The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-21 00:00:00

STRANGULATION.

SHAMEFUL CONDUCT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANTS.—
On Wedneseay afternoon, at one o'clock, en inquest
was held before Mr. Gell, at the Prince of Orange.
Palmer's-village, Tothill-fields, Westminster, on the
body of Joseph Saiellie, aged 26. It appeared from the
evidence that for the last week the deceased had been
effected with the tooth-ache, and on Tuesday night he
retired to bed at au early hour, having first wrapped a
fl innel petticoat round his head, the strings of which he
tied loosely round his neck. His brother, who slept in
the same bed with him, returned home about a quarter
before eleven, and shortly after he had got into bed the
deceased commenced coughing violently, which sud-
denly stopped, and, on the brother putting his hand
round the deceased's neck, he found the strings of the
petticoat so tight that he could not pass his finger under
them. The brother then knocked for assistance, when
his mother came into the room with a lighted candle,
but was forced to leave again for the purpose of getting
another light, the wind from the door having blown out
the first. During this interval the brother slipped off one
string from the deceased's neck, and broke the other by
main force. Tice brother then dressed himself, went to
Mr. Paynter's, surgeon, Broadway, Westminster, and
was answered from the window. Mr. Paynter's assistant
then came to the door, and, on being informed of the
occurrence, told the brother to wait. The assistant
went up-stairs, and shortly returned, saying, " No one
*as at home, and that he had better go to Mr. Davis's
further on." The brother went as directed, and on
telling the assistant; to Mr. Davis the nature of
then
case, and that it was one of life and death, the latter
replied, " Oh ! let him lie still for two or three hours,
and we'll bleed him in :he morning, as there is
no
us:,
in going at present." The brother returned home and
foand the deceased still alive. A messenger was again
sent to Mr. Davis, who was seen by the person sent,
and who accompanied him to the residence of the
deceased, who had expired before his arrival. Mr.
Davis said he received no intelligence of the occurrence
from his assistant the first time the person called ; had
he known of it at that time he had no doubt he could
have saved the deceased's life. The Coroner hoped
that in future medical assistants would not take too
much upon themselves, but inform their employers of
all cases of urgency. After some deliberation the Jury
returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally
strangled ; and beg to add that, in their opinion, the
conduct of Mr. Paynter's assistant in particular was
highly reprebevisible, and deserving of the severest
censure."

On Wedneiday evening, about seven or eight
o'clock, the following fatal accident occurred to a young
man, named George Wighton, aged twenty years, Who was drowned while bathing off Battersea. It appears that
Wighton, accompanied by a friend, named Chapman,
agreed to go and have a bathe, and after being in the wa-
ter some time Wighton got out of his depth, and not being
a swimmer he sunk before any assistance could come.
Mr. Chapman, in endeavouring to save his friend from a
watery grave, had a very narrow escape from drowning
himself.
The Duke of Wellington left Apslev House,
on Wednesday, for Walmer Castle, where his brace will
remain until the Ist of November,