THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, April 16, 1831.

PLOTTING OF THE COLLEGE COUNCIL.

IF there be any MEMBERS of the London

College of Surgeons who have been suchcareless observers of the Council as to be.

lieve that that body has been influenced inits measures of legislation by motives ofdisinterested zeal for the welfare of the sur.

gical profession, we call upon those gen-tlemen to direct their attention to the plotwhich is nowframing in the College, to effectthe entire subversion of the rights of the com-

monalty-to place, indeed, the whole of the Imembers of the College at the feet, and atthe disposal, of the self-perpetuating oli-

garchy. These thoughtless, abandoned mo-nopolists—these degraded and contemptibleconspirators against the rights and privi-leges of the majority of the corporation,contemplate with audacious and unparal-leled insolence the unprecedented measureof expelling from the College a member,who, within the short period of seven

years, has conferred more real benefits

upon the medical profession of Englandthan the members of the College have de-

rived from all the Councils of their own in-

stitution, from the first moment of its esta-

blishment up to the present hour. The

member whom they seek to expel causedtheir restrictive regulations of 1823, 4,and 5, to be torn to fragments by the

hands of an indignant profession, and

thrown with ineffable contempt in the

faces of the dirty and paltry monopolists.That same Member raised the voice of the

public against the imbecile dependents ol

the junto, and hunted them from our greatnational houses of charity, where they fedupon, and trafficked in, the blood of their

innocent and unsuspecting victims. That

same Member caused the wards of our hos-

pitals to be regularly attended by the sti-

pendiary medical officers, to the incalculable

advantage of both patients and students.

That same Member caused the practice ofour hospitals to be laid regularly before themembers of the College residing in the

most distant parts of the globe. That same

Member, in an action brought against himby a nephew of one of the junto, establish-ed the right to publish the cases occurringin our great public hospitals. That same

Member on a like occasion obtained for

,medical, and indeed all other journalists,the great legal right in cases of allegedlibel, when A JUSTIFICATION IS PLEADED,

of defendants to call evidence in proof oftheir allegations, before a plaintiff has an

opportunity of placing before the jury thequestion of damages. That same Member

established in a court of equity the right to

publish the professional and official dis-

courses of the officers of our national hospi-tals. That same Member gained for his

brethren of the commonalty the privilegeof inspecting their own museum two daysin each week, four hours in each day. That

same Member caused the self-perpetuat-ing junto to prepare a catalogue of the

splendid Hunterian museum, thus renderingthe collection OF USE to the members,after that same Council had neglectedthis express condition of a governmentbond during a period of upwards of thirtyyears. That same member, by his often-

repeated denunciations of the Council,caused a magnificent library to be purchasedout of funds from which the commonaltyhad never before derived advantage. That

same member made the insolent Council

throw open the front doors of the Collegeto the insulted and persecuted commonalty.That same member caused the crafty and

monopolizing Council to 11 recognize" pro-vincial schools of anatomy and surgery, and

to receive 11 certiScates" of attendance

upon provincial hospital practice, of a " less

period" than " four years." In a word,—That Member has obtained for the public alarge proportion of their rights with respect

82 PROJECTED EXPULSION OF A COLLEGE MEMBER.

to the hospitals, and for the members of theCollege a large. proportion of their rightswith respect to the College ; and now thatthe Council-the insolent, the exposed, the

impotent Council-apparently lost to everysense of shame,-unconscious, even yet, ofthe force of public opinion, and blind to theinevitable consequences of such an act, me-

ditate the expulsion of that Member from acorporation, upon the majority of the mem-bers of which he has conferred such essen-

tial, such acknowledged, and such un-

equalled benefits. Expulsion ! Impudent,empty-headed pretenders’ Puffed up with

over-weening vanity by the slavish ob-

sequiousness of lace-bedecked menials and

sycophantic, expecting toad-eaters, this

Council have the presumption to imaginethat it is in their power to degrade theMember whom they desire to expel. Why,the reputation of that member has attained a

height which they cannot contemplate with.out bewildered brains. By pursuing a longand straightforward course of public duty,he has acquired the confidence of his ownprofession and the approbation of the pub-lic,—all that could be sought for by a justand honourable ambition. If the junto wereunable to compete with that man in the in-

fancy of his labours,-if they were unable tocheck the progress of his public career byChancery injunctions, and vexatious and

extortionate law proceedings instituted ininferior courts, how can they be such be.sotted fools as to conceive that it is in their

power to destroy a reputation, the establish-ment of which they were not even for onemoment able to retard ? The proudest ofthe junto acknowiedges, with bitter disap-pointment and malignant envy, the extent

and purity of that public character whichhe is covertly devising means to depreciate.Besides, have the Council forgotten, thatwhilst the individual against whom they are

plotting was labouring, zealously and ho-nestly, to build up for himself, on an impe-rishable basis, the public character which,

with satanic but consistent malice, theywould gladly destroy, they Were most zea-

lously employed in supporting a publica-tion/the ONLY object of which was to setthe tongues of slander in motion, in orderto effect the destruction of the peace of

mind of that man’s family, and to ruin for

ever, in the eyes of an honourable profession,his unimpeachable private character ? Oh,the besotted dotards ! How well they havethriven in their generous occupation ! In

attacking the reputation of the member whohas so fully exposed their iniquities,—whohas so constantly laid them prostrate by themere force of public opinion, they would dowell to remember the reply of CORIOLANUSto the insolent Volscians :—

That like an eagle in a dove-cote, IFlutter’d your voices in Corioli:Alone I did it."

While thirsting for his blood, the savageconspirators knew the power of the warrior;and envied his renown. The glory of his rèpU-tation they could not sully, but the heart ofthe chieftain was not proof against the da-egers of assassins. Though immeasurablyless worthy, the obnoxious Medical Re.

former is not less energetic or confident inbr.eathing tones of defiance against his con.

spirators, his base and despicable assailants,who cannot but remember that they haveoften been fluttered, like BATS in a cave, bythe unaided movements of his individual

arm.

The proceedings of corporations are so farout of the ordinary course of things, so un-

usually and inconsistently strange, that theypartake more of the character of the in-

cidents which are allotted to romance

than those common to scenes in red life.One would suppose that the College con.

tained a Lethean fountain, into which, as an

initiatory step, each newly-elected memberwas made to plunge, in order to wasl.awayall recollection of past occurrences ; for theCouncil hesitate not to violate the most

solemn engagements-to break all those

ties, in their executive capacity, which had.

83OPERATION ON HOO LOO.

previously united them in private to the Imajority of the members of the profession.The influence of the collegiate atmosphere Iover the minds of the Council is, in all in- istances, a subject for regret, while in manyit is one of deep injury to the public, andin others a black stain on the character of

the profession. The halls of the College,in truth, appear to be capable of generatinga moral pestilence, which subdues or anni-hilates every liberal and honourable princi- iple coming within the sphere of its action. IBut whatever may be the degradation to

which the Council themselves are willing Bto submit—whatever may be the extent ofthe obloquy which they are courting, it

behoves the Members of the College, the

Commonalty, to stand up for the mainte- ‘naace of their rights, and not submit to be ftrampled upon and struck by hired ruffians Iwith impunity. The Council have NOT the lelegal power to expel a member, but the Iattempt to perpetrate such an act, of itselfshows how inveterate is the hostility enter-tained by the junto towards those gentle-men of the Corporation whose rights andinterests the Council are bound, by a sacredoath, constantly to protect, If misconduct Ion the part of any portion of the Corpora- Ition be a ground for expulsion; if such aproceeding be at all allowed in law,—whatis to prevent the Members from takingpossession of the College,—from seizing bythe ears their oligarchical tyrants, and lead-iug them into the streets ? If the Council

violate law and justice, and proceed to

eject a member because he has given them

offence, what is to prevent the Commonaltyfrom meeting in a body aud expelling theCouncil themselves, when they have in-

flicted upon the other branches of the cor-

poration deep injury. It is true, that

the establishment of the LONDON CoL-

LEGE OF MEDICINE may render the proceed-ings of the Council in Lincolns’-InnaFieldsridiculous, and even contemptible, in a na-tional point of view. But -the Conuuonalty

must bear in mind that they have rights toprotect, and interests to defend, as indi-vidual members of a corporation ; that

they have funds which may be plundered, amuseum which may be neglected, a librarywhich may be sold, a building which maybe pulled down, if they do not come forwardand immediately adopt those measures whichhonour and prudence dictate. The Council

must be taught that they have most wofullymistaken their powers ; that they were per.mitted to make by-laws to benefit, and not forto injure,the Commonalty, and that by-laws,when directed against the general interestsof the Corporation, are contrary both to theletter and the spirit of the charter, and are,consequently, void. Without the slightestcause, or adequate excuse, the lectures are

now discontinued, and the doors of the Col-lege are closed against the admission of themembers. Yet every lawyer must be awarethat the Commonalty are equally entitled toadmission with the Council, and that the

lectures now discontinued are directed to

be delivered, in the government bond which

stipulates for the regulation of the HunterianMuseum.

In conclusion, we would recommend to

,the members the immediate adoption of oneof two courses,-Either to apply by depu-tation to the SECRETARY of STATE for the

Home Department, respecting the discon-

tinuance of the lectures, or to address a

remonstrance to the Council, and hint,

pretty intelligibly that unless they instantlythrow open the College to the members,those gentlemen will open the doors for

themselves, and take possession of a build-

ing which has been erected and supportedby their own funds.

THE account of the opexation performedupon the unfortunate Chinese on Saturdaylast at Guy’s HOSPITAL, will be read with

deep and painful anxiety. Without callingin question the manual skill of the operator,

84 DR. RAMADGE AND LONG THE QUACK.

we are of opinion that in this proceedingsome very serious errors were committed.

First, it was injudicious, nay, particularlyunphilosophical, to perform an operation ofsuch vast importance upon a native of theclimate of China, so quickly after his arrivalin this country, to the atmosphere of whichhis constitution could in no degree be fa-miliarised ; and, secondly, nothing could bemore injudicious than to perform such an

operation upon a man who had been ex-

posed during several months to the pureand peculiarly invigorating breezes of theocean, in a theatre, or, rather, a well, the

atmosphere of which must have been ren-dered unfit for the purposes of respirationby the crowd. These errors, when con-

sidered in connexion with the length of

time which poor Hoo Loo was under the

tortures of the knife, furnish more than

sufficient grounds for the removal of anyastonishment which may at first have been

entertained as to the unsuccessful issue of

the operation. True the ventilators were

open, and the crowd around the patient fre-quently stood aloof, in order that the purestatmosphere which the place could afford

should come in contact with him. But

notwithstanding these occasional precau-

tions, the depressing influence of the ob-noxious atmosphere may in some degreebe conjectured, when it is stated that manyof the spectators were covered with perspi-ration, were pale as death, and closely ap-proaching to a state of fainting. What

then must have been the condition of Hoo

Loo, who with bound limbs was compelledto breathe in such a place for a period oftwo hours, during one hour and forty-fourminutes of which he was under the infliction

of the knife ? It is admitted, generally, thatMr. KEY performed the operation with ex-treme care ; and it is said that on the nightpreviously, a_considerable time was spent in

examining and measuring the parts, in orderthat the flaps of the integument might neatlyapproximate after the tumour was removed.

But it may be doubted if it were wise to

discontinue the use of the knife, while

the patient ’was in a state of syncope ; for

whether the fainting arose from the loss

of blood, or from the shock to the nervous

system, the propriety of desisting duringthose intervals may fairly be questioned.The vital energy is unable to contend

against the long continuance of such un.

usually severe pain. Had the operation of MrB. COOPER on STEPHEN POLLARD been lessprotracted, the result might have been other.wise ; and had Mr. HENRY EARI,Y, when heremoved the bones from poor BRADY’S ear, inSt. Bartholomew’s Hospital, instead of thenail for which he was seeking’, desisted fromhis attempts at the expiration of ten or

fifteen minutes, the unfortunate child mightnow have been alive and well. Such pro-tracted operations cannot be too stronglydeprecated. We hint not in the remotest

sense that Mr. KEY made a single incisionmore than was necessary, or that he per.formed one cut unscientifically, but we thinkthat the pauses were injudicious, and are

decidedly of opinion, that the time and placeselected for the operation showed an ex.traordinary, if not a fatal, want of profes.sional discrimination.

IN another part of our Journal will be

found a letter addressed to JOHN LONG, the

felon, slaughterer, and quack, purporting tobe from the pen of Dr. RAMADGE, of ElyPlace, London. This most extraordinarydocument was published in a paper calledthe Sunday Times, dated the 10th inst.

flre have copied it verbatirn but in a noteadded by the editor of the journal in ques.tion, it is observed, that some portion has notbeen extracted from a book which it is pre-tended LONG has published. We endea-

voured to fill up the hiatus in question byseeking for the work itself, but no such bookis to be obtained at the shops ; therefore

the whole may be a hoax, and for the

85CORONER FOR GLOUCESTER.—MR. RYAN.-GREGORY, &c.

honour of the profession collectively, andfor the welfare of Dr. RAMADGE indivi-

dually, we are heartily anxious that such it

may prove. But should it ultimately ap-pear that this letter has been addressed

to the quack by Dr. RAMADGE, he has bythis single act cut himself off, severed him-self for ever, from the honourable and re- i

spectable members of our profession, andwe apprehend he must be content to be

stigmatised to a degree not less derogatoryto his character as a physician and a gen-tleman, than is the guilty quack himself

stigmatised as a man by every humane and

intelligent person who reprobates crueltyand fraud. If, in short, it be possible for

Dr. RAMADGE to be the author of this

letter, we advise him forthwith to abandonthe ranks of a profession which he has dis-

graced, or most assuredly the members ofthat profession will abandon him.

A VACANCY has occurred in the office of ICoroner for the County of Gloucester. Thereare four candidates in the field, Mr. THOMASBEVIN, surgeon, Mr. GARLICK BALL, andMr. WILLIAM ROBARTS, attornies, and Mr.MARKLOVE, a dealer in pictures. If the

freeholders possess each only the smallestportion of common sense and independence,the surgeon will, of course, be elected to

the vacant office.

MR. RYAN atS. THE HAGS.

ON the morning after the trial, when Mr.Justice BAYLEY came into Court, the fol.

lowing brief but pithy dialogue took placebetween his Lordship and the Counsel for

the Worshipful Society :-Mr. Justice BAYLEY. In that case of the

Apothecaries’ Company, perhaps it would

be as well if you looked into the case, to

see if the defendant was apprenticed.Mr. GURNEY. If he has served an appren-

ticeship, there will be no reluctance to ex-amine him.Mr. Justice BAYLEY. As to the otlte1’par-

ticulars specified in THAT PAPER,* theyare NOT in the Act of Parliament.

* The "Regulations" of the Cpmpany.

Mr. COMYN. Nothing but the indentureof apprenticeship.Mr. G l’ ltNEY. If they have the legal

means, there will be no sort of reluctance to

admit him.

Mr. Justice BAYLEY. I dare say the Com-

pany will feel they ought not to lend them-selves to partial views.

Mr. GURNEY. 0 ! certainly, they neverdo! If they find the Act of Parliament vio-lated, they put it in force without the leasthesitation.Mr. Justice BAYLEY. I thought if I just

threw out the impression on my mind, it

might be as well.

Selections from Gregory’s " ConspectusMedicine Theoreticœ, " and G’elsus 11 doMedicina." By S. F. LEACH. London,Highley, 1831. pp. 293.

Lectiones Gelsiance et Gregorianœ; or,Lessons iia Celsus and Gregory. ByWILLIAM CRoss. London, Wilson, 1831.pp. 169.

THE former of these two volumes containsthe whole of that portion of Gregory’s Con-spectus (ten chapters), and that portion ofCelsus (chapters 1 and 3) which it is re-

quired by the regulations issued by the

Apothecaries’ Company, that the candidatefor the license should show himself compe-tent to translate. An occasional interpreta-tion is added at the bottom of the page.Figures are inserted in the text of the

author, referring to rules of syntax containedin an appendix to the volume. Of this partof Mr. Leach’s labours, we cannot speak interms of very high commendation. Omis-sions of these references constantly occur ;for example, in one page only (17, line 9)after molestus," line 14, after " placuit,"Many rules axe improperly applied ; for

example (page 40, line 7), " Quo plus ten-ditur, eo durius," does not come under rule19, as he has marked it ; " vi praeditalethali," (page 24, line 13,) he has referredto rule 5.5 instead of 20. If we take into

consideration also, the persons for whom

Mr. Leach’s volume is intended, chieflybeginners, we cannot avoid saying that therules contained in his appendix are far tooconcise. Rules 4, 16, 27, and 32, fall un-

der this censure, as will be evident to anyone who compares them with the text of the