60 
MISCELLANEA. 
tomy ; and so on. As for materia medica, midwifery, and medical 
jurisprudence, any one can deal with these subjects. To require a 
surgical education as qualification for a teacher in these depart- 
ments is cruel and oppressive. Besides, the students themselves 
do not object to a man because of his defective education; they 
neither know nor care any thing about the matter. After all, it 
appears strange enough that this mistaken leaning towards an in- 
ferior qualification in lecturers should be acquiesced in, if not en- 
couraged, by lecturers themselves. Surely it is their interest to 
uphold the character of their order, yet they are the first to lower 
it by indiscriminate admission to its ranks of incompetent and un- 
qualified persons. Why is this? We know not, unless it be for 
some temporary accommodation. The lecturer in some “ establish- 
ments” is, we say it not disrespectfully, like the Irishman’s pig, he 
pays the “ rint in other words, he buys a share in the concern, 
and shares must be sold as vacancies take place. The “ school,” 
too, must be perfect ; no student is to be suffered to stray into other 
places, lest he should discover that other places are to be preferred. 
Far better not have him taught at all than taught by a rival in trade. 
This is a vile principle, notwithstanding its extensive application. 
How many are there far away who read this, and must now feel 
how unfairly they were treated, when students, in consequence of 
its prevalence. We cannot, however, now dwell on the subject, 
although so important in connexion with dissussions respecting 
medical education. Some will say such things should not be pub- 
licly canvassed; but we are of a different opinion. Neither exe- 
cutive nor legislature do any thing but mischief when they meddle 
in medical matters ; our hopes of improvement must, therefore, 
depend upon a free exposure of the true state of things, however 
disagreeable or even injurious in other respects their exposure 
may be . — Dublin Med. Press. 
A Bull Tried, Convicted, and Sentenced. 
In 1314, a bull, having killed a man by tossing him with his 
horns, was brought before the judges in the province of Valois, 
and indicted as a criminal, and, after several witnesses had given 
evidence, it was condemned to be hanged. This sentence was 
confirmed by an order of the parliament, and carried into effect. 
And we are told that an unfortunate pig, which chanced to kill a 
child in Burgundy, was in like manner solemnly tried in court, and 
suffered the same punishment. — Hortensius , or The Advocate. 
