Search Result
207871
Surname: Beamish
First Name: Dr. Samuel Stephen
Ship: -
Date: 29 February 1860
Place: Scone
Source: SMH
Details: An enquiry took place before the coroner of Scone, touching on the death of Bridget Taylor who had died in childbirth at Jeremiah O Brien s house, Kingdom Ponds. From the evidence of James Taylor, the husband of deceased, it appeared that he was a carrier and had two teams, with which his wife, himself and another man were travelling up country; that about half past six in the evening his wife who was in the family way was taken unwell when near the house of Mr. O Brien; she was put to bed about eight and a medical man (Dr. Beamish) brought from Scone; she continued in labour from hat hour till half past one on Sunday afternoon; that the instruments had to be sued, but the poor woman died shortly after, without the child being born. It farther appeared that this was not her first confinement but that deceased had had a child on the 1st October 1858, on which occasion it had to be perforated by Drs. Hartigan and Bolton at Black Creek; that Dr. Beamish was requested to bring his instruments, but declined and had to leave his patient to go and fetch them, having a distance of between seven and eight miles to travel for them; that on being asked whether there was any danger for is there was he the husband would got for another medical man he said Tut Tut, man, there is no occasion for is she remained in the same progressive state she would take no harm for nine days. Powders were given to deceased twice by the doctor but they did no good. She died about half past three on Sunday afternoon, with her head resting on the knee of Rose Cottle, a married woman then present. Walter Scott deposed I am a duly qualified medical practitioner and practice my profession at Murrurundi; I have made a post mortem examination of the deceased woman; I am of the opinion that I could have delivered with the forceps; In attending midwifery cases at any distance I always carry the necessary instruments with me; I am of opinion that the deceased died from exhaustion, consequent upon her not being delivered; had the case been mine I would not have absented myself for such a long time as Dr. Beamish appears to have done; pt is generally the practice when the use of instruments is required, to call in the aid of a second medical man, if practicable; in a case of emergency I could have come from my residence in tow hours; the distance is seventeen or eighteen miles. Samuel Stephen Beamish made a statement upon oath to the following effect I am a legally qualified medical practitioner ; about two in the morning of the 18th instant I was called up by the deceased s husband ; he told me his wife was in labour, telling me the place, and that he wanted me Immediately; I did not delay hardly five minutes in getting ready ; the husband never requested me to bring instruments. Having arrived at the house of the patient, I continued diligently to take charge of the woman, using the usual methods passing catheters, and using uterine stimulants, up to Sunday morning; I then sent for the husband, had told him I had been some twenty-four hours In charge of his wife, and that I thought it necessary that another medical man should be called in; I said, there is Mr Little, the coroner, and, I believe, a medical man; I believe he will charge you nothing ; I said I had known Mr. Little for two years, having been with him at inquests also, that there was another person in Scone who calls himself a medical man, but I dont believe he is qualified ; I left, giving strict injunctions to the husband to call for Mr. Little as soon as he thought he was up; I told Taylor to give my compliments to Mr. Little, and tell him that I should be happy to meet him on this case on my return from Scone with the instruments, as I intended to perform an operation ; a messenger came to me in Scone about the time I expected to request that I would bring out my instruments, as Mr. Little would be ready to meet me at two o clock in that case, I said to the messenger, you must go and fetch my horse seeing that I could be of no service till two o clock on my arriving, not finding Mr. Little, I expected, I enquired for him, and was told that he was at Scone, or at church ; I then proceeded to deliver the women by forceps, under which operation she sank. I do not recollect being asked by Mrs. Cottle about getting another medical man. Dr. Scott, being recalled, said he would not have left the woman for eight or ten hours during her confinement in his opinion it was not safe practice to delay using the instruments until the patient was thoroughly exhausted. Dr. Beamish then rose to add to his former statement to the effect that when in the act of delivering the deceased by forceps, on Sunday morning, Mr. Little entered the chamber ; I ordered everyone out, and requested him to examine the woman in a professional way ; he did so, and said the pelvis was slightly deformed ; Mr. Little said that under the circumstances he should have adopted the same course as that I had pursued towards the patient ; I suggested to Mr. Little that an enquiry should be held in the matter, in consequence of ill-feeling on the spot towards me. Dr. Little denied the whole allusion of Dr. Beamish, as to meeting him by appointment in this case, or doing as stated by Dr. Beamish. Augustus Willoughby Thornton, being duly sworn, deposed : I am a duly and legally qualified medical practitioner ; I have heard the whole of the proceedings at this inquest, and have his day, in conjunction with Dr. Scott, in ide a postmortem examination of the deceased ; I have found no other traces as to the cause of death except that sworn to by Dr. Scott, viz., exhaustion, upon mature consideration of the case, I consider there has been gross malpractice and negligence; in the first place, the woman should not have been left so long without careful watching when once the second state of labour has commenced ; when the pain began to gradually decrease it was the proper time for interference, provided ergo of rhie been duly administered, and had failed in its effects ; that finding the pains were not removed under the use of the ergo, as short a period as possible might be justifiable to procure instruments; but at that stage the symptoms were imminent and that the operation could be performed or in a cold state after the cold stages had set with symptoms of faintness; that in that state it was immaterial what instrument was used but if there were symptoms of the child being alive the forceps should have been first applied; but if symptoms of the child being dead, an operation would have been less dangerous to the mother, danger to the mother being increased by the risk or laceration ; from the fact or Dr. Beamish not stating intelligibly what appearances he found on examining the vagina, and the number of times he made an examination during the course or labour, and variety or changes that might have occurred during the course of examination; It is impossible for me to arrive at any other conclusion than that the practice in the interior of this colony, or waiting invariably for a consultation before performing an important operation, is very objectionable, and that a practitioner in midwifery ought to perform these operations by himself; I also object to a midwifery practitioner visiting a case without his instruments, not knowing the state of his patient; with respect to the operation as stated to have been concerned, in conjunction with Dr. Scott s deposition that the head or the child was impacted in the pelvis, the instruments used by Dr. Beamish were inappropriate, as from the fact of the child s head being impact, it required diminution instead of increase. At the close of the evidence of Dr. Thornton, a cross-examine son was commenced by Dr. Beamish, in which he allowed his feelings to get the better of him and for some time the court was in a complete state of uproar. The jury after retired for quarter of an hour returned a verdict that Bridget Taylor had come by her death from exhaustion and from the evidence before them they considered that Dr. Beamish, through gross negligence was guilty of manslaughter. He was committed for trial
207873
Surname: Beamish
First Name: Dr. Samuel Stephen
Ship: -
Date: 14 March 1860
Place: Newcastle gaol
Source: State Archives NSW; Kingswood, New South Wales; Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930; Series: 2329; Item: 2/2018; Roll: 138
Details: Samuel Stephen Beamish admitted to Newcastle gaol from the Criminal Court. Sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Darlinghust gaol
207874
Surname: Beamish
First Name: Dr. Samuel Stephen
Ship: Ivanhoe
Date: May 1860
Place: Darlinghurst
Source: State Archives NSW; Kingswood, New South Wales; Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930; Series: 2523; Item: 4/6306; Roll: 859
Details: Samuel Stephen Beamish, born in Ireland, occupation surgeon, age 45. Admitted to Darlinghurst gaol
208153
Surname: Beamish
First Name: Dr. Samuel Stephen
Ship: to Melbourne in 1854
Date: 14 March 1860
Place: Maitland gaol
Source: Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930
Details: Samuel Stephen Beamish, surgeon from Cork admitted to Maitland gaol. Sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in Darlinghurst gaol. Forwarded 28th May