The Medical Committee of the Charing-Cross Hospital Medical School, London, the defects of that institution, and Edward Smith.

  • Smith, Edward, 1818?-1874.
Date:
1853
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Medical Committee of the Charing-Cross Hospital Medical School, London, the defects of that institution, and Edward Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    in the school, and the appointment and remuneration which were given to the assistant, Mr. Canton, was refused to me as a reward for similar assistance, if it could be found, (a) That no such man can now be found is not my fault, but my misfortune, and I cannot consistently be blamed for it; and had I given the j£33 which I have received for my course of lectures to a suitable assistant (could one have been found,) it would not have sufficed to remunerate him. In neither respect could I do impossibilities. I sincerely deplore that this ground of complaint has existed, but the Committee must determine how far the fault rests with me or with themselves. I sufficiently referred in my last reply to the length of time during which Mr. Canton and myself relatively, remained in the Dissecting Room. In reference to my expression that “ I came a suspected man,” the context clearly explains it, and proves that there is nothing startling or improper in it. My words were, “ I came an untried, and therefore a suspected man,—suspected none the less from my immediate antecedents not having been associated with the dissecting room.” The “ coming” has reference to my entry upon the Anatomical Lectureship, and not to my entry into the Medical School. The words mean that suspicion, distrust, and want of confidence, which always attaches to an untried man—one who has not, as yet, had opportunity to show himself to be equal to his duties. In reference to my opinion as to the probable issue of this investigation, I beg the favour of the attention of the Medical Committee to the following facts: 1st. I am conscious that the demerits of my course and conduct do not warrant so public an inquiry. » 2d. 1 am assured that the opinion and wishes of the students do not warrant so public an inquiry. 3d. The ordinary civility of a formal certificate of having completed my course has been withheld, although the Medical Committee must know that a failure ou my part to obtain the recognition of the examining bodies, would result in the rejection of the schedules of the students, and I may therefore firly ask if this uncourteous step to myself and disastrous one to their pupils would have been taken on trifling grounds (as to the issue of this investigation.) (b) 4-th. This investigation opened with the transmission to me of a letter, of which the following is a transcription-—transmitted through the Cleric of the Hospital—a gentleman not a member of the Medical Committee, nor by his engagement an officer of that Committee—a step likely to add to the formality, if not to the ignominy of the investigation. No , verbal communications have been made to me from the Medical Committee by one or more of its members. I have not been invited to meet the members in a generous and friendly manner, but every step has been marked by a lettqr, and has had a formal, positive, impassive, and judicial air. I beg that the Committee will read the following Copy of their first letter : “Charing Cross Hospital, “ April 6, 1853. “ Sir, — I am direoted by the Medical Committee to acquaint you that they have received communications which have given them considerable uneasi- ness, to the effect that great dissatisfaction exists in the School as to the manner in which the Anatomical Department has been conducted during the session which has just drawn to a close ;—that no systematic course of Anatomy has been given —the teacher having passed irregularly from one subject to another, several parts of great importance being omitted altogetherthat he has been in the habit of coming very late to his Lectures in the morning; and that when a demon- stration has been given in the Dissecting-room, there has been no Lecture in the Theatre ;—that his attention in the Dissecting-room has been very deficient— from ten minutes to half-an-hour in the morning being the only time in the day he has attended in that room assisting the students in their dissections ; that he has made various anatomical errors, and was obliged to lecture copiously from notes. “ The Committee, feeling it their duty to take this subject into their serious consideration, have directed me to make to you this communication, and to acquaint you that they shall be happy to receive any observations which you may desire to favour them with upon the matter. “ I am, Sir, your very obedient Servant, “ ROBERT J. NEWMAN, Clerk.” (a) / owe this to Mr. Haven etc, who openly objected, to a transference to me of this curator- ship. on my taking the Anatomical Chair. (b) /, of course, readily received the recognitions of the College and Hall, without their certificate; but their conduct is not thus rendered less uncivil and oppressive.