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the internal tunics of the right eye. The palpebral integu-ment was puffy and elevated to a slight extent ; the vesselsof the conjunctiva were partially distended with blood, par-ticularly at the inner two-thirds, and several large tortuousvessels were also prominent. At the inner and lower thirdof the circumference of the cornea, the straight, deep-seated,radiating vessels were remarked. The pupil more dilatedthan the left, and comparatively inactive ; iris dull, and veryconvex, bulging forwards into the anterior chamber, the

capacity of which it much diminished. There existed dim-ness of vision and haziness over objects. He complained ofsevere pain in the forehead, not, however, referred to theeye-ball, lasting from four o’clock in the afternoon to eleven Iat night. Tongue furred ; face flushed. He was pre- Iscribed for as follows :-Ordered: Cupping from the righttemple, to twelve ounces ; a blister to the nape of the neck ; Ipowder of scammony and calomel, ten grains, to be takenimmediately. Wine of colchicum, half a drachm ; car-bonate of magnesia, ten grains ; water, an ounce, Mix for ’’,a draught, to be taken three times daily. :

October 3. The pain was slightly relieved ; mercurial

ointment, with opium, was ordered to be applied to theforehead.

6. Pain in the forehead of much less intensity and dura-tion, commencing about ten at night. ’

10. An attack of acute conjunctivitis supervened, mani-fested by a sensation of sand in the eye ; reticular injectionof the vessels, and a puriform collection at the inner com- Ifmissure. The affection of the conjunctiva subsided in abouta fortnight, at the end of which period he complained only ’,of occasional darting pain at night-time, referred only to theglobe ; the pupil had all but resumed its natural action, and ’the iris appeared of its normal colour, but oscillated slightlyduring its movements. The anterior chamber was of thesame size as the left. All symptoms of acute rheumatic in- flammation had now subsided, the result having been dim- ’,ness of vision, and occasional local pain, which symptomsstill continued. The use of the colchicum was perseveredin till November 17, when a scruple of bark and soda wasordered to be taken three times a day. The pupil at thistime was slightly irregular.November 27. The iris was observed to be decidedly

tremulous, and in the course of a month its anterior surfacebad become slightly concave, thus increasing the size of theanterior chamber, a condition exactly the reverse to thatexisting at the commencement of the attack. Dimness ofvision still continued ; he could, however, read a good-sizedprint with tolerable facility.

CASE 2.-Jane Stubbington, aged fifty-five, a married

woman, became an out-patient in the spring of last year,complaining of excruciating pain in the left eye, the sightof which, however, had been lost twelve months prior toher present application. The organ presented the followingappearances :-Globe denser than the right ; seven or eightlarge tortuous vessels ramifying in the ocular conjunctiva;lower part of the cornea also having on its surface severalsimilar vessels continuous with the above ; iris perfectly dulland inactive; pupil much dilated and occupied by a denseglaucomatous cataract. She complained of violent, excru-ciating pain in the globe, as though some one were hookingthe eye out of the socket, which felt, as it were, too smallfor it. She experienced, also, a sensation of large gravel-stones between the eyelids and the globe ; pain in the fore-head and temple of a violent rheumatic character, inter-mittent, the periods of its occurrence continuing for aboutsixteen or twenty-four hours. The disease, according toher account, commenced by impairment of vision, a mistappearing. This was soon followed by sparks and muscle,which gradually increased in number. In proportion to theadvance of these symptoms, pain increased, and the powerof vision gradually diminished, till it ultimately becamedestroyed. Right eye has never been affected. She hasbeen subject to severe attacks of rheumatism for eight or tenyears, which attacks commenced three or four years afterthe cessation of the menstrual discharge. From the periodof her application to the beginning ot January, she took aconsiderable quantity of medicine, which chiefly consistedof iodide of potassium and quinine at intervals. She wasalso frequently cupped and blistered. These remedies,however, proving tfficacious in a very slight degree only,she was ordered to take wine of colchicum, half a dmclun ;

carbonate of magnesia, ten grains ; three times a day. Inthe course of three weeks all the pain had subsided, and sheexperienced a degree of ease and comfort which she hadnot had for many months. She was now ordered to takebark and soda occasionally. In a couple of months she dis-continued her visits.CASE 3.-Itosetta Joel, a nurse, widow, aged fifty, applied

for relief, April 16. The left eye exhibited the followingsymptoms:-Conjunctiva not inflamed, but suffused withtears on the exposure of the eye for a short time to a stronglight ; pupil dilated, transverse diameter being much largerthan the vertical ; anterior chamber diminished in size ; irisvery convex, broader at the lower than at the upp’’r part, ofa dirty brown colour, particularly at its superior and exter-nal portion ; no visible action ; the humours, posterior to thepupil, of a greenish opalescent aspect; globe itself moreprominent than the right, and to all appearances larger.She says that sparks of fire, as though they came from acandle, are constantly rolling about in every direction, shehas no black spots before the eye ; the power of vision somuch impaired, that when any object is held before herthere exists no power of definition, and she is only sensibleof the presence of something the nature of which she cannotdetermine. Painful sensation of weight, referred to theouter part of the globe, and a pricking and shooting sensa-tion to the eye generally, frequently extending to the temple.She is affected with similar pain in the temple and eye ofthe right side. The right iris, however, acts freely, andthere exists no dulness either of it or of the humours, andshe complains only of occasional flashes, which have beenof about a month’s duration. The left eye has been affectedabout seven months, the affection commencing with flashes,sparks, and obscurity of vision, a sensation of heavinessand pricking. She is subject to pain in the head, particu.larly at the top, and it is of a rheumatic nature. The men-strual discharge ceased about nine years ago. Tongueclean, pulse small, 85. Ordered to take colchicum mixture

(ut supra) three times a day. In the course of a month,under the use of this medicine, the pain had materiallyabated, and the iris had lost much of its duskiness, andacted slightly. Vision also had become somewhat improved.May 20. She continues the medicine, and is progressing

favourably.The primary seat of this affection in the tunics of the

globe is evidenced by the dilated condition of the pupil,owing to the sensibiiity of the retina being impaired in theearly stage of the disease, for had the iris been affected atits outset the pupil would necessarily have been contracted.The rapid increase in the volume of the vitreous humour (asrelated in case 1) which attended the inflammation, and towhich alone the bulging forward of the iris can be attri-buted, is an unusual circumstance ; and still more so its

diminution, and the consequent receding of the iris on thesubsidence of the inflammation.

It is also remarkable, that while colchicum is of no availin the treatment of that form of rheumatic inflammationwhich commences in the iris, in that which talces its rise inthe internal tunics of the globe it is of decided efficacy, andoften when the disease has gone (as in case 2) to the extentof irrecoverably destroying the function of the retina, andhas also rendered the lens and vitreous humour opake, itwill subdue the inflammation, and effectually relieve theagonising pain that attends it.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF IRELAND.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Lest it should be supposed that there exists amongthe members of the profession in Ireland any party to whichthe article header 11 Medical Politics," in the 11 DublinMedical Press," of the 12th of June, can with any justicebe considered applicable, it has appeared necessary thatthe following notice should be taken of it ; and I requestthat you will have the goodness to give it a place in yourJournal, in the hope that it will tend to remove any im-pressions likely to be excited by that publication prejudicialto what it calls 11 the minority," whose succesaf ul opposi-tion, nevertheless, on the late occasion of an election to a

vacancy in the council of the College of Surgeons, seems tohave caused the learned editors so much irritation. These

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gentlemen must be perfectly aware that their vague acusa-tions as to the circulation of statements through privatechannels," " assertions for sinister purposes respecting themedical politics of the metropolis," and" odious insinua-tions respecting the motives and objects of those intrustedwith the discharge of public duties," are mere chimeras oftheir own brains, destitute of the slightest foundation infact. What they mean by their allusIOn to " mean, ill-

disposed, and envious tradesmen," I neither know norcare ; but I distinctly deny that they have any right to thetriumphant tone with which they speak of the result of thelate electiuns as the achievement of the party to which theyprofess to belong, as distinguished from that which theythink proper to designate a3 " the minority." Those elec-

tions, so far as the president, vice-president, and secretarywere concerned, were unanimous,-there was no oppositionto those gentlemen whose names confer honour on theoffices to which they were chosen; therefore any assump-tion of triumph on their account is as perfectly ridiculousas it is to boast of the result of the election on which therewas a difference of opinion, when this contemptible " mino-rity" suc, eeded in giving the gentleman they supported aseat on the council, notwithstanding the most active anddetermined opposition of a party organised and consolidatedby years of power, and the reckless employment of all themeans which the possession of it renders available.They who thus proved themselves able to place one

member on the council, contrary to the wishes of their

opponents, may reasonably be supposed to have been ableto do more had they made the same exertion, and it is bothunfair and ungenerous to taunt them with a want of power,when, having done enough to show that they did possess it,they waived the further use of it.The next charge which I shall notice is one which, as it

is very insidiously brought forward, reqnires a little detailto exhibit in its true colours. It first assiimes the existenceof a party in this city which opposes the working of thenew charter and the contemplated measure of medicalreform, wishes for a continuance of the abuses which bringdisgrace on the profession, and clings to what it calls its

privileges. It indirectly accuses the gentlemen who aresupposed to compose this party of a desire to uphold job-bing and corporation corruption, of deceiving and forsakingtheir " dupes," and ends by describing them as " certainlicentiates residing in Dublin, who .met together and votedthat the supplemental charter should be made a dead letter,"&c. I am glad that it has so far particularised the parties,as had it been otherwise I should have looked in vain for

any to whom such a description could be applied ; but, as Inow know who are meant, I have nothing to do but simplydeny on their parts that there is the slightest foundation forsuch imputations upon them, than whom there are no men,

’’

not even the worthy editors of the"inledical Press" themselves,more deeply impressed with the necessity of reform in the Iprofession, nor more anxious to forward the working of thesupplemental charter in the manner most couducrve to thewelfare of the profession. They possess no privileges, andtherefore cannot justly be accused of wishing to cling toany, except the exclusive eligibility to the county infirma-ries, a valuable one certainly, but one which they have notmade any exertion to retain, and which they are quitewilling to sacrifice to the public good, and, as to jobbingand corporation corruption, they have no opportunity of indulging in any taste of that description, unlike their learnedaccusers, who, if they were wise, would not be so ready tothrow stones in a glass-house. It is quite true, however,that a considerable body of the licentiates of the college re-siding in Dublin, having reason to believe that it was theintention of the council to exercise the powers conferred onthem by the 15th section of the supplemental charter, onprinciples more consistent with a deslI’e of increasing thewealth than the respectability of the college, by the indis-criminate admission of all practitioners in medicine, stir-

gery, or pharmacy, who could be induced to pay their price(a fear which a late unprincipled, but happily unsuccessful,attempt to reopen the question, has proved to have been buttoo well founded) did meet together, and, having obtainedthe opinion ofemiuent counsel in favour of their view of theintentions of government, as expressed in the charter,agreed to a memorial, expressive of an humble hope thatthe council would not sacrifice the small remnant of its old

respectability which the college still retained, and suggest-ing a few rules, by the adoption of which such desecrationas they believed to be contemplated might be prevented.This memorial was laid before the council by one of themembers of that body, a gentleman of the very highest rankin the profession, who, in common with several of hisfellovv-couucillors, considered it called for; and though itsprayer was not complied with to the full extent of adopting’the rules it suggested, yet there can be no question but thatit had the effect of rendering the members of the council(among whom were those who now affect to treat it withdisdain) much more fastidious in the admission of the mem-bers of other colleges to their fellowship than they hadpreviously intended to be. So much, indeed, has this beenthe case, that I have no hesitation in acknowledging (oathe part of its proposers) that they are quite satisfied withthe effect it produced, and have no objection whatever toshare whatever honour the fellowship confers with theclass of gentlemen who have been admitted up to the presentperiod.The degree of truth with which the licentiates who got

up this memorial can be charged with having left theirdupes in the lurch," may be judged of when it is knownthat they have all, with one or two exceptions, not long toexist, become fellows of the college with a view of endea-.vouring, so far as in them lies, to prevent the evils of whichthey are justly apprehensive, and there are, therefore, noneremaining to come under the designation of 11 dupt-s," andthat any of them have been weak enough to stultify them-selves by confessing that they hastily and incautiouslyattached their names to a document of whose contents thrywere ignorant, is sufficiently contradicted by the fact thatthe candidate whom they subsequently supported was electeda member of the council, and the point for which they con-tended so far gained.Such is the foundation of the charge of " demanding that

the supplemental charter be voted a dead letter," and such.are the grounds upon which it is insinuated that thesememorialists wished to oppose the government in theirproject of reform. Such charges come with a good graceit must be allowed, from parties who, though they havelately, with praiseworthy discretion, materially altered their.tone, yet have been so distinguished in their opposition tothe wishes of government with respect to the medical cha-rities of Ireland, particularly when preferred against a setof men who, by placing on the council of the College ofSurgeons the author of many valuable suggestions respect-ing the best means of carrying out the plan of connectingthose institutions with the poor-law, have shown, thoughthey do not altogether adopt that gentleman’s views in thedetails of his proposal, that they consider a measure basedon those principles as the best means of rendering thosecharities more benelicial to the poor, and the medical menconnected with them more respectable and independent than.they can ever expect to be as long as they remain in their,present state of confusion.But let neither the government nor the fellows and licen-

tiates of the college suppose that the editors of the " Medi-cal Press" themselves believe in the existence of such aparty as they have described They know very well thatit is a mere fabrication, which they have got up as a kind ofstalking-horse, by means of which they hope to be able toprevent too close a scrutiny into the constitution of a collegewhich, being both a school for professional education andthe legislative head of the profession, giBes its possessors,who compose more than one-third of the council, the powers,to a very great extent, of electing and paying themselves,and subjects them to the temptation of forming a fund for thelatter purpose, by diminishing the curriculum of study, theseverity of the examinations, and the amount of fees to bepaid on obtaining their diploma, with the view of increasingthe number of their students, as has been done ; and lastly,as has been recently attempted, by the sale of their fellow-ships. ,

The editors of the " Medical Press" will fail, however,as they may probably soon discover, in convincing the fel-lows and licentiates of the Irish College of Surgeons thattheir brethren in Dublin who have been lately exertingthemselves on behalf of their common profession, have anyother object in view but that of rendering that professionmore worthy of the confidence of the public and the ambi-

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tion of those who enter it, an object in which they can havebut little hope of succeeding so long as the management ofits affairs is so much influenced by men whose pecuniaryinterests are more concerned in lowering the standard ofeducation and in increasing the facility of obtaining theirdiplomas, than in raising its character and rendering its ac-quirement, as it has hitherto been, a proof of superiorattainments. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,

VERAX.June,1844.

CHARTER OF THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONSAND THE

YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Having received some regulations regarding thelate charter granted to the College of Surgeons, I wouldbeg to insert a few lines in your Journal, as they may havesome effect in showing that the council have not acted

exactly in a manner suitable to the feelings of the youngpractitioner. I the first clause we see that there are placedamongst the list of fellows surgeons of hospitals, and thereason why they are chosen is because they see morepractice in surgery. We will allow that this is the case,and that from this circumstance they may be in some degreesuperior to ourselves ; but, then, we know there are manyequally as good surgeons, from the long practice they haveseen at hospitals, and from their constant study of surgicalcases, who have not the opportunity, not the interest, to beable to get such offices; and, may I ask, is not a youngpractitioner, who has studied carefully, fully as competent toattend surgical cases as one who has such high repute?Surgery does not consist entirely of operations; in fact, that’forms the smaller portion of the surgeon’s practice. Again,we know the principal surgeons to country hospitals areappointed almost entirely through interest, not from theirknowledge ; and I think few can deny that there are manymen of very superior attainments who fail in obtaining suchoffices for want of interest. In the second clause there aremembers chosen to be fellows who have considerable repu-tation. Now, how is it possible to judge that such men aresuperior to others? For instance, we will say, here is anold practitioner who has been residing in such a place for anumber of years ; younger men are practising about him ;is it not probable that such a man may be called in consulta-tion in any particular case ? Yes ; not because he is knownto be a man of greater abilities, but because he is thoughtto have seen more practice. Is not the younger man equallyas eligible to the fellowship as the senior practitioner, whenthe abilities of one are not more known than those of theother? However, I would not wish, as a young man, tosay many words upon the subject, as it may not be myplace so to do, but there is one question that I would wishto ask the council of the College of Surgeons, viz.-Howis it that after receiving from the examiners a diplomacertifying that I am competent to practise the art of surgery,I am required, in order to place myself on a level with manywho are now elected fellows, to undergo another examina-tion, as if the former one was not sufficient? It must be

quite clear to all that I am as fit to practise by an examina-tion which has only just taken place as if I underwent an-

other, and, therefore, equally fit for the fellow’s degree; andI think the student who has only just now undergone hisexamination is supposed to have acquired more than onewho passed a few 3 ears back, inasmuch as we expect thepractice of surgery is much improved within these fewyears, and that more would be required by the court ofexaminers. Hoping that the council will have some com.passion on those who have just finished their arduous studies,and not oblige them to recommence, I remain your obedientand humble servant, M.R.C.S.

Harlington, June 17,1814.

ANATOMY IN EDINBURGH.

To the Editor nf THE LANCET.SIR,—I feel that I am unnecessarily taking up your time

with complaints of the bad system the operation of theAnatomy Act has fallen into, but, as I want your advice, I

thought it proper to state the reason for asking it. I haveseen in your valuable Journal letters from students com-plaining of the systematic way of overcharging for subjectsin London. I wish, however, to point out an evil no lessinjurious to the student in Edinburgh. Before the cadavrequits the infirmary it is taken to the theatre appropriated tothe post-mortems, and the contents of the thorax and abdo-men examined, so that the relations being destroyed, these" parts" are worthless to the student ; in the majority ofcases it is the same with the brain. I have been informedthat this system has continued for upwards of two years.If the subject comes from a dispensary the parts are like-wise mutilated. Add to these grievances the great dearthof subjects in modern Athens (last winter-session, in a largeschool, there were two parts for each pupil during the wholesix months), and no one, I think, will feel surprised at thedecline of the Edinburgh school.The advice I would ask is, your opinion of the Dublin

schools, of the lecturers, and of their dissecting-rooms.Really, Sir, the present system is most pernicious to thestudent’s interests. In order to lay a proper foundation forthe science he must be continually dissecting, and how canhe accomplish this with only a part every three months? And, again, he passes for surgeon without ever havingattempted an operation on the dead body. For these evilsthe passed surgeon sees only two ways before him,-to goto Paris for six months to operate on the dead body, or,qualified, to practise upon the living unfortunates of his owncountry. Hoping that this letter and the advice I ask willnot be too great a tax upon your patience, I remain, yoursobediently, ,

UN ETUDIANT EN MEDECINE.

*. We are not sufficiently acquainted with the practicalworking of the anatomical schools in Dublin to give theadvice demanded. If matters really are as our corre-

spondent states in Edinburgh, they, certainly, loudly callfor reform. The claims of anatomists should not be entirelysacrificed to morbid anatomy. In France, during the wintersession, the physicians have only a right to open one half ofthe subjects sent from their wards to the schools. The otherhalf remain entire, for the purposes of dissection.

JOSHUA BROOKES’S METHOD OF PRESERVINGBODIES FOR DISSECTION.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-In No. 8 of the present volume of THE LANCET,

" A. E. P.," in his communication, complains as follows,among other matters :-" The students really desirous oflearning anatomy have to ponder, weeks and weeks, over alimb which has long since lost the colour, the consistence,and even the position of nerves, muscles, and arteries."

In 1774, my late most excellent teacher, Joshua Brookes,communicated to the Royal Society his antiseptic process,by which dead bodies can be preserved in their pristinecolour, and even the hue of the muscles heightened, formonths ! This process was nothing more than injecting ahot saturated solution of the powdered nitrate of potass inwater, prior to injecting the blood-vessels with the ceraceousinjection.

In the hot summer of 1822 we had a fine male subject inthe dissecting-room for four months, on which Mr. Healy, ofSt. James’s-street, myself, and other gentlemen, were

engaged in dissection. One advantage connected with Mr.Brookes’s process is that no serious, much less fatal wounds,ever attended the dissections in the late Blenheim-streetSchool of Anatomy. I therefore respectfully advise "A. E. P!’and his preceptors to adopt the antiseptic process of oneof England’s best anatomists. Yours obediently,

H. W. DEWHURST, Ph. D., Surgeon.Richmond-street, June 19th.

MEDICAL PROTECTION ASSEMBLY.

THE committee met June 24th at Exeter-Hall. Inanswer to a question from the chairman (Mr. Itugg) theSecretary stated that no reply to the last communicationfrom the committee to the council of the College of Surgeonshad as yet been received. It was, therefore, resolved that