Star. — London, England, 1828-08-29 00:00:00

i"\\ fat .• • • ,‘ • •. . • . • Ai.s-s4-/aL FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 29, 1828. [PRICE SEVENPENCE. NUMBER 12,950.] SIERRA LEONE, JUNE 10. UNIVERSITY OF LONDON—The MEDICAL. CLASSES will OPEN on WEDNESDAY, the Ist of Iktoher. ANATOMY and OPERATIVE SURGERY—GRANV I LLE S. PATTISON, Esq. daily (except Saturday), from Two to Half past Three. PHYSIOLOGY—CHARLES BELL, Esq. F.R.S. three times a week. front Eleven to Twelve. s .NATURE. and TREATMENT of DISEASES--JOHN NOLLY, M.D. daily (except Saturday), from Nine to Ten, A.M. lIIDWIFERY and DISEASES of WOMEN and CHIL DREN—DAVID D. DAVIS, M.D. four times a week, from ten to Eleven, A.M. CLINICAL. MEDICINE—THOMAS WATSON, M.D. Physician to the Middlesex Hospital, twice a week, from Six to can obtain a body for the purpose of performing opera tions; and there is a lecturer in London, who will be probably examined by this Committee, who has been unable to obtain a body to exhibit operations upon the dead for a great number of days. Can the young practitioner be expected to possess the necessary courage in performing a difficult operation on the living, if he has not already been taught to perform a similar operation upon a dead body ?—He must be a blockhead if he made the attempt, and the practice of the most sensible and the most expert surgeons in Lon.., don has been to visit the receptacles for the dead, fbr the purpose of performing the operations which they were about to execute upon the living, if the operations were in the least novel. You will, no doubt, have heard of the death of Col. Denham. Exactly four weeks ago, this day, I had the honour of being presented to him on his assuming the command of Sierra Leone. His levee was mast nu merously attended by all the military and civil officers of this station—by its magistrates and merchants. This gallant Officer and celebrated traveller Wa3 surrounded 6y his staff and his friends—all eyes were tom d upon him with looks of admiration and regard ; he had escaped the dangers of battle and travel—the field of Waterloo and the deserts of Africa. He returned here to rest after his many perils and enterprises—he now rests in his silent grave. This day the same hands bore the pall of his coffin, which a little month ago grasped his in congratulation and joy. In the freshness of his fame, and in the vigour of his manhood—even he succumbs to the destiny which awaits all who have the temer;ty to intrude on this awfal spot—where death sits highly enthroned. He was interred with all the military honours of a soldier, and with the st:11 more precious honours of tears of sorraw poured over his grave. Ere another month be passed, many who followed his obsequies will themselves be borne to the same place of rest, and btcome tenants of the same sepulchre. You will now ask me what is the cause of this place being so pestilential? I cannot tell you. Its site is most beautiful and picturesque. It is a spot which the admirer of Nature's beauties could contemplate with delight for hours, days, and nights. After taking a night view cf it, certainly his admiration would not extend further, as it, and his life also, would be cut short by a remittent fever. To talk of miasmata, animal and vegetable decomposition, would be to use terms merely to conceal my ignorance. Wire to rile soon, else it may be, so far as I am concerned, a dead letter. When you write, put on the cover, "if dead, to be returned to,"&c.—Sheffield Iris. Sedl, •.M. SURGERY and CLINICAL SURGERY CHARLES BELL, Esq. Surgeon to the Aliddiese: Hospital, three times a Can a student know when to cut with freedom, when with caution, and when not at all, if he has not an inti mate knowledge of the structure of every part of the human body ?—I would not remain in the room with a man who attempted to perform an operation in sur gery, who was unacquainted with anatomy, unless he would be directed by others; be most mangle the liv ing, if be has not operated on the dead. Can a competent knowledge of anatomy be obtained by substituting for the dead.body casts or models is impossible, because a knowledge of anatomy consists not only in being acquainted with the names of things, but with their relative situation, and relative situation cannot be taught by casts or by models, in papier »sach►et. If anatomy is learned from the study of the human frame, and is not learned by dissecting the dead body, most it not be learned by operating on the living Decidedly; and that question I wish to speak to in the following manner: The cause which you, Gentlemen, are now supporting, is not our cause, but yours ; you must employ medical men, wbether they he ignorant or informed ; but if you have none but ignorant medical men, it is you who suffer from it; and the fact is, that the want of subjects will very soon lead to your becom ing the unhappy victims of operations founded and per formed in ignorance. What is the present price of a subject?--Eight guitteas.' At what do you remember it to have been formerly ? —When I entered the . profession it was two guineas since that period it has been fourteen. At one period bad not one person the complete con trout and monopoly of the whole supply for the profes sion?—Yes. week. front Six to Seven, rat. NATERIA MEDICA and PHARMACY—ANTHONY TODD THOMPSON. M.D. daily (except Saturday). Eight to Nine, ♦.x. CHEMISTRY—EDWARD TURNER, M.D. daily, Ten to Eleven, commencing on the 3dNerember. COMPARATIVE ANATOMY—ROSERT GRANT, M.D. three times week, from Three to Four, r.x. MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE—JOHN GOR DO N SMITH, M.D. BOTANY—JOHN LINDLRY, Esq. F.R.S. at the Conciusien of the Winter sad Spring Courses. DISSECTIONS and DEMONSTRATIONS—JAMBS BEN NETT, Esq. Asily. HOSPITAL PRACTlCE—Middlesex Hospital, daily, Half past Twelve to Half•past One. DISPENSARY PRACTlCE—University Dispensary, daily, Half-past Twelve to Half-past One. The Medical Classes will close in May, but each Professor will fee a Winter and Spring Course. On WEDNESDAY, the Ist of October, at Three o'Clock, CHARLES BELL, Esq. will give the INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. of his COURSE: and the other Professors will do the like. at the same hour, on the succeeding days. When all the Introductory Lecture?, of the several Medical Classes shall have been delivered, the Professors will commence their Courses at the boors above stated. The Certificates of the Medical Professors will he received at the College of Surgeons, and at the Apothedaries' Hall. The Lectures will be open to Students who may net desire cer tificates, or who wish merely to attend single Courses. The Classes for the other branches of Education will open on the MI of November, the particulars of which will be advertised hereafter. Information respecting the System of Education to be pursued at the University. with Outlines of the Courses, Tables of. Fees, Ike. will be Nand in the " Second Statement by the Council." to be had of Longman's; Murray. Albemarle -street; and Taylor, SO, Upper Gower-street, price ls. 6d. An Abridgment of this Statement will be found in the chief Petiodical Publications of June and July last. The names of Students are entered at the University Chambers, 49, Percy-street. Bedford-square. Letters requiring further in formation. addressed to Mr. Thomas Coates, as above, post paid, will be attended to; and all other particulars respecting the Me dical School may be obtained by application to any of the Me i dies' Profewore.—By Order of the Council, THOMAS COATES, Clerk. University Chambers, August es, 18216 ICEBERGS NEAR THE CAPE. ._f .. The extraordinary fact of Icebergs having been dis covered in the •icinity of the Cape of Good Hope is confirmed by the following communication : Can you state any thing particular relating to the conduct of that person in raising the price ? The fact was, that the anatomists of London were completely at the feet of this resurrection man ; an individual possess• EVER ANXIOUS TO PREVENT IMPOSITION, DAY and MARTIN respectfully inform the Public they have, after mach labour and at a very considerable ex tense, brought to perfection a Label of such singular construction ad extreme dithzulty of execution, that they trust will effectually resent the many Frauds that are daily practised on the Public.— in attention to the following description of the Label will ensure ite genuine Blacking prepared by them. A pattern like Lace of a puk tolour covers the principal part of the Label, the names of Day and Martin are printed in white letters edged with pink and black, and placed on a white ground, the address, 97, HIGH-HOLBORN, n alto white letters edged with pink and black, but placed on the lace pattern, the signature and price at foot are black on a white ground, the preamble and directions for use are printed as before black letters on white ground.-47, High-Halborn, Sept. 1843. DR. JAMES'S ANALEPTIC PILLS ART the most effectual REMEDY for COLDS. RHEUM A I'IC ATTACKS, SLIGHT FEVERS, and Owe Disorders arising from obstructed perspiration, so common in this climate. From the derangement of the DIGESTIVE ORGANS, BILIOUS and NERVOUS DISORDERS arise. and the con sequent re,ult is HEAD-ACHE, NAUSEA, DEFECTIVE APPETITE. GIDDINESS, and GOUTY SYMPTOMS: In these eases the Analeptic Pills afford constant relief; they act im perceptibly, and restore by degrees the functions of the stomach and bowels and requite. no confinement. The genuine Dr. Jasans's Asumarric Pius are prepared by Messrs. NEW ERY, FROM THE ONLY RECIPE EXIST ING UNDER DR. JAMES'S HAND; and have the name u F. Newszar" engraved in each Government stamp. ills must be observed, as imitations are very general. S.4d by Messrs. Newbury, at the original Warehouse for Dr. James's Powder, No. 45, St. Paul's Cbutch-yard, in boxes 4s. 6d. and 245. also by J. Sanger, ISO, Oxford•street; and W. Pegg, Dame -street, Dublin. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the manner of obtaining Subjects for Dissection in the Schools of Anatomy. gad into the State Si the Law affecting . the Persons employed in obtaining or Dissecting Bodies; and to whom several Petitions for the removal of Impediments to the cultivation of the Science el Anatomy were referred ; and who were empowered to report the hfinetes of Evidence taken before them ;—Have, pursuant to the Order of the House examined the matters to them referred, Mud agreed to the Moe:Mg Report : (Coetinoed ttom the STAR of yesterday.) EVIDENCE. Slr ASTLET COOPER, Bert. examined. Are not many operations now performed, in conse quence of the increased knowledge of dissection, that were formerly too difficult ?—With respect to opera tions, I wish to - state, that if Mr. Hunter, who was the Either of modern surgery, were at this moment to rise from the grave, he would not believe in the improve ments which have taken place since his death, which occurred $4 years ago ; and if you ask for an illustra tion of this, I will mention an instance. A man, when I was fir st at St. Thomas's Hospital, which was in the year 1784, used to exhibit himself, aad receive money from the students for the exhibition, because he was one of those remarkable persons who had recovered from an operation for what surgeons called popliteal aneurism, wnich disease arises from the giving way of an artery in the ham, and for which it is required that the 'artery of the thigh should be tied. This man had the artery tied, and recovered. At the present moment there is not an individual who is educated in London viho would not be ashamed of himself if he could not Perform that operation, or tie any of the accessible ar teries in the body. Sorgery is also improved in the diminution of operations; for at the time at which I first entered the profession, I should say there were at least three operations for one at the present moment; at that time, a man who had an injury to his head was very generally trephined ; but now that operation is rarely petfurmed. At that time limbs were amputated for compound dislocations, but DOW very rarely. Can bodies be obtained in such numbers at present that it frequently happens that the students have an opportunity of pesforrrsing Close operations upon a deed body ?—lt now very rarely happens that a student ing considerable talents, who, the moment he was op posed by others, burst into the places in which bodies were contained, and spoiled them for dissection, and did not hesitate to commit burglarious acts for that put pose; or if there was a party of persons disposed' o op pose him, he excited a riot against those individuals, and pointed them out as bad characters and as resursee! lion men ; and the Magistrates in the Borough were under the necessity very often of settling those (Jiff.• rences—the result of which was the present expense of dissection, because it was impossible to compete with a clever fellow, who was also a man of property ; and this man therefore had the power of raising the price of subjects as he pleased, and of obliging one lecturer and opposing another. Since the time when this person flourished, has not the difficulty arising out of one gang opposing another occasioned an increase of price ?—The possibility o( obtaining a supply of bodies from London burial grounds is almost destroyed. Have you beard of any understanding existing be tween the persons who carry on these practices and the searons or other parish officers ?—The sextons and grave-diggers are always in pay, as far as I have heard; indeed, I have no idea of their being able to procure a body, except occasionally, without it; it is true that a man may go to a church-yard and take a body, and leave the grave disturbed till the grave-digger views it in the morning ; but be cannot take a body without the grave-siigger being informed of it, or suspecting it. Are not the lecturers frequently now obliged to wait for bodies before they can proceed with their come? —At the presei?t moment I learn that it is so; it has very frequently happened so to myself, to be obliged to alter the order of my course on this account. What observations have you been led to make on the characters of the exhumators, and what do you under stand to be their ordinary occupations?—The lowest dregs of degradation; I do not know that I can de scribe them better; there is no crime they would not commit ; and as to myself, if they should imagine that I should make a good subject, they really would not have the smallest scruple, if they could do the thing undiscovered, to snake a subject of me. What have professional men generally understood re be the law on the subject of receiving into their possess non, for the purpose of dissection, the bodies of persons who have been disinterred? have they known that for so doing they were liable to an indictment for a mis demeanour?—Until I read the charge of Baron Hul lock, I did not understand that a surgeon was exposed to any danger from dissection, therefore I have never concealed dissection in my own house. 1 had a room in my own house in the city, in which it was very well known that dissections were conducted; I did not then know that I was amenable to the law, but now I should be afraid to have a body in my possession. Have you any idea of the number of Englishmen studying surgery in the foreign schools?—lt is very difficult to ascertain precisely, but there are about 150 in Paris. What is your opinion of the policy of giving up the bodies of murderers for dissection, as it affects the feel ings of the public on the subject of dissection ?—The law of enforcing the dissection of murderers is the greatest stigma on anatomy which it receives, and is extremely injurious to science. The objections you have made to the dissection of murderers would also apply to the dissection of sui cides, in case, by any alteration of the law, their bodies also were to be given up for dissection?—l conceive the great principle on this question is this, that dissection should never outrage the feelings of the living ; if, therefore, a surgeon could gain possession of the bodies of suicides, it would certainly distress the feelings of their relatives, and on that ground there is a great ob jection, to it ; in the second place, I would say, they would make very bad subjects, because all persons whb die suddenly become soon putrid ; and, in the third, if it had any moral tendency in preventing suickless it would soon destroy any supply from that source. What is the amber of unclaimed persons dying in the hospitals in London ?—I believe that at least be tween 20 and 30 persons die in the winter and spring. in every hospital in London, containing 400 beds, who are unclaimed by their relations. • Do yotkbelieve that such unclainibd bodies might he rendered available for anatomical purposes?—That will depend upon the circumstance of the treasurer or governors being men of sense or not. As no person's feelings would be outraged, there would be no reason able objection to it. What can you state as to the supply that may be ob tained by importing dead bodies either from Ireland or from the Continent?—Unless there was some better lenode than that which is at present adopted, importation would furnish a very small and insufficient supply ; but I conceive that perhaps a Director of Anatomy might be appointed by the Secretary of State, who should be enabled to receive bodies at the Custom-house; other wise importation would give such an opportunity for' smuggling, that I think there would be very consider. able objection to that mode of supply. Do you happen to be aware that the greater number, of the bodies which have actually been imported have *relived In such a state that very few of them were fit 'for the dissecting-room ?—I understand that to be the , case, but there are means of preparing bodies so as to enable them to last for a very considerable time. So that if a system for importing bodies could be organized, to a certain degree, tinder the protection of Government, you think that difficulty might in s ime measure be surmounted?—lt would be a very desir able mode of supply, and I think difficalties might be overcome. Are you aware of the price of a body in France ? The price of a body in France has been upon the aver age seven francs. JOHN ABERNETHY, Esq. examined. Will you state your opinion as tr the importance of dissection for students in anatomy, surgery, and medi cine?—lt is of the highest importance to the public ; ' nothing in life, I believe, can be considered as more ine portant ; it is the foundation of all medical knowledge. Anatomical knowledge is not merely requisite in order that we may perform operations successfully, but it is the foundation of physiology; and the knowledge of the structure and functions of the organs and parts of the body is the sole source of our knowledge of disease. You would state it therefore generally to be your opinion that the practice of dissection must be protected and encouraged under any circumstances ?—Ui.ques tionably ; it would be little less than the commission of murder not to do it ; it would be a cause of the greatest aggravation of human sufferings.—l think that iA hat is done in Dublin ought to be attended to by persons in this country; in Dublin, it is directed that the paupers buried at the public charge should be interred at a dis tance from the city. Tire Magistrates of that country have the good sense to perceive that k is not right to punish, with the utmost severity of the law, the trespass of disinterring some of those bodies, when the act is so indispensably requisite to the nearest and dearest in terests of every living being. The law remains ; they may punish the trespass with great severity, if they find it has been conducted indecorously, or without the utmost possible attention to conceal it from the public. The knowledge of this fact excites no inquietude in the mind of the poorer clas s es of society ; they think not of it. Bodies are distributed by the police in Paris, and in other places, at noon-day ; they are seat in covered carts, on which is written pour le service Hotel de .Dieu, or any other hospital, and they scarcely attract the at tention of those who pass them ; I state this to show how soon the public mind accommodates itself to cir cumstances. If the directors of eleemosynary establisLei ments would but agree to consign the bodies cf friend less paupers as subjects of dissection, I have no doubt that they would be fully sufficient for the exigencies of medical science. Do you deem the continuance of the practice of dis section so important, that, if no supply of bodies could , be obtained in any other manner, you would think it wise to go on tolerating the practice of exhumation ? Unquestionably ; for I see that the welfare of society is vitally concerned in the attainment of anatomical knowledge. Would you prefer any other means of obtaining a supply ?—No doubt, there would be no exhumation if this was conceded. • What is the number of subjects that a student in sur gery, for his complete education, ought to dissect ?—I think with Mr. Brodie upon this subject, that if two students were to dissect a body yearly, i bserving at the same time the dissections made by others, and that et ei were two years in completing their educition, and had likewise a third body allowed for the performance of operations, they would become very competent sur geons; I will not say perfect surgeons, because the :labour of an education to qualify a man to be a per rectly good surgeon is beyond all belief; halt his life must be consumed me he can be considered as a proficient. What is your opinion of the character of those persons who are employed as exhumators?—That they are a very bad set of men. Do they even act with good faith to the Gentlemen who employ them?—lt cannot be expected tlra; they should. Is it not the case that they sometimes give informa tion against the very persons whom they undeit ike to supply ?-4 cannot accuse them of any breach of faith with myself? Do you think that the facility to procure dead bodies would be increased if the stigma attaching to the .di.- section of murderers were removed ?—I do not think such stigma affects the public mind ; yet we gain so little by obtaining the bodies of murderers, that we should have no objection to its being removed. Would it not be more advantageous to the students to have the dissection of the bodies of persons whom they attended in illness than those of strangers ?—Most certainly. DUAL.--Mr.RAINOUND, Captain of a frigate, died at Toulon, on the 20th instant. in consequence of the wound which be received in his duel with Mr. GA 101UXG—Frenut Pape►. During the course of the last and the present week, several workmen have been busily engaged in pulling down the interior of the present Bull and Mouth coach offices, and the Angel Inn, and also the range of houses in St. Mania's-le-Grand, which run pareflel between the two streets, as well as the houses svhickare on the same side as the Bull and Mouth, preparatory to the extensive improvements which are about bang made in the neighbourhood of tbs new Post Office. "CADIZ, JULY 28. Auverny, Captain cf the French vessel L'Har morvie, which arrived at Bordeaux on the stla of June, from Calcutta, has published, for the information sf nasiaaiors, an account of several islands of ice, with which he fell io near the Cape of Good Hope. The truth of this extraordinary phenomenon has since been proved by the relation of D. Pedro Medina de Correa, Chief Pilot in the Spanish trade :o India, and Second Pilot to the vessel Crnstmicia, which arrived in our bay on the 18th inst. from Nanille.:*The folios+ iog is his account : " On the 7th of . the present month, as the vessel Constancia sailed in th‘vicinity of the Cape, north of the Needle Bank, wish isfresh easterly breeze, and but little sea, the gspillia descried, about three-quarters past ten A. M. st Mill island, East fise degrees North, which from the deck had the appearance of a white cloud. Some shadowy lines were afterwards observed iu it, as is usual in land. " On arriving at E.S.E. 5 deg. S. to approach near enough to ascertain vita it was, it appeared at eleven A. M. to be a large island of considerable height, and divided into two summits. Seti after, three other small islands were discovertd North, at a short distance from the first. At half past eleven A.M. on hauling Eist, in a line with them, we perceived that they were white, and that the light of the sun was iv. fleeted by their surface as by a mirror, whilst in those places where the sun did not shine, there were some shadows as are seen in distant land. We remained per plexed with this phenomenon till the middle of the day, when we took our bearings and found the latitude to be 35 deg. 56 min. 10 sec. S. and the longitude ac cording to the chronometer, 24 dcg. 16 min. '0 sec. by the Cadiz meridian, which agreed with the lunar observations made the day before. The islands then lay N. 78 deg. 80 min. West, at a distance of seven or eight miles. We sounded, and at a depth of 135 fathoms found no bottom; besides which, the water re mained of a green colour—circumstance; which left po doubt on our minds that those apparent islands were bank: of ice, which had come down to lat. 35 deg. 51 min. 46 sec. S. and long. 24 deg. 7 nth). 44 sec. E. of Cadiz, and 21 deg. S.W. of the Cope of Good Hope, at a distance of thirty leagues. We proceeded W.S.W. till two P.m. when steering in aline with them, we spoke a French vessel which v e had descried since the dawn of day E.S.E. at a great distance. Sire told us that she was called L'Harmorire, from Calcutta, and asked whence we came, where bound to, and what degree of latitude we had observed? Having told her, she replied that our observations agreed with hers, apd gave us the longitude. 16 deg. 18 min. E. of Paris, which we answered also aaseed with ours, notwith standing the small difference of 38 min. E. We did not hear her make any inquiry respecting the icebergs. We then proceeded W.N.W. with a N.E. and N.N.E. wind, and left the French vessel behind. At halt past three, P.M. we discovered on our starboard two other ice islands, and at half-past four, we stood north of them, having made thirteen miles since two o'clock. The first or most southerly of those islands presented a square of 25 ta 30 toises of elevation, but a iihout an apex like the other, which lay in its vicinity. A little more to the north of tree, and at a distance of three miles, another of a large size appeared. The French vessel passed between the first of these and the other which lay W.S.W. of it, and which seemed almost breaking up, as the surface of the wat.:r in its neighbourhood was covered with small floating pieces of ice. Sometime after, we saw at a short 4.lis tance on our larboard, as we sailed in the dusk of Abe evening to the windward of it, another icehog which was almost dissolved. During the night the wind turned to the N.N.W. and N.W. and blew tempestuously all , the following day, without our discovering any mote ice. " It is . certainly extraordinary thit we' should have encountered fields of ice in so warm a lntitude, and so near the Cape of Good Hope, though Uosburgh says, in his Chart, that the beginning of summer is the tithe when they are most frequently fallen in with. • Ile also mentions the case of the ship Guardia, which, in lat. 46 to 47 deg. struck against one, and almost filled with water from the damage which it experienced, hiving lost its rudder, and only escaped by the aid of a French Tupel o which towed it to the Cape of Good Hope. ~ .