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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    or set of men opposed to all that is gooil and virtuous in a cora- inunity—regardless of all that is religious, moral and truthful. I may observe here, that it was my kinsman, the Rector of Kingston, who drew up the report, to which I dissented. On that oc- casion, did you think it necessary to make use of any insinuations P No, Sir—this rule for the periodical retirement of the Ordinary Medical Officers was disagreeable to you. Your remarks certainly, do not flatter the other members of the Board of Visitors, who by your account must be mere nonentities— mere stocks—I am glad at any rate, you do not include me among this portion. You state, the Governor so played into Dr. Bowerbank's hands as to enable him to obtain the object which he so long desired—^^that of getting the hospital entirely under his own control.' Now this is a gratuitous assertion on your part—as false a.s it is insolent. You next tell the public, I being fully cognizant of all the movements in the game. Really this is amusing—another insinuation— not strictly in accordance with truth. Next comes the truest sentence in your communication, and perceiving that my means of self-defence would be materially di- minished by Dr. Dunn's retirement, I had no alternative but to resign my office. In consequence of the periodical retirement of the Ordinary Medical Officers being carried out by the Governor, in accordance with the Law—but against your wishes and opposition, you got annoyed, and resigned in a huff—like a big sulky schoolboy—re- gardless of the interests of the Institution, or the welfare of the patients. On the 29th De'cember, 1864—you tendered your resignation. Dr. Dunn had then received notice to retire. On the 19th December, Dr. Dunn and yourself had ansAvered the communication of the In- spector and Director, respecting the wasteful diet allowed to a class of patients in the Hospital—this was doubtless in your opinion, great presumption in that officer—but a duty he should long before nave performed—It was annoying to you. On the 5th January, 1865, in a note in reply to one from the Governor in Executive Committee, you give your reasons for resign- ing your appointment, and you there lay the blame of your doing so, on mo. You state, unfortunately the system of Hospital manage- ment under the present Board of Visitors is such, that no Medical man having regard for his professional character can possibly serve as one of the responsible Medical Officers of the Institution. From your own statements, matters were wrong long before ; con- spiracies to crush members of the medical staff existed among the members of the Board in May 1863. Your annual report for 1862- 63, had been unfairly criticised by the Chairman of the Board, and that for 1863-64 had been commented upon, in a manner which surpassed all professional endurance. Why after all this, did you continue in office ? Where, aU this time, was your excessive regard for professional char-acter F Of course if'the Responsi-