The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-06 00:00:00

MANCHESTER.

The death of a young man named James Maxwell, a
mechanic, residing in Fairfield-street, which took place
on Sunday evening, has been certified to have resulted
from "Asiatic cholera." We have heard that the syrup.
toms differed from those usually observed in connection
with the disease, especially in the absence of diarrhoea ;
but that the medical gentleman who was called in on
Sunday morning has no doubt as to the case being one
of cholera. The general health of the neighbourhood
continues remarkably good ; yesterday there were only
eight cases of diarrhcea under treatment by the medical
officers of the Manchester township, and they were all
of an ordinary character.
ST. JAMES'S, WESTMINSTER.

A death from cholera (Asiatic), at 35, Poland-street,
Oxford-street, was yesterday reported. The deceased
was a butcher, and carried on his business in the above
premises. The attack was but of short duration. His
wife, who had been some time bedridden, was so shocked
at the suddenness of her bereavement, that she expired
shortly after receiving the intelligence.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAYS-INN-ROAD.

The new medical school just now opened for the first
time, in connection with the Royal Free Hospital, was
inaugurated on Tuesday evening, October 4, by an elo.
quent lecture delivered by Dr. Tyler Smith, lecturer on
the theory and practice of midwifery at this school of
medicine, and physician-accoucheur to St. Mary's Hos-
pital, Paddington.

Amongst the members of the medical staff of the hos-
pital and school we recognisad Dr. Barnes, Dr. Bennett,
Dr. Ballard, Mr. Wakley, Dr. Glover, Dr. Arthur Hill
Hassall, Mr. De Meric, and others ; and amongst the
visitors, the distinguished City surgeons, Mr. Lloyd,
Mr. Coulson, and Mr. Propert, with many of the re-
spectable medical practitioners residing in the neighbour-
hood of the institution.

Dr. TYLER SMITH commenced his lecture by remark-
ing that the inauguration of a new school of medicine, in
connection with one of the London hospitals was an
event of no ordinary importance to those who were in-
terested in the progress of medical science, and the duty
of addressing the students assembled had devolved upon
him. He thought he could not better occupy their at-
tention than by referring to the subject;of medical teach-
ing, relating to the past, the present, and the future in
our own country, and the position of the various medi-
cal schools in the metropolis. He passed in rapid re-
view the earlier stages of medical knowledge, and its
practice as an art in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome,
Alexandria, and Constantinople, and thence to Spain
with the conquests of the Saracens, and thence again to
Italy, France, and this country, by the reflected influ-
ence of the Crusades. It was only necessary to say
that medical art and science followed in the track of
advancing civilisation. Medicine was first taught in
Egypt by the priests in their temples, but until the
Christian era there were no hospitals erected, the first
being built at Constantinople. Thus medicine passed
from the religious temple to the hospital, so making a
most momentous change in its history. The first school
of medicine, properly so called, was established at Sali-
num, in the eleventh and twelfth century of the Chris-
tian era. In reference to the history of medical teach-
ing,he observed that the hospital of St. Bartholomew,
founded by Raphere, in the thirteentheoedntuaonrYfd L t
, was
oldest institution of its kind in England. liethen a
e the
re-
ferredto the medical teaching at the Universities of
fol-
lowing Oxford andcecenturies,
ur
ies Cambridge,aent andnimentioning
h
tthat re
e
namesthe founder of the English College
e of Physicians ';
Harvey ; Sir T. Brown ; Caius, the founder of the col-
lege at Cambridge which now bears his name ; Mead ;
and Friend, who all studied at one or more of the
medical schools in France, Italy, and Holland. He
then referred to the state of medical teaching in the
universities of Scotland, and more particularly in
ne
century, re-
ference
ehnotulreyf o
Scotlandt healludingtwofo
England in the middle of the last
to the sudden death of John Hunter,
at. St. George's Hospital, during a sort of strife between
,1113:1 and other authorities, on the subject of disputed
fees from the students, arising from attendance on hos-
pital practice and instruction in the class room. More
than 600 years elapsed between the foundation of the
first hospital in this country and the establishment of
regular schools of medicine. The lecturer then referred
to the great intellectual requirements of the members
of the medical profession, enumerating the various
scientific subjects with which they must have acquain-
tance, as materia medica, botany, chemistry, anatomy,
physiology, toxicology, therapeutics, the knowledge
of the use of the microscope, &c. He then alluded to
the reciprocal relations between the teachers and the
taught, and the influence of both upon the examining
corporations, referring briefly to the present state of
the medical corporate bodies of the metropolis, the
College of Physicians, the College of Surgeons, and
the Company of Apothecaries. He compared the state
of medical education in this country with that of France,
and concluded his truly eloquent lecture, which was
evidently listened to throughout with marked attention
and gratification, by relating the circumstance which
gave origin to the establishment of the Royal Free Hos-
pital in 1828, by Dr. Wm. Marsden—an institution
which was for the benefit of all who, through sickness,
might require its charitable and relieving aid.
After the lecture there was a conversazione, at which
several most beautiful models of anatomical preparations
and pathological specimens were exhibited, in war,
plaster of Paris, gutta peroha, &c., with several remark-
able surgical instruments, and photographic and other
drawings laid out in the museum in the course of forming.
Liberal refreshments were also provided in the room,
which is hereafter to be fitted up as a library, and of
which many of the audience remained to partake.