233

the compliment paid to him, by the valuable and unexpectedpresentation; and remarked, in the course of his observations,that he had now seen existing for years, in the Pine-street

school, a feeling of reciprocity and kindness between lecturersand students, such as in his experience rarely existed in othersimilar institutions. Several toasts were subsequently pro-posed ; the party separating about eleven o’clock. - Weunderstand that the time-piece is worth upwards of fiftyguineas.

ST. MARY-LE-BONE BANK FOR SAVINGS, WELBECK-STREET, CAVENDISH-SQUARE.—The twenty-fourth annual gene-ral meeting of this institution, was held on Thursday, the 2ndof February, at the office, No. 76, Welbeck-street, Cavendish-square, the Rev. John Hume Spry, D.D., in the chair. Itappeared from the several reports read to the meeting thatthe progress of the bank during the past year had been of asatisfactory description, no less than 2611 new deposits havingbeen made in the past year. 23,308 deposit accounts remainedopen on the 20th of November last, of which 17,836 heldbalances averaging less than £3 Os. 3d. each.

OBITUARY. - At Charlemont-street, Dnblin, .JOHNM’GOWAN, student in medicine, T.C.D., nephew of JohnM’Gowan, Carrickfergus. -At Trinidad, W. I., HENRYF. BARNETT, aged twenty-nine, youngest son of the late Dr.Barnett, of Worcester. - At Campden, Gloucestershire,WILLIAM HIRON, aged thirty-nine.-At Worcester, JAMES P.SHEPPARD, aged sixty-six, many years senior surgeon to theWorcester Infirinaiy.

WEEK ENDINGHEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK ENDINGSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18. --The rate of mortality has recentlyundergone no material variation, but a decrease, though notgreat, indicates an improvement in the public health. Thedeaths registered in the metropolis, which in the week thatended February 4th, were 1204, declined in the week follow-

ing to 1178, and last week to 1154. In the ten correspondingweeks of the years 1844-53, the average number of deaths was1085, which, if raised in proportion to the increase of popula-tion, becomes 1194. The number returned last week is there-fore less by 40 than the estimated amount. The mortalityfrom hooping-cough continues high, and 83 children, which isnearly double the average, were carried off by this complaintlast week. Scarlatina was fatal in 35 cases, an amount whichis not excessive, though the disease appears to have been severein some families. Eight deaths were caused by small-pox.

MEETINGS OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETIES INLONDON DURING THE ENSUING WEEK.

NOTE.—When the day of the month is not specified, no meetings take place. ISocieties.

Medical Society of London, 32A,George-street, Hanover-square í

Epidemiological, 53, Berners-streetChemical, 5, Cavendish-square ......

Medico-Churgical, 53, Berners-st.Pathological, 33, George-street, Hanover-square .................. í

Pharmaceutical, 17, Blooinsbury-sq.Hunterian, 4, Bloomfield-street,

Finsbury .......................... íNorth London, 2, Cambridge-ter-

race, Camden-town...........Harveian, 64, Fdgwzare-road .........Royal Institution, Albemarle-streetWestern Medical and Surgical,

44, Sloane-street ................. í

Days and Hoursof Meetings.

Sat. 8 r. 31.

Mon. 8 ½ P.M.Mon. 8 P.M.Tues. 8 P.M.

Tues. 8 P.M.

Wed. 8 ½ P.M.Wed. 8 P.M.

Wed. 7½ P.M.Thurs. 8 P.M.Fri. 8s P.M.

Fri. 8 P. M.

NextMeetings.

Feb. 25

" 28

March 1

" 2

" 3" 3

THE BRITISH MEDICAL DIRECTORY.

AT page 292 of this work for the present year, Dr. TheophilusC. Lewis, residing at North-side, Bethnal-green, London, is

entered, amongst his other titles, as a Fellow of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons by se)2io?,ity, whereas he obtained that dis-tinction by examination. Dr. Lewis is now surgeon of the

Queen’s Own Light Infantry Militia.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The Royal Maternity Charity.—We have received a letter from Mr. Bamford,in which the opinion is expressed that the committee of this institution"are already fully in possession of all the facts" connected with the case,and that "they would not dishonour their functions by going through theburlesque of an inquiry." We have stated elsewhere our views upon thissubject. We do not think it necessary to publish Mr. Bamford’s letter atlength.

Dr. Boulton, (Horncastle.)—We have received the guinea for the subscriptionfor Mr. Housley, and have handed it over to the treasurer.

DR. WILLIAMS ON THE CURE OF EPILEPSY.

JOSEPH WILLIAMS, M.D.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—In Mr. Hooper’s letter, in THE LANCET of Feb. llth, he appears to

attribute too much importance to the effects of the cotyledon umbilicus in thecase of Epilepsy to which he refers, and I would invite attention to the follow-ing points :-That the patient, previously instructed by me, not feeling sowell, with irritation about the nose and rectum, had administered a strongturpentine enema, "and he soon felt tcsrm all ove)’, and decidedly relieved."This, in my opinion, ivas the powerful agent which dissevered the first epilepticlink; for although he had been under my care more than five weeks, he hadnot then taken a single dose of cotyledon, (vide THE LANCET, p. 130.)

Turpentine is a very potent remedy; it rouses and stimulates the system;it acts upon the capillaries and upon the kidneys ; and I have two or threetimes seen general erysipelas induced by a single turpentine enema, showingthat its action is by no means to be trifled with. The patient chiefly cured by

its use, and whom I again saw only a few days since, is still quite well. Hethen told me, "that whenever he had found the old feeling conning on, he hadhis turpentine injection, and immediately felt relieved." So comparativelyunimportant had I considered the cotyledon in this individual instance, thatwhen enumerating and commenting upon the remedies employed, I did noteven mention the cotyledon umbilicus.The experience auorded by your Analytical Sanitary Commission has ren-

dered me peculiarly cautious in the use of new remedies, and also of the morepotent medicinal agents when not obtained from the same establishment, ithaving been so clearly shown by your Commission how greatly the strengthof medicines varies at different chemists. Consequently, having this fully inview, on changing Mr. Hooper’s cotyledon for Mr. Davenport’s, I sent veryspecial written directions for the dispenser.The cotyledon must not be regarded as a specific for the cure of epilepsy;

it benefits—nay, even cures some cases, especially those dependant upon con- .

gestiaii and irritation of the brain, but unfortunately it will frequently befound utterly valueless. It acts apparently as a derivative, often producingone, two, or three relaxed alvine evacuations daily; it also appears to havesome influence upon the kiclneys.There are three preparations of the cotyledon umbilicus in general use. The

succus or preserved juice—dose, one to three or four drachms ; the inspissatedjuice—dose, half a drachm to a drachm; the extract—dose, five to ten orfifteen grains. The disadvantage of the suecus is, that when large doses arerequired, a considerable quantity of spirit is necessarily administered; inother respects I have found this decidedly the most useful preparation. Theinspissated juice, in whatever way prepared, is to an uncertain extent im-paired by the process of inspissation, and does not produce an effect corre-sponding to its relative or reputed strength. The extract is unfortunatelyvery deliquescent ; it is, however, for dispensing, much cheaper than either ofthe other preparations, and I have known one patient cured by its sole use ;indeed it was this very case which made Mr. Davenport’s name first known tome. Conversing with a surgeon, when in consultation, on another disease, he,having in vain tried everything, asked me how he could cure an epilepticpatient, who could not, or rather would not, pay a guinea for the advice.Having heard the particulars, I recommended the cotyledon umbilicus to beadministered twice a day for a considerable time. Davenport’s extract, in theform of pills, was given for a period of five months. No fits occurred; thepatient considered he was cured, and absented himself whhout leave from hismedical attendant. In a month, however, he returned, his fits having- againrecurred. On renewing the medicine, his disease was again eombated; andthis is one of the great points in treatment, not to be content with havingsuspended the attack for two, four, or even six months, but to take the greatestcare, continuously, to follow on from day to day the treatment, in some caseseven occasionally augmenting the dose. No patient can be considered abso-lutely cured who has not had a perfect immunity from an epileptic fit, or evenfrom the epileptic aura, for six or possibly even for twelve months.As to the individual preparations of Messrs. Davenport and Hooper, I be-

lieve them to be equally excellent; and to show that Mr. Davenport canefficiently extract the virtues of the cotyledon, I will, with ycur permission, inTHE LAxcEr of next wec’k, give the condensed details of a most interestingcase of epilepsy, to which he has already referred, and which has been entirelycured by the sole use of his expressed juice of the cotyledon umbilicus.

1 an), Sir, your obedient servant,Tavistock-square, Feb. 1854. JOSEPH WILLIAMS, M.D.

A Constant Rearder.—The lieeilce of the Apothecaries’ Society is not necessaryin order to qualify a man to carry on the business of a "chemist anddruggist." Our correspondent must, however, limit his interpretation as towhat constitutes the legitimate business of a "chemist and druggist" so asnot to touch upon the functions of an apothecary, otherwise he may un.dunbteclly receive the "penalty" of the law.