1151

sity the degree was only the mark of attainment. The two

systems were not compatible. But if mutually destructivewhen blended in one institution, there was room for themboth. There was plenty of room for an Examining Univer-sity in the British Empire. Even though a certain proportionof its candidates from London institutions were withdrawn,there would still be plenty of candidates for its degrees,and plenty of honour attaching to them. But why shouldinstitutions like the London University College be foreverdebarred from the right to confer, under proper guarantees,he honour of a public degree ? They asked that a charterto confer degrees upon all persons who had undergone aregular course of study in a college or medical school ofthe University, and had passed the required examina-tions, should be granted to a suitable governing bodyupon which the governing bodies of University College,of King’s College, and of the teaching staff, not merelyof those Colleges, but of other medical schools, shouldbe represented. To this end they sought an alliancewith the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons,thus offering guarantees to other medical schools that theirinterests would be respected. It had been objected that thedegrees of the London University having been kept at ahigh standard, the degrees of the new University would notbe kept as high. He did not deny that it was one of theirobjects that degrees should be more easily obtained byLondon medical students. There was always some workthrown away in preparing for the best of examinations, andin preparing for an examination against which greatobjections were urged, which was arranged independentlyof the teachers who prepared for it, the amount of frictionand wasted work was considerable. Assuming that a

London degree represented higher attainment than anEdinburgh or a Cambridge degree, that was an excellent thingfor the University and for those who attained its degrees, butit was a bad thing for the much greater number who gave upall hopes of a degree, but who might have been stimulatedto meritorious exertions for a prize which was withinthe reach of effort. It was a still worse thing for youthswho ran away to Newcastle, because they foresaw that incountry practice they would be at a disadvantage besidethe Newcastle men. The next objection was that the pro-fessors wanted to "brand their own herrings," that thedefects of their teaching should be concealed by theGovernment stamp, which was placed in their own powerto confer. That accusation was a mistake. The Universitysystem to which more than any other the accusationapplied was that of the University of London. Again, ithad been urged that the establishment of a new Universitywith power to confer degrees with a licence to practise wasobjectionable as increasing the number of bodies con-ferring such licences. The remedy would be easy if a

cordial alliance could be established with the RoyalColleges. There would be no interference with their pre-rogative and no addition to the number of licensing bodies.There was at present a movement on foot at the College ofPhysicians for a single Faculty university in London, or aninstitution in the nature of a university to confer medicaldegrees alone. That movement appeared to the LondonUniversity College to be part of its movement. Regardingit as a separate movement the College could not look uponit altogether with approval, as it would be fatal to itsmedical school; but if the movement of the Colleges ofPhysicians and Surgeons could be brought into line withthat of the University College, then, indeed, they would haveobtained a very large part of what they sought. No doubtthere were great difficulties to be encountered. Some oftheir number, including their President, and others whohad held high office, had thought it their duty to with-draw from the Council of the College. They had, how-ever, encouraging assurances from influential quartersof sympathy with the movement, and they would, nodoubt, soon be in a position to fill up satisfactorily theirdepleted ranks. Those who remained were not discouraged;they were now unanimous amongst themselves; they hadthe unanimous support of the professors; they had theunanimous voice of King’s College, once their rival but nowtheir cordial ally; they had friends in the press, in everymedical school in London, and every university in England.They believed in the future capabilities of the institution, andthey desired to make it greater than it was at present, moresplendid, more efficient, and in that aim they expected to suc-ceed, because they were not labouring only fur their ownaggrandisement, but towards the foundation of a university

which would be of incalculable benefit to the cause ofeducation in the mighty metropolis in which they lived.(Loud applause.)On the motion of Mr. ERICHSEX, a vote of thanks was

passed to Sir G. Young for his address.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND.

WE have received from the Secretary of the College forpublication the subjoined abstract of the petition to theQueen for a Supplementary Charter. Copies may, weunderstand, be obtained on application by Fellows andMembers of the College.The following are the purposes for which the application

is about to be made :-1. To enable the College to hold lands, tenements, rents,

and hereditaments" of an annual value not exceeding.620,000, instead of .62000 as by present Charter.

2. To enable the Council to determine by rules and regu-lations, instead of, as at present, by bye-laws, the conditionsof admission to the Fellowship by examination; and todetermine by bye-law, instead of by Charter, the fees payablefor such Fellowship.

3. To empower the Council to elect to the FellowshipMembers of twenty years’ standing, not exceeding ten

(instead of two) in each year, on the payment of the samefee as required for the Fellowship by examination.

4. To authorise the election by the Council of any numberof persons, not exceeding two in each year, whether aMember or Members of the College or not, having, in theopinion of the Council, to be ascertained and expressed insuch manner as the Council may from time to time thinkfit and direct, rendered distinguished service in the ad-vancement of surgery or the sciences allied thereto, suchpersons to be and be called Honorary Fellows. Such Hono-rary Fellows not to pay any fee, and to be ineligible to votefor the election of members of the Council.

5. To provide that Fellows may vote in the election of theCouncil either in person or by voting papers, such papers tobe signed, authenticated, and delivered in such manner asthe Council shall from time to time think fit and direct.No election of members of Council to be valid unless thereshall be present at the meeting for the purpose of suchelection such number of Fellows as the Council may fromtime to time think fit and direct.

6. To render Fellows of ten (instead of fourteen) years’standing eligible for election as members of Council, and toabolish the restriction in regard to their practising as

apothecaries.7. To simplify the mode of nomination of Fellows, candi-

dates for election to the Council, by requiring in each caseonly one nomination paper to be signed by three Fellows.

8. To dissolve the Midwifery Board.9. To enable the Council to increase the number of members

of the Board of Examiners in Dental Surgery, and to requirethat those members of the Board described as " personsskilled in Dental Svrgery," who shall in future be elected,shall be persons registered under the Dentists Act of 1878.

EDWARD TRIMMER, Secretary.

HEALTH OF ARMY HORSES.

THE annual statistical and general report of the principalveterinary surgeon of the army, for the year 1886 has justbeen issued, and is of a very satisfactory character. Themean strength of the army horses at home was 12,393; theadmissions on the sick list during the year were in the pro-portion of 628 per 1000; the deaths from all causes were

18-8, of which 12’5 were the result of disease and 63 were

destroyed for various causes. The proportion cast and soldamounted to 87’5, and the constantly non-effective fromdisease and inj ury to 38’0 per 1000 of the strength. Comparedwith the preceding year’s results the admissions were slightlyhigher, the deaths and constantly non-effective were identical,and there was a slight decrease in the number cast. The RoyalEngineers furnished the highest proportion of cases, amount-

1152

ing to 825, and the Life Guards the lowest, being only 428 iper 1000. The highest death-rate (25’3) was in the Heavy iCavalry, and the lowest (144) in the Field Artillery. The in- icrease in the admissions has been chiefly from diseases and I

injuries of the locomotive apparatus, particularly contusions, C

sprains, and diseases and injuries of the feet; there has also ibeen an increase in diseases of the digestive apparatus,especially colic, and in strangles and epizootic fever. Only j ione case of glanders occurred; it was iri a remount of the I13th Hussars at Colchester, which had just joined from 1

Ireland, where, it is believed, the disease was contracted. IThe 2nd Life Guards in Regent’s-park Barracks had 65cases of epizootic fever, being in the ratio of 247 per1000 of the strength, and nearly half of the admissionsfrom this cause in the whole force. The only other stationsat which it prevailed to any extent were Canterbury andAldershot, which respectively had 20 and 45 cases, or 53’7and 21’9 per 1000 of strength. Dr. Fleming does not assignany reason for this outbreak in the 2nd Life Guards, but heremarks: "It will be noted that the Regent’s-park Barracks,London, continues to be by far the unhealthiest of all thestations for mounted corps in the United Kingdom, theaverage sickness from zymotic diseases being 24’71 per cent.,the next highest being Canterbury, with 5 37 per cent., andthe next Aldershot, with 219 per cent." Previous reports,however, do not quite bear out this statement about theRegent’s-park Barracks, and it is noteworthy that in everyyear in which they have been recorded as furnishing suchcases they have been occupied by the 2nd Life Guards. The

immunity of the 1st and liability of the 2nd Life Guards to thesediseases is a subject worthy of investigation. A case of rabiesoccurred in a horse of the 1st Life Guards three months after hehad been bitten at Wormwood Scrubbs, although cauterisationof the wound had been immediately resorted to. The highestannual ratio of admissions occurred among the four-year-olds, and the deaths among them were twice as high as atany age up to seventeen-results in accordance with thoseof previous years.The proportion of horses cast has been lower than in

any of the preceding four years, but their average servicehas also been lower, having been only sev 3n years and sevenmonths, while in previous years it has usually been a littleover nine years. Nearly one-third were cast for " old age."The average price received for them was .E10 Os. 9d., which,although a trifle higher than in 1885, was considerably underthe prices of preceding years.

In addition to the information respecting the horses in theUnited Kingdom, the report contains, for the first time,returns of the horses, mules, and camels in charge of theveterinary officers in Egypt and in Natal. The results forthe animals in Egypt are shown in the following summary:

The admissions of horses were not excessive, consideringthe circumstances under which they were employed ; two-thirds of the cases were of injuries and diseases of thelocomotory apparatus and surgical diseases and accidents.Digestive diseases, chiefly colic, were next in frequency,and then general diseases, of which more than half werereturned under the heads of ansemia and asthenia. Themost fatal diseases were those of the digestive apparatus,causing eleven deaths, of which four were from colic andfour from enteritis. The colic "was, in many instances,due to the horses eating sand, usually with their food."There were only nine cases of glanders, which were, ofcourse, at once destroyed. Considering the great pre-valence of this disease in Egypt, the army horses appear tohave been very fortunate.The mules furnished a very low ratio of cases and of

deaths. The diseases from which they suffered were muchthe same as those of the horses, but they had only twocases of glanders.The history of the army camels, as shown. by these

returns, is a very melancholy one. The proportion of casesand of deaths was extremely high. Of the former, two-thirds were cases of sore back from the saddles, and one-

fifth was returned as asthenia and exhaustion. Surely then;must have been gross neglect somewhere to permit of suchresults. Of 209 camels which died or were destroyed, 1are accounted for under the head of asthenia and exhaustion.On this disgraceful state of matters Dr. Fleming prudentlyrefrains from comment.The strength of animals employed by Government in Natal

is stated at 732 horses and mules, but the numbers of eachare not given separately. The cases among them amountedto 759, and the total mortality to 142’0 per 1000 of thestrength. Of the ninety-one animals which died, sixty-onewere returned under the head of anthrax, and seven of in-testinal calculus caused by the horses eating sand. Of" anthrax " Dr. Fleming says that " in some parts of themost fertile portion of the Cape and Natal colonies it is im.possible to keep horses during the summer season, nearly allperishing from this plague." Of seventy-one army horsesand mules attacked during the year under review, only tenrecovered. The Government has sent out a veterinaryofficer, who has gone through a special course of training, toinvestigate the nature of the disease " and to attempt itssuppression by the adoption of the method of protectiveinoculation with attenuated or modified virus, introducedby Pasteur and others so successfully in the case of Europeananthrax." We shall look forward with much interest to theresult of these experiments.

In addition to the information on the subject of the healthof the army animals at home and abroad, the report givesan interesting account of the good work going on in theArmy Veterinary School at Aldershot. The instructiongiven in it is not confined to the veterinary officers, but isopen to any officers of the garrison who may choose to availthemselves of it. A considerable number have taken advan-tage of it, and there can be no doubt that the knowledgethus acquired may prove most useful in a campaign and inthe colonies. The school is also turned to account in traininga body of farriers to acs as veterinary assistants or sub-ordinates-a system which has already been found to workadvantageously on service in Egypt and South Africa.Dr. Fleming has given some details of his proposed farrieryreorganisation, which appears calculated to diminish thelabour and increase the efficiency of the department; andalso a short but interesting article on winter shoeing, whichwe recommend to the attention of all who require to usetheir horses in winter, whatever the weather may be. Thecareful manner in which the report has been drawn up, andthe practical character of the suggestions it contains, areworthy of Dr. Fleming’s reputation, and the satisfactorystate of health of the army horses reflects credit upon thedepartment over which he presides.

ARMY MEDICAL STAFF DINNER.

THE annual dinner of medical officers of this depart-ment was held at the Holborn Restaurant on June 1st,Sir Thomas Crawford, K,C.B., in the chair. The followingofficers and guests were present:-Inspectors- and Surgeons.General: Lawson, Balfour, Gordon, C.B., Ker Innes, C.B.,Sir T. Longmore, C.B., Massy, C.B., Manifold, Fraser,

Mackinnon, C.B., Irvine, Hendley, C.B., Ekin, C.B.,Muschamp, and Fuller. Deputy Inspectors- and Surgeons-General: Swettenham, Laing, Fox, Fraser, Reade, C.B.Marston, Roberts, Veale, Watts, Sly, and Don. BrigadeSurgeons: : Ashton, Herbert, Wade, Inkson, Warren,Prescott, Gribbon, Maunsell, Wright, Leask, Mackinnon,Lloyd, Adcock, Tomlinson, Clarke, and Anderson, C.l.E1Su2-geons-Ma,jor : Lane, Churchill, Hensman, Staplee,Maunsell, Scott, C.M.G., O’Dwyer, McNalty, Nash, Beattie,Johnston, Macartney, Morgan, MeSwiney, Macrobin, Frazer,Roe, Clery, Williamson, Ash, Donovan, Buske, Allin,Miller, Gormley, Scott, and Powell. Surgeons: Ligert-wood, Fenn, Ryan, Tuthill, Kirkpatrick, Seymour, Clark.Flood, Harwood, MacNeece, Baker, Twiss, Sloggett, Portar,Johnston, Reade, Semple, Carte, Sheldrake, ZimmermNttBostock, Hale, and Minniece. Guests; Sir Charles lBfcGrigor,Bart., Sir J. W. Reid, K.C.B., Sir William Mac Cormac,Inspector-General Dale, Dr. Glover, and Messrs. Pollock,Holt, and Hart.The health of the Director-General of the Department

proposed in very warm terms by Sir William Mac Cormac.In reply, Sir Thomas Crawford said that he was ambition