AGREEABLE PROSPECT FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
1
289 " I am anxious to dissect without absence from home, if possible; but if not, where would you recommend me to proceed, for a short season, in order, at the most economical rate, to rub up my acquaintance with regional and surgical anatomy?" We regret that we are compelled to advise our correspondent to go to Paris I for that purpose, as there is such a scarcity of bodies at this time in the schools of London, that he has no chance of succeeding in his object in this capital. Here, again, is another example of the beneflts which the public and the profession derive from connecting the affairs of medicine With THE STATE. The schools of anatomy, with respect to the practice of dissections, are in direct connexion with the HoME OFFICE. How does the system work? Let the unhappy and disappointed students answer the question. If they go to Paris and dissect, their certificates are not recognised by the Colleges here. Information which is acquired abroad is deemed Contraband at home, and spurned accordingly. A just system of representative government in medical affairs is the only remedy for this and a hundred other evils. What " DIGNITY" do the schools of anatomy derive from their being placed under the Home Office ? We do not hesitate to say that a few of the public meet- ings have been "managed," in the late discussions on the Govern- ment Medical Bill, by some, either of the most dishonest or the most stupid men to be found in the ranks of the profession. ONE OF SIR JAMES GRAHAM’S MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS. MR. William JAMES CLARKE, M.R.C.S.E., of Huddersfield, has forwarded to us for publication the following statement, in the hope that it will be of use in convincing Sir James Graham of the extreme danger of allowing unqualified individuals to practise medicine. Had the gross ignorance of quacks been gene- rally made known by our profession, (adds Mr. Clarke,) un- restricted practice could never have been contemplated :- About eight months ago, Mr.Clarke was engaged to attend the wife of an itinerant quack, then resident in this town, in her ap- proaching confinement. She told him that she had had four children, but had never been able to rear one. They had all died within a few days after birth. Her labour was natural, and the infant was healthy and full-sized. Next morning, when he was called, she complained of having had a good deal of after-pain, and said that her husband (whom she styled " Doctor") wished to give her some portion of a favourite mixture that he was in the habit of prescribing for " his patients" when suffering great pain. The prescription he had left for Mr. Clarke to see. The following is a literal copy of the document:- " Tinct. opii; syrup rhceados; syrup croci. Equal parts." When Mr. Clarke reached home, he found the " doctor" wait- ing to see him, and to ask the question himself. He was " a spruce, dapper, little man," about thirty years of age; courtecus in his manners, and rather fashionably dressed, with a profusion of jewellery, and carried a smart cane. Mr. Clarke told him that his wife was doing well, and that at present medicine was un- called for, adding, that if any should be required, he (Mr. C.) would supply it himself. 11 I presume. Sir," said the doctor, " that you have no objection to me giving the baby a little of the mixture; it was very cross during the night?" Mr. Clarke inquired how much he thought of giving. " Oh," replied he, " a teaspoonful or so." " Whether" (adds Mr. Clarke) " he saw my countenance change or not, I do not know, but he quickly added, ’You know, Sir, drachm only contains twenty drops of the laudanum.’ Comment on these facts is unnecessary; but I could not help thinking of the four babes that could not be reared. This individual remained nearly three months in Huddersfield, and was called in by many members of the middle class of society, and by numbers of the poor, respecting whose treatment, some gross cases of mala praxis by him could be named." AGREEABLE PROSPECT FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS. To the Editor of THE LANCET. Sin,ňNo one can help admiring the ability you have dis- played in analysing the Bill of Sir James Graham. It is done profoundly well, I and every one else must admit; but I wish ta hint to you, that probably you are not aware how strenuously you are writing and labouring against your own interests. You are, I should think, great as is your circulation, desirous of increasing the number of your purchasers. Now, if the Bill of Sir James Graham should become the law, many thousands of the chemists and druggists will become medicul practitioners, to a certain extent, and, of course, readers of THE LANCET. There are, as you know, between 30,000 and 40,000 of us, and the facts I am noticing are, I am sure, worthy of your consideration. Since the prosecution and conviction of Mr. Greenhaulgh, by the London Company,* we have done very little in the medical line. We are quite afraid, and don’t go out, and hardly advise in the shop ; so that our business has been much injured. We all want Sir James’s bill, and would subscribe amongst us some thousands to get it. It will make the physicians and surgeons very great men, and will make us the general practitioners. I am sure you cannot think it right, that it is creditable, for the physi- cians and surgeons to send out drugs. But the plan that will be mostly used will be, for all the chemists and druggists of any extent of business to engage gentlemen as assistants who are registered under the bill. The younger ones will be very glad to lodge in our houses, and take very small salaries; and in this way the public will get qualified medical surgeons, and the drugs compounded at our shops, and served to the public at less than half the present charges of medical men. This would be a great boon to the public; and, as one of their liberal and reform- ing advocates, you, I really think, ought to support it. Who will deny that it would be much to the general advantage for nearly every chemist and druggist to have in his house a qua- lified assistant from one of the colleges? The licentiates of twenty-one, under the bill, will be sure to get theirfirst employ- ment with us. By this plan medical skill and medicines will be everywhere at hand, and at the cheapest rate ; and you cannot contend that these are not advantages to the people. Of course I have not written this letter to be published, as I know full well that you would not publish it; but it contains some hints that you may deem deserving of a little attention. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, A CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. Liverpool, Nov. 25, 1844. P.S. I have been a reader of THE LANCET since September, in the expectation of the passing of the bill, being anxious to pick up all the knowledge I can, about the treatment of com- plaints, as written by you in the reports of the great hospitals. *** Our correspondent has miscalculated. We not only pub- lish his letter, but deem it to be an invaluable production at the present crisis. A tolerably correct indication of some of the blessings which are in store for the general practitioners of this country is here offered to them. Can they remain insensible to such a warning? If they can, they deserve the fate tha threatens them. TREATMENT OF GOVERNMENT MEDICA OFFICERS IN THE POOR-LAW UNIONS. To the Editor.-SIR, The profession regard you in the Iiii of a protector, not only in your character as Editor of T8 L LANCET, but as a member of parliament who is capable of ex t r- cising some control over acts of oppression and injustice ; I thet e. fore submit to your notice the following fact, which has occurred in my practice. A short time ago, I attended a parish patient "V hó had fractured his leg, thigh, and pelvis, and reduced the fractures and made such appliances as were necessary. He lived at on thirty hours. But instead of my receiving any remuneration for my trouble, I was given to understand (by the Guardians) that the poor-law commissioners did not allow any, excepting the patient survived thirty-six hours! What particular charm is there in thirty-six hours? Or what would be thought of such a rule in private practice? If it would not be just in the one case, surely it cannot in the other, nor consistent with the scale of fees which the commissioners have published, relative to fractures * The Society of Apothecaries.ňEr. L. t rearM of age, we suppo6e.-En. L.
-
Upload
trinhquynh -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
1
Transcript of AGREEABLE PROSPECT FOR GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
289
" I am anxious to dissect without absence from home, if possible;but if not, where would you recommend me to proceed, for ashort season, in order, at the most economical rate, to rub up myacquaintance with regional and surgical anatomy?" We regretthat we are compelled to advise our correspondent to go to Paris Ifor that purpose, as there is such a scarcity of bodies at this timein the schools of London, that he has no chance of succeeding inhis object in this capital. Here, again, is another example of thebeneflts which the public and the profession derive from connectingthe affairs of medicine With THE STATE. The schools of anatomy,with respect to the practice of dissections, are in direct connexionwith the HoME OFFICE. How does the system work? Let the
unhappy and disappointed students answer the question. If theygo to Paris and dissect, their certificates are not recognised by theColleges here. Information which is acquired abroad is deemedContraband at home, and spurned accordingly. A just system ofrepresentative government in medical affairs is the only remedy forthis and a hundred other evils. What " DIGNITY" do the schools
of anatomy derive from their being placed under the HomeOffice ? We do not hesitate to say that a few of the public meet-ings have been "managed," in the late discussions on the Govern-ment Medical Bill, by some, either of the most dishonest or themost stupid men to be found in the ranks of the profession.
ONE OF SIR JAMES GRAHAM’S MEDICALPRACTITIONERS.
MR. William JAMES CLARKE, M.R.C.S.E., of Huddersfield,has forwarded to us for publication the following statement, inthe hope that it will be of use in convincing Sir James Grahamof the extreme danger of allowing unqualified individuals to
practise medicine. Had the gross ignorance of quacks been gene-rally made known by our profession, (adds Mr. Clarke,) un-restricted practice could never have been contemplated :-About eight months ago, Mr.Clarke was engaged to attend the
wife of an itinerant quack, then resident in this town, in her ap-proaching confinement. She told him that she had had four
children, but had never been able to rear one. They had all diedwithin a few days after birth. Her labour was natural, and theinfant was healthy and full-sized. Next morning, when he wascalled, she complained of having had a good deal of after-pain,and said that her husband (whom she styled " Doctor") wishedto give her some portion of a favourite mixture that he was inthe habit of prescribing for " his patients" when suffering greatpain. The prescription he had left for Mr. Clarke to see. The
following is a literal copy of the document:-
" Tinct. opii; syrup rhceados; syrup croci. Equal parts."When Mr. Clarke reached home, he found the " doctor" wait-
ing to see him, and to ask the question himself. He was " a
spruce, dapper, little man," about thirty years of age; courtecusin his manners, and rather fashionably dressed, with a profusionof jewellery, and carried a smart cane. Mr. Clarke told him thathis wife was doing well, and that at present medicine was un-called for, adding, that if any should be required, he (Mr. C.)would supply it himself. 11 I presume. Sir," said the doctor," that you have no objection to me giving the baby a little ofthe mixture; it was very cross during the night?" Mr. Clarke
inquired how much he thought of giving. " Oh," replied he, " ateaspoonful or so." " Whether" (adds Mr. Clarke) " he saw mycountenance change or not, I do not know, but he quickly added,’You know, Sir, drachm only contains twenty drops of thelaudanum.’ Comment on these facts is unnecessary; but I couldnot help thinking of the four babes that could not be reared.This individual remained nearly three months in Huddersfield,and was called in by many members of the middle class ofsociety, and by numbers of the poor, respecting whose treatment,some gross cases of mala praxis by him could be named."
AGREEABLE PROSPECT FOR GENERALPRACTITIONERS.
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
Sin,ňNo one can help admiring the ability you have dis-played in analysing the Bill of Sir James Graham. It is doneprofoundly well, I and every one else must admit; but I wish tahint to you, that probably you are not aware how strenuouslyyou are writing and labouring against your own interests. Youare, I should think, great as is your circulation, desirous ofincreasing the number of your purchasers. Now, if the Bill ofSir James Graham should become the law, many thousands ofthe chemists and druggists will become medicul practitioners, toa certain extent, and, of course, readers of THE LANCET. Thereare, as you know, between 30,000 and 40,000 of us, and the factsI am noticing are, I am sure, worthy of your consideration.Since the prosecution and conviction of Mr. Greenhaulgh, by theLondon Company,* we have done very little in the medical line.We are quite afraid, and don’t go out, and hardly advise in theshop ; so that our business has been much injured. We allwant Sir James’s bill, and would subscribe amongst us somethousands to get it. It will make the physicians and surgeonsvery great men, and will make us the general practitioners. I amsure you cannot think it right, that it is creditable, for the physi-cians and surgeons to send out drugs. But the plan that willbe mostly used will be, for all the chemists and druggists ofany extent of business to engage gentlemen as assistants whoare registered under the bill. The younger ones will be veryglad to lodge in our houses, and take very small salaries; and inthis way the public will get qualified medical surgeons, and thedrugs compounded at our shops, and served to the public at lessthan half the present charges of medical men. This would be agreat boon to the public; and, as one of their liberal and reform-ing advocates, you, I really think, ought to support it. Whowill deny that it would be much to the general advantage fornearly every chemist and druggist to have in his house a qua-lified assistant from one of the colleges? The licentiates oftwenty-one, under the bill, will be sure to get theirfirst employ-ment with us. By this plan medical skill and medicines will beeverywhere at hand, and at the cheapest rate ; and you cannotcontend that these are not advantages to the people. Of courseI have not written this letter to be published, as I know fullwell that you would not publish it; but it contains some hintsthat you may deem deserving of a little attention.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,A CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST.
Liverpool, Nov. 25, 1844.
P.S. I have been a reader of THE LANCET since September,in the expectation of the passing of the bill, being anxious topick up all the knowledge I can, about the treatment of com-plaints, as written by you in the reports of the great hospitals.
*** Our correspondent has miscalculated. We not only pub-lish his letter, but deem it to be an invaluable production at thepresent crisis. A tolerably correct indication of some of theblessings which are in store for the general practitioners of thiscountry is here offered to them. Can they remain insensibleto such a warning? If they can, they deserve the fate thathreatens them.
TREATMENT OF GOVERNMENT MEDICAOFFICERS IN THE POOR-LAW UNIONS.
To the Editor.-SIR, The profession regard you in the Iiii -of a protector, not only in your character as Editor of T8 LLANCET, but as a member of parliament who is capable of ex t r-cising some control over acts of oppression and injustice ; I thet e.fore submit to your notice the following fact, which has occurredin my practice. A short time ago, I attended a parish patient "V hóhad fractured his leg, thigh, and pelvis, and reduced the fracturesand made such appliances as were necessary. He lived at onthirty hours. But instead of my receiving any remuneration formy trouble, I was given to understand (by the Guardians) thatthe poor-law commissioners did not allow any, excepting thepatient survived thirty-six hours! What particular charm isthere in thirty-six hours? Or what would be thought of such arule in private practice? If it would not be just in the one case,surely it cannot in the other, nor consistent with the scale offees which the commissioners have published, relative to fractures
* The Society of Apothecaries.ňEr. L.t rearM of age, we suppo6e.-En. L.
