[1] West “has left it on record that the two things, which he learnt while with Mr. Gray were to compound medicines - a knowledge which he afterwards found of great service when prescribing for children - and a familiar acquaintance with Shakespeare, which doubtless fostered, if it did not create, the literary taste afterwards so conspicuous in his writings".

[5] He became more and more involved in the medical problems of children and the first edition of his Lectures on the diseases of infancy and childhood (Longman 1848) was a great success and gave him sudden fame.

Also due to his remarkable oratorical gifts, West's campaign had success and, in the spring of 1851, a little hospital with ten beds was opened at 49 Great Ormond Street, in a house that had belonged to Richard Mead.

Visit it for yourselves: see what its daily working is, read the simple tale of good done which its Reports unfold; and then, if you feel for the poor, if you love little children, if you have children of your own, or have had, and lost them, or have had them given back to you when you feared that they would be taken from you for ever — let every motive which policy can suggest, which philanthropy can furnish, affection enforce, or religion sanctify, induce you to join with the Committee, and give them what best you can contribute, your time, your influence, or your money, to forward them in their work..

[11] His self-defense, along with his Christian vision of a pediatrician's mission, was fully mentioned in the obituary published after his death in the British Medical Journal: I trust that I need not say to you that neither in deed, word, nor thought has my conduct been swayed by my religious opinions.

But I will further add that I have always thought and often said that I do not know the meaning of our Saviour's mission if every child under 12 years old, Christian, Jew, Mohammedan, or Pagan is not at once received on dying into the presence of Him who said 'Suffer little children to come unto me’.. From 1880, he became more and more uncomfortable with London's climate and decided to practice in Nice during the winters.

In 1891 a bad attack of neuralgia began to affect his health, even if he continued to devote himself to the profession and to sick children until shortly before his death, occurred in Paris on 19 March 1898.

His last days were remembered by a friend of him, Dr. R. L. Bowles: During the last few years Dr. West complained much of a sense of muscular weakness and exhaustion, for the relief of which he sought constant change of air and scene, but with only partial success.

During the whole of this time his intellectual and mental powers, he assured me, were as quick and active as they ever were, and he, was never so happy as when busily engaged writing or reading, or in dealing with matters of business.