The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-13

The Agonies Little BOY was Made TO suf-
fer IN the Interests OF science.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir: |
call your attention to the following report from
the Philadelphia Times, Of the experiments Of
doctor on little child;
rhereasns prcude 10 Dr. IIcwson's lecture
sitv and tfc jefferson Medical College in tiic
lcnn.lNHhla Hospital, was the carrying ~. 10
the ruH ni an altrhu3nl ~ ~ NriS sIi,,li ,'N.
white cloths till 10 had rc1, ned tuurndN Gus proc
portions. and AN express lon oi rain and fear un
Us face thai must have been a. the sweet per-
ftWc at new made hay to the two ur thr"D hun
dred students who. by daily practice and we'll
controlled muscles have come to look upon the
cutting ~ a human body much as anybody else
might look upon the carving ~ r0t-t.
The little boy having been deposited In chair
Several wheeled tables contain.ng formidable
Instruments and electric batteries having pre-
stndrSt seGn r2l'd n9ndd me ng-e "a inc
the subject In hand. which was the practical AZ
Ihcatiuh OF newly discovered method Of doing
away WIN ana.-thetics in sutri,ll opemuon.;
the onlyrcpuircment hcing that the patient shall
breathe hard and RAPIDLY for about five minutes,
whereby, ~ the doctor said, the body d made
inscnsible To pain, and sleep L. eventually pro-
duced Several Of the Instruments ON one
Of the wheeled tables were then taken
up and explained 10y the doctor. "This'
like an nvcrrrown darning needle ." l. the dread
Of our patlents It il the common probe. And
THIS taking. up another Of the Same Kind. but
with the blade run through II wooden circle is
the sounding probe To prove that IT. was
sounding probe the doctor sounded II upon the
table, saying that the same unpleasant ringing
strimeut struck a bone when I'm a wound.
In the ccntrc uf the room was "A lcat cr-cov.
cred couch. SO arranged on a pivot that II might
be turned In any direction, giving the 'tudents
Ia all parts Of the room an OpportuuilytO see
the patient, on this the little boy wac laid, and
one of the doctors assistants began to remove
the bandages. by the time that ono or two Of
the outer coverings had come on, little crimson
spots began TO show. and the removal ~ the
lt-t hlood-stalncd cloth exposed 70 view an oval
hole IN the Lex several Inches long 10y several
broad. rcd and bloody and sore. into this sore
10 soon became CNiIt fIf that the doctor
Ing to thrust hia probe and the hoy began 10
think sn too for lie cried and screamed. not
outstanding the doctors efforts 10 keep him
quiet a napkin being held before tho huys
face SO that he could not see his leg. he wAs told
to breathe hard and fast. which lac ala brnVcly
"a soon ~ lie could keep the tears back. After
the breathing process had been kept up for sew
crll minutes, the doctor began to probe the
wound, telling the boy to raise hia hand when
ever he felt the instrument. Tho hand went up
Immediately. and stayod up until the doctor be
gan to strike the bone with the probe, when the
patient found more natural means ~ expressing
his feelings, and yelled Justify. The doctor,
however. continued his probing, pushing and
cutting iii crimson streams BEGAN 10 tricklc
down the little Ieg, telling the hoy. meanwhile,
10 breathe harder and faster but the hoy 10y
this time had reached historical state, Ia
which his breathing WIS entirely beyond his
control and tue doctor was forced TO quit Linn
aud begin with the next.
Ivilla.l> Why ia heaven name such a scene
of torture as that above described is allowed to
take place in q Christian city ain the interests
Of r,i - II ia INDUSTRIOUS enough TO torture
q grown man. who has some choice and vulitlon,
for tAo benefit OF medical students lut when
60 comes % aronlinz a poor little helpless ter
ri0r child la the way described, simply 60 prove
that doctors hobby is OK no value, ii .ecms
dilh9lc.l. While agents to produce anas. .,-.l
nrc as plenty, as cheap. and as wen understood
as They are now, what need is thcic of trying 90
supcr-ode them 10y the nouscu-ioal notions OF
some scnacless cVpcrimcutcr1
NJ mother ia the land can red tN's horrible
story without feeling outraged 90 Calm. of q
poor little child. without Kind hand near him.
utterly helpless ia tho land, of those hrutdiy
harl-hclrted surgeons. OF course he was the
child Of poor parents who could not afford ev-
pcu-iye medical attendance for him az home ;
but every mothers heart reyolts at the dreadful
spectacle OF strong, healthy men torturing a
helpless little child to prove that II doesn't hurt
| him.
II men consent TO be tortured FOR the sake Of
chcapncss. at least spare the children, who have
no choice and no power 20 help themselves.
y FRIEND OF Abused CHILDREN.