174 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



ment should be eonducted by au independent body, aud 

 not by Professor Halford ; and this as Dr. M'Crea says, 

 without any disrespect being implied towards that 

 gentleman ******* As to the funds with 

 which the Medical Society propose to supply themselves 

 we certainly think they might be contributed by the 

 State. The Assembly voted £500 this year to Professor 

 Halford to enable him to continue his researches, and if 

 that item is allowed to lapse, it can be re-voted to the 

 more National committee.'' 



And subsequently: — 



" ' Trifling with human life ' is the dictum of Dr. 

 M'Crea on the ammonia treatment in snake-bite. The 

 conclusion is one that we stated to the profession five 

 years ago, and it is satisfactory at last to find that truth 

 is prevailing. The members of the medical profession 

 in Victoria are so deeply committed to the ammonia 

 treatment that it is not to be expected that all of them 

 could go round at once, but the public will notice that 

 the men who have tried the experiments for them- 

 selves are one by one changing sides. Dr. Girdlestone 

 has arrived at the truth, so has Dr. M'Crea. Dr. 

 Webb's name has to be mentioned, and so has that of 

 Dr. Blair. It may seem dogmatic to speak of the 

 anti-ammonia cause as the truth, but on the other 

 hand it is ridiculous t6 suppose that all human ex- 

 perience is to be set aside in favour of Professor Hal- 

 ford, and we challenge that gentleman now, as before, 

 to shew one set of experiments, apart from hia own, in 

 which the verdict has njt been that amu.ouia hastens 



