HOPITAL DES VENERIENS, PARIS.

431

head-quarters of science, and the suspected school, wherever it may be, rarer appliances of profes-’under such vigilant superintendence as, sional skill, but for suffering indigence by rendering it impossible to violate the there is no help unless it can be found at law, will at once remove the apprehenhome, and at an easy price. It is, there-’sions of the public, and clear the discifore, a very spurious humanity that would pline of science from a degrading doubt." forbid the acquisition of a branch of surgical knowledge of. such primary utility as that gained by dissection. If there DES

move to

the

to obtain the

other alternative, it were much HOPITAL VENERIENS, PARIS. better that violence should be done to the feeling which hallows the remains of re- ON THE USE OF THEPROTO-IODURET OF latives and friends, than that the living MERCURY IN THE VENEREAL AFFECshould drag on a miserable existence or TIONS OF CHILDREN. expire on beds of anguish, owing to the AMONGST the important results derived prejudice which shrinks from tolerating from the researches to which M. RICORD an examination of the cold, insensate clay. has for several years tlevoted his attention " Yet this prejudice is not undeserving at the venereal hospital, there is one deof respect, nor should it be causelessly or*: serving particular notice-viz. that hiwantonly assailed. There are few, even therto he has never observed primary among philosophers and men of symptoms of a syphilitic affection in chilwho, however regardless of the appropria-i dren, except in those who had either suftion of their own bodies, would choose to! fer ed from the violence of an infected in-or when the mother, labouring transfer a child, a wife, or a parent, to the table of the anatomist. We need nott herself under primary symptoms, had wonder, then, at the repugnance of the ! communicated the disease by immediate poor-among whom the household affec- ) contact; with these two exceptions, the tions are peculiarly strong-- to the calling venereal disease in children is altogether of the resurrectionist. Since a knowledge.! secondary, or, at least, presents the chaof the healing art cannot be acquired of symptoms which M. RICORD without dissection, it is right thatfacili-. is in the habit of describing under this ties should be granted for its attainment ; The children received into the but these facilities ought to be guarded by, venereal hospital have never, except in cases alluded to, exhibited ulcerations regulations framed so as to attain the desired object without violating the decen-capable of being communicated by inocies of sepulture, or outraging the senti-or having the least analogy with ments of natural affection. true venereal sore.

were no

science,!!

dividual,

racters ; name.

&mid ot;

- the

culation,

the

provisionI

We do not now propose to enter into legislature has made for the wants of anatomical schools, and to the question as to how the disease may the range accorded by law the heads be transmitted from parent to child, but, these institutions are called upon to re- taking the facts as they present themstrict their operations. It ought to be re- selves in practice, to seek the most promembered that from the vile trade of the per mode of combating the different forms resurrectionist sprang those horrible atro- in which the affection may appear. In this respect we may affirm, without hesf cities, new to the records of crime, have been enrolled in our language under tation, that if any medicine deserves the the name of their first name of specific, this title may be justly trator. The plunderers of the tomb given to the proto-ioduret of mercury, commence their revolting occupation until administered internslly in the form of they have acquired the habits of the ruf- pills, or as inrlzzrated honey. In every where this preparation was employfian. With every midnight expedition,

" The

of

(

which

detected

perpe-

rarely

case

they become more desperately hardened, ed, the cure was easily obtained, and, comuntil they at last begin to regard a fellowspeaking, much more rapidly creature in no other light than as a mar- than when the patients were adult; and ketable article.—Medical men who laold it is remarkable, that the treatment was any communication with these wretches never followed by those accidents some-

paratively

stain the character of a profession second times attending the use of mercurial preto none in worth and dignity. We will parations by full-grown individuals. The not permit ourselves to imagine that their most common affection observed in inpresence is welcome at any medical instiespecially those at the breast, is the tution in this county; but should an im- mucous pustule, and next to it the pustupression of the kind exist among the com- lar syphilitic eruption, and it is precisely these two forms of disease that munity, that alone is sufficient to make it the duty of the proper authorities to place action of the proto-ioduret of mercury

fants,

::‘theagainst

432 is most rapid and marked; ten pills havewe should be always on our guard, and often been sufficient to remove large :frequently examine the state of the little patches of mucous papulae covering the patient’s mouth, in order that we may be vulva, anus, and upper parts of the thighs. prepared to arrest at its origin a salivaWhen the disease, is in some respects-,, tion which would soon, become dangerous complicated, and there exists at the’ same if neglected.—Frenck Lancet, J. Rattiertime ulcerations of the throat, or dis- Clinique of M Ricord. charges, &c., the proto-ioduret should be, (To be continued.) aided by some local remedy, as a injection, &c., or should be mixed with honey, and applied directly to the ulceration ; and the united action of these appliCORRESPONDENTS. cations will soon produce results which we would have in vain sought to obtain WE have received thirteen additional by the exclusive use of any one singly. In on the subject of the distribution of careful M. the most spite experiments, the medals in the class of Chemistry RICORD has not as yet been able to termine in a positive manner, that the use the University of London, but we feel of this remedy by the mother while stickto desist from publishing any ling, may produce the cure of the child, ,furtherupon correspondence’ on the subject, through the medium of the milk; on the Professor Turner thinks that statecontrary, the disease was frequently dein the have been the mother made to his disadvantage latter, veloped although had been taking mercurial pills for a long which we ought to allow him to explain or time, and appeared on the way to cure. refute. The prize-system, as at present However, M. RTCORD is far from rejecting the observations hitherto published in fa- conducted,. is fundamentally defective. It vour of this intermediate medication, but can prove of no advantage to the medalsimply thinks that new experiments arelists, amongst the discerning portion of necessary to obtain certain proofs of its the community, and it is a source of great ,efficacy. annoyance to those students who imagine M. that the prizes are not awarded imparRICORD does not confine Finally, the use the proto-ioduret of mercury to tially. cutaneous syphilitic affections alone; he A. B., London Hospital.-No account has frequently observed ulcerations of the the breaking of a man’s arm by one of of throat, which resisted all local treatment, the the under its as also surgeons has been sent to us. influence, improve uterine, or vulvo-uterine, discharges of Mr. Bevan’s case shall appear. young girls directly infected, in whom the T. P. -Yes, if the lecturer be one of the deep-seated parts seemed to furnish teachers " recognised by the Court. inexhaustible secretion. However, in the NOTICE.—It is particularly requested latter case, the action of the pills is much ALL letters of business forwarded to the Office less remarkable, either because they are that of THE LANCET,—whether they relate to the concertain or because tents of the journal, or refer to transactions con. positively inefficacious, with the Commission Department,—be IKsecretions, BBhich we cannot always dis- nected A,3 Ly addressed to THE EDI TOR—Mr.WAKLEY. tinguish from blennorrhœa, are brought VARI If thh tule be not observed, it is impossible to guard on and kept up by evil practices, a cirof anonymous scribblers who against the cumstance that must be attended to, or appear to have no other employment or pleasure we shall be likely to form an erroneous than that of subjecting the conductors of journals to a heavy extortion in the shape of post-tax. If all judgment on the therapeutic value of theletters of business transmitted to the onice be admeans employed. These considerations dreased to the Editor, and NO letters, unless so adhave induced M. RICORD to employ thedressed, be received except the postage be paid, improto-ioduret of mercury in the greaterpositions will be effectually prevented. number of cases, because extensive experience has established this fact, that the LITERA.RY NOTICE.—In Julv will be pills, made after the formula which he ema new edition of Mr. published ploys, never produce any accident, while " Morbid Anatomy of the Human Eye," their use is always accompanied by the in 2 vols., royal 8vo. The price (says the greatest advantage. publisher, Mr. Churchill) will be consiInfants submitted to this mode of treat-- derably reduced from that of the former ment never suffer from the disorders which1 edition, but the same regard will be paid f to the fidelity and beauty of the colouring sometimes attack adults duringthe use of - of the plates, the whole being executed mercury, and compel the physician to suspend it ; however, M. RICORD thiaks thatt under the superintendence of the author. ‘

gargle,

iletters

de-of

in called

unless ments

of

an

"

impositions

Wardrop’s