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cataract successfully treated by operation; and a case by Mr.HENRY THOMPSON of hernia, complicated by the presence of anon-descended testicle in the canal. A discussion followed oneach of these cases. A report will appear in the next LANCET.

HARVEIAN SOCIETY.MR. COULSON, PRESIDENT.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 1854.

THE first meeting of the session was held this evening;there was a very full audience. As is usual on the openingnight, the PRESIDENT delivered an inaugural address. Hesaid :-

" Gentlemen,-The laws of our Society prescribe to thePresident the duty of addressing you, at the commencement ofevery session, on the objects of the Society, and the bestmethods of accomplishing them. The institution of thiscustom, like that of the Society itself, is founded upon a keeninsight into the nature and wants of the medical profession.It is very possible that, after the labours consequent uponpractice were terminated for the day, we might be tempted totake advantage of our meetings in the evening as a means ofrelaxation and friendly intercourse, and forget the greatobjects which have brought us together. I think, therefore,that the object of the law which renders it incumbent uponyour President, to the best of his ability, to address you at thecommencement of each session, on the proper objects ofthe Society, is a good one. But I have said that the institutionof the Society (and, I might have added, of all societies of thiskind) is founded on a similar insight into the nature andwants of our profession. If we stand in need of the agencyof such societies to give us strength as men, we are no less inneed of them as members of the medical profession. Not onlyour own individual weakness imposes upon us the necessity ofmeeting together in friendly union, but the very peculiaritiesof the profession to which we have devoted ourselves render itequally imperative. No other profession depends so much

upon the assistance which it may receive from the operation ofsocieties as ours, and it will be worth while to inquire intothe reason of this. We do not hear of active lawyers feeling itincumbent upon them to hold meetings for the purpose ofenlarging their acquaintance with the principles and practiceof law, or of extending its operation. And the same holdswith respect to other professions. The difference seems to meto be this : in no other profession is the connexion betweenscience and art so necessary to be kept in mind as in ourown ; practice so absorbs the faculties of the medical man thathe is ever in danger of drifting away from scientific principles.We find, therefore, that in all countries where medical menhave endeavoured to elevate medicine into a science, medicalsocieties have been more numerous and far more flourishingthan any other institutions of a similar nature. This may beaccounted for in the following manner: The leading men inour profession, in proportion as they become more skilful,incur the danger of losing sight of general laws. Our skillmainly depends upon the opportunities offered to us ofpractice. Coeteris paribus, he will be the best practicalphysician or surgeon who is most constantly occupied. Butin this very occupation there is danger. While we are so con-

stantly engaged upon particulars, we lose sight of the necessityof generalization. We keep so close to the beaten path thatwe have no idea, too often, of the map of the country. Thisis the danger that is ever presenting itself to the medical man, i

a danger, be it remembered, that increases with time. Themore phenomena we see, the less, very frequently, are we ableto soar to the conception of general laws. The time that weexpend in the collection of materials is so great, that we havenot any left for philosophizing upon them. The larger ourpractice, the more, by that very fact, are we deprived of theleisure which is required in order that we should make aproper use of it. We are so much of workmen that we havesome difficulties to struggle against when we wish to becomephilosophers. This is a difficulty, however, which is inherentin the very nature of our profession, and it is one which maybe met most appropriately by the institution of societies. Wemeet here to throw all our experience into one common stock,and to endeavour to trace the hidden laws which underlie thephenomena which our experience has brought before us.

While we are at work in the day we observe only; when webring the results of our observations here in the evening, weare enabled to philosophize. We begin to war from the regionof fact to that of principles; and unless we do this we shall

make but small advances in the very science which we profess,But to do this properly we must associate ourselves withothers; for no man’s experience, however great, can supplyhim with the whole of what is necessary for a complete induc-tion. The great philosopher who gives his name to ourSociety observes, in his dedication to his immortal work,," True philosophers, who are only eager for truth and know-ledge, never regard themselves as already so thoroughly in-formed, but that they welcome further information, fromwhomsoever, and from whencesover, it may come; nor are

they so narrow-minded as to imagine any of the arts or

sciences transmitted to us by the ancients in such a state offorwardness or completeness that nothing is left for the

industry and ingenuity of others; very many, on the contrary,maintain that all we know is infinitely less than all that stillremains to be known. Nevertheless, philosophers do not pintheir faith to other persons’ precepts, in such wise that theylose their liberty and cease to give credence to the conclusionsof their proper senses."

Harvey, we see, recognised the value of the intercom-munication of thought between classes of scientific men, and hegave a proof of his recognition of the value of societies by hismagnificent donation to the College of Physicians. He saw

clearly enough that the collision of thought produced sparks,from which the lamp of science might be lighted; and our ex-perience must teach us the same lesson. Not only are mostmen’s experience deficient in extent, but suspicious in quality;not only can no single man collect all the facts, but the mirrorin which they are seen is coloured and distorted. A fact is notthe same thing to one observer as it is to another. The powersof perception vary in different individuals; two personslook at the same fact, perhaps from different points of view, andconsequently receive two different impressions. Induction isdifficult, then, in medical science, not only on account of the im-possibility of the observer collecting a sufficient number ofphenomena, but on account of the idiosyncrasies of the observerhimself. We always have been, and always shall be, under theinfluence of the idols or spectres which Bacon has delineated insuch a masterly manner. The spectres of the tribe (id(51a tribus)still exercise their baneful influence in distorting our judgment,by causes which arise from the very defects of the human mind:the spectres of the den (iclolcc specûs) still operate, by causingus to measure the laws of the universe by our individualstandards: the spectres of the market-place (idõla fori) stilldisturb our judgment, by the misconceptions which arise fromour intercourse with each other: the spectres of the theatre(iclola theatrical) still trouble, by raising philosophical dogmas intogeneral laws, by making us consider the world of imaginationas the only true world. A Society like the present is the mostefficient check upon the dangers to which we are exposed fromthis source. We can never flatter ourselves that the bye-pathwe have chosen is the high road, when we see so many personstravelling towards the goal in so many different directions.

, You will agree with me, then, that a Society like this is notonly useful to ourselves, but of benefit to the science of whieliwe are students. We assist each other, and, in so far as wedo this, we become benefactors to the world. In reference towhat I have just said relative to the necessity, not only of alarge experience, but of a multiplied experience-not only of amultitude of facts, but of a multitude of observers, to establishthe principles of medical science, it may be instructive to cou-sider the state of medical opinion with respect to the pestilencewhich has been lately raging amongst us, and even now islingering here, "loath to depart." Many distinguished andlaborious members of our profession have devoted a largeportion of their time and energies to the investigation of thecause, essential nature, and treatment of cholera. Each cfthese has had a large number of cases brought before him; eachhas brought to the consideration of these cases the resourcesof a mind well stored with the knowledge of medical science inits present state; each has conscientiously exercised the wholepowers of his mind upon the consideration of the phenomenabefore him. Nevertheless, it is but too well known to all ofyou, how divergent are the theories which attempt to accountfor cholera-how various are the modes of treatment adopted.This arises, not only from the want of a sufficiently extendedexperience-not only from the peculiar colouring with whicheach man, by nature or education, unconsciously covers theobjects of his observation-but also from the want of thatinstinctive prescience which exists in the mind of every greatdiscoverer. It is not merely phenomena that are required, itis a deep certainty that these phenomena are all sprouts fromthe same tree, and a craving to get at the knowledge of thenature of the tree. Kepler, with all his facts before him, was

. ! tormented by the presence, felt, but not seen, of a law which.

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would explain all these facts, and rested not until he tore away know how to use them. I have already alluded to the micro-the thread of facts which enveloped the principle, and published scope as having laid open nature in her inmost recesses. It isto the world his three laws." Newton, with all Kepler’s our business to strive that the knowledge thus given to usknowledge imprinted on his mind, with a larger experience, shall not have been given in vain. Chloroform is another ofderived from his own observation, was not content until he those new elements of strength which have added to ourdived deep down into the ocean of facts, and brought up the power. Making some necessary deductions from the indis-great law of gravitation. These examples, and those of our criminate praise which was at first lavished upon its prbpertiesgreat medical discoveries, must be ever present to our minds, as an anaesthetic agent, still there are few of us who have notinciting us to look upon experience, however necessary, as the had experience of its wonderful effects in sparing our patientmere guiding-posts to a true philosophy. All these separate the action of pain, and smoothing away many difficulties whichobservations on cholera may have their use. A philosophical we ourselves might experience in the course of our operations.observer will gain something, not only from the truth that is There are a few cases where its application might be injudicious,contained in the deductions from them, but from their errors, but these form but a small proportion of those in which itsLet us, however, when we speak of the pestilence, remember, agency is of the greatest possible benefit. It is of the utmostthat although medicine has not done much to discover or to importance that the operation of chloroform should be carefullyremove the cause, it has been of incalculable use in moderating watched, and the members of the Harveian Society shouldthe effects. No one who is acquainted with the results of make a point of communicating here the results of investigationshospital or private practice in this direction, will deny that on this subject. If I were to go over the long list of theincreased experience has brought with it the knowledge of increased forces which medical men possess now compared tovarious methods of alleviating pain, and of arresting symptoms those which were in the possession of their predecessors, Iwhich formerly were the precursors of death. There can be should be merely repeating what has been said before, andno doubt, also, that the sanitary measures which have been should be wearisome without being instructive. It may beadopted, and which the profession have recommended for years advisable, however, to glance at one or two of the advancespast, have in many instances prevented the outbreak, or which have been made during the last year. It cannot bediminished the violence, of the disease. It is to the medical said that many startling changes have taken place; and theprofession mainly that the adoption of sanitary measures by proper way of estimating our progress would be to takethe Government and local authorities is due. The labours of account of that gradual increase in the powers of the unitedmany of you in this direction have been of incalculable use profession which increased knowledge, closer co-operation, andto the public, and you may congratulate yourselves that you a deeper sense of our responsibilities, have produced. Wehave laboured in the right way, even if you have not may have made no very brilliant discoveries, but if we com-finished your work. If we ever arrive at the ultimate cause pare the tone of the profession with that which existed thirtyof cholera, each observer who has contributed one fact years ago, I think it must be admitted that there has been a

necessary to the induction may be consoled that he has been great advance, and there is a gradual annual progress in this.useful in the great achievement, although he may bear away It must, I think, be confessed that, as a profession, we becomebut a fractional portion of the glory. I trust that the position annually more earnest in our endeavours to seek for scientificof our place of meeting will be found in future to be even of solutions of the problems we have to solve. We are less

greater advantage to the progress of our Society than it has bigoted and exclusive. We are more willing to share thehitherto been; I mean, in consequence of the neighbourhood of results of our experience with olhers. We are less disposedSt. Mary’s Hospital, and the recent establishment of its school, to lock up our knowledge in secret corners, and let no oneA large hospital furnishes incalculable opportunities for the have access to it. In addition to this, I firmly believe thatdue prosecution of our studies, and at St. Mary’s the medical we are more filled with a solemn feeling of the great duties westaff-if I may allude to a body of which I am myself a owe to Him who gave us our powers, and to His creatures formember-is composed of men some of whom have an European whose use they were granted. If a profession like ours, num-reputation. There is every probability that the active labours bering its members by thousands, makes a slow but sure

of that staff in the field of operation opened to them will not progress of this nature, we may be certain that its capabilitiesbe without its influence on our meetings. It is, however, for good are wonderfully increased. It will act with augmentedgentlemen, mainly dependent upon yourselves to elevate the force upon the world, and the results will be sensible in acharacter of the Harveian Society. Unless we individually large diminution of suffering and disease. Although, however,work for the good of the institution, all the advantages which we may have to look to the growth of strength in the wholecenturies of study and research have placed within our reach, profession, more than to the development of any particularwill be practically of no benefit to this institution. If each department of its operations, for the proof of our improvements,person will make it a matter of duty to bring before the notice there have been still several instances of discovery which showof the Society, at its periodical meetings, the results of his that agencies are at work similar to those which produced theobservations on the cases before him, and the facts which pre- grand results in the history of medicine and surgery. Theresented themselves to him, we shall assuredly prosper, and the are a few other improvements which may be worth mentioningSociety will vindicate to itself the propriety of dignifying as having their value in increasing the general stock of pro-itself with the great name of the discoverer of the circulation. fessional knowledge. I may allude to the production of localIt will be a disgrace to us who have associated ourselves with anesthesia. This we must acknowledge is a point of first-ratethe name of Harvey, if we flag in pursuing our course along the importance. To produce insensibility to pain without de-road which led him to immortal honour. In proportion as our priving the patient of consciousness would be the very triumphresources are greater than those in the possession of the of medical science. It would be premature to pronounce uponphysicians and surgeons of the time of Harvey, our responsibility the merits of the invention at present, but we know that,is increased. Any one who reads his graphic and philosophical amongst other instances, local anaesthesia has been producedaccount of the manner in which he proceeded to the discovery in cases of cancer of the uterus, by an ingenious instrument forof the circulation, and the methods he adopted in carrying on projecting chloroform or ether upon the part, and favouringhis researches into the nature of generation, will be struck rapid evaporation. I may also mention that, during the lastwith the fact, that had Harvey possessed those common year, the cure of small aneurisms, nevi, and erectile tumours,appliances which are now in the possession of most medical by means of the concentrated solution of the perchloride ofmen, he would have been saved hours and days of anxious iron, has been repeatedly effected. The same solution is nowlabour. What would Harvey have done had he had the much used as a styptic to bleeding surfaces, and generallymicroscope, such as it is with the modern improvements, to succeeds in arresting haemorrhage in a very short time. M.assist him in his operations ? What might we not have ex- Chassaignae. of Paris, has made known to the surgical worldpected from this most acute of observers, had the tremendous a case which shows that, after all, spina bifida is not anworld, to which the microscope alone could introduce him, incurable malformation, for he succeeded in obtaining thebeen laid open before him? If he did so much with imperfect closure of the sac and the recovery of the child, by injectionstools, what would he have effected with tools of a power of of iodine. I may add that M. Bonnet, of Lyons, continues towhich imagination itself would scarcely have dared to dream use the same injections into the cavity of chronic abscesses,the extent ? Harvey did the work of a giant with the armour and even into the peritoneal cavity, with a certain amount ofof a dwarf; let us guard ourselves against the imputation of success. I need not, however, occupy your time with accounts ofhaving armour fitted to the limbs of giants, but being no more scientific discoveries, with which you must be as well acquaintedable than dwarfs to make use of it. With the vast increase as myself. I allude to them simply to show that we are notof power which modern discoveries have placed in our hands, standing still. It is enough for us to see, in the intervals be-our responsibility increases. If we have such vast facilities for tween the pulsations of scientific discovery, that science stilldoing good compared with those which were the property of lives and is active. This gives us the certain hope that scienceour ancestors, we shall basely neglect our duty if we do not will still animate our profession; that we may look forward to

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discoveries as great as those which have made the glory of theillustrious heroes of invention. It is for us singly, gentlemen,if we cannot obtain the high distinction of connecting ournames with any grand incident in medical discovery, to workdiligently to prepare the road, and the materials for those whocan. We can all dig materials out of the quarry, if we cannotconstruct the edifice ourselves. It behoves all of us, then, towork diligently in our individual paths, and to throw whateverobservations we make into a common stock for the benefit ofthe profession and mankind. The Harveian Society is intendedto help you in this latter purpose. Each member who wishesto see the Society prosper should not neglect to keep recordsof the cases under his charge. The principal symptoms shouldbe noted, the effects of peculiar treatment should be described,and the salient points, both in the manifestations of the diseaseand the result of treatment, laid before the Society as mattersof consideration. If this were to be done conscientiously andreligiously by all of us, such a body of facts would be broughtforward bv different observers as would materially assist thepractice of the art, and ultimately, it may be hoped, lead to theestablishment of general principles. "There is no way," saysHarvey, in a letter to Vlackveld, "more calculated to advancethe proper practice of medicine, than to give our minds to thediscovery of the usual law of nature by the careful investigationof the rarer forms of disease." This is precisely the object wepropose to ourselves in the Harveian Society. The careful in-

vestigations of the rarer forms of disease is much more possiblewhen entrusted to a hundred investigators than to one or two.The very error that may have led one clever man astray, andset him wandering far from the road which leads to truth,without any possibility of his ever reaching the goal, may havebeen detected immediately by another observer. We savelabour at the same time that we are able to produce moregeneral results. These are the considerations which I would

urge upon the members of the Society. While we work toge-ther we cannot fail to work usefully. If we shut ourselves upfrom all sympathy and co-operation, our selfishness will meetwith its due reward.On the motion of Dr. RAMSBOTHAM, seconded by Dr. JoHN

GRAY, a vote of thanks was proposed to the President, andcarried by acclamation.Mr. COULSON briefly acknowledged the compliment, and the

meeting adjourned until Thursday, the 16th inst.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SOCIETY.DR. BABINGTON, PRESIDENT.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 1854.

DR. BABiNGTO’’sr commenced his address by congratulating those members of the Society who were present upon their once more meeting together, notwithstanding the danger to whichthey had all been more or less exposed, both as medical men andas members of the community, during the prevalence of the latefatal epidemic. At the same time he had to express his great griefat the loss which the Society had sustained by the death of thelate Dr. Roupell, who had been carried off by cholera since theirlast meeting. The President then alluded to the fact that now,instead of as formerly having to hold their general meetings inthe rooms belonging to the Medico-Chirurgical Society, andtheir council meetings at the private residences of individualmembers, they had been enabled to provide the room in whichthey then were for their general meetings, and a smaller ad-joining room for their council meetings. A repository had alsobeen provided for the hooks belonging to the Society, a measure ewhich would be productive of great benefit, by promoting thecirculation of works relating to Epidemic Disease. Remarkingupon the necessity of the careful and accurate collection of allthe important facts having relation to epidemic cholera, thePresident observed that we had no difficulty in tracing as defi-nite a line of effects produced as in the plainest example ofpoisoning, but that it was the nature of the cause producingthese symptons at which we wish to arrive. A great stepwould be made in this inquiry could we define any circumstancesor sets of circumstances under which cholera could not exist.It had been found in manv instances that, on persons being re-moved from certain localities, cholera was stayed, whilst cer-tain localities appeared to predispose large numbers to be at-tacked at the same time. Many of these cases had been ob-served, but there had been no such collection of them as wouldallow of any important deductions being drawn as to the causesof such variations. But little appeared to have been done byway of testing the power of various prophylactic measures. In

large institutions there would be no great difficulty, during theprevalence of an epidemic, of trying many different means ofprevention at the same time, in various divisions of such build-ings ; and by experiments of this kind it was possible that wemight be able to effect much good. Not even with regard tohouse-to-house visitation and the advantages of the early treat-ment of diarrhoea to checking cholera, had there been a sufficientamount of evidence collected to warraut a final and definiteconclusion upon the point. The President also directed atten-tion to the interesting point of the influence of the causes ofcholera upon persons who were not attacked by the disease it-self, an influence which was shown to exist, to some extent atleast, by the greater susceptibility of most persons at these timesto the effects of purgatives, &c. Then with regard to treat-ment, there was no lack of suggestions, but, excepting in par-ticular instances, there was much difficulty in carrying outparticular lines of treatment in such a way as fairly to test theiradvantages. The President, after alluding to the papers whichhad been read, and to the labours of the special committee,strongly urged the necessity of the Society publishing the

papers read before it, and suggested that it might be easilymanaged, by each member subscribing for one or more copiesof the proposed volume, at the same time expressing his willing-ness to put his own name down for ten copies. Having madesome observations upon the constitution of the late and of thepresent Board of Health, the President sat down amidst loud cheering. °

The SECRETARY having read his report,Dr. RICHARDSON made some observations in relation to some

remarks which had fallen from the President with regard to thepractice pursued in olden times, oflighting large bonfiresininfecteddistricts. From the researches into the historical part of thesubject, which he hacl made in conjunction with Dr. Moffat, hehad ascertained that this measure had in different cases ap-peared to have produced very opposite results, which he thoughtmight be owing to the causes of the epidemic being within orwithout the place where the fires were used, as their onlyaction could be in producing a draught of air from surroundingparts to those in which they were lit.

Dr. J. BIRD moved a vote of thanks to the President for thegreat interest and zeal he had displayed in promoting the ob-jects of the Society. He referred to the testimony of thelate Dr. M’Kenzie, with regard to the necessity of checkingthe premonitory diarrhoea, as well as to the influence of a

close confined atmosphere in promoting the spread of the dis-ease.

Mr. RoGERS, seconding the vote of thanks to the President,bore testimony to the efficacy of the house-to-house visitationin the district of the parish of St. Anne’s placed under hiscare.

The vote of thanks having been put, and carried-Dr. SNOW read some statistics, which tended to prove that

Mr. Rogers was mistaken in attributing the sudden decrease ofcholera in the parish of St. Anne’s to the steps taken by theauthorities to ensure the prompt treatment of premonitorysymptoms, the decline of the epidemic having commencedbefore those measures were adopted.

Mr. HUNT read a paper by Mr. Bennett, Medical Officer toSt. Giles’s parish, showing the influence which the sanitarymeasures adopted in that parish had had upon the progress ofcholera since the first outbreak of the disease in London. Mr.Bennett considered that diarrhoea had no necessary connexionwith cholera, excepting as a predisposing cause. That theoutbreak of the disease might, or might not, be preceded bycertain symptoms; which, however, were only to be lookedupon as manifestations of the action of a peculiar poison pre-viously introduced into the system. He thought the non-

contagiousness of the disease to be proved by the fact, thatalthough every case of cholera which applied was admitted intoSt. Giles’s workhouse, none of the previous inmates caught thedisease.

Dr. HEADLAM GREENHOW thought that house-to-housevisitation had never been fairly tried, having generally beenadopted too late ; but in places in which he had seen it tried,it appeared to him to have produced great effect in causing adecline of the disease. To prove the efficacy of early treatment,he mentioned the case of two workhouses, situated in the heartof an infected district, in one of which no case of cholera, andin the other only two, had occurred, owing to the strict measureswhich had been adopted for the treatment of premonitorysymptoms. In one of them, St. Mary’s, Newington, Mr.Lownes, the medical officer, had adopted the system of postingpersons at the doors of the water-closets, who reported thenames of all who visited them more than once during the halfday. By this means, they had discovered 260 cases of diarrhcea,