The report of the ordinary and resident medical officers and the annual report of the Inspector and Director, of the Public Hospital, for 1864, with the reply of the ordinary medical officers thereto : the letter of Alexander Fiddes ... and his correspondence with the governor, and the executive committee on the subject of his resignation and retirement from the Hospital : the letter of L.Q. Bowerbank ... in reply to Dr. Fiddes, and Dr. Fiddes' reply to same : also, the evidence adduced at the coroner's inquest, held on Richard Bailey, lately an inmate of the Public Hospital.

  • Kingston Public Hospital (Jamaica)
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The report of the ordinary and resident medical officers and the annual report of the Inspector and Director, of the Public Hospital, for 1864, with the reply of the ordinary medical officers thereto : the letter of Alexander Fiddes ... and his correspondence with the governor, and the executive committee on the subject of his resignation and retirement from the Hospital : the letter of L.Q. Bowerbank ... in reply to Dr. Fiddes, and Dr. Fiddes' reply to same : also, the evidence adduced at the coroner's inquest, held on Richard Bailey, lately an inmate of the Public Hospital. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    27/78
    Kingston, January 24th, lSt!5. Sir,—I have just this moment perused in your paper of to-day’s date, a jr headed “ Public Hospital Correspondence,” and signed “ Alexander des.” Hitherto I had always entertained a high respect for that gentleman, ough we had widely differed on hospital matters. I shall not, Sir, enter into any controversy with Dr. Pickles, but, after l bug what he has written, I can only express my surprise at his conduct— is want of candour and manliness in never having expressed his sentiments me personally—nay, I may safely say, in having remained silent when : ted to state his reasons for resigning his appointment; but I feel it to be a ' I owe to myself, the Governor, the Executive Committee, and the die, thus to declare that Dr. Fiddes’ letter, from beginning to end, as rrds myself, my actions and motives, is full of statements which are false. Dr. Fiddes ought to know that they are so. .1 have, at the request of the Government, and very much against my interest and inclination, accepted office at the Public Hospital. While T this, I will do my duty fearlessly and conscientiously*, and without sub- : ige, and whatever the result may be at the end of the year, I care not; my ions as to the condition and management of the Public Hospital are well nwn. : In conclusion, to show the animus of the whole affair, I would draw ration to the fact, that this attack upon my private and professional .acter—made by a professional brother and pretended friend—appears in p public prints the very day the Mail is made up for England. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, LOUIS Q. BOWERBANK. To the Editor of the Colonial Standard. Kingston, January 25th, 1865. *3ir—I perceive in your Journal of to-day a letter from Dr. Bowerbank. in ! h he has made some comments upon a letter of mine which armeared e 3 Colonial Standard of yesterday. 11 [[ observe that the Doctor, whilst refusing to enter into any contro- with me, expresses his surprise at my conduct—at my want of Dur and manliness in never having expressed my sentiments to him per- * lyi and in having remained silent when invited to state my reasons for ming my hospital, appointment ; ” and he declares that my letter . rn begining to end, is full of statements tnat are false, and that I ought to ■r that they are so. ” jto .t^ese remarkable assertions, I have to say, firstly, that Dr. irbanx s decision not to have any controversy with me, is a matter beyond l liiuence and control ; but I would inform him, nevertheless, that should /er have occasion to alter his determination in regard to this decision, . .11 probably find me willing and ready to meet him in the controversial v “ -A-3 my alleged want of candour and manliness in never having ;ssed iny sentiments to Dr. Bowerbank personally, and in having ined silent when invited to state my reasons for resigning my hospital ir.ntment, anybody who has taken, or who may take, the trouble to read 1 my letter, will see that 1 have been by no means backward in giving iance to my sentiments, and they will also perceive from the correspon- ; contained in the said letter, that I officially conveyed to government in lage as plain and intelligible as I could find, my principal reasons for tng to remain longer as one of the Medical Officers of the Public Hospital. 1 r' Bowerbank’s assertion, that “my letter from beginning to end, is full