Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-16
A -Mortem Row.
DR.. Mackenzie's Reply to the
German lmputations.
WHO KILLED EMPEROR FREDERICK ?

A Question That VIII Be Much and Furi-
ously Discussed, but Never Settied-The
English Doctor Charges Frederick's
Early Death to Bergman, and Bergman
Returns the Compliment with Teutonic
Emphasis -The Kaiser's Idea of Free
Discussion Illustrated.
LONDON, Oct l6--The quarrel of the ply
sicians who had charge of the case of the late
Emperor Frederick has received a new i'm
petus in the publication of full abstracts of
Dr. Mackenzie's reply to the German doc
tors who charged him with bad management
and faulty diagnosis in the case. The Brit
ish Medical Journal prints several columns
of the substance of the reply, including
good deal that is verbatim.
The doctor first complains that he was de-
MED access to certain documents which his
associates had free access to, and regrets the
necessity of taking notice of the charges
against him. He then denies the allegation
that he deceived the emperor as to his
condition, or that he ever said
the dl sease was not cancer. He declares
that he simply stated that such a conclusion
had not been arrived at on sufficient grounds,
holding that the first stop was to obtain a
piece of the growth in Frederick's throat for
examination by microscope He asked the
German physicians to perform the operation
to get this piece but they refused, and he
finally obtained it himself Professor Virchow
said it was not cancerous In obtaining this
the doctor was charged by Prof Gerhardt
with injuring the crown princes vocal chord,
but MacKenzie insists that such an injury
was impossible with his forceps.
Dr. Mackenzie accuses the German pnysi-
clan of having made 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 colleagues fully
share his responsibility for the line of treat
ment which was adopted, as, if they distrust-
ed him, they should at once have openly dis
ISOLATED themselves from him. They made
no sign, however, and even as late as the be-
ginning of October Professor Won Bergman
is said TO have admitted that the course
which Sir Morel Mackenzie had pursued
was the right one.
In describing the tracheotomy, DIR. Mac
Kenze admits that the operation was, on the
whole, performed by DR.. Bramann in sat
isfa tory manner, but affirms aud apparently
proves that the trachea was opened three
milhmetres to the right of the middle line
DR.. Bramann inserted canua of altogether
unusual sizs and shape. The lower end of
this instrument, according to DR.. Macken-
zine. impinged on the posterior wall of the
trachea, causing destruction of the tissue
ard intense discomfort, with consequent ex-
| haustion. He complains that the German
| / l.
| suggestions as to a more suitable tube till it
| was too late When the case was restored
| to the English physician he substituted a
| Durham's tube for the German canula with
| relatively satisfactory results. Butirretrieva-
| bic mischief had already been done.
| The most serious charge Dr. MackKenzie
| makes on his part is that the royal patients
| life was shortened at least ten months by the
| operation of putting new tube in Fred
erick's throat on April IL. Bergman, whu
! performed the operation, is declared to have
/ proceeded with outrageous brutality, thrust
ing the tube into the throat in an excited
manner and into the wrong passage-or false
passage-during the operation thrusting his
| finger into the wound and causing severe
hemorrhages each time he tried a tube.
nection with this subject, that except at the
time the false passage was made, and es-
pecialiy when Professor Won Bergman
thrust his finger into the wound, the emperor
never suffered any actual pain. After the
death of the emperor DR. Mackenzie allege.
that an attempt was made TO entrap hin
into false position by urging him to give
his opinion in writing as to the nature of the
disease, in the hope, no doubt, that thinking
himself safe from any exposure he would re
turn an ambiguous answer He disconnected
his enemies, however, by stating unequivo
cally that the emperor had suffered from a
cancer of the larynx
In the controversial part of his reply DR.
Mackenzie contends that thyrosomy in case
OF cancer, 50 far from being free from dan
ger, is in fact a most deadly operation
In dealing individually with his German
assailants DR.. Mackenzie rejects the testi
mony OF Professor Gerhsrdt as being that o
discredited rival He brushes aside the ev
idence of DR.. Landgraf on the score Of
want of laryngoscopic skill, which was s.
marked that the prince WAS with difficulty
prevented from dismissing him. Dr. Bra
mann is objected to on the same ground. T
the evidence of these inexperienced laryngo
scopists Is opposed the testimony of expert
like DR.. krause, DR.. Wofenden and DR.
Howell
Professor Gerhardt's ruthless cauteriza
lions on so many consecutive days is con
demned in the strongest terms as utterly IN
exampled in medical practice and as bein
likely to irritate the disease, if original,
benign, into malignancy.
The statistical portion exhibits the result
of twenty-five cases of thyrotomy for can
Ger, only two of which were successful. o
thirty-ive cases of partial excelsior of tn
larynx, only one of which was successful
and of l3S cases of total extirpation, onl
eight of which We're successful
A letter from Empress Victoria to DI
} Mackenzie is printed by The Daily News
commencing his course very highly, an
affirming that the Euglishman steadily OF
posed the performance of the operation witt
out very positive proof of u malignant affee
ton of the larynX.
Professor Bergmaun in an interview wit
> New York Herald correspondent declare
that the charges of malpractice made by til
German doctors are true, and that Macker
5 Zle showed gross ignorance" of medicine il
general. He points to the fact that the pos
D mortem proved the diagnosis of the Germa
correct; and says Mackenzie was the one VIII
let slip the opportunity to prolong the en-
= porer's lite, and the emperor's misplaced col
: fidence in MacKeuzie was the cause of h
death so soon. The accusation that Braman
t made crooked cut in the operation of tr,
] cheotomy Bergman bluntly says is lie.
The German government is using extraor
: dinarily despotc means to prevent the circl
e lation Of Dr. Mackenzie's book The polio
= yesterday seized the book as fast as the
t could get it. 1t is stated, however, that Il
0 publishers had sold 1000 copies of the wor
S when the police entered and preventt
t further sales The sale Of the book on IL
s streets and in small bookshops was bril-
, during the morning Messengers conveyir
A parcels of the books to retailers were stoppe
r on the streets and relieved of their burdel
by the police.
Shutting Down the Lumber Mills.
HALIFAX, n s., Oct. l6-The lumb
mills of E D. Dawson & Sons, on La Ha'
;, river, have shut down, throwing
u or 400 men out of work The lumber mi
:, Of Cook & Company have also shut dov
throwing a large number of men out of ell
:. pioyment and other lumbermen are prepa