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curity, of many individuals, endangered bythe mistaken views of insanity yet preva-lent’! And are the suggestions and ruleswhich I have laid down for the guidance ofmedical practitioners, likely to protect pa-tients from improper confinement, and prac-titioners from the mistakes and exposureswhich from time to time have occupied somuch of public attention ?

Society has an interest in the first ofthese questions, by whomsoever agitated.I leave the second to the decision of myprofessional brethren, fxom whose enlight-ened judgment and sense of duty I yet hopefor a great and most beneficial reform, in amuch-neglected department of practice.

1 am, Sir,Your very obedient servant,

J. CONOLLY.August 3, 1830.

J. CONOLLY.

TO Dr. JAMES JOHNSTONE.

MY DEAR JAMES,ALTHOUGH 1 have been one of your fa-

miliars for many years past, I am compelled,even now, to confess my iguorance of theletters which compose your name. Is itJohnson, or Johnstone? I inquire for tworeasons ; first, because I perceive that TnELANCET invariably calls you Johnstone, andsecondlv, because the profession should notremain in ignorance of so important a matterconnected with one of its greatest characters.You are an exalted man, a man of renown,an analytical, honourable, and learned, re-viewer ; you are remarkable also foryourcon-sistency in medical polities; in a word, yourname will figure to the end of time inmedical history ; it is even now a valuable

species of public property. Ought we not,then, to be well acquainted with its ety.mology. In all that concerns THE LANCET,you have shown a spirit of inquiry and a

laborious industry, which are highly com-mendable. It shall be my business, or,rather, my amusement, to investigate manymatters concerning you, and the manner inwhich I shall perform my duty will entitleme to your gratitude, and procure for methe thanks of the profession, and the appro-bation of THE LANCET. The sentimentalGerman cook, like an ass as he was, whinedwhile he was preparing a luxurious dish forthe feast; whined,-the ninny,-while flay-ing the eels. Knowing your worth, my dearJames, and knowing also how desirous youare that the hidden treasures of yourcharacter should be exposed to public view,the process of denuding will neither de-

mand, nor receive, a tear from me. The

poor eels twisted with torture uuder the

operation, and at last found relief in the

sting of the frying-pan. In dishing up you.my dear Johnstone, there will be no pangat all. You solicit the process, well hnnn--

ing the gratification that will he derivedfrom the high relish of the treat. But t)commence de novo, let us have your le,l,your baptismal, name. Tell us also the

place that gave you birth ; it ought to beimmortalized. A friend informs me that

you told him your name was John.stone," but that you had altered it to" Johnson." That you commenced by nip.ping off the e, and finished by deletinthe t, and that you did this because the Insilaspect of your cognomen was obnoxious toyour sight. You are a native, I beheve, of

Carrickfergus, and this alleged alterationthat you have made in your name, has in.duced some of your enemies to say that youare base enough to be ashamed of the

country that gave you birth. These thingsdistress me deeply ; pray explain them, andbelieve me to be,

Yours most faithfully,CASTIGATOR.

August, 1830.P. S. The printer not having seen any of

my writing for a long time, committed afew errors in setting up the MS. of my ttst.For " lines," bottom of first col. p. 702, read," lions;" same place, put a full point afterthe word notice ; and in second col. p. 703,for " I was done," read, " I was dumb."

DERBY INFIRMARY.

IT is said, that the physic expenditure atour infirmary has grievously increased sincethe appointment of a third physician, al.

though there has been no increase in thenumber of patients ; we have been told (butcannot believe it) that the physic bill is nowgoing on at the rate of 4001. per annum, lea-pital thing for the druggists), and that al.most daily changes are made in the medi.cines, so that it is the amusement of some ofthe patients to keep an account of thenumber of times their physic has been

changed, and of the quantity they are expect-ed to take in a given time. Observations ofthis kind are heard daily-,, I have beenunder my doctor thirteen weeks;—be has

changed my stuff three-and-twenty times,and I am worse than when he began withme." Others say, °’ Your doctor does all hisjobs with drugs, but ours works a deal bysteam.’

" In consequence of these repeatedalterations the governors have been informedthat gallons of discarded mixtures, and thou-sands of discontinued pills and boluses, havebeen constantly turned into the river.Even the fishermen are alarmed, and say