DOCTOR IN TROUBLE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 March 1925, Page 10

DOCTOR IN TROUBLE.

THE MACKENZIE CASE

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS MADE

(.av I'KI.I'.CJKA I’ll —PItJ-JSS ASSOtIIATIO.S AUCKLAND, March 9

• • \\’e suggest that Mackenzie is a (rami, irrespective of whether this macliine is any good or not,” said Air \ . li. .Meredith during Ins opening ■address at the Supreme Court to-day in an application made under the .Medical Practitioners Act to have tiie name of tie my u undas Mackenzie, a medical practitioner, of Auckland, removed from cue register. J.’he ground-■advanced was tiiat .VLackenzie iiad been guitty of infamous conduct- in a proiessional respect, inasmuch as tor the past four years he nad practised alleged scieutiiic methods of diagnosis :..nd treatment Known as Abrams in such a manner as to show that lie could not honestly have believed that the method of treatment and diagnosis was a reliable or useful one in toe erases in which lie employed The case will probably occupy the greater part of a week. It is being Heard before Mr Justice Herdman. Mr Meredith and. Mr S. L. Paterson iare appearing for tiie Medical Board, and Mr M. Myers, K.C., of Wellington, and Mr J.'F. \V. Dickson are repiesentmg Mackenzie. Mr Meredith said the Medical Hoard ahegetl that Mackenzie had made diagnoses which no honest and reputable practitioner could possibly make. It had to be assumed he was a competent practitioner or he would not hold the - diploma which he did. It was also suggested his brutality in frightening unfortunate people in the way be did was absolutely unprofessional and was cruel and disgraceful, and, continued Mr Meredith, it was further suggested that it was done with a view to driving them, through fear, into accepting treatment so that he might obtain their money. Jt was also suggested that Mackenzie's statements that- if these people went to -other doctors and were operated upon they would be dead in a short time, were part of his scheme. It was a disgiuceful thing to do in that it- prevented them from going to consult leading practitioners, whereby they iingt t have been saved much suffering and distress, and, as in the ease of one female patient, probably her life. Continuing, Mr Meredith said that one o.d lady suffering from small boils was taken to Mackenzie, who diagnosed her case as cancer. Eventually she was cured by another practitioner in a lew days, the complaint being a minor one. Another case instanced b.y Mr Meredith was that of a- man suffering from an ordinary abscess in the cheek. He was told by Mackenzie that if he did not undergo treatment and went instead into the Auckland hospital he would be dead within a week. The man went to I>r. Grant, who sent him ito the Auckland hospital, where he was healed, and to-day he was alive and well. Evidence would be given in some nine or ten cases where cancer was diagnosed, and it would be shown that such diagnosis was altogether unjustifiable. Continuing, Air Meredith instanced another case alleged to have been dealt with by Mackenzie, where a woman suffering with pains had her complaint diagnosed hv Dr. Pettit as cancer. Dr, Pettit could place his finger on the soot. Another doctor also diagnosed the case as cancer, and an operation was ordered. The woman then consulted Mackenzie, who said, it would be alleged, that she was not suffering from cancer, and that lie could cure the trouble in some 30 treatments at one guinea each. After some 30 treatments the woman was stated by Mackenzie be practically cured, but when the woman’s husband told Mackenzie that she was still losing weight and feeling ill Mackenzie said the benefit of the treatment would not be. felt for some time. On consulting Dr. Pettit again, the woman was urged to see 1 a specialist <at once. She was taken to Mr Garrick Robertson, who pronounced her to be almost past the stage where an operation could be successfully performed. Her ease was so far advanced as to be almost hopeless. Eight d-avs after the operation the woman died.

As, showing t’lie readiness with which Mackenzie allegedly diagnosed cancel’ almost .as ,soon as he got a patient into his rooms, Mr. Meredith told how a mother took her child to Mackenzie and showed him a rash on the infant’? skip. Mackenzie said it was the result of hereditary disease. He then examined the mother’s throat and told her she/ was suffering from cancer. Hater she was examined by doctors, who. would say that there warno suspicion of malignancy in the throat, and that the diagnosis had no right to be made. The. mother and child were to-day in perfect health.

Mr. Meredith cited another case of a. similar nature, and went on to- refer to blood tests made' and submitted to Mackenzie for diagnosis.

deference wiw made to blood tests with samples taken, from a donkey and a lamb and "also from a man who had been -pronounced by Mackenzie to Jje free from disease. These were raibmitted to- Mackenzie by people living, at a distance, and he was given to understand they were samples' of patients’ blond. Hopelessly co-nflict-in-e diagnoses, wore given, said Mr. Meredith-. Mention was also made of the fact that. Mackenzie luul not taken advantage of an opportunity offered him of diagnosing well defined diseases bv means of blood tests taken from pa-tie-n-tsi ini hospital. Counsel said ill is opportunity was now offered to Mackenzie for (he •second, time, and hs couhl avail li ini-self of it if he would.

Hnic!enc ! ‘ was given by -bunneinuis wi-tmesiseisi on- the lines sol eoun'sel’s fatenienf. and Hie couit then adjourned (ill to-morrow.