Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-30
DIR. MACKENZIE.
THE DILEMMA IN WHICH HE WAS
PLACED BY HIS sILESCg.
His Treatment Of the Late Emperor in Ac-
ecrdsncs with Bis Teaching
Various Opinions.
TNaw York Herald I

"To what extent was Dr. Mackenzie iusti-
fed IN concealing from Emperor Frederick
81 Germany the fact that he was afflicted
with an incurable canceTy"
MANY German Americans, both laymen
and physicians, pondered deeply over this
question IN ethics yesterday, especially after
they had read the Heratd dispatch from Ber-
lin announcing that Dr. Mackenzie had been
officially rebuked for bis presumption. and
had been accused Of playIng the role Of a
political intnguer. The Herdtd editorial,
100, relating 20 the same subject was read
With great interest and excited no small dis.
cussIOn.
That Dr. Mackenzie was fully justified in
concealing the painful truth from bis royal
patient is the opinion OF almost all German
Americans who can fairly claim TO be ac-
qualnted with the rules Of medical etiquette.
Moreover, il IL stated on excellent authority
that DR.. Mackenzie practices, and has AL
ways prac'iced, similar rule with all pa
tiens similarly sfllicted, and that be Is never
weary Of reminding his followers and pupils
that The element OF hope has a marvellous
tendency 10 prOlOng the lives OF incurably-
afflicted patients, and that consequently I'M
der no circumstances should they be made
aware Of the real nature o. their maladies.
Mr.. Chlmpncy, No. . Barclay street, gave
a Herald reporter some interesting informa-
ton on this point. "Indirectly | know 4
good deal about Or. Mackenzie" he said,
"and one thing know about him Is that he
does not belieyeln telling disagreeable truths
TO patients who are suffering from incurable
diseases. Like all sensible physicians he
knows that hope is the Lnainspring OF life
and that patients who have even faint hope
Of recovery will live much longer than those
who know That death Is near at hand. In his
] nj ~ tho EmpQror he simuiv nracficp1
what he preached, and am satisfied that the
! medical profession throughout America Is
convinced that he has done his duty and
nOthing more.
he IS NOT POLITICAL ISTRlGUER.
AMY partner, Mr. Imgard, a representa-
tive German American, thinks rs | do in
this matter. To both OF us all this talk
! about DR.. Mackenzie being political IN
| triguor seems utterly abs Ird. Possibly the
/ fact that his patient was the husband OF his
| Queens daughter may have Influenced him
somewhat but II certainly never made him
| forget bis duty as physician. BY his wise
| silence he helped to prolOng the EmpeJor's
Nie, and because he did 50 the present En-
| peTor and bis Ministers have SHOVE bin the
| cold shoulder. As to the interview at The
! Hague. It simply shows that DR.. Mackenzie
| felt himself at liberty TO speak freely and
truly, but there IS nothing in it which
shows that be tried to play the role OF po-
litical intrIguer.
CDR. Mackenzie has many friends in
| America, and so far as ] know they all ap- !
prove OF his action. A mutual friend Of ours, I
q well.knOwn doctor in It. Louis, has been |
! corresponding with him recently In refer !
ence to the Emperor's case. and | myself !
hope to meet him when go to England in a
month or tWO.'
SOMEWHAT OPPOSITE VIEW.
THE publisher Of the only medical journal I
printed in German IN this country, the NetC |
Yorker HediziRische PTeSSc, takes a some |
what different view OF The matter " | am /
not DOCTOR" he said, "and can only speak /
from a layman's point OF view, which i, that |
no doctor has a right 10 conceal the truth, /
however painful, from his patients. This |
may be contrary to medical ethics, but /
believe it j. in accordance with the .
uDwritten laws OF morality. As TO /
this special case. 1T is bard for an outsider /
10 form any opinion. Who knows what was |
going on behind the scenes? The neWspa- /
pers don't always get the whole truth. and
sometimes the plain truth does not appear
until the actors have vanished from HES
stage. one thing IS ceTtain-many German
newspapers are bitterly inceDSed against DR..
Mackenzie and q good many Germans sTe sat-
quite as well IN the hands OF German doc
tors.
most PRAISES DR.. MACKENZIE.
Strange as II may apnear. no one has kind
or words for DR.. Mackenzie than that arch.
anarchist John Most. a." He is 4 flrst-Tate
physician" he said, "and his treatment oi
the Emperor was excellent twas his plain
duty 10 prolong his life by all the means az
ne vEOTIln /
have erred grlevously if he had told him that
he was suffering from an incurable disease.
The editorial IN the Herdd takes this view OF
the matter, and it is rght.
"Of course DR.. Mackenzie upset the
present Emperor plans Of a regency, but is
il fair on that account to cali DR.. Mackenzie
political intriguer? The results hoDed for
by the Empress Dowager and her mother,
Queen Victoria Of England, were mainly
brought about by DR.. Mackenzie's help, but,
nasmuch as the same results would have
been brought about by any other irst.claNs,
conscientious physician, il IL fair 10 hold
DIR. Mckenzie responsible for them? Natu-
rally he NAV have wished to see his Queens
daughter Empress OF Germany, but that
wish never influenced him in his treatment
Of the late Emperor.
"The preseHt EmperOr's abrupt dismissal
OF the English physician after the autopsy
made clear the nature Of his fathers malady
shows plainly that the young man was bit
terly disappointed at tie failure Of his long
cherished plans"
OTHER VALUABLE OPINIONS.
Mr.. Stein. 4 German American publisher,
is Of the opinion that the whole truth in re-
ference TO DR.. Mackenzie has not yet been
told and will not be told just at present.
q" lie has made bitter enemies i'm Germany"
he continued. "and however innocent OF po-
liticnl intriguing be may be. il was almost
inevitable that his presence in Germany
should be distastefu to the friends Of tue
Emperor"
Speaking Of Or. Mackenzie's reticcnce in
regard 10 the fatal nature OF the late Empe-
ror's malsdy, German American doctor,
who asked that bis name should not be pub
lished, SAID that DR.. Mackenzie had done
what every doctor should do and usually
does under similar circumstances. "Here
are cases in point" he continued. Gan a.
derman in Boston was suffering some time
ago from Bright's disease. His family knew ,
il. but were cautioned not to tell him. For
months he remained unconscious OF bis com
ing doom. AT last foolish friend said to
him one day, 'Hulo, John; | hear you are
afflicted with Brisht's disease Well. within
twenty-fOur hours that man was dead"
a woman whom ! knew was suffering
from cancer Her husband and the other
members Of her family were aware OF il. but
they said nothing. She came to no sudden
end, but died when her time came, and new
er knew what caused her death.
81 could mention other cases, but you can
see for yourself how much harm an ignorant
physician could do by hurting out disagree.
able home truths. Take the case Of General
sheridan or any other man OF strong will
power. Don't you think that Their lives
would be much shortened II ignorant physi-
clans were 20 tell them that they were
doomed? General Sheridan. ! am glad 10
hear, is recovering, but there NAV be men OF {
equally strong will power afflicted with in.
durable diseases, and say that their pbysi-
clans have no right to hint 10 them that their ,
recovery is impossible,
In similar strain spoke several other Ger \
man Americans, and but few were found
VINO believe that Dr. Mackenzie forgot HIM
self so far as TO play the part OF a political
intriguer. At the same time il must be adj |
mitted that Or. MaekeuZle's nationality is
not in his favor. and that 1t would require !
much special Pleading 10 convince The ,
friends Of the young Emperor that he did
pot, 10 say the least OF il, give too much play