An address delivered at a public meeting of the subscribers to the Vincent Testimonial : held at Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, on Saturday, April 3rd, 1847 / by Anthony Colling Brownless.

  • Brownless, Anthony Colling, 1817-1897.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An address delivered at a public meeting of the subscribers to the Vincent Testimonial : held at Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, on Saturday, April 3rd, 1847 / by Anthony Colling Brownless. 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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    to the interests of this Hospital, permit me to say, that I can yield to no one in feelings of attachment to this Venerable Insti- tution and excellent School; nor can I yield to any in feelings of the deepest respect and gratitude to those distinguished Profes- sors, for whose kind and most able instruction we must ever feel greatly indebted; or can I remember the privileges we have enjoyed, in being able to pursue the study of our profession in the Wards of this Great Hospital, without standing first and foremost in grateful acknowledgment of the kindness and liber- ality of the Treasurer and Governors, in permitting us to make use of the great advantages which this extensive field of disease presents to the inquiring mind. But whilst I do this with the greatest sincerity, and anxious as I feel, and ever shall feel, for the prosperity of this my Alma Mater, I, at the same time, claim for myself and for every one here present, the privilege of giving an independent vote on the present occasion ; the right and privilege of speaking and acting now, and on all occasions, (with the greatest respect to the con- stituted authorities,) but, at the same time, strictly as our sense of duty may lead us, uninfluenced by excited hope or servile fear. And I have too much confidence in the liberal sentiments of the Medical Officers, the Treasurer, and Governors of this Hospital, to suppose for one moment that they would wish to use any other influence than that of legitimate argument. And now let us consider the arguments for and against each of the two modes proposed for perpetuating the memory of Mb. Vincent. Much importance has been attached to the opinion of Mr. Vincent, as stated in the report of the deputation, viz. that although he had no feeling for any particular form of Testimo- nial, yet, when he considered that the proposition of the com- mittee, the Scholarship, was most calculated to benefit the school, he readily acquiesced in their suggestion. Now, besides know- ing from the deputation that Mr. Vincent (when the Picture was first mentioned to him by them) gave evident signs not only of approval of that form of Testimonial, but even of much de- light and pleasure, we may very fairly argue that he supposed that the majority of the committee represented the feeling of the majority of the subscribers, (which was not the fact,) and that will readily explain why, in the latter part of the interview, he ex- pressed himself fovorably towards the foundation ofa Scholarship. Every one who has had the pleasure of Mr. Vincents