Is There More To Bond's Death Than Meets The Eye?

[John G]

What about the hippocratic oath and religious connotations, wouldn't Bond be breaking these?

We don't know what sort of person he was, but if he applied religious practices to his life, would he really go against these if upholding his morals/actions were more worthy than the pain he was suffering?

As I have said before, I did start this thread questioning weather he was in fact pushed. The 'Bond' report appears flawed. There is suggestion he didn't write it. If he did write a report was it switched?

Hi Natasha,

I definitely agree that throwing yourself out of a window is a strange way to commit suicide, particularly for a doctor. I wasn't aware of controversies concerning the Bond Report, was this the "profile" he was asked to come up with?

I must admit, I don't know a great deal about him but it has always struck me as odd that he should disagree so strongly with the other medical professionals about the degree of skill required by JtR. In fact, Trevor Marriott has consulted modern day medical professionals who seem to take the view that the mutilations and organ removals of Chapman and Eddowes would be beyond the capabilities of even a modern surgeon, given the lighting conditions and time frame.

I also wonder if, in relation to Eddowes, Dr Philips was pressurized to tone down his conclusions so as not to possibly implicate a member of his own profession: he agreed with Dr Brown that a butcher would have possessed the relevant anatomical knowledge.

[Batman]

I also wonder if, in relation to Eddowes, Dr Philips was pressurized to tone down his conclusions so as not to possibly implicate a member of his own profession: he agreed with Dr Brown that a butcher would have possessed the relevant anatomical knowledge.

If you read Dr. Brown's replies in the inquest into Eddowes, he had the word Medical struck from the inquest after he used it to describe the anatomical knowledge of the killer. Dr. Brown later on would say that he believed a medical student was responsible. It seems that there pressure was on even then.

Dr. Bond's language in addressing medical skill was so directed at Dr. Phillips as only to be described as a scathing attack on his pathology report. Dr. Phillips testimony snubbed Dr. Bond, by saying he only spoke about the facts that came directly under his observation (i.e - Bond didn't see the others so couldn't know).

Where is Dr. Phillips pathology report that the inquest said it would include later?

Something is not right here and suggests suppression of Dr. Phillips view about the killers medical skill.

[Natasha]

Hi Natasha,

I definitely agree that throwing yourself out of a window is a strange way to commit suicide, particularly for a doctor. I wasn't aware of controversies concerning the Bond Report, was this the "profile" he was asked to come up with?

I must admit, I don't know a great deal about him but it has always struck me as odd that he should disagree so strongly with the other medical professionals about the degree of skill required by JtR. In fact, Trevor Marriott has consulted modern day medical professionals who seem to take the view that the mutilations and organ removals of Chapman and Eddowes would be beyond the capabilities of even a modern surgeon, given the lighting conditions and time frame.

I also wonder if, in relation to Eddowes, Dr Philips was pressurized to tone down his conclusions so as not to possibly implicate a member of his own profession: he agreed with Dr Brown that a butcher would have possessed the relevant anatomical knowledge.

Hi John,

Yes the Bond report is said to have been written by Hebbert. I have always found it strange that the inquest of MJK was closed early, and I think Dr Philip's report was not referred to at her inquest (if that's the case, I think it really should have been.)

Bond disagreed with some of the other Drs over Mylett as well. He thought her death wasn't a case of strangulation. Did the officials want people to think the ripper was still in operation? I think someone knew the identity of the ripper and made sure to keep quiet about who it was.

[Natasha]

Where is Dr. Phillips pathology report that the inquest said it would include later?

Something is not right here and suggests suppression of Dr. Phillips view about the killers medical skill.

I think the inquest was closed before Dr Phillip's report was even referred to. I think that's the case, someone please correct if wrong.

[John G]

Hi John,

Yes the Bond report is said to have been written by Hebbert. I have always found it strange that the inquest of MJK was closed early, and I think Dr Philip's report was not referred to at her inquest (if that's the case, I think it really should have been.)

Bond disagreed with some of the other Drs over Mylett as well. He thought her death wasn't a case of strangulation. Did the officials want people to think the ripper was still in operation? I think someone knew the identity of the ripper and made sure to keep quiet about who it was.

Hello Natasha,

Thanks for the information, I must admit I didn't know about the suspicions that Hebbert had written the report. Regarding Mylett, apparently he thought she'd been accidentally strangled, when four other doctors were convinced she'd been murdered.

[Rosella]

According to a newspaper report the suicide was a sudden act.

"Shortly before seven the next morning (June 6), the nurse attending the doctor left the apartment for a moment. No sooner was the attendant's back turned, than the doctor got out of bed, and, wearing only his night clothing, threw himself out of the window. He fell a distance of fifty feet, alighting upon his head in the area. It is thought that when help first arrived the unfortunate gentleman was not dead, but he died on the way to Westminster Hospital"
Penny Illustrated Paper, 15 June, 1901.

Not according to this article, posted here earlier. It doesn't mention any attending doctor. When it says the nurse left the apartment momentarily I guess it means the room?

[GUT]

Some seem to find the manner of Bond's death strange.

I am currently scouring Newspapers in relation to some family research. I entered the search as my Surname, the range 1850 to 1900 in Queensland Australia, so the only pages that come up have that name on it in that period in that State, so far I have had 4 results that refer to suicides, or attempted suicides by jumping from buildings, one a balcony, one a roof and two windows, and remember they are just pages that also contain the name.

So was it rare?

[John G]

Some seem to find the manner of Bond's death strange.

I am currently scouring Newspapers in relation to some family research. I entered the search as my Surname, the range 1850 to 1900 in Queensland Australia, so the only pages that come up have that name on it in that period in that State, so far I have had 4 results that refer to suicides, or attempted suicides by jumping from buildings, one a balcony, one a roof and two windows, and remember they are just pages that also contain the name.

So was it rare?

Hi,

Well, of course, I expect we've all seen films of an individual in crises standing on a ledge of a tall building and being talked down. Didn't it happen in a Mel Gibson film once? Lethal Weapon? However, I do think it's a strange option for a medical professional. After all, surely he would have had some access to pharmaceuticals, which would have been a far less violent alternative. I wonder what the stats are on doctors jumping from buildings?

[Natasha]

Hello Natasha,

Thanks for the information, I must admit I didn't know about the suspicions that Hebbert had written the report. Regarding Mylett, apparently he thought she'd been accidentally strangled, when four other doctors were convinced she'd been murdered.

Hi John,

Here's a link that may be of use for further info on Bond's report, and in post #7 there is a further link:

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=4346

[Debra A]

Not according to this article, posted here earlier. It doesn't mention any attending doctor. When it says the nurse left the apartment momentarily I guess it means the room?

I agree, Rosella. Most accounts I've read say he jumped in the few minutes his nurse was absent from the room. She had been attending him for 6 months or more and he was recently confined to bed. The operation he was waiting for was considered very risky and a last resort to end his constant pain. Perhaps he had secondary cancer too? I seem to recall one paper hinting at that.

[Debra A]

in post #7 there is a further link:

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=4346

That's where I posted that marriage signature! Thanks, Natasha.

[Natasha]

That's where I posted that marriage signature! Thanks, Natasha.

Hi Debra,

Thanks for posting it.

[John G]

Hi John,

Here's a link that may be of use for further info on Bond's report, and in post #7 there is a further link:

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=4346

Hi Natasha,

Thanks for the link, I will read with interest. Much appreciated.

[Rosella]

Yes, it is! What an interesting episode in Bond's career his work with the Prussian army in the 1860's must have been. A great opportunity and he grabbed it.

[Prosector]

I'm joining this thread a bit late so I apologise if I've missed something. To reply to a few points that have been raised:
The Hippocratic Oath has never been a part of British Medical tradition although in recent years a few medical schools have taken to including it in their graduation ceremonies. I know of no doctor of my generation (I qualified in 1967) who took it and it certainly was not usual in Bond's time.
Bond himself, although a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, was employed by the Westminster Hospital in the Out Patients department so had very little operating experience which leads me to question his pronouncement that JTR had no surgical skill (and he only saw Mary Jane Kelly's body which was so badly mutilated that it was impossible to tell).
Whilst he may have had prostate cancer (and I haven't seen his Death Certificate) he certainly had a painful urethral stricture and the commonest cause of that in the 19th century was gonorrhoea. He was something of a religious bigot and so very likely to have been tortured both by the stricture itself and the guilt of how it was acquired (which may have been during his time with the Prussian Army).I know of at least three doctors, all contemporaries of mine, who died by throwing themselves off tall buildings even though they had ready access to narcotic drugs.
Bond was a very curious character but I don't believe that he was in any way implicated in the Whitechapel murders other than in his official capacity.
Prosector