Trial for mal-practice : communicated for the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.

  • Thayer, Wm. Henry (William Henry), 1822-1897.
Date:
[1856]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Trial for mal-practice : communicated for the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. 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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    LIBi -7 l£ foGh THE BOSTON MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL. Vol. LIV. Thursday, March 20, 1856. No. 7. TRIAL FOR MAL-PItACTICE. [Communicated for the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.1 Messrs. Editors,—The following is a report of the trial of Gusta- vus H. Loomis, M.D., of Putney, Vt., for mal-practice. The me- dical testimony is given in fall, prepared by Mr. W. Wesley Wil- kins, one of my students, from notes taken by himself and compared with those of Mr. Marsh, the junior counsel for the defence. To this I have prefixed a summary of the facts in the case, derived from the testimony of the other (non-medical) witnesses, and from several depositions which were presented to the court; not deem- ing it worth while 1o occupy your pages with details of no profes- sional interest. I have closed the report with remarks on the most important points in the case. Very truly yours, Woodstock, Vt., Feb. 22d, 1856. Wm. Henry Thayer. On the 25th of October, 1852, in the evening, Mrs. Nancy Clos- son, widow, aged 57, fell down the cellar stairs of Mr. Stoddard's house in Putney, Vt. Mrs. Closson's home was in Walpole, N. H., seven or eight miles from Mr. Stoddard's house. She had been a resident of Westminster, the town north of Putney, for the greater part of the forty years previous to her injury. Dr. Campbell, of Putney, had, during all that time, been her physician, and he was immediately sent for when she was hurt. His house is three miles south of Mr. Stoddard's. He was unable to go, but sent her word he would see her in the morning. She, however, being in great pain, sent for Dr. Loomis, of Putney, who came. Dr. Campbell called the next morning, but learning that Dr. Loomis had taken charge of her, left her and saw her no more. Dr. Loomis found swelling of one wrist, and serious contusion of one leg just below the knee, with so great swelling of the leg that it wouTd have been impossible to ascertain, with certainty, the ex- istence of fracture of the tibia, had he considered it proper to make a thorough examination. But, finding neither unnatural mobility nor any apparent displacement, he wailed for subsidence of the inflammation before handling the part—in the meantime supporting the leg and foot and making applications to reduce inflammation.