104

affections; and, as some of them were unprovided with spittoons,the floor at their bedside was covered with expectoration.There was a case of chronic dysentery in one of the wards,which I shall not soon forget. The patient was wasted to thelast degree, and was almost black from the number of fliescreeping over him. Under his pillow he had a quantity offruit, which his friends, who were standing at his bedside, hadprocured for him, no doubt thinking that they were solacinghis last hours. His bed-linen did not seem to have been

’changed for a month at the least, and this was the case withnumbers of others that we passed by. There was another case- one of phthisis—where the bed-linen was completely coveredwith dried, hardened, expectorated matter, which had also thetinge of age.

In a number of the wards that we passed through the patientsgathered round us begging. This, however, is a national cha-racteristic, and did not much surprise us; but what renderedit objectionable was their suffering, for the most part, fromskin diseases, a peculiar form of which is often met with here,and which is called by the people " white leprosy." We weretold by one of the resident physicians in Naples that the bodiesof patients were generally left lying as they died for periodsvarying from twelve to twenty-four hours, and that it wassometimes twelve hours before it was found out that the patienthad died.

It would be well if the southern Italians would follow theexample of their northern brethren, whose hospitals might viewith the Parisian ones in cleanliness and order. It is true theAustrians are in a great measure the cause of this, as almostall the institutions of the kind in their territories are conductedon the same principle as the Allgemein Krankenhaus at Vienna- one of the best-regulated in the world, and which is at presentone of the best medical schools in Europe. An hospital likethe Neapolitan would not be tolerated for one hour in Milan,or any other Austrian possession. In this last-named city isthe Hospital Major, differing in every respect from the one Ihave just been describing. It was originally the palace of theDukes Sforza, but from time to time considerable additionshave been made to it, and it now contains beds for 3000

patients. Its ophthalmic wards are not inferior to any in Ger-many in comfort and cleanliness, and the surgeon Marechettipays the most scrupulous attention to them. The medicalstaff attached to this hospital numbers nearly one hundred, andthe dressers are paid by the government, and have a first=rateopportunity of learning their profession. There is a bakery, abutchery, and an immense washing establishment on the pre-mises, so that nothing is wanted to render it complete. AsAustrian habits and manners are gradually extending south-ward, it is to be hoped that before long the Neapolitans will betaught the error of their ways, and change their system-asystem which will always cause them to be looked on with an- eye of scorn by their medical brethren elsewhere, and whichwill always give them an unenviable European notoriety.

DR. ARMSTRONG, F.R.G.S.

THE promotion of the above gentleman to the rank of De-puty-Inspector of Hospitals and Fleets, reflects the greatestcredit on the judgment and discernment of the First Lord ofthe Admiralty, in having promoted one of the most distin-guished and most meritorious medical officers of the royalnavy, and hitherto one of the most neglected.The career of Dr. Armstrong in the service has been always

marked with ecliat. It mattered little what has been thenature of the service on which he has been employed. On re-ferring to O’Byrne’s "Naval Biography," we find, as far back&s 1843, he was publicly thanked by his commander-in-chieffor the ability and success with which he conducted the me-dical and scientific department of an exploring expedition inAsia Minor, and was then officially recommended for promo-tion. His distinguished services during the memorable voyageof the Investigator, and discovery of the North-West Passage, Iare now a matter of history, and stand without a parallel for Iwhat his skill, energy, and judgment then achieved. To thegreat excellence of his sanitary arrangements it was owing thatthe Investigator never lost a man for upwards of three years;and although suffering every form of privation and hardship,the crew enjoyed an immunity from disease truly wonderful;and never was the gratitude of a body of men more strikingly Ievinced than in their conduct to Dr. Armstrong on his return I?-n nt)iii)frx7 when they presented him with a magnificent

gold chronometer and chain to testify their respect and grati-tude for his services to them in many a trying day. Yet forall this, Dr. Armstrong received no recognition of his services;and it will scarcely be credited, that while every officer of theInvestagator not only received their promotion, but had theircommissions antedated upwards of four years to the period ofthe discovery of the North-West Passage, yet this distinguishedofficer was not included. We next find him, a few monthsafter his return, surgeon of a line-of-battle-ship, the Coroa-wallis, in the Baltic Fleet, present at the Bombardment ofSweaborg, and the spirited attack on the batteries of Sandhamby the detached squadron under the command of CaptainWellesley, C.B., of the Cornwallis. He was also the seniormedical officer of the brigade of rocket-boats in two nightattacks on the Russian batteries of Storkolen; yet, at theconclusion of the war, he was still neglected and excluded fromthe medical promotion which then took place. He next servedon the North America and West India station, from which hereturned last year.

Dr. Armstrong has been awarded Sir Gilbert Blane’s goldmedal for the merit of his professional journals and reports,and has attained for himself a high literary reputation, as he isthe author of a " Personal Narrative of the Discovery of theNorth-West Passage," and more recently of " Observations onNaval Hygeia and Scurvy," which ought to be read by everymedical officer in the navy.

It only remains for us, in calling attention to this well-earnedpromotion, to congratulate Sir John Pakington thereon, afford-ing as it does evidence that he will be trammelled by none ofthe red-tapism of the service, which has on so many occasionscontributed to its inefficiency, and that merit will receive fromhim its reward. We also congratulate the medical officers ofthe navy on the promotion of one of their corps so distinguishedand worthy, as it affords them proof that merit must sooner orlater meet with its reward; that old age, inefficiency andfavouritism will no longer be the passport to the higher ranksof their service. A new era has dawned on their corps. A

: young and able medical officer is placed on the inspector’s list.Let them endeavour to imitate his example, and earn that dis-tinction which alone has raised him to it.We trust the services of Dr. Armstrong will not be long lost

to the navy, but that we shall soon see him actively employed,L and heartily wish him every success in his inspectorial career.

—Morning Herald of July 22.

Parliamentary Intelligence.HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY, JULY 20TH.

MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BILL.

ON going into committee on this Bill,The Earl of CARNARVON explained that its object was to sim-

plify and amend the present complicated arrangements underwhich the medical profession was governed. It was not a de-structive Bill; it kept alive all the old corporations existing inthis country, and it endeavoured to put fresh life and spiritinto them. It continued to them the access to the profession,and instituted complete reciprocity between them. It alsoestablished one central medical council, which would have ageneral regulating power, subject to an appeal, however, tothe Privy Council. The Bill also made provision for a systemof registration ; and, on the whole, he thought its operationwould be found productive of great benefit to the profession atlarge.

Lord EBURY said, it was a Doctors’ Bill, and they wereabout to entrust medical practice entirely to a set of men whodeclared they had no faith in their system. Dr. Bailey, onhis death-bed, doubted whether the medicine which he had

I prescribed had not done more harm than good. Dr. Chambers,in a funeral oration upon Dr. Williams, said that the deceased

had no confidence in medicine; and Dr. Forbes stated that thepresent practice of medicine was so entirely unsatisfactorythat he hoped some new school might be set on foot.

Their lordships then went into committee on the Bill.Clauses 1 to 35 were agreed to, with amendments.On Clause 36, which enacts that any person who shall wil-fully and falsely pretend to be, or take, or use the name or

title of a physician, surgeon, general practitioner, &c., shallpay a sum not exceeding £20, or less than £5,