Reply to a letter circulated by Mr. Simmons, containing charges against the house-surgeon of the Manchester Infirmary [i.e. J.H.] Addressed to the trustees of that charity / [John Hutchinson].

  • Hutchinson, John
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reply to a letter circulated by Mr. Simmons, containing charges against the house-surgeon of the Manchester Infirmary [i.e. J.H.] Addressed to the trustees of that charity / [John Hutchinson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (02) cee } he was obliged to have recourse to those of his col- leagues. It will I doubt not be remembered by many Gentlemen now present, in what strong terms he then asserted, that a patient of Mr. Hamilton’s, had in con- sequence of my neglect died from loss of blood; that Gentleman happened to be present, and on being ap- pealed to by the Board, immediately expressed in the most unequivocal manner his disbelief of any such occur- rence. ‘This fact serves to shew with what caution the Board should admit any assertions that would prove me puilty of the death of a fellow creature, or bias their judgment in a point so important to my character and future peace of mind, unless accompanied by the most satisfactory proofs. The next accusation brought against me is, that ** when the dreadful fire happened at Gaythorn, by €© which so many lives were lost, Mr. Simmons came on ‘the morning of the third day after the patients had ‘¢ been admitted, when the symptoms were becomin ‘¢ alarming, and gave directions concerning their even ‘cases; he came again in the evening to see what effect «¢ his directions had | had, when he found that not a single ce thing had been done, and that the House-Surgeon had ‘ gone to see another fire then raging at Knott Mill!” New. Sir, if the Books be referred to on this occasion, they will prove in the most satisfactory manner, that what Mr. Simmons has asserted cannot possibly be correct; unless he will take upon him to dispute the very evidence which the well known method of transacting the busi- ness of the Shop and Hotpital affords, In order that the blame may attach to the proper person, when any. error is committed in the Shop, it is an invariable rule that whoever dispenses a medicine, shall affix his private mark to the preseription, after it has been attended to. If therefore a prescription is overlooked in the former part of the day by one Apprentice, and the Surgeon comes and prescribes in a subsequent part of the day, and his prescription 1s attended to by another Apprentice; this latter Apprentice, unless there is a fresh date, dis- penses all the medicines that are ordered subsequent to the last private mark, whether it be his own mark or that of another, ei the whole medicines ordered on that day, though ordered at different times, are then