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at1llesife plaster and bandage, and thewound on the throat brought together bythe same means. 1’he parents were directedto keep the child in a recumbcnt posture,and to feed her sparingly on pap. Thewound was looked at on the third day; onthe fifth the dressings were changed, whenadhesion had taken place on one side verycompletely, and, on the other, although theligatures had cut through, there was noopening of the wound; there existed no

symptoms of excessive inflammation of theparts, dr of irritation of the system. Infifteen days the cicatrices were perfectlyformed, and the wound on the throat almostclosed. On closing the mouth the artificiallip seemed very well adapted to the other,and even when partially open retained thesaliva, and very materially diminished theunseemliness of features. It cannot be yetdetermined whether or not the second setof teeth, with their alveoli, have been somuch destroyed as to prevent the great heldderivable from their growth, by supportingthe flaccid flap. On the whole, the resultof the operation was very satisfactory, espe-cially at Constantinople, by exalting the ’’

practice and utility of surgery amongst theTurks, and encouraging them to submit tooperations beyond the barber’s province ofbleeding and tooth-drawing.

Glasgow, 12th April, 1831.

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

MEDICAL SCHOOL

OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON,On the occasion of the distribution of theMedals and Certificates of Honours tothe Students on the 21st of May, 1831.

By PROFESSOR DAVIS.

Sir THOMAS DENMAN in the Chair.

Mr. CHAIRMAN,—In compliance with thewishes of the Council, and in conformitywith the practice of preceding years, theProfessors of the School of Medicine in this

University have the honour, at the conclu-sion of their third annual session, to submitto the proprietors end other gentlemen pre-sent, a short account of the progress and

prospects of the department of the institu-tion Rhitli is more immediately under theircharge.

It is, Sir, a matter of extreme regret to

your professors of this school, that in oneof its most important classes, certain irregu-larities and disturbances have occurred dur-

ing the session now closing, which havenot a little contributed to impair its utility,and to iujure its reputation. But, Sir, it isnot within the province of the individualwho has now the honour of addressing you,even to give an opinion on any of the mal-ters in dispute, much less to enter into anydetails on questions which are at this mo-ment in the course of being discussed, and,also, he earnestly hopes, of being speedily,happily, and satisfactorily, adjusted.

In all the other classes of the medicalschool of the University, your professorshave much pleasure in reporting that therehas been the most perfect order throughoutthe session. The business of the presentmeeting will, indeed, soon prove to you,that many of our students, during their latesessional attendance in the schools, havehonourably distinguished themselves by anassiduous and most successful prosecutionof their professional studies; whilst ofthe great majority,-as well of those whohave not contended for the honours of this

day, as of those who have contended forthem unsuccessfully,—it is a fact well knownto their respective professors, that many-so many, indeed, as to constitute by farthe greater number of the entire school,-have made highly-important accessions to

their previous knowledge.In favour of those few who, whilst pos-

sessing sufficient sliare, both of industry andnatural ability, have nevertheless failed to

acquit themselves fully to the satisfaction oftheir teachers, there are two or three circum-stances which deserve to be particularly no-ticed, and which cannot be too frequentlyrepeated on occasions like the present.Of these, the one probably of greatest

influence is, that too many of our youths, byreason of want of knowledge, or at least ofsound discretion on the part of their friends,are introduced into the business departmentof our profession, without a sufficient pre-vious education to enable them to prosecutewith advantage the studies which awaitthem on their future medical schools.The result of this ill-advised procedure is,

that the subjects of it are brought suddenlyto encounter the greatest disunities incidentto the prosecution of abstruse professional

271

Rttdia, while yet uMpossMed of any oj

tbo important habits of mind upon whichtheir satisfactory progress must essentiallydepend,—without taste for their new put-suits often without pleasure in study ofany Hnd;—without any acquired power ofapplication; and not unfrequently withoutthe capacity of acquiring such powerwithout the ability, from practice, to appre-hnd ideas attempted td be conveyed tottiem in connected diseourses;-withouteven a sufficient acquaintance with the usemd power of their own language; and,sometimes, without any knowledge whateverof that most beautiful, and useful, ancienttongue, from which so much of the techni-cal language of their profession is derived.Anotherdisqualifying circumstance, which

operates as a great impediment to a success-ful prosecution of the studies usually pur-sued in medical schools, is imputable to theoperation of certain wretched statutes, bywhich young gentlemen intended for the

general business of the profession, as ptac-tised in this country, are compelled to de-vote four or five of the best years of theirlives to the menial drudgeries of an absurdapprenticeship, of which, in point of sub-dtsntlal professional instruction, all the be-nefit may be obtained by more judiciousmeans in a fourth part of the time.This is an evil, Sir, which can oaly be

remedied by the interposition of the legis·]fiture ; and it is one of so great a magni-tude, and one now so well understood, andso seriously deplored by the more intelligentpart of the profession, as to give us goodground to hope that it cannot much longerremain untedressed.

Nearlyal1ied to this latter evil, Sir, arestill some othets, which contribute in notrivial degree to aggravate the early dis-advantages of the class of medical stu-dents to whom these remarks are intend-ed ptincipally to apply—viz, the occasionalineompetency, and the more frequent dis-inclination of their first professional pre.ceptors, their legal masters, to teach themthe simplest elements of medical education. iBut to return to the more immediate ob-

jeets ef the present report, your medicalprofessors, Sir, have to request your kindettintlou (which however they do withmuch diffidence) to a brief enumeration ofthe services which this iafant institution is

already rendering to the cause of a soundprofessional education. They have the satis-faction bf informing th6 Council, that manyof their students of the precedirtg years

have already entered upon the active duties’of the profession in different parts of theUnited Kingdom, and have there reportedgreat and good things fif the advantages ofeducation to be obtained in th tSedieatschool of this University. Others, throughthe influence of the honourable distinctionsconferred upon them in this plaéej on formerpublic occasions like the present, have se-cured for themselves important professionalappointments in some of our principal prd-vincial cities and towns.And here it becomes the gratifying duty of

your professors to acknowledge their specialobligation to yourself, Sir,for your kind itro-duction of one of their most distinguishedpupils to an appointment of the descriptionalluded to in vout own favouritd town ofNattingham. An appointment, however,which it is more than probable he could

not have obtained even with the assistatt eof your powerful influence, had he not alsobeen competent to produce before his elec-tors, the splendid tokens, the golden repre--sentatives, of his labours and his triumphs,whilst a student in this University.Your professors of the medical school have

further to report that several of their departedpupils have entered into his Majesty’s pub-lic services in the capacity of assistant sur-geons. Others have gone into divers fo.

reign countries in pursuit of such appoint-ments, and such services, as might be therepresented to their acceptance.There is yet a remaining class who are

still amongst us, but who are ready andeager to quit their native shores, and so tofollow the example of their enterprising pre-decessors.In this part of their report, Sir, your medical

professors have to acknowledge with manythanks the presentation to an aasistant-sur-geoncy in the service of the Hon. the East

India Company, placed at the disposal ofthe Council by the Rt. Hon. Charles Wynneosubject however to the obligation of confer-ring it upon the most talented and most suc-cessful student of his year, who mightchoose to become a candidate for the nomi.nation.

This appointement, Sir, has been award.

272

ed to Mr. John Evans, one of the pre- ssent senior students of the University, with-out competition ; not without competition,it should be observed, because the prize wasdeemed of little value (for it would havebeen joyfully accepted by many of our stu-dents), but because, among these no othergentleman could muster sufficient courageto come to the arena of a severe public ex-amination before the whole body of theirprofessors in competition with Mr. Evans.. But, for this reason, was Mr. Evans excusedthe required test of qualification? No, Sir,on the contrary, he was examined by alland every one of his professors with as

much conscientious fidelity to the con-

ditions imposed upon them by the liberaldonor, as if there had been any greaternumber whatever of rival candidates. Therenever probably was a viva voce examinationof greater severity, nor did ever a candidateacquit himself with more perfect satisfactionto his examiners, or more distinguishedhonour to himself.Mr. Chairman ;-In the order of subjects

upon which it is the duty of your medicalprofessors further to inform you, are certainchanges which, by death and resignations,have taken place in their own body sincethe commencement of the present year’slabours.Mr. Bell’s retirement from the chair of

physiology, the duties of which he had

performed highly to the satisfaction of hisnumerous auditory, occurred at an earlyperiod of the session, and was the cause atthe time of much embarrassment and inter-

ruption to the business of that class. Its

duties, however, after a short interval, wereconfided by the Council to the temporarycharge of Dr. Southwood Smith-a gentle-man (and this is all that can be stated ofhim in his presence) who has devoted someyears of close and unremitting attention tothe study of physiology. The chair of sur.

gery, which also had been occupied by Mr.Bell, was given, in addition to his previoustrust, to Mr. Pattison, the professor of de-scriptive anatomy.At a more ndvanced period of the session,

your professors of the medical school wereinformed of another important resignation-that of their amiable and accomplished col-league Dr. Conolly, the professor of thetheory and practice of medicine. This re-

siguation, it should be observed, was die-tated solely by considerations of a privatenature, Dr. Conolly having retired from hispublic duties at this place amid the sin-cerest regrets of his numerous friends, and

the strongest expressions of approbation andadmiration on the part of his pupils.

This chair has been already filled by the ap-pointment of Dr. Elliotson, and your medi-cal professors beg to avail themselves of thisoccasion to express, in unison with the uni-versal public voice, their unqualified andunanimous approbation of the appointmentof a gentleman so well qualified to sustainthe duties of that important chair1—a gera.tleman who has not exhausted the ener-

gies of a comparatively youthful period ofhis natural life, and is yet possessed of veryextensive experience in the business of

teaching. Moreover, Dr. Elliotson is wellknown to.,the profession as one of the mostdistinguished practical physicians of the

present day in this metropolis.There still remains to report to you, Sir,

another lamented instance of diminution inthe number of your medical professors, bythe premature death of Mr. Bennett, yourlate respected and popular professor of ge-neral anatomy. While, however, deploringthe loss of this talented teacher, now no

more, your professors have to perform anact of justice to another talented teaelierstill living, and now present, by stating, thatthe duties attached to the chair of generalanatomy, were performed during the latter

part of the session by Mr. Richard Quain,with a zeal and success which have securedto him the respect of the pupiis, and de.served the sincerest thanks of your profes-sors.

What changes or new arrangements, oreven new appointments, may become ex-

pedient in consequence of the death of Mr.Bennett, you are aware, Sir, that, by theconstitution of the University, it is not leftto your medical professors to indicate ; andthey therefore most clieerfully content them-selves with expressing their fullest confi-

dence, that the Council will take the same

wise precautions, and show the same im-partial and unbiassable judgment, in their

future arrangements, as have distinguishedtheir late proceedings in the election of Dr.Elliotson.

In conclusion of an address, Sir, which

273

has already occupied too much of yourtime, your proffssors have the honour ojsubmittino, to the most liberal and earliestpossible consideration of the Council, twoimportant measures to be yet undertaken infavour of this infant institution, in order toenable it to extend, and eventually to con-summate, its claims upon public approbationand support, viz., the erection of a generalhospital in the neighbourhood of its locality,and the completion of its own moral archi.tecture, by obtaining for its professors theirundeniably rightful privileges of conferringon their most competent and deserving stu-dents, the academical distinctions usuallyconferred in similar places of education.

In regard, Sir, to the former object, thereis little doubt that the wants of a rapidly-in-creasing population in this district will be-come a means of speedily effecting it ; andas to the latter; your professors feel them.selves entitled to hope, especially when ad-dressing a most influential officer of the go-vernment, that they will not much longerhave to regret the absence of so important asanction to their labours.

THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, May 28, 1831.

THE readers of this Journal will remember

that Sir JAMES SCARLETT, in the course oflast term, moved for a rule in the Court of

King’s Bench, calling upon THOMAS WAX-HY, THOMAS KING, GEORGE DARBY DER-

)IOTT, and GEORGE WALKER, to show cause

why a criminal information should not befiled against them for certain misdemeanors

alleged to have been committed by them inthe theatre of the Royal College of Sur-geons, on the 14th of February, and the 8thof March, last. In consequence of an appli.cation made to the court on behalf of the

defendant Mr. WAKLEY, the rule was en-

ttrged to the present term, and it came on

for argument on Tuesday last, when the de-fendants appeared by the following counsel:Mr. CAMPBELL and Mr. KELLY for Mr.

WAKLEY, Mr. AUSTEN for Mr. KING,Mr. PLATT for Mr. DERMOTT, and Mr.

BoDKiN and Mr. SAUNDEltS for Mr. WAL-

KER. There appeared for the College, in

support of the rule, the ATTORNEY-

GENRRAL, Sir JAMES SCARLETT, Mr. F.

PoLLOCK, and Mr. FOLLETT, making alto-

gether ten counsel employed in the cause,who, with the special pleaders and attor-

neys, constituted a most formidable legalphalanx. In justice we are bound to de-

clare, that the question was most ably dis-cussed on both sides, the counsel havingexerted themselves with very great ability.Two circumstances, however, were remark-

able ; Sir THOMAS DENMAN was fretful and

snappish, and Sir JAMES SCARLETT, " cre-

dat Judæus," uttered not one word againstthe press ! indeed, the learned gentlemanconducted himself with extreme propriety,and although debating a question of allegedlibel, he neither roared nor foamed in de-

nouncing the press. Nay, more ; the learnedbarrister protested that he would not resortto " personalities." After these evidences

of extreme moderation displayed by SirJAMES SCARLETT, it is to be hoped that thecruel practice of depriving hyaenas of their

sight, in order to tame them, will be hence-forth discontinued.

Compelled by the etiquette of the courtto appear the advocate of parties whosemonopolizing, tyrannical, and narrow-mind.ed principles he must have heartily de-spised, Sir THOMAS DENMAN showed, byhis extreme petulance, that the feelings ofthe man of honour were not, without a

powerful struggle, merged in the profes-sional duties of the advocate. Sir THOMAS

DENMAN is a reformer, he is the Attorney.General whom the PEOPLE would elect, had

they the power to make the appointment ;the honourable and learned gentleman is ahater of monopolies and monopolists; and-

ye powers !-it is no wonder that he appear.ed as though almost choked, when he spoke,on one or two occasions, of the 11 respecta-