An analysis of medical evidence: comprising directions for practitioners, in the view of becoming witnesses in Courts of Justice; and an appendix of professional testimony / By John Gordon Smith, M.D.

  • Smith, John Gordon, 1792-1833.
Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An analysis of medical evidence: comprising directions for practitioners, in the view of becoming witnesses in Courts of Justice; and an appendix of professional testimony / By John Gordon Smith, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/418 (page 11)
    my own part, I do not conceive that the just claims of experience are, in every case, to be estimated according to the pretensions or declara- tions, or even self-persuasion of the individual— a position I have aimed at establishing in the sequel. But there is, perhaps, something more formi- dable than even the severity of criticism to be anticipated—viz. dissatisfaction on the part of a few, who, by an habitual abstinence from the acqui- sition of new ideas, shew their disapprobation of adding to one’s original stock of knowledge; and the displeasure of those who will imagine that they might furnish examples, in their own case, similar to some that I have exhibited for the warning of the Profession. ‘To the former class it were useless to address any remarks, as they would not reach their destination. To the others, it may not be amiss to protest that, if I had brought them into notice for the purpose in ques- tion, I should have done them no wrong; having made use of no materials in that way, but such as were already published far and wide, and better known, probably, out of the Profession than in it. Upon this ground also, it would be impossible for me to accuse myself of doing wyury to individuals: on the contrary, as they would thus have served a very useful purpose, they would have been entitled to the gratitude of their attentive brethren —at least I would assure them of my own. In that which a sense of duty has compelled me to do in this way, I trust I