governors' prizes at the london hospital

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By this means no officer wearing blue uniform would jointhe gun-room, except in boyhood.The purser enters the service as a clerk, the master as a

master’s assistant, and the lieutenant as a naval cadet. Itwould, then, depend on the Admiralty whether old mates,second masters, and clerks should be admitted to the ward-room, or not. The question would be separated from that ofthe assistant-surgeons.

I beg to express to you the sincere gratitude of navalmedical men for your continued labours in their behalf; andI remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

F. JAMES BROWN, M.D. LOND. & EDIN.,

P.S.—I sign my name and address, for publication, that theAdmiralty may be openly apprised’ of one, at least, of theiropponents. I trust that all naval medical men will do thesame.

GOVERNORS’ PRIZES AT THE LONDON HOSPITAL.

To the Editor qfTHB LANCET.

SiR,—It was with much pleasure that I perused the letterof " C. c. J.," (query ? Calomel c. Jalap) in THE LANCET of,Saturday last, in reference to a subject in which I, in commonwith my fellow-students, are greatly interested; I am sure myfellow-students will join me in thanking him. Although I ambut solely concerned in this communication, I know I shallnot err in asserting that the number of my fellow-studentswho dissent from my opinion are few. This observation isbased on what has occurred to me during the period I havebeen connected as a student with the London Hospital. Al-most daily I heard the method of disposing of the governors’medals condemned, not reflecting any censure in particular onthose to whom they have heretofore been awarded, but thatthey were not open alike to all for competition.Now, it would be very unwise of me to assail my worthy

teachers, for that I have no cause. I shall strenuously avoidit; nor shall I hurl a volley of assault at the governors, whoseintention is praiseworthy; but it is with a view of soliciting an ’,Alteration in the distribution of these medals *that you havereceived this communication from one who is anxious for thepresent and future prosperity of the school attached to theLondon Hospital. In the first place, they cause some studentto seek the favouritism of the medical officers by undue sub- ’,servience and humility, which is disdained by every con-

scientious student, thinking that if he cannot obtain any honour by straightforward conduct, he will not resort to ig-noble means. Do not understand me to say that the medicalofficers are influenced by it, but the fact that some aspire tothe medals by such foul measures remains the same. Studentsconnected with the hospital for a brief period (such as is re-quired by the college and hall) cannot devote such attentionto those duties, which would ensure having the medal awardedby the physicians, as others, who, residing in the metropolis, Iand having their schedules signed, can prolong their attend-ance, confining themselves to those duties, by the observanceof which the medals are gained.The surgeons are not always present to witness the manner

a student performs his duty as a dresser.Several students may be equally attentive; how, then, can

it be decided which shall be rewarded ? To do honour to one,and neglect others, would be unjust; to confer on each thatwhich he merits is unlikely; hence a dissatisfaction. Studentsdo not value the medals, although, in reality, more costly, asthey would silver medals, obtained by competition. Often hasit been said, " I would take the medal if offered to me, but Ishould not value it much."

That these medals are required to goad us to humanity, letus disallow. Let it no more be rumoured abroad that such a.spur to humanity is demanded at the London Hospital. The

utility of these medals is questionable; moreover, they arecalculated to create strife and discontent. All we ask is,competition. It is allowed that the facilities for accumulationof clinical experience at the London Hospital are uncommon;and how could these medals be better appropriated than tothe encouragement in recording that experience ? Listen tothe prefatory remarks of Mr. John Adams to a ClinicalLecture, (-3feclical Gazette, March 23rd,t849:) "I know nothingof higher importance for you to attend to, whilst pursuingyour studies in surgery at a hospital, than a careful record ofcases which are brought under your notice; and I muchregret that this part of a student’s duty is so frequently alto-gether omitted."

This is the confession of a worthy and respected instructor,who continues-

" I hold in my hand a record of the accidents admittedinto this hospital during the last year, and I find that theyamount to no less than 9016-a prodigious number, you willgrant; among these there are forty-five cases of concussion.Now, if a careful record of the symptoms, progress, and resultof these numerous accidents had been made, I think I amjustified in saying that a vast mass of most useful informationmight have been accumulated, and in many instances im-portant general rules of practice might have been deduced."

True ! Sound practical knowledge, which aids one in thediscrimination of disease; not mere book-knowledge, but athorough acquaintance with the book of Nature-of diseaseas it is.With this, in conclusion, I suggest that the medals be

offered, the one for the best essay or reports of cases on somemedical disease; the other for the best essay or reports ofcases on some surgical disease,-such as the physicians andsurgeons may respectively decide upon. Thus the medicalofficers will draw forth their most deserving pupils, who, bybeing scattered hither and thither over the earth, will extendthe merits of the seat of their learning, there, wherever theysettle, to confer the benefit of their " humanity, zeal, and ex-perience" on their suffering fellow-creatures,-ever preparedto rescue them from the havoc of disease, to sever a limb fromtheir bodies, or to stem the bleeding of an artery,-not stand-ing aghast, and saying within himself, " Oh that I had mybooks beside me !"

I do sincerely hope that this letter will not escape the dis-passionate consideration of my esteemed instructors; I amconfident it will ultimately conduce to advantageous results.Should anything have been said prejudicial to the feelings ofany person, it is quite unintentional. The only motive I haveis to maintain the respectability of the school at which I amJuly, 1849. A STUDENT.

A SUSPICIOUS DEATH, AND NO INQUEST.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—On the 3rd instant, my attention was called profes-sionally to T. A. S-, an excellent relieving officer of theKington Union, aged about forty-five years. During the day

previously he had been much occupied in the duties of hisoffice, and from an early hour in the morning neglected totake food until the evening, when he joined the family of ahighly-respectable farmer in this locality at the tea-table, andate freely of bread-and-butter. He returned home, and wasseized with an uncontrollable bilious diarrhoea, with pain in theepigastrium, and much restlessness; the pulse full, soft, andequal; the tongue moist, and slightly furred. This state ofthings remained, in spite of all treatment, for three days, whenhiccough and collapse, in a modified form, supervened, and,after the lapse of two or more days, death closed his existence.Many cases similar to this, but less severe, and without fatalissue, had occurred during the previous week, and each hadbeen traced to eating at the same farm house, the farmer him-self, his wife, family, and servants had suffered severely, butin no other habitation has the disease occurred. I am prac-tically acquainted with cholera in all its forms, having beenin full practice in the environs of London, when the diseaseraged there fifteen years ago, and I see no analogy in thecases to which I have alluded, and to that disease; nor

have they been simple diarrhoea or dysentery. ’

If they were epidemic, from malaria, the disease was 8luiaeneris; but facts seem to declare that each case was the re-sult of some poisonous food or drink taken into the stomach;and with this impression, and to this effect, I wrote to thecoroner, hoping that he would see fit to institute an inquiryinto the cause of T. A. S-’s death; by inquest. I give youa copy of his reply, and shall feel extremely obliged by youropinion as to the correctness of the views he has taken.Authenticating my statements in a private note,

I am, Sir, yours truly,Radnor, July, 1849. C. C. E.

*,,* Our correspondent acted with great propriety and pru-dence in giving notice to the coroner, who was decidedlywrong in not holding an inquest. He excused himself fromso doing by stating that " any magistrate could investigate thecause of complaint;" but he forgot that it was not in thepower of a magistrate to compel a post-mortem examination,and, without it, no inquiry, in such a case, could be of theleast value.-ED. L.