From Annie Dowie   [after 27 July 1875]¹

First notice of the birth of Alice occurs in Papa’s Diary Sep^t 1850.²

27^th. Alice born—

5^th. Dec. Baby’s superfluous fingers cut off by Prof Syme.³ (since dead.)

9^th. January 1851.

“This evening observed a small bone projecting from the wound on Alices hand, and finding it loose, picked it off.

It seems to be the fragment which was separated by Prof Syme at the second cutting, having been left in the bed of the wound through inadvertancy— Thus the wound has been kept open since the 5^th. December in consequence of this unfortunate mistake.”

“1851

9^th May

Prof Syme performed a new operation on Alices hand to extirpate the basis of the extra finger.”

Prof Syme also was of opinion with Papa that the stump had grown in the time between the two operations—and we all could see & feel for ourselves how much it grew afterwards, though it has neither the form of a finger nor any finger nail, but is only an angular protuberance.⁴ Prof Syme I may mention, felt a little annoyed we thought about the business as he had tried to cut as close as he could the first time when he made first one cutting and then another, (the second cutting mentioned by Papa)