The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-07-25 00:00:00

OPHTHALMIC HOSPITAL.

Lord PA I.M EHS 10NInoved a vote of 4,0001. for the
Ophthalmic Hospital. He did not think it necessary to
enter into the medical controversy which bad taken
place on the subject, but as Slr Williams Adams had fur
I years attended the Hospital, be thought a sum of
4,0001. to him as a remuneration would not be consi-
dered too much. He moved the vote accordingly.
Mr. BKNNET said, lie bad nothing to do with the
medical differences on this subject. The question was,
what were the chains of Sir William Adams? They
rested entirely upon the services he had done to the
Hospital. In the year 1513 lie offered his services to the
puldie, stating that be had the means of curing the
pensioners who were afflicted with the Ophthalmia. He
was taken into the service of Hovernment in consequence
of this offer, upon a substantive agreement that his ex.
ertions were to have the effect of reducing the pension
list. The disease was long known in this country,
though it prevailed in an aggravated degree in Egypt.
After noticing the institution of the Ophthalmic Hos-
pital, the Hormarahle Memb►r said, that the mode ob-
d by Sir William Adams was the same as that
which had been observed by Dr. Vetch who was origi-
nally appointed to the Hospital. Sir IV. Adams had no
right to apply the term "invention" to his practice.
Above 2,41110 patients hail been cured by Dr. Vetch. Sir
W. Adams undertook the nianagrnient of the Hospital
upon the pledge that he 'hunk diminish the Pension
List by making the Ophthalmic Pemsioners fit for gar.
risen duty. This be had not done. Out of •100 per-
sons, only one was renJered fit for duty; though un-1
doubtedly many were relieved. The Cowmander•io-
Chief himself thought Sir William was not fit to he
placed at the head of a milit:ry establishment. Indeed
hie own mode of treatment had been abandoned. It
was neither new nor sneconiful I ►ad had. is fact, re-
tarded the en aof the eetnplaint in many eases. But,

PRICE SEVEN PEMCE•

it was to be observed that the Noble L4d bade at the
commencement, published a circular stadpg that the
care of the patients should not interfere with deck pen-
lions. Here, therefore, was an end of the
the
itita'llyn,gtotoo, ptibibenel?eiecxxpepeiblyrariinienei rbutatWdnouiboeintlidblior nbrasAtomeigshti'aufs7r±porog
mrlikkiinerde.ig-
Irldwalaits in o
hear
threat that if they did not comply, their pensioaswould
be Liken away. He believed ell the cares had bees par.-
; but the engagement had been for a complete care,
which should produce a saving. No one doubted that
many had been relieved; but that was not the question.
They had been relieved, not by the practice of Sir IV.
Adams, but that of other persons. He (Sir IV.) claimed
the merit of discovery ; but he had made no discovery
beyond the use of a *knife instead of a pair of millers.
He had decked himself out io the feathers of other peo-
ple. Many reseps tinier his management had been
sent mites cured, merely because they hod been slightly
relfcied. Asa yet this slight relief had been obtained
by the nes of the treatment of Dr. Vetch. Sir William
denied In the Committee that be eves used candle; but
he recommended the use of it ie bas ow, ioatanctiens.
He could net imeremark tbattlee Noble Lord had insti-
tuted an Hospital for Sir W. Adams's practise, against
the wishes of the Commander-ia•Cbief; sad It was not
put down until his Royal Highness had declared Mesa
tension to apply to the proper authorities on thastabject.
His Royal Highness had always slim k 1 elf *e sol—
dier's friend ; and in no instance had he done an, pore
strikingly than in that which be (Mr. B.) had just men-
tioned. The Honourable Member proceeded to (loot*
-different letters from the Commenderon-Chief to the Se-
cretary at War, indicative of his Royal Highness's ada
verse sentiment towards the Opthalmic Rstablishmeot.
He was convinced that the charg:•• of Sir W. Adams
against the Medical Board were not deserved by the
honourable and eminent individuals who compoletLit.
Bet they did not require his defence of them, since the
Duke of York had himself declared on, paper that he
was satisfied the charge of conspiracy against them was.
completely unfoundskand that he felt the highest satis-
faction at their conduct in every transaction they had
been engaged in. (Mr. B.) was willing to allow
every. consistent praise to Sir William Adams for his pro-
tempos) conduct, but when the Noble Lord talked of
his loss of time it should not be put out of sight that
he had been compensated for that by being appointed to
the head of the Ophthalmic Board—an appointment, he
believed worth the value of a Company in the Guards.
He contended that Sir W. Adams had not performed the
terms of the engagement he bad entered into. He had
sot cared the patients be had undertaken to do—be bad
not saved the amount of pension he had spoken of—nor
had he made any discovery. He could not, therefore,
*Mgr these circumstances, consent to the large grant
by the Noble Lord ; and he should conclude
reo":idng to amend the vote from 4,000/. to 2,0001.
• Mr. WILLIAM PEEL observed, that if Sir William
Adams had not succeeded in curing cases which were
seemed incoroble, be had at least devoted a great por.
don of his time in attempting it, and therdoredmerved
a compensation.
Mr. DAWSON regretted that the Hoa. Gentlentan
opposite (Mr. Beene) had followed the course unfortu-
eately pursued in the Corneal/re. viz. making this le
party question heft-let Sir W. Adams and the Army
Medical Board. The House could have no conception
of the ireful manner in which the contest was carried
on in the Committee, in which the Hon. Member (3f?.
Bennet), sod the lion. Member for Tayistock, seemed
rather to act as Counsel or Nominees, than as Judges.
The object of their inquiry was really lost sight of in
the contest. The Hon. Member talked of their keep-
ing back the minutes of evidence. He really did nut
,think that the house could be much assisted from that
book, which contained as many contradictions as there
were pages; nor did he think science would be much
benefitted by the publication of that which was scarcely
' any more than the details of a most virulent dispute.
The real merits of the present question before the home
were very easily pointed out. Sir William Adams, in
the first place, distinctly disclaimed the credit of having
made any discovery in his mode of treating this di
of the eyes. He admitted that he obtained the first idea
of it from Mr. Saunders • but had himself made some
improvement in the mode of treating the third stage of
Opthaltnia, by looking at the lids of the eye instead of
the pupil, and removing what he called granulation's.
This being the case, he offered his services to the Com-
mander-in-Chief, having adopted an improved mode
of treatment, and suggested that an hospital should
be established. To show however that this was not
done merely at the caprice of his Noble Friend, he
need only remind the house and his Honourable
Friend, that it was done upon the high commen-
t dations of a number of medical gentlemen appointed to
report their opinion on the nature and efficacy of his
practice. The opinion these gentlemen gave Jas most
Nattering to Sir Wm. Adams, anti he believed it was no-
thing more than he deserved, considering the surprkiog
cures he performed upon those who bad been given up
as incurable by other medical men. His success in
clearing the Pancras Poor House was also most wonder-
ful and creditable to himself. It was upon these sub-
stantial testimonials of Sir Williim Adams' competency
that I.• had been placed at the head of the Ophthalmic
Hospital His exertions there bad been unremitting anti
successful, and on that rotted alone, the house he was
sure would readily admit that he was entitled to compen-
sation. The medical spirit of controversy of his Hon.
Friend, prevented him from seeing the merits of the case
in a clear point of view. He claimed nothing for disco-
very. but for loss of time and hmar. On that ground
he was sure he was fully entitled to the vote proposed
by his Noble Friend, and is voting for it, he would say,
that he voted for any thing which be thought was
more just.
Air. C. HUTCHINSON said. that the object of the
Committee which had been appointed bad been to in-
quire into the merits of Sir W. Adams, but that his
Hon. Friend (Mr Bennet) had prevailed on the Com-
mittee to admit s third party, which prevented Sir Wil-
, ham Adams from obtaining the great success which he
could not otherwise have missed. The Medical Board
had been most hostile to Sir William Adams's claims.
He (Mr. C. Hutchinson) wa•confitlent that a conspiracy
had been formed against Sir William Adams. He had
been greatly injured by having been
.promoted to the
head of the hospital. His peace of mind had been de-
stroyed by it. The envy and hatred of the medical pro-
fession against one of their number, who became emi-
nently successful, was proverbial. The case of Or. Sy-
&Titoism wasa remarkable issuance.—:Valle imeidiu palls
suctlidaren4 et mendicormna.

Mr. HUMI concurred with the Hon. Gentleman who
had preceded him, in deprecating the introdaction of
party spirit in a discussion of a scientific nature. Set-
ting aside all other considerations, lie opposed the
amount of the proposed compensation as being three
times as much as was gives to a retiring anrgeon, cab
eulating the length of time Sir W. Mains bestowed his
attention. He. however, was almost ready to. vote the
whole money in order to get rid of the subject. Sir