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Medical Diary of the Week.

MONDAY, JUNE 2 .....

TUESDAY, JUNE 3 .....

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 5 ...

FRIDAY, JujrE 6 .........

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 ...

ST. MARK’S HOSPITAL FOR FISTULA AND OTHEIDISEASES OF THE RECTUM.-Operations, 1¼ P.MROYAL FREE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.

.METROPOLITAN FaEE HOSPITAL. - Operations2 P.3f.

ROYAL INSTITUTION. - 2 P.M. General 7.,Jonthl)i llIecting.LODONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.-8 P.M."Guv’s HOSPITAL.-Operations, It P.M.WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.ROYAL INSTITUTION.-4 P.M. Rev. G. Hutler, "Onthe Art of the la, t Century."ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY. -8 P.M. Mr. Spencc)St. Juhn, "On the Wild Tribes of Boneo."-Alr. Wm. Spottiswoode, "On the Wild’fribes 01Kurdistan." - Dr. Edward Pick, " On the Lawof Growth as discoveted by Dr. Liharzik."-A short Vocabulary collected in Australia bv Mr.

Walcott. Communicated by his Grace the Dukeof Newcastle.(MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1 P.M.ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1 P.M.

UNIVERSITY COLLHG8 HOSPITAL. - Operations,2 P.M.ROYAL ORTITOPÆDIC HOSPITAL. - Operations, 2,’ P.M.

OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. - 8 P.M. Dr.

I Tyler Smith, " Four additional Casca of’ Ovario-tomy"-Dr. filbury Fox, "On the Vessels con-

I ceriied in the Production of Phlegmasia Dolen."- Also papers by Dr. Hodges, Mr. Grace, Dr.Cooper Hose, and Mr. Langmore.

GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.-8 8 P.M.ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1 p.u.CENTRAL LONDON OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL. -

Operations, 1 P.M.LONDON HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1½ P.M.GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, KING’S CROSS.-’ Operations, 2 P.M.LONDON SURGICAL HOME.-Operations, 2 P.as.WEST LONDON HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M.ROYAL INSTITUTION. - 3 P.M. Dr. Lyon Playfair,

"On the Progress of Chermical Arts (1851-62):WESTMINSTER OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL. - Opera-) tions, 1; p.M-

ROYAL INSTITUTION. - 8 P.M. Professor Tyndali,

"On Force."

(ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1 r.M.ST.,BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL.-Operations. 1½P.M. HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1½

P.M. COLLEGE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1½ P.M.. KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.-Operations, 1½ P.M.

CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.-Operations, 2 P.M. OnROYAL INSTITUTION.-3 P.M. Prof. Anderson, "Onl Agticultnral Chemistry."

To Correspondents.THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND LIFE ASSuRANCE OFFICES.

Dr. P. Allen (Yealand Conyers) requests us to state that three days after headdressed us the letter on the question of paying life offices, he received acommunication from the Actuary of the Atlas Office," enclosing a fee ofone guinea. The Atlas Comp2ny, therefore, must be added to our list ofpaying offices. The letter of Lr. Allen was by a mistak3 on our part datedMay instead of March.

Chemicus.-The almost universality of the presence of arsenic is becomingestablished every day. Amongst the bodies containing it, common salt maybe mentioned.

A Student, (Bartholomew’s.)-The operation was performed by- Mr. Liston on several occasions.

M.R.C.S.-Any offance committed previous to the passing- of the Medical Actis not punishable under that statnte. The construction of the fortieth clauseis so faulty, and its meaning so obscure, that it is difficult to say what con-stitutes an offence under the Act.

A Constant Reader, (Wolverhampton.)-What proof can be adduced that llr.Pope was privy to the insertion of the paragraph ?

A CANDIDATE FOR THE CIVIL PENSION LIST.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Fully agreeing with every remark in your last week’s annotation re-specting the medical candidate tor the Civil Pensiou List, I only regret thatyou have not devoted more space to a full consideration of the way in whichthe medical profession is treated by the State, and fairly illusrrated the con-stant and growing demand for gratuitous medical services. Will the lawyersor the clergymen thus systematically serve the public for nothing P I trownot.One act of injustice always serves to be the parent of more, and thus the

rights of the University of St. Andrews having- been wantonly sacrificed, Dr.Day next suffers. As one for whom I have a high feeling of respect, I shall beheartily pleased if the proposed application to the Prime Minister be success-ful. The result of the proceeding will at any rate give us some idea how westand at Court. I am, Sir, yours obediently,May, 1862. BETA

A Caution.-Members of the profession should be on their gnard with i eferenceto sending any money to advertisers who make promises of recommendingnervous patients to reside in the house of a medical man. We have reason

to believe that a system of fraud has been carried on to a considerable extentby means of such advertisements. The advertiser requests that money maybe sent to him to pay his travelling expenses, in order to judge for himselfwhether the house is fitted for the patient he proposes to recommend. It is

’ perhaps neeJless to say that there is never any patient forthcoming.D. D.-Dr. , or J. M., M.D.C. C.-A disinfecting- and a deodorizing agent are two very different things. Oithe latter we have many; but of the former it is extremely doubtful if we

possess even one.

A Huter of Humbug must be more definite in his statements, and must sendhis name and address.

An Exhibitor.-We are unable to assist our correspondent. Apply to the Com-, missioners.. MERCURY IN SYPHILIS.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-If the combativeness of Dr. Inglis were less rude and coarse - if he

would ’hrow away the rusty claymore lie fights with, and assume the polishedrapier, lie would do more credit to the cause he espouses, and extinguish anyresret that I am again obliaed to enter the lists with hira. I forbear to noticeridiculous charges of ignorance and low motives of action, and pass to the onlyquest oil which is of any interest to your readers-Is the mercurial vapour-bath a cure for svphilis? Shall we take the three cases quoted by Dr. Inglisas demonstrations of that tact ?The first case, James S-, is vaguely described as having contracted

syphilis, and on three several occasions to have undergone treatment, " withlittle or no ultimate benefit." Anode on the tibia, constant pain down theanterior aspect of the leg, with pain over the whole side and posterior part ofthe cranium, were the symptoms to be treated. Here was periostitis certainly,and it may be conceded that it was syphilitic periostitis. This patient took amercurial vapour-bath-amount of mercury used not stated-every night forthree weeks, with only the slightest softness of the gums. This affection of thegums, of course, indicated the same constitutional disturbance that wouldhave been produced by the internal administration of the drug. Besides themercurial bath, large doses of the iodide of potassium were given internally,and an ointment contaming the iodiules of potassium and ammonium was ap-plied to the node. Quinine and iron were then administered, and "be has re-mained in the best of health for six months." Six months ! Risizm teneatis /ye syphitographers, who know so well that six years would be a not immoderatetime to watt tor a confirmation strong of the ultimate cure. But what willlogicians say to the deduction that the bath was the means of cure, when thatremedy par excellence for periostitis, iodide of potassium, was given in larndoes at the s.M’e time, and when Bnahy those loyal supporters of the coilstitu-tion, quinine and iron, were also called to the rescue ? The second ease, John J-, had taken biue-ptll for three months, and was

in a pitIaole state, with a fissured tongue and weak stomach. Here is a casein illustration of the proverb, " Fas est ab hoste doceri." This is the kind ofcase I wish to diminish, if not altogether to put a stop to, by showing thatsyphilis may Le cured without mercury, and without the miserable resultswhich so frequently attend its administration. " A complete cure was effectedby the bath:’ Whether there was any

" sofn;ess of the gums" in this ease, orfor how long a time the complete cure has lasted, are not considered mattersot sutficient importance to he mentioned.The third case, William L-, had also been salivated for syphilis without

benefit, His general health was injured by the process. Iodide of potassiumand ar,enic tor two months produced very little improvement, and then thevapour-batli was used with °‘ astorishing suceess." " The case has remainedpermanent." The complaint appears to have consisted of "flashes of light‘.as°ing before his eyes, with muscæ volitantcs, the pupils being much dilated."With the statement hfre given, it is utterly impossible to concede that syphilishad anything to do with the case, and we can only vaguely suggest that theoriginct salivation was the cause of the cerebral disturbance. Is it at all pos-sible that those insignificant drugs, quinine and iron, were given also in thiscase, or that some good generous port wine formed any part of the dietary ? How long the permanent cure has lasted in this case is of no importance, as itis to be hoped there was no syphilis to return.

Alas for the reputation of the mercurial vapour-bath, if these were the kindof cases which supported its claims upon our attention ! But I am glad torepeat the statement already made in my small work, that as an externalapplication, exerting no influence upon the whole constitution, mercury invarious forms is most valuable in syphilitic psoriasis and lepra, and especiallyalopecm. I find the red and white precipitate ointments act very efficientlywhen the eruption is limited, and when it covers the whole body we use themercurial vapour-bath at the Royal Free Hospital with decided benefit. Eventhere, with good nurses and the best mechanical contrivances, it neverthelesssometimes happens that the patients become salivated even by one bath, andmuch prostration has resulted. To gmrd myself, however, from miseoncep-tion, I must state that I use these external mercurial applicatious solely ascutaneous excitants, and regard any constitutional results :uisingtherefrom asa misfortune to be sedulously avoideil.

In private practice, the persons who come under treatment are generally toomuch occupied to devote so much time as the bath requires, and they are like-wise too much interested in keeping the matter secret to permit of an arrange-ment for this proceeding in thci’- own homes. These reasons would not, how-ever, be permitted to prevail against the use of the bath in private as wei asin public practice if the bath were that all-important remedy it is unwiselysuggested to be.

Sir, I have already trespassed too much upon your space, and must nottherefore venture to attempt an epitome of anti-mercnrial opinions, foundedon an experience of nearly twenty ears in the ever overflowing wards ot theRoyal Free Hospital-an hospital second only to St. Bartholomew’s, I believe,for its opportunities of studying this disease. But if the observation of manythcusand cases there seen, and of the treatment of those cases with mercuryin all forms, and without mercury-if an anxious study ot the work done by allthe distinguished labourers in this branch of pathology in past and pre’enttimes, give no claim to the possession and expression ot opinions through theusual medium, then it would be a curious matter to know what are the iieces-sary qualifications for writing upon an) question of practice.

j hope not to have to tax your courtesy any more upon this subject, andremain, Your obedient servant,

WEEDEN COOEE, M.E.C.S.Upler Pcrkeley- street, Portman-square, May, 1862.