CHIROPRACTIC CASE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18529, 16 October 1934, Page 9

CHIROPRACTIC CASE

WIDOW’S €4B CLAIM

NEGLIGENCE ALLEGATION The 'Claim of No rah Annie Salisbury, widow, Gisborne, for £4B 4s against Clarence Leslie Turner, chiropractor, Gisborne, for alleged negligence in,.., treating her was continued before Mr E. L. Walton, S.M., yesterday afternoon. Mr L. T. Burnard appeared ,v----for the plaintiff and Mr F. W. Nolan.:*' for the defence. N" George Bowes, butcher, said that he boarded with the plaintiff. A fo;t night after going to the defendant, A plaintiff complained of pains in her Si neck, and was in pain from morning,'* till night. Witness approached the--A defendant about it, and suggested that. "" the trouble-might be neuritis. To Mr Nolan, witness said the de- * fendant mentioned something about a doctor -on one occasion when the defendant called at the plaintiff’s house, : the witness replying, “I don’t suppose she’ll have a doctor; she’s not that bad.” x Dr. H. Goulding Rico said that, at the time of life which the plaintiff had ; *L attained, a woman was often sensitive - and had an anxious* attitude to life which had no organic origin. One could help the patient by encouraging her and explaininwg that time would' mend it. Mr Burnard: What have you to say regarding the diognosis and cure pu forward in the chiropractic pamphlet.-! Dr. Rice replied that the claims were not substantiated. His Worship, examining the pamphlet: It says that it will correct appendicitis and peritonitis. Is that: caused by the nerves? Dr. Rice: No. It is an affection of an abdominal cavity. .Mr Burnard: Would the treatment the defendant prescribed be the correct treatment for the plaintiff?—No. Was it not the opposite to that which you believed was necessary?—Yes. Continuing), Dr, Rico said that tho X-ray photograph produced showed no evidence of a dislocation of the spine. Mr. Nolan: Then you have no faith in chiropractic?—That is so It is based on unsound promises. And you believe, then, that, based on such unsound premises, that chiropractic is a form of quackery ?—Yes, that is what it amounts to. You have heard of cases which have recovered from chiropractic treatment?— A case that has recovered during chiropractic treatment is not necessarily from, such treatment. There are cases where there has been no apparent result from medical treatment and an apparent result from chiroornctic. treatment? —No, I will not go_ so far. I would like to know what promises have been given by the doctor and what time has been given to treatment. Dr. Martin in tho British Medical Journal advocates spinal manipulation?Soiual manipulation is used by ourselves, but. not hi the form that, a chiropractor, r - uses it. Dr, Rice addfd that massage had been used for 30 to 40 years, long before chiropractic was thought of. He did not • rlenv its value, but it must be used only after proper diagnosis. The medical pro- ; fession used it only in suitable cases; «

whereas a chiropractor claimed it was necessary for all diseases. Mr. Nolan: But the chiropractor does not claim that, —Well, in most diseases. Are you aware that chiropractic is, recognised by 40 out of 48 States 'in America?—rlt is a great country. - It is a practice for the relief of human ailments, and you yourself have heard ofsuch cases?—l have heard of cases whichhave recovered during chiropractic; ment and also in spite of it. * < The medical profession is antagonistic ' to chiropractors and osteopaths?—Tho medical profession is opposed to it. In suite of success under treatment? — I am not prepared to admit, success. Are you prepared to admit that many of tho. cases that go to chiropractors axe those that doctors have failed to cure?— No. I am not prepared to admit that. _ Are you prepared to admit - whether Mr. Tnrner used proper chiromctje treatment, or whether it was efficient treatment? —Judged bv what standard’ Of a chiropractor.—l am not prepared to express an opinion. • \ . Then of a doctor?—The chiropractic movement would have no benefit To Mr. Burnard, the witness said that the X-ray photograph sho-wed no evidence of the patient reouiring the'treatment given bv the defendant. Even if there wap a displacement, as the defence suggested, it could not he corrected hv cTnronrartic treatment prescribed bv tho defence. Lewis George Luxford, cldropractoj. Hastings, called for the defence, said ho received his training in the United States, and had been in New Zealand for four years. The X-ray film orodu’ced was forwarded to him by the defendant last August. There was a sufficient maladinstnient to cause a nerve nressure from the surrounding tissue. The conditions, he said, were not normal for a healthy spine. Chiropractic adjustment Would correct the position. (Proceeding.!