The herald., 1896-01-26

by the name of Curtis Barney came tt
Los Angeles from Gallup, New Mexic D
for .he benefit of his health, which hao
been ser ously i'm paired for years He
had been under medical treatment al
different periods, but continued to grow
worse after reaching this city and about
four weeks ago. be was taken from g
lodging house in which he was roominf
to the County Hospital. 1t was supposed
at that time that he had no friends in
this city who were abe TO take care o.
him. But after he had been IN the hos pi
tai about a week Mr.. and Mrs Bowby,
OF 727 Buens Vista street. caused him &c
be removed from the hospital TO THEN
home, where they cared for him for i've
weeks, until his death. This action on
their part was entirely matter Of char
ity and kindliness inspired by the fact
that Mr. Barney was member Of the
church TO which MIR. and Mrs. Bowlby
also belong.
After the young man had been taken
to their home another friend appeared in
the person of 2. T. Ward, of No. 1926
Denver avenue. who had known Mr. Bar
ney's brothers in New Mexico. MIR. Ward
wrote to the prothers informing them OF
the situation. They sent word 10 give
him every possible relief and subsequent
iy paid the expenses OF the young mans
last illness and funeral.
Continued sickness without relief from
medicines had made young Mr.. Barney
listrustiul OF physicians. He was unwil
ling to take any more of the medicines
usually prescribed by the regular
scnool and had no confidence whatever
in them. He believed, however, that
Chinese herbal remedies might perhap,
do him good, and persuaded his friends,
the Bowlpys, to procure some of these
remedies him. They also desired T.
Foo Yuen, the Chinese Imperial Physi.
clan, to call upon the patient, which that
gentleman declined to do as be does not
make diagnoses outside Of his own office,
Mr.. B. c. Platt, Foo's business manager,
consented. as an act of humanity, TO cal
upon Mr.. Barney.
The young man stated to him that the
doctors at the County Hospital and al
others had pronounced him incurable
but that he desired to try tho herbs, ir
the faint hope that they might AFFORD
him some relief. Upon this statement
Mr.. Platt consented to the sale and use
by MIR. Barney OF the remedies of the
Flowery Kingdom Herb Remedy Com
pany.
lie continued the use OF these remedies
for aobut two weeks. but had commenced
them too late to prevent his death.
In the meantime, however, he had
been treated, 10 limited extent, oy two
physicians both OF which prescribed for
him, although they both pronounced his
case incurable.
The one who attended him last refused
to grant certificate of death, on the
ground that he had not treated him. An
inquest WAS therefore neceesitated, which
was accordingly held. The verdict of the
jury has not been made public. but it is
understood that an autopsy showed that
there was from the first no possible
chance for recovery.
In spite of this fact warrant was a,
once issued for the arrest oI MIR. Plat
upon charge OF practicing med icine
without a license. And most of the
newspapers OF the city, inspired by nigh.
ly colored and sensational reports, which
originated In the Coroner's office. pub.
lshed statements of the affair which wera
very far from the truth. The misstate-
ments OF the Record have been discussed
by us in another place and will not be
referred to at length here. The Times
of January IL contained the following:
WAR AGAINST QUACKS. war
rant was issued yesterday for the arrest
OF Dr. b. G. Platt, w..o is charged by
Health Inspector W. b. Hinkie with
practicing medicine and surge-y without
having placed on file with the County
Clerk proper certificate of psactice."
There is nothing particularly objec-
tionable about this brief paragraph ex.
cept the heading. which, we submit, pre-
JUDGES the case and is an instance of the
too common practice with the press oi
insinuating a great deal more than is
said.
Tie Express went further and con.
tanned plumber OF statements which are
entirely without foundation in fact.
Its account was as follows:
CEASE OF MALPRACTICE. CORO-
NER CAMPBELL CALLED TO 1NVES-
TiGATE THE DEATH OF CURTIS
BARNEY.
Last evening Coroner Campbell was
notlned that there was a case at 727 Bu-
ena Vista street that needed an ihvesti-
CATION. AT the inquest which was held
tHls IliOTH!uS al DOOtn 0 NOW n uOuer-
taking psrlors, il was learned that about
three months ago Curtis Barney came to
this city from Arizona. He was suffer.
ing from heart trouble and want to the
County Hospital He had no. been there
long when man named Platt, acting as
agent fol- q Chinese doctor, who lives at
Barnard Park, called upon him and saij
that for certain sum of money the Chi.
nese doctor would have him up and
around in nine days. p. L. Ward, a
friend OF Barney's, furnished the money
and the sick man was removed to 727
Buena Vista street.
1.-The treatment accorded the sick man
was most lnhuman. 1t is said that the
Chinese doctor covered him with some
kind OF poultices composed of COW ma
nure. The patient was In high fever.
but to all his pieadings for water he was
refused, being merely given some hot
water and rice.
Sunday night Dr.. r. +. CLARK was
called IN to see the man. but he was be-
yond human aid and died last night.
DR.. Clark refused to sign death certif.
cate, as he had not treated the man and
did not know the cause of death.
1T is q case that the Health Officer
should also look into. While his death
is attributed to hesrt trouble, there is nc
doubt but that it was hastened on by
malpractice.
The above quotation is conspicuous
p,pla Of tho NAV In mh v,a-r-