THE PORT WINE INCIDENT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10146, 20 September 1898, Page 2

THE PORT WINE INCIDENT.

TO THB EDITOR OF THB PRESS. Sir,—On reading in Thursday's Press your | report of a peculiar incident which occurred recently in connection with medical relief to a poor woman, I asked myself, "What are we coming to in this so-called free and independent country of ours?" It was shown that a mctjicol man, in the exercise of his judgment, prescribed some port wine for a patient suffering severely from quiiwy, nervous prostration, and general debility, and as everyone must know, unable in consequence to swallow any solid substance. It was further shown that the patient appreciated the treatment and there is nothing whatever to show that she was in any way likely to abuse the prescription. Then it was shown (and has since been admitted) that a man had taken away the wine out of the woman'"* house, and she stated in writing that this was done without her consent. Next we find that the patient requested the man to return it, which he did under threat of further proceedings, but meanwhile the doctor was obliged to order another supply of the wine. Now suppose for a moment that the poor woman had died in consequence of .the removal of the first supply of the stimulant the doctor judged to be necessary, aiid before she could obtain the second, what position would the man who took it away have been placed in? I observe in Saturday's Press that a certain Efdward Taylor admits the fact that he took away the wine and kept it. Why? And when he returned it under threat of further proceedings; again, why? Is it not evident (o every right thinking person that this man not only Knew he was doing wrong by taking another person's property

out of her house, but also that his attempt" to slur over th. miserable business by an effort to discredit the statements of other parties to the case, is one of the most glaring instances of brazen effrontery one could imagine.--Yours, &C, FREE BORN.