The history of the case, and a descriptive account of the operation performed upon William Forder, at the Norwich Free Hospital for 'Incurables' : together with indisputable evidence of the accuracy of the casts presented to the Hunterian Museum / by Mr. Webber.

  • Webber, William, 1800-1875.
Date:
[1854]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of the case, and a descriptive account of the operation performed upon William Forder, at the Norwich Free Hospital for 'Incurables' : together with indisputable evidence of the accuracy of the casts presented to the Hunterian Museum / by Mr. Webber. 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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    some small and narrow straps of plaster. He seemed very much surprised to see the parts all healed; and said to Mr. Webber, “ How wonderfully quick it has united ! why it is all healed !” Mr. Webber made some remarks to Mr. Bell which 1 did not quite hear, about “too quick for his liking,” &c. When Mr. Webber visited Forder on the Thursday (seventh day), he sent for the barber and had him cleanly shaved. After this no more plaster was put on, but a piece of linen, wetted with cold water, was laid on the lip and nose; the inside of the mouth was quite healed, and Forder could now eat meat cut fine, and swallow anything without its escaping through the nostril, by holding his head a little back. On Saturday (the 13th), which might be said to be only eight days after the operation (for it was not done till two o’clock on the 5th), I went out for an hour to see my daughter, who was ill; when I came back I found that Mr. Harper had been with Mr. Webber, and taken another cast of the face, which Forder said “ didn’t hurt him a bit!” On the 17 th of August (twelfth day after the operation), Forder was taken out for an airing, in a chair lent by Mr. Taylor; he was gone half-an-hour. He told me, when he came back, he had been to Mr. Taylor’s, to thank him for his great kindness to him. On Sunday, the 20th, (seventeenth day), he walked over to Mr. Webber’s garden, and sat there in the sun ; after this he walked out every day, and generally went home to see his family. He was allowed to re- main in the Hospital for several weeks, in order that he might have better living than he could get at home. Mr. Webber frequently sent him a piece of fish, fowl, or meat from his own table, and some porter, called “ Dent’s porter,” \v hich Forder said seemed to nourish him more than anything; he had every thing allowed him which he wished for. He was made an out-patient on the 22nd of September, which he seemed to be not pleased at. While in the Hospital he had often expressed a wish to have a wax cast of his face, as it was before the operation. He took one which stood in the closet in the ward away with him. He told me he had asked Mr. Webber for one, and that he told him that 8s. 6d. was Mr. Harper’s charge for it; but that he would speak to the Committee, who, he dare say, would give him one. On the Monday after Forder was made an out-patient, he came to the Hospital to see Mr. Webber, who was then dressing some of the cases. He seemed very sulky; he walked into the ward where Mr. Webber and another gentleman were, with his hat on, which Mr. Webber told him “ he had better take off, except he wished to be taken for a hat peg.”