A letter in refutation of the aspersions cast upon the Court of Assistants and individual members of the Royal College of Surgeons / by a physician [John Armstrong], in a late Address.

  • Armstrong, John, 1784-1829.
Date:
1825
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter in refutation of the aspersions cast upon the Court of Assistants and individual members of the Royal College of Surgeons / by a physician [John Armstrong], in a late Address. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    G say, it must be some great and heinous offence, some crying and monstrous evil, that should tempt a respectable physician, one of a profession which rather affects reserve, to fall into such irre¬ gularities as this,—to attack a whole College,— to accuse them of ignorance and incapacity, “ of utter incompetency,”—to. accuse them of misrule from love of gain, and of exacting exorbitant fees for private distribution. That I may not be suspected of exaggeration, I give his own words “ exorbitant fees exacted, the private distribution of the immense funds,” the “ monopolizing by¬ law7,” & c. It is natural to ask, what could have tempted Dr. Armstrong to do this? or what could have in¬ duced him to attack the characters of the teachers of anatomy and surgery, who are so generally respected? In endeavouring to solve this, I was advised to examine the pages of a weekly publi¬ cation, where, in despite of truth, the most re¬ spectable establishments and the most meritorious members of the profession are abused. The con¬ tents of this work incontestibly prove, that Dr. Armstrong was, during th£ last year, one of its chief supporters. In the pages of that publica¬ tion we find him aver, “ that in this age a new sect of men has arisen in the profession. Among this sect I voluntarily place myself as a humble but a firm adherent.” He continues, that “ he will, in the accumulated strength of this age,