Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-12

He Justifies His Own Position and
Treatment I'm Emperor Frederick
Case, and Scores Some Of His Assail.

treatment In Emperor Frederick
Case, and Scores Some Of His Assail.
ants.
A fuu abstract OF Sir Moren Mackenzie's book,
whicn Is announced for next week. appears In the
Brsffsh Medical Journal issued In London to-day.
cable special to the New York World says: The
oook Is divided into three parts viz, historical,
controversial and statistical 1t contains twenty
one Illustrations, showing the conditions Of the
late emperors larynx at different periods pictures
OF the various canul8 used In the later stages OF
the case, the measurements made by Dr. Howell,
with view OF proving the position OF the
tracheocomy wound and LESSONS which are alleged
70 have followed the attempts OF Prof. Won Berg
mann TO push the canula into the windpipe.
Sir Morell Mackenzie deals solely with the medi-
cal aspects OF the case, without touching on the
political questions He complains that he has
been refused access to important documents which
have been at the disposal OF bis assailantS He
denies that he deceived his majesty as TO his COLI
diton ana that he ever said the disease was not
cancer. All that he did was TO point out that that
grounds and that the first step toward a ra-
tional diagnosis-namely, the removal OF
piece OF growth for microscopic examination
This Or. Mackenzie was able to p do o and
Prot Virchow gave 50 favorable report
Oo the sns
the case handed over 10 the English physician.
PROF. 6YRHARDT's CHARGE REFUTED.
With regard TO the charge made against him by
Prof Gerhardt OF having wounded the right vocal
chord In his second operation, Sir Morel points out
that such an accident is almost impossible with
his forceps. He has never known It TO occur even
TO beginners, and matter OF fact In the case OF
Emperor Frederick there was no objective sign OF
such an injury having been inflicted. DR.. Macken-
Zie accuses the German physician Of having made
a charge which he knew TO be false in order TO
shake the confidence of the crown prince In his
new adviser. He maintains that his German COL
leagues fully share his responsibility for the line
OF treatment adopted, and even as late as the be-
ginning OF october Prof. Won Bergman Is said to
nave admitted that the course which Sir Morell
Mackenzie had pursued was the right one.
THE CONSULTATION AT SAN RENO.
Sir Moren describes the clinical incidents OF the
case very much as they were set forth IN the
columns OF the Medical Journal at the time. We
are admitted behind the scenes at the eventful
consultation held at San Reno In the early part OF
November, when the great crisis in the evolution
OF the disease occurred Interesting details are
given as 10 the heroic fortitude with which the
prince received what was In tact O sentence not
only OF death but OF prolonged previous suffering.
Amusing sketches are also given OF the attitude
ne Various who took part IN sae
occasion DIR. Schmidt, so far from thinking that
the case was one OF cancer running normal
the disease was specitc-a notion which Prof.
Schroeder characterized as an old wife's tale.
In describing the tracheotomy DR.. Mackenzie ad-
mttS that the operation was, on the whole, per-
formed DIR. Bramann In satisfactory manner,
but amt |nS that the trachea was opened three
mlllinetres to the right Of the middle line. DIR.
Bramann inserted a canula OF altogether unusual
size and shape The lower end OF this instrument,
according to Dr. Mackenzie, impinged on the pos
terror wall OF the trachea, causing destruction
OF the tissue and intense discomfort, with conse-
quent exhaustion. When the case was restored
To the English physician he substituted Dur
hams tube for the German canula with relatively
satisfactory results. But trretrievable mischief
had already been done. Prof. Won Bergman is
accused OF having diagnosed secondary cancer OF
4 he I'M frnp hnl In no hark n IA
liver. Prof. kuSsmaul had to be brought all the
way from StrausDurg TO convince him OF his mis-
take.
THE EMPEROR MIGHT HAVE LIVED MONTHS LONGER.
DR.. Mackenzies account OF the events OF the fatal
18th OF April is very different from Prof. Won Berg
mann's. DIR. Mackenzie does not hesitate to say
that Emperor Frederick the third received his
death blow on that occasion. The false passage
made by the tube gave rise to an extensive sup
puratton around the trachea, which steadily
drained away the remaining strength OF the
patient and shortened his life by about ten months
An interesting statement is made in connection
with this subject, that except at the time the
false passage was made, and especially when Prof.
Won Bergman thrust his finger into the wound,
In the controversial part OF his reply Dr. Mac
kenzie contends that thyrOtOmy In Cases OF can
Ger, so far from being free from danger Is In fact
most deadly operation. He shows that the NOR
taty Is equivalent 10 nearly 81 per cent. He also
maintains that IT Is, In vast majority OF cases,
inaaeq9ate iof complete removal Oh Inc grown
rate OF recurrence being almost 80 per cent. Apart
from this, the voice Is destroyed or modified In
III per cent. OF the whole number OF cases.
SCORING HIS RIVALS.
In dealing individually with his German assail-
ants DR.. Mackenzie rejects the testimony OF Prof.
Gerhardt as being that of q discredited rival. He
brushes aside the evidence OF DR.. Landgraf on the
score OF want OF largynoscopic skill, which was
so marked that the prince was with difficulty pre-
vented from Diminishing him DIR. Grammar Is OBJ
jected TO on the same ground. To the evidence OF
these inexperienced ynoscopists Is opposed the
testimony OF experts ike Dr. krauSe, Dr. W0llen-
Prot Gerhardt's ruthless concentrations on so
many consecutive day Is condemned in the strong
est terms as utterly uneXampled in medical prac-
tlce, and being likely to irritate the disease II
originally benign, into maliglanc
% cases OF thyrotomy for cancer, only OF which
were successful or 3o cases OF partial excelsior OF
the larynx only was successful, and OF 13S cases
Of total extirpation only were successful
A LETTER FROM THE EMPRESS.
The London Daily NsWs to-day prints the fol-
lowing letter from. Empress Victoria which is not
printed In DR.. Mackenzie's forthcoming work, and
which has never been published:
II took care 10 tell all the eminent German medi-
cal men with whom / come casually in contact
that You had said TO me the frst Time saw you,
that though what you saw was innocent, yet that
you could not be sure until IL was examined by
might be present somewhere out OF sight, though
there was not proof OF IT, the most unfavor-
able element OF the case being my hus-
bands age at the time. You told me
that the benign growtns and malignant growths
were seldom found together, and that you thought
the growth you could see on the vocal chord was a
benign one. You also said that you could not hold
out any security TO me that a malignant growth
might not appear some day. You said that the
operation was one which you opposed (the one
proposed by the German doctors In May, 1850;
that II was running too great risk, that II was
exposing my husbands lie, and That should it
the condition OF the patient after 1t would
be so terrible that his Chances, let alone
would be more favorable. i have since heard
that different German medical men think this a
reasonable and sensible view, and say that under
these circumstances we could have done nothing
better. You also said, l think, II l remember
rightly, that you would not have laryngOIomy
or thyrotomy performed on your own throat
on the surmise or suspicion OF a malignant
affection or the larynx without very positive
proof, and not even then, the tendency OF
malignant disease was 10 reappear In another
place when removed from one, consequently
there would be possibility OF having to 60 through
the operation and yet losing ones life after all by
the temperance Of the disease. Furthermore
you said. think, that you did not know whether
the crown princes constitution could withstand so
serious snock as that inflicted ON the whole sys-
TEN oy so important an operation. / should have
repeated all THIS at the time much oftener had not
the prevailing feeling been one OF Joy and grati-
tude AT having escaped the horrible operation.
on can show this letter TO whomsoever you
please"
Advanced Girls.
parody OF a nursery rhyme which heard the