The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-27
CITY 1NrELnIGEN
SAWRnNRS AGAIN.


While all people naturally regard with abhor-
renee the work of dissection, they cannot deny
that tits of eminent service to the youthful lEscu-
lapian in the prosecution of his difficult study
of medicine; and 1t is likely that If the students
in general would pay more earnest attention TO
this department there would be fewer quacks,
and a saving to the afflicted portion of the
community of an incalculabe amount of misery
and torture. Equal in importance with this
branch of study is the instruction given at the
clinic; or, in terms perhaps more generally un-
derstood instruction at the bedside of the
patient. For if student can be taught how to
put in practice day by day the theories he has
acquired, and shown how to utilize what he has
stored in his memory, then his advancement
will be rapid and certain.
So great is the importance to the embryo
physician of the clinical lectures, that all medi-
cal schools have established them, as also have
the managers of charity hospitals, not only for
the purpose OF attOrding more thorough know
ledge OF the science to its votares, but to extend
to q great community of poor people advice
and Treatment in all their ailments without cost.
Let us look into one of these clinical lecture
rooms. We enter with crowd of visitors the
portals OF that esttmable Institution, the Penn
sylvana Hospitals but once within the gate, we
separate ourselves from our companions, who
pursue their way through the open wards of
the hospital, pass down the centre walk, and
enter neatly-appearing and comparatively
new wing to the institution on its northern side,
which has an open roadway beneath it. Here,
when we have mounted a series of steps, we
unO ourselves upon InC lOItlBSG point or an am
phitheatre where the medical and surgical eli
mics are held. This room is capable of ating
about 200 persons, with semi-circuar rows
of seats, and steps between the rows 50 sharply
inclined that, unless one is unusually wary. he
will be quickly precipitated TO the bottom.
There is at the foot of this decivity a vortex
a little circular piece of floor, in the middle OF
which stands movable pedestal whereOn rests
a black oil-cloth-covered table, supported on a
pivot enabling it to be turned around with a
slight effort. 1t is about ten o'clock in the
morning, and the students from the various
medical colleges swarm into the amphitheatre,
crowd INTO the seats, and, until the call to order,
keep up a distracLing buzz of conversation, re-
lieved by bursts of laughter. Soon the lecturers
arrive, and in moment the doors leading into
the vortex of this amphitheatre are thrown open,
and patient, haggard in look, trembling with
fear, and with a silent appeal for gentleness, is
rolled in and raised upon the oil-cloth-covered
table, where, with his head supported he re-
clines. -Four hundred eyes glare down upon
him, and strong odors from chemicals, among
which is easily distinguished the puageut smell
OF chloroform, assail and almost overpower him.
The lecturer then, when all is quiet and every
ear attentive, suddenly breaks an oppressive
silence, during which the trembling victim hears
nothing but the beating of his own heart by
entering upon an elaborate diagnosis of the
disease which afilicts the PROSTATE person. cites
similar cases tkat he has cured describes the
symptoms, and how the disease may be dss-
pated in its first stages, with summary of what
the usual results when it permeates the
entire system. To any one but medical person,
the Latin technicalities used in such lecture
would appear the most barbarous iargon. The
character of these lectures may be better shown,
though some of the words may perhaps be mex
plicable to the reader, by citing a specimen in
brief thus
"Mr- - aged 80, has had quite violent cough
for ak months His mother. he states, died OF con-
sumption, as did also his sister and brother. His
father never mad anything OF the kind. lie has had
pleuTisy, which has left adhesions between the
external and internal pleura OF the right side. Res
pratioD is not free and there Is tuberculous rale
The respiratory murmur is free over both lungs,
but weak. His appetite is good. He coughs at
night and throws up much mucus in the morning.
He ID in imminent danger or consumption unless ne
commences Immediately to secure himself against
il. Let him take-Fuid eXtrant San .guinaria, two
drachms; syrup OF Tolu, four ounces; fluid extract
OF PrUnus V5gtRidnG (Sild cherry, two drachms;
mix, and give teaspoonful every three hours"
The surgical clinics (the above being specl-
men of the medical lecture) are perhaps more
interesting, because sanguinary. Often in the
hospital patient is in process of preparation,
by the observance of certain dietary rules, and
treatment for many weeks before he is ready to
be taken before the class to undergo a difficult
surgical operation. vast number of people,
among them many who are in good crcum-
stances undergo operations at the surgical
. clinics of our hospitals and colleges; for not
only Is the difficult process carefully gone
through with, but great expense is saved. A
fortnight ago, wealthy gentleman living on
West Arch street underwent successfully the
dangerous operation of llthotomy at one of these
clinics, and escaped bill of $500, which is the
usual price charged by any first-class surgeon.
Each medical college, as we have said, has its
clinics, conducted in the same manner and in
amphitheatres similar TO that at the Pennsylva-
MIA Hospital-and having seen one you have
seen all. Next to that we have specially de-
scribed, the clinic at the Almshouse Hospital
stands the most Important. At colleges devoid
of hospital arrangement ts-for example, that
attached to the University of Pennsylvania
certain days are set apart when advice will be
given and operations performed free of cost.
The Impression may prevail that these are poor
because gratuitous. But this is erroneous, since
the most distinguished physicians and surgeons
of Philadelphia are appointed tor clinical ser
vice; and whenever there is any vacancy in the
staff of lecturers there is always a spirited
rivalry among the NJ. DIS to secure the position.
They seek il because IL enhances their reputa-
tion, and in teaching others they do but teach
themselves.
There are now delivered at the Pennsylvania
Hospital two clinical lectures a week on We'd
nesdays and Saturdays, while at Blockley the
number has been increased To six. At the latter
the doors of the clinics are open to all grades of
students, without pTice-but the apple of discord
has fallen into them-and the female students
are received with manifest indignation by the
male students. At the Pennsylvania Hospital
the rule is that clinical instruction may be given
to females at the option of the lecturers, but
only in the female wards. Thus a recurrence of
the disgraceful scenes which attended the pro-
mscuous clinics here given last year are avoided
TnE RECENT BURGLARIEs IN FRANKFoRD
ExPIAINED.-On Wednesday last Mr.. Wyoming
Nardell, residing on Oxford avenue, above
Frankford, had set of harness stolen from his
stable. He at once informed Lieutenant McLea
and Sergeant Shields of his loss. From nfor-
nation received the officers visited an uuOccu-
pied house In Frankford, whefe they were told
two young men named Thomas T.. Richardson
and John Riley were in the habit of sleeping
Upon entering these premises Sergeant Shields
arrested Riley aud the Lieutenant took Richard
H.