- Email: [email protected]
PROPOSED COLLEGE OF MEDICAL ASSISTANTS.
550 it was the night-work that told so severely upon the bodily health. It was no uncommon thing for one and another to absent themselves, and inquiry found them suffering from the effects of this severe labour; but their places were soon filled up, and thus the work of death went on. The main reason why this slavery exists can be traced, I believe,to the youth of the sufferer, and the absence of anything like combination, with a view to expose such treatment. Witness, Sir, the remarkable contrast in this particular with the other sex; at this moment throughout the length and breadth of the land the wages of labour have an upward tendency, the result of combination, but this is altogether foreign to the female character. The chief disease they suffer from is phthisis; next to this, functional derangement of the heart and uterine system. The fear of adding to the length of this letter prevents me from enlarging upon the subject, but, suffice it to say, that the wrongs revealed were quite snfficient to condemn this slavery in the minds of all reasonable men. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, W. N. SPONG. Faversham, June, 1853.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASSOCIATION. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—Your journal for May 19 contains a leading article, in
That the onus of transmitting a duplicate of the said certificate of vaccination to the registrar of births and deaths would, to say the least, be unreasonable, seeing that the medical practitioner is shut out from all remuneration.
your petitioners further suggest, that, with the poor the parents be permitted to supply to their usual medical attendant, who shall be remunerated for every successful case of vaccination by a uniform scale of charges throughout the kingdom, and they think the public confidence would thus be better secured, and the full benefit of vaccination obtained. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your honourable House to make such alterations and amendments in the Vaccination Extension Bill as in your judgment you may deem desirable. And your petitioners will ever pray, &e. &c. WILLIAM TURNBULL, ESQ., M.D., President of the Medico-Ethical Society. GEORGE ROBINSON, Esq., Vice-President. SAMUEL BOOTH, Esq., Treasurer. G. W. RHODES, Esq., Honorary WM. SCOTT, Esq., M.P., Secretaries. EDWARD LEES, Esq, Surgeon, &c., Honley. JAMES ROBERTS, Esq., Surgeon, Golcar. Jos. HESSELGRAVE, Esq., Surgeon, Marsden. JOHN Dow, Esq., Surgeon, Lockwood. FRED. GREENWOOD, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. WM. ROBINSON, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. THOS. A. HAIGH, Esq., Surgeon, Meltham. R. S. FIELDING, Esq., Surgeon, Lindley. SAMUEL KNAGGS, Surgeon, Huddersfield. WM. GREENWOOD, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. JOHN T. BRADSHAW, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. RICHARD SISSONS, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. T. R. TATHAM, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. T. A. BOTTOMLEY, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. RICHARD ALLATT, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. In
conclusion,
regard to
which you state that "intelligence has just reached you that a Medical Association in a distant county has agreed to petition Parliament in support of the Compulsory Vaccination Bill, merely asking for an alteration in one clause." The name of the Association is not given, but the reference is probably to the Gloucestershire Medical and Surgical Association. At a special meeting of this Association, fully attended, the proposed Bill was discussed clause by clause. The meeting did not construe the provisions of the Bill as THE LANCET does, nor did it recognise the same injury and injustice as results. Clause No. VII. was disapproved of. With this exception the proposed Bill was supported by a considerable majority of the VACCINATION AT GUY’S HOSPITAL. meeting, and a memorial founded on the resolutions was subseTo the Editor of THE LANCET. quently forwarded to the Secretary of State. I may add that a copy of our proceedings would have been SIR,—If I understand Dr. Lever’s letter rightly, it means, that sent to THE LANCET, but that on a former occasion, when our Dr. Addison is the professed teacher of vaccination at Guy’s opinions differed from those maintained in that periodical, the Hospital, but that the lecturer on midwifery and the physiciancommunications which were forwarded were not published. accoucheur has nothing to do with it. I have the honour to be, Sir, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, Yonr obedient servant, J. A. HINGESTON. JOHN W. WILTON, Hon. Sec. Clifton-terrace, Brighton, June 6, 1853. Gloucester,1853. Mr. Wilton is under a mistake in supposing that communications from the Gloucestershire Association were not published in PROPOSED COLLEGE OF MEDICAL ASSISTANTS. THE LANCET from the cause he assigns. When the reports in To the Editor of THE LANCET. question were of a reasonable length, or their purport of sufficient SIR,—My fellow-assistants, our employers, and the public at interest, whatever were the opinions expressed, we invariably large, should feel greatly indebted to you for affording us an published them.—SUB-ED. L. opportunity of giving publicity to our grievances through the medium of your widely-circulated journal. There can be no doubt of the necessity for a reformation. The movement, to be VACCINATION EXTENSION BILL. successful, must on no account be of the nature of a strike to To the Editor of THE LANCET. compel our employers to increase our salaries. Every arrange. SIR,—I beg leave to forward a copy of the petition presented ment must be characterized by honour and integrity. We must to the House of Commons by Lord Goderich, from the members not regard our employers as enemies and oppressors, but must of the Medico-Ethical Society of Huddersfield, praying for certain recollect they have cause to complain as well as ourselves. The alterations in the Vaccination Extension Bill. Should vou think conduct of some assistants is infamous, and it is too common to it worthy a place in your valuable journal, and of being imitated throw upon the whole body the faults of the few. I believe our employers would gladly assist us in forming a college (perhaps by the profession generally, please insert it. in some respects similar to the one for governesses) for our social I remain, Sir, yours respectfully, and moral improvement, to afford a fund by which we may be SAMUEL BOOTH. 35, Queen-street, Huddersfield, able to complete the course of study required by the Hall and June, 1853. College," to provide a sick fund, a register of situations and To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of assistants, a home when out of employment, and a superintendent, Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled. who should examine and prove all assistants before their names The petition of the undersigned members of the medical are placed on the list. This should be so arranged as to be a check upon both employers and employed. Well-conducted and profession in the town of Huddersfield and its vicinity, Humbly showeth,— competent assistants only should be sent out, and those employers That, while they regard the Vaccination Extension Bill now who ill-treat or under-pay their assistants should not be supplied. before your honourable House as intended for the benefit and pro- I also believe we should find many non-medical friends who tection of the nation from small-pox, they nevertheless are con- would subscribe to such an institution, if well conducted. vinced that many of the provisions of that Bill are defective, and At present a surgeon undertakes a union district of considerable some bear unjustly upon the members of the medical profession. area at a low salary ; gets all the clubs he can, at say 1& 6d. or That, while the Bill enforces vaccination within a certain age, 2s. a head per annum, midwifery 10s., of which he perhaps gets and renders the parents and guardians of the child responsible 250 or 300 cases per annum, some six miles from home. Now for its omission, it does not enforce the obligation to return with such a person knows at the time he undertakes all this that it is the child on the eighth day for inspection, and to supply the utterly impossible to do it himself, but calculates upon getting an medical practitioners with fresh lymph. assistant at from X20 to £30. If an assistant were paid a fair _____
551 salary such terms would not be accepted by the employer. An away with. As soon as the mixture of it agent advertises to supply surgeons with assistants "free of petition sprung up, and if persons did not
l
The surgeon is not obliged to go to him; we or 30s. for the information,-surely too much for a situation of which neither the agent or assistant know much, until the latter, having paid a like sum in travelling expenses, finds a situation not worth his acceptance, and will not retain it a week. Valets and footmen are paid higher salaries, are found their clothes, and have perquisites in addition, and they have no position to maintain. We are expected to occupy an I, intermediate position, to live, as it were, solus between the parlour and the kitchen. Medical assistants are not worse than their employers or other men intrinsically; but, thus placed, a man begins to pass away his time by reading that curse of the age, low, cheap, immoral, it may be infidel, works of fiction, insidiously poisoning his mind, and fitting it for any vice. What appears to me the main point is, to eo2ite to form a body. Hundreds of names of assistants ready to join in the work would be forwarded immediately if any intimation were given as to who _will receive them. Having arranged this, a number might form a temporary committee for commencing operations, and then we must seek some influential persons to give weight and solidity to the structure we thus raise, and to aid us by their counsel, for we young men must have some older heads to direct us. Will some of your correspondents consider the questions-How shall we commence at once ? and who can we ask to receive our names as the first step? Let us carefully consider our proceedings so as to obtain the confidence of our employers. Our interests are Thus shall we best secure better treatment and higher one. salaries, and our employers will find we are better assistants, and worth more in every way; and instead of the run-about an assistant generally is, we may remain in one situation untll, by the aid of our College and our own savings from our better pay, we are able to become qualified practitioners. I am, Sir, yours obediently, QUARTUS. May, 1853.
charge." Why ?
are, and have to pay 20s.
undersold and lose their trade.
REVENUE, MAY
26.
use
legalized, comthey must be
it
Mr. Commissioner Stephenson said that this was a sytem of 25 per cent. of adulteration, and charging a high price for it, for which he was liable to a fine of .6100. If a person went into his shop and asked for best coffee they expected to get
selling
and nothing else. He was then fined .65. Charles Boren, of No. 5, Elliot’s-row, Islington,’was charged on a similar information. The defendant said he did not know what the trade had come to, for they were tried now like criminals at the bar, and were at anybody’s mercy. It was most unfortunate for the trade to be
it,
so
placed.
Mr. Commissioner Stephenson said an adulteration of 20 per cent. was unfortunate for the public. He should fine .65. The Defendant.-I hope you will mitigate that sum? Mr. Commissioner Stephenson.-Not one farthing. The following persons were then fined in the sums named for
similar offences: Henry George Gill, 14, Great Newport-street, jE5; W. Hollis, St. George’s-road, Southwark, .65; Alfred Culmer, 18, Little Earl-street, St. Giles, .63; John Henry Kempey, Waterloo-place, Commercial-road; George Sewell Green, New-cut, Lambeth, .65; John Grainger, Borough-road, Southwark, .65; William Dutton, Watling street, City, £3; William Munday, Hereford-place, Commercial-road, .65 ; Thomas Quintrell, 114, Drury-lane, ae5; W. Hawkins, 17, Whitechapelroad, .63; Francis Appleton, 75, Hackney-road, .63; Francis
Somers, Great Suffolk-street, Southwark, (40 per cent. of chicory,) .E5 ; Samuel James, 68, Lamb’s-conduit-street, .65; James Robins, 3 and 4, Dockhead, .63; Henry Greenhalgh, 1, Henry-street,
Hampstead-road,
£5.
Medical News.
_________________
COURT OF INLAND
was
MEDICAL REFORM.-On
Friday,
the 3rd
inst.,
a
de-
the Medical Reform Committee, consisting of Dr. Lankester, Dr. Mackenzie, Dr. Dalston Jones, Mr. Lord, JOSEPH WHITE and William Fairchild, of No. 107, High- Mr. Wall, Mr. T. G. Traquair, Mr. Woolaston, Mr. W. street, Southwark, were charged with having in their possession Powell, Dr. Murphy, Dr. Ogier Ward, Mr. Reginald Read, Mr. chicory prepared and used in imitation of coffee, by which they Charles Clarke, and many other members of the medical prohad incurred a penalty of aeI00. The defendants pleaded not fession, waited upon Lord Palmerston at the Home-office, to guilty. his lordship to promote the passing into law of the Mr. James Cresswell, an officer of excise, said that on the request 9th of April he went to the shop of the defendants, No. 107, proposed Bill for the Better Regulation of the Medical ProHigh-street, Southwark, and asked for half a pound of a mixture fession, prepared by the Provincial Medical and Surgical of coffee and chicory, which was served to him, and for whichI Association. he paid 6d. He then asked for the same quantity of coffee unThe deputation was headed by Dr. LANKESTER, who stated mixed ; but the shopman informing him that they had none the reasons of the committee for adopting this step. He had ground but what had a little chicory with it, he went away with- been chairman of a committee established some time ago for out the second order. Two days following he went again and the purpose of advancing Mr. Wakley’s Medical Registration asked for half a pound of coffee, which was handed to him, and Bill, and finding that the opposition to that Bill by the College for which he paid 8d. of Physicians had been withdrawn, and that the Provincial Mr. Young, chemist, said he had examined the samples of Medical and Surgical Association had drawn up a measure of coffee handed to him by the last witness. The one that pur- a similar character, and involving all the great principles of ported to be genuine coffee was mixed with chicory to the the Registration Bill, he determined to call the present comextent of 23 per cent. mittee or to reconstitute the old one. They proMr. Fairchild said he had given orders to his young men to ceeded together, to ascertain the feelings of the profession upon the sell genuine coffee if it was asked for, and the mixture in proper subject, and they found that a very large number were in papers. favour of the Bill, the great bulk of the profession in EdinMr. Commissioner Stephenson said it was clear that such had burgh and Dublin, and the various medical corporations of not been done, but that he had been imposing on the public by those cities, being desirous that it should pass into a law. The charging them a high price and selling them an adulterated committee was therefore most anxious to know whether the article. He was not an honest tradesman, for he had cheated Government were prepared to support the measure. the public to the extent of 22 per cent. in an article that he had Dr. Murphy, Dr. Ogier Ward, and Mr. Lord, having sevesold as genuine. As he had been in that court before he should addressed his lordship,fine him .610, and hoped that would induce him to pursue a rally Lord PALMERSTON said, he had understood from some more honest course for the future. quarters that perfect unanimity existed in the profession, and William Young, of High-street, Cterkenwell, was charged on from others that there were many objections to the present a similar information, the mixture of chicory being to the extent It was therefore evident that the question was one system. of 25 per cent. of a complicated nature; and the details were new to him. The defendant said he put one-fourth of chicory, not as an The question, however, should receive his attentive consideraadulteration, but as an improvement to his coffee; and even the tion, and he should be glad to be favoured with a copy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer had admitted in the House of Com- Bill to assist him, as the subject was doubtless one of an impormons that it was not an adulteration. He had been for thirty tant and nature. pressing years in trade, and never defrauded a man of a shilling; and he The deputation then withdrew. would ask whether this offence was sufficient to upset a life of MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE.-H.R.H. Prince rectitude? He had no desire to infringe the law, but he thought the Governmen: were highly censurable for having again opened Albert has consented to lay the foundation stone of the New the door for the admission of chicory; and he hoped if the Com- Medical Benevolent College at Epsom, on Wednesday, the missioners had any influence with them they would get it done 6th of July.
PROSECUTION
OF
ANOTHER BATCH OF GROCERS FOR CHICORY ADULTERATION.
putation from
’
-
GLOUCESTERSHIRE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASSOCIATION. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—Your journal for May 19 contains a leading article, in
That the onus of transmitting a duplicate of the said certificate of vaccination to the registrar of births and deaths would, to say the least, be unreasonable, seeing that the medical practitioner is shut out from all remuneration.
your petitioners further suggest, that, with the poor the parents be permitted to supply to their usual medical attendant, who shall be remunerated for every successful case of vaccination by a uniform scale of charges throughout the kingdom, and they think the public confidence would thus be better secured, and the full benefit of vaccination obtained. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your honourable House to make such alterations and amendments in the Vaccination Extension Bill as in your judgment you may deem desirable. And your petitioners will ever pray, &e. &c. WILLIAM TURNBULL, ESQ., M.D., President of the Medico-Ethical Society. GEORGE ROBINSON, Esq., Vice-President. SAMUEL BOOTH, Esq., Treasurer. G. W. RHODES, Esq., Honorary WM. SCOTT, Esq., M.P., Secretaries. EDWARD LEES, Esq, Surgeon, &c., Honley. JAMES ROBERTS, Esq., Surgeon, Golcar. Jos. HESSELGRAVE, Esq., Surgeon, Marsden. JOHN Dow, Esq., Surgeon, Lockwood. FRED. GREENWOOD, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. WM. ROBINSON, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. THOS. A. HAIGH, Esq., Surgeon, Meltham. R. S. FIELDING, Esq., Surgeon, Lindley. SAMUEL KNAGGS, Surgeon, Huddersfield. WM. GREENWOOD, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. JOHN T. BRADSHAW, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. RICHARD SISSONS, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. T. R. TATHAM, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. T. A. BOTTOMLEY, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. RICHARD ALLATT, Esq., Surgeon, Huddersfield. In
conclusion,
regard to
which you state that "intelligence has just reached you that a Medical Association in a distant county has agreed to petition Parliament in support of the Compulsory Vaccination Bill, merely asking for an alteration in one clause." The name of the Association is not given, but the reference is probably to the Gloucestershire Medical and Surgical Association. At a special meeting of this Association, fully attended, the proposed Bill was discussed clause by clause. The meeting did not construe the provisions of the Bill as THE LANCET does, nor did it recognise the same injury and injustice as results. Clause No. VII. was disapproved of. With this exception the proposed Bill was supported by a considerable majority of the VACCINATION AT GUY’S HOSPITAL. meeting, and a memorial founded on the resolutions was subseTo the Editor of THE LANCET. quently forwarded to the Secretary of State. I may add that a copy of our proceedings would have been SIR,—If I understand Dr. Lever’s letter rightly, it means, that sent to THE LANCET, but that on a former occasion, when our Dr. Addison is the professed teacher of vaccination at Guy’s opinions differed from those maintained in that periodical, the Hospital, but that the lecturer on midwifery and the physiciancommunications which were forwarded were not published. accoucheur has nothing to do with it. I have the honour to be, Sir, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, Yonr obedient servant, J. A. HINGESTON. JOHN W. WILTON, Hon. Sec. Clifton-terrace, Brighton, June 6, 1853. Gloucester,1853. Mr. Wilton is under a mistake in supposing that communications from the Gloucestershire Association were not published in PROPOSED COLLEGE OF MEDICAL ASSISTANTS. THE LANCET from the cause he assigns. When the reports in To the Editor of THE LANCET. question were of a reasonable length, or their purport of sufficient SIR,—My fellow-assistants, our employers, and the public at interest, whatever were the opinions expressed, we invariably large, should feel greatly indebted to you for affording us an published them.—SUB-ED. L. opportunity of giving publicity to our grievances through the medium of your widely-circulated journal. There can be no doubt of the necessity for a reformation. The movement, to be VACCINATION EXTENSION BILL. successful, must on no account be of the nature of a strike to To the Editor of THE LANCET. compel our employers to increase our salaries. Every arrange. SIR,—I beg leave to forward a copy of the petition presented ment must be characterized by honour and integrity. We must to the House of Commons by Lord Goderich, from the members not regard our employers as enemies and oppressors, but must of the Medico-Ethical Society of Huddersfield, praying for certain recollect they have cause to complain as well as ourselves. The alterations in the Vaccination Extension Bill. Should vou think conduct of some assistants is infamous, and it is too common to it worthy a place in your valuable journal, and of being imitated throw upon the whole body the faults of the few. I believe our employers would gladly assist us in forming a college (perhaps by the profession generally, please insert it. in some respects similar to the one for governesses) for our social I remain, Sir, yours respectfully, and moral improvement, to afford a fund by which we may be SAMUEL BOOTH. 35, Queen-street, Huddersfield, able to complete the course of study required by the Hall and June, 1853. College," to provide a sick fund, a register of situations and To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of assistants, a home when out of employment, and a superintendent, Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled. who should examine and prove all assistants before their names The petition of the undersigned members of the medical are placed on the list. This should be so arranged as to be a check upon both employers and employed. Well-conducted and profession in the town of Huddersfield and its vicinity, Humbly showeth,— competent assistants only should be sent out, and those employers That, while they regard the Vaccination Extension Bill now who ill-treat or under-pay their assistants should not be supplied. before your honourable House as intended for the benefit and pro- I also believe we should find many non-medical friends who tection of the nation from small-pox, they nevertheless are con- would subscribe to such an institution, if well conducted. vinced that many of the provisions of that Bill are defective, and At present a surgeon undertakes a union district of considerable some bear unjustly upon the members of the medical profession. area at a low salary ; gets all the clubs he can, at say 1& 6d. or That, while the Bill enforces vaccination within a certain age, 2s. a head per annum, midwifery 10s., of which he perhaps gets and renders the parents and guardians of the child responsible 250 or 300 cases per annum, some six miles from home. Now for its omission, it does not enforce the obligation to return with such a person knows at the time he undertakes all this that it is the child on the eighth day for inspection, and to supply the utterly impossible to do it himself, but calculates upon getting an medical practitioners with fresh lymph. assistant at from X20 to £30. If an assistant were paid a fair _____
551 salary such terms would not be accepted by the employer. An away with. As soon as the mixture of it agent advertises to supply surgeons with assistants "free of petition sprung up, and if persons did not
l
The surgeon is not obliged to go to him; we or 30s. for the information,-surely too much for a situation of which neither the agent or assistant know much, until the latter, having paid a like sum in travelling expenses, finds a situation not worth his acceptance, and will not retain it a week. Valets and footmen are paid higher salaries, are found their clothes, and have perquisites in addition, and they have no position to maintain. We are expected to occupy an I, intermediate position, to live, as it were, solus between the parlour and the kitchen. Medical assistants are not worse than their employers or other men intrinsically; but, thus placed, a man begins to pass away his time by reading that curse of the age, low, cheap, immoral, it may be infidel, works of fiction, insidiously poisoning his mind, and fitting it for any vice. What appears to me the main point is, to eo2ite to form a body. Hundreds of names of assistants ready to join in the work would be forwarded immediately if any intimation were given as to who _will receive them. Having arranged this, a number might form a temporary committee for commencing operations, and then we must seek some influential persons to give weight and solidity to the structure we thus raise, and to aid us by their counsel, for we young men must have some older heads to direct us. Will some of your correspondents consider the questions-How shall we commence at once ? and who can we ask to receive our names as the first step? Let us carefully consider our proceedings so as to obtain the confidence of our employers. Our interests are Thus shall we best secure better treatment and higher one. salaries, and our employers will find we are better assistants, and worth more in every way; and instead of the run-about an assistant generally is, we may remain in one situation untll, by the aid of our College and our own savings from our better pay, we are able to become qualified practitioners. I am, Sir, yours obediently, QUARTUS. May, 1853.
charge." Why ?
are, and have to pay 20s.
undersold and lose their trade.
REVENUE, MAY
26.
use
legalized, comthey must be
it
Mr. Commissioner Stephenson said that this was a sytem of 25 per cent. of adulteration, and charging a high price for it, for which he was liable to a fine of .6100. If a person went into his shop and asked for best coffee they expected to get
selling
and nothing else. He was then fined .65. Charles Boren, of No. 5, Elliot’s-row, Islington,’was charged on a similar information. The defendant said he did not know what the trade had come to, for they were tried now like criminals at the bar, and were at anybody’s mercy. It was most unfortunate for the trade to be
it,
so
placed.
Mr. Commissioner Stephenson said an adulteration of 20 per cent. was unfortunate for the public. He should fine .65. The Defendant.-I hope you will mitigate that sum? Mr. Commissioner Stephenson.-Not one farthing. The following persons were then fined in the sums named for
similar offences: Henry George Gill, 14, Great Newport-street, jE5; W. Hollis, St. George’s-road, Southwark, .65; Alfred Culmer, 18, Little Earl-street, St. Giles, .63; John Henry Kempey, Waterloo-place, Commercial-road; George Sewell Green, New-cut, Lambeth, .65; John Grainger, Borough-road, Southwark, .65; William Dutton, Watling street, City, £3; William Munday, Hereford-place, Commercial-road, .65 ; Thomas Quintrell, 114, Drury-lane, ae5; W. Hawkins, 17, Whitechapelroad, .63; Francis Appleton, 75, Hackney-road, .63; Francis
Somers, Great Suffolk-street, Southwark, (40 per cent. of chicory,) .E5 ; Samuel James, 68, Lamb’s-conduit-street, .65; James Robins, 3 and 4, Dockhead, .63; Henry Greenhalgh, 1, Henry-street,
Hampstead-road,
£5.
Medical News.
_________________
COURT OF INLAND
was
MEDICAL REFORM.-On
Friday,
the 3rd
inst.,
a
de-
the Medical Reform Committee, consisting of Dr. Lankester, Dr. Mackenzie, Dr. Dalston Jones, Mr. Lord, JOSEPH WHITE and William Fairchild, of No. 107, High- Mr. Wall, Mr. T. G. Traquair, Mr. Woolaston, Mr. W. street, Southwark, were charged with having in their possession Powell, Dr. Murphy, Dr. Ogier Ward, Mr. Reginald Read, Mr. chicory prepared and used in imitation of coffee, by which they Charles Clarke, and many other members of the medical prohad incurred a penalty of aeI00. The defendants pleaded not fession, waited upon Lord Palmerston at the Home-office, to guilty. his lordship to promote the passing into law of the Mr. James Cresswell, an officer of excise, said that on the request 9th of April he went to the shop of the defendants, No. 107, proposed Bill for the Better Regulation of the Medical ProHigh-street, Southwark, and asked for half a pound of a mixture fession, prepared by the Provincial Medical and Surgical of coffee and chicory, which was served to him, and for whichI Association. he paid 6d. He then asked for the same quantity of coffee unThe deputation was headed by Dr. LANKESTER, who stated mixed ; but the shopman informing him that they had none the reasons of the committee for adopting this step. He had ground but what had a little chicory with it, he went away with- been chairman of a committee established some time ago for out the second order. Two days following he went again and the purpose of advancing Mr. Wakley’s Medical Registration asked for half a pound of coffee, which was handed to him, and Bill, and finding that the opposition to that Bill by the College for which he paid 8d. of Physicians had been withdrawn, and that the Provincial Mr. Young, chemist, said he had examined the samples of Medical and Surgical Association had drawn up a measure of coffee handed to him by the last witness. The one that pur- a similar character, and involving all the great principles of ported to be genuine coffee was mixed with chicory to the the Registration Bill, he determined to call the present comextent of 23 per cent. mittee or to reconstitute the old one. They proMr. Fairchild said he had given orders to his young men to ceeded together, to ascertain the feelings of the profession upon the sell genuine coffee if it was asked for, and the mixture in proper subject, and they found that a very large number were in papers. favour of the Bill, the great bulk of the profession in EdinMr. Commissioner Stephenson said it was clear that such had burgh and Dublin, and the various medical corporations of not been done, but that he had been imposing on the public by those cities, being desirous that it should pass into a law. The charging them a high price and selling them an adulterated committee was therefore most anxious to know whether the article. He was not an honest tradesman, for he had cheated Government were prepared to support the measure. the public to the extent of 22 per cent. in an article that he had Dr. Murphy, Dr. Ogier Ward, and Mr. Lord, having sevesold as genuine. As he had been in that court before he should addressed his lordship,fine him .610, and hoped that would induce him to pursue a rally Lord PALMERSTON said, he had understood from some more honest course for the future. quarters that perfect unanimity existed in the profession, and William Young, of High-street, Cterkenwell, was charged on from others that there were many objections to the present a similar information, the mixture of chicory being to the extent It was therefore evident that the question was one system. of 25 per cent. of a complicated nature; and the details were new to him. The defendant said he put one-fourth of chicory, not as an The question, however, should receive his attentive consideraadulteration, but as an improvement to his coffee; and even the tion, and he should be glad to be favoured with a copy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer had admitted in the House of Com- Bill to assist him, as the subject was doubtless one of an impormons that it was not an adulteration. He had been for thirty tant and nature. pressing years in trade, and never defrauded a man of a shilling; and he The deputation then withdrew. would ask whether this offence was sufficient to upset a life of MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGE.-H.R.H. Prince rectitude? He had no desire to infringe the law, but he thought the Governmen: were highly censurable for having again opened Albert has consented to lay the foundation stone of the New the door for the admission of chicory; and he hoped if the Com- Medical Benevolent College at Epsom, on Wednesday, the missioners had any influence with them they would get it done 6th of July.
PROSECUTION
OF
ANOTHER BATCH OF GROCERS FOR CHICORY ADULTERATION.
putation from
’
-