The fatal illness of Frederick the Noble / by Sir Morrell Mackenzie.

Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The fatal illness of Frederick the Noble / by Sir Morrell Mackenzie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    who cannot use the forceps is like a physician who cannot use the stethoscope, or a carpenter who cannot handle a saw. I then expressed my readiness to attempt the operation, and it was unanimously agreed that, if I succeeded, the fragment removed should be sent to Professor Virchow, who is universally admitted to be the greatest living authority on all matters pertaining to morbid anatomy. Although anxious to keep clear of controversial topics in this place, I must here interrupt my narrative for ^ a moment to call attention to the eminently disin- genuous manner in which this subject is dealt with by Professor Gerhardt. He makes no allusion to the conversation given above, but contents himself with saying, “ Mackenzie was entrusted (!) with the removal of portions of the tumour,” * as if my colleagues had graciously waived their rights in my favour, or as if I were the handicraftsman to carry out the behests of my scientific superiors. The insinuation thus subtly conveyed has absolutely no foundation in fact. My colleagues had not taken the very first step towards establishing their diagnosis on a scientific basis, nor apparently had they even thought of so doing.f The proposal came from me, and it was only after they had acknowledged their inability to carry it out, that I undertook to make the attempt. I must be excused for dwelling a little on this point, for it was from this circumstance that the jealousy of my German colleagues, which subsequently led to so much unpleasantness, first took origin. My First Operation.—Having, as I have already said, no knowledge of the nature of the case before I * Die Krankheit Kaiser Friedrich des Dritten, p. 9. t It was only on reading the German pamphlet that I learned that Dr. Gerhardt had, as a matter of fact, made several ineffectual attempts to remove a portion of the growth with snares and sharp spoons. This is admitted in the docu- ment in question (p. 2), but Professor Gerhardt carefully refrained from mentioning it to me at the time.