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collection and investigation of facts with any hypothesis sofirmly rooted in the mind as to allow it to interfere withimpartiality of the judgment. He was certain that thisinvestigation had been, and was going to be, carried out withdue attention to this precaution, and he earnestly advised thepublic not to show impatience at the slow march of discoveryupon a matter which had defied the greatest physicians ofthe world up to the present time. He trusted that thepublic would go forward in a liberal spirit, recognising thatsuccess, however certain, must be slow ; not to be too im-patient of results nor too anxious to receive some equivalentin discovery for every subscription that they might giveto the work. He hoped that they would be anxious toendow this great machinery for scientific and pathologicalinvestigation in a way which should, by the accumulatedlearning and experience of years, do something to mitigateone of the greatest curses under which humanity groaned.It was, however, disquieting to find that, though the sumwhich had been collected appeared to be a large one, it wasnevertheless contributed by only 213 persons out of a

community of 40,000,000. Considering that all of these40,000,000 had either in their own persons or in the personsof those dear to them-wives, children, grandchildren-adirect interest in the successful result of these investigations,it was surprising that the contributors should be so few innumber. He hoped that when the next annual meeting tookplace it would be found that others had come forward andthat the result of their united efforts would be the providingof an assured financial basis which would be the best

guarantee of ultimate success.Sir WILLIAM CHURCH proposed that Sir Henry Howse

should be added to the general committee as, in consequenceof his having vacated the office of President of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons of England, he necessarily went off theexecutive committee.

This was unanimously agreed to and the proceedings thenterminated.

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANSOF LONDON.

AN ordinary Comitia was held on July 30th, Sir WILLIAMS. CHURCH, Bart., the President, being in the chair.Seven gentlemen, having satisfied the Censors and given

their faith to the College, were admitted Members.Licences were granted to 122 gentlemen who had satisfiedthe examiners and conformed to the regulations of theConjoint Board. The Diploma in Public Health was

awarded to 17 candidates on the recommendation of theexaminers. George Francis Angelo Harris, M.D. Durh.,elected on April 30th, was admitted to the Fellowship inabsentiâ and the seal of the College was set to his diploma.

Communications were received from the secretary of theRoyal College of Surgeons of England, reporting certain pro-ceedings of its Council on July 9th ; from the WorshipfulCompany of Spectacle Makers, asking the views of the

College on a proposal that competency in sight-testing shouldin future form a subject of examination and certification forthe diplomas granted by them to opticians (this was referredto the Censors for consideration and report) ; from theDean of the Faculty of Medicine. University of Edinburgh,reporting the award of the Murchison scholarship, July, 1903,to Charles John Shaw, M.B. Edin. ; and from Dr. NormanMoore, offering for the acceptance of the College an auto-type portrait of Dr. Fitz-Patrick.The election of Censors, other College officers, and exa-

miners, on the nomination of the President and Council, wascarried out.A confidential report by the visitor and inspector of the

General Medical Council on the Final Examination of theConjoint Board was referred to the council of managementfor consideration and report.A report was received and approved, dated July 22nd, from

the conjoint committee appointed to consider and to reportupon any alterations that may be desirable in the regulationsfor the First Conjoint Examination.A report was received from the committee appointed to

consider and to report on the question of the alleged physicaldegeneration of recruits for the army, the tenour of whichwas to the effect that the information furnished was not ofsuch a character as to enable the College to express a

decided opinion, .

A report was received from the committee appointed toconsider and to report on the practical safety and prophy-lactic value of anti-typhoid inoculation. This was to the effectthat not only was a lessened susceptibility to the diseasebrought about as a result of the inoculation but that the case-mortality was largely reduced ; also that with due care therewas no direct danger, except possibly from some temporaryincrease of susceptibility immediately following inoculation.A report was received from the representative of the

College in the General Medical Council on the proceedingsof that Council during its session in May last and at a specialsession in July.The Parkes-Weber prize was awarded to Hugh Walsham,

M.D. Cantab., F.R.C.P. Lond. The Council recommendedthat the Moxon medal should be awarded to John HughlingsJackson, M.D. Aberd., F.R.S., as having especially distin-guished himself by observation and research in clinicalmedicine. The Council also recommended that the Balymedal should be awarded to Johp Newport Langley, D.Sc.,F.R.S., of Trinity College, Cambridge, as having pre.eminently distinguished himself in the science of physiology.The quarterly report of the College finance committee

was received and adopted, as were also the annual reports ofthe library committee and curators of the museum.The quarterly report of the examiners for the Licence on

the results of the April examination was received and alsoan application from Horatio George Adamson, M.D.Lond.,praying for the restoration of Membership resigned by himin 1897.The newly elected officers, examiners, and members of

standing committees gave their faith to the College.

Looking Back.FROM

THE LANCET, SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1825.

FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN MEDICAL JOURNALS.

On the insensibility of the .Retina.By M. MAGENDIE.

It has already been shown, that some parts usuallyconsidered as nerves, and consequently as the organs pos-sessed of the greatest sensibility, were, notwithtanding,impervious to tactile impressions ; that they could be evenpricked and lacerated without appearing to induce the leastfeeling of sensibility, and such were the olfactory and opticnerves of the retina.About four months since a young woman was brought to

M. MAGENDIE, having two perfect cataracts, for the removalof which she expressed a very great desire, and the greatwish M. M. had of ascertaining whether the retina did

possess that exquisite sensibility so much insisted on byphysiologists and metaphysicians, soon induced him to

comply with her request. The cataract being of the softkind could not be couched at once, it yielding to the

pressure, and therefore only a portion could be depressed ata time ; each time, however, a bit was carried down, theresistance from the parietes of the eye could be distinctlyfelt, forming at once a convincing proof of having pressed onthe retina. Notwithstanding this, the patient not only didnot complain, but appeared not even to have been consciousof such pressure being used, and which she necessarily musthave shown had the retina been so sensible as is usuallybelieved. Somewhat emboldened by this result, M. MAGENDIEdirected the needle towards the bottom of the eye and touchedthe retina very slightly ; this was repeated five or six times, butthe woman evinced no feeling of sensibility. It could nothave happened that the retina was paralysed, for the instantthe nervous membrane was touched she expressed her great

delight on again seeing the light.The other eye underwent the same treatment, the nature of

the cataract being the same. This time, however, lesscaution was observed. The crystalline lens was depressed as

completely as possible ; the retina was freely touched in

many parts with the point of the instrument, even with a ’

421

force sufficient to have pierced through the membrane ; allthis, however, was done unknown to the patient, who felt noill effects from it.The experiment has subsequently been performed at the

Hopital de la Pitie, on a man affected with a cataract of theright eye. The crystalline lens was easily depressed, andthe sight immediately restored ; at different times in thecourse of the operation the retina was touched, but no

sensation was produced indicative of any exquisite sensi-bility in the part.

In this case, as in the former one, the contact of theinstrument, and even the pricks which were made in theretina, did not prevent the eyesight being completelyrestored. Thus it would appear, that the retina of man isdevoid of sensibility except to the action of light, and thusfar we in no wise differ from the lower animals."In a physiological point of view this result is more

important, since," observes M. MAGENDIE, "it shows at alltimes the great superiority of experiments over abstractreasoning, and what deductions are more abstruse and com-plicated than those of philosophers, founded on the greatsensibility of the retina 1 "-Journal de Physiologie, June1825.

_______________

THE BATTLE OF THE CLUBS.

KIDDERMINSTER.

WE have received the following letter from the secretaryof the Kidderminster Medical Society with a request for itspublication :

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—I write to inform you at the request of theKidderminster Medical Society that after a conference withthe Kidderminster Medical Aid Association the latterassociation has agreed to adopt the following new rules :—

1. A rule to prohibit canvassing.2. That the cash reserve fund shall not exceed 2300.3. That it will not admit to the benefits of the association as

public members any persons whose wages exceed 23 per week; alsothat the minimum contribution for public members of all ages shall inthe future be 4d. per month or Is. per quarter per member.

In consequence of this agreement the KidderminsterMedical Society has removed the professional disabilitiespreviously imposed upon the medical officers of theKidderminster Medical Aid Association and will in futuremeet them in professional consultation. I shall be obligedif you will publish this in your next issue.

I am, Sirs, yours truly,O. C. PENRHYS EVANS,

August 1st. Honorary Secretary, Kidderminster Medical Society.

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OFENGLAND.

AN ordinary meeting of the Council was held on August 4th,Mr. JOHN TWEEDY, the President, being in the chair.

It was resolved that diplomas of Membership should beissued to 120 successful candidates.As recommended by the Court of Examiners, the Univer-

sity of Birmingham was added to the list of Universitieswhose graduates may present themselves for the examina-tions for the Fellowship without first becoming Members ofthe College.

It was resolved that diplomas in public health should beissued jointly with the Royal College of Physicians of Londonto the 17 successful candidates.

It was resolved that, as recommended by the museumcommittee, facilities should be offered to the University ofLondon for holding the examinations in pathology of theUniversity at the College instead of at the ExaminationHall, with the object of preventing the injury likely to becaused in course of time to the museum specimens by theirfrequent removal from the College premises.

It was resolved that the loan of museum specimens to theUniversity of London for examination purposes be renewedfor another year and that the University be requested to takeinto consideration the practicability of holding its examina-sions in pathology at the College.

It was resolved that the loan of museum specimens to theArmy Medical Department for examination purposes berenewed for another year.

Permission was granted, subject to the usual conditions,to Mr. George Pernet to make use of the dermatologicalmodels, drawings, and specimens in the museum for thepurpose of publication in the form of an atlas.

It was resolved to have rooms Nos. 2 and 3 of the museumpainted and therefore the museum will be closed from

August 8th to Oct. lst.The balance-sheet was approved and adopted. It showed

that the balance of income over expenditure amounted forthe year to 2004.The Council elected Mr. P. Sidney Spokes, M.R.C.S.,

L.D.S., a member of the Board of Examiners in DentalSurgery.A report was read from the committee on the physical dis-

ability of recruits for the army which was appointed toconsider a memorandum forwarded through the Home Office.The report was approved.A letter was read from Mr. Thomas Bryant reporting the

proceedings of the General Medical Council at its latesession and the best thanks of the Council were given toMr. Bryant for his services as the representative of the

College.A letter was read from Sir William Turner, K.O.B.,

President of the General Medical Council, forwarding copiesof reports on the first examination under the ConjointBoard. The consideration of this was postponed until theOctober meeting.A report from the conjoint committee on the first exa-

mination was received and entered on the minutes but itsconsideration was postponed until October.A letter was read from Messrs. Davidson and Morris, of

40, Queen Victoria-street, solicitors to the WorshipfulCompany of Spectacle Makers, stating that the company hadappointed a committee to consider two memorials signed by220 opticians praying the company to include the subject ofsight-testing in their examination and to extend theirdiploma by certification of efficiency therein and that thecommittee propose to sit in November next to hear evidenceand will be glad to have the views of the College, more

especially as to what further restrictions should be includedin the agreement which is to be signed by the diplomaholders in the event of the request of the memorialists beinggranted. The letter was referred to the President and thetwo Vice-Presidents to consider and to report to the Octobermeeting.

A letter of thanks was read from Lieutenant-Colonel W. H.Cadge, I.M.S., thanking the Council for the resolution

passed by it in reference to his uncle, the late Mr.William Cadge.A letter was read from the Director of the Nottingham

Museum and Art Gallery thanking the Council for the loan ofthe portrait of the late Sir Spencer Wells and stating that theportrait would be removed and returned by the museumagents and would be insured for such sum as the College maywish.

Mr. 0. T. Dent and Mr. G. H. Makins were appointedtrustees of the Hunterian and Jacksonian funds in place ofMr. Reginald Harrison and Mr. Alfred Willett, who hadresigned on ceasing to be members of Council.The Chairman of the Library Committee reported the pre-

sentation to the library by Professor Retzius of Stockholm ofthe following works : 30 tracts by Professor Retzius himselfor in collaboration and 11 volumes of his own and hisfather’s works, including I I Anthropologia Suecica" and the"Anthropology of the Finns," and his edition of JohannesMiiller’s letters to Anders Retzius.The best thanks of the Council were given to Professor

Retzius for his valuable gift.The next meeting of the Council will be held on Oct. 15th.

VITAL STATISTICS.

HEALTH OF ENGLISH TOWNS.

IN 76 of the largest English towns 8853 births and 4158deaths were registered during the week ending August lst.The annual rate of mortality in these towns, which hadbeen 13-7, 13-5, and 13-4 per 1000 in the three pre-ceding weeks, rose to 14-4 per 1000 last week. In Londonthe death-rate was 13-5 per 1000, while it averaged 14’8