THE BIRTHDAY HONOURS.

1703 more powerful instruments of their brethren ? That this great exhibition will extend knowledge, promote a better mutual appreciation among the obstetric practitioners of all countries, and modify the practice of midwifery at home and abroad, there can be no doubt." Time has answered these questions. Visitors to the next annual exhibition at the Royal College of Surgeons of England will see a terrible array of exotic cephalotribes fearfully and wonderfully made, and all discarded. Lister was already in the midst of his labours in 1866. Thanks to him, antiseptic midwifery has wrought wonders. Then Cæsarean section was almost a sentence of death to the mother. Some contracted pelves have been made into a special series for the College Museum, and will be exhibited at the annual show. Two represent Csesarean sections, and in both cases though the child was saved the mother was lost. Now, as Dr. Amand Routh’s tables demonstrate, the operation is performed almost weekly and with little risk to the mother. "And these results," so prophesied our reporter in April, 1866, " will redound to the credit of the Obstetrical Society of London and of its officers, whose sagacity and liberal enterprise conceived and The prophecy executed this truly noble undertaking." has come true. We know how great a part the Fellows of that society, now merged into the Royal Society of Medicine, played in introducing antiseptic and aseptic methods into the domain of obstetrics and gynaecology.

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BIRTHDAY HONOURS.

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IN the name of the medical profession we congratulate those members who have received honours on the occasion of of His Majesty’s Birthday. Mr. Rickman J. Godlee has been made a Baronet, and among the Knights are the names of Mr. Berkeley G. A. Moynihan, Mr. J. Bland-Sntton, Mr. A. Garrod Thomas, Dr. StClair Thomson, and LieutenantColonel David Prain, F.R.S., Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. In the Most Honourable Order of the Bath Surgeon Major General Alexander F. Bradshaw, C.B., K.H.P., has been promoted to a Knight, and Companionships of the Order have been conferred upon Surgeon-General William Babtie, V.C., O.M.G., Deputy Director General A.M.S., and Colonel R. N. Campbell, C.I.E , I.M.S. Professor Alexander Ogston has been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order; Mr. G. Lenthal Cheatle, C.B., Dr. Percival Horton-Smith Hartley, M.V.O., and Inspector-General Belgrave Ninnis, R.N., have been made Companions of the Order; and Mr. W. Netterville Barron a Member of the Fourth Class. Surgeon-General Henry Wickham Stevenson, I.M.S., surgeon-general to the Government of Bombay and an additional Member of the Council of the Governor of Bombay for making laws JOHN WILKES’S DUEL. and regulations, has received a Companionship of the of John Wilkes’s famous duel-with Samuel AN account Star of India ; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles H. James, I.M.S., Martin is worthy of study as illustrating a phase in the medical adviser in the Patiala State, a Companionship of the social life, and incidentally in the history of the medical Indian Empire ; Dr. Andrew Balfour, director of the Governof the middle of the eighteenth century. We copy ment Research Laboratories at the Gordon Memorial College, practice our facts from what was called the Postscript of the Khartoum, a Companionship of the Order of St. Michael and St. James’s Chroniole, om the British Evening Post, of St. George; and Dr. T. M. Nair, a commissioner of the Nov. 17th, 1763. The journal, which contained fashicnmunicipal corporation of Madras, the Kaisar-i-Hind gold able intelligence, was apparently published bi-weekly and medal. cost 2d. a number. It appears that Mr. Wilkes, M.P. " for Aylesbury, had been called ’a cowardly traitor THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM OF by Mr. Samuel Martin, Member for Oamelford, whereTHE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS upon the writer of "No. 45 of the North Briton," OF ENGLAND. meeting his insulter at 2 o’clock in the morning in THE specimens, casts, and instruments added to the the Lobby of the House of Commons, challenged him in Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England during the following terms : "Sir, after fourteen Hours hard Duty, the past year, 1911-12, will be, according to custom, I shall go home to take a little Rest, and about Twelve at exhibited on July 4th, the day of the elections of members Noon remember that we are to proceed to business." of Council, and also on July 5th, from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., Accordingly at noon the combatants met in Hyde Park. It and finally on July 6th, from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. The addi- is to be noted that they were not accompanied by a surgeon. tions include a large number of anatomical and pathological At the first attack both pistols missed fire ; at the second specimens. A special feature this year must be noted- Mr. Martin’s missed, whereupon Mr. Wilkes generously namely, the number of instruments on exhibition. Theretarded discharging his Pistol, and offered Mr. Martin the executors of the late Lord Lister, through ohe President ofchoice of either of his Pistols." Mr. Martin refusing, they the College, Sir Rickman Godlee, have presented histurned back to back, and on their facing again Martin’s surgical instruments. Those designed, modified, or actuallyr bullet entered ’’ Mr. Wilkes’s Belly, about Half an Inch used by him will be grouped under a separate collec--below the Navel, and sunk obliquely on the Right Side down tion, so that future generations may see the equip-towards the Groin. Upon which Mr. Wilkes said, Mr. ment of the surgical hero of the nineteenth century. AMartin, take care of yourself, for you have done for large and valuable collection of obstetrical and gynoeco-- me." It was now Mr. Martin’s turn to be generous, and logical instruments, formerly the property of the Obstetrical1 he went for assistance instead of running away. Seeing Society of London, has been presented to the College by thee a chariot, he told its occupant that a gentleman lay Royal Society of Medicine. It includes a great part of thee wounded on the grass in Hyde Park. The chariot celebrated series exhibited at a conversazione held by thee at once drove out of the park for a chair in which Mr. Obstetrical Society at the College of Physicians of London inn Wilkes was conveyed to his house, where the ball was the spring of 1866. Two instructive reports of this converextracted by Mr. Graves, the surgeon. Everything, indeed, sazione appeared in THE LANCET of April 7th and 14th, 1866.i. was done in a prompt and businesslike manner, and no one " How great was the contrast," wrote our reporter, " between n dreamt of informing the authorities. During the operation the perforators, crotchets, and craniotomy forceps of this .s Mr. Wilkes was in great spirits. "It is said the Ball went country and the cephalotribes of the OontinentI Which h directly against the Button of Mr. Wilkes’ Waistcoat, which n turned its Course downwards, otherwise he must inevitably ought to be chosen2 Are English practitioners quite right in ____

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