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to his employers and to the public, "theopinions of Mr, Charles Robert Bree andother highly-gifted and distinguished mem-bers of the medical profession;" but Mr.Bree, being the only person named—he be-ing the head and front of this noble phalanx-stands amenable to his profession for theaid he has thus rendered to Dr. Kay, and tothose who, like Dr. Kay, would not onlytrample under foot all that is most honoura-ble in the profession, but would, also, con-vert its members into the supple tools of adetestable tyranny !

I am, Sir, yours, very respectfully,- J. BEDINGFIELD.

August 23,1837,Medical School, Stowmarket.

J. BEDINGFIELD.

MEDICAL ETIQUETTE AND PRAC-

TICE AT LIVERPOOL.

Dr. O’I)ONNELI. presents his complimentsto the Editor of THE LANCET, and begs hisinsertion of the following statement :-On Monday, the 31st of July, Mr. A., a

gentleman, 45 years of age, was attackedwith complete retention of urine. He sentfor Dr. U’Donnell, who promised to attendhim as soon as he had dined, but neglectedto do so. In the course of the evening’, Dr.S-y and Dr. Macrorie were sent for.They attempted to pass instruments, butfailed. On the following morning a bougie,it is said, was passed into the bladder. This,on being withdrawn, was followed by apint, or nearly a pint, of urine. The re-

mainder of the day was passed without anyfurther evacuation of the bladder. Wed-

nesday passed in the same manner. Thurs-day, Friday, and Saturday the same.. Dur-ing these days various purgative and diure-tic medicines were given, glysters wereattempted, the warm bath was used, andthree applications of leeches, in parcels of18, 18 and 12, were made to the abdomen,but no attempts were made to pass any in-struments into the bladder. On Saturday, inthe afternoon, Dr. O’Donnell was again sentfor ; he found the patient, Mr. A., in a verydistressed situation. The bladder was sodistended as to fill up the whole of the lowerabdomen, on all sides, and to reach up ashigh as the navel. He was tossing about,covered with perspiration, and complainingof pain in his back, and all over his belly.His pulse was 130; his tougue dry, with abroad brown streak down the centre. Ca-theterism was tried, and failed. Dr. O’Don-nell now told the patient that his bladderwas full of urine, and could only be re-lieved by puncture, and that no time was

to be lost ; that he (Dr. U’D-ounell) wouldnot meet Dr. Macrorie, and, therefore,that the best thiug that Mr. A. could dowould be to send for Mr. Manifold, or

some other operating surgeon, who would atonce see the necessity of acting. Dr.O’Donnell called on Mr. Manifold, in thecourse of the evening, to know if he hadseen the patient, and what had been done.Mr. Manifold then informed Dr. O’Donnellthat the patient was extremely distressedthat he, Dr. 0’DonneU, would not attendhim ; upon which Dr. O’Donnell stated thathe had no objection to attend the patient,but that he would have nothing whatever todo with Dr. Macrorie.

Shortly after, Dr. O’D. and Mr. M. metat the patient’s house, when it was statedto the patient that Mr. M. was willing tomeet any of the parties in attendance, butthat Dr. O’D. would not. The patient thendeclared that he had no wish whatever tohave Dr. Macrorie, and that he had neverhad any wish to have any person but Dr,O’D., if he would attend to him. Aboutthis time the patient had a severe rigor.The bladder was punctured, and 56 ouncesof urine drawn off. This urine, on beingallowed to cool, deposited a large quantityof mucus, and was, on the following day,extremely putrid and offensive. In thecourse of the night the urinary fever sub.sided, and, on the following day, the tonguewas clean, and the pulse at 70. The opera-tion was scarcely terminated, before Dr-Macrorie arrived; he complained that hehad been extremely ill-used, &c., &c. Hestated that he had long known that it wouldbe necessary to puncture the bladder, buthad deferred doing so, hoping to succeed byother means. Since this time, now sixteendays ago, the bladder has been puncturedfour times, and each time a large quantityof urine, mixed with mucus, taken away.Leeches have been applied to the anus andperineum, warm hip baths, opiate and febri-fuge medicines, exhibited. It has sinee,Dr. O’D. hears, been stated by Dr. Macro-rie, that he has been extremely ill used, andthat the practice pursued was extremelyunskilful, and that there was no necessitywhatever to puncture the bladder; that ifthe patient should die, an inquest would beheld ; and that if he should recover, Dr.O’Donnell should be brought before the Me-dical Association.

This short statement is put forth to gheDr. M. an opportunity of reconciling the

difference in his own statements, and justi-fying his practice.