DR. DUNDAS MACKENZIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18963, 10 March 1925, Page 11

DR. DUNDAS MACKENZIE.

MEDICAL BOARD ACTION. REMOVAL FROM ROLL SOUGHT WRONG DIAGNOSIS ALLEGED. THE ABRAMS TREATMENT. The application of tho Medical Board to have the name of Henry Dundas Mackenzie, medical practitioner Auckland, removed from the register, was opened yesterday in the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Herdman,

The ground advanced by tho Medical Board is that Dr. Mackenzie "has been guilty of infamous conduct in a professional respect, inasmuch as for ihe past four years he has practised the alleged scientific method of diagnosis and treatment known as Abrams in such a manner as to show that he could not honestly have believed that method of treatment and diagnosis was a reliable and useful one in the cases in which he employed it."

.Air. V. H. Meredith and Mr. S. L. Patersou appeared for tho Medical Board, and Mr. M. Myers, K.C., of Wellington, and Mr. J. F. W, Dickson, represented Dr. Mackenzie.

Mr. Meredith, in opening, said the Medical Board contended that's irrespective of whether the Abrams system was a system or not, Dr. Mackenzie's conduct in connection with it, and the patients he treated, was fraudulent. They suggested the Abrams system was a discredited orio by the leputable branch of tho profession m various parts of the world. The system briefly claimed that every disease, had a vibratory rate, and that, by means of a certain machine, it was possible, either from spots of blood, or hand-writing, placed within the machine, to receive the ind'eation of the disease. It was also claimed that it would indicate the part of tho person's body in which tho disease existed. Then, by means of another machine, a vibratory rate could be applied which would cure the existing disease. The Medical Board's suggestion was that there was no scientific foundation for those claims. " A Fraud on the Public." " Tho main allegation against. Dr. Mackenzie," proceeded counsel, "is that he used this as a medium for perpetrating a fraud on the public. As a registered medical practitioner he was assumed to know the risks ho war, taking in diagnosing incorrectly in regard to such diseases as cancer, syphilis and tuberculosis, which seemed to be the three main diseases he diagnosed in patients. Some 20 particular cases would be brought before the Court. Dr. Mackenzie had told individuals not. only that they had cancer, but that they had it in an aggravated form, and were going down hill fast, thus practically pronouncing sentence of deatlv It was a disastrous thing to tell any person pointblank that ho or she had cancel', for it deprived the patient of the power of resistance and sent him down hill at a tremendously increased rate.

Mr. Myers, at this juncture, suggested that all witnesses ho ordered out of Court. His Honor agreed and about 30 to 40 people, largely women, left the Court, Air. Meredith, proceeding, said that some of Dr. Mackenzie's patients, when told they had cancer, collapsed and some, he understood, had contemplated suicide. Certain of the women, as a result of what was told them, were thrown into a pitiable condition. Evidence would be led that, when told they had cancer, the bulk of them were also informed that if they went to other doctors they would bo operated on and would be dead in a short time. Dr. Mackenzie suggested that he could cure them, adding that the cost of his treatment was £1 Is a day. In the majority of cases the guinea had to be brought day by day as they received treatment. Some of tho cases wore such that medical inspection by the eye would show that the person was not suffering from cancer

Mr. Myers suggested that the names of witnesses who had consulted Dr. MacKenzie be suppressed, and His Honor agreed. Specific Cases Cited.

Mr. Meredith then referred to Mrs. A., an elderly lady, who had boils in both ears, which Dr. Mackenzie diagnosed as cancer. Shortly afterwards she was under treatment by another medical man, and in a few days was cured. Yet she had been told bv Dr. Mackenzie that she had cancer, and should take his treatment. Mr. Myers: I think where a point is in issue it is only fair to say " that is the case that is made." Mr. Meredith, proceeding, said he did not suggest that any of the allegations were admitted. The next case was one in which a Mr. 13. consulted Dr. Mackenzie for an abscess in his face. He was given the same diagnosis, and was told that if he went to Auckland Hospital he would be dead within a week. Apparently'this man was not of the type easily frightened. He consulted another doctor who at once scouted all idea of cancer. In hospital the face healed in the ordinary way. Evidence would be given in some nine or ten cases in which a diagnosis of can cer was thoroughly unjustifiable. They suggested that no other inference could lie drawn but that Dr. Mackenzie was giving these cancer diagnoses to compel people through fear to undergo this treatment, so that he could get. their money. " That," added counsel, " is the plain, blunt accusation." Mr. Meredith then dealt with the case of Mrs. C., in whom cancer had been diagnosed by two well-known Auckland doctors. The husband was given a ticket for admission to Auckland Hospital for an operation. The woman, however, saw Dr. Mackenzie, and her husband would state that Dr. Mackenzie was told the diagnosis of the two doctors. Dr. Mackenzie informed the husband that his wife had no sign of cancer, and said the other doctors were butchers, and should not be allowed to practice. Dr. Mackenzie said the woman had some minor trouble and he could cure her with about 30 treatments. At the end of those treatments the husband was t> !d that his wife was practically cured, Later she was found to bo in an advanced state of cancer, and was operated upon, but died a few days later. "That." remarked counsel, "was one of the cases which, ! will suggest,, ended in tragedy." Cancer Diagnosis Disproved. Mr. Meredith quoted certain other cases ol patients who had been under Dr. .Mackenzie's treatment. In one case, that of Mrs. D., lie diagnosed cancer of the. throat and the woman practically collapsed. At the time she was suckling her baby. She later became .seriously ill and the doctor who was called in to see the baby knew at once there was something wrong with the mother. The mother told him of the diagnosis she had had about her throat. After she had been examined by thro it specialists, it was found there was no suspicion of malignancy, and nu justification for such a diagnosis.

in another instance, Dr. Mackenzie told a woman, Mrs. lv, that she had cancer very badly. She underwent his treatment, paying about il 112 and finally she was told she was cured. Later she was examined by three doctors, who convinced her sin; had nothing cancerous the, mutter with her All she needed was au aperient.

A sa{nplc of blood, tak"ll from tin: ear of a man dying . f i,-nicer in the Auckland Hospital, was handed to Mrs. K., who sent it to Dr Mackenzie as a sample of her own blood, "to see if she was still clear of lancer.' 1 '1 he reply Mrs. K. received was that Dr. Mackenzie Could not see any reason a( present for anxiety a. to her health. 'J he man from whom the blood v.as taken died shortly alter. Although Mrs, E. sent a spot o! Mood, he was prepared to expect that Dr. Mackenzie would say he did not examine, the spot of blood, but diagnosed from the handwriting.

Mr. Myers.—You are quite wrong. That is not what will be said.

Mr. Meredith, continuing, said Dr. Mackenzie had no right to tell her that she had cancer. It was a wicked thing to terrorise her, and take her money. It was perfectly clear he was a humbug and fraud. When sent a spot of blood from a cancerous patient he could not detect the disease. Lamb's Blood Diagnosed. Counsel then referred to blood samples taken from a lamb and a donkey. Another sample was also taken from a Mr. l'\, who had previously been passed by Dr. Mackenzie as free from any complaint. The first sample of lamb's blood, sent through a private, channel to Dr. -Mackenzie, as from an unknown patient, received the report "no reaction." When a second sample of the lamb's blood was sent the diagnosis was that the reaction obtained was carcinoma of the small intestine and congenital trouble in the head and circulatory system and spine. That, counsel understood, was a euphemistic way of describing congenital syphilis. A third sample of the lamb's blood, sent to Dr. Mackenzie as from a man living in the North, was diagnosed as indicating chronic inflammation of the lungs or pleura, with a tendency to malignancy, also a condition of depressed vital resistance. The lamb, remarked counsel, was apparently in a fairly bad way. Mr. F., Mr. Meredith said, had been passed as clear of disease. A sample oi his blood, sent through another man, to Dr. Mackenzie elicited a reply that the blood sample indicated a condition of decreased vital resistance in the head, spine and abdomen, which, although still capable of treatment, bad reached a st i;;e where structural change had begun. Vet Mr. F. was a man whom Dr. Mackenzie had declared to be free of disease. A sample of donkey's blood was also sent to Dr. Mackenzie through the man who had already sent in two previous blood samples. In sending tn the donkey's blood, this man 'wrote that "benefit seemed to have been derived from a tonic," and he asked if treatment could be left, until the last week in Ducember. "Medicine Willi Not Help VTou." Dr. Mackenzie, in replying addressed his letter to the man's wife, as he had done on a previous occasion, and it stated that "by taking your present line of a.tion the time is fast approaching when treatment will bo useless. You are speedily becoming worse, and as far as 1 know medicine will not help you in any way." Dr. Mackenzie had, in regard to the lamb, given three hopelessly irreconcilable diagnoses. In a further test of tlio donkey's blood the diagnosis received was "syphilis, congenital and accidental." The man who had sent in the blood samples had undergone the test for syphilis with negative results. The only trouble he had was the apparent afterresult of a heart strain in his youth. Otherwise ho was practically a normal healthy man. As to the donkey, counsel said that animal also had been tested for syphilis. The result was negative, and so the donkey's reputation also had been rehabilitated. . Mr. Meredith said Dr. Mackenzie had previously been offered by Medical Board the opportunity of submitting his machine to tests by having samples of blood from hospital patients suffeung from well-defined diseases submitted to him for diagnosis. That offer lie had declined. ' If Dr. Mackenzie had anv faith in his machine counsel would now make a similar offer, so that lie should, under conditions approved by the Court, give diagnoses on samples of blood from hospital patients. He took it that if he had any confidence in his ability so to diagnose be would accept the offer. It he did not the inference was obvious. Summarising the allegations, counsel said the Medical Board contended that Dr. Mackenzie bad made diagnoses which no honest, reputable practitioner could possiblv make, and that his brutality in frightening unfortunate people was absolutely unprofessional, and was cruel and disgraceful. It- was done, they suggested, with a view to driving the people, through fear, into accepting his treatment so that he might obtain their money. His statement to patients that if they went to other doctors they would be operated on and be dead in a short time was i,a disgraceful one. Further, ho prevented patients from consulting other doctors, wherebv they might have been saved much suffering. "We say he has trafficker! in human fear, that he sowed the seeds of terror in these people, and has cultivated their suffering for the purpose of reaping a harvest' of money. That is the accusation made." Test of System Proposed. The first witness was Charles John Drake, secretary of the New Zealand Medical Board, who produced correspondence that began with a letter from the board to Dr. Mackenzie suggesting a test of his system by a committee of Auckland medical men. In reply, Dr. Mackenzie, through his solicitor, declined to have any dealings with the British Medical Association as such. He suggested instead that New Zealand medical men be sent to America to make investigations at Abrams Institute for at least a month and also welcomed visits by Auckland medical men either individually or as a committee, to his clinic at any time to examine his methods. The husband of Mrs. C. gave evidence to the effect that in 1922, when his wife was on the point of entering the Auckland Hospital to undergo an operation for coricer of the lower bowels, she was recommended to try Dr. Dundas Mackenzie's treatment. Dr. Mackenzie also spoke of the other doctors as "butchers," took a blood test, as the result of which he declared that the case was not ono of cancer, but of nerves and piles. After the patient had received 30 treatments at ill Is each, Dr. Mackenzie stated she was cured. Later she consulted Dr. Carrick Robertson, who sent her to the hospital, where she died after an operation. Dr. Harold I'eltit said the wife of the previous witness was a patient of his early in 1922. He diagnosed cancer of the lower bowel, and recommended an immediate operation. Witness consulted with Dr. Sidney Allen about the case. Some months later he met the husband and found the patient had not gone to the hospital. Thero was no difficulty whatever in diagnosing the ulcer.

To Mr. Myers: He identified the disease as cancer from his own observation and from the history of the case. Under ordinary clinical methods mistakes were sometimes made. In this instance there was no doubt about the existence of an ulcer, but only a microscopic examination could determine with certainty whether it was cancerous. The length of time for the development of cancer varied with every case. A growth that was nonmalignant might develop malignary in a comparatively short time. Microscopic Examination'.

Tn Mr. Meredith: If a patient wnro brought to Jiini, whose cUso I wo other medical mm luul diagnosed as cancer, hp would not contradict that diagnosis without. first, removing a pi coo of the jj'-owtli ami having it examined niii*roscopl ).v. No medical man should lake sucli a responsibility. Mrs. K. said thai in .lime, 192.3, sho consulted Dr. Mackenzie, who submitted her (o a test, with his machine, and informed her she had cancer. Those present were Dr. Mackenzie, a nurse and a person known its "Tommy." Witness had her feet, tai two plates on the floor. "Tommy.' who was stripped to the waist, sat at another inarhine. Witness was also stripped to the waist. "Tommy" had something on his head that looked like a wireless appatatus. The tloclor kept tapping "Tominy" on the f-.toniaeh with what appealed to be a {{lass red. and the nurse was marking witness with pencil on the l.ody as directed by the doctor. Dr. Mackenzie told her she had cancer--a lot of it—and had had it lor a loiiti time. He asked her if she woidd like to have treatment and she assented. Treatment began the next day at a guinea per day. There were ICS treatments iu all. In these treatments witness was .-oune ted by plates with the machine for about au hour each day. There were two machines in (he room and about six persons at. each of these every time witness attended. After some weeks she derided that she could not- afford to continue the course any longer, but Dr. Mac-

kenzie told her she was in the position of ii house which had been on fire, and where only part of the fire had been extinguished. She then decided to remain under treatment, and did so until Dr. Mackenzie discharged her as cured. On ono occasion, Dr. Mackenzie told, her that another doctor would cut her open and sew lief up, and she would be in Waikumete in five months. All through her treatment her pain never left her. Jt remained with her for six months after Dr. Mackenzie declared her to be cured. Then she consulted Dr. Margaret Knight, who referred her to Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie and Dr. Tracy lup 1 is. Dr. Knight prescribed medicine which drove away tier pains, and she, had not felt them since. Dr. Mackenzie had never examined her in any other way than with the machine and by means of a blood test from her car. Her total payments to him, she thought, amounted to ,'.1112. She sent to Dr. Mackenzie a sample of blood, as one which she had taken from her ear. In reality it was one which Dr. Maguiro had supplied to her. ]n her treatment bv Dr. Mackenzie she was painted across the abdomen every other day with red paintThis was continued right through the course of treatment.

Use of Red Paint. To Mr. Myers: She left Dr. Mackenzie ■n October, 1923, and first consulted Dr. Knight in May, 1924. In the interval she saw Dr. Macken/.io twice, find underwent the machine test. On each of these occasions he said she required no further treatment. For these two tests she was not charged. The. letter accompanying the blood sample was dictated by Dr. Hardie Neil, and witness posted it from Tauranga, Drs. Maguire and Uilmour were present when the sample was given to her. At every treatment at Dr. Mackenzie's she saw a chart of her case. In her later visits to Dr. Mackenzie she did not tell him of the continuance of her pains. She thought he would learn of it through the machine. To Mr. Meredith: The chart showed the spots on her body where the cancer was believed to bs and was also marked "cr," which meant cancer. It was in red, and all cancer patients were also painted red.

Dr. Margaret Knight said that when tho last witness came to her in May, 1924, she- was suffering from simple constipation, which yielded readily to three weeks' treatment. Witness examined her for cancer, but could find no trouble beyond the constipation. It was only then that witness learned of the previous consultation with Dr. Mackenzie. In order to set the patient's mind at rest, witness gave her a letter to Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, as he was a specialist. Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie staled that when the patient- just referred to came to him in May, 1924, there was no sign that she suffered from cancer or had ever done so. The telling of a person that lie had cancer would be attended with the gravest mental distress. 'J.ho test upon which they placed the first importance was the microscopic test. That was about the one definitely sine means they had. His Honor: To what extent does the X-ray help you ? Witness: It will diagnose practically every cancer of the gullet and in the abdomen it will diagnose the great majority, dependent on the experience of tho examiner. Possibility of Mistakes. Mr. Myers: I suppose you will agree that, notwithstanding the improvement of medical science, there are frequently many errors in diagnosing cancer, or something as cancer, both by physicians and sometimes by surgeons.

Witness: That is so. Continuing, witness said that mistakes were still made. Much depended upon the period of the disease at which the patient was seen, and also oti the man who saw the patient. There were not a great many errors made by surgeons and physicians of tho average standard. To Mr. Meredith, witness said ho, would call it reckless practice to give a diagnosis of cancer without taking the necessary precautions. Dr. Itusscll Tracy Inglis said he examined Mrs. E. on July 22, 1924, and found no signs of cancer. Mr. Myers: You may often have a case where a doctor tninks he has cured cancer and finds out a little later that ho has not ? Witness: I suppose that is possible, certainly. Dr. C. E. Maguire, medical superintendent of Auckland Hospital, said a sample of blood was taken from a patient in the hospital suffering from cancer :n the abdomen. He handed tho sample of blood to Mrs. E. The man from whom the blood v#s taken subsequently died. The majority of cancer cases in the hospital were 'operated on. Generally a mfcroscopical test was made. The microseooic examinations indicated that in a very large percentage of the cases the diagnoses had been correct. Mr. Myers: I put it to you that 99 out of 100 patients treated for cancer must know what they are being treated for. Question oi Etiquette. Witness* A large number do not. and a large number do. Proceeding, witness said that sometimes it was necessary to tell a patient,' Dr. Hardie Neil and Dr. Gilmour were present when Mrs. E. was handed the blood sample from the cancer patient. He cculd not say how lone: elapsed between the taking of that sample and the placing of it in his office, nor could he say how long it remained in'his office drawer in an envelope. He knew of no samples of blood from other people being in the drawer at that time. ill-. Myers was questioning witness as to whether he deemed the taking of the blood from the cancer patient and the sending of it through Mrs. E. to Dr. Mackenzie, a scheme which a medical practitioner should adopt. His Honor: Supposing Dr. Maguire believed that some man was an impostor, and the only way was to send him a drop of blood for testing and determining whether lie was an imposter ? 1 cannot, for my life, see that tliero was anything wrong in the act. Mr. Myers said he had put it as a matter of comment. His Honor said he had no doubt the witness considered he was acting in the right way in the public interest, Dr. N. MncKelvie, medical officer in charge of Auckland Infirmary, said the cancer patient from whom tlie blood sample was taken died some months after admission. It. was an inoperable case. Mr. Carrick Robertson, referring to the case of Mrs. C., said he saw her about October 23. 1922. She had an advanced carcinoma of the lower intestine. There was no difficulty iu diagnosing (ho, condition. Witness operated on her, but she died ten days later. Had she been operated on some' months earlier she would have had a much better chance of recovery. Assuming the condition had obtained six months before there should have been no difficulty in diagnosing the trouble In the 'early stages there was a chance o- a cure. The Treatment in America. Witness, continuing, said lie was in America last year, and he would say the A bra ins method was not. a recognised treatment bv reputable practitioners in America.

To His Honor, witness said it was not regarded that any practitioner of repute should practice the A brains method.

His Honor: Has it any merit, use or value of attv kind '!

Witness: ! ». not think ii has. I have seen the box and 1 cannot liuu that any current or anything came out of it. To Mr. Myers, witness said he had not seen any record of the K.M.A. in I',upland having removed, or taken steps for the removal, from the rolls ol practitioners of any |« rson who had practised the A brains treatment Witness knew that Sir dames I'-arr. a \ice-president of the. IOI.A. in Holland had written an article advocating tlii' .'ib'anis ni'Ohod. 'sir James war, an old man, about 80. Witness knew that Abrams, who was dead, had a very large clinic in Ran Francisco. Mr. Myers: All you know about Hie method is what you have heard from other tnedieal jnoii ?

Witness: And the resinls of patients wdio have come to me. To His Honor, witness said lie had seen patients w.'io had been diagnosed or treated by the Abrams method and the percentage of mistakes was so great that there could not lie anything in it. The case was adjourned until to-day.