Illustrations of medical evidence and trial by jury in Scotland.

Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Illustrations of medical evidence and trial by jury in Scotland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    my touching the bed-clothes, the boy’s countenance showed symp¬ toms of fear. I immediately said to him, “ Don t be afraid, my little fellow, I don’t require to interfere with or touch your ini , or “ I don’t intend to touch your limb.” The expression was either the one or the other, and immediately to re-assure him I put up the bed-clothes. The boy was in a very weak state, and I was unwi - ing to do anything that would create alarm upon his mind, or that would retard his recovery. Having made this examination, I was leaving the ward, when I met Dr Dobie and the nurse. I returned to the'bedside with Dr Dobie for the purpose of ascertaining if he concurred in the opinion that the boy’s life was m danger, and that it was safe for the sheriff to take his declaration-safe for the boy. I put this question to Dr Dobie-if he considered the boy s life m danger, and if he thought it was safe for the boy that the sheri should come then to examine him? He agreed with me in both opinions. I then asked him if there was any intention of amputat¬ ing the limb, and I understood from him that the subject was under consideration-that there were thoughts of amputation. I asked him if the limb was fractured, and if it was a compound fractme and in putting a question regarding the position of the injury, gently raised the bed-clothes and dropped them. Dr Dobie in¬ formed me that it was a compound fracture. He mentioned le situation of the fracture, and the injury of the soft parts mvo ve in the nature of a compound fracture. Dr Dobie was quite fran and communicative, and obliging and civil. I cannot recall any¬ thing more that passed. I then left the Infirmary and drew up my report, which I sent to the Procurator-Fiscal. This is the cei cate, written by myself: Edinburgh, 21st March 1853. I hereby certify, on soul and conscience, that I this day examined Patrick Clark, aged about eleven years, lying at the Royal n r- mary, and find he has a large lacerated wound of the soft pai s, on outside of his left leg, and a fracture of the bone a little above the ankle; that his life is in danger, and that he is in a fit state to emit a declaration. (Signed) GrEO. GtLOVER, Surgeon. From what I have told you of my visit to the Infirmary, and my seeing the boy, I considered I was quite m a condition of info