156 MEETING OF THE PROVINCIAL, &C. 



of the critic described. The British quarterly medical journals had 

 long stood pre-eminent over those of other countries. The Medico- 

 Chirurgical Review, of Dr. Johnson, required only to keep in good 

 humour, and to avoid mixing extraneous matter in its pages, to 

 maintain its ascendency. The accession of the British and Foreign 

 Medical Review was a great advantage, and it could not fail to be 

 honourable to this society to rank the editors of that review, Drs. 

 Forbes and Conolly, amongst its members. The establishing of 

 weekly journals in England was an epoch in medical literature. 

 Like any other newspapers, they were taken for amusement as much 

 as for instruction, and became a necessary part of the yearly pur- 

 chases of every medical practitioner in the provinces. They placed 

 before the profession many matters of minor interest, which could 

 not appear in the quarterly journals, and had become quite indis- 

 pensable for free and rapid intercourse of ideas between individuals. 

 But from causes which must be sought for in the succession of their 

 rise, so much personality, invective, and even fiction, was mixed up 

 in them, as to characterize them as peculiar, and unlike what was 

 to be met with in any other country. Whatever benefits had arisen 

 irom such publications, it must be allowed, by every considerate 

 mind, that the interested contentions, and low personalities, which 

 disfigure their pages, were a great drawback and counterpoise to 

 their utility. Had they at all improved the ethics of the profes- 

 sion ? Could the slang of a weekly journal in any way advance me- 

 dical science, or fail to pander to bad taste and the coarsest feeling ? 



The value of medical bibliography was next glanced at, and the 

 state of our literature as to biographical works regretted, as being 

 most deficient. The pictorial art and lithographic printing were 

 not forgotten, as to their influence in promoting so useful a science 

 as medicine ; the literature as well as the practice of which, the 

 author expressed a hope, would hereafter receive the regular atten- 

 tion of the Association at each annual meeting. 



At the conclusion of the address, the thanks of the meeting were 

 unanimously passed to Mr. Crosse. 



The report of the committee appointed to consider the proposals 

 of the Eastern Association was next brought forward, and its recom- 

 mendation adopted. The report of the poor law committee was 

 then read, and ordered to be published in a separate form ; and a 

 petition to both houses of Parliament, deprecating the system for 

 providing medical relief for the sick adopted by the commissioners. 



The business of the day having been brought to a conclusion, Dr. 

 Barlow took the chair, and upon the motion of Professor Kidd, 

 seconded by Dr. J. Conolly, a cordial vote of thanks was accorded 

 to Dr. Holme, by acclamation. 



The proceedings terminated about five o'clock, and at six one hun- 

 dred and fifty members, with a few friends as guests, dined toge- 

 ther at the Exchange. 



