537

tiousness of Mr. Green, and may be advantageously contrastedwith the subsequent events of this inquiry. Dr. Glover wasthe party to whom the coroner then applied, and it must beadmitted, that a better witness, or a more competent medicaljurist, could not have been selected. Dr. Glover expressed hisreadiness to proceed with the investigation, but stated that itwas his custom, and that for years he had endeavoured tomake it that of the profession, to require a payment regulatedby the value of the services rendered-a principle which hap-pily has been more than once affirmed from the bench. Tothis proposition the coroner demurred, and after some hesita-tion put the inquiry into the hands of Mr. Septimus Rayne,a young member of the profession, who happens to be his ownmedical attendant; Mr. Rayne agreed to do it for less than Dr.Glover’s analysis would cost. Apart from the taking of theaffair from Dr. Glover in this shabby manner, it is, withoutmeaning any disrespect to Mr. Rayne, a matter of marvel here ehow he could undertake the task, the responsibilities of whichMr. Green appreciated and avoided, when it is notorious thatthe former gentleman’s acquirements as a chemist do not byany means range above the average, and whose appointmentto give evidence, under the circumstances, will satisfy neitherthe public nor the profession. The sequel proves this :—Mr.Rayne, like Mr. Green, being unused to chemical inquiries,and having no laboratory in which to operate, first solicitsthe help of Dr. Charlton, who declines to interfere under suchcircumstances, at length seeks and obtains the assistanceof Mr. Richardson-a non-medical but excellent chemist; andwith the aid of Mr. Richardson or his assistant, contrives toeffect the analysis.Conduct such as this is hurtful to all-it is unjust to Mr.

Green, who, to say the least of it, is quite as capable of accom-plishing what was wanted as Mr. Rayne-it is unjust to Dr.Glover, who has on many previous occasions caused theclaims of medical witnesses to be properly valued, and whohas done so much for the literature of medicine—and itdamages the dignity of our common profession.The coroner is a young man who holds his situation because

his father held it before him-his election was essentially aneleemosynary act; and if Mr. Stoker does not manage hisinquests a little better, it will be but too palpable thatthe Town Council, in doing an act of charity towards him, andin refusing to elect Mr. Doubleday, the historian and politicaleconomist-have allowed their benevolence grossly to misleadthem.-I am, Sir,Newcastle, 1848. SPECTATOR.

*. In justice to the coroner in this case, it must be statedthat the law did not empower lim to award to the chemical

operator a larger sum than two guineas.-ED. L.

PRESERVATION OF BODIES FOR ANATOMICALPURPOSES.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SiR,—-Referring to the very interesting letter of Dr. A.Ross, of Boulogue, in THE LANCET of the 22nd of April last,describing the new method of embalming bodies even withoutincision or cleansing, I have been informed, by a professionalfriend, that this extraordinary effect may be produced bymacerating a dead body in a solution of the lime of sulphur.Any one may put it to the test by drowning- two small

animals without violence, and putting one to macerate in purewater, and the other in the solution of the lime of sulphur,until the former becomes decidedly putrid, when the lattermay be examined; and it should be saved without injury toits texture, and laid by to dry.-Yours, c.,May, 1848. RESEARCH.

MUSEUMS AND DEFECTIVE CATALOGUES.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Two articles in your journal of the 22nd of Aprilhave induced me to trouble you with the following lines :-Page 449. Bad catalogues of public museums. Soane’s, in

Lincoln’s-inn-fields, the worst of the lot. The curator,although a very civil and obliging individual, honestlv con-fesses he knows nothing whatever of the collections in thecellars, and the extraordinary museum he superintends.Some of the fritile ware is very fine, but as it is not stated(query, known) whence the specimens were procured, whetherIli Britain or America (!), they are utterly useless to arebwo-logical alumni. Gorgeously bound volumes, written in theEnglish and French languages, grace the tables of the salonsat Soane’s, but disappointment awaits the visitor who expects

to find in them any account of the curiosities and real trea-sures crammed in every room of the house, for their contentsare unadulterated rubbish. Surely it is to be hoped thata better time is coming, and that the plan you propose beadopted-to wit, that "good descriptions of the specimens inthe cases and jars" of our public museums be pasted" onthem, " so that he who runs may read."Page 455. The trial at York, before Baron Alderson,

between the guardians of Huddersfield and Mr. Tatham,their medical officer, is an example that corporations have nosoul to be saved, nor posteriors to be kicked.

Yours obediently,Dartford, 1848. EXAMINER.

HINTS TO EDITORS IN GENERAL, AND TO ONEIN PARTICULAR.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—I wish to draw your attention to an abuse common

to many journals, but especially exemplified by the JYledicalGazette—I allude to the careless practice of filling up oddcorners with random scraps, collected from any quarter.Surely, what with translations from foreign cotemporaries,transactions of medical societies, original communications ofcases and essays, professional lectures, and editorial articles,sufficient matter may easily be obtained to render unneces-sary what I cannot help designating as a quasi fraud on thesubscribers. The cause, however, generally speaking, is notwant of matter, but its injudicious selection and distribution,owing to which, during the printing of the journal, and at thelast moment, it is discovered that certain ugly gaps exist,which must be filled up-and filled up accordingly they arewith matter good; bad, or indifferent, as chance and the hurryof an idle editor may determine. With a little extra trouble,spent in appreciating the extent and adequacy of his material,the journalist might frequently obviate the necessity of re-curring to this last resource. If he cannot do so, why thenlet him accumulate a little hoard of variously shaped andsized fragments, from which he may draw in cases ofemergency; but let these fragments be all of sterling quality,and above all, unhackneyed by repeated previous publication.Who, for instance, would dream of converting into a scape-goat of this description so popular a work as Dr. Watson’s" Practice of Physic"-the text-book, the examination-bookof all medical students-a book familiar literally to all in theprofession ? Yet the Medical Gazette, with an ulterior view,I suppose, of publishing a volume of " Elegant Extracts, orBeauties of Watson," treats us, week after week, with longquotations from this writer. This is, indeed, adding insult toinjury; for it amounts to an insinuation that we, ignorantsubscribers that we are, require to be reinstructed in thevery elements of which Hall and College allowed us to bemasters. Hoping that you will give insertion to this de-nunciation of a ridiculous and annoying system, I remain, Sir,yours respectfully, PROGRESS.

April, 1848. ROGRESS.

We have inserted the above letter at the request ofour correspondent, but it ought to have been addressed tothe Editor of the Medical Gazette.—ED. L.

HEALTH OF TOWNS.—SUPERVISION OVERLOCAL BOARDS.

W. SIMPSON.

THE following petition has been presented to the House ofCommons bv Lord Morpeth, and similar petitions to the legis-lature have been adopted by various medical practitioners.To t7te Honourable the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland,

in Parliament assembled.

The humble petition of William Simpson, surgeon, ofNo. 4, High-street, Bloomsbury, showeth,—

That your petitioner has been in practice for many years,and has had occasion daily to deplore the want of proper andefficient sanitary regulations in this kingdom, as he is con-vinced that typhus and other malignant diseases mightthereby be eradicated to nearly as great an extent as small-pox has been by vaccine.That your petitioner is firmly of opinion that supervision,

inspection, and scientific control over local boards are abso-lutely necessary for the attainment of the above-mentionednational object, and therefore most earnestly prays that theBill now before Parliament for Public Health may speedilybecome the law of the land.

And your petitioner will ever pray, &c.April, 1848. W. SiMPSON.