695

hsring a musical ear, he appears to have

no idea of modulating his voice-not, atbest, an agreeable one-and he delivers thewhole of every sentence in the same key.Ile begins his lectures in a low tone, risesnpidly to the top of his voice, and deliversthe remainder as loudly as he can-we wereabout to say scream,, without the slightestvuiation or modulation of tone. This maybafe been a reason why at least some of thestudents preferred to sit on the most re-

mote benches. It is a misfortune to this

gentleman, now too late to be remedied,that he was foisted into a public engage-ment as a teacher before he had acquired aknowledge of the classical languages. Hencehis best friends have been obliged to ac-knowledge that he is in the constant habit ofmaking false quantities and inaccurate ter-

minations. He has been accused of beingincorrect in his anatomical descriptions, anddesultory in the distribution of his facts. IIThe latter charge is certainly well founded,and there is ground for believing that Mr.PATTISON has not kept pace with the pro-

gress which general anutomy especially hasmade, during the last few years, in Europe.Having hastily run through this list of

what we believe to be well-founded facts,we sball next week enter fully into an ex-midatioti of Alr. PATTISON’S charges againstthe Council, his colleagues, and students,who, it would appear from his representa-tions, were at last all actuated by a desire to

accomplish his ruin !

LONDON UNIVERSITY.

Mr. S. COOPER, author of the Surgicalbittionary, has been elected by the Coun-cil Professor of Surgery to this Institution ;and Dr. ANTHONY TODD THOMSON has

Leen appointed, for one year, to the Chairof Medical Jurisprudence. After the Doc-tor’s uuhappy display in this department,during the last session, we were not pre-pared fur his renewed installation into the

position where he has been again placed bythe Council. Again and again do we in-quire of the Council, why they rely uponprivate representations and testimonials in

preference to a searching public co-2,couRs ;but it is said, that " Even fools are made

wise by experience."

ON THE

TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY,WITH CASES.

By PATRICK SHARKEY, A.M., M.D., SeniorPhysician to the Cork General Dispen-sary.

ALTHOUGH I acknowledge the utility of

putting forth even isolated cases of successin the treatment of any disease, as tendingto the advancement of medical science, vet,knowing the many disappointments whichhave followed upon the adoption of a prac-tice built upon single reports, sent forwardinto the world with all the gloss of languageand strained force of analogical argument,or unwarrantable induction, I cannot but

say that I feel much more confidence than Iotherwise should, in submitting for pnblica-tion in your highly-respectable pages the

following cases, a few out of’ a number ofresults derived from experiments conductedon an extensive scale, during a practice oftwenty-five years and upwards. These few

I have selected, not from any singularity inthe event or mode of treatment, hut as be-ing, by reason of their greater inveteracy,instar onznium." I put them forwardalso, under the extremely forcible recom-mendation of their having been all referred

to me after the ordinary and diversified, butunsuccessful, treatment of others. I con-fess t was, in the commencement, verytimid, and am still very cautious in resort-ing to the novel and apparently hazardousmode of treatment which 1 am about to lav be-fore you, lest any untoward accident shouldarise, which might have damned me in theinfancy of my professional career,or even nowinjure me, and, therefore, 1 never attemptit, without throwing the responsibility frommyself upon the relatives or friends of thepatients, explaining to them the severe na-ture of the process, and in doin so, 1 uni-formly receive for answer, that even death,

should it follow, would be preferable in their, estimation to the continuance of so frightfula disease, attended with perpetual alarm,

and which may terminate in an accidentaldeath, infinitely more distressing in its cir-cumstances. Yet I would recommend to