Evening journal., 1898-03-15
rHE rAMILY PHYSICIAN.

The medical fraternity Is vitality In
terested in the prosecution Of one OF
the leading physicians OF New York,
who is accused OF manslaughter Its
outcome will be OF vast interest 10 ply
sicians and determine Just how far
they can go in the treatment OF a pa
tient without rendering themselves la
ble to legal prosecution for criminal
malpractice.
The story OF this case OF prosecution
is contained In the following New York
dispatch
DR.. Trumbull Cleaveland, a promi-
nent and fashionable physician, was ar
rested to-day, charged with man
slaughter 1t is alleged that by igno-
rant treatment he caused the death OF
the. infant child OF James l.. CarhaIt
The arrest was not made until the
case had been submitted to District At
torney Gardiner for investigation, and
he had satisfied himself that there were
sufficient grounds for the prosecution
OF the physician.
The district attorneys personal at
tention had been attracted to the mat
ter, and after consulting with a num-
ber OF other physicians ne decided that
IL was for the best interest OF the medi-
cal fraternity to prosecute the doctor.
II was In April last that the Carhart
child, which was only weeks old, died
II was an only child, and IL was SO
cherished that at the first symptom OF
Illness they summoned DR.. Cleave,and
He diagnosed the case as stomach
trouble, but said that ne thought he
could cure 1t.
In a long affidavit, the mother, Mrs.
Irene Carhart, says that instead OF get
ting better, her child gradually grew
worse. She became greatly frightened,
and asked DR.. Cleaveland il he was
sure OF the treatment he was giving. He
replied that he was.
The medicine he was prescribing con-
tained 80 grains OF salol and was to
be given at short intervals.
The baby continued to grow weaker,
and Mrs. Carhart asked that other ply
sicians be called in She says that DR..
Cleaveland opposed this and refused 10
allow It, When the child died Mrs Ca
hart says that she was satisfied tha. the
death was due to malpractice. and be-
gan an investigation Physicians told
her, she says, that the medicines pre-
scribed by Dr. Cleaveland for a baby
were strong enough TO kill a grown
man, and that salol, which he used
freely, is regarded as extremely dan
gerous, and Is only used in small
amounts for adults.
DIR. Cleaveland was held for trial In
$1,000 bail.
This tells but one side Of the story
and that is the mothers side, coupled
with the statements made by other
physicians, who may be actuated by
prejudice rather than by actual lSnowl-
edge OF the conditions surrounding the
treatment OF the child and the cause.
leading up to it's death.
We do not imagine that DIR. Cleave
land will be found guilty OF manslaugh
ter, but certainly his high reputation al
a medical practitioner will suffer b,
reason Of the prosecution instituted b!
the grief-stl- -sken and resentful mother
encouraged by other physicians.
Every family has some friend who Il
kind enough TO volunteer the informa
tion that the family physician "coul
not attend a sick cat for me-" Ever
city has physicians who are only to
prone to say discrediting things abou
fellow-praetitioners. Between these tw
classes Mrs. Carhart probably stood, ,anS
In the agitation OF her great grief, the
found II an easy matter TO inspire he
TO take the step which led TO the arres
OF the physician.