598
would have certainly refused his sanction if he had been informed, as it seems to me he ought to have been, of certain facts that must be well known, if not officially, certainly publicly and notoriously, to many of his advisers.
The Colonial Surgeon, William Hartigan, and Dr. Ayres are the two reputed Practitioners in the Colony whose practice was seriously interfered with by Dr. Fisher. Valuable patients of both these gentlemen left them for Dr. Fisher.
These gentlemen were the active promoters of the petition, got up after Dr. Fisher's arrival in the Colony, for Medical Registration.
The Colonial Surgeon is believed on very strong grounds to have been the person at whose instigation the body of the late Captain Lee was ordered by the Coroner to be exhumed, and to whom was mainly due the inquiry into the causes of his death.
This inquiry aimed solely at Dr. Fisher, and was pressed on with the object of, if possible, incriminating him. The attempt failed.
Dr. Hartigan and Dr. Ayres, when that attempt to ruin Dr. Fisher failed, wrote or caused letters to be written to America making inquiries about Dr. Fisher, his history, early career, medical training, etc., and when they had got together certain...