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ELECTION OF A MEDICAL CORONER AT BIRMINGHAM,
346
thick, dark.brown-coloured fluid were dis- Alderman LAWRENCE moved that John covered, homogeneous, no recent food Welchman Whateley, Esq., attorney -at-law, this fluid was not easily separated from the be appointed Coroner. Mr. ASPINALL seconded the nomination. mucous membrane, which was firm and not Mr. GEACH moved and Mr. MASON se. easily detached ; it exhaled a smell of new beer rather strongly ; no appearances of any conded the nomination of Mr. Frederick no gritty Ryland, surgeon. inflammation, ulceration, &c.; A letter from Mr. Wills stated, that in sensation conveyed to the fingers on rubbiag the inner surface, and nothing but the viscid consequence of the number of pledges which fluid adhered; the contents did not alter had been given to other candidates-he him. self never having canvassed-he should not litmus or turmeric paper. Analysis of Stomach and its Contents.- further contest the appointment.
Mr. RODWAY wished them to bear in mind were diluted with distilled water and filtered; the sto- the services of Dr. Davies. Those who had mach itself was also boiled in distilled known him the longest respected him the water, and filtered ; the usual tests were most. He had always found him a friend applied to both the filtered fluids, for to the poor. and in common justice to him, arsenic, corrosive sublimate, tartar emetic, to themselves, and to those who sent the suluhate of copper, lead. Drussic acid. oxalic Council there, they were bound to elect and without showing evidence Dr. Davies. Alderman LAWRENCE had not intended to of the presence of any of these deleterious substances. say one word in support of Mr. Whateley, Remarks.—The subject of the above in. nor did he think that any long speech of vestigation was a lady who died under his could have any effect upon the Council, rather mysterious circumstances. The only if twenty years of faithful and impartial person who had been in communication with services in the office of Coroner would not her for the last three weeks of her life was recommend him for that situation. With the nurse, who was in constant attendance regard to Dr. Davies, no one thought higher during that time, and who, from the serious of him than he did as a physician and a illness with which she has since beer humane and enlightened member of society, visited, has been unable to give her evi. but they were not called upon to elect a deuce as to the existence of any previous physician but a coroner ! ! ! Mr. DRAKE said, if he voted from personal illness, or as to the immediate cause o death. It is known that the lady was mud consideration, he should vote for Mr. Ryaddicled to drinking brandy. The morbic land, whom he highly esteemed ; but if he appearances above detailed seem all to cor voted for the man best qualified by past respond with the results which would be experience to fulfil the office of Coroner, he looked for in the bodies of those who yield must vote for Mr. Whateley. Alderman BETTS bore tsstimony to the to such propensities. There being no further evidence to produce the jury returned a ability, kindness, and gentlemanly conduct verdict of " Natural Death." always shown by Mr. Whateley, in the discharge of his duties as Coroner; but Dr. HENRY PRATT, Surgeon. Davies, in his opinion, was most admirably Dorcas-buildings, Hammersmith, qualified for the office. 1839. May 7th, Mr. PAGE said that since counsel had given an opinion that Mr. Whateley was not entitled to compensation for loss of office, ELECTION OF A MEDICAL CORONER he would not give him a vote. Mr. Alderman Sturge, Mr. Weston, and AT BIRMINGHAM, Mr. Jennings, briefly supported the noininaBY A TEN-FOLD MAJORITY! tion of Dr. Davies. Mr. Geach and Alderman Beale supported Mr. Frederick R) land, AT a meeting of the Town Council ofand they considered him in no way inferior Birmingham, held on Thursday, the 16th of’ to Dr. D. Mr. Geach added, that he should May, the election of a Coroner, to which at once have supported Dlr. Whateley had allusion was made in THE LANCET of May he not been aware that the Council generally were in favour of a Medical Coroner. 4th, took place. The proceedings commenced by an anThe MAYOR then took a ballot upon the nouncement that Mr. Underhill, an attorney, respective nominations, and declared the had withdrawn from the contest. numbers to be,Alderman VAN WART moved that John Birt Davies, Esq., M.D., of Newhall-street, be appointed Coroner for this borough. According to a suggestion which he had previously offered, he should not make any
The contents of the stomach
acid,
opium,
observations.
Mr. HARDMAN seconded the nomination.
I Dr. Davies was then declared duly elected.
347
A correspondent informs us, that llfr.’ found a large collection of pus, which JAMES RUSSELL, an apothecary, of Birming- escaped by the rupture of the peritoneom ham, aaBered himself to be induced to can- . (which was the only covering superiorly) vass the membera of the medical profession = by an accidental ttroke of the knife in M that borough witha requisition in favour getting out the parts. This abscess opened of the ATTORNEY candidate. Mr. WHATELEY, by a small aperture into the rectum, about
which was everywhere indignantly rejected.’ two inches above the anus. Another openThe writer adds, that " he trusts that the ing was also discovered leading to an exresult of the election will be a lesson to a tensive abscess in the prostate gland. certain legal firm in Birmingham which has,There were several sinuses leading in a pecuniary interest in all elections of offi-various directions through the condensed cers to a certain medical institution in thatand hypertrophied cellular tissue of the town." scrotum, some of which opened externally the bottom of deep cicatrices, wbilstt others passed backwards and upwards, and with the urethra. The openUNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL. ing situated in the cleft between the scrotum left thigh, through which, previous to (Case qf W. J., concluded from page 62.) and the operation by Mr. Liston, the urine Feb. 15. Has continued much in the same was discovered to pass upwards and state since the last report. To-day Mr. nowed, to join the membranous portion Liston introduced a catheter into the blad- backwards, of the urethra. Another narrow fistulous when of a quantity matter escaped der, extended from the perineum, in the through the instrument. The patient also opening situation where the incision was made some blood stool. by passed the operation, to the urethra, imme25. Bowels relaxed ; oedema much less ; during behind the bulb. The urethra was diately feels better ; has passed about a tablespoonpervious along its whole extent. The neck ful of matter with his urine. of the bladder, prostate gland, and rectum, 27. The urine he passes is clear. were surrounded by a quantity of condensed 28. Passed rather better than half a pint and not very vascular tissue, of a yellowillh of clear urine this morning. He occasionand almost cartilaginous hardness. ally passes a little matter with the urine colour, that passes through the fistulous opening. On the 3rd of March he became affected ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL, with a troublesome cough ; the abdomen tender on became all over the 5th ; on the CHOREA. 7th the legs and feet became oedematous ; MARIA H.USILL. aged 16, a patient of Dr. and on the 8th he died.
at
communicated
Seymour’s. After-death Appearances. Nov. 8. She has had what she calls General oedema, particularly visible in Witus’s dance, for upwards of two mouth.. the face, abdomen, and lower extremities. Her general aspect indicates a deranged
The cellular tissue of the scrotum much state of constitution, and it appears that the distended with fluid. catamenial secretion has been absent for five months. The pulse ia natural, and the Head, not examined. Chest.—A large quantity of clear serous tongue is very red. She was ordered to fluid in the cavity of the pleura, causing have a shower-bath every morning, and to compression and consotidation of the sub- have a senna draught at the same time. stance of the lungs. which were, in other whilst the following medicine was to be respects, healthy. Pericardium contained taken twice daily,two or three ounces of serous fluid. Heart Steel wine; 1 drachm ; natural. Aloe trine, 1 drachm ; Green mint-water, 10drachms. To have Abdomen.—Cavity of the peritonenm dis. tended with serum; intestines remarkably ordinary diet, without vegetables. 15. o beadach; bowels quite open. To pale; liver rather large and pale, otherwise left kidney large and pale, the, teane off her medicines and to take instead cortical substance seemed broken up and , Myrrh and aloes pill, 10 grains, every mixed with the tubular structure; on tbe other night. surface projected a cyst, which also lay Compoud steel mixture, 1 ounce, twice imbedded in the substance of this organ.! daily. On opening the cyst it was found to contain Dec. 2. The abdomen appears full, but ia a substance resembling the melt of a fish. soft on pressure. The bath was umitttd io The right kidney was rather larger and consequence of its being the period for the paler than natural. Left ureter rather menstrual return, though nothing beyond a dilated ; right ureter natural. The bladder slight tinge of the lioen is perceptible. wu thick and muscular, fibres strong. Begrains of calomel were ordered to be tween the fundus of the bladder anteriorly, taken at tiedtime, and a senna draught early and the front of the rectum posteriorly, was moramg.
healthy;
I i ,
Three to-morrow
thick, dark.brown-coloured fluid were dis- Alderman LAWRENCE moved that John covered, homogeneous, no recent food Welchman Whateley, Esq., attorney -at-law, this fluid was not easily separated from the be appointed Coroner. Mr. ASPINALL seconded the nomination. mucous membrane, which was firm and not Mr. GEACH moved and Mr. MASON se. easily detached ; it exhaled a smell of new beer rather strongly ; no appearances of any conded the nomination of Mr. Frederick no gritty Ryland, surgeon. inflammation, ulceration, &c.; A letter from Mr. Wills stated, that in sensation conveyed to the fingers on rubbiag the inner surface, and nothing but the viscid consequence of the number of pledges which fluid adhered; the contents did not alter had been given to other candidates-he him. self never having canvassed-he should not litmus or turmeric paper. Analysis of Stomach and its Contents.- further contest the appointment.
Mr. RODWAY wished them to bear in mind were diluted with distilled water and filtered; the sto- the services of Dr. Davies. Those who had mach itself was also boiled in distilled known him the longest respected him the water, and filtered ; the usual tests were most. He had always found him a friend applied to both the filtered fluids, for to the poor. and in common justice to him, arsenic, corrosive sublimate, tartar emetic, to themselves, and to those who sent the suluhate of copper, lead. Drussic acid. oxalic Council there, they were bound to elect and without showing evidence Dr. Davies. Alderman LAWRENCE had not intended to of the presence of any of these deleterious substances. say one word in support of Mr. Whateley, Remarks.—The subject of the above in. nor did he think that any long speech of vestigation was a lady who died under his could have any effect upon the Council, rather mysterious circumstances. The only if twenty years of faithful and impartial person who had been in communication with services in the office of Coroner would not her for the last three weeks of her life was recommend him for that situation. With the nurse, who was in constant attendance regard to Dr. Davies, no one thought higher during that time, and who, from the serious of him than he did as a physician and a illness with which she has since beer humane and enlightened member of society, visited, has been unable to give her evi. but they were not called upon to elect a deuce as to the existence of any previous physician but a coroner ! ! ! Mr. DRAKE said, if he voted from personal illness, or as to the immediate cause o death. It is known that the lady was mud consideration, he should vote for Mr. Ryaddicled to drinking brandy. The morbic land, whom he highly esteemed ; but if he appearances above detailed seem all to cor voted for the man best qualified by past respond with the results which would be experience to fulfil the office of Coroner, he looked for in the bodies of those who yield must vote for Mr. Whateley. Alderman BETTS bore tsstimony to the to such propensities. There being no further evidence to produce the jury returned a ability, kindness, and gentlemanly conduct verdict of " Natural Death." always shown by Mr. Whateley, in the discharge of his duties as Coroner; but Dr. HENRY PRATT, Surgeon. Davies, in his opinion, was most admirably Dorcas-buildings, Hammersmith, qualified for the office. 1839. May 7th, Mr. PAGE said that since counsel had given an opinion that Mr. Whateley was not entitled to compensation for loss of office, ELECTION OF A MEDICAL CORONER he would not give him a vote. Mr. Alderman Sturge, Mr. Weston, and AT BIRMINGHAM, Mr. Jennings, briefly supported the noininaBY A TEN-FOLD MAJORITY! tion of Dr. Davies. Mr. Geach and Alderman Beale supported Mr. Frederick R) land, AT a meeting of the Town Council ofand they considered him in no way inferior Birmingham, held on Thursday, the 16th of’ to Dr. D. Mr. Geach added, that he should May, the election of a Coroner, to which at once have supported Dlr. Whateley had allusion was made in THE LANCET of May he not been aware that the Council generally were in favour of a Medical Coroner. 4th, took place. The proceedings commenced by an anThe MAYOR then took a ballot upon the nouncement that Mr. Underhill, an attorney, respective nominations, and declared the had withdrawn from the contest. numbers to be,Alderman VAN WART moved that John Birt Davies, Esq., M.D., of Newhall-street, be appointed Coroner for this borough. According to a suggestion which he had previously offered, he should not make any
The contents of the stomach
acid,
opium,
observations.
Mr. HARDMAN seconded the nomination.
I Dr. Davies was then declared duly elected.
347
A correspondent informs us, that llfr.’ found a large collection of pus, which JAMES RUSSELL, an apothecary, of Birming- escaped by the rupture of the peritoneom ham, aaBered himself to be induced to can- . (which was the only covering superiorly) vass the membera of the medical profession = by an accidental ttroke of the knife in M that borough witha requisition in favour getting out the parts. This abscess opened of the ATTORNEY candidate. Mr. WHATELEY, by a small aperture into the rectum, about
which was everywhere indignantly rejected.’ two inches above the anus. Another openThe writer adds, that " he trusts that the ing was also discovered leading to an exresult of the election will be a lesson to a tensive abscess in the prostate gland. certain legal firm in Birmingham which has,There were several sinuses leading in a pecuniary interest in all elections of offi-various directions through the condensed cers to a certain medical institution in thatand hypertrophied cellular tissue of the town." scrotum, some of which opened externally the bottom of deep cicatrices, wbilstt others passed backwards and upwards, and with the urethra. The openUNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL. ing situated in the cleft between the scrotum left thigh, through which, previous to (Case qf W. J., concluded from page 62.) and the operation by Mr. Liston, the urine Feb. 15. Has continued much in the same was discovered to pass upwards and state since the last report. To-day Mr. nowed, to join the membranous portion Liston introduced a catheter into the blad- backwards, of the urethra. Another narrow fistulous when of a quantity matter escaped der, extended from the perineum, in the through the instrument. The patient also opening situation where the incision was made some blood stool. by passed the operation, to the urethra, imme25. Bowels relaxed ; oedema much less ; during behind the bulb. The urethra was diately feels better ; has passed about a tablespoonpervious along its whole extent. The neck ful of matter with his urine. of the bladder, prostate gland, and rectum, 27. The urine he passes is clear. were surrounded by a quantity of condensed 28. Passed rather better than half a pint and not very vascular tissue, of a yellowillh of clear urine this morning. He occasionand almost cartilaginous hardness. ally passes a little matter with the urine colour, that passes through the fistulous opening. On the 3rd of March he became affected ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL, with a troublesome cough ; the abdomen tender on became all over the 5th ; on the CHOREA. 7th the legs and feet became oedematous ; MARIA H.USILL. aged 16, a patient of Dr. and on the 8th he died.
at
communicated
Seymour’s. After-death Appearances. Nov. 8. She has had what she calls General oedema, particularly visible in Witus’s dance, for upwards of two mouth.. the face, abdomen, and lower extremities. Her general aspect indicates a deranged
The cellular tissue of the scrotum much state of constitution, and it appears that the distended with fluid. catamenial secretion has been absent for five months. The pulse ia natural, and the Head, not examined. Chest.—A large quantity of clear serous tongue is very red. She was ordered to fluid in the cavity of the pleura, causing have a shower-bath every morning, and to compression and consotidation of the sub- have a senna draught at the same time. stance of the lungs. which were, in other whilst the following medicine was to be respects, healthy. Pericardium contained taken twice daily,two or three ounces of serous fluid. Heart Steel wine; 1 drachm ; natural. Aloe trine, 1 drachm ; Green mint-water, 10drachms. To have Abdomen.—Cavity of the peritonenm dis. tended with serum; intestines remarkably ordinary diet, without vegetables. 15. o beadach; bowels quite open. To pale; liver rather large and pale, otherwise left kidney large and pale, the, teane off her medicines and to take instead cortical substance seemed broken up and , Myrrh and aloes pill, 10 grains, every mixed with the tubular structure; on tbe other night. surface projected a cyst, which also lay Compoud steel mixture, 1 ounce, twice imbedded in the substance of this organ.! daily. On opening the cyst it was found to contain Dec. 2. The abdomen appears full, but ia a substance resembling the melt of a fish. soft on pressure. The bath was umitttd io The right kidney was rather larger and consequence of its being the period for the paler than natural. Left ureter rather menstrual return, though nothing beyond a dilated ; right ureter natural. The bladder slight tinge of the lioen is perceptible. wu thick and muscular, fibres strong. Begrains of calomel were ordered to be tween the fundus of the bladder anteriorly, taken at tiedtime, and a senna draught early and the front of the rectum posteriorly, was moramg.
healthy;
I i ,
Three to-morrow