Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-30

SUPERINTENDENT iuiVuo euu hW"eu'is 0ry
lum,
Dr.. George Emerson, Of this city,
ls one Of the physicians who assisted
DR.. Pitcher In performing the opera.
lions. He lisa skilled surgeon and
understood by his profession, to be
one Of the leading physicians and
surgeons Of the Atate. A reporter
called upon DR.. Emerson and the
following interview ensued:
Q, Doctor, | see by a letter signed by
you and published In the Topeka Advo-
cate, that you assisted Dr.. Pitcher in the
castration Of q number OF boys 1t the
Imbecilo Asylum.
A. Yes, l assisted DR.. Pitcher on
several occasions.
Q. Doctor, bow many boys In this
institute have been csstrAtedi
A. Eleven.
Q. Can you give their nAmess
A. No, | don't know their names. 10
fact, their names were never given 70
me.
Q. How did you cone 10 assist In per
forming tneae operationss
A. Dr.. Pitcher asked me to assist.
was given to understand that the mat
tor had heen talked over with the Gov
ernor, 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 AZ little pain and
Inconvenience TO the patient as pos
sible.
Q, Did any Of the patients die OF the
effects OF the operatlonss
A. No. They all recovered and are
doing well. | understand one 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, 1904. The boys
father and family physician were pres
ent. ! believe the father and the ply
siclan came from Oklahoma City, where
they resided.
DR.. Pitcher, II 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 come up and bring a ply
sician. He did 80 and the physician
concurred with DR.. Pitcher in the opin-
ion that the operation was necessary to
prevent the practices. was called In TO
assist in the operation and 1t was made
by the family physician in tho presence
OF the boys father The boy was about
twenty.one years old.
@. What was the result Of the opera
tion?
A. The boy imploved-was soon well
and the operation seemed to improve
bis general health. He after wards left
the institution and went to work on a
farm and worked there quite while
bat tho farmers people finally learning
no had been an inmate OF the asy um
became alarmed and discharged Lin
and he having no place TO 20, came back
to the institution and, understand, Is
now there.
@. Were these operations necessary
| to preserve the lives Of the patients?
| A. No.
Q. Was the general health OF the
boys operated upon any worse than
usual at the time Of the operatlonsf
A. No, 1 think not The physical Of
fects of the practices they were Indulg.
ing in were injurious to their general
health and the stopping Of such practi-
COS by surgical operations must GER
taInly result In an improved state OF
general health and also OF the mind II
such were possible.
@. Have you anything further to say
relative to this matter, Doctorf
A. Nothing at all. was simply
called In to assist In certain operations
that had been agreed upon, and, In a
professional capacity did so. Isupposed
the proper officials had looked into the
matter, considered the operations nee
...axa o.d M a aur0aop II woa m y nj %