Illustrated life and career of William Palmer of Rugeley : containing details of his conduct as schoolboy ... with original letters of William and Anne Palmer and other authentic documents ... / [William Palmer].

  • Palmer, William, 1824-1856.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Illustrated life and career of William Palmer of Rugeley : containing details of his conduct as schoolboy ... with original letters of William and Anne Palmer and other authentic documents ... / [William Palmer]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    anything to do with the dispensing of medicines. The medicines are now dispensed by the pupils, there being no paid officer for that purpose; but at that time there was •undoubtedly a rule passed, which as far as we can learn, was for the purpose of keeping Palmer out of the Dispensary. It is somewhat singular, that, immediately after Palmer left the Infirmnry, a gentleman (now in India) of the name of William Palmer, was elected to the office of dispenser. Palmer does not seem to have been either liked or respected at Stafford. It is generally said that he was “ advised” to leave the place. It was at this period of Palmer’s life that he was concerned in what people at the time con- sidered to be a medical student’s lark, but which was accompanied by such serious results, that Palmer had a narrow escape of proceedings being taken against him—we allude to the death of a man named Abley. Concerning this there are two accounts, and we give them both, because, although the first mentioned is not the most reliable, it is the most generally received. • One day in the spring of 1846, Palmer invited Abley to the Lamb and Flag, and there gave him brandy and water; ordering the landlady to give him eight pennyworth each time instead of four pennyworth, as the man supposed. lie became very intoxicated, and refused to drink any more; but, 'Palmer offering him half a sovereign to drink another, he tossed it off— vomited directly—staggered out, and died in the stable. At the inquest there was a great deal of talk about Palmer and Abley’s wife, which was undoubtedly untrue. The other and most reliable account is, that a bet was made between William Palmer and another Itugeley man that Abley would drink off two tumblers of brandy. He did it; went out into the stable (it was a cold day) and vomited continual]}', until they, finding him there and so ill, brought him in, and put him to bed—but it was too late, and he died. Abley was a thin, pale mnn, in indifferent health. A post mortem examination W'as made by Mr. Masfen, hut the verdict which was found at the inquest, “ Died from natural causes,” was the only one which, with justice, could have been recorded. It is a singular fact that the foreman of the jury was strongly opposed to this verdict at the time, and that he has ever since been constantly in the habit of expressing his suspicions that Abley was unfairly dealt with. For years past he has not scrupled to state openly that he thought Palmer had poisoned him—a circumstance on which he prides himself not a little at the present time.