View entry
Name: MILLER, Frederick Richard Lanfear (Dr.)
Birth Date: 1890 Tottenham, bapt. 21 Nov Hampstead
Death Date: 31 Aug 1939 Saltdean, Sussex
First Date: 1925
Profession: Medical officer
Area: Fort Hall, 1925 Kisumu
Married: In Paddington 2 Aug 1919 Mrs Marie Swaffer née Collet, b. Hampstead 15.11.1875 [sic], d. 1951 Hove (prev. m. Henry Edward Swaffer 1872-1912)
Book Reference: Red 31, Hut, Dominion
War Service: Captain, R.E.
General Information:
Dominion - Medical Officer - 1930
Red 25 - Doctor in Charge, European Hospital, Kisumu
Gazette 2 Feb 1937 has Frederick Richard Lantear Miller
Freemason 25 Apr 1918 Chatham
On his marriage cert. his wife is only 4 years older than him.
Supplement to British Medical Journal 9 Dec 1933 The Council considered the case of Dr. Frederick Richard Lanfear Miller, registered as of Pembridge Villas, Notting Hill Gate, who had been summoned on the charge that at the West London Police Court on September 22nd, 1932, he, being a person authorized to supply dangerous drugs, had been convicted for having failed to enter required particulars in a register or day-book, and had been fined £5 and three guineas costs ; that at the Marylebone Police Court, on March 27th, 1933, he had been convicted of unlawfully, and without authorization, being in possession of a dangerous drug, namely, 10 grains of morphine sulphate, and, on another date, 13 1/2 grains of morphine sulphate, and on each charge had been fined £10 and five guineas costs ; and at the same court, on July 28th, had been convicted of attempting to procure for himself dangerous drugs, and of being in unlawful possession at various dates of various amounts of morphine sulphate. In respect of this third conviction he was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment in the second division. Mr. Harper, the Council's solicitor, in outlining the facts of the case, said that Dr. Miller was a medical practitioner who was authorized to supply dangerous drugs. In the latter part of last year it was found that he was not keeping his register, and, following the conviction at the West London Police Court in September of that year, the Home Office revoked his authorization. Nothing more was heard of the case until March, 1933, when he was convicted at the Marylebone Police Court of the offences stated, and in July, at the same court, of further offences. It was found that he had in a number of cases obtained drugs in the name of other medical men. He received the drugs from the chemists, and paid for them, but the authorization was apparently signed by some other medical man. Dr. Miller required these drugs for his own personal use ; there was no question of any patient being concerned. At the hearing of the charge he had asked that thirty-four other cases which the police had not traced should be dealt with at the same time. Mr. Snell, the magistrate, in sentencing "Dr. Miller, said that he was sending him to prison, not as a punishment, but as a deterrent ; he thought it was better treatment for him to go to prison rather than that he should remain in the hands of relatives. Another detective-inspector gave evidence that in the early part of this year he had received a complaint from Messrs. John Bell and Croyden regarding two prescription forms purporting to come from doctors, but which they believed not to have been signed by the doctors concerned. He made certain inquiries, and laid the facts before the Director of Public Prosecutions. Later, following other inquiries, a complaint was received from Boots Ltd. of Wigmore Street, and, in consequence, a trap was laid, and Dr. Miller was observed to call with a signed form and to attempt to obtain some morphine sulphate. He was then arrested. Numerous other complaints had been received from chemists in which other doctors' names had been signed. On the very day of his conviction at Marylebone Police Court, on March 27th, a prescription form purporting to be signed by another doctor was put in by him. Mr. Carthew said that the facts of the case were not in dispute. Before the war Dr. Miller was a mining engineer in Nigeria. He joined up, and went to France in the war, where he was promoted Captain. He then thought that he would like to become qualified as a medical man, and he started reading for preliminary examinations when in his rest camps behind the lines. Actually he passed his preliminary examinations while home on short leave. He decided to take up tropical medicine, and in due course received an appointment in the medical service in Kenya. While out there, on marches up to the Abyssinian border, he got dysentery, and then for the first time he took morphine, and from that there developed a drug habit. Later he started practice in London, hoping to cure himself, but unfortunately, soon afterwards he had a bad attack of influenza, which brought on his old complaint of dysentery, and he took to drugs again. From first to last in this unhappy story there was not the slightest suspicion or suggestion that he was trafficking in drugs. The only person who had taken these drugs was himself. After the first prosecution he placed himself in the care of a Dr. Dixon, and in January, 1933, he entered Bethlem Royal Hospital as a voluntary patient, remaining there for three or four weeks. Unfortunately, when he was demorphinized, he became the victim of intractable insomnia. He did all manner of things to try to avoid reverting to morphine. He had made a real and determined effort to clear himself of the addiction. Mr. Snell, the magistrate who sentenced him, had made the unusual statement that his prison sentence was imposed, not as a punishment, but in his own interests. With regard to his future, the medical practitioner to whom
he had sold his practice had repeatedly affirmed his willingness to take Dr. Miller back into partnership when his sentence was completed, and he had a wife and other relatives who were only too anxious to assist him in every possible way. Mr. Carthew read a letter from Dr. Young, medical officer at Wormwood Scrubbs, stating that Dr. Miller, on admission, was suffering from the effects of morphine addiction. His treatment in the prison hospital was completed in fourteen days, and since then he had co-operated in all matters with a view to his recovery. Bethlem Royal Hospital as a voluntary patient, remaining there for three or four weeks. Mrs. Miller also gave evidence, and stated that she had on very many occasions destroyed whole tubes and half-tubes of drugs which her husband had in his possession. After a short deliberation in camera the President announced the Council's finding. The facts alleged against Dr. Miller in the notice of inquiry had been proved. The Council hoped that the necessary abstention from drugs which was now forced upon him would have a beneficial effect and would enable him to overcome the infirmity of which he was himself conscious. The Council had therefore decided to postpone judgement for one year. At the end of that year Dr. Miller would have to appear again before the Council and to submit the names of persons who might be applied to for testimonials on his behalf.
he had sold his practice had repeatedly affirmed his willingness to take Dr. Miller back into partnership when his sentence was completed, and he had a wife and other relatives who were only too anxious to assist him in every possible way. Mr. Carthew read a letter from Dr. Young, medical officer at Wormwood Scrubbs, stating that Dr. Miller, on admission, was suffering from the effects of morphine addiction. His treatment in the prison hospital was completed in fourteen days, and since then he had co-operated in all matters with a view to his recovery. Bethlem Royal Hospital as a voluntary patient, remaining there for three or four weeks. Mrs. Miller also gave evidence, and stated that she had on very many occasions destroyed whole tubes and half-tubes of drugs which her husband had in his possession. After a short deliberation in camera the President announced the Council's finding. The facts alleged against Dr. Miller in the notice of inquiry had been proved. The Council hoped that the necessary abstention from drugs which was now forced upon him would have a beneficial effect and would enable him to overcome the infirmity of which he was himself conscious. The Council had therefore decided to postpone judgement for one year. At the end of that year Dr. Miller would have to appear again before the Council and to submit the names of persons who might be applied to for testimonials on his behalf.