I., Mr. W. P. Nicholson's pamphlet : and II., Dr. B. W. Dudley's reply.

  • Nicholson, W. P.
Date:
[1829]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: I., Mr. W. P. Nicholson's pamphlet : and II., Dr. B. W. Dudley's reply. 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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    possible, of .saving my limb, I awaited tbe operations of nature until the 24.ii of April following, when despairing of tea very, on !;■ day the amputation was performed by D>. Buckler and Dr. lbson, and w the presence of Dr. Lyon, now demonstrator of anatomy in the medi- cal college of this city, Dr. Keerl who is now in Europe pursuing his studies, and Drs. Coskery, Caldwell, Pearce and Handy; those gentle- men, who dissected and examined the limb after it had been taken «;ff, told me there was no sign of fracture that they could discover. Thus ends the history of the case of the broken bones, the egg-shell crash, and the injured knee, after seventeen months of the most excruciating torture. It is unreasonable to presume for a moment, that effects so ex traordinary could have proceeded from a simple sprain, unless superin- duced by improper treatment. To Dr. Dudley's want of judgment and tight bandages, I am indebted for all my suffering and the loss of my limb. In about six weeks after the operation was performed, I walked to my office, distance probably a quarter of a mile—so much for a skilful surgeon. In the month of November following, I mounted a wooden leo, -md have visited Kentucky three times since then; during the last summer and fall, I spent the most of my rime in and around Lexington, and never heard a word of my case, until the day previous to my leav- ing Lexington, when 1 was informed it was preparing for the press. A few days after my return here from Kentucky, I received a copy of his publication through the medium of the post office. To me it is inex- plicable what fatuity could have beset Dr. Dudley, after an elapse of four years, to publish my case; much less can 1 account for the worse than savage pleasure he seems to indulge in, while unprovokedly as- sailing me. Had Dr. Dudley stopped after giving his imaginary s^aie- taent of my case, erroneous as that was, I should have permitted him to have enjoyed his laurels undisturbed; but as he has calumniated me, and caiied my morals in question, I have felt myself bound to expose the grossneas of his professional errors, and to throw back the foul asper- sions upon my reputation, as unworthy of me, and becoming only him, in whose malevolent heart it was nurtured. In a word, 1 defy him and the miserable beings whom he has employed, or those who gratuitously .lent their aid, to propagate the charge of eating and drinking to excess against me, to substantiate it, by the evidence of a solitary individual entitled to credit in the estimation of honourable men. In conclusion, 1 will appeal to the public, and ask them, admitting for argument sake, that Dr. Dudley's representation of my case wascor- rec% winch I deny—I say I ask them, i ask ihe intelligent of the medi- cal profession, whether under the circumstances of the case he has mide out, tie was justified in the application of tight wet bandages? I ask them did they ever see, hear, or read of such treatment, except by D .BenjiminW. Dudley, in a case of egg-shell fracture, in Europe, Asia, Afnca or America? And whether it succeeded? I have done with the Doctor. I am the public's ob'1 serv't, W. P. NICHOLSON.