An historic sketch of the causes, progress, extent, and mortality of the contagious fever epidemic in Ireland during the years 1817, 1818, and 1819 : with numerous tables, official documents, and private communications, illustrative of its general history and of the system of management adopted for its suppression / by William Harty.

  • Harty, William, 1781-1854.
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historic sketch of the causes, progress, extent, and mortality of the contagious fever epidemic in Ireland during the years 1817, 1818, and 1819 : with numerous tables, official documents, and private communications, illustrative of its general history and of the system of management adopted for its suppression / by William Harty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    and if the legislature and the government are alone competent “ to do something in this mat- ter,” it must be weakness and folly to consider medical advice, in such a case, deserving attention. Upon this principle, no doubt, that gentleman acted in advising the Irish government to reject the admonitions and proffered aid of the physi- cians of Dublin; a principle which would like- wise appear to have influenced the Select Fever Committee of the late House of Commons, as they did not think it adviseable to examine a sin- gle medical witness, though the object of their appointment was “ to investigate the causes of contagious fever in Ireland, and to suggest such measures as might seem most efficacious to arrest its further extension, and to guard, as far as hu- man foresight could provide, against its recur- rence.”* Had you, Sir, adopted these sentiments, I might perhaps be charged with impertinence in * Justice should here be done to the worthy and intelli- gent Chairman of that Committee; his judgment could not have sanctioned the course pursued, for he anxiously sought information and advice from the physicians of Ireland, and if they appeared to differ in opinion, their differences could only be reconciled by direct examination. Strip the report of that Committee of the voluntary communications made to Sir J. Newport by Dr. Barry of Cork, Dr. Bracken of Wa- terford, and by other physicians through me, how little would remain.