Star.
London, England, 1829-11-17 00:00:00

THE NEW OPERATION IN SURGERY.

A Meeting of the Westminster Medical Society took
place on Saturday evening at their house in Sackville-
street. The number of Members and visitors was un-
usually great, and the room was thronged beyond all
precedent.
The subject that excited a peculiar interest was the exhibition
of the instruments which have been lately introduced into this
country to supersede one of the most severe operations to which
the human frame can be subjected—to prevent the necessity of
the performance of litbototoy, by the crushing or pulverising the
calculus, instead of cutting into the most sensitive organs of the
body for its extraction. Mr. Costello. the friend of Doctor
Oviale, the inventor, most ably explained the different uses
of the instruments which are employs& and answered most is.
tidactorily various questions which were put to him upon all
the points connected with the subject. He was Maned to with
the most intense interest, and every attention was paid to the
full and clear comprehension of the different details. The ope-
ration seemed to consist of three stages, by the first of which
the presence of the minutest particle of calculus was to be (Se-
lected by ;the introduction of a proper instrument.—ln the se.
mod stage the calculus Is firmly grasped by mother instrument,
whirl, when introduced, is capable of being rendered by the ope-
rator a claw, for four branches which pass down the centre can be
expanded, more or less, according to the size of the object to be
seised, at the will of the Surgeon. The third part consists in the
perforation or destruction of the calculus by a part of the mime
instrument.
A very interestinidtscussion took place, in which Dr. Gemstone.
Dr. SIGMOND, Dr. Tuomesou, Mr. ADAPT% and Mr. MACILWAIII,
took the leading share. The opinion seemed to be that this inven-
tion was of the greatest importance to the cause of humanity ; that
there were a great number of cases in which this operation would
be successful, but at the same time it was not to be denied that
under very many circumstances t►e usual operation was the only
resource ; that the introduction of the present improvement re-
flected the highest credit uponiu founders, its Improvers, and its
promoters ; but that the public mind should not be excited to too
sanguine anticipations of its universal success.
On the conclusion of the debate Mr. Courstso received the
thanks of the Society—to which be was justly entitled for the clear,
the able, and judicious manner in which he explained every thing,
and for the urbanity with which be replied to the objections that
were raised for the purpose of a complete investigation of this molt
interesting subject.

The Mexican Minister gave a dinner yesterday at his
house in Piccadilly, to a-number of the Foreign Ambas-
sadors. Among the company were the Prussian Ambas-
sador Baron BuLow, the Minister of the United States,
Wurtemberg, Sweden, Columbia, &c.
The Cabinet Council which was held at three o'clock
yesterday afternoon at the Foreign Office, Downing-
street, was attended by the Duke of WELLINGTON, Earls
BATHURST, ROSSLTN, and Asuman; ,Viscount MEL-
VILLE,_ Lord ELLEXBOROUGH, Mr. Secretary PEEL,
Sir G. MURRAY, URRAY, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
Mr. HERRIES, and Mr. V. FITZGERALD.
The LORD CHANCELLOR joined his colleagues about
half an hour after they had assembled.
The Council sat in deliberation about two hours and
half.

Monsieur MANUEL DE GOROSTIZO, the new Mexi-
can Minister, transacted business yesterday at the Fo-
reign Office with the Earl of ABERDEEN. The Noble
Earl, after the interview, visited the Duke of WELLING-
TON at the Treasury.
The Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of
England attended yesterday at the Treasury, and held a
conference with the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.

Viscount MELv ILIA and Mr. Secretary. FEEL visited
the Duke of WELLINGTON yesterday.
A deputation of coal-merchants, headed by Mr.
HORNE, had a long conference yesterday with the
CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER at the Treasury.
His Grace the Duke of Buckingham, on his return
to his seat at Arington, was waited upon by a deputa-
tion of the Corporation of Winchester ; a compliment
which his Grace returned by visiting the Mayor and
Aldermen the next day, accompanied by the Marquis of
Chandoe.

The Earl and Countess of Lonadale, accompanied by
Miss Thompson and the Hon. G. O'Callaghan, arrived at
Whitehaven Castle on the evening of Tuesday week,
and left for Lowther again on Saturday morning.
The tithe audit of the Earl of Winchilsea and Not-
tingham was held at Wye on the 9th, and on the follow-
ine day his Lordship generously directed £l5 per cent.
to be returned to each individual of the parish of Wye
that pail the tithe.