Catalogue description Content: Folios 19-35. Letter from James Garthside, District Medical Officer for...

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Details of MH 12/5968/1/13
Reference: MH 12/5968/1/13
Description:
Content: Folios 19-35. Letter from James Garthside, District Medical Officer for Liverpool, of 91 Duke Street, Liverpool to the Poor Law Board, including individual letters of support in answer to letter dated 29 January 1851. Referring to the copy letter of the Medical Relief Committee of Liverpool Parish of the 23 January 1851 and in explanation. He claims the relieving officer's statement is false and he is prepared to prove that if he and [Mary Dixon, of 6 Colquitt Street, Liverpool] family are examined before a competent party. His claim was made after a long attendance in respect of puerperal fever as set out in Article 182 of the Boards General Order dated 8 December 1847. The opinion of an 'eminent medical practitioner' quoted by the Select Vestry was a hasty remark of a man who knows very little about puerperal fever. After referring to Dr Robert Ferguson, senior Physician to the General Lying-In Hospital, London and his essays on the most important diseases of women and Dr Copeland, of Queen Charlotte Lying-In Hospital, he questions the experience of the members of the medical profession used by the Select Vestry to support their argument and points out that they do not hold the qualifications necessary to hold office for the Parish. He continues that the select vestry and board of guardians are not competent to deal with such matters and advocates the appointment of a Superintendent District Medical Officer appointed by the Poor Law Board to prevent these matters troubling the Poor Law Board in the future. He quoted the recent outbreak of cholera when the Select Vestry and its medical staff were in a state of antagonism, it was seriously urged by some medical officers that they should resign en-mass rather than be subject to non-medical legislators. When power was transferred from them to Doctors Sutherland, Grainger and Duncan everything went harmoniously and although Liverpool suffered severely the medical profession exerted themselves to the utmost, feeling appreciated. Letters of support attached from Richard Formby of 1 February 1851, signed also by Garthside; from W A Duncan, Medical Officer of Health, 2 Cornwallis Street, Liverpool of 7 February 1851 and addressed to Garthside; from Robert Bickersteth, Surgeon to Liverpool Infirmary and Principal Casualty Surgeon in Liverpool of 3 February 1851; from P Macintyre, MD of Liverpool of 4 February 1851; John O'Donnell, MD of 34 Rodney Street, Liverpool of 3 February 1851; and Edward Batty, Senior Surgeon to the Ladies Charity and Lecturer in Midwifery. Paper Number: 8288/1851. Paper Number: 6275/1851. Poor Law Union Number 220. Counties: Lancashire.
Date: 7 Feb 1851
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

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