Correspondence between the managers of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, and Dr. Cormack, relative to the resignation of the latter as one of the physicians of the institution.

  • Cormack, John Rose, Sir, (1815-1882)
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence between the managers of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, and Dr. Cormack, relative to the resignation of the latter as one of the physicians of the institution. 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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    PREFACE, I deem it due to my friends, professional and non-professional, to publish the following Correspondence, relative to my resig- nation as a Physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. At the time I became a candidate for the office, 1 had in view the status it conferred, and the facilities which it afforded for professional improvement; but I soon found, that the con- scientious discharge of Infirmary duty was often incompatible with due attention to private practice ; and having adopted my profession as a means of livelihood, I foresaw, that unless a change took place in the hour of visit, and in some of the other Hospital arrangements, I should ultimately be obliged to resign. In commercial appointments, gratuitous services are appre- ciated at their proper value, and are fast falling into desuetude. Referring to this fact, and to the financial and vital statistics of the Infirmary as compared with similar institutions, I sug- gested to several of the Managers, that some remuneration to the Physicians was absolutely necessary, if they wished to command adequate attention to the medical wants of the suf- fering poor entrusted to their charge. I was assured, how- ever, that it would be useless to bring any such proposition before the Board. I next attempted to effect some change in the system of Clinical instruction, whereby I might have had some indirect