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THE LIFE OF DR. LANKESTER.
781 SKETCHES OF CONTINENTAL HOSPITALS. (By our Special Correspondent.)
Correspondence. .. Auéi alter am
partem:’
THE LIFE OF DR. LANKESTER. To t7te Editor
of
THE LANCET.
to make one other, and a personal SiR,-Permit correction of your life of the late Dr. Lankester. It is true I followed Drs. Winslow and Lankester at Saffron Walden, but I was the assistant of Mr. Thomas Browne of that place, not of Mr. Spurgin. I had nevertheless the honour of knowing Mr. Spurgin, and occasionally had the pleasure of rendering him assistance during my sojourn in Essex, and I cherish the recollection of the fact. Mr. Spurgin was to me a model practitioner of medicine, and he added to his practical knowledge a love of natural science that was most exemplary. His tastes for natural history were refined, and the excellent Natural History Museum of Saffron Walden (and it is indeed excellent) was me
V.-BONN. to have to find fault with a place which disagreeable contains so much to be admired as Bonn, but the truth mus be spoken. In spite of the lavish expenditure of the German Government on institutes of anatomy, chemistry, natura
IT is
the hospital of Bonn, where clinica medicine and surgery are taught, is miserably small am painfully wanting in all the requisites of a good moder hospital. Plans of a new building were prepared befor the breaking out of the Franco-German war, but fron different causes-not the least being the question as t whether the pavilion or the barrack system should b adopted-the new hospital has not yet been commenced The present hospital was formerly the palace of the arch bishops of Cologne, and however well adapted for its origina purpose it may have been, it is quite unsuited to its presen greatly enriched by his labours. uses. The wards are low, ill-lighted, and ill-ventilated During the long after-friendship which existed between erysipelas and pyaemia, linger about them continually, am Dr. Forbes Winslow, Dr. Lankester, and myself, I rarely hospital gangrene is sometimes met with. In spite of al met either of them in friendly communion without hearing these drawbacks, the clinical teaching is excellent, an( the name of Mr. Spurgin recalled in terms of admiration the number of students (137) has been somewha though and respect, which I, alas, now only remain to endorse-with reduced by the superior attractions offered by the nev all my heart. I am, Sir, yours, &c., Germanised University of Strasburg,it is still anything bu B. W. RICHARDSON. Hinde-street, W., Nov. 24th, 1874. contemptible. The staff consists of one physician (Prof Ruehle), with two assistants; one surgeon (Prof. Busch) with three assistants; and one ophthalmic surgeon (Prof DR. BUZZARD’S PAPER AT THE CLINICAL Saemisch), who has one assistant. There are also specia SOCIETY. departments for gynaecology (with a separate hospital) under Prof. Veit; for morbid anatomy, under Prof. Koester To the Editor of THE LANCET. and for pharmacology, controlled by Prof. Binz, who hal SIR,-I was interested in reading the discussion on Dr. also a special out-patient clinic for children. The operating Buzzard’s case at the Clinical Society in last week’s LANCET, theatre is tolerably convenient, and the lighting is fair but I cannot see that it deserves the name of melancholia. adjoining it are rooms, one used for instruments, and one The name one gives to cases is not of much importance which is larger, serves as a pathological museum. It is toe and the specimens are quite withoul perhaps, but I should prefer to call such a case one of acute small for the purpose, circumstance to be the more regretted af dementia. The essence of the case is the paralysis of the arrangement-a many of them, especially the casts of dislocations and frac. will, the intellect being clear. In thirteen years’ experience tures, are valuable. All the patients admitted either them. in public asylums I have had many such cases, and found selves pay for their board and residence, or the cost is they generally recovered suddenly, and never benefited by defrayed by their friends or by the commune to which the3 drugs. A pauper would stand a better chance than a rich belong. They are arranged in three classes : the first, whc man in an asylum, as the former would be bustled about and pay about five shillings a day, have a private room to them. more or less forced to employ himself, and this would be raselves; the second, who pay three shillings, are placed in tional treatment; while the latter would be condemned to !wards containing two or three beds; while the third, o to that could him. genteel idleness-the worst thing happen " class, who are charged at the rate of about fifteen. poorest I should also like to know how it happens that a private pence a day, are arranged in the ordinary wards, which each be fed such a can to 8700 whereas times, patient require contains from six to twelve beds. A somewhat similar scale thing is unknown in public asylums where thousands of of charges is exacted in all the German hospitals, but the For my part I believe such cases are treated every year. and surgeons have the privilege of admitting treatment to be not only needless, but injurious, as only’ physicians case and of retaining it in the hospital without special any encouraging the mental condition at fault. any payment as long as they like, and they do not hesitate I am, Sir, yours &c., frequently to avail themselves of the permission. G. M. BACON, M.D. G. Cambs County Asylum. At Bonn most fractures are treated by the gypsum bandage, hip disease by extension. Lister’s dressing of wounds is both understood and efficiently carried out. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION AT THE is treated by application of powdered starch ; Erysipelas COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. arteries are generally secured with catgut ligatures, and To the Editor 0/ THE LANCET. neither torsion nor acupressure is resorted to ; amputations are commonly performed with skin flaps, a circular to allow me to draw the attention SIR,- Will you your sweep being then made throthe muscles. For caries fixed for inconvenient time the Council have exceedingly or severe injuries of the tarsus Syme’s amputation appears the Preliminary Examination at the College of Surgeons to be the favourite. Prof. Busch is fully conversant with this year-the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th (Christmas Eve), the the English language and English surgical practice. He week after the school holidays begin ?P performs resections of joints frequently, and with good I have a son who has been preparing for the examination, results. Two resections of the wrist have recently turned along with several others, at Epsom College, and their out well, and he has at the present time under his care reholidays begin on the 18th December, so that my son will sections of the hip-, shoulder-, and knee-joints. One specihave to return to London on the Monday, attended by much men of resection of the latter joint in a boy aged nine was additional expense, and cannot reach home again before not looking well, but a case of the same operation in a man Christmas Day, if then. Had the examination been a week aged twenty-five, where the patella had also been removed for caries, presented a very good result. or so earlier, how much more convenient it would be for The new Gynaecological Institute, situate on the banks of such boys. the Rhine, and which has only been opened about eighteen I fear it is too late to hope for any alteration this year. I am, Sir, yours respectfully, months, is well worth a visit. The central part contains the administrative offices, operating theatre, &c., M. H..WALKER, H. WALKER, M and the M D. D. Aldborough, Darlington, Nov. 25th, 1874. wards are placed in the lateral wings. There are thirty 11
history, astronomy, &c.,
Correspondence. .. Auéi alter am
partem:’
THE LIFE OF DR. LANKESTER. To t7te Editor
of
THE LANCET.
to make one other, and a personal SiR,-Permit correction of your life of the late Dr. Lankester. It is true I followed Drs. Winslow and Lankester at Saffron Walden, but I was the assistant of Mr. Thomas Browne of that place, not of Mr. Spurgin. I had nevertheless the honour of knowing Mr. Spurgin, and occasionally had the pleasure of rendering him assistance during my sojourn in Essex, and I cherish the recollection of the fact. Mr. Spurgin was to me a model practitioner of medicine, and he added to his practical knowledge a love of natural science that was most exemplary. His tastes for natural history were refined, and the excellent Natural History Museum of Saffron Walden (and it is indeed excellent) was me
V.-BONN. to have to find fault with a place which disagreeable contains so much to be admired as Bonn, but the truth mus be spoken. In spite of the lavish expenditure of the German Government on institutes of anatomy, chemistry, natura
IT is
the hospital of Bonn, where clinica medicine and surgery are taught, is miserably small am painfully wanting in all the requisites of a good moder hospital. Plans of a new building were prepared befor the breaking out of the Franco-German war, but fron different causes-not the least being the question as t whether the pavilion or the barrack system should b adopted-the new hospital has not yet been commenced The present hospital was formerly the palace of the arch bishops of Cologne, and however well adapted for its origina purpose it may have been, it is quite unsuited to its presen greatly enriched by his labours. uses. The wards are low, ill-lighted, and ill-ventilated During the long after-friendship which existed between erysipelas and pyaemia, linger about them continually, am Dr. Forbes Winslow, Dr. Lankester, and myself, I rarely hospital gangrene is sometimes met with. In spite of al met either of them in friendly communion without hearing these drawbacks, the clinical teaching is excellent, an( the name of Mr. Spurgin recalled in terms of admiration the number of students (137) has been somewha though and respect, which I, alas, now only remain to endorse-with reduced by the superior attractions offered by the nev all my heart. I am, Sir, yours, &c., Germanised University of Strasburg,it is still anything bu B. W. RICHARDSON. Hinde-street, W., Nov. 24th, 1874. contemptible. The staff consists of one physician (Prof Ruehle), with two assistants; one surgeon (Prof. Busch) with three assistants; and one ophthalmic surgeon (Prof DR. BUZZARD’S PAPER AT THE CLINICAL Saemisch), who has one assistant. There are also specia SOCIETY. departments for gynaecology (with a separate hospital) under Prof. Veit; for morbid anatomy, under Prof. Koester To the Editor of THE LANCET. and for pharmacology, controlled by Prof. Binz, who hal SIR,-I was interested in reading the discussion on Dr. also a special out-patient clinic for children. The operating Buzzard’s case at the Clinical Society in last week’s LANCET, theatre is tolerably convenient, and the lighting is fair but I cannot see that it deserves the name of melancholia. adjoining it are rooms, one used for instruments, and one The name one gives to cases is not of much importance which is larger, serves as a pathological museum. It is toe and the specimens are quite withoul perhaps, but I should prefer to call such a case one of acute small for the purpose, circumstance to be the more regretted af dementia. The essence of the case is the paralysis of the arrangement-a many of them, especially the casts of dislocations and frac. will, the intellect being clear. In thirteen years’ experience tures, are valuable. All the patients admitted either them. in public asylums I have had many such cases, and found selves pay for their board and residence, or the cost is they generally recovered suddenly, and never benefited by defrayed by their friends or by the commune to which the3 drugs. A pauper would stand a better chance than a rich belong. They are arranged in three classes : the first, whc man in an asylum, as the former would be bustled about and pay about five shillings a day, have a private room to them. more or less forced to employ himself, and this would be raselves; the second, who pay three shillings, are placed in tional treatment; while the latter would be condemned to !wards containing two or three beds; while the third, o to that could him. genteel idleness-the worst thing happen " class, who are charged at the rate of about fifteen. poorest I should also like to know how it happens that a private pence a day, are arranged in the ordinary wards, which each be fed such a can to 8700 whereas times, patient require contains from six to twelve beds. A somewhat similar scale thing is unknown in public asylums where thousands of of charges is exacted in all the German hospitals, but the For my part I believe such cases are treated every year. and surgeons have the privilege of admitting treatment to be not only needless, but injurious, as only’ physicians case and of retaining it in the hospital without special any encouraging the mental condition at fault. any payment as long as they like, and they do not hesitate I am, Sir, yours &c., frequently to avail themselves of the permission. G. M. BACON, M.D. G. Cambs County Asylum. At Bonn most fractures are treated by the gypsum bandage, hip disease by extension. Lister’s dressing of wounds is both understood and efficiently carried out. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION AT THE is treated by application of powdered starch ; Erysipelas COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. arteries are generally secured with catgut ligatures, and To the Editor 0/ THE LANCET. neither torsion nor acupressure is resorted to ; amputations are commonly performed with skin flaps, a circular to allow me to draw the attention SIR,- Will you your sweep being then made throthe muscles. For caries fixed for inconvenient time the Council have exceedingly or severe injuries of the tarsus Syme’s amputation appears the Preliminary Examination at the College of Surgeons to be the favourite. Prof. Busch is fully conversant with this year-the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th (Christmas Eve), the the English language and English surgical practice. He week after the school holidays begin ?P performs resections of joints frequently, and with good I have a son who has been preparing for the examination, results. Two resections of the wrist have recently turned along with several others, at Epsom College, and their out well, and he has at the present time under his care reholidays begin on the 18th December, so that my son will sections of the hip-, shoulder-, and knee-joints. One specihave to return to London on the Monday, attended by much men of resection of the latter joint in a boy aged nine was additional expense, and cannot reach home again before not looking well, but a case of the same operation in a man Christmas Day, if then. Had the examination been a week aged twenty-five, where the patella had also been removed for caries, presented a very good result. or so earlier, how much more convenient it would be for The new Gynaecological Institute, situate on the banks of such boys. the Rhine, and which has only been opened about eighteen I fear it is too late to hope for any alteration this year. I am, Sir, yours respectfully, months, is well worth a visit. The central part contains the administrative offices, operating theatre, &c., M. H..WALKER, H. WALKER, M and the M D. D. Aldborough, Darlington, Nov. 25th, 1874. wards are placed in the lateral wings. There are thirty 11
history, astronomy, &c.,