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ultimately induced to call in the surgeon or physician, more from a desire of indulging their favorite attendant, and skreening his character, than from any hope of benefiting by the compliance.

For these and many other considerations, I shall be pardoned, I trust, for having dwelt so much on this particular subject, and for having given it so prominent a place in the present inquiry. If its merits are once rightly understood, no difficulty can afterwards attend the due regulation of the other departments, each of which will speedily find its proper level, and the whole become harmonised into one perfect and efficient political institution.

Respecting surgery, I have only to lament, that the system of education provided for it does not necessarily include a larger portion of medical knowledge, and that this is not more dwelt on in the course of a surgical examination. I suspect much that the surgeons are restrained from combining these subjects by some false and untenable principles respecting an imaginary necessity for keeping the professions utterly distinct, and by a sense of honor towards the corporations of physicians, and an unwillingness to trespass on their province; but when it is once clearly understood that they have to qualify men not merely for surgery but for general practice, and further, that even those members of their body who profess surgery exclusively, are nevertheless under an absolute necessity of practising physic likewise, it is to be hoped they will see the propriety of correcting their views, and not only promote the acquirement of medical information by making it form a suitable part of the preparatory course of education, but openly and manfully avow their purpose by constituting it a subject of exami

nation.

A few observations now on the department of physic, and I shall conclude.-This body must not aim at furnishing to society general practitioners. They must be satisfied to exist in the greater towns, and more populous districts, where only the separate departments can be severally maintained. And with this they should rest contented, as it affords an ample field and full encouragement for their talents and exertions. The field, however, must not be overstocked with laborers, else the harvest to each must be small and inadequate. All irregular supplies, and especially of incompetent physicians, should be at once cut off. The Scottish universities, which grant degrees on private certifi cates only, should have the privilege rescinded. The English universities, too, should either establish in each a competent school of physic, or they should insist on a previous

course

course of study, similar to that required by the other British universities, so as to render their degrees equally conclusive respecting the education and qualifications of the possessors, as are those of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin. Such harmony and consentaneous proceeding on the part of the universities by which these kingdoms are supplied, would take away all pretence for any subsequent examination by the Colleges of Physicians, whose office would then be wisely restricted to examining into the reality of the degree produced by a candidate, who on due proof of its having been regularly obtained, should be forthwith admitted.

A power should not be vested in these bodies, unless under very particular circumstances, to retry a medical graduate, whose degree had been obtained after resident study and examination; nor should they be subjected to the temptation of throwing those obstacles in the way of such candidates, which a selfish and narrow-minded policy, and a jealousy of encroachment, might suggest to them. A power of this kind they manifestly possess, so long as they retain the right of examining medical graduates; and while this is the case, the suspicion of exercising such power unfairly, and for sinister ends, will ever be entertained.

We must all know how possible it is, in the wide and almost boundless range of science which a perfect medical education comprises, to find some unfrequented track, which a candidate intent only on the plain straight forward road of his profession may have never travelled, and on which he may readily, by a wily examiner, be made to stumble. There seems no pretence, however, for such power being at all exercised by Colleges of Physicians, while many cogent reasons may be urged against it; and therefore there can be no doubt, in my mind, that it ought to be abolished.

In the internal regulation of these bodies, too, some amendments should take place. If the distinction of fellows and licentiates be necessary, and that it is deemed expedient to vest the corporate rights solely in the former, let them be prevented, as far as is practicable, from abusing the trust reposed in them; let them not have the power of reducing their numbers by neglecting to elect; nor of establishing a monopoly, by which private interests alone are promoted, while those of the public are trampled on and forgotten.

The preservative against this species of corruption is plain and obvious, and consists merely in rendering it obligatory. on the fellows to keep up their number to a certain amount, and committing the election to vacancies entirely to the licentiates: these would be pretty sure not to fail in exer. cising this power when duly called on; or should they unaccountably

accountably neglect their duty in this respect, it might then be competent to the fellows, after a given time had elapsed, to hold such election themselves. The body corporate can be considered in no light but as representing the body at large; and it is surely a solecism in representation for the representative body to be formed by means of election conducted by the representatives, and not by the represented.

It is quite unnecessary to pursue the subject, or to enter into more detail. From what has been already written, it must appear sufficiently plain what are the amendments necessary in the profession of physic, considering it as one comprehensive political institution, and also how they may be best effected. For some of them the interference of legislative power would doubtless be requisite, while many might be effected by mere arrangements on the part of our universities and medical corporations. Some there are which require only not to be impeded by improper interference, or inconsiderate legislation; and it was principally on account of these, which appeared to me to be in much danger from the well-meant but injudicious zeal of our reforming societies, and not with any vain hope of being able to organize anew so great and complex a body, that I was induced to bring forward the foregoing remarks: if they tend to introduce a juster way of thinking respecting this muchabused profession, and to convey juster and more distinct conceptions respecting the various characters that belong to it, I shall conceive myself repaid; my utmost expectations will be answered if they should have any effect in preventing those unwise measures about to be proposed to the legisla ture from receiving their sanction. I cannot think that the subject is at all prepared for undergoing a legislative discussion; and I am fully persuaded, that any such bill as the apothecaries are about to bring forward, must, if passed into a law, be productive of incalculable injury. My reasons for this opinion, and the principles which it is founded on, I have endeavored in the foregoing pages to place before the public as distinctly and forcibly as I can; and I now take my leave of the subject, in the hope that it will speedily attract the attention it deserves, and be discussed at greater length by some more able advocate.

One parting sentence more relative to the writer of these remarks, to whom views might otherwise be imputed which might tend to lessen his credit with the public, and possibly impair the force of his arguments; a mode of reasoning by no means unfrequent, and which it is deemed prudent thus to anticipate. He is not a surgeon, seeking to vindicate his encroachments on the province of physic; neither is he a surgeonapothecary,

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apothecary, however earnestly he may have advocated the encouragement of this excellent species of practitioner. To physic alone does he belong, and he can appeal to the Editors of this Journal for the truth of these assertions. When the tenor of his remarks is recollected, he trusts he will stand acquitted of all undue bias towards his own particular department, and will be deemed justified by truth in subscribing himself A disinterested Physician.

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To the Editors of the Medical and Physical Journal.

GENTLEMEN,

WAS very much gratified on reading a paper in your Journal of July last, written by Dr. Kinglake, on the good effects of Arsenic in cutaneous complaints; having myself, for a great number of years, witnessed the most beneficial effects from exhibiting that medicine in the form of Fowler's Solution; especially in cases of lepra vulgaris, (according to Dr. Willan's definition,) and I do not recollect a single instance of failure in that form of disease. It has also proved highly beneficial in different species of Psoriasis, as arranged by Dr. Willan, but not so generally efficacious as in the former complaint. Although I perfectly agree with Dr. Kinglake, in regard to the superior efficacy of the medicine in question, yet my experience does not coincide with that gentleman's, as it relates to the period when the good effects resulting from its exhibition are observable; as in all the cases which have come under my care, the change has generally taken place comparatively in a short time; and the complaint has either entirely disappeared, or nearly so, before the medicine has been discontinued.

I have not administered the medicine in any case resembling Pemphigus, as that disease rarely occurs. I might also observe, that I never ventured to give so large a dose as twenty drops, having frequently found that patients have not been able to take more than six drops at a time, without producing some derangement of the stomach, although it never occasioned any bad effects to my knowledge. It is, however, not only a medicine that requires to be administered with much discrimination, but also great attention is necessary in preparing it. Some years ago I minuted several cases, in which the mineral solution had been advantageously employed; and if you think the following worth inserting in your valuable Journal, they are at your service.

I remain, Gentlemen,

Bath, August 12, 1813.

Your most obedient Servant,
W. WHITE.

The

The first time I witnessed the good effects of this mineral solution in cutaneous complaints, was a case of Psoriasis diffusa, which occurred upwards of twelve years ago, A woman, about fifty years of age, came from the country for the purpose of using the Bath waters; but, in consequence of her being afflicted with asthma at the same time, I judged bathing improper, and therefore directed her to take twelve drops of the solution three times a-day. In the course of a few weeks she got perfectly free from the complaint. Some years afterwards she wrote to inform me that the disorder had returned in a slight degree, and requested to have some more of the drops, which in a short time again removed the disease.

Case II.-A lady, about fifty years of age, had been afflicted with Psoriasis inveterata for several years, and had tried a variety of medicines in vain; and also had used the Bath waters for some time, without any apparent advantage. The disorder had spread almost over the whole surface of the body. Her legs were scaly, and between the scaly patches of the cuticle there was a redness of the cutis, with a serous discharge; likewise a considerable roughness about the face and ears. Her arms were swollen; the cuticle, particularly below the elbow, was much thickened, white, with fissures. The solution was exhibited, and the dose gradually increased until she took sixteen drops three times a-day.* In the course of a few weeks the skin became nearly clean, when the lady left Bath, and took some of the medicine with her. About a year afterwards I had the pleasure of seeing her free from the complaint,

Case III. A girl, eleven years of age, had a leprous eruption (lepra vulgaris) on her arms and legs three quarters of a year. She took Solut. Miner. gtt. viij ter indie, and used the warm bath. In six weeks she was entirely free from the eruption. After remaining well some time, the disorder returned. The same means were again employed for a few weeks, and the complaint entirely disappeared,

Case IV.-Ann Bateman, aged fourteen, had had the Psoriasis diffusa several times on her arms and hands, commencing with an itching and rising of the cuticle, which ended in fissures. Sometimes small vesicles appeared, which broke and discharged a serous fluid, She had the complaint this time about a month.

July 27.-Cap. Solut. Miner. gtt. vj ter in die.

Applic. Ung. Saturn. part affect.

She was not perfectly cured till the 10th of November,

NO. 176,

*The warm bathing was continued,

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