Sixth-Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman in falsely representing that Medical Purveyor Cooper had been relieved from duty at the request of General Halleck.

Seventh-That Surgeon General Hammond unlawfully ordered the medical storekeeper and acting purveyor at Washington to purchase three thousand pairs of blankets from J. Fisher, of Washington.

A plea of "not guilty" was entered upon each of the charges and specifications; and, after a full hearing of the testimony for the government and the defence, and an examination of a large amount of documentary evidence, together with the consideration of the elaborate arguments of both sides, the court rendered a finding of guilty of all the charges, and sentenced the accused "to be dismissed the service, and to be forever disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit or trust under the government of the United States."

Pursuant to the act of Congress, the record and proceedings were renewed by Brigadier General Holt, judge advocate general, who delivered an elaborate opinion, concluding as follows:

"That the natural and necessary results of these acts of the accused, as established by the record, involved a criminal spoliation of the government treasury, which alone would have called for his dismissal from the service, cannot be denied; but when it is remembered, as shown by the proof, that this spoliation was in part accomplished by the purchase of inferior medical supplies and stores, thus compromising the health and comfort, and jeopardizing the lives of the sick and wounded soldiers suffering in the hospitals and upon the battle fields of the country-soldiers solemnly committed to the shelter and sympathies of the office held by the accused by the very law and purpose of its creation-it must be admitted that this fearfully augments the measure of his criminality. The trial, which lasted nearly four months, was one of the most patient and thorough that has ever occurred in our military history, and the accused had throughout the assistance of eminent and able counsel in conducting his defence. The court, which was composed of nine general officers, at the close of this prolonged inves tigation, declared him guilty of the charges preferred, and awarded the punishment which in their judgment was in accordance with

the nature and degree of the offence committed; and a careful examination of the record leaves no room for doubt as to the validity of the proceedings or the justness of the findings and sentence in this case."

The records, proceedings, findings and sentence of the court in the foregoing case are approved, and it is ordered that Brigadier General William A. Hammond, surgeon general of the United States army, be dismissed the service, and be forever disqualified from holding any office of profit or trust under the government of the United States. A. LINCOLN.

EDITORIAL NOTES AND SELECTIONS.

OUR SUBSCRIBERS.

A few are yet in arrears for the present volume.

SPECIMEN NUMBERS.

We send a few specimen numbers of each issue prepaid, after their examination. If those to whom they are sent wish to become subscribers, they have only to enclose the two dollars, and inform us the number at which to start, and it will be sent as ordered.

DRS. NEWTON.

CINCINNATI, September 6, 1880.

DEAR SIRS: It becomes our sad duty to annouuce the decease of our senior, Mr. Wm. S. Merrell, on the morning of the 4th instant, in the eighty-third year of his age.

Although not actively engaged in the management of our firm for a number of years, he was fully alive to all its operations; and his interest in a business to which he had been devoted for more than thirty years, had never abated, although unable to leave his room for nearly two years past.

The business and policy of the house will not be interrupted by his decease; but will be continued, for the present, at least, under the same name and style as heretofore, by the surviving partners. Respectfully yours,

WM. S. MERRELL & Co.

THE NEW MEDICAL LAW.

As we had no hand in making this law, we are not responsible for any defaults or wrongs of the same.

Every student who goes out of this State and graduates in a medical college, is required to have the diploma registered by some medical college in this State, and pay a fee of twenty dollars for the same, at the same time the New York schools may not in all cases indorse these diplomas. This is one of the methods by which all bogus diplomas will be detected. No doubt, as soon as all the "bogus diplomas" are located, which will be soon, as three thousand of them are now published, the usual comity of the respective States will again resume their former relations, and will not require a student to pay twice for graduating. If we had been so unfortunate as to have been deceived, as many good men no doubt were, we would carefully retire these bogus documents and obtain a legitimate one from some college in good standing.

TERRIBLE PUNISHMENTS.

One of the most terrible punishments ever conceived was that formerly used in England on those who, arraigned for felony or treason, refused to plead. As the trial could not proceed until the indicted person had answered the question, "Guilty or not guilty?" the torture of the peine forte et dure was resorted to in order to compel compliance.

This strong and harsh penalty well deserved the name. All the old law books agree that the prisoner was carried back to prison and laid in some low, dark room, almost naked, upon his back. A sharp stone was placed beneath the back, a board on the body, and on this weights were gradually piled. The unfortunate prisoner received each day, alternately, either a small piece of bread of the worst description, or some water from the nearest stagnant pool. Thus he continued till he died, for he could not, after the pressing began, offer to plead. The earliest statute imposing this penalty is that of Westminster the First, in the time of Edward the First. It continued in use till 1772, when it was abolished. In 1692, Giles Corey, an old man of eighty, and husband of a reputed witch, was pressed to death.

Even women were subjected to this punishment. Among the recorded cases is that of Margaret Clitheroe, pressed to death at York, in 1586, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. She was a lady of some position, her stepfather being at the time mayor of the city. She was arraigned for having given shelter to a priest. On being brought to the bar she declined to plead, either to save her children from being brought as witnesses against her, or because she did not wish the jury to be made instrumental in her death. It may be, too, that she underwent the torture as a mode of death more painful, indeed, than hanging, but at the same time attended with less injury to her family, as no confiscation or attainder followed pressing to death.

Judge Clinch sentenced her to this effect: "That in the lowest part of the prison she shall be stripped, laid on her back on the ground, and as much weight laid on her as she could bear, and so continue for three days; and on the third day, should she still refuse to plead, be pressed to death, her hands and feet tied to a post, and a sharp stone under her back."

Here

On the day appointed she was led to the toll-booth. Fawcett, the sheriff, commanded her to undress. She implored upon her knees, as did other women, to be spared the shame, but in vain. The women then disrobed her, and she put on a long linen habit which she had prepared. Being thus ready, she lay quietly down on the ground, her face covered with a handkerchief. Then the door was laid upon her, and she covered her face with her hands, but the sheriff told her she must have her hands bound to two posts, which was done, so that she seemed extended on a cross. As the first weight was laid upon her, she cried: "Oh, Jesus, have mercy on me!" but these were her last words. A sharp stone was then placed upon her back, and seven or eight hundred weight piled upon the door. After an agony of a quarter of an hour she expired.

The officers of the Eclectic Medical College Dispensary, No. 1 Livingston Place, return thanks to the Medical Eclectic for one hundred dollars in Dr. Hayden's medicines for the dispensary, and ten gross of assorted vials and bottles from Miss Mary Soper, of Lodi, N. J. Other donations will be acknowledged hereafter.

ALLEGED NEFARIOUS MEDICAL PRACTICE.

"Professor" R. A. Lamolle was examined in the police court to-day on the charge of having offered, for a consideration, to sell an unlawful "secret." The arresting officers-Bee and Moffitttestified to visiting the room of the accused at No. 331 Kearney street, where, in payment of $5, the accused taught them how to commit a certain unlawful act The defendant denied having done so, and explained his secret to be "the art of raising healthy children and to lead their mental faculties into any desired channel." The defence, in asking for a dismissal, argued that the mere explaining of how to commit a crime was not a felony. It was, said the counsel, "absolutely necessary for the defendant to know that his pupil intended to commit the crime taught. If a conviction could be had in this case, there was not a doctor or surgeon or a member of the faculty of any medical college who could not be convicted of the offence. A portion of the information given was obtained from 'Gray's Anatomy,' and the author of this and like books could be held accountable in case of a conviction in this case." The proof was positive in regard to the "Professor" furnishing the information, but the court being in doubt as to how to decide upon the arguments adduced, reserved decision till Tuesday, and remanded the prisoner, who was unable to give bonds, into custody.-San Francisco Daily Post, Sept. 4, 1880.

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL?

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: During my practice of medicine I have treated many hundred children for various diseases, a great many of which were engendered by compulsory mental exertion, together with hygienic neglect during school hours. Although some children may, at the age of five or six years, be physically strong enough to undergo mental training, yet from a physiological standpoint the brains (cerebrum and cerebellum) of these little ones are not sufficiently developed to endure a protracted and irksome occupation until the ninth or tenth year. I consider the kindergarten system, after Froebel's, the best method in bringing up children to a certain age. They ought not to be