GUY'S AND ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITALS.

GUY'S AND ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITALS.

285 minds of men, are owing to the diversity been made, received, and approved by the of their blood, which furnishes them with Faculty of Medicine, ...

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minds of men, are owing to the diversity been made, received, and approved by the of their blood, which furnishes them with Faculty of Medicine, should be sent to

It appeared subsequently, that the had administered a dose of arsenic 11 he to her husband. This affronted the dignity a man who has received the of the court physician ; a trifiing attempt " that blood of an inferior animal in his veins, be- was made to upset this decision, but the comes dull, and loses his wit, and despoils subject shortly after coming under the conof the Chamber of Deputies, they himself of his proper inclinations, and puts of put on such heavy restrictions, that the This on those of that beast." Lamy’s met with many friends. In Blun- matter became neglected, and, I dell’s Physiological Researches it is said, might add, almost forgotton, till revived by ’ When the blood of one genus of animals Dr. Blundell a few years since. I may is added in small quantities to that of another mention here, that in a paper published in genus, by transfusion, we have reason to the Bibliot. Ilniver., I think, in 1821, by believe, in the present state of our know- Provost and Dumas, entitled, " Examen du ledge, that no dangerous consequences will Sang et de son Action," &c., some remarks ensue." are made on transfusion. Their view of the No subject caused more disputes, or subject differs from Dr. Blundell in this greater animosity at the time than transfu- particular, viz., that the fitness of the blood sion. Men were hired by one party, dressed of one animal to the uses of another of a difgrotesquely with fools’ caps on their heads, ferent species, depends entirely on the forwho mounted stages, and vomited forth all mation of the globules. kinds of abuse on the heads of the unfortuFor instance, if we inject blood with nate Denys, and other physicians who sup- circular globules in the vessels of a bird, ported it. Satirical pamphlets became very whose blood contains globules of an elliptic numerous; among which I may mention shape, the animal ordinarily dies; violent one entitled " L’Ombre d’Apollon, decou- nervous action coming on, which may be vrante les abus, de cette pretendues. Ma- compared to what we observe when active Biere de guerir les Maladies par la Transfu- poisons have been administered. They sion du sang." conclude, that tranfusion on man ought to The wife of a madman requested Denys be condemned as absurd and dangerous, till have a better knowledge of the active to perform the operation of transfusion on her husband, which, being complied with, principles of the blood. JOliN P-E. JOHN the state of the patient, it is said, was P-----E. greatly improved ; a relapse followed, when transfusion was repeated with the like success. Again the madman fell mto his former state, and, at the urgent entreaties of the GUY’SAND ST. THOMAS’SHOSPITALS. wife, Denyswas induced a third time to transfuse a small quantity of blood into the To BENJAMIN HARRISON, Esq. veins of his patient. The result was, that on the following morning the man died, and SIR,—In addressing these few lines to the wife refused to permit the body to be you, permit me to assure you, that I am inspected; and not having the means to actuated byno unworthy motive; defray the expences of a funeral, she walked but a sincere regard for your reputation, the streets of Paris, alms of those and a sense of justice, impels me to trespass she met for that purpose. This soon caused on your attention. For more than a quarter of a century, you, the death of the individual, with the circumstances connected with it, to be noised Sir, as Treasurer, have had the sole direcabioad. The enemies to transfusion had tion of the executive of Guy’s Hospital, and that now a fine field open to their attacks ; they it is only due to you to neglected not this favourable opportunity, on no occasion have you been wanting in and many defamatory libels against the the adoption of any means calculated to adfaculty of medicine folionved. Dfnys insists vance the intetests of the school connected that the woman was bribed to give false with that institution ; so strenuous and unevidence concerning the death of her hus- remitting, indeed, have been your exertions, band; be that as it may, the case came on" that some have had the audacity even to before Monsieur le Lieutenant Criminel imagine, that you participate in the profits in April, 1668, whose sentence was, that arisina from it, a supposition which, wheany person performing the operation of ther founded in trutli or not, it is not my transfusion, without the proposition having present purpose to inquire ; though I may remark, that it is probably owing to the ’ Lettre ecrite a Mons. Moreau, par G. nature of the government of Guy’s Lamy, A.11. en l’Université de Pana, 1667. Hospital, as it at present exists, that such

understanding more or less proper to perception, and facility of I conclude," quiring knowledge." clearness of

the

prison.

uc-

woman

adds,

opinion

sideration

gradually

we

nothing

requesting

acknowledge,

peculiar

286 an

idea should hare obtained currency; fOJ left, you will

readily

understand how dif.

be under the direction ficult it is to abstain from prejudice in favour sixty Governors, it is notorious that of one or the other. "the scriptures, too, you, as Treasurer, Dominate those Govern- ’tell us, that a man cannot serve two mas. ors, and that, from the first moment of your ters : °° You cannot serve God and Mam. taking the office up to the present, you have mon ;" and 1 take the liberty of telling you, exercised the most absolute and irresponsi- that you cannot, even giving you creditfor ble control over the funds and officers 01 the purest intentions, fulfil your duty im. the establishment ; and I sincerely believe, partially, towards the opponent schools of that one of the highest objects of your am. St. Thomas’s and Guy’s Hospitals. The line bition, with which, perchance, some feeling of conduct which, being so situated, you of interest may mingle, is to advance the ought to pursue, appears to me to be so clear. school of Guy’s Hospital beyond every ly marked out, that I can only account for other in this metropolis. Now, Sir, I am your not having adopted it, by believingtbat willingto admit that such a feeling is laud- you still continue to intermeddle with the able, provided, in the endeavour to attain affairs of St. Thomas’s, in the hope of lessen. your object, there be no violation of any ing the prosperity of its school through the duty owed to any similar institution. It is paltry means of harassing its officers bv a peculiarity in the will of Mr. Guy, that vexatious legislation, and thus endeavour. the nominal governors of his Hospital should ing to afford an indirect occasion for triumph be chosen from amongst the governors of to that of Guy’s, with which you are so St. Thomas’s, and, thei efore, even you, the nearly and dearly allied. Anxious, then, to despotic ruler of Guy’s, were necessarily a rescue your fair fame from the sligliteit governor of St. Thomas’s before you could breathing of suspicion, I cannot take leave fill the regal chair of Guy’s. You are still of you without suggesting the propriety a governor of St. Thomas’s, and not only a of yourself and brother (in case you cannot governor, but yourself and brother are mem- absolve yourselves from your office of go. bers of the Committee of St. Thomas’s as vernors of St. Thomas’s altogether) with. well; not merely members, but active, very drawing yourselves from taking any part in active, in your interference in every ques- the direction of that institution for the fu. tion involving the prosperity of the Hospi- ture. I have the honour to be, Sir, tal, or the interests of the school connected Your obedient servant, with it ! So long, Sir, as the two Hospitals of St. SCRUTATOR) Thomas and Guy were united, no great obP.S. Should the advice I have thoughtit jection could, perhaps, be fairly made to my duty to offer to you, not be followed, I the governors of the latter interfering with shall have the honour of addressing you the management of the former. The rela- more at large on the subject. tive, position, however, of the two Hospitals has, within the last five years, been entirely changed; they are no longer united ; nay, more, they are, in consequence of their seST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL. parate schools, in direct opposition to each other, and whatever tends to advance the success of one, must necessarily diminish DROPSY OF THE RIGHT OVARY. the prosperity of the other. SARAH KLLLY, 38 years of ege, awoman You, Sir, who have so often been known to declare, that the success of Guy’s school of emaciated appearance and sallow com is dear to you as the apple of your eye,-I plexion, was admitted into Dorcas Ilard, say you, Sir, by this disunion of the two No. 11, on the ,i0th of April. Is married, Hospitals, must have found yourself placed and has had eight children, states that about in a peculiarly delicate position, filling, as ten months ago, soon after confinementfor you do, the anomalous situations ot sole di- her last child, she first perceived a smail rector of the destinies of your own darling sweliing on the right iliac region, about the bantling, and member of the Committee size of an orange, which did not cause ber for the management of its opponent! Here, much inconvenience until about seven -then, I must confess my surprise, that it months Eince, when it became painfulou .never suggested itself to your delicacy, pressure, especially low down on the left your honour, or your honesty, that it was side, which was harder than at any other out of the ordinary course of Nature to sup- part. The swelling has been gradually inpose, that, thus situated, you could admi- creasing in size ever since, and now occupies nister equal justice to both. 1 do not know nearly the whole of the abdomen. Fluctuawhether you may chance to be a chess tion IS very evident, but the fluid is appa player, but if you are, and have ever at- rently contained in separate cysts, as there

though professing of

tempted

to

to

play the right

hand

against

the

are

slight

-elevations

at seme

parts, espe.