El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-21
AN INNING
FOR PLAINTIFFS
DR.. CantWeII Proved AStrong
Witness In Support Of
Their Theory

i
EVIDENCE T.. IN DETAIL
He Was Not Ratified Or Muddled On
Cross Examination But Made His
Replies Like a Man With a
Thorough knowledge of Modern
Surgery
It is probable that the Hanway case,
which has been on trial iu the district
court since las. Monday anu has at
tracted such widespread attention, will
60 to the jury by next Taursday. The
trial is now rapidly nearing it's end and
yesterday was aim lost wholly consumed
by the plaintiffs in Offering rebuttal
evidence.
The evidence of Dr.. F. w. Gallagher
was offered in rebuttal in the district
court yesterday afternoon as sooa as
DR.. Stevenson had been excused.
DR.. Gallagher is graduate of the
medical department OF the Bnffalo Uni
versity and is one of the most success
full practitioners of the city. His direct
examination was conducted by-Waters
Davis.
The physician was asked to examine
the hospital chart and point out at
what hour am operation on Hanway
would have been accom-
ss pssns tn :rs Tse wssess aaas5 as Tho TO
chart alone was not sufficient from
which to draw conclusion, but said
that the expressed desire of the patient
for an operation was an exceedingly
good sy ymptom that the morniug of the
18th was favorable for safe and sue
cessful amputation. The chances of
infection, he said, became greater in
his opinion, by delay of 80 hours than
they would had the operation been
the 18th.
DIR. CANTwELL'S TESTIMONY.
Probably the best witness yet intro
duced by the plaintiffs was DR.. Frank
v. Cantwell, who took the stand early
many important features with that of
DR.. Vilss and his answers were clear,
concise and convincing.
= DIR. Cantweil qualified as an expert,
saying that he had graduated from one
of the leading colleges and had su ubse-
quently practiced for many years. He
had been a surgeon on two of the large
railroads in the northeast.
DR.. Cantwen readily answered the
questions propounded to him and was
rot confused on cross examination.
He showed himself entirely familiar
with the treatment OF cases similar to
that of Hanway and told how the pa
tient should be treated. In cases of
railway accidents he said that he
would first dress the wound and oper-
ate as quickly as the patient rallied
from the shock.
"It is impossible, said he, ''to kill
all the bacteria in wound of that
character and the quicker the opera
tion is performed the better"
SEARCHING DISCRIMINATION.
Cross examined by Judge Newton
witness said that it was possible that it
theremight be infection.snd that might
be impossible to prevent blood poison
ing even by the most careful treat
ment. The shock of the operation. he
said, was far less dangerous than germ
poisoning from the wound, occasioned
by delay.
Judge Newton had prepared a num-
ber of carefully worded questions as to
what "all the authorities" would con-
cider the proper treatment in the
Hsnway case. The court ruled that
the questions were not sdmisss bic, but
permitted them to be asked one oy
one aud the natural answer to each
question was that the authorities
agreed with the G. II. railway sur
geons and although answers were not
permitted they were inferred.
CrOss examined by Captain Beall for
the G. II. railway, Dr.. Csntwell said
that the tire atmeut of the wound in the
manner in which DR.. Turner treated
it was proper, but that DO man could
say q wound could be sterilized com
pletely.
SIS it not the practice of the best
rSso 60 . ho nh
ment to kill germs In wOunds?" asked
Captain Beall.
''Some of them uss it," was the re-
ply.
Have you ever read DR.. Senn's work
on surgery?
No, sir, have never read it.
Then your practice is not to use an
tiseptics but to wash the wound?
Yes.
And you also state that it is your
practice to operate as soon as :he
reaction after the shock sets 10?
I would not hesitate to operate as
soon as the reaction bad begun
SENATOR TURNEY TAKES A HAND
Doctor, how rapidly do these toxin
bacilh reproduce?" asked Senator
Turney when he began cross-examiu-
Jog the witness.
They would fill the ocean in fiva
lays" was the quick reply.
Ii you had patient brought to you
IN shock that might last several days,
what would you GO?
L would exclude the air. Bacilli are
present everywhere except in steriliz-
I'd air and would be kept out by ex-
,luding the air from the wound.
Gould q bichloride application go
wherever the bacilli go?
No, sir; the microbes might be in
ihe tissue and the bichloride would not