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**Archaic** · 12-20-2009, 06:31 AM

Text of 1860 Tumblety 'American Medical Times' Article

Hi, this is the article's text as I transcribed it for myself:

>AMERICAN MEDICAL TIMES, November 3, 1860:

Our attention has been again called to this subject by the announcement in one of our exchanges, that an eminent quack is about to visit our shores, who largely patronizes the press, and through its influence obtains access to the afflicted.

The religious journals may thank the Medical Times for having notified them in advance of the approach of this great patron of the press.

That they may know something of the man, and how highly his services are valued and rewarded in the localities where he has practiced, and from which he comes to this country, we will copy the following notice of him from the exchange (British Med. Journal, Montreal) above alluded to:

" What we have often thought would occur has occurred at last; not that there might not have existed months ago ample enough grounds for a coroner's jury and its verdict, but that a peculiar good fortune seems to have attended Tumblety's proceedings, and secured him an exemption.

His good genius has at last deserted him, and to avoid the consequences of trial before his compeers and its award, Tumblety has fled to regions unknown; in all probability to the United States, where it is not unlikely that, with the assistance of the press, which he subsidizes heavily, he will be permitted again to continue his vocation, reap handsome returns, and send more unfortunate, trusting victims to their graves.

Without the assistance of the press, it is impossible that he could have succeeded as he did; and this inquest discloses the fact, that it was in consequence of seeing his advertisements, and believing in them, that the unfortunate man Portmore entrusted his life in his hands, and fell the victim of his credulity.

We have not the space requisite for the details of the inquest in full. We give, however, the most important part of it, which we take from the Morning Freeman, a newspaper of St. Johns, N. B., published on the 29th September. The jury was empaneled on the 27th, and the following is the evidence of Mrs. Portmore, wife of the deceased. Tumblety was in the room this day.

" Mrs. Portmore, wife of the deceased, swore that her husband had been for ten or twelve years suffering from disease of the kidneys and gravel. Lately he was not so unwell as he had often been, and was able to attend to his work as a carpenter; but about three weeks ago, induced by the advertisements of cures wrought by Dr. Tumblety, which were published in the papers, he applied to him, and brought home two phials, containing about a gill each of medicine that looked like water, which he got from him. He took a teaspoonful of this in water three times a day. When first he took it he cried out that "that would burn the heart out of a man!"

He continued, however, to take it for nine or ten days regularly: He always complained of the same burning sensation in the stomach after taking it, and he lost his appetite, which previously was good.

On the 17th he went to Dr. Tumblety again, and bought another bottle of medicine, which looked like the former, and which he took in the same way. After he used this he vomited and grew so sick that he had to take to his bed. He could then eat nothing.

She went to Dr. Tumblety to see him, and when he came to the house she charged him with having killed her husband by the medicine he had given him.

She pointed to the bottles on the table, and said the medicine was there, and she meant to show it to the doctors. He said very well, and took a bottle up and smelled it, and then put it down again. He told her to apply hot water fomentations over her husband's kidneys, and she did so.
He then went away, promising to send a balsam at four o'clock to settle his stomach, and immediately after he was gone she missed the bottles. She told her husband Tumblety had taken the bottles, and he said, let the villain take them.

She had not tasted the medicine, and had no idea what it was. No one was in the room during this time but her husband, herself, and Dr. Tumblety.

Dr. Tumblety did not send the balsam, nor did he return, but he sent word he was busy.

Dr. Humphreys was then called in, and Dr. Botsford saw her husband some hours before he died. While sick at this time he did not suffer much from his old complaint, but chiefly from the pain in his stomach.

' Dr. Humphreys, who attended Portmore on a former occasion, was called in, and found him suffering from acute inflammation of the stomach.

Dr. Humphreys and Dr. Botsford made a post-mortem examination on Thursday. They found the lungs sound, the kidneys disorganized, and evidence that deceased suffered from calculus or stone, but swore positively that the immediate cause of death was acute inflammation of the stomach; that this was not a necessary consequence of his old disease, and did not arise from it.

They stated also, that according to the highest medical authorities, inflammation of the stomach is rarely if ever idiopathic, or arising from natural causes, but is the result of the introduction of some powerful irritant into the stomach. They were satisfied that in this instance the inflammation was caused by some acid or other irritant introduced into the stomach, although they would not swear that it, could not possibly be otherwise, and they could find no such substance in the stomach when they made the examination.

They described the appearance and condition of the coating of the stomach; and the coroner afterwards stated to the jury that he agreed fully in opinion with them.

The coroner addressed the jury at some length. The jury, after deliberating for thirty or forty minutes, found a verdict of manslaughter against Dr. Tumblety.

" We trust that this affair will terminate Tumblety's exploits in the British Provinces. It is much to be regretted that any latitude whatever should be allowed to such a fellow, or one of his kidney, for the performance of his tricks.

But such is the credulity of the public, that it is ever ready to patronise any one who professes to assume something of the marvellous, and the more readily the more extraordinary or more marvellous the pretension." <

Best regards, Archaic

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1860 Tumblety Article: 'An Eminent Quack', American Medical Times

1860 Tumblety Article: 'An Eminent Quack', American Medical Times

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