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respect for the dead. Of course there are the pros and cons,but the subject should be calmly discussed, especially as re-gards overgrown capitals like London and Paris.

SIR W. LAWRENCE is slowly but satisfactorily improving inevery respect, with the exception of the loss of speech, whichpersists. He has taken short carriage drives nearly every dayduring the week. Consciousness is entirely restored.

ON Tuesday last Dr. Hughlings Jackson, assistant-physicianto the National Hospital for the Epileptic and Paralysed, waselected physician in the room of Dr. Sieveking, resigned.Dr. Buzzard will, it is believed, be appointed assistant-

physician. ____

THE legal advisers of the College of Physicians of Edinburghappeared at the Marlborough Police-court on Tuesday to pro-secute Robert J. Jordan under the 40th clause of the MedicalAct. His solicitor stated that the case was similar to the one

recently instituted by the College of Surgeons of England, and,as it had been fully gone into, he did not propose to offer anydefence. Mr. Knox, the presiding magistrate, inflicted the fullpenalty of jE20. The Edinburgh College of Physicians has beenput to great expense and trouble in the matter. Mr. Jordan’ssolicitor stated that he intended to appeal against the convic-tion.

____

IN 1865 the service of gratuitous medicine organised in forty-three departments for the benefit of the poor in the countrydistricts of France, yielded the following results;- The ex-penses-consisting of remuneration to medical men, purchasesof medicine and medical stores, cost of printing, &c.,amounted to 1,156,975 francs ( £46,279)—have been coveredby the aid of departmental and communal allowances, subven-tions from the state, and private subscriptions. 766,037 poorpersons were inscribed on the lists, of whom 224,928 were at-tended to. The médecins attached to the service gave 255,822consultations, and paid 613,617 visits to the houses of the siek.

THERE is a vacancy in the coronership for Worcestershire,consequent upon the death of Mr. Charles Best, of Evesham.Mr. Best, with commendable prudence, had appointed as hisdeputy Mr. Henry Brunton Marsh, surgeon, of Upton-upon-Severn. Mr. Marsh has fulfilled the duties of the office forthe last eight years with ability and to the general satisfactionof all persons. He intends to offer himself to the freeholdersof the county for the vacant office. Our brethren in that im-

portant province will, we trust, use every exertion to securehis election.

____

THERE are eight hospitals in Dublin, and twenty-seven in-firmaries in Ireland, in receipt of financial assistance from theGovernment. Twenty-two of the latter receive a sum off89 Is. 10d. each annually, and five an allowance of i44 10s. 11d.each ; the total sum required yearly amounting to JE2183. Thehospitals of Dublin receive annual grants varying from .6100to £7600, the latter sum being given to the House of IndustryHospitals. The Westmoreland Lock Hospital receives £2600;the Cork-street Fever Hospital, £2500 ; and Dr. Steevens’

Hospital, .61300. The united expenditure of these hospitalsamounts to £ 27,756, and their united incomes to £10,252;£15,600 being the sum total obtained by the Parliamentarygrant.

____

HOWEVER objectionable some of the customs prevalentamongst youngsters in the navy may be, they are seldom, ifever, attended with anything more than temporary annoyance.The case that has lately attracted so much attention on boardthe Phœbe has been got up for a mere sensation. Not only.have the facts been grossly exaggerated, but a mere boyish

freak, attended by no ill consequences, has been invested withan importance truly absurd. The slight scratching on theskin with a sharp knife may be foolish enough on the part ofthose who do it, but surely cannot merit a summary dismissalfrom the service. What is the surgeon’s report, we shouldlike to know, as to the effect of this "brutal outrage" on theconsenting victim, who evidently treated it as a joke-a stupidjoke no doubt, but not to be dignified by expressions far moreapplicable to cases of brutal flogging, which is not only sanc-tioned but approved by the authorities.

THE Scotsman informs us that an endowed Fellowship ofabout £160 a year, tenable for five years, for the promotion ofthe study of logic, metaphysics, and moral philosophy, hasjust been founded in the University of Edinburgh under thetitle of the Shaw Philosophical Fellowship. The foundationfund of this Fellowship, amounting to £4100, has just beenpaid over to the Senatus Academicus of the University ofEdinburgh (with whom the patronage is vested) by Dr. John,Muir. This Fellowship, which is the most munificent endow-ment of the kind for the promotion of mental philosophy inany British university, has been founded by subscriptions frompersons desirous, by this memorial, to commemorate the vir-tues of the late Sir James Shaw, who was born at Mosshead,in Ayrshire, in 1764, and who became, in 1787, a partner inthe eminent London house of which Sir William Douglas was.the head.

THE VISITATION OF EXAMINATIONS.

THE visitation of examinations by members of the MedicalCouncil is amongst the most interesting work done by that.body. We subjoin short accounts of the reports of the visitors,from which the principal features of the various examinationsmay be gathered.

The Royal College of Physicians of London.—Only the exa-mination for the licence of this College was attended. Thevisitors were Dr. Storrar and Mr. Caesar Hawkins. The Col-

lege itself does not examine in Arts, but requires every candi-date to produce evidence of his having passed such an exami-nation elsewhere. From this report ive should gather thatthe examination is a pleasantly fair one. It is divided intotwo parts-the primary and the pass examinations, which areheld in successive weeks. The former includes Anatomy andPhysiology, Chemistry, Materia Medica, and Practical Phar-macy ; the latter, Principles and Practice of Medicine andclinical medical cases, Principles and Practice of Surgery and

clinical surgical cases, and Midwifery. Candidates possessedof qualifications before 1861 are exempt from the primary exa-mination and from both clinical examinations. Of 19 candi-dates, 6 were rejected. The visitors coincided with the deci-sions of the examiners as to the merit of candidates. But theysuggest that the examinations are faulty in the following re-

’ spects : The anatomical examination is not practical. Patho-

logical specimens are not introducecl in the pass examination.In this examination there is a want of precision, inasmuch asthe examiners judge of candidates from the combined value oftheir oral and written answers in the practice of physic and sur-gery and their behaviour at the bedside, instead of carefullydistinguishing the merit of their various performances. It is

very properly objected also to there being only one examiner toeach student. They observed frequently that the examinerswere called on to examine and report on their own pupils.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England.-The visitorswere Dr. Sharpey, Mr. Cooper, and Dr. Parkes. The preli-

minary examination is not conducted by the College itself, butby examiners appointed by the College of Preceptors. Thereis one defect at the very outset in the report of the visitorswhich is much to be regretted. They did not see the answersto questions put at the preliminary examination, and, of course,have to decline expressing any opinion on the merit of candidates in this part of the examination further than to say that

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the questions and subjects were a sufficient test if properly aminations repeatedly visited, but the more special examina-answered. The report is further incomplete by reason of con- tions by Professor Syme in Clinical Surgery, Professor Spencestant reference by the visitors to their report of last year. in Practical Surgery, and Professor Bennett in Clinical Medi-The professional examination is divided into two parts-the cine. All these examinations are spoken of in terms of highprimary and the pass. In the former, the visitors report with praise, the visitors especially emphasising their opinion thatapproval a larger number of physiological questions than in clinical examinations are highly valuable as tests of knowledge,the previous year, and also a larger number and variety of and in no way injurious to the patient. It is suggested thatpreparations and microscopical specimens. The examination the examination in English should be extended a little, andwas considered sufficient by the visitors. Unfortunately they that in Pathology made more demonstrative by a use of thecannot report so well of the candidates : "Some of the answers ample resources in the pathological museum of the University.marked bad’ by the examiners, and which naturally led to the After remarking on the generally demonstrative character ofrejection of the candidates, showed deplorable ignorance." It is the professional examinations, the visitors conclude their re-explained that in this particular examination there was a large port thus: "From what we saw, we believe these examina-number of previously rejected candidates. In the pass exami- tions to be excellent criteria of the knowledge of the candidates,nation the visitors report a very great improvement, consisting and the decisions regarding them to be both fair and efficient."in subjecting the candidates to a practical examination in The University of Aberdeen was visited by Drs. Andrewbandaging, applying splints, apparatus for reclucing disloca- and Alexander Wood. Their report of it is little inferior totions, &c. They hope in another year to be able to report the that of Edinburgh. Concerning the preliminary examination,introduction into the pass examination of operations on the tha of. Edinburgh. Concerning the. preliminary examination,dead body. They very gently insinuate another great defect which is conducted entirely in writing, they say: On theof these examinations - any mention of medicine and the whole, whilst we have suggested some alterations (particularlypractice of physic. Still the College has shown a disposition a more extended and searching examination in English, and into move on with the times, and the visitors have wisely Latin-the conversion of an English sentence into Latin,) weshown a desire to recognise every step of progress on the have no hesitation in saying that this is a fair and efficientpart of the College. It will do well, without further delay, examination, and that it is calculated to prevent the admis-to recognise the necessity in surgeons of some knowledge of sion of illiterate men into the medical profession, so far asmedicine. The need for this will be made more apparent to our the University is concerned." The visitors disapprove ofreaders by the following paragraph. a practice followed in Aberdeen, if not in Edinburgh, of

The Apothecaries’ Hall.-The visitors here were Dr. Alder- exempting from oral examination (professional) any candidate,son, Dr. Parkes, and Dr. Quain. The examination in Arts, whatever the excellence of his written performances. We are

including English History and the English Language, Mathe- not quite at one with the visitors in this recommendation. Asmatics and Natural 1 P ..’ i , to the professional examinations they say, after highly eulo-matics and Natural Philosophy, the Latin Language and (at gising their practical character: "From all that we saw, wethe option of candidates) the Greek Language, and Logic. The need hardly remark after what we have already said, we werevisitors testify that the examination is conducted with care satisfied that the examination for medical and surgical degreesand discrimination, leaving nothing to be desired. Proficiency at Aberdeen are carried on most satisfactorily."in the five subjects entitles to a special certificate. Of 47 can- The University of Glasgow.-The least satisfactory report ofclidates, 29 passed, 17 were rejected, and 1 retired. The re- the Scotch visitors is that on the University of Glasgow. Itsult shows that the examination is both efficient and neces- will readily be understood that the defect in the examinationssary. Of the 47, 17 had been previously rejected. As to the was not in the professional part, the examiners there beingprofessional examination, the visitors report also satisfactorily, Professors Allen Thomson, -r-j.t-’) and the ex.It is divided into two parts. Various alterations have been aminations being practical, clinical, and in every way excellent.made to meet the wishes of the General Medical Council. The The faulty being of the examination and the every way excellent.number of written questions has been raised, new subjects The faulty part of the examination was the preliminary. Thehave been introduced, and the time for answering has been tests were too low, and even these were not g y pp soextended. The only defect in this otherwise "most excellent" rejected who opinion of the visitors, some candidates were notexamination is that there is no clinical element in it. At the end rJected who should have been. " In the case of some theseof their report, the visitors suggest the importance of attention did pass, the spellm seemed very next report. Doubtless theseto the different modes of estimating the value of oral or written faults will be remedied before the next report.answers, and to the comparative standard of different licensing I’lie Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh.bodies. They do this in consideration of the facts that licences -The two Colleges of Edinburgh have instituted a joint ex-from one body are now current over the whole kingdom, and amination which entitles successful candidates to a doublethat members of the Royal College of Surgeons, who may qualification. Dr. Allen Thomson reports approvingly of thehave been practising for years, and whose knowledge of medi- preliminary, and Mr. Syme of the professional examination.cine is sometimes very imperfect, present themselves yearly Mr. Syme says : " On the whole, I feel warranted to state thatfor examination at Apothecaries’ Hall, and have hitherto had the examinations which I was desired to visit are in all respects1. ht examination than other candidates The visitors the examinations which I was desired to visit are in all respectsa lighter examination than other candidates. The visitors

worthy of the two bodies on whose part they have been esta-suggest that if this imperfect knowledge of medicine is not re- blished. 0 f t h e two b oo di es on w h ose part t hey h ave b een esta.

medied by the spontaneous action of the licensing bodies, the lished."Medical Council will have to take measures to provide that Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow. - Professorevery one on the Register shall have been examined in all the Syme and Dr. Andrew Wood visited on the day of the profes-subjects essential for complete professional training. sional examinations, and were "well satisfied with what they

The English Universitie8.-We may return at a future time saw of them." They suggest, however, that they should beto a more detailed notice of the reports of the visitors to the more practical and clinical.

.

Universities. The examinations are for the most part special The Irish reports are the least satisfactory group of thein their kind and in their purpose. Of the number the one of whole, not apparently from any incompetence on the part of themore practical character, and comparable to those which we Irish members, but from a want of faith in the powers of thehave already noticed, is that for the licence in Medicine and Council, in the utility of visitation, or some other sentimentalthe degree of Master in Surgery in the University of Durham. objection. Dr. Leet was the most dutiful of the Irish membersThe registration examination, according to Dr. Sharpey and of the Council. Next to him comes Dr. Aquilla Smith, but heDr. Storrar, the visitors, is not perfectly satisfactory. Neither was deterred from visiting the Apothecaries’ Hall of Irelandthe scope nor the questions put represent a high standard. because his College (the King and Queen’s College of Phy-Nevertheless, it was too high for twenty-four candidates out sicians) objected to his doing so, on the ground that it mightof sixty-seven. The first and final professional examinations sicians objected to his doing so, on the ground that it mightfor the licence in Medicine and the Mastership in Surgery are appear to be recognising the right of the Apothecaries’ Hall toapproved by the visitors. examine in medicine, which the College does not admit.We now come to the report of the visitations of the Scotch The Queen’s University in Ireland.—According to Dr. Leet

examinations, which are very satisfactory, the matriculation examination might be more efficient, andThe Edinburgh University was visited repeatedly and vari- there appears to be a want of demarcation between the pre-

ously by Drs. Andrew and Alexander Wood and Dr. Fleming. liminary education and the professional. A good feature. Not only were the preliminary and the chief professional ex- in the professional examination in the Queen’s University is

721

the presence of additional examiners, chosen from the profes-sion at large by the Senatus. Dr. Leet considers that, withsome qualification, ’’ the examinations for degrees in medicineand surgery are conducted with great care and impartiality."

University of Dublin. -The visitor was Dr. Leet. Candi-dates are examined in class, not separately. They do not seemto be examined clinically. Though Dr. Leet says that thecandidates, in all the papers submitted to him, evidencedscholarship and considerable professional knowledge, he re-commends "that the standard for the degrees be fixed higher."

College of Surgeons, Irelctnd. - Dr. Aquilla Smith, beingalone, was only able to watch the examination of one student.The questions were practical and fair tests. He was not pre-sent at the preliminary examination, not having been informedof the time of it.

King and Queen’s College of Physicians. - Mr. Hargravegives only a vague account of the examination of one candidatefor a licence in medicine, and of another for the diploma inmidwifery. Both candidates were successful. There is a wantof the clinical element in all the Irish examinations.

DR. FARR ON THE REGISTRATION CLAUSESOF THE VACCINATION BILL.

THE remarks of Dr. Farr, at the late meeting of the Parlia-liamentary Committee of the Metropolitan Counties Branchof the British Medical Association, held at Soho-square, onthe objections to the working of the registration clauses of theVaccination Act, are so important at this moment that weinsert them entire.

Dr. FARR.-Upon the invitation of your Committee, I havehad great pleasure in attending this meeting to discuss a sub-ject of much interest to the British Medical Association, ofwhich I am an old member. By the resolution moved byyour Secretary, you are asked to recommend that all theclauses of the Vaccination Bill relating to registration shouldbe struck out. Before you come to a decision, it may be con-venient for me to state what part of the measure, in the opinionof the Registrar-General, should be retained, and what partshould be rejected. Without at all entering on the delicatequestion of the policy of compulsory vaccination, I venture tosay that the Registrar-General desires to promote, as far as hehas the power, the practice of vaccination; that he is notopposed to improvement; and that he would be glad in anyway to aid the members of the medical profession in any oftheir efforts for the public good.Before mentioning his views, permit me, for myself, to state

generally that I agree with those gentlemen who condemn theVaccination Act. Than its registration clauses nothing canbe conceived more impracticable. Anyone who has theslightest administrative capacity could have foretold its failurefrom the most casual consideration of its clauses. It is a pieceof amateur legislation for which, as far as I know, no Govern-ment department is responsible. I hope Dr. Seaton will beable to disclaim, on the part of the Privy Council, any handin it. Lord Palmerston, convinced by the Registrar-Generalthat the registration clauses would not work, intended to pro-pose their omission in Committee, but happened unfortunatelyto be absent from the morning sitting at the end of the session,and the Bill passed as it came down from the Peers.Under that Act the parent or informant was supplied with a

notice filled up by the registrar; and the vaccinator was re-quired, besides entering the full particulars of the case in hisown vaccination-book if he succeeded in getting a sight of hispatient on the eighth day, to enter in a certificate for thefather or mother &c. the following particulars: (1) name; (2)age; (3) father’s name; (4) residence of child-namely, street,parish, and county; (5) date of grant of certificate; (6) signa-ture and professional titles. He had to fill up a duplicate ofthis certificate, and to copy further a most essential particular- the number of the entry in the birth-book-from the notice-paper given to the father, mother, or other person, to be keptby them, and to be presented to the vaccinator when the vac-cinated child is taken to him for inspection; then, after fold-ing this duplicate certificate, he had to -write out, as its super-scription, the name and address of the registrar (taken alsofrom the notice-paper), if the child was vaccinated in the sub-district of its birth. If the child was vaccinated in anothersub-district, as often happened, he was instructed to send it tothe registrar of that sub-district; consequently the registered

vaccinations of a sub-district do not correspond with the birthregisters of that sub-district. The registrar, upon receiving acertificate of successful vaccination, has to look through hisvaccination book to find the child’s name and to complete theentry; or, upon not finding it, to enter as many of the parti.culars as he finds in the vaccination certificate.

Should the child be " unfit" for vaccination, the vaccinatorfills up a special certificate to that effect; and if the child beinsusceptible, the insusceptibility is also certified.You will thus see the amount of clerical labour which is

thrust upon the surgeon. The inquiry into the facts, and theirrecord, must evidently, on the face of it, be much greaterand much more distasteful to an expert surgeon, who rarelylikes to put his pen to paper, than the operation of vacci-nation. What hindrance these certificates throw in the wayof a man whose station is full of children, or who wants to getaway to other patients, or to a woman at a distance in labour,we can easily conceive. What has happened under these cir-cumstances ? Why simply that not only private practitioners,but even the public vaccinators, have generally not filled upthese duplicate certificates-have not forwarded them to theregistrars-where they had the means, which would be want-ing in many cases. It is quite an exception to find the

Registers of Successful Vaccination filled up; and the cost ofthe books, as well as the labour of the registrars, is completelythrown away on these incompleted entries. Here is the Birth-book of Dr. Allen, of this very sub-district in which we aremeeting (St. Ann, Soho); and here is one of his VaccinationRegister books, containing 500 entries, of which, in his excep-tional case, 287 are certified as successful, for the simple reasonthat Dr. Allen is at once an able and energetic practitioner, apublic vaccinator, and a registrar of births : in fact, of the 287completed cases, 186 are cases vaccinated and certified by Dr.Allen himself. In his case many of the vaccinated childrenare not in his Birth-book, and conversely. 213 of the entriesare not completed. Dr. Allen has nineteen books full of thisclass, and has never found them to be of any use. Underthe Act (16 & 17 Vict., c. 100, s. 8) the registrar is to allow asearch for a fee of one shilling, and to grant a certificate fromhis book for sixpence. He has been applied to for one searchin the course of his experience, and so unpractised was theDoctor that he was cheated of his shilling by the party, whodeclared that they did not want a certificate. This is a con-clusive proof that if the greater part of the entries were com-pleted, the registration would be of no use. I have a bookfrom another sub-district of this Strand Union : nearly all thecolumns for the registration of results are blank. Two booksfrom Hastings contain, in 1000 entries, 239 completed, 761being incomplete and consequently worthless. Of the 239children 98 were born out of the district. An average bookof Mr. Butterfield (Islington), one of the most diligent Londonregistrars, contains, in 500 entries, only 65 completed : thedeficiency is 87 per cent. Dr. Seaton names districts wherethe entries are tolerably complete, and such instances no doubtare found. But if you will name any half dozen sub-districtsat random, I will engage to get the books, and prove to youthat the measure, tried by the results, has been a completefailure.The registration machinery of the new Bill is in some

respects more objectionable than the machinery of the last.It imposes the task of writing out the certificate on everypublic vaccinator, and of transmitting it to the registrar undera penalty for default of twenty shillings (sec. 29). Uponrequest, under the same penalty, he is bound to supply theparent with a duplicate. The parents are to be supplied bythe registrar with three forms of certificate-one suited tosuccessful cases, one for the unfit, and one for the insuscepti-ble ; and these parents, large numbers of whom cannot read orwrite, are to keep the forms, to lay them before the vaccina-tor, and, if he is a private practitioner, to get him to fill themup, and then to transmit the certificates to the registrar. Howmany parents will do this I leave you to divine. That great num-bers will fail, whom it would be useless to sue for the penalty,cannot be doubted. Thus all the labour, trouble, and annoy-ance of these certificates upon certificates is maintained underthe proposed Bill, and parents and medical men have impend-ing over their heads a new cloud of penalties. That could beborne, and would be borne, if the registration could be ren-dered complete, and was at the same time productive of resultsat all commensurate with the labour, risk, and expense to beincurred. But it is not the case. The registers will, Ibelieve, be of little or no statistical use. The whole of theinformation required may be got from the registers of thepublic vaccinators, supplemented with such additional infor-