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THE LATE DR. BALY.
661
Su.rgeon.-3rd Lancashire: Surgeon John Burns is granted ’, cised with very great discretion. They will be known as honorary rank of Surgeon-Major.-6th Suffolk: Acting F.R.C.S. (Hon.), and will not be confused with F.R.C.S. Surgeon William Thomas Angove resigns his appointment.- (Exam.), which latter will always carry with it the greater 2nd Wiltshire: Surgeon and Honorary Surgeon-Major distinction. I cannot but foresee disaster to the prestige of the College, Charles Hitchcock, M.D., resigns his commission; also is permitted to retain his rank and to continue to wear the to its Members equally with its Fellows, if so short-sighted uniform of the corps on his retirement.-2nd Volunteer a policy as lowering the standard of any of its examinations Your obedient servant. Battalion (the Gloucestershire Regiment): Arthur Fowell be carried out. CHARLES GROSS, M.B., B.S. Turner, Gent., to be Acting Surgeon.—1st Dorsetshire r Surgeon Robert Godolphin Long resigns his commission; also is granted the honorary rank of Surgeon-Major and is THE LATE DR. BALY. permitted to continue to wear the uniform of the corps on Durham retirement.--3rd Robert John To the Editor of THE LANCET. his (the Sunderland) : Collie, Gent., M.D., to be Acting Surgeon.-3rd Volunteer "—et idem Battalion (the Norfolk Regiment): Acting Surgeon Herbert Indignor, quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus." Francis Prince resigns his appointment.—10th Lanarkshire SIR,—The words with which I have ventured to cap this (Glasgow Highland): George Bell Todd, Gent., M.B., to be letter rose to my lips on Saturday morning, when startled Acting Surgeon. by the new reading of history contained in the first of your the
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"Annotations." You have there stated, in a moment of very unaccustomed forgetfulness, that Dr. Baly was never made Physician to Her Majesty the Queen; whereas that "Audi alteram partem." honourable position was really occupied by him for a year and a half. In the obituary notice given in your issue of Feb. 9th, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE 1861 (p. 147) occur these words :-" In 1859 a physician OF SURGEONS. was required who might share with Sir James Clark the To the Editor of THE LANCET. office of regular attendance on the Queen and Royal Family. SIR,—I’have been surprised to see how little notice has Those who were charged to make a just selection for this office consulted free from all personal regards, from all apparently been taken of the proposed changes for the high solicitations and undue influences; they had the whole proadmission tq the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons fession to choose from; and when, to Baly’s great surprise, of England. I allude more particularly to the exemption he was selected, the unanimous voice of the whole profession from the Primary Examination of Members of fifteen years’ acknowledged that he was the fittest man. How well he standing. I trust that, according to the well-known maxim justified the opinion was shown by the proofs of confidence "Audi alteram partem," you will allow me space to enter my which he received from the Queen and the Prince Consort, and by the esteem in which he was held in all the palace." protest against this proposed change, although by so doing The Prince Consort, writing to Baron Stockmar on I show want of agreement with some of the conclusions Jan. 29th, 1861, says (see " Life of Prince Consort," by Sir in your leader in the issue of the 20th inst. T. Martin, vol. v., p. 288): " We had the great misfortune It would be interesting to know on what grounds the yesterday to lose Dr. Baly, who was killed in an accident Council of the College has felt it to be necessary to increase on the railway between London and Wimbledon. For us the number of Fellows on a reduced qualification. At the this is a serious loss, as he had gained our entire confidence, present time the diploma F.R.C.S. Eng. is considered, and I and was an excellent man, and Clark has quite given up believe rightly so, the " blue ribbon " of surgical diplomas, practice." I may here with propriety add that substantial proof of I may say of the world. Why ? Because of the known severity of the examinations, even apart from the number of the Queen’s gratitude and esteem followed, not long after distinguished men who have held it. Of the actual examina- Dr. Baly’s death, in the assignment to his younger and tions the Primary is nowadays the severer, requiring much unmarried sister of a set of apartments at Hampton Court training and study as well as ability to acquire the requisite Palace, which she still enjoys. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Every vexatious ONE OF DR. BALY’S EXECUTORS, difficulty, so far as the curriculum is concerned, has now March, 1886. been removed, such as the necessity for extra courses of Our ’ correspondent will, we think, acknowledge, on dissections, lectures, or even the waiting till a certain reflection, that we correctly stated the facts. It is perfectly age is reached. Now any Member, as soon as he has true that in the was 1859, Queen six of April, been his profession, " pleased to appoint years acquiring the knowledge may, if he has the ability, present himself for examination Doctor William Baly, F.R.S., to be Physician Extraordinary and pass. " Where there is a will, there is a way." I know to Her Majesty," and we regret that we omitted to mention several gentlemen who, whilst engaged in large general prac- this. The " coveted to which we alluded was, howtices, by the exercise of the self-denial, have made ever, that of Physicianpost" in to the Queen. We are Ordinary time, read up, and passed the Primary as well as the Final. There is such a frightful tendency at present to level down. well aware of the high appreciation in which Dr. Baly was For goodness’ sake, let some diplomas remain which are held by the Queen and the Royal Family, and that he went really distinctions, and which demand serious hard work as abroad with Her Majesty and attended her in the absence of well as ability. I doubt whether there be any necessity, or Sir James Clark.—ED. L. it be even desirable, either in the interest of the College or of surgery generally, to increase the number of Fellows by THE USE OF ANÆSTHETICS. lowering the present standing of a severe, searching, and scientific examination. There is no falling off in the number To the Editor of THE LANCET. of candidates willing and able to undergo the test under SIR,—In the annotations in this week’s LANCET attention the present system. On the contrary, year by year they are is drawn to the dangers which attend the use of chloroform steadily increasing. Exactly the same argument might be used in the case of M.D. or M.B Lond., or indeed of any good when employed alone. medical degree, for the exemption to senior men of " subHaving had an extended experience in the very frequent jects of minor importance to the practitioner." Why should administration of chloroform alone, I would venture to not the First M.B., the Preliminary Scientific, or even the Matriculation be dispensed with ? I believe the College think that the very strong opinion publicly expressed made a retrograde movement some years ago in abolishing against chloroform in THE LANCET is likely to do serious Greek and other extra subjects in the Preliminary Examina- harm, by creating a panic and raising fears and doubts which tion for the Fellowship. are not altogether justifiable. If we possessed an ancesI take no exception to the proposal to confer the honorary thetic agent that was absolutely safe, the cry against chloroFellowship on certain men of standing who have specially form would assuredly be right; but it is not so, and deaths distinguished themselves, provided that the power is exer- from ether and other agents do occur. Ether may, and
Correspondence.
.
necessary
Su.rgeon.-3rd Lancashire: Surgeon John Burns is granted ’, cised with very great discretion. They will be known as honorary rank of Surgeon-Major.-6th Suffolk: Acting F.R.C.S. (Hon.), and will not be confused with F.R.C.S. Surgeon William Thomas Angove resigns his appointment.- (Exam.), which latter will always carry with it the greater 2nd Wiltshire: Surgeon and Honorary Surgeon-Major distinction. I cannot but foresee disaster to the prestige of the College, Charles Hitchcock, M.D., resigns his commission; also is permitted to retain his rank and to continue to wear the to its Members equally with its Fellows, if so short-sighted uniform of the corps on his retirement.-2nd Volunteer a policy as lowering the standard of any of its examinations Your obedient servant. Battalion (the Gloucestershire Regiment): Arthur Fowell be carried out. CHARLES GROSS, M.B., B.S. Turner, Gent., to be Acting Surgeon.—1st Dorsetshire r Surgeon Robert Godolphin Long resigns his commission; also is granted the honorary rank of Surgeon-Major and is THE LATE DR. BALY. permitted to continue to wear the uniform of the corps on Durham retirement.--3rd Robert John To the Editor of THE LANCET. his (the Sunderland) : Collie, Gent., M.D., to be Acting Surgeon.-3rd Volunteer "—et idem Battalion (the Norfolk Regiment): Acting Surgeon Herbert Indignor, quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus." Francis Prince resigns his appointment.—10th Lanarkshire SIR,—The words with which I have ventured to cap this (Glasgow Highland): George Bell Todd, Gent., M.B., to be letter rose to my lips on Saturday morning, when startled Acting Surgeon. by the new reading of history contained in the first of your the
__
"Annotations." You have there stated, in a moment of very unaccustomed forgetfulness, that Dr. Baly was never made Physician to Her Majesty the Queen; whereas that "Audi alteram partem." honourable position was really occupied by him for a year and a half. In the obituary notice given in your issue of Feb. 9th, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE 1861 (p. 147) occur these words :-" In 1859 a physician OF SURGEONS. was required who might share with Sir James Clark the To the Editor of THE LANCET. office of regular attendance on the Queen and Royal Family. SIR,—I’have been surprised to see how little notice has Those who were charged to make a just selection for this office consulted free from all personal regards, from all apparently been taken of the proposed changes for the high solicitations and undue influences; they had the whole proadmission tq the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons fession to choose from; and when, to Baly’s great surprise, of England. I allude more particularly to the exemption he was selected, the unanimous voice of the whole profession from the Primary Examination of Members of fifteen years’ acknowledged that he was the fittest man. How well he standing. I trust that, according to the well-known maxim justified the opinion was shown by the proofs of confidence "Audi alteram partem," you will allow me space to enter my which he received from the Queen and the Prince Consort, and by the esteem in which he was held in all the palace." protest against this proposed change, although by so doing The Prince Consort, writing to Baron Stockmar on I show want of agreement with some of the conclusions Jan. 29th, 1861, says (see " Life of Prince Consort," by Sir in your leader in the issue of the 20th inst. T. Martin, vol. v., p. 288): " We had the great misfortune It would be interesting to know on what grounds the yesterday to lose Dr. Baly, who was killed in an accident Council of the College has felt it to be necessary to increase on the railway between London and Wimbledon. For us the number of Fellows on a reduced qualification. At the this is a serious loss, as he had gained our entire confidence, present time the diploma F.R.C.S. Eng. is considered, and I and was an excellent man, and Clark has quite given up believe rightly so, the " blue ribbon " of surgical diplomas, practice." I may here with propriety add that substantial proof of I may say of the world. Why ? Because of the known severity of the examinations, even apart from the number of the Queen’s gratitude and esteem followed, not long after distinguished men who have held it. Of the actual examina- Dr. Baly’s death, in the assignment to his younger and tions the Primary is nowadays the severer, requiring much unmarried sister of a set of apartments at Hampton Court training and study as well as ability to acquire the requisite Palace, which she still enjoys. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Every vexatious ONE OF DR. BALY’S EXECUTORS, difficulty, so far as the curriculum is concerned, has now March, 1886. been removed, such as the necessity for extra courses of Our ’ correspondent will, we think, acknowledge, on dissections, lectures, or even the waiting till a certain reflection, that we correctly stated the facts. It is perfectly age is reached. Now any Member, as soon as he has true that in the was 1859, Queen six of April, been his profession, " pleased to appoint years acquiring the knowledge may, if he has the ability, present himself for examination Doctor William Baly, F.R.S., to be Physician Extraordinary and pass. " Where there is a will, there is a way." I know to Her Majesty," and we regret that we omitted to mention several gentlemen who, whilst engaged in large general prac- this. The " coveted to which we alluded was, howtices, by the exercise of the self-denial, have made ever, that of Physicianpost" in to the Queen. We are Ordinary time, read up, and passed the Primary as well as the Final. There is such a frightful tendency at present to level down. well aware of the high appreciation in which Dr. Baly was For goodness’ sake, let some diplomas remain which are held by the Queen and the Royal Family, and that he went really distinctions, and which demand serious hard work as abroad with Her Majesty and attended her in the absence of well as ability. I doubt whether there be any necessity, or Sir James Clark.—ED. L. it be even desirable, either in the interest of the College or of surgery generally, to increase the number of Fellows by THE USE OF ANÆSTHETICS. lowering the present standing of a severe, searching, and scientific examination. There is no falling off in the number To the Editor of THE LANCET. of candidates willing and able to undergo the test under SIR,—In the annotations in this week’s LANCET attention the present system. On the contrary, year by year they are is drawn to the dangers which attend the use of chloroform steadily increasing. Exactly the same argument might be used in the case of M.D. or M.B Lond., or indeed of any good when employed alone. medical degree, for the exemption to senior men of " subHaving had an extended experience in the very frequent jects of minor importance to the practitioner." Why should administration of chloroform alone, I would venture to not the First M.B., the Preliminary Scientific, or even the Matriculation be dispensed with ? I believe the College think that the very strong opinion publicly expressed made a retrograde movement some years ago in abolishing against chloroform in THE LANCET is likely to do serious Greek and other extra subjects in the Preliminary Examina- harm, by creating a panic and raising fears and doubts which tion for the Fellowship. are not altogether justifiable. If we possessed an ancesI take no exception to the proposal to confer the honorary thetic agent that was absolutely safe, the cry against chloroFellowship on certain men of standing who have specially form would assuredly be right; but it is not so, and deaths distinguished themselves, provided that the power is exer- from ether and other agents do occur. Ether may, and
Correspondence.
.
necessary