THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5TH,1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 94, 5 March 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5TH,1862.

Perhaps tliere is no evil whicli persons living in distant colonies suffer under more severely than the non-participation in the various advantages arising from the fresh discoveries constantly made in the arts and sciences. The first thing a person notices who goes home, after an absence of some years, is the number of new discoveries ancl appliances in common use, the fame of which even, had scarcely met his ear in his distant colonial home. Many of them may not possess much intrinsic importance, but their general effect is to shed the light,of a graceful novelty over the otherwise somewhat unrelieved monotony of daily existence. But there is a class of discovery, or rather, we should say, a course of progressive attainment to knowledge, that is of infinite importance to the human race. For instance, the master minds of the medical profession, who constantly pursue their investigations and studies, are ever either stumbling on new lights of science, or acquiring information that enables them to invest with brilliancy the dim lights of past conjectures. But. your distant colonial practitioner has neither the means nor the time to grope out for himself fresh pathways in the dark ranks of science, and there seldom conies to him a sound from the ifar off world where scientific researches possess numberless votaries. He is for ever drawing on the past, and receiving but little from the present. It is not our purpose now to discuss whether some effectual means should not betaken to send forth to. the furthest corner of the world any new development or progress in medical science. It would not, perhaps, he Unreasonable to ask thatthe Aimer Mater at whose fount the followers of the iEsculapian profession drew their inspiration, should still keep the maternal eye upon the children she has fostered. If the whole of the colleges could not unite, each separate college might keep its own members, no matter bow distantly they were located, informed of tbe new facts and discoveries that dawned upon the medical world. These reflections forced themselves upon us as we read in a Sydney paper some letters extracted from the principal medical journal, |the Lancet^ by wbich it appears that a new and startling line of research is opened to the followers of surgery. It i 3 discovered that the vis vita; is not in many cases destroyed by separation of one part ofthe living body from another, but tbat vitality may remain for a considerable time in the part detached. As yet tbe discovery is but the result of the observation of experimental, one may almost say accidental, surgery. A surgeon has united a piece of a finger entirely

separated to the part from which it was elo tfiched, an! found that the adhesi.m was perfect. Two or three [instances of the kind were noted, as a'r.o the uniting to the nose a portion entirely sepprated from if, and the deduction then is drawn of the prolonged vitality ofthe separate parts. Another case is told of a tooth having been reinstated into the gum several hours after it was forcibly extracted, and o' its becoming as firnilj' fixed as ever. Who is to tell what vast results may spring from these dim rays first cast on the new branch of the medical art—" Concervative" or "Adjunstive" surgery. Perhaps, from them, in more ways than one, may arise the permanent prolongation of life. It is well-known that one ofthe many causes of decay, is the impaired power of mastication which attend*, in old age. the loss of the teeth. Those old persons who preserve their teeth generally enjoy health and life to a very advanced age. But we seem here to have the outline shadowed of a" plan by which the teeth may be perpetually renewed. If the same tooth can be firm!}' reinserted in tlie socket, why could not a sou nd tooth be fixed in the place from which a decayed one was drawn? It is hardly possible to conceive the extent to which the average of ' human life would be increased by a method . which would constantly preserve in their in- , tegrity the teeth which nature has supplied. But the inquiry opens on yet broader realms ' of the shadowy Speculative. If the skin, flesh, and bone of the detached parts will reunite after many hours separation, who is to say to what extent the renewal of various members of the body might be carried. Might not even amputation be performed, and the diseased part be cut out ■ and the limb re-united. Speculations such as these, partake alike ofthe impious and the ridiculous. One is insensibly reminded of the story ofthe man, who, having cut off part of his nose, rejoined it, but by accident placed the detached portion upside down, and had I henceforth to take snuff with a spoon! On i the other hand the mere conjecture of a power that will give to man so great a control over life and death as a renewal of portions of the human frame, partakes of the impious. To do and to imagine are widely different. Science only acts up to its high mission when it fights its way step by step along the dark path way of the Unknown. Frankenstein was not impious in the formation of his monster, his impiety consisted in his imagining he could usurp the powers of creation, ancl setting himself to the task. He whe would devote himself fo the discovery ofthe principle of life would lay himself open to the same charge, but if he simply fought his way to the discovery of the means of indefinitely prolonging life, he would be nobly serving the purposes of science without trenching on secrets that we are bound to suppose belong to a Higher Power. It would almost have been impiety in the imagination of the enthusiast to dream of its being within the reach of human agency to completely subjugate pain, but who shall say that science has not heen nobly served by the discovery of chloroform ? In the same way to imagine the power of constantly renewing the human frame, would bear the impress of impiety, but science would only be preserving its highest attributes in following to the furthest limits the faint truth opened to the explorer, by the simple fact that vitality may continue for a lengthened while in detached parts of the human body. .AYe subjoin the extracts from the Lancet, tn which we have made reference :—■ A woman came to the AA rcstminister Hospital in May last, about 5 o'clock p.m., and stated that she had had her nose? bitten off by another woman about an hour previously. Rhe brought the piece with her ; it was quite black, and covered with dirt. However, Mr Slayter washed it in warm water, ancl carefully sewed it on again with silver wire. In a fortnight it was perfectly attached, and had been adjusted with such accuracy that one could scarcely tell she had ever lost her nose. A man entered tbe hospital in March last, and stated that he had bad three of his teeth knocked out in a fight. On examining his mouth, it was found that he had bad lost his three upper incisors, which he brought with him. Mr Slayter tied them in with silver wire, and in ten clays two were quite tight; the other wonld not stop in. In April last, a man came to the hospital, and showed Mr Slayter a piece of his scalp, about the size of a five shilling piece, wbich he stated had been knocked off by a qnart pot in a fight. It was sewn on. and in less than a fortnight it was perfectly united. In the same journal for August 21th, ISCI, we find the following interesting letter, addressed to tha editor of tbe Lancet: — Sin, —The length of time that parts separated from the body retain their vitality, ancl consequently their '.•apability of re-uniting with those from wliich they have been separated, is, I believe, not correctly appreciated either by the profession or the public ; but that it is much longer than is generally supposed the followihg case will show. In the summer of 18-i(i (I was then Jiving in Leices-ter-place) a servant drove up to my door in a street cabriolet—she had como from AVelh'ngton-street, Strand, —and requested me to return with her to see r .her master, a gentleman of more than seventy years of Mage, who had fallen down ancl seriously injured himself. Anticipating some occasion for strapping, lint, ! kc, I stayed long enough to provide myself with : them, and thtu returned with her as quickly as tho , crowded state of the tharoughfai'es would permit. On arriving at the house I was hurried up to the \ drawing-room, where I was met by my patient, who, holding a handkerchief to his face, said, " Doctor, I have cut my nosp off." I was at the moment rather incredulous, but his daughter soon removed all doubt as to the nature and extent of the injury by showing me the separatee! portion, which she had picked up from the floor. It was black, cold, ancl covered with grit aud dirt. On examining the wound, I found that the whole ofthe fleshy end of the nose, together with the aire and septum, wore clean cut away, and the white end of the cartilage exposed. The upper lip was divided transversely throughout the whole extent, and hung down over the mouth. It appeared that this gentleman, on going down stairs, had stumbled near tho upper step, anel, trying to recover himself", had fallen forwards against a wooden flap placed at the drawing-room door, the sharp edge of which had come in contact with his nose, first compressing it and then separating it from the face. For a moment I hesitated what to do, but thinking the separated part would be as good a dressing as any other to the exposed surface, and that the patient's hope, - though I had none, of its reunion, woidd give time for him to reconcile himself to its ultimate loss, I determined ou re-adjusting it. This was easily enough done. The grit was rubbed from it, and being carefully replaced, it was retained iv situ by adhesive straps. The edges of the wound of the lip were brought together, and kept so by similar means. On calling the next day, I observed that the end of ' the nose, which I hat purposely left exposed, had lost ' the deep black colour that it had when replaced, ancl : bore evident signs of circulation going on in it. There [' was no discharge from the wound. On the next day . appearances were the same; and ou the third, the dressings were removed, when I was as much astonished as gratified to find that union had taken place : throughout the whole extent, and the scar that was left was scarcely perceptible. The lip had also : united. Now the time that had elapsed between the separation and the readjustment of the divided parts could not have been less than three-quarters of an hour—an important fact,tho knowledge of which cannot be, iv my opinion, too widely disseminated; and when I reflect on the numerous cases of mutilation, the result often of drunken violence, that appear at our police courts, in which no effort is made at restoration, I take some blame to myself for not having published the case before. The late Dr. Addison was called in to see some member of this family, and I showed the case to him.' He examined the course ofthe cientrix very carefully, and observed, " You ought to publish the case." I am, Sir, pour obedient serbant, J. Nichols, M.R.C.P., Lond. Saville-row, August, ISGI. On September 7th, the following letters on the same subject are given : — Sir, —The case of conservative surgery detailed by Dr. Nichols in your journal ofthe 21th ultimo, is, in my estimation, very important, and merits a niche in | the memory of every surgical reader. It clearly shows i that the vis vita: is not, in many cases, destroyed by

separation of one part of the living body from another. T'vo instants of this nature which have occurred in my own practice have baau. brought vividly to my recollection. A boy, about twelve years of age, came ranninp into my surgery, stating that iv chopping wood lie had cut oif the top of one of his fingers, at the same time presenting me witli tlie detached part, having a portion of tin bone in it. I immediately replaced the part, aad secured it by means of strips of plaster. T" uiy great surprise, perfect adhesion took place, and in a very short time he was enabled to use it as though nothing had happened. In another instance, a gentleman's valet, suffering from very severe facial pain, requested me to remove oue of his under molars, and though I assured him the tooth was free from disease, it was extracted early in the morning. He put. it in Ms waistcoat pocket, kept it there all day. and in the evening came aaiin, requesting me to replace the tooth. With some little trouble I did so, and in about ten days it was as perfectly united by gomphosis as though it had never been removed. I am, Sir, yours truly, John Jones, M.R.C.S., Eng. Ilfracombe, September, 18(51.

Princes Street presented a most animated appearance yesterday afternoon in consequence of the large number of new arrivals by the " Seaman's Bride" and the " Hydra," both of which vessels landed their large complements passengers within a few hours of each other. A German band, which arrived by the latter vessel, and performed in various parts of the] town during the evening, also served to enliven the*scene. The Seaman's Bride, the arrival of which has been so long expected, landed her passengers yesterday. It. appears she was not so long" on the way as was supposed, as she didnot leave for several days after she was cleared, She sailed on Sunday fortnight, and '-.'anchored at the Heads on Sunday evening. She waited there some time, the Captain hesitating to pay the £50 demanded for tugging her up, hut which he had at last to do. The Theatrical Company on board consisted ot eight persons, including two lady members of the Company, and the orchestra of two musicians. A German band was also on board, and we are told, performed with great skill every day during the passage. The first quarterly meeting of the Young Men's Christian -Association is to' be held this evening at 8 o'clock. We understand that the Committee will recommend the appointment of an assistant Secretary, as the gentleman who holds the office of Secretary is often obliged to be absent from town, and the Committee do not wish to lose his valuable services altogether. They therefore propose to have an assistant. Several alterations in the rules will also be proposed, the most prominent of which are the following :—That the nomination of new members be made to the Committee, who, on being satisfied of their moral and religious character, shall have power to admit them, and that a certain number of the best essays delivered during each year be published for the benefit of the Society. The work of driving the piles at the new jetty in Stewart Street has been commenced, and the new Rat tray Street jetty has also been commenced. The drivers of the Molyneux coach and of Cobb's coach were each fined £2 and costs yesterday morning at the Police Court for furious driving. The long expected Princess' Company were safely landed-yesterday afternoon, but owing to the lateness of the hour it was found impossible to open the theatre last night. It will, however, be opened this evening with the Scotch drama of " Cramond Brig," some dances, and the farce of " That Rascal Jack." A sale of rather a novel character is announced to take place this day. The separate leases of the shops in the Arcade are to be submitted to auction by Messrs. It. B. Martin and Co. We are pleased to notice that the Early Closing Movement has extended to Dunedin, and that the agitation for short hours in shops has been succesful. In ouradvertisingcolutnnsto-daymay be found a notice signed by fourteen firms, to the effect that they have agreed to close their shops at 7 o'clock, every evening, commencing on Monday next. This is a movement well worthy the support of the public, and it must of course depend upon the public entirely whether it is to be a com. plete success or not. Storekeepers, however anxious they may be to consult the comfort, the health, and the h -->piness of those in their employ, arc yet obliged to consider their own interests; and if they find that they arc, by closing early, losing the profits of trade which finds its way to the shops of the few -who refuse to join with them in closing at an early hour, they will be obliged in self defence to give tip the attempt and to keep open as late as their neighbours. It rests, there, fore, with the public to say whether by getting their shopping done early, they will assist the endeavours of those who are trying to give thei r young men a chance of a little fresh air, or who. thcr, by putting oft' their purchases to the last moment, they will make it the interest of shopkeepers to keep their establishments open as late as possible. Tlie experiment of early closing has been tried in England and in most of the colonies with the best results. In Melbourne it has long been the rule, and even in the digging towns it prevails, and we see no reason why it should not be equally successful in Dunedin. To-day being Ash Wednesday, will be observed as a holiday at the public offices. Divine service will be held at the Episcopal church, at 11, a.m. A public meeting was held in the Catholic, Church, (Gabriel's) on the evening of the 2nd! inst,, for the purpose of taking immediate steps! towards the getting up of a national dinner on St. Patrick's day, (March 17th). Mr. Cleary occupied the chair. After the matter had been fully ] discussed by Mr. Maloney, Mr. Bowes, Mr. > Hurley, and several other speakers, it was re- ; solved that v. committee of twenty should be at ] once appointed, also six stewards and a prin- •' cipal manager and treasurer. The Committee J having been duly proposed and seconded, the , stewards were then nominated. It was then t proposed by Mr. Bowes and seconded by Mr. John Cleary, that Mr. Walsh be appointed principal manager and treasurer. An amendment proposed by Mr. Ilurly and seconded by Mr. Cosgrove, that Mr. Maloney be appointed manager and treasurer was carried. After some preliminary < matters had been settled the meeting separated ' in a most orderly manner. ' We have to direct the attention of our reader: to a letter on the subject of the Maori Society, 'J which will be found in another portion of our pre- j sent issue. In all probability the majority of th c inhabitants of Dunedin are not aware that such a Society ever existed. It may not therefore be out of place to narrate its history in a few words About two or three years ago, a great outcry was raised about the deplorable social and moral con- P . dition of the natives in this Province. Public y meetings were held, and, as usual in such cases, an immense amount of speechifying took place, and a tl great deal of virtuous indignation was displnyed.The P result of all this was, that a Society termed the v " Society for elevating and ameliorating the con- m dition of the Maories," with a President, VicePresident, Treasurer, Secretary, Ladies' Committee, Ordinary Committee, and Extraordinary

Gominittco was formid. The Members of the Ladies' Committee, botli in town and country, certainly exerted themselves to the utmost in collecting funds, and chiefly through their exertions a ■ sum of money was collected. A house ■vas first put up at the Heads to serve as a schoolhouse and residence for tho Teachers, in which capacity the services of Mr. and Mrs. Baker, from Auckland, were obtained. Tho natives displayed a considerable degree of alacrity in availing them- i selves ofthe privilege thus ali'ordjd them, as well ' as in doing all in tlieir power to assist the teach- , ers. They also presented several head of cattle ] to the Society, aud for a considerable tims Mr. and Airs. Baker labored amongst them, respected and loved hy their pupils anel the natives as a body, and admitted by all to be admirably adapted . for the difficult position which they held, at a miserable pittance for a salary. The Society appeared content with having set the work on foot ; and, like the Atkcnanim and many other Committees, they lapsed into a state of somnolency, expecting apparently, to wake up at some future day and find all things running on as smoothly as when they went to sleep. Unfortunately, this was not the case, ancl a short time ago a native appointment of .£.500 per annum, in Auckland, was offered by the General Government to Mr. Baker, who is the son of a well-known missionary in the NorthHe at once communicated this offer to the Secre--1 tary ofthe Society, and at the same time stated that he would refuse it, and retain the situation :he then occupied if the Society would increase his salary to £-200 per annum. No meeting of the Society.or of the Committee Ordinary or Extraordinary, was called to consider this proposal ; and, as far as we are aware, no answer was returned to it. Mr. Baker consequently accepted the Government appointment, and has left this Province. The house is therefore unoccupied, the: land lying waste, the cattle running wild, and tbe natives without an instructor, while the Society is quietly finishing its nap. AVhen Mr. Mantel, the then Native Secretary, was in this Province a few months ago, he gave several ' ofthe members ofthe Society to understand that ' the General Government would not be unwilling Ito assist the Society, but no meeting was called to confer with Mr. Mantel, and no notice was 1 taken of his presence in the place. It will no donbt be difficult to replace Mr. Baker, and it is '' much to be .regretted that he was permitted to 1 leave ; but still the Society is in duty bound to ; make some effort to repair its error. AYe believe that funds for this purpose would not be wanting 1 if the Society were to exert themselves, and show that they were alive to the duties and importance ofthe task they have undertaken, —that of endeavoring to elevate in the social scale, and awake to a sense of morality and religion the remnant of the race who were once owners of the land which we now inhabit. A noble field for enterprise is here open to the philanthropist, for, if something is not speedily done, the Maori race will sink socially, morally, and numerically, until tbey at length become extinct in Otago. A serious res- ' ponsibility will then rest upon those who have calmly watched their decliie without an effort to help and rescue them ; and more especially will this responsibility rest upon those who, having put their hand to the plough, looked back.