377" contractors for the public service at regulated prices, called"the Service des Pompes Funebres.’ This establishment

" annually buries, gratis, upwards of 7,000 destitute persons,or nearly one-third of all who die in the city. The funerals ’,," and religious services are divided into nine classes, compre- Ibending various settled particulars of service, for which a" price is fixed. The appointed service for any of these

" classes may be had on the terms specifted in a tariff. This

its found to be a great benefit to testators and survivors, as" it enables them to settle the ceremonial with certainty, and

without the possibility of any extortion. The first class of

" funerals are of great pomp, at a cost of .145, for a funeral

" superior in magnificence perhaps to any private funeral in" England. The charge for the service and materials, of the" ninth class, is about 15. of English." The cost for the

intermediate classes varies between these, the maximum andminimum.

HOSPITAL REPORTS.

CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.POPLITEAL ANEURISM—OPERATION.

GEORGE C-, a horse-keeper at Messrs. Meux and Co’s., thebrewers, was admitted an in-patient, under the care of Mr. Han-cock, on the 18th of August, 1845. States that he is thirty yearsof age; has been in the habit of drinking large quantities ofporter, but has always enjoyed good health until ten weeks pre-viously, when he experienced a dull heavy pain in the left knee,which prevented his sleeping. He did not take any furthernotice of it for some time, but in about three weeks he discovereda swelling in the left popliteal space, having a strong pulsation ;this swelling rapidly increased. He consulted his medicalattendant, Mr. Cooper, of Moor-street, who, having ascertainedthe nature of the mischief, sent him into the hospital. At thetime of his admission, he complained of great pain and numbnessin the leg below the tumour; the limb was much swollen, anddrawn up to an acute angle with the thigh. Upon examination,a large pulsating tumour was found occupying the whole of thepopliteal cavity, and causing a considerable projection on theinner side of the ham. When the femoral artery was compressed,the pulsation could no longer be distinguished ; but upon re-

moving the compression, the blood could be distinctly felt rushinginto the tumour with a return of the pulsation, and, moreover,the bellows-sound could be plainly heard when the stethoscope orear was applied to the part. Pulse at both wrists, 86, but notparticularly full, and without any jerking. Tongue rather coated.To have an opening draught this evening.September 1st.-Complains greatly of the pain and numbness

of the limb; says it feels so heavy and distressing that he isanxious to have the operation performed ; the swelling in theham has increased; so has also the oedema of the leg; says that thesuffering is much increased towards night. His appetite, how-ever, is good, and his tongue clean and moist; pulse much thesame. To have meat and a pint of porter daily. To have halfa grain of acetate of morphia every night at bedtime.6th.-The patient’s chest and abdomen having been carefully

examined, and no signs of aneurismal disease appearing, Mr.Hancock, assisted by Mr. Avery, proceeded to tie the femoralartery at the upper third of the thigh, just before the vessel passesunder the sartorius muscle. The patient having been placed uponthe operating table on his back, with the limb lying on its outerside, Mr. Hancock commenced by carrying an incision down-wards and inwards for about four inches, commencing about threeinches below Poupart’s ligament, and on the inner edge of thesartorius muscle, and prolonging it downwards until it extendedrather beyond the inner edge of that muscle where it crosses thethigh. Having laid bare the muscle and the fascia lata, theformer was gently pressed to the outer side, exposing the vesselbound down by fascia lata ; the latter having been divided, aportion of the sheath of the vessel was next raised by a pair offorceps, and an opening, to the extent of about half an inch, madein it, great care being taken not to disturb the relative positionof the artery more than was absolutely necessary. The aneurismneedle was then carried from within outwards, the ligatureapplied round the vessel, and the operation completed without

any difficulty, the patient having borne it very well. Imme-diately the vessel was tied, all pulsation in the tumour ceased;the edges of the wound were brought together by two or threesutures and strapping, but without any bandage, and the patientwas placed in bed, but as his foot was cold, the limb was directedto be enveloped in a blanket. To discontinue his beer and meat,and to have broth diet.-Twelve o’clock, P.M. He appears to becomfortable; says he is in no pain; pulse 100, rather bard;tongue dry and white. To have the following:-Acetated liquorof ammonia, one ounce; sedative liquor of opium, one drachm;camphor mixture, seven ounces. One ounce to be taken everyfour hours.

7th, Ten A.M.-Pulse 100, softer; complains of but little’paia,and the swelling of the limb is diminished, as is also the sensationof numbness. The tumour is smaller, and the heat of the limbnatural. Tongue clean and moist; has passed a very good night.Repeat the mixture.8th.-Pulse 100. Tumour still smaller ; swelling, pain and

numbness diminished ; heat natural; pulsation in posterior tibialartery not 3-et apparent. To have fish, as he complains of hunger.Repeat the mixture.9th.-Pulse 106, but soft. Sensation of numbness nearly gone.

Pulsation of posterior tibial artery can be felt, but very weak.Heat of limb natural; says he is quite comfortable.

10th.-Not quite so well to-day. The granulations of the woundare flabby, and at one point there appears a disposition to slough ;pulse soft, but quick. Complains greatly of weakness. Omitmedicine. To have a pint of porter daily, and meat diet.

14th.-Has gone on improving up to this date. Pulse atwrists, 80, and firmer; tongue clean; says he is in no pain;tumour in ham has gradually diminished, and to-day, for thefirst time since the operation, pulsation can be distinguished in it.

1 fith.--Pulse 88. Slight pulsation in the tumour ; pulsation ofposterior tibial stronger; heat of limb natural.

19th.-Pulse 70. Pulsation of tumour entirely disappeared,whilst that of posterior tibial very distinct. Complains of hunger.20th.-To-day the ligature came away, being the fifteenth day

from the operation. The patient says he feels quite well; theswelling has much diminished, being now entirely confined to thepopliteal space, and not at all projecting on the inner side of theham. He can now straighten the limb almost completely.25th.-Has continued to improve ; the tumour is less; the

limb more straight, and the wound in the thigh nearly healed up.

NO NEW COLLEGE NECESSARY. — THE " COUNCILOF HEALTH " A MISNOMER.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SiR,-Permit me to address a few remarks to you, elicited bythe following passage :—" Without a distinctive title, with an in-ferior court of examiners, -with power only to institute a pre-liminary examination, and deprived of the right of granting alicence to practise, shorn mercilessly of everything which couldconfer the slightest respectability upon it, I ask, confident ofthe reply which must come from every reflective man, whethersuch a scheme of a new College is worthy of the confidence andsupport of the profession, and whether it would not be infinitelybetter that all legislation should be abandoned, rather than thatthe positive evil and degradation which it proposes to inflictehould be carried into effect." (Mr. Hassall’s paper, in lastnumber of THE LANCET.) There is no room for a second

opinion on the subject. Happily, however, it becomes daily morepalpable, that the necessity for a new College does not exist;and if it did, such an one as isdescribed above is not to beendured, even in contemplatioti, for a moment, without provokingfeelings of scornful indignation. Let not our hope in legislationflag on that account, or our efforts fail when there is most needfor vigorous exertion. The multitude of Bills that have beenframed and brought forward, if not perfect, may yet lay thefoundation and pave the way to the accomplishment of much thatis desirable. Every one admits the difficulties with which thesubject is and has been beset, and the zeal with which the RightHon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department has ap-plied himself thereto, and whatever be the result, the professionand the public must award to Sir James Graham the merit ofgood purpose, and much and perplexing application in endeavour-ing to bring the subject to a satisfactory conclusion ; while hisexpressed disapprobation of the proposed College, and his decla-ration in parliament that her Majesty’s government would sup-port any Bill that was popular with the profession, may be re-garded as evidence of the sincerity with which he has laboured forthe honour and welfare of the profession and the public good.There are, however, two points of the last Bill so exceedinglyobjectionable, as to make it quite unacceptable to the profession.