ON MERCURY AS A CURATIVE AGENT
1
399 Correspondence. THE NAVAL MEDICAL WARRANT. "Audi alteram partem." To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiE,—It is very desirable that all those members of the medical profession who, having just completed their studies, entertain any idea of entering the Royal Navy, should not be misled by the Royal Warrant of the 13th of May last, which is circulated with the curriculum issued from Somerset House. Any stranger, on reading that warrant, would say that the pay, position, and future prospects held out to a surgeon enter- ing on his career, were such as to render an appointment in the navy one to be desired. He would take it for granted that the terms of the warrant would be carried out; and not until it was too late, not until he had taken the shilling, would he learn how he had been gulled. Scarcely any of the provisions of the warrant have been acted upon; and the present Board of Admiralty have shown clearly and unmistakably their de- termination not to comply with them; and in a circular issued during the last week, regulating the rates of travelling ex- penses to be paid to officers, the medical officers occupy their old position, the surgeons (ranking, according to the warrant, with majors or lieutenant-colonels) being paid on the same scale as engineers and naval instructors, both their juniors in rank two grades; while the assistant-surgeon is paid at the same rate as a naval cadet fourteen years of age, and Is. 6d. more than the boatswain or carpenter of the ship. They have shown it by refusing to make any alteration in the uniform, so that medical officers still wear the same as they did formerly, and the same as is worn by officers ranking two grades below them; a staff-surgeon having one row of lace on his coat, while the combatant officer of the same relative rank has three. They have refused to pay to the widow of a surgeon recently deceased the pension according to the terms of the warrant, and they have also refused to act up to the terms of the article referring to forage, allowances, &c. Anyone entering the navy now as an assistant-surgeon, takes a position intinitely inferior to that of his fellow-student who goes into the army. The only benefit the naval medical officers have as yet de- rived from the warrant has been an increase of pay. This, it is to be hoped, the Admiralty cannot deprive him of; most assuredly they will do so if they can. The inducements to take service under them exist only on paper. Let the medical student remember this. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, October, 1859. N’. R. ON MERCURY AS A CURATIVE AGENT. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,-Allow me to inform your correspondent who signs himself " Gideon Gray" that I did not say Mr. Syme for thirty- six years never used a particle of mercury. My statement is, that " after thirty-six years’ experience, Mr. Syme never gives I a particle of mercury"-implying that he has tried it, and found it useless. Besides, it is only since 1856 that mercury has been proved unnecessary in iritis. Since 1856, Dr. Williams, of Boston, gives the statistics of nearly a hundred cases of iritis successfully treated by himself without mercury. It requires considerable boldness at first to treat iritis without mercury, for till within the last two or three years nearly all the profession declared the mineral necessary in that disease. Professor Syme has added many valuable contributions to surgery in his time, but, as I have heard him say, he has often had to grope his way to these discoveries and improvements. There was a time when he would have cut off the leg where he would now only amputate the foot; there was a time when he would have cut off the arm for disease in the elbow or shoulder-joint; there was a time when he treated stricture of the urethra different from what he does now; there was a time when he gave sarsaparilla to cure secondary syphilis : but those times have all gone by, and it is just possible that since 1856 Professor Syme has discovered that mercury is absolutely un- necessary in cases of iritis. I am, Sir, yours obediently, 7,sse-x, October, 1859. M. D. THE "BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL." To the Editor of THE LANCET. SiR,-I shall esteem it a favour if you will allow me to ex- press to the members of the British Medical Association, through your pages, my warm approval of the movement ori- ginated by Mr. Dix at the East York and North Lincoln Branch meeting of the above Association, to divert our funds into some more productive channel than the issue of the weekly journal. It is a poor, sickly production, and I can hardly sup- pose that even its most ardent patron would for a moment compare it with either of the other two weekly medical jour- nals. It generally lies on the members’ tables, where I have seen it unopened until it finds its way into the waste-paper basket. Would it be possible for the Council, by a small annual contribution, to ensure in the pages of THE LAXCET the insertion, as an occasional supplement, of the important pro- ceedings of our Branch Associations? or, if this could not be, a quarterly paper of these proceedings might be issued for about X200 a year, instead of the X2000 a year we waste on this foolish journal-a medical Morning Herald as contrasted with THE LANCET. I have the honour to be, Sir, yours obediently, C. LOCKHART ROBERTSON, M.B. Cantab. Raywards-heath, Sussex, Oct. 1559. THE TRIAL OF JOHN BROATCH. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—With reference to your remarks in THE LANCET of the 8th inst., on the trial of John Broatch, before the Justiciary Court, held here on the 23rd ult., we, the undersigned regis- tered medical practitioners, beg leave to state that when Dr. M’Culloch deposed in that Court that "not one medical man in Dumfries showed his diploma when he got his certificate signed," he cesserted what is not the fact, for we all strictly complied, to the very letter of the law, with the Medical Act, and also with the instructions given by the Medical Registrar. ARCH. BLACKLOCK, late Surgeon Royal Navy. JAMES GRIEVE, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin. WILLIAM SCOTT, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin. ALEX. BORTHWICK, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin. JOHN CHISHOLM, M.D., &c. JAMES LITTLE, M.D., L.R.C.S. Edin. W. H. GARNER, Surgeon, Dumfriesshire Militia. Dumfries, October, 1859. MEDICAL TRIALS. COUNTY MAGISTRATES’ COURT, LIVERPOOL. ANOTHER CHARGE OF ILLEGALLY PRACTISING AS A SURGEON (Before LAWRENCE HEYWORTH (chairman) and JOHN CAMPBELL, Esqs.) MR. THOMAS LAWRENCE OGDEN HOWARD, of Old Swan, appeared to answer an information laid by Mr. William Hon- ner Fitz Patrick, surgeon, charging him with practising as a surgeon without being registered as such, as required by the 40th section of the Medical Act, passed in the last session of Parliament. Mr. Fitz Patrick again appeared on behalf of the surgeons of West Derby to prosecute, and Mr. Snowball for the defendant. Mr. SNOWBALL, addressing the magistrates, said-Perhaps, before we enter upon this case, you will allow me to take an objection to the jurisdiction of the magistrates. Of course, I don’t do so with any degree of doubt that the gentlemen on the bench will do that which is wrong, for I am sure they will not; but I do it simply on this ground—that the Act of Parliament gives the magistrates no power whatever to try the case. There is no section in the Act which appears to me to give them the slightest authority or power to inflict any penalty. There is a section which mentions the mode of recovery of penalties, which says how they may be recovered when inflicted; but there is nothing to show whether the conviction is to be before one, two, three, four, or live magistrates, or whether it is to before a full bench at quarter sessions. Under these circum- stances—inasmuch as I am defending a person charged with a penal offence-of course it is my duty to make the objection,. without, however, any view of giving offence to the magis- trates, which I should be sorry to do. I therefore trust, before
Transcript of ON MERCURY AS A CURATIVE AGENT
399
Correspondence.
THE NAVAL MEDICAL WARRANT.
"Audi alteram partem."
To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SiE,—It is very desirable that all those members of the
medical profession who, having just completed their studies,entertain any idea of entering the Royal Navy, should not bemisled by the Royal Warrant of the 13th of May last, whichis circulated with the curriculum issued from Somerset House.
Any stranger, on reading that warrant, would say that thepay, position, and future prospects held out to a surgeon enter-ing on his career, were such as to render an appointment inthe navy one to be desired. He would take it for granted thatthe terms of the warrant would be carried out; and not untilit was too late, not until he had taken the shilling, would helearn how he had been gulled. Scarcely any of the provisionsof the warrant have been acted upon; and the present Boardof Admiralty have shown clearly and unmistakably their de-termination not to comply with them; and in a circular issuedduring the last week, regulating the rates of travelling ex-penses to be paid to officers, the medical officers occupy theirold position, the surgeons (ranking, according to the warrant,with majors or lieutenant-colonels) being paid on the samescale as engineers and naval instructors, both their juniors inrank two grades; while the assistant-surgeon is paid at thesame rate as a naval cadet fourteen years of age, and Is. 6d.more than the boatswain or carpenter of the ship. They haveshown it by refusing to make any alteration in the uniform, sothat medical officers still wear the same as they did formerly,and the same as is worn by officers ranking two grades belowthem; a staff-surgeon having one row of lace on his coat, whilethe combatant officer of the same relative rank has three.They have refused to pay to the widow of a surgeon recentlydeceased the pension according to the terms of the warrant,and they have also refused to act up to the terms of the articlereferring to forage, allowances, &c.Anyone entering the navy now as an assistant-surgeon,
takes a position intinitely inferior to that of his fellow-studentwho goes into the army.The only benefit the naval medical officers have as yet de-
rived from the warrant has been an increase of pay. This, itis to be hoped, the Admiralty cannot deprive him of; mostassuredly they will do so if they can. The inducements totake service under them exist only on paper. Let the medicalstudent remember this.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,October, 1859. N’. R.
ON MERCURY AS A CURATIVE AGENT.To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SiR,-Allow me to inform your correspondent who signshimself " Gideon Gray" that I did not say Mr. Syme for thirty-six years never used a particle of mercury. My statement is,that " after thirty-six years’ experience, Mr. Syme never gives Ia particle of mercury"-implying that he has tried it, andfound it useless. Besides, it is only since 1856 that mercuryhas been proved unnecessary in iritis. Since 1856, Dr. Williams,of Boston, gives the statistics of nearly a hundred cases of iritissuccessfully treated by himself without mercury.
It requires considerable boldness at first to treat iritis withoutmercury, for till within the last two or three years nearly allthe profession declared the mineral necessary in that disease.
Professor Syme has added many valuable contributions tosurgery in his time, but, as I have heard him say, he has oftenhad to grope his way to these discoveries and improvements.There was a time when he would have cut off the leg where hewould now only amputate the foot; there was a time whenhe would have cut off the arm for disease in the elbow orshoulder-joint; there was a time when he treated stricture ofthe urethra different from what he does now; there was a timewhen he gave sarsaparilla to cure secondary syphilis : but thosetimes have all gone by, and it is just possible that since 1856Professor Syme has discovered that mercury is absolutely un-necessary in cases of iritis.
I am, Sir, yours obediently,7,sse-x, October, 1859. M. D.
THE "BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL."To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SiR,-I shall esteem it a favour if you will allow me to ex-press to the members of the British Medical Association,through your pages, my warm approval of the movement ori-ginated by Mr. Dix at the East York and North Lincoln Branchmeeting of the above Association, to divert our funds intosome more productive channel than the issue of the weeklyjournal. It is a poor, sickly production, and I can hardly sup-pose that even its most ardent patron would for a momentcompare it with either of the other two weekly medical jour-nals. It generally lies on the members’ tables, where I haveseen it unopened until it finds its way into the waste-paperbasket. Would it be possible for the Council, by a smallannual contribution, to ensure in the pages of THE LAXCET theinsertion, as an occasional supplement, of the important pro-ceedings of our Branch Associations? or, if this could not be, aquarterly paper of these proceedings might be issued for aboutX200 a year, instead of the X2000 a year we waste on thisfoolish journal-a medical Morning Herald as contrasted withTHE LANCET.
I have the honour to be, Sir, yours obediently,C. LOCKHART ROBERTSON, M.B. Cantab.
Raywards-heath, Sussex, Oct. 1559.
THE TRIAL OF JOHN BROATCH.To the Editor of THE LANCET.
SIR,—With reference to your remarks in THE LANCET of the8th inst., on the trial of John Broatch, before the JusticiaryCourt, held here on the 23rd ult., we, the undersigned regis-tered medical practitioners, beg leave to state that when Dr.M’Culloch deposed in that Court that "not one medical manin Dumfries showed his diploma when he got his certificatesigned," he cesserted what is not the fact, for we all strictlycomplied, to the very letter of the law, with the Medical Act,and also with the instructions given by the Medical Registrar.
ARCH. BLACKLOCK, late Surgeon Royal Navy.JAMES GRIEVE, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin.WILLIAM SCOTT, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin.ALEX. BORTHWICK, M.D. Edin., L.R.C.S. Edin.JOHN CHISHOLM, M.D., &c.JAMES LITTLE, M.D., L.R.C.S. Edin.W. H. GARNER, Surgeon, Dumfriesshire Militia.
Dumfries, October, 1859.
MEDICAL TRIALS.
COUNTY MAGISTRATES’ COURT, LIVERPOOL.ANOTHER CHARGE OF ILLEGALLY PRACTISING AS A SURGEON
(Before LAWRENCE HEYWORTH (chairman) and JOHNCAMPBELL, Esqs.)
MR. THOMAS LAWRENCE OGDEN HOWARD, of Old Swan,appeared to answer an information laid by Mr. William Hon-ner Fitz Patrick, surgeon, charging him with practising as asurgeon without being registered as such, as required by the40th section of the Medical Act, passed in the last session ofParliament. Mr. Fitz Patrick again appeared on behalf of thesurgeons of West Derby to prosecute, and Mr. Snowball for thedefendant.Mr. SNOWBALL, addressing the magistrates, said-Perhaps,
before we enter upon this case, you will allow me to take anobjection to the jurisdiction of the magistrates. Of course, Idon’t do so with any degree of doubt that the gentlemen on thebench will do that which is wrong, for I am sure they will not;but I do it simply on this ground—that the Act of Parliamentgives the magistrates no power whatever to try the case. Thereis no section in the Act which appears to me to give them theslightest authority or power to inflict any penalty. There is asection which mentions the mode of recovery of penalties,which says how they may be recovered when inflicted; butthere is nothing to show whether the conviction is to be beforeone, two, three, four, or live magistrates, or whether it is tobefore a full bench at quarter sessions. Under these circum-
stances—inasmuch as I am defending a person charged with a
penal offence-of course it is my duty to make the objection,.without, however, any view of giving offence to the magis-trates, which I should be sorry to do. I therefore trust, before
