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much too frequently. He had known many pelvic painsreferred to displacement when the uterus was in normalposition. He had found Hodge’s pessary and intra-uterinestems of great value. He had seen no ill effects arise fromthe stem pessary, and he had always been able to intro- !duce them without dividing the os uteri, as Smee had advo-cated, both to allow of its passage into the uterus, andto assist in curing the displacement.-Dr. WYNNE WILLIAMSdid not recommend stems in retroflexion, but chiefly inanteflexion. Thinning occurred on the concave side of flexion.He recommended reposition of the uterus by the sound,and the introduction of a Hodge while the sound was in theuterus.—Dr. WILTSHIRE thought the Hodge efficient if

properly used. Stems were sufficient, but dangerous. Herecommended the use of the sound and the prone postion.-Dr. BEIGEL lamented the want of pathological knowledge.He had examined 500 uteri post mortem, and found flexiononly ten or twelve times, and no change whatever in theuterine wall, no thinning or microscopical change. Thesound could not be introduced in some cases because the canalwas closed. Inflammation of uterus did not favour the cure offlexion. Irritation of uterus set up inflammation. The onlymeans of cure was a stem.-The PRESIDENT said it was remark-able in what different lights the uterus was regarded. By someit was looked upon as universally sympathetic, while otherslooked upon it as an organ which would stand any amountof maltreatment. He could not reconcile these views.Sydenham said it was the duty of those who practisedmedicine to find out indications for treatment rather thanspecial remedies for this or that condition. The greatpoint to aim at with regard to flexions of the uterus was todistinguish the different classes of these displacements, andlay down rules when treatment should not be adopted, be-cause unnecessary or not beneficial. Great ingenuity had beenshown in devising mechanical contrivances, but this maylead to mischievous practice. It should be remembered thatthe Society should lead the medical profession in a parti-cular branch. The result of Dr. Braithwaite’s work washardly such as to be encouraging. There are some caseswhich are found out accidentally, and do not require treat-ment ; in others the suffering is connected with congestion.Others, again, do not bear mechanical treatment because ofthe presence of adhesion. Virchow showed that thinningof the uterine wall took place on the concave side of theflexion, and brief treatment could not cure such a condition.Then a condition found so rarely post mortem as flexion is,according to Dr. Beigel’s observation, cannot be of verygreat importance. Stems are objectionable because of therisk of inflammation. The great principle of treatmentshould be not to do harm if good cannot be done.-Dr.BRAITHWAITE stated that the treatment described by himshould be followed in exceptional cases only. Hodge’spessary is usually efficient, but in some cases it fails, andrecourse must be had to stems. Cure was not effected infour days, but the uterus was placed in position forrecovery.

OWENS COLLEGE.

HENRY E. ROSCOE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-Whilst thanking you for your article own 11 Owens

College as a University," in your last number, I beg to say,in the name of my colleagues and myself, that we cordiallysupport your wish that the Conjoint Scheme for medicalexaminations may soon be firmly established, and that wedesire only to be placed on a footing for granting medicaldegrees identical with that of the English universities.

Yours truly,HENRY E. ROSCOE.

Owens College, Manchester, May 28th, 1877.

BEQUESTS &C. TO MEDICAL CHARITIES.-Mr. BaronCleasby and "A Governor of the Hospital" have each given£100 to the Repairs and Improvement Fund of the West-minster Hospital. Mrs. S. F. Harvey has given .8100 tothe London Hospital. Mrs. Higgin, of Quarry Bank, WestDerby, bequeathed £2000 each to the Infirmary for Children,the Royal Infirmary, the Royal Southern Hospital, and theDispensaries; £1000 each to the Northern Hospital, theEye and Ear Infirmary, and the Medical Missionary Society;and £500 to the Convalescent Institution, all at Liverpool.

THE

GENERAL COUNCIL OF MEDICALEDUCATION & REGISTRATION.

Session 1877.

TUESDAY, MAY 22ND.THE Council resolved itself into committee for the ad-

journed consideration of the reports of the Committee onRecommendations. The first recommendation (No. 22)considered was that with reference to the subjects withouta knowledge of which no candidate should be allowed toobtain a qualification entitling him to be registered.Mr. SIMON proposed to add to the optional subjects in

Recommendation No. 4, " Physics, meaning thereby heat,light, and electricity."

Dr. ROLLESTON seconded the motion, which was agreed to.Mr. SIMON also proposed to add "Elements of Chemistry,

including the laws of combination and decomposition," butthis was negatived.

Dr. ANDREW WOOD moved, and Dr. ROLLESTON seconded,that Section 1 of Recommendation 22 should read : " Che-

mistry, including chemical physics, meaning thereby heat,light. and electricitv."Mr. LISTER moved as an amendment, which was seconded

by Sir D. CORRIGAN, that the section should be, ,NaturalPhilosophy, meaning thereby mechanics, hydrostatics,hydraulics, and pneumatics, unless an examination in thosesubjects shall have been previously passed."

Dr. ROLLESTON suggested that if such subjects were in-cluded the rejections would be greatly increased, and menwould be kept out of the profession.Mr. LISTER maintained that they were subjects of great

importance, and as essential as chemistry, but it often

happened that candidates were profoundly ignorant ofthem.

Dr. PITMAN wished to remind the Council that if suchmatters were decided by small majorities it could hardlyexpect the recommendations to be accepted by the licensingbodies. It would be unfortunate if the Council placeditself in the position of having its recommendations ignoredby those whom it desired to guide.

After a long discussion, the amendment was negatived,and the oripinal motion was carried.

The Council then resumed and balloted for the ExecutiveCommittee, when the following members were found to beelected: Sir Jas. Paget, Dr. Humphry, Dr. Andrew’Wood,Dr. Aquilla Smith, Dr. Quain, and Mr. Simon.The Council again resolved itself into a committee of the

whole Council for the adjourned consideration of the Reportsof the Committee on Recommendations.

Dr. WOOD moved that Section 2 of Recommendation 22be "Anatomy."Mr. SIMON suggested that the explanatory words 11 topo-

graphical and structural" be added; but this met with noseconder, and it accordingly fell to the ground.The motion was carried, as were also motions for the

adoption of Sections 3, " Physiology," and 4, " MateriaMedica and Pharmacy."

Dr. WOOD then moved the adoption of Section 5, " Mor-bid Anatomy."Mr. SIMON moved as an amendment that the section

- should read, "Pathology, including Morbid Anatomy."L The wording of this section was discussed for some time,

and at length Mr. Simon’s amendment was adopted.Dr. WOOD moved, and Dr. ROLLESTON seconded, the

j adoption of Section 6, " Medicine, with Medical Anatomy,, Clinical Medicine, and Therapeutics."

Mr. SIMON objected to the words proposed, and suggestedthat it was unnecessary to have Therapeutics as a separate

; head under Medicine. He proposed the omission of thesubject from the section.

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Dr. ROLLESTON said it would involve more courses of lec-tures and examinations, the multiplication of which wouldbecome a great evil.

Mr. SiMON, whose amendment was not seconded, thenproposed another-viz., that the section should be, "Medi-cine, with Medical Anatomy and Clinical Medicine."

This was seconded by Dr. STORRAR, but was negatived,and the motion was carried.

Section 7, " Surgery, with Surgical Anatomy and ClinicalSurgery," was then adopted.Mr. SIMON proposed the addition of "Surgical Thera-

peutics."In the course of the discussion on this subject, Sir J.

PAGET warned the Council against legislating as if theywere really deciding once for all what the course of educa-tion and examination should be in all schools. The recom-mendations of the Council, he said, would be submitted tothe representatives of all bodies, who would canvass themjust as they pleased. For himself, he should have to takethe report, whatever it might be, to an assembly of twentygentlemen, who considered themselves quite as able to settlematters of that kind as the twenty-four gentlemen of theMedical Council, and who would certainly do as they pleased.The Council, therefore, could not be too general in the termsit employed.

Mr. Simon’s motion was put and negatived.Section 8, 11 Midwifery," was adopted without discussion,

as was also No. 9, " Forensic Medicine."The following sections were then severally agreed to :-" 23. That the Council will view with approbation any en-

couragement held out by the licensing bodies to studentsto prosecute the study of the natural sciences before theyengage in studies of a strictly professional character.

11 24. That a certificate be required, by each licensingbody, from every candidate for its degree, diploma, orlicence to practise medicine or surgery, that he has studiedvaccination under a competent and recognised teacher; thathe has himself performed the operation successfully underthe teacher’s inspection; that he is familiar with the dif-ferent stages of the vaccine vesicle and with the methodsof preserving lymph, and that he is thoroughly informed inevery necessary part of the subject." 25. That such a certificate should only be received by

any licensing body from recognised vaccine stations, or fromrecognised vaccine departments in medical schools or hos-pitals or other public institutions, where the appointedteacher of vaccination is not liable to frequent change, andwhere ample means for study are provided by not less thansuch a number of cases (perhaps eight or ten on an averageweekly) as may be found, after due inquiry in the first Iinstance, confirmed by authentic returns, or inspectionsfrom time to time, to be sufficient for this purpose at eachplace.

"26. That it is desirable that the different licensingbodies, whether singly or in combination, should frametheir examinations so as to secure that the knowledge ofevery practitioner whose name appears on the Registershall have been tested in all the subjects of professionaleducation which the Council has determined to be essential- viz.: (1) Chemistry, including Chemical Physics, mean-ing thereby heat, light, and electricity; (2) Anatomy;(3) Physiology; (4) Materia Medica and Pharmacy; (5)Pathology, including Morbid Anatomy; (6) Medicine withMedical Anatomy, Clinical Medicine, and Therapeutics;(7) Surgery, with Surgical Anatomy and Clinical Surgery ;(8) Midwifery; (9) Forensic Medicine.

" 27. That there be in future three professional examina-tions.

"28. That the professional examinations be arranged intwo divisions; the first division to embrace the moreelementary subjects. The first division may be completedat or before the close of the second year of professionalstudy, but the second division not till the expiration of twoyears after the passing of the first division, nor before thecompletion of the fourth year of study. That the examina-tions, and the subjects included in each, be such, and insuch order, as may insure, as far as possible, a due con-tinuity and sequence of study.

" 29. That it is desirable that an examination in theearlier subjects of professional study should take place beforethe end of the first year of professional study.

"30. That the professional examinations be conducted

both in writing and orally ; and that they be practical inall branches in which they admit of being so."31. That not less than two examiners shall take part in

every oral and clinical examination." 32. That the questions to be answered in writing should

be submitted to the whole body of examiners for considera.tion, and, if desirable, revision, before being proposed to thecandidates.

"33. That the written answers should be submitted tomore than one of the examiners.

"34. That excellence in one or more subjects should notbe allowed to compensate for failure in others.

"35. That the professional examinations be held by theseveral licensing bodies, except in special cases, at statedperiods, to be publicly notified.

" 36. That returns from the licensing bodies in Schedule(A) be made annually, on Jan. 1st, to the General MedicalCouncil, stating the number of the candidates who havepassed their first as well as their second and third examina-tions, and the number of those who have been rejected atthe first and second and third examinations respectively; gand that the registrar forward a sufficient number of forms,with a notice for their being returned in due time."

Dr. WOOD then moved, " That it is not desirable that anyuniversity of the United Kingdom should confer any degreein medicine or surgery, whether that of Bachelor, Doctor,or Master, upon candidates who have not graduated in artsor passed all the examinations required for the bachelorshipin arts, or passed the examinations equivalent to thoserequired for a degree in arts."

Dr. ApjOHN said he wished to say something on thissubject, and moved that the further consideration of themotion be postponed.This was agreed to, and the Council adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23RD.The Council went into committee for the adjourned con.

sideration of the reports of the Committee on Recommenda.tions.

Dr. APJOHN, in seconding the adoption of recommenda-tion No. 38, moved by Dr. Wood on the previous day, saidthat a great scandal had arisen from medical degreeshaving been conferred upon students without an adequateexamination in arts, but that had been corrected by theaction of the Medical Council. The granting of such

degrees without examination in arts was not sanctioned bythe charter of Trinity College, and he should be glad toknow whether the practice was conformable to the chartersof the Scotch universities.Mr. LISTER said it was undesirable to issue regulations

which had no chance of being carried out, which was thecase with the one now proposed. It certainly had nochance of being acted upon in the Scotch universities, whowould not insist on all medical graduates having a degree inarts or passing a corresponding examination. All that theCouncil had to do was to determine the minimum qualifica-tion, and to go beyond that was ultra vires.

Dr. SMITH opposed the motion.Dr. STORRAR said that the matter had been very much

discussed in the Council some years ago, and that theopinion of Council had been taken upon it, which was tothe effect that the Council had no right to demand a higherstandard of general or professional education for the gra-duates of universities qualified to practise medicine or sur-gery than from the licentiates of corporations similarlyqualified. The University of London had never found itdesirable to demand of every candidate a degree in arts;it required pretty high arts qualifications, together withhigh scientific qualifications, the two together being in nodegree below the arts qualification of some other uni.versities.

Sir D. CORRIGAN opposed the motion as ambiguous in itsterms, and as ultra vires.Mr. SIMON contended that the proposed recommenda-

tion, if not legally, was morally within the province ofthe Council, which was bound to do all in its power toraise the character of the profession. It would be wellto recommend all the bodies not to give degrees simply inregard to professional promise, but to require evidence ofhigher general education. He concluded by moving thefollowing amendment : 11 That in the opinion of the Council