South Eastern Gazette Gazette, 27 December 1853.

Neglect by a Medical Officer.

On Friday last an inquest was held before Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner, at the "Ship and Sailor," Regent-street, Deptford, on the body of Charles Alder, aged 6 years, who had been scalded to death under the following circumstances.

On Saturday evening, the 26th November, while his mother was from home, the deceased, in passing the fire-place, caught his pinafore on the spout of a kettle standing on the hob, and containing boiling water, which was upset in consequence, scalding him in a frightful manner over the legs and the whole body. The following day Dr. Arthur was requested to attend the case as a private patient, which he declined doing, and Dr. Tayler, of High-street, was next waited upon, but he also refused till the father had borrowed 1s. 6d. to pay him his fee. Dr. Tayler then visited the child and prescribed; and next day an order was obtained for the attendance of the parish doctor, but Dr. Arthur neglected to attend till two or three days afterwards, and then, after two calls, his visits ceased altogether. Dr. Atkins, of the Kent Dispensary, was subsequently called in, but the child died on Tuesday last, the death being attributed to gross negligence on the part of Dr. Arthur, the union surgeon. The jury, after a long investigation of the circumstanoes, returned a verdict to the effect that death had resulted from scalding, that gross neglect had been displayed by Dr. Arthur, and that, in order to prevent any future similar occurrence, the jury recommended that additional medical assistance be provided for the poor of Deptford.”

A copy of this recommendation has been forwarded by the coroner to the board of guardians.