SYPHILITIC INOCULATION IN 1865.

552 tial that I should take upon myself an individual responsibiSir D. J. CoRRIGAN moved, as an amendment,-" That the lity. The long intervals between our successive sessions and proposed investigation does not come within the province of the the limited powers accorded to our Executive Committee have, General Medical Council ; nor, were it within their power, from my experience in the chair, convinced me that these are have they any legal authority to expend their funds on such circumstances which greatly interfere with the transaction of an inquiry." the public business of the Council. We are very often unable After a long debate the amendment was carried by 16 votes on this account to give reasonable satisfaction to public bodies to 5. that communicate with the Council; I mean through the great A motion, proposed by Dr. ALEx. WOOD, to fix the hours of delay that takes place between the successive meetings of the meeting on Saturdays from ten to one, was defeated by an Council, and also, I may say, I believe that satisfaction is not amendment, moved by Mr. CÆSAR HAWKINS, that the period always given to members of the profession who appeal to the of meeting should be from one to four. Council for their assistance or support. The reports from the Branch Councils of the visitations of These, I think, gentlemen, are certainly defects in our organization ; they are examinations, and from the licensing bodies in accordance subjects worthy of our consideration, and I see, indeed, with the resolution of last year, were ordered to be printed. The Council then adjourned to Friday. by the supplemental programme before me that this is a subject that has occupied the thoughts, as I know [We reserve for next week a full report of the proceedings it has done previously, of other members of the Council. following the President’s address.] ’The question is how far we can remedy these defects in our organization. Would it be practicable to have more frequent meetings of the General Medical Council, or would it be practicable in some way to alter the constitution of the Executive Committee ? No doubt grave and serious objections exist to more frequent meetings of the General Medical Council-not "Audi alteram partem." only the inconvenience which would arise to the large number of persons of whom it is composed, but also the very heavy additional expenses which must be incurred by more frequent SYPHILITIC INOCULATION IN 1865. meetings in this metropolis. But would it be impossible to accept or act upon the other alternative-that is, in some way To the Editor of THE LANCET. to modify or alter the constitution of the present Executive Committee ? Would it be impossible to enlarge the Executive SIR,—The natural process of constitutional syphilitic inCommittee, and make it more representative of the opinions fection is now nearly as well understood as that of vaccina. and feelings of the whole Council, by introducing a limited tion. When this action takes place through the skin a cir. number of members from each of the Branch Councils of Scotinduration at the inoculated part, and cumscribed appears land and Ireland ? If an Executive Committee of this kind could be formed-if an Executive Committee at quarterly this, after an interval, is followed by well-known constitutional meetings could ensure the attendance of any two members of symptoms. - each of the Branch Councils of Scotland and Ireland, deputed The profession has as yet received no proof that this kind ’by those Councils to attend, then, I presume, more extensive of syphilitic inoculation has been produced either in England powers might be entrusted to such an. enlarged Executive or Ireland the whose systems year upon during past patients Committee which more fully and completely represented the General Council - more powers, more control than can were already under the influence of the disease. It is true that Mr. James Lane states that he sazv in one now be properly conceded to the present Executive Committee ; and I am quite sure that much of the routine business case the secretion from an indurated sore inoculated. But that obstructs the way here could be got through at those he does not refer to the fact that this patient had for nearly meetings of the Executive Committee ; the public business three weeks previously been constantly inoculated with the of the Council could be transacted with more credit to ourselves, and I believe more satisfaction could be given to the secretion from a soft suppurating sore. Nor does he mention people out of doors. Gentlemen, I commend this suggestion the fact that the same lancet had been used in the attempts to to your consideration. Of course it is not my duty as your inoculate from the indurated sore and in the inoculations from President to initiate measures in the course of the session ; the soft sore, before the former became inoculable. but I have not thought it beyond my proper sphere of action Mr. Lanesuppurating could not have been aware of these facts, otherwise, to call your attention to the measures which were under consideration during the last session, and to invite your favour- as an "impartial witness," he would certainly have referred able reconsideration of them during the present ; also to call to them. your attention particularly to those measures which I believe During the three weeks that this patient was being inocuI have further thrown out for lated with the secretion from a soft suppurating sore he dressed now are more ripe for solution. your consideration a suggestion the adoption of which I believe his own ulcerations ; and it is to be presumed that he somemight render the Council and its influence for good in the pro- times washed himself. He was not aware that the matter with fession more effectual: that that influence should be more sus- which he was being inoculated differed from that which he tained and more continued, and not of that spasmodic character himself furnished. The circumstances were, therefore, most which is implied by one annual session of the Council. With favourable for the two secretions to become mixed. these prefatory remarks I conclude, congratulating you that That this was originally a case of uncomplicated indurated since we last met here so few changes have taken place in the sore I can myself attest ; that Dr. Boeck inoculated from it personnel of the Council, and that the distinguished members I stated in my lecture; but that it remained an uncomplicated whose period of service had expired have been reappointed, sore to the end I still very much doubt. and are again present to assist us with their large and varied Mr. Lane appears to take some exception to my mode of knowledge, with their sound and independent judgment, and case-taking. But had I in the present instance, instead of inwith their full experience in the conduct of public business- vestigating for myself, obtained the " authentic facts" of the all qualities which are so much required in our deliberations case only through him, I should have missed the real point of - upon the many varied and difficult questions which are brought the case, as he appears to have done. I therefore still think under the consideration of this Council. that I could not have done better than obtain the particulars Committees relating to the business of the Council, to of this case from the patient himself and the surgeon (Mr. finance, and to the amendment of the Medical Acts, having Coulson) under whose care he was. been appointed, Since my last letter, another knight, the Chevalier Gaskoin, Dr. ACLAND presented a memorial from the Physiological by a side entrance has appeared in the lists. I have also been sub-section of the British Association assembled in Bir- favoured with several other private communications. I shall mingham in 1865, suggesting that the General Medical Council hope soon to be able to consider at length all the statements should, by pecuniary grants and the appointment of suitable which have any scientific bearing upon the question, and which persons, undertake investigations into the physiological action are not of a personal character. of medicines. Dr. Acland proposed, in conformity with this I have been requested to publish the lectures on Syphilitic suggestion, that :E250 should be devoted to the obtaining in- Inoculation in a separate form; and in that case, with Mr. vestigations or reports calculated to promote a precise know- Coulson’s permission, I shall give a detailed account of D-’s ledge of the efficacy of remedial agents. case, which, from its having been the only one in which Dr. Dr. STOKES seconded the motion. Boeck was supposed to have obtained positive results from an

Correspondence.

553

uncomplicated indurated chancre, has now become of European

vide

CATTLE PLAGUE IN IRELAND.

In answer to questions from Mr. Gregory, Lord Naas, .3,ucl. other Irish members, Mr. C. FoRTESCUE said there was too* much reason to believe that the cattle plague had made its. appearance near Belfast, and explained the stringent measures. which had been taken to stamp it out. THE CHOLERA.

happened

Mr. SANDFORD asked what precautionary measures had been taken by the Government against the spread of cholera. Mr. H. A. BRUCE replied that the powers possessed by the Privy Council were given by the Quarantine Act of George IV., and under it they had directed local authorities at the out-ports to visit all ships arriving from suspected quarters to prohibit the landing of infected persons, and, if necessary, to take measures to isolate them, and they had also offered tOo place any towns which desired it under the provisions of the-Diseases Prevention Act. This country, he pointed out, had never acted on the system of quarantine ; we had always depended on the local authorities, and our best security must be in improved sanitary regulations, such as better supplies of water and increased ventilation and cleanliness.

It has to me sometimes that during this treatment other disease-for instance, typhus, or pneumonia,-or a confinement, has interrupted the cure; in such cases there has always been a tendency to relapses. I must further observe, with respect to Mr. Holmes Coote’s letter of Feb. 24th, that it might seem to those who are unacquainted with my method as if I had undertaken the treatment by syphilization upon a person who was merely suffering from primary disease. This I should certainly myself consider I do not a crime, and consequently never think of doing it. begin the inoculations because I am myself convinced that the patient is suffering from constitutional syphilis; I only commence them when no one that knows anything of syphilis can have a doubt about his suffering from constitutional syphilis. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, W., BOECK. W. BOECK, Christiania, May 4th, 1866. some

Medical News. I

ROYAL COLLEGE

MAY 14TH. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES BILL.

’,

’’,

HOUSE OF COMMONS. MAY lOTH.

’, BILL,.

Mr. CHILDERS, in moving the second reading of this Bill, said it was precisely analogous in all its provisions to a measure upon the same subject for England, which had lately been under the consideration of the House. General DuNNE said he entertained great doubt with respect to the expediency of enabling corporate bodies in Ireland to erect asylums and buildings of other descriptions. MAY 11TH. THE MORTALITY AMONG THE TROOPS AT HONG-KONG.

Mr. LOCKE asked the Secretary of State for War whether the 20th Regiment (2nd battalion) had been ordered, or whether it was the intention of the Government to order it from Japan, where it is at present stationed, to Hong-Kong, to occupy the quarters vacated by her Majesty’s llth Regiment, in which such mortality had lately occurred, or whether it was the intention of her Majesty’s Government to send native troops to that station. The Marquis of HARTINGTON said that the 2nd battalion had been ordered from Japan to Hong-Kong, but would not

necessarily

occupy the

quarters

vacated

SURGEONS

OF

ENGLAND.- The

Atkins, Thomas Dealtry, Calcutta. Bernard, David Edward, Bath. Bush, Charles Arthur, Bath. Bush, John Dearden, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Cresswell, Richard, Lewisham. Farwell, James Wm. George, St. Martin’s, near Liske.ard. Fluder, Arthur Eisdall, Lymington. Hankins, George Thomas, Clapham. Harwood, Alfred, Cambridge. Maxwell, Edward Cleaver, Barnstaple. M‘Carthy, Jeremiah, London Hospital. M’Donald, William, M.D. Edin., Edinburgh. Moore, William Henry, Liverpool. Mousley, George William, Atherstone, Warwickshire. Newman, Adam Perry, M.B. Dub., Cork. Robinson, Richard Holt, Manchester. Sawyer, James, Birmingham. Sedgwick, Henry, St. John’s-street. Tindale, Wentworth Raynes, Peckham-rye. Waller, Arthur, Milner-square. Wall, Reginald Bligh, Bayswater.

i

committee.

(IRELAND)

OF

following gentlemen having undergone the necessary examinations for the diploma, were admitted Members of the College! at a meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 10th inst. :-

HOUSE OF LORDS.

LABOURING CLASSES DWELLINGS

or

continuous rest. Orders had not been issued that GeneralGuy might incur unlimited expense, but there was no reason to suppose that there would be any difficulty in finding accommodation for the troops. In the Committee of Supply the following sums wera voted :£1183, for allowances granted to the public infirmaries inIreland. £ 3845, for certain hospitals in Dublin under the central board of superintendence. MAY 15TH.

expected.

passed through

he had authority to, in order that the European soldiers seven nights’ continuous freedom from

them ; and also whether

night duty. The Marquis of HARTINGTON replied that orders had been given to diminish night duty by the employment of native watchmen, so that the soldiers might have six or seven nights’

To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,-Mr. Holmes Coote has in two successive numbers of THE LANCET given an account of five girls, of whom the treatment by syphilization was entrusted to me, in St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. I am very much obliged to Mr. Holmes Coote for having paid such double attention to the method, as, in the first place, to entrust me with the treatment of these patients, and, in the second place, to publish the results. These have been, as anyone may observe, just such as I have experienced them often and often in my practice, and repeatedly published - namely, that the inoculations must be accomplished in order to give a satisfactory result; that is to say, they must be continued until a general immunity is obtained. It is only then that one can speak of syphilization. According to this, no real syphilization has been practised in St. Bartholomew’s Hospital ; for in no one of the patients have the inoculations been accomplished. When the inoculations are not continued till immunity is obtained, nothing but bad results are to be

THIS Bill

for

should have six

I am, Sir, your obedient servant, HENRY LEE. Savile-row, May 15th, 1866.

Parliamentary Intelligence.

quarters

employ native watchmen

interest.

by the llth Regiment.

Colonel NORTH asked whether the 2nd battalion of the 20th was to go to Hong-Kong upon the understanding that General Guy was to have unlimited authority to incur expense to pro-

Whitwell, John Maude, Kendal. meeting of the Court, Mr. Robert Atkinson, of H.M.S. Prince Consort, passed his examination for Naval Surgeon. This gentleman had previously been admitted a Memberof the College, his diploma bearing date April 17th, 1854. It. is stated that of the 76 candidates who offered themselves for examination, 13 failed to acquit themselves to the satisfaction of the Court, and were consequently referred back to their hospital studies for six months. The following Members of the College, having been elected Fellows at previous meetings of the Council, were admitted as such on the 14th inst. :Buncombe, Charles Hope, York-place, Bow-road; diploma of membership dated May 29th, 1840. Dalton, Henry Gibbs, Georgetown, Demerara; diploma of membership dated Feb. 19th, 1841. The following gentlemen passed their primary examinations

At the

same