THE APPRENTICESHIP CLAUSE CONSIDERED. 
619 
successful treatment of the case depended upon the specific effect 
of tobacco as a sedative, and that it, or some of its class, as helle- 
bore, antimony, &c., are far preferable as sedatives to opium in all 
diseases accompanied by increased vascular action, inasmuch as 
they do not increase such action at all, but, contrariwise, decrease it. 
I remember being called in to a case of delirium tremens in the 
human subject. The patient had taken immense doses of morphine 
without any beneficial result. I immediately administered one-grain 
doses of ant. pot. tart, every three hours. No sooner had the anti- 
mony produced its nauseating effect, than the cessation of the 
nervous irritability, calm sleep, and consequently recovery, was the 
result. Is not delirium tremens akin to tetanus 1 Antimony I 
believe possesses no nauseating effect upon the horse : hellebore and 
tobacco do so to a remarkable degree. But I must leave the sub- 
ject to future observers. I should be glad to see some further 
remarks upon the subject, as I always consider that a determinate 
and clear idea of the modus operandi of remedies is highly neces- 
sary to a successful practice of medicine. What I aver as a fact, 
and what I infer from the case alluded to, is, that hellebore, to- 
bacco, &c., do, at once and primarily, what opium does only 
ultimately, and not so effectually ; that hellebore is a depressant 
sedative, and that opium is a stimulant sedative ; and that, conse- 
quently, hellebore is preferable to opium where it is desirable to 
reduce or quiet vascular action. 
THE APPRENTICESHIP CLAUSE CONSIDERED. 
To the Editors of “ The Veterinarian .” 
By H. W. Hooper, M.R.C . V.S., Birmingham. 
It is with regret that I learn, from perusing your much esteemed 
Journal, that attempts are still being made to overthrow the Char- 
ter so recently obtained from Her Majesty’s government, and so 
highly approved of by the main body of the profession, especially 
the chief clause contained therein ; indeed, a more important one 
than it I consider could not exist. Those who may peruse these 
lines thus far no doubt are aware that I allude to the apprentice- 
ship clause in the by-laws, which I believe is worded in some 
such style as the following : — “ After the 1st January, 1845, no 
person shall be permitted to present himself before the Board of 
Examiners who has not served a term of three years to some gra- 
