The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-03 00:00:00

fliE SUN, LONDON, TEITESOAY EVENING, OCTOBER 3, 1865,

are worked up to consider themselves martyrs,
while all the time they are the dupes of their own
party, and the victims of the unprincipled schemers.

The Ist of October is always an important epoch
for the medical profession, and in the present year
the condition of the public health has attracted so
much attention that the addresses annually deli-
vered on that occasion excite more than ordinary
interest. The hospitals of London are one of its
chief boasts, and certainly the ability and straight-
forward tone of the various speakers show that these
noble institutions are under the guidance of able
and experienced leaders. The addresses include a
wide range of subjects, though all professedly treating
of the same subject and directed to the same class.
There were two noticeable additions to Monday's
orations, the one being the address delivered by Dr.
EDMUNDS at the Female Medical College; the other
the inauguration of the Albert Veterinary College
at Bayswater. Professor GAMGEE delivered the
address, and had for his audience a large number of
gentlemen who had assembled to inspect the new
establishment. The health of cattle has so direct
an influence on the health of man by its effect upon
his food, that the ablest professors of medical science
would be the last to shrink from the association of
a veterinary college with the higher institutions
with which they are themselves connected. It is
indeed much to be regretted that veterinary science
has been so long neglected or despised, having been
left for many years to mere ignorant quacks, who
might sometimes have been successful in their treat-
ment; but, if so, the success was rather due to acci-
dent than founded upon science. Now a better
view is taken of the subject, and veterinary science
is rising to its proper place. The college has no
doubt exerted a beneficial influence, and has by de-
grees brought a better class of men to study this
branch of the profession. Unhappily all our pre-
sent knowledge is in a very imperfect state, as its
professors frankly admit, and there will be a
great deal of time and property lost before
the veterinary surgeon emerges from all the
clouds of darkness and error which the
human physician or surgeon has had to contend
against. The establishment of the Albert College
is an important era in the science, and it is to be
hoped that the opportunities thus given to students
will be turned to such good account that we may
not again see our herds decimated without knowing
either the means of prevention or of cure. One
thing we hope, in the interests of humanity as well
as of science, will be strongly impressed upon the
students at the new establishment—the duty of not
inflicting► needless pain, and of remembering that
as in human beings the mind exercises a most
powerful influence on the body, so in the lower
orders the infliction of severe prolonged pain or
terror may nullify a course of really able treat-
ment. Professor GAMGEE'S view of the cattle
plague is not encouraging. He considers that
severe cases of it are and always will be incurable,
and that it is " more deadly and infectious than
any other known disease affecting men or animals."
He is in favour of a national system of cattle in-
surance, which, he thinks, would enable the far-
mers by degrees to get rid of it and its traces.
Whether science may not find some remedy among
her stores may, however, very fairly be questioned.
It is rumoured that on the Polish frontier some
large landowners have contrived to preserve their
herds from the all-destroying enemy by the use of
chlorine. Very strict watch was also kept to pre-
vent the passage of beasts of any kind froth the in-
fected country, and the men and horses who were
obliged to cross the frontier were fumigated with
chlorine. All these questions offer a wide range
for the examination of our scientific men, who have
a rare opportunity of turning their knowledge to
practical account.
There is no fear, indeed, that medical science
will not have room to exercise itself. The
threatened advent of the cholera, and its actua

appearance in one or two isolated cases, is enough
to arouse the attention, while, as if to add to our
perplexities and anxieties, the yellow fever, a most
unwonted and unwelcome guest, has shown ittelf
at Swansea. Although there is no reason whatever
for general alarm on the latter head, owing to the
restricted area of the disease, and its evident im-
portation, it shows that the present year must be
unusually favourable to the development and spread
of disease, and that we are, therefore, bound to re-
double our precautions respecting the public health.
In every district there ere some evils to complain of ;
in many parts of the suburban districts of London,
to the south and east more especially, there
are actual nuisances in positive existence. The
sewage and refuse of our manufacturing districts is
allowed to pollute running waters, and fruitful
causes of disease and death abound in most popul-
ous quarters. Sanitary reform has been preached
to us emphatically by all our most eminent medical
men, and Dr. JONES, the lecturer at St. Mary's, had
good right to take credit to his profession for their
earnest and unflinching advocacy of sanitary im-

provements. In the various public posts which
they occupy the professors of medical science have
something to complain of, and their duties, always
laborious, are often thankless and discouraging.
Still the sense of the importance of their profession
is growing rapidly greater, and the opportunities
for proclaiming important truths which are afforded
them are of themselves encouragements to men of
character and intelligence. Mr. MARSHALL, the
lecturer at University College Hospital, observed,

in his distinction between the science and the art of

the medical profession, that medicine and surgery
really consisted of the science of pathology and the
art of therapeutics and hygiene ; but that besides
these the physician and surgeon were called upon to
exercise other functions as the scientific expositors

on questions of public interest, such as those relat-

ing to legal medicine and legislative medicine, in the

administration of justice and the art of government.

The general tone of the addresses delivered on Mon-
day encourages hope in the future of the profession.
The lecturers one and all spoke from a high ground ;

hey did not direct the attention of the young

students before them to the attainment of mere

worldly position or material wealth ; they did not
even seek to animate them with the hope of obtain-
ing a scientific reputation. They told them that
they had a great and onerous public duty to perform;
they had great responsibilities entrusted to them.
They bade them devote all their powers and their
energies resolutely to their profession, to make truth
their chief object and nature their chief guide. Such
language, while it did honour to the speakers, was

calculated to infuse into the hearers that high and
noble ambition which does not rest satisfied with

mere personal advantage unless it can honestly
declare that it has fulfilled its duty towards GOD
and man.

LIFEBOAT SEMI CE. —Cm ST OR, NORFOLK Mon-
day Night.—About nine o'clock yesterday evening
(reports the Rev. G. W. Steward), while the wind was
blowing fresh from the east, and there was a good deal of
sea on, a vessel was seen to strike upon the Barber Sand,
off this beach. The sea at once broke over her ; the crew
threw up signal lights of distress. The Caistor lifeboat of
the National Institution was immediately launched, and
succeeded in getting the vessel of the Sand and brought
her up in the Roads last night, and this morning took her
into Yarmouth harbour. The vessel was the Nautilus
(brig), of South Shields, in ballast.
GLASGOW, September 30.—Cotton.—The cotton-
market has been brisk during the week, and prices have
advanced lid. to 2d. per lb. over the quotations of last
week.