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C. H. Taylor, Esq., the vice-chair. In addition to the members(amongst whom were R. H. Meade, Esq., and Dr. Bridges,the ex-presidents), Drs. Chadwick and Clifford Allbutt, andS. Hey and T. P. Teale, Esqrs., of Leeds, were present at theinvitation of the president. Some able speeches, relating tothe Society and the progress of medicine and surgery, were de-livered by Dr. Bridges, and Messrs. S. Hey, Foster, Sugden,and others. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was spent. In ’
responding to the toast of "The Leeds School of Medicine," ’,:Mr. Hey spoke of the value of medical and surgical societies,and of the influence for good which friendly gatherings, like I
the one at which he was a guest, had upon the profession. He ’
expressed his warm thanks for the reception which the Leedsgentlemen had received; and trusted that that meeting wouldlead to further reciprocities, and to greater union in the in-terests of medical science, between the practitioners of thetwo principal towns in the West Riding. He expressed adesire, also, that the Bradford gentlemen would avail them-selves of the proximity of Leeds to be present at the forth- coming meeting of the British Medical Association.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.
AT the Comitia Majora held on Thursday last, the onlybusiness of importance was the motion of Dr. C. J. B.Williams for altering the law of recommendation to the
Fellowship. The original proposal of Dr. Williams was
divided into two paragraphs :- !
1. Before the Council proposes the list of members to be
proposed for the Fellowship, it shall be open to receive forconsideration the name of any member or members of a certain
standing recommended by two or more Fellows with a state-ment of the grounds of their recommendation.
2. Further, if not satisfied with the list of names recom-mended for election by the Council, it shall be open to any ofthe Fellows to add to the names on the list ; the list soaltered shall be suspended in the hall of the College for a fort-night, at the end of which time a Comitia Majora shall beheld, and shall proceed to a ballot ; and all those membersshall be elected to the Fellowship who have the votes of a Imajority of the Fellows present. )
The first of these propositions, with trifling alterations, wascarried ; the latter was for the present dropped.It is obvious that one of the most serious grievances in con-
nexion with the election to the Fellowship, against which we thave always protested, is thus practically removed. !
Obituary.HENRY BROWN, M.R.C.S.
(OF WINDSOR.)HENRY BROWN was a native of Shropshire, and was edu-
cated at the Newport Grammar-school at the time when Dr.Scott was head master. Subsequently, at a very early age, hewas placed as a pupil with the late Dr. Hughes, of Newport,Shropshire. Having completed the usual term of five yearswith him, he entered at the London Hospital, where he wasdistinguished as a steady and hard-working student. In 1827he passed the examination at the Apothecaries’ Hall, and in1828 engaged himself as assistant to Mr. O’Reilly, who was atthat time surgeon to George IV., and the royal household,Windsor Castle. At the end of two or three years he returnedto the London Hospital, where he filled the post of dresser toSir William Blizard so satisfactorily that at the end of theterm of office the committee complimented him, and appointedhim dresser for a further term without any extra fee, as a
mark of the approbation of the surgeons of the institution. In1832 he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons,and soon after, as Mr. O’Reilly’s health failed, the Marquis ofConyngham came to the London Hospital to request Mr.Brown, on behalf of the King, to return to Windsor, and
attend at the castle during Mr. O’Reilly’s illness, such was theestimation in which he was held even at that early period ofhis career.On his return to Windsor, he entered into partnership with
Mr. O’Reilly, and at his death, which occurred in 1833, Mr.Brown was appointed surgeon to the royal family, and thehousehold at Windsor Castle, which post he continued to holduntil 1866. During this period, 1833-66, he attended atvarious times George IV. and William IV., and since the ac-cession of Queen Victoria lie almost constantly attended her
Majesty and the royal family, even at Balmoral and Osborne.For very many years he was the constant and sole medicalattendant of the late Duchess of Kent, whose life was prolonged,under Providence, for several years by his skill and attention.During the last illness of the late Prince Consort, Mr. Brownwas in regular attendance upon him. The death of the Princefollowing so soon that of the Duchess of Kent, to both ofwhom he was very warmly attached, affected his health verymuch, which has gradually declined ever since. Deafnesscame on and increased rapidly. He now felt the cares andresponsibilities of practice more than he could bear. He suf.fered from weakness of the heart’s action, which frequentlyproduced faintness, and this was moreover accompanied byalbuminuria. He therefore requested the Queen to dispensewith his attendance, to which she reluctantly consented, andfor the last two years he had quite retired from practice. Thestate of his health varied till about four months ago, whencedema of the lower extremities, with dyspnoea, came on, andhe became gradually worse, and at length sank on October24th, having just completed his 66th year, leaving a widowand two children, son and daughter.
In the course of his illness the Queen, and other members ofthe royal family made frequent inquiries as to his condition.Mr. Brown was small and spare in figure, but with an immenseamount of pluck and endurance. Formerly he always wenthis rounds on horseback, and frequently had to ride up toLondon and back again in addition to his daily work. Hewas of most abstemious and careful habits. By dint of greatenergy he was enabled to keep together a large and widely ex-tended practice by his own personal exertions. Humble-minded,he was always anxious to keep himself in the background,and to allow others to reap the benefit of his skill and know-ledge rather than run the risk of acquiring notoriety. Hewas of a genial disposition, having a kindly and homely man-ner with patients, giving his opinion in a quiet though decidedway, and issuing his directions with great clearness and tact.Without a very large amount of book knowledge, he alwaysmanaged to keep pace with the more important improvementsin medical science. But he was particularly distinguished bygreat powers of observation, and a fine and accurate judgment., It was impossible to talk to him on any medical subject with.out gaining some useful practical hint. The effects of certainremedies which he had particularly noticed he imparted freelyto medical men, but objected very strongly to having his namementioned in connexion with them.He first-or if not first, quite independently of any one
else-used chloride of zinc as a caustic in cases of ulceratedcancer. He once related to the writer the manner in whichhe discovered its good and powerful effects as an escharotic.While attending a patient suffering from that disease, he wasasked to suggest something to remove or destroy the unplea-sant odour. He recommended chloride of zinc, and when hefound that in addition to its deodorising qualities it made thesurface of the sore more healthy, he increased the strength ofthe solution gradually, until at last the whole diseased masscame away; the wound granulated and entirely healed, andthe patient, whose end was expected within a few months,lived in health and comfort for many years before the recur-rence of the disease produced death. As long as twenty-fiveyears ago he was in the habit of giving quinine largely in casesof acute rheumatism, and with great success. After a purga-tive, and a few doses of Scudamore’s mixture, he orderedquinine, in two or three grain doses, every four hours. Incases where there is delirium he said it was especially useful;and certainly in a case of the writer’s, where there was con-stant delirium and almost complete insensibility, quinine hada marvellous effect, quieting the delirium, producing naturalsleep, and putting a speedy termination to the complaint.These are among what may be called Mr. Brown’s therapeu-tical discoveries.
His loss is deeply felt in the town and neighbourhood.Although leading a very quiet and unostentatious life, he hadgained a large circle of earnest and loving friends, who willprobably never again meet with a man so humble-minded, so