Hospitalism and zymotic diseases : as more especially illustrated by puerperal fever, or metria a paper read in the hall of the College of Physicians, on the 13th of March and 10th of April, 1869, before the Obstetrical Society of Dublin also, a reply to the criticisms of seventeen physicians upon this paper delivered on the 10th of July, 1869 / by Evory Kennedy.
- Kennedy, Evory, 1806-1886
- Date:
- 1869
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Hospitalism and zymotic diseases : as more especially illustrated by puerperal fever, or metria a paper read in the hall of the College of Physicians, on the 13th of March and 10th of April, 1869, before the Obstetrical Society of Dublin also, a reply to the criticisms of seventeen physicians upon this paper delivered on the 10th of July, 1869 / by Evory Kennedy. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![had now been for two nights under discussion, and the paper itself was in the hands of the members. There was, however, one point in which he wished to set himself right before the discussion was pro- ceeded with. In the statistics which he furnished, he gave those of the Vienna Hospitals only up to 1838—the only statistics which were then available to him; but, on looking over the Quarterly Review, he found that Professor Faye, of Copenhagen, mentioned that there had been an improvement in that hospital, and he thought it his duty to lay that statement before the Society; it was simply a hearsay statement. He gave no statistics, but merely stated that it was one per cent. If he had known this before, he (Dr. Kennedy) would have stated it, but he now gave it for as much as it was worth. [Again, the following specimen of unintelligible jargona has been ascribed to me. Is it possible that my readers should require my dis- claimer of it ?—E. K.] Dr. Kennedy thought he ought to be allowed to say a word in reply to what has been put forward; but, indeed, he had been left very little to do. Fortunately there had been such a discrepancy of opinion amongst the gentlemen who had spoken since his paper was read, that he thought they had answered each other pretty well. There were, however, a few points which require a little elucidation, and with these he would occupy their attention for a few moments. In the first place Dr. Johnston mentioned that he said that there was a necessary re- currence of puerperal fever after any epidemic disease showed in the hospital. He (Dr. Kennedy) merely stated that it had been observed to occur. He used no such language as had been attributed to him. He had stated distinctly that it was of a capricious character, and if they wanted any proof, the opinion of the gentlemen who had spoken had left little doubt upon this. It was often quite impossible to arrive at its cause any more than that of any other zymotic disease. If he asked Sir Dominic Corrigan to explain, on all occasions, why fever should appear, he would smile; and if he turned to any other gentleman there and asked him why a certain zymotic disease should appear at a given time and place, he would be equally amused; and he, therefore, did not feel called upon to explain this. All he had done was to en- deavour to throw some light upon it, by tracing, as far as he could, after an experience of 40 years, certain predispositions to it. One gentleman said he ought to consider it a little longer before forming an opinion. Why he had been considering it since before he was born—he had been 40 years thinking of it. Many an anxious night it had cost him, when he had been obliged to visit his patients every six hours, and from that time to this he had never lost sight of it. To ask him at this a See Report of Proceedings of Dublin Obstetrical Society, D. Q. Jour., p. 253. I](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28082758_0119.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
