Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-08
DR.. KERR AGAIN
An Incident at the Emergency Re-
wives the Old Fight.
Why 4 COLORED BOY WAS SEMI home
Attending Staff Says the Surgeon
Exceeded His Authority.
A PROFESS SIGNAL ROW

An incident that occurred yesterday at
| the Emergency Hospital has revived the
bitter professional controversy that has
| been going on among the members of the
| hospital staff 1t is claimed that Dr. James
| Kerr turned out of the hospital a patient
| belonging to Dr. Hawkes. service and who
was occupying at the time one Of the beds
assigned by the staff to DIR. Hawkes. lorg
before the present trouble began.
Tuesday last George Fenwic1 a colored
boy, fifteen years of age, applied for treat
ment at the hospital. He was assigned to
DR.. Hawkes. clinic, under one Of the rules
Of the hospital. that all patients of fifteen
years or under shall be sent to the chill
dren's department. An examination of the
patient disclosed left obhque inguinal
hernia, and 1t was decided to operate upon
the little fellow, as he was suffering from
the trouble. Accordingly, he was advised
to return Friday and bring his parents with
him. He followed the directions, and his
parents, after having the case explained
to them. readily consented to the operati
The hoy was put to bed, and the nurses in
structed to prepare him for an operation
Saturday. The preparation consists in a
meager diet and the administration of
purgatives.
This is done to prevent nausea after
the administration OF the anaesthetic. So
for day. Saturday DR.. Hawkes. was called
away, and he intrusted the operation to his
Junior assistant, DR.. Stands. 1t was de-
cided to postpone the operation until Sun
Gay, ana George was given light lunc haon
Saturday. He had no dinner that night
and when the breakfast bell rang sunday
morning the little fellow was very hungry
ana cried for food. The operation was to
take place within a short time, and II was
decided not to allow him to eat anything
uhti a1ter II was over. About o'clock DR..
Stands arrived at the hospital with his In
struments. He was compelled to bring his
own instruments because AS q Star reporr-
or was told, DR.. Kerr had issued orders that
no one was to be allowed to touch a single
instrument IN his room: Shortly after the
arrival OF DIR. Stands DIR. Kerr arrived
DIR. Stands Statement.
This Is the story OF DR.. Kerr's connection
with the case, as related to a Star reporter
by DIR. Stands:
You know the story Of the patient Well,
was getting ready for the operation Sun
day morning, when DR.. Kerr walked I'm
and said ia like to speak to YOU He led
the way to a side room and remarked: 7
understand you are going to do q hernia
this morning. replied that such was my
purpose, Or. Hawkes. having requested it.
He replied warmly, No you are not going
TO do anything of the sort He then ac-
crsed me of stealing patients from him
and reminded me Of my obligation to him
rot to participate in any operation unless
sanctioned by him. My reply was that
such an understanding between US was
correct and held good as long as / was
connected with his clinic, but that sine.
his methods at the recent election of di-
rectors had become known to me, had re-
signed from his service, and felt AT liberty
10 assist whomsoever l pleased. AS far
as l was concerned, told him that / was
acting in good faith, and did not know
there would be any difficulty about the
matter, as the patient had been assigned
n kGGf into
cited over the matter. ana said, That boy
has got to get out of here! With that he
ran upstairs to the ward, and called the
nurse. The next thing l saw was the little
fellow being escorted out by DR.. Kerr ]
heard afterwarG that the boy was turned
out without his breakfast. l reported the
case at once to DIR. Hawkes., and he COM
planned to the attending staff The sracial
meeting was called last night | under
stand, to consider the case"
A Nurses Story.
1t appears. according to the statement
of Mrs. Foss, one Of the nurses, that DR..
Kerr entered the ward where the boy was
confined and was excited He ordered the
nurse in charge Of the ward, Miss Wal
forth, to get the boy ready and discharge
him. 1t appears that this nurse refused
to obey the orders of DR.. Kerr, and forth
with reported the case to the superinten-
dent. Miss Smenton. To the staff Miss
Waiforth testified that Dr. Kerr ordered
her TO dress the child and discharge him.
Her reply was that his clothes were not
kept on that floor. Or. Kerr then re-
paired to the basement, where with the
assistance of the ambulance driver he
located the clothes and had the former
take them upstairs and dress the boy. In
the meantime, Nurse Walforth reported the
case to the superintendent, who directed
the nurse not to obey DR.. Kerr's orders.
as the patient was in one of the beds as
signed to Dr. Hawkes., and he had no right
to turn one of such patients out. DR.. Kerr,
however, had the boy hurriedly dressed
and escorted out of the hospital
Action of the Stnff.
Following close upon this, special meet
ing of the attending staff was called, and
last night the following resolution was
unanimously passed:
THAT the executive officer be directed
to have the patient returned and retained
In the hospital until discharged by Dr.
Hawkes."
In interviews with Star reporters the
members of the staff all severely criticised
DR.. Kerr for overs topping his authority
DIR. Burnett, president of the staff said:
referring to this case, 1 can only say
that In the many years l have been CON
nected with hospitals l have never heard
Of such case of impertinence Dr. Kerr
had no right implied or otherwise, to dis
charge that patient. He is only one of
seven members of this staff, and has no
spSSAoA piiSAeSSS dCCOIueu MIN. his vote
Is but one-seventh of the entire board |
am free to say that such action on his
part Is detrimental to the best interests of
the hospital, which would be far better
off without his services"
The others expressed similar views.
DR.. Hawkes. Remarks.
DR.. Hawkes. had this to say: You are
familiar, no doubt, with the case, but l
want to call attention to this IN connection
Herewith. Every member of the attending