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New Inventions IN AID OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY.
184
Surgeons men practising wholly as apothecaries-i. e., deriving viction that we have discharged our public duty fairly in the their remuneration solely from a charge for the drugs sup- matter of which Mr. Syme complains, we cannot admit that plied, it does certainly appear to me ill the highest degree he has any just cause of complaint against the course of prounjust to apply the same rule to the great body of provincial we have adopted. We have felt-on several occasions surgeons, some of whom enjoy a reputation for surgical skill ceeding has been that Mr. not inferior to that of the officers of the metropolitan hosSyme unjustly assailed, consequently we have sternly and steadily refused to allow him to be made the pitals." Dr. Robinson’s letter will well repaya perusal. subject of severe and cutting criticism by anonymous writers,
whose communications by dozens have been excluded from our columns. Further, other parties, who attached their names to their communications, entered the field against Mr. Syme, with long records purporting to be collections of authenticated cases in which it was alleged Mr. Syme had operated. They were rejected, because we considered that such volunteer champions as the writers had no legitimate business in the controversy that had been raised. In consequence of several of these exclusions we have been somewhat grossly assailed by the writers. When the letter of Mr. Gay, published in THE LANCET of last week, at p. 159, was placed in our hands, it was represented to us that it was a reply from Mr. Gay to an attack that had been made upon him by Mr. Syme in the Edinburgh Monthly Journal. We certainly did not approve of the tone of the letter; but are we to exclude everything from our columns of which we disapprove ? If such were to be the rule of our policy, THE LANCET would soon become an insipid, worthless production-the mere vehicle of puffing and vapid twaddle. We have already stated, and we repeat, that we disapproved, and still disapprove, of the tone of Mr. Gay’s letter, and we might express our dissent even more strongly, but, after all, who is Mr. Gay? He is a gentleman of unimpeached and unimpeachable integrity; he is an hospital-surgeon of long standing, and he occupies a position amongst the first-rank surgeons of the metropolis. He is not, then, an unworthy adversary He is no even for so distinguished a surgeon as Mr. Syme. anonymous assailant; and considering that his letter was placed in our hands as a reply to an attack which had been made upon the writer of it by Mr. Syme, we feel confident that Mr. Syme himself, on further reflection, will be of opinion that we, at any rate, had no desire to expose him to either injury or the slightest annoyance. Mr. Syme appears to think that we intentionally and purposely "withheld" the report now published at page 176, which he sent to us for publication last week. It was sent to the printer for insertion, but, with many other articles, it was reluctantly omitted, by direction of the sub-editor. That some communications must be excluded every week, to the annoyance of our contributors, is sufficiently evident, when it is stated that there are at this moment awaiting publication, upwards of 150 essays, lectures, reports, &c., some of which have been in our possession many months.-ED. L.
New Inventions IN AID OF THE
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. The Biberon, a Neiv Feeding-Bottle. Elam, Oxford-street. WE have seldom seen anything more beautiful or better adapted for its use than the Biberons, or feeding-bottles, for infants, invented by M. Darbo, of Paris, and introduced into this country by Mr. Elam, of Oxford-street. Though they are of recent invention, they have obtained great celebrity, and have come into general use in Paris. The nipple of the Biberon is made of cork, the superiority of which over Indian-rubber, or calves’ teats, is at once apparent. It has not the repulsive taste or smell of the former, neither can it putrefy, as the latter always do. The cork-nipple being hollow and elastic, the flow of milk is never interrupted; but calves’ teats and India-rubber nipples becoming flattened by the pressure of the child’s lips in sucking, the supply of milk is stopped-a very obvious disadvantage. The Biberon is so constructed, air being admitted through a delicate spiral tube, that the child cannot suck any air, which alone is a strong recommendation. The supply is regulated by a little ivory pin, which, if inserted into the tube, and fixed in either of the divisions for that purpose, diminishes the quantity, but if taken away altogether, enables the child to feed as fast as may be desirable. Lastly, the Biberon is clean, compact, portable, and very easily kept in order.
MR. SYME ON STRICTURE OF THE URETHRA, AND HIS COMMENTATORS. To the Editor of THE LANCET.
THE LANCET of Saturday last, it is alleged that a patient, whose case was related in my Treatise on Stricture of the Urethra," instead of being rescued from extreme suffering, and restored to perfect health, as I have stated, is, in truth, " almost, if not quite as bad as before the operation." I am at a loss to imagine what circumstance in my history as a teacher or writer should have led you, without inquiry, to publish such a charge. It is utterly and entirely false. The gentleman referred to is now in Edinburgh, where he has re"
sided
ever since the operation. He suffers no trouble or inconvenience from stricture, and enjoys the most perfect health. Having been made the vehicle of a calumny so injurious and unfounded, you will, I trust, take the earliest opportunity of giving it a distinct contradiction. The insolent and unbecoming letter of your correspondent neither requires nor deserves any farther notice from me. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, JAMES SYME. Edinburgh, Feb. 1851.
P.S.-You have withheld from your readers a case of stricture treated publicly by me in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and in its stead published a groundless imputation on my veracity. Is it thus that THE LANCET proposes to advance the cause of truth ?
*.* Verily, journalism is not a bed of roses ! Amidst the conflict of opinions entertained by medical authors and practitioners, the editor of a journal like THE LANCET, with its host of correspondents, has no easy task to perform. If he holds the scales of Justice as firmly and steadily as though they were suspended from a rock, still he would fail to give satisfaction to all parties, and by producing discontent, he must often expose himself to the imputation of being influenced in his conduct by improper motives. Thus it has been, thus it is, and thus it will be. Fortified, however, by the
TRANSMISSION
OF
IMPRESSIONS
BY
THE
SPINAL
MARROw.-M. Brown Séquard recently read a paper before the Academy of Sciences of Paris, wherein he maintains that this transmission is carried on in a decussating manner-viz , that the right half of the medulla spinalis transmits, in a great measure, the impressions received on the left side of the body, and vice versâ. He rests his opinion on the following experiments :-One lateral half of the spinal marrow of an animal belonging to the mammalia was cut across opposite the tenth dorsal vertebra, and I the hind limb on the same side was found not only fully alive to I sensation, but more so than in the normal state ; whilst the corI responding limb on the other side possessed the faculty of sensation in a less degree than in the usual condition. When the same hemi-section is made opposite the third cervical vertebra, both the fore and hind limb of the same side seem to be more sensitive than is normally the case; whilst the limbs on the other side are less so. If a few complete sections along the lateral half of the marrow be made, sensation remains unaltered on the divided side, and is almost lost on the other. M. Brown Sequard maintains that it is principally in the medulla that the decussating of sensifibres takes place ; ahd that, if there are any such fibres which, arising from the limbs, rise up to the brain, there to effect their interlacement, these must be in a very small number.
con-
tive
Surgeons men practising wholly as apothecaries-i. e., deriving viction that we have discharged our public duty fairly in the their remuneration solely from a charge for the drugs sup- matter of which Mr. Syme complains, we cannot admit that plied, it does certainly appear to me ill the highest degree he has any just cause of complaint against the course of prounjust to apply the same rule to the great body of provincial we have adopted. We have felt-on several occasions surgeons, some of whom enjoy a reputation for surgical skill ceeding has been that Mr. not inferior to that of the officers of the metropolitan hosSyme unjustly assailed, consequently we have sternly and steadily refused to allow him to be made the pitals." Dr. Robinson’s letter will well repaya perusal. subject of severe and cutting criticism by anonymous writers,
whose communications by dozens have been excluded from our columns. Further, other parties, who attached their names to their communications, entered the field against Mr. Syme, with long records purporting to be collections of authenticated cases in which it was alleged Mr. Syme had operated. They were rejected, because we considered that such volunteer champions as the writers had no legitimate business in the controversy that had been raised. In consequence of several of these exclusions we have been somewhat grossly assailed by the writers. When the letter of Mr. Gay, published in THE LANCET of last week, at p. 159, was placed in our hands, it was represented to us that it was a reply from Mr. Gay to an attack that had been made upon him by Mr. Syme in the Edinburgh Monthly Journal. We certainly did not approve of the tone of the letter; but are we to exclude everything from our columns of which we disapprove ? If such were to be the rule of our policy, THE LANCET would soon become an insipid, worthless production-the mere vehicle of puffing and vapid twaddle. We have already stated, and we repeat, that we disapproved, and still disapprove, of the tone of Mr. Gay’s letter, and we might express our dissent even more strongly, but, after all, who is Mr. Gay? He is a gentleman of unimpeached and unimpeachable integrity; he is an hospital-surgeon of long standing, and he occupies a position amongst the first-rank surgeons of the metropolis. He is not, then, an unworthy adversary He is no even for so distinguished a surgeon as Mr. Syme. anonymous assailant; and considering that his letter was placed in our hands as a reply to an attack which had been made upon the writer of it by Mr. Syme, we feel confident that Mr. Syme himself, on further reflection, will be of opinion that we, at any rate, had no desire to expose him to either injury or the slightest annoyance. Mr. Syme appears to think that we intentionally and purposely "withheld" the report now published at page 176, which he sent to us for publication last week. It was sent to the printer for insertion, but, with many other articles, it was reluctantly omitted, by direction of the sub-editor. That some communications must be excluded every week, to the annoyance of our contributors, is sufficiently evident, when it is stated that there are at this moment awaiting publication, upwards of 150 essays, lectures, reports, &c., some of which have been in our possession many months.-ED. L.
New Inventions IN AID OF THE
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. The Biberon, a Neiv Feeding-Bottle. Elam, Oxford-street. WE have seldom seen anything more beautiful or better adapted for its use than the Biberons, or feeding-bottles, for infants, invented by M. Darbo, of Paris, and introduced into this country by Mr. Elam, of Oxford-street. Though they are of recent invention, they have obtained great celebrity, and have come into general use in Paris. The nipple of the Biberon is made of cork, the superiority of which over Indian-rubber, or calves’ teats, is at once apparent. It has not the repulsive taste or smell of the former, neither can it putrefy, as the latter always do. The cork-nipple being hollow and elastic, the flow of milk is never interrupted; but calves’ teats and India-rubber nipples becoming flattened by the pressure of the child’s lips in sucking, the supply of milk is stopped-a very obvious disadvantage. The Biberon is so constructed, air being admitted through a delicate spiral tube, that the child cannot suck any air, which alone is a strong recommendation. The supply is regulated by a little ivory pin, which, if inserted into the tube, and fixed in either of the divisions for that purpose, diminishes the quantity, but if taken away altogether, enables the child to feed as fast as may be desirable. Lastly, the Biberon is clean, compact, portable, and very easily kept in order.
MR. SYME ON STRICTURE OF THE URETHRA, AND HIS COMMENTATORS. To the Editor of THE LANCET.
THE LANCET of Saturday last, it is alleged that a patient, whose case was related in my Treatise on Stricture of the Urethra," instead of being rescued from extreme suffering, and restored to perfect health, as I have stated, is, in truth, " almost, if not quite as bad as before the operation." I am at a loss to imagine what circumstance in my history as a teacher or writer should have led you, without inquiry, to publish such a charge. It is utterly and entirely false. The gentleman referred to is now in Edinburgh, where he has re"
sided
ever since the operation. He suffers no trouble or inconvenience from stricture, and enjoys the most perfect health. Having been made the vehicle of a calumny so injurious and unfounded, you will, I trust, take the earliest opportunity of giving it a distinct contradiction. The insolent and unbecoming letter of your correspondent neither requires nor deserves any farther notice from me. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, JAMES SYME. Edinburgh, Feb. 1851.
P.S.-You have withheld from your readers a case of stricture treated publicly by me in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and in its stead published a groundless imputation on my veracity. Is it thus that THE LANCET proposes to advance the cause of truth ?
*.* Verily, journalism is not a bed of roses ! Amidst the conflict of opinions entertained by medical authors and practitioners, the editor of a journal like THE LANCET, with its host of correspondents, has no easy task to perform. If he holds the scales of Justice as firmly and steadily as though they were suspended from a rock, still he would fail to give satisfaction to all parties, and by producing discontent, he must often expose himself to the imputation of being influenced in his conduct by improper motives. Thus it has been, thus it is, and thus it will be. Fortified, however, by the
TRANSMISSION
OF
IMPRESSIONS
BY
THE
SPINAL
MARROw.-M. Brown Séquard recently read a paper before the Academy of Sciences of Paris, wherein he maintains that this transmission is carried on in a decussating manner-viz , that the right half of the medulla spinalis transmits, in a great measure, the impressions received on the left side of the body, and vice versâ. He rests his opinion on the following experiments :-One lateral half of the spinal marrow of an animal belonging to the mammalia was cut across opposite the tenth dorsal vertebra, and I the hind limb on the same side was found not only fully alive to I sensation, but more so than in the normal state ; whilst the corI responding limb on the other side possessed the faculty of sensation in a less degree than in the usual condition. When the same hemi-section is made opposite the third cervical vertebra, both the fore and hind limb of the same side seem to be more sensitive than is normally the case; whilst the limbs on the other side are less so. If a few complete sections along the lateral half of the marrow be made, sensation remains unaltered on the divided side, and is almost lost on the other. M. Brown Sequard maintains that it is principally in the medulla that the decussating of sensifibres takes place ; ahd that, if there are any such fibres which, arising from the limbs, rise up to the brain, there to effect their interlacement, these must be in a very small number.
con-
tive