QUACK MEDICINES.

229 analysis published. From the facts above detailed, your readers will be able to judge whether Dr. O’Neill has induced that tetanus or pysemia can occur after this operation," I THE LANCET to " devote some of its valuable space " to the beg to state that on a valued friend pointing out this pass- publication of his letter in order to do " great good to the age to me I withdrew the word possible, and substituted for medical profession and to the public at large," or whether it the word probable, in the last edition of my lectures. Of his object is not altogether a different one. course Mr. Lane has not observed this correction, otherwise I am, your very obedient servant, he would have acted in a similar manner to one of my most F. J. CLARKE. Lincoln, 26th July, 1875. severe critics, Mr. Allingham, who has not overlooked this For sake of the fair we * * play willingly insert Mr. has pointedly referred to it at change in the word, and Clarke’s with letter. But Dr. O’Neill’s motives in writing to> " page 103 of his book on Diseases of the Rectum." us we have to and is it obvious that Mr. do; nothing reference to Mr. Lane’s I With very hope that may be converted to the employment of the ligature, I must beg him Clarke’s letter in no way impugns Dr. Taylor’s analysis, to dismiss this from his mind-should the anticipation of it nor does it affect the only question in which the public are give him the slightest amount of pleasure,-for the word interested-viz., the propriety of administering such an conversion, as we employ it, means a turning towards someas iodide of potassium, not only without medical superthing better, a condition of mind and practice we all ought agent to adopt; but so long as I have the power of discriminating vision, but without even the knowledge of the patient himbetween two courses, I shall certainly never think of going self.-ED. L. back to the practice of the ligature. After my previous experience of this plan and my present means of the clamp and cautery, I could not conscientiously do so ; for I repeat, notwithstanding Mr. James Lane’s opinion (and I think I am warranted from my large experience in saying so), that W. J. CLARKE, M.R.C.S. I have repeatedly proved that, .as regards the three most THE profession in Huddersfield has sustained a great loss important elements of the saving of life, of diminution of the death of Mr. W. J. Clarke, which took place at the method and of less convalescence, by pain, prolonged by clamp and cautery is far superior; and it is a great plea- Cambridge on Sunday, July 25th, at the age of sixty. His sure to me to hear this statement continually verified by vigour of body and mind, apparently unimpaired, seemed practitioners from the country, and from all parts of the to promise a long life, but for some time he had suffered world, who have seen me operate either in King’s College from occasional attacks of gouty pain. He missed his Hospital or in private. in the autumn of 1874, and during the winter fell shooting I am, Sir, yours, &c., off still further in health. In April he went to Ventnor, HENRY SMITH. Wimpole-street, August 3rd, 1875. while there had a severe attack of haemoptysis, which greatly reduced his strength. No structural disease of the QUACK MEDICINES. lungs, however, could be detected, and he recovered so far as to go on a visit to his brother at Queen’s College, CamTo the Editor of THE LANCET. bridge. Here pleurisy with effusion came on, and, notSIR,-My attention has been called to a letter written by withstanding the kind care of Dr. Paget, proved fatal. Dr. O’Neill (accompanied by an analysis of my Blood Mr. Clarke deservedly held a leading position in HuddersMixture), which was published in THE LANCET of the 24th field. He was for many years surgeon to the infirmary, but, inst. I have no wish to enter upon the question of the as is usual in the provinces, practised medicine as well as correctness or otherwise of the analysis, which, as far as I surgery. He was a man of remarkable vigour of character, clear sighted, strong in will and purpose, and thoroughly can judge, must have sadly disappointed Dr. O’Neill, at and honest. These qualities, carried into his prowhose instance it was made; but I am much mistaken if upright fessional work, made him an excellent all-round practitioner. you do not share my opinion that the following facts should His diagnosis was solid; he was alive to all the modern adbe brought to the notice of the readers of THE LANCET, vances in but while ready to adopt everything whose columns, though open to bonâ-fide discussions of that was therapeutics, he held fast the best features of the old valuable, public interest, should be closed against communications school of practice which prevailed when he entered the prohaving other objects. fession. In he was painstaking and cautious, and On the 21st June last I received from Dr. O’Neill an ap- could show surgery insta.nces of success in conservative promany plication for .gt4 2s. for alleged attendance on myself and cedure, but when the occasion required he was firm in remy wife in 1864, 1865, and 1866. He at the same time commending and bold in carrying oat operations. forwarded to me two other bills against relatives of mine, Mr. Clarke was universally respected, and had many for which I was in no way responsible. His letter admitted firm friends among the leading men of the town; but it that he never previously delivered the account, but stated was his illness that the extent and depth of£ during only he had forty-two visits down against me. I am not indebted the in which he was held was known. His sterling regard to Dr. O’Neill, and I hold a bill of his dated Christmas, worth was appreciated by the educated classes, and the 1869, to which his receipt is attached, and which does not poor had learned to distinguish behind a firm exterior in any way allude to a previous charge. On the 27th June my kindness of heart. Only a strong nature could him solicitor wrote to denying any liability, but offering to inspire the respect and attachment entertained for him refer the question either to arbitration or to a court of law, the unimpressionable Yorkshiremen of the West Riding. and undertaking to contest the claim entirely on its merits, and without raising any technical line of defence which was EDWARD WOAKES, M.R.C.S. ENG. open to me, and which would at once have put an end to Dr. O’Neill’s case. A request was at the same time made MR. v4ongES was born at Worcester in 1802, and received that the dates and particulars of the forty-two alleged his early education in that town. Having chosen the busivisits should be supplied. No statement has up to this of chemist and druggist, he spent some years in the time been delivered, nor has Dr. O’Neill made any attempt house of Messrs. Southall of Birmingham. While there he to procure a decision on his claim. Instead of taking such was appointed apothecary to the Birmingham Eye Infirmary, a course, he sends his letter and analysis to your paper. and henceforth became an industrious student of medicine. My blood mixture has been advertised for the last twelve He subsequently entered at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, years, during the whole of which time Dr. O’Neill has been and, having passed Apothecaries’ Hall in 1828 and the residing in Lincoln. I have been told on many occasions Royal College of Surgeons in 1829, settled in practice at that he has stated (though incorrectly) that the mixture Luton, where he pursued the arduous career of a country was made from a prescription of his. But what I wish practitioner with the energy and zeal peculiar to the men especially to bring to your notice is that not until Dr. O’Neill of his day. In 1861 he retired on the dearly earned fruits has been unsuccessful in his attempts to obtain forty-twc of his labours, his constitution being greatly impaired by guineas from me does he make any effort 11 to confer a grea1 upwards of thirty years of work. Symptoms of softening boon on the profession and a greater boon still on the public of the brain set in a few years afterwards, and at length at large"by having my blood mixture analysed and th( terminated fatally on May 9th, at the age of seventy-three.

with reference to

a

quoted by him from my original to the effect that " It is not possible

remark

Lettsomian,Lectures,

Obituary.

and

genuine

by

ness