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accompanying beautiful drawings, Mr. West has depicted,-with the greatest accuracy and minuteness, the whole nervousstructures demonstrable in these preparations on the surface ofthe heart. But the ganglia and nerves represented in thesedrawings constitute only a small portion of the nervous systemof the heart, numerous ganglia being formed in the walls ofthe heart, which no artist can represent. It can be clearly de-monstrated that every artery distributed throughout the wallsof the uterus and heart, and every muscular fasciculus of theseorgans, is supplied with nerves upon which ganglia are

formed."

POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS.To the Editor of THE LANCET. I,

SIR,—I shall feel obliged by your inserting this, and a copyof the letter I forwarded to the Poor-law Board on the 23rdinstant, that your readers may understand how affairs are pro-ceeding with the Union medical officers.The forms sent with it are ruled in a similar manner to those

now in use, but the lines are continued on the opposite sheet;so that at one glance the progress of the case may be seen forseven, eight, or ten weeks. In case any objection should bemade to change the size of the present book, I have ruled onefor the same covers, and it is headed as follows:-Name; Age;Residence; Nature of Disease; Week ending-; Necessariesordered to be given to the Patient, or Observations, (the lasttwo headings are repeated for seven weeks’ entries;) Durationof each Case in Days; Distance in Miles from Surgeon’s Resi-dence ; Termination of the Case, or carried on.The three following forms are on paper which will make the

book three and a half inches longer than the present one, andgive to each patient a line of three feet in length, and is ruledfor the following headings :-

Second .Form. No. of Case; Name; Age; Residence; Natureof Disease; Week ending Necessaries ordered to be given tothe Patient; Observations, (the three last headings are repeatedfor seven weeks’ entries;) Present State, or Termination of the- Case.

Third Form.-No. of Case; Name; Age; Residence; Natureof Disease; Week ending Necessaries ordered to be given’to the Patient, or Observations, (the two last headings’are re-peated for eight weeks’ entries;) Duration of each Case in Days;Distance in Miles from Surgeon’s Residence; Termination ofthe Case.

Fourth Form.—No. of Case; Name; Age; Residence; Natureof Disease; Week ending--; Necessaries ordered to be givento the Patient, or Observations, (the two last headings are re-peated for ten weeks;) Termination of the Case.

It is possible that better forms might have been suggested,but I thought it desirable not to introduce greater change thanabsolutely necessary, fearing that if we ask too much, theBoard would only " take it into consideration." I have everyreason to believe that great good will accrue from our petitionsto Parliament, as the numerous letters forwarded to me fromthe local secretaries convey the information that the variousM.P.’s whom they have addressed, are perfectly astonished atthe paltry sum we receive for our incessant labours, and pro-mise their support next session, should the Poor-law Boardpersist in refusing adequate payment.Two hundred and nine petitions have been presented to Par-

liament, and the same number of memorials to the Poor-lawBoard, and possibly also others without my knowing it. Those,however, represent upwards of one thousand men-a phalanxsufficiently powerful to effect much next session, should we beobliged again to appeal to the House of Commons; but I trustthe three hundred and fifty-five Unions now on my list, andothers also, will join in any future proceedings, and that notrivial objection to the mere wording of a petition will causeanyone to withhold his name from it, but that he will view itas a whole, and consider the general good only. Money is notin actual request at present, but I should certainly advise gen-tlemen to forward their subscriptions, in order that the Com-mittee, with ample funds at command, may be in a position topay current expenses, and at any moment to renew the con-test. A majority of the Unions have not contributed theirmite to the cause, many having signed the petitions withoutsubscribing, and others the reverse. When I publish the listI hope this curious anomaly may be less apparent.

I am, Sir, yours &c., ,

Royal-terrace, Weymouth, July, 1856. RICHARD GRIFFIN.RICHARD GRIFFIN.

No. 22,080. 12, Royal-terraee, Weymouth,23rd July, 1856.

My LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,—I received a letter from yourHonourable Board, June 20th, acknowledging the receipt ofthe memorial signed by one hundred medical men. In fhisletter you say-" As regards the request that the Board will,in order to lighten the burden of the arduous duties of medicalofficers, direct the alterations recommended to be made in theform of the weekly return, the Board have carefully consideredthe proposal, but are of opinion that the alterations suggestedcannot properly be made, consistently with the due attainmentof the object for which the return is required."

I have communicated this reply, through the medium of themedical journals, to all the Union surgeons, and am not sur-prised to find it has caused much regret, strengthening as itdoes the belief, openly expressed by many, that the grievances.of the Union medical officers are little heeded by your Honour-able Board. In this opinion, however, I cannot at presentconcur, believing the result of your deliberations has beenarrived at by viewing the Amersham Weekly Return-sheet inits present form only, which was not intended by the memo.rialists, it being referred to simply as one that prevents theuseless labour of rewriting the names weekly, and that anyother having the same end would answer equally well. ’Inquoting the Amersham Weekly Return-sheet, it was thoughtthat no objection could possibly be offered, it having alreadybeen stamped by the approval of your Honourable Board forthe last twenty years, which of course would not have beenthe case had it not satisfactorily carried out your policy inthat district. I can now only account for its rejection ’byassuming that it is your determination to lay down a uniformsystem throughout the kingdom. With this view, I ventureto submit four forms for your consideration, trusting one ofthem may be admitted into the extensive reform so muchneeded, and which we confidently hope you have in contem-plation. The weekly re-entry of the names is decidedly objec-tionable for all statistical purposes, and is proved to be a greathardship by the fact that not only has a memorial on the sub-ject been presented to you by a large meeting of medical menassembled from all parts of the kingdom, but the prayer of ithas been reiterated in other memorials from upwards of twohundred Unions, representing the opinions of from one thou-sand to fifteen hundred of your officers. I need scarcely add,that the adoption of any one of the forms now submitted toyour notice will be a great saving to the nation, and contributeto the relief of the Union surgeons. I will not now refer tothe other part of the memorial, as I trust before long I shallhave the pleasure of hearing from you that your HonourableBoard has decided to enforce a just and uniform system ofpayment throughout the kingdom, as the law empowers youto do, and thus prevent our body petitioning Parliament nextsession.

I have the honour to be, my Lords and Gentlemen,Your obedient servant,

To the Poor-law Board. RICHARD GRIFFIN.

CIVIL SURGEONS IN THE EAST.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—I regret that the civil surgeons of the Smyrna Hospitalin advocating their own claims, should have thought fit to dis-parage those of their brethren at Scutari. It was clearly nofault of the Smyrna surgeons that they had nothing to do. Nodoubt they would have been as glad to work as their brethrenat Scutari; but there was some difference between the positionof the two. If I am rightly informed, the Smyrna men had asumptuous table and attendance, while the Scutari men hadnot even military rations for more than three months, for whichthey have received no compensation. Moreover the pay of fiveof the civil surgeons relieved from duty at Scutari on the 30thof January* was not continued up to their arrival in England,contrary to all military rule, to common sense, and the treat-ment of every other branch of the service, surgeons of all otherclasses included. Also, the Scutari surgeons were promised.local military rank, which was twice given and twice with-drawn without the least cause. The five surgeons alluded towere ordered to report themselves in London, and one of themlost an important engagement in Turkey in consequence. Theyhave a clear claim for pay up to their arrival in London, andall the civil surgeons at Scutari are entitled to compensationfor deprivation of rations for upwards of three months.

* And who had not served a twelvemonth.147

148

I hope the Smyrna civil surgeons will retract the egotisticalstatement that the Scutari surgeons had less claim than them-selves. The writer of this letter has reason to believe that helost

an important and lucrative appointment by his absence,nor is he conscious of any inferiority in professional and scien-tific standing to any gentleman at Smyrna or elsewhere. More-over, all have had the assurance of the highest military andprofessional authorities that they did their duty.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,July, 1856. A SCUTARI CIVIL SURGEON.

HOSPITAL PHARMACEUTISTS. — UNREMUNE-RATED LABOUR.

FREDK. J. BROWN, M.D.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Allow me to protest against the increase of 7iono?-ai-yappointments in hospitals. Services that are really valuableshould be remunerated. I make these remarks because I notice,in THE LANCET for the 19th July, a resolution of the BristolRoyal Infirmary, to the effect "That the interests of thischarity have been proved to require the assistance of a profes-sional pharmaceutist." I beg your attention, Sir, to the dutiesof the pharmaceutist, set forth in the resolution,-namely, to"purchase and be responsible for the selection, quality, andprice of all the drugs and chemicals required in the institu-tion." For these important duties no remuneration is ofered.

I consider that the trustees of the Bristol Royal Infirmaryare guilty of extreme injustice, and that the proper coursefor them to pursue will be to make the office of pharmaceutistto their institution a salaried one.

I have no personal interest in the subject of this communi-cation, but 1 am desirous of putting a check upon the spreadof a great evil,--namely, that of unpaid hospital labour.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,Chatham, Kent, July, 1856. FREDK. J. BROWN, M.D.

Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following gentle-

men, having undergone the necessary examinations for theDiploma, were admitted members of the College at the meet-ing of the Court of Examiners on the 25th ult.:-

DONALDSON, JOHN BROWN, Newcastle-on-Tyne.FISHER, CHAS. HOLDRICH, Bungay, Suffolk.FORSTER, THOMPSON, Southwell.FOTHERINGHAM, THOMAS, Southampton.GILL, THOMAS BULLEN, White Lion-street, Pentonville.HUMPHREYS, CHARLES JoNES, Llygodig House, Montgo-

meryshire.HUNTER, CHARLES, London.JOULE, RICHARD, Stone, Staffordshire.LEACHMAN, FREDERICK, Highbury.LEONARD, CHARLES GEORGE, Old Kent-road.MORGAN, WM. EvANS, Brixton, Carmarthenshire.

’

PATRICK, JARMAN, St. German’s, Norfolk.PILCHER, EDWD. WM. HUMPHERY, New Broad-street.POPE, ALFRED CROSBY, Leamington.RowE, SAMUEL, Leicester.TAYLER, WM. HENRY, Sunbury, Middlesex.THOMAS, JOHN, Narberth, co. Pembrokeshire.

At the same Court, Mr. JOHN LITTLE passed as a NavalSurgeon, his diploma bearing date the 12th of April, 1850.The following gentlemen were admitted members on the

28th ult. :-

ADCOCK, GEORGE ROBERT, Shepperton.BATEMAN, CHARLES, Leicester.BOYCE, WM. STEWART, Leominster.BURKE, STEPHEN JOHN, Dublin.DAWSON, JEAN JACQUE, Ecuador.EDWARDES, CHARLES LAURENCE, Pitsea, Essex.KEOGH, PATRICK MOONEY, Dublin.PROCTOR, WILLIAM JAMES, Belfast.QUIROZ, RAFAEL LEANDRO, San Josè, Costa Rica.STEEL, SAMUEL ELMES, Blaenavon Iron Works, Monmouth-

shire.148

APOTHECARIES’ HALL. - Names of gentlemen whopassed their examination in the science and practice of Medi.cine, and received certificates to practise, on

Thursday, July 24th, 1856.ADDISON, GEORGE, Uxbridge.BULLMORE, WILLIAM KING, Falmouth, Cornwall.DODGSON, HENRY, Cumberland.FORSTER, THOMSON, Southwell, Notts,Goss, SAMUEL DAY DiTCHETT, Stapleton, Gloucestershire.OXLEY, WILLIAM, Rotherham.WORKMAN, FRANCIS, Reading.

WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.-The annual dinner of themedical officers of the hospital, and the lecturers of the West.minster School, took place on the 25th ultimo, at the ShipTavern, Greenwich. About sixty gentlemen sat down. Dr.Basham presided.

After the usual loyal toasts, the Chairman proposed "Pros-perity to the Westminster Hospital and School," which wasdrunk with much enthusiasm. In his speech, Dr. Bashamadverted to the celebrity which the hospital had enjoyed as aschool of clinical instruction for a great number of years. Itwas the hospital with which some of the most eminent phy-sicians and surgeons had been connected. Of late years a schoolhad been attached to the institution, and the success of theexperiment had been most encouraging and gratifying. Thenumber of students was annually increasing, and it was onlyfair to presume from the past, that the Westminster HospitalSchool might claim to be a rival with some of the older andlarger schools in the metropolis.Amongst other toasts, the Chairman proposed the " Medical

Press," and particularly mentioned the names of Mr. Clarke,of THE LANCET, Dr. Radcliffe, the accomplished editor of the" Half-yearly Abstract of the Medical Sciences," and Mr. D. 0.Edwards, as having contributed materially to the interests ofthe profession, by their services in the cause of medical perio.dical literature. Mr. Clarke and Dr. Radcliffe returned thanks.

It is only due to Mr. Quartermaine, of the Ship Tavern, tostate that the dinner was served up in a highly creditablemanner. Every delicacy of the season was on the tables, thewine was excellent, and the waiting department unexception-able. The company separated at a reasonable hour, highlypleased with the evening’s entertainment, and fully impressedwith the advantages of such reunions of the old and newstudents.

ELECTION.-Dr. Kebbell has been unanimously electedphysician to the Sussex County Hospital, in the room of Dr.Jenks, resigned.A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER DROWNED DURING THE IN-

UNDATIONS IN FRANCE.—As Dr. Aragon, (of Bourg d’Oisans,) inthe department of Isre, was returning home at night on May29th last, from seeing his patients residing in the mountains,he was carried away by a powerful torrent and perished. Hisbody had not been found two days after the catastrophe.HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK ENDING

SATURDAY, JULY 26.-The mortality in London is below theusual average rate which prevails within its limits. In theweek that ended on Saturday, 995 persons,-of whom 487 weremales, 508 females,-died. The total number differs little fromthat of the preceding week, which was 1018. The correctedaverage of the corresponding weeks of the previous ten years was1213. But this result represents more than the nominal rate ofmortality, in consequence of cholera, which was epidemic inl849and 1854, having carried off in the corresponding weeks ofthose years about 916 persons. Of the 995 persons who died,522 were under 20 years of age, 147 were 20 and under 40,146were 40 to 60, 146 were 60 to 80, and 34 were 80 years of ageand upwards. 278 persons died of zymotic diseases, including11 by cholera, 71 by diarrhoea, 20 by small-pox, 45 by measles,19 by scarlatina, 48 by typhus, &c. 10 of the deaths bycholera are returned as infantile cholera, and occurred to chil-dren under 2 years of age. The deaths from diarrhoea, haveincreased from 15 weekly in June, to 29, 48, 62 in July, and inthe last week to 71. Of 99 deaths assigned to diseases of therespiratory organs, 41 were caused by bronchitis, 42 by pneu-monia, 4 by asthma, 3 by pleurisy, laryngitis, &c. Phthieiswas fatal in 120 cases. Half of the deaths that happen on anaverage in London, between the ages of 20 and 40, are fromconsumption and diseases of the respiratory organs. The deathsfrom these diseases in the last week were 65 ; the deaths fromall other diseases at the same period of life were 82. Thedeaths from consumption and from other diseases of the respi-ratory organs, at all ages, were 220.