The Philipsburg mail., 1899-05-19
DIR. FORBES MITCHELL.

Tended her To-day l have sentenced
to death the most terrible criminal
OF the century, All these had pois-
oned, seemingly undetected till the
final catastrophe came. Remember
that even the very last on the list
Walter HorsfOrd-had probably, scath-
less, murdered two people before the
victim who was avenged. Then re-
member that even the victims in re-
spect Of whom these murderers were
tried had nearly all been buried for
been exhumed. Each of these execrated
murderers has positively been lured
on by the immunity he enjoyed.
l want to show you the amazing
difficulty that even a doctor of the
most distinguished skill may labor un-
der in such cases, and to show also
that the medical men who attended
on the earlier victims of notorious
poisOners We're wanting neither in skill
nor foresight Quite half a dozen noted
doctors, friends of mine have told
me Of cases attended by them where
they felt little moral doubt that the
patient was being murdered, and yet
they had to keep silence. Put yourself
in the position of a young and clever
doctor practicing amongst local com
munity who is called TO a patient of
some position. He actually suspects
that the latter is being poisoned and
then ensues an awful dilemma. In
whom is he to confde? If he told his
suspicious to the patient the shock
might cause the most serious results;
besides. cruel injustice would be pos
sible, in that the patient might at
once alter his will to the detrment of
innocent people, for victims often de-
ceive themselves in this way. A blind
ly credulous patient-under the thumb
OF young woman, say-might cause
a scene at once and order the doctor
to be kicked out.
The doctor dare say no word to
those about the patient, for he may
be confding in the very murderer and
he may but hasten the end by a word
in this way; again may he be shown
the door. Can he confide in the usually
blundering, tactless head of police,
probably an ignorant promoted con-
stable, who might precipitate a crisis?
Is he not even COurting ruin by call
ing in another doctor-that is, if he
has no power to prove his suspicious?
l know splendid young fellow who
had built up a practice worth $1,000
year, with a prospect of three times
that. He saw a patient was being
murdered, and at once confided in that
patients solicitor. This man made
stir, pooh-poohed the whole affair.
called in another doctor, and spoke
about the affair locally. The verdict
OF the public was This doctor wants
to be too clever: we dare not have
such man in our houses; he might
say my hOusekeeper was poisoning
me" The patient recovered, because
the murderess-for it was a woman
was frightened Off; the doctor was
ruined, and had to leave the place. But
in less than six years the woman the
doctor had suspected was charged with
numbering, by poison, another wealthy
employer, bachelor. Poor consola-
tion for the doctor.
People who have been purposelv
poisoned, and are just on the verge of
the grave, people who have been 9TH
erwise terribly and murderously in
cured, often privately call in a doctor,
and the latter dare not denounce the
offender! eve are employed to heal,
and not as detective officers" was
actually the speech of a hospital doc
tor made in London at an inquest
when the terrible injuries Of a patient
that could not have been self-inficted
we're in no sense reported to any pun
stive authority. This means that which
As actually the case-that many a half
murdered person is treated at hos