Verdict of coroners' juries : the case of the late Mr. Cordwell / by P. F. Curie.

  • Paul Curie
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Verdict of coroners' juries : the case of the late Mr. Cordwell / by P. F. Curie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    preferred Dr. Curie, it would be desirable not to dis- turb bis death-bed bj persisting in their attendance ; while at the same time it would be more just to them- selves, that Dr. Curie, who had attended the case thus far and was well acquainted with its history, while they were ignorant of it, should now take the respon- sibility of attending it to its close. Under any circumstances, moreover, it is important to bear in mind that Dr. Roots, in stating that “there was no hope whatever” could only intend to convey that there was no hope from the administration of any remedies with which he was cognizant. Some centuries back, a physician, unacquainted with the action of ]\Iercury in cases of syphilitic disorder, might have stated conscientiously in a severe case of that descrip- tion, that “ there was no hope whatever,” and this be- cause he had never treated such cases as they are now universally treated, Homoeopathically, that is to say, by the use of Mercury. In like manner it was once cus- tomary for physicians to express a belief that it was impossible to prevent the spread of the small-pox— because here they were also ignorant that, by the use of Homoeopathic means, namely. Vaccination, the object might be effected. With these examples before them, of course neither Dr. Roots nor Mr. Headland would venture to state it to be impossible that means might exist with which they were unacquainted, for restoring Mr. Cordwell, and that these means, if tried, might not improbably prove to be Homoeopathic. Having thus shown that it cannot fairly be inferred
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