The letters of Mr. Alexander Fiddes, F.R.C.S., Edin. considered and refuted, his misrepresentations exposed, his calumnies and innuendoes set in the light of truth, his various statements in the press and otherwise weighed in the balance and found wanting / by Lewis Quier Bowerbank ; together with documentary letters and papers, tending to expose a professional conspiracy, and to afford the public in the colonies, and in Great Britain, correct judgment as to the controversy now existing on hospital matters.

Bowerbank, Lewis Q.

Date:: 1865

Credit: The letters of Mr. Alexander Fiddes, F.R.C.S., Edin. considered and refuted, his misrepresentations exposed, his calumnies and innuendoes set in the light of truth, his various statements in the press and otherwise weighed in the balance and found wanting / by Lewis Quier Bowerbank ; together with documentary letters and papers, tending to expose a professional conspiracy, and to afford the public in the colonies, and in Great Britain, correct judgment as to the controversy now existing on hospital matters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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THE DIET AND LIQUOliS. Igt—The diet given to the patients is not at all satisfactory. This, I must say is not the fault of the nurses, ])ut tlio person avIio gives out the diet. The half diet beef is never without bones, and on that account the patients do not receive their due. 2nd—The liquors allowed by the Medical Officers to patient?, are very often not given to them ; sometimes a bottle of porter is sent to each patient who is on ale, and this, often so sour that it can- not be drank. I have often myself to go without my ale. On Thursday, 28th April, a bottle ofullaged ale, about four or five years standing in the store of the institution, was sent down to the new buildings for a patient ; it was immediately returned to the storekeeper, and this officer thought proper to send it to me. I showed it the next day to Dr. Soraerville, and also to Dr. Fiddes, and it was handed over to the dresser, to be thrown, I suppose, iu poultice. GRUEL, TEA, COFFEE, ARROWROOT, AND RICE-WATER. 3ra—The gruel is very dirty, and is not at all sweetened ; the tea, coffee, arrowroot, and rice-water are also to be complained of; no sugar scarcely is put into these articles, which makes them entirely disagreeable to the taste. 4th—Patients complain bitterly of the ragged condition of the clothing belonging to the institution which is given them to wear. The patients, many of them are to be seen walking showing their naked skins out. This is not the fault of the matron, for a quantity of new clothing are already marked, but no orders had been given to distribute them. No. 5. NAMES OF WITNESSES. Henry H. Nelson, Eobert Nelson, Robert Toralinson, William Hobbins, Thomas Richards, Moses Carter, John Grant, James Christian, George Britton, Thomas Gibbin, A. A. Masquitto, Ja?. Leveitch, Samuel Wallen. No. 6. North Street, 2nd May, 1863. Sir, Last Wednesday afternoon I received a note from a patient in the Public Hospital, of the name of Allan A. M'Rae, of the date of the 28th April. I shortly after visited the hospital and saw M'Rae. I enquired if he had written to me complaining of the treatment he and others were receiving ; he replied, he had done so. I then asked him, if he was prepared to make regular charges; he stated he was, if paper, pens and ink were supplied him. I told him he should have these ; at the same time, warning him to be careful not to make any charge against any person which could not be substantiated. I, at the same time, told him and the other patients not to be afraid of

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