Some Plymouth Worthies (Part 2) *

West of England Medical Journal Volume 105(ii) June 1990 Some Plymouth Worthies (Part 2) * Michael MS FRCS Reilly exceptions, was only awarded after examination. Hammick Emeritus Consultant Surgeon, Plymouth subsequently became an examiner in surgery for the of London and an member of its Senate. the end of the 18th and its close University original By century Plymouth In 1824 there was an in of Stonehouse and as the alarming epidemic Plymouth neighbours, Devonport?'Dock', what was labelled Disease'. It was characterised latter was then called?still merited the local name of 'The 'Dockyard by erysipelas and lymphangitis. We would now think that it Three Towns'. They were separated by long sea inlets and was streptococcal in origin. James Bell, a dockyard surgeon, marshy areas, now bridged or filled in. There was some lost his life as the result of a scratch at an autopsy on a case. rivalry between the three, but this did not extend to the Dr. John Butter wrote up the in a book entitled medical men in in each town. Fifteen of them met in epidemic practice 'Remarks on the Irritative Fever'. All the material for the 1794 and formed the Plymouth Medical Society to promote book had been collected by a Mr. Dryden, but we know professional knowledge, and later to dine together. It is either nothing more about him. Butter wrote to Portsmouth to the 6th or 7th earliest Medical Society in the country, but about there. He was told that, unlike two well-known was not 'at enquire dockyard injuries City Livery Companies, sometimes led to there had been sixes and sevens' with other Medical Societies on the score of though injuries erysipelas, no virulent outbreak nor death for twelve years. Sir Astley seniority. The members were to meet at the house of one of Cooper commented, in a letter quoted in the book, 'com- them in rotation: this involved journeys of two or three miles pound fractures recover in the country, but die in London'. through unlighted streets crowded with soldiers and sailors Cornelius Tripe, notable if only for his name, was an going to or from the wars. These were possibly the only apprentice of Stephen Hammick. He obtained his Honorary illuminated objects around, and inclined to a little mayhem or F.R.C.S. on the recommendation of Sir Benjamin Brodie. The members wisely chose the time of the monthly thuggery. He was also a Justice of the Peace, but nevertheless he meeting for 7 p.m. on the Friday nearest the full moon. engaged in a fist fight with James Yonge (great grandson of Meetings are still held on Fridays, though now more fre- the famous James) over the treatment of an officer's wife. He quently. The members seem to have been of convivial bent, took his place on the Bench next day with a black eye. He for in 1829 they discussed the feasibility of purchasing two must, however, have been trusted by his other contemporar- stomach pumps for those in need. The proposition was lost, ies. He operated on a member of a large medical family who as it was felt that every medical practitioner should already became the of a prac- own such an instrument. great great grandmother gynaecologist until in the West He also contributed The first president was Robert Remmett, M.D. tising recently County. to the advancement of medicine in Plymouth by having Academically he was the best-qualified physician that twelve children, three girls and nine boys, three of whom Plymouth ever had, but he had a pugnacious side. This can be became and one a dentist. deduced from the portrait of him owned by the Society. He surgeons William Snow Harris was another surgical apprentice of indulged in numerous political activities, and actually indicted Hammick, but turned to what is now called in public three members of the Privy Council for corruption Stephen 'community medicine'. He was made Secretary of the Health over the Treaty of Paris. Local enemies saw to it that he never Board in 1832, when the cholera epidemic spread to became Mayor. He was a contemporary of Michael Faraday, and Most of the early members were primarily physicians, Plymouth. his life's interest lay in electricity. In 1820 he invented a including Dr. Charles Yonge, the grandson of James. Some, lightning conductor for use in ships, which was adopted by the however, practised surgery to a greater or lesser degree. Russian Navy long before the British. Unlike more recent Their interests were not confined to gastronomy, and many western innovations Russia, this made contributions not to the health of the technological acquired by only community invention was with Czar Nicholas I but in other fields. acknowledged gratitude. presented Harris with a ring and a handsome vase of blue and Richard Dunning, of Plymouth Dock, was a friend and gold, with a picture on it of a vessel in distress in a thunder- supporter of Edward Jenner, and with him corresponded storm. It was inscribed 'To W. Snow Harris, from In 1800 he his 'Observations on the Esq., frequently. published H.I.H. Nicholas Pawlowitch, of All Russia'. After inoculated and first used the term 'vaccination', Emperor Cow-pox' this Harris' advancement was swift. He was elected F.R.S. in derived from the Latin vacca?a cow. Jenner acknowledged 1831 and awarded the Copley Gold Medal in 1835, the fourth his priority in the use of the word and gave him the credit at a Plymouth doctor to receive it. He was Bakerian Lecturer to meeting of the Jennerian is now Royal Society. Small-pox the and was in 1841 when the extinct, but 'vaccination' continues to be used indiscrimina- Royal Society, knighted Royal Navy at last decided to adopt his conductor. In I860 for any form of immunisation. A of Jenner by lightning tely portrait he was made Official Scientific Referee for Her James Northcott, R. A., was to Jenner. The Majesty's given Dunning by Government on all matters electrical. He wrote was in the Medical Centre until it many papers portrait displayed Plymouth and books on and but also was stolen. electricity, magnetism galvanism, found time, being an accomplished to take part in the Stephen Hammick had a distinguished career at the Royal pianist, musical life of Plymouth. He in one concert to Naval Hospital, first as an assistant surgeon and then as a full performed help raise money tor the town's new hospital. surgeon, after an interim of four years at St. George's, projected London. He lectured at the Royal Naval Hospital on surgery In 1827 the resurrection-men were active, and aroused for thirty years before leaving again for London. He was some animosity in Plymouth. This may why the created a Baronet in 1834 and Surgeon-Extraordinary to the explain minutes of the Medical in that year contain a decision Royal Family. The final accolade came in 1843. In that year Society not to support the defence of an Exeter accused of the Royal College of Surgeons in London was given a new surgeon a from St. David's The reason was Charter and became the Royal College of Surgeons of stealing body churchyard. that the had been so refilled that it was England. Under the Charter the College was to elect 300 grave clumsily easily Fellows within six months. Hammick was one of those cho- spotted. The next year the sent a to both Houses of sen. From 1844 onwards Fellowship, apart from a few special Society petition Parliament supporting the Anatomy Act. Interest in the study Part 1 in the number. appeared previous of anatomy in Plymouth seems to have persisted: a few years 48 West of England Medical Journal Volume 105(ii) June 1990 ago H.M. Inspector of Anatomy gave only the second licence Cree saw service in the Mediterranean, South Africa, ever issued in this country outside a University Anatomy Ceylon, China, the Baltic and the Black sea, at Sebastopol. Department to allow dissection of cadavers at Greenbank He recorded and sketched wherever he went (figures 6, 7 and Hospital. 8). On home leave after ten years at sea he obtained his M.D. There is a brief reference in the minutes of the Society to and M.R.C.S. in Edinburgh. the cholera epidemic of 1832 with which Snow Harris was to deal. The was deferred until appointed August meeting Figure 6, 7, 8 October 'in consequence of the prevalence of cholera, which Water-colours from Edward Cree's sketch books. so occupied all the members as to render the attendance at a Water-colours from Edward Croc's sketch books. convivial meeting almost impossible, and certainly undesir- able". Plymouth was grossly overcrowded and insanitary, so the infection spread fast. At its peak 476 new cases were regis- tered in nine days, and of these 211 died. The most severe cases, and so the least likely to survive, were removed to hospital where most of them succumbed. The populace blamed the doctors for this, and relations were strained. It was believed too that corpses were used for dissection: memories of the resurrectionists were still vivid, though their activities had been curtailed. In spite of difficulties, local doctors continued to do their best. The Rev. A.I. Coppard, who nobly helped in the epidemic, mentions in his published diary Mr. Langworthy of Plympton. He describes in detail how Langworthy, following the experience of a surgeon in Perth, gave succesful intra- venous saline infusions. The fluid was: 'Carbonate of Sodium?1 drachm Muriate of Soda?1 drachm FigureFigure 66 Oxymuriate of Potash?6 grains DiscoveryDiscovery ofof aa ChineseChinese slave-girlslave-girl withwith aa gangrenousgangrenous arm.arm.

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