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Nos. 2 and 3.-The principal objection to these is removableby deleting the last sentence of each. The first portion of No.2 is deficient in not rendering penal the use of other professionaltitles than those enumerated. In the first part of No. 3, thewords " shall be held also to imply that he is recognised by lawas qualified to do so, and he" are useless and serve to mystify,as it is intended to stand instead of, not to interpret, the pre-sent 40th clause. And instead of the words, " any name ortitle used in this Act," it should have been " used in the lIe-dical Act." But as these might be held to apply to the titles

of chemists and druggists and dentists, notwithstanding thenature of the 55th clause, it is better, and can do no harm, tomake an enumeration of the more common titles form part ofthe clause.

In No. 4, for the words, " unable to prove to the satisfactionof the Medical Council that he is qualified to register," it shouldhave been "not registered." Again, the words "implyingthat he is a member of the medical profession," would not alonesuffice, as the quack would have only to plead that he did notimply that.

In No. 5, the words, " and not holding any qualificationentitling him to be registered," should be deleted, which wouldthen also render unnecessary the concluding part of theamendment on the 27th clause, suggested likewise by theBristol and Bath Association, the earlier parts of which, be.sides being somewhat illogical, are incompatible with the con-cluding part of Clause 27, which protects those who have regis-tered, but whose names have not yet appeared in the publishedRegister.On No. 6, which we suggested last year, a few verbal im-

provements may be made, so that it stand thus :-" Any person, not registered under the Medical Act, who

shall pretend to be, or take or use the name or title of, a Phy-sician, Doctor of Medicine, Licentiate of Medicine, Bachelor ofMedicine, Medical Practitioner, Surgeon, Licentiate in Surgery,Surgical Practitioner, Licentiate in Midwifery, General Prac-titioner, or Apothecary, or who shall take or use any othername, title, addition, or description implying that the personso doing practises medicine or surgery or any department ofthe medical profession, or who shall take any name, title, ad-dition, or description, implying that the person so doing is

registered under the Medical Act, shall, on a summary convic-tion for every such offence, pay a sum not exceeding £ 20."

The above enumeration of the titles is more systematic andcomplete than at present in Clause 40, and it seems well to

signify a penalty also against any tampering with the word"registered"-a word which is rapidly gaining medical signi-ficance. The mode in which it is introduced here does not

destroy or weaken the previous part of the clause, as it un-happily does in Clause 40 as it now stands. It would be

necessary also to express that the present Clause 40 is re-

pealed.No. 7, as it now stands, enacts a penalty against registered

practitioners. To remedy this it would require, after " anyperson," the words " who is not registered under the MedicalAct" to be inserted. And the words " such name, title, addi-tion, or description, not having been granted by any of thelicensing bodies mentioned in Schedule A to this Act" must bedeleted, otherwise it would be illegal for registered practitionersto use their present titles, such as physician, surgeon, apothe-cary. In the proposed heading which accompanies No. 7, thewords "not Qualified under Schedule A" are ambiguous, it

ought to be, "not registered under the Medical Act."We cannot congratulate the Medical Acts Amendment Com-

mittee either on its seeming policy, or on its legal acumen, oreven on its knowledge of the Medical Act. We expect a com-mittee which has existed for three years to show, if not a graspof the subject, at least that it understands the terms and

provisions of the Act which it is entrusted to amend. (Quiscustodiet ipsos custocles? The Medical Council, however, hasnot committed itself to the reports of its committee. When

the Council remits any matter to a committee, the custom is to

enter the committee’s report on the minutes of the Council,without thereby commi ting the Council to its approval. The

Council has, instead, remitted the matter to another committeein the following terms :-

‘° That the several reports of the Medical Acts AmendmentCommittees of 1860. lb6t, and the present year, be referred tothe Executive Committee, with instructions to consult parlia-mentary solicitors, with the view of preparing a draft Bill, twobe transmitted to the respective Branch Councils for their con-sideration and observations. That such draft Bill, with anyamendments proposed, be retransmitted by the respectiveBranch Councils to the Executive Committee, in time to enablethe Executive Committee to have a draft Bill ready for beingsubmitted to the General Medical Council at its next meeting."We trust that the Executive Committee, in framing the draft

Bill, and subsequently the Medical Council, will give carefulconsideration and effect to the objections and arguments whichwe have urged, and which we believe to be in harmony withthe best interests and with the wishes of the great body of themedical profession.

THE NEW PHARMACOPŒIA.

NOTWITHSTANDING the oft-repeated assertion that the newPharmacopoeia would be soon published, a fresh d:fficulty hasarisen which may delay its appearance for some months

longer. Amongst other novelties intended to characterize theforthcoming official tome’, one was an alteration respectingthe weights now used for pharmaceutical purposes. It was

proposed that the new national Pharmacopoeia should intro-duce a new grain, scruple, and drachm different from thoseemployed heretofore by pharmaeutists, as also written byBritish medical practitioners in every prescription. This

alteration-originating in the Committee charged with com-piling the " Novum Codex Medicamentorum"-seems, how.ever, already to create so great a stir throughout influentialquarters where it has become known, that the proposition maybe said to have been rejected almost as soon as made. Accord-ing to report, the future grain, by which all remedies must beinvariably weighed, is lighter than that at present always used,in the proportion of 91 to 100-being a diminution of nearlyone-tenth. Hence ten grains, for instance, of Dover’s powder,by the substituted scale actually amount to only nine grainsand one-tenth ; a sc’uple to about eighteen standard grainsand two-tenths ; while each drachm would then contain fifty-four grains and a fraction in place of sixty, as universally reco-gnised by the profession. The whole matter appears scarcelycredible; and, in these days of scientific improvements, to thinkof having a grain for medicine quite distinct from that settledby Parliament, and adopted in weighing every other substance,must be deemed a sad mistake. The old names being pre-served, but deprived of their former meaning, must, therefore,occasion much ambiguity in quantitative investigations, fre-

quently originate doubts respecting the real weighc of an articleabout which discussions may arise, and likewise, in many cases,even imluce utter confusion, seeing the scale bearing referenceto drugs will be henceforward dissimilar to that employed forall ingredients not coming within the limited range of medi.cines.

Amongst various evils which the proposed change wouldproduce, one result of considerable importance may be here in-dicated-namely, the imperial English grain being well knownin the British empire, and constantly referred to by foreignersin their scientific or professional relations with England, anyproposition like that which is contemplated would prove highlyobjectionable without possessing any compensating advantagewhatever. Indications of the decision agreed upon by theFharmacopceia. Committee having been observed, no smallsensation w s created, especially amongst Fellows of theLondon College of Physicians, which led to the question beingrecently brought before that body for consideration, when they

71

passed at a Comitia almost unanimously the following significantresolution :-

" It having come to the knowledge of this College that inthe new Pharmacopoeia intended for publication under theauthority of the General Medical Council it has been contem-

plated to introduce a new grain, differing from the standardgrain weight of the country, the College is of opinion that how-ever desirable it may be to substitute the Avoirdupois poundfor the Troy pound, it is not desirable to introduce a new

grain differing from the standard grain, which has been so longin general use and is established by Act of Parliament."

After receiving so authoritative a condemnation, the MedicalCouncil’s novel scheme cannot surely proceed further withoutgrave consideration. We understand that the Committee haveconsulted the two highest authorities on the subiect.

MURDER OF A UNION MEDICAL OFFICER,AND MUTILATION OF THE BODY.

RICHARD GRIFFIN, J.P.

’1’0 tlte Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Your readers are already acquainted with the terribledeath of Mr. Adam Stapleton Puckett, medical officer of theWeymouth Union, by an insane pauper ; L will not, therefore,enter into the details of this horrible murder and barbarousmutilation, but at once beg you will permit me, through themedium of your valuable journal, to appeal to the benevolenceof the public and medical profession on behalf of the widow ofthe deceased, who is left nearly destitute.

I have known the late Mr. Puckett for upwards of twentyyears, he having been the assistant of my predecessor; I cantherefore bear testimony to the fact that he was a hard-working,kind-hearted man-an apothecary of the old school,-and asattentive to the poor as an enormous district, or rather twocombined, which extended fifteen miles across the country,would permit. Why he had such a district I must leave thePoor-law Board and Board of Guardians to answer. That itwas cruel to the poor there can be no question, as some of hispatients had to walk nine miles for a bottle of medicine and asmany home again, making medical relief a mere mockery; butI trust the Select Committee of the House of Commons on PoorRelief, before whom evidence on this subject has already beenlaid, will recommend to Parliament a material change in the i

medical arrangements for the relief of the poor. ’

It was given in evidence at the inquest that poor Puckettonly visited the maniac twice a week, and in reality was un-aware of his dangerous state, which more frequent visits wouldhave revealed to him; but his enormous district prevented himdoing more, as his salary of X116 per annum, including extramedical fees, miserable for such a district, allowed him to keepbut one horse ; for out of that salary he had not only to pay forthe keep of that horse, but had to find drugs for the poor, tomaintain himself, his wife, and one daughter to look after thehouse, and her mother, who has been for the last few years in-capable of attending to the household duties.How poor Puckett, out of so miserable a pittance, managed

to do all this is a mystery, as I know for a certainty that duringthe last six months his entire booking from private practice hasbeen only twenty-three pounds; and yesterday I was assul edby a member of his family that at the time of his death he hadbut twenty one shillings in his possession, besides the few

shillings which the maniac took from his pocket and threw intothe river. The widow is therefore left nearly destitute-I saynearly, as there is a small insurance on his life, which 1 wasinstrumental in his effecting ; but I find that is heavily niort-gaged to meet incumbrances occasioned by sickness, and theprobability is that the rest will be swallowed up in funeral ex-penses and the payment of debts.

After this brief recital, I feel I shall not appeal in vain tothe generosity of the public for a widow whose husband was sobarbarously murdered and horribly mutilated. 1 have openedan account. "The Puckett Fuud," at Messrs. Williams’ Bank,Weymouth, and at Messrs. Elliot’s Bank, Weymouth, wheresubscriptions may be forwarded, or they may be sent to me,and I will act as treasurer to the fund until means shall be de-vised to place the money in the hands of trustees for the benefitof the widow, and, if there be sufficient, such members of thefamily of the deceased as the trustees may deem tt desirable toassist. Mr. Puckett left one son and three daughters, all ofwhom are incapable of assisting their mother.-Yours truly,

RICHARD GRIFFIN, J. P.12, Eoyal-terrace, Weymouth, July 12th, l862.

THE

GREAT INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

X.

REPORT ON SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS.

CONTINUING our notice of new surgical instruments for greatoperations by foreign and English makers, we would directattention in Charrire’s stall to his remarkable collection ofinstruments for operations connected with the bladder andurethra. Fig. 26 shows an instrument for internal division ofstricture,-" Scarificateur urethrotome" mode le Charrire,-which may be passed into very tight stric-tures, and cuts from before backwards, orbehind forwards, and to a depth whichmay be regulated at will. This is thestandard model of urethrotomes, and isthat which Mr. Coulson, Mr. Henry Thomp-son, and others have adopted in this coun.try. It is to be found in the cases of

Savigny and Co., and other English makers.The same tribute of adoption in this countryby the most experienced surgeons and best

cutlers has been paid to the lithotritic in-struments which Charrière has made forCiviale. We have already spoken of these,and mentioned Coxeter’s modification. Wewill here, therefore. only notice the lastimprovement which M. Charnere has madein his beautiful lrthotrites-namely, thatof having reduced the number of piecesby which the broken screw movement iseffected from thirteen to three (as is seen inFig. 27), to the great comfort and advan-tage of the surgeon, and also his assistant,who has to keep the instruments in goodorder. We take this opportunity of givinga drawing of the lithoclast of Whicker andBlaise, which we have previously men-tioned, and have affirmed from actual ob-servation in practice to be superior to anyother instrument in present use. (SeeFig. 28.)There are some other urethral instru-

ments in Charrière’s case which certainlydeserve the attention of English surgeonsfrom their great ingenuity and utility.Among them is the articulated urethralcurette (Fig. 29), which may be used forthe extraction of small calculi or fragmentsof calculi lodged in the urethra, and maybe used with one hand, the curette havinga point d’appui at the back, an improve-ment which most surgeons will be able to

appreciate over previous models of urethralscoops. But especially we would notice theinstruments for extracting pieces of bnugie,hair pins, or other foreign bodies from the

bladder. The figures which we give per-leouy explain the action OI

those made for M. Se,,,.ilas,and which afford the bestmodel we have seen. At 1in Fig. 30 is seen the instru-ment ready to be intro-

duced ; at 2 a piece ofbougie is seen grasped inthe bite of the forceps ; andat 3 it is observed to bebent and drawn down intothe groove of the instrument

ready to be withdrawn.Mathieu has a simple modi.

fication of the same instrument. The principle is ex-cellent, and the amount oiforce which can be employed

in bending and drawing intcthe tube metal pius or strongtubes is somewhat surpris-j ing. Fig. 31 shows an in-