The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-08-31

DR.. George Emerson, of this city
is one of the physicians who assisted
DR.. Pitcher in performing the opera
tions. He is skilled surgeon and
understood by bis profession, to be
one Of the leading physicians and
surgeons of the state. A reporter
called upon DR.. Emerson and the
following interview ensued:
@. Doctor, 1 see by a letter signed by
you and published in the Topeka Advo-
cate, that you assisted DR.. Pitcher in the
castration of a number of boys at the
Imbecile Asylum.
A. Yes, 1 assisted DIR. Pitcher on
several occasions.
Q. Doctor, how many boys in this
institute have been castrated?
A. Eleven.
q. Can you give their names?
A. No, don't know their names. In
fact, their names were never given 20
me.
Q. How did you cone TO assist in per-
forming these operations?
A. DIR. Pitcher asked me to assist. /
was given to understand that the mat
ter had been talked over with the Gov
erner, tie State Board of Charities and
the Attorney General, but paid little at
tention to it myself. Simply assisted
in the operations; saw that they were
properly done with as little pain and
Inconvenience to the patient as pos
sible.
@, Did any of the patients die of the
effects of the operations?
A. No. They all recovered and ere
doing well. / understand oce of the
patients has since died from dysentery,
but that was in no way connected with
the operation and occurred after he was
completely well.
Q. When was the first operation per-
formed and under what circumstances?
A. The first operation was performed
in March or April, 1894. The boys
father and Family physician were pres
emf. / believe the father and the ply
stefan came from Oklahoma City, where
they n sided.
Dr.. Pitcher, it seems, had written to
him stating an operation was neces-
sary TO prevent certain practices to
which the boy was addicted and asked
the father to como up and bring a phv-
stefan. He did so and the physician
concurred with DR.. Pitcher in the opin-
ion that the operation was necessary TO
prevent the practices. I was called in to
assist in the operation and it was made
by the family physician in the presence
of the Buys father. The boy was about
years old.
@. What was the result OF the opera
ton?
A. The boy mpioved-was soon well
and the operation seemed to improve
his general health. He afterwards left
the institution and went to work on a
farm and worked there quite q while
but The farmers people finally learning
nc had been an inmate of the asylum
became alarmed and discharged him
and he having no place to go, came back
to the institution and, l understand, is |
now there.
@. Were these operations necessary |
to preserve the lives of the patients?
a. No.
@. Was the general health OF the |
boys operated upon any worse than
usual at the time of the operations?
A. No, 1 think not. The physical ef-
fects of the practices they were indulg-
ing in were injurious to their general
health and the stopping of such prscti-
ces by surgical operations must GER
,ainly result in an improved state Of
general health and also OF the mind III
such were possible.
@. Have you anything further to say
relative to this matter, Doctor?
A. Nothing at all. I was simply
called In to assist in certain operstionsI
hat had been agreed upon, and, in Q,
capacity did so. supposed
he proper officials had looked into the
matter, considered the operations nec-