Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-09
DR.. kERR'S DUTIES
Bis Authority Restricted at the Emer-
genoy Hospital
Action OF the Medical Stan at q
Meeting Held This Afternoon
The Fenwick Case,


all his authority at the Emergency Hos
| pital by the action Of the staff Of the in
stitution. of which he is member, at
| meeting held in the board room of the
| institution this afternoon. All emer-
gency cases, for which the hospital was
distinctly created. were removed from I'M
der his control and he was assigned to
surgical diseases. which will confine his
duties entirely to surgical dispensary work
The differences between DR.. Kerr and the
other members of the staff are too well
known to need repetition here, but the
elimination came Sunday, when Dr. Kerr
was charged with unprofessional conduct
IN interfering with patient in a depart
ment over which he had not the most re-
mote authority control.
The Case in Point.
George Fenwick. a boy suffering from
chronic hernia, was taken to the hospital
and placed in one of the beds in the ward
devoted to children's diseases. which are
under the supervision of DR.. W. II.
Hawkes.. Fenwick was to be operated
Upon last Sunday, and was put to bed
Friday, so as to be prepared for the ordeal.
Sunday morning DIR. Kerr, who was in
charge of the surgical department, ordered
the boy taken out of bed and sent out of
the hospital. and upon the refusal of the
his directions he secured the services of
the janitor, procured the clothing of Fem
wick. and. after seeing that he was dressed.
took him out Of the institution and sent
him home on foot.
The stnR Indignant.
Each member of the staff declared in
measured terms his Indignation at the
course pursued by DR.. Kerr, and at
meeting held Sunday night DIR. Ker-s
resignation was demanded. lie declined to
do this.
The staff thereupon determined TO take
Sucn acuon as to prevent DIR. Kerr again
attempting to exercise authority they
claimed he was not entitled to, and at the
meeting this afternoon this intention was
carried out.
There were present Drs. Swan NJ. Bur
nett, president of the staff. in the chair;
". II. Hawkes., George Byrd Harrison, T.
NJ Murray and Z. l.. Tompkins. DR.. II.
l.. l.. Johnson was unavoldabl detained,
hut declared his accordance with any ac-
ton the meeting might take. DR.. Kerr
was present when the meeting was called
TO order. but shortly withdrew. and whom
his presence was requested and he was sent
for he was not to be found, and the de-
alterations were continued without him.
Dr.. Kerr. Appointments Rejected.
After some preliminary matters were DIS
posed of, the question of confirming the
nomination Of Dr. kerr's assistants for the
current year was taken up, and the follow
ing were rejected:
DrS. Parker. Nash, Hasbrouck. French,
Maddox, Watkins. Heinecke and Hunt The
following Were confirmed: Drs. V. II. Jack
son and c. Duff Lewis.
The committee on the assignment Of the
diseases to be treated il the institution
among the members of the attending staff
according TO article 10 of the bylaws then
made a report, which said: Emergency
cases. medical and surgical, shall be treat
ed under the direction Of The executive
officer by assistants appointed by the
staff"
The report was unanimously lopted.
The staff appointed assistant 70 the
executive officer, who is DR.. Burnett this
month. and who VIII have charge of all
emergency cases, includes Drs. ". p Kerr
Arthur Snyder and John Van rensselaer,.
George Fenwick. who was sent home by
DIR. Kerr Sunday, was readmitted 10 the
hospital today and will be operated on
under the supervision OF DR.. Hawkes. in a
Gay two.
DIR. Hawkes. Surgeon.
Mr.. Norman II. Camp writes 10 The Star:
Il see by DR.. kerr's interview in this
evenings Star June 81. that it is stated
that If there was to have been an opera
ton performed upon the boy. it would have
been rather surprising. to say the least, for
DR.. Hawkes. to have performed it, because
l have never heard any of his most ardent
admirers put forward the claim that he
Was surgeon ms language IN relation
to DR.. Hawkes. is very surprising to one,
at least. of his admirers, for in the win
ter of 1SS2 DIR. Hawkes. performed on me
the delicate operation of excelsior and re-
section of the right great toe joint. The
bone cut out was over an inch in length
the great toe set back, and the con-
nection so well arranged that on healing
L could move the great toe at will / re-
greet not being well up in surgical terms,
SO l could worthily describe this operation,
at that time the eleventh one of the kind
that had been performed in the United
States.
DR.. ORciIly. physician to President
Cleveland. and Hospital Steward Marshall
are witnesses to the truth OF what l say,
and Surgeon A. c. Girard of the United
States army. after examination told
me in 1891 that the operati had been
beautifully performed. the only fault being
that l had begun using my foot too soon
This was my fault. and. l remember,
against Dr. Hawkes. advice.
Alter my experience with the doctor It
certainly sounds queer, to use no harsner
term, to hear professional brother call
him no surgeon"