- Email: [email protected]
NOTE FROM DR. MAYO.
284 DR. SERNY AND DR. MAYO.
NOTE FROM DR. MAYO.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR:—You will, I am sure, allow this SIR:-I shall feel greatly obliged by your letter to find an early place in your columns. allowing the following facts to appear in In the report in THE LANCET, of a statement your valuable and widely-circulated hebdo- made by me at the Medico-Chirurgical So-
madary.
ciety, April 13, the following expressions meeting of the Royal Medical and occur, relative to the treatment adopted by Chirnrgical Society, on the 13th of April, Dr. Seruy, the successor of Dr. Harrison, in andl reported in your Journal, Dr. Mayo the management of a spinal case, there derelated a case of a paralytic lady, wherein scribed by me :- Dr. Mayo now lost sight my name is mentioned, and the result of my of the case, as he did not sanction the pro. practice is somewhat mis-related. It is ceedings adopted." neither necessary nor my wish to defend the Now, your general report of my speech on views and opinions I gave of the case, or the that occasion is so accurate, that I am more practice of my lamented friend, Dr. Harri- disposed to think myself than your reporter son, whose peculiar mode of treatment I to blame in regard to that passage. Such as witnessed for several years as his colleague it is, however, it conveys a disapprobation in a large field of experience, and I have which I did not mean to express. Myatten. continued to devote all the zeal and energies tions were at that time given to the general in my power to his principles of treating health of the patient ; my opinion, in regard spinal affections, and enlisting every im- to the effect of the spinal treatment, was provement suggested by the experience of undecided. other practitioners, as well as my own, for With respect to the subsequent treatment accelerating the cure of these distressing of this patient, in the interval which occurred At the
cases.
I had no idea until now, that Dr. Mayo did not sanction the proceedings adopted by me in the case of Mrs. S., a5 he prescribed medically for her during the months I attended her in London, about three years ago. I I must, however, beg leave to state that the extensive sinuses near the ilium were not, as implied, the effect of my instruments, as no pressure was made beyond that of a fine folded table-cloth, or fine sheet, but the usual consequence of pressure from a longcontinued horizontal position, in very debilitated or paralytic patients, particularly when the varying the position and the other duties of an experienced nurse are neglected, which,I regret to say, occurred in Mrs. S.’s case, when my rubber, Mrs. H., ceased to attend her. The sinuses not having yet healed, according to Dr. Mayo’s statement, would tend to confirm them to be the result of the affection rather than the effect of my treatment. Sinuses seldom occur in my practice, and still more seldom do they resist my remedial I much regret means for their speedy cure. that I failed to obtain the concurrence of so accomplished and talented a physician as Dr. Mayo, in the case of Mrs. S. I have now, however, the satisfaction to know, that Dr. Mayo is, like many others, at last, a convert to Harrisonian practice, by his having lately selected me to attend his own child, who will surely be cured, if I may judge from similar cases upon record. I have the honour to remain, Sir, your very obedient
servant, JOIIN B. SERNY, M.D. JOHN
24, HolIes-street, April 28, 1841.
between thediscontinuanceof my attendance and its resumption, sinuses certainly had occurred near the ilium, and the health had deteriorated. But I had no intention of im. puting this to the treatment pursued by Dr. Serny. It has occurred to me to witness or to know of many cases successfully treated upon his plan; and I am unwilling to let any expressions, which I may have appeared to drop, give it a character, as far as mytes. timony is concerned, less favourable than it deserves. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS MAYO.
56, Wimpole-street,
May 11, 1841. VALUE OF THE LICENCE OF
THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. To the Editor- of TilE LANCET. SIR :-If the physicians, not members of the London college, who are at present in practice in England, should be induced to join the London college,by the payment ofa fee, what benefit do they gain? The College of Physicians would collect an immense sum, a capital of many thousands, by the voluntary surrender of the physicians ; but would the interests of the latter be increased? If the physicians refuse the honour of a licence, can the college or even the Legislature deprive them of their practice, the public confidence, their hospital appointments, their station in the world ? Then the college, after all, is only going to speculate on the pockets of those who are independent of
NOTE FROM DR. MAYO.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR:—You will, I am sure, allow this SIR:-I shall feel greatly obliged by your letter to find an early place in your columns. allowing the following facts to appear in In the report in THE LANCET, of a statement your valuable and widely-circulated hebdo- made by me at the Medico-Chirurgical So-
madary.
ciety, April 13, the following expressions meeting of the Royal Medical and occur, relative to the treatment adopted by Chirnrgical Society, on the 13th of April, Dr. Seruy, the successor of Dr. Harrison, in andl reported in your Journal, Dr. Mayo the management of a spinal case, there derelated a case of a paralytic lady, wherein scribed by me :- Dr. Mayo now lost sight my name is mentioned, and the result of my of the case, as he did not sanction the pro. practice is somewhat mis-related. It is ceedings adopted." neither necessary nor my wish to defend the Now, your general report of my speech on views and opinions I gave of the case, or the that occasion is so accurate, that I am more practice of my lamented friend, Dr. Harri- disposed to think myself than your reporter son, whose peculiar mode of treatment I to blame in regard to that passage. Such as witnessed for several years as his colleague it is, however, it conveys a disapprobation in a large field of experience, and I have which I did not mean to express. Myatten. continued to devote all the zeal and energies tions were at that time given to the general in my power to his principles of treating health of the patient ; my opinion, in regard spinal affections, and enlisting every im- to the effect of the spinal treatment, was provement suggested by the experience of undecided. other practitioners, as well as my own, for With respect to the subsequent treatment accelerating the cure of these distressing of this patient, in the interval which occurred At the
cases.
I had no idea until now, that Dr. Mayo did not sanction the proceedings adopted by me in the case of Mrs. S., a5 he prescribed medically for her during the months I attended her in London, about three years ago. I I must, however, beg leave to state that the extensive sinuses near the ilium were not, as implied, the effect of my instruments, as no pressure was made beyond that of a fine folded table-cloth, or fine sheet, but the usual consequence of pressure from a longcontinued horizontal position, in very debilitated or paralytic patients, particularly when the varying the position and the other duties of an experienced nurse are neglected, which,I regret to say, occurred in Mrs. S.’s case, when my rubber, Mrs. H., ceased to attend her. The sinuses not having yet healed, according to Dr. Mayo’s statement, would tend to confirm them to be the result of the affection rather than the effect of my treatment. Sinuses seldom occur in my practice, and still more seldom do they resist my remedial I much regret means for their speedy cure. that I failed to obtain the concurrence of so accomplished and talented a physician as Dr. Mayo, in the case of Mrs. S. I have now, however, the satisfaction to know, that Dr. Mayo is, like many others, at last, a convert to Harrisonian practice, by his having lately selected me to attend his own child, who will surely be cured, if I may judge from similar cases upon record. I have the honour to remain, Sir, your very obedient
servant, JOIIN B. SERNY, M.D. JOHN
24, HolIes-street, April 28, 1841.
between thediscontinuanceof my attendance and its resumption, sinuses certainly had occurred near the ilium, and the health had deteriorated. But I had no intention of im. puting this to the treatment pursued by Dr. Serny. It has occurred to me to witness or to know of many cases successfully treated upon his plan; and I am unwilling to let any expressions, which I may have appeared to drop, give it a character, as far as mytes. timony is concerned, less favourable than it deserves. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS MAYO.
56, Wimpole-street,
May 11, 1841. VALUE OF THE LICENCE OF
THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. To the Editor- of TilE LANCET. SIR :-If the physicians, not members of the London college, who are at present in practice in England, should be induced to join the London college,by the payment ofa fee, what benefit do they gain? The College of Physicians would collect an immense sum, a capital of many thousands, by the voluntary surrender of the physicians ; but would the interests of the latter be increased? If the physicians refuse the honour of a licence, can the college or even the Legislature deprive them of their practice, the public confidence, their hospital appointments, their station in the world ? Then the college, after all, is only going to speculate on the pockets of those who are independent of