THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

THE LORDS’ COMMITTEE AND MEDICAL EDUCATION.

263

and illustrate, the Board’s report ; they are neatly put clinical instruction, but they do not suggest any reorganisatogether and presented. We notice that the percentage tion of the medical staffs of these institutions, and without mortality of scarlet fever, diphtheria and enteric fever was some alteration it is obvious that proper clinical teaching lower in 1891 than in any year during the preceding quin- cannot be given. to,

________

reasonably be ascribed to the improvement in the nursing arrangements at the several hospitals of

quennium.

This may

the Board. A STRIKING

example of

the

haphazard

manner

in which

great questions are treated in this country is the appearance of an important opinion on medical education as an accidental incident in the course of inquiry into London hospital management at the very moment that a Royal Commission is considering how the problem of granting

Teaching University for London can best be solved. Whilst investigating the position and management of the London hospitals the Select Committee of the House of Lords examined the deans of the medical schools and a

other

members of the

prominent

profession

as

to their

medical education. The income and expendiopinions ture of each school was inquired into and the amount of fees paid to the teachers was also asked. We agree on

with the Committee

that, "speaking generally, the remunera-

tion of the teaching staff is of residential

colleges

to, and it would

"

certainly not high.

for medical students

seem

was

The

question

also referred

from the evidence of the deans of the

Middlesex and St. Mary’s Hospitals that they are not so popular or so eagerly sought after as is generally supposed. The dis-

cipline and general

conduct appear to be very satisfactory, for ’’serious offences inside the hospital itself appear to be almost unknown." With regard to the formation of a central medical university in which anatomy, physiology, chemistry and other subjects should be taught by experts the opinions of the witnesses were of the widest range. Many urged its formation, whilst others took the view that medical

teaching

could best be carried out by teachers practice of the profession, as it would

engaged in the actual then tend towards

a

practical

outcome rather than have

a

scientific and theoretic bias.

Most of the witnesses, merely with the larger of the to interference although opposed any existing medical schools, thought it advisable that some of the smaller ones should be amalgamated, or that there

should be some central schools where their students could be instructed in the scientific or non-professional subjects. The Committee evidently are strongly in favour

Annotations. " Ne quid nimis."

THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

OF THE

LOCAL

GOVERNMENT BOARD. THE changes which were necessitated in the staff of the Medical Department of the Local Government Board in consequence of the resignation of Sir George Buchanan, F.R.S., and the appointment of Dr. Thorne Thorne, F. R. S., as principal medical officer have, after much delay, at last been effected. Mr. W. H. Power, as was always anticipated, has been promoted to the post of assistant medical officer. The appointment will be received with satisfaction by the many who have followed the able researches and investigations with which his name is associated, and even more so by those who have had personal experience of the valuable and courteous help which he is always so ready to afford to those who voluntarily seek his friendly criticism of their work and conclusions. Mr. Power’s name will always be identified with the great progress which has been made in the study of the relation of diseases in man Dr. H. F. Parsons to ailments in the lower animals. has been appointed to the post of second assistant medical officer, and his addition to the permanent medical staff at Whitehall brings with it the advantage of manysided skilled knowledge on a number of medico-scientific subjects in their bearing on public health. Dr. Parsons’ special reports on such subjects as the various methods of disinfection and on epidemic influenza are recognised as standard works, and they show a great capacity for utilising for public purposes information which has heretofore been too widely scattered and too vague to be of practical service. The vacancy in the inspectorial staff which has thus been created has, we understand, been filled by the appointment of Dr. H. T. Bulstrode, who is honorary secretary to the Epidemiological Society, senior assistant medical officer to the Metropolitan Asylums Board hospitals, and an Examiner in Hygiene to the Science and Art Department of the South Kensington Museum.

"TAKING THE OATH."

BEFORE the next issue of THE LANCET appears the newly elected members of the House of Commons will have met and some members will have taken the oath and their seats. of a Teaching University, for they sum up the question Since the last general election took place the Oaths Act in these weighty words: "The Committee consider it of 1888 has been passed. It allows those who have no well worthy of consideration whether it would not be religious belief as well as those who believe that oath-taking advantageous that the medical schools in London should is contrary to their religious belief to make an affirmation. amiiate themselves to a teaching university or organisation It also permits those who may prefer to do so to be after the nature of colleges in a university, with the view to sworn with uplifted hand in the form and manner in which A reference to an oath is usually administered in Scotland. securing first-rate lecturers for the subjects which can be THE LANCET of March 24th, 1888, and April 21st, page 586, taught in classes as distinguished from clinical instruction. " 1888, page 800, will show that this clause is in conThis expression of opinion on the part of their lordships formity with the suggestions made by us. Whether i-hould be brought to the notice of the Royal Commission and this is a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc we will not not be buried in a blue-book where few persons would be presume to say, but the coincidence is at least remarkIt was stated recently in the papers that advantage likely to see it or would expect to find it. At the same time able. was taken of each new Parliament to have the mace reit should be remembered that every branch of medical science gilded and new wigs supplied to the Speaker and Clerks Las now to be taught practically, so that large classes are at the table. Whether a supply of New Testaments and both undesirable and impracticable. The Committee are in of the is also the rule we are not told. Pentateuch copies favour of the opening up of the Poor-law infirmaries forBut it is probable that the Scotch members might wish to be