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to us disease which the ten pers9Hs incurredwas really small-pox; ; or if, upon re-inspec-tion, he find that evidence unsatisfactory,let him candidly admit the possibility of hisbeing in error with respect to some of thecases. Hoping this interesting subject willbe fully investigated, I remain, your’s faith-fully, AN OBSERVER.

London, Oct. 22, 1839. 1SECONDARY SMALL-POX.

W. BARRETT MARSHALL, R.N.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.StR:—Will you favour me with space in

THE LANCET for the following extract of aletter from Mr. J. D. Jeffery, of Sidmouth,the author of c. An Essay on the Prevalenceof Small-Pox, and the Evils of Innoculation,addressed to the Members of the Boards ofGuardians?" I may premise, that no ac-

quaintance subsisted between the writer ofthat letter and myself, until I received itthis moring, with a copy of his Essay.after a careful investigation of nearly

400 cases, occurring in this town and neigh-bourhood (Sidmouth), two years since, Icame to the conclusion-lst. That secon.dary small-pox is much more frequent inits occurrence than formerly; and, 2dly,that it was very questionable if the innocu-lation for the small-pox was a greater pre-servative from the re-occurrence of that dis-ease than was vaccination, whilst the com-parative danger of the two was fearfully infavour of the former."

" With regard to the truth of your asser-tions respecting the occurrence of small.poxtwice, which has been doubted, I can onlysay, that there were three well-authenticatedcases in this place during the last epidemic,in one of which, a young man, aet. 21, itproved fatal. He was deeply pitted from theeffects of the first attack. I have been in-formed by Mr. Hunter, an experienced prac-titioner at Budleigh Salterton, that he hasseen the small-pox four times in the sameindividual."To the kindness and liberality of Sir Wm.

Burnett, the Physician- General of her 12a-jesty’s Navy, I am indebted for the know-ledge of another case of unequivocal secon-dary small-pox: it is contained in a letterfrom Mr. Parkin, surgeon, Royal Marines,accompanying divisional answers to a set ofquestions proposed to the surgeons of theMarine Corps, relative to small-pox andvaccination in their force:—

4c We have had two cases of death fromsmall-pox, after the most satisfactory vacci-nation, according to external evidence, ofsome years’ previous date; and one case ofmalignantsmall-pox, which ultimately provedfatal, in an individual, aged about 40, whohad in early life been innoculated, and hadthe disease confluently, bearing the most ,

unequivocal proofs thereof, by a countenancemore seamed and pitted than any I ever beforesntv. He took the disease in this infirmary(Woolwich), by visiting, in conjunctionwith myself, some cases of variola of a badkind ; and at the period when the first fatalcase of variola happened, after vaccination,and when another individual took the dis.ease in the hospital, who had previouslypassed the vaccine disease by innoculatioafrom the cow in milking.-H. PARKIN."

I hope soon to be in a condition to makepublic a complete statement of all the casesof small-pox which have occurred in thenavy of this country, for the last 17 years.

Some very curious facts will thus be broughtto light, and, I think, when all the factswhich the naval medical records supply

are collected together, the collection will befound to supply other cases of a similarkind to those narrated above, and so to

place beyond cavil or dispute the fact, as afact indisputably true, that if vaccination

t does not in all cases protect from small-pox,neither does small-pox in all cases protect

, from itself.-I am, Sir, your humble servant,. W. BARRETT MARSHALL, R.N.[ 6, Cheyne’s-row, Chelsea,. Oct. 25, 1839.

EXAMINERS IN MEDICINE, ANDTEACHERS.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR:—I have felt much gratification in

perusing the resolutions lately adopted bythe Provincial Medical and Surgical Asso.ciation. It appears that " a plan of generalmedical reform, in the shape of heads of abill to be considered by the several com,

mittees, and subsequently proposed to theassociations," is in the course of preparation,This, Sir, is going about business in a trulybusiness-like way.

I trust the communication I am about tomake, important alike both to the publicand the profession, will induce you to giveit an early insertion in the pages of THELANCET, a journal which has been at alltimes the untiring and nnflinehing advocateof " a clear stage, fair play, and no favour,"We medical reformers in Ireland, have

long felt the grievous effects of a union oflicensing and teaching in one and the samebody. I am aware that an emitlent surgeonof this city has been in correspondence withthe Secretary of the Provincial MedicalAssociation, in reference to this subject,and that he, the secretary, is disposed tolook upon the question as a matter for de-tail; while all the true friends of reform inthis country are convinced that it is an im-portant leading principle. The reasoning ofmy respected friend, Mr. Taggert, is so can.clusive on this subject, that I will beg to

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quote from his lecture introductory to the That a union of licensing and teaching inbusiness of the Original Peter-street School the same body, is condemned by a largeof Medicine for this session.* majority of those who are really anxious for" From our experience of corporations a useful and practicable system of reform, I

generally, I consider it hopeless to expect have every reason to think. I cannot ex-self-reformation; they are actuated by such press my opinion more forcibly upon thisa spirit of selfishness and monopoly, they point than by qtioting a passage from awill never consent to sacrifice antiquated petition to the late King, sent by the Lon-prejudices, and personal interests, for the don College of Surgeons, when the Londoncommon weal. The discordant elements University was seeking for a charter towhich compose the various medical bodies, enable them to examine candidates andcan never I fear be made to agree upon any grant degrees in medicine, &c.; it is assystem that will meet the wants of the pro- follows:-fession and the public,-what, then, should « Your petitioners are firmly convincedbe done? that the occupation of teaching, and the

41 The government must be made to feel a power of examining and conferring degrees,pressure from without," that will compel ought to be exercised as they now are, bythem to take up this most difficult subject, distinct institutions, and that the union inand legislate honestly, without listening to the one and the same institution of those dis-the whisperings of those who are interested cordant attributes must be attended within perpetuating monopolies. Let a college danger to the public welfare, on the nu-or faculty be established in England, Ire- merous occasions in which the interest ofland, and Scotland, to license the general the teacher and the duty of the examinerpractitioner; let there be a high, but uni- would interfere with each other.’form standard of education, preliminary and Let us for a moment take another viewprofessional; its members to have equal of this important question, and admit thecorporate privileges in every respect ; and propriety of connecting a school with a pro-to practice such branch of the profession as posed new College, our next object willthey may think fit, with a power to dispense then be to inquire what kind of school itmedicine to their own patients in a private should be? I think you will agree with melaboratory, but not to compound the pre- that in a great National Institution of Me-scriptions of others ; let the graduate for a dicme, professorships, if established at all,diploma to practice generally, be tested should be in the highest departments of ourrather by the extent of his acquirements profession; leaving the ordinary routine,than by the number of his certificates; and teaching, to the competition of privatelet there be no teachers upon its court of schools: they should have their professor-examiners. This new licensing body should ships of comparative anatomy, pathology,not have an elementary school of medicine and experimental physiology ; these, if pro-or surgery as a part of its machinery; perly illustrated, would tend much to ad-neither the London or Edinburgh Colleges vance medical science: in this way theof Surgeons are encumbered with such an splendid museum of a national body wouldappendage; why, at the present day it should be made truly available to the professionbe deemed necessary here, I need not stop and the public, and not used merely as ato inquire. I feel satisfied that a school in show-shop to gratify the curiosity of the

conjunction with a body granting a license lounger."to practice, is a fruitful source of many Now, the object of the present communi-evils, and gives an unjust monopoly in cation is simply this, that, we reformers, inteaching ; if there were but one College to this country, shall be assured that, in thelicense in medicine and surgery, with a preparation of the proposed bill, two prin-school as a part of its system, and teachers ciples shall be distinctly and clearly gua-on its court of examiners, pupils would ranteed, viz. :-First, That teachers shall notnaturally flock there, and leave the private be examiners for degrees. Secondly, That aschools deserted. This would be an evil of union of licensing aud of teaching shall notgreat magnitude, not as regards the interest co-exist in the same body. If these pledgesof the teachers in those schools, which is a be given, the Association may calculate onsecondary consideration, but the character enlisting heart and hand a host of medicalof Dublin, as a medical school, must speedily teachers in the cause of reform. When Ideteriorate. It is the rivalry that exists look to the list of medical men, in this coun.among schools at present, which secures to try, that have been elected members of thethe pupil the certainty of being taught with council, I am disposed to think they willefficiency and regularity; should any cir- contend for the alliance of licensing andcumstance arise to give a further undue teaching in the proposed new College or

monopoly in teaching to any college, it Senate. An unholy union, which, from its..would prove " a heavy blow and great practical results in this country, has proveddiscouragement" to medical education. to be harassing, vexatious, and oppressive ;..the baleful consequences of which have." Published by Fannin and Co., Dublin. been so often and so ably reiterated by the

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editor of THE LANCET. We make no unrea-sonable demands. We have a longing afterpeace and concord; but we will fearlesslyand openly assert our right to be heard, andnever bind our necks to the yoke of a gall-ing monopoly.-I am, Sir, yours, &c.

GEORGE T. HAYDEN.

THE RARE RHIZOMORPHOUSPLANTS.

To the Editoi, of THE LANCET.SIR:—A fine specimen of rhizontorp7ta

subterranea was discovered a few weekssince at Hertford, and has been presentedby Mr.R. R. Shillitoe, of University College,to Professor Lindley, as an addition to theBotanical Museum of that institution. Itwas found attached to the under surface ofan oaken slab (forming part of the coveringof an old well that had been closed for elevenyears), by a stem about the thickness of agoose-quill, and upwards of three yards inlength, the lower extremity of which, onreaching the surface of the water, branchedout into innumerable ramifications, the wholepresenting a matted appearance, and coveringa space of at least a yard in diameter.The entire plant, when fresh, was moist,

emitted a fungoid odour, and was of a deepgreen hue externally, which, on exposure tothe air, was soon converted into a darkbrown; the interior of the stem is paleyellow, whilst that of the branches consistedof a white elastic substance. An occasionalanastomosis occurs between the smaller

ramifications, otherwise they terminate inblunted extremities, covered by an extensionof the cortex. The general aspect of theplant (bearing, as it does, so strong a resem-blance to that of a long root with its attachedfibrillæ) is briefly, but most significantlydescribed in the generic name applied bybotanists to its congeners-it is, in reality,rhizomorphous.

In the smaller branches the white andelastic axis is composed entirely of filament-ous cellular tissue, without any admixtureof either spiral vessels or dotted ducts; thefilaments themselves are extremely delicate,white, and transparent, somewhat waved intheir general outline, and arranged, for themost part, in a direction parallel to eachother, and to the axis of the branch itself;in the stem the ultimate filaments are of adirty yellow colour, and are more irregu-larly disposed, being somewhat intermixed,interwoven with each other.The integument of the branches presents

a smooth, but dull aspect; it is brittle andinelastic, and consists of several layers ofcondensed parenchymatous tissue, of a darkbrown colour; the cortex of the stem isthicker, drier, and is irregularly fissured, the

clefts running more or less in a lonp;itudinadirection; issuing from these dehiscencesare numerous tufts (invisible to the nakedeye) of bright fulvous filaments, apparentlyindicative of the situations in which ruptureof the integument had occurred to admit ofthe emission of the sporules by which theseplants are propagated.

It is not known whether this specimenpossessed the luminous property usuallydisplayed by the members of this genusrhizomorpha ; no observations having beenmade to ascertain this point until seven

days after it was discovered.The extreme rarity of rhizomorphous

plants in this country may be inferred fromthe fact, that in the Rev. J. M. Berkeley’scontinuation of Sir J. E. Smith’s BritishFlora no mention whatever is made of thisgenus ; whilst in Hooker’s British FloraCryptogamea some smaller parasitic speciesof the rhizomorphous plants are only inci.dentally alluded to as insinuating themselvesbeneath the bark of decaying willow-trees;many species, however, have been discoveredon the Continent in mines, pits, hollow trees,and other moist situations, excluded fromthe light of day. In the mines of Bavariathey vegetate so luxuriantly, and manifesttheir luminous properties to such an extent,as to entwine themselves along the wallsand pillars of these mines, extending severalhundred feet in length, and shedding a softbut brilliant effulgence over those gloomyand dreary excavations.

I have, with the assistance of my kindfriend, Mr. John Marshall, endeavoured tomake an analysis of the plant, but the quan-tity we had to operate on was so small thatit was very unsatisfactory; we expected tohave found phosphorus, but did not succeed,probably from want of experience in suchnice operations, and from the quantity beingso small.

R. R. SHILLITOE.

BITE OF POISONOUS SNAKES.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR:—I am happy to find that your inser-

tion of my letter to Mr. Corbyn has calledforth the instructive communication of Dr.Knox, which apppeared in your last num.ber; although, notwithstanding that gentle.man’s assurance of his desire to avoid allcriticism, I feel it necessary to fill up anomission which, had the wish to criticiseexisted, would no doubt have affordedample space for its indulgence. I mean thenon-performance of the operation of exci.sion. This operation was not only thoughtof, but proposed ; yet so evident was thenear approach of death to our patient, that