Colonial North America: Countway Library of Medicine

chief surgeon of a public hospital are arduous and complicated, but however critical, in the present [ease], the public have much to hope & to expect from a gentleman of your extensive medical science, experience & research: and I rest assured that your assiduous efforts to discharge with fidelity the duties confided to your skill & care will con-tinue to unite & receive the approbation of the government, the support & countenance of the liberal and candid of your profssion, and ultimately a just tribute of respect & reward from an impartial and enlightened community.

Accept my respectful regards & with comp. to your Lady, believe me Dear Sir Your obedient humble sert. Daniel [Cory.]

Augusta, Maine, March 10th 1809

P.S.

I have been in the practice of surgery & [physic] 30 years; have seen a little of life, of the old & new practice, and should really be astonished (if any thing could astonish me at the present day) that bad folks should undertake to attack your treatment & management of the hospital, but such is the animal man.

I hereby certify that Dr W. never received any thing from me for boarding in the hospital. On the contrary I had paid the customary fee, at the expiration of my years [pripillage?], he declined receiving any thing for board, altho' I offered it. He said that neither he, nor the steward ever proposed to reap any emolument from the boarding of pupils, that it was an unsettled thing matter, but that he meant meant to lay the business before the govern-ment in "a system of rules & order" which he was preparing to lay before the Secretay of the Surgery. Dr W. said he expected it would be sanctioned by the government; and therefore he declined receiving any thing, but the fee alluded to

Thos. [Fronter?]

Cambridge May 9th 1809.

Cambridge April 10th. 1809.

Dr. Waterhouse

About a year ago* Dr. Geo. Bates of Boston, in conversaton with me, insinuated that measures were about to be taken for your removal from the M. Hospital. He intimated that he had been requested to make a statement of the true situation of the hospital at that time, for the pur-pose, as I understand it, of sending the sane to Wash-ington, ot to whom it concerned, at the seat of government. He said that others had made use of his representations fo the same purpose; and that he was known as concerned in the business at Washington. Affecting to talk wisely, he ventured to predict, that you would be removed not many years hence. This, Sir, is the substance of his con-versation; ot at least the impression it made upon my friend; for he spoke not in plain lan-guage, but in hints. This information I submit for your use, if it can be of any service to you; but with this reserve, that it is not for publication

Yours &c.

William T. Torrey - a young minister or candidate for the ministry

*a year before any of these charges were brought against me

Yesterday I have to Genl. Dearborn my defence, or [amnus?] to the charges against me. He advised me to write likewise to you & to send you whatever documents I thought proper. In this letter I shall speak to touch a matter which has is not strictly speaking comprehended in any of the charges, but which I do not wish to avoid, for as I hope for candor from others, they have a right to expect it from me. It is this - It had been early infused into my mind have [allegian?] believed that the [purpose?] of our marine hospitals had a [part of autonomy?] [retain?] or privelege in the articles of bread & beef. Beside the practice of British hospitals, several circumstances con-vened to confirm me in the full belief of this representaton Idea. I had not believed that this practice was sanctioned by custom for who [have my doubts and they head would have?] I should hardly risked my place & my reputation for so very trifling consideraton, for both the articles of bread & beef received during 17 months scarcely amount to 90 dollars. Gen D. & I agreed to estimate it at 15 or 20 pounds of beef per week but this is for our rating it; for there never was anything like a regular supply. The butcher sent wh generally what he pleased & when he pleased without any direction or orders, just as his cart happened to pass through Cambridge & as it happened to come into his mind. I sent sometimes once a fortnight, once in three weeks, & sometimes at still longer intervals. Had I not been led to believe that this had been practiced before many times I should have taken pains to conceal it. I had doubt respecting the custom of bread & therefore I never allowed it after the first quarter, & but [few wanted an this transaction may give a color to all the rest of may be pressed to my disadvantage?]

Respecting the board of house pupils, the certificates will clearly show that I [have seen that 40?] matter clearly It there appears that one pupil left with the amount of his board for abt. 3 months, to be hereafter accounted for; and it appears from the certificates that neither myself nor the Steward ever have, or we proposed reaping every advantage from the board of pupils, and that this & some other matters were to be left to a future day when I expected I lay before my [illegible] certain rules & regulations for their approbation. It may be asked of what time, or period did you contemplate the arrengement of there & other [of your?] unsettled matters? -pointment of a new Collector. I am The lethargic state of [illegible] monthly part gave me daily reason to expect a change. I therefor looked forward to the period

Allest Gallaln - May 27th I am both [incumber] you with additional, do currently, that I am apprehensive that have not yet made myself clearly understood on the [tulyit] of the [sandest] the change for the reputable I Profeed. ---- shile I was attending I my reduced [al] concerns, I allowed the [Sheward] to go in with the culture of the ground way [wittary but grafs], the long to him, and they're [fened] that. whatever he could make it produce would be by; he paying all to [efperson] of culture. But it was not my idea. Made his unformly been that the U.S. Should pay the culture and the produce haved be theirs. a shall position [shay ural cut a the horphitae] ground [butgear I observed of L] that had a [bam] been built which had they [pethonel] for, they hay [wored be hurt cut and then Larkhain what haved be] one, he [rephed put] it in your own barn. I [ridro,] the [suantly cran] to thinking that it would not Love [faced in the blanket] for 10 dollars. not it in [lufficiant to] make it appearance that I did not speak correctly [shem raid ]in my letters is you, that [Shad] neither lot [porhouinor in tent] in the garden. [Hin diff.] For me [ephlaium] the principle of [arthers] [hamp conduct]; and the accountable for it to try and how [dytcuelit in b convey precise idea in la chemy ] [artfluishettins], and yet [huwale] of they are, they

Respecting bills for the small articles I purchased for the use of the hospital. I answer that they were presented to Genl. Lewedin in a naming acct & paid for out of money paid for the board of french seamen & never entered into the quarterly acct. No vouchers were ever required D W conceeded with the advice of the head clerk at the [??] to send it on in the present form.

2d Respecting the garden producing a suffice & supply of vegetables for the hospital, the remark is too general. It produced sufft summer vegetables but by no means enough for the year. The reason why the Steward never offered his account for them & the late request for payments, was because the S. had concluded to make up his own account of these articles at the close of his year of service viz to April 1st as he had concluded to quit his Station & at that period, because he said he found it none trouble yr profit.

His concerned by the Controller that [?] has charged for all the labour (in the charge of J Sought) and manure of the hospital grounds which is not the case his expenses for labour & manure were never yet changed and to 2 9"1 - which added to the 42 make 71. 1 - who the vegetables merely paid for. Mr B worked in the ground very readily when his troupe duties allowed of it, which of course he never charged. He put out 195 trees, which he never charged for so that in fact he has not charged what he might & ought to have charged.

this struck me as extraordinary that those remarks of the [?] she have been [?] never communicated them to the steward [?] until [?] 20 days past. These of some things require explanation. July 20th. To A. [Gallaten?] B.W.

Cambridge July 20th [1809?] Honorable Albert [Gallatir?] Esquire, Sir, You will not wonder at the liberty I have taken of writing to you this private letter, when you are told that I am not mere -ly uneasy, but [unhappy -crossed out] rendered absolutely unhappy by the present fortune to prospector my hospital affairs. The [?] loft is but a secondary object. [I have su?] [-nified?] as well as deeply afflicted at finding the unflavourable impression made on the mind of the President. I cannot [entirely?] account for it. I therefore am led to conclude that there is something unexplained that I know not of. I am left in the dark reflecting some -things essential to my happiness. Is it [?] possible that I have been make to say more than I ever intended? Be that as it may, of the two or three intimate friends whom I have consulted, their advice is that I repair to Washington, to confer with you. Mr J.L Adams dining with me today advises me to it, but previouly to such step [?] that I write [?] to you, to ask of you whether my friends advice be such as in your opinion, I ought to follow. Whether in the present stage of my affairs, if I came to Washington, you will be disposed to listen to whatever I may have to advance by way of [throwing?] some light on, what to you [crossed out] some others may appear the most obscure parts of the hospital transactions. I [therefore - crossed out] the first time, wrote to the President 2 days ago, proper on improper, I could not resist the impulse. At that time I have not the journey to Washington urged upon me,. and of course no intention of writing such a letter as this to you. [?] avoid the longjourney, at this season, if I could; but if I can wipe any foul [start?] from my character by, the troubled risk of it, shall not hesitate a moment after I know from you that such a presentation would be neither improper, nor disagreeable to the Government. The hospital was never so thin, [of patience?]. Not more than 15. I can put it uinder the immediately mediate care of the first medical characters in Charleston Boston; I have only to [beg?] of Mr [Gallatir?], not in her official but private character, which from knowing it, I pressure on, just to inform me, by three lines whehter he thinks I had better take the advice of three of my [more?] intimate friends, of taking a jaunt [?] to Washington. [Short of?] this, I remain, [will?] a high degree of respect. [?] B. Waterhouse P.S. The more I reflect, the more I am convinced that some important things [mention?] to [compell?] the hospital, are, even to this moment not rightly understood by youself & others A Washington. For example the [controller?] suspended the payment of the steward on account, because he could see whyhe changed the [vegitables?] raised to the public. This I could explain in a few minutes. The result would be that the Stewards had out done himself justice. The [controler?] asks why this account was not given in to the late [?]? The Steward answers, because "I mean to close all my accounts with the hospital, the 31st of last march, & resign my stewardship, I found the compensation not equall to the trouble of it." I can say for him that [?] reason to believe that nothing but the reports [mattered?] to his & my [direction?] has induced him to hold his place to this time. [?]