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stools ; had not yet got the oleum ricin::!.Take it immediately, and omit the calomel.From this time his convalescence was

rapid, and on Wednesday I found him pre-paring to leave his bed. The course andtreatment of the former attack differed littlefrom the present one. The j. dose of

calomel, with the opium and antimony, wasomitted; bleeding was attempted, but withlike ill success ; a grain of calomel wasgiven every fifteen minutes for two hours ;then every half hour till evening, when, asre-action seemed going on, the interval wasextended to an hour. External means thesame, and the recovery was no less speedy.

DUBLIN NOVELTIES.INVENTION OF TARTAR EMETIC IN THE

DELIRIUM OF FEVER.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR:—A letter from Dr. O’Brien in your

spirited publication of July 30th havinginduced me to refer to the Dub. 7!.M. Journal,I have found in the latter periodical suchan amusing contrast of puff’s, that a noticeof them is solicited on the principle whichyou boldly maintain, that of exposingquackery in all its grades.In the number for Sep. 1835 we find that

the business of the Medical Section of theBritish Association opened with a com-munication from Dr. Graves on the use ofchloride of sodium in fever,—a communica-tion which the author then considered suf-ficiently important to extend to such length,that the report of it occupies nearly fourpages of print. The Doctor had " used the

remedy in many hundred cases," and statedone of his conclusions to be, that it was notof the least use in the febrile excitement of

ague; yet, in a subsequent number, the lead-ing article of scientific intelligence being onthe use of chloride of soda in ague, the remedyis said " to claim additional attention, onaccount of its undoubted efficacy, as ex-hibited in the Meath Hospital." Dr. Gravesstates, that he was led to try the cloride ofsodium by a pamphlet of Dr. Lawrence, thepresent Archbishop of Cashel, a celebratedoriental scholar, and an excellent chemist,and published by Hodges and Smith,t andthe circumstances under which the as

sembled medical representatives of England,Ireland, and Scotland, were urged to exhibitthis new remedy, as one "most decidedlyadvantageous, and of unquestionable bene-fit," were, " when restlessness, low de-lirium, &c., is present," and " when the body

* Said afterwards to be written soda, and printedlodium. Query.

t This advertisement of the Doctor’s booksellersreminds one ofpoorHiggins’s announcement thatthe celebrated Boyle was the father of PneumaticChemistry, and uncle to the Earl of Cork.

is covered with maculæ. * * * It counteractsthe tendency to tympanitis, and, in fact,appears to be admirably calculated to meetmost of the bad effects of low putrid fever."

But, alas for the instability of medicaltoys ! In May 1836 the author had forsakenhis child.sh love, to celebrate the union oftartar emetic and opium, which he fanciesto be a match .f his own making’, observing" the practice is entirely new, and, I say itwith pride, entirely my own." He thendescribes a fe er which is characterized bytympanitis, low delirium, &c., but withoutpetechiæ. Here surely was a case for thesoda; but of that remedy not a word is

mentioned, and the patient is cured, on the15th day of fever, by 3 of a grain of tartaremetic, and M xi of laudanum !Next case. High delirium, &c., but no

petechiae : the patient, on the 17th day offever, i. put into a profound sleep, and curedhv half a srain of tartar emetic, and M. viissof laudanum. In another case (no petechiæ)sleep, perspiration, and reason, are magically

restored by similar means. And then, in

commenting on these cases, not one of them’ spotted, he writes, " it is the discovery ofthe utility of this practice in the advancedstages of spotted fever that I claim as

‘ particularly my own, for there is not theslightest traces," &c. Afterwards, as if toshow the presumption of the British As-sociation pun, he gives a case where,maculea having appeared, the chloride of

. soda is found to be absolutely useless, andsix small doses of tartar emetic (a tenth of agrain each, and without laudanum) effect acure. And this is advertised as a novelpractice !

Case 2. Copious maculae: 7th day, chlo-ride of soda given; " 8th day, the patientnot worse, bia," 10th day, a straight waist-coat is necessary, and then tartar emetic,in doses of an eighth of a grain, withoutlaudanum, effects a favourable change, andthe addition of laudanum, on the next day,perfects the cure. The patient took about30 minims of laudanum altogether, and thisis called « opium boldly administered."

Case 3. A case in which the counte-nance was " expressive of ferocity," withouteruption, cured by rational doses of tartaremetic.

Case 4. Maculae; tympanitis : 9th day,chloride of soda ; 10th day, patient worse,raved violently, and " complained of badtreatment;" but two doses of tartar emeticand laudanum eflected a cure on llth day.

Case 5. MaculaR : 6th day, tartar emeticand. laudanum : not " much better," until14th day, and only convalescent on the 17th.Yet this patient’s mother and sister had re-covered from a similar fever, the one on the21st, the other on the llth day, with copiousperspiration, and this under opposite andvery questionable treatment. How proneare men to assume to themselves the pro-

762

duction of those benefits which natureeffects in spite of their interference !

Case 6. Maculae: chloride of soda givenon 6th day, " all the symptoms much agogravated on the 12th :" but ; of a grain oftartar emetic, and M. viiss of laudanum, inthree doses, procure 10 hours’ sleep, copiousevacuations, &c., and rapid improvement.Mr. Crampton was 11 surprised at some

results which lie saw under Dr. Graves’hands; but the doctor seems unconsciousthat Mr. C. is a wag who would feign morethan continental surprise and transport forthe opportunity of playing upon the pro-tuberant organs of love-of-notoriety and self-esteem, which his friend’s head presents.And as for the novelty of the plan, it willsoon, no doubt, be discovered, as in the caseof the chloride of soda, to be « now muchused in France." (Dub. Med. Jonr., No.23, p. 378.) For my own part I have aperfect recollection of its having been usedin fever, both in private and in a regimentalhospital, in Ireland, 10 years ago; and inthis country a very old practice has beenthat of giving a combination of stibiatepowder, as it is called, and Dover’s powder,in certain stages of fever,-the stibiatepowder being tartar emetic and chalk. I

beg to refer to " Thompson’s Lon. Disp."(Art. Tartar Emetic,) and Armstrong’sLectures,’’ (p. 346 to 351, and 374-5,) onnauseauts, narcotics, and sedatives in fever,in proof. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c.August 16th, 1836. R.

CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.ALLEGED SALE OF A SURGEONCY.

T. J. PETTIGREW.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR:—There can be no situation more

painful to a sensitive mind than that whicharises from an imputation on his character,and the necessity of several days elapsingbefore an explanation can be offered uponthe subject. This is my position at the pre-sent moment, and as my fear is, that the fullstatement of all particulars relating to atransaction alluded to in your last Number,as having taken place between Mr. How-ship and myself, and upon the subject ofwhich he appears to have made a statementto the College of Surgeons, but of which Iwas never apprised, may not appear in suf-ficient time for notice in your next publica-tion, (but if possible it shall), I trust to yourreaders at least for suspending their judg-ment upon the same, and to giving me creditfor being anxious to afford to them the mostsatisfactory refutation of an unjust andwicked calumny, put forward to promoteparticular views of certain individuals, andfounded in every thing that is base, tyran-nous, and cruel. I have the honour to be,Sir, yours very obediently,

Saville Row, Aug. 22,1836.

THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, August 27, 1836.

MR. PETTIGREW.—STATE OF THE CHARTERS.

ON Friday, the 19th inst., the day before theprorogation of Parliament, the CHANCELLOROF THE EXCHEQUER moved in the House of

Commons, " That an address be presented" to the Crown, praying that his Majesty" would be pleased to direct that copies of" the Draft Charters for the University of« London, and the University College, be laidon the table of the House."

Copies of the " Draft Charters!’’ Vhydraft Charters ?" Oh! The Star-Chamber

system of granting royal charters is, then, atan end! To this conclusion we are irresist-

ibly led by the terms of the motion of theCHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER. "Copiesof the draft Charters." Had the Charters

been in existence, of course the motion wouldhave stipulated for a return of copies of thoseidentical documents. Considering that themotion of the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE-

QUER was made cn the last business day ofthe session, it is calculated to create some

surprise. When are the copies of the drafts,for example, to be laid on the table of the

House ? Clearly not until the next session of

Parliament; and the commencement of thatsession may be very properly postponed tothe month of February in the next year; the

plain and obvious inference, then, to be drawnfrom the terms of the motion is this,-Thatcopies of the drafts of the Charters will belaid before Parliament previous to the at-

tachment of the sign-manual of the King tothe Charters themselves. Any other infer-ence is not and cannot be justified by themotion of the CHANCELLOR OFTHEExCHEQUER.

Taking this common-sense view of the question, this obvious meaning of the words em-ployed by Mr. SPRING RICE, are we disposedto complain of the course which that gentle-man has pursued ? Certainly not. On the

contrary, we think that the CHANCELLOR 01THE EXCHEQUER and the rest of his Majesty’sMinisters have exhibited a praiseworthy’