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Medical News.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.-The followinggentlemen, having undergone the necessary examinations forthe diploma, were admitted Members of the College at themeeting of the Court of Examiners on the 22nd inst. :-

BROWN, ROBERT, Wintershields, Cumberland.DAWSON, WILLIAM LEE, Cloughran, co. Dublin. JONES, WiLLiAM HENRY, London.MACLOGHLIN, JOHN, Liverpool.O’NEILL, EDWARD, Mitchellstown, co. Cork.SEGAR, JOHN, Ainsdale, near Southport, Lancashire.SLAUGHTER, GEORGE MOULAS, Farningham, Kent.WILLIAMS, EVAN PIERCE, Denbigh, North Wales.WILLIAMS, ISAAC MEN NELL, York.WINDSOR, THOMAS, Piccadilly, Manchester.YOUNG, CHRISTOPHER, Yarm, Yorkshire.

The following gentlemen were admitted Members on the25th inst. :-

BARNETT, JOHN, Moneymore, co. Derry.COLLINS, WILLIAM, Kingston, co. Dublin.CRAVEN, GEORGE, New Worthley, Yorkshire.IRWIN, CHAMNEY GRAVES, Raphoe, co. Donegal.M’KIBBIN, ROBERT, Ballymacarrett, near Belfast.NICOLLS, ARCHIBALD, Kilmakenney, co. Leitrim.PEPLER, WILLIAlIl BROwN, Tinhead, Devizes.SMITH, HENRY TYRWHIT, Melton Mowbray.

APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen whopassed their examination in the science and practice of medi-cine, and received certificates to practise on

Thursday, July 21st, 1853.BAYLEY, REGINALD, Walters, Winchester.HOUGHTON, ALDERMAN THOMAS, Waters.SKRIMSHINE, GEORGE.

NAVAL MEDICAL OFFICERS.-On reference to the newspapers of the past week it will be observed that out suggestion to the profession, to petition the House of Commonsin favour of the claims of the above ill-used class of officers inHer Majesty’s Navy, has not been lost sight of, inasmuch as agreat number of petitions have been presented from all partsof the United Kingdom, and from the students of mostof the metropolitan schools. We congratulate the medicalofficers on securing some most zealous representatives of theirclaims, as Messrs. Brady, Michell, Alexander, Bowyer,Heathcote, Viscount Goderich, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, &c. Apetition has been consigned to Mr. Montague Chambers, oneof the members for Greenwich, signed by some of the mostdistinguished physicians and surgeons of the metropolis,including the Presidents of the Royal Colleges of Physiciansand Surgeons, and by every medical practitioner of the exten-sive borough of Greenwich. The President of the RoyalCollege of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College ofSurgeons of Ireland, the President (G. G. Bird, Esq.) andmembers of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association,the merchants and bankers of London, Bishops Stortford, &c.,have also petitioned the House. -MEDICAL POOR-LAW RELIEF.-The custom adopted

by boards of guardians of making the medical contracts forunions and districts annual affairs, forms a subject of deep, and,it may be added, most justifiable complaint amongst medicalparochial officers. Almost all other officers connected withunions are elected for life, with fixed salaries, and yet the medicalgentlemen are only annually elected, liable to be removed accord-ing to the whim or fancy of any new board of guardians, whoorder and change their salaries as they please. In one instance,the guardians, who could have no idea of the large capital in.vested in the profession by the medical officers, and who wereequally incapable of appreciating either professional worth orprofessional skill, had the assurance to require the medicalofficers of the union to reduce their charges ten per cent. ongeneral illness, and on ordinary labour cases from .=S1 1 and 15s. to12s. 6d. and 10s. To such an unjust proposal, and such a bare-faced robbery, the medical officers positively demurred, and wroteto the Poor-law Board, respectfully remonstrating against sucharrogant conduct. Although the Poor-law Board disapproved oftheir proceedings, the guardians had the audacity to advertise themedical contracts, and accepted the services of other medical

- gentlemen, who were so far forgetful of self-respect and profes-sional etiquette as to submit to their terms, and displace thosewho asserted the rights of their profession. It, however,

happened, like a kind of retribution, that after they signed thecontracts the poor increased 200 per cent. Why gentlemen whohave to perform the onerous, responsible duties which parochialmedical officers have to discharge should be worse paid andworse treated than union clerks, relieving officers, et hoc genusomne, is a problem that none but a Poor-law guardian can solve.

LICENTIATES IN MIDWIFERY.-The new MidwiferyBoard at the College of Surgeons has now been in operation forone year. We are informed that ninety-five candidates havepresented themselves for examination. Of this number ninety-two have passed the examination, and three have been rejected.The whole of those who have passed the examination are mem-bers of the College.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.-It was our inten,.tion to have given a full report of the meeting that was held onWednesday, and with that view our reporter attended; but, uponthat gentleman presenting himself at the door, the janitor informedhim that none but governors were admitted. Our reporter thensent in his card, and thereupon the secretary, with every polite-ness, told him that the press had never been admitted to thosemeetings, and that it was not likely that the committee wouldever deviate from that rule. Such being the case, our readersmust gain information as best they may concerning this Star-chamber meeting. -

QUARANTINE. - The Commissioners of Customshave issued orders to the collectors of the several ports to trans-mit without delay a return of the deaths in all vessels that per-formed quarantine during the past five years; the names anddates of the vessels that arrived under quarantine at each port;the countries whence such vessels came ; the crew and passengersof each vessel; the number of deaths that occurred during thevoyage; the length of the quarantine, and the health of the crewand passengers during quarantine.BURIAL-GROUND BILL.-Sir W. Molesworth moved

that the Burial Bill before the House be read a second time that daythree months, as Lord Palmerston had prepared a more compre-hensive Bill, and one more suited to the wants of the metropolis.On a subsequent day the noble lord brought forward his measure,which is now progressing through the House.IMPORTANT TO UNION MEDICAL OFFICERS.-At the

New Bailey, Manchester, Mr. Hilton, overseer of Roxton-cum-Glazebrook, was fined, under the 8th and 9th Viet. c. 126, (oneof the General Lunacy Acts,) £5 with costs, for having got ridof a lunatic by delivering him to the Salford police, who broughthim to the Manchester Workhouse, whence he was transferredas insane to the Prestwich Lunatic Asylum. The act, whichauthorises a fine of £10, equally affects medical officers of unionsand parishes, relieving officers, and overseers, who shall omit formore than three days, after having obtained knowledge of anychargeable pauper who is deemed a lunatic, to give notice of thatfact to the nearest justice of the peace ; and also upon anyconstable, overseer, or relieving officer, who shall omit to appre-hend such wandering lunatic.NORTH DUBLIN UNION.-It having been proposed

to raise the salaries of the medical officers of this Union, and theguardians having approved of the same, the question was deferredto ascertain the scale of salaries paid in London to medical poor-law officers.

]ROYAL COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY.-On Tuesday theannual meeting of subscribers was held, Sir James Clark, Bart.,in the chair, when the report of the council was read. It appearedthat the number of patients greatly increased, and that, the feesso nearly approached the expenditure, that this year the councilintended returning the members’ subscriptions. ProfessorPlayfair having resigned the chair of chemistry, it was occupiedby Professor Hoffman, who, with the permission of the council,also accepted the chair of chemistry in the Metropolitan Schoolof Science applied to Mining and the Arts. The council havingobtained permission of Government to amalgamate the Collegewith the Metropolitan School of Science, made over to the latterthe cases, fixtures, &c., of the former. The report also statedthat a new series of chemical works would be soon distributed.The report was adopted, and thanks voted to H.R.H. PrinceAlbert (the president), Lord Ashburton (treasurer), the council,auditors, Professor Hoffman, and the chairman.THE MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUND. - At a meet-

ing of the Committee, recently held, it was resolved, that everyapplicant for relief shall in future be recommended by twomedical men, one of whom must be a subscriber to the fund, andof whom one at least must personally know the applicant. Letters

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of acknowledgment were read from the recipients of grants votedat the previous meeting. Cases : 1. A very old and infirm prac-titioner in London, at present almost wholly incapacitated fromthe practice of his profession. Previously voted two grants of10l. each. Voted IOl., and it was resolved that his name shouldbe placed on the list of candidates for annuities. 2. The orphanof a medical man who died abroad ; has received several smallgrants to assist her during her education. Voted 5l. 3. Thewidow of a surgeon, aged sixty, who died in Jamaica in 1822 ; shehas earned a living by means of her needle for many years; shehas two grand-children dependent upon her. Voted st. to assisther to emigrate. 4. The widow of a practitioner in Lincoln-shire, who died last year, leaving nine children, seven of whomare dependent upon the mother. Voted 5l. 5. The daughtersof a surgeon who practised in London forty-six years, and whodied a few years since; one of the daughters is aged forty-two,the other forty-seven; they have hitherto earned their live-lihood by teaching, but both are now suffering from chronicdisease. Voted 101. 6. The widow of a surgeon who died inSeptember last, leaving five children dependent upon her; hasassisted in supporting them by means of a day-school; is now ingreat difficulty. Voted 10l. 7. A country surgeon who haslately become paralytic; has a wife and four children. Voted 10l.8. A medical man, aged seventy, practising in a remote part ofthe country; lately fallen into a state of poverty. Voted 5Z.

DARTFORD AND THE BOARD OF HEALTH. - At ameeting of the rate-payers of Dartford, a memorial to the Boardof Health, praying them to prevent the local board proceedingwith the Croydon system of pipe sewerage, was unanimouslyadopted. The memorial, after referring to its evil effects inCroydon, where it generated fever, states that pipe-sewers areparticularly ill-adapted to the land-locked position of Dartford,where they would prevent free vent to fogs and mists, and therebyretain a poisonous miasma fraught with danger to health andlife.

CHOLERA.-This disease is not only raging, but, ac-cording to the latest accounts, is increasing at Copenhagen, andthreatens to further increase in intensity. On the llth and 12th

inst., the patients numbered 84 and the deaths 46. From the12th to the 13th, the former were 84, the latter 57 ; from the13th to the 14th, the patients were 85, and the deaths 60; andon the 15th and 16th, the patients were 350, and the deaths 137.At Stettin this frightful disease is also spreading, and fears areentertained that it will extend to the Baltic provinces.-Lieu-tenant Smith, of the Ceylon Rifles, and two privates of thecorps quartered at Colombo, have died of cholera.IMPORTANT TO LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES.-

In Ireland, the representatives of John Carroll, lately deceased,sued the Medical and Legal Life Insurance Company for a largesum, the amount of deceased’s insurance. It appeared that theEnglish and Cambrian Office refused insuring deceased’s life, butrecommended him to apply to the Medical and Legal LifeAssurance Company, in London, who insured his life withoutconsulting the local agent. A verdict for the defendants wasreturned.-Irish paper.OBITUARY.- On the 18th inst., at his residence,

23, Church-road, De Beauvoir-square, Kingsland, London, JOHNARTHUR,,Esq., M.D., Deputy Inspector-general of Army Hos-pitals, in the 71st year of his age.-On the 18th July, suddenly,at the Isle of Wight, M. IBBERSON IzoD, aged twenty-five.-AtRoscrea, Ireland, PATRICK CLEARY, of malignant typhus fever.At Lee, Kent, ARTHUR PHILLOTT, Esq., of Wimpole-street.HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK ENDING

SATURDAY, JULY 23.-The total number of deaths registered inthe metropolitan districts in the week that ended last Saturdaywas 971. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1843-52the average number was 1049, which, raised in a certain propor-tion according to increase of population, gives an estimatedamount of 1154. Last week’s registration, therefore, shows thatthe actual mortality is less than the corrected average by 183.The deaths ascribed to zymotic diseases are 226, about the samenumber as in the previous week. In the two weeks, fatal casesof small-pox were respectively 2 and 2; of measles, 26 and 11;scarlatina, 27 and 26; hooping-cough, 37 and 30; typhus andother fever, 51 and 58. The only fact particularly attractingnotice is the increase, usual at this season, of diarrhoea. Thenumbers referred to this complaint in the last four weeks arethe following: 28, 34, 54, and 73. It appears that the last few days have witnessed a decided increase both in diarrhoea andsummer cholera; and though typhus contributes nothing more than the usual proportion to the weekly mortality, local reportsshow that it is prevalent in some parts.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Dr. Bush.-We find it impossible, at this period of the session, and with theenormous. pressure upon our columns, to insert the long letter of ourcorrespondent on the subject of the Lunacy Bills. We would mostwillingly afford Dr. Bush the opportunity of stating his views upon thisimportant matter, even if in opposition to our own, could it be hoped inthe present stage of the Bills to rouse any inquiry in Parliament into theirprinciple or provisions. Since our criticisms have been published, somefew amendments have been introduced, but not to such an extent asmaterially to modify our objections.

St. Thomas’s Hospital.-It will not escape the notice of our readers that wepublished last week a communication from Mr. South, stating that wewere in error in our leader of the 16th instant, in believing that Mr. LeGros Clark materially assisted him in the performance of his hospitalduties. Mr. South informs us, that not only does a day rarely passwithout his presence in the wards of the hospital, but that Mr. Clark hasnever on more than two or three occasions done any duty for him. Thisrefutation from Mr. South gives us sincere pleasure, and we are confidentit will afford much satisfaction.

Exchange.-Certainly. Such cases are by no means uncommon. It hasbeen a long-established fact that the absence of such signs is no test ofimpurity.

Mr. W.H. Bauram shall receive a private communication.

THB UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AND THE APOTHECARIES’ SOCIETY.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Seeing in last week’s impression of THE LANCET an inquiry as tothe respective merits of the London University matriculation examinationand the preliminary examination at the Hall, I beg to offer my opinion,partly from experience, partly from report, and also a brief list of the sub-jects required at each place. The matriculation examination embracesalmost every branch of a liberal education. It extends over a period of fivedays, from two to six hours per day, and is, I do not hesitate to say, theseverest ordeal of the kind in the United Kingdom, supposing the exami-ners faithfully discharge their duties, and reject all candidates who do notcome up to the standard. In fact, I have more than once heard graduatesof Oxford and Cambridge admit, that examination is not far behind theB.A. of those universities. On the other hand, the preliminary at the Hallis merely classical and mathematical, extending over a period of two days,two hours per day.The following is a comparative list of the subjects required :-

Matriculation for 1853. iLatin.-One Book of Livy. Greek.-Homer’s Odyssey, Book XI.

I

Mathe{ Euclid, Book lst !

matics. Atgebra, including progres-sion. IChemistry.English History.Enxtish Language. ,

Natural Philosophy. II.French or German.

Preliminary for 1853.First Book of Georgics.Latin. One Oration of Cicero againstCatiline.

Greek. Homer’s Iliad, Book 1st.l Gospel of St. Mark.dfatlze- Euclid, Book lst.Algebra, including SimpleEquations.

In conclusion, I have only to state that in March I passed the latter withthree months’ preparation; but I have not the pluck to present myself atthe University of London without twelve months’ previous study.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,Stafford, July, 1853.

I am, Sir, yours HALF A L.A.C.WE shall feel obliged by any friend at Leicester forwarding to us a local

paper, containing a full report of the case La Mert v. Dawson, tried atthe recent Assizes at Leicester.

A Country Practitioner must authenticate his communication before it canbe inserted.

EXTRAORDINARY CONSUMPTION OF NUX VOMICA..

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-Will you allow me to ask the opinion of your numerous readers on.

the following matter :-° In 1840 only 550 lbs. of nax vomica were imported into England, whereas

in 1852 nearly as many tons reached our market."- Vide Popular’Economic Botany," page 315, by Thomas Croxen Archer.The information I desire to obtain is, to what cause may be attributed.

this enormous increase? Whether, which can be scarcely probable, thisarticle is in so much greater demand as medicine, or whether it is used inany other particular purpose which may account for the difference? I shallfeel obliged by a solution of the mystery.

I am, Sir, faithfully yours,July, 1853. A SURCRIENI.

Mr. Hadduck.-We know of no law which can compel a medical practitionerto be a collector of taxes against his will.

A Constant Subscriber.-The diploma of the College of Surgeons is sufficientqualification for a gentleman who may be appointed public vaccinatorThe appointment rests with the guardians solely.

MILITIA SPMBNONS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,- Could you or any of your numerous correspondents inform me it £the pay of militia surgeons has been raised from Us. 4d. to 15s. a daywhilst engaged on recruiting service.

I remain yours, &c.,July, 1853. A MILITIA SURGEON.

jf. T. C.-We do not see that any object could be gained by publishing ourcorrespondent’s letter. It would only create more disunion than alreadyexists.

THE request of -M)-. J. V. Solomon shall receive attention.