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THE CONSULTATION AT SPEZZIA.
487 famine stricken and infected
in those
of
mote
population, an organized system supplying properly prepared food for the sick, and no ! merely physic,-and food in preference to physic, be it borne in mind,-and the establishment of temporary hospitals: these are the means to have in view, and for which arrangements should be made. The local and parish authorities of Presto have thus far set an admirable example-an example which Wt trust will be followed throughout Lancashire.
disposed to it. Medical men must feel, therefore, grief than surprise at learning that the hopes at first expressed have not been realized; that Garibaldi has grown thin and weak ; that he has suffered repeated painful attacks of gouty inflammation ; that the wound is looking unhealthy; that amputation is discussed ; and that a large number of surgeons, including Italians and foreigners-amongst the latter Nelaton and Partridge,---have been assembled to consult by what means to avert impending peril, of which the fear fills everyone with
attack on back part of the brain in man and apes. Anatomists and th< profession became well aware, from OWEN‘s reply to the firsl of these attacks, that the question was one of terms and defini not of facts. It can only be made to appear the latteJ by falling back upon the usual arts of the controversialist and importing passionate rhetoric to lead away the readei from the simple scientific questions at issue. The term ap plied by TIFDEMANN, in 1822, to the chief structure in question "Scrobiculus parvus loco cornu posterioris "-has the priority as applied to brutes ; and we conceive that Professor OWEN for his purpose of a brief zoological definition, was fully war ranted in restricting the quaint terms of the old anatomists o the human brain to the peculiar modifications of the parts ir
tions,
We recommend Professor HUXLEY to try to imitate ii these discussions the calm and philosophical tone of the mat whom he assails. The fling and the sneer, however smart will only recoil upon himself.
man.
Medical Annotations. THE
quid nimis."
CONSULTATION
AT
SPEZZIA.
which has reached London for the. last week and concerning the health of General Garibaldi is painfully unfavourable, and suggestive of the gravest doubts for the future. The prognosis of every injury is more seriously affected by the deficient health of the sufferer than even by the greater or less extent of the mechanical violence done to the part injured. Unfortunately, the Italian patriot has been a victim for many years to gouly and rheumatic disease. The gouty constitution is of all others, perhaps, the least favourable to the healing of wounds. The prudent surgeon is habitually biassed, by the knowledge of an existent diathesis of this kind, to refuse to undertake operations which he would otherwise have performed w ith the confident expectation of a good result. In that transparent organ which is the testing ground of surgical practice, the eye, this unfavourable influence has been so fully demonstrated, that the rheumatic constitution is the terror of ophthalmic surgeons. Thus Garibaldi is placed at a peculiar disadvantage. It must be considered as aggravating the mis fortune that an important joint was affected by the injury received ; for the joints are the chosen seats of gouty forms of disease, and there this constitutional defect especially interferes THE
____
SOLDIERS’ FEET.
regret that Mr. HUXLEY has repeated hi! Professor OWEN, relative to the structures at the
WE observe with
" Ne
sorrow.
news
more
THE American Government has, it seems, shown its solicitude for the comfort of its soldiers by providing the army with an authorized and qualified corps of pedicures and chiropodists. The shoes of the Federal army are not found to be better fitting than those of soldiers in other parts of the world, and they produce in a few days callosities on the toe and heel that impede the advance and aggravate the consequences of the retreat, and sometimes render the Northern army, plentifully chausse as it is, no match for the barefooted Southerners. The addition of a corps of military chiropodists by express command of the President reads like a very good joke ; and the Northern Americans have occasionally displayed such readiness to use their legs when their arms might have been more valiantly and usefully employed, that the order might well be imagined to be a grim pleasantry on the heroes of Bull Run, such as Mr. Lincoln so much loves to vent. Certain it is, however, that the army shoes of the Americans, as of our own army, are constructed as though expressly intended to produce deformity of the foot, and disable the men from long marches. The primary notion of the contract shoemaker appears to be, that the foot from the instep is shaped like an equilateral triangle, of which the apex is at the toes and in the median line ; the oblique spreading forwards and outwards, is wholly disregarded, and army shoes become instruments of torture. Mr. W. H. Flower, Hunterian Conservator of the College of Surgeons, gave an excellent lecture on this subject last year at the United Service Museum, which was, we think, printed ; and if the principles there laid down, and practically illustrated by examples of boots, were adopted generally, this cause of inefficiency would be removed, and the corps of army chiropoclists might be disM
missed
THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
SOME controversy has taken place in the newspapers as to whether Sir Benjamin Brodie was the first surgeon who has filled the office of President of the Royal Society. There is no doubt that he was so. It is true that three other members of our profession ha.d previously occupied that important post; but these were physicians—all men of mark Sir Hans Sloane was the first physician who received this high honour. In the year 1727 he succeeded the immortal Newton, having been in the sa’).e year appointed physician to Georgethe Second. In 1740 he resigned the chair, and retired to Chelsea, where he had purchased an estate. He lived to the advanced age of ninety.two. The latter years of his life he spent in doing all the good that was in his power. Sir John Pringle was the next physician who was elected : this was in 1772. Dr. Munk, in his interestingwork " The Roll o the Royal College of Physicians of London," quotes as follows :to prevent the reparation of injury. Then, too, mental llis’’ The period of his election was a fortunate epoch of natural turbance and depression would have a twofold effect in retardknowledge: a taste for experimental investigation was diffusing ing recovery. Every surgeon knows that it has a direct influ- itself through every part of the civilized world, and the genius ence on all kinds of wounds. Thus fully a third more recover nf Pringle found a h:’ppy occupation in cherishing this spirit of the wounded of a victorious army, than of the wounded who A universality of knowledge, and a singular liberality of spir of active and labour under the mental depression induced by defeat. This united to very considerable experience, both studious life, seem to have peculiarly fitted him for his difficult observation the experience of all army surgeons has confirmed. Sir Godfrey Copley had originally bequeathed five Mental disturbance will often of itself bring on a fit of the goutguineas to be given at each anniversary meeting of the Royal ,
,
’
post.
in those
of
mote
population, an organized system supplying properly prepared food for the sick, and no ! merely physic,-and food in preference to physic, be it borne in mind,-and the establishment of temporary hospitals: these are the means to have in view, and for which arrangements should be made. The local and parish authorities of Presto have thus far set an admirable example-an example which Wt trust will be followed throughout Lancashire.
disposed to it. Medical men must feel, therefore, grief than surprise at learning that the hopes at first expressed have not been realized; that Garibaldi has grown thin and weak ; that he has suffered repeated painful attacks of gouty inflammation ; that the wound is looking unhealthy; that amputation is discussed ; and that a large number of surgeons, including Italians and foreigners-amongst the latter Nelaton and Partridge,---have been assembled to consult by what means to avert impending peril, of which the fear fills everyone with
attack on back part of the brain in man and apes. Anatomists and th< profession became well aware, from OWEN‘s reply to the firsl of these attacks, that the question was one of terms and defini not of facts. It can only be made to appear the latteJ by falling back upon the usual arts of the controversialist and importing passionate rhetoric to lead away the readei from the simple scientific questions at issue. The term ap plied by TIFDEMANN, in 1822, to the chief structure in question "Scrobiculus parvus loco cornu posterioris "-has the priority as applied to brutes ; and we conceive that Professor OWEN for his purpose of a brief zoological definition, was fully war ranted in restricting the quaint terms of the old anatomists o the human brain to the peculiar modifications of the parts ir
tions,
We recommend Professor HUXLEY to try to imitate ii these discussions the calm and philosophical tone of the mat whom he assails. The fling and the sneer, however smart will only recoil upon himself.
man.
Medical Annotations. THE
quid nimis."
CONSULTATION
AT
SPEZZIA.
which has reached London for the. last week and concerning the health of General Garibaldi is painfully unfavourable, and suggestive of the gravest doubts for the future. The prognosis of every injury is more seriously affected by the deficient health of the sufferer than even by the greater or less extent of the mechanical violence done to the part injured. Unfortunately, the Italian patriot has been a victim for many years to gouly and rheumatic disease. The gouty constitution is of all others, perhaps, the least favourable to the healing of wounds. The prudent surgeon is habitually biassed, by the knowledge of an existent diathesis of this kind, to refuse to undertake operations which he would otherwise have performed w ith the confident expectation of a good result. In that transparent organ which is the testing ground of surgical practice, the eye, this unfavourable influence has been so fully demonstrated, that the rheumatic constitution is the terror of ophthalmic surgeons. Thus Garibaldi is placed at a peculiar disadvantage. It must be considered as aggravating the mis fortune that an important joint was affected by the injury received ; for the joints are the chosen seats of gouty forms of disease, and there this constitutional defect especially interferes THE
____
SOLDIERS’ FEET.
regret that Mr. HUXLEY has repeated hi! Professor OWEN, relative to the structures at the
WE observe with
" Ne
sorrow.
news
more
THE American Government has, it seems, shown its solicitude for the comfort of its soldiers by providing the army with an authorized and qualified corps of pedicures and chiropodists. The shoes of the Federal army are not found to be better fitting than those of soldiers in other parts of the world, and they produce in a few days callosities on the toe and heel that impede the advance and aggravate the consequences of the retreat, and sometimes render the Northern army, plentifully chausse as it is, no match for the barefooted Southerners. The addition of a corps of military chiropodists by express command of the President reads like a very good joke ; and the Northern Americans have occasionally displayed such readiness to use their legs when their arms might have been more valiantly and usefully employed, that the order might well be imagined to be a grim pleasantry on the heroes of Bull Run, such as Mr. Lincoln so much loves to vent. Certain it is, however, that the army shoes of the Americans, as of our own army, are constructed as though expressly intended to produce deformity of the foot, and disable the men from long marches. The primary notion of the contract shoemaker appears to be, that the foot from the instep is shaped like an equilateral triangle, of which the apex is at the toes and in the median line ; the oblique spreading forwards and outwards, is wholly disregarded, and army shoes become instruments of torture. Mr. W. H. Flower, Hunterian Conservator of the College of Surgeons, gave an excellent lecture on this subject last year at the United Service Museum, which was, we think, printed ; and if the principles there laid down, and practically illustrated by examples of boots, were adopted generally, this cause of inefficiency would be removed, and the corps of army chiropoclists might be disM
missed
THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
SOME controversy has taken place in the newspapers as to whether Sir Benjamin Brodie was the first surgeon who has filled the office of President of the Royal Society. There is no doubt that he was so. It is true that three other members of our profession ha.d previously occupied that important post; but these were physicians—all men of mark Sir Hans Sloane was the first physician who received this high honour. In the year 1727 he succeeded the immortal Newton, having been in the sa’).e year appointed physician to Georgethe Second. In 1740 he resigned the chair, and retired to Chelsea, where he had purchased an estate. He lived to the advanced age of ninety.two. The latter years of his life he spent in doing all the good that was in his power. Sir John Pringle was the next physician who was elected : this was in 1772. Dr. Munk, in his interestingwork " The Roll o the Royal College of Physicians of London," quotes as follows :to prevent the reparation of injury. Then, too, mental llis’’ The period of his election was a fortunate epoch of natural turbance and depression would have a twofold effect in retardknowledge: a taste for experimental investigation was diffusing ing recovery. Every surgeon knows that it has a direct influ- itself through every part of the civilized world, and the genius ence on all kinds of wounds. Thus fully a third more recover nf Pringle found a h:’ppy occupation in cherishing this spirit of the wounded of a victorious army, than of the wounded who A universality of knowledge, and a singular liberality of spir of active and labour under the mental depression induced by defeat. This united to very considerable experience, both studious life, seem to have peculiarly fitted him for his difficult observation the experience of all army surgeons has confirmed. Sir Godfrey Copley had originally bequeathed five Mental disturbance will often of itself bring on a fit of the goutguineas to be given at each anniversary meeting of the Royal ,
,
’
post.