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action of the water may be referred to the alkaline saltsand lithium which it contains, while borax is doubtless animportant contributory factor. The water is exported inbottle, but there is no reason why the spring should notform the basis of a hydro-therapeutic establishment on thelines of the continental watering places mentioned above.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OFLONDON.

ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.

AN extraordinary Comitia was held on March 28th, Sir

W. S. CHURCH, Bart., K.C.B, the President, being in the

chair.The PRESIDENT delivered the usual annual address in

the course of which he referred to the lives of eightFellows who had died during the year-namely, Dr. E. L.Birkett, Dr. W. S. Playfair, Dr. W. H. Corfield, Dr. J.Tatham, Dr. Alfred Sangster, Dr. J. W. Hue, Sir E.Sieveking, and Dr. Alexander Davidson. The Presidentthen referred to the distinctions which had been con-

ferred on certain members of the medical profession andto the award of medals, prizes, and scholarships connectedwith the College. He also detailed the lectures which hadbeen delivered, especially drawing attention to the HarveianOration and to the first FitzPatrick lectures. In speaking ofthe endowments presented to the College during the yearhe once more thanked Dr. Horace B. Dobell and Dr. GeorgeOliver for their generosity. He then reviewed some of thework accomplished by the College and the many importantcommittees which had been appointed during the year.

Dr. J. E. POLLOCK proposed that the College shouldexpress its thanks to Sir W. S. Church tor having actedas President during the past five years and also for hisaddress and should request permission to have it printed.

This motion was put to the College and carried byacclamation.

Sir W. S. CHURCH returned thanks to the College and Iacceded to the request to have his address printed. He then Ivacated the chair.The Registrar (Dr. E. LIVEING) read the regulations

which govern the election of President and the election wasthen proceeded with. At the first ballot the following wasthe result: Sir William S Church, 44 votes ; Sir WilliamBroadbent, 42 ; Sir R Douglas Powell, 35 ; Dr. P. H. Pye-Smith, 29 ; Dr. W. H. Dickinson, 3 ; Sir Dyce Duckworth, 2 ;Professor Clifford Allbutt, 2 ; Dr. J. F. Payne, 1 ; Dr. F. W.Pavy, 1 ; and Dr. Robert Barnes, 1. A second ballot wasthen taken with the result that Sir William Church waselected, receiving 91 votes while Sir William Broadbentreceived 69.The charge was delivered by the Senior Censor (Sir DYCE

DuCKWORTH) and the PRESIDENT pledged his faith to theCollege.

Sir W. S CHURCH thanked the College for the honourconferred upon him in being again elected President.A Licence to practise physic was granted to Colin

Alexander Campbell, M. B. Toronto.The College seal was set to a " Declaration of Trust "

accepting a sum of .B2000 from Dr. George Oliver for theendowment of "The Oliver-Sharpey Lectureship or Prize "on the terms agreed to at the last meeting.The following communications were received : 1. From

the Colonial Secretary, moving the College to establish anexamination and diploma in tropical medicine. The matterwas referred to the Committee of Management for report.2. From the clerk of the Privy Council, asking on behalf ofthe "Physical Deterioration Committee observations fromthe College on a scheme for establishing a permanentanthropometrical survey of the United Kingdom. Therequest was referred to the same committee that reported onthe "Physical Disability of Recruits," the President tonominate two new members in place of Dr. G. Vivian Pooreand Dr. J. J. Pringle who were unable to serve. 3.From the secretary of the Royal College of Surgeonsof England, reporting certain proceedings of its Councilon Feb. llth and March 10th. 4. From the English com-mittee of the International Congress on School Hygieneto be held at Nuremberg, April 4th to 9th, inviting theCollege to appoint a representative on the committee and to

send delegates to the Congress. The President announced thathe had nominated Sir Lauder Brunton to act as delegateof the College and Dr. F. Warner to serve on the committee.5. From the secretary of the Sanitary Institute, inviting theCollege to send delegates to the annual congress to be heldat Glasgow. July 25!ih to 30th. It was resolved to send

delegates to the congress, the names to be announced at the-next Comitia.

After some further business the PRESIDENT dissolved theComitia.

Looking Back.FROM

THE LANCET, SATURDAY, April 1, 1826.

THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF SURGICAL EDUCATIONCONTRASTED WITH TBE ENGLISH.1

FOR the following accurate history of the French systemof surgical education, we are indebted to Mr. BENNETT, who,for several years, taught anatomy in Paris, and is wellqualified to write on the subject.

In 1792, the National Convention decreed the suppressionof all universities, colleges, corporations, &c., throughoutFrance. However, before the expiration of two years, theyfound it indispensable to provide for the education ofmedical men, and in consequence Fourcroy and others weredeputed to devise some system which, it was generallyadmitted, should be founded upon the principle, that"Medicine and Surgery were one and indivisible as theRepublic." " The Faculty of Medicine was shortly afterorganised, and formed the model upon which the otherFaculties were subsequently constructed.

In Paris we at present find the following Faculties, whohave entrusted to them the business of education in their

respective departments, viz.:-The Faculty of TheologyThe Faculty of LawThe Faculty of MedicineThe Faculty of Mathematical and Physical SciencesThe Faculty of Letters.

There are similar bodies on the same plan, and for thesame purposes, in other great cities of France.Now the re-union of all the Faculties of any particular

city, Paris for example, constitutes the Academy of that

city ; and the re-union of all the Academies of France con-stitutes The University of France.The great officers of the University are-a Grand Master,

a Chancellor, a Treasurer, and a Council; they reside inParis, and their jurisdiction extends over all the academiesin France ; the accounts, expenditures, &c., are regulated bythem, and they constitute a Court of Appeal.Each Faculty confers the degree of doctor at the expira-

tion of four years’ study, after several public examinations ;but the Faculty of Sciences, and that of Letters, confer, inaddition, the subordinate degrees of bachelor in sciencesand bachelor in letters. To obtain these latter, a studenthas but to present himself for examination.For the bachelorship in letters, he is examined in the

classics, history, geography, and rhetoric ; for the bachelor-ship in sciences, he is examined in the elements of mathe-matics, physics, natural history, chemistry, botany, &c.

Before a student is admitted to become a pupil at any ojthe Faculties, with the view of subsequently taking a degree,he must first possess the degrees of bachelor of sciences andbachelor in letters, whereby a good primary education isinsured on his part.The election of PROFESSORS to the several Faculties was,

prior to the restoration of the Bourbons, determined by"Concours," or a public trial of merit, a system stilladhered to in the disposal of the minor offices.

In the year 1822, the Faculty of Medicine of Paris wassuppressed through political motives, and the election ofprofessors by concours was discontinued when the Facultywas reorganised in the following year. A new office was

1 The details of the system of education prescribed at the Facultyof Medicine and of the manner of conducting the election of Professorsby " Concours and the " new regulations" of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons tn London have ’not’&bgr;eè1Ï ttanierib6d! i ’ . .