Medical and Physical Entelligence. ROYAL College of Physicians. At the annual election of officers of the College, last month, Sir Henry Halford, Bart. was reelected President, Dr. Currey, Treasurer, and Dr. Hue, Registrar ; Dr. Frampton, Dr. Hume, Dr. Badham, and Dr. Lloyd were elected Censors; Sir Henry Halford, Bart., Dr. Hervey, Dr. Gower, Dr. Hue, and Dr. Bright, Commissioners under the Mad-House Act; and Dr. Powell, Secretary to the Commissioners. Zoology. Dr. PAOLO SAVI, assistant to the Professor of Botany in the University of Pisa, has discovered in different places in the Tuscan Apennines, a new species of salamander, remarkable for its figure and colours. He has named it Salamandra perspicillata quinque palmis plantisque tetradactylis. It has a spot on the top of the head in shape like a pair of spectacles, and also four toes on each foot, instead of three, like the common salamander. Hydrophobia.-At Pavia, new trials have been made which prove the efficacy of oxygenated muriatic acid in subduing the hydrophobia, Dr. Previsali had prescribed it with success where the symptoms were advanced, in a liquid form, from a drachm to a drachm and a half daily, in citron water or syrup of citron. Milk. It is ascertained that morning's milk commonly yields some hundredths more cream than the evening's at the same temperature. That milked at noon furnishes the least... It would therefore be of ́advantage, in making butter and cheese, to employ the morning's milk, and to keep the evening's for domestic use. Jo milking cows this singular phenomenon is observed, that the milk obtained from one and the same milking differs considerably in quality; that, contrary to what might be expected, the first drawn is not the best, but that which is obtained last contains invariably the largest portion of cream, Every regular dairy-man knows that the last-drawn milk called strip. pings, is by far the richest, and that there is a gradation of fulness, from the first milking to the last. Air Pump Bath.-Mr. DAVID BROWNRIGG, Deputy Inspector of Hospitals, has after much trouble constructed a machine by which the whole body, except the head, may be subjected to the effects of the air pump bath, with or without medicated fumigation. He has tried its powers in a few cases, and has great reason to be satisfied with its medicinal agency, and will, as soon as his leisure admits, submit to the public a detached account of its construction and application. LIVERPOOL EYE INFIRMARY. Liverpool; Oct. 25, 1821. SIR, -The interest you take in promoting every department of medicine induces me to take the liberty of sending you the first Report of the "Liverpool Institution for curing Diseases of the Eye," Should any Cases worthy of insertion in the Medical and Physical Journal occur, I shall forward them to you. Meantime, I have the honor to be, sir, your very obedient servant, To the Editor, &c. ALEX. HANNAY, M,Ð. Medical Officers of the Institution. Dr. HANNAY, Physician. Mr. BRANDRETH and Mr. LOFTUS, Consulting Surgeons. MEDICAL REPORT. Patients admitted, from the 1st of July, 1820, to the 1st of July, 1821. Unnatural adhesions of the Iris, with disfigured, contracted, or closed Papil Staphyloma Cataract 25 5 41 Out of which number 528 have been discharged, cured. Remaining upon the books 150 Eleven cases have been operated upon for Cataract; seven were restored to sight; two are now under absorption, and two have been unsuccessful on account of supervening inflammation. A share of the misfortune which followed the two last-mentioned operations may, with justice, be attributed to want of proper accommodation for the patients, and their neglect to call in assistance at the onset of inflam. mation. SIR, WINCHESTER EYE INFIRMARY. Winchester; Nov. 9th, 1821. 1 observed in your Journal for October, an account of an Institution for the cure of Injuries and Diseases of the Eyes, which is attempted to be established in this city, and also some extracts from a letter of mine in defence of the County Hospital; but as these extracts are rather unconnected, I have taken the liberty of enclosing to you a copy of the circular address of Mr. H. G. LYFORD and Mr. W. J. WICKHAM, who constitute the "small number of medical practitioners setting the plan on foot," together with a copy of my letter to the Governors of the County Hospital, which was meant as a reply to the said address. The object of my letter was to support my own credit and that of the hospital, both of which were by many of my friends considered to be indirectly attacked by the statement of my colleagues, and to propose an addition to our establishment, which must clearly obviate any necessity for a distinct Institution upon the ground of public benefit. This proposal, I am happy to inform you, the committee have unanimously resolved to accede to, and I trust you will also be happy to find, notwithstanding the glaring contrast between the statement in my letter and the report of the new Institution in the Hampshire Chronicle, that in the same space of time we have had treble the number of severe ophthalmic cases under treatment as in-patients at the Hospital, to what there has been at the Institution, which at most has never had more than one or two in at a time, and doubtless, the fifty others might also have been relieved at the Hospital, if the same pains had been taken to collect them from the country round: but, unless we can conceive our neighbouring practitioners to be themselves afflicted with the most inveterate opacities, these might safely have been spared an irksome pilgrimage for the purpose of swelling the number of votaries at this recently erected shrine of the New Light. I have the honor to be, sir, To the Editor, &c. Your obedient servant, CHARLES MAYO, Senior Surgeon to the County Hospital. [Circular.] Winchester; July 6, 1821. SIR, It is proposed to establish in this city, an Institution for the Cure of Injuries and Diseases of the EYES. There is at present in this County a considerable number of poor, afflicted with Diseases of the Eyes, who, unconscious that relief can be obtained, have thrown themselves on the charity of the public for support. Many who, from their infancy, have been by nature deprived of light, and thereby of the advantages of education, as well as many of a maturer age, who have remained for years in darkness, and not aware that sight can be restored to them. The objects, then, of such an institution are, to restore the blessing of Light to many thus afflicted, and to afford assistance to those who, from neglect in the first stages of disease, pass into a state of irremediable blindness. Institutions, for the cure of Injuries and Diseases incident to these organs, have been formed in London, and in the large towns of several counties, and the beneficial effects of such establishments will be fully recognized, on inspection of their Reports. They are found to be valuable additions to the General Infirmaries, where this particular class of diseases cannot be so nicely and tenderly treated as in institutions professedly for the purpose. The majority of this class of diseases are capable of relief at a distance, with occasional advice and proper injunctions. Only in severe or acute cases, or where operations are required, is it necessary to admit patients into the house; but in those daily attention is requisite. The out-patients, then, comprehend a great extent of relief-they may be unlimited in number, although subject to proper regulations. The in-patients may be limited to six or eight. The officers of the charity to consist of a president, governors, treasurer, committee of governors, consulting physician, two surgeons, dispensing assistant, and secretary. Similar institutions have commenced under the superintendance of one surgeon only, and, without doubt, the business may be easily accomplished by one; but it may be more advantageous to appoint two surgeons, for the benefit of occasional consultations, and mutual assistance in operations. We beg to offer our gratuitous assistance as surgeons to the institution. We likewise offer the gratuitous services of one of our assistants, for dispensing medicines, during the infancy of the establishment. If such an institution, which many gentlemen, upon our suggestion, think highly desirable, and propose to encourage, should meet with your approbation, we shall feel obliged by your informing us of it, and what donation or subscription you may be disposed to make.-We have the honour to be, sir, Your obedient servants, H. GILES LYFORD. W. J. WICKHAM. Copy of a Letter, addressed to the Chairman of the Committee, at the County Hospital, in Winchester, on Wednesday, the 11th of July, 1821. SIR, Having seen a circular letter from my junior colleagues, proposing to establish an "Institution for the Cure of Injuries and Diseases of the EYES," in this city, the necessity for which they state to be grounded upon the "considerable number of poor, now in the county, afflicted with Diseases of the Eyes, who are unconscious that relief can be obtained," and because a General Hospital is not capable of affording relief to this particular class of diseases, in so eminent a degree as an institution solely appropriated to that purpose, I have felt it my duty to address some remarks upon the subject to you, and by that means to the Committee, and to the governors of the County Hospital in general. During the ten years in which I have been surgeon to the hospital, a large share of the Ophthalmic patients have come under my care, and I have had considerable success in their cure, both by operations and constitutional treatment; and I also beg to state, that some years ago, having somewhat of a similar object in view to that which my colleagues now propose, I made inquiries of my professional brethren about the county, for cases of cataract, and other diseases of the eye, which would admit of relief by operation, but that I found by far too small a number to justify the recommendation of such a scheme to public patronage. A very laudable zeal has no doubt prompted my colleagues to solicit the atten tion of the public to the present plau; but as a servant of the county, equally zealous for the promotion of every thing calculated to relieve the infirmities of the lower orders, I have no hesitation in expressing my confidence that our hospital can afford every relief to persons afflicted with diseases of the eyes in this county, and that, with very little alteration in its establishment, it might embrace every advantage which my colleagues anticipate from a distinct institution. The alteration I mean would be the appropriation of a small room or ward, for three or four acute cases, or those requiring operations, which is the greatest number likely to be in the hospital at any one time; for it cannot be denied that the success of an operation is often dependant upon the strict quietude and particular circumspection with which the after-treatment is conducted, and therefore the seclusion of such patients from the general intercourse of the larger wards would be highly beneficial. The number of patients annually admitted with diseases of the Eyes, and discharged cured, or greatly relieved, is a sufficient refutation of the implied aspersion that our hospital is not competent to their successful treatment, even under its present regulations; and I cannot but think that we are not warranted in imposing upon a county and a city, already abounding in charitable institutions and societies, the additional burthen of supporting a distinct infirmary for diseases of the eye, until it has been more satisfactorily proved that the County Hospital may not embrace, within itself, every advantage to be derived from such a distinct establishment. The out-patients, which are stated to be by far the greater number expected to come under the care of the institution, cannot clearly enjoy any advantage over the out-patients of the hospital. It is true that similar institutions have of late years been formed in London, and in three or four other large cities, as Bath, Exeter, &c. but diseases of the eyes still continue to be successfully treated in their general hospitals, and the distinct institutions have generally been under the superintendence of gentlemen who have devoted their whole attention to diseases and operations on the eyes, and the great superiority in the number of the population in those situatious, has so amply furnished them with cases as to fully prove the utility of their establishment. During the last eight years there have not been more than 160 eye cases sent to the county hospital, making an annual average of 20, of which the proportion of in-patients is 12, and of out-patients 8; and the proportion of eye-cases to all other cases admitted, is about 1 to 50. The smallness of this proportion will suffice to shew, that there could be no great difficulty or expence in providing for their occasional select accommodation, as I have above proposed. If perchance, however, after the more particular promulgation of our willingness and competency to treat diseases of the eyes, the hospital should overflow with cases, from those uninformed districts which my colleagues mention, I shall be equally ready with them to propose a distinct establishment, and to offer my gratuitous services in its support.—I have the honor to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, Fever in Spain.-We give the following extract of a letter from Dr. PARISET, one of the physicians who courageously undertook to visit the infected districts in Spain, as a set-off against the finely-spun vagaries of some literary physicians, who, never having seen the yellow fever nor the plague, venture yet to stun us with their horselaughter at the pretended credulity of contagionists. What will the assertion of these closet.men weigh against the authority of a Pariset, who has twice been in the midst of the dreadful scenes of carnage occasioned by an infectious distemper, and now writes from the ruins of a once flourishing city? "Yes; the disease that now devastates Barcelona is the true yellowfever of America. |