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which they cannot be entirely acquainted.At least, they cannot be supposed to be somuch masters of the medical profession asthose who have received a regular profes-sional education, and have been duly ex-,amined as to their competency.

It is not the object of the society to in-stitute or to encourage a monopoly. It is,intended to promote fair and honourable- conduct from the practitioners at large to-one another-to encourage among them theexercise of harmony aad good will-to dif-fuse useful medical information-to insistupon the rights vested in the members by,the law of the land-to suppress illegalpractitioners, and thereby protect the realinterests of the public at large-and to re-. quire the due observance of medical eti-

quette between the physician and consult-ing-surgeon, and the general medical prac-titioner-in a few words, to render the pro-fession within the sphere prescribed, ho-nourable, useful, and respectable.

Such objects cannot, it is presumed, failto meet with general approbation. A meet-ing of the society will take place on Wed- Inesday next, 3rd of October 1832, whenthe attendance of all general medical prac’titioiiers favourable to the views of thesociety, is respectfully and earnestly so-licited. The honorary secretary, Mr. JohnPenford Thomas, 20, Dover Place, NewKent Road, will readily afford any infor-mation required with regard to the society.

JAMES COULTHRED,Chairman of the Committee.

CONDUCT OF SIR WILLIAM BLIZARD AT

THE LONDON HOSPITAL.

To rhe Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,I beg that you will make known

to the medical men and students not imme-diately connected with the London Hospi..tal, the insulting and uncourteous treat-ment they are liable to meet with from SirWilliam Blizard, should thev be invitedto, or induced to visit, that establishment..1 shall describe to you the scene whichoccurred on Wednesday, the 12th inst.,being the operating day at the hospital, asit affords a fair sample of every similaroccasion.

It had been announced that Mr. Scottwas to remove the superior maxillary bonefrom a poor woman (and which was donein a most masterly style). At one o’clockthe door of the theatre was thrown open,and in we rushed, exercising towards eachother, as is usual, more force than is com-patible with decency. Having taken ourstations, in walked Sir William. His first

business was to take a general survey, and I

. inquire of those near him (as he cannot see) very well himself) if any stranger is present.3" Do you see any one here belonging to THE- LANCET, gentlemen?" This is a very com-mon and solicitous inquiry. Having then,

upon this day, in a most rude manner cate-- chised and commented upon one or two

strange gentlemen, who had come to visit3 this important operation, us to the impro-) priety of their not confining themselves totheir own hospitals, he took his stationnear the door, which he ordered to bet closed, to the inconvenient exclusion ofall fresh air, and all new comers, unlessI thev could obtain admission under his im-[ mediate eye. Shortly after, Mr. Luke, one- I of the assistant. surgeons, entered with two- ! strange gentlemen. Here was an invasion !- Up started Sir William" Who are these ?- who are these 1" vociferated the senior sur.. ! geon. " Two gentlemen who have spokento me," replied Mr. Luke, with his usual

complacency. " But they have not spokento me, Sir!" exclaimed the knight (ex-panding himself in a most fearful manner)" but no matter, Sir ! no matter, Sir !" he

added, hitching his right shoulder, andimplying that he would not further disturb

tlle operation, but would reserve his otlend.ed dignity to be expended in the ante.

room.

This farce was no sooner ended than SirWilliam spied out Mr. Fuller, the surgical-instrument-maker, who you must be told,upon extraordinary occasions, usually at-tends at a side table, having upon it the in-struments, in handing which to the opera-tor he frequently makes himself useful.The valiant knight next pounced upon him,and having inquired who gave him leave tobe there (the reply to which I could nothear), seized him bodily, and without evenasking him to withdraw, absolutely wheeledhim to the right about, and tbrust him outof the room.

Thus, Sir, are our attentions diverted fromthe scientific proceedings of the moment,and thus are those geutlemen insulted, who,from a desire for information, may be in-duced to visit the London Hospital. Andwhat, Sir, is the proximate cause of all this?A dread of TnE LANCET ! ! Truly, a mono-maniacal dread of THE LANCET!

In addressing you, I beg to acknowledgethe respect I entertain, and which is gene-rally felt by the pupils, for Sir William,both on account of his long services and hisage. It is therefore with pain that I seeSir William make himself the laughing-stock of a theatre full of young men, andforfeit that regard which a state of passive-ness (most congenial to his powers) wouldsecure to him.To tell Sir William that a different state

of things now exists to that which existed

29

when he commenced his careerthat men

(even young ones) are no longer to be nose-led by seniority undignified by worth, andthat the College, or, as the knight usually,and with justice, calls it, " our college," ilit ever possessed any respect, is now dwin-dling to its shortest span, would be a grossoffence to his antiquated hauteur. Insteadof him, the public and the profession mustbe addressed, and made acquainted withthese facts.These observations have no reference to

any other medical officers of this establish-ment. On the contrary, the spirit of libe-rality with which they perform their du-ties towards their pupils, their patients,and the communit3-, is much insulted bvthe uncalled-for, un-knightly, and LAN-CET-dreading interference of Sir WilliamBlizard. I am, Sir, yours respectfully,

A MEDICAL STUDENT.London Hospital, Sept. 18, 1832.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.

MR. STANLEY AND HIS DEMONSTRATORS.

To the Editor of THE LASCEt.SIR,I should have addressed you earlier

but for the expectation that the reformneeded in our school, would proceed fromthe quarter in which it would be most be-coming. Competition in medical educationis duily increasing, and it is onlv by adopt-ing the example of their rivals that theteachers of this hospital can expect to

maintain their position in the education ofpupils. I contend that they are fast losing’this, and it is verv reasonable they should.One department offers many instances of

mismanagement, and among others, the in-justice and absurdity of the REAL TEACHERSof ANATOMY - the demonstrators beingsubordinate to the principal, who -really is noteacher at all; for I believe I am right, Sir,when I say, that anatomy can only betaught by demonstration and dissectionand that anatomical lectirres are held by Imany good judges to be a farce. Whatinterest can out demonstrators take in theprogress of the pupils when, although theyare the real teachers, the purveyors of

knowledge, they derive neither honour norprofit from their labours, while Mr. Stan-ley draws a very handsome income forthree-quarters of an hour’s chatter, thatneither ’interests nor instructs ? I am no

enemy to this gentleman, but it has morethan once struck me as being supremelyridiculous to suppose that his jabbering athing called an anatominal lecture could

possibly benefit the pupils in the least ; Iespecially as I am informed by pupils and I

others, that his anatomy is not of the ’!newest.*

This is the onlv school in London wherethe demonstrators are subalterns to the lec-turers. This must have a bad effect, and

is manifested ill the little interest these

! gentlemen evince in the discharge of theirill-paid and unhonouring duties. The go-vernors, the pupils, and the teachers, are

all interested in looking to the affair; andI trust this notice will have the effect of

attracting their attention. Should it fail,I will engage, by means of the good aid ofTjiF, Ln,cF,T, to thrust it on them; and itshall go hard but the changes effected bysuch means will go further than theydesire.

I am, Sir, vours, &c.A GOVERNOR OF ST. BAHTHOI.. HOSPITAL.

LONDON HOSPITAL.

ERYSIPELAS.

T. T., butcher, ætat. 27, was admitted,July 9, in Gloucester Ward, under the careof Mr. Scott, labouring under inflammationof the integuments of the left leg, causedby a hick from a horse.The treatment adopted on his admission

was rest, in the recumbent position, withpurgatives, and leeches and cold lotion tothe part inflamed. The inflammation con-tinued to spread, when Mr. Scott deter-mined on treating the case by incision, andwith a scalpel made two incisions of the

length of the inflamed part, extending fromabout two inches below the knee to the toes,after which flannels wrung out of hot waterwere applied to the leg for about two hou’s,and then the leg was enveloped in a lin-seed-meal poultice, and placed on an in-clined plane. He was ordered the fol-

lowing:—

Liq.ammon. acetat. ss;Sp. ammon. comp. ss;Tinct. opii x;Mist. camphorœ j. Ft. haustus 4tis hor.

sumend.

Under this plan of treatment he rapidlyrecovered, and was about to be discharged,when he complained of great weakness inthe leg, and inability to stand on it. Underthese circumstances he was allowed to re-

main in the hospital, and was directed to rubit with the linimentum saponis; he still con-tinued complaining of great pain in the calf

* I once heard an apprentice of Mr. Stanley say,that he had seen his Master leave a conversationon the subject, to go to a subject to see whether themeatus urinarius was within or without the va-gina!