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THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENTCOLLEGE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—I crave the indulgence, so kindly granted by you on

former occasions, of a corner in your journal, for a few re-marks at the present time respecting the school of thisnoble institution.As one of the earliest local secretaries of the College, I have I

made some slight efforts in ministering to its funds, and havealso happily been the means of prevailing on one or two friendsto undertake the same honorary duty, which they have per-formed with still greater success than my own. I am quiteignorant of the secrets of the Council, and am personally un-known, to the best of my knowledge, to the individual mem-bers of this body, with the exception of the estimable trea-surer and founder, whom I may call my friend. Our friend-

ship has been formed only in the rise and progress of this workof charity and good will. Hence the correspondence to whichI refer has been viewed by me with feelings both of interestsome anxiety. From it, I perceive, dissatisfaction has beenproduced in some quarters by the increase of terms from X30to £40 per annum. That this feeling will soon subside I can-not doubt, especially when the scholastic advantages, as wellas the pecuniary, of the school shall be more fully understood.That such a school was a real necessity in our profession is

proved by the rapidity with which it filled from the first dayof its opening, and by the educational condition of the gene-rality of the boys on their admission. This latter, it is nowpretty well known beyond the precincts of the College, wasdefective and bad in the extreme. The elder and youngerboys alike exemplified the sad truth. And yet, in the face ofthis undeniable fact, we are told that good schools are to befound all over the country on lower terms than those of theCollege !-for less than X40 a year-books, washing, and everyother school extra included. Your correspondents do not,indeed, tell us where these schools are to be found. They darenot tell us that these schools are superintended by masters andassistant-masters of the highest university standing, nor thatthe buildings, wherever they may be, exhibit the most perfectdomestic arrangements that can be desired. These inexpres-sibly great advantages, however, Epsom College undoubtedlypossesses; and at a cost, too, I am prepared to maintain, farbelow that of any one of our old or modern great publicschools.Of those three excellent modern institutions-the colleges

of Cheltenham, Marlborough, and Brighton-that of Marl-borough is the least expensive, being £ 45 per annum to sons ofclergymen, and X60 to sons of laymen. At the first openingof this college they started with the lower figures of X30 andX50 per annum respectively as above; but, after some time,it was found that these latter prices did not meet the actualoutgoings, and they were raised accordingly. Was any chargeof breach of faith then brought against the directors or manage-ment of Marlborough College by the parents or friends of theboys ? I heard of none, though having near relations at the- school.

I have a boy of my own at Epsom, and when I was honour-ably informed by the secretary of the College that the termsafter Midsummer then ensuing would be probably advanced to40 per annum, I did not demur, being fully prepared to hearwhat was made known at the general meeting in Soho-square,in the month of August last-namely, that each exhibitionerhad stood chargeable to the sum of X39 5s. on the year. I,too, well know what other schools cost, not to be fully con-vinced of the reality of this fact, and the perfect accuracy ofthe calculation. And I must add, that so long as I retainhealth and the ability to work for the little I have, I shouldMot like a son of mine to be educated at the cost of others,even partially, or so as to cripple the other really charitablebranches of the College.Having made several visits to Epsom during the last four

months, I am enabled to state, as I do with the utmost plea-sure, that this school will eventually bear comparison with anyof our celebrated educational establishments. The beautiful

chapel is now fast rising into view. A large space is beingcovered in for the recreation of the boys in wet weather; ienniscourts are being made; and cricket-grounds are being laiddown on an ample scale. The present want of these means ofactive amusement, when thus supplied, will leave nothing fur-ther to be wished for on this head, with the existing numberof boys in the school. Should the number be shortly aug-mented, I would take this opportunity of suggesting to the

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Council whether it would not be advisable to receive the sonsof laymen into the Colleges at a somewhat higher rate thanthat charged for the sons of medical men. I would name .650per year.

Before concluding, I ought to mention, that Mr. Thornton, theexcellent head master, has been authorized to appoint an addi-tional classical assistant-master, and also a resident nativeFrench master; also, that my boy expresses himself as quitehappy and contented, having good food, and receiving kindnessfrom all the authorities, and I believe him to be making satis-factory progress.

I remain, Sir, yours &c.Whetstone, Middlesex, Nov. 1856. G. BURY.G. BURY.

THE NON - RESIDENT FELLOWS OF THECOLLEGE OF SURGEONS, EDINBURGH.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.1

SIR,—In addressing to you a few words on the subject of the enon-resident fellowship lately instituted by the Royal College

) of Surgeons of Edinburgh, I shall avoid imitating the dispara-- ging tone of your article on that subject.[ Our college, it seems, is poor; and the project is a money-

getting project, nothing more ; and it consists in the substitu-tion of F. for L.; and anyone may get the said F. who is will-

’ ing to pay for it ; and for these reasons no sensible man should. desire it.

Now, we are poor, relatively to the important public func-tions committed to us,-relatively, also to the wealth of some

. similar bodies. We desire to be richer, and think it no sin, forthe desire is founded on public grounds. But we are sufficiently! rich to be under no special temptation to seek wealth by mean! devices, and far too proud to have been in any risk of yielding

to such temptations when we were much poorer than we noware. The means we possess have been honourably acquired,and most unselfishly employed for purposes of public benefit.That is the fact, into which we challenge inquiry by all whomay choose to question it, as you, by implication at least, ap-pear to do. The college, conscious of having a just object inview, was unanimous in its recent act ; and though that acthas since been criticised even here, on the ground that its ten-dencies are aristocratic and exclusive, and on the very oppositeground that it is calculated to deluge us with provincial medi-ocrities, these insinuations are equally untrue.

First, as to exclusiveness. I speak for myself, and for othersalso, whose sentiments are known to me, that we voted for itwithout any idea of finality, and as a step in the right direc-tion. No privilege enjoyed by the residents is withheld fromthe non-residents, except the right to vote at meetings of thecollege; and even this, which is open to the latter at thismoment, by simply paying up the difference, may possibly beconceded at some future time, not very distant, if certain prac-tical objections, which to me at least, and to those others, donot seem insuperable, were once fairly met.

Secondly, as to the bugbear of the possible admission of un-worthy Fellows. Those who are alarmed by it must hold, asyou appear to do, that any purchaser may have the commoditywho tenders the price. Were this true, the fellowship wouldindeed be altogether worthless. But it is the very reverse of

the truth. The applicant must have a surgical diploma. Underthe contemplated new organization of the profession, the pos-session of such a document will imply not merely an examina-tion, as it now does, but some degree of uniformity in education,and in the subjects of the examination and mode of conductingit. The applicant must be proposed and seconded by Fellowsof the college, and his name, with the names of his proposerand seconder, must appear in the billets summoning two suc-cessive meetings of the college, a month apart from each other.The concurrence of three-fourths of the fellows present, is, inthe terms of our charter, required for admission. No memberof our profession need fear this ordeal if he is of good repute ;but there is little chance, I assure you, for the admission ofsuch as are quackish, disreputable, or ignorant.Your readers are aware that the existing colleges have their

enemies, who seek their extinction. But, in the aggregate,they constitute the only organization which the medical pro-fession possesses. They are doing their best, at the presentmoment, to introduce that unity into medical legislation whichhas been so long desired, and to remove from the practice ofthe profession those unjust restrictions which have been so longdeprecated. In their endeavours to accomplish these objects,and to strengthen themselves for the task by enlarging their

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ranks, they have been encouraged by the approbation of themajority of the profession, and confirmed by the hostility ofthose who desire, for their own ends, to destroy the colleges,and to erect on their ruins machinery of a much more exclu-sive description.The institution of the non-resident fellowship arose out of a

desire expressed by many to possess the fellowship of a collegeat a price considerably reduced, on the ground that they wereunable, from distance, to reap its full advantages. It is quitepossible, and even probable, that, to many of the practitionersof this country, the fellowship of a college will not be an objectof ambition; but it surely is not fair to represent as mercenarya measure guarded as I have explained, in which the projectorshave no interests that are not of a public description.

Before concluding this letter, I must inform you that thecollege has by charter the right, which it has not permitted tolie dormant, of punishing by admonition, by suspension, and,if necessary, by expulsion, any fellow who may wilfully violate Iits laws by immoral or unprofessional conduct. By applyingfor the fellowship, therefore, the candidate must be held as onewho publicly renounces those discreditable courses which areunhappily so common in these times.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,A FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF

SURGEONS OF EDINBURGH.Edinburgh, Nov. 1856.

TREATMENT OF PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS.

SPENCER PIDCOCK.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—By way of practical comment upon the remarks whichDr. Tyler Smith makes respecting the treatment of " puerperalconvulsions" by bleeding, artificial delivery, and cold applica-tions, in his admirable lecture published in THE LANCET of the25th ultimo, permit me to forward to you for publication, ifyou think proper, the particulars of a case which occurred inmy practice some years ago, and which illustrates the sort oftreatment I have generally found to be successful in cases ofthat type.

Mrs. N , aged thirty-eight, a stout, short woman, of fullhabit, pregnant some six or seven years after the birth of herlast child, was in labour. Matters progressed favourably andnaturally until the child’s head touched the vagina. At thisperiod I noticed that each pain occasioned considerable flushingof the face and neck, then a wild anxious look, with some inco-herence of speech. Anticipating something wrong, I dispatcheda messenger, to request the attendance of a friend, who wasassisting me, and who shortly arrived. In the meantime Iprocured to be in readiness a vessel of cold water and vinegar,with a bunch of feathers tied together. The pains increased infrequency, but diminished in force, and no progress was madein the advancement of the labour. In a short time strong con-vulsions came on. Two women held the patient down, whileone of them occasionally dipped the feathers in the vinegar andwater, and dashed them against the face and chest of the suf-ferer. My friend opened a vein in the arm, and at the sametime I applied forceps to the child’s head, and effected deliveryas speedily as possible. About fourteen ounces of blood wereabstracted. In a few minutes after the birth of a healthychild, and the extraction of the placenta, the convulsions sub-sided, and the case became one of ordinary symptoms.

It is not always that medical men can obtain assistance closeat hand. The accoucheur cannot bleed the patient, and effect"artificial delivery" at the same moment. He must, there-fore, if single-handed, address himself to the mode of treatmentwhich is most important, for in convulsions there is not muchtime for action. As far as my experience goes, it is most im-portant to expedite the delivery. The cold douche, however,may be used by any bystander, and it certainly has the effectof moving the glottis, and enabling the patient to inspire-amatter of considerable consequence.

I have written this hastily, and currente calamo.I am, Sir, your obedient servant, and constant reader,

Watford, Nov. 1856. SPENCER PIDCOCK. ,

SCOTLAND.

(FROM OUR EDINBURGH CORRESPONDENT.)Up to the present time fewer students than usual have

entered at the University, the number not exceeding 1200,upwards of 1500 having matriculated at a similar period last

year. The medical classes, however, are well filled, and thepaucity is apparent only in the literary. The tutorial systemis again adopted by Professor Goodsir for the junior pupils ofhis anatomical class. The classes under Messrs. Turner, Paul,and Edwards cannot be too much praised as a means of im-parting sound instruction in this necessary branch of study.The University agricultural class is to be conducted by Dr.George Wilson, Professor Balfour, and Professor Allman: the-course is to be divided into two parts, the theoretical andpractical; the former lasting from the present time to the be-ginning of January, and the latter during the remainder of thecourse. Dr. Wilson lectures during the present month, Pro-fessor Allman during December, and Professor Balfour duringJanuary. Mr. J. Chalmers Morton then ’instructs the classpractically upon the subject. (This gentleman was the editorof the " Cyclopædia of Agriculture," and is conversant withboth the English and Scotch systems, and recognised as a highlycompetent authority.)Nothing is heard of the chair of Military Surgery. When

Mr. Cowan questioned the House upon the subject, he wasanswered that there was plenty of time yet, and that it wasnot intended to abolish it. Months have passed since then,and it is thought quite time that something more definite shouldbe known upon the subject, Mr. Syme’s suggestion for its re-moval carries with it less weight in the present time of peace,and the success attending the newly-erected chair at Dublinpiques those who derived their instruction from the late SirGeorge Ballingall when they find the chair he held so long un-occupied, and the one of more recent erection surpassing thatwhich was the first established in Great Britain. The recent

vacancy as surgeon at the Royal Infirmary has been filled bythe election of Mr. Joseph Lister. All the candidates werefavourably known, one of them being Mr. Edwards, an assistantof Professor Goodsir. The embarrassments this institution wasfor some time labouring under are now considerably removed,several handsome donations having recently been given.Amongst others, Mr. Duncan M’Laren presented the entire sumhe gained from his famous action with The Scotsman. Whetherthis be a " conscience salve" or not, it should be eminently cal-culated to soothe the sensitive feelings of that gentleman, re-membering how potent an unguent charity is.The various Medical Societies have re-assembled, and in

most cases addresses have been delivered by their respectivepresidents. In every instance a vigorous and interestingsession seems to be expected.

Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following gentle-

men, having undergone the necessary examinations for the-Diploma, were admitted members of the College at the meet-ing of the Court of Examiners on the 21st inst.:-

BENNETT, FRANCIS I’ON, Birmingham.BERRY, MATTHEW WEST, Waringstown, co. Down.DANIEL, PETER, Antonisz, Ceylon.DARLING, WILLIAM, New York.FITZGERALD, EDWARD AMBROSE, Calcutta.HASLEHURST, THOMAS WILLIAMS, Claverley, Shropshire,PEARSE, REGINALD THOMAS, Clifton, near Bristol.RICHARDS, SAMUEL ATKINSON, Camberwell.WiSE, THOMAS, Beaumont-street, Portland-place.

At the same meeting of the Court, Messrs. SAMUEL CLIFTand GEORGE BERINE HILL passed their examinations for NavalSurgeons. These gentlemen had previously been admitted,the former a member of the London College, the latter of the,Edinburgh College, their diplomas bearing date respectivelyJune 9th, 1845, and February, 1846.

APOTHECARIES’ HALL. - Names of gentlemen whopassed their examination in the science and practice of Medi-cine, and received certificates to practise, on

Thursday, November 20th, 1856.BIRD, SAMUEL DouGAN, Richmond.BRABAZON, ANTHONY BEAUFORT, Nottingham.CHAVASSE, HOWARD SIDNEY, Sutton Coldfield.DAVIES, JOHN, Army.HASLEHUST, THOMAS WILLIAMS, Shropshire.STRETTON, SAMUEL, Leicester.WILLIAMS, JOHN, Wrexham.

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