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ARMY ASSISTANT-SURGEONS.
142
neck of the aneurismal sac. The artery: geon to the forces, a rank which, br the custom of the service, is superior to that of Tnuv be contracted from pressure, as an aneurismal tumour, which the surroundsurgeon and speaking of which, ing parts bind down upon the artery, regulations say, " Medical officers are from any tumour in the seat of an artery ;encouraged to look forward to the rank of to the forces." Contrast this pro. under the same circumstances, and pressures on an artery with the finger will cause that of the late senior assistantthe.motion with bruit de That the bruit de surgeon to the forces,* who, in the same Gaseldom, or indeed never, takes place in the zette, was appointed to a regimental surpassage of the blood into the aueurismal geoncy after nineteen years’ service as as. sac, may be accounted for in this way : the sistant-surgeon ! blood at that part, instead of having a conLook to those gentlemen still remaining tructed space to pass through, has a much on the list after sixteen, seventeen, eighmore capacious one, having the artery and teen years’ service at home and abroad. the opening of the aneurism, the latter of In tropical climates no surgeoncy to the which alone, except in very early cases, forces comes in their way, but Sir James pro. exceeds generally the circumference of the motes over their head an assistant-surgeon artery. So that, in my opinion, bruit de of five years’ service at home; and while soufflet is seldom indeed caused by the pas- they are toiling in St. Lucie, Ceylon, Domisage of blood through the neck of the aneu- nique, &c., stations him at Edinburgh! rism, but by pressure upon the artery con- Even look at the services of the assistanttracting its size ; and the reason that some surgeons of the other cavalry regiments; aneurisms have this symptom, whilst otherslook at 1Blr. Ribeck of the 10th Hussars, have not, is, that some aneurisms, whilstwho, among cther testimonies of his serthe blood is in a fluid state, form little orvices having been performed elsewhere than not sufficient pressure to cause it, although,, in the different cavalry stations of Canterbears a when in a farther state of progress, thebury, Edinburgh, Dublin, &c., symptom comes on from their increased sizeWaterloo medal. He is still an assistantand more firm texture, from the coagulaL surgeon, and with a commission dated 2d of which they contain. July, 1812 !! That it may not be said this is a solitary instance, we may mention IBlr. Yours, Sir, respectfully, J. B. E. FLETCHER, Surg. Barry, ltoyal Dragoons, Feb. 1813; Mr. Stewart, Scots Greys, Nov. 1813; Mr. 29, 1830. Slcifnall,
from.
’ regimental orthe surgeon
soufflet.
soufflet
-
Shropshire, Sept.
Cross 3d Dragoons March 11th. 1813; in’
short, among our dragoon
regiments alone,
six assistant-surgeonsof seventeen years, and three of sixteen years’ ARMY ASSISTANT-SURGEONS. standing, not to mention later dates. The conclusions from these premises are SIR JAMES M’GRIGOR. evident, and I think an instance of more flagrant and shameless partiality is rarely to To the Editor of THE LANCET. be met with. I am sure, unless Sir James SIR,—In your last Number I observe with be lost to all sense of sliame, he must have pleasureletter from " A Poor Assistaut blushed in recommending (as the phrase is) the appointment. Is it not melancholy to Surgeon," in which the writer gives thios; like the real character of Sir James think, that eighteen or nineteen years’ hard M Grigor (not that one which lie might be service at home and abroad is not considersupposed to possess irom reading the ful- ed as entitling a man to promotion, or to a better- station than Jamaica, or St. Lucie! some " dedications" of expecting phants) in confirmation of his opinion of the Or that an application for promotion on these worthy knight. Allow me to make a few grounds is to be answered (as 1 have known rt marks on the promotion in Sir James’s de-it done) by an otfer of an appointment to partment. I shall select as my text the l’ol. Sierra Leone! Mr. 11. J. J emmett’s prilowing srnteuce from the last Gazette:— vate and professional character stands (and II. J. Jemmett, from1believe deservedly so) high, but these are the 12th Light l)rannons, to be surgeon to not the claims Sir James looks to. IBlr. the forces." On looking to the army list, Iemmett is so fortunate as to have a father an official situation Mr. Jemmett’s commission as assistant-sur(we believe in his " 13th of Dec. Majesty’s household), and .thence his rapid ge na is found to bear (late 1823." Now as the regulations state that advancement is easily explained. Frou) your always having been a decided " every gentleman must have served at Last five years in the junior departments enemy to all kinds of " hole-and-corner" I am induced to hope you will afford lm can be promoted to the rank of regimental surgeon, it appears that, as soon as possible, Mr. Jemmett was appointed sur. Dr. Hart. there
some-
syco-
Assistant-Surgeon
in
work,
are
143
At the trial the grand !auujMe tiew of proving to those expectinb jury found a true bill against John, but to enter the service, that as long as the pre- ignored the bill against Robert; their fore. * not man, Mr. Maynard, afterwards’ Sir Arthur 6t’1l chief ensures indignantly asked the judge in promotion. public service, I have the honour to he, Sir, open court, if an action would not lie against the committing magistrate for false impriSCALPELLUM. sonment, which he answered in the affirmaDublin, Oct. 7, 1830. tive, but coupled with an opinion which rendered the whole matter nugatory—I supNON-MEDICAL CORONERS. pose, the necessity to prove a corrupt motive. John Wightman was found guilty of manslaughter. Thus, through the want of [We have lately received a vast number firmness and independence in the coroner, of letters relating to non-medical coroners, did this innocent man suffer thirty-three and as we find space shall select some ofweeks of which caused unjustimprisonment, them for insertion. The following are of the total ruin of his health and fortune. the number.] His widow and children, six of whom were girls, must have become the inmates of the poor house, had not the oppression of their To the Editor of THE LANCET. father, and their own universal good characSIR,—In the summer of 1795, while the! ter, excited the sympathy of a few of their 4th Buffs and another regiment were en-more wealthy townsmen, who gave them camped on Hopton Common, a place halff the means of establishing a small business, has to this hour supported them in way between Yarmouth and Lowestoft, few straggling soldiers called at Hoptoni comfort and respectability. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, White liart, and spent an hour or two in J. T. MURRAY. festivity. One of them accidentally broke a quart mug, for which he refused to pay. The landtoid, Robert Wightman, locked up SIR,—ON referring to a late Bristol a firelock as security ; a scuffle ensued, in journal, you will find the report of a cothe course of which John Wightman, the roner’s inquest held in this city, on the body brother of the publican, snatched up u poker of Mary Lewis, ætat. 23, who was found from the fire, and struck one of the soldiers, suspended to the banister of a stair, and from the effects of which blow he died. An although cutdown in about three minutes, inquest was held by the coroner of Suffolk death took place within two hours after, and on the dead body, assisted by a magistrate, a verdict was returned of felo-de-se. An the Rev. Dr. Cooper of Yarmouth, the examination of the body was strongly urged father of Sir Astley Cooper, and the grand- by the foreman of the jury, as well as by the father of the gentleman who lately cut so two medical men who had administer ed to distinguished a figure in the pages of THE her in her last moments. This apparently that the reasonable rtquest was obstinately refused L.wci:r. The coroner ott’ence was clearly murder; the jury by the coroner, who stated it to be unnethought otherwise, and brought in a ver- cessary and absurd, although the lower part dict of manslaughter against John Wight- of her shift was completely saturated and man, and acquitted Robert Wightman. The clotted with.blood, which, being dry, renderThe os tincæ was very coroner refused to receive the verdict, and, ed it quite stiff. in conjunction with the Rev. Magistrate, near the external oritice of the vagina, and lectured them severely on their contumacy, was soft and so dilated that the finger passed in daring to bring in a verdict contrary to with the greatest ease into the uterus ; on the opinion of " the court." The jury, in- withdrawing the finger no blood appeared experienced, and overawed by authority,- upon it. There was no swellingof the ex. moreover assured that a verdict of murder ternal parts. I have confined myself to a mere detail of against John would not at all affect Robert Wightman, their harmless, inoffensive those appearances which in my own opinion townsman, whom they were desirous of would have justified a more extensive examsaving from the consequences of his bro- ination of the circumstances connected with ther’s violence,—finally brought a verdict her death, aud shall concede to you the ot wilt’ul murder"against John, audac- power to malceany comments you may think consistent with the advancement of the quitted Robert, Wightman. Bow, Sir, mak the consequence. On cause you have of late so ably advocated. the succeeding day the Kev. Dr. Cooper, A. B. a. tin.: on his authority as a magistrate, committed Robert Wightman to Bury jail to A correspondent, Colonel DIennetha&set take liizi trial for murder as " an ucec-ss3ry Fairman, in drawing our attcutioumore c-slie.
ine n iiool- for this in your next, with the before the fact."
remains,
Heselrigg,
at I I which
charged
"
neck of the aneurismal sac. The artery: geon to the forces, a rank which, br the custom of the service, is superior to that of Tnuv be contracted from pressure, as an aneurismal tumour, which the surroundsurgeon and speaking of which, ing parts bind down upon the artery, regulations say, " Medical officers are from any tumour in the seat of an artery ;encouraged to look forward to the rank of to the forces." Contrast this pro. under the same circumstances, and pressures on an artery with the finger will cause that of the late senior assistantthe.motion with bruit de That the bruit de surgeon to the forces,* who, in the same Gaseldom, or indeed never, takes place in the zette, was appointed to a regimental surpassage of the blood into the aueurismal geoncy after nineteen years’ service as as. sac, may be accounted for in this way : the sistant-surgeon ! blood at that part, instead of having a conLook to those gentlemen still remaining tructed space to pass through, has a much on the list after sixteen, seventeen, eighmore capacious one, having the artery and teen years’ service at home and abroad. the opening of the aneurism, the latter of In tropical climates no surgeoncy to the which alone, except in very early cases, forces comes in their way, but Sir James pro. exceeds generally the circumference of the motes over their head an assistant-surgeon artery. So that, in my opinion, bruit de of five years’ service at home; and while soufflet is seldom indeed caused by the pas- they are toiling in St. Lucie, Ceylon, Domisage of blood through the neck of the aneu- nique, &c., stations him at Edinburgh! rism, but by pressure upon the artery con- Even look at the services of the assistanttracting its size ; and the reason that some surgeons of the other cavalry regiments; aneurisms have this symptom, whilst otherslook at 1Blr. Ribeck of the 10th Hussars, have not, is, that some aneurisms, whilstwho, among cther testimonies of his serthe blood is in a fluid state, form little orvices having been performed elsewhere than not sufficient pressure to cause it, although,, in the different cavalry stations of Canterbears a when in a farther state of progress, thebury, Edinburgh, Dublin, &c., symptom comes on from their increased sizeWaterloo medal. He is still an assistantand more firm texture, from the coagulaL surgeon, and with a commission dated 2d of which they contain. July, 1812 !! That it may not be said this is a solitary instance, we may mention IBlr. Yours, Sir, respectfully, J. B. E. FLETCHER, Surg. Barry, ltoyal Dragoons, Feb. 1813; Mr. Stewart, Scots Greys, Nov. 1813; Mr. 29, 1830. Slcifnall,
from.
’ regimental orthe surgeon
soufflet.
soufflet
-
Shropshire, Sept.
Cross 3d Dragoons March 11th. 1813; in’
short, among our dragoon
regiments alone,
six assistant-surgeonsof seventeen years, and three of sixteen years’ ARMY ASSISTANT-SURGEONS. standing, not to mention later dates. The conclusions from these premises are SIR JAMES M’GRIGOR. evident, and I think an instance of more flagrant and shameless partiality is rarely to To the Editor of THE LANCET. be met with. I am sure, unless Sir James SIR,—In your last Number I observe with be lost to all sense of sliame, he must have pleasureletter from " A Poor Assistaut blushed in recommending (as the phrase is) the appointment. Is it not melancholy to Surgeon," in which the writer gives thios; like the real character of Sir James think, that eighteen or nineteen years’ hard M Grigor (not that one which lie might be service at home and abroad is not considersupposed to possess irom reading the ful- ed as entitling a man to promotion, or to a better- station than Jamaica, or St. Lucie! some " dedications" of expecting phants) in confirmation of his opinion of the Or that an application for promotion on these worthy knight. Allow me to make a few grounds is to be answered (as 1 have known rt marks on the promotion in Sir James’s de-it done) by an otfer of an appointment to partment. I shall select as my text the l’ol. Sierra Leone! Mr. 11. J. J emmett’s prilowing srnteuce from the last Gazette:— vate and professional character stands (and II. J. Jemmett, from1believe deservedly so) high, but these are the 12th Light l)rannons, to be surgeon to not the claims Sir James looks to. IBlr. the forces." On looking to the army list, Iemmett is so fortunate as to have a father an official situation Mr. Jemmett’s commission as assistant-sur(we believe in his " 13th of Dec. Majesty’s household), and .thence his rapid ge na is found to bear (late 1823." Now as the regulations state that advancement is easily explained. Frou) your always having been a decided " every gentleman must have served at Last five years in the junior departments enemy to all kinds of " hole-and-corner" I am induced to hope you will afford lm can be promoted to the rank of regimental surgeon, it appears that, as soon as possible, Mr. Jemmett was appointed sur. Dr. Hart. there
some-
syco-
Assistant-Surgeon
in
work,
are
143
At the trial the grand !auujMe tiew of proving to those expectinb jury found a true bill against John, but to enter the service, that as long as the pre- ignored the bill against Robert; their fore. * not man, Mr. Maynard, afterwards’ Sir Arthur 6t’1l chief ensures indignantly asked the judge in promotion. public service, I have the honour to he, Sir, open court, if an action would not lie against the committing magistrate for false impriSCALPELLUM. sonment, which he answered in the affirmaDublin, Oct. 7, 1830. tive, but coupled with an opinion which rendered the whole matter nugatory—I supNON-MEDICAL CORONERS. pose, the necessity to prove a corrupt motive. John Wightman was found guilty of manslaughter. Thus, through the want of [We have lately received a vast number firmness and independence in the coroner, of letters relating to non-medical coroners, did this innocent man suffer thirty-three and as we find space shall select some ofweeks of which caused unjustimprisonment, them for insertion. The following are of the total ruin of his health and fortune. the number.] His widow and children, six of whom were girls, must have become the inmates of the poor house, had not the oppression of their To the Editor of THE LANCET. father, and their own universal good characSIR,—In the summer of 1795, while the! ter, excited the sympathy of a few of their 4th Buffs and another regiment were en-more wealthy townsmen, who gave them camped on Hopton Common, a place halff the means of establishing a small business, has to this hour supported them in way between Yarmouth and Lowestoft, few straggling soldiers called at Hoptoni comfort and respectability. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, White liart, and spent an hour or two in J. T. MURRAY. festivity. One of them accidentally broke a quart mug, for which he refused to pay. The landtoid, Robert Wightman, locked up SIR,—ON referring to a late Bristol a firelock as security ; a scuffle ensued, in journal, you will find the report of a cothe course of which John Wightman, the roner’s inquest held in this city, on the body brother of the publican, snatched up u poker of Mary Lewis, ætat. 23, who was found from the fire, and struck one of the soldiers, suspended to the banister of a stair, and from the effects of which blow he died. An although cutdown in about three minutes, inquest was held by the coroner of Suffolk death took place within two hours after, and on the dead body, assisted by a magistrate, a verdict was returned of felo-de-se. An the Rev. Dr. Cooper of Yarmouth, the examination of the body was strongly urged father of Sir Astley Cooper, and the grand- by the foreman of the jury, as well as by the father of the gentleman who lately cut so two medical men who had administer ed to distinguished a figure in the pages of THE her in her last moments. This apparently that the reasonable rtquest was obstinately refused L.wci:r. The coroner ott’ence was clearly murder; the jury by the coroner, who stated it to be unnethought otherwise, and brought in a ver- cessary and absurd, although the lower part dict of manslaughter against John Wight- of her shift was completely saturated and man, and acquitted Robert Wightman. The clotted with.blood, which, being dry, renderThe os tincæ was very coroner refused to receive the verdict, and, ed it quite stiff. in conjunction with the Rev. Magistrate, near the external oritice of the vagina, and lectured them severely on their contumacy, was soft and so dilated that the finger passed in daring to bring in a verdict contrary to with the greatest ease into the uterus ; on the opinion of " the court." The jury, in- withdrawing the finger no blood appeared experienced, and overawed by authority,- upon it. There was no swellingof the ex. moreover assured that a verdict of murder ternal parts. I have confined myself to a mere detail of against John would not at all affect Robert Wightman, their harmless, inoffensive those appearances which in my own opinion townsman, whom they were desirous of would have justified a more extensive examsaving from the consequences of his bro- ination of the circumstances connected with ther’s violence,—finally brought a verdict her death, aud shall concede to you the ot wilt’ul murder"against John, audac- power to malceany comments you may think consistent with the advancement of the quitted Robert, Wightman. Bow, Sir, mak the consequence. On cause you have of late so ably advocated. the succeeding day the Kev. Dr. Cooper, A. B. a. tin.: on his authority as a magistrate, committed Robert Wightman to Bury jail to A correspondent, Colonel DIennetha&set take liizi trial for murder as " an ucec-ss3ry Fairman, in drawing our attcutioumore c-slie.
ine n iiool- for this in your next, with the before the fact."
remains,
Heselrigg,
at I I which
charged
"