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Madame LafargeSource: Provincial Medical Journal and Retrospect of the Medical Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 21 (Aug.27, 1842), p. 419Published by: BMJStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25491428 .

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MIADAME LAFARGE,-MR. MIAYO ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEAM. 419

The valedictory letter of Professor Home to the

University of Ediiiburgli is worthly of being placed oln

record ; it is tlhus conceived:

Edinburglh, August 8, 1842. AMy Lord,-Haviing for forty-four years dischlarged

the duties of the chairs of materia inedica and of the practice of medicine; consideriing also that, from my very advanced age (although still enjoying thC 111oSt

perfect health), I amn become unable to perform the important duties of the professorship, wlhiclh 1 now

hold; also wishing, before I go home, to lhave some time free from my laborious duties, I have for some time intended, and now herewvith offer to your lordship and the otlher honorable patrons of the college, to resign the professorship of the practice of medicine, on coindition of your providinlg a retiring allowaanee of ?300 sterling per annumn, and miakinig such other arranigements as may seem necessary for securing the

requisite paymelnts of tde said allowance during my life.-I am, &c.

JAMES HOME.

To the Riglht lioln. the Lord Provost."

The ?300 per annum with which the career of the

professor thus clharacteristically terminates is to be

taken from the pockets of his successors, ?150 being

paid by Dr. Alisoni, the remainlder by the professor of

tlle theory of miedicinie. It is questionable how far

it may be a prudent measure to leave the buirtheln of

Dr. Home's retiring pension on his successors; but

we suppose that it was a matter of necessity, and that

the imiversity possesses Ino funds wlhence the pension

could be derived. But enouglh of Dr. Home and his

pension; the subject oni wlhichl we are desirous of

saying a few words is the electioil to the chair of

pathology.

Our readers are, doubtless, aware that the medical

professors of the Uniiversity of Ediniburgh are elected

by the town counicil, consisting of the Lord Provost

and some thirty-three or thirty-four burgesses. In formiier times the Provost of Edinburgh aind the towni

council were selected from the most notable persons

of thc Scottish capital; the provost was generally a

man of some ranlk; the burgesses mei distinguished

by their social positioIn; tlhcy were, in fact, the aris

tocracy of the place. Now, howvever, the burgesses

have merged into that rank which is well desiginated

bourgeois; they are, for the most part, respectable

tradesmen, who have gaimied wealth iud statiomi, each

in his respective callinlg.

On these respectable representatives of our coin

inercial power devolves the important duty of selecting

the medical professors of the most distinguished

amongst our universities. Are they capable of ex

ercising this power with due discretion ? Though filled

vith ani anxious desire to sustaiin the honior of their

uniiversity, are the burgesses or bailies of Edinburgh

imeni fitted by educatiomi, experience, or lhabits of life

to select amongst competitors in thc higlhest depart

inelnts of science ? If we beek for anji answer iii the

recenit election to the clhair of patliology, w-e fear that

allnwer ill be unfavorable to tlhem. They have rc

jected a nian endowNved with the most solid attainmeunts,

admired by all for his extenisive knlowledge, a mail

equally holnored in his owin aild ini fol-eigil counltries,

for a younig man, wlho, to say nothlinig else, is anl ignotus

homo; possessed of knowledge, wNve are bound to be

lieve, but certainly without professional iaink at homle

or celebrity abroad. Tlhis is not the way in wlhich the

tottering frame of the University of Edinburglh is to

be strengtllened. The tolvn council lhave, at the

present juncture, a deeply important duty to fulfil,

and unless they evince more judgment-more reopect

for the voice of public opillion-the glory of thleir idol

will have departed for ever.

MADAMIE LAFARGE. The lat,t nuinber of the " Edinburgh Review" coni

taiiis a curious and highly interesting article on the

trial of Mladame Lafarge. The writer of the article

poinits out in strong language the points of difference

which exist betweenl the mode of procedure in English and Frenclh criminal tribunals, and, after a careful

examination of the evidence, concludes that no impar tial jury, properly instructed, would have fouid the

unfortunate woman guilty of the crime laid to her

clharge. We mentioll this, cursorily, because tlhe opinions of the Edinlburgh reviewver are in the main

corroborative of those delivered on the samne subject,

many months back, by Dr. Martini Lynch, in one of

the early numbers of this Journal.

R E V I E W S.

The Nervous System and its Functions. By HERBERT MIAYo, F.R.S. London: Parker, 1842. pp. 182.

This work was originally written by Air. AMayo for

a second edition of Ilis engravings of the brain, wlhiclh

he thought would be best illustrated by a sumimary

account of the functions of the nervous system. That

puiblication having been set aside for the present, the

plan was abandoned, but in the mean while the form

in which the survey had becii cast appearing to the

author to display hvlat had been beforo discovered

with new distinctness and force, he re-examined the

maniuscript, re-wrote portioins thereof, and the result is

the work before ius.

The subjects treated of are, the relationl of vitality

to mind, the laws of the nelrvous system relating

to seilsation anid voluntary motion, the functions of

the cerebral organs, the influence of the nerves on the

bodily functions, and finially the power of perception. The plain adopted is to lay down a law or piecept,

and then illustrate it by an example drawni from

humani or comnparative physiology. This arrangement

is carried into effect throughout the work, an1d is one1

calculated to simiiplify study, anld assist the reader in,

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