CURIOSITIES OF THE MEDICAL REGISTER

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iodine. The attack lasted but a few days, and all was soonwell. But, from that moment, the testicle began to waste;and when I saw the patient, at the age of eighteen, the lefttesticle was about the size of a bean, and the right of thenormal bulk. At that period he sought my advice for anattack of gonorrhaea, contracted in the ordinary way. I treatedit with cubebs and astringent injections. Soon afterwards,the epididymis on the right side became inflamed, and I con-sidered myself called upon to adopt energetic measures on ac-count of the state of the left testicle. Leeches, rest, anti.mony, &c., soon subdued the inflammation, and very little in-duration was left. But the interesting part of the case remainsto be told. When the discharge had disappeared, and theright testicle was comparatively well, the left began to inc1’ea8ein size, without pain or any unpleasant symptom, and soonreached the size of a walnut. At that stage the patient leftLondon, the generative power being in good condition.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,VICTOR DE MÉRIC,

Surgeon to the Royal Free Hospital, and tothe German Hospital, Dalston.

Brook-street, Aug. 1859.

THE NAVAL MEDICAL SERVICE—HONOURTO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—Fearful that an error of which the naval medical pro.fession has been chargeable shall be perpetuated, I am anxiousat the present time to renew a suggestion for which a portionof your columns was several months ago kindly allotted to me.

After a long-continued and persistent representation of thefalse position occupied by the naval assistant-surgeon, ColonelBoldero, the undaunted and disinterested champion of thecause, brought the opinion of his country to bear on the resist-ance which had up to that time been successfully offered to the’question. The result was a triumphant vindication of thoseclaims which public opinion had largely asserted in favour ofthe junior medical officer in the navy.

It has never been denied that Colonel Boldero promoted thereform in the medical department of the navy, and yet in noway has he been publicly assured that his important servicesare most gratefully and universally appreciated by the profes-sion. Since the claims of the naval assistant-surgeon were soably and successfully advocated, the military authorities, acting’upon the lessons which the Crimean war had imparted to them,advanced the military medical officer to a position which be;itshis profession and his services. To have withheld similar pro-motion to the naval surgeon would have been not only un-gracious but unjust. At such a crisis, the naval medical service,had reason to congratulate itself that Sir John Pakington, noless distinguished for his appreciation of the claims of educationthan for his liberal and enlightened opinions, presided at theBoard of Admiralty. The circular which proclaimed the ex-tension of a simple measure of justice was due to Sir JohnPakington. To him, therefore, the attention of the professionhas been lately directed, as the man to whom some tribute ofgratitude and respect should be tendered; and it is with refer-ence to a circular, of which I have received a copy, that I amdesirous of recording my conditional protest. Unwilling tojbelleve that the gentlemen whose names appear in the list sub-scribe to the resolution which was framed by one or two mem-’bers only, and which implies that Sir John Pakington is entitledto our sole consideration, I would ask if we are not equally in-debted to Colonel Boldero? Although our acknowledgmentsare tardy, it may not be too late to evince our remembrance ofhis services, and his name might now be fitly associated withthat of Sir John Pakington. I shall withhold my name fromthe subscribers’ list until the heavy weight of ingratitude toColonel Boldero, which presses heavily upon us all, is removed,and until he is included amongst the worthy recipients of atestimonial, when it may be hoped that it will assume a morevaluable and enduring form than that of a bust.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,SURGE07 1:.-N.August, 1859.

THE NAVAL MEDICAL WARRANT.1’0 tlce Editor 0./ ’.rUE LANCET.

SiR,-The anomalous position which naval medical officers-at present hold must cause great injury to the service, as wellas extreme dissatisfaction to those officers in general. By theWarrant issued by order of her Majesty the Queen in Council onthe 13th of May last, naval medical officers are to have increased

pay and rank, with all the advantages attached thereto, ex-actly the same as combatant officers. But how does the casestand ? They have the pay according to the scale set down inthe new Warrant, and nothing else: a surgeon, who ranksnow with a commander, or, as it is stated in the Warrant,with a major in the army, according to date of commission, iscompelled to wear his old uniform-namely, that equivalent tothe rank of Lieutenant R.N.; and this is equally the casethough he may have served his twenty years, and be entitledto the relative rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. And touching thenew rank of Sbff-Surgeon, which every surgeon who hastwenty years’ full-pay time is entitled to-no such rank ismentioned in the Navy List, notwithstanding the order inCouncil.

Those gentlemen who have recently joined the service havebeen little aware of the indignities which medical officers inthe navy have to suffer; they have little known the slightsand opposition which they have always had to contend with,and which they may now expect in greater force than ever,seeing that the provisions of the new Warrant, with the soleexception of the pay, are completely ignored by the Admiralty.It is to be hoped that, when Parliament again meets, Sir JohnPakington will see into the matter, and oblige the Admiraltyto carry out the Warrant (of which he was the author) to theletter.

Apologizing for thus far trespassing on your valuable space,and hoping yon will use your powerful pen in the cause,

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,August, 1859. ALPHA.

CURIOSITIES OF THE MEDICAL REGISTER.’1’0 the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In addition to the name of Mr. Richard Organ, theRegister contains the following, which I presume will be erasedfrom it in accordance with the provisions of Clauses 6 and 29of the Medical Act, on which the Council acted in the case ofMr. Organ. 1 remain, Sir, yours, &c.,August. 1859. JPSTITIA.

Name.

Crisp, John ...............

Cmrie, Alexander ......

Dawson, Francis ......

Graves, Richard........

Hay, William ............

Jamieson,Arch.Moodie

Lloyde, Hans ............

Menzies, George......... , i

Residence.

Wheathampstcad, Hert-lordshire

Bowmore, Islay, Argyll-shire

Rothe., lIorayshire

Ringville, Dungarvan,Co. vVaterford

Eskdalemuir, by Lang-holm, Dumt’riesshireThornlll11, by Stirling

JHalahide, Co. Dublin

Duff town, Banffshire

Qualification.

Surgeon to a charitableinstitution. (p. 70.)

Surgeon in the public ser-vice. (p.73.)

Surgeon in the public ser.vice. (p. 79.)

Surgeon in the public ser-vice, 1852. (p. 121.)

Surgeon in the public ser-vice. (p. 136.)

Surgeon in the public ser-vice. (p. 159.)

Assistant-Surgeon in theMilitia, 1815. (p. 184.)Surgeon in the public ser-

vice. (p. 205.)

THE MARSHALL HALL METHOD OF TREAT-MENT IN ASPHYXIA.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—A few weeks since, I was called to attend a lady inlabour with her first child. The case went on very favourably,but upon the child being expelled, it was to all appearancedead. As it had not respired, I at once divided the cord, with-out losing any blood, as there was a certain amount of warmth inthe child. I then commenced the process recommended by Dr.Marshall Hall, but for a long time did not receive the slightestencouragement, and was asked by the nurse to desist from anyfurther attempts to restore animation, as she was quite sure itwas dead. As, however, I had been successful in previouscases, I still persevered, and by holding it in a draught, andusing gentle friction over the region of the lungs, I was in ashort time rewarded by a gasp, which was very soon fol-lowed by another, and in the space of five minutes respirationwas fully established. The child is now much smaller thanwhen born, and does not appear to thrive, although everymeans has been used.

It is rather strange that in all cases in which I have usedthe Marshall Hall treatment, the children have died a fewmonths after. Perhaps some of your readers may be able toexplain why, and if such is generally the case.

I remain. Sir. vour obedient servant.W. M. WHITMARSH,

Assistant to Dr. Pearse.Regent-street, Westminster,August, 1859.