New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-03
THE COURTS.
VALUE or EIGHT OUNCES OF BLOOD.
SUIT BY THE NEGRO WHOSE VITAL FLUID WAS
USED FOR TRANSMISSION.


A SUIT BY THE NEGRO WHOSE VITAL FLUID WAS
USED FOR TRANSMISSION.
In the Sixth District Court yesterday there
came for trial before Justice Kelly the suit Of Edward
Banks against Henry Ganiges and Charles Gutenberg.
An outline of the facts Of the case
has already been published in THE TRIBUNE The plain
tiff Is colored man living at No lao Lexington
but in February last he was porter In the b. Anare
Hotel In West Eeventh-s On the night Of February ID
c. T. '. Okenberg, IN the employ OF the Western Union
Telegraph Company, staying in the hotel as guest
and found IN the morning lying in bis bed nsensDe
from gasposonlng having blown out the gas the night
before Three doctors were communicate ed withCharles
Ganiges defendant James Anderson and John
vaentne-who, after q consultation, all other efforts
TO revive the patient having failed, determined that
Dr. Ganges should perform operation OF TRANSMISSION
by which certain quantity OF blood should be trans
ferred from the veins of healthy subject into the
patient in place of a similar quantity taken from him
The difficulty then to find somebody who would sell
them the quantity required for the purpose
and length Banks the porter agreed to let them mako
OF him. The operation was successfully performer
Eight OF blood taken from the porters arm
and six Of them injected into Okenberg with the
result that the unconscious rallied at once and now
bears mark OF the operation except asmaL red
scar.
Banks yesterday sued for. $3.50 in payment
for goods sold and delivered namely, the
blood-aDd for nursing and attendance which he
asserts he bestowed Okenberg after the operation
Blood however Is not every day ar icc OF commerce,
and there prospect OF prolonged discussion
on question the real value of eight OF
q coored mans blood. On the one hand, Banks says
Anderson told him that every drop Of hs blood
worth 10 cents; while against that DR. Ganees de-
cares that II he TO about the city with eight
ounces OF his blood for sale tomorrow he would not find
any to give him dollar for the lot, and further adj
vances the fact that when he performs
similar operation at the Maternity Hospital-as he
has done on more than oceasionhe always gets the
requisite quantity from healthy carpenter often as
he likes in exchange for 81 and as much whiskey
az blood In view Of the lack OF expert opinion
on this point IL agreed 10 abandon the blood claim,
and DR.. Ganiges being dropped out the case now now
rests against Okeuberg alone for the nursing ana
attendance In reply 70 this the defendant has got re-
ceIpt signed by the plaintiff and atesed by TWO wit
the Of S. IN payment for said services
furthermore he can produce the bill OF the 81. Andre
Hotel, In which is the charge OF "P0rter-S5."
this asserts altogether In OF what was
really due for such small services Banks rendered
which OF the nature OF nursing at ALL but only
such as porter usually performs BY all this he con
sders himself to be uy acquitted of all indebtedness in
the matter and insists regarding 1t as case OF black
mailing The ease meanwhile stands over till July L.