DEATHS UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11561, 14 June 1900, Page 4

DEATHS UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Sir,—Once again I see by" this 1 morning's paper that a man died in the Auckland hospital while chloroform was being administered, and also as usual I notice that no one is blamed for it. Items of thiß eort appear with p&inful regularity. I believe I have noticed no less than four during the past six months, which inclines me to the opinion that it is more risky to go under chloroform than to go and fight the Boers, and unless the dootors interested are held responsible this sort of thing is likely to continue. I hold to the opinion that a doctor having a patient die under ohloroform should stand his trial on a oharge Of murder, for the following reasons:— He should not put a patient under ohloroform who was not in a fit state of health. If he did and the patient dind

he should be held responsible. If the patient was in a fit state to go under chloroform and died under it he should be held responsible for unßkilf ul treatment. How they can be let off every time with the verdiot "No blame is attached to anyone " iB more than I can understand. Further, people are often induced by doctors to go under chloroform when there is no occasion for it at all. Medical soience so-called is just now at the experimental stage, and it appears as though a chance is never missed of operating. People die and doctors learn a little— precious little. Eighteen years ago I was laid-np for eight months in the Launceston hospital, Tasmania, with a tumor in my throat (contracted, I discovered after, by drinking the milk of a cow which had a tumor in her ndder). I didn't seem to get better, got worse in faat, at last three doctors had a consultation on my case and deoided that I would have to undergo an operation and have it cut ouf. It was pointed out to me that the operation would he very dangerous on account of the tumor being under the jugular vein, but it was my only chance.- If I didn't have it out out I was gravely assured I should not live six months. I decided not to have it cut out, and to risk the dying in less than six months, but I also made up my mind that the dootora could do no more for me, bo I got out of the hospital as soon as possible. I had paid fees amounting to over £40, and went out worse than when I went in, and I never went near a dootor in reference to that tnmor after, but just let it rip, and to my surprise and everybody else's, directly I got away from the doctors it began to get well of its own accord, and I began to have faith in the healing power of nature. I am fully convinced that had I gone under that operation I should not have been alive to-day, I am the more convinoed of this by the faot that my brother, two years younger than myself and stronger, contracted tumor at the same time and place and from the same cause. We were not treated together, but the doctors induesd him to undergo the oparation, and he died 10 days after, and I feel certain that had he got clear of the doctors as I did he would have been alive to-day. Can you wonder I have no faith in doctors and have never been near one since for treatment, either for myself or family. The practice of medicine is not likoly to improve bo long as dootors are paid for treating people who are ill. When the people themselves take the question of public health in hand doctors will be paid when people are in good health, and not when they are ill. It is certainly not creditable to a family doctor to have Mb patients often ill. Dr. Abernethy observes sarcastically : "There has been a great increase "of medical men of late- yearß, but, upon my life diseases have increased in proportion." Dr. James Johnson, M.D., F.R.S., editor of the Medico-Chirurgical Review, says:— "l declare, as my conscientious oonviction, founded on long experience and reflection, that if there was not a single physician, surgeon, man midwife, chemist, apothecary, druggißt, nor drug on the face of the earth there would be less sickness and less mortality than now prevail." Dr. John Mason Gtood, M.D, F.R.S., author of " Study of Medicine," &c, says : —"The soience of medioine is a barbarous jargon, and the effects of our medicine on the human system is in the highest degree uncertain, except, indeed that they have destroyed more lives than war, pestilence, and famine combined." Dr. Franois Coggewell, of Boston, sayB :— " 1 wish not to detract from the exalted profession to whioh I have the honor to belong, and whioh includes many of my warmest and most valued friends, yet it cannot answer to my conscience to withhold the acknowledgment of my firm belief that the medical profession (with its prevailing mode of practice) is productive of vastly more evil than good, and were it absolutely abolished mankind would be infinitely the gainer." These are weighty opinions given by eminent men in their profession, and clearly show the crying need for radical reform in the praotice of medioine. Maoriland has led the world in so many reforms, and she will confer lasting and untold benefits upon mankind if she leads the way in this also.— l am, &c, John Rich. Havelock, 12th June, 1900.