject for ridi-cule. Had the discoverers of the circulationof the blood, or of cow-pox,—had John Hun-ter, or Percival Pott, served in the medicaldepartment of the navy, they would nothave had so much merit in the eyes of thepeople ia command, as any of the quarter-deck dunces who could splice a rope or reef Ia topsail. These men do not reflect that)they are perpetrating an injury upon them-selves by driving really able men out of theirservice. When the moment of danger ar-rives, then, indeed, they begin to feel theeffects of this ffdiy and jealousy. Whenhis own carcase is at stake, how soon doesthe bully sink into the humble solicitant!In a moment he exhibits his native mean-ness and inconsistency.

It’your correspondent be in want of a le.gitimate object for attack, let him pounceupon those who have the power to do whatis right, but will not. Let him cast his

eyes upon the Admiralty. Let him spareno one there. It is against such that a bat-tery should be raised. This is the nuisancethat must be abated. Hie labor, koc opusest. Let all persons there, collectively andindividually, be assailed, for there is no fearof going wrong. . Let them be viewed in thelight of personal enemies by every medicalofficer in the service until his complaints areredressed. Let the press loose upon themin every possible shape and mode of attack.Let the misdeeds of all whohave commandedat sea-and there are few who have not

committed tyrannies or other offences whichwould have cashiered over and over any mi-

litary officer whatever-be retailed to theworld. Let the British public know theastounding fact, of which they are now

wholly ignorant, that tlee favoured class ofcaptains in the navy, coaetains in its listmore disgraced officers (that is men whohave been broken by cnzcrts martial for hein-ous offences, and reinstated through interest)than all other classes of officers under theCrourn put together. Let this class be com-pared with the untarnished character of themedical officers,With respect to the letter signed A Sub-

scriber in your 417th Number, it is so tingedwith the hue of personal enmity towardsSir William, as to be unworthy of notice.

; There is in it Nothing of the spirit of a gen-; tieman, or the fair argument of an opponent.It is simply abuse ; and abuse deserves noreply. The character of Sir William Bur-nett stands far above the reach of a writerof this stamp ; but were that writer enduedwith more power to do mischief, I wouldsuggest to him the obvious consideration,that any attempt to lower the character ofthe head of his corps must, where there is

no obvious incapacity in that officer, recoilupon himself as a member of it. The corpsat large, and the head of that corps, muststand or fall togetlier in public opinion.Their interests are mutual and indissoluble.

They cannot be disunited without serious

detriment to both. If an attempt to sink hisreputation in general estimation could suc-ceed, that moment the sphere of his useful-

ness becomes nan owed, and he is inert to allpractical purposes of good.What the feelings of the head of the me-

dical department on the matter are, I knownot. I have had no communication withhim. I have the honour of his personal ac-quaintance in but a slight degree. It com-menced many years ago whUe on service,and I had great reason to think highly of hischaracter and abilities. Every communica.tion with him since has confirmed that opi-nion. I have ever found him in his publiccapacity, and others tell me the same, ur-

bane, kind, and considerate ; and in a pro-fessional view, a most able practical phy.sician.But I do not profess to be the champion

of any man. My chief object has been toset my brother officers right as to who theirreal opponents are, and where the obstaclesreally exist with which they have to con-tend. I have hinted whom, to produceeffect, they ought to assail-assail not bypetition and remonstrance, for these havebeen tried long’ enough and in vain,-but byindignant .a.nd forcible assault-by inflictingupon them the knout—by exposing their

injustice and selfishness-by appealing fromtheir justice to their fears-by analysingwhat are their own claims to monopolizepublic bounty and conisideration-and byunveiling, give them to the world in theirnative nakedness. Let us have sketches ofthe Victualling Board and Admiralty byofficers who have sailed with or kxow theindividuals or their services. We shall thensee what merits they possess ; whether pre-sumption and ignorance shall alone fattenon the public income, while education andprofessional talent are consigned to insultand penury.There exists a deep feeling of indignation

in the medical service at the treatment theyhave received in the highest guarters—be-cause they could not expect this from afriend—from one who had been under per-

762

sonal and acknowledged obligations to theirskill and attention. It is impossible thatthis feeling can abate while their remon-strances continue disregarded, or while a

justification of the tone of insult is attempt-ed by the first Lord of the Admiralty. Inthe expression of this feeling they must befearless and uncompromising. Timiditymust be forgotten; jealousy must be aban-doned, for the interest of one is the interestof all. They have been too often alienatedfrom each other, particularly the higherclasses of the service, by trifling causes, andhave thus afforded an opening for the enemyto tread them down in detail. Let themhereafter show a different example, and be-come, not a rope of sand, but a hempencable. In the manly and bold expression oftheir sentiments they shall always havethe aid, feeble indeed, though zealous, oftheir brother-san’erer,their brother-sufferer,

JUSTLTS, S. ILondon, September 3, 1831. li.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,-In my letter of the 22d of August,published in THE LANCET of Saturday last,I said it was ’ unaccountable how the self-constituted naval medical committee at

Portsmouth could issue their circular letterof the 1st of August, in direct defiance ofthe remonstrance of Sir William Burnett

against their project, on the grounds that itwas calculated to injure him in his publicsituation, and materially to retard those

improvements in the regulations for themedical officers of the navy, which he con-sidered necessary, as well for the benefit ofthe naval service generally, as of the indi-viduals more immediately concerned ;" butit seems it was not unaccountable, since thematter is fully explained by your corre-

spondent Dr. Scott, junior surgeon, lec-turer, librarian, and curator of the museumin the Royal Hospital, Haslar, and one ofthe said committee, whose letter also ap-pears in THE LANCET of Saturday.

Dr. Scott tells you, that " every memberof Harculo’s parasitic committee is alreadyin possession of high and responsible office,or independent of the service, and that noneof them have any-thins further to expect iuthe way of promotion or emolument." Nowtruly, Sir, this is a very powerful reason,though to some fastidious persons it mightnot seem a very generous one, why thiscommittee, consisting of such exalted per-sonages, should persist in their plan, andindulge themselves in their no doubt sin-cere, but perhaps somewhat fulsome demon-strations of gratitude for the enjoyment ofhigh official situations, or other independentcircumstances elevating them above any fur-ther expectation of promotioll or emolument,

even although they were positively assuredthat such indulgence would injure the manfor whom thev entertained well-meritedesteem, and perhaps totally destroy the

prospects of the more humble individuals olthe corps to which they belonged! Dr,Scott says the committee was appointed bythirty-one naval surgeons assembled at Gos.port for another purpose. Granted; theymay have been so appointed ; but did thesethirty-one individuals (twenty-seven be.sides the members of the committee them-selves, by the way) instruct their committeeto proceed, after being warned against it bySir William Burnett? No, Sir, they didnot ; and some of them at least, who did notfeel themselves above the need of " furtherpromotion or emolument," and who wereaware of that warning, were as much sur-prised and displeased at the appearance of thecircular, issued by their committee, as I was.

In every word of the encomiums passedon Sir William Burnett in the circular let.ter, and in that of Dr. Scott, I, as an anony-mous writer, do most cordially concur; butI had rather gnaw my crust in secret all mylife, than announce my real name, after say.ing so, or as long at least as Sir Williamremains in office. Neither do I impugn themotives of the committee, who seem to haveacted, without consideration for others, onthe impulse of their own feelings as inde.pendent gentlemen ; but had I not, in myyouth, read Gil Blas, and learned, in the

! course of a tolerably long life, other lessonssimilar to the one which is inculcated bythe conduct of the Bishop of Toledo towardsthat candid but imprudent monitor, I shouldadvise those gentlemen of the committee,who are independent of the service, to re-tire from it altogether ; and I sincerelyhope, that such of them as are in the en-joyment of " high and responsible office,"may conduct themselves for the future, intheir respective public situations, with morediscretion and better judgment than theyhave manifested on the occasion whichnow places me under the necessity of apolo-gizing for the liberty 1 take in requesting aplace in one of your valuable pages for thisunworthy second, and last communicationfrom yours, respectfully, No TORY.London, Sept. 5, 1831.

No Toar.

POLITICO-SANATORY CORDON.POLITICO-SANATORY CORDON.—A letterin the Constitutionnel states, that " the

sanatory cordon which separates Prussiafrom Poland, is maintained with extreme

severity. Sentinels are placed every fiftypaces ; all those who enter Poland are firedat, and those -who come from Poland arethrown into prison. The Russians alonepass and repass without the smallest dif-ficulty."a