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DR. B. W. RICHARDSON has been appointed. Lecturer tothe Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow for thepresent session., The days fixed for the lectures are the 25th,27th, and 29th March, at 3 P.M. The subject he has. selectedfor the course is " The , Positive in Remedial Art. " The

lectures wilLappear in THE LANCET.

A TERRIBLE epidemic of small-pox- its- stated to be ragin , gin Rieutort, near, Perpignan, in the department of the

Eastern Pyrenees. The disease, it is reported, has attackednearly the whole of the inhabitants of the parish, and is

very fatal.

MEDICAL ACT REFORM.

THE following are the principal clauses of a Bill whichwas draughted for and printed in THE LANCET, November26th, 1870. It will be seen that they fulfil the chief,require-ments of the medico-political situation in 1878. We repro-duce them in the hope that they may be adopted :-

Members of the Council.5. The General. Council shall consist of twelve or thirteen

persons, as follows :-Four shall be nominated by HerMajesty with the advice of her Privy Council ; two ofwhom shall be appointed for England and Wales, one forScotland, and one for Ireland. Four shall be elected, inthe manner hereinafter provided, by the. registered MedicalPractitioners. of the United Kingdom ; namely, two by theregistered Practitioners of England and Wales, one by theregistered Practitioners of Scotland, and one by the regis-tered Practitioners of Ireland. Four shall be elected,, in themanner hereinafter provided, by the Medical. Authoritiesnamed in the Schedule of this Act ; namely, two by theMedicalAuthorities of England, one by the Medieal Authori-ties of Scotland, and one by the Medical Authorities of Ire-land. All these appointments shall be for a period of fiveyears.

No person not a Licentiate to receive other Qualifications.14. After the date fixed for the commencement of exa-

minations by any Medical Board under this Act, none ofthe Medical Authorities shall grant any of the qualificationsmentioned in Schedule (A) to the principal Act as amendedby this Act, or by any of the Acts mentioned in the secondSchedule of this Act, except to persons registered, or quali-fied to be registered, under the principal Act at the time ofpassing of this Act, or under this Act; but it shall be law-ful for such Medical Authorities respectively to examineany candidates for such qualifications, and to give themcertificates entitling them to receive the said qualificationsafter giving proof that they have passed the examinationfor the Licence under this Act.

Title of Licentiate" not to be granted by t7ze MedicalA2ctTcorities.

15. After the date fixed for the commencement of exa-minations by the first Medical Examining Board appointedunder this Act, none of the Medical Authorities shall grantto any person any of the titles of Licentiate mentioned inSchedule (A) to the principal Act, or in any of the Actsmentioned in the first Schedule to this Act, or any title ofLicentiate on the ground of the. grantee’s qualifications inmedicine or surgery, or any branch of medicine or surgery.

Qualification for Registration.16. After the date fixed for the commencement of exa-

minations by the first Medical Examining Board appointedunder this Act, no person who is not at that date qualified.to be registered under the principal Act shall be registeredunder that Act unless he has, after, examination by aMedical Examining Board appointed under this Act, ob-tained a licence to practise medicine and surgery under thisAct.

Examining Boards.—Examination for the Licence to includeall branches of Medicine, Surgery, and lVliclzvifery.

21. Within three months after the formation of a GeneralMedical Council under this Act, the Council shall appointan Examining Board in each division of the kingdom, to becalled the "National Medical Examining Board for suchdivision; The Council shall appoint only such persons as

Examiners as are of approved skill in the several subjectson which they are to examine. It shall be the duty of theExaminers so appointed respectively to examine all candi-dates for a licence in Medicine and Surgery in the subjectsallotted to the several Examiners by the Council, and, togive to those candidates who satisfy them a certificate ofapproval for presentation to the registrar of the BranchCouncil of that part of the kingdom in which the examina.tion has been held. It shall be the duty of the Registrarthereupon to procure licences signed by the President of theGeneral Council and the members of the Executive Com-mittee of the General Council, which licences he shall for-ward to the successful candidates. The fee for examinationshall not exceed £5.The examination for the licence shall include full inquiry

both into the theoretical knowledge possessed by the candi-dates of the "Fundamental Medical Sciences," as well asof the subjects included under Medicine, Surgery, andMidwifery, and more especially of their practical acquaint-ance, as tested at the bedside, of cases of disease in all thesedepartments.,

Foreign and Colonial Practitioners.28. Where any person proves to the General Council that

he holds a medical diploma granted in any British posses-sion or in any foreign country, and that such diploma repre-sents the like degree of knowledge, as tested by examina-tion, to that which is required for obtaining a licence underthis Act, and entitles the holder thereof to practise medicineand surgery in the British possession or foreign countrywhere the same was granted, and that he is more thanforty years of age, and that he has practised medicine andsurgery for not less than ten years out of the United King-dom, or in the case of persons practising in the United Kingdom at the time of the passing of this Act, for not less thanten years in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, it shall belawful for the General Council to direct such person to beregistered under the principal Act without examination, butupon reasonable proof of character, and upon payment of £such fee, not exceeding the ordinary fee for registration, asthe General Council may from time to time prescribe.The term " medical diploma," for the purposes of this

Section, includes every degree or title or licence or authorityto practise granted by any university, college, or body, orgranted by any department or persons acting under theauthority of the Government of the British possession or

foreign country.Where the General Medical Council are satisfied of the

eminent professional acquirements and character of anyperson who for more than ten years has been practisingmedicine or surgery in any British possession or foreignState, they may, by a special order, direct such person, tobe registered under the principal Act, and such person maybe registered accordingly.Penalties for unauthorised assumption of Titles by unregis-

tered Persons practising Medicine and Surgery for gain.29. If any person who for gain either practises medicine

or surgery, or any branch of medicine or surgery, or is en-gaged in the cure or treatment of diseases or injuries, andis not registered under the principal Act, takes or uses anyof the designations enumerated in Schedule (A) to the prin-cipal Act as amended by this Act, or by any of the Acts inthe first Schedule mentioned, or the designation of Licen-tiate in Medicine and Surgery, or Licentiate in Medicine orin Surgery, or in any branch of Medicine or Surgery, Professorof Medicine, Professor of Surgery, Physician, Surgeon, Doctor,Accoucheur, or any designation used to distinguish duly-qualified practitioners of medicine or surgery, or any branchof medicine or surgery, he shall for every such offence beliable, on summary conviction, to a penalty not exceeding£100. Provided : That a person shall not be liable to suchpenalty if he shows that he is not a British subject, andnot ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, and iaoldsa medical diploma, degree, or title from some university,college, or body in any British possession or foreign countryentitled to grant the same.

If any person who for gain either practises medicine orsurgery, or is engaged in the cure or treatment of diseasesor injuries, wilfully takes or uses any of the above-mentioneddesignations to which he is not entitled, he shall for everysuch offence be liable, on summary conviction, to a penaltynot exceeding £100.’, If any person not registered under the principal Act givesany certificate which, under the principal Act, is not valid

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unless signed by a person registered under the principal Act,he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a penalty notexceeding jE20.The General Medical Council, and also any Branch

Medical Council, may take proceedings against any personfor the contravention of this Section ; and no prosecution forthe contravention of this Section shall be instituted by anyprivate person, except with the consent of the GeneralMedical Council or some Branch Medical Council.

Nothing in this Section shall prevent any person wholawfully holds a certificate of fitness to practise as a dentistgranted by the Royal College of Surgeons of England,from taking or using the title of Certified Dentist, or, ifhe has obtained a certificate before the passing of this Act,the title of Licentiate in Dentistry, or impose any penaltyon such person for taking or using such title.Nothing in this Section shall impose any penalty on any

person engaged solely in the cure or treatment of the dis-eases or injuries of animals and not of human beings.

Persons to be qualified in both Medicine and Surgery.30. No person who is not qualified at the time of the

passing of this Act to be registered under the principal Actshall be entitled to be so registered unless he has qualifica-tions to practise both medicine and surgery.

THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, EDINBURGH,AND THE DENTAL PRACTITIONERS BILL.

WE have been requested by the Secretary of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of Edinburgh to publish the following :-To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdomof Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled.

The Petition of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh,under their corporate seal, humbly showeth,-

That your petitioners having carefully examined and dis-cussed the proposed Dental Bill of 1878, entitled, " A Billto amend the law relating to Dental Practitioners," are ofopinion that certain amendments are necessary to be madein that Bill, which amendments they have on different oc-casions, and in various communications, submitted to theDental Reform Committee.That these amendments are in substance that the title

or designation of "Surgeon," used either alone or in com-bination with any other word or words, ought to be con-ferred exclusively on those persons who possess the diplomaof surgeon as registrable under the Medical Act of 1858.That the assumption of such title by any other persons is

inconsistent with the terms of the 40th section of that Act,inasmuch as that section provides that, " Any person whoshall wilfully and falsely pretend to be, or take or use thename or title of ...... surgeon ...... or any name, title, addi-tion, or description, implying that he is registered under thisAct, or that he is recognised by law as a physician, or sur-geon, or licentiate in medicine and surgery, ...... shall, upona summary conviction for any such offence, pay a sum notexceeding twenty pounds."That it is quite unnecessary and uncalled for, as well as

inexpedient and injurious, that such a title should be usedor taken by such dentists as are not also at the same timeregistered as surgeons under the Medical Act.That your petitioners’ reasons for addressing your honour-

able House in this wise, on these matters are-First. Thatthe prohibitory clauses of the Medical Act of 1858 seemto have been found inadequate for preventing the use of theword" Surgeon " in the designation assumed by unqualifiedpersons as above adverted to, and that an opportunity nowexists for rectifying this deficiency. Second. That thegeneral public will be unable to distinguish between dentistswho are, and those who are not, surgeons, should the termsof this Bill remain unaltered. Third. That the object 01elevating dentistry to a higher position, as set forth by thepromoters of this Bill, will be frustrated by its enactmentshere alluded to, since instead of encouraging those practisingdentistry to become also surgeons, it would enable them tcacquire the title and status of surgeons through anothe]and subordinate qualification.That your petitioners have explicitly stated these consi

derations to the Dental Reform Committee, on more thaione occasion; and have urged the interference with th<rights, privileges, and interests of duly qualified surgeons

which the present terms of the aforesaid Dental Bill entail.They have also shown that the title of dentist alone, and acertificate of fitness to practise as such, is all that a DentalBill ought to contemplate, but these suggestions have notbeen acceded to.May it therefore please your honours to take such steps

as will prevent the Bill referred to being passed into lawwithout such amendments as have been suggested by yourpetitioners. And your petitioners will ever pray.Signed in name and by authority of the Royal College by

(Signed) PATRICK HERON WATSON, M.D.,Edinburgh, March 1st, 1878. President.

THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE.

To the Right Hon. GATHORNE HARDY, M.P., Hed&Yacute;lCl/jestY’8Secretary of State for War.

The Memorial of the President, Vice-President, and Councilof the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland humblyshoweth,-

That your memorialists, upon the 3rd day of June, 1875,officially expressed to Her Majesty’s Government their con-viction that unless active steps were taken to amend thecondition of the Army Medical Department " serious in.convenience would be felt in consequence of there being a

deficiency of properly educated surgeons for the service ofthe Army," a state of things your memorialists regret to learnhas come to pass.Your memorialists beg to state that, in pursuance of

charters granted to them by Her most gracious Majesty,and Her Royal predecessors, they have " rovided a sufficientnumber of properly educated surgeons for the Army," but

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your memorialists find that with hardly one exception thesegentlemen will not take service in the Medical Departmentas at present organised.Your memorialists, therefore, feel that they would be

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deficient in their duty to the Crown and to the public werethey not to call your attention to these facts, and again to

, urge Her Majesty’s Government to take such measures aswill tend to restore the Army Medical Service to its former

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position in professional estimation and public favour.ROBERT MACDONNEL, President.PHILIP CRAMPTON SMYLY, Vice-President.J. STANNUS HUGHES, Secretary of Council.

Correspondence.A

"Audi alteram partem."

ON CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM INDIABETES.

To the Editor oj THE LANCET.SiR,-As Drs. Taylor and Goodhart seem to have con-

cluded their remarks upon the state of the nervous systemin diabetes, I too may say a last word. Drs. Taylor andGoodhart say that I have "grievously misinterpreted"them, and remark unfavourably upon what they term mymenacing demeanour. I should be glad to think that thedifference between us is less than their words conveyed, butI do not see how I could interpret them otherwise than Idid, or fail to be distinct and strenuous in reply. Had the

. paper which called forth my remarks dealt, like that whichfollowed them, chiefly with questions of interpretation, I

; should not have insisted, as I was compelled to do, uponmatters of fact. As I understood the main purpose of Drs.

; Taylor and Goodhart’s paper, it was not so much to discuss> the significance of certain morbid appearances as to announcethat of certain appearances described as morbid some had* no foundation and others were not morbid. I might describe. and even give pictures of haemorrhages or circles of degenera-

tion, but they are none the.wiser nor the less wise, for their- conclusions are not influenced thereby. Dr. Samuel Johnsoni once replied to a curious inquirer, " The explanation of that,, Sir, is that it is a lie. " Drs. Taylor and Goodhart say in more, graceful form, "The explanation of some of these morbid