The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-06-01 00:00:00

THE OPHTHALMIC INSTITUTION.

RETRACT FROM A LETTER TO THE LORD VISCOUNT
PALDIERsTON. SECRETARY AT WAR, &v. &c.
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE OPHTH A LIM INSTITU-
TION. FOR THE CURE OF CHELSEA PENSIONERS.
NV JOHN VETCH, PHYSICIAN 10
VIC FORCES, &C.

MY LORD—In consequence of your Lordship having
successfully resisted the inquiry inward fur by Mr. Grant,
on Tuesday last, respecting the isisi ii talon of a new and ex-
piniveistablishment for the Ophthalmic Invalids of Chelsea
Hospital, and the employment aim individual for its superin-
tendence whul:y unconnected with the army, mill whose ap-
pointment can Mout be justified, not merely by his personal
merits, hut by the 'lncapacity of the Medical Officers it the
Ailey, for the duty which your Lordship's patronage has de-
• dyed iipun him-1 am partientai ly celled upon to advert
to the g Is on ninth your Lordship has opposed the pro-
duction of the documents 'novo! for.

" The coutrol which your Lurd►hip has exercised over the
responsible duties of another department having afforded •
fair and open field to Sir William Adams for the trial and
exhibition of his pretensions le new and sopericir modes •,f
treatment, it was most mum:illy to be expected, that your
Lordship, in justification of such • decision, would burr
granted the most open and satisfactory proofs both of his
success, and of the failure of those practitioners who had
been formerly employed.
" When however the moment has arrived for Ibis investi.
galion, we are informed by your Lordship, that the Bewails
made by the two Boards specially appointed to observe awl
record the evidence 0,, this subject, having been dictated by
a spirit of professional jealousy and hostile combination
against Sir William Adams, are unfit to he priallie,etand
that your Lordship's own testimony, soil the staieincist
giveu by Si, William Adams himself, rs oder Griller cvolence
not only unnecessary, but inadmissible. Os aorh roofs
your Lordship has thought fit to authorise a liberal remit.
iteration to the individual iu question for his rofanfory arr.
tits, with the additional hoiden on the public of • new and
extensive establi►hmeut.

" Whatever impression suds widened and such allegations
against some respectable members of • useful profession
may have made at the time on your Lordship's immelhaie
hearers, ram they, as well as the public at large, will ac-
quiesce in the necessity of further inquiry when they, for a
moment, consitli r the improbability of a combination aiming
such Men to destroy the fair repatation of any individnal ;
and when they reflect on the glaring partiality of entirely
`withholding the reports of those Gentimnen, whom your
Lordship stigmar Mrs wills so serious.' charge. 'thy formalism
of two distinct Boards 'domed intended by your Lordt•hip to
prevent the puaribil is y orally unfairnuss towards Sir William
Adams, each having made its reports without ally commu-
sticatiou with the other; the reports of one tieing made to
the Commissioners of Clielreit Hospital, of whom your

Lordship is one; the outer reporting iiiimedirtely to your
Lordship, as Secretary at Woo..
" N'hile the prof. 110j.111 in gennvil are accuvril of en.
teetaisiing a jcalinis rictus( towards the i.‘ippo‘ed of
Sir William A.t.ims, yon. Lordship 11.14 at the same limn
declared that his pretesisions to a urn and seweessful mode
of treating the second stage of Egyptians Ophthalmia, ale
so fully • stablislied by the testimouy already g.veu by S.,
"teary Halfurd, Dr. faillie, Sir Eirciaid Home, Messrs.
Cline, Cooper, and Aliernetliy, as to rrnd.r all further in.
quiry supes goons ; bat so far are these gentlemen from bear-
ing your Lordship out in (his diclaraticn, that mit one of
them attributes to Sir Witham Adams the meat of such a
discoves y. It is no longer a question that Sir William Adams
was taught she koovrledge ut Ibis stage u the dinease, and its
treatment by excision, by the late Mr. Saunders; in 'r-
hino for instruction so liberally given on Ana and other oc-
casions, be sought. by substitatiog a knife in place of the
Scissors sued by sk. Saunders, in appeopriate to himself
the whole merit of the discovery. The change of the instrn-
meat was, even if successful, of very infirm,- motnent ; and,
notiutuaately for such pretensions. has, after a trial touch
too lung and perseveringly adhered to, been found In he vo
otijectionahle, as at length to have been laid aside in lilacs
tree 'wen by Sir William Adams.

( To ihrentfamed.)