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attended with pain in the bowels. These symptoms yieldedto half a drachm of the acid.

CASE 8.-During the night of Saturday last, I was calledout of bed to a lady in Wilton-street, whom I have attendedfor many years. I found her in a state of great agony, suffer-ing from violent spasms in the bowels, constant vomiting, greatprostration, with diarrhoea of three days’ standing. I gaveher half a drachm of the diluted acid in water, and sat at herbed-side for two hours, when I left her, free from pain andsickness.I saw her on Sunday morning, at ten. There had been no

vomiting; neither had she had one motion since she had takenthe acid, but she complained of nausea. Ordered her twentyminims of the acid. I saw her in the evening, at seven.

There had been one comfortable evacuation; pulse improved;tongue clean; nausea subsided.At my morning visit, I was consulted by her daughter, a

young lady, aged seventeen, who was (after I had left hermother in the night) attacked with vomiting and purging,attended with griping pains. I gave her twenty minims ofthe acid, with directions to repeat it if necessary. At myvisit at seven in the evening, I found the vomiting had quiteceased, and there had been no action of the bowels aftertaking the above dose. The patient was free from pain.Monday morning: Mother and daughter perfectly free from

diarrhoea, pain, vomiting, and nausea. Directed the acid tobe discontinued.

MEDICAL ASSISTANTS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-I am an assistant, under peculiar circumstances, ofseveral years’ standing. I, therefore, have had opportunitiesto ’’ practise the eye," attune the ear, educate the finger, andsee disease in nearly all its varied forms.

I have also been taught the difficult art of doing nothing,"learned how to handle " the six divine remedies," and amenabled to bear my humble testimony to the general excel-lency of the remarks of Mr. Spong in THE LANCET of the13th September.I am sorry, however, that he contributes his mite to the

unhappy comparisons" which have been made regarding thesalaries of medical assistants. True, the majority of practices,as he says, are neither extensive nor profitable; yet he forgetsthat the majority of practices which require the aid ofassistants, are calculated to remunerate to a larger extent thanthey really do, the tear and wear, anxiety and excitement,which are the daily and nightly attendants on the life of thisclass of individuals."Thirty or forty pounds" is a wretched sum to offer an

educated person for the capital which has been expended inacquiring the knowledge requisite to enable him to enter uponsuch important duties;-why, it is not common interest for themoney, neither is it sufficient to enable him to sustain thatself-respect and gentlemanly deportment, which are at alltimes essential when called on to supply the place of theprincipal in his absence. Although the salary of theassistant has increased twenty per cent. during the last fiveyears, still there is much room for improvement. The pro-fession ought to bear in mind, that low salaries have done moreto drive assistants into low habits and low company than manypractitioners are willing to admit. It is a strange piece ofmedical ethics, to say that " when the assistant in his turnrequires assistance, he will consider thirty or forty poundssufficient I" Of course he would; ten, or twenty, were it thecustom. But is it right that it should be so? ?We all like to purchase in the cheapest market, professional

or non-professional. I hold it to be absurd for any one in thegarb of common sense to put the question in such a manner,because it is overlooking the morality of the point. The greatcomplaint is, the want of good and confidential assistants, andthis can only be remedied by better encouragement from thosewho really require them.I am happy to say that I, myself, have always obtained the

salary and treatment which I asked for, without much trouble,and cannot but think that the assistant in the present day has,in a great measure, the ball at his own foot.

____ I am, &c.,

September, 1851. A T. C.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,-In the number of THE LANCET of the 13th Sept., thereis a note from Mr. Spong, of Faversham, respecting the advan-tages reaped by medical assistants when placed under the

dominion of general practitioners, and he also proceeds to ex-tenuate the small remuneration given them, by saying thatthough it is not large, thirty or forty pounds a year is amplefor an assistant, when these advantages are thrown into thescale. Now I do not wish to make use of any observationsthat may tend to acrimony or ill-feeling, nevertheless I mustsay, that as far as my experience has gone, and the mentalsufferings which that has entailed on me, that the generalconduct pursued by general practitioners to their assistants isanvthing but honourable to an enlightened profession; and Iwill also say that there is little to be learned by taking those assistantships. In nine cases out of ten the assistant is solelyhired to attend to the pauper part of the practice, and if hedare administer drugs of an expensive character, he is eitherdismissed for so doing, or subject to the disapprobation of theemployer, and he is thereby confined to a certain routinewhich neither benefits him nor those under his charge. This Ihave experienced over again, and I also have found thatinstead of having, as Mr. Spong says, a well-stocked library atmy command, it was quite the reverse; the library, I admit,was there in some shape or other, but the act of reading, orbeing found in it, endeavouring to improve the mind and storeof knowledge, was looked on with dislike, and as if there wasnot sufficient of their business to occupy your time, and earnthe paltry pittance doled out, and the morsel that was con-sumed. It would take up too much of your valuable space toenumerate the other vexations which a poor assistant has toendure. He is looked on as an interloper, and one whom theyare obliged to keep, and not, as Mr. Spong says, in the lightof a professional brother. I have been an assistant for thelast six years, and I always found the salary was the samewhether you had experience or not, and irrespective of yourbeing three months or six years at the profession. Yet theseare the men who are always crying out about the paltryway they are treated by boards of guardians. Surely theyought not to complain of being badly paid when they adopt theself-same system to their ill-paid and hard-worked assistants.Mr. Spong forgets that cooks and butlers frequently gettwenty and forty pounds a year for their services, but this isquite sufficient, in his estimation, for junior members of thehigh profession he prides himself in belonging to-proh! pudor.Yet with this salary the assistant must dress as a gentleman,pay his washing-bill, work night and day, dispense and attendmidwifery, keep the books, and in some cases keep the sur-gery clean, and wipe and dust the bottles. It may be thatsome will say how unfortunate I was in my selection of situa-tions ; and my reply is, that the complaints I make are almostall pretty general, and I believe such treatment and remune-ration drive many young men to drown their sorrow in thebottle, and render them careless as to whether they progresssuccessfully or not in their profession. Parents and guardians,look to it before you apprentice your children or those underyour charge, to the medical profersion, unless you have gotproperty to leave them independent of the tender merciesand benefits derivable from the life of a medical assistant!

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,Sept. 1851.

-

EXPERIENTIA.

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS ANDHOMŒOPATHY.

[ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DR. J. C. HALL, OF SHEF-FIELD, AND THE COUNOIL OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONSOF ENGLAND.]

To the Editor of THE LANCET.DR. J. C. HALL present his compliments to the Editor, and

requests the publication of the enclosed letter, which he hasaddressed to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons ofEngland, in consequence of his not having received, as yet,any satisfactory reply to his former letter respecting thosemembers of the College who, by either practising homœo-pathy, or by meeting practitioners of homceopathy in consulta-tion, have rendered themselves, in the terms of its by-laws,’’ disgraceful to the College."

Surrey-street, Sheffield, Sept. 27, 1851.

To the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.Sheffield, Sept. 27, 1851.

’, GENTLEMEN,-Some weeks ago, through the President of ourCollege, I ventured to address a letter to you, asking whatsteps you intended to take respecting those fellows and mem-bers of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, who, bypractising as homœopaths, have virtually excluded themselves

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from the College. I also ventured to ask if it were the in-tention of the Council to put into force those by-laws whichwere framed for the exclusion of members who became,in the judgment of the Council, disgraceful to the College.To this letter, on the 9th of August, 1851, the Presidentreplied, by informing me

" that it was referred to the legaladviser of the College to advise as to what steps the Councilshould pursue in this matter." You must now permit me to !,say, that I have been advised that you have the power to act I,in this matter; and I urge upon you to support the honourand dignity of the College, and to protect its members byacting fearlessly and without delay; for by an order of theCouncil, the name of every member of the College, practising the homceopccthic quackery, can at least be omitted from theprinted lists.

I now must also most respectfully, yet firmly, urge an im- mediate answer to these questions:-

1st. Does a member of the Royal College of Surgeons ofEngland render himself, in the judgment of the Council, dis-graceful to the College by practising homoeopathy ? and,

2nd. If the member, by so acting, be considered to havebrought disgrace upon the College, are you prepared at onceto put into force the powers which you possess for his re-

moval ?I am, gentlemen,

Your verv obedient servant,JOHN CHARLES HALL, M D.,

Fellow of the Royal College of Physiciansof Edinburgh ; Lecturer on Anatomy,Pathology, and Physiology, at the Shef-field Medical Institution.

P.S.-I have thought it right, as this is a subject deeplyaffecting the interests of the profession, to enclose a copy ofthis letter to THE LANCET, to which journal I shall alsoforward a copy of your reply.

Medical News.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.-At the quarterlymeeting of the Comitia Majora, held on Tuesday, Sept. 30th,the following gentlemen, having undergone the necessary ex.aminations for diploma, were admitted members of thecollege:-

DR. BARRON, St. Thomas’s-street, Southwark.DR. HABERSHON, Finsbury-Circus.DR. PARKER, London Hospital.

Also DR. THORNTON, Norwich, was admitted an extra-licentiate.

At the same meeting it was reported by the curators that thePathological Museum presented by Dr. Baillie had been mostcarefully examined, and all the preparations placed in themost efficient condition.

APOTHECARIES’ HALL.-Names of gentlemen whopassed their examination in the science and practice of medi-cine, and received certificates to practise, on

Thursday, Sept. 25th, 1851.BLACK, JAMES, Chesterfield, Derby.BUCKNILL, HENRY WALTER, Rugby, Warwick.CLARxSON, WILLIAM ’HILL, Ledbury, Hereford.MITCHINSON, GEORGE JONATHAN, Carrington, Boston.

ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL.-The annual distributionof prizes took place in the board-room of the hospital- theRight Hon. Sir F. Pollock, Lord Chief Baron of the Court ofExchequer, presiding.

Dr. WILSON, after expressing the great gratification he hadin seeing the Lord Chief Baron in the chair, alluded to thegreat facilities that were now enjoyed by the student of ana-tomy, compared with those of former times. He begged topresent to his lordship Mr. H. V. Carter, a pupil of the hos-pital, who had, in addition to former honours, won the senior scholarship. In an old farce of Morton’s, which used to bevery popular in his younger days, a farmer was made to tellhis son, who was about setting out upon some enterprise, totake the best horse from the stable-never to mind the skittish Ifilly, " Genius," but secure the good horse, 11 Industry," andhe would be sure to succeed. He did not mean to say thatMr. Carter was altogether regardless of " genius," but he wassure he had taken to his assistance " industry." He also begged

to present to his lordship Mr. W. R. Cornish, who had wonthe junior scholarship, besides other prizes.

Sir BENJ BRODIE next presented Mr. Francis Day, who hadwon the clinical prize offered by himself (Sir B. Brodie).Though he had ceased to be connected with the hospital, hestill took the greatest interest in everything relating to it.The surgeon and the medical man had a very extensive rangeof study before him, but there was none more important thanthat which was to be gathered at the bedside of the patients.The medical man who was not in the habit of taking notes atthe bedside of the progress and appearance of disease did nottake that interest in his profession which he ought to do, andnever could expect to attain a proficiency in it. Even at thepresent moment he had often to refer to, and derived greatbenefit from, the notes he took when a student in St. George’sHospital. Mr. Day had also distinguished himself in otherbranches of the profession, was fully alive to the importanceof that branch of study, and he trusted that the prizes nowabout to be presented to him would stimulate him to renewedexertions.In addition to the scholarships, the following prizes and

certificates were presented by the Lord Chief Baron, withsome appropriate remarks with each :-

Anatomy. Senior Class-Prize, Mr. George Nayler; certifi-cate, Mr. W. J. Williams. Junior Class-Prize, Mr. OscarByrne; certificates, Mr. G. Y. Hunter and Mr. J. Penny.-Physiology. Prize, Mr. J. R. Davern; certificate, Mr. J. S.Dodd.-Botany. Prize, Mr. W. R. Cornish; additional prize,Mr. J. Penny.-Chemistry. Prizes, Mr. W. R. Cornish andMr. J. Penny.-Practical Chemistry. Prize, Mr. Wyndowe;additional prize, Mr. C. Royston; certificates, Mr. W. Janeand Mr. Jeckell.-Materia Medica. Prize, Mr. J. Penny; cer-tificates, Mr. W. R. Cornish and Mr. G. Y. Hunter.-MedicalJurisprudence. Prize, Mr. Bolton; certificate, Mr. Firth.-Midwifery. Prize, Mr. W. B. Harrison; certificate, Mr. C.Royston.-Practice of Physic. Prize, Mr. W. B. Stephens;certificates, Mr. H. V. Carter and Mr. Francis Day.-Surgery.Prize, Mr. H. V. Carter; certificates, Mr. Francis Day andMr. W. B. Stephens.At the conclusion of delivering the prizes,The LORD CHIEF BARON said he must be allowed to make a

few observations relative to the object of their then meeting-over which he considered it a great honour to be allowed topreside. The students at large he must congratulate upon theopportunities which such an establishment as St. George’sHospital gave them of studying their profession. The oppor.tunities of studying in hospitals were of comparatively moderndate-so much so, that some of those who had much extendedthe system were still living. It was now certainly a matterof satisfaction, that the study of anatomy could be pursuedunder the sanction of the law, and with the facilities given inestablishments like that hospital for the study of disease. SirBenjamin Brodie had pointed out to them the importance ofthe study of disease by the bed-side of the patient; and hadtold them, that notwithstanding his lengthened study and ex-perience, he still derived assistance and information from hisnotes taken, while a young man, at that hospital; and theycould not do better than follow the example of so dis-tinguished a member of the profession. If ever the greatlaw which governed human life was to be discovered, itcould only be through the accumulated observations of thosewho devoted themselves to the medical profession. He knewof no profession-without disparagement to his own or anyother-more valuable or more interesting than that of thesurgeon and medical man. They had the whole study ofnature before them, while the profession to which he belonged,after leaving science and literature at Cambridge or Oxford,were confined to the dull study of precedents and acts ofparliament, many of them contradictory, and hardly to berendered consistent with one another. The gentleman whofirst addressed them had alluded to the advantages of industry,which could not be too highly appreciated. Demosthenes,upon being asked what were the requirements of an orator,replied,-firstly,action; secondly,action; and thirdly,action; notmeaning thereby, however, the mere swinging about of thearms. Now, if he were asked what would insure success inlife, he would say,-firstly, industry; secondly, industry;and thirdly, industry. (Cheers.) He believed that it was theCount de Buffon who said that genius was nothing. He wouldnot go to that extent; but though the public admired andrevered genius, it did not reward it, the real rewards in thislife being obtained only by labour,- continuous labour(Cheers.) The greatest reward in this life was to be found,