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A Homeopathic Dose

A Homeopathic Dose image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
August
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The usual quietude into which ou city had fallen for the past few weeks, wa unexpectedly broken last Monday eveninc' when it was announced that Dr. James C Wood, of the Homoeopathic College, o the University, had beensued tbr $10,000 by a Mrs. Lamareaux, of Livingston coun ty, upon whom he performed an opera tion last winter at the hospital. Monda; morning he was called to northern Miohi gan to perlorm an operation, and in goin pagsed through Howell, the home of the complainant. When the train stoppei there, a gentleman entered the car an inquired in a loud voice if Dr. James C Wood, of Ann Arbor, was in the car. The doctor, thinking that perhaps a telegram had been sent him from home, promptl; answered. The pergon proved to be a deputv gheriff with a summons, requiring him to appear in the Livingston counti court on the sizth of September, and an swer to a charge of malpractice. The doe tor was all " broke up " over the matter but pursued his journey northward, to his destination, performed the operation, an( returned home Tuesday afternoon. Last winter Mrs. Lamareaux carne to the Hc.mceapathis hospital, suffering from a cáncer of the uterus, and which Dr Wood successfully removed, being over an bour performing the operation. After he got through, the patiënt was immediately turned over to the hospital attendants to be cared for, as all other cases are. She was taken into the ladies' ward, and while yet under the influence of aciesthetics, hot bottleg were placed around her to regtore animation. Mrs. Lamareaux alleges in her complaint that she was so severely burned that the flesh feil off to the bone. She further alleees that one of the burns on the bottom of one of her feet caused a muscle to contract, which will make her walk s little lame for the rest of her life. When the doctor returned home he was seen by a Register reporter, to whom he made the followmg statement : " During the holiday vacation this Mrs. Lamareauz carne to the hospital a complete physical wreek. She was hardly able to walk, being a victim of one of the Tarietie8 of cáncer of the uterus. Her countenance was extremely pale, indicative of profuse h;emorrhages, from which she had been suffering for over two yeara. The characteriatic cancerous discharge made her an object of disgust, both to herself and to these with whom he carne in contact. She presented herself as a charity patiënt, wishing to be treated as su:h, and saying that her physicians at home considered her case hopeless one. It is unnecessary to go into those details in which the public cannot possibly be interested. Suffice it to say that in my judgment, and in the judgtnent of my colleagues, there was but one chance to prolong life for any length of time, and that was the entire removal of the uterus, and if necessary, its appendages. After relating to her in the presence of witnesseg the possibilities and probabilities of her case, were an effort made to do this, the great chances she would have to run, ets., the whole responsibility was left with her and her friendg. To use her own language, "she preferred a death under the knife to an inevitable lingering one." Accordingly, during the latter part of February sometime, with the aid of my colleagues and the preaence of the two higher classes of' our school, I removed the entire uterus and the appendages of one side through the vagina, an operation which, if ever before performed in this state, I have been unable to find in the literature of recorded instances. At any rate, the operation was a long, difficultand tedious one, the patiënt being under the knife for over an bour. After the performance, as is customary, the case vas turned over to my regalar assistant, who, witb the aid of the class assistants, removed her to a room adjoining the operating wart!, and placed her in bed, under tbe supervisión of the regular nurse of the ladies' ward. Before I again reached the patiënt, the accident for which she geeks damages in some way happened, to contend with which measures were at once instituted, but owing to her low vitality the blistered surfaces developed into quite good-sized sores. Various unforeseen complications arose in connection with the operation, and a somewhat tedious convalescence followed. I watched her case very carefully, giving her much of the personal attention which the house surgeon alone, and not .myself, is compelled to give. She gradually rallied, and before leaving expressed herself as feeling better than for years before. Indeed, she looked like another woman. Many were the expressions of gratitude paid to me personally and expressed to others. Tne last benediction received from her before leaving the hospital was an apparently sincere regret that she would be ever unable to repay me for what I had done for ner. I little realized at the time that her jenerosity would reach a ten thousand iollar malpractice suit. I certainly think :hat she cannot hold me responsible ior an accident which happened after she jassed from my hands. If she can, it is well for myself and all other operators on ;he campus to know it ; for iL we are to De held accountable for the action of the assistants and hospital attaches, the rejents would indeed have a hard time to ind men to fiU the chaira. Very frequently one, two, three and even four operationg, necMitating the use ot ansesthetics, are periormed during ooe clinical hour. It wil] readily be seen that it wouid be utterly impossible for the operator to personally watch each patiënt while passing under or rallying from the ansesthetic. The woman's ingratitude is simply incomparable." The doctor received a letter from the complainant some time ago, wherein she stated that she wou!d bring the above action.regretting, hovrever, that she shoold be compelled to cause him tronble after he had done so muoh to save her life. The doctor has the sympathy of every one, and their only wish is that this woman whom he took almost out of the grave and restored to life, will be unsuccessful in her attempt to collect any damages. It looks more like a perseoution than a prosecirion.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register