If, fatigued with this machinery, we walk to the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society—a chartered body for the especial cultivation of science—we meet, as its name would imply, a number of our honoured brothers, the physicians; but here we find that, whether we observe Presidents or any other Officers, the influence exerted by the apprentice system continues; and that, in _almost_ everything surgical, the _best possible_ individual is an apprentice who has attained his first position without any public competition. Can any one be surprised that the published transactions of this society are not of a higher character. We hope and believe that the point of the wedge is already inserted, which will, at no distant period, rend asunder this system, which we shall not trust ourselves by attempting to characterize farther. But there are points in connection with the interests of science and of Abernethy which require yet to be noticed. We need scarcely observe that it would be very desirable that the interests of science should be entrusted to those who had shown most assiduity or talent in the cultivation of them; that if operative surgery be really, as a whole, a series of facts exemplifying the defects of a science—that whilst every pains should be taken that what is necessary should be done thoroughly well—all factitious inducement to multiply their number should be avoided, and especially any which tended to increase emolument commensurately with their multiplication. That as operations (with some few exceptions) merely minister to effects, their real bearings on disease can only be estimated by knowing the _ultimate result_; and that, in order to this effect, returns of all operations should be kept, with full accounts of the cases; the addresses of the patients should also be taken, and such means as were obvious and practicable employed to obtain the _ultimate result_ of the case. Another point which should be attended to in hospitals, is an accurate notation and return of all cases whatever; so that we might obtain from statistical records whatever light they might be capable of affording in aid of the prosecution of a definite science. In this return, a full history, and _all_ the phenomena of the case, which are known to have an influence on the Body, should be accurately noted, and in tabular forms convenient for reference.