Reginald ORTON, 1810-1862

Reginald ORTON, 1810-1862.

The following biography was published in 1894 in William Brockie’s "Sunderland Notables".       

REGINALD ORTON was born at Bombay in the year 1810. He was the only son of James Orton, who was in the medical department of the East India Company Army, and President of the Bombay Medical Board. The family came originally from the village of Orton, near Carlisle, where they were Lords of the Manor in the Middle Ages, but like many other families of manorial rank, they early became dispossessed of their estate, from some cause or other, and had to betake themselves to various branches of industry, some of them going to push their fortunes in India, and elsewhere abroad. Young Reginald was sent home to England at an early age to receive a liberal education, and he came to reside with his aunt at Hauxwell, about five miles from Richmond-on-Swale, and became the pupil of the celebrated Mr James Tate, at Richmond Grammar School, which at that time sent forth many of the most distinguished men of the day. After completing his education, he joined his father in India, to continue his professional studies under his direction. He returned to this country in or about the year 1833, when he received the diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons, and in the following year that of Licentiate of Apothecaries Hall.

In 1835 he came to Sunderland and went into partnership with a surgeon of the name of Fothergill, to whose practice he succeeded on that gentleman’s death. He likewise became surgeon to the Sunderland Eye Infirmary, and one of the visiting surgeons of Lady Londonderry’s Infirmary at Seaham Harbour. Shortly after his settlement here he married Agnes Caroline, daughter of Orton Bradley, of Eden Place, Westmoreland, army surgeon, who died in 1839, leaving one son Reginald, and one daughter Caroline Ann, of whom the latter became the wife of Mr Modlin, and now resides at Hazel Dell, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Dr Orton married for the second time in 1841, Mary Isabella, daughter of Turner Thompson, draper and shipowner, of Russell Street, by whom he had two sons and two daughters, who are all alive except William Loch, who died of Cholera at Calcutta, aged 30.

Mr Orton’s taste was of a highly literary character, and he was one of the founders and a warm supporter of the Literary and Philosophical Society until its dissolution, when its valuable collection of books was transferred to the Free Library. He was one of the originators too, of an interesting series of public lectures, given for years in connection with the above Society, under the title of "Winter Evenings’ Recreations", at which he often appeared as chairman or lecturer. His contributions to medical literature were, "A Lecture of the Philosophy of Bleeding", and a paper in the Lancet on "The Effects of Arsenic on the Animal System, and the utility of the Hydro-Oxide of Iron as an Antidote". He made some curious experiments in electricity. Almost simultaneously with Mr Cross, of Norwich, he caused a jar to be partially filled with hot lime, an article in which it was thought no living creature could exist, and having extracted the atmospheric air from the vessel he passed a current of electricity through the lime by means of a series of properly fixed wires, attached to a powerful battery. The electric current was kept uninterruptedly going for about six months, at the end of which term on examining the jar, a living animal was seen moving about among the lime, created, as it was supposed, by electricity. Both his father and uncle Reginald having been much interested in the subject of that terrible form of disease commonly called Asiatic, Oriental, or epidemic cholera,cholera sometimes cholera morbus, and having carefully studied its causes, symptoms, and remedial appliances, and written much on the subject, Mr Orton was able to bring his special knowledge into service during the several outbreaks of the disease in Sunderland.

He took a special interest in all such measures as were calculated to elevate the social and moral condition of the working classes- the improvement of the dwellings of the poor, the diminution of gambling-houses and drunkenness, and the suppression of those prolific sources of crime, misery, disease, and premature death - houses of prostitution and ill-fame. A valued correspondent wrote me as follows at the time of the Doctor’s death:-- "It may not be generally known that towards the accomplishment of these praiseworthy and philanthropic objects the Doctor, about 1847, put himself into communication with Sir George Grey, Bart., Lord Viscount Morpeth, and others of Her Majesty’s Ministers of that time. I recollect well the forcible yet eloquent language in which our worthy townsman advocated the immediate abolition of the excise duty on glass and the repeal of the window duty – taxes that had long pressed heavily on the poor, by curtailing the amount of light and the free admission of air to their dwellings. As a substitute for the loss of revenue that would be caused by the repeal of the window duty (if light was still to be taxed) the duty should be regulated he advised, not by the number of windows, the size of the panes, or squares of glass used, but by the imposition of a moderate house duty, commencing at a certain rental. By the adoption of these means the homes of the poor would be free, and tax would be payable only by those who could afford the luxury of a large house and plate glass windows. It is scarcely necessary to add that the worthy Doctor’s suggestions have long ago been adopted."

My correspondent went to say:- "Dr Orton was an eminent man in his profession. In diseases of or accidents to the eye, he was very skilful. To particularise instances would be invidious; but the writer cannot refrain from noticing one case, that of a shipwright, who, whilst caulking one of those large vessels for which Sunderland is so famous, was struck on the eye by a splinter from an iron wedge (or horsing iron as it is locally termed) which cut the eye-ball in such a manner that the aqueous or watery humour in that organ began to ooze out, and probable loss of vision seemed inevitable; but by the prompt and energetic measures adopted by Dr Orton the discharge was stopped and the patient’s sight was saved."

The Doctor took a warm interest in the establishment of our Gas and Water Works, Baths and Wash Houses, and other measures of local sanitary reforms. He also invented a new "Ether-inhaling Apparatus". This was before the discovery of chloroform, or, at any rate, before that anaesthetic agent had come into general use. He was, as may be understood from what has been said, a man of varied acquirements - literary, scientific, medical, chemical, agricultural, and mechanical.

Living in the midst of a seafaring population, he took a lively interest in maritime affairs, and turned his attention to the means and appliances for saving life in cases of shipwreck and other casualties at sea. The result was that he invented a lifeboat, which he sent to compete for the premium of one hundred guineas offered by His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, in 1851, on which occasion nearly three hundred competitors came forward. The advantages claimed by the Doctor for his boat were: - 1st. It was so light that eight or ten men might launch her. 2nd. So low, that the wind and sea had little power in impeding her progress. 3rd. Open, so that she allowed the sea to pass through her, and consequently never carried any weight of water. 4th. Almost incapable of upsetting. 5th. If upset, must right again, unless materially damaged. 6th. If damaged and bottom upwards, still a safe boat, since the men within would have a free supply of air, while those outside could get upon and cling to the bottom until relieved. 7th. Her propulsion by paddles obviated the numerous objections to oars. With so many practical boat-builders to compete with from all parts of the United Kingdom, it was no wonder that Mr Orton did not gain the prize, which was won by Mr Beecham, of Great Yarmouth.

lifebuoy

Besides this lifeboat, of which a full description appeared in the Nautical Magazine for May, 1846, Mr Orton was the inventor of a reel lifebuoy, the use of which was recommended by the late Thomas Dixon, of Sunderland Street, as possessing properties in several respects superior to those of any previous lifebuoy.

The subject of cattle breeding likewise came under the scope of his comprehensive mind, and he read several papers on the subject at the Newcastle Farmers’ Club, which were reported at length in the local papers, and created great interest among intelligent agriculturalists. His views on the physiology of breeding, though novel, have since been acknowledged to be substantially correct, there being now a perfect agreement among scientific men as to the basis of his theory.

Anxious to verify everything for himself, he undertook the management of a farm at North Ford, near Hylton, expecting to be able to show his brother farmers an example of how the land should be treated. He entered into possession in May, 1855, but was soon grievously disappointed, chiefly owing to the wild and neglected state in which he found the farm, requiring the expenditure of large sums of money, without his having a chance of recouping himself within a reasonable time. The only remnant of his operations to be seen are a few plants of comfrey scattered up and down the fields - that plant being accounted by him one of the best for feeding purposes, and therefore well worthy of being cultivated. His severe pecuniary losses had certainly a tendency to shorten his life.

He died on Tuesday, September 1st, 1862, of softening of the brain, at his residence, Ford Farm, at the age of 52, leaving a widow and six children, and the interment of his remains took place at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery five days afterwards, the funeral being strictly private.

In the year 1867 a small posthumous volume, entitled The Watery Grave, and other Poems, by the late Reginald Orton, M.R.C.S, was printed and published for the benefit of the New Infirmary by William Henry Hills [whose successors, Messrs Hills & Co., are the publishers of this book]. Its contents were verses, some of them very pretty, by the deceased gentleman, who had at least the soul of a poet. It was introduced by an affectionate preface by his daughter Caroline, now Mrs Modlin. As a specimen of the Doctor’s style we give the following : -

PETITION FROM A CAPE PIGEON

O let me go! I long to spring
Again upon unfettered wing,
Through the cool air again to fly
From sky to sea, from sea to sky;
To wheel, to sink, to rise, to soar
In merry circles o’er and o’er;
To hear my glad mate’s cheering cry,
And see their bright wings sweeping by.

O let me go! I fain would be
Again like those gay creatures - free!
Say, why am I alone confined,
Encaged from light, and wave, and wind;
Was it that when you mused upon
The radiance of the setting sun,
I joined in his bright beauty too,
Did my light wing obstruct your view?

Or when you turned your lordly gaze
In wonder on the mighty maze
Of boundless waters, rolling round,
Was’t that my resting there you found
A blot upon the glorious scene?
Oh Pardon! For my fault has been
But deeming yon fair heav’n and sea
Worlds wide enough for me and thee!

By the Doctor’s death the poor of Sunderland lost a kind and sympathising friend, whose services were ever ready in the hour of need, and the community at large a man of science, at once a scholar and a gentleman; whilst his family were left to mourn the loss of an amiable and affectionate husband and father, who, under the severest trials, never neglected home duties.

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