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1. John Ayrton Paris, M.D., F.R.S., President of the RoyalCollege of Physicians.

2. Sir Benj. Collins Brodie, Bart., F. R. S., Sergeant Surgeonto the Queen.

3. Sir James Clark, Bart., M.D., F.R.S., Physician in Ordi-nary to the Queen and to Prince Albert.

4. James Alderson, M.D., F.R.S.5. Benjamin Guy Babington, M.D., F.R.S.6. Alexander Tweedie, M.D., F. R. S.7. William Baly, M.D., F. R. S.8. William Lawrence, F. R. S.9. John Simon, F. R. S.

10. Richard Owen, F.R.S.11. Nathaniel B. Ward, Master of the Society of Apothe-

caries.12. John Bacot, Inspector of Anatomy.13. William Farr, M.D., Registrar-General’s Office.

These gentlemen, with the exception of Sir B. Brodie (whobeing out of town had not sent in his answer) and Mr. Green(who has stated his inability to attend, in consequence of hisother avocations,) met on Wednesday at the office of the GeneralBoard of Health, when the following letter was read by thePresident :-

" General Board of Health, Sept. 6th." GENTLEMEN,—In opening the first sitting of the first medical

council that has allowed itself to be associated with this depart-ment, it becomes my duty, after thanking you for the publicspirit and benevolence you have shown in undertaking this ser-vice to the community, to point out briefly both what appear ’,to me to be the general objects in respect of which your assist-ance and advice will be useful, and the more special and imme-diate matters to which your attention is invited at present.

" I am charged with the responsible duty of directing thesanitary administration of the country, so far as we have as yetanything deserving the name."But upon scientific matters connected therewith, where

the medical profession are to be consulted, advised with, laidunder contribution for service or information, or called upon toact, I wish to have the aid of a medical council to whom I maysubmit questions for consideration, and whom I may ask tosuggest or undertake inquiries as may from time to time benecessary."The special work of this department is the application of

the Public Health Act to such towns as petition for it." Besides this, in times of epidemic, the Board is charged

with the duty of issuing regulations and directions for the pre-vention, as far as possible, or mitigation of disease.

" It will be apparent that it is in connexion with the latterbranch of my duties I shall have occasion for your valuableservices.

" But should public confidence be acquired to this depart-ment-should the science of public health take its place amongstthe matters with which statesmanship may properly concernitself, as I believe must sooner or later be the case-a widerfield will be opened to this department and to the professionaladvisers whom it may be able to associate with it.

" The circumstances of this country, its wealth and poverty,its great cities, with their social extremes of luxury and priva-tion, its aggregation of individuals on the same spots, its multi-farious industrial occupations, all point to the duty of studying the effects on life and health of trades, callings, and processes,habitations, sites, water supply, sewerage, the adulteration of ’,substances used for food, drink, and medicine, as matters vitallyaffecting the well-being of the nation.

" On many of these subjects I hope it may be in my powerat future periods to avail myself of scientific aid, but at presentthe matter which most presses is the epidemic now unhappilyprevalent in this metropolis, as well as in other parts of the I

united kingdom. With this my duty brings me into activeand hourly contact, and I should deeply regret if (besides thework this office may be enabled to do at present in aid of local ’

authorities, or, when necessary, in compelling the observanceof the law,) I am not able to deduce, by your assistance, from Ithis terrible visitation both facts and lessons which may here- !after be made available.

" For this end I have the cordial co-operation of the Poor-Law Board, the Registrar-General, and the Commissioners ofSewers for the metropolis, while all through the country theregistration staff and the local boards of health may render memost useful service. But the most valuable result within myreach at present will be wanting unless I have your aid in pro-curing such information as to the concomitants and course of theepidemic as only medical and scientific observation can detect.

" Cholera is now very widely prevalent in London ; up tothe 2nd of September, 4070 persons have died of the diseasein the metropolis alone.

"I I purpose to direct inquiries into the conditions whichattend the presence of the epidemic, so far as they can begathered from meteorological, microscopical, and chemicalobservation.

" The gentlemen who have undertaken to conduct these in-quiries are here, and will detail for your approbation what isproposed or has been done.

"But, besides this, I have caused a form to the drawn up,which I propose, with your approval, and after it has beensettled by you, to have circulated amongst all the qualifiedmedical practitioners in London, with a view to determine thenumber of cases of choleraic disease, the proportion of deathsand recoveries, and the treatment pursued in each case. -

" The settlement of this return is the immediate object ofthis meeting of the council.

" I wish, also, that Dr. Sutherland should state to you whathas been done in the way of providing for superintendence ofthe execution by local authorities of the directions and regula-tions of the Board, and I shall be as much obliged if you wouldaid me by any suggestion as to other means for this purposethat you may think desirable to be taken." I have also directed to be laid before you copies of the

handbills issued by the Board, giving plain advice adapted tothe emergency. Any suggestions as to these I shall be thankfulfor, as, indeed, for everything that may briefly and clearlyinform the public mind, and, while promoting calmness andconfidence in the means of prevention, indicate these means,in the way best adapted to popular apprehension.

" I have the honour to be, gentlemen,"Your most obedient servant,

"B. HALL." T.

The council considered the proposed form of return referredto in that letter, and agreed to a circular to be sent withthe form to all qualitied medical practitioners in the metro-polis.

Certain propositions were brought forward, and the meetingthen adjourned.

z

Intelligence having been received of a violent outbreak ofcholera at Wisbech, Dr. Milroy was ordered to proceed in-stantly to that town.

THE WAR.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)THE BALTIc-LEDSUND, AUGUST 29TtT, 18S.

AFTER the surrender of Bomarsund, I visited the differentfortifications, and had a good opportunity of inspecting thearrangements the Russians had made for their sick andwounded. As regards comfort and accommodation, every-thing appeared to have been well-regulated and managed.There were two large hospitals outside, and in every fort, sickwards and dispensaries. As a general rule, they were betterventilated, and looked cleaner than the other ouildings, andconsequently less impregnated with that peculiar sickly odourso characteristic of Russians and Russian dwellings.

To -the rear of the large fort, near the church, was a largeand commodious hospital. Attached to it were bath-rooms, adispensary and laboratory, fitted with every convenience andapparatus, and well stored with drugs. The quality of theselatter articles was not of the highest. I saw amongst themthe most popular medicines, with the exception of quinine andiodide of potassium, which either they do not keep or I couldnot find; "quassia" "was their only vegetable tonic; "mer-

cury " in nearly every preparation was abundant; and Idiscovered some collodion and hydrocyanic acid, which I judgedfrom the labels to have come from Stockholm. I was verymuch surprised to find in various parts of the forts bottles ofchloroform, which appeared to have been lately used; theywere generally in those quarters where our shell and shot haddone the most damage. I heard afterwards, from one of theirmedical men, that they perform every operation with chlo-roform, no matter how trivial it might be. Attached to themain hospital were the surgeons’ quarters. The library waslarge, and well stored with books in the Russian, German, andLatin languages. I saw several translations of English andFrench authors, of Sir A. Cooper, John Hunter, Dumas, &e.

Unfortunately, the night previous to my visit, the soldiers hadbeen allowed to pillage and plunder, and in consequence everyplace was in the greatest confusion. The hospital and surgeons’quarters had not escaped the general ruin. Whatever was

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valuable had been taken away; every box and drawer hadbeen forced open in search of booty, and the contents thrownon the floor. Instruments, drawings, books, preparations, &c.,were scattered about in endless confusion, torn and trampledupon. The French surgeons saved several cases of instrumentsfrom being destroyed or stolen. I was kindly permitted tosee them. The instruments were rough and old-fashionedcompared with ours, and lack also that finish and nicety ofweight. Their knives are all curved, ill-shaped, and very muchout of order. A cupping case, of Paris manufacture, was theonly thing I saw at all modern.

I cannot speak of the state of medical knowledge in Russia.I was told by one of the medical staff that in cases of woundsof the extremities, anyway severe, amputation is always per-formed ; excision of joints, or attempts by treatment to save awounded limb, are things quite unknown. I saw some casesof amputation which had been performed about two monthsprevious; they were men that had been wounded when theHecla and Valorous had bombarded the place. The stumpshad cicatrized, and were going on well. The circular operationis always performed, and generally amputation is alwaysprimary. The Russians certainly are the most patient undersuffering of any people I have ever seen; they bore theirwounds and subsequent operations with the greatest courageand stoicism, never uttering a complaint or a groan. Thewounded have been all conveyed on board the hospital ships.The cholera, I am sorry to say, has broken out in an alarming

manner amongst the French troops. Since the surrender ofBomarsund nearly 500 men have perished, almost every casehaving proved fatal. A large body of the army left Bomar-sund in consequence, and encamped on the Praesto Island. Allour marines have been sent on board their respective ships;one belonging to the Blenheirt, and doing duty on shore, wasattacked with cholera, and died in four hours. It is the trueAsiatic cholera, characterized by all the usual symptoms, andproving fatal in about twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Weare perfectly at a loss to account for the appearance of thisepidemic. I have not heard of any of the inhabitants of theisland or any of the Russian soldiers having suffered from it.The French troops were all men accustomed to active service,the greater number of them, I believe, having served in Algiers.The weather was remarkably fine and dry during the whole ofthe siege. For the first few days they were on shore no casesoccurred, but since the 16th, however, it has increased greatly.The water obtained on the island has a peculiar odour, and adisagreeable limy and ammoniacal taste. I should like verymuch to have the water of the various parts of the Baltic pro-perly analyzed; possibly by so doing some light might bethrown on the cause of this malady, that has been to the alliesmore destructive than all the machinations of the Russians.

In the fleet, I am happy to say, that the cholera is on thedecline, though an aggravated form of diarrhcea is still veryprevalent. The Hannibal has buried several men since herarrival at Ledsund, and when she left for England she hadupwards of 120 sick on board. The -Ifaje8tic has also an im-mense sick-list, and has lost many of her crew. The A 11stel’litz, ,

since her arrival in the Baltic, has buried upwards of 100, ’’,principally of cholera and fever.

In the beginning of last week the weather was much colder,with strong westerly winds and occasional rain. Within thelast few days, however, the weather has become much warmerand fine. Fresh meat is liberally supplied to the men. Once ortwice a week, a steamer full of bullocks comes from Dantzic.In a few days the fleet are going to sea.

ARMY IN THE EAST.

(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.) LIGHT DIVISION, CAMP NBAB PREVADY, BCL6AMA,

AUGUST 18TH, 1854.I TOOK a medical survey of the Light Division, yesterday,

and there have been only five or six fresh cases of choleraduring the last three days. Some of the regiments just noware exempt from the disease, but fevers and dysentery arebecoming more prevalent. The cholera first appeared in theLight Division encampment, at Devna, on the morning of the23rd of July: two fatal cases occurred in the 23rd, and four inthe 88th Regiments. On that and the following day thedisease extended to the other regiments composing the LightDivision-viz., the 7th, 19th, 33rd, 77th, and the Rifle Brigade;and up to the present date (August 18th) the mortality hasbeen 165 men, five officers, and six women, including,amongst the officers, Assistant-Surgeon Jenkin, of the 23rdRegiment.

Many of the orderlies were attacked, and died, and severalof the medical officers have had choleraic diarrhoea. Beforethe outbreak in the Light Division, cholera was raging inVarna, carrying off daily between forty and sixty of the Frenchencamped in its vicinity; and several deaths occurred in thesmall number of English quartered there.

Before the disease appeared in Devna, we had a great dealof diarrhoea in the encampment of a suspicious character. Onthe 24th of July, the Light Division moved five miles farther,and encamped between the villages of Monastère and Prevady.This change had a beneficial effect, as for two days afterwardsvery few fresh cases occurred; but subsequently it again ap-peared in a severe form in the 7th, 23rd, 33rd, and 88thRegiments. The troops were shortly again permitted to shiftto new ground, and they continue to do so every ten or fourteendays. The change is always attended with marked improve-ment, and now each regiment is separate, and we are notcrammed into a confined space, as at Devna.Although we have just now but few cases of cholera in the

division, still diarrhoea is very prevalent, and fevers anddysentery are daily becoming more so.

I am sorry to say that there is scarcely a medical officer incharge of a regiment that has the proper medicines to treat theabove diseases. Day after day requisitions for medicines aresent in by medical officers of regiments, without any effect;so, unless the surgeons can check the premonitory symptoms ofcholera, the hour of counteracting the disease is lost, and theresult you can guess.We-I allude to all the regimental surgeons-cannot get a

single preparation of opium-viz., there is no powdered opium,no tincture of opium, no extract, scarcely any preparation werequire; yet there are plenty of the above medicines in Varna,but I believe no way of sending them out, owing to deficientcommissariat arrangement, or some mismanagement in our owndepartment.Another deficiency, more annoying than important, is, that

many of the surgeons are unable to get a single candle fromthe commissariat, who ought certainly to have an abundantsupply; but during the last week we have been without candles,and were it not for the different officers kindly giving up theirown private supply, many of the regiment marquees or hos-pital tents would be in total darkness during the night.Another flagrant abuse is to be found in the purveyor’s de-

partment. The worthy in charge appears to be above hisbusiness, and as he is entrusted with the medical comforts-viz., wine, arrowroot, sago, brandy, &c., we have to make outrequisitions in duplicate for each, and give two receipts, whenwe require any of the above articles, although we have often todespatch our messengers a considerable distance; yet thisgentleman will send them back under the most frivolous excuse,if the requisitions and receipts are not in the proper form.Major D-, of the Light Division, at present suffering fromdysentery, was ordered port wine by his medical attendant:none could be procured in any of the canteens, nor at Varna.The medical officer in charge of the regiment made a requisitionfor a bottle of port wine on the purveyor; but he refused togive it, simply because it was for an officer. This was reportedto me yesterday, and I have no doubt of it being a fact.

There are many other difficulties thrown in the way ofmedical officers. For instance: according to the orders of theDirector-General at Varna, the medical officer must enter everyhalf-ounce of sugar, arrowroot, &c., which he orders for a sickman, in the register of the case, thus occupying in uselesswriting the time that should be spent at the sick man’s bed.There are not enough medical officers with the army; half

the young hands sent out fall sick a week or so after theirarrival. The surgeons of regiments are engaged in keepingtheir hospital accounts, and the senior assistant-surgeons, witha junior, do all the work, or the greater share. I myself haveoften been engaged, since the outbreak of cholera, from fiveo’clock A.M. until nine o’clock P.M., and afterwards called upfive or six times during the night. During the prevalence ofyellow fever in another hemisphere, I worked harder, and didnot feel the fatigue so much as I now do: this I attribute to theclimate.There is not a second-class staff-surgeon with the Light

Division, and only two of the first-class. I consider that amedical officer should be constantly in the hospital tent, as theorderlies always require looking after, and good nursing is thebest treatment which I am acquainted with.

I am satisfied that Dr. Smith, the Director-General at home,would do his best to have many of the above abuses corrected,were he acquainted with them; but the other authorities mustlend a hand, instead of throwing difficulties in the way.

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Sir George Brown inspected the Light Division yesterday.He is a fine, active officer, and rode out from Varna, and re-turned again in the afternoon. The men to-day are full ofhigh spirits and merriment, in hopes that we are going tomove to Varna, and embark for Sebastopol.The camp life is harassing, and when the men are dying from

disease, without excitement, they become low-spirited. Asthere are, however, rumours afloat about moving, they arequite jolly. I have heard that the 4th Dragoon Guards havelost thirty men, and also Surgeon Pitcairn. This was thecorrect list of the mortality in that regiment two days ago.The fever now prevalent in the division is of a low, continued

type, and very amenable to treatment. It commences with a

feeling of undefinable discomfort and oppression, preceded byloss of appetite, or I should rather say, with a distaste for therations. Many of the men live entirely, in this stage, on theirbiscuit, or bread and coffee. The bread is often of very bad

quality, and under-baked; and the ration of meat is so poor,that the men often throw it away. They do not report them-selves ill until obliged to do so, as many of them dislike comingin this state to the hospital tent, where they come in contactwith the cholera cases.

I find that change of diet-viz., chicken broth, roast lamb,and a dose of quinine, generally sets a man all right; and thecaptain commanding the company pays for these little luxuries,or perhaps myself, and not the Government. The lattersupplies only the quinine.

If the disease is not arrested, the above symptoms are suc-ceeded by derangement of the nervous centres, and themuscular strength is greatly depressed. There is now irrita-bility of stomach, a sense of oppression in the epigastrium,usually some headache, the cerebral functions become sluggish,and the patient is abstracted. His exhaustion increases daily,though there are exacerbations, but no regular intermissions.Quinine, stimulants, and tonics, an occasional alterative,counter-irritants over the epigastrium, and sedatives, havegenerally succeeded, with change of diet, in bringing about afavourable termination.

____

[FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.]CAMP GWELECKER, AUGUST 13TH, 1854.

I SHALL now attempt to keep my promise, and send you aletter by the post which leaves here to-morrow, though we arenow so hard-worked that there is hardly time for anything, andone of the assistant-surgeons has gone down to the sea,having had a bad attack of dysentery. Cholera has become

quite epidemic, and we seldom see it till the men are in a stateof complete collapse, and quite blue, so that treatment has notdone much : we have lost ten in the last twenty-four hours, andperhaps twenty-six in all; this, together with fever, has carriedoff thirty-three men; the whole battalion are very sickly, Imay say, the whole brigade, with the exception of the 42ndHighlanders. (I wish our men had the kilt to march in in thiscountry.) Lieut. -Col. Elliott, of the 79th, was buried thismorning, and there have been several officers invalided. At

present we are all in a state of anxiety, Lieut.-Col. Tierneyhaving gone out for a ride yesterday at 11 A.M., and while Iwrite his horse has just been brought in, uninjured, but nonews of him. Lord F. Paulett, while out riding the other day, ,,was shot at. The country here is very beautiful, though un- Icultivated to a great extent, former vineyards having beenallowed to go to ruin; we are about eight miles from Varna,having left Aladyn ten days ago, and we leave here on Tuesdayor Wednesday next. There is a great talk about Sebastopol,but I do not believe there will be a single shot fired this year,but that we shall merely go and encamp nearer the sea, andnext month go into winter quarters. I have had a monthunder canvas, and on the whole fine weather, with three verysmart thunder storms, which are not pleasant, more especiallyas during one I had to get up in my night-shirt to let go mytent-ropes. Varna is the most beastly, dirty place you canpossibly conceive - nasty, narrow, dirty, muddy, stinkingstreets. Some Greeks three nights ago tried to set fire to theFrench and English commissariat stores, and did some damage.Three of them were caught and killed on the spot. We havevery fair dinners, but to do so we have to forage the villages,&c. Ale is 2s., port 6s., bacon, 2s. 6d., and tea 6s. 6d. a

pound, and other things in proportion. B- and L- keptpretty well. Blenkins has been sent home invalided, andalready on his way home. The French have returned from theDobrudscha, with the loss of 5000 men from cholera, &c., theRussians having poisoned the wells by throwing down theirdead. An interpreter was shot at going into Varna the other

night-three shots. Cholera has broken out amongst the fleet.We had a very pleasant passage out here, which I enjoyedmuch, as I was not at all sea-sick, though I cannot say thesame for B-. The old Vulcan broke down twice, oncewhen we had the Leander in tow. We got on shore, anddined at Malta, which was rather a treat after being on ship-board for two weeks; and again we got on shore at Constanti-nople for three hours. It certainly is a most beautiful place inthe distance, but when once in it you very soon get enough of thenarrow, high, and ill-paved streets; but as it rained most ofthe time we may like it better on our return. After this wedid not leave the ship till we reached Varna. The mostunpleasant part of our voyage was across the Black Sea, coldand bleak, with a strong head-wind, and the small coal fromthe Vulcan’ short funnel in our eyes. I could write you amuch more detailed account, but have not time in the presentstate of the health of our men, as it takes some little time,blown about as we are by a strong wind to-day.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.Tnis entertaining place of amusement has recently under-

gone a complete remodelling as to its arrangements. Mr.Pepper, the chemist, and one of the lecturers, has beenappointed resident manager, and under his direction thereseems likely to be an addition to the spirit in providing enter-tainment for the public which has always characterized theinstitution.

There has lately been added to the subjects of interest onewhich cannot fail to prove a source of much gratification tothe numerous visitors, from the brilliancy of the experimentsit admits of, and the instruction it affords. This is the appa-ratus of M. Duboscq for demonstrating the polarization oflight. The object is accomplished by the aid of electric light;and it appears that certain interesting results have beenobtained in the decomposition of light, and in the separationof its component rays according as the electrodes of the light-producing battery consist of different substances.One most remarkable experiment with the apparatus has

been termed the electric fountain. A stream of water issuesfrom an opening in a cylinder, through which a ray of light ismade to pass. The light appears as if retained by the water,and carried along with it as it falls in a sharp curve downwards,and, being received into a vase below, looks like molten metal.The colour of the light is altered by the interposition of piecesof coloured glass, by which also the beautiful effect is greatlyenhanced.

Carrying out the purpose of conveying information andknowledge to all classes of the public, a school of instructionhas been established, in which courses of lectures on mechanicsand other art-study will be given for the benefit of the workingclasses, admission to which is to be obtained by tickets issuedat half the usual charge, the guarantee of their being bonâ fideworking people being by certificate from the employer or theforeman of the place of business at which they are occupied.So meritorious an undertaking deserves to be successful, andwe doubt not the directors of the Polytechnic will derivebenefit from their liberality.

Medical News.

APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen who passedtheir examination in the science and practice of Medicine, andreceived certificates to practise, on-

Thursday, August 31st, 1854.BROWNE, CHARLES, Camberwell.GAGGS, CHRISTOPHER, Howden, Yorkshire.HITCRINS, CHARLES VERNON, Tiverton, Bath.LEWIS, WILLIAM JARRETT, Carmarthen.RAY, JAMES, Lincoln.SYMMONS, GEORGE STRATTEN, Witham.WEST, JAMES FITZJAMES.WooDD, HENRY TURNOR, Bromley, Kent.

MARYLEBONE COUNTY COURT, SEPTEMBER 4TH.-IMPORTANT TO EXECUTORS AND MEDICAL MEN : SURGEONS’LIABILITIES FOR INSTRUMENTS. - CLARK v. BLUBTT. - Thisaction, which was tried before J. L. Adolphus, Esq., andbrought to recover the sum of £5 10s. 6d., contains features ofmore than ordinary £ s. d. character, and is very important to