Exposition of the conduct and character of Dr. John Augustine Smith : president of the Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons in the City of New-York, and professor of physiology : as exhibited in the session of 1839-40 / by James R. Manley.

  • Manley, James R., 1781-1851.
Date:
1841
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Exposition of the conduct and character of Dr. John Augustine Smith : president of the Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons in the City of New-York, and professor of physiology : as exhibited in the session of 1839-40 / by James R. Manley. 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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    commenced my course by the delivery of a public introductory, a copy of which the students requested for publication ; and it was published. If any estimate may be formed of the character of such compliments, from their scarcity, it is no small one, when it is recollected that during the last fifteen years, and ever since the reorganization of the College, a similar request has not been made, so far as I am informed, of any President or Professor of this College, except Dr. J. B. Beck and Dr. Delafield. I quietly, and, as I supposed, satisfactorily continued my lectures until about the middle of the term.'when I was informed that the President of the College had again assailed me, and denounced my course of instruction to the board of trustees as a failure, without having ever heard a lecture except the published one; so gross an outrage—such an unworthy attempt to break me down I could not permit to pass unnoticed, and I felt it to be due both to myself and my class, to address them on the subject. I told them what Dr. Smith had done—that he had pronounced my course a failure ; and begged them, if they concurred in opinion with him, frankly to say so; and I plainly intimated that I was ready to resign, as I could not hold the situation under such circumstances. The class responded to my appeal by passing the following resolutions unanimously. Vide page 13. Upon the receipt of this expression from the class, I met them at the next stated lecture, and after a few remarks to them, proceeded on in my course ; and although abundant opportunity was afforded to speak of Dr. Smith's conduct, his name never afterwards escaped my lips to the class : he, after this period, however, attempted to justify his treatment of me to his class, by stating that he acted in two capacities m the College, as Professor and President, and that in the latter character he acted from a sense of duty, and that the trustees thought as he did. Gentlemen, when I accepted the place of lecturer, I did not intend to commit my reputation to the keep- ing of any individual. I expected to be judged by my merits, and so I doubt not did you ; but without my knowledge, for at least one half of the term, 1 have been made the theme of Dr. Smith's obloquy; and when I become informed, and mako my appeal to the class, he attempted to justify. I have conducted this course under such a pressure of embarrassment, as no other professor or lecturer in this College would have sustained, and I have been supported by the conviction that when the facts were known, the Board of Trustees would do me justice. If conduct such as I have related of Dr. Smith can pass without rebuke, the precedent must be ruinous to the interest of the school: who will be the next victim it is impossible to say; but we may be assured, that there will be no security for any lecturer or professor belonging to it. I have deemed it to be a duty, as well to you as to myself, to make this exposition, that you may not ignorantly become a party to a plan to destroy my reputation, under a pretext to serve the interests of medical education. Your's respectfully, J. R. MANLEY. This meeting of the 19th of March was called as an extra, and it was such in more senses than one. It was extra inasmuch as the call at the time, outraged all propriety, the meeting being convened to re- commend lecturers and professors, before the session was terminated, and nearly two months before the usual period. It was extra, as it brought together by management more members than had at any time, or on any occasion met before. It was extra in its mode of doing its busi-