SHAM PATIENTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18969, 6 April 1927, Page 7

SHAM PATIENTS.

INDIAN " ATAH " IN CQURT. POLICEMEN UNAWARES. [THE PEESS Special Service.] • • - AijQSLANI), April 5. Further- evidence washeard to-day in the case in which six charges of attempting to Obtain from David John and Charles Lawrence Packman sums of money totalling £3 15s 9d, by falsely representing that he was a; person capable of diagnosing and curing ' ailments and skilled in the treatment of disease, were preferred against the Indian herb "atah;" Abraham Wally Mohamid Salaman, aged 40. (Mr Schramm), in the Police Court. Mr \V. R. McKean, S.M., was on the Bench, and Chief-Detective Cummings prosecuted. . Salaman continued his evidence. "1 could bet you £i'6 that I will diagnose patients at the hospital with any doctor you like to say,'' said Salaman. The accused said some of his patients had been very grateful for treatment he had given them, and some had pre- j sented him with, medals which, he produced. Counsel' proceeded to mention the names of the people who had made the presentations when .his Worship said, "Perhaps they would not. like ;• theic names mentioned.' - Counsel: They are all satisfied, your Worship. - • - The accused denied that he styled himself doctor. . "If anyone call ine 'doctor' I tell-him. I not 'doctor.' I always correct him." - ' "Inherited Knowledge." "The doctors are very jealous of me," said accused, when, trying to establish thai this, was the reason for the antagonism being towards him by tiie medical profession. issued a challenge that he could diagnose cases as well as any doctor with bis methods. • . . Detective Cummings: This is no time for betting. i Mr Schramm: Nevertheless he is prepared to put up the challenge. Detective Cummings: It is good advertising. _ ' ' Cross-examined by Detective Cummings, the accused eaid he had been in New Zealand for' sixteen years. He admitted that he had never studied medicine, but he had inherited his knowledge of it . from his, ancestors. "I know just ordinary, what everyone knows about the human body, he deTbe Detective referred to the fact that the accused had had some deaths amongst patients he had treated. He : mentioned the case of Mani- ' aMaori child from Rotorua. The accused said the girl came down to liim in a dying condition. "Did you not tell one of the constables who called on you that you could make a new man'of him?" accused was further taxed...... "No man can make a new man," said Salaman. Be admitted that he had given the Maori girl who; had died some almond oil. but he denied having knowledge of .the death of another Native on March lltli, 1924. He admitted that lie was convicted in 1922 on a charge similar to that preferred against him at present. He stated that he gained knowledge of the stethoscope when he-made a telephone in India. Cross-Examination. Detective Cummings: How many patients called upon you in a day?— Someti-nes two, sometimes five or six. The patients sometimes took four or fire friends along with them. Detective Cummings mentioned the case of the woman who was awarded £6OO' damages against the accused for wrong treatment, and asked if she had not died since. "Accused: \es, under the doctor. (Laughter.) He added that he had learned to make an analysis in his own country. The accused was questioned concerning the poisons and drugs in his possession, and estimated their value at about £3OOO. Detective CummingsYou know you cannot "use certain drugs without a

doctor's prescription?—l never use anything the doctors prescribe, I don't know what a prescription is. I tell' wholesale man if anything prohibited not to supply it to me. He • could ,not • tell what the profits from his business had been during the past twelve months. Detective Cummings: Do you. believe •in surgery?—Oh, yes, in some cases. '■ > Do you vthink you would be qualified to perform" an operation P—That is not in my line.,.. "Doctors Don't Like Me." 'I; Do you send patients to medical practitioners'r--Ye£>. ■ j ; Do you knqw of a case where.,yon have iiot correctly diagnosed a case?— As far as T Snow I have not. ...■•■ You told the police you could tell what a patient was suffering from, as soon as- he entered your room. sav that now? —Not till I examine him with the stethoscope. _■ • You heard the doctors say that constables O'Carroll and Lawrence am not suffering from the complaints which vou attributed to them?— They ..say that because the doctors are against, ine. Doctors don't like me. Accused admitted that he had copies of,,the Pharmacy Act and the Medical Practitioners Act in his possession. ;Ho denied that he had shown the . in-1 cards or filthy literature foun On his premises to any of his patients. Evidence of Cures. ■Mr' Sclifamm . said he would call . a number of witnesses who had benefice from the treatment by the accu ®^>.J?", Chief-Detective Cummings that the evidence,was not relevant tha charge?. ; .Mr McKean: I. cannot see how it Mr Schramm said the essence of the crime of false pretences was that the accused must, knowingly act as a fraud. If it could! be shown that th 3 accused had effected numbers of cuies over a period of years, and honestly b - lieved in his own .powers, lie could n be held guilty of the crime with wiiicli ' i6 Mr a McKean*:' .All right, I will hear Marift .Marshall said that her son was; operated on for cancel w a- fortnight old., Two doctors stated ■that the child had only a . fortnight live, and that, there was no liope tor him/. As witness was nursing the child, Salaman gave, her a bottle of medicin but did not give any medicine to th« child. He prescribed donkey s milk, mare's milk, o r goat s nnlk for child, and as the others could not be obtained, goat's milk was giveni commencing with a spoonful at a A the' end' of about a month, a gelling on the child's abdomen went.donn ai]d swellings appeared around the foiehead and on the legs • Salaman - saidhe was pleased to see these sw . , \ ~ ■ went down, and the child had been in good health since. An advertisement in a newspaper containing a photograph of her child was '"serted bv witness. She gave, money tor the " to bcS'cbtaineO from stated that when thev addressed him as "doctor" Salaman corrected them. At this Stage the hearing was adjourned. •