Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Medical Treatment, Medical Practitioners, Crime

    Discusses the trial of two surgeons (father and son) who were accused of malpractice against a poor shoemaker's daughter suffering from a 'bad knee'. The surgeons insisted that they had treated the girl 'to the best of their knowledge, skill, and judgement as medical men', and the medical witness called to defend them vouched for the fact that the girl's knee was now free from disease and that the surgeons were not acting improperly by using mercury in their treatment. The jury deciding in favour of the surgeons, Punch doubts whether the girl will be able to pay the 'heavy bill of costs' and suspects that the surgeons will 'have to bear' the costs. Asks whether 'the interests of the legal profession require that no effectual provision should be made to protect honest people from having lawsuits instituted against them by other people who are insolvent?' and enquires 'what security can be taken for costs'?