MR; SYME AND ACUPRESSURE

296 Sir Proby T. Cautley, K.C.B., in the chair, it was resolved to record the great loss sustained by science in the early death of Dr. Falconer, and to perpetuate his name as a naturalist and a scholar by a suitable memorial. It was unanimously resolved that this memorial should include a marble bust, to be placed in the rooms of one of the scientific societies, One of the or elsewhere, in London, as might be determined. objects in which the late Dr. Falconer took deep interest, up to the latest hour of his life, was the foundation of fellowships or scholarships in the University of Edinburgh, to enable deserving students to prolong their studies beyond the usual academical period. It was therefore further resolved to collect funds for the purpose of founding, in that University, a fellowship or scholarship in Natural Science, tenable for a limited term of years, and to be called the "Falconer Fellowshipor " Scholarship." A committee, consisting of upwards of eighty gentlemen, and including the Presidents of the Royal, Linnean, Geological, Geographical, and Ethnological Societies, and the first men of science of the day, with Dr. Murchison (79, Wimpole-street) as Secretary, has been formed for the purpose of carrying out the objects of the memorial; and already subscriptions amounting to nearly X1100 have been announced. It is estimated, however, that a sum of JE2500 will be necessary in order to found a fellowship of thep value of £100 a year. We call attention to the matter, as we think the object is one well worthy of the support of the numerous body of Edinburgh graduates practising in Great Britain and holding commissions in the army and navy. A very small subscription from each would at once place foundation of the Fellowship beyond a doubt.

February,

I

in which that gentleman imputes intentional misrepresentation of the action. taken in reference to the Townley case by the distinguished Society of which he is a foreignassociate member. We are in a position to state that our interpretation of the views; entertained by the committee appointed is entirely correct, and that Dr. Brierre de Boismont’s communication to the. Society on the matter is altogether confirmatory of the opinions expressed by Dr. Forbes Winslow, advocated by THE LANCET, and corroborated by the ultimate finding of the Coroner’s jury.

published in

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contemporary,

to THE LANCET

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SIR CHARLES HASTINGS. NVE deeply regret to learn that Sir Charles Hastings hasbeen seriously, and indeed dangerously, ill; so much so that Dr. Burrows has been summoned to Worcester to consult with his medical attendants upon the nature and treatment of his The last accounts which we have had reported more’ case. favourably of him, but it is feared that it will be necessary for him to withdraw from his active exertions in his profession, and from much of his public work. He has been for many years zealously devoted to the interests of his fellows, and all will sincerely regret that his career of usefulness is thus hindered. In his illness Sir Charles Hastings will have theearnest sympathy and best wishes of the profession.

thei

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POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM.

Correspondence. "Audi alteram part em."

IT is now pretty certain that no Bill will be introduced into Parliament on this subject during the present session. The MR. SYME AND ACUPRESSURE. lukewarmness or opposition of the Government with respect ’ To the Editor of THE LANCET. to any change disheartens independent members from taking SIR,—Mr. Syme is certainly the very last man in the whole the initiative. But there is another cause which operates who ought to venture to complain to that profession profession It is more disastrously against the poor and the profession. of any supposed personal attack upon him. But assuredly when, the unaccountable apathy of union surgeons themselves. With single-handed, I attempted to reply fairly and frankly to the a leader, able, indefatigable, and respected, what have they various arguments against acupressure that had been adduced done to assist him ?’.’ This is a question which may easily be him and other distinguished surgeons, I earnestly tried ta answered. Little or nothing, except subscribing to the fund by avoid all personal discourtesies, though I spoke out my opinions by a very small portion of those more immediately interested. and strongly, as I was entitled to do. And I am sorry Medical practitioners belong to the electoral body, have usually that anyone-even Mr. Syme-should take umbrage at considerable local influence, and if united could bring their tone of my reply. power to bear upon the Government in such a manner as to Even, however, had I answered Mr. Syme in a very different ensure some amount of redress. This is felt, on the part of the and forgot myself so far as to descend to the use of perfriends of the profession in Parliament, to be a just ground of discourtesies, I would have done nothing more than imicomplaint, and they express themselves clearly and decidedly tate a very bad initial example in the matter set me by other being Mr. Syme himself. In truth, when upon it. The lawyers are certainly not more influential, or as he does in his last week’s letter to Mr. Syme complains, more entitled to speak through their representatives, than of "personal attacks," the whole case is merely and you, ourselves. Why, then, are they more successful in obtaining purely a case of mistaken identity. For in May, 1860, a few redress than members of our own profession ? They have an months after acupressure was first suggested by me, Mr. Syme. organization which they bring to bear upon all questions read a paper on Aneurism — not to the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh, of which he was then a member, and affecting their interest in Parliament. We might well take a where he would have been answered; but to the Medicolesson from the chemists and druggists in this matter. Their Chirurgical Society of London. And in the discussion which Bill which-threattactics, some years since, in opposition to a followed, in answer to a set question by Dr. Thompson, he. ened interference with some of their privileges, must still be stated to a large meeting of the metropolitan members of our remembered. It was successful because organized. If we are common profession that the " individual"who had proposed to succeed in an important object, there are two fables whose acupressure did not know " the meaning of surgical language ;" that ’’ this proposal (acupressure) was the merest nonsense," moral is not without its cogent application to our "one of those tubs which are constantly thrown out to amuseto united could The sticks disunited were powerless resist ; they the whale, more especially the female whale." And latterly not be broken. Jupiter helped the waggoner who put his he went so far as, in his public class, to compare this "indishoulder to the wheel. Sapienti verbum sat. vidualand his proposed employment of acupressure to "aa One who could thus discourse quack and his powders," &c. was surely not entitled to make any plaint regarding " perTHE STATE OF MIND OF THE LATE G. V. TOWNLEY. sonal attacks," even had I demeaned myself so far as to retaA LETTER, signed " C. L. Robertson, M.D., Membre- liate with them. Associe Etranger de la Société Médico - Psychologique," * See THE LANCET for May 5th, and the "Medical Times written from Hayward’s-heath, dated March7th, 1865, has been and Gazette" of rhe same date, p. 458.1860, p.-t46;

earnestly

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297 In addition to the cliscourtesies which he was allowed to He forgets that a busy practical accoucheur has as many opeutter to the London Medico-Chirurgical Society, Mr. Syme, on rations to perform as some hospital surgeons. If there were truth in such narrow reasoning, the accoucheurs should the same occasion, adduced what he himself considered three from their code of practice version of the child in arm objections to acupressure. In his letter to you of last week he states that this expression of his opinions and objections to presentations because it was introduced by Ambrose Pare, the acupressure gave offence to me. It was no doubt intended to surgeon who first suggested the ligature of arteries. Surgeons do so; but in reality these " encyclical" objections of his ap- should resist on the same ground the employment of chloropeared to me so very feeble and effete as not to be worth the form by their patients because it was first introduced and trouble of answering at the time. But last year, when writing applied in surgery by an accoucheur. I am a member of the up a reply to all the arguments urged in various quarterss College ot Surgeons as well as Mr. Syme ; and I believe I against acupressure, I replied to Mr. Sy-me’s three objections speak the general sentiments of my obstetric brethren—I amongst the rest; not that I considered them of the slightest know I speak my own—when I say that if Mr. Syme will but I believemy omitting to notice them would have (what we much lack) some new, better, and simpler of suppressing puerperal haemorrhages, we will adopt been interpreted as more disrespectful than my exposing their utter weakness and strange irrelevancy. the practice without cavilling at the special quarter from which The head and front of my offending seems to consist in my The healing art, it has been justly averred, is one comes. indivisible; and all the members of it are bound to try using the word " foolish" in a prefatory note to the reprinted "Answers to various Objections"adduced by different sur- and strivefor the advancement and amelioration of it alike as " science and an art in all its departments. geons. Mr. Syme avers that I havecharacterized as foolish" his "deliberate statements" and instructions with regard to Lastly, Sir, allow me in all kindness to observe that I lament the subject of acupressure. Now assuredly I have done no greatly, for Mr. Syme’s own sake, that he persists in maintainsuch thing. I havenot characterized his deliberate state- ing in his letter to you, that in destroying my pamphlet pubments" on acupressure as foolish, whatever my private opinion before his class, by tearing it into pieces with his fingers, may be. I applied merely the term in question to one of his he "gare it the only reply it deserved."appeal, on this point, objections (the second), as being virtually and truly not an from the opinion of Mr. Syme to the opinion of every gentle"objection," in any sense of that word, to acupressure at all, man belonging to our common profession, whether or not this and as having logically no bearing on the subject whatever. was a proper piece of ethical instruction on the part of any This second "objection" against acupressure was, that if the teacher of youth, and particularly on the part of one, as Mr. arteries might be stopped Syme is, of the twenty-four members of the "Council of ligature were discarded, by torsion. If we wished to avoid deligation, we might close Medical Education in the United Kingdom." If he offers any the bleeding arteries by the application of a red-hot iron; but further remarks on acupressure in your columns, I hope he will surely it would be held by every medical man an absurd or begin by first offering a due apology to the medical profession, "foolish objection"to acupressure to urge that haemorrhage and to his own medical school in particular, for this indismight be arrested by cauterization. And, to my mind, equally cretion-an indiscretion which was only rendered the more and totally ridiculous or "foolish," as an "objection" against graveand discreditable by the painful fact that his friend, Dr. acupressure, is the possibility of arresting haemorrhage bytorsion. John Brown, the representative or assessor of the Lord Rector But as the unfortunate phrase has offended Mr. Syme, I regret in the University Court, was induced to patronize his proceed.that I used it, and I most willingly withdraw it, and permit ings by attendance at his class that day, going there, as Dr. him and my readers to substitute for it any other adjective Brown afterwards stated to me and others, in the full knowwhich they think more mild and fit. ledge that my pamphlet was to be attacked. Mr. Syme further complains that I have held up his teachI am, Sir, yours &c., J. Y. SIMPSON. ing as wanting knowledge and good faith. I am quite at a Edinburgh, March 14th, 1865. loss to know how he could possibly draw any such conclusions from any remarks of mine. In refuting Mr. Syme’s arguments DISTRIBUTION OF FEVER PATIENTS IN against acupressure, I had little or nothing to do but to cite the opinions which, on the points involved, Mr. Syme had HOSPITALS. published before the days of acupressure. Certainly the stateTo the Editor of THE LANCET. ments thus adduced and contrasted sometimes appeared to contradict each other most painfully; but these contradictions SIR,—I have perused the able series of articles on "Hospital of Mr. Syme were almost all made by Mr. Syme himself, and in your journal, with great not by me. They were mostly confutations of Mr. Syme’s Hygiene," which have appeared I need not with interest, and, I but am not say, great pleasure, since they by Mr. Syme. surgical opinions, not by me, surely answerable for Mr. Syme now and again systematically speak of the Report on the subject of which I am one of the confuting himself in regard to his surgical opinions; and if he authors in terms which I only hope are not too complimentary. does not always agree with himself in his surgical doctrines, On two of the points treated of in your last article I will say a surely I may disagree with them also. And I know of no few words if you will allow me. First, as to the treatment of reason why I may not differ on surgical points from Mr. Syme, and why I may not freely express that difference too. Nor am cases of fever in the general wards. Here the general tone of I without hope that he may change his opinion on some sur- your reviewer might lead to the idea that there is a greater gical points on which we at present utterly differ. I havee diversity between his opinion and ours than I think is really always advocated ovariotomy. After denouncing that ope- the case. Your readers must remember that our Report is ration for years, Mr. Syme latterly has given in his adheof the country, sion to its propriety. At first he opposed anæthetics in intended to embrace the whole hospital system of the in the that fever is country as as he now greater part typhus surgery, strongly opposes acupressure; yet bealmost unknown ; in all such cases your reviewer allows that times he yielded on that question. other cases of fever " may be treated in the general wards In his opposition to acupressure, Mr. Syme objects and " an hospital with impunity. reasons solely from theory and hypothesis, and not from Xow, as we have on our side that if the hospital be not spacious, or if the applicapractice. He has not yet, I believe, in one single instance of patients with typhus fever and scarlatina, be numerous, either himself used or seen other surgeons use acupressure ; and hence he is still entirely unacquainted with the subject it is better not to attempt the treatment of these diseases in practically. The surgeons of the hospitals of Aberdeen, Edin- i the general wards, but to allot separate buildings or separate burgh, Glasgow, &c., who have employed acupressure, are wards to them, the question between us is narrowed to the necessarily in a far fitter condition to pronounce judgment management of the few scattered cases of typhus and scarlatina in ordinary times apply to general hospitals in London upon it; and their judgment as to its simplicity and efnciency would, I havereason to know, be totally the reverse of Mr. and other large towns. Your reviewer saysthat wehave not Syme’s. I hope that his non-adoption of acupressure will adduced any very cogent facts in proof of our opinion that not be considered by my professional brethren any reason why cases can be treated with tolerable safety in the general I should cease to defend against him and its other opponents , wards; but I own that to my mind the fact, which we do a practice which I conscientiously believewill, after a time, adduce, that this has been the plan pursued at all our old assuredly and beneficially supersedethe ligaturein most if established London hospitals for more than a century is very not in all operations. Already, in fifty months, acupressure ’’ cogent, since we can hardly imagine that if this practice had has spread morethan the ligature did in fifty years. But Mr. been indeed so disastrous as to have involved "a crime against Syme seems to argue that it ought to be rejected by him and humanity."it would havebeen carried on in the full light of - other surgeons because it was suggested by an obstetrician. publicityfcr ;ilthattime withoutanyprotest or warning or

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