CLAIM TO CURE DISEASES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17701, 1 March 1923, Page 2

CLAIM TO CURE DISEASES.

CHARGE OF FRAUD. Hope was raised in the hearts of some permanently deaf people by • a series of advertisements which appeared in Christchurch newspapers between July and December, 1921. A sample is asifollows:— "Deafness can be cured permanently. The most obstinate and long-standing cases of deafness are being permanently cured through the latest scientific methods of dealing' with ear troubles. Ours,is institution in Australasia where this method can be obtained. Remember, "it js not ear drums, or ear 'phones, but .natural treatment that positively restores permanently good&iearing to deaf people. Consult us at once, as our appointments are limited. Specialists in Natural Therapeutics, 246 Hereford street, fourth door from St. John's Church. Hours, 2-4. Will patients please bring a friend f" The proprietor made an appearance before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at . the Magistrate's Court yesterday. His name is Alfred Lewis, and his age was given as 25 years. He was charged that on or about Juljr 23rd, 1921, ,at Christchurch, with intent" to defraud, ne obtained from one Florence Hill the sum of £33 in money by a certain false pretence, to wit, by stating that her deafness was curable, and that he was able to cure it. /' • Senior-Detective T- Gibson conducted the prosecution, and Mr 0. T. J. Alpers appeared for the accused. Senior-Detectivej Gibson Btated that Lewis had advertised that he could cure all sorts of diseases. A number of foolish people had'gone to him to be cured of deafness. Maggie Wilkie Miller Jones, ffnnarried woman, said that /in July, 1921, when Miss Florence" Hill was staying with her, they, saw Safe advertisement in a newspaper. As tf result they went to tke rooms. Accused examined Miss Hill's hearing, and sMd that he cetild cure her in twelve months. She would be able to hear words across the table in three months. He', would charge her £SO, and if she could not hear in twelve months 'he would refund the money. One drum was slightly withered, so accused" /had diagnosed after testing it witf'an instrument that he looked into." Witness bgd seen him treating Miss Hill on several occasions. The patient sat with a "sort of a horn affair with an electric light in it" in her ear.- On certain occasions she was massaged all over her body. She had to be undressed. Detective Gibson : f Did he do that himself? —Sometimes*himself and sometimes his sister. , How far down did he-massage f-J-He massaged the whole of her body. I was present on some, occasions. . Did he say that that would cure her deafness!— Yes, he said there was a lot of catarrh round the, "front and back of her neck, and that to. do with her hearing. Witness said that Miss Hill had paid £ls down £ 2 per week afterwards.

Specialist's Evidence. Dr. A. B, "G 'Brien, specialist in ear diseases, said he examined Mrs Clemments (nee Miss HiU) on February 10th./ She was very, deaf indeed, and had to be shouted at in order to make her hear. The disease was known as otosclerosis. It was an ' .hereditary deafness, cause unknown, and it got progressively worse. Though treatment occasionally retarded it,- it never the;disease. "If the person was ,ailing,\, the massage, mightiimprove her general condition," said witness, "but' as regards general massage treatment for this form of deafness, I regard it as all. moonshine. We sometimes)jise a special form of massage within the ear itself, but in the present case it is useless.. No medical L*an would have : a chance of curing that complaint, and one without medical training would not 'evenlbe able to diagnose it." To\Mr Alpers: There are forms of deafnes&s-in which massage might improve the hearing temporarilyf that , is when the general health of the patient, is bad. Gatarrhis sometimes the cause of deafness. A general practitioner might diagnose a complaint as catarrhal deafness when it was otosclerosis. A person who has only passed 'the sixth standard would not know anything about it. - , v In reply to Mr Alpers, witness said he did not know anything about the Viavi school. , He did'not know that they professed in'three months, by.spe-. cial systems, to dure all the ills of the flesh. Is . it notorious that there. are many unqualified persons in New' Zealand and elsewhere who practice some healing art, and that many 6t their patients are cured' by suggestion f-m suppose so; I cannot say. . So that some of these unqualified practitioners may have an honest be'lief, in their jjowerst —Yes. I don't consider the term "quack" synonymous with rogue. To the' Magistrate: I consider that' a statement that all forms o$ deafness can be cured is a hopeless lie. To Mr Alpers: I believe that vmany people who take patent medicines are cured .by their faith , in the advertiseand not by what is in the bottle. ■Dr. N. S. Whitton, another ear specialist, stated that- Mrs Clements's deafness was incurable. He corroborated Dr. O'Brien's statements regarding massage. t - "The Institute." Sergt. A. G. Quartermain said that, in February, 1921, he was a detectivesergeant. On the ninth of that month he interviewed accused at his home in Hereford streeti Accused had said he was 25 years oi age, and that he was born in Christchurch.. He was educated at the East Christchurch School, and had passed tfie sixth standard. "His education was deficient, and his English was bad," said witness. He referred to his place as "the institute." ' It was a : !«even-roomed dwelling, the back portion being in a filthy condition,when he- visited it.'/ Mr Alpejs. objected to the evidence as not' b«tg essential. •' The Maßstrate said that, as accused profesipsf to ; . be a health expert, one ifrould . expect' shim to keep his place clean. t : Mr Alpers: The ancient seers and healers were, notoflous'ly dirty men. The Magistrate suggested that it was doubtful whether eyen they guaranteed to cure all forms of deafness, i Continuing, witness, said there was a brass plate on the gate of the "institrate," with the inscription, "A. Lewis, M.C.P.P., Specialist, National Therapeutics." Accused had told witness that the letters should have, been M.C.DJP., which meant "Member of the College of Drugless Physicians." He said the College was located in Chicago, and that he was a member at the age of 15 years, as he Had taken a correspondence course. Accused had a diploma, and he has been "practising" since he was 17 years* old. The treatment consisted of (1) massage, (2) hydro-therapy, (3) electricity, (4) die tics, (5) nemo-therapy, (6) spinal adjustments, (7) maprapsy, (8) suggestive therapeutics, (9) zone therapy, (10) magnetic healing, (11) homeopathic, (12) gymnastics. There were 450 patients on the books of the "institute." Lewis had said he had a special treatment of his own invention, called "Natural therapeutics." He issued diplomas to people - who had taJcan a course of ' instruotioa from

him. In the list of telephone subscribers the name of-Lewis appeared with the initials. F.S. aifter it, which accused said stood for "Food specialist," D.P. druglefes ■ p.hySicial, and H. for hydro-pathic. Accused ! had also said he had established an "institute" in Wellington, and appointed, another man as manager there. ' 'Cures Guaranteed. : * : Florence Clements was the next witness. The questions Were written ofit on a slip of' paper, and handed to her. She stated- that Lewis had ; guaranteed to cure her deafness in 12 months. He told her that her .drums were "paralysed, '' and that! -the heat'- from an elecr trie bulb which he placed in front of the ear would ,bring them "back to life." 'She had paid him £2 per week, and a total amount of £33. Her hearing was no better, and Lewis had not returned the money as he had agreed to do. He had promised to write, J&ut witness had received no. answers to her letters. Her health had always been good apart £rom her deafness. To Mr Alpers: When Lewis had massaged; her, .she ~ had taken her clothes off ; to the waist. The treatment had once been administered when no one else was present. Mr Alperß: You don't suggest there was anything indelicate about the massage treatment H-No. y You •went on for eight months "because you thought yoifwere getting, better?—No; —"" Joseph Edward Stevens, director of the School for the Desf at ifUmner for 17 years, said he had seen the newspaper advertisements. In consequence hfe called upon accused, and tcjld him lie had been deaf in one ear all his I life, and that doctors nothing,! for him. Lewis had examined Ais/ throat, nose, and eyes, and said that | Si, cure could be effected. When witness asked for particulars aljout the' cure accused shruggled his shoulders as if it was a secret process. L'ewfs had'said that the cure would take nine months, and that there would be treaty mfent several times a week, the terms being £25 down or £3O in instalments. Witness said he would put nothing down, but he would pay £SO if a cure was effected. Accused refused to do business in that Way, and said he would guarantee to cure him. Witnass then- offered him £IOO when a cure was effected, but Lewis Refused to apply any treatment unless money was paid in advance. Committed for TrlaL Mr Alperß suggested that the prosecution had failed to prove that there had been an attempt at frand. By his guarantee Lewis had made himself liable to a civil action for the return of the money. He admitted that he was not- infallible, and agreed to return the money if, at the end of 12 months, the cure was not complete. The state of hopefulness which he had tried to raise in his patients was an element in many clires. Lewis would not undertake treatment unless he was paid something in advance. That waa no evidence of fraud, for he ran a "strictly'cash" business. ■ The Magistrate remarked that most professional men bad to take a good deal on trust. Mr Alpers: "I don't profess to hold my man down as a professional man. ,He fias all the puffery of quackery." He asked that the charge might be dismissed. The Magistrate, in summing up, said that Lewis had- putv himself up in business at the age of 17 after having corresponded twice with the "College.?' His intention was evidently to get as much cash as possible. Even where he got a certain amount of cash and failed to accomplish the impossible he did not return the money. There was ample evidence that misrepresentation had been made. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, hail being allowed, self in £IOO, and two sureties of £SO each.