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the London University. Clot Bey, who isnot an English scholar, but was politely at-tentive to the President’s oration notwith-standing, appeared in full official costume.The base of his dress was a dark velvet,almost entirely obscured by net-work of

gold lace. He wore many orders. On hishead was a plain crimson turban, and onhis legs were yellow boots. The dress wasrich, but not elegant, the clothes being toobulky when contrasted with the paucity ofmorocco in his tight-fitting boots. Thestature of Clot Bey is iather short, and hisperson somewhat robust; his features arefull, regular, and agreeable to the sight-aplump cheek, aquiline nose, good eye, andclear, healthy, Egyptian, complexion. Thefame and interest attached to this individualafford an apology for our minuteness. Hesaid a " good thing" (according to a worthybaronet) to one of the bishops. 11 I am gladto see a patriarch amongst the doctors."And adverting to the plainness of attire,where he anticipated lawn sleeves and flow.ing robes, added, " I am sorry to appear inso fine a dress myself, but in trutli I hadno other to put on."

Sir H. HALFORD took his seat about half-

past nine, and then unrolled a paper oninsanity, and read it aloud. A courteousattention was of course given to all that fellfrom the lips of so erudite and experienceda gentleman, but the subject was one onwhich he was not competent to throw anynew light. In fact, if we except a fewpleasant anecdotes of insane gentlemen whohad come under his own observation, the Ipaper did not contain a purely original state-ment or view. Amongst the methods oftreatment, he recommended music to betried, quoting, as a courtier should do, itsgood effects on two kings, King Saul andKing George, for which latter monarch,the orator, with a devout cranial inclina-tion, reminded the audience, " his servicesas a loyal subject" were formerly required.The study of favourite subjects, such as themathematics, he also advised to be per-mitted during this " purgatory of themind." But especially he urged the con-tinual study of the Holy Scriptures ; not ininstances where religious speculations al-

ready overwhelm the brain, but wherethe mental alienation is connected withother matters. Otherwise, he consideredthat no employment could be more properfor the spirit was then more than everlooking for that comfort which religionalone could give. He could not hold withthose physicians who were against the in-troduction of religious services and studiesinto lunatic asylums. As a remedial means,he recommended the tartrate of antimony.With regard to a recovery from insanity,he did not think (nor does anybody else)

that it was right to presume a cure on theground merely of a declaration to thateffect from the patient, subsequent to con-fession from the afflicted party himself,that he had been insane ; but he (SirHenry) certainly thought, that a test of

recovery existed in the combined facts of, aconfession of previous insanity, sound sleepat nights, and a uniformly rational line of

conduct pursued for some time after the! first indication of returning sanity.

The mental repast being over, Sir Henrywent through a course of ’manual salutesfrom the chair, and the noble lords, judges,bishops, baronets, barristers, and beys,fraternised in conversation, while coffeewent round, and the audience formed, someof them into groups,

" gaily to chat whilediscussing their tipple," and others watchedthe movements of the Egyptian envoy(who, on the following day, left London forLiverpool, promising to return at the closeof the week), or surveyed the English titledvisitants, or looked over the books and

plates spread on the library tables. Amongstother statements made in the ioom, we’ heard it remarked, as a good and properfact, that since the visit of Clot Bey to Lon-don, several operations at the hospitals hadbeen " accelerated" in order to afford himan opportunity of witnessing the manual

dexterity of the attending surgeons. Thelibel is not too strange to be true, thoughhumanity and science must each shudderat the averment.*

By eleven o’clock the company had nearlvdeparted. The next evening meeting willbe held on the 25th of February, and the

subsequent meetings on April 29th, May27th, and June 24th. The Harveian ora-tion is to be delivered by Dr. Paris, on the25th of June.

* The operation on poor Hoo Loo was too

plainly an ’ accelerated" operation. The pupilswere on the eve of leaving London for the summer.The possibly fatal result of so early a removal of theimmense tumour was balanced against the lame

of Guy’s as an operation hospital, and the award notgiven in favour of the unfortunate Chinese. Hun-dreds of pupils saw the operation, and the patientdisastruusly died.

WESTMINSTER MEDICAL SOCIETY.

Saturday, Jan. 26th, 1833.Dr. SIGMOND in the Chair.

THE Society as dull as the weather. A

couple of hours, in fact, thrown away, at aperiod of the year when removal from homefor nothing is not pleasant. Dr. Sigmond,too, is so good a chairman for a Quaker’smeeting, that he should not be asked to

preside anywhere else. Mr. HUNT relateda case of dropsy, in which typhoid symp

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toms followed the absorption of the fluid,and said that the phenomena puzzled him.Dr. BROWN offered a solution of the riddle,and some other members, at long intervals,made a few remarks on the subject. Thefire was then stirred, and a melancholy in-terest was excited by the departure of a fewmembers. The wandering eyes of the perse-Tering remainder began to explore the dustyscarecrows of the old museum, when theChairman hoped that some gentleman wouldfurnish an idea or two ior public considera-tion. In vain. Then Mr. CHINNOCK trust-ed that the many intelligent and experi-enced members he saw around would notlet the occasion pass unimproved. In vain,also, for a time. Presently, however, somemember asked whether any other memberhad tried iodine successfully in ovariandropsy. A reply in the negative was

given by one gentleman, when Mr. Cos-TELLO took the opportunity of suggestingthat too much was generally required ofnew medicines, and that their failure in in.appropriate cases was then quoted in gene.ral depreciation of the remedies. Another

pause followed, so a few more of the au.dience retired, and soon after the meetingwas dissolved. Such is a just sketch oithe events-only a repetition, however, of ascene which often occurs at the medicalsocieties, oftener indeed than their friend,either can wish, or, assuredly, need allowBetter things are promised.

MEDICAL REFORM.

To the Editor of THE LANCET. ’

SIR,—I read in THE LANCET of the 12th,a letter signed ’ J. L.," complaining of thequackery adopted in and out of the profes-sion, as well as of the corrupt state of ourmedical institutions, and expressive of theauthor’s astonishment that many of suchabuses have not been remedied by yourvaluable Journal. I have no doubt, Mr.Editor, that all well-disposed practitionerswould be glad to see some amendment inour medical system, which, from beginningto end, teems with evils of every descrip-tion ; but with whom, let me ask J. L., doesthe remedy rest 1 Is it not in the power ofa numerous and influential portion of the

community, to make known to the legisla-ture (which is the first step to obtain re-dress for) their grievances! That theyhave this power no one can deny, and it

being admitted that so far the remedy is intheir own hands, the guilt, if any there be,attached to the continuance of the systemnaturally falls on them. You have at anyrate done your duty, in endeavouring torouse them from that state of apathy which

makes each individual disregard all kindsof monopoly, injustice, and oppression, tillthey immediately affect his own pecuniaryinterest, when he satisfies his patriotism bya letter in THE LANCET, complaining of hisneighbours. If this is all a person, so wellimpressed with the evil as J. L. appears tobe, will do, I fear the time is still far dis.tant when the jealousy and bad feeling,which have so long disgraced our profession,will be sufficiently quelled to allow of anyeffectual improvement, since it can be ob-tained only by the great body of practi-tioners acting together, stimulated by noother motive than the desire of obtaininggeneral good. Your obedient servant,

AMICUS JUSTITIÆ.

London, Jan. 29, 1833.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST SIR W. BLIZARD.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—May I request room in THE LAN-CET for the following statement, relative tothe illiberal feeling which prevails in thebreast of the senior-surgeon of the LondonHospital, who prides himself on being theoldest member of the College?On Wednesday last, it was understood

that Mr. Luke, who operates for Sir Wil-liam Blizard, would operate on a woman,now in the hospital, labouring under a

fistulous cammunication between the blad-der and the vagina. Accordingly, therewas a large muster of pupils to accompanythe knight in his perambulation through thewards, in one of which, alluding’ to thiscase, he observed " that he should notallow any strangers whatever to be present,as the occasion was one of delicacy." VV’ e

proceeded up-stairs to the operating theatre,when Sir William hastened to take his sta-tion near the door of the theatre, in order toprevent the admission of any strangers, andbegan to interrogate one or two of the pu-pils whom he did not recognise, thrustinghis nose into their faces in a very unpolitemanner.

This is not a solitary instance of suchbehaviour. There is seldom or never anoperation performed in his presence, with-out his inquiring if there be any strangerspresent; and he even is not satisfied withtheir having been introduced to either ofthe other surgeons, but requires the pre-sentation to be made to him also. In jus-tice to the other surgeons, I must say Ihave reason to believe that this is in oppo-

sition to their wishes, for I have witnessedmany operations performed by them, with-out once hearing them express a desire-toexclude any professional man from the

operation room. This uncivil and degrading