CHAPTER THIRTY NINE: The Inquiry

A week before the inquiry, Andrew went to London to make arrangements for his defence. He was alone: he had told Denny and Hope that he would prefer to be alone. He felt very miserable. He could not believe that he, Andrew Manson, was in this situation – a situation which every doctor feared. Why should the Council wish to disqualify him from practising? He had done nothing shameful! In fact, he had done something that deserved praise: he had cured Mary Boland!

A lawyer named Hopper, suggested by Denny, agreed to defend Andrew at the inquiry. Andrew considered Hopper a weak, stupid man, and they nearly had a quarrel at their first meeting. Andrew wanted to ask Sir Robert Abbey, his only influential friend in London, to help him, but Hopper objected to this because Abbey was a member of the General Medical Council. The lawyer also refused to allow Andrew to call Stillman as a witness, because he was afraid that Stillman’s presence might anger the members of the Council.

‘What does that matter?’ Andrew cried. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong! I’m not ashamed of my actions! I want the Council to know the truth. I want to prove to them that I saved this girl’s life by sending her to Stillman – that my action was right and wise.’

‘Dr Manson,’ Hopper cried, ‘I warn you not to talk like that at the inquiry! If you address the Council in that manner, they will certainly disqualify you! I advise you to say as little as possible. Simply answer their questions.’

Andrew realized that he must try to control his feelings.

On the evening before the inquiry, while out for a walk, Andrew came to the open doorway of a church. He entered. It was dark inside. He sat down in the back seat, and remembered how Christine used to read a prayer book when she was unhappy. He rarely went to church, but now here he was, like a man resting at the end of a journey. He prayed in silence: ‘God, don’t let them disqualify me! Don’t let them disqualify me!’ He remained there for perhaps half an hour. Then he rose and went to his hotel.

Next morning, he woke feeling sick with anxiety. He ate no breakfast. His case was to be heard at 11 o’clock, and Hopper had told him to arrive early.

He reached the offices of the General Medical Council as the clock was striking eleven.

He hurried along to the room where the inquiry was to be held. The members of the Council were sitting at a long table and at the far end of the room were the lawyers and witnesses who were to take part in the case. Mary Boland and her father, Nurse Sharp, Dr Thoroughgood, and several other faces that he recognized were there. Andrew stood for a minute, looking at the long line of chairs, and then sat down beside Hopper.

‘I thought that I told you to be early,’ the lawyer said.

Andrew did not answer.

The inquiry began immediately. Mr Boon, the lawyer employed by the doctors taking the action against Andrew, read out the charge against him.

‘Mr President, gentlemen,’ he said, ‘this is a case of a doctor working with a person who is not qualified. The facts of the case are these. The patient, Mary Boland, was admitted to the Victoria Chest Hospital, on 18 July. She remained there, in the care of Dr Thoroughgood, until 14 September. She then expressed a wish to leave and return home. But, instead of returning home, the patient was taken by Dr Manson to a health centre run by a man named Stillman – a person not qualified in medicine and, er, a foreigner! Mr Stillman examined the patient as soon as she arrived and decided to operate at once on one of her lungs – and Dr Manson agreed to help him. They did the operation together. Gentlemen, I repeat: they worked together!’

Mr Boon looked at the members of the Council to make sure that they had understood his meaning, and then called for Dr Thoroughgood.

‘Dr Thoroughgood,’ he asked, ‘is it true that Dr Manson came to the Victoria Hospital and requested you to change the treatment for this patient, Mary Boland?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what did you say?’

‘I refused.’

‘In the interest of your patient, you refused.’

‘I did.’

‘Was Dr Manson’s manner strange when you refused?’

‘Well…’ Thoroughgood paused. ‘He didn’t seem to be very well that morning. He argued.’

‘Thank you, Dr Thoroughgood. Had you any reason to believe that the patient herself was not satisfied?’

‘Oh, no! She always seemed happy.’

‘Thank you, Dr Thoroughgood. That is all.’

Boon questioned a nurse from the Victoria Hospital, and then called for Nurse Sharp.

‘And now, Nurse Sharp, can you tell us about Dr Mansons actions on the afternoon of Wednesday, 14 September?’

‘Yes, I was there!’

‘I imagine from your voice, Nurse Sharp, that you did not wish to be there.’

‘When I realized where we were going, and that this man Stillman is not a doctor, I was…’

‘Disgusted?’ Boon suggested.

‘Yes, I was!’

‘Exactly!’ Boon looked pleased. ‘And now, Nurse Sharp, one more question: did Dr Manson actually help Mr Stillman with this operation?’

‘He did,’ Nurse Sharp answered in a voice full of hate.

Abbey now leaned forward and asked a question. ‘Is it a fact, Nurse Sharp, that Dr Manson had just given you notice?’

Nurse Sharp reddened. ‘Yes. Yes – I suppose so.’

As she sat down, Andrew felt that Abbey, at least, was still his friend.

Boon, who was a little annoyed at this interruption, turned to the members of the Council: ‘Mr President, gentlemen, I could call more witnesses, but I do not consider this necessary. I think that I have proved the charge against Dr Manson to be true.’

Mr Boon sat down, looking extremely pleased with himself. There was a moment’s silence. Andrew kept his eyes on the floor. Bitterly, he told himself that they were treating him like a criminal. Then his own lawyer began to address the Council.

Hopper seemed awkward. His face was red, and he began to cough. He said: ‘I admit the truth of this charge. But my friend Mr Boon was not quite fair to Dr Manson. He did not mention that Miss Boland was Dr Manson’s own patient before she was in the care of Dr Thoroughgood. Dr Manson had a special interest in this case. I admit that Dr Manson’s action in taking her away from the Victoria Hospital was quite wrong. But he was not dishonourable, and he certainly had no wish to offend against the medical laws. He did not agree with Dr Thoroughgood’s treatment, and therefore decided to make other arrangements for the care of his patient.’

Hopper then called Mary Boland.

‘Miss Boland,’ he asked, ‘did you find any cause of complaint while you were at Mr Stillman’s hospital?’

‘Oh, no! Certainly not!’

‘Your health didn’t get worse?’

‘No, no – I got much better!’

‘Thank you. That is all,’ Hopper said quickly. ‘I will now call Dr Manson.’

Andrew stood up, conscious that every eye was directed towards him. He was pale and tired.

Hopper addressed him. ‘Dr Manson, did you receive any money from Mr Stillman?’

‘None!’

‘Did you intend to do harm to Dr Thoroughgood by your actions?’

‘No – certainly not! We were good friends. I simply did not agree with his opinions about this case.’

‘Exactly! You can tell the Council honestly that you did not mean to offend against the medical laws?’

‘That is the truth.’

Hopper, who had worried about calling Andrew as a witness in case he should say too much, dismissed him with a feeling of relief.

Then Boon suddenly jumped to his feet and began to question Andrew. ‘Dr Manson, you say that you did not mean to offend against the medical laws. But you knew that Mr Stillman was not qualified, didn’t you?’

Andrew looked at him coldly. ‘Yes, I knew that he was not a doctor.’

‘I see! And that didn’t stop you from sending a patient to him!’

‘No – it did not!’ Andrew was angry. He took a deep breath. ‘Mr Boon, I’ve listened to you asking questions. Now I will ask you one. Have you heard of Louis Pasteur?’

Boon was surprised at the question. ‘Yes – of course! Everyone has heard of him!’

‘Exactly! Everyone has heard of him! Well, Mr Boon, do you realize that Louis Pasteur, the greatest name in scientific medicine, was not a doctor? Nor were many other famous names in medicine. Perhaps this will show you that every man who hasn’t got a medical degree isn’t necessarily a criminal or a fool!’

Silence! Every member of the Council sat up. Abbey looked at Andrew with a friendly expression. Hopper looked embarrassed. Boon was annoyed.

‘Yes, yes – but those men had rare qualities,’ said Boon. ‘Surely you don’t compare Stillman with them?’

‘Why not? Those men had a long struggle before they became famous. Stillman has done more for medicine than thousands of men with degrees – far more than these doctors who drive about in expensive cars and charge high prices for their services! Stillman is a great man. He’s done more for the cure of tuberculosis than any doctor in this country!’

His words caused surprise throughout the courtroom. Mary Boland looked at him with admiration. Hopper slowly and sadly began to put away his papers feeling certain that Andrew had lost his case.

The President spoke. ‘Do you really mean what you are saying, Dr Manson?’

‘I do,’ Andrew said firmly. He was determined to express his opinions. If they were going to disqualify him, he would give them cause to do so!

He continued: ‘There are a great many things wrong with our profession, and it’s time that we tried to correct them. Doctors are not trained properly. They learn only the basis of medicine at the medical schools. When I qualified, I was a danger to society. I only knew the names of a few diseases and the medicines that were supposed to cure them. I’ve learned nearly evefything that I now know about medicine since I left medical school. But how many doctors study when they are running a practice? Very few! They are too busy to study. Our whole system is rotten! Doctors should work together and share their knowledge – make a real study of the causes and cures of their patients’ diseases, instead of just giving bottles of medicine. What’s happening now? Many doctors make fortunes from their patients by giving them medicines and expensive treatments that are useless! It isn’t right! It isn’t honest! I have made many mistakes myself, and I am sorry about them. But I made no mistake about Stillman, and I was right to turn to him. I ask you to look at Mary Boland. When she went to Stillman, she was dangerously ill. Now she’s cured. Judge my actions by that!’

Andrew sat down.

For a minute there was silence. Then the President ordered everyone to leave the room.

Andrew went out with the others. He now felt angry with himself. He wished that he had controlled his feelings, and had not spoken in that manner. He wanted so much to work with Denny and Hope. But now they would disqualify him!

The sound of people moving brought him to himself again. He joined the others and returned to the Council room. He sat quite still, his heart beating fast.

The President spoke. ‘Andrew Manson, the Council has carefully considered the charge brought against you, and has decided to allow you to continue to practise medicine.’

For a moment Andrew hardly understood his words. Then his heart beat still faster with joy and relief. They had not disqualified him! He was free! He raised his head and looked at the members of the Council. Of all the faces that were turned towards him, the one that he saw most clearly was the face of Robert Abbey. At once he realized that it was Abbey who had saved him. He addressed the President, but it was to Abbey that he really spoke: ‘Thank you, sir.’

Then his friends – Con, Mary, the surprised Mr Hopper, and people whom he had never seen before – came up to him and shook his hand. Mary, whose eyes were filled with tears, said: ‘If they had disqualified you, after all that you have done for me, I’d – I’d have killed that old President!’

Andrew smiled.

The three – Andrew, Con and Mary – went to Andrew’s hotel. There, waiting for them, was Denny. He walked towards them, smiling. Hopper had telephoned the news to him, but he did not mention this. He said simply: ‘I’m hungry. Let’s have lunch.’

Denny did not say a single word about the inquiry during lunch. After the meal, he told Andrew: ‘We can buy that house that we want for our practice. It’s quite cheap! Hope has gone to see it. Our train leaves at four o’clock. I must do some shopping now. I’ll meet you at the station.’

Andrew looked at Denny, thinking of their friendship and of all that he owed to him since their first meeting in the little Drineffy surgery. He said suddenly: ‘What would have happened if they had disqualified me?’

‘They didn’t disqualify you’ Philip shook his head. ‘And I will make sure that they never do.’

When Denny, Con and Mary had left, Andrew went to the churchyard where Christine was buried and stood for a long time by her grave. It was a bright, fresh afternoon – the sort of weather that she had always loved. When at last he turned away, hurrying for fear that he might be late, there in the sky before him a bank of cloud lay brightly, bearing the shape of battlements.