MEDICAL IMPOSTORS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 310, 24 September 1908, Page 4

MEDICAL IMPOSTORS.

FREEMAN AND WALLACE INSTITUTE SUED. JUDGES SCATHING DENUNCIATION. (FliOM OL'll SPECIAL CORBESrONDBST.) Sydney, September 19. A young farmer up in the Molong district of New South "Wales, by name Robert Grimson, has rendered a service to the public in tho action lie brought in the Supremo Court this week against a medical I institute carried on by a firm known as Freeman and "Wallace, who profess to bo specialists in tho cure of disease. Ho alleged that he had bcon unskilfully treated at this establishment, and the jury awarded him £150. Incidentally, however, ho has enabled a flood of light to bo thrown upon tho methods by which patients aro attracted to those plaecs. Mr. Justice Cohen, in summing un, expressed himself m terms probably' as severe as any ever heard from tho Supreme Court Bench.

Grimson, a young man of twcnty-ono years, was jolted in the saddle whi'.o out boundary riding, and believed some time afterwards that ho was suffering from hernia. Ho saw ,a doctor in the country, who fixed an appointment for a later date, but was then unable to see him, as lie. had to attend some public inquiry. Grimson, after consulting his friends, wrote to Freeman and AYallace, seeking advice. Ho was told in one of tho letters he received from tho firm that his was undoubtedly a very complicated case, and that Instilments "included many _ deep-seated and obscure symptoms, _ which had weakened and debilitated his system to such an extent that a comparatively long timo must elapse before his complaints could be thoroughly cured.", Ho came down to Sydney,., became a patient at the institute, ami paid £24 to bo cured. But in vain. After he had ueen following the prescribed .treatment for four months, ho began to think ho ought to be showing somo signs of recovery. Henco lit went to a doctor at Newtown, tho suburb in which ho was boarding, 'l'his doctor diap,nosed tho case as a simple one, and performed an operation in a privato hospital, with the result that Grimson was able to leave tho hospital in- a week, and a month later was as strong as ever lie had been, and went back to his work in tho country. The doctor's fee was ton guineas.

, ! Air. Justico Cohen, after some comments as to tho importance of a Calm and judicial atmosphere in the courts of justice, admitted that thero were occasions when, notwithstanding one's best efforts to maintain an undisturbed calmness, feelings of abhorrenco and indignation would arise. This was by way of preparation for the stern denunciation his Honour was about to administer. "I think this is an occasion," said lie, when the public interest calls for a frank and outspoken expression of opinion upon the adopted methods at this, institute by thoso concerned in its management. For cruel cunning, unmeasured audacity, arid hypocritical pretence, I doubt whether tho ' annals of the courts of this State disclose a caso to which these epithets could bo n-oro justly applied. It is a strong illustration of man's inhumanity to man. It shows how tho craft and cunning of designing men, in their hasto and hunger for money, can set at nought the feelings and sufferings of their fellowmen, no - matter what sacrifico may bo involved in their machinations. Tho circumstances of this caso show to us humanity in ono of its worst forms. The whole atmosphere of tho institution, 1 may say, reeks with wickedness. It is only men with callous dispositions, with hearts of stone, steeled perhaps, by their hunger for money, who can trado upon, tho credulity of their feiiowmeii' as tho proprietors of this institution have preyed upon their fellow-men." The judgo then directed his , attention to tho plea of the defendant, Dr. Richard \Yallaco, denying that ho had anything to do \vi tii the institute at all. It appears that ho loft the employ of the firm in, ISO 6, aiid that another .Dr. Wallace, by name Samuel, came from Melbourno to- tako . his' place. 1 lamtiff's answer to this, however, was that all ho knew was that DiyjEichard'-Wallaco was held out to him as, a partner in tho institute. Commenting upon those facts, Mr. Justice Cohen said tho caso disclosed a' remarkable; degree, of cunning. On'all tho forms they .found .Richard Wallace's name printed,, while Samuel's' was signed to letters. If Samuel Wallace woro sued, the plaintiff might bo confronted with those documents, and told that Richard Wallaco was the partner; and 'on the other hand, if ho sued Richard Wallace, that Samuel was the partner. Tho suggestion was mado that one name could' bo played off against tho other, if tho defendants .wished to play it off in this way. This was a double-dealing worthy of the institute. Dealing with tho answers sent by tho dofondants to tho letter of the plaintiff, when ho approached them about his case, his Honour quoted from one "to show tho deceit of thoso people, by way of catching tho unwary and. credulous,- who, have not time to think deeply, and to show how they aro cajoled and lurpd on to this, spider's nest." This' statement' was:—"For information as to our business or professional standing and integrity, we refer to all mercantile agencies, banks, and warehouses in Sydney.'' " Can you conceive," asked his Honour, " anything more gross and impertinent to give effect to the iniquitous aims and ends of those people? I wonder how many banks' would allow, these people-to refer to them for a recommendation,."or how 'miny 'respectable mercantile .men would do so One of tho letters sont by the defendants to. tlio plaintiff consisted of four closely-typed: letter-paper pages, three of which, it came out in evidence, Were from stock, although it was made to appear that the whole'communication was based especially-on the plaintiff's condition of .health. . Only tho-fourth page, his Honour said,'was written specially to the • plaintiff,'but to give it/an-air of having all been written'for him, the word "immediate." tho last'.on.pago 3,' had been continued by tho addition of the,letters "l.v" on page 4. Tlio judge descnibod this .letter, in which Grimson was informed that his was a very bomplicated case, as cruel and heartless. One passage read:—" As surely as constant dripping wears away a stone, so surely your ailments will, if left'unchecked, bring about your monta'l and bodily destruction." "If it woro a word suitable for these Courts, I might say this' was devilish;" was his Honour's comment on this passage. Another part of tlio letter declared that the'particular affection from which tho plaintiff was supposed to bo suffering was always accompanied by a corresponding failure of nerve force, and tlio spinal column, directly connected with the brain, was often to such a degreo that in 90 per cent, of the cases loft unafr tended-tlio sufferer eventually became a victim of brain collapse, or filled a premature grave. Unless it had been elicited in evidence,' Mr. Justice Cohen observed, that the first 'three were stock sheets, it might have been imagined that this was a letter written to the plaintiff from first to last. They were stock sheets, sont, one might think, to all persons who applied to thoso people, so that their terrors might bo aroused, and they would get them into their clutches, and obtain their money. Speaking of some of the documents put in ovidence/ho said: "These deplorable messages were apparently sent to 570.000 people." Tho jury, in returning a verdict for tho plaintiff for £450, added a rider: "The jury aro of very strong opinion that measures should bo taken by legislation or othcrwiso to suppress all such pernicious institutions as the ono in question." Mr. Justico Cohen said tho rider would bo endorsed by every person in tho country oxcopt those concerned in this particular business and thoso of tha same type. The State Premier, replying to a question ill Parliament-, said this ease disclosed a serious state of affairs, and tho Government would give it consideration.

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