267HYDROCELE.—TUMOUR.—DR. CHARRINGTON.

directed in a stream, afoot or more in height upon the part, thoroughly washing andagain sucking the injured part, and wash-ing the mouth immediately after each suc-tion. This course should be pursued byalternations for a quarter or even half anhour. If the wound bleed, so much thebetter. Danger of absorption by themouth can only occur where there is ex-

coriation or other breach of surface in thatcavity, not a common occurrence, and mostlikely to be prevented by ablution. How-ever, under any circumstances the bitten

person on applying his own mouth risksno attack to which he has not already beenrendered a hundred-fold more liable. Theknife or caustic may subsequently be used,when practicable, with the hope of increas-ing the security.

SURGERY IN THE NORTH.

ON Monday, the llth instant, a patien1in the Edinburgh Infirmary underwent aroperation for the radical cure of hydro-cele, performed in the following mannerand affording the recently-elected surgeonthe first opportunity which he had yepossessed of exhibiting his manual skill inthe hospital.The patient being seated; the operatoi

introduced the trocar and canula, anddrew off about sixteen ounces of fluid.He then injected six or eight ounces of

port wine. The usual time having elapsedafter throwing in the wine, the stop-cockwas removed, but to the seeming astonish-ment of the opcrator, nothing flowed out.A silver probe was then introduced throughthe canula, when a few drops, either ofblood or of wine, dribbled from its end.The surgeon then, seeming to be ignorantthat he had injected the superficial fasci2of the scrotum, removed the canula froir.the first place of puncture, and placing i1on the trocar, introduced it a little be-low, but on withdrawing the trocar thisalso proved to be a dry tap. He re-

peated the operation, and made his waythrough the septum scroti into a smallhydrocele of the opposite side, whence hedrew offahout an ounce and a half of fluid,but not a drop of wine. Here the operatorexpressed great surprise at these pheno-mena, declaring the case to be "compli-cated." Apparently despairing of with-drawing the wine, the surgeon now dis-missed his patient from the theatre, andaddressed the spectators to the followingeffect :-" Gentlemen ! You saw that Idrew off nearly one pound of fluid in thehrst instance, which was of a paler colourthan the last, showing evidently that it

, did not come from the same sac. It ismy opinion that there was no wine in theinjecting bag, owing to some mismanage-ment." The operator then appealed toone of the consulting surgeons for hisopinion, but the latter gentleman, appa-rently much chagrined, returned no an-swer to the application. On the followingday, most extensive inflammation had su-pervened, and the patient was in greatagony. The scientific surgeon made anincision into the scrotum to evacuate thewine, and cold evaporating lotions wereapplied to subdue the inflammation. Thefollowing is an account of the progress ofthe case :-

13. Inflammatory symptoms a littleabated. Cold continued.

14. Inflammatory symptoms much thesame as yesterday. Cold applicationschanged for warm cataplasms.

15. Inflammatory symptoms increased,and from the tension over the inferiorpart of the scrotum it was thought properto make another incision since yesterday’svisit.

16. Inflammatory symptoms abated, and, there remains no doubt the patient’sscrotum will be saved ; the scrotum being’: saved from sloughing by the resort to earlyL incision.

The subject of the surgeon’s appoint-’ ment as the successor of Mr. Liston, is

beginning to be discussed amongst thosewho frequent the Edinburgh Infirmary,

with some seriousness.

ANATOMICAL DEMONSTRATION ON THE

LIVING SUBJECT.

A patient was taken into the operatingtheatre of an hospital in a metropolitancity on the 13th, to have a tumour re-moved, the external appearance of whichwas, in size, that of a walnut. After fifteenminutes’ dissection, conducted in the styleof a demonstrator when dissecting theformation of a plexus of nerves, the poorsufferer was dismissed with the tumourunremoved.

INTERCEPTED LETTER.

[THE PRESIDENT’S NOMINATION.]"MY DEAR SIR,—I address you in strict

confidence as regards my personal identity,and beg it as a favour that you will notmention to any one who it is that hasoffered the following suggestions to yourattention, in case you think them worthyof also being offered to the attention ofany other brother licentiates amongst

268

whom you may make, in your intercourse with them, observations on the subjectto which they relate. :

" I was quite astonished to observe, bya letter in THE LANCET of last week, ad-dressed by a Fellow of the College of Phy-sicians to the President, that the latter in-tended to propose Dr. Gordon, of Fins-bury-sqnare, for elevation to the Fellow-ship ! I have not the by-laws of the Col-lege to refer to, so that I write entirelyfrom memory: but as in the letter it isstated merely that the intention is muchrumoured abroad, and that some of theFellows had heard of the intention, if myrecollection of the by-laws be correct, thePresident must have nominated his manat the Comitia Mojora in March last,for the Fellows to coitsider whether theyshall be pleased to ballot for the ad-mission of the nominee at the next meet-ing of the Comitia Majera on the 25th ofJune. 1t does not follow, however, that,although Sir Henry has nominated a Li-centiate for elevation to the Fellowship,the said Licentiate is to be honoured there-with, because the Fellows, according to theimpression on my mind, have it in their

power to reject him, if they please, by theballot. I know not whether a bare ma-

jority is sufficient to admit on this occa-sion, or whether a large majority, such asthree-fourthf, is required; but you can

easily obtain information on thM and otherpoints by referring to the by-laws of theCollege. When we find among the resi-dent Licentiates so many distinguishednames, 1 must say that it would be trulya scandal, a sin, and a shame, to confer, atthe present time, the Fellowship on this

Licentiate, Dr. Gordon. If, therefore, theFellows in general should he of the same

opinion, they have it in their power to’keep out the nominee by their ballot; and1 sincerely trust and hope that they willnot shrink from their duty, but be at theirpost on the occasion, and perform it man-fully. If I remember distinctly, it ap.peared from the documents which theCollege were required to produce latelybefore the Parliamentary Committee, thaithere had been several instances in whiciLicentiates, who were nominated by thEPresidents, had been rejected by the bal.lot-votes of the Fellows. Entre nous, lsaw Dr. Gordon upwards of fifteen year:ago, and from my recollection of his agethen, he must now be ito ekicken. I darf

say he numbers above forty years. HEseemed to have much of the suppleness oSir Henry in his ba.ck-.bonc, but am tol(that he is now a haughty, overbearing, insolent-mannered fellow when occasion:occur in which he can display his vulga :pride. If he liave looked to the Baronet a;

his fugleman throughout life, and regulatedhis evolutions accordingly, no wonder thatSir Henry desires to reward his conduct;for no Hattcry is so delicious to some in,dividuals as that of servile imitation. Isaw in the Court Circular, a few days since,the following announcement amongst thepresentations : - Dr. Gordon, by Sir

Henry Halford,’-to present to his Ma-,jesty, I suppose, his Treatise on tlae Art ofBrewing,—an anonymous work, I believe,which I have long had in my library,though I never before knew who was theauthor. Leaving these suggestions to beused by you in town, I remain, dear, Sir,yours very truly, "N. S.

" May 20th, 1835."(A countrs stamp on the envelope, but tuo ob.

scurely 111.lI’kcù tu be legible.)

CHRIST’S HOSPITAL.

To the Editor.—Sir,—Things are herein statu quo, with the solitary exception ofthe resignation of the Worshipful Trea-’ surer; but this salutary change may leadto other advantageous alterations. I have

heard the names of two persons proposedas those of candidates for the vacant otlice,both of whom have to my knowledge ex-pressed themselves to be il1imical to the

proceedings of our surgeon. The octo-

genaiian apothecary toddles about the

hall, looking at the hoys’ eyes at dinner,to see if their heads be in good order, in-stead of visiting the wards, which he

chooses to regard as " quite impractica-ble." We have another piece of antiquityin the institution-a septuagenarian ma-! iron, whose duty it is to visit the wards,and see that the nurses do their ditybut this effort she also deems to be " iuj-practicable." The consequence is, it isi said. that two of these nurses have been- m the habit of continually getting drunk; for some months past. This evil, if trulyasserted, could not have existed if thevenerable lady had.done her duty; audthe evil would have existed much longer; if our active and intelligent steward hadnot made the discovery. I need not point[ out the bad effect of drtinhenness in an3 open ward, where fifty boys of different: ages sleep. I do not wish to speak dis-

rcshectfirlly of old age. I venerate it.But the health, the happiness, and thef moral character, of 700 boys, are not to bo1 sacrificed at the shrine of cupidity, be-- cause two old people do not know whens they are past me. 1 have often thoughtr it would be desirable, that those two ageds servants, the apothecary and the matron,