The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-27 00:00:00

TILE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY E%, ENING, NOVEAIBM, 27, 1866.

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COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

MARLBOROITWI-STREET.

LAW INTELLIGENCE —This Day.

(Sittings in Nisi Prins, before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn
and a Special Jury.)
HUNTER V.'SHAII2-LIBEL.

This was an action by Dr. Robert Hunter for an alleged
libel against the defendant, who is publisher of the Pall-
Mall Gazette, to which the defendant pleaded not guilty ;
and, secondly, that the libel complained of was true in
fact and substance. The libel was published in the
paper in question on the 10th Nov., 1865, and accused
the plaintiff of being a quack in regard to medicine, a
scoundrel as regards morals, an unprincipled person who
extorted money from the fears of his patients, &c.,
Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., Mr. Sergeant Parry, and Mr. H.
Williams, appeared for the plaintiff ; and Mr. Kerslake,
Q.C., and another learned gentleman for the defendant.
From the opening statement of counsel it appeared that
Dr. Hunter obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine at
the medical university of New York, and was also a
licentiate of Canada, which latter degree was con-
ferred by the Governor-General of the province, but not
until the party applying for it could produce the most
satisfactory testimonials as to his professional efficiency.
The plaintiff was son of Dr. James Hunter, who practised in
this country with great success, and who removed to Canada
in 1826, where he practised until 1846. Dr. John Hunter
had three sons, all of whom were educated for the medical
profession. Canada at that time was not the great and
prosperous colony it has since become, and it was thong]: t
advisable that the plaintiff should have the advan-
tage of the medical colleges of the United States of
America, and he availed himself of the colleges of
Geneva in the United States and Now York. When he
entered the latter college it was presided over by Dr. Mott,
whose eminence- and ability were admitted in this country,
and it was well known that the medical colleges of Canada
and New York stood very high, and the curiculum of these
institutions took even a wider range than the colleges in
this country. In 1866 the plaintiff's health became so bad
that he was obliged to travel, and be consulted some of
the most celebrated physicians, but deriving no benefit for
his disease from their treatment, which was of a pul-
monary description, he turned his attention to that
disease, and came to the conclusion that inhalation by the
lungs was the proper mode of treatment instead of that
generally adopted by the introduction of Medicine into the
stomach. The plaintiff was desirous of practising in this
country, and was ready to-pay the fees necessary for that
purpose, but he was refused a diploma unless he subjected
himself to au examination by the College of Physicians. He
would not consent, and advertised himself as a physician of
New York, and commenced receiving patients who were suf-
fering from diseases of the chest. The learned counsel then
entered into the circumstances connected with the charge
made by Mrs. Merrick against the plaintiff of having com-
mitted a criminal assault on her while she was under the
influence of chloroform, and of which he was acquitted by
a jury without calling any witnesses on his behalf. Pend-
ing that trial the Pall Mall Gazette published the libel in
question.
(The case was not concluded when we went to press),l:

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

Mr. John Bancroft, of No. 3, Dorset-cottages, Stewart's
Grove, Brompton, was this morning fined 30s. for being
drunk and unable to control the horse in the gig he was
driving last night. As it was he ran against a trap be-
longing to a tradesman, and greatly injured it.
The Magistrate said it was to be regretted that people
got drunk whilst ont driving ; fatal accidents were usually
the result of such excessive indulgence.