The letters of Mr. Alexander Fiddes, F.R.C.S., Edin. considered and refuted, his misrepresentations exposed, his calumnies and innuendoes set in the light of truth, his various statements in the press and otherwise weighed in the balance and found wanting / by Lewis Quier Bowerbank ; together with documentary letters and papers, tending to expose a professional conspiracy, and to afford the public in the colonies, and in Great Britain, correct judgment as to the controversy now existing on hospital matters.

  • Bowerbank, Lewis Q.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The letters of Mr. Alexander Fiddes, F.R.C.S., Edin. considered and refuted, his misrepresentations exposed, his calumnies and innuendoes set in the light of truth, his various statements in the press and otherwise weighed in the balance and found wanting / by Lewis Quier Bowerbank ; together with documentary letters and papers, tending to expose a professional conspiracy, and to afford the public in the colonies, and in Great Britain, correct judgment as to the controversy now existing on hospital matters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    «' That part of tlie City is more unhealthy than any other part/' Can you assign a reason for tliis ? It is not exposed to the sea breeze ; it is exposed to the north- Avesterly breeze, which is a malarial breeze, and there would be a dilliculty in establishing a drainage.'* Is the locality unhealthy from natural causes irrespective of the presence of the Hospital there ] -'I believe so ; but both may com- bine to render it so. *' Are you aware of any swamps being in the locality ? Yes; there is a rank vegetation iiorth and west, and when it rains a great deal of water falls on the surface; at times the land wind passes over it. Are you aware of any swamps or saline exhalations passing over the Hospital ? In failure of the sea-breeze, and when the variable land-wind prevails, it might i)rcjudicially operate on the locality in which the building is situated. Is there any disease which is more prevalent in that quarter than any other part of Kingston ? There is a great deal of malaria and bowel diseases in that locality, during the rainy seasons, in Mav and October. Have you observed if these diseases are more prevalent in the neighbourhood of the Hospital ? I have not obc-ervcd that ; it is so generally in that part of the city. Is convalescence from disease more delayed in that locality thau in other quarters ? No. ******** Have you beenan officer in the Public Hospital ? Yes.'' ******** During that time was there any epidemic disease in the institu- tion ? Bowel complaint. Did you find it increase when the cesspools were being cleaned ? I did not trace it to any direct cause. ******** Have you ever filled the ofliice of Houss Surgeon in any of the English or Scottish Hospitals ? No. ******** Do you think the mortality in the Hospital greater, cceteris jmri- hus, than in the town ? I do not think so. The mortality in the Institution is high, but it should not in my opinion, be considered that tins is the consequence of the want of Surgical skill. The local- ity of the Hospital, with the swamps and malaria, must lead to a high mortality. Strange to say. Dr. Andrew Dunn, who was present, and heard Mr. Fiddes's evidence, fully concurred with it. I will here only observe that the swamps and malaria have been in no way diminished—the sea or day, and the land or night breezes still alternate as heretofore. On November 9, 18G3, the following is the evidence of Mr. Fiddcs as taken before the Committee of the House of Assembly. At this time Dr. Scott had been dismissed, and Mr. Alex. Fiddes was one of the ordinary Medical attendants of the Public Hospital, and as such, had modified his opinions on several subjects : he now strenu- ously opposed any increase of the Medical Staff, and urged upon