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A RICHLY DESERVED REBUFF.
66
Correspondence. "And! alteram
partem."
A RICHLY DESERVED REBUFF. Harewood-place, Hanover-square, Jan. 6, 1869. Mr. PAGET presents his compliments to the Editor of THE LANCET, and encloses two letters for publication, or any use that the Editor may think proper. 31, SackviIIe-street, London. 2, Old Steyne, Brighton, 186 . SiR,-Knowing from experience that you must, in the course of business, come in contact with many patients suffering from chronic diseases who have failed to obtain benefit from ordinary treatment, I beg to forward you a copy of my popular work on Curative Electricity." You will see by the advertisements of my books contained in it that I am an author of established scientific reputation. Having had fifteen years’ experience of medical electricity, and having successfully treated numerous patients, in conjunction with Sir Charles Locock, Sir Wm. Fergusson, Drs. Gream, A. Farre, and Burrows, Messrs. Paget, Skey, &c. (to whom I can confidently refer), I have less hesitation in addressing you. My object in writing is to ofer you an inducement to recommend to me such patients as you may believe electricity (properly applied) may benefits it would be only just that you should participate in any profit I may derive through your instrumentality, I shall forward to you the first fee I receive in every instance, in addition to which I shall have much pleasure in allowing you 25 per cent. on the price of the apparatus supplied. Although this may be a somewhat novel method of commencing business relations, I trust that you will see that the advantage is mutual; in any case, I hope you will consider this communication confidential. I am, Sir, yours very truly, HARRY LOBB. P.S.-For the nature of the cases advantaged by electrical treatment, the apparatus I recommend, &c., I must refer you to the book. I would also call your attention to my Brighton address, where patients can combine the tonic effects of sea air with the electricity.-H. L. 11
(COPY.) Harewood-place, Hanover-square,
Jan. 6,1869. sent me a letter offering, as you say, an inducement to me to send patients to you. You express the hope that I shall consider the communication confidential; but I take leave to tell you that you have no right to insult I have, thereme and expect me to say nothing about it. fore, sent your letter and a copy of this to the Editor of THE LANCET, and begged him to make any use of them that he thinks proper. You say that you can confidently refer to me in respect of patients whom you have attended. I recommend you not to do so. I have no recollection of any case in which you did the least good. I am, Sir, yours, JAMES PAGET. Harry Lobb, Esq.
SiR,-You have
rejected at every examination, and cast upon civil life, and the best of them are quite’ as good as their civil conf1’ères. Be they good or bad, however, they must all possess medical and surgical diplomas before they can become candidates for army appointments. After being selected, they have to pursue and pass through a course ofstudy at Netley, where they are 9-early taught some professional subjects with which they are supposed to be already acquainted, and they acquire a practical knowledge of many others of which few civilians know anything at all. They have then to undergo another test examination before being gazetted, and still another before being promoted. Now, it is perfectly absurd to suppose, with these additional protec. tions, that among a large body of men, coming from different schools, and composed of the graduates of various universities, there should not be, relatively, as large a number of well-educated men in the service as out of it. In matters of sanitary science, at any rate, they may fairly claim to have taken a prominent position. It appears to me simply ignorance-or worse-on the part of those who charge the officers of that service with all the evils attending our present military system. India and the various colonies must be provided for, and the term of foreign service presses so heavily, that the life of a medical officer is almost one of expatriation altogether; and the prizes are as few as the risk to health and loss of life are great. The last was statistically proved by Mr. Neison, and the impairment of health from foreign service those best know who are the sufferers,-and they are very many. The problem of discovering a method which shall offer reasonable and fair prospects to the medical officer, with a due regard to efficiency and the public interests, is a difficult one; and I believe, with the present double system of military administration by Horse’ Guards and War Office, with our regimental system, and the regular relief of India and the colonies, that I might fairly challenge anyone to lay down a scheme which curtail the size of the Departof the work, or provide mediment, produce an cal officers with a similar* amount of occupation at all stations and under all circumstances alike. Have a local Indian army, and reduce your force in the colonies, and a child might effect a reduction of the Medical Department, of course. I am among those who heartily desire to see an effective and practical scheme designed and carried out, but those who know the present working best can best appreciate the. difficulties; and they are equally aware that it is no fault of the medical authorities whatever if they have had neither the opportunity nor the power to propose a scheme, which they are surely as competent to sketch as any outsider can be. You said long ago that a Commission might be appointed to take the whole subject into consideration. By all means let this be done ; but, for the good of the profession and the public alike, I earnestly hope, and I certainly believe, that Mr. Cardwell will not be tempted to adopt the hasty conclusions of mere theorists. I enclose my card, in order that you may judge whether or not I am likely to be informed on what I write; and you can also judge as to how far my professional position justifies me in subscribing myself,—Yours truly, AN IMPARTIAL CRITIC. January, 1869.
relatively
should equalisation
MARKINGS ON THE NAILS. To the Editor
of THE
LANCET.
THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. SIR,—In a paper -which appeared in your last number on To the Editor of THE LANCET. "Marking on the Nails," I said that the fact was known to SiR,-For some reason or other best known to the writer many in the profession, and that I believed the subject had been treated of by writers, although I was unable to lay my or writers of the articles which have recently appeared in of the daily journals, the organisation and administration of the Medical Department have been condemned, and its officers declaimed against. You, Sir, can scarcely be accused of having concealed the defects of the present organisation, seeing that you were the first to advocate But I have no hesitation in some radical changes in it. I refer were in many attacks to which that the saying in fact as as incorrect were unjust in spirit. they respects It is very easy to characterise medical officers as ignorant and what not; but the worst of them are better than those some
hand on the references. Mr. Erasmus Wilson has now sent me the information that a description of the affection was written by M. Beau, in the eleventh volume of the Archives G4n4rales," and that he published an account of M. Beau’s researches in his works on the skin. I may add that when I stated I could find no reference to the subject in any of the ordinarily used books on medicine, I unfortunately had no other copy of Mr. Wilson’s work by the first edition. me than one of I am, Sir, your obedient servant, SAMUEL WILKS, WILKS. M.D. St. Thomas’s-street, Jan. 1869.
Correspondence. "And! alteram
partem."
A RICHLY DESERVED REBUFF. Harewood-place, Hanover-square, Jan. 6, 1869. Mr. PAGET presents his compliments to the Editor of THE LANCET, and encloses two letters for publication, or any use that the Editor may think proper. 31, SackviIIe-street, London. 2, Old Steyne, Brighton, 186 . SiR,-Knowing from experience that you must, in the course of business, come in contact with many patients suffering from chronic diseases who have failed to obtain benefit from ordinary treatment, I beg to forward you a copy of my popular work on Curative Electricity." You will see by the advertisements of my books contained in it that I am an author of established scientific reputation. Having had fifteen years’ experience of medical electricity, and having successfully treated numerous patients, in conjunction with Sir Charles Locock, Sir Wm. Fergusson, Drs. Gream, A. Farre, and Burrows, Messrs. Paget, Skey, &c. (to whom I can confidently refer), I have less hesitation in addressing you. My object in writing is to ofer you an inducement to recommend to me such patients as you may believe electricity (properly applied) may benefits it would be only just that you should participate in any profit I may derive through your instrumentality, I shall forward to you the first fee I receive in every instance, in addition to which I shall have much pleasure in allowing you 25 per cent. on the price of the apparatus supplied. Although this may be a somewhat novel method of commencing business relations, I trust that you will see that the advantage is mutual; in any case, I hope you will consider this communication confidential. I am, Sir, yours very truly, HARRY LOBB. P.S.-For the nature of the cases advantaged by electrical treatment, the apparatus I recommend, &c., I must refer you to the book. I would also call your attention to my Brighton address, where patients can combine the tonic effects of sea air with the electricity.-H. L. 11
(COPY.) Harewood-place, Hanover-square,
Jan. 6,1869. sent me a letter offering, as you say, an inducement to me to send patients to you. You express the hope that I shall consider the communication confidential; but I take leave to tell you that you have no right to insult I have, thereme and expect me to say nothing about it. fore, sent your letter and a copy of this to the Editor of THE LANCET, and begged him to make any use of them that he thinks proper. You say that you can confidently refer to me in respect of patients whom you have attended. I recommend you not to do so. I have no recollection of any case in which you did the least good. I am, Sir, yours, JAMES PAGET. Harry Lobb, Esq.
SiR,-You have
rejected at every examination, and cast upon civil life, and the best of them are quite’ as good as their civil conf1’ères. Be they good or bad, however, they must all possess medical and surgical diplomas before they can become candidates for army appointments. After being selected, they have to pursue and pass through a course ofstudy at Netley, where they are 9-early taught some professional subjects with which they are supposed to be already acquainted, and they acquire a practical knowledge of many others of which few civilians know anything at all. They have then to undergo another test examination before being gazetted, and still another before being promoted. Now, it is perfectly absurd to suppose, with these additional protec. tions, that among a large body of men, coming from different schools, and composed of the graduates of various universities, there should not be, relatively, as large a number of well-educated men in the service as out of it. In matters of sanitary science, at any rate, they may fairly claim to have taken a prominent position. It appears to me simply ignorance-or worse-on the part of those who charge the officers of that service with all the evils attending our present military system. India and the various colonies must be provided for, and the term of foreign service presses so heavily, that the life of a medical officer is almost one of expatriation altogether; and the prizes are as few as the risk to health and loss of life are great. The last was statistically proved by Mr. Neison, and the impairment of health from foreign service those best know who are the sufferers,-and they are very many. The problem of discovering a method which shall offer reasonable and fair prospects to the medical officer, with a due regard to efficiency and the public interests, is a difficult one; and I believe, with the present double system of military administration by Horse’ Guards and War Office, with our regimental system, and the regular relief of India and the colonies, that I might fairly challenge anyone to lay down a scheme which curtail the size of the Departof the work, or provide mediment, produce an cal officers with a similar* amount of occupation at all stations and under all circumstances alike. Have a local Indian army, and reduce your force in the colonies, and a child might effect a reduction of the Medical Department, of course. I am among those who heartily desire to see an effective and practical scheme designed and carried out, but those who know the present working best can best appreciate the. difficulties; and they are equally aware that it is no fault of the medical authorities whatever if they have had neither the opportunity nor the power to propose a scheme, which they are surely as competent to sketch as any outsider can be. You said long ago that a Commission might be appointed to take the whole subject into consideration. By all means let this be done ; but, for the good of the profession and the public alike, I earnestly hope, and I certainly believe, that Mr. Cardwell will not be tempted to adopt the hasty conclusions of mere theorists. I enclose my card, in order that you may judge whether or not I am likely to be informed on what I write; and you can also judge as to how far my professional position justifies me in subscribing myself,—Yours truly, AN IMPARTIAL CRITIC. January, 1869.
relatively
should equalisation
MARKINGS ON THE NAILS. To the Editor
of THE
LANCET.
THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. SIR,—In a paper -which appeared in your last number on To the Editor of THE LANCET. "Marking on the Nails," I said that the fact was known to SiR,-For some reason or other best known to the writer many in the profession, and that I believed the subject had been treated of by writers, although I was unable to lay my or writers of the articles which have recently appeared in of the daily journals, the organisation and administration of the Medical Department have been condemned, and its officers declaimed against. You, Sir, can scarcely be accused of having concealed the defects of the present organisation, seeing that you were the first to advocate But I have no hesitation in some radical changes in it. I refer were in many attacks to which that the saying in fact as as incorrect were unjust in spirit. they respects It is very easy to characterise medical officers as ignorant and what not; but the worst of them are better than those some
hand on the references. Mr. Erasmus Wilson has now sent me the information that a description of the affection was written by M. Beau, in the eleventh volume of the Archives G4n4rales," and that he published an account of M. Beau’s researches in his works on the skin. I may add that when I stated I could find no reference to the subject in any of the ordinarily used books on medicine, I unfortunately had no other copy of Mr. Wilson’s work by the first edition. me than one of I am, Sir, your obedient servant, SAMUEL WILKS, WILKS. M.D. St. Thomas’s-street, Jan. 1869.