cramming to examine

2
413 be heard only the faintest whisper of a sus- picion of criminality, they should allow no consideration, nor the weight of any autho- rity, nor the most impassioned importunities, nor even the most earnest entreaty even of the jury, to induce them to forego the exer- cise of their authority in directing a post- mortem examination of the body. In the course of a few years these rules of practice would become perfectly well known, and would soon procure that amount of satis- faction in the public mind which would at once prove their value, and procure for the proceedings of the Coroner’s Court the repu- tation for consistency which ought to consti- tute a prominent feature in every department of criminal justice. ROYAL MATERNITY CHARITY WE learn with regret that the remarks which appeared in the last LANCET, on the subject of the vacancy in the office of phy- sician-accoucheur that has occurred in this institution, are supposed to have been di- rected against one of the candidates, by the friends of that gentleman. That they are completely in error in entertaining this opinion may be satisfactorily proved by a very few words. The article in THE LANCET was written on Wednesday, the 8th instant. Mr. JOHN HALL DAVIS was then the only candidate in the field. Our Journal is sent to press on every Thursday evening. The ad- dresses of the candidate who is standing in opposition to Mr. DAVIS, were published in the morning papers of Friday, two days after the remarks in THE LANCET had been penned. The gentleman in question is a physician of high character, whom we have often met on terms of perfectly good feeling, and we could have no desire or intention of publishing a single sentence which might be painful to him personally, and assuredly we must be entirely relieved from so unworthy an imputation when, as we have already stated, it is known that the observations which we published were written two days, and were in print one day, before the address of that candidate appeared in the news- papers. With all respect, however, for the candi- date in question, we now earnestly and sin- cerely hope that he will withdraw from what must prove to him a fruitless contest. By so doing we feel confident that he would acquire more reputation, and create for himself a far more substantial source of enjoyment, than he could derive even by obtaining a victory over a highly-gifted member of a family which, by the untimely death of a husband and a father, has been plunged into the deepest mental distress. CRAMMING TO EXAMINE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—The New London University, which has been empowered to grant degrees in me- dicine, does not seem to have done any good in that line since its establishment ; nor does it appear probable, as it carries on its affairs, that it will do much. Few will esteem the honours of the university worth the labour which is imposed,-labour which is quite uncalled for by the wants of the public. The duty of the university should be to gua- rantee a man’s ability to practise medicine; but what is the fact? Several men who have read up far beyond the limits of practical utility, pit the candidate against the whole body of examiners, when it is more than pro- bable,-in fact, almost morally certain,-that no one of all these sapient examiners, though practising medicine themselves, could bear to be examined by THE CANDIDATE himself. Look at the questions. Can the examiner sav that he knows how to answer all of them? Many of the questions have been got up, crammed for, by their inventors. That is very evident ; whilst the most important matters on which the safety of the public health depends, are altogether, or nearly so, left out of the question. The candidates are up to this, and it is now cram for cram, grind for grind. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. I would advise the rejected to challenge some of the exa- miners to submit to a public examination by the said rejected. He would find few of them inclined to enter the lists. Say, a full examination on all the subjects, with the con- dition that no question is put excepting the examination questions which he, the candi- date, is himself prepared to answer. I may in a future Number propound some questions to the sapient examiners out of their own works and questions. Talk of their examining candidates to practise medicine! / Why, they have never yet taken a single candidate to

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Page 1: CRAMMING TO EXAMINE

413

be heard only the faintest whisper of a sus-

picion of criminality, they should allow no

consideration, nor the weight of any autho-

rity, nor the most impassioned importunities,nor even the most earnest entreaty even of

the jury, to induce them to forego the exer-cise of their authority in directing a post-mortem examination of the body.In the course of a few years these rules of

practice would become perfectly well known,and would soon procure that amount of satis-

faction in the public mind which would atonce prove their value, and procure for the

proceedings of the Coroner’s Court the repu-tation for consistency which ought to consti-tute a prominent feature in every departmentof criminal justice.

ROYAL MATERNITY CHARITY

WE learn with regret that the remarkswhich appeared in the last LANCET, on thesubject of the vacancy in the office of phy-sician-accoucheur that has occurred in this

institution, are supposed to have been di-

rected against one of the candidates, by thefriends of that gentleman. That they are

completely in error in entertaining this opinionmay be satisfactorily proved by a very fewwords. The article in THE LANCET was

written on Wednesday, the 8th instant.Mr. JOHN HALL DAVIS was then the onlycandidate in the field. Our Journal is sentto press on every Thursday evening. The ad-dresses of the candidate who is standing inopposition to Mr. DAVIS, were published inthe morning papers of Friday, two daysafter the remarks in THE LANCET had been

penned. The gentleman in question is a

physician of high character, whom we haveoften met on terms of perfectly good feeling,and we could have no desire or intention of

publishing a single sentence which might bepainful to him personally, and assuredly wemust be entirely relieved from so unworthyan imputation when, as we have alreadystated, it is known that the observationswhich we published were written two days,and were in print one day, before the addressof that candidate appeared in the news-

papers.With all respect, however, for the candi-

date in question, we now earnestly and sin-

cerely hope that he will withdraw from

what must prove to him a fruitless contest.

By so doing we feel confident that he wouldacquire more reputation, and create for

himself a far more substantial source of

enjoyment, than he could derive even byobtaining a victory over a highly-giftedmember of a family which, by the untimelydeath of a husband and a father, has beenplunged into the deepest mental distress.

CRAMMING TO EXAMINE.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—The New London University, whichhas been empowered to grant degrees in me-dicine, does not seem to have done any goodin that line since its establishment ; nor doesit appear probable, as it carries on its affairs,that it will do much. Few will esteem thehonours of the university worth the labourwhich is imposed,-labour which is quiteuncalled for by the wants of the public.The duty of the university should be to gua-rantee a man’s ability to practise medicine;but what is the fact? Several men who haveread up far beyond the limits of practicalutility, pit the candidate against the wholebody of examiners, when it is more than pro-bable,-in fact, almost morally certain,-thatno one of all these sapient examiners, thoughpractising medicine themselves, could bearto be examined by THE CANDIDATE himself.Look at the questions. Can the examiner

sav that he knows how to answer all of

them? Many of the questions have been gotup, crammed for, by their inventors. That is

very evident ; whilst the most importantmatters on which the safety of the publichealth depends, are altogether, or nearly so,left out of the question. The candidates are

up to this, and it is now cram for cram, grindfor grind. What is sauce for the goose is

sauce for the gander. I would advise the

rejected to challenge some of the exa-

miners to submit to a public examination bythe said rejected. He would find few of

them inclined to enter the lists. Say, a fullexamination on all the subjects, with the con-dition that no question is put excepting theexamination questions which he, the candi-date, is himself prepared to answer. I mayin a future Number propound some questionsto the sapient examiners out of their ownworks and questions. Talk of their examiningcandidates to practise medicine! / Why, theyhave never yet taken a single candidate to

Page 2: CRAMMING TO EXAMINE

414

the bed-side to ask the practice of medicinein a single case of disease actually beforehim ! i Your obedient servant,

X.

London, Dec. 15, 1841.

THE CONFERENCES

HELD BETWEEN THE

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS OFCARLISLE

AND THE

GOVERNORS OF CUMBERLAND HOSPITAL,RELATIVE TO THE

MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS INTHAT INSTITUTION.

DR. RICHARD JAMES, the hon. sec. of thecombined medical practitioners of Carlisle,has made public in the Carlisle Journal of

Dec. 4th, a full statement in relation to the

question which has been agitated for severalmonths between the governors of the Cum-berland Infirmary and the majority of themedical practitioners of Carlisle, the matterhaving been decided by a refusal on the partof the former body to adopt the plan sug-gested to them in reference to the medicalappointments by rotation in that institution.On the 20th of July last the following cir-

cular was addressed to each of the medicalpractitioners of the city :-"CUMBERLAND INFIRMARY.—Sir, I am

directed by the committee, as this institutionis about to be opened, to request the favourof being informed whether you will give yoursupport to it by rendering your services gra-tuitously. You will oblige the committee byyour answer before Fridav next.

SIMON EWART, Secretary."Nearly all of them replied that they

would.Eleven days after this letter was dated,

the governors announced in the Carlisle news-paper that the two physicians whom, on the1 ttli of August, they meant to elect, mustneither practise surgery nor be connected inpartnership with any surgeon, apothecary, oraccoucheur. And that the two surgeons tobe elected must be members of one or otherof the four colleges.The restriction to pure physicians, or mere

DUBS, was at once pronounced by the greatmajority of the medical practitioners of thecity to be " unsuitable to the circumstancesof the place ;" and the limitation of medicalofficers to four permanent men, to be at onceinjurious to the interests of science, and thenumerous other practitioners of Carlisle.

Accordingly, on the 9th of August theymet, and addressed a memorial to the gover-

nors, begging them to reconsider their pro-posals, and open the office of physician tograduates who might possess the advantageof a knowledge of medicine generally, de-rived from daily experience ; and at thesame time afford to every legally-qualifiedmedical practitioner in Carlisle the opportu-nity of contributing his services, in turn, tothe patients of the institution.

Nothing could be more just and honourablethan these requests. Only one medical manof seventeen in the town, a Doctor BARNES,refused to join the memorialists, who reason-ably expected an affirmative reply from thegovernors. The governors, on the lith ofAugust, elected-having only one candidatebefore them-the Doctor BARNES, to theoffice of physician, and asked the memo-rialists to meet them, by a deputation, onAugust 18th. Assent was given to the de-

putation, and five gentlemen named to formit. But as a preliminary step, being deter-mined to adhere to their proposals, and inorder that fair play might attend the electionof four officers under the better system, themedical nractitioners deemed it right to re-

quire that the appointment of the selfish phy-sician should be previously rescinded. The

governors were not ready by the 18th to givea decided answer to this request, and post-poned the conference to the 25th, two daysbefore which the medical gentlemen passedan unequivocal resolution that the removalof Doctor BARNES must precede any confer-ence with the governors.On the 25th, the governors accepted Dr.

Barnes’s resignation, and referred the memo-rial to a committee, to reconsider therules relative to the appointments, and to in-vite the medical gentlemen to a conferenceon the 1st of September, when the majorityof the memorialists attended the meeting ofthe committee, and a discussion ensued.On the point relating to the admission of gra-duates engaged in general practice to theoffice of physician to the hospital, there ap-peared to be a considerable disposition on thepart of the committee to yield. One gen-tleman objected to the plan of rotation, be-cause, if any act of malversation took place,the governors would have no check upon themedical officer when gone out of office. Thiswas met by the remark, that the date of anyalleged delinquency would suffice to fix thecharge upon the proper individual. Anothermember of the committee demurred to theassertion made respecting the incompetencyof non-professional individuals to estimatethe relative merits of medical men. He in-

quired if it were meant that he himself, forinstance, could form no opinion between theprofessional merits of any individual hemight choose to consult and those of anyother ; and was told that he might certainlyform an opinion, but that that opinion was aslittle likely to be right as wrong. Letterswere read from members of the profession in