The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-22 00:00:00

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--THE-PREAreirisrAN Y.
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navy and thecvhdaistc
portion of the crews, gives some details of the , way in
which seamen are raised, which marbe.new to some of
our readers. It informs us that in the year 1681, when
the
number of seamen employed in the
commerce of all
countries was 20,000,
of whew only five to six hundred
ite-iled.under the French flag, an ordonnance was issued,
declaring ii7Z.4ry man, who should have embraced the
profession of a sedmal; and been enrolled as such,
should, up to the age of fifty, lie liable to be called upon
for the service of the State, and that this ordonnance,
sanctioned by subsequent legislation, is now in force,
and is applicable to all seamen whether engaged in the
merchant service, or the, coasting or fishing trade, al:
though it has been so far modified in practice, that the
men, when taken for the Royal navy, are kept_only for
a limited time ; and then dismissed with an understand-
ing that they will not be called up again, unless on an
emergency. -It•appears also that, when a seaman has
reached the age Of forty years, he is no longer liable
to be called on to serve the State. The Constitutioncl
considers that 'this lap was absolutely necessary, find
that it must be in principle still enforced, and observes
that the English impress system is but another and
mo-e -brutal mode of manning the navy. But our
Contemporary suggests the propriety of further modifi-
cations and ameliorations, with a view of rendering the
service less repugnant than it now is, and which ap-
pears to be so great that although the registers of the
seamen liable to serve in in France show a force 0E107,000,
the ,aosire to evade, and the means of evading, the service
are 'such; that, according to the statement of Baron
Tupinier, the Director of the Ports, there are only
53,000 really available to the State, and the Constitu-
tionnel tells us that in order to avoid this maritime con-
scription, not less than 12,000 of the best sailors of
.France are at this moment engaged in the merchant
service of other States. In addition to the regular supply
of seamen, there is in France a force called equipages
de- ligne, which is composed of men taken out of the
conscriptions for the land. The men thus raised and sent
to sea become, says the Constitutionnel, good sailors,
and it recommends that this
,source of supply
_should be
carried out to a greater extent. The system of volun-
tary enrolment is not one Which our Contemporary sets
much value on, for, it informs us that M. Lange, a
naval commissioner who was sent to England by
Admiral Duperre, ,to study the system of maritime
recruiting, has returned with a conviction that it begins
to appear insufficient even in time of peace ; but it
may here be observed, that it is precisely in time of
peace that the difficulty of obtaining recruits for the
royal navy must be greatest, for it is then that seamen
are able to find employment in the mercantile navy,
frequently at a higher rate of wages, and always with a
degree of liberty which they cannot have on beard the
ships of the State. A time of peace, when a sailor can
obtain employment in the merchant service; with liberty
to change from master to master until he finds a berth
to his mind, instead of entering on board a Government
ship, where he must serve for a certain length of time,
and without the faculty of change, is not the most fa-
vourable for voluntary enrolment. In time of war,
when an immense number of merchant seamen must
necessarily be thrown out of bread, they must
.enter
into the royal navy or starve.

REGULATIONS OF THE COLLEGE

OF SURGEONS.
(From the Medical Gazelle.)
The Council of the Royal College of Surgeons has
shown some judgnignt in the new regulations which
have recently been put forth. They appear to us to
be part of a system which is not yet fully developed, but
which we incline to think will be very advantageous to
the profession and the public, if fait ly carried_out.
The amended regulations have added six months to
the study of the practice of physic in a recognised hos.
pital, making it in all twelve months, but the practice of
physic and that of surgery may now be followed at the
same time, instead of separately, as formerly ; so that
two objects are gained—an augmentation of study,
and a diminution of the time of attendance. The first
year, it may be presumed, will be occupied by most
students in the laboratory of an hospital or dispensary,
or in that of a private practitioner, and the three re-
maining years at a public hospital and school which has
been recognised by the Council as competent for the
purposes of instruction. A vacation of three months
is allowed in each year, and as the period for the lec-
tures on anatomy is fixed to be from October to May,
the principal part of each annual session must of course
be during that season. The time allotted for positive
study is twenty.seven months, but by the regulations
they cannot be consecutive. We have reason to believe
that the diminution of the term prescribed by the re-
gulations of the 20th of August, 1839. has: taken
place to meet the wishes of the Edinburgh College of
Surgeons, and with, the view of equalizing the code
of regulations for the three Royal Colleges. A slight
increase of hospital study in Edinburgh will now ef-
fect this object between the London and Edinburgh
Colleges.

The increase of the study of the practice of physic
has taken place, we understand; in consequence of the
conferences which were held between the Colleges of
Physicians and Surgeons, and the Society of Apotheca-
vie!, in the spring of this year; and, we apprehend,
with the view of so arranging the system of education,
that a member of the Collole of Surgeons wish-
ing to praAise as an apothecary, may undergo
his examination in pharmacy, and such,of Apothe
points as
relate to general practice, by the Society.
caries, without reference to the course of study pre-
scribed by then, and without having been.an ap-
-
preotice. The two examinations form onp whole ; the
one faculty system being divided into two or more parts
between the existing constituted bodies, neither inter-
fering with the other. We do not precisely know
whether this was the real object of the parties, but it
is quite evident that the Apothecaries' Act would pre-
vent its consummation, unless repealed, or its offensive
clauses were removed ; and we hope, for the character
and honour of all the parties concerned, that one or
other will be done.

The stringent enforcement which is announced, of
the registra)ion of students in London at the College,
and by their respective teachers in other places, three
times a year, will go far to prevent those false and
forged certificates under which many have attempted,
and some have obtained, the diploma of the College.
Interlineations, erasures, or alterations, now render a
certificate inadmissible ;-and we hope the Court of Ex-
aminers and their Secretary will strictly adhere to this
resolution. Nothing will, however, -fully prevent the
evil, but a regular register of attendance kept at each
hospital and school ; and we trust the time is not far dis-
tent when this will he insisted upon every where. The
laxity which has taken place amongst teachers of late
has been, and is, very extraordinary with respect to the
accuracy of these certificates ; and the manner in
which some students have falsified them, and then de-
clared
in the most solemn manner that they were true,
is more extraordinary still. We hear that the College
is instituting inquiries, into several acts of this kind, and
we trust that the guilty will be punished in such a way
as will deter others from committing a like offence.
The list of the members for the current year (the
College year begins in August), contains, for the first
time, the date of each diploma, some of them so far
back as 1770, the owners of which, we suppose, are long
since dead ; but the Council, it appears, have no means
of ascertaining this fact, except by calling on the mem-
bers to register themselves annually at the College
during the months of May and June. No great num-
ber, it seems, have done this, as most of the old ad-
dresses have been omitted in the present list, and
those which have found admission are few and far
between. As the Council have, however, an-
nounced their intention to omit the names of
all members who shall not have registered in 1842
and 1843, the-list will, cce have no doubt, soon be-
come sufficiently perfect. The professed object of the
Council is, to furnish the pablic judges, magistrates,
clerks of the peace, boards of guardians, &c., with a
correct list of qualified surgeons ; and it is so desirable
for, the hulk of the prafeision that such a list should
exist, that we hope the wishes of thoi Vouncil will be
aided by all the members to the best of their ability.
-
Mr. Wailiurton proposed in his bill t,p tax-caeca mem-
berg iast
rbyr Act of.par;iament, and toAnake plaCes for re-,
clerks, &c. ; the Council of the College of Sur
geons offers to do it for nothing. ladepandently of
the present list, containing the narues'ofseveral hun-
dreds, perhaps thousands, who are - dead, the
new list will do away with a great evil whioh'prevails in
many places, and in Ireland in particular—viz., the
practice of erasing the name and-date from the diploma
inserting and
ng that `.. the person
of a man whorl; dead,; ~.e
who wishes to appear to be a member of the College.
The Council, it is true,' by 'its lite announcement de-
claring all diplomas. to be EPiirieeS or' forged in which
alterations or erasures, exist, ham struck forcibly at
this evil ; but nothing can be so efrectual a protection to
the public and the profession as a correct list published
annually of all qualified surgeons—a list which any-
one may purchase for Is.
When we compare the present regulations for the
Museum and Library with those which formerly ex-
isted, we perceive a great change to the better. The
Museum may be staid to be open to the public on four
days of the week, instead of three. as formerly ; it is no
longer a private, but a great public institution. The
disabilities under which the members laboured with
regard to it and to the Libre.
y, have been removed,
and a member of the Council possesses no privilege be-
yond the members of the College generally, except that
of electing into the Council.
The efforts which the Council have made with the
Poor-law Commissioners and the Government, to secure
the employment in all public situations of qualified per-
sons, do them great credit s
,and they may rely upon it,
that as long as they continua to net for the advantage
of the public and of the profession only, outy,:will
meet
with the support of both. .7 •

The Manchester Courier, in oing a fire at
Runcorn, states that there is not a single fire-engine in
the town .or neighbourhood, although there the popula-
tion is 8,000, and the place contains a
ship-building property, vast tunount of