EPSOM COLLEGE.

1678 and parables from his wig, gave the irresistib’. responsible for the subpoena, since no address was given,. and sanction of his experience to the eulogium of his juvenil ;I was strongly disposed to pay no attention whatever to the friend. To inflate the bubble of its reputation, the pre 3 summons, but I took the precaution of communicating was called into action.-Theses, essays, pamphlets, ever r with the solicitors of the London and Counties Medical thing in the shape of a book, from a single sheet to a fiv Protection Society, Messrs. Le Brasseur and Oakley, hundred-page quarto, proclaimed Edinburgh the seat of th and was advised that it would be unwise to do so. A statement of the circumstances was laid before the medical sciences. If original works could not be COTY whil ones of merit immortalized translators, judge through the solicitors, and an arrangement was foreign posed, others crawled into notice in an "improved edition," 0 made, through his lordship’s kindness, by which the made their way into notoriety in a heap of " commentaries, annoyance and loss of time were minimised. The case was called at the opening of the court and before it was entered as useless as the obscure lumber which they were intended to illuminate. Success only generated a further spirit o upon at all the judge asked the plaintiff what evidence she enterprise ; and to increase the number of pupils rather thai wanted from me, with the result that I was allowed to leave in a few minutes without even being sworn. I to provide them with the materials of solid instruction would seem to have been the object contemplated in ever; may, perhaps, take this opportunity of expressing my of the courtesy and consideration shown by of the school. formed the conductors appreciation regulation Througi by the interference of fathers and friends with the Senat the secretary and solicitors of the Medical Protection

powder

aros Society, to whom I have had recourse on more than one of the mangled body of the science in ghastly occasion when my name has attracted the attention of owners nf enrrnf. remedies T am Cire yours faithfully pomp, and their certificates made a part of the W. H. BROADBENT. Dec. 6th, 1904. curriculum of education. Vapid .prelections on the were substituted for the actual practice of physic, anc demonstrations on an occasional putrid subject suppliec A DISCLAIMER. the place of manual anatomy. But behind this gorgeou1 trellis of books, lectures, professors, and other didactic To the Editors of THE LANCET. paraphernalia, there was nothing substantive, practical, O] SIRS,—My attention has been called to the appearance in valuable; the whole was a mere pageant passing before of some observations of mine on " temper the eyes of men, but so artfully conducted that i1 several lay papers " as if they had been written for the lay press. As powders was mistaken for a reality-for at no period did Edin. a matter of fact, these are quotations from a paper on the burgh ever present employment for more than sixty O] Use of Salicylate of Sodium and Bromide of Potassium in eighty pupils. Where was such employment to be found- the Irritable Temper of Cardiac Disease and Gout. This that employment which, exercising the body and thE appeared in the Practitioner for July, 1896, and parts of mind, improves the faculties of both, not that visionary paper it having been quoted without acknowledgment of its source to application hear-say knowledge which scarcely leave1 by one paper they were reprinted by others. Hence my an impression behind ? Not, surely, in the crowded wards intended solely for medical readers, have been of one hospital, or in the dissecting-rooms whose atmo- remarks, to be written for the general public. I regret this supposed sphere was seldom vitiated by the odour of anatomy. Tc for I think that had I done this, as many believe accommodate the superficial qualifications of the victims of very deeply, that I have, I should have been guilty of conduct derogatory this system of delusion, the difficulty of examination was to the profession to which I belong and naturally I am much reduced to a minimum, and to give the process a semblance that I should be supposed to be guilty of this. I of learning and severity, it was conducted in a dead language, grieved also that the quotations may do actual harm to health regret in which not one in five hundred, though he were well because the mentioned, though perfectly safe in the informed, could give any indication of his knowledge. hands of the drugs medical practitioners for whom the paper was Anglo-Latin theses elaborated out of Ainsworth, or purchased written, may prove mischievous in the hands of persons ready-made for a guinea, were put forward with the same ignorant of their properties. obliquity of purpose, as tests of a graduate’s classical and I am. Sirs. vours faithfullv. professional attainments. The scheme was sojudiciously BRUNTON arranged, and the summi honores " so liberally divided in Stratford-place, Cavendish-square, Dec. 5th, 1904. was to a a ticket insure the wheel, that to purchase prize. In short, the mercenary principles of political economy were as rigidly acted on in the management of the school, EPSOM COLLEGE. as in the working of a steam factory, and to produce To the Editors of THE LANCET. the greatest quantity, without any reference to the3 quality, in the shortest space of time, and with the leastt as few words as possible I would put before your SIRS,-In expenditure of labour, became the main spring of action.. readers the claims of the Epsom College Royal Medical The forcing system thus established, necessarily produced Foundation to their support. It gives pensions of E30 per in the medical the same effects as in the mercantile world,, annum to 50 medical men or their widows, and boards, aged a supply exceeding the demand, until every village in the clothes, and educates 50 sons of necessitous medical men empire could exhibit a brace of Edinburgh M.D.’s reposingfree of charge. The council has to collect year by year conunder one blanket, or doling out death and physic to thetribiitions to a sum of about J2.6000 to fulfil these duties community from behind one counter.2 which they have taken upon themselves. No one can doubt that the medical profession is exposed to more risks than 1 Edinburgh University. 2 professions, and in the case of those living in the other from letter from THE "Scotus" to headed Excerpt LANCET, "Sketches of the Medical Schools of Scotland. No. II." tropics and at many other stations abroad these risks are increased. Do we reach all classes of the profession when in need ? We claim that we do, for at present we have pensioners residing in Africa, Australia, and France. The sons of medical men, as foundationers, receive a first-class education free of cost and it is worthy of note that many of these lads. " Audi alteram partem." rise to the highest positions in college and after leaving Epsom attain to high rank in political, medical, or comMEDICAL MEN AND THE SUBPŒNA AD, mercial life. To maintain this great charity is a tremendous strain and we need more support. A simple way out of our TESTIFICANDUM. present difficulty would be to reduce the number of pensioners’ To the Editors of THE LANCET. and foundation scholars but the council are loth to SIRS,-It is important that medical men should know this course in view of the large number of candidates awaiting what course to pursue when served with a subpoena to election. With the loyal assistance of friends they have attend and give evidence in a court of law, but it is not managed to maintain 50 of each class for many years past always possible to act as you suggest. It might not, and they are most anxious to continue to do this. If we perform the duties I have referred to I would indeed, be prudent, since the solicitor might be acting for a blackmailer or might have a speculative interest in the issue. venture to suggest we deserve to be assisted. The main In the case on which you commented in your leading article details of our life for more than 50 years will be found in of Dec. 3rdI was unable to communicate with the person the prospectus which the secretary will gladly -forward to

and

Patrons, catchpenny professorships successively

out

gaud] theory

LAUDER

Correspondence.

adopt

1679 I

applicants.

am

arranging

that almost every governor

,

Obstetrical Society read

an account of a case

successfully

abroad and in the colonies shall receive his voting paper in treated by this method but a printed abstract and table contime to return it for the annual election. The scheme of taining its essential features were in the hands of the Fellows education is, on the lines of a first-class public school: we attending the meeting, of whom,Dr. Armand Routh was one. receive our boys from all classes and prepare them for every Again, Dr. Armand Routh says: "Sarwey, however, does ,

department

in life.

The record of school

successes will, I actually compare

the two

operations

in

question."

This state-

think, show that parents can send their sons to us with every ment also is inaccurate. Sarwey compares the conservative confidence that they will receive a first-class education at a operation with Porro’s operation without discriminating ,

most reasonable charge and that they will mix with a good between cases treated by the extraperitoneal method and gentlemanly lot of companions. Epsom College is peculiarly those treated by the intraperitoneal method which I showed well fitted to receive the sons of medical officers in the naval, in my paper to be very dangerous in skilful hands. Even had Sarwey done what Dr. Amand Routh erroneously says military, and civil services. I would ask the pecuniary aid of your readers for the he did, his figures would not have had the value of the charitable part of our work and their confidence in our more recent and larger figures contained in the great statisschool. The great schools of England have their foundations tical work, " L’Operazione Cesarea Porro,"which aims at in realised property; we are at present dependent on the giving all the accessible cases of "Porro’s operation" persupport of friends and well-wishers subscribing to keep us formed in all countries from 1876 to 1901, and which Dr. year by year. The public owe the medical profession much : Armand Routh disingenuously calls " foreign statistics." To might we not ask for subscriptions from those who recognise repeat, the fullest and most recent statistics which I have their indebtedness ? To many old supporters in my difficult been able to find show the mortality of the conservative task of obtaining contributions I wish to take this opportunity operation to be about 60 per cent. and that of the Porro of tendering my warmest thanks. operation to be about 35 per cent., or, as Dr. Routh says, 36’ 8 I am, Sirs, yours faithfully, per cent. ; that is, the old Porro operation has only about six-tenths of the mortality of the conservative operation. C. HOLMAN, Treasurer. T am Sirs T7mirQfaithfully, faithfully 37, Soho-square, London, W.C., Dec. 5th, 1904. HERBERT R. SPENCER, M.D. Lond. Harley-street, Dec. 5th, 1904. I

am,

Sirs,

yours

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FELLOWS AND MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL THE ACTION OF PERCHLORIDE OF IRON COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN BLOOD POISONING AND OTHER OF ENGLAND. DISORDERS. 10 the Editors of THE LANCET. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SIRS,-As one who has attended all these meetings from am pleased to see the letter of Dr. P. W. Latham SIRS,-I their commencement, and has had much to do with the LANCET of last week and hope that this discussion organisation of the Members’ Society, I thank you for the sym- in THE lead someone to try chlor-albumins as a substitute for may article in THE LANCET of There is no Dec. 3rd. pathetic doubt that the situation is very much as you describe it. more irritant preparations. He asks if chlorine is given off We belong to a practical profession, and it is no matter for as such from these compounds. This question would be answered by my friend Dr. Hopkins, but I presurprise that the bulk of the Members refuse to attend better sume that hydrochloric acid, at any rate, is not formed at which their count for and which votes meetings nothing lead to no result whatever. How much longer we shall because a solution of chlor-albumin in very dilute alkali consider it our duty to attend these meetings I cannot say; slowly loses chlorine, yet no precipitation of the chlor-albumin such as takes place on the addition of an acid. Dr. personally I think not long. They will then have to cease occurs for want of a quorum, as those of the Fellows have done. Latham appears to think that because Carius’s method was With the meetings will also cease all interest on the part of used to estimate chlorine in these bodies, therefore they are the Members in the College, which will be regarded by all, extraordinarily resistant to dissociation. This is by no means the case. On the contrary, their alkaline solutions lose as it now is by many, as an institution with which it is desirable to have as little to do as possible when once its chlorine, as above mentioned, on merely standing in the cold, while the dry substance is partly decomposed on heating to diploma has been obtained. For 20 years the Council has had the opportunity of making 100° C. My point, however, is that there is evidence that the College a popular institution and of maintaining an in- the organism in fever has need of chlorine and ordinarily terest in its proceedings among all its Members. For 20 must obtain it from such a stable salt as sodium chloride. Now what more suitable substance could be imagined for supplyyears it has refused to take a single step in this direction its those who for it. ing chlorine to the blood or tissues than a direct compound report among apply beyond circulating The fact that between 3000 and 4000 Members have so of chlorine with blood serum in a very weak alkaline solution which slowly yields up its chlorine ? In conclusion, applied shows that there is still a large amount of interest since Dr. Latham raises the question of the value of sodium in the College existing, in spite of the repellent and even as a therapeutic agent I may mention that it has chloride hostile attitude of the Council. If nothing can be done under the present President, who is an expert on the whole been recommended for the treatment of fever by no less than Graves of Dublin1 and William Stokes,2 question, nothing can be done at all. The matter rests with authorities the Council. At the slightest indication of a more con- more recently by Torald Sollmann,3 and von Moraczewski,4 humble servant. ciliatory attitude on their part the theatre would be filled, as not to mention your very T qirq faithfully in the old days, from floor to ceiling. Otherwise the College G. C. GARRATT. Dec. 1904. 6th, will be left, so far as the Members are concerned (in Bismarck’s elegant phrase), "to stew in its own juice." I am, Sirs, yours faithfully, SMOKE AND FOG. am

Dec. 5th, 1904.

W. G. DICKINSON.

yours

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-The somewhat disheartening annotation in THE CANCER OF THE CERVIX COMPLICATING LANCET of Nov. 26th, p. 1515, which includes such statements as "the fog last week was as bad, as persistent, as LABOUR. dense, and as irritating as ever," needs some answer from To the Editors of THE LANCET. those who, like myself, are optimistic as to the result of the SIRS,—Dr. Amand Routh in his letter in THE LANCET of smoke abatement movement on the London fog. It has never Dec. 3rd, p. 1612, has not given facts justifying his opinion been contended that London can be more free from fog than that the conservative operation is " the correct one" or other parts of the country in England when meteorological

refuting my statement

tha tthe Porro operation with the use of the serre-nceud is safer than the conservative operation in cases of advanced cancer complicating labour. He makes, however, two serious misstatements which I would ask your permission to correct. He says of me : "He does not bring forward any case of his own in support of his view." This statement is contrary to fact. Not only did I at the

conditions are such as to produce fog. The contention has been that London suffers much more from fog than surrounding parts and particularly the neighbouring parts of 1 Dublin Journal of Medical Science, vol. vii., p. 136, 1836. 2 Ibid. 3 American Journal of Physiology, vol. viii., p. 155, 1902. 4 Zeitschrift für Klinische Medicin, vol. xxxix., p. 44, 1900.