Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-08
The Burdell Baby.

Ii Is reported that DR.. Uhl will be proceeded
against in the Academy of Medicine, at its next
regular meeting, for unprofessiona. conduct In
the baby affair. DIR. Uhl is a member of the fac
uity in "good and regular Standing He has
long been before the New York public, and his
professional honor is no less distinguished in
medical circles than is his honesty as a man. But
when he graduated, doubtless he swore the Hyp-
pOcratic oath-the oath which bound him solemn
ly not to divulge the secrets contided to him By
his patients, except under the most stringent de-
mands Of justice. Whether he has violated that
oath in this case is the question One party, and
they are OF the strictest Sect who hold the code
OF medical ethics TO be Of equally binding force
with the Ten Cominandments-who think for
instance, that for physician to correct an error
or make any statement over his own name fn any
other newspaper than an exclusively medical one
is Il vile quackery. worthy of the severest denun-
ciation-holds that the doctor has violated the
CODE AM; ana should suffer the penalty of an exPul-
that not one out OF twenty honest men would have
been honest enough to do as DR.. Uhl did He
deserves a service Of plate handsome testirno-
NAL, general token Of appreciation and approval
from honest men In general, and his medical
brethren In particular. His betrayal Of Mrs Cum
nnghan was 4 thing which no professional oath
objected to; for, though like the priest, who may
not divUlge the secrets OF the confessional the
physician must hold his patients' secrets sacred
unlike the priest, whose superior must I've in the
place OF conscience TO him, the physician has
Uo SuptIiot 10 WnOtl he can look Tor aDSOlIIflO
II he wounds truth and cheats Justice by loo king
In his own breast 4 secret which the patient had
no business to make him Il confidant in This
party add that, If the doctor was justified In i'm.
parting his patients secret to the prosecuting
officer, he was only doing unpleasant duty
when he consented to make the intended felony
as apparent to the world il was TO his own
mind and so, in his completely with the District
Attorney, he only did what particularly upr 10 bit
man, or great villain, would even consent to do
The New York Times adds the following item
TO this remar kable and complicated case;
In conversation with Mrs Fry the natron of
Bellevue Hospital, she informs us that five or six
weeks since, gentleman applied to her fo7 a
new born, unwashed child, stating that he de-
sired 1t for widow. and that the child would
become heir to a large estate. The gentleman
after further conversation with Mrs Fry and
having pledged her to strict secrecy. disc losed
the fact that the widow in question was Mrs
Cunningham; that he was friend Of hers and
thought she had been badly used The PROPOSE
ton was declined.
Mrs. Cunningham, just before going into labor.
ate heartily OF cucumDers. as to really get IN
severe pains, on the principle of the Frenchmal
In Fist Night" pinchin, his daughter when
at rehearsal she was to give an exclamation But
she seems to have overshot the mark and has
really been very unwell, with choleraic symp-
toms. The dodge undoubtedly was in the first
place to be genuine in her groans and in the mex,
place, to satisfy physicians, if called in that her
- dragging pains were really felt
The people residing in the immediate vicinity
OF 81 Bond street complain that their p.operty
has been deprecated in value by Mrs. Cunnino
hams presence and conduct.