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THE SPIRITED SURGEONS OF THE DISEASES OF WARM CLIMATES. To the Editor THE LANCET. are already in a state of activity. We quote the following of which has come such close from an excellent letter, which has been addressed by SlR,-The yellow fever, just to with induces me to offer a to certain Mr. of to the Editor of quarters us, suggestion BROOKES, Surgeon, Much-Wenlock, powers. the Chronicle.- I have often thought what a great desideratum it would be, to have a few lectures, in each course of practice of medicine, " I had to think that my Shropshire friends had taken begun on the diseases of hot climates, the West Indies, and a rather too and that it was to remind them Africa, long nap, necessary the East delivered one who has seen and treated them. that their the National never but Indies, by Enemy, Association, sleeps, There must be in this well to is incessant in its endeavours to reduce the Provincial Sur- many country capable impart such and whose with lecturers on the who have the of their instruction, co-operation geons,-men always upheld dignity subject could be obtained, and prove of most the level of mere and easily important profession, to Apothecaries quack value to the student, who has the intention to visit those climates, Members of the It be that " " College. may, perhaps, remarked, either as officer" or I have seen will be afforded for these matters,’ practitioner." many ample opportunity discussing well-educated, clever young men, come to the West Indies, and and making the necessary arrangements for out our carrying feel quite at a loss, when called upon to prescribe for persons views before the of Parliament; but time steals on; meeting under fever; the scrap of knowledge picked and it should be recollected that the Medical Profession is one labouring yellow in worse than for it is erroneous, not for however be up being useless, easily organized self-protection, great may imparted from mere theory. Yellow fever is such a quick- the which menace it. Mr. of being dangers My friend, Cartwright, disease that there is no time to consult authors; the I been in his exertions in running Oswestry, has, know, unremitting our practice must be prompt, and at the fingers’ end of the medical he has neither time nor been good cause; spared trouble, having man. Frequently, in three days its fatal work is done. For in constant communication with the and Committee, myself, I can well feel what would be the thoughts of one who, its talented Mr. on the Secretary, Drewry Ottley, important called upon to treat so virulent a disease, finds himself abroad. of Medical but elected our subject Reform; having repre- When I first went to the West Indies, I was " Resident Medi- sentatives, we are not, therefore, justified in remaining passive cal Officer of the Demerara Seamen’s Hospital," where I of the the cause is our own: one spectators contest; essentially have frequently had no less than one hundred and seventy cases which concerns not the but the future deeply merely present of yellow fever, two-thirds with black vomit, many with the pre- race of medical men, and more especially their Patients, whose vomit, and others in all the various stages; I, how- health and lives will the of their monitory depend upon acquirements ever, had the fortune to have learned much from my attendants. A and useful Asso- good medical permanent generally late who, as a naval surgeon, had treated, as ciation should be formed in in the Provincial father, frequently Shropshire, place of well as had himself, that fever; thus I was better armed than which is useless as its influence Association, perfectly respects many,-and glad was I to find such the case. on the and of the Medical education, government, protection How great would be the boon then to young men, intended Profession. Other Counties would soon follow Our example, for either the naval or army service, if they had some instruc- in the course of two or three we and, months, might confidently tion in these particular cases imparted by practical men; and hope to see all the respectable members of te College throughout I hope, that when I suggest to the two Boards, that they should one whose Collective the kingdom united into powerful body, turn their attention to the getting such lectures delivered, and could not fail of influence with the Opinion having Minister, make it afterwards imperative on those who offer themselves as the House of Commons, and the Council of the College." candidates, to have steadily attended and studied them, that some good may arise from it. To the private lecturers I also offer the same suggestion, and think that their usefulness TOBACCO IN NEURALGIA. would be much increased by the addition. Hoping that this may meet attention in the proper quarters, and, if you think it To the Editor THE LANCET. of worthy of a thought, a line from your powerful pen, I obedient SIR,-As I said to have brought forward, or revived, am, Sir, your servant, maybe H. if you will, the use of tobacco in neuralgia, I beg leave to make ROWE, a few remarks on the them as a final Member of the Royal College subject, intending reply; and unless, indeed, I should be called upon, by name, to afford any of Physicians, London, further explanation. late Resident Resident Medical Medical Officer of the Demerara Seamen’s It appears that some of your correspondents have failed in Hospital. procuring that success which has attended my use, and that of Twickenham, Oct. 20th, 1845. many others, of the extract of tobacco; and I explain this in a two-fold manner :-First, the extract which they have employed is a stimulant, while mine is a narcotic: secondly, they have merely laid it on the skin, forgetting that nature has provided THE MAD MEMORIAL OF THE "FELLOWS." us with a for the horny, unorganized epidermis, express purpose To the Editor LANCET. of defending us from external agencies, and that, unless that of THE epidermis be abraded, or broken in some way, any applications SiR,-I have been amused by the perusal of a memorial to Sir to the surface have very little effect on the parts beneath; so James Graham, said to be unanimously adopted at a meeting that all medicated fomentations and poultices are merely ex- of Fellows and Members of the Royal College of Surgeons of hibitions of warmth and moisture, which, by the perspiration England, held on the 9th of October, 1845, at the Golden-cross, they excite in the parts, set the current outwards to the sur- Charing-cross, Robert Martin, Esq., of Holbrook, in the chair, face, and thus repel the medicinal agent. Bearing this in view, which memorial has been sent into the country for signa- my plan has been to force the ointment through the epidermis tures. by actual inunction. The memorialists are evidently afraid of the influence which the Bristol Association of have with the Secre- It is also necessary, concurrently with the use of the tobacco, Surgeons may and are with all their to to pay attention, as in every other ailment, to the primas viz; tary of State, endeavouring, might, counteract it. that is to say, to keep the bowels open, for this not only tends as I Mr. before he sub- to the general health, but also favours absorption; and I con- Recollecting, do, hearing Martin, mitted himself to an examination for the attack fess, I should entertain a very poor opinion of the abilities of Fellowship, the conduct of the Council of the in any practitioner who should undertake the treatment of ever College, stronger language than the Bristol Association before several medical trifling a case of any kind, and did not see to this, the most uses, men, so I can as to nos et muta- important of all our functions. only say, him, "tempora mutantur, mur in illis." I have also heard many Fellows of the Finally, I may acquaint you, that I receive as- frequently College, who had the honour conferred on them without exami- surances from other often to me, that gentlemen, strangers the conduct of the as have the effects of the both in nation, stigmatize college most unjust, they experienced good tobacco, and I must with all due deference to the their and in their own some state think, sixty-eight patients, persons; though who have submitted to the of a second that have found the extract more efficacious than gentlemen degradation they pure examination at the college (many of them the ointment. I am, Sir, faithfully, grey-headed men), yours that they might have trusted to their established professional JOHN CHIPPENDALE. character for the confidence of the public, and, at any rate, 69, Grea Queen-street, Lincoln’s-inn, October 21st, !84j. not have endeavoured to embarrass their brethren in a struggle