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TESTIMONIAL TO DR. DAY.

WE are gratified to learn that a movement is on foot for thepurpose of presenting to Dr. Day, of St. Andrews, a testimonialfrom the graduates of that University, in acknowledgment ofhis labours in their behalf. There cannot be a doubt thatthe improvements in the examinational system introduced byDr. Day, have contributed largely to the interests of the Uni-versity. Understanding well the practical requirements of themedical profession, and not less so the scientific advancementstherein, Dr. Day has so admirably arranged the examinationalcard at St. Andrews, as to give to the degree a high pro-fessional worth, without excluding its possession from anyonewho may have the courage and the industry to work for it asan academic title. We should hope that the recognition ofDr. Day’s services will be responded to by every graduate of&bgr;t. Andrews.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.

HUNTERIAN ORATION, BY MR. COULSOX.ON Thursday last, at three P.M., Mr. Coulson delivered the

Hunterian Oration in the theatre of the above College, beforean unusually full and distinguished audience, which accordedto the lecture a very flattering reception. The oration wascharacterized by an elevated tone of thought, and an eloquentorm of expression. It was rendered still more impressive byan admirable manner of delivery.

Mr. Coulson commenced by recalling the religious customwhich prevails in many countries of devoting a particular dayin each year to the memory of the departed; and in the samespirit, he said, did they summon, as it were, the spirit ofHunter to appear amid the work of his hand, and there, sur-rounded by the fruits of his labour, pay to genius its homage,and hold forth a great example to incite and to instruct. Mr.Coulson reviewed the simple life and grand labours of Hunter,whose Museum was an epitome of organized nature, and thepreparations like the picture-writing on an ancient temple,where each picture is a page in a history before unknown. Mr.Coulson affirmed with eloquence, and analyzed with dialecticrefinement, the statement of Hunter, that " Life is a power.superadded to matter; that organization arises from, and de-pends on, life, and is the condition of vital action; but that lifenever can arise out of, or depend on, organization." Passing ’,from the lofty generalizations which comprise the laws of unity- of type and analogy of development, the-orator vindicated theCberality of the College, which had spent or procured nearly aquarter of a million of money in supporting, housing, and ex-tending the Museum, while the preparations had increased,under its guardianship, from 13,682 to 44,700, 16,000 micro-scopical preparations being due to Mr. Quekett. Reviewingthe course which the College had taken in controlling and ele-vating the educational standard, Mr. Coulson concluded, amidloud applause, by an eloquent exhortation to personal, profes-sional, and scientific union.

POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM.

MEETING AT FrEEiI ASOT9’ HALL.

A MEETING of the members of the Poor-law Medical ReformAssociation, and medical students was held at Freemasons’Hall on Tuesday last. The meeting had been announced fortwelve o’clock, but in consequence of the paucity of the attend-ance, the proceedings did not commence till more than half anhour after that time.Mr. GRIFFIN, of Weymouth, occupied the chair. He said

he had received a letter from Mr. Lord, in which he remarkedthat few man of any practice in or near London could attendat the hour fixed. The result confirmed that opinion. Thechairman then read the minutes of the preceding meeting, heldin May last, and said that since that time, as the meeting wereaware, Mr. Pigott had brought a Bill into Parliament, butwithdrew it on the evening appointed for the second readingin consequence of the tremendous opposition of the Poor-law I

guardians. Mr. Pigott had since promised to introduce anotherBill, but had been prevented by illness. Since the adjourn.ment of the House, several letters had passed between Mr.Pigott and himself. (Some of the letters were then read, inwhich Mr. Pigott referred Mr. Griffiel to one of the membersfor Devizes, who would be likely to get the Bill through Par-liament, and stated that his brother, Mr. Serjeant Pigott, whowas then a member of the House, might support the measure.)The chairman, thinking it was time that they should be pre.pared with a member to bring the matter forward, had appliedto Mr. Layard, who, in his reply, said he regretted that theBill should has met with eo many obstacles, and that, nothaving before heard from the Association on the subject of theirgrievances, he had concluded that the matter had been dropped.He should be glad to give the subject again his best considera.tion, and the Association such support as he might be able toafford; but many circumstances combined to make him un-willing to bring the Bill before the House. Immediately onthe receipt of this reply from Mr. Layard, the chairman wroteto the gentleman named by Mr. Pigott (Mr. Darby Griffiths).This gentleman, in his reply, stated that it was a subject onwhich he had never had an opportunity of forming any con-clusive opinion as to what should be the practical solution ofthe conflicting claims of the parties, and he felt precluded fromadding another subject to the number with which he had todeal. A copy of this letter had been sent to Mr. SerjeantPigott, together with a copy of Mr, Francis Pigott’s letter.Since he (Mr. Griffin) had been in the room that morning, hehad received an answer from Mr. Serjeant Pigott. (The letter,which was read to the meeting, WM to the effect that thelearned writer had not sufficiently informed himself as to thelaw of medical relief to know whether it was of sufficient im-portance to call for new legislation ; and until he knew moreof the subject he could make no promise thereon. His engage-ments before Easter were very pressing, and he had not had anopportunity of looking into the question so fully as it required.So far as he had read the proposed Bill, he saw that the subjectrequired a very nice discrimination, and the whole Bill to beremodeled. Mr. Villiers had got a committee to consider thewhole subject of the administration of the Poor-law and itsoperation, and had declared to him that it was just the openingthat was required.) Immediately upon Mr. Villiers givingnotice for a committee, he (Mr. Griffin) wrote to the Poor-lawBoard, to know what steps he should take to be examined onthat committee, and he was informed in answer that the usualcourse was to make an application to one of the members ofthe committee, but at present the members were not named.He thought they should get no Bill before the House whilethat committee was sitting; but if the subject were fairly in-quired into, such a mass of evidence would be laid before Par-liament that some legislation must take place.A Medical Officer said he thought the question for them to

discuss at present was, whether they should go with the Poor-law Board or against them. He was satisfied that the Boardwere at their wits’ end to get help from the guardians; theyfeared there was such an antagonism to them at the presenttime amongst the general public, that they were soliciting sup-port in every direction.

Dr. RANSOM, of Cambridge, thought there would be noharm done in opposing the Poor-law Board. The assistancethe medical officers had received from them was nothing at all,for they had been left entirely at the mercy of the boards ofguardians.The CHAIRMAN intimated his full intention to prosecute the

agitation for reform. He cared nothing for the coolness whichsome manifested. He was daily receiving letters from all partsof the country. He received sufficient subscriptions to pay theexpenses of the movement, and when he found this was thecase he knew that medical officers generally were interested inthe matter. Although many of the metropolitan men werestanding aloof personalty, still he had received a great deal ofmoney from them. It seemed as if they wished to support themovement without being observed.Mr. SUTHERIN said the only plan to pursue, in case the

Government should not think proper to bring in a Bill to reodress their grievances, would be to call a meeting of the wholeprofession, and unanimously agree to give three months’ noticeand resign.The CRAIRMAN.-They wont do it.Mr. SuTHtRiN.—Then they are not worthy of b(ing medical

men. The present generation of medical students, to theirgreat credit, have all made a pledge that they will not takeoffice upon the present scale.The CHAIRMAN said he did not wish the young gentlemen to