304 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



of opinion, with Mr. Dyas, that 

 Medlicott was suffering under 

 liver disease, occasioned by habits 

 of excess ; and that, at that time, 

 a considerable enlargement of the 

 Jiver had actually taken place. Mr. 

 Carmichael stated, that this disease 

 must have been several months 

 forming ; that he was of opi- 

 nion, that Mr. Medlicott, by pur- 

 suing different habits, might have 

 recovered his health. Mr. Carmi- 

 chael, however, told Medlicott, 

 that if the habits which had pro- 

 duced the disease were not discon- 

 tinued, they would be fatal to 

 him. 



Dr. Davis, a surgeon practising 

 phj-^sic at Ballitore, proved, that 

 he had attended Mr. Medlicott for 

 severe illness, occasioned, appa- 

 rently, by excessive drinking, in 

 June, 1810; and had continued 

 his attendance to September in 

 that year ; that Medlicott had, at 

 that time, symptoms indicating the 

 probability of liver disease ; that 

 his habits of intemperance were of 

 the most destructive tendency ; and 

 that he then distinctly warned 

 Medlicott, that, unless his habits 

 were changed, he would soon die 

 of the disease, of which, in Octo- 

 ber, 1812, he actually did die; 

 that he did not afterwards attend 

 Medlicott until within a few days 

 of his death, when he was past re- 

 covery; that he, and the other 

 medical men then called in, all 

 agreed in opinion that Medlicott's 

 death was the effects of dropsy, 

 occasioned by liver disease. 



Mr. Thomas, residing at Balli- 

 tore, stated, that Medlicott had a 

 bed at his house for three days, 

 during his visit to his mother, at 

 the time of his father's death, in 

 February 1811: that he com- 



plained of bad health : rose eacfi 

 day at a very late hour: could eat 

 little or nothing ; and appeared in 

 the evening constantly in a state of 

 intoxication. 



Counsellor Grogan, the brother- 

 in-law of Medlicott, and Mrs. 

 Marshall, Medlicott's sister, prov- 

 ed, that Medlicott had long been 

 addicted to excessive drinking; and 

 that he had been accustomed to 

 complain of a pain in his side, in- 

 dicative of liver disease, before the 

 period of the insurance. 



It was proved by them, and by 

 several of the witnesses, that it 

 was Medlicott's habit to lie in bed 

 the greater part of the day, with 

 the decanter and glass by his bed- 

 side. 



Mr. Phipps, the company's se- 

 cretary, stated, that he had come 

 over to Ireland in February last, by 

 desire of the directors, for the pur- 

 pose of inquiring into the facts 

 of this case ; and that the direc- 

 tors had not determined to resist 

 the claim, until they were ac- 

 quainted with the result of that 

 inquiry, on his return. He stated 

 also, that in March last he went 

 to Athy ; and, in company with 

 Mr. James, called on Dr. John- 

 ston, to learn from him on what 

 grounds the certificate had been 

 signed; that Dr. Johnston acknow- 

 ledged, that, at the time he sign- 

 ed the certificate, he did know 

 that Medlicott was accustomed to 

 habits of excess, and that he had 

 suffered illnesses in consequence of 

 those habits; but that he had, ne- 

 vertheless, attested his good health, 

 from a belief that his constitution 

 was unimpaired. On Mr. Phipps's 

 inquiring why, with this know- 

 ledge, Dr. Johnston had certified 

 good habits, as well as good healthy 



