The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-07
THE DR.. FOX TRIAL.
Medical Men, Medical Terms and Medical
Books.
THE DEFENSE OFFERS MORE TfsTIyoN,
Attorneys Have Several LcgnI Bouts.
Case VIII be Completed Today.
The Testimony.

The case of the City of Houston VS.. Dr.
Il. L. Fox occupied the attention of Judge
Railey's court again yesterday. Inc ae-
tense put several physicians on the stand,
most OF whom had visited the auesea
scarlet fever patients involved inalrtedy
in the case. There were many iegdi tussAes
between opposing couusei over the ad-
mission of certain testimony, legal orat1ry
Deiug easily the feature OF sne Jay. Juage
McDaniei Tor the prosecution had aquircd
a few new medical terms and made good
use OF thsm. Messrs. howard Tor the ae-
lense also gave evidences Of Improvement
IA medical technology
There were a number of little byplays
that amused the spectators. one plysl-
can remarked that Une could prove most
anything by eaktng passages IRON medical
authorities at ronuOm. When Judge Nc
DsLiei replied that he was under Inc i'm
precision that the Bible was the only book
OF which this might be true. a large
number of medical works were referred
to.
Following is summary of the more i'm
pcrt~nt p,ID1s III yesterday '.esoi.noAy:
Dr. q. u. Parker. - " ltIl.Ss eAalnl4Aed .he
smiley child ana diagnosed the case as
h4aiaiial lever. Ine uhAiu was convai sseent
the case as SCARED fever. Scirlet lever
symptoms are not similar 10 those found
In The Shirley child. the child had
louSn eiupVi. II, wliCn occurs SOMETIMES
IN iuaiarial levers. The throat symptoms
ale usually severe IN even mid cases OF
scarlet lever In the iaCler disease the
skin is smooth There are several kinds
Of eruptiQns that do not indicate scarlet
fever.
Cross examined. The child had been
SEX five or Six Gays when witness saw 1t.
lie saw Ii once al the Instance OIL Or. Fox.
In scarlet lever the rasa appears witnin
+ ON one to three days. beginning to dis
appear 4 bout Two Gays later. Witness eX-
ahmed the childs throat. 1t was slightly
red He saw no desquamation. Witness
made a thorough e&amlnai~n of the enid.
Redirect.--1here were vescicles on the
child's back.
The witness stated that ne had never
seen noauies appear on the body of a
scarlet fever patent.
DR.. j. NJ. Biair.-Wltness had practiced
medlcne for hIteen years, having been in
Ave or six epidsnics of scariet fever in
the North. Scarlet fever always carries
a high death rate in The North. II is a
very grave disease, It was wiGnees opn
ION, alter an investigation, that there is
no scarlet fever in Houston. Witness
sta ed that it is the history of all con-
.agiD us diseases that they have carried a
much lower death rate since 1891, includ-
ing yellow fever, enal4poS-in fact, all
contagious disea5,s c. mnlon TO this coun
try Witness had Examined as many as
twenty supposed cases OF scarlet fever ia
Houston and found no aibumeu in the
| urine. very common symptom of the
disease in the North. Witness stated that
/ the skin affection in scarlet fever is not
/ really an eruption, but a rash the skin
being smt OH to the touch Malarai fever
may produce desquamation, but not the
same as that in scarlet fever. Witness
sta ed that the disease called scarlet fever
had been before the local medical society
or discussion during the past year and
that he was some time in reaching a de-
cis.on as to the nature OF The disease.
Witness saw the Shirley child at the resi-
dsnce of Dr. Fox. He found no scre
throat or strawberry tongue. In his
judgment the child did not have scarlet
lever.
Cross examined. - Witness made no dag
ncsis of the case. He thought the ch Id
could not have had Il strawberry tongue
within three or four days privr to the
time he saw IT, Experience is necessary
In diagnosis Of disease. 4 man can not
read book and become a carpenters
neither can he read b oil. and become a
physician, without experiences The lever
would last as leng in d mild form of the
diLease as IT would in malignant case.
Hypothetical case was presented to
the witness and he stated that ne would
pronounce the disease indicated by the
symptoms given as scarlet fever He
stated that he did not find such a group
of symptoms In The Shirley child
Recross, w itness stated that scarlet
fever would not recur in the same patient
within Year at least.
Dr. j. o. Williams. Witness had had
experience with scarlet fever. Had never
seen case OF scarlet fever in Texas Saw
the Shirley child. 1t was In sHeatln
/ condition when seen by the witness, who
pronounced the fever of a malarial type.
Witness examined the Wright child. II
mad M symptoms OF scarlet fever, with
the possible exception of sore throat The
llttle girl did not ,eem to be suffering from
anything. Witness did not think failure
TO report such cases would be wrong or
ont Of place.
Cross examined Witness stated the
symptoms on which he based his diagnosis
as lhalarial fever. He observed no
desquamation In the case of the Wright
girl Saw discharge from one of the
child's ears. The child was without fever
fnere was roughness on its back II Is
not a fact that the eruption is worse OH
the back In scarlet fever. When scarlet
feVer becomes epidemic the fever rarely
aoates within four days. Continued fever
is always present In scarlet fever; rash Is
present generally, and desquamation Is
always present Witness saw the patient
AZ the instance OF Dr. Fox.
DR.. VIM. Olive, Witness had practiced
medicine forty-three years ana had seen
several epidemics. He described scarlet
feyer symptoms stating that the fever
IN married cases viii continue Ave 10 eight
days Witness thought he knew a case
Of scarlet fever had six cases Of scarlet
lever 10 his own family and md treated
perhaps 100 cases. Saw the Shirley child.
There was rash on the ehlld's hack. wit
ness was positive that the child had n,
sear'et fever Witness EXPLAINED how he
had diafnnsed the case in question.
Srfss-examned Witness had reported
no cases ~ scarlet fever in Houston; had
not seen any,
DR. o. L. Fox. the defendant. WITNESS
graduated at Rush Medical college ppl
Bentley Medical college. Had two years,
esnerpn"e IN he coot County hcsoital AZ
chicago and had practiccd medicine ten
years. witness had an extansive anau,in
'anee win CONTAGIOUS Diseases In his hos
pitai practice re was absolutely certain
that fhe Shirley child did not have scar
iel 'everi II hal q malarlnl fever OF the
intermittent type. In the cases OF The
Mfivni children one had remittent fever
me other two had intermittent fever Ths