The Portland daily press., 1877-12-19
THE HOSPITAL INVESTIGATION.
Treatment Of MIR. Eafon-The Charges
Pronounced Disproven.

AAo uodIlu2 VI CudIg6S III T6garu 10 Gu6 tT6aC
mont of Mr.. Eaton at the Maine General Hos
pital took place yesterday afternoon at the Hos
ptal, before the President and Vice Presidents
and the board of consulting physicians of the
Maine Medical Association. The entire board
was present with the exception of DR.. Garceon
The following gentlemen constituted the board
of investigation: DR.. T. FL. Jewett of South
Berwick, President, DIR. P. S. Haskell, Stock
ton, Secretary, DR.. G. E. Swan, Calais, DR.
VIM. Osgood, North Yarmouth. DR.. Fl. FL. Hill
Augusta, DR.. A. Mitchell, Brunswick and DR.
A. J. Fuller of Bath. The hearing opened
about o'clock and the President at once an
nounced himself ready to hear charges if there
were any to present.
DIR. Charles o. Files stepped forward, and af-
ter objecting to making definite charges began
to give his reason for calling the matter to the
attention of the public. He called for the rec
ords of the case, which proved to be as he had
previously claimed. Upon being called upon to
make his charges in writing he read the fol-
lowing:
GENTLEMEN:-If were now before you to
defend myself for the course have taken in
regard to the case of the late Mr.. Eaton, L could
well afford to depend wholly upon what DR..
Hill, the house surgeon, would report as his
conversation with DR.. Higgins of Lubec, in my
presence, in this building, on the Doth of last
month"; and the hospital records. From these
sources and from the statement of Dr. Higgins
all my information comes. You are not, how
ever, called here to take into consideration
whether have been guilty of malicious mis-
chief as was charged against me in the PRESS
editorial. but rather to inquire into the circum-
stances of the operation performed upon Mr.,
eaton. and of his death hava ham hu
chance, placed in such position that know
something of this matter. From the discus
sion that has already taken place in the papers
it appears that the inquiry should be directed
to two principal questions, viz,-was the opera
ton more severe than was necessary? and, was
there excessive hemorrbage, that might have
beenIcontrolled, that waslchiefly the cause of his
death? state these propositions boldly, for
they contain the whole pith of the matter. 1
answer them afirmatively for should never
have put pen to paper in regard to this case had
L not felt positively assured that the burden of
proof was within my grasp.
Now for the facts. Mr.. Eaton while on the
field of battle had his foot removed just above
the ankle joint. He was placed on transport
and conveyed to New York, and the stump was
not dressed for at least a fortnight, when the
flaps were found to be gangrenous. His condi-
ton was such that an operation was rot risked,
but the protruding bones were broken of and
the tissues grew over the bones. In this condi.
the operation. His physician during all of this
time told me that he had never had serious
trouble with his stump. At times of course
there would be some executions of the soft
parts, some periostitis. but sfor the most part
he was about his business and quite well. He
told me that there was never at
any time evidence Of disease of the
bone other than / have mentioned above,
If the bone that was removed from Mr. Eaton s.
leg can now be produced and examined this
statement can be either proved or disproved
Ii 1t was not preserved of course it was not
morbid specimen, for by a rule of the Hospital
all morbid specimens must be preserved. If
this specimen does not show evidence of ex-
tensive disease, then there will be no need of
argument to prove that the operation was more
than was called for, more than could be justi-
lied under any circumstances. Our surgical
text books, our surgical reference books are all
at one in the statement that every inch of the
bones of the extremities must be preserved
Especially does this bold true of the lower part
of the leg, where the length of the limb PLAYS
so important in regard to leverage. If this
specimen shows evidence of disease then it will
be necessary to determine how far forth such
disease rendered such an operation justifiable.
These points l shall hope to have submitted to
suitable experts. On this point will testify
most emphatically, viz, that his medical ad-
wiser told me in the presence of witness
whom can easily bring forward, that he ex-
amined and probed the stump just before he
left home and that there were no evidence of
disease at that Time If this is 80 1 claim that
was justified in making the statement l
made that the operation was too severe. He
was told by his physician, who said that he
0ver-persuaded him to come to the Hospital
that the operation was very trivial, and that
he could leave for home in eight days. In
eight days he was dead from cause that no
human knowledge can foresee and no human
skill can prevent"
There were full four inches OF bone removed.
Was it necessary to remove so much in order
Ito secure flaps sufficiently long to cover the
divided ends COT the bones) and no higherY'
The Hospital record says the amputation was
made at the middle of the leg. AS have
said before do not see that there need to have
been the operation which is implied by the
words 'amputation at the middle of the leg"
In case like this 1 submit that it is the dnty
of the truly conservative surgeon, character
which all surgeons ought to fill, to avoid cut
ting the soft parts as much as possible to peel
back the soft parts and the periosteum, then to
remove the quantity of bone necessary, and
then fold down the cuff-like flaps without re-
moving any of the soft parts. The operation
has been quite satisfactory in regard to getting
good stump, in the cases in which / have
done the same, and much less dangerous to
life in cases where there is reason to fear the
result as appears to be the case here
Now in regard to the hemorrhage, L have to
say that in my opinion this man would not
have died If there had not been excessive hem
orrhage. When the system is weakened down
by loss of blood, and 10y the retention of de-
composing blood and pus, gangrene and sep
tic@mia are apt to be the results. This hemor-
rhage, which is reported to have been SO severe
as to soak through the bedding to the floor,
ought to have been checked. For hemorrhage
OF such character occurring in the uterus it is
customary, as we all know, to inject solution
of the perchloride of iron. For hemorrhage of
such character in open wounds it is good prac-
tice to apply the cautery. Is there any evidence
of any styplic applications until sulphurous
acid was applied Just before his death? Now
in regard to the testimony on this point. 1
have heard that DR.. Hill denies having had
any conversation with me on this subject
thereby intimating that have borne false wit
ness in the case. l hope for his own credit he
will not deny the statements that were attri-
buted by me to him, for he made them before
two witnesses, DIR. Higgins and myself DR..
Higgins is not here, but he told this same story.
using the same expressions that 1 have used, to
at least one other party who is ready to testify
so far. Then the hospital record speaks with no
uncertain sound. The impression obtained by
DR.. Higgins from these records was that the
man bled to death. He said to me: 81 go
home with the settled belief that the mans
life was thrown away" He said further that
he would not have sent the man to the hospital
If he had not supposed that DIR. Tewksbury
would see him and be present at the operation;
that he would have taken the man from the
uOcplbdl IL u0 CUuiu AhtO dITlV6u mere lew
days before he died; that under the present
management he would not under any consider
alton send patient to the hospital.
Now In regard to the surgical staff, we learn
that when this case came to the Hospital there
was but one member present, or even in the
city, SO that 1t became necessary to call in the
members of the medical staff for consultation
Is this as it should be? No surgical operation
should be performed unless by concurrence of
a majority of the surgical staff. Would such
regulation be an improper one? Is it not a
necessary safeguard directed and designed for
the safety of human life? Is human life of so
little value that institution of this sort the
managers can afford to neglect salutary precau-
tons? Is it not rather incumbent on the off,
GERS to take extraordinary measures to guard
the good reputation of an institution SO youth
full as this? This is not the first time, as hear
from good authority that is accessible now, that
an operation entered upon by only one of the
surgical staff has terminated fatally.
The busy newspaper reporters have seen and
reported in their respective papers that my
original communication to the Argus, and par
ticularly my answer to DR.. Weeks, charged ig-
norance, incompetency and malpractice upon
DR.. Weeks. disclaim entirely such a perVer-
sion of my statements do most honestly and
earnestly believe that if the full surgical staff
had been present the operation would not have
been made. do believe from the evidence L
have gathered, that there was excessive bleed
ing that ought to have been controlled, Furth-
ermore, the publication of the original article
over which was placed the heading Serious
Charges" without nv KNOWLEDGE or consent