The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-08-02
DR.. EINLOCH INDICATED.
SOulh CarpIiea as to the Treat
n,cnt and Death of Mrs. LouShtUn
Reid, and n TO the Newspaper
I9,,tc f'I,c,,o,

Soulh Caro,iea as to the Treat
mrut and Death Of Mrs. LouShtUn
Reid, and as 10 the Newspaper
Reports Thereon.
lFichW,ond Niapoch.l
About three weeks ago Il telegram appeared
first in The .Acm York lanes ana then (slnst,n-
TALLY il the PhiiuJciphia Times In regard to
the death from chloroform uf Il lady in
charleston. =. G. The Dispatch reproduced
the latter account without addition. nltera-
ton or Dir. kInlOch, the attending
physician, Indignantly tlcnhunccs both OF said
counts as false, and asks that we publish the
t'llnwins V,ndicatiou. which we clceriull!
do:
at n special meeting OF the Medical Socict,
OF South Carolina, held July II lSS2, the Ircsi.
dent, ID. Michel called the meeting to order,
and stated that its object was tD contradict
certain false statements In regard to II recent
death by cliio:OIorm in the practice of our
friend and colleague, DIR. Il. \. kinlocb.
After hearing The facts of the case Il COM
lniitrc of three was appointed TO frame rc:o-
iuiiulS expressive OF The views OF the society,
and to report at an adj burned meeting To be
held July 18th, and the following report of the
committee vas unanimously adopted and NJ
dcrrd to he published IN the Ncus Hnd Courier
and .Nr'n York Times:
To tie President ant ,Mcmbc"S Of the Medical
Society Of Sonth CmrOiiHd:
GENrIEMEN.-Thc committee appointed at
The meeting of the Medical SOriety held July
II. 1882, TO report; upun theSnLjcct Of the death
OF MrS. IOughtun Reid, and The statements
connected Herewith as they have Appeared
first in tn" .Nrw York ITm"x of the It'll instant,
and subsequently with additions and altera-
iiuiIS III various newspapers throughout the
c~ountry--af;cr having carefully examined ill.,
to the subject, beg leave to report:
lst: That they regard these newspaper pnb-
LEGATIONS ms ailurding most striking evidence
OF u~nlnirncss, untrnthtulncSS and misrcprc-
Scl!tatiun that II has ever fallen 10 their expo
rirrcc to consider, in connection with the re-
port OF medical matters, RS given by the Sccu.
lar press. Your commits; tee arc fully inaccord
with the members of this Society generally
in their feelings Of indignation ut the inius-
tice done, most particularly to Or. X. ~. Kin.
locll, Mrs. Reds physician, and also TO DIS.
I. Grange SiinOllS and a. j. PclZer. all respect
able end worthy members Of the profession,
by the erroneous and (what appears to bel
studied and malignant statements prrjudicial
to their personal and professional conduct.
1T Is unnecessary for your committee to go
into the. details In regard to these
The! would only say that in their opinion the
new spalcr publications contain ut least ten
is that Mrs. Reid most prohobly died Cns
frankly stated by her phySic;nn) of "chloro-
form narcosis." This we regard rs simply
one OF the calamiticS of surgery that could
not have been ErCscen or prevented. The
agent was. we have reason to believe. given
in the most Improved and careful method, in
the presence of Witnesses. and probably prov
ed fatal because OF some peculiar condition OF
NiIS. tciN - llcl III SSSV.iii, "IlSh uiiIONiBi-
ed TO an idiOsyncracy. The records of lnCdi-
cine sud surgery show many such cases. The
operation to have been performed upon Mrs.
Reid was 4 justiiiable and necessary one. At
least tTO assistants were necessary, nnd these
assistants were engaged by DR.. kinlOch with
the distinct approval Of Mrs. Reid. the only
stipulation being that she should he made
unconscious by chlOrOfOrm before they were
introduced. DR.. kinloch, In administering
the c%hloroforln, simply, In the preScnceO OF two
female attendants, carried out his promise tn
his patient. In regard to his: after conceal
mcnt Of the supposed cause Of death, Dr. Kin
loch announced this openly and frankly. and
assumed the entire responsibility. The sister
and husband of the lady were first Informed,
and as soon Us applied for the mortnary Ger.
lificatc OF death from "c.,lOroform narcQsiS"
was given 10 the family. to be forwarded to
the city registrar for permission. To bury. in
view of all the above facts your committee
would present the following resolutions for
your consideration:
LIST. That In the opinion Of this Scciciy the
death of Mrs. Reid from clilOro!orm was not
caused by in,prudcnce or carelessneSs In the
use of the agent. but from the fatal properties
Of that drug. which at times will manifest
themselves In PERSONS Of peculiar tempefa-
lncnt or constitution.
ID. That the Misrepresentation Of the cir
cumstances OF this unfortunate case seems 10
have been Intentionally made, inasmuch us
all the family and friends were fully inform
ell OF the circumstances of the death Of Mrs.
Reid, and the facts OF the case could have been
easily obtained and correctly reported.
81. That VIC extend to our colleague. DIR. 4.
A.. kinloch, the attending physician, and his
assistants, our sincere sympathy, not only for
the unfortunate death OF the patient, but be-
cause Of the unjust position in which they
have heen cruelty placed.
4th. That we protest against the too fire.
queHt custom OF the secular press Of intrud-
ing upon physicians in the discharge of their
duties, and thus tending to enbari;tss them
In proceedings which they may tie corScien-
ti0uSly instituting Tor the relief of suffering
humanity.
9Th. That we consider the circumstances Of
the case sufficiently aggravating to justify The
immediate institution Of legal proceedings
against the parties offending.
Respectfully submitted,
j. FORD PRlOLEAU. NJ. D.,
+. l.: PARKER, NJ. d.,
MANNING SIMMONS, NJ. d.,
IIMnnittor