THE PROFESSION AND HOMŒOPATHIC QUACKS.

possible to dilate the pelvic bones to letters, containing personal attacks of an exceedingly severe Compared with the bones of the character, we think it best to insert this brief note of a elastic and yielding. He should like venerable correspondent, in the hope and expectation that it to ask the President whether he had found that in mollities ossium he could produce any extension of the pelvis during the will elicit a reply from Mr. Fergusson which will prove that time of labour. His own impression was that the pelvis might his professional conduct with respect to quacks has been much be dilated to some extent in such cases ; that they might proL. duce, previous to labour, dilatation of the pelvis by air or fluid pressure. He should like the President’s opinion as to MR COWPER’S MEDICAL REFORM BILL. whether there had been some amount of shrinking since death, To the Editor of THE LANCET. so that the preparation scarcely gave a fair representation of SIR,-The writer of a letter, under the foregoing head, in the what had existed in life. The PRESIDENT remarked that the symphysis pubis was made preceding number of your journal, and signing himself " A to lap over, which most probably was not the case when the Fellow of the College of Physicians," in commenting upon Mr. Bill, has reflected, in a somewhat ligament was present during life, and that would make a diffe- Cowper’s Medical Reformthe distribution which he is prepared disparaging manner, upon rence of at least half an inch in the open diameter above. of the educating, examining, and licensing powers Possibly, as the preparation had been handed round, the bones to make the present existing educating and licensing bodies, might have been bent more closely together. He had no hesi- amongst tation in saying that he had delivered cases, not by turning, " including the Irish apothecaries-a mere monopoly of chebut by craniotomy, where there was as much difficulty as there mists and druggists !" In reference to this part of the writer’s remarks, I beg to appeared to be in the present case, supposing the bones to be extended to the fullest apparent extent without dislocation. observe, that the Irish Apothecaries’ Hall is a medical corpoThe awkward gait of the patient in the early months of preg- ration, consisting of practitioners well educated in every department of medical science, and whose curriculum, general and nancy, to which reference had been made, must have been caused by the fracture of the neck of the thigh-bone, which professional, has been for a quarter of a century equal to that required by the first medical university in Great Britain; and was discovered after death. Dr. WEBSTER inquired why premature delivery had not been that as regards the legal status conferred by the Irish Act, the Right Hon. Mr. Napier (now Lord Chancellor for Ireland) has brought on ? Dr. MACKENZIE said that question appeared to have been delivered the following legal opinion :That the Irish apothecury was actually, according to usage fully discussed at the time, and the Caesarian section having been determined upon, it was thought better to postpone de- and practice, and lawful under the common law, a medical practitioner at the time of the passing of the Act of the 31st livery to the full period of gestation. Dr. BARCLAY remarked that the author stated distinctly, Geo. III., chap. 34; that he was recognised as such in prerious,. that when he made his examination he could only pass thE and has continued to be so in succeeding statutes. That the provisions of the 31st Geo. III., chap. 34, as they have forefinger of the right hand as far as the first joint on one side, general and that he could barely insert the tip of the forefinger on the been practically and properly interpreted and acted upon, in other. If that were a true account of the state during life, ii the examination had, the education specified as essential, the established, and opportunities authoritaexactly corresponded to the condition of the bones as exhibited. School of Medicine Mr. TAYLOR confirmed the statement of the author as to th( tively afforded to the candidate apothecary for acquiring sound smallness of the passage during the life of the patient; and, ir and useful knowledge, practical skill, and medical experience, reply to Dr. Smith, said that he introduced only two fingers have fully effectuated the purpose with which they were enacted." " That the Irish practitioner has a right to cominto the vagina. Dr. SMITH remarked that it was impossible to have ascertainec pensation for attendances as well as medicines: and in the course a considerable experience," Mr. Napier adds, "I have never accurately the state of the pelvis with the finger only in th of known these rights and privileges doubted or made a question His to fact of observations referred the th vagina. merely Cs3saria,n operation having been performed at the full time witl of in our Courts. Several proceedings have taken place in later a pelvis of that character. All accoucheurs would consider the years to put down ignorant and unskilful persons who pracof propriety inducing premature labour in such a case. Th tised, though unlicensed, but the general rights of the licensed earlier the operation was performed, of course the more chin apothecary have not been, nor, as I conceive, could they prothere would be of the delivery of the child. He spoke of th perly have been questioned." And in reference to the questions, operation as having been undertaken at the full time, and coul( 1st—whether the law recognises or creates such a distinction between the nature of the duties and occupation of the English say that he should have had no hesitation in undertaking de and lrish apothecary, as would call for a course of legislation livery in such a case. for the latter different from that which might be proper for the former? and, 2nd-whether such a distinction is recognised by the usage which has prevailed as to the qualification required for practice as an apothecary in Ireland, and the privileges enjoyed? the Right Hon. Gentleman states-°‘ In my opinion, "Audi alteram partem." both of these must be answered in the negative." It is to be hoped that Mr. Cowper will persevere in carrying THE PROFESSION AND HOMŒOPATHIC into law his masterly scheme, admirably adapted as it is tosecure a uniform government, a uniform education, and a uniQUACKS. form qualification for the profession. To the Editor of THE LANCET. A LICENTIATE OF THE APOTHECARIES’ HALL SIR,—Are the many thousands of members of our profession OF DUBLIN. April, 1858. to understand that Mr. Fergusson declines to answer the quesTo the Editor of THE LANCET. tions which have been proposed to him by correspondents in has and Is Mr. above SIR,—It your journal ? just this moment been suggested to me by Fergusson professional feeling professional opinion ? Does he fancy that he is too high to be medical friend that a committee of the profession ought, withtouched by professional influence, and that he is altogether out out any unnecessary loss of time, to be appointed, for the purof the progress of the Medical Bill (Mr. Cowper’s} of its reach? If emperors and kings are obliged to submit to pose watching and to aid him in, and encourage him to, the intelligence and just feelings of nations, Mr. Fergusson, on through Parliament, the completion of an Act which gives us as much as we can at reflection, may consider that it would not be unwise to attend present expect to obtain, and which has the unusual merit, to the wishes of his brethren of the profession at this important in a Medical Bill, of giving almost universal satisjuncture. To you, Sir, we look to call upon all regular and especially faction. honourable practitioners to unite as one man against the ii-ifaI would not presume to thus prominently obtrude myself in mous quacks who plunder us and destroy the public through this matter, but that I fear that what is everybody’s business the instrumentality of their horrible knavery. may turn out to be nobody’s business. However, that some I am, Sir, yours obediently, result may arise immediately, I propose to meet any practical ONE OF THE OLDEST FRIENDS OF THE LANCET. who may feel sufficient interest in our general welgentlemen AND A COUNTRY SURGEON OF UPWARDS 01 fare, to co-operate in looking to and securing the interests of April 26th, 1858. THIRTY YEARS’ STANDING. the profession. I am, Sir, yours, &c., W. W. P. BRADFORD, M.B. M.B. IsUnston-sreen. April. 1858. *** Instead of publishing a number of very violent and angr3 447

that in all of them it

was

by pressure. healthy pelvis, they were some

extent

misrepresented.—ED.

"

Correspondence.