591

rity, does not contain the name of, or even asingle allusion to, the blood of any marsupialanimal whatever; and the result of Mr. Gul-liver’s observations was published, not inthe paper referred to by the professor, but inno less than three publications of an earlier

date, viz.," Dublin Medical Press," N ovem-ber 27, 1839 ; "Annals of Natural History,"December 1, 1839 ; and " Lond. and Edin.Phil. Mag." of the same date.Any comment on this conduct is unneces-

sary, especially as you have formerly ex-

posed the professor’s habits ; and I rely onyour candid treatment of this communication,because it contains no statement without areference so clearly set down that you mayeasily convince yourself of the truth of thewhole. With all the professor’s ingenuity,his claims will not be supported by thedouble and very paltry subterfuge to whichrecourse has been had. I am, Sir, your obe-dient servant,

- TOUCHSTONE.London, June 27, 1842.

TOUCHSTONE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,JULY 20, 1842.

(From the "Morning Chronicle," July 21.)

COLLEGES OF SURGEONS & PHYSICIANS.

IN reply to a question,Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, that he had that

day had an interview with a deputation onthe subject of the Bill which he was aboutto introduce on this subject, and the resultbeing to prove that his views were not suffi-ciently matured, he should postpone all fur-’ther proceeding with regard to it to nextsession.

* * So that for the present the worthyproject is smashed.-ED. L. ’,

CIRENCESTER UNION.-On this subject wehave also received a letter from a corre-

spondent, signed " MEDicus ASSOCIATOR,but on so much later a day than brought thecommunication, p. 589, to hand, the views ofwhich it supports and tends to confirm, thatwe cannot conveniently find it a place, thoughunwilling to put it aside without quoting thefollowing considerate and, we believe, well-founded testimonial on our own behalf inrelation to one particular point:Ņ" On thesubject of anonymous writing I will not

enter; THE LANCET would be deprived of aportion of its usefulness (to say nothing of itspiquancy), if such writing were wholly pro-hibited in its pages. The principles thathave guided its management have been sojust, and the admissions and restrictions ofcommunications have been so judicious, thatbut a remarkably small proportion of privatewrong and annoyance have been undeserv-edly inflicted by what has appeared in itscolumns."

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONSIN LONDON.

LIST of gentlemen admitted members onFriday, July 15, 1842 : - R. Niblett, R.Cooper, H. D. Fowler, J. Hutchison, E.T. I). Harrison, J. Campbell, P. Mackey,W. Watt, A. Cox, J. A. Powell, C. N. Wil-kinson. Admitted Monday, July 18, T. P.Loinsworth, R. Dinham, R. Smyth, W. Ben-nett, H. 0. Hawthorn, J. A. Palin, C. P.Fitzgerald, R. Greenhalgh, G. I. Willes,J. U. Easson, C. Coffey.

AT a council of the Royal College of Sur-geons, on Thursday, the 14th inst., ANTHONYWHITE, Esq., was elected president, andJOHN GOLDWYER ANDREWS, Esq., and SirBENJAMIN BRODIE, Bart., were elected vice-presidents of the college for the ensuingyear.

BOOKS RECEIVED.The Simple Treatment of Diseas6 deduced

from the Methods of Expectancy and Revul-sion. By James M. Gully, M.D. London:Churchill. 1842. 12mo. Pp. 198.The Climate of the South of Devon, and

its Influence upon Health : with short Ac-counts of Exeter, &c. By Thomas Shapter,M.D., Physician to the Exeter Dispensary.London: Churchill. 1842. 8vo. Pp. 258.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.Mr. J. Smith.-We do not know whether

they have appeared in a separate and dis-tinct volume ; but the author himself, if ad-dressed personally, could answer the query.

Fair Play.-l. The jury could 11 legallyreturn a verdict" in absence of the evidencementioned.-2. Not if the medical witnessattends only at the " request" of the func- .tionary. The fee can only be demanded andrecovered on possession of the formal orderdescribed in the Medical Witnesses’ Act.The coroner can " refuse to receive the evi-dence," if he deems it to be unnecessary to averdict which the law would regard as alegal finding.-3. He is " obliged to attend"on receiving the usual printed or writtensummons from the constable or beadle, or onthe personal requirement of the coroner; buthe can refuse to give a medical opinion, ormake an examination of the body, withoutfirst receiving the order above named. (Wehave answered similar questions in the full-est and most complete manner in some formernumbers of THE LANCET, and medical prac-titioners who remain in ignorance of the lawon the subject, really should keep the docu-ments and information there given constantlybefore them, for their instruction and protec-tion.)-4. The court is not an open one, un-less by direction of the coroner, in each ase.The public may be " excluded during theinquiry."