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torily required. The surgeons and assistant-surgeons allreside at a considerable distance, and the usual communi-cation is by omnibus or cab.

SCARLET FEVER still continues epidemic in many of ourlargest cities or towns. In London 245 deaths were caused

by that disease last week, being the highest weekly numberyet recorded. Sheffield appears to be suffering even moreseverely from the same cause than London, while Liverpooland Hull exhibit a scarlatinal fatality only a degree belowthat of the metropolis. -

WE regret that our space will only enable us to give abrief abstract of Dr. Richardson’s eloquent address, but tothe abstract, which we give in another, column, and espe-cially to the brilliant peroration in which Dr. Richardsonlays down the claims and the future of the scientific workersin the field of medical inquiry, we have much pleasure indirecting the attention of our readers.

THE death of Mr. John Gay, jun., of Swindon, in themidst of an active and useful career, has excited generalregret in the town and neighbourhood where he and hisfather (who survives him) have practised for many years.He was parochial medical officer, and at the first meeting ofguardians after his decease the very strongest testimonywas borne by all those present to the ability, zeal, and kind-ness with which his duties had been performed. A series ofresolutions expressive of their regret and regard was

ordered to be entered on the minutes of the guardians, andto be forwarded to the widow and father of the deceased

gentleman. -

DB. HARPER, medical officer of the Holbeach district, hasreported to the guardians of the union six fresh cases offever in the cottages on Holbeach-common, to which werecently made reference. The Holbeach local Board ofHealth has been written to on the subject; meanwhile thefever progresses. -

WE understand that Mr. Goschen has resolved to sencMr. Lambert, one of the inspectors of the Poor-law Board.to Ireland, for the purpose of inquiring into the Poor-lamadministration there.

____

THE next meeting of the Association of Officers of Health Iwill be held at the Scottish Corporation Hall, Crane-court,I’leet-street, on Saturday, Dec. 18th, at 7.30 P.M., when apaper will be read by William Acton, Esq., having the fol-lowing heading : Supposing the Legislature should deter-mine to recommend the introduction of the ContagiousDiseases Act among the Civil Population, would it be pos-sible and feasible to carry out its Enactments in the Metro-

polis ?" -

WE hear that the Court of Edinburgh University,having duly considered the memorial of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons, proposing an alteration in the system of

teaching clinical surgery in the University, and havingheard the statements made at the last meeting on behalf ofthe Royal College, and also those made by Professors Listerand Spence, have resolved that, in present circumstances,it is not expedient to comply with the prayer of thememorial.

____

THE village of Stoke Gabriel, in Devonshire, suffered veryseverely during the cholera epidemic of 1866, and its badsanitary condition is described in the Registrar-General’sReport on that epidemic. In testimony that the lesson

taught by cholera has not been learnt by the nuisanceauthority of Stoke, we learn that typhoid fever prevails therenow, and that " night soil is lying about in different partsof the village."

-

THE Sewage Utilisation Act has now been adopted in fiveof the parishes comprised in the Plympton St. Mary Union,and sewage works are in process of construction.

WE see that "Amputation at the Knee-Joint" forms thesubject of a paper to be read by Mr. Pollock at the RoyalMedical and Chirurgical Society on Tuesday next. It willdoubtless provoke an interesting discussion, for the opera-tion is one which, although it has met with great favour inAmerica, and amongst some London surgeons, is not byany means universally performed, and it will be important togather some idea of its results.

ST. ANDREWS MEDICAL GRADUATES’ASSOCIATION.

THE session of this Association, the first day’s proceedingsof which we reported in our last issue, was resumed onThursday, December 2nd.A communication was read from Professor Polli, of

Milan, recommending the use of Indian hemp in large dosesin hydrophobia. He related a case in which, although thepatient died, the horror, and violence, and raving whichtorture hydrophobic patients were entirely subdued by itsuse.

In the discussion which ensued, Dr. Boss expressed anopinion that the frightful symptoms accompanying at-

tempts to swallow were not depending on a mental or moralcause, but resulted from the physical pain produced byany act of deglutition. He related a case which he hadseen lately, in which Dr. Lockhart Clarke discovered nolesion of the nervous centres, but in which there was the

i small ulcer in the back of the pharynx which had been de-scribed as an accompaniment of the disease.

. Professor Polli also added a note on the fact that coffee,,

tea, and cocoa assist, while lemon-juice, citric, malic, acetic,and tartaric acids prevent, the action of Indian hemp. The

latter may truly be called antidotes.l Dr. Cholmeley then read a paper a On the Internal Use ofAmmonium Chloride." The paper was one of great value,abounding in practical applications.

After this the president, Dr. Richardson, delivered theanniversary address "On the Science of Cure." He com-menced by referring to the present stcttvs of the University,and to his own election to the office of assessor therein. Hethen proceeded to his main subject, the " Science of Cure,"and quoted the saying of Ambrose Paré "I treat them; Godcures them." This saying he condemned-having been forcedby much thought to throw it aside in all interpretations saveone, in which it becomes a flat truth, viz., that we are all, asthe procedures from a common divine power, the mere instru-ments of that power; so that the thing we effect is the realagency of the power itself, by which we are and do. If wecould not say boldly and truthfully that we lived to cure, itwould be better for us not to live at all under pretence of beingcurers. For himself he could affirm that he lived to heal;that there are now a few persons at least in the world whobut for his or for such equal aid as would have been renderedby some other Esculapian brother, would now be amongstthe dead; that there are many whom he has relieved frompain and disease, if not from death, and that the same thingsmight be broadly said with regard to every educated practi-tioner of medicine. Affirming so much, and granting alsothat our power of cure is limited by defective skill and know-ledge, what are the chief obstacles in the way of progress? Thereply was, first, dogma, and the use of meaningless phrases andconceits; secondly, the reliance placed on individual, as distinctfrom general experience ; and thirdly, an adherence to fashionsin treatment from fear of popular disfavour. With the quaintlearning that so curiously fringes and adorns his powers ofpractical research, Dr. Richardson illustrated the influence ofdogma by a reference to the works of Michael Albertus, who,

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among many essays, wrote three on what he supposed to bethe three great branches of curing, "per similia," per con-traria," and "per expectation em. Hence three divisions, re-maining as actual systems to the present hour, absolute systemsfor men to live and practise by; yet all gross and imbecileassumptions, each a curse blighting science, and saying to me-dicine, " You may be a practice, a system, a school, but a truescience you shall not be."

"

Turning to the means of progress,among which the removal of the foregoing obstacles wouldhold the first place, the speaker placed next a just discrimina-tion between knowledge and wisdom. He then passed on tospeak of the importance of knowledge of the natural boun-daries of cure, and dwelt at some langth upon a phrase whichhe deems to be misleading, the vis rnedicatrix natztg-ce. Thereis no such thing as a natural curative action; there is only afailure of disease to arrest the course of vital action; and thisfailure will be more conspicuous, e66i!efM paribus, in early life,when the human system has just received the initial impulsethat should propel it along its entire career. Life was com-

pared to the tract of a stone flung by the hand; its initialvelocity yielding by degrees to other forces, and at last whollyoverpowered by gravitation. Arriving at the general conclu-sion that to trust to what is called nature, to the omission orneglect of scientific methods for cure, is to forsake the path ofduty, and to leave to chance that which strictly falls under theexercise of reason, Dr. Richardson argued from it to the im-

portance of a perfect knowledge of natural function, and to thesupreme value of research into the relations between chemicalconstitution and physiological action. Dwelling first uponsome happy illustrations in support of his position, he broughthis address to a conclusion in the following words :-" Theposition of mediciners at this moment is of men ascending amountain to behold a new world. From the old world theascent is steep, and on it the professing explorers are variouslygrouped. Highest of all, toiling away reckless of all danger,heedless of clamour, progressing a step to-day and dropping astep to-morrow, but never failing, and never withdrawing theireyes from the goal to be reached, is a number, small but

healthy, of pioneers, the scientific men of physic, who lookupon themselves as almost too far removed from the world totrade with it; who see between themselves and the worldmany unscrupulous opponents, and who can never leavetheir work, even to gain their livelihood, without regret.These pioneers, struggling one day to the summit of themountain, will discover the truth in its fulness, will makeone and all, pupil and sufferer, come to them for assistance,and, in deed as in word, will command the position theyhave striven for. Behind the pioneers, magnificent in

collegiate banners, and proudest in their fondest weak-nesses, is the mass of ’legitimate medicine.’ They followthe pioneers, but often abuse them as they follow; call outat each step that it is rough, or irregular, or steep, or shallow,or unsafe; but do nevertheless proceed, hindered by nothingso much as their own doubt in limb, and load of individualexperience. Beneath them, mounting no new step at all,wishing, indeed, to make no advance, but jabbering someobscuredogma, orpointing with ridiculetotheproceedings’enact-ing above them, stand the schismatics of physic, in garbs asvarious as all the national costumes of the earth, and withtongues and customs as incongruous. Placed nearest of all tothe world, the world hears more of these than of any others ;they will be heard; to them, nolens volens, the sick man shalllisten; of them, if it be but to rid himself of their impor-tunities, he shall buy. They have a rule for every malady, aremedy for every accident, a cant dogmatical answer for everyquestion. They are a lawless mob, noisy, cowardly, who,when the pioneers shall descend from the mountain, theirvictory achieved, will fly into the world and be lost for ever.As it is, though they stand troublesome tricksters between theworld and the scientific workers, they impede not the work.’I treat; God cures.’ Thus bold Ambrose Pare, who, saidhis enemies when he replaced the seething iron by theligature, ’put life upon a thread.’ ’Twere a sin even for ourfriends the pioneers to forget so grand an exclamation. Ihope they will retain it in their hearts reverently. Not as theouter confessions of their uselessness in this world, but as theinner consciousness that they are the instruments of a

Supreme Intelligence, which, drawing nearer and yet nearerto them as they grow

’Day by day familiarWith his conceptions, act upon his plans,And form to his the relish of their souls,’-

will fill them for their work, in proportion as they are

prepared to receive it, with that eternal and celestial light,by which, in the fulness of time, all truths of nature shallbe revealed to the faithful children of nature."

Dr. Copland proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Richardson forhis eloquent address. The motion was seconded by Dr. LyonPlayfair, M.P., who remarked that John Knox; in his " Bookof Discipline " had propounded a scheme of education for thestudents of the University. They were first to be subjectedto a preliminary examination, in which dialectics, the logic ofthe time, and mathematics formed an important part. Andno one was to be allowed to proceed in the tLculty of medicineunless he showed considerable proficiency in the physicalsciences. In this matter, as in others, Dr. Richardson wasa model graduate of the type which the great reformer haddepicted. The resolution was carried with applause.The Anniversary Dinner was held on the evening of the

same day. Seventy sat down. The President was in thechair; there were also present : Mr. Froude, the Lord Rector,Dr. Lyon Playfair, M.P., Rev. J. B. Reade, President of theMicroscopical Society, Mr. Serjeant Robinson, Dr. Copland,Mr. P. Marshall, President of the Medical Society of London,Dr. Lyall, R.N., Drs. Paul, Tuke, Greenhaigh, Cholmeley,O’Connor, Hill, Cooper Rose, H. Day, Rogers, Sedgwick, &c.In replying to the toast, " The Houses of Parliament," Dr.

Lyon Playfair said he knew that all present would not agreewith him in political details, but he was sure that in the largerand really more important sphere of social and sanitary im-provement they would be all of one mind and one heart. Hedescribed the chaotic state in which sanitary laws were now,and was sure that the influence of the St. Andrews MedicalGraduates’ Association would be exerted in aid of those whoin the next session of Parliament would strive for a, better or-ganization in sanitary matters.

Dr. Rogers, in reply to the toast of the "Poor Law MedicalOfficers’ Association," gave at some length the experience hehad derived from his visit to Ireland, and showed that there alldrugs were found by the guardians. The stipends were muchmore liberal and fairly apportioned to the duties performed.In the aggregate they constituted a sixth part of the totaloutlay on gross relief, whilst in England they formed but thetwenty-seventh. He attributed much of our huge expendi-ture to the miserable stipends and the provision from themof the drugs by the medical omcers. He had noticed that theIrish medical service was loved by the poor and respected bythe public. He wished he could have said the same of theposition of the Poor Law medical officers in England.The dinner passed off most agreeably, and was a great

success.

MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.

I A SPECIAL meeting of the members of this Association,resident in the north of England and Scotland, was held onThursday, the 25th ult., in Edinburgh, under the presidencyof Professor Laycock. The propriety of so dividing thequarterly meetings, now held exclusively in London, as to de-vote two to the northern and two to the southern part ofthe kingdom, formed the subject of a resolution, which wasunanimously carried. The scientific part of the businesswas then opened by the President, who enlarged on the ne-cessity of memorialising the Managers of the EdinburghInfirmary for the provision of better means than are nowavailable for the clinical study of insanity. That the cli-nical teaching of this form of disease should constitute anintegral part of medical education is now, we believe,universally admitted; but, while such seats of learning asthat of Berlin are amply provided with the means requisitefor it, we allow our schools to remain as defective in thisparticular as they notoriously were half a century ago. Aninteresting discussion on the topic so ably introduced byDr. Laycock was followed by a resolution (unanimouslyagreed to) that the Medical Faculties, University Courts,and Boards of Examiners in Scotland, and the GeneralMedical Council, should be memorialised for the purpose ofmaking clinical instruction in insanity a necessary adjunctto every medical curriculum. Interesting papers were thenread by Dr. Tuke " On the Cottage System of the Manage-ment of Lunatics," by Dr. Clouston "On the MedicalTreatment of Insanity," by Dr. Bruce Thomson " On theHereditary Nature of Crime," and by Dr. Howden" On the