THE COLLEGE OF DENTISTS.

621 tion that I had not, he closely examined the patient on the residence, or his illness, or his want of knowledge in subject, and was informed by him, in the presence of Dr.i. the treatment of surgical cases, did not allow the urine to Venables and myself, that I had not cauterized him, but that accumulate in the bladder, thus converting irritation into in-,I had introduced a sound twice a week, which was to flammation, which, if the patient did not die from the remain a short time, and that the introduction was never fol- hereditary disease, caused the case to terminate as it unforlowed by irritation or bleeding. The urine was shown to Dr. tunately has done. I wish it particularly to be remembered Chambers, and he attributed the turbid appearance of it tolithate that on the day I gave up the case the patient expressed himof ammonia; and when it was provedtohimthat he was mistaken, self as feeling much better; that Dr. Venables positively states he examined the patient personally over the region of thebladder, that there was at that time no inflammation of the bladder and down the urethra, and then advised that all the treatment or urethra; and that Dr. Chambers himself, after examining the should be discontinued; and ordered half a grain of acetate of bladder and urethra, said all that was necessary to be done morphia at bed time to allay, as he termed it, the patient’s was to prescribe half a grain of acetate of morphia at bed-time, to allay, as he termed it, the patient’s nervous fears, which nervous fears, leaving it thus to be inferred that we were unnecessarily creating alarm. The conduct of Dr. Chambers towards surely he would not have done if inflammation had then been Dr. Venables, who is his senior both in professional standing present. If the patient made any declaration differing from the state’and in years, as well as towards myself, was so- offensive, and his advice so contrary to ours, that we had noalternative but ment he made to Dr. Chambers, in the presence of Dr. Venables. to deliver,the case into his hands,especially as the patient was and myself, of course this will have been taken by a magistrate, and not by Dr. Chambers; and ought I not, in common justice; depending upon him for his support. I felt sosatished that if the urine was not drawn off regu- to have been acquainted with this circumstance during the palarly, and the ,treatment we had agreed ,upon was not con- tient’s lifetime ? The profession will now be able to judge of Dr. Chambers" tinued, that the irritation might be converted into inflammation, and terminate as this unfortunate case has dane, that imme- conduct in this matter. He misrepresents the circumstances diately on-returning home -I sent to Dr. Chambers a written under which he first visited the case. He charges me, in a. history ofothe case, with a copy of the first letter which I re- letter I received from him after the death of the patient, with ceived from the patient, and my answer, together with a de- cauterizing the urethra, when I denied it in the presence of tailed account of the treatment I had pursued. A copy of this Dr. Venables and the patient. He purposely avoids a common letter I sent also to .the patient, in order that if I had made act of justice in not letting me have notice of the post-mortem any misstatement I might at once be, called upon for an ex- examination made as the foundation of these charges; and he inferred that I was actuated by mercenary moplanation. Dr. Chambers did not even acknowledge my letter wishes it for ten days, giving as -his reason that he had been much en- tives ; that I am connected with a class of disreputable pracgaged in changing his residence; and he.then informed me that titioners ; and that I am not an extra-licentiate, when he had the patient was suffering froni inflammation of the bladder, not the slightest grounds for such conclusions; and, to crown which I wasaiot in the least surprised to hear, for I had reason all, charges me with the gravest offence that can be brought to believe..that the urine had .ever .been drawn off, and no- against a medical man. I can only account for Dr. Chambers’ uncalled-for attack thing but mild sedatives ordered;and this is confirmed in the Clinical Lecture. In his letter -Dr. Chambers so far forgot upon me, and his abuse in wishing to connect my name with himself as to propose that I should repay the fees and quietly the class of practitioners he refers to, to his annoyance in not settle the matter, which, of course, I declined to do; and in- having been primarily consulted by his assistant, and to the case formed him that I was ready to justify my treatment of the having terminated fatally in his own hands. But of this I feel case. I heard no more from him until June 4th, when I received quite certain, that no impartial man can read Dr. Chambers’’ a letter, written in pencil, informing me that he was suffering Clinical Lecture without attributing to him the strongest from lumbago. and that Mr. S- was dead. and that a post- I animus against myself; and I have as little doubt but that my mortem examination had been made (of which I had never had will cause his groundless charges and shameful insinuanotice, or been asked to attend), and in which Dr. Chambers tinnc tn rannil nmnn himself,-T am ir. vnnr obedient servant attributed the cause of death to inflammation produced by the R. DAWSON. application of caustic. In the Clinical Lecture Dr. Chambers abandons the charge of cauterization, and refers the death to something else, charging me with introducing an instrument filled THE COLLEGE OF DENTISTS. with an ointment, which he suggests and wishes to be believed To the Editor of THE LANCET. was iodine and chloride of zinc, when he had it from the patient himself that I had used a sound smeared with lard, which was SiR,,-In the number of THE LANCET of the 8th instant, an permitted, as before stated, to remain in the urethra a short time. article appears in the " Medical Annotations," directed against I most positively assert now, as I did in writing on the day the College of Dentists. The same article appearing in a less I gave up the case to Dr. Chambers, that nothing but a sound influential journal, might have been allowed to pass unnoticed, but as occurring in THE LANCET, and as conveying a series of was ever introduced into the urethra covered with simple lard, and that no irritant was ever used by me. charges, which, if uncorrected, might mislead a large class of I am also charged with passing "aa catheter smeared with readers, the Council of the College of Dentists has requested me, as President of the College, to forward to you the following some brown tincture;" the fact being that I used some hair-oil which I found in the patient’s bed-room in order to facilitate answer. We have striven in this reply to meet every point adduced against us temperately and fairly, in a way as shall the introduction of the catheter. I am also charged with mercenary motives, when in reality become us as men who have been misunderstood and misrepreI did not receive more than four guineas from the patient, and sented, and who, conscious of such misconstruction, would set at my own proposal attended him gratuitously, and of this themselves properly before the public. We feel confident that. Dr. Chambers was informed. your sense of justice will grant us the privilege of this defence. The article to which we refer sets against us two charges :Dr. Chambers leaves it also to be inferred from his Clinical Lecture that I spend large sums of money in advertisements. 1st. That we are disposing of certificates from our institution I find that during the last three years I have not spent in that to advertizing dentists, in such way as to enable them, by manner one shilling. assuming membership with us, to pass themselves off as someDr. Chambers also states that my name does not appear as thing more than usually eminent in their profession. 2nd. That, an extra-licentiate of the College of Physicians on the College by our proceedings we are not advancing, but, on the contrary, list. Why did he not also state that the names of all the degrading our profession, and this to such an extent as to make other extra-licentiates practising as surgeons in London are our institution the analogue of a notorious charlatanic establishomitted ? I am obliged to him for stating that I never was ment conducted by a single family for the sale of a patent nostrum which you have designated. an extra-licentiate of the College of Physicians, for this will In reply to the first of these charges, we beg unequivocally enable the profession to judge how much his veracity is to be depended upon. I am not only an extra-licentiate, but am to state that the reading you have given against us, whoever recognised as such, as by reference to the list authorized by may have advised you to it, is incorrect, both in principle and Act of Parliament it will be seen that I passed the examination in fact. In principle, the position of the College of Dentists is. the same as that of every other similar body-i. e., nnder-cerin 1843. The question at issue appears to me to depend as to whether tain conditions fixed by laws agreed to by the majority, memI treated the case from the beginning honestly and scien bers are admitted to the College, and have certain privileges. tifically, and in accordance with professional rule; or whethe] common to such admissions. They can attend all meetings, Dr. Chambers, either from preoccupation in changing hi: vote in election of officers, have the use of the library, and the

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622 like.

From the first moment when the College was opened, POISON LABELS. be it observed, by " a knot of men who recently clubbed together," as your article says, but by the voice of a To the Editor of THE LANCET. large body of dentists, expressed at a meeting publicly conSIR,-The enclosed form of label has, I think, advantages vened nearly five years ago-see THE LANCET for Sept. 27th over others, inasmuch as it serves to warn those who cannot for and Nov. 15th, lS56,) laws were specially made excluding from membership every man who in any way could be con- read. It isa, grinning skull and two femurs crossed (in the sidered as guilty of practising his profession in a quackish and vernacular, Death’s bead and marrow-bones), beneath which stlie word Poison, all white upon a black ground. Over the dishonourable manner, and these laws we can state implicitly ’have not only been rigidly adhered to, but have, from time to time, been revised and made more stringent. Thus, at the present time, the following conditions are those acted upon in relation to the election of members :-lst. The candidate must transmit a paper declaring he does not advertize, contrary to the rules of the College. 2nd. A paper, signed by four members of the College, or by medical men, that he is a fit person to be admitted. 3rd. He must sign a paper declaring he will adhere to the laws of the College. We admit, nevertheless, that notwithstanding the stringency of these rules, it has happened, in a few instances, that certain persons who have taken up our .membership have proceeded in a way this Council entirely condemns, and the best mode of dealing with these individuals has often been matter for discussion by the Council. Sir, we are sure that you will admit with us, that various .and extreme difficulties beset the question which has thus been brought before us. Unfortunately, on looking for any precedent, we havefound none. We compare ourselves, fOF instance, with the College of Surgeons, and we find that amongst the members of that body there are several of the most systematic advertisers in England. We turn to the few men who have taken the dental certificate of the College of Surgeons, and we find even amongst these, who have been arbitrarily and specially selected by the Council, men who continually advertise and issue bills. We see that the College of Surgeons takes no note of these men, and, indeed, it is currently believed that legally it We are not different to the College of Surcan do nothing. geons, but instead of being passive, we have ventured to act. Within this very year, for instance, we have struck off our roll might be added the word Embrocation, or Lotion, &c. the names of two members, and have refused membership to The one enclosed is of course much larger than is necessary; .three others who have applied to us for election, because they the size should be about two inches square. A label manufacturer could supply them at a price little beyond that of the were advertizing in a manner not permitted by our laws. On the second charge which your article conveys against us best labels; and I believe that if they were generally used we have to make the following statements :-We are in every many accidents would be prevented. I am, Sir, yours truly, particular constituted as many other Colleges-such, for inTHEODORE E. LADD, M.D. stance, as the College of Preceptors, the Agricultural College, and the College of Civil Engineers. Our members and associates number over 160, are distributed through all parts of ACCIDENTAL L POISONING. England, and have a position, scientific and social, not inferior to others of the profession. In carrying out our principles we To the Editor of THE LANCET. have done everything in our power for the establishment of a scientific collegiate body. Thus, we have in the five years of SIR,-A sad case of poisoning by misadventure (a short our existence had delivered eleven distinct courses of lectures account of which appeared in The Times of Monday last) from men who, by position and practical knowledge, were best occurred on Sunday morning last to the wife of the Dean of fitted for the task. We have inaugurated a school for sys- Worcester, who has been staying some time with her family at tematic instruction in dentistry and the collateral sciences for the same hotel at which I am at present lonated. I am, thereWe have published four yearly volumes fore, able to give some particulars which I think will prove our junior brethren. of "Transactions," which have been largely reprinted and cir- very strongly the need of more restrictive measures with regard jCulated both in this country and in America. We have opened to the sale of deadly drugs. Some legislative action is quite We have appointed necessary in order to establish the general use of safety bottles. .a reading-room, library, and museum. .committees to investigate special scientific questions. We have Nothing short of such precautionary measures can possibly instituted liberal prizes for the promotion of dental science, and guard against accidents by poisoning similar to that which I we have provided during the session for monthly discussions am about to relate. .and readings. Finally, to give our membership more value, we The unfortunate lady in question had been in delicate health have lately originated a system of admission of members by for some time, and she had been accustomed to take a mixture examination, the Examining Board having been selected with every morning. Her husband suffered from gout. Poultices, all the judgment we could bestow upon the selection. containing laudanum, were frequently applied to the part We ask you, Sir, in fairness, could we do more, or work in affected; the laudanum, therefore, was always at hand. It any better or safer path ? Is there in these progressions one appears that the bottle containing this drug had been in use .single deviation from the strictest scientific orthodoxy and the night before the accident, and was left by the lady herself principle ? Of our political views we do not speak on this oc- side by side with a draught which was placed ready for her to casion, except to say that that which we profess we con- take in the morning. She arose at eight A.M. on Sunday, and, scientiously believe to be the best for the public, the profession without looking at the label, poured out the contents of the .of medicine, and the profession of dentistry. Nor are we alone bottle, and swallowed about two ounces and a half of laudanum in this belief; for when in the beginning of 1860 we appealed without immediately discovering her mistake. N otwithstandto the medical profession in England, putting our own position, ing that every known remedy has been tried, the poor sufferer indeed, in the hands of the medical body, the large number of has remained (with the exception of very brief intervals of con.3000 gave us their suffrages, and bade us go on. sciousness) in a comatose state up to the present time (TuesAnxious to these gentlemen, not less than to yourself, Sir, day, three P.M. )-a period of fifty-four hours. The very to vindicate our honour and good faith, we submit the above faintest hopes are entertained of her recovery. This is a facts to the consideration of your readers. valuable life, and it might, like many others that havebeen I have the honour to be, similarly sacrificed, have been saved by the use of proper preOn behalf of the Council of the College of Dentists, cautions on the part of those who supplied the poison. It is Your obedient servantuseless to depend upon the label being read; even a label of GEORGE WAITE, M.R.C.S. the most glaring description (such as a correspondent proposed

(not opened,

skull

’