The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25, 1856.

lose their share ; Russia, augmented by a hearty
Poland, will overwhelm Germany, and the Russian
and the Frenchman will meet on the Rhine. This
would be but the due reward of European in-
justice.

The vital importance of an accurate, complete,
and authoritative classification of wounds, &c.,
received in action is too obvious to need much
exposition and enforcement. If a classification fall
short of this character, the reports based on it
cannot be relied on, being just as likely to mislead
by confounding things which differ as to be of
service ; so that, in effect, the fruits of experience
to a large extent pass away with their possessors,
and the military practitioner of the future has to
start, not where is predecessors left off, but
pretty nigh where they began. In other words
—has to rely on his own resources.

Such has actually been the ease with the Me-
dical Staff in the Crimea. The returns furnished
during the Peninsular War, that period of perfec-
tion passed away like the Golden Age never to re-
turn, having been made under so imperfect a clas-
sification as to be found at once uninstructive and
uninteresting. in wounds of the head, chest, and
abdomen, for instance, no distinction was made
between simple flesh wounds of these regions,
and injuries of the more important vis-
cera, nor yet between incised and gun-
shot wounds, though distinction between them
is so important. "Surgical cases" sufficed
in these glorious days to embrace all sorts of
cases ; nay, notwithstanding forty long piping
years of peace, and some pretty heavy experience
in war, it was not until September last that any
classification of gunshot wounds was provided,
beyond the heading, "Tilnus Sclopeterum," and
for this it would appear the public are indebted
to a nephew of the celebrated London surgeon, Dr.
GUTHRIR—ViZ., Mr. TAYLOR, girt., who holds
the responsible office of Deputy Inspector-General
of Hospitals, 3d Division.

This gentleman, it would appear, finding him-
self on his arrival in the Crimea thrown upon his
own resources, owing to the imperfect classification
of the Peninsular returns, and their consequent
untrustworthiness, resolved, with commendable
spirit and devotion to the interests of science and
humanity, to set about the construction of the
sort of classification required—viz., one sufficiently
distinctive and accurate permanently to subserve
the interests of surgical science and of humanity.
The first fruits of this resolution were to be found
in an appendix to his weekly report of the Bth of
July last, which classification so far met the ap-
proval of Dr. HALL, the Inspector General of Hos-
pitals, and principal medical officer with the army in
the Crimea, that he at once adopted it for the army
generally. As might have been expected under
the circumstances, this first attempt at an im-
proved classification was not attended by com-
plete success. The classification was found to be,
in some measure, faulty and open to misapprehen-
sion. The faults were corrected, and a new clas-
sification, with explanatory remarks—a copy of
which, printed for private circulation, now lies
before us—was submitted by Mr. TAYLOR to Dr.
HALL and the Director-General for their considera-
tion and approval. On the merits of the respec-
tive forms thus proposed for use ix military hos-
pitals lit may be deemed presumption in
laymen to pronounce authoritatively ; but so far
as we can judge they appear to fulfil the author's
avowed object, viz., " to give a genera Land concise
view of all the different descriptions of wounds
occurring in action ; to furnish an arrangement of
them which shall obviate the confounding toge-
ther wounds of very different character and
seriousness, thereby destroying all utility and fair-
ness in comparison of mode of practice and in
statistical statements of results as to loss of life,
(
limb, and fitness for further service." This may be
deemed, and indeed is, high praise ; but not, We
aro convinced, unmerited. Consequently we look
forward with confidence to the forms being
adopted, and passing unscathed through the ordeal,
however severe, to which they will be exposed.
To give, however, the professional reader some
faint notion of Mr. TAYLOR'S new classification,
and to attempt more without transferring the
forms to our pages with the explanatory remarks,
would be an injustice to that gentleman, we may
state that wounds and injuries received in action
within a given period are classified in 15 divi-
sions, comprising under distinct heads whatever i
legitimately, in his opinion, pertains to each.
For instance, Division No. 1, Gun-shot Wounds
of the Head, comprises, Ist, contusions and simple
flesh wounds of scalp, slight or severe ; 2d, with
contusion or fracture of the cranium, without de-
pression ; 3d, with depression ; 4th, penetrating
the cranium ; sth, perforating the cranium.
Opposite to these are eight columns, headed,
Ist, remained on the ---, 185— ; 2d,
since admitted ; 31, died ; 4th, discharged
to duty ; sth, transferred to other hospitals or
stations ; 6th, re-admitted for other diseases ;
7th, re-admitted for capital operation ; Bth, re-
maining on the 185 . The return of capital
operations embraces amputations and excisions of
upper and lower extremities, duly specified, tre-
phining and ligature of arteries, opposite to each
of which are placed eight columns under the pre-
ceding heads. But jam satis. What now remains
for us to do is to express the ,satisfaction it has
afforded us to find that in sit arena where the art
military has had so many incompetent illustrators,
the art and science of; surgery has evoked so signal
a proof of intelligent devotion as the work to
which we have drawn attention affords.

THE PEACE CONGRESE.

PARIS, SUNDAY.

The Plenipotentiaries have received an invitation
to meet to-morrow at one o'clock. The general im-
pression is that Russia really desires peace, and that
all the demands of the allies will be accorded. In
consideration of the momentous subject which will
have to be discussed, every moral and material
precaution will be taken to prevent what passes in
the congress being prematurely disclosed to the
world. Doors and windows are to be closed, people
sent out of ear shot ; the very air itself, which
might bear to the profane the slightest whisper of
a secrdt, will be almost excluded, and thick blinds
will shut out from that varied conclave any chance
su abeam that would obtrude its light on their
(./eliberations. The sitting of to-morrow will pro-
bably be occupied for the greater part, if not en-
tirely, with the verification of powers of the
Plenipotentiaries ; after which, it is said, that the
President of the Congress, that is, the French
Minister of Foreign Affairs, will present a com-
munication in the name and on behalf of the Allies,
containing in precise terms the conditions on which
they will agree to make peace with Russia. These
conditions will be discussed, and auy objections
offered to them answered.

The sitting, of the Congress will not take place
consecutively day after day. In some few cases it
may be so, but such is not the present intention.
The number of times in the week that the Pleni-
potentiaries will meet for despatch of business is not
fixed ; it may be three or lour times, or oftener,
and three days or more may elapse between two
sittings ; but this will depend a good deal on cir-
cumstances.

A report of the proceedings of the Congress will
be delivered to the Emperor each day.

THE FO'AEIGN-OFFICE.—There have been Queen's
Foreign-oNce messengers sent every evening for Paris,
with despr!tehes during the week; and it is further ar-
ranged ttrat a Queen's messenger shall leave the French
capttal ”,ery evening for London during the Conferences.
The ordinary
time imagined.
staff will not be increased, as was at one

Dragoman of the Imperial Divan ; Arify Bey, First
Secretary; and Djelal Bey and Coslaki Adosdies,
Second Secretaries.

It is said that Count Buol will make a great
effort to have the question of the Principalities
settled at the Conferences in a way not calculated
to meet the wishes of the Ottoman Plenipoten-
tiaries.

The Emperor, accompanied by General Niel,
honoured the Opera Comique with his presence
yesterday evening to witness the debut of Mme.
Marie Cabel in the first representation of Manon
Descant. His Majesty stopped until the close of
the performance, and on his arrival and departure
was greeted by loud acclamations.
The personnel of the Ottoman Embassy, and all
the Turks of distinction now in Paris, were pre-
sented to the Grand Vizier on Saturday.
There is no foundation in the report that M.
Fould had resigned.
BOURSE, Feb. 23.—The following were the closing
quotations :
cash. It C. End of Month.
4i per Cents 96 25 —f. —c.
3 per Cents 73 25 73 50
New Loan 73 75
Bank Shares 3,461 Roman
Credit Mobilier 1,565 Austrian
Belgian Fives. ..... .. Spanish Thrace —
Piedmontese(s)...... 89 25 Horns Debt