Volume 2

A report of the trial of Cooper v. Wakley, for an alleged libel, taken by shorthand writers employed expressly for the occasion; with an engraving of the instruments, and the position of the patient / Together with Mr. B. Cooper's "Prefatory remarks" on the evidence, and a copious explanatory appendix. By Thomas Wakley.

  • Cooper, Bransby Blake, 1792-1853
Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report of the trial of Cooper v. Wakley, for an alleged libel, taken by shorthand writers employed expressly for the occasion; with an engraving of the instruments, and the position of the patient / Together with Mr. B. Cooper's "Prefatory remarks" on the evidence, and a copious explanatory appendix. By Thomas Wakley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    41/184 (page 29)
    Mr. Wakley. Is it customary for young men to obtain their certificates at the Apothecaries’ Hall before they are twenty-one? It has been done. Lord Venterden. Do you mean to say it is customary to represeul untruths ? Sir James Scuriett. Do youtake an oath? No. Does nobody take an oath? No. You have a certificate of your age? Yes. Lord Yenterden. Who gets that? where did you get yours? It’s generally written by the clergyman. ' F Sir James Scarlett. Then is the clergyman in the habit of writing these—will you have the goodness to tell me if clergymen are in the habit of writing these false ¢ Lord Tenterden No; I think we ought to go no further with this: I think it my duty to go no further; for I think it my duty to say, that any person who gets his certificate by a false representation, is liable to be indicted for perjury, and punished, therefore [ cannot go further. Mr. Joachim Gilbert sworn. Examined by Mr. Wakley, Are you a member of the College of Surgeons? I am, Sir. Were you at Guy’s Hospital in March last? I was, Sir. sii, Did you witness an operation of lithotomy there by Mr. Cooper? I did, Sir. Have you read a report of that operation in the 239th number of “ The Lancet ?” I have, Sir. Did you witness the whole of the operation? No, Sir, I did not. Lord Tenterden. Then you only saw part of it? Only part, my Lord. Mr. Wakley. How long were you present? I should think five-and-thirty “minutes, Sir. Thirty-five minutes? Thirty-five minutes. , Why did you notremain longer? Why, Sir, I could not bear to see the horrible manner in which the operation was performed. ‘ Sir James Scarlett. Eh? I could not endure the feeling of seeing the manner in which the operation was performed. Mr. Wakley. Do you mean the horror from seeing the operator use so much violence? It was so. Did he use unnecessary violence, did you conceive? He did so. A Juror. Speak out. Sir James Scarlett. He used great and unnecessary violence, Mr. Wakley. Did he use the instruments in the accustomed manner of: other operators? He did so. Do other operators use great force and unnecessary violence? No. After the staff was introduced, an incision was made in the perineum? It was so. The knife was carried forward? Sir James Scarlett. You had better let him give it—don’t you give the lecture here, Mr. Wakley. Describe the operation? I saw the staff introduced by Mr. Bransby Cooper, then Mr. Callaway was desired to hold the staff on the left side of the patient, and then Mr. Bransby Cooper made what is called the external in- cision, the cut, which he did very properly; but then going on with the second incision, he went, I cannot pretend to say where, from being seated at the side—I cannot pretend to say—but he was avery long time in doing it, and after finishing what was considered the second incision, he carried his knife forward, and I should say he held his arm too high—and then he carried his knife forward, I should consider between the bladder and the rectum—the fundament. (Lord Tenterden. Go on with your narrative.) Then there was a flow of blood followed; he then passed his finger into the wound, and then he carried in a pair of forceps on his finger—a pair of straight forceps. (Lord Tenterden. Go on.) He attempted to extract the stone; he failed in doing so; he passed them in four times. (Lord Tenterden. He did what?) He passed in those forceps four times following, and he did not succeed in extracting the stone. He then passed in his finger often into the wound, and used great violence in so doing. [ should say, on withdrawing those forceps a squashing noise was heard. (Lord Zenterden. Goon.) He then called