successful prosecution of a "medical botanist."

2
150 of Ireland. If the law, as it exists, be inadequate to obtain for Mr. Hawthorne an amount of payment bearing some rea- sonable proportion to his services and loss of time, the appeal to the Earl of Carlisle, who is a most just man, would furnish the best ground for future legislation on the subject. The treatment which Mr. Hawthorne has endured is really dis- graceful, and the profession will make it a common cause with him.—ED. L. ___________ ON THE TREATMENT OF EPIDIDYMITIS. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,—Having frequently seen the acutely painful congestion and inflammation of the epididymis treated with severe and sometimes baneful remedies, as the strong mercurial oint- ment, often pushed to the threshold of, and sometimes to, actual salivation ! I am anxious (if you will allow me space in your valuable publication) to describe a method of treat- ment which I have always found successful in a number of cases of this complaint, and of every degree of intensity in their symptoms. I, therefore, on the first day of treating the - case in hand (having relieved the bowels, if necessary, with a mild laxative), keep my patient in the recumbent position, and confined to a diet consisting of barley-water, tea, and mutton- broth, with bread alone as the pièce de resistance. Hot-Nvater fomentations to the scrotum I enjoin to be frequently employed (and this treatment alone will often remove incipient attacks, also those idiopathic ones occurring in young and healthy youths at puberty). To continue: after the first day’s preparatory treatment with "simples," I give the tartrate of antimony in doses of half a grain for an adult, with from three to five grains of the extract of hyoscyamus, in a pill, every four hours, un- less the case should present cerebral and other febrile symp- toms, when a common saline mixture, consisting of nitrate of potass with ipecacuanha wine, &c., will reduce these, and make the skin act, when I can resume the tartrate of antimony regularly until the tumour be resolved. In cases of this disorder occurring in debilitated frames, the congestion appearing to arise from a vitiated condition of blood, the healthy red corpuscles being at a minimum, I have found, after the usual preparatory treatment, that the administration of the tincture of sesquiehloride of iron, in five-minim doses, or of the sulphate of iron and sulphate of magnesia (combined, and each in small doses), has cured the patient. I have never had occasion to use bloodletting (even by leech- ing) or mercury in treating " swelled testicle," and have always found the before-mentioned plan of treatment rapidly and steadily succeed in resolving the largest tumours of this de- scription, and have also found it useful in reducing obstinate and chronic buboes which have defied both blisters and iodine, &c.; the only difference in the treatment of the latter is that I have given the nitrate of potass with ipecacuanha, in small .doses, instead of the potassio-tartrate of antimony. It is probable that the explanation of the value of " prepa- ratory diluent treatment," in local and organic congestions, is that the blood discs, by " endosmose" rendered more pervious to the action of remedies, such as tartrate of antimony and nitrate of potass, more rapidly respond to their stimulus; and, being contracted in volume, the capillary calibre is also re- duced upon them; and, lastly, the circulation in ultimate capil- laries is accelerated, and congestion relieved. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, August, 1839. M.E.C.S.E. (Army.) SHREWSBURY.—CRIMINAL COURT. SATURDAY, JULY 30TH. Joseph Dickin surrendered to take his trial on a charge of manslaughter, in causing the death of Richard Hughes. Mr. Boughey appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Scotland and Mr. Kettle defended the prisoner. The prisoner was a cattle doctor, living at Tibberton. His father had been what is called a " bone-setter," and the pri- soner followed the same occupation. He was now put on his trial for causing the death of a butcher of Tibberton, named Hughes, by his want of skill in the treatment of a broken leg. It appeared that on the 30th December last the deceased was riding in his cart to Newport market, when the horsa kicked violently and broke his leg. The fracture was a compound comminuted one, and both bones were broken a little above I the ankle. The unfortunate man was carried home, and wished the prisoner to be sent for, a wish which had already been anticipated by his family, who procured his early attendance. The prisoner set the leg, binding it up with splints and bandages. The bandages were undone on the eleventh day, and it was found that there was some discharge from the wound, but it seemed to be going on well. The leg was done up again in the same manner, and was not undone again for several weeks, when it was found that the discharge had increased. A. piece of the broken bone came from the wound, but, though the deceased was not going on so well as could be wished, the prisoner encouraged him to believe that his broken leg would be cured, and would finally be stronger than the other. These hopes, however, were not realized, and the prisoner expressed a wish that the deceased should be seen by a " regular practitioner," as he required medicine, and the formation of matter in the leg required the use of the lancet. A regular practitioner from Wellington was then called in, and he continued the treatment which had been adopted to sup- port the strength of the deceased, and had the patient removed to Wellington, where he could have him close under his eye. Instead of gathering strength, however, he declined, and in the month of April died of exhaustion. The blame was thrown upon the "irregular practitioner," who was charged with felony in causing the deceased man’s death by his gross and criminal want of skill. The sons of the deceased man were examined, and spoke very highly of the prisoner’s attention, and also of his skill and reputation as a bone-setter, which, they said, could be testified to by from twenty to thirty wit- nesses, upon whom he had successfully operated, and who had come to Shrewsbury to speak for him. The surgeons who had attended to the case, and also a gentleman from the infirmary, were examined, and stated that there was no fault to be found with the treatment in the first instance, nor for the first two or three weeks, as an attempt was properly made to save the leg; but they thought that if the leg did not heal within that time it ought to have been amputated. They admitted, how- ever, that the propriety of amputation must depend on the strength of the patient and other circumstances, of which they were unable to judge; but they agreed that it was not good surgical practice to bind up the leg for so many weeks, and so to confine the matter which was forming in the wound. iMr. SCOTL-4-1’,D contended the prisoner had not shown that gross ignorance and want of skill which ought to make him criminally liable, and that at the utmost, if there had been any unskilful treatment, it arose from an error in judgment merely, and not from gross ignorance of his art, If necessary, and the evidence were admissible, he was in a position to call twenty or thirty witnesses to prove the prisoner’s skill and success in bone setting. Mr. Justice WILLES summed up the evidence to the jury, and said that a want of attention was not attributed to the prisoner; but the question was, whether he had shown a rea- sonable and competent degree of skill in the performance of the duty which he had undertaken. There was no difficulty as to the rule of law on the subject. The difficulty was in applying the law to the facts, and the jury, who were acquainted with the wants and habits of the country, must decide whether or not the prisoner had shown gross ignorance of the art, and so had caused the death of the deceased. The jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner " Not Guilty," a result which was received with the liveliest satis- faction by a large number of the prisoner’s friends who had rallied round him. SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF A "MEDICAL BOTANIST." THE MEDICAL ACT EFFICACIOUS IN SUPPRESSING QUACKERY. AT the Petty Sessions held at Rbayader on the 27th ult., the magistrates on the bench being T. Prickard, Esq., and the Rev. J. Williams, Sergeant Constance brought up before the bench Henry de la Cuer, alias Dr. de la Cuer, charged by Mr. R. Richardson, L.F.P.S.G., for having wilfully and falsely pretended to Zarah Rowlands that he was a practitioner in medicine, and also for obtaining money under false pretences. Mr. Richardson pressed for the first charge, as it may be the means of warning to others. Mr. RICHARDSON.-My object in this case is for public good, as persons are in the habit of going about the country without any qualification whatever, merely for the purpose of obtaining money, and they generally prey upon the ignorant afflicted,

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150

of Ireland. If the law, as it exists, be inadequate to obtainfor Mr. Hawthorne an amount of payment bearing some rea-sonable proportion to his services and loss of time, the appealto the Earl of Carlisle, who is a most just man, would furnishthe best ground for future legislation on the subject. The

treatment which Mr. Hawthorne has endured is really dis-graceful, and the profession will make it a common cause withhim.—ED. L.

___________

ON THE TREATMENT OF EPIDIDYMITIS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Having frequently seen the acutely painful congestionand inflammation of the epididymis treated with severe andsometimes baneful remedies, as the strong mercurial oint-ment, often pushed to the threshold of, and sometimes to,actual salivation ! I am anxious (if you will allow me spacein your valuable publication) to describe a method of treat-ment which I have always found successful in a number ofcases of this complaint, and of every degree of intensity intheir symptoms. I, therefore, on the first day of treating the- case in hand (having relieved the bowels, if necessary, with amild laxative), keep my patient in the recumbent position, andconfined to a diet consisting of barley-water, tea, and mutton-broth, with bread alone as the pièce de resistance. Hot-Nvaterfomentations to the scrotum I enjoin to be frequently employed(and this treatment alone will often remove incipient attacks, alsothose idiopathic ones occurring in young and healthy youthsat puberty). To continue: after the first day’s preparatorytreatment with "simples," I give the tartrate of antimony indoses of half a grain for an adult, with from three to five grainsof the extract of hyoscyamus, in a pill, every four hours, un-less the case should present cerebral and other febrile symp-toms, when a common saline mixture, consisting of nitrate ofpotass with ipecacuanha wine, &c., will reduce these, andmake the skin act, when I can resume the tartrate of antimonyregularly until the tumour be resolved.

In cases of this disorder occurring in debilitated frames, thecongestion appearing to arise from a vitiated condition of blood,the healthy red corpuscles being at a minimum, I have found,after the usual preparatory treatment, that the administrationof the tincture of sesquiehloride of iron, in five-minim doses, orof the sulphate of iron and sulphate of magnesia (combined, andeach in small doses), has cured the patient.

I have never had occasion to use bloodletting (even by leech-ing) or mercury in treating " swelled testicle," and have alwaysfound the before-mentioned plan of treatment rapidly andsteadily succeed in resolving the largest tumours of this de-scription, and have also found it useful in reducing obstinateand chronic buboes which have defied both blisters and iodine,&c.; the only difference in the treatment of the latter is that Ihave given the nitrate of potass with ipecacuanha, in small.doses, instead of the potassio-tartrate of antimony.

It is probable that the explanation of the value of " prepa-ratory diluent treatment," in local and organic congestions, isthat the blood discs, by " endosmose" rendered more perviousto the action of remedies, such as tartrate of antimony andnitrate of potass, more rapidly respond to their stimulus; and,being contracted in volume, the capillary calibre is also re-duced upon them; and, lastly, the circulation in ultimate capil-laries is accelerated, and congestion relieved.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,August, 1839. M.E.C.S.E. (Army.)

SHREWSBURY.—CRIMINAL COURT.

SATURDAY, JULY 30TH.

Joseph Dickin surrendered to take his trial on a charge ofmanslaughter, in causing the death of Richard Hughes.

Mr. Boughey appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Scotlandand Mr. Kettle defended the prisoner.The prisoner was a cattle doctor, living at Tibberton. His

father had been what is called a " bone-setter," and the pri-soner followed the same occupation. He was now put on histrial for causing the death of a butcher of Tibberton, namedHughes, by his want of skill in the treatment of a broken leg.It appeared that on the 30th December last the deceased wasriding in his cart to Newport market, when the horsa kickedviolently and broke his leg. The fracture was a compoundcomminuted one, and both bones were broken a little above I

the ankle. The unfortunate man was carried home, andwished the prisoner to be sent for, a wish which had alreadybeen anticipated by his family, who procured his earlyattendance. The prisoner set the leg, binding it up with

splints and bandages. The bandages were undone on theeleventh day, and it was found that there was some dischargefrom the wound, but it seemed to be going on well. The legwas done up again in the same manner, and was not undoneagain for several weeks, when it was found that the dischargehad increased. A. piece of the broken bone came from thewound, but, though the deceased was not going on so well ascould be wished, the prisoner encouraged him to believe thathis broken leg would be cured, and would finally be strongerthan the other. These hopes, however, were not realized, andthe prisoner expressed a wish that the deceased should be seenby a " regular practitioner," as he required medicine, and theformation of matter in the leg required the use of the lancet.A regular practitioner from Wellington was then called in, andhe continued the treatment which had been adopted to sup-port the strength of the deceased, and had the patient removedto Wellington, where he could have him close under his eye.Instead of gathering strength, however, he declined, and inthe month of April died of exhaustion. The blame was thrownupon the "irregular practitioner," who was charged withfelony in causing the deceased man’s death by his gross andcriminal want of skill. The sons of the deceased man wereexamined, and spoke very highly of the prisoner’s attention,and also of his skill and reputation as a bone-setter, which,they said, could be testified to by from twenty to thirty wit-nesses, upon whom he had successfully operated, and who hadcome to Shrewsbury to speak for him. The surgeons who hadattended to the case, and also a gentleman from the infirmary,were examined, and stated that there was no fault to be foundwith the treatment in the first instance, nor for the first twoor three weeks, as an attempt was properly made to save theleg; but they thought that if the leg did not heal within thattime it ought to have been amputated. They admitted, how-ever, that the propriety of amputation must depend on thestrength of the patient and other circumstances, of which theywere unable to judge; but they agreed that it was not goodsurgical practice to bind up the leg for so many weeks, and soto confine the matter which was forming in the wound.

iMr. SCOTL-4-1’,D contended the prisoner had not shown thatgross ignorance and want of skill which ought to make himcriminally liable, and that at the utmost, if there had been anyunskilful treatment, it arose from an error in judgment merely,and not from gross ignorance of his art, If necessary, and theevidence were admissible, he was in a position to call twentyor thirty witnesses to prove the prisoner’s skill and success inbone setting.

Mr. Justice WILLES summed up the evidence to the jury,and said that a want of attention was not attributed to theprisoner; but the question was, whether he had shown a rea-sonable and competent degree of skill in the performance ofthe duty which he had undertaken. There was no difficultyas to the rule of law on the subject. The difficulty was in

’ applying the law to the facts, and the jury, who were acquainted’ with the wants and habits of the country, must decide whether

or not the prisoner had shown gross ignorance of the art, andso had caused the death of the deceased.The jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner " Not

Guilty," a result which was received with the liveliest satis-faction by a large number of the prisoner’s friends who hadrallied round him.

SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF A"MEDICAL BOTANIST."

THE MEDICAL ACT EFFICACIOUS IN SUPPRESSING QUACKERY.

AT the Petty Sessions held at Rbayader on the 27th ult.,the magistrates on the bench being T. Prickard, Esq., and theRev. J. Williams, Sergeant Constance brought up before thebench Henry de la Cuer, alias Dr. de la Cuer, charged by Mr.R. Richardson, L.F.P.S.G., for having wilfully and falselypretended to Zarah Rowlands that he was a practitioner inmedicine, and also for obtaining money under false pretences.Mr. Richardson pressed for the first charge, as it may be themeans of warning to others.Mr. RICHARDSON.-My object in this case is for public good,

as persons are in the habit of going about the country withoutany qualification whatever, merely for the purpose of obtainingmoney, and they generally prey upon the ignorant afflicted,

151

who are apt to be deluded by their fair promises of cure. In

consequence of seeing one of this self-styled doctor’s bills, Imade inquiries, and yesterday, late in the evening, I was in-formed that he visited Zarah Rowlands (who is blind withclosure of the pupils from adhesion of lymph, in consequence ofa violent attack of iritis). I went to her house, accompanied bySergeant Constance, and asked if she had received any medicinefrom defendant. She said she had received a bottle of mixtureand a small phial with lotion, to bathe the temples, for whichshe paid four shillings. Sergeant Constance took possession ofthe medicine, and handed it over to me to be analyzed. Thenfrom her house I accompanied Constance to defendant’s lodgings,at the Swan Inn. When asked for his diploma, the defeudantsaid he had it not with him, but that it was a little way off.His name, he said, was Dr. de la Cuer. He could not producea diploma. Constance then took him in charge for pretendingto be a practitioner in medicine, and for obtaining money underfalse pretences. The bottle now produced is horse’s urine andwhiting, scented with pimenta, and coloured with somethinglike cochineal. On analyzing, I find that it contains hippuricacid under the microscope, and by evaporating a small quantityit emits the smell of horse urine; in my opinion, and accordingto my tests, it contains these detestable ingredients. Thelotion to bathe the temples contains a preparation of lime inthe form of chalk or whiting and pimenta water. I am notaware of these things being employed as medicine in this com-plaint. It is not directly injurious, but it is extremely offensive.The lotion can be of no service whatever, unless he expects hersight to improve by whitewashing the temples. (Laughter.)Mr. Richardson then drew attention to some printed papers indefendant’s box, with " Dr. de la Cuer" on them.The defendant, a middle-aged man, of a Jewish appearance,

who spoke English imperfectly, said.—My name is Henry dela Cuer. I am a medical botanist. I am not a medical practi-tioner, but a medical botanist. I am a native of Paris. I havebeen in dis coontry more than fourteen years. I have beenliving in Swansea, Cardiff, Tredegar, and Brynmowr. I doallow dat I visited Zarah Rowlands, and sold her some medi-cine, not as a medical practitioner, but as a medical botanist.I have no diploma of any sort. I have been in practice moredan thirty years. I make de medicine myself from de roots,and sell it to de patients, and dat is medical botany. I amnot a " doctor" of medicine. De papers in de box are a mis-

print. I have been in practice in England more dan fourteenyears. I am ignorant of de English laws. If you take myvord, I have been in practice many years. If you take my vord,I do not put horse’s urine in medicine. If you do not believeme, I vill drink some of it myself. £ I have no diploma to show.ZARAH ROWLANDS deposed.-I did not call defendant in;

came to my house, and told me that he had medicine thatwould cure me quite, and that I should be able to see as wellas ever in twelve days. I had a bottle of mixture and a small

phial with something to bathe the temples. Mr. Lawrencegave me some of it once to take. I paid for it. I paid himfour shillings. He asked me five shillings and sixpence at first.He said that he would take one shilling and sixpence again ifhe should happen to come round. He sent a paper to my housethe day before he called.Sergeant CONSTANCE deposed. -I sawthe defendant yesterday

morning hawking a box of medicine about the town, and abouthalf-past nine last night I found that he had sold it to ZarahRowlands, and had received four shillings for it. I took pos-session of the medicine, and handed it over to Mr. Richardson,to be analyzed by him. I then went in search of defendant,and found him in bed at the Swan. There were two persons,one in each bed. I asked which was the doctor, and he replied"Here I am." I then demanded to see his diploma. He said," I have not got it with me, but it is close by." Then hesaid that it was at Builth, in his carpet-bag. I then chargedhim with acting as a medical man without a diploma or a cer-tificate, and with receiving four shillings under false pretences.He said he should say nothing to the charge. I took him tothe station, and there searched him, and found upon him awatch and chain, an eye-glass, and what he called " a pulse-glass," 8s. Id. in money, a tobacco-box, and a pipe.The charge having been proved, the defendant was fined 30s.,

and 11s. costs. Immediate payment was ordered, or in defaultof payment one month’s imprisonment; and to leave the townin six hours.

APPOINTMENTS.—Dr. Ramskill has been elected Phy.sician to the London Hospital.——Mr. Cusack has been appointed Surgeon to the Queen in Ireland.

Medical News.ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—TLe following gentle-

men, having undergone the necessary examinations for the

diploma, were admitted members of the College, at a meetingof the Court of Examiners on the 29th ult.:—

BRINGLOE, JOHN, Camberwell.CAMPBELL, JOHN, Kinneff, Kincardineshire.DELMAR, STUART, Canterbury.O’BRIEN, DANIEL, Calcutta.PARSONS, FREDK. JAS., Bayswater.

’ PIERCEY, WILLIAM LEms, Dublin.! SHANLEY, LUKE PATRICK, Strokestown.I THOMSON, ALEXANDER BREMNER, Rothes, Morayshire.I

The following gentlemen were admitted members on the 1stinst. :--

Bossy, ALFRED HORSLEY, London.BRYANT, CHARLES. Sydney.DIXON, GEORGE, Helmsley, Yorkshire.EARDLEY, JOHN, Charles-street, Westbourne-terrace.EARNSHAW, JOHN, Oldham.ENGLEHEART, STEPHEN PAUL, Blackheath.

[ FAWTHROP, JOHN, Queen’s Head, Halifax, Yorkshire.HARRIS, WILLIAM HENRY, Baltic House, Pimlico.

! KENNY, JOSEPH, Stoke Newington.NICHOLSON, JOHN LEE, Hull.PALMER. HENRY, East Garsten, Berkshire.SMITH, JOHN RICHARD, Cirencester.SMYTHE, EENRY, King’s Lynn.SWINDELL, JOHN JOSEPH, Whetstone.TURNBULL, WILLIAM, Euston-road.

LICENTIATES IN MIDWIFERY. -The following members of theCollege, having undergone the necessary examinations, wereadmitted Licentiates in Midwifery at a meeting of the Boardof Examiners on the 2ud inst. :-

BROCK, Wm. KORBRIGHT, Clifton; diploma of Membershipdated Dec. 20, 1854.

CULLEN, PETER, Calcutta; Mav 16, 1859.DAY, WM. WHITE, Clifton; July 16, 1858.DowKER, FRED. WOODCOCK, Laysthorpe; April 11, 1859.HERBERT, BENJAMIN HEYWOOD, Edgbaston, near Birming-ham; April 18, 1859.

JOYCE, THOS., Stamford-hill; April 5, 1858.MENZIES, JAS. L, Upper Stamford-street; July 15, 1859.OLIVER, SOMMERVILLE, Edinburgh, L. R,. C. S. Edin., 1858.TREND, THEOPHILUS WM., Bridgwater.WILDBORE, DAN. HENRY G., Charlotte-street; July 31, 1848.APOTHECARIES’ HALL.—The following gentlemen passed

their examination in the science and practice of medicine, andreceived certificates to practise, on

Thursday, July 28th, 1859.ASHBY, JOSEPH FRANCIS, South Newington, Oxfordshire.DALY, MICHAEL, Ireland.DowKER, FREDK. WOODCOCK, Laysthorpe, Yorkshire.EDWARDS, DAVID RICHARD P., Newport, Monmouth.HARRISON, REGINALD, Stafford.POWER, DANIEL, Herleby.ROBERTS, GRIFFITH WM., Clynnog, Carnarvon.WALES, JoHN, Downham Market, Suffolk.WILLIAMS, WM. JOSEPH, Uffculme, Devon.

The following gentlemen also, on the same day, passed theirfirst examination :-

BRUNTON, LINTON B., Waterloo-place, Limehouse.CASE, GEO. HENRY, Fareham, Hants.DAVEY, ALEX. GEO., Walmer, Kent.EVERETT, BENJAMIN GEO., Warminster, Wilts.HALL, AUGUSTUS ROBINSON, Topsham, Devon.HAMMOND, FRANCIS JAS., Sherborne, Dorset.HAWKINS, THOS. HENRY, Reading, Berks.SUTTON, HENRY GRANT, Ilminster, Somerset.WATKLNS. WALTER, Castle-street, Brecon.WICKHAM, WM., Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

HER MAJESTY’S INDIAN SERVICE.—The following gen--tlemen were reported as qualified Assistant-Surgeons by theBoard of Examiners in July, 1859 :-

EDWARD WALLIS, M.R.C.S.E.CHAS. CAMERON, M.R.C.S.E.JOHN MACLEOD CAMERON, F. R. C. S. Edin.