253

injuries to the foot, the ankle-joint being opened, the astra.galus comminnted, and both malleoli being fractured. Th(surgeon removed all the fragments of bone from the wound;and sawed the tibia and fibula level. He adopted the samesystem of drainage as that used by M. Verneuil.M. Jarjavay had a somewhat similar case at Hôpital Beaujoi

a short time ago, in which he had extirpated the astragalus iia young woman whose foot had been run over. The result irthis case was very much the same as in that of M. Verneuil.

Paris, August 13th, 1866.

MEDICAL TRIALS.

MEDICAL FEES AND THE POOR-LAW BOARD.

A CASE of considerable importance to the medical profession,in regard to their contract fees as medical officers to parishunions, especially in cases of lunacy, has just been heard anddecided upon at the Farnham County Court, Surrey, beforeH. J. Stonor, Esq., Judge. The case created considerable

I’

interest and excitement, inasmuch as it was calculated to esta-blish a precedent for similar cases in future. The action was

brought by Dr. Edward Powell, house-surgeon of the FarnhamUnion, who sought to recover from the Board of Guardiansthe sum of two guineas for certifying to the lunacy of twopaupers, inmates of the workhouse, being two fees allowed forthe same by the Poor-law Board, but which the Board ofGuardians refused to pay, on the ground that the certificateswere given by Dr. Powell in the performance of his ordinaryduties, and without entailing any considerable inconvenience.

Dr. Powell conducted his own case, and Mr. W. Hollest,clerk to the guardians, appeared for the defendants.The facts of the case, as detailed by Dr. Powell, were to the

effect that on the 21st of August, 1865, he attended at theworkhouse, before the chairman of the board, and in his pre-sence, as a justice of the peace, certified to the lunacy of apauper named Sarah Howell. In the month of March of thepresent year he also certified to the lunacy of a man namedJames Parritt, at the same place, and afterwards claimed theusual fee of one guinea in each case, to which, in accordancewith his contract with the board, he was entitled. The

guardians, however, rejected the claim, and he subsequentlycommunicated with the Poor-law Board, from whom he re-ceived a letter, withholding any opinion as to the justice ofthe claim, and at the same time authorising him, if so advised,to enforce the demand elsewhere.

Mr. Hollest, having again stated the grounds on which theguardians refused the claim, contended that if Dr. Powell hadbeen specially summoned to the house, or had been put to anygreat inconvenience, it would have altered the circumstances,but it was during his attendance at the house that the lunacyof the paupers was certified to. He also added that, accordingto the Debts Act of 1859, the claim in regard to the first cer-tificate was not recoverable, inasmuch as it was not madewithin six months after it was incurred. The Poor-law Boardwere at liberty to extend that period to a twelvemonth if theythought proper, but they had not done so in the present instance,and even if they had done so the time would expire in the firstinstance in a few days.

His Honour stated that he took full cognisance of the Act ojParliament, and considered that the onus rested on Dr. Powelto show that the claim was in accordance with his contraclwith the guardians, which had been abundantly proved. H,therefore gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with expenses, in th(second fee, and observed that in the event of the Paor-lavBoard giving Dr. Powell permission to proceed with the firstas it had now exceeded the limits of the Debts Act, he woul(hear it again. There were other medical gentlemen in courtand the verdict was received with applause.

Medical News.APOTHECARIES’ HALL. - The following gentlemen

passed their examination in the Science and Practice of Medi-cine, and received certificates to practise, on Aug. 23rd :-

Clothier, Henry, Haslemere.Longbotham, George, Seaton Carew, Durham.

The following gentlemen passed their first examination onAug. 16th :—

Cuff, John Stanton, University College.Wills, Douglas, Guy’s Hospital.

And the following on Aug. 23rd :-Cortis, William R., Guy’s Hospital.

At the competitive examination, on the 8th inst., forthe prizes in Botany annually given by the Society ofApothecaries, the successful candidates were-James RyallRouch, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, gold medal ; MarmadukeAlexander Lawson, King’s College Hospital, silver medal anda book.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.—The following are lists ofcandidates who have passed the respective examinations indi-cated :—

FIRST M.B. EXAMINATION

ENTIRE.

First Division.Anderson, Tempest, University College.Cluff, James Stanton, B.A. Dubl., University College.Loy, Thomas Richardson, University College.May, Bennett, Sydenham College, Birmingham.Ridge, John James, St. Thomas’s Hospital.Taylor, Frederick, Guy’s Hospital.Wagstaffe, William Warwick, B.A., St. Thomas’s Hospital.

Second Division.Addenbrooke, Edward Homfray, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.Batt, Charles Dorrington, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.Blackley, John Galley, Royal Manchester School of Medicine.Crowfoot, Edward Bowles, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.Fiddian, Alexander Paull, King’s College.Marshall, Henry Flamank, Sydenham College, Birmingham.Nettleship, Edward, King’s College.Sanders, Richard Careless, London Hospital.Willoughby, Edward Francis, University College.Wyman, John Sanderson, Sydenham College and St. Bartholomew’s.

EXCLUDING PHYSIOLOGY.

Second Division.Heathcote, Rowland, Royal Manchester School of Medicine.Huristone, Adam Payton, University College.Lees, Joseph, St. Thomas’s Hospital.Seccombe, Edward Hepburne, King’s College.Yeo, Isaac Burney, King’s College.

PHYSIOLOGY ONLY.

First Division.Berridge, Edward William, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.Bird, John Durham, Royal Manchester School of Medicine.Raine, George Rolph, Guy’s Hospital.

Second Division.Bell, Cyril William Bowdler, B.Sc., Hull Medical School.Dove, John Reuben Bathurst, London Hospital.Eager, Reginald, Guy’s Hospital.

INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE.-The Military Secretary,.India Office, presents his compliments to the Editor of THELANCET, and begs to enclose a list of the candidates for H.M.Indian Medical Service who were successful at the competitiveexamination at Chelsea in March, 1866, and who have under-gone a course of instruction at the Army Medical School,together with the total number of marks obtained at theexaminations at Chelsea and at Netlev.