John Lizars, esq., surgeon, against James Syme, esq., surgeon : Monday, 26th July 1852 (before the Lord Justice-General and a jury).

  • Lizars, John, 1787?-1860.
Date:
[1852]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: John Lizars, esq., surgeon, against James Syme, esq., surgeon : Monday, 26th July 1852 (before the Lord Justice-General and a jury). 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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    IS looking at the medical journals as they appear, and I noticed this article at the time. You saw the passage which precedes the words * regarding him,’ (&c.) ? Yes. What impression did the passege altogether convey to your mind ? That his conduct in some way or other had been such, as to place him beyond the pale of ‘ professional respect and courtesy,’ and that he had been guilty of some unprofessional act. Did it convey to your mind that he was in good or bad repute in the profession ? That he was in bad repute in Edinburgh. You know Mr. Lizars ? Yes. Supposing that you had read that passage as applicable to a medical man whom you did not know, would you be disposed to deal with him if he came to you ? From an after passage, coupled with the one to which you have directed my attention, I certainly should not. What is the after passage to which you refer ? ‘ In estimating * the value of my operation, you proceed upon the supposition, that ‘ the allegations of Mr. Lizars and his assistant Dr. Miillar are well ‘ founded ; but in fairness to your readers, if not to myself, should ‘ have mentioned, that the statements of these persons, in so far * as they attribute bad effects to the operations which I have ‘ performed for the remedy of Stricture by division, have been ‘ declared by me to be all utterly devoid of truth.’ You read the whole passage within the brackets together ? Yes, and particularly I allude to the cases reported in Mr. Lizars’ book ‘ to be devoid of truth.’ Were you struck a good deal by that article when you saw it first ? Yes, I was surprised considerably. Was it talked of in the profession ? Several gentlemen I con- versed with noticed it at the time. Examined by the Solicitor-General—You know Mr. Lizars? Yes. ' And you know about his book on Stricture? Yes. Look at No. 27 of Process, Mr. Lizars’ book. Is that the book that you published in London ? Yes. Did you ever read that book? I have skimmed it. Then there appeared a second edition. When did that second edition appear? In March, 1851. Read to me the following passage:— I