The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-26 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 26, 1825.

F. GEORGE'S- HOSPITAL.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.—A very important in-
quiry took place yesterday, at the Triumphant Chariot public-
house, Pembroke-mews, Grosvenor-place, before Mr. lila :Is,
the Coroner for Westminster, concerning the death of John
Hammond, who died in Saint George's Hospital, and whose
death was attributed partly to improper surgical treatment, and
partly to neglect. The Jdry assembled early in the afternoon,
and after hearing several witnesses, they adjourned the inquiry
till 9 o'clock last night, for the purpose of hearing further evi-
dence. The deceased was servant to Mr. Bailey, of Old Brent-
ford ; he was a fine healthy man, only 21 years of age. On the
15th June he was in the garden, and accidentally slipped down,
and fell upon some rubbish, and the side of his right knee was
cut with a broken glass bottle. He was taken to a surgeon,
who recommended his removal to an Hospital. He was in-
stantly conveyed to St. George's Hospital, and thin the wound
was dressed by Mr. Pitman, the house-am:fawn, .aaid a bandage
was put round his knee.. It is supposed that some particles of
broken glass were left in the wound. Mr. Pitman stated, that
an artery was cut, and he took -it up previous to his putting on
the bandage, and that he applied leeches to the knee ; but
upon a strict examination by the Jury, he admitted that he
had made a mistake, for no leeches were applied. By other
evidence it appeared, that on Thursday the 16th of June, the
day after the young man entered the Ilosuital, he complain-
ed of most excruciating pain in his knee, arising from inflam-
mation. The bandage was very tight, and the flesh on each
side much swollen. Notwithstanding his complaint the
bandage was not removed till the Sundays fallowing, and
then it was done at his very urgent request. The moment
the bandage was removed, he stated that he experienced
immediate relief. It was then found that though the ex-
ternal wound had closed and healed, matter hod former'.
and burrowcd underneath ; a suppuration took place, and,
in a short time, the discharge was so great as to reduce his
system, and to make his case hopeless. It also appeared
that there was a want af 'attention on the part of the nurses
in the Hespital, excepting a night-nurse, who was very
kind to the deceased; that his I,,ce was nut washed, nor
his linen or bed clothes changed for the six weeks that he lay
ill. It further appeared, that a short time before he died, an
old man, a fellow patient,' had died in the next bed, and that
as soon as the corpse was carried away, the young man was
removed to the same bed, or placed between the same sheets,
in which he also expired. One of the witnesses said that the
deceased complained of want of food, that he had nothing to
eat on one particular day. from nine o'clock in the morning till
four o'clock in -the afternoon, and owing to his not being
cleaned, he was- so offensive that the witness could not remain
in the place.
Mr. Jeffreys, surgeon, whose duty it was to attend the de-
ceased, said, he-saw the young man on the Thursday, the day
after he entered the Hospital. His knee was then bandaged ;
witness did not examine the wound ; he saw it was properly
banaaged ; he saw the knee on the Sunday following.
Juror—The bandage was on the knee from the time the de-
ceased entered the Ilospital, on the Wednesday, till the Sunday
following, and I ask you, if, in your opinion, that was not im-
proper treatment 7_

Pitman—No, that is my mode of treatment.
Juror—That .may he your mode; but the question is, was
that a proper mode of treatment ?
Mr. Pitman—l say it was a proper mode of treatment, and
the bandaging the leg did not produce the swelling and pain.—
Several witnesses who had -visit:.(l the deceased hi the Hospital,
were examined, and Mr. Jeffreys was examined by the Jury as
follows:

Juror—lt appears that the deceased complained of great pain
on the day after the bandage was put round his knee, in your
opinion ought not the bandage to have been taken off, and
leeches, or a lotion, or a fomentation have been applied ?
Witness—The wound caused the swelling, and not the
bandage.
Juror—l am of opinion that. owing to the surgeon's neglect-
ing this young man, and not taking off the bandage in proper
time, the wound healed up, and produced that mischief which
terminated in his death.

Coroner—You must form your opinion from the evidence of
the medical men. Did the bandaging the knee cause the death
of the deceased ?

Witness—lt did not, in any way, produce that event.
Juror—Suppose there were bits of glass remaining_ in the
wound, ought it not to have been kept open, and notbandaged
up for four or five days and nights, without any one examining
it ?—I am of opinion that when this unfortunate young man
complained day after day of pain, which was caused by inflam-
mation, that some medical man belonging to the establishment
ought to have given himself the trouble to have examined the
wound. I think there was gross neglect manifested by the Sur-
geons of the Hospital. .
Mr. Bailey, the master of the deceased, a gentleman of great,
respectability, said that he was disgusted with the treatment
that his servant and other patients received in the Hospital. He
understood the regulations at other public hospitals, were very
different. , .
The Coroner observed that he had heard so before, and was
sorry for it, because he knew the Directors of the Institution
would not permit it if they were acquainted with it:
Juror—Then such mismanagement and improper surgical
treatment ought to be made public.
Juror—l give my opinion that this young man died by gross
neglect and improper surgical treatment.
Coroner-1 do not think you would be justified in giving
such an opinion; I do not think the law protects a Juror in
giving an opinion of the kind—it may be a libel.
Foreman—l have written on paper my verdict, and not-
withstanding what has been said, am of opinion the death of
the young man was caused by improper treatment.
Coroner—lf that be the opinion of the Jury, we ought to
inquire if the improper treatment was. wilful, and therefore
culpable; but you should deliberate before you decide on, such
a verdict.

Juror—l am of opinion we ought to have two impartial sur-
geons brought before us, and examined, touching the death of
the deceased; I think that persons who are not c ,nnected with
St. George's Hospital will not state upon their oaths that he re•
ceived proper treatment.
Coroner—l do not think you could get surgeons to swear in
contradiction to the evidence of the Hospital surgeons; they
would not fly in the face of that Institution.
Juror—l have no doubt theie are surgeons who would swear
conscientiously, and I do not think that any surgeon who is not
connected with the Hospital would swear that it was proper--
treatment to suffer a tight bandage to remain on a man's leg for-
-4 or 5 days arid 'nights, while an inflatrunation was going on,
without examining the wound.
The Coroner said, the surgeons had sworn that the treatment
was propee, and the verdict ought not to be against evidenee.--,,
After some further discussion, the Jury returned the following
verdict :—The deceased received a cut in the knee by an acci-
dent, and from the effects of improper surgical treatment and
neglect, his death was produced.
The vbrdict being returned, a Juror observed, that the cut
was only two inches long, and that lie did not believe any ar-
tery was cut in the knee of the deceased, as had been stated by
Mr. Pitman, the surgeon.
Mr. .11ailev, the master of the deceased. was of the same
opinion, and said that the wound should be examined by a
person competent to speak to the question.

Iu the cout-se, of last Aviog.4l-tnan lost his NIP
on the Clyde, under very Melancholy circumstances. He dashed
into the river without.taking off his cloths, for the purpose of
saving his own.son, a lad of about VI years of age, who bud
gone in to swim. He dived and sent up the yen-rig man, who
was with great difficulty restored; but he lost his own life, as
he never rose. lie has a wife and seven 'children.

During the exhibition of the fireworks on
Friday evening; at Vauxlialt-gardens, a part of thercombusti-
Wes fell into an old walnut-tree standing -on the premise* of
the Rev; •Francis Moore, the 'minister of Vauxhall-chapel,
which, after smothering till twelve o'clock the next day, at
length broke out into flames, and the tree, together with an
adjoining fowl-house, pig-stye, and ionic paling; was destroyed.
On Therpday se'nnight u-seriout accident hap-
pened to a youk lady, who formed one of the party of ladies-
and gcntleuten that were walking round the dock-yard, Sheer:.
nest, and Viewing• the improvements. They . were going on
board the Hawk, lying in the basin,. when. as one (~f the young.
ladies, was walking on board, the vessel swung; and the end
of the plank coming out of the port-hole, the was precipitated •
into the water with the plank upon her. Before she could- be •
extricated from her perilous situation, the workmen.were obliged
to move some icaffolding and grapple-for her with their hands.
By the exertions of Mr. lieddell, the surgeon, the lady isn'oW
doing well.