The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-29 00:00:00

BRITISH COLLEGE OF HEALTH, .New-
road, London.
A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS

TR ANSPORTATION ! _
TO TILE EDITOR. OF Tin DAILY NEWS,

Sts,—lt appears by the " Medical Times" of the 24th instant that
the whole medical body is in a state of alarm at the conviction of a
medical practitioner in, Cornwall, who has been sentenced to 10
years' trap sportation for administering savine to a young woman
with intent to produce abortion. Every medical man who ad-
ministers a poison now fancies that he stands a chalice of trans-
portation,. If such were really tke case, we do not hesitate
to say that a great boon would be conferred upon society; but
we presume that so long as poisons can be used, or held out
as medicines, in order to prop up the guinea-trade, they will
continue to figure in the pharmacopoeia, and in the chemist's
shop. It is truly lamentable to see even the State lending
itself to the countenance of these deadly poisons, rather than that
the trade of doctors should suffer ; otherwise, why did they not in-
clude at least a dozen other poisons in Lord. Carlisle's Bill about
appear m
re i
s thatsio
n
the sale of arsenic ? Was it because they would not frighten the
patients ?
Revertleg
applicationsatorethtoe beeasmertudnedteor consideration,theecr eof tatitSwoe fuldor
of the sentence passed on Mr. Pascoe, on the ground that the evi-
dence given against him by his brother doctor is not worthy of cre-
dit ! So it is ! This is exactly what we have always said—namely,
that let doctors do what they please, they are accountable to no
one. As to judge and jury, they are mere automatons in the hands
of doctors. And why is all this? Simply because the science of me-
dicine, as it is called, is a jumble of absurdities and contradictions,
having no axed principles ; and which, in the hands of doctors, can
be turned and twisted to suit any emergency.
This conviction will, we trust, enlighten the public on what we
call the "medical liberty of the subject," it will show them the ex-
tent of the power possessed by the man with the diploma in his
pocket. Assuming Pascoe to be innocent (which we do not pretend
to say), here is the liberty of a man taken away on the mere ipso
dixit:of a common country doctor, although tried before a most acute,
learned, and humane judge ; bat himself completely in the hands of
the doctor. Now, we ask, should the liberties of Englishmen be
placed in such jeopardy ? What miserable exhibitions doctors make
of themselves and their calling whenever they come before the courts
of law I In the present case we shall find them calling on the Govern-
ment to annul a sentence because it tends to make them responsible
for the administration of poisons. Most likely Pascoe will be pardoned ;
it would be a pity that the least check should be given to the poison
traffic; the guinea-trade might suffer; some more respectable doc-
tor might be made answerable and sentenced to ten years' trans-
portation, which would be highly. unpleasant. We suppose this
case was brought before the world quite by mistake. Mr. Moorman,
who gave evidence, is catching it right and left from his medical
brethren. In conclusion, we have only to repeat that the crime of
poisoning, and all other misdeeds arising out of it, will not receive a
check until doctors cease from administering poisons as medicines.
So long as they, themselves, are at the very bead and front of the
offenders, all law and justice mast lie prostrate, and the most guilty
party most easily escape.
Why do Hygeists plaim the Medical liberty of the subject? Be-
cauie they do not deal with poisons: If medicine were reduced to
what Hygeists contend it should be, such cases as Pascoe's could not
occur 'unless the patty really acted feloniously. But, as it is, any
doctor may give what poison he pleases, and then say that he gave
it "medicinally." And what law, we fearlessly ask, is there to
touch him ? Surely, the people of England will not much longer
put up with the present order of things, by which the lives of the
people are kept in constant jeopardy, and the law and the judges
brought into contempt. Let a stop be put to the sale of all poisons
by all pharmaceutical chemists ; and 'all doctors, whether diplo-
mated or not, be prevented from prescribing them for diseases ; then,
and then only, will the country be in a safe arid healthy state, not
otherwise. .

We are,' sit, yOur obedient servants,
THE:MEAIBERS•OF THE BRITISH COLLEGE
. ,OF. HEALTH.

April 26, 1852.