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To Correspondents.THE NEW NEWSPAPER STAMP ACT.

THE Publisher respectfully informs Subscribers to THE LANCET,and the Newspaper Trade generally, that STAMPED COPIEScan only be transmitted by Post WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS fromthe date of Publication, and also that copies must be so foldedthat THE STAMP IS FULLY EXPOSED TO VIEW.

Chirurgus, (Bristol.)-There was no ground whatever for the action. Theverdict could not be otherwise than for the defendant. Mr. Burgess cannotsuffer in the estimation of the public from the proceedings which have beentaken against him. The trial, however, involves some important considera-tions affecting the profession in general, and must be noticed at greaterlength in the next LANCET. Surely a surgeon has a right to expect supportfrom his brethren in such a case. It would be well to inquire into the causescf such attacks upon the profession.

Amicus is thanked. The list shall appear next week.A Student.-It would serve no good purpose to publish the letter.

PURIFICATION OF THE THAMES.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In your excellent remarks respecting the Thames, you conclude bysuggesting that the question of its relief should be referred to eminent en-gineers, as if this had not been done long ago. Mr. Stephenson and Sir W.Cubitt belonged to the Health of Towns Commission, which, in its report in1844, specifically states that the drainage of London had received its firstconsideration.

Since then the Royal Engineers, Sir John Burgoyne, Captain Vetch, ColonelDawson, &e., have been Commissioners of Sewers for years. Besides them,we have had Sir H. de la Beelie, Mr. Rendal, Mr. Peto, Mr. Stephenson, SirW. Cubitt, Mr. Hawkshaw, Mr. F. Forster, and Mr. Bazalgette as their en-gineers, besides Mr. Haywood, the engineer to the City Commission.We have also had the Commission advertising for plans from July 5th, 1849,

for four months, and again for a similar time from December 5th, 1854, toApril 3rd, 1855.The result of this ten years’ inquiry is embodied in plans lying at Greek-

street, awaiting the definite decision of a committee of engineers. One of theplans is supported by Mr. Stephenson and Sir W. Cubitt, in reports datingfrom October, 1853, to December, 1854. £300,000 were also raised by theCommission for works of interception. Lord Palmerston’s words in Hansardare most explicit, July 27th, 1854; he also stated that unless Parliamentassented, the works would have to be deferred for another twelve months ormore. Now nothing has been done, not even the referring of the plans, and thewhole is to be placed at the mercy of a board to be formed six months hence,which is to have permission to execute the works by December, 1860 ! !The Lord Mayor was told by the City Solicitor on the 17th ult., that when

the Sewers Bills were passed in 1848, Parliament had it in contemplation to,enforce the construction of works of interception. The enlarged Parliamentaryplan and section of these works were deposited with every parish clerk in yourneighbourhood in November, 1847, 1852, and 1853. During the session of1853 a Select Committee "fully approved" of this plan, which is now one ofthose before the Metropolitan Commission, and the metropolis therefore hasthis plan, or it has something still better, for execution.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,Islington, August, 1855. J. J. MOREWOOD.

M.R.C.S. and I.,4.C., (Hackney-road.)—1. Cazenave’s Manual, by Burgess.-2. Application should be made to the secretary of the hospital.

Mr. R. Dover will perceive that we have noticed the subject in our report ofthe Royal Polytechnic Institution.

JJII’. Thomas A. Hurley.-It might succeed.

THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—In reference to a note, signed "A Member," in last week’s LANCET, Imay say that I have reason to know that the Council of the College have nowin the press a catalogue of the recent additions to the library, in which thedonations are distinguished from the purchases.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,London, August, 1855. ANOTHER MEMBER.

Dr. Spencer Thomson.—The plan seems well calculated to facilitate the laboursof the medieal officer, and to ensure an efficient system of vaccination.

Querist.—Consult your medical attendant.A Practitioner of Midwifery.—As the case of Dr. Wills was published with hisname attached, it would be unjust to insert an anonymous attack upon it.

D)’. J. Livy’s request shall receive attention.

A QUESTION—"A STILL-BORN CHILD:’To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—May I be allowed to inquire what is the rationale of a statement re-specting a still-born child, to the following effect, published in your journal ofJuly 28th ?

" Life had ceased; its lungs were inflated, (probably an hour after its death,)and it was delivered, crying lustily, to the nurse."As no mention was made of resuscitation having restored suspended anima-

tion from choking, it appears to me, our inevitable conclusion must be, thatthe breath of life was breathed, and that the dead was raised to life!- Can you tell me whether or not the writer meant to give that information ? P

I am, Sir, yours very truly,East Retford, Notts, August, 1855. W. ALLISON.

Mr. L. F. Crummey.—Our correspondent labours under a misapprehension asto the cause of the non-insertion of his letter. THE LANCEr is with, not"dead against," the Association. Our remarks applied to only one of thelaws of the Association.

Juvenis.-A report of the case appears in the present number of THELANCET.

Third-Year’s Student.—Certainly.An Interested Individual will find his question answered at page 196.

NAPHTHA AND SCARLATINA.To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,—Your correspondent, Dr. Garrett, in his letter to you, printed amongstyour notices to correspondents in THE LANCET of July 28th, appears to havefallen upon a "mare’s nest." Let him try the following simple experiment;it may perhaps assist in explaining the phenomenon with which he appears sostruck:—

After being blindfolded, let him taste alternately a little port wine and alittle sherry for about half a dozen times, and he will find that he can no

longer distinguish between them.The doctor, with the smell of naphtha in his nose, enters the room of a

patient who has scarlatina. What wonder that he confounds the smells hethen perceives ?His explanation, too, must be decidedly wrong. What proof have we that

in scarlatina the air expired is deprived of its oxygen The oxygen consumedin the lungs during respiration is generally understood to be sent out again incombination with carbon in the proportion of two to one; and even were theexpired air entirely deprived of its oxygen, we should still have it mixed with,or composed of, a large quantity ot’ nitrogen, the existence of which elementDr. Garrett entirely ignores in his hypothesis.

Inspired air is, or ought to be, 0 N4; expired air, C 02 + N + H 0, with alittle free oxygen!-and if in scarlatina the venous blood is more highly car-bonized than in health, this excess of carbon could not be breathed off withoutcarrying with it a proportionate quantity of oxygen. When free carbon comesaway from the lungs, as it often does in bronchitis or in other diseases affect-ing .the respiratory function, it is coughed up with mucus in the form of littleblack bits.

I am, Sir, yours very truly,Opodeldoc Lodge, August, 1855. E.

Juvenis Nedicits.-It is better to bring up a child by means of a healthy wet-nurse than by hand.

A Constant Reader, (Bradford.)-There is nothing that we are aware of thatwould produce the effect without leaving a stain.

THE ADVANTAGE OF BANDAGING THE ABDOMEN BEFORE AND AFTERDELIVERY.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR.—I have noticed lately in the pages of THE LANCET a good deal of dis-

cussion, and even some doubts expressed, upon a point which I thought hadbeen long since settled-viz., the propriety of bandaging the abdomen afterdelivery. Having been engaged in extensive midwifery practice for upwardsof fifty years, I can confidently speak of the great benefit which my patientshave derived from the application of the bandage, not only after delivery, butduring the time of labour; and I am very much inclined to believe that notonly much suffering, but many valuable lives have been saved by its timelyapplication, in contirmation of which I take the liberty of stating one out of agreat number of cases.In April, 1845, I was called upon to attend Mrs. N-, the wife of are.

spectable farmer, and the mother of a numerous family. and who had inva.riably suffered severely from uterine haemorrhage after all her labours, andwhose life more than OMe had been brought into imminent danger. So coii-firmed was I that she would sooner or later lose her life from uterine hæmor-rhage, that I went to her with great fear of the result. On my arrival, I foundthe os uteri moderately dilated, and the pains regular; but upon applying myhand over the abdomen 1 found the uterus enormously distended. I imme-diately applied a broad and strong bandage over the abdomen, moderatelytight, shortly after which she was delivered of a fine male child. I imme-diately tightened the bandage, when she was shortly delivered of another boy.I again tightened the bandage, and in a short time a third child presenteditself; after which I tightened the bandage very firmly, and shortly afterbrought away the three placentse. I again tightened the bandage, and I wasmuch gratified at finding there was not any haemorrhage. The three children,all boys, are living at this present time, and as fine, healthy children as everwere seen. I have since attended the same lady in three separate confinements-viz., in July, 1849, April, 1851, and November, 1852, in each of which cases Iapplied the bandage previous to delivery, tightening it after the birth of thechild, in none of these cases did any haemorrhage occur.Being fully convinced of the great benefits that my patients have derived

from the application of the bandage previous to delivery, I cannot too stronglyrecommend it. The bandage should be stout, thick, and broad, so as to ex-tend from the ensiform cartilage to the symphysis pubis. What I have fre-quently made use of has been a small sheet, table-cloth, or roller-towel, oroccasionally a large shawl.In conclusion, I have only to observe that I never knew any injury to arise

from the application of the bandage, nor can I conceive a case in which anymischief could follow its use, if carefully and properly applied. ,

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,Coleshill, Warwickshire, Aug. 1855. J. DAVIES, M.D.

COMMUNICATIONS, LETTERS, &c., have been received from-Dr. Andrew Smith;Dr. Marshall Hall, (Paris;) Dr. Dunlop Anderson; Mr. W. T. King; Mr. A.Milner, (with enclosure;) Mr. G. W. Hind, (with enclosure;) Mr. R. Dover;Mr. F. B. Stent, (Frome;) Another Member; Dr. Ayre, (Hull;) Dr. SpencerThomson; Mr. A. Brown; Dr. Strange ; Juvenis Medicus; Dr. C. F. 0. ;Justitia; A Reader; A Third-Year’s Student, (Glasgow;) Dr. C. B. Garrett,(Thames Ditton;) Dr. John Livy, (Bolton.le-Moors;) Mr. Garrard, (Hales-worth, Suffolk,) Mr. Samuel S. Rymer, (Croydon;) Justitia, (Black Sea.Fleet;) Querist; Mr. P. Lyon, (Stoke Gabriel, Devon;) A Constant Reader,(Bradford;) Mr. Pepper; Mr. Thomas Westropp, (Clifton;) Ciirurgus,(Bristol;) Juvenis; Amicus; M.R.C.S. and L.A.C., (IIackney-road;) Mr.L. F. Crummey; A Practitioner of Midwifery; Mr. Thomas A. Hurley;Dr. J. Davies, (Coleshill, Warwickshire;) E.; Mr. W. Allison, (East Retford,Notts;) Mr. J. J. Morewood, (Islington;) An Old Correspondent; &c. &c.