New Inventions New Inventions IN AID OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY.

703 ner as the said Council shall think just, the provisions hereinXVII. This Act not to interfere with any privileges &c. before contained respecting the examination of persons under of medical practitioners.-Provided always, that nothing in this this Act, in favour of any person who at the time of passing Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to this A ct shall be serving or shall have served an apprentice- lessen, abridge, or defeat, or in anywise to interfere with any ship to any pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or of the rights, authorities, privileges, and immunities heretofore vested in and exercised or enjoyed by either of the’ dispensing chemist. XII. After one year from passing of Act, no person not duly Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, the Royal Colleges of registered shall exercise the business of a chemist, &C., or use name Physicians or of Surgeons of England, Scotland, or Ireland, or use sign, token, or emblem implying.or the Society of Apothecaries of London, or of any person or title of chemist, &c., Persons offending to forfeit £ .-That from and after the end or persons who may now be, or hereafter may become of one year from the passing of this Act it shall not be lawful entitled to practise as an apothecary or apothecaries under for any person, not being duly registered according to the an Act of Parliament passed in the fifty-fifth year of His provisions of this Act, to exercise the business or calling of a Majesty King George the Third, intituled " an Act for better

pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or dispensing regulating the practise of apothecaries throughout England and chemist, in any part of Great Britain, or to use the name or Wales," or any other legally qualified medical practitioners, title of pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or dis- but that the said Universities and Royal Colleges, and the said pensing chemist, or any other name, title, sign, token, or Society of Apothecaries, and all such person or persons as emblem implying that he is registered under this Act, or en- aforesaid, shall have, use, exercise, and enjoy all such rights, titled to carry on or exercise the business or calling of a authorities, privileges, and immunities as aforesaid, in as full, pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or dispensing ample, and beneficial a manner to all intents and purposes as chemist; and if any person, not being duly registered under they might have done in case this Act had never been this Act, shall, after the end of one year from the passing of passed. XVIII. Persons referred to in last clause not to assume the this Act, take or use the name or title of pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or dispensing chemist, or shall title of Chemist, c.-Provided also, That the several persons use, display, or exhibit any name, title, sign, token, or emblem who by virtue of the clause last aforesaid are expressly implying that he is a person registered under this Act, or exempted from the operation of this Act shall not, in the entitled under this Act to carry on or exercise the business or conduct of their several professions or occupations use or calling of a pharmaceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or assume the name or title of a pharmaceutical chemist, chemist dispensing chemist, every such person shall forfeit and pay and druggist, or dispensing chemist, or any name, title, or for every such offence a sum not exceeding (twenty pounds) designation implying that they are persons registered under nor less than two pounds; and such penalty may be recovered this Act; and if any person shall act contrary to this present by the registrar to be appointed under this Act, or any mem- provision, such person shall not be entitled to the exemption ber of the Council of the said Society, in manner following; provided for by the clause last aforesaid. XIX. Act not to interfere with the trades of Drysalters, &c.that is to say, Penalties recoverable in England and Wales by Action, &c.— Provided always, That nothing in this Act contained shall In England or Wales, either by an action of debt or on extend or be construed to extend to affect, or in anywise the case against the party offending, commenced by writ interfere with the trades, businesses, or occupations of dryof summons in the superior courts at Westminster, or by salters, vendors of drugs or chemicals used for other than plaint under the provisions of any Act in force for the medicinal purposes, or .makers, compounders, or vendors of more easy recovery of small debts and demands: any stamped, patent, or proprietary medicines, or of horse or In Scotland.-In Scotland, by action before the Court of cattle medicines, but that all such persons respectively shall Session in ordinary form, or by summary action before be entitled to carry on their respective trades, businesses, or the sheriff of the county where the offence may be com- occupations in the same manner to all intents and purposes, mitted or the offender resides, who, upon proof of the as they respectively might have done in case this Act had offence or offences, either by confession of the party never been passed, subject to the condition that in so doing offending, or by the oath or affirmation of one or more no such person shall assume the name or title of a pharmacredible witnesses, shall convict the offender, and find ceutical chemist, chemist and druggist, or dispensing chemist, him liable in the penalty or penalties aforesaid, as also in or use, display, or exhibit any name, sign, token, or emblem expenses; and it shall be lawful for the sheriff in pro- implying that he is a person registered under this Act. nouncing such judgment for the penalty or penalties, and costs, to insert in such judgment a warrant, in the event of such penalty or penalties and costs not being paid, to j New Inventions levy and recover the amount of the same by poinding: Provided always, that it shall be lawful to the sheriff, in the IN AID OF THE event of his dismissing the action, and assoilzing the defender, to find the complainer liable in expenses; and any PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. judgment so to be pronounced by the sheriff in such summary application shall be final and conclusive, and not subject to An Instrument for Applying Electric Heat in Dental Operations. review by advocation, suspension, reduction, or otherwise. XIII. Limitation for recovery of penalties, &c.-Provided By GEORGE WAITE, M.R.C.S., Surgeon-Dentist. always, that no action or other proceedings for any offence HYDROCYANIC acid, as also the acetate of morphia, and under this Act shall be brought after the expiration of two have for many years been used in dental-surgery months from the commission of such offence; and in every strong acids, such action or proceeding the party who shall prevail shall to deaden pain in teeth, but all these applications have been recover his full costs of suit or of such other proceeding. open to many objections. XIV. Application of penalties.-All- and every smns and "A conversation with the late Mr. Murphy of King’s sum of money which shall arise from any conviction and reCollege, Cambridge, (says Mr. Waite,) suggested to me the covery of penalties for offences incurred under this Act shall use of electricity in dental-surgery; his words, as near as I can be paid to her Majesty. remember, were as follows:-’The day will come when XV. Penalty for wilful falsification by registrar.-If any re- electric heat will be used in surgery, and also for many gistrar under this Act shall wilfully make or cause to be made purposes in domestic arrangements.’ "The idea remained a secret with me till last year, when any falsification in any matters relating to any register or New Inventions

certificate

aforesaid,

every such offender shall be deemed

I communicated it to Mr. Redwood, and also to

some

other

guilty of amisdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be scientific friends, and they all appeared pleased with its simsentenced to pay a fine not exceeding twenty nor less than two plicity and novelty. pounds. " Early in the autumn, Mr. Laxton of Fludyer-street, XVI. Any person wilfully procuring false certificate guilty of entered a caveat for me at the patent office, to prevent other a misdemeanor.—If any person shall wilfully procure by any parties patenting the invention, although I had no idea of

false or fraudulent means a certificate purporting to be a certificate of registration under this Act, every such person so offending shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and it shall be lawful for the court before whom such offender shall be tried and convicted to sentence such offender to pay a fine not exceeding twenty nor less than two pounds.

doing so. Considering then my plan no longer a secret, I communicated it to many friends, who expressed themselves so much pleased with it, that having obtained space at the Exposition, I forwarded a drawing of it to the illustrated catalogue of the Great Exhibition. But not to intrude too much on

your valuable space, I will state that for the purpose I use a.

704 Grove’s battery with eight cells. When using it I have in my hand a holder with two copper wires passing through it, one positive from the battery, and the other terminating in a groove in the holder and fastened to a spring, by which I make or break contact at will with the negative wire. To the further end of the two wires a thin platinum wire is connected, and on the battery being charged and contact made, this takes suddenly the electric heat. " The efficacy and simplicity of the process being so decided, I am enabled to use it for many purposes, viz. to evaporate quicksilver from cements, and render them much less injurious to teeth than they otherwise would be; also where too great sensitiveness exists, and which prevents the operator from removing the caries; where gums have receded and left the necks of teeth highly sensitive to the touch; where teeth are affected by mollities which cannot by other means be combated ; where teeth have to be pivoted, and when vitality root would subject the patient to serious remaining in the inflammation; where teeth have been broken, or cut, or filed, and left sensitive to cold and warmth; where violent toothexists; where haemorrhages come on, or slight bleeding ache into the cavity, preventing a continuance of any operation. "The electric heat retains its force differently to all other heat which can be applied to the mouth; the platinum wire can be placed, without the patient being aware of it, near the part affected, heat can be produced almost momentarily, and suddenly deadened, and as a most interesting phenomenon, and one which has surprised me very much, in patients of a highly nervous temperament where I have expected much suffering, none has been endured on its application. It would be superfluous here to detail many interesting facts which the use of electric heat will discover to the scientific dentist; these philosophy explains with the laws of the sensitive faculty. It is my sincere hope that operators will be judicious in the use of this agent, and not bring it into disand ill-timed applications. repute "In many casesit will be found equally efficacious when holding it near the teeth,as if they weretouched by it. too "Care must be taken not to continue its long, as it will burn up and blacken the part it touches. " As timepasses on,I look forward to its use being generally understood, and it will then give risetomany improvements tending to the benefit of society."

by ill-judged

application

,

To your statement that the committee for managing the Fellows’ dinner have attempted to revive the John Hunter Club, and endeavoured to influence the election of members of the Council at the ensuing annual meeting, I give the most positive, direct, and unequivocal denial. I have heard nothing about the John Hunter Club since its dissolution two years ago, and the merits or demerits of those gentlemen who are likely to be candidates for seats at the Council Board, have not been alluded to at any meeting of the committee. A public dinner cannot take place without some preliminary arrangements, and these are generally managed by a few individuals who feel interested in the measure. The members of the committee assisted in the arrangements on former occasions, and as our worthy honorary secretary, Mr. White Cooper, thought their experience would be useful to him, they very gladly offered their services. They were also desirous of showing their esteem and respect for Mr. James by doing anything in their power to promote the success of a meeting

which he is to preside. The fellows of the College have dined together for the last five years on the day of the annual meeting; but these prandial meetings have been social, and not political. They have been considered as a sort of neutral ground on which professional brethren might meet in a friendly way, and avoid the introduction of any matter likely to occasion dissension. To divest them, indeed, of every appearance of official character, the presidents have been alternately metropolitan and provincial. It is unnecessary perhaps for me to say more. I will, however, declare, that in endeavouring to promote these annual Réunions, I have not been influenced in the slightest degree by party or political motives. I have given them my feeble support because I am really anxious for the best interests of my profession, and believe that they are calculated to be beneficial by promoting social and friendly intercourse between the metropolitan and provincial practitioners, and because they afford an agreeable opportunity for residents in distant provinces to meet, to renew old and form new friendships. I am, Sir, very respectfully yours, JOHN S. SODEN. June 1851. Sunbury, over

*." We readily give insertion to the letter of Mr. Soden, and of course regard his denial of participating in any way in the attempted revival of the John Hunter club as conclusive. We are not surprised that Mr. Soden should be anxious to set himself right on this point, for a more odious combination than the club in question never existed. Mr. Soden, it is evident, though the chairman of the late club, is not in the secret of the proceedings of some of his colleagues. We arefully aware that the policy of the new combination is widely different from that of the original club. Its proceedings, however, are not so secret as to elude the vigilance of THE LANCET.—ED. L.

of THE LANCET. that, notwithstanding Mr. W. SIR,—Iregret Cooper’s emphatic disclaimer, and the circumstance that the Fellows’ dinner is announced to take place as usual after the meeting for the elections into the Council of the College of Surgeons, you persist in imputing to the committee of management an intention to interfere in the elections, and to revive the John Hunter Club. Having withdrawn This plate represents the electro-dental apparatus ready for use. from the club immediately after its formation, before the with two Groves’s an A, battery; (t, ivory-holder pierced proceedings took place which gave offence to many of the one of them at the the wires, open end; B, copper grooves, one terminating at b; C, the platinum point; D, a spring to Fellows, and having studiously abstained from interfering in make contact with the wire which terminates at b; E, a medical politics, I cannot but feel indignant that you should mouth.piece unscrewing at F, and in which the platinum and strive to lead the members of the profession to believe that copper wires are connected. the part I and other gentlemen are taking in the arrangements for an annual social meeting to which the whole of the Fellows are invited-a meeting to promote harmony and good feeling-has an entirely different tendency and object. I canHUNTER CLUB. THE JOHN not suppose that many of Fellows of the College partake in THE Editor LANCET. To the of your sentiments. Had I conceived it possible that any of SIR,—I should not trouble ycu j1l1 communication if them would have received in any other than a kindly spirit you had not alluded personally to me in your leader of last the performance of so humble an office as that of catering week. I shall not perhaps be able to remove your for a social meeting, I certainly should not have joined the able impression of one who entertains opinions different from acting committee, since the only reward that could be desired your own on some points of medical policy; but in the hope that for the little trouble incurred is the good-will of the parties those who know me will believe what 1 assert, I have to re- for whom I was requested to act. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, quest, as a matter of justice, the insertion of this letter in your To the Editor to find

unfavour-

next

number.

New

Broad-street, June,

1851.

CURLING T.B. B. CURLING.