A vindication of character, and an examination of the accusations contained in Dr. T. Reyburn's supplement to the "St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal" / by F. Knox.

  • Knox, F. (Franklin)
Date:
[1846]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A vindication of character, and an examination of the accusations contained in Dr. T. Reyburn's supplement to the "St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal" / by F. Knox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    founded, that, under the circumstances, lie is not above acting as has been implied. Now, here is a precious confession! Dr. Reyburn, forsooth, is un- der the impression that I am not above acting so ; and, forthwith, he implies that I did so act! and then immediately he makes the assertion that I did ! ! When he comes to make a clean breast of it,'* and all the rest concerned in making these charges do the same, it will be found that none of them rest on a more solid basis than impres- sions and implications. And, as to ascribing my share of the injustice to having placed myself in an equivocal position —though Dr. Reyburn says I musf — I can do no such thing. No. It is simply because my position is unequivocal, that I am made the recipient of this vile abuse. Drs. Henry and Trudeau were not so situated as to be obliged to say more than to simply deny having used or heard any improper language, or done or seen any improper thing; and there was no special malice or hate to be gratified by pursuing them. It was, too, no doubt, thought advisable to attack as few as possible, inasmuch as it now had to be open work. While it was all thrusting in the dark, and no one knew who was stabbed but those who had the benefit of the secret whisperings, there was no scruple to include us all; but, now, those gentlemen are exonerated, and the whole dose is bestowed on myself and one other—■ in exactly what proportions, I am not able to determine, as the applica- tion is, sometimes, rather equivocal. They even come pretty near the honor (see page 26 of Dr. Reyburn's Supplement) of being claimed as friend*, by the original author of the accusations against them. But even this seems to have been an afterthought, and the pas- sages applying to more than two of us were not all erased. When Dr. Adreon speaks of White and his associates, I would like to know, if he does not mean to reflect upon Drs. Henry or Trudeau, for how many he takes me ? It is in proof that only those gentlemen, Dr. White and myself visited the case. Really, I feel almost compensated for having failed to secure Dr. Reyburn's good opinion, by so high a compliment from one who uses him as his supple tool. But, seriously, this only shows that course to have been an afterthought: and the same appears from the fact, that Dr. Beaumont hurls his charges indiscrimi- nately against a whole bevy of us. He, doubtless, had not been informed of the change in the plan of attack. And why, if they saw cause to withdraw their charges as against a part of those accused, why not, like honest men, withdraw them as to the rest? True, Drs. Henry and