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MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGY.
MEDICAL
PSYCHOLOGY.
much lukewarm.. in calling which has to essential in the outer world, and the members of which unhap too often divided by petty jealousies amongst themselves. pily social lounge, with its proper not have and Why should encounter
a
are
ness
To the Edito2- of THE LAXCET. our we am desirous of calling the attention of yourself SIR,-I of the profession to what I consider a great evil, believing that adjuncts, a restaurant, smoking-room, and well-stored library ? Indeed, I cannot by so doing I shall be taking the most direct means towards of general as well as professional literature I am sure most obtaining a remedy. It is a well-known fact that medical see why there should be any of the latter. on such an occasion, to sink the shop altopsychology is a branch of the profession which is rarely made would be content,members who may happen for a few days tothe subject of study, except by a very small proportion of gether. Country medical men ; students seldom make it a part of their curricu- be in town ; young devotees of the profession, who have more lum, partly because it is not required by the examining boards, time on their hands than they can conveniently fill; elderly practitioners, who want a quiet dinner with a friend, or a principally because their work is already so varied and great; leisure hour to themselves and their paper or cigar, would but when it is considered that the period in which they are find their wants supplied. Ycung doctors would not engaged in their hospital duties is the only part of their lives herein in which the majority have an opportunity of acquiring any have to dine with clerks, et id genus omne, in common eatingknowledge of mental disease, while almost every medical man honses about town, nor to hesitate between spending their is called upon occasionally to take a prominent and responsible I, lonely evenings in quiet but dreary lodgiugs, or killing time at part in these painful cases, I think it is clearly necessary that ’, the theatre or cigar divan. Hoping the subject will receive further attention, and witll. every opportunity and facility should be afforded to those stu- ’ dents who can be prevailed upon to make use of them. But is best wishes for the success of this scheme, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, this the case ? Far from it. There are four large lunatic asyONE WHO FLOATS ON T11E WATERS OF lums in or near London, and at only two of these are students MODERN BABYLON. May, 1858. admitted to see the practice. Having seen an advertisement from one of these (the Bethlem) in THE LANCET, in which it was stated that the fee for three months’ attendance on the WAR TO THE PUMP. practice and lectures was ;f3 3s., and concluding with an intimation that the " medical officers would enter students and To the Editor of THE LANCET. give all necessary information," I went down a short time since SIR,-Although I entirely concur with you that a destructive for the purpose of making some inquiries preparatory to enterwar should be immediately waged against all street pumps, I was into a and sent card name. shown room, ing my my drawers of the poisoned hard water from the shallow land to Dr. Hood, who came in shortly afterwards, and appeared of the metropolis, there are some few pumps drawing rather surprised when he heard my business, as he said I should springs the deep sand and chalk springs which ought find all the " necessary information" in the advertisement. I soft water from had scarcely time to ask him half a dozen questions before he to be protected. For your information I name the street pumps in Piccadilly left me abruptly and not very courteously, but not before I had obtained sufficient information to convince me that I should be (opposite St. James’s Church), Russell-square, Berkeley-square, Old-street, and Lombard-street, as drawing soft water from the wasting both time and money by attending the Bethlem Hos- deep springs. I do not at present remember any others, but pital. In answer to my question as to when the lectures spoken probably this communication will induce further information. of in the advertisement would commence, he replied that it In addition to the many dangerous sources of pollution to the was very uncert(l’Í1I if any lectures would be given, as it entirely land pointed out by you, the serious leakage of the gasdepended upon the number of students who entered. The mains,springs I may say nearly all over the metropolis, seems to have days for attending the practice are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and escaped the attention of the medical authorities. This danThursdays, at twelve; and when I ventured to ask what and growing evil should be investigated and remedied. length of time was occupied in going round, he answered, to gerous I am, Sir, your obedient servant, astonishment, " old !about half an hour; never my great FRED. BRAITHWAITE. " 1S5S. Berners-street, May, longer. And these, Sir, are the opportunities offered in London to become acquainted with a class of diseases which are becoming more and more rife in this country, and with which every one SCOTLAND. of us, it is almost certain, will often meet and have to deal, in OUR EDINBURGH CORRESPONDENT.) (FROM practice. Surely this half-hour’s race round the wards on three consecutive days in each week, with the remote claance of an occasional lecture, is not seriously regarded as a means of THE Bill introduced into Parliament, for the better regulaacquiring a knowledge of psychology; it must rather be a little tion of the Scottish Universities, like every system of reform farce got up for the express purpose of signing the schedules of at first, has its antagonists in a class with whom sole privileges those amongst us who intend entering the army or the Hon. have been too long vested, and the sweets of patronage hereEast India Company’s service. Before concluding, I ought to add, in justice to the staff of ditary during the control of successive Town Councils. The: St. Luke’s, as well as for the information of others, that I sub- proposal in the Bill to recognise in the Senatus Academicus the sequently paid a visit to this hospital, where I met with a gen- same power as that now possessed by the Town Council only, tlemanly reception from Dr. Stevens, and was informed that as a gross usurpation of civic authority and a danI could go round the wards with Dr. Sutherland on Mondays, is regarded innovation upon an old custom. That a General Council, at eleven; with Dr. Monro on Thursdays, at two; and with gerous of professors and graduates, should have the powerDr. Stevens any morning, at ten; and that Dr. ,Sutherland consisting of appointing four assessors of the seven to represent the Uniwould deliver a course of lectures on Insanity in May or June; whereas the Council can elect only three, has while the fee was the same as at Bethlem-viz., X33s. This versity Court, a lively demonstration on the part of the municipal is more satisfactory; but why should this be the only one of excited body, and stimulated them to crush this neophyte of the our metropolitan asylums where the student may acquire some numerous converts to the real necessity of such a measure. The of mental others diseases? have, indeed, knowledge The Town Council, in a recent meeting, agreed with marvellous "dwindled down from magnificent national institutions to " unanimity to oppose this attempted infringement on their mere local caravansaries." rights of patronage, and moved a number of indignant resoluI am, Sir, your obedient servant, tions in reference to the Bill. In the third resolution, the STAMFORD FELCE. St. Mary’s Hospital, May, 1858. Council thinks fit to recognise the Senatus and graduates of the College as "a new and untried body of men, who are removed from popular control, and will not be amenable to public PROPOSED MEDICAL CLUB. opinion;" and subsequently, in a speech by Mr. Brown To the Editor of THE LANCET. Douglas, that gentleman stated, " in regard to the Reid Fund, SIR,-Your article in last week’s journal on the establish- which was entrusted to the professors, they all knew very well ment of a Metropolitan Medical Club deserves the consideration that it was mismanaged."" A great deal of allowance can be of our profession. The subject is one I have myself thought made for a body of respectable mercantile men, who imagine very lately of broaching in your columns. It is better calcu- they are in the "right place" when regulating the government lated, I believe, than all the Medical Societies, as they are of a University. Science bending before broadcloth is comcalled, put together, for maintaining that unity of feeling so mercially pleasant, and to limit their power in the proposed
543
PSYCHOLOGY.
much lukewarm.. in calling which has to essential in the outer world, and the members of which unhap too often divided by petty jealousies amongst themselves. pily social lounge, with its proper not have and Why should encounter
a
are
ness
To the Edito2- of THE LAXCET. our we am desirous of calling the attention of yourself SIR,-I of the profession to what I consider a great evil, believing that adjuncts, a restaurant, smoking-room, and well-stored library ? Indeed, I cannot by so doing I shall be taking the most direct means towards of general as well as professional literature I am sure most obtaining a remedy. It is a well-known fact that medical see why there should be any of the latter. on such an occasion, to sink the shop altopsychology is a branch of the profession which is rarely made would be content,members who may happen for a few days tothe subject of study, except by a very small proportion of gether. Country medical men ; students seldom make it a part of their curricu- be in town ; young devotees of the profession, who have more lum, partly because it is not required by the examining boards, time on their hands than they can conveniently fill; elderly practitioners, who want a quiet dinner with a friend, or a principally because their work is already so varied and great; leisure hour to themselves and their paper or cigar, would but when it is considered that the period in which they are find their wants supplied. Ycung doctors would not engaged in their hospital duties is the only part of their lives herein in which the majority have an opportunity of acquiring any have to dine with clerks, et id genus omne, in common eatingknowledge of mental disease, while almost every medical man honses about town, nor to hesitate between spending their is called upon occasionally to take a prominent and responsible I, lonely evenings in quiet but dreary lodgiugs, or killing time at part in these painful cases, I think it is clearly necessary that ’, the theatre or cigar divan. Hoping the subject will receive further attention, and witll. every opportunity and facility should be afforded to those stu- ’ dents who can be prevailed upon to make use of them. But is best wishes for the success of this scheme, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, this the case ? Far from it. There are four large lunatic asyONE WHO FLOATS ON T11E WATERS OF lums in or near London, and at only two of these are students MODERN BABYLON. May, 1858. admitted to see the practice. Having seen an advertisement from one of these (the Bethlem) in THE LANCET, in which it was stated that the fee for three months’ attendance on the WAR TO THE PUMP. practice and lectures was ;f3 3s., and concluding with an intimation that the " medical officers would enter students and To the Editor of THE LANCET. give all necessary information," I went down a short time since SIR,-Although I entirely concur with you that a destructive for the purpose of making some inquiries preparatory to enterwar should be immediately waged against all street pumps, I was into a and sent card name. shown room, ing my my drawers of the poisoned hard water from the shallow land to Dr. Hood, who came in shortly afterwards, and appeared of the metropolis, there are some few pumps drawing rather surprised when he heard my business, as he said I should springs the deep sand and chalk springs which ought find all the " necessary information" in the advertisement. I soft water from had scarcely time to ask him half a dozen questions before he to be protected. For your information I name the street pumps in Piccadilly left me abruptly and not very courteously, but not before I had obtained sufficient information to convince me that I should be (opposite St. James’s Church), Russell-square, Berkeley-square, Old-street, and Lombard-street, as drawing soft water from the wasting both time and money by attending the Bethlem Hos- deep springs. I do not at present remember any others, but pital. In answer to my question as to when the lectures spoken probably this communication will induce further information. of in the advertisement would commence, he replied that it In addition to the many dangerous sources of pollution to the was very uncert(l’Í1I if any lectures would be given, as it entirely land pointed out by you, the serious leakage of the gasdepended upon the number of students who entered. The mains,springs I may say nearly all over the metropolis, seems to have days for attending the practice are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and escaped the attention of the medical authorities. This danThursdays, at twelve; and when I ventured to ask what and growing evil should be investigated and remedied. length of time was occupied in going round, he answered, to gerous I am, Sir, your obedient servant, astonishment, " old !about half an hour; never my great FRED. BRAITHWAITE. " 1S5S. Berners-street, May, longer. And these, Sir, are the opportunities offered in London to become acquainted with a class of diseases which are becoming more and more rife in this country, and with which every one SCOTLAND. of us, it is almost certain, will often meet and have to deal, in OUR EDINBURGH CORRESPONDENT.) (FROM practice. Surely this half-hour’s race round the wards on three consecutive days in each week, with the remote claance of an occasional lecture, is not seriously regarded as a means of THE Bill introduced into Parliament, for the better regulaacquiring a knowledge of psychology; it must rather be a little tion of the Scottish Universities, like every system of reform farce got up for the express purpose of signing the schedules of at first, has its antagonists in a class with whom sole privileges those amongst us who intend entering the army or the Hon. have been too long vested, and the sweets of patronage hereEast India Company’s service. Before concluding, I ought to add, in justice to the staff of ditary during the control of successive Town Councils. The: St. Luke’s, as well as for the information of others, that I sub- proposal in the Bill to recognise in the Senatus Academicus the sequently paid a visit to this hospital, where I met with a gen- same power as that now possessed by the Town Council only, tlemanly reception from Dr. Stevens, and was informed that as a gross usurpation of civic authority and a danI could go round the wards with Dr. Sutherland on Mondays, is regarded innovation upon an old custom. That a General Council, at eleven; with Dr. Monro on Thursdays, at two; and with gerous of professors and graduates, should have the powerDr. Stevens any morning, at ten; and that Dr. ,Sutherland consisting of appointing four assessors of the seven to represent the Uniwould deliver a course of lectures on Insanity in May or June; whereas the Council can elect only three, has while the fee was the same as at Bethlem-viz., X33s. This versity Court, a lively demonstration on the part of the municipal is more satisfactory; but why should this be the only one of excited body, and stimulated them to crush this neophyte of the our metropolitan asylums where the student may acquire some numerous converts to the real necessity of such a measure. The of mental others diseases? have, indeed, knowledge The Town Council, in a recent meeting, agreed with marvellous "dwindled down from magnificent national institutions to " unanimity to oppose this attempted infringement on their mere local caravansaries." rights of patronage, and moved a number of indignant resoluI am, Sir, your obedient servant, tions in reference to the Bill. In the third resolution, the STAMFORD FELCE. St. Mary’s Hospital, May, 1858. Council thinks fit to recognise the Senatus and graduates of the College as "a new and untried body of men, who are removed from popular control, and will not be amenable to public PROPOSED MEDICAL CLUB. opinion;" and subsequently, in a speech by Mr. Brown To the Editor of THE LANCET. Douglas, that gentleman stated, " in regard to the Reid Fund, SIR,-Your article in last week’s journal on the establish- which was entrusted to the professors, they all knew very well ment of a Metropolitan Medical Club deserves the consideration that it was mismanaged."" A great deal of allowance can be of our profession. The subject is one I have myself thought made for a body of respectable mercantile men, who imagine very lately of broaching in your columns. It is better calcu- they are in the "right place" when regulating the government lated, I believe, than all the Medical Societies, as they are of a University. Science bending before broadcloth is comcalled, put together, for maintaining that unity of feeling so mercially pleasant, and to limit their power in the proposed
543