Reply by Mr. Quain to a pamphlet entitled The official resignation of the Professorship of Surgery, in University College, London, with observations addressed to the President and Council, by Samuel Cooper, F.R.S., late President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England : with a resolution of the Council of the College respecting Mr. Cooper's statements.

  • Quain, Richard, 1800-1887.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reply by Mr. Quain to a pamphlet entitled The official resignation of the Professorship of Surgery, in University College, London, with observations addressed to the President and Council, by Samuel Cooper, F.R.S., late President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England : with a resolution of the Council of the College respecting Mr. Cooper's statements. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    his independence on these two occasions, Dr. Sharpey and I combined for “ mutual purposes.” And Mr. Liston oppor- tunely dying, the casus foederis I suppose arose; Mr. Syrae was to be elected to succeed the deceased Professor, and Mr. Cooper was to be removed from his Professorship to make way for me. First, as to the recommendation of a successor to Mr. Liston: —Mr. Cooper states that these two gentlemen “ contrived, without any authority, to constitute themselves into a snug little party to decide what Surgeon should be recommended to the Senate and Council for the vacant appointment.”—Page 6. Again, “The two combined Professors undertook the diffi- cult task of inquiring into the qualifications and comparative fitness of all the most distinguished Surgeons in the United Kingdom for the vacant office. And according to their written statement of the result of this impartial investigation, not one appeared so fit as the intimate friend of Dr. Sharpey.” To the word “ statement ” in this passage is appended a note which runs as follows:—“ Recorded in the Minutes of the Senate, but, at the time of its being read, illustrated with very ludicrous additions by Professor Quain.” At page 7 it is said “ At the meeting the Senate held for the reception of the exti’aordinary kind of Report spontaneously concocted by the two Professors,” &c. Respecting these several statements I have to observe that they completely misrepresent the facts. Speaking on this matter, as in all else in those pages, only for myself, I have it in my power, by a very short history, to exhibit all I know of the circumstances. After the death of Mr. Liston, the Medical Professors gene- rally came to the conclusion that the Surgical Staff of the Hospital should be strengthened by the election of a person who already had acquired an established reputation in the profession. I know that this was the opinion formed by the Medical Professors individually ; but Mr. Cooper is so far from