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minims of the tincture of opium; with, in some cases, in-

jections into the rectum of solution of nitrate of silver. Ifthis treatment is as successful in other hands as it has been inmine, I shall have the great gratification of saving many lives,and, I think, of showing the true nature of cholera.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,A SPITALFIELDS APOTHECARY.

USES OF COLLODION.

W. H. RANKING, M.D. Cantab.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Among other uses of this valuable discovery, I havecaused it to be applied with much advantage to the incisionsafter cupping. Having first squeezed the skin between thefinger and thumb, so as to close the apertures, the collodion isapplied in transverse layers, until a sufficient thickness is pro-cured. It is found to hold the divided edges in perfect appo-sition, and at the same time to be transparent. The woundsthus treated healed with greater rapidity than those healed,for the purpose of comparison, in the ordinary way, by diachy-lon ; and the resulting cicatrices were incomparably lessevident to the sight. I have not had an opportunity oftrying this preparation in variola, but I would suggest it as avaluable application to the face &c., for the purpose of ex-cluding air, and thus preventing pitting. The same effect isproduced by tincture of iodine, a solution of nitrate of silver,Vigo’s plaster, mercurial ointment, &c., but it strikes methat collodion offers a peculiarly ready mode of obviatingdeformity. I need not refer to the fact that the developmentand maturation of the variolous pustule is in some way con-nected with the contact of air, as it is always more decidedlyand abundantly formed on the face, hand, &c., and is more

sparingly developed on the hairy scalp of the adult, while onthe scalp of early infancy it makes the same progress as onthe face.-I am, Sir, your obedient servant,Norwich, January, 1849.

ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF IODINE IN STRUMOUSCORNEITIS.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—In the last number of the Guy’s Hospital Reports-

viz., that for October-Mr. J. Bateman Wilson has publisheda short paper on the successful treatment of a very intractabledisease-viz., strumous corneitis. The subject of the affec-tion, in this case, had been " under the care of a celebratedoculist" in London, for ten weeks, without benefit, and subse-quently treated in the country with similar results. Mr.Wilson now took her in hand, and with iodine in one hand,and alteratives in the other, restored her very speedily tohealth. The disease, from first to last, was of twelve months’duration.My object in calling attention to the foregoing case is this.

Some months ago I witnessed, at the Ophthalmic Hospital,Charing-cross, the treatment of an extreme case of blindness,consequent on corneitis, in a strumous girl of about eightyears of age. Both eyes were affected. But under the in-ternal use of iodine and grey powder the opalescence gaveway, and the organs bade fair to be thoroughly restored.Should these observations chance to reach the eye of Mr.Hancock, (who appeared to me to have the care of the child,)I think he would do good service to the interests of ophthalmicsurgery by favouring the profession with the general resultsof this treatment in his hands, if he should have had no sub-sequent reason to modify his favourable opinion of iodine inthe form of disease under notice; and individually, I shouldfeel obliged to him.-I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,Woolwich, Nov. 18, IB4B. G. B. M.

NAVAL-ASSISTANT SURGEONS IN THE MEDI-TERRANEAN.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—At the time when the position of naval-assistant sur-

geons has been occupying so much of the public attention,and when it might be expected that a system of conciliation,rather than of annoyance, would be adopted to reconcile thosegentlemen, in some measure, to their condition, already soanomalous and uncomfortable, we are surprised to learn thata new species of vexatious discipline has been commenced onboard one of the ships in the Mediterranean fleet. The shipto which allusion is made has been in commission for upwardsof eighteen months, during which period it has been customaryfor an assistant-surgeon to sleep in the sick berth, to be in

readiness, at any time of the night, to attend to any circum.stance that might arise, and to render assistance in the eventof an accident, or any other casualty occurring.The captain, however, has thought fit to alter this ap.

parently excellent arrangement, having first contracted thedimensions of the sick berth, originally too small for theaverage number of sick out of one thousand men, and has for-bidden any medical man to sleep in the berth. An order hasconsequently been issued for the assistant-surgeons to keepwatch during the night, without reference to the nature of theillness under which the patients may be labouring, thus ren-dering the situation of the junior medical officers of that shipeven more irksome and disagreeable than it formerly was.

It has always been usual for the medical men of the navy towatch over cases requiring medical attendance at night, butit is a novelty to convert a surgeon into an ordinary night-nurse.

It would appear to us a better arrangement if the Admi-ralty were to assign some definite scale for the dimensions ofthe sick berth, which should not be departed from, instead ofleaving it to the caprice of the captain, to alter and contractthe apartment of the sick, according to his fancy; for thereare some who, in order to make a favourite deck look smart,do not hesitate to sacrifice the comfort of the sick, thus pre.ferring empty show to the sanitary condition of the crew.We consider it but fair that candidates for the situation of

assistant-surgeon in the navy should be made acquainted withthe circumstance of having to keep watch, that they may notbe unprepared when required to do so, as we have known someold hands to have been considerably startled on finding them-selves ordered to perform the duties so generally intrusted toattendants.

# Our correspondent has authenticated his communica-tion.—En. L.

____

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—Your kindness and liberality in advocating our cause

induces me again to trouble you with a few remarks, in thehope that you will give them a place in your valuable journal.A short time since, a paragraph appeared in a paper gene-

rally acknowledged to be well-informed in naval and militarytopics. This paragraph announced that their lordships wereabout to compound with assistant-surgeons-that is to say, re-fuse their petition to be admitted to mess with ward-roomofficers, but grant them the boon of occupying cabins, a boonwhich, if their lordships had any intention of granting, wouldbe found insufficient, as the dignity of the profession wouldnot be sufficiently maintained by that paltry grant, which, Ipresume, would, like that of 1846, (viz., a cabin fitted-up as areading-room, to be set apart for assistant-surgeons, secondmasters, and clerks,) be allowed to be rendered null and voidat the option of the captain. As the colleges have now takenup the matter, let them not cease until, like their trans-Atlantic brethren, they have emancipated their junior brethrenfrom the invidious and anomalous position of constantly as-sociating with youths completing their general education, andengaged in the attainment of their nautical profession; letthem energetically assert our claims, and hurl back withscorn any attempt at a compromise. Should you advise thatsome of the assistant-surgeons on the home station should putthemselves in correspondence with the colleges on this, Ifor one will act as you advise, and I think I may answer forseveral more uniting with me.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,___________

M.R.C.S. R.N.

A BULLET SWALLOWED.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In THE LANCET, of December 2nd last, to which I havebut now had an opportunity of referring, there is a note fromMr. Litchfield, describing the case of a child who had swalloweda bullet, and requesting a statement of any similar case, withthe results, that might have occurred in the practice of yourreaders. In reply to this, I perceive but five cases of such anoccurrence described-the one in your last number datingtwenty years since. If you think the following additional caseis worth insertion, it is at your service.About two months since, a little boy, between two and

three years old, swallowed a large pistol bullet. I saw himabout half an hour afterwards, and directed about a teaspoon-ful of sulphate of magnesia, dissolved in water, to be given,and repeated the next morning, (the bullet having been swal-lowed about eight P.M.) with a view, not only to accelerate theescape of the bullet, but partly, also, to convert any salt of