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THE HEALTH OF THE QUEEN.
141 Two officers of the 42nd Highlanders were attacked by the disease. The present epidemic in India does not appear to have attained anything like those large dimensions which The we have read and heard of during some former years. same methods have been pursued at these stations as were adopted in the outbreak of cholera at Hurdwar. The troops were split up into small detachments and encamped. From all that we can learn, it appears that the measures adopted by Inspector-General Dr. Beatson and his subordinates have been characterised by very creditable decision and promptitude.
A
inkstand has been presented to Mr. George surgeon to the Rock of Friendship Lodge of Odd Fellows. It bears the following inscription :-" Presented to George Pound, Esq., by the Rock of Friendship Lodge, M. N. T. 0. F., in recognition of his services as surgeon. HANDSOME
Pound,
"
July 25th, 1867. THE HEALTH OF THE
QUEEN.
WHEN, a fortnight since, we stated that we had good grounds for making public the reasons which prevented her Majesty from appearing at evening crowded assemblies, the statement was accepted by the vast majority of the press and the public as neither exaggerated nor incorrect. There have, however, been some exceptions to this rule. These would be scarcely worthy of notice had not the writers assumed that they were more or less authorised to impugn the accuracy of the paragraph which appeared in THE LANCET. Upon a subject of so much delicacy we spoke with what we believe to have been a becoming and justifiable reserve. Our report
plain
It was a was in no respect sensational or over-stated. narration of facts, which, in justice to her Majesty and
from which we obtained it, we felt bound to make public. The appearance of the Queen in public on it recent occasion was followed by a most distressing attack of sickness and exhaustion, which lasted for several hours. The inner life of the Court is necessarily known to but few; even those in immediate attendance upon the Queen are not always in a position to arrive at a correct knowledge of her Majesty’s real condition. The privacy of the Sovereign should be as much respected as that of the humblest of her subjects. There are occasions, however, on which even that privacy may be held too sacred. This is more especially the case when erroneous reports have gained general credence. Then it is her be known that with the to Majesty, right greatest desire to fulfil all those duties which appertain to her dignity or her hospitality, is occasionally prevented from performing them by bodily suffering of a character most difficult to be borne. to the
source
in very different senses at home and abroad, and have succeeded in a way that will conduce to a general agreement on the part of those whose duty it is to record the occurrence and consequences of disease, and so lead to a clearer insight into the special effects of individual maladies upon the well-being of the community, and pave the way for a juster estimate of what is required in the way of their prevention and cure; for the confusion which has hitherto existed in the matter of the nomenclature of disease has undoubtedly falsified statistical inquiries, and diminished the value to be attached to the inferences to be derived therefrom. The standard nomenclature proposed deviates as little as possible from that employed by the Registrar-General. Had the Committee made serious innovations, and suggested plans of reform, the forms of returns for the registration of disease at present in use would have required to have been altogether remodelled, and comparisons would have been almost impossible between the statistical information already in our possession and that to be obtained in the future. The Committee were appointed in 1857, and a large number of representative men soon joined in their deliberations-for example, Mr. Stanley (the President of the College of Surgeons), Sir John Liddell (the Director-General of the Navy), Dr. Logan (the Director-General of the Army Medical Department), Sir J. Ranald Martin, Dr. Farr, Mr. Simon, Dr. Druitt, and others; and, in 1863, Mr. Luke, Dr. Bryson, Dr. Balfour, Dr. Stark (the representative of the Registrar-General for Scotland), and Dr. Burke (for Ireland), with Dr. Mackay, R.N., Mr. Moore, and several Fellows of the College. Two Commissioners in Lunacy have attended the meetings of the Committee when the subject of lunacy was under discussion ; Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Tomes when dental subjects were con-
sidered. The Latin nomenclature was prepared by Drs. H. Thompson and Black, the French by Dr. De Mussy, the German by Drs. H. and.F. Weber, the Italian by Dr. F. Weber; and the entire work has been edited by Dr. Sibson, who deserves the highest praise for his exertions. He was assisted by Dr. Barclay and Messrs. Moore and Holmes. Sir Thomas Watson has recently been the President of the Committee. It will be seen that the Report is not the mere production of the College of Physicians, but of the College as a nucleus, bringing to its aid all those who are specially engaged in the registration of disease in the public services of England, Scotland, and Ireland. We may regard it, therefore, as in every respect worthy of acceptance as the standard and universal guide in the use of names and the classification of diseases. Few reports are countenanced by so large a mass of combined authority. We shall analyse the details of the Report next week.
THE MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
THIS Association held its annual general meeting on Wednesday, July 31st, at the Royal College of Physicians, under the presidency of Dr. Lockhart Robertson. There was a large attendance of members; among them were Baron Mundy, M.D., Mr. Blake, M.P., Prof. Laycock, Dr. Brushfield, Dr. Christie, Dr. Davey, Dr. Bucknill, Dr. Down, Dr. Lindsay, Dr. Maudsley, Dr. Monro, Dr. Manly, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Tuke, Dr. Williams, and Dr. Wood. Among many visitors were Dr. Tyler, of Boston; Dr. Westphal, of Berlin; Mr. Bayford, Mr. Dunn, &c. At the morning meeting several matters of business were disTHE NOMENCLATURE REPORT OF THE cussed. A lively discussion arose out of a motion to appoint COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. a deputation to wait on the Home Secretary to urge upon him the appointment of a commission to provide for the best treatWE are glad to announce that the Committee of the Royal ment of the insane. The general feeling was against this proas reflecting unnecessarily upon the Lunacy CommisCollege of Physicians appointed to prepare a system of nomen- posal, the motion lost, but an amendment of clature for general use in the registration of disease, have at length sioners. Not only was the force out of the motion, was lost Dr. Tuke’s, taking all concluded their labours. The results of their deliberations too. The result may be taken as a proof that in the estimaand recommendations, embodied in a Report of 233 pages, are tion of this Association the Lunacy Commissioners are doing very satisfactory. The Committee have succeeded in arranging or trying to do their duty. At the afternoon meeting an address was read by the presidiseases upon anatomical grounds in as simple a manner as dent, Dr. Robertson, upon the important subject of the necesand in accordance with the most generally accepted sity of increased accommodation for the insane poor. Dr. possible, pathological doctrines. A great responsibility rested with the Robertson does not believe that there has been any actual inCommittee. They elected to define the proper significance crease in insanity,; he ascribes the apparent increase to the and best-application of terms which have been frequently used improved treatment, thelarger:population, -and the fact of many
A
inkstand has been presented to Mr. George surgeon to the Rock of Friendship Lodge of Odd Fellows. It bears the following inscription :-" Presented to George Pound, Esq., by the Rock of Friendship Lodge, M. N. T. 0. F., in recognition of his services as surgeon. HANDSOME
Pound,
"
July 25th, 1867. THE HEALTH OF THE
QUEEN.
WHEN, a fortnight since, we stated that we had good grounds for making public the reasons which prevented her Majesty from appearing at evening crowded assemblies, the statement was accepted by the vast majority of the press and the public as neither exaggerated nor incorrect. There have, however, been some exceptions to this rule. These would be scarcely worthy of notice had not the writers assumed that they were more or less authorised to impugn the accuracy of the paragraph which appeared in THE LANCET. Upon a subject of so much delicacy we spoke with what we believe to have been a becoming and justifiable reserve. Our report
plain
It was a was in no respect sensational or over-stated. narration of facts, which, in justice to her Majesty and
from which we obtained it, we felt bound to make public. The appearance of the Queen in public on it recent occasion was followed by a most distressing attack of sickness and exhaustion, which lasted for several hours. The inner life of the Court is necessarily known to but few; even those in immediate attendance upon the Queen are not always in a position to arrive at a correct knowledge of her Majesty’s real condition. The privacy of the Sovereign should be as much respected as that of the humblest of her subjects. There are occasions, however, on which even that privacy may be held too sacred. This is more especially the case when erroneous reports have gained general credence. Then it is her be known that with the to Majesty, right greatest desire to fulfil all those duties which appertain to her dignity or her hospitality, is occasionally prevented from performing them by bodily suffering of a character most difficult to be borne. to the
source
in very different senses at home and abroad, and have succeeded in a way that will conduce to a general agreement on the part of those whose duty it is to record the occurrence and consequences of disease, and so lead to a clearer insight into the special effects of individual maladies upon the well-being of the community, and pave the way for a juster estimate of what is required in the way of their prevention and cure; for the confusion which has hitherto existed in the matter of the nomenclature of disease has undoubtedly falsified statistical inquiries, and diminished the value to be attached to the inferences to be derived therefrom. The standard nomenclature proposed deviates as little as possible from that employed by the Registrar-General. Had the Committee made serious innovations, and suggested plans of reform, the forms of returns for the registration of disease at present in use would have required to have been altogether remodelled, and comparisons would have been almost impossible between the statistical information already in our possession and that to be obtained in the future. The Committee were appointed in 1857, and a large number of representative men soon joined in their deliberations-for example, Mr. Stanley (the President of the College of Surgeons), Sir John Liddell (the Director-General of the Navy), Dr. Logan (the Director-General of the Army Medical Department), Sir J. Ranald Martin, Dr. Farr, Mr. Simon, Dr. Druitt, and others; and, in 1863, Mr. Luke, Dr. Bryson, Dr. Balfour, Dr. Stark (the representative of the Registrar-General for Scotland), and Dr. Burke (for Ireland), with Dr. Mackay, R.N., Mr. Moore, and several Fellows of the College. Two Commissioners in Lunacy have attended the meetings of the Committee when the subject of lunacy was under discussion ; Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Tomes when dental subjects were con-
sidered. The Latin nomenclature was prepared by Drs. H. Thompson and Black, the French by Dr. De Mussy, the German by Drs. H. and.F. Weber, the Italian by Dr. F. Weber; and the entire work has been edited by Dr. Sibson, who deserves the highest praise for his exertions. He was assisted by Dr. Barclay and Messrs. Moore and Holmes. Sir Thomas Watson has recently been the President of the Committee. It will be seen that the Report is not the mere production of the College of Physicians, but of the College as a nucleus, bringing to its aid all those who are specially engaged in the registration of disease in the public services of England, Scotland, and Ireland. We may regard it, therefore, as in every respect worthy of acceptance as the standard and universal guide in the use of names and the classification of diseases. Few reports are countenanced by so large a mass of combined authority. We shall analyse the details of the Report next week.
THE MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
THIS Association held its annual general meeting on Wednesday, July 31st, at the Royal College of Physicians, under the presidency of Dr. Lockhart Robertson. There was a large attendance of members; among them were Baron Mundy, M.D., Mr. Blake, M.P., Prof. Laycock, Dr. Brushfield, Dr. Christie, Dr. Davey, Dr. Bucknill, Dr. Down, Dr. Lindsay, Dr. Maudsley, Dr. Monro, Dr. Manly, Dr. Stewart, Dr. Tuke, Dr. Williams, and Dr. Wood. Among many visitors were Dr. Tyler, of Boston; Dr. Westphal, of Berlin; Mr. Bayford, Mr. Dunn, &c. At the morning meeting several matters of business were disTHE NOMENCLATURE REPORT OF THE cussed. A lively discussion arose out of a motion to appoint COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. a deputation to wait on the Home Secretary to urge upon him the appointment of a commission to provide for the best treatWE are glad to announce that the Committee of the Royal ment of the insane. The general feeling was against this proas reflecting unnecessarily upon the Lunacy CommisCollege of Physicians appointed to prepare a system of nomen- posal, the motion lost, but an amendment of clature for general use in the registration of disease, have at length sioners. Not only was the force out of the motion, was lost Dr. Tuke’s, taking all concluded their labours. The results of their deliberations too. The result may be taken as a proof that in the estimaand recommendations, embodied in a Report of 233 pages, are tion of this Association the Lunacy Commissioners are doing very satisfactory. The Committee have succeeded in arranging or trying to do their duty. At the afternoon meeting an address was read by the presidiseases upon anatomical grounds in as simple a manner as dent, Dr. Robertson, upon the important subject of the necesand in accordance with the most generally accepted sity of increased accommodation for the insane poor. Dr. possible, pathological doctrines. A great responsibility rested with the Robertson does not believe that there has been any actual inCommittee. They elected to define the proper significance crease in insanity,; he ascribes the apparent increase to the and best-application of terms which have been frequently used improved treatment, thelarger:population, -and the fact of many