EXPANSION SHOE V. FROG-PRESSUBE.

346

College basely panders. We agree with "Junius" that the law is unnecessary— that it is unjust and derogatory to the true dignity of the College.—Another Correspondent observes, that the practice of lecturing on midwifery, to a mixed class of males and females, is attended with much inconvenience. We should think so.

the

which,

to

factory

we are

answer can

not aware

that any satis-

be

in the

given

present

information. It might not be amiss to state here, that in some cases which

state

we

of

our

have recently

seen,we have found friction

on the abdomen a most effectual source of relief; and in very obstinate cases, in which the contents of the rectum were almost of the colour and consistence of half baked

A Student of Edinburgh, who complains abdomen greatly distended, and of the irony and the remarks of Scotus, clay, the in much pain, we have succeeded the child should recollect, that he being in London in removing the obstruction by means of and the latter at Edinburgh, may account and by rubbing the abdomen with for the descrepancy of opinion which seems enemas, castor oil, to one ounce of which, two drops to exist between them, as to the scarcity of croton oil were added ; friction appears to or not of subjects at the northern school. be of essential service in these cases. With regard to his observations on the fra-

ternity

of

Surgeon’s-square,

we

can

only

The

following statement has been sent to Borough of South-

say, that we have a great respect for some us by Mr. ROWLEY, of the of the parties, and that we do not think the wark.

remarks of Scotus quite so sweeping as he. " The case of dry gangrene related in the All general statements must be taken cum 194th Number of THE LANCET, p. 224, was under my treatment in St. Saviour’s Workgrano salis, in the scale of comparison. house for ten weeks, and certainly there no poultice or lotion applied. Mr. Stafford Smith, of Cambridge, com- was " I consider that when the separation municates a most severe and obstinate case takes place, the discharge from the living of constipation, the substance of which is as surface will rapidly exhaust the patient; and with that idea, I ordered the dead porfollows:— tion to be kept dry with hair powder, and A child,’ nine years of age, was brought when the woman was sent to the hospital, to him by the mother, who said, that of late she was not in that weak condition that you the child’s bowels had become very costive, would imagine from the nature of the case," and requested some aperient medicine. Fifteen grains of jalap were administered without effect, and on the following day a similar quantity. Various other purgatives were had recourse to, with no very satisEXPANSION SHOE V. FROG-PRESSUBE. factory result for about a fortnight, when the bowels were brought again to a regular mode of action, and the child did well. Mr. To the Editor of THE LANCET. Smith says, " If I mistake not, the quantity of calomel exhibited in this time, was 2791/2 SIR,—Among other trifling inaccuracies grains, which, so far from exciting ptya- into which Mr. Bracy Clark,—I beg pardon, lism, did not perceptibly affect the gums of the reviewer of Mr. Coleman’s work, has the child. In addition to this active remedy, fallen, quite unwittingly, no doubt, are the 98 grains of scammony, 9 grains of jalap, following :-He states at page 130, " Now 101/2 oz. of castor oil, besides three or four we can assert it as a fact, that if this (the ounces of tincture of senna were taken, be- College principle of shoeing) ever was the fore the constipation and pain could be ef- case, it is not so now, there being no Regiment fectually relieved, and the bowels restored in the service that is shod upon the principles o to their usual regularity. It would appear the College, which are those of frog-pressure," And again, at page 183, " and that not also, that 701/2 grains of antimonial powder, &c. and 71/2 grains of opium, were administered one pupil of the hundreds he (Mr. Coleman) has taught, can now be found practising during the period above mentioned." these doctrines, (frog-pressure,) us every Mr. Smith asks why the evacuations preHegimellt in the service cax hear witness." 1 have now held for thirty years, and consented so perfectly a green colour ? In reply

247 to hold, the situation of Senior Veteri- quested a friend to visit the Artillery Corps, Surgeon, in the Regiment of Artillery, for the purpose of inspecting the , frog during the whole of which time, the old principle of frog-pressure" has been, and pressure" machinery, and of the results of continues to beat the present day, practised with his investigation we shall speak hereafter.

tinue nary

"

results too beneficial and notorious to admit Pursuing, therefore, our first view of of any doubt or dispute among impartial and the after I candid inquirers subject, which actual observation has truth ; and may add, that I know no dragoon Veterinary Sur- confirmed, we shall presently prove the geon, (and I am acquainted with several,) truth of the " that no regiment in position, on other who shoes his

regiment

principles.

It may be worth while to inform you also, " that not one pupil of the hundreds he (Mr. Coleman) has taught, can be found practising" the doctrines promulgated by your reviewer, as every private, public, and army forger in the kingdom, (Mr. Bracy Clark’sexcepted,) can bear witr.ess. If you prefer fact to assersion, or truth to falsehood, you will not hesitate to give this letter a place in "THE LANCET."

Royal

It is

thing to say that such princiintended to be practised, and another to show that they are really adopted; or, to continue the quotation in our Review, where it becomes definite, which Mr. Per-

ples

one

are

cival prudently avoids, " these principles of I am Sir, Your obedient Sevant, frog-pressure, to be carried into real effect, JOHN PERCIVAL, require a thin heeled shoe, as proSenior V. S. Royal Artill. Artill. posed by its inventor, La Fosse, who himself ’

Horse

the British service is shod upon Mr. Coleman’s principles of frog-pressure."

would

Infirmary, Woolwich,

afterwards abandoned it, nor was it ever after resumed in France." Very well! As we are anxious that our readers should Now if this, the Professor’s thin-heeled receive correct information on every subject shoe, three times as thick at the toe as at discussed in the pages of this Journal, we the heels, or any other direct frog-pressure have thought it a duty to insert the above agent, the patent artificial frog, the patent frog letter, and shall take the liberty of offering ’ bar, or spit bar shoes, if any of these are actually a few comments on the matter to which it worn by all the horses in the artillery corps relates; and first we can assure Mr. PER- at Woolwich, then it must be admitted as CIVAL, that if his " pressure" be as inappli- direct evidence of what we knew before, cable to the frog as his guess is to the namethat these shoes are used, notwithstandof the " reviewer" of Mr. Coleman’s toad-. ing their manifold disadvantages ; but that like quarto, that we have much reason for- this is not the case is scarcely credible, congratulating the horses of the Artilleryafter such a formal declaration of principle. Corps, at Woolwich. In the notices toBut Mr. Percival uses level shoes, and merely correspondents of our last, we took theprofesses the doctrines of frog pressure, and liberty to ask Mr. Percival "how he effectedits really only giving to this organ, as far as frog-pressure," to which he replies in aashoeing can permit, what Mr. B. Clark " such a note, " the question at issue is not how frogallovvs to be proper and necessary, as it receives in pressure is effected, but simply whether itt moderate share of pressure is or is not pmctised in the Artillery and1 its natural state," and by no means fulfilCavalry services ;" -Alr. *P. adds "any dayy ing these absurd opinions of the Professor, it may be convenient to you to come tooto the extent in which they are taught in Woolwich, I will demonstrate to you thatt his works and lectures. It is not meant to such is the practice in the former; and afteir assert, that such things are never put on at that I will take steps to show to what ex.Woolwich, but from our Friend’s inspection we know, that by far the greater part of the tent it prevails inthe latter." Previously to receiving this note, we re- Artillery Corps are shod without any devia

lllay,

15.

_

248 tion in

principle from the common shoe.and importance of appointing to a situation What then becomes of this boasted principle, of such interest and responsibility, some person of acknowledged eminence, who will " so notoriously beneficial?" if it is not good do credit to the rising fame and reputation in general, it is good for nothing, and if’ of the Glasgow College. I am aware that the appointment belongs to the Crown, but Mr. Percival sometimes gently squeezesin the present crisis of public affairs it is the frogs of horses committed to his care, matter of doubt whether the Duke of Moneither out of sincere kindness and com- trose, who is Chancellor of the University, and from whom all the recent appointments passionate sympathy for the suffering which have emanated, will be allowed to nominate none of his plans will prevent, or because it to this situation, or whether the power shall be retained by the Ministers of the Crown, is his wish to please his friend and patron and thus made subservient to their political the professor ; in either case, we can only influence. It is generally believed, however, lament that there is one veterinary surgeon that no person has as yet received a promise of the gift, and there is therefore conso lost in this delusive folly. And, withal, siderable doubt as to who is likely to prove Mr. Percival is so blinded by partiality the successful candidate. We have been told that Montrose declines, since he has ceded as not to see, that while advocating frogthe situation in his Majesty’s household, to pressure, he himself cannot generally prac- ask a favour of the present Administration, tise it, and attacks our general position, but that he expects, as head of the College, that this will be given to him unsolicited, that no regiment is shod upon Mr. Coleotherwise he resigns the office of Chanman’s principles," merely because, in com- cellor. This can be a matter, I conceive, very little moment, so far as regards the pliance with this exploded nonsense, he of selection of a properly qualified individual; himself occasionally uses these fanciful shoes. but it will no doubt affect, very materially, We apprehend that some time will elapse be- the success of various candidates who have fore this subject can be set at rest, mean- been laying trains for years past to acquire the smile and favour of a person who, while we assure Mr. Percival, that we from the unexpected change in public afhave carefully investigated both the works fairs, may now be unable to yield them assistance, or favour their darling and amof Mr. Coleman and of Mr. Bracy Clark, bitious pretensions. 1 must do the Duke and we do not hesitate to own ourselves as of Montrose the credit of having generally the decided disciples of the doctrines of the displayed an anxiety in filling the vacant medical chairs of this college by men of latter gentleman, whose principles of shoedistinguished eminence, and that the fame ing as described in his work on the expan- and celebrity of the University have been sion slioe, we are of opinion, embrace all increased by all his recent appointments, with only one exception, which I need the philosophical principles of the art. In hardly particularise. But it has also been notorious, that politics, in which his Grace our next we shall revert to the subject. has been long a decided partisan, have been frequently made the test of a man’s pre. tensions to professional advancement. The political faith and belief of the candidate first to be ascertained, and if these MEDICAL SCHOOL OF GLASGOW. require are sound and genuine, then his professional talents become an object of secondary conI REjoiCE to find in two late Numbers oi sideration. This is a state of matters which your extensively circulated and admirably is highly to be deprecated ; it is apt to enconducted Journal, allusion made to the gender in the minds of the young and amvacant Chair of the Theory and Practice of bitious members of the profession, a sycoMedicine in this University. The interest phantic subserviency to the dispensers of which you take in every thing that regards the " loaves and fishes," and to kindle a secthe respectability, welfare, and improve- tarian zeal in political affairs, too powerfully ment of your profession, and the manly and calculated, I am afraid, to debase and injure, uncompromising spirit which you have so not only the individuals themselves who uniformly evinced, induce me to cherish the make it the steppino-stone to their ambition, hope, that your exertions will be devoted but also to affect, in no trivial degree, the on the present occasion in holding up to the credit and character of a highly-useful and profession, and public at large, the necessity important profession. This is no chimerical