On the work of the Medical Society of London in the advancement of therapeutics and the science of medicine : the annual oration delivered before the Medical Society of London on May 1st, 1871 / by Wm. Cholmeley.

  • Cholmeley, William, 1823-1896.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the work of the Medical Society of London in the advancement of therapeutics and the science of medicine : the annual oration delivered before the Medical Society of London on May 1st, 1871 / by Wm. Cholmeley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    This letter, with fifty-eight answers to it, “ published with- out alteration or comment/' may he read in vol. vi. of the Society's Memoirs. It is interesting to be told that “ their lordships, the Postmasters-General, in answer to an appli- cation made to them, considering it as a matter interesting to the community, and in the hope of the information ob- tained proving eventually of benefit to the human race, have with the utmost liberality consented that the corre- spondence upon the specified objects of these queries shall be carried on free of expense, provided that the replies to them be sent, addressed to the Medical Society of London, in letters not sealed, under cover to Francis Freeling, Esq., London. In those days of heavy postage, this was no slight boon, and it may be looked on as a testimonial to the status and repute of the Society. In 1807 I find an instance of the evil of what nowadays we call “ baby-farming. During a conversation on the various mischiefs arising from intemperance, “ Dr. Sims mentioned that a woman in the country had been- in the habit of taking in children to nurse, who generally in about a month died. On inquiry being instituted, it was discovered that she gave them a teaspoonful of brandy whenever they cried. One evening in May, in the same year (1807), the Society amused itself with dis- cussing what seems a very curious habit, if it was a habit of the day : “ Dr. Sims called the attention of the Society to some observations in the Times newspaper on the im- propriety of putting brandy into the shoes when wet; and the evening was devoted to a discussion on the subject. The President and some of the Fellows thought that much advantage might arise from the stimulant property of the spirit. Dr. Clutterbuck opined that cold would be pro- duced by the evaporation, and the water that was left would keep up the cold. Dr. Pinckard suggested that the greater “ degree of cold which the spirit caused would excite greater reaction ; and hence the benefit. Mr. Lewis said that the spirit applied to the skin rendered it a non-con-