A letter to Sir Henry Halford, Bart., K.C.H., President of the Royal College of Physicians, &c. &c. &c. touching some points of the evidence, and observations of counsel, on a commission of lunacy on Mr. Edward Davies / by G. Man Burrows.

  • Burrows, George Man, 1771-1846.
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to Sir Henry Halford, Bart., K.C.H., President of the Royal College of Physicians, &c. &c. &c. touching some points of the evidence, and observations of counsel, on a commission of lunacy on Mr. Edward Davies / by G. Man Burrows. 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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    the dread lest my evidence, if unirapeached, should have a preponderating influence on the verdict. I might have treated this proceeding with contempt, and without apprehension, had I not this proof that it had made an impression I could never have anticipated : About two months after the first newspaper report (August 15th) of Mr. Davies' case, in which although my name was not mentioned, and the falsities it contained were corrected in the same jour- nal on the following day, yet I received a summons to appear before the Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacy, to answer queries, as it expressed, with regard to the case of Mr. Davies, noticed in the newspaper. If such were the effect of an ex-parte police report on a body composed of gentle- men of rank and education, clothed, too, with a judicial character, is it to be wondered at if the community were misled and prejudiced ? Indeed, such was the bitterness of the party against me, that during the inquiry I was assailed by numerous ano- nymous letters, and as soon as the verdict was delivered, my very life was threatened. These did not cease for many weeks afterwards.* In this excited state of public opinion the commission opened. Although in Mr. Brougham's cross-examination of me the influence of the same party feeling was obvious, yet I was by no means prepared for the attack made upon me in the speech of that talented advocate. I answered every question put to me freely and honestly. Nevertheless, Mr. Brougham persisted in the charges imphed in his previous examination of me. Well knowing that, however confidently asserted, these charges were easily refuted, I waited patiently the reply of Sir Charles Wetherell. Unfortunately, the sudden and unexpected termination of the inquiry precluded him from embracing an opportunity of fully meeting them as he could have done; and the few observations which he did make in * Out of more tlian forty of these letters I select, as a specimen, the following, sent the day after the verdict: Dr. Burrows is cautioned to take care of himself. His consummate villany will be expiated by blood only.—D^^erf Dec. 28.