The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-05-05

when Mrs. Howes called on me-
Cross Examined. Mrs. Howes called on NE,
two weeks before suit was begun-she said Il have
a blind husband at home, and think you made
him blind, and thought would call and see what
you going to do about i'll said you very
kind and considerate, won't you walk in-she asked
sis that all you have TO say"' and walked away
think saw Mrs. Holmes at Howes house-she was
down stairs-Howes was present-he was blind il
it was on the early vists-on the 26th he was blind
in both eyes-t was before had operated.
Capt. Charles Wording, sworn. Live 121 High
street, near Mcfarland house-Howes lived there
in 1S67-saw him short time before he moved-hc
and his wife said he got mortar i'll eyes-saw him
frequently about the house--his eyes were covered
he could see little-went for Doctor Monroe
for Mrs. Howes-beforc Doctor was called, under
stood from Mrs. Howes that she was afraid that he
let them have it-they said they were not able to
move so soon as had been expected.
Cross Examined She expressed fears of blind.
ness about two weeks before moving.
DR.. Daniel McRuer, of Bangor, sworn, (Examin-
ed eyes of Howes) Surgeon 40 years-gven aten-
ton to eyes-had much to do with that class Of
disorders-nitrate of silver applied by brush
would not produce the result seen in Mr.. Howes
case-efect of lime is caustic and severe one-de-
pends on condtion-dry lime is severe-slacked
lime not so much so tears sometimes will work II
out-others not-some eyes bear more than Others
lime will produce the result seen in Howes-no
application will rapidly destroy brilliancy of eyes
lime-nitratf of silver will not produce opacity
it removes 1.-THE eyes of HOwes show what i'll
ldlnatlOu tney nave passed Ol Sll-
yer was tie proper applcation-nrate would
not produce the result HoweS has described.
Nitrate of silver if applied to make pair OF good
eyes blind In two seconds, would not be proper-it
this application in its operation it would not
be proper-there is not power enough in one rapd
application to make man blnd-if that result
was reached in two seconds, it was not nitrate
some application would DO lt--a red hot iron, or nj
trate acid, or sulphuric acid-none but mailman
would apply then-any medicine applied to well
eyes, TO produce such result as lloweS described
would affect their sight-sOmc patients make more
ado operations than others-here are many
things that would destroy sight-hong water
neutrality-suspicious. would--it is mot good prac-
tice TO put medicine into well eye to destroy it
or put 1t into well eye at all-InaSOnS have come
to me with mortar i'll eye.
Direct resumed. Acids would destroy eye
it would run out--one eye sympathizes with the
other very strong Y, and might be destroyed from
sympathy-the passing of brush over eye would be
proper-haye applied nitrate OF silver in stick
never knew or heard of an eye destroyed by il.
DIR. Thomas Frye, of R0Ckland, sworn. Am
physician and surgeon, in practice % years-have
treated the eye-heard DR.. Monroe's testimony
his treatment of Howes was proper-have used
nitrate of slver-never knew it to intlict injury
the result in IIowes could not have possibly been
produced by nitrate of silverime is very destruct
i've to eyes-it rrtates them chemically, second ii
irritates echanically-producng intlammation--it
would smart, burn, and on reaching deeper tissues
would affect the head-t might make a person in
sane-the symptoms given by Howes would be eX
pected-taking his statement, such result is impOs
trate produces little white coating by combination
with abumen which stops the spread of inflammation
should expect from strong application film, that
would in time come of-have applied the stick
nitrate to the eye-in granuaton l would destroy
by nitrate of silver or sulphate of copper-there is
no known substance that will produce the effect al
parent in this mans eyes.
ORA. +. Page, Bucksport, sworn. Am physician
and surgeon, of 10 years practice-have applied nj
trate of silver to eyes-it would not produce such
result as l see in Howes-have not the slightest
result could be produced by nitrate-lime would
produce tin one eye might destroy both--herc
is no known substance that, applied plaintiff
testified, would produce such result he claims.
Cross EX. Have never seen pair of eyes put out
by application OF any substance to them nstantan-
eousiy.
Dr. Calvin Seavey, Bangor, sworn. Practiced
medicine 33 years-haye treated eyes-nitrate OF
silver, in certain conditions, is common and
proper remedy-case of Howes, as deserlbed by
DR.. Monroe was property treated-appllcaton of
ntrate, as described could not have produced the
result seen in Howes-no substance applied in that
manner, could have produced that result-me in
the eye, might have produced it-getln@ it in one
eye might destroy both.
SATURDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
| Henry S. Parker, sworn. Live in Belflst--ac-
quainted with Howes-hG has worked for me as
called because L heard he was in trOuble-Mrs. III.
said, in presence of Howes, that he got lime in hi,
eyes, they We're nlamed, and he got cold in them
of injury by medical treatment.
Ella S. Reeves sworn Know Uowes; in 1865
lived near Howes, and was frequently in his house.
he told that he got lime in his eyes and got cold
that when he went to bed he could see well, and
was blind in the morning.
Defence offered the testimony of three witnesses
to whose eyes nitrate of silver had been applied, to
prove its harmlcssless. Objected to and excluded
DR.. David 2. Flanders. Live in Belfast; been
Il homeopathic physician and surgeon II years; use
nitrate OF silver in practice have seen Howes; was
gu llnH hy IlpWns lOSt sifrbt
witness here examined plaintiffs eyes in case
of granuation apply nitrate of silver; it would
not produce the effect apparent in Howes.
Cross Examined. Did not tell plaintiff that |
thought the eyes had been badly treated; have no
recollection of saying that thought case had been
badly treated; never said two grains of nitrate tu
ounce of water would be inadmissible; nor that i'll
no case would it be admissible in acute inflammation
in case it was used strong ensugh to produce
great agony, should think ii too strong-it might
produce blindness-coudn't say it would certainly
produce it-N1rs. Howes told me that DR.. Pcnde-
ton said if he had been guilty of such practice he
couldn't sleep nights.
DR.. L. w. Pendleton, sworn. Am physician and
surgeon in Beas-ntrate of silver is proper treat
ment in diseases of eyesit would not be injurouSas
applied by DIR. Monroe. Witness examined plain
th's eyes.l Nitrate of silver, as testified, would
not produce that etiect-have used pure crystal nj
trate in application to eyes, in granuIaion and
liberation OF cornea-t has benefited the eyes.
Cross Examined. Studied with Dr. Monroe
was three years and over with him--dd not eN-
press opinion that case had been improperly treat
ed.
DR.. Hopkins, sworn. Physician and surgeon ;t
Searsport-in practice II years-haye used nitrate
with benett-it is proper in granulation- eXamin-
ed ewes of Mr.. Howes nitrate of silver solution
could not have produced that effect.
j. G. Cook, sworn. Live in Belfast, in trade
know Howes and wife-taiked with Mrs. II. about
the case, two years ago-she said he got time in
eyes.
DR.. B. J. Jetfries, sworn. Live i'll Boston; am
Physician and Surgeon; educated in Boston, At
Cambridge, in London, Paris and Vienna; Am
culist at Mass. Charitable Eye and Ear Intirmary;
also at Carney Hospital at south Boston; lecturer
on eve at Harvard University examines plaintiffs
ewes am familiar with injuries by lime-they are
of 3 classes, either dry, or mixed with water, or
mixed as mortar-if dry it produces burnt
mixed will run-if as mortar it spreads still more,
and Is more dangerous, because it burns over larg-
er surface-nitrate Of silver As applied 10 eyes, will
produce inflammation, and we Use it to counteract
another one-lse it because it makes an inflammation
that ttends to hean place ofone that does not tendto
it is local in effect lime produces inflammation which
tends to go on if not arrested-t goes deep intothe
tissues-it is one of the most dangerous injuries
have to treat Dr. j. here drew on blackboard a
diagram of the eyes. and hung up other drawings.
showing the eyes, nerves &c. and delivered an in-
terestng lecture optcsl Sympathie affection
spreads from eye to the other very
readiy-a diseased eye is often removed to save the