New-York tribune., 1879-03-12
A STRANGE POISONING CASE.
MEDICAL OPINIONS AT VARIANCE.

MEDICAL OPINIONS AT VARIANCE.
nr.Tu or . MEDICAL STUDENT POISONED FOUR
WEARS AGO IN THE DYssECTING-ROOM - DIR.
BO1H's CERTIFICATE CRITICIZED BY LEADING
PHYSICIANS.
DIR. Carl Both a German physician residing
at No 6l IexngtOn-ave sent to the Board oi Heallh
ON Monday singular certificate OF death 1t stated that
a patient OF his had died from miliartuDer'
culosis, caused by incubation OF morbid virus
from a dssecting operation four years ago
1t is well known that the virus from a human
corpse is most deadly poison when II comes III con-
tact with a wound. Physicians and medical students
who perform operations in the dissecting rooms
are careful to that their hands are free
from the slightest scratch abrasion which
might admit the poison into the blood. Many unpro-
fessional persons have the idea that the virus
Of human body II thus received Into the
system Is always fatal. After the robbery Of
A. T. Stewards body, the police scanned the
death records closely in the expectation that
one of the robbers would die from the effects OF handling
the remains It learned afterward that one OF the
robbers did thus perish In a distant Ne~-Jersey
hamlet, whittier lie had gone to eyade detection
Physicians say however, that In most cases
where the blood is poisoned in dissectinG operations
proper treatment WI cause rernaeI SurtS n an
period OF two weeks after the poison has been received
into the blood In no case they say can tue poison Dc
The presented by Dr. Both IL that OF Georg Lain
@ fea Il e MS
ak wears old at the time of his DEATH and formerly
medical student. In performing dssectng OpeIatlOn
four wears ago he was poisoned by the virus from
corpsc aud was treated for bloOdpOisonng 10 was be
Iieycd at one time that he had been cured,
but he never recovered his health. Physiclans
who attended him afterward believed that he
was suffering from consumption, which they
supDOsed might have attacked him when bus system
Was eufeebad and before he had recovered from the
effects of blood poisoning. In October last lie placed
himself under the Of DIR. BOth who also treated
him for consumption -
Dr. Both SAID last evening: "L believed
:he Young man to be suffering from con-
sumptioD when he came to me, he had the symp-
toms of that disease and had been treated for II by
other physicians, AZ lie said | questioned him
lie told me that he had been student
OF mcdcncI think he said At the College OF Pysicans
aud SURG ons in this city. While dssecting with two
other students lie poisoned, as were also his COM
pauOns. OHe Of these companions died In
Two years and the other at the end
of three years. continued 10 treat him
and AZ time l thought he could not be suffering
his death the SYMPTOMS left doubt in my mind that
death was caused by blOOd-pOsOnlDg'
Dr. AOnzO Clark, president OF the college or Physl-
clans Surgeons said last evening that he dd not
remember any such OF poisoning 1T the college In
most of poisoning the dssectng rOom lac said the
patient recoVers In fatal the patient dies within
Two weeks When his attention was directed to the
statement BOths certificate he smiled and said:
No the cat has not got tall long that. The
Young man probably died from consumption
IRON some disease DR.. Booths name il not IN the
Medical Reeister. and his opinions therefore, cannot
be received authority by members OF the medical
1essOD.