353

THE LANCET.

LONDON: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1858.

CHANGES IN THE HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS.

IN the " Students’ Number" of THE LANCET last week was

published, in a tabular form, a comprehensive summary of thearrangements at the Medical Schools in Great Britain and Ire-

land, their lecturers and teachers, the hours at which the

several classes meet, and the fees for attendance thereon. As

every medical practitioner throughout the realm must stillentertain a feeling of regard for his own ah2a mater, a fewremarks in this place on the changes in the schools which haveoccurred within the past year, and, also, the prospectivearrangements for the ensuing medical session may be inte-

resting to our readers.

The changes amongst the lecturers and teachers at the

several medical schools, speaking generally, have been chieflyin the anatomical classes. A Guy’s Hospital, Mr. DURHAM, who,in the place of Mr. B. BROWN, undertakes the class of naturalphilosophy, and is also demonstrator of anatomy; as is Mr.

ORD, at St. Thomas’s College and Hospital, where we observe,with much satisfaction, that the visits of the physicians andsurgeons to the patients are now for the first time made

at an early hour in the morning, instead of at mid-day. At

the London Hospital, Mr. SHEARMAN, and at University Col-lege, Mr. TEEVAN, now occupy the posts of demonstrators. Atthe Middlesex Hospital, Dr. WOODHAM WEBB lectures on his-tology and minute anatomy, instead of Dr. VAN DER BYL. Atthe Westminster Hospital, Mr. PITTARD lectures on compara-tive anatomy; and Dr. MARCET is associated with Dr. FiNCHAMin the class of medical jurisprudence. At St. Mary’s Hospital,Dr. MARKHAM succeeds Mr. LANE, and Mr. JAMES LANE

displaces Mr. BLENKINS, in the class of anatomy and phy-siology ; and Mr. GASCOYEN teaches descriptive anatomy in-stead of the two last-named gentlemen; Mr. SERCOMBE hassucceeded, at St. Mary’s, the late Mr. NASMYTH, as dental

surgeon. We regret that owing to a want of space in our lastnumber, the abbreviations made had the effect of conveyingerroneous impressions respecting the appointments gratuitouslygiven, and the prizes conferred at this Hospital. The arrange-ments actually in existence are these,-

" The following medical appointments are annually conferredupon the pupils free of every expense. There are four resident

medical officers, who board (free ot all expense) in the hospital,three of whom are appointed for twelve months, and one (theobstetric officer) for six months; four non-resident medical

officers; a medical and a surgical registrar; all of whom areappointed by the weekly board of governors, on the recom-mendation of the medical committee. All the above officesare awarded, after competition, amongst the qualified perpetualpupils of the hospital."With respect to prizes and certificates of honour, "Exami-

nations in the various classes will take place at the termina-tion of the session; but, with the exception of military surgery,comparative anatomy, and natural philosophy, prizes will not,as heretofore, be awarded for single courses; the other classeswill be grouped in accordance with the curriculum laid downfor students of the first, second, and third year, the objectbeing to ensure the general proficiency of the students of eacl:year in their respective subjects of study. In practical ana.

tomy, a prize will be awarded to the student who shall makethe best anatomical preparation, such preparation to becomethe property of the school."The alterations that have taken place in the provincial

medical schools of England are equally few with the foregoing.Sydenham College, Birmingham, has been removed to the

immediate neighbourhood of the General Hospital; and thereDr. A. HILL is joined with Mr. ORFORD in the class of medical

jurisprudence. At Hull, Mr. MwxoE undertakes histology;at Liverpool, Mr. COLLINGWOOD succeeds Mr. ARCHER in theclass of botany, and Dr. BROADBENT instructs in pathclogy. AtManchester, Mr. F. A. HEATH is joined with Mr. LuND in teach-ing descriptive anatomy; and at Newcastle, Mr. McNAY withMr. WILSON in anatomy, and Mr. BROWELL with Dr. RICHARDSON’in chemistry. At Sheffield, Dr. C. SMITH is added to the

anatomical teachers, Mr. BENSON undertakes a part of theanatomical demonstrations, and Mr. Bipxs the class of botanyin the place of Mr. H. WALKER.. At York, Dr. SIMPSON hasbecome the senior physician of the hospital, Mr. BALL thenew botanical instructor, and Dr. SWAINE is joined withDrs. SIMPSON and SHANN in bestowing instruction in clinicalsurgery.

In the medical institutions of Scotland and Ireland the

changes are not numerous. At the University of Edinburgh,Dr. FLAYFAiR is now the professor of analytical chemistry.At Surgeons’ Hall, Edinburgh, Dr. BEGBIE is joined with Dr.GAIRDNER in the class of medicine, and Mr. EDWARDS is addedto the instructors in surgery. At the Glasgow Royal Infir-mary, Dr. J. A. EASTON replaces Dr. ROBERTSON as physician,and Mr. LYON is added to the surgeons; clinical medicine is

taught by Dr. TANNAHI,.L in the place of Dr. J. BELL, andclinical surgery by Mr. WATT and Dr. E. WATSON in the roomof Drs. HUNTER and FLEMING. At Marischal College, Aberdeen,Dr. OGSTON teaches, in the winter, medical logic with medicaljurisprudence-a class undertaken in the summer by Dr.CLARK and Mr. BpAziER. At Trinity College, Dublin, Dr.CHURCHILL succeeds Dr. MONTGOMERY in the class of mid-

wifery ; and at the Dublin College of Surgeons, the same classis undertaken by Dr. SAWYER. At the Medical College ofSteevens’ Hospital, Mr. HOLMES is demonstrator of anatomy,Dr. ALDRIDGE, professor of chemistry and natural philosophy,Dr. WRIGHT of botany, Dr. WILLIS of medical jurisprudence,and Dr. HAMILTON of practical pharmacy. At the Dublin Ori-

ginal School of Medicine, Mr. BRIGHT succeeds Mr. LAW as ana-tomical demonstrator, Dr. ASKEN to Dr. WiLLrarts in the classof botany, Dr. RiNGLAND to Dr. SAWYER in that of midwifery;at the same school, Mr. LEDWICH is joined with Dr. B.

TpAVERS in the class of medical jurisprudence, and Dr.

CAMERON instructs in natural philosophy. In the Queen’sColleges-at Cork, Dr. PuRCELL O’LEARY succeeds to Dr.

FLEMING in the class of materia medica, Mr. J. R. GREEN toMr. W. SMITH in that of botany and zoology, comparativeanatomy is taught by Dr. BLYTH, practical pharmacy by Mr.BARRY, and logic by Mr. G. S. REID; at Belfast, Dr. STAVELEYis the instructor in natural philosophy; and at Galway, Mr. R.REID is the professor of anatomy in the place of Dr. C. C.

KING.

AMIDST all our sanitary improvements, it must be confessed,there is but little that has been specially adapted to the imme-

diate hygienic wants of childhood and youth. In all that re-

354

HEALTH AND EXERCISE.

lates to mental education-to urging on by a highly refined andforced system of intellectual culture, the powers of the expand-ing mind to an undue extent, we are unfortunately too well sup-plied. Indeed, the physical welfare of the growing body ismade too constantly subservient to the exaggerated tension ofthe cerebral powers. This fact struck us very forcibly whenreading a letter signed " Pro bono Publico," (vide THE LANCET,Sept. 4th,) in which, lamenting how little the vilue of physicaltraining is recognised and carried out in schools, the writerstates, that in an establishment at Brighton, "the boys always"went to the swimming bath within half an hour after their"breakfast.....That period of the day is chosen that the studiesmay not be interfered with, the health not being considered"of any consequence." We need scarcely say that by bathingwith a full stomach, more harm than good would be likely tobe done, and we would advise every parent who sends his childto school at the sea-side, or where bathing is possible, not onlyto demand that his son shall go into the water, but that heshall do so at fit and proper times, in respect to his bodilyhealth. That to have the power of bathing, whether in salt orfresh water, is a great advantage there can be no doubt, andof all gymnastic exercises there are few, perhaps, on the wholebetter than swimming. Now that fencing has ceased to be socommonly taught, it is more useful in imparting pliancy andfacility of movement to the body than any other amusement. IIn the more violent forms of gymnastic exercises, the actionsof certain muscles are liable to be excessive, whilst other

muscles are comparatively in a state of repose, there is some

risk of accident, and the occasional necessity for assumingpositions, and exerting an amount of force, to say the least ofthem, decidedly unadvisable. In swimming, on the other

hand, almost every muscle of the frame is brought into mode-rately energetic action, and if the natatory evolutions are

moderately and rhythmically performed, the play of muscularmovement is effected without the least distress. Our medical

brethren would do well to impress on the attention of parentseven the remedial powers of the swimming movements. Theyare especially useful to such youths as are of lax fibre or scrofu.lous constitution, and in whom it is possible to observe the

dispersion of abdominal fullness and increased muscular tonicityduring a season’s enjoyment of salt-water bathing, followed byvisitations to the swimming-bath on return to town. We have

no doubt, also, that to young girls the same kind of exercisewould be equally_ beneficial, particularly when there is any

tendency to spinal weakness, or lateral incurvation. The

regular and equipoised exertion of the muscles on both sides ofthe back cannot but be highly beneficial in rectifying the com-mencing disease. It would, indeed, be well for many long-limbed, puny, pale-faced girls if no false and foolish notions

on the part of society prevented them from using the in-

vigorating exercise of swimming. All hardy and simply livingnations have borne testimony to its virtues. In the time of

AUGUSTUS, a man that could not swim was held in contempt.This Emperor ordered* that as much attention should be paidto instruct his nephew in swimming as in teaching him to read.The Spartans were obliged, by their military laws, to exercisethemselves every day in the Eurotas, and the Roman soldierswere enjoined to do the same in the waters of the Tiber. In-

dependently of the physical benefit derivable from swimming

* Onaatallft- Studii Mpdifi Sttll’ Accua di Mare.

to young persons not born to hazardous occupations, thereaccrues likewise a moral gain to them in the gradual diminu-tion of their natural timidity. To the people of this island,who live upon the seas of the whole world, and are regardedby other nations as partly amphibious, there can be no moreimportant acquirement than that of swimming.A right step has been taken, we are glad to say, at Christ’s

Hospital. A few weeks since a considerable number of the

scholars of Newgate-street were subjected to the exercise ofdrill, under the direction of a well-known Crimean non-commis-

missioned officer. The boys were sharp at the duty, but it wasquite evident that they were much retarded in their evolu-tions by their clumsily formed and heavy shoes, which still re-tain the uncouth shape of the time of EDWARD VL, while the

yellow petticoat and the blue overcoat of the same period stillworn by them proved so inconvenient, that the boys wereobliged to fasten up these out-of-date garments in order to con-tinue their exercises. If the practice of " drill" is to continue,the governors must provide the "bluecoat boys" with someother kind of dress.

We have heard some old nurses say that occasionally allowingan infant to scream did it good. We are not exactly of thisopinion, but we decidedly prefer to see older boys and girls,when at play, playing in earnest, and to hear their gambols ac-companied by loud and merry voices in the open air, instead ofthe miserable monotone of a so-thought well-ordered play room.A short time ago we heard something said about providing openplay-grounds for the gamins of the metropolis. We reallythought it a very good idea, for then Government might standa chance of picking up occasionally a well-grown drummer-boyin the City, instead of having to run off with all the clodpolesfrom the agricultural districts. Besides, we might then havefewer stones in the gutters, less cats" in our eyes, and a more

, moderate amount of screaming " A-h, B-a-l-l-o-o-n !" under ourvery windows. As children, like music (?) too, and as neither! Mr. BABBAGE nor ourselves are at all partial to that particular

process by which it is usually evolved in the metropolitan. thoroughfares, and called "grinding," we would banish those

demon padrones, the grinning Italians, to the new play-’ ground, where their" tuneful quire" might seduce babies to be’ quiet, and their youthful and maiden nurses to improvise a

dance. For the sake, then, of the health of the rising genera-tion, and of our own comfort, we would strongly uphold the

notion of having some public playgrounds in the " great metro-

polis. "

Medical Annotations."Die-qnid nimis."

THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.

THE critical position of the College of Physicians is agitatingthe minds of its leading members. If the College is to retainany part of its influence or any vestige of its power, radical

changes must very speedily be effected. Of the many measuresof reform which are freely discussed, some are imminent andessential. Thus, the position of the extra-licentiates is nowanomalous and unsatisfactory, and they will probably be forth-with assimilated to the body of licentiates. A large number ofad eundem admissions must be made, and if the graduate phy-

! sicians are to be conciliated, a considerable reduction must beeffected in the fees. If these primary reforms should be carried