664

On examining the bodv, the source of thehaemorrhage was found to have been theleft uterine artery ; the vessels of the rightside bad been completely secured by theligature ; the spermatic arteries of eitherside, which had been divided during theoperation, had not contributed to the haemor-rhage. The vagina, as well as the rectumand bladder, were found perfectly free fromthe carcinomatous affection of that part whichhad been dissected from the vagina of thebladder, and presented a small aperture, bywhich the urine had escaped into the abdo-minal cavity ; the peritoneum exhibited,however, no trace of inflammation. On ex-amination of the uterus the cervix was I

found converted into a carcinomatous struc-ture ; the posterior labium was almost en-tirely destroyed ; the anterior one was great-ly enlarged, and its morbid alteration ex-tended up to the body of the uterus itself,the tissue of which was, however, for thegreater part, perfectly healthy.- Lane.F2-anq.

WHITE OFFSPRING OF BLACK PARENTS.

THE following account of this singularphenomenon occurs in the volume of RenéCailJié’s Journey to Timbuctoo, lately pub-lished.

° A white infant, the offspring of a negroand negress, was brought to me. The childwas about eighteen or twenty months old.Its mother placed it in my arms, and I exam-ined it attentively. Its hair was curly andwhite, and its eye-lashes and eye-brows ofa light flaxen colour. The forehead, nosecheeks, and chin, were slightly tinged withred, and the rest of the skin was white.The eyes were light blue ; but the pupil wasof a red flame colour. The lips were of arather dark red. I remarked that the childhad very defective sight. I endeavoured tomake it look up by drawing its attention tomy beads; but it appeared to suffer pain,cried, and held down its head. It was justbeginning to cut its teeth. Its lips wererather thick, and, indeed, it had altogetherthe Mandingo physiognomy. The infant

appeared to be in good health. The negroeshave no dislike to a white skin ; they merelyconsider it as a disease. I was informedthat the children of parents of this kind, thatis to say, Albinos, are black."

" SPICIMIN" OF " LICTIRING"—THEORYWITHOUT PRACTICE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—I beg, through the medium of your

invaluable Journal, to call the attention of

the Council of the University of London to

a subject of much importance to those stu.dents attending the surgical lectures de-livered in that institution.

It has been a matter of general obserca.tion, that these lectures are very deficient 10that which, to every pupil and junior prac-titioner, is of infinite value, "practical in.formation."A few days ago, I was asked by a felbw

pupil if Mr. Bell intended to give us thetreatment of those cases be had describedduring the last course? (or division;) myfriend very justly observing, that he had" gone over " fractures, injuries of the head,

and many more important diseases, withoutmentioning the treatment necessary.The cause of this deficiency has been

lately explained (for the first time) by Mr.Bell himself, by the following remarks in hisintroductory lecture to this course :-" It isan easy matter (said he) to name a disease,its symptoms ; relate a case, and give thetreatment in a ’regttla routine,’ as otherlecturers do; but I shall attempt a morearduous task in explaining to you the prin-ciples’ on which to act, and these are to besought for in morbid anatomy. You willnot then think that I am neglecting my duty,if I do not ’ relate cases’ to you, althoughmy lectures may appear deficient," &c.Now it must be obvious to all, that if our

worthy Professor laid down the " princi.ples on which to act; in addition to the" regular routine" of other lecturers (as liesarcastically calls it), every pupil would feeldoubly indebted to him. - But-how is it?Mr. Bell confesses it is not his intention to"relate cases," and we (the seniors) havealready perceived to our loss and regret, thathe leaves it to ourselves to arrive at the

proper treatment how we can. Had thisstatement been made at his first introductorylecture, I, for one, should not have been hispupil.

I do not write this out of any pique, orfeeling of ill-will, towards Professor Bell,nor can I speak too highly of his talents as aphysiological lecturer. ’ I trust that this no-tice may induce’Mr. Bell, either with or

without the intervention of the " Council,’’to be more explicit- and systematioin his de-scription of surgical -diseases and their treat.ment.

The Council need only look at the differ-ence of attendance athis two lectures of i-b v-siology and surgery. Although the latter ngenerally considered of much gicater im-portance by students than the former. 1have several times counted from thirty-five!o forty pupils only present.

1 am, Sir,Your very obedient servant,

A SExIOa PUPIL.

London UniveI8ity, Feb. 2,18SO.