UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.

426 surface of the tibia was deprived of its cartilage, and covered with vascular growths; the inner semilunar cartilage was destroyed. The head of the fibula was firmly ankylozed to the tibia, and expanded, apparently to aid in supporting the outer

condyle. Dr. BpiNTON presented a drawing, showing the DISPLACEMENT OF SOME VISCERA OF THE ABDOMEN. was a woman brought for dissection at King’s College. She had died of old age at eighty-seven years. The was placed about two inches to the left of the middle The empty stomach lay vertically in the left hypochondrium, immediately fronting the anterior border of the spleen. The liver was somewhat enlarged, and its two lobes were of nearly equal size. There was scarcely any ascending colon, properly so called; for the caecum, bending at its upper part, gave place to a. colon which passed athwart the belly, about two inches below the navel to the left lumbar region. In the latter part of its course, it gradually ascended, and thus ran closely side by side with the descending colon, but in the reverse -direction. The right kidney was much below its natural situation; half of it lay in the iliac fossa, and its hollow border looked equally upwards and inwards. The stomach, when full, must have swung round into the epigastric region. The nature of the displacement is doubtful; the deformity may be generally expressed as a deficiency of viscera from the middle of the belly, or from the upper parts of the umbilical or right lumbar regions. As it occurred in a female, and exactly occupied the seat of the deformity procured by tight

The

subject

pylorus line.

lacing, this may be suspected as its cause-a conjecture somewhat strengthened by the narrowness of the lower part of the chest. Most of the congenital deviations noticed are more extensive, while the artificial constrictions have been chiefly observed by their effects on the chest and the liver: hence it is difficult to say to which of these two causes the limited displacement of the present case is to be referred. Mr. POLLOCK exhibited (for Dr. R.Beith, R.N.) a specimen of

had thus been committed, from the circular which we number of THE LANCET.

we

shull

promised

now

to

insert the passages in the present

publish

University College, 20th March, 1850. the annual "SIR,-At meeting of the proprietors of University College, London, holden on the 2Tth of February last, a discussion arose on the Supplemental Charter lately granted by the Crown to the University of London, the further consideration of which was deferred till the special general meeting, summoned for Tuesday, the 9th of April next, at two o’clock P.M. " We beg to submit to you the following statement with respect to that Charter, and the regulations by which it is to carry it into effect. proposed " By the Foundation Charter of the University of London, as heretofore understood and acted on, the duty was laid upon the senate of investigating the fitness of candidates for degrees on the reports of officers appointed by themselves, and subject to tests applied under their own superintendence; and accordingly, in the execution of this trust, they have even gone so far as to prescribe to the examiners the principles upon which their examination papers should be framed. On the other hand, under the regulations recently adopted by the senate for carrying out the new Charter, candidates will be enabled to obtain degrees in the University of London, the extent of whose attainments, in some of the most important branches of knowledge, the senate will not themselves have had any opportunity of investigating, and whose acquirements will only be tested by examinations conducted by bodies whose proceedings the University of London can neither regulate nor control. "

Thus, on a candidate presenting himself from Oxford, or Cambridge, or Dublin, it is proposed to give him credit for sufficiency in those branches of knowledge in which he may have been examined in his own university, and to grant him the London degree, upon an examination confined to the additional branches of knowledge required by the University of London; so that if a man have passed a Cambridge examinaFRACTURE OF THE NECK OF THE FEMUR, AND IMPACTION INTO tion in mathematics, natural philosophy, classics, and history, THE TROCHANTER, FOLLOWED BY BONY UNION. he will here be examined only in the remaining minor A sailor, aged eighty-five, slipped down while walking, and branches. There will thus be two classes of examination, struck his left hip: from the symptoms attending the injury, entitling students to hold the London degree-one for the he was supposed to have fractured the neck of the thigh-bone. students of University, King’s, and other affiliated Colleges, He survived the accident two years. The accident occurred stringent and complete-another for the students of the nonFeb. 2nd, 1848; and he died Feb. llth, 1850. He had re- affiliated, but exclusively privileged, institutions, supplemencovered with a very useful limb, which was about an inch tary only to the examinations in their own universities-exashorter than natural. A section of the bone points out most minations which this university will possess not the slightest clearly the nature of the fracture, corroborates the opinion power to control. No scheme could have been devised better calculated to first formed, that the neck of the bone had been fractured, (though no crepitus could have been detected,) and explains remove all temptation to study at University College, London. how bony union may occur in such cases. Anteriorly, the The emoluments and social distinction to be derived from head of the bone is seen on a line of about half an inch lower studying at a Cambridge college are much greater; and if the than the upper margin of the trochanter major, and the head religious convictions of the student should prevent him from and neck are at right angles with the shaft of the bone, the taking the Cambridge degree, he has the additional advantage neck much shortened; immediately internal to the anterior of obtaining that of London on very easy terms. The measure inter-trochanteric line there is a deep sulcus, between it and is not only destructive to the colleges of London, but most the anterior surface of the neck. Posteriorly, the lower insulting to the university which is thus required to endorse of other universities, without any recipromargin of the articular surface of the head almost rests on the examinations on their and "

"

cation to allow itself to be used for the part., purpose of propping up the exclusive system which obtains in them......... " The second branch of the charter appears to us more mischievous even than the first. By it the senate of the University of London are empowered to introduce into the university, and that, as will be seen, with a position and influence exactly corresponding to those of the graduates, an entirely new description of persons, by granting to them certificates for proficiency in isolated branches of knowledge, independently of the possession, on the part of the candidate, of any general education whatever. On engineers, surgeons, attorney s, mining agents, pilots, masters of vessels, writing-masters, candidates UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AND UNIVERSITY for government offices, and on innumerable other persons in a COLLEGE. similar position, the senate of the University of London has AT page 389 of THE LANCET of last week, we noticed the fact power to confer certificates of proficiency; and the senate that seven fellows of University College had addressed a cir- may extend the certificates to any business or acquirement cular to the proprietors of that institution, explanatory of the whatever. Its power is absolute, in this respect, and the ineffects which the Supplemental Charter granted to the Uni- tentions of its present members afford no criterion of what versity of London is likely to produce on the interests of may seem desirable to their successors. The university is no University College. By a strange coincidence of accidents, longer a university, but an examining board, which grants which caused the substitution of the words " that institution," certificates and degrees; whether its character of a certifiat the end of the first sentence, for the words the " University cating institution will merge in its university character, or of London," it was made to appear that the Supplementary ’, the two continue to co-exist, is uncertain. One thing only is Charter, which had led to the publication of the circular, had ’, certain-that it cannot retain its former character as a unibeen granted to University College, instead of to the Univer- versity......... eity of London. Having corrected the accidental error which " We believe the strong feeling we entertain of opposition the upper surface of the lesser trochanter, and the neck is shorter in proportion than in front. Externally, the trochanter major appears expanded. The section of the bone shows that the line of fracture occurred at the junction of the neck with the trochanter or shaft of the femur. The broken extremity of the neck is thrust into the cancellous structure of the trochanter major, to within half an inch of its external wall, and is thus embedded in and surrounded by bone; bony union has occurred at several points around it, and the head and neck are thus firmly united to the shaft.

427 to the powers of the Supplementary Charter is widely, we may almost say universally, entertained by the body of graduates. " We who address you have a double interest in the matter, as graduates and as members of University College....... As members of the college, we feel that it is entirely dependent on the university, and that if once the degrees of the latter cease to be valued and sought after, and at the same time can be more easily obtained by going to St. Andrew’s, &c., the colleges connected with it must soon cease to exist. We feel, too, that to make this great change in the very nature of the

university, without

consulting University College, was right than a mere neglect of courtesy. University College relinquished its title to be called the University of London on a certain understanding as to the constitution and privileges of the new university, which was to replace it. By the acceptance of this Supplementary Charter that constitution has been materially altered, without the sanction of University College, and in a manner the most de- ’, rather

a

even

breach of

is so held, that it cannot part with its name, and therefore the new Society will be called the Medical Society of London. It will enjoy the property and library of the Society, will meet somewhere in the neighbourhood of Savile-row, and on Saturday evenings. A motion was proposed in the early part of the evening, which would have had some effect in embarrassing the council in their laudable endeavours to unite with the other Society, but as it met with no supporters, and only gave rise to some irrelevant conversation,and was eventually withdrawn, requires The Society, having come to an unanimous no further notice. vote, separated at a late hour.

Society

MEETING OF THE CHESHIRE AND LANCASHIRE BRANCH OF THE PROVINCIAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASSOCIATION. A SPECIAL general meeting of the members of the Lancashire trimental to its interests. and Cheshire Branch of the Provincial Medical and Surgical " We remain, Sir, your obedient servants, Association was held at the Legh Arms Hotel, Newton, on "F. J. LL.D., Gold Medallist, and late Uni. Thursday, the 28th March, to take into consideration the Law C. J. Scholar; FOSTER, M.A., LL.D., question of Medical Reform. versity Gold Medallist, and late University Law Scholar; The chair was occupied by Sir ARNOLD KNIGHT, M.D., of W. A. CASE, M.A.; J. G. GRENNwooD, B.A., late and subsequently by Dr. II. II. BROUGHTON, of Liverpool, R. H. Gold HuTTON, M.A., University Scholar; in consequence of Sir Arnold Knight having to leave Preston, Medallist, and late Flaherty and University before the termination of the meeting. Scholar; HENRY MATTHEws, LL.B., University The following resolutions were passed:Law Scholar; WALTER BAGEHOT, M. A., Gold 1. Moved by Mr. DORRINGTON, of Manchester, and seconded Medallist, and late University Scholar." by Mr. SouTHAM, of ManchesterThat this branch wishes to express its concurrence with the general views advocated by the parent association SPECIAL MEETING OF THE WESTMINSTER on the subject of medical reform-viz., that in any bill MEDICAL SOCIETY. which may be proposed to Parliament there shall beON Thursday evening, (28th ult.) a special general meeting of the lst. Uniform and sufficient qualification in every branch fellows was held, for the purpose of taking into consideration of medicaijscience. 2nd. Equal right for all so qualified the question of amalgamation with the Medical Society of to practise throughout the whole extent of her Majesty’s London. Professor MURPHY was in the chair, and about dominions. 3rd. The adoption of the representative eight.y fellows were present. We noticed several of the older principle in the formation of the council or governing fellows of the Society in the rooms, who have not of late body. joined in the ordinary business meetings. Among these were 2. Moved by Dr. LYON, of Manchester, and seconded by Dr Mr. Pettigrew,and Dr.Addison, president of the Royal Medical BROUGHTON, of Prestonand Chirurgical Society, and one of the past presidents of the That this meeting is of opinion that the proposed new Society. A discussion of considerable length took place, in Charter of the College of Physicians is one which, with which the advantages of the union were fully canvassed. a few modifications, would meet with the approval of The object of uniting the two Societies, as stated by blr. the general body of practising physicians and of the Hird, was to establish an institution on a scale of usefulness profession at large. and importance commensurate with the age and spirit of the Moved 3. by lIr. NOBLE, of Manchester, and seconded by times in which we live; and the elements at the disposal of Mr. BuRROws, of Liverpoolthese Societies, he considered, when united, would form a That the modification of the Charter of the College of nucleus, from which might be developed an institution, liberal, Surgeons recently proposed by the Council is altogether enlightened, and based on such comprehensive principles as insufficient to meet the views of the members of that to be alike honourable to the profession and the country. The body and the requirements of the profession generally. one Society possesses a magnificent library, and other valuable 4. Moved by Air. M’KEAUD, of Manchester, and seconded by property-the other, a numerous list of the most active and Mr. J. L. PRICE, of Standishdistinguished members of the profession, and by uniting these That this branch is strongly of opinion that the Secretary elements, he believed a Society possessing advantages equal to any similar institution, either in this country or on the of State should advise the Crown to enforce upon the Council of the College of Surgeons the necessity of continent, might be formed. In addition to the discussions which form the attractive feature of the Westminster Medical examining and licensing the surgeons of this country to Society, the amalgamated Society would possess the advanpractise in every department of the profession, and of so altering the future conditions of examination for the tages of a reading-room and a circulating library; and he suggested the propriety of founding professorships or lectureships fellowship, that no person shall be eligible who has not similar to the Croonian, Lumleian, and other professorships previously been admitted a member. at the College of Physicians; the Hunterian, at the College Upon this resolution, the following amendment was proof Surgeons; and the Fullerian, and other chairs, at the posed by Dr. LYON, of Manchester, and seconded by Royal Institution; so that the Society might rank on terms of Mr. FuxT, of Stockportmost institutions in the with the enlightened country. equality That the College of Surgeons may be so modified by exThese professorships should be annually conferred upon the tensive changes in its constitution and the course of most distinguished and useful fellows of the Society, and its examinations, as to become the proper board for should take rank next to the presidency; and the subject of licensing surgeons for general practice. the lectures should be exclusively of a practical nature, and The amendment and original motion having been put to the confined to medicine and therapeutics, surgery and obstetricy. The necessity for such comprehensive changes was proved by meeting, the Chairman declared the original resolution to be the fact of our ancient universities having experienced the carried. 5. Moved by Mr. BURROWS, of Liverpool, and seconded by necessity of revising their charters and curricula, in order to Mr. KIRKMAN, of Manchesterkeep pace with the rapid progress of every department of That this meeting is of opinion that it would be a great science, and he hoped, if the amalgamation be accomplished, the Medical Society of London will not hold rank below any injustice to demand a fee of ten guineas from those of the institutions for the promotion of general science. gentlemen whom the Council of the College of Surgeons In the course of the evening, several resolutions were propose to raise to the fellowship in virtue of their carried unanimously. These had reference to the proposed ’ twenty years’ standing as members, inasmuch as no such fee was demanded frem those upon whom the amalgamation, and the terms on which the Medical Society distinction was originally conferred. of London could amalgamate. The property of the latter

WooD,