The report of the ordinary and resident medical officers and the annual report of the Inspector and Director, of the Public Hospital, for 1864, with the reply of the ordinary medical officers thereto : the letter of Alexander Fiddes ... and his correspondence with the governor, and the executive committee on the subject of his resignation and retirement from the Hospital : the letter of L.Q. Bowerbank ... in reply to Dr. Fiddes, and Dr. Fiddes' reply to same : also, the evidence adduced at the coroner's inquest, held on Richard Bailey, lately an inmate of the Public Hospital.

  • Kingston Public Hospital (Jamaica)
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The report of the ordinary and resident medical officers and the annual report of the Inspector and Director, of the Public Hospital, for 1864, with the reply of the ordinary medical officers thereto : the letter of Alexander Fiddes ... and his correspondence with the governor, and the executive committee on the subject of his resignation and retirement from the Hospital : the letter of L.Q. Bowerbank ... in reply to Dr. Fiddes, and Dr. Fiddes' reply to same : also, the evidence adduced at the coroner's inquest, held on Richard Bailey, lately an inmate of the Public Hospital. 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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    tors, tending to lessen the authority of the responsible o.Tieers of the lu utu- tion, cannot have a wholesome or salutary effect on the management. “ I leave the important question herein involed with the Board, and with the Government, for consideration and settlement, feeling assured that the decision which will be made in regard to it will be such as may tend to uphold the discipline of the hospital, and to promote its general welfare ; but I would be wanting in duty to myself, to the hospital, and to the profession to which I have the honor to belong, if I failed to protest against any repeti- tion of that unusual mode of hospital management, upon which I have now been necessitated to give my opinion ‘ ‘ I am, your obdt. servant, “ALEX. FIDDES, “ Ordinary Medical Officer of the Public Hospital. “ To the Chairman and Members of the Board of Visitors.” During this investigation, the Board was always fully attended, there being present. Dr. Bowerbank, the Chairman; llis Lordship the Bishop the Rector of Kingston, the Rev Mr. Edmondson, the prin- cipal Medical Officer of her Majesty's Army; the principal Medical Officer of her Majesty’s Navy, the Hon. George Solomon, and Charles Levy, Esquire. After a full and patient inquiry, these gentlemen framed a- Report, in which they unanimously agreed that the charges unde by the patient McRae against Dr. Stern, were unfounded and vexa! tious, and that there was no ground whatever for the entertainment; of liis complaint. To this Report Dr. Bowerbank dissented, and considered it neces- sary to furnish a Report of his own, with the object apparently of making a wild and unjustifiable attack upon every Officer of thej Institution His Report was duly forwarded to Government, along with that of the Board of Visitors ; and if Governor Eyre had posj sessed the rudiments of Governmental knowledge, he would have immediately sent back tlie offensive document to its author, ana requested him not to send any further Reports to Government that were in direct antagonism with the carefully considered decisions of the whole Board of Visitors. But Governor Eyre not only received Dr. Bowerbank's one shied Report, but proceeded quickly to act upon its suggestions, for he forthwith sent down to the hospital his censure upon Dr. Stern, and some other Officers of the Institution, based entirely upon Dr. Bower- bank's representation. In the meantime, Dr Dunn and myself had written to the Governor to furnish us with a copy of Dr. Bowerbank’s Report, in order that we might answer the allegations which it contained; but after a lapse of sixteen days, and finding that no notice had been taken of our communication, we again addressed his Excellency oa the subject, reminding him of the necessity of furnishing us with a copy of Dr, Bowerbank’s document, which contained such serious charges against the hospital management. His Excellency at last complied with our request, and sent down a copy of the Report; but on analysing the document, we discovered in it so many misstate- ments and palpable untruths, that we were compelled to write plainly with regard to its spurious character—-and we then took occasion to tell his Excellency, that if he believed the allegations of Dr. Bower-