88

places invaded by the cholera. He wasastonished at such an assertion, and referredfor an illustration of the contrary to an in-dividual parish, St. George’s, where it ap-peared that, comparing the returns of thelast few years, there was a majority of 131in favour of the cholera.

.

iNIr. MARSHALL (the gentleman to whomin our last we gave the name of MARSDEN)said it had been asked where you would find

twenty persons, hitherto free from the dis-ease, exposed to small-pox contagion withimpunity. A fact was called for, and hewas happy to be enabled to offer one. Whencruising off the coast of Scotland, one of theofficers of his ship was seized with con-fluent small-pox. Not believing in the con-tagiousness of small-pox, he (Mr. M.) tookno particular precautions, and yet not oneof the crew was attacked. They were de-tained between the Orkney and ShetlandIslands five days in a calm, and upon ar-riving at the former, they found that thesame disorder had carried off several per-sons, who were then being buried. Nowhad they arrived a few davs earlier, was itnot probable that the whole onus wouldhave been laid upon their vessel, whichwould have been said to be the instrumentof contagion ? There seemed to be some

great error in supposing that the choleraattacked merely, or principally, those whosuffered privation of food. What was thefact in the Dover ? Out of fifty or sixtycases, the great majority were men ofstrong plethoric condition, married, and oftemperate habits, in full employment, andconsequently able to feed themselves well.The speaker next went into the doctrine

of contagion, and proceeded to haranguethe members at great length on the all-im-portance of a most serious and strict inquiry*into the facts, &c. &c., till at length

Dr. WILLIA.Nis rose and objected, ob-serving, that in entering that Society, manyyears ago, he had other views than beinglectured to upon the proper mode of inves-tigating truth.This had the desired effect; the oration

soon terminated, and as the members wereretiring,Mr. Kixc went into a description of the

morbid anatomy of cholera, concluding withhis mode of treating the disease. He gavenotice of a motion for the furtherance of theusefulness of the Society, by the establish-ment of a library, reading-room, &c., andan adjournment took place till that day fort-night, which will be the last day of meetingfor the present season.

THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, April 21, 1832.

THERE are not wanting in the best-in-formed circles of our profession, men ofacknowledged attainments, who are at a lossfor an explanation of the circumstanceswhich have retarded the elevation of media

cal rank in this country. It is admitted

that medical practitioners, speaking techni.cally, are learned individuals,-that theystudy zealously in early life, pursue theirprofessional avocations with assiduity andability to the close of their career,-thatthey render mighty and heart-endearingservices to the community, and yet thoughdeserving of the most transcendent renownand opulence for the advantages which theyconfer on the public, yet, we say, the medi-cal profession, as a body, command but littleof the respect and esteem of the people at

large. As individuals they are admired andbeloved within the immediate range of their

labours, but what we complain of, in com-mon with other authors whose pens have

CAUSES OF THE DEPRESSED STATE OF THE

glanced at this subject, is, that the profes-sion, as a body, when spoken of as such,carries not with it the weight and force ofnational character which belong to the pro-fession of the law or to that of divinity.Whence arises this anomaly for that it isone, and of a prominent character, will notbe denied. From these causes :-First, themembers of the medical profession are not abody of wealthy individuals ; secondly, theydo not hold high and commanding lucrativeoffices in the state ; thirdly, England iscursed by quacks, between whom and the

well-educated branches of the profession,the public have hitherto failed to mark outthe just line of discrimination.

Though an evil of considerable magnitude,the last has infinitely less effect in depress.ing the importance of the medical characterthan either of the others. If the profession

89MEDICAL PROFESSION IN GREAT BRITAIN.

generally were a wealthy body, the stain directly the paltry sum of 5001. per annum.produced by the conduct of the quacks, In our colleges the principle of action forboth regular and irregular, would be wholly the in-direct payment is levelled againsttransparent. Wealth is the idol which the public interests on the one hand, andcommands the process of genuflexion against the attainment of professional talentamongst all classes of the English com- on the other, for the reward to the " Ex-

munity. Without it reputation for talent aminers" is made to depend upon the num-is localized and not diffused. Celebrity is her of claimants admitted, thereby offeringconfined to a particular sphere, but blend ac- a bonus for the introduction into the ranks

knowledged skill with known wealth, and of the profession of persons incompetent tothe echo of " consequence" is heard in an efficient discharge of its duties. Thus

every quarter. If the ability of the mem- is it with our medical colleges and compa-bers of the medical profession could have nies, the public, instead of being benefited,been displayed in offices of high and para- suffer from the establishment of such insti-

mount importance, as connected with the tutions; not entirely from an abuse of theadministration of the law and the dispen- trusts appointed by the law, but by thesation of the affairs of the church, then very execution of the mandates of the law

would the science of medicine have stood itself. Again, glance at our hospitals, and

upon its legitimate pedestals, and occupied what do we see ? That the medical offi-

incomparably above all others,’ the first cers derive, comparatively speaking, no

rank in the scale of society. Wise govern- salaries directly from the funds of those

ments would have laboured to this end. institutions, but their real or pretendedInstead, however, of studying to confer services to their sick are paid for by thatwealth and importance upon the chief la- portion of the public which comprises thebourers of the vineyard-instead of be- relatives and friends of medical students.

stowing rewards upon individuals, who, The pupils-in a word-are made to paywith a view to benefit mankind, by seeking most dearly for the scanty and miserablefor gems of truth, have penetrated the attendance bestowed upon the unfortunate

caverns of the east, and plunged into the patients, the payers themselves deriving nobosom of the ocean, emoluments beyoad commensurate advantage for the awards

estimate offices without number, and titles made by them. Such is the system, or,

high and mighty, have been conferred upon rather, such are parts of that perniciousthe concealers, upon the perverters of truth custom which exercises a despotic rule,

- upon the administrators of the " law," not only in our important national hospi-

which is nick-named " justice," and upon tals, but in all the minor medical and cha-

the preachers of the doctrines of a religion ritable institutions of the country. Physi-which they know not how to practise. We e cians and surgeons are called upon to

have Lord Chancellors and Vice Chancellors render services of inestimable value, while

- we have Chief Justices with their twenty, they are left like men of disreputable cha-

fifteen, and ten thousand pounds a year; racters to derive payment from some in-we have Archbishops and Bishops with direct source. This is the treatment to

their twenty and twenty-five thousand which the whole of the profession in this

pounds a year-but in this enlightened country is subjected.community, in England in the nineteenth In the first place, the colleges are

century, there is scarcely an office which tempted by their charters to admit such ayields to any medical practitioner-no number of practitioners, that suflicient re-matter how great his merits—which yields wards cannot be afforded to them; and in

90 LACK OF WEALTH IN THE PROFESSION.

the second place, the public, being inca- rials the minds of these persons are consti-

pable of discriminating between the two tuted. They delight in everything that isclasses of practitioners,-the competent crooked or oblique; their abhorrence beingand incompetent,—resolve upon withholding inveterate against straightforward, open, in-remuneration from both. The effects of genuous conduct. They would reward athis baneful circumstance are exemplified cunning thief for the ingenuity of his de-daily. Merit being altogether disregarded, vices, and at the same time visit upon a

individuals of inferior attainments are al- courageous one their deepest imprecationslowed to fill the most responsible offices, for his boldness ; in short, they would hangwhilst men of the most exalted attainments a highwayman not because he had robbed,are left to pine in penury and want. Nor but because he had assailed, his victim in

are such misfortunes limited to the estab- frant.lishments of this metropolis. The great In considering the lack of wealth amongstprovincial towns, and numberless of the vil- the profession as a body, and the conse.

lages, throw the same blight upon fair quent loss of that peculiar importanceprospects—the same blur upon well-earned which the people of England attribute toreputation. In the medical concerns of a large pecuniary possessions-are we, we

parish, it frequently happens that_he who say, in investigating the causes, to with. ’

is cleverest in intrigue obtains the office of hold blame from practitioners themselves1 ’

parish surgeon," to the exclusion of him It were an error to assert that their conduct

who is by far the eleverest in his profession. has been faultless. Can it be contended

At the same time the administrators of pa- that the physicians and surgeons of our

rochial affairs entirely overlook the en- hospitals do not lower themselves in the

larged understanding and enlightened and estimation of the pupils and the public, ingenerous feelings-of some small value to the consequence of deriving their fees from in-sick poor-which are created by the con- direct sources ? Is it just, is it honourable,tinued occupation of scientific research. to make students pay heavy sums of moneyThese are trifles, and weigh not in the scale for the privilege of merely walking throughof importance with those consequential per- the wards of public institutions ? Is it cor-

sonages who are required to fulfil towards rect, is it just, is it decent, that the pupilsthe poor the conditions of the 43d of Eli- should be made to pay for attendance uponzabeth. After all, the pay awarded to the the sick, when the chartered funds are in-

parish surgeon, whether skilful or not, ge- finitely beyond the possibility of sufferingnerally amounts, in our rural parishes, to a from their appropriation to such legitimateless sum than is given by a farmer to each purposes 1 Or does it partake of the cha-of his carters or ploughmen. In several of the racter of that Christian, charitable, feeling,counties where parishes, in their long dia- which, it is to be hoped, led to the founda-meters, extend not less than from five to tion of such institutions, to make a demandseven miles, the stipend does not exceed as of twenty or thirty guineas from each youngmany pounds sterling. In other instances, gentleman who claims to be admitted to thewhere some points of the parish are at the bedside of the sick 1 Thus determiningdistance of at least ten miles from the prac- by practice, if not in words, that the colla-titioner, he does not obtain ten pounds for teral advantages to be derived from the

his services ! " Oh! but the introduction emanations of charity cannot be obtained

to the better class of patients!" This is without purchase, and that they shall not bethe cry eternally set up by the intriguers. bestowed without an equivalent in the

It is really difficult to learn of what mate. shape. of a pecuniary sacrifice. Such con-

91THE ENVIOUS SEXTON OF THE " REPOSITORY."

duct on the part of the governors and offi-

cers of our hospitals is utterly indefensible,and the perseverance with which it is con-

tinued exhibits a callousness of feeling-with regard not only to the interests of pu.pils, and the welfare of patients, but to pub-lic opinion-which betokens anything ratherthan elevation of sentiment, nobleness of

disposition, or the habit of thinking cor-rectly.

What then is to be said of those persons

who, while they know better, and are notunconscious of the miseries thus pro-

duced, attempt, either by writing or speak-ing, to perpetuate a state of things so

prejudicial to professional character, and sobaneful to the public interests We askthis question; and the foregoing remarkshave been partly elicited by a malicious andinfamous calumny, which has been printedin the last issued of the four quarters of theold " Medical Repository." Our readers

cannot have forgotten the MAUSOLEUM ;

how the sextons were changed almost

weekly, and how the poor old dingy re-ceptacle for what was not human was

opened monthly ! After several " final

closures," and suffering all sorts of deface-ment-after the destruction of its pillars ofUnderwood, after every other species of

injury, except the last, and that by far theworst, because marked both by dishonestyand incapacity-it solicits patronage (withthe bare alteration of the word " Physical"into " Surgical") under the title of the" LONDON MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL JOUR-

NAL," also a " Mausoleum," the gatewayof which, it will be recollected, was for

some time very imperfectly guarded byRODERICK—alas, poor RODERICK !-by Ro-DERICK MACLEOD, of " nve-pound-damago-and-general-laugh notoriety." Well, butwe must not go back to these olden times-

those halcyon days of exposed and discom-fited opponents, otherwise we shall forgetthe present, and also the atrocious ca-

lumny* we are about to extract,-whichwould be a sin indeed.

The libel stands thus. We copy the

passages verbatim.

" VALID REASONS FOR THE CONTAGIOUSNESS

OF CHOLERA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

" In a Parliamentary document just pub-lished, we find the monthly amount of theexpenses of the Central Board of Healthto be as follows :-Lieutenant Marshall has331. a month; Sir W. Russell, M.D. 601. ;Sir D. Barry, 421.; Messrs. Macdonald,33l.; and W. Maclean, 20!.; two clerks, amessenger, and a porter to the Board, 281. ; ;four deputy inspectors of hospitals, 891.per month ; four staff and regimental sur-

geons, 871.; two assistant surgeons, 361. ;three naval surgeons, 631. ; one assistant-surgeon in charge of a district, 181. ; threeassistant-surgeons, 411. ; deputy-inspectorof hospitals at Glasgow, 311. two assist-ant-surgeons there, 271. assistant-surgeon.at Newcastle, 131.; assistant-surgeon at

Hetton, 27l.; total monthly, 6441.’° This document offers ample evidence of

the real motives which have influenced theCentral Board of Health. After its perusal,no one can mistake the reason which led to

the promulgation of the terrific proclama-tions on the contagiousness of the cholera."

There ! We did not believe that such a

traitor to the cause of professional respect-ability existed in its ranks, as the writer ofthis black, foul-tongued, cowardly insinua-tion. The " real motives " are to be found

in the pay awarded to thirty-two individuals

-amounting to about six hundred pounds amonth-the whole not equalling the emolu-ments of one of ELLENBOROUGH’S sons, as

a clerk in the Court of King’s Bench ! Of

course we know not the parent of this mon-strous birth ; but, according to his osvn ac-

knowledgment, the existing chief grave-dig-geris one MICHAEL RYAN. Now, MICHAEL,we require that you come forward in yourown proper person, and acknowledge thatthis vile slander was vomited forth by some

lying, intriguing, deceitful, cozening, en-vious knave, and that it was published by

* E- is thanked very cordially for sending usthis paper. Had be not done so it would have

escaped our notice, as, bein4 already suflicientlyletbargic, we have no appetite for a weekly dose

of Medical and Surgical" dulness.

92 CHOLERA IS MANSLAUGHTER! DR. HENRY.

thy kindred ‘° association of physicians andsurgeons"—(an" association," judging fromappearances, about upon a par in point oftalent with the ’° Umbrella Company")without thy privity and concurrence, or pre-pare for a smothering in thy own filthy" repository."At all events, concerning MICHAEL’S

future fate, we strongly suspect that, if,

he cannot in the most unqualified mannerdisclaim this libel, the who’e professionwill disclaim him, as being a man who

would not scruple to blast the reputa-tion of the entire medical character of the

country, or impute the most unworthy mo-tives to his brother practitioners, if by sodoing he could gratify his own feelings, orserve his own ends. So pray look to it,MICHAEL RYAN; the injunction is offeredin no unfriendly voice !

NON-MEDICAL CORONERS.

THESE gentry have fully sustained theirreputation during the prevailing epidemic.In an inquest held on th body of ElizabethChalk, of New Street, Cloth Fair, who haddied from cholera, the jury, under the di-

rection of the Coroner, returned a verdict of

manslaughter! The testimony of Dr. WAL-I.ER, who attended the patient, that of infr.KIERNAN, who examined the body, andthat of two other medical gentlemen, couldmake no impression against the evidence ofthree children, one of whom stated that shewas knocked over an iron railing; thesecond, that she was pushed against it; and Ithe third, that she was shoved about."The Coroner, in his wisdom, refused toallow the medical gentlemen who ex- I-amined the body, to give their evidence,

alleging, that it was the duty of himself andjury to inquire whether the death of thedeceased was caused by violence ;-which, of

course, he was capable ofdeciding, without

making any scrutiny as to tlte condition of

the internal parts of the body! The ano-

malies and abuses connected with these

non-medical coronerships are, we fear, to

be swept away only in the current of gene-ral Reform.

Mr. YOUATT’S Lecture, in the presentNumber of TnE LANCET, on the Epidemicand Malignant Catarrh of Horses, is pre.eminently entitled to attention. Ve may

probably be excused for alluding in this

place to the very valuable information

which is contained in these Lectures

generally.

DISINFECTION BY HEAT.

LETTER FROM DR. HENRY IN REPLY TO THE

STATEMENTS OF MR. WALLACE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Having long ceased to be a readerof periodical works on medicine, the letterof Mr. Wallace, in the 446th number of

your Journal, might have entirely escapedmy notice, had it not been sent to me a fewdays ago by a friend.

Until I read that letter, I was totallyignorant that any person but myself hadever directed his attention to the disinfect-ing powers of high temperatures. This dis-tinet and unqualified declaration will at oncesatisfy all who know me. To those who donot L offer the following explanation.The occasion which first induced me to

undertake an inquiry into the disinfectingpowers of heat arose in the summer of 1824,out of a pressing emergency. Cargoes ofraw Egyptian cotton, of the value of up-wards of twenty thousand pounds, had beenlong detained under quarantine at MilfordHaven, to the great injury of the owners;by whom I was earnestly requested to sug-gest some method of shortening the time ofexpurgation. A few days only were al-l lowed me for considering the subject, andlowed me for considering the subject, andperforming the experiments, the results ofwhich led me to propose the application tothe raw material of a day heat, obtained, forsecurity to the goods, by means of steam.This proposal was immediately communi-cated to the owners ; but the early libera.tion of the cargoes rendered its adoptionunnecessary. It was) at a subsequent pe-

riod, laid before the late Right Hon. Mi. Hus.