JOURNAL 123 



It ought to have the proper number of hands, and 

 the keepers and assistants should not be ovcrpciid, nor 

 yet too scantily supplied, otherwise they become 

 negligent. 



Wednexdai/, 2'U/i Seploiilicr 1S3C>. 



In the morning made inquiries respecting coaches to 

 Edinburgh, and in Gracechurch Street bouglit four 

 ounces of entomological pins for JNIr. INIaclagan, price 

 8s. 9d. Crossed the Thames by London Bridge, and 

 introduced myself at the Museum of St. Thomas's 

 Hospital. 



Presently after a gentleman came up to me. and 

 very politely offered to show me anything remarkable. 

 He accompanied me through the whole collection, and 

 afterwards showed me the room containing the library 

 and preparations illustrative of materia medica. 



Mr. Edward W. Nordblad, Curator, St. Thomas's 

 Hospital. 



The preparations illustrative of comparative ana- 

 tomy are in general poor ; many of them are decayed, 

 and the collection is decidedly contemptible. In the 

 other departments the preparations are in general good, 

 but the objects are ill-arranged, frequently crowded ; in 

 other cases the reverse. The casts, bones, etc., are 

 very dirty, and everything bears the appearance of an 

 old institution as much in need of a radical reform as a 

 Scotch burgh. It seems astonishing that the principle 

 of emulation should not operate here, the Museum of 



