The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-03
Local Physicians Stirred Up BY
Death Of Mrs. Karen Carlson.
BLAME Or. ALEXANDER De SOTO
Health O0cer Mckeehnie Refuses to
Accept . Death Certificate Attrib-
uting Cause 20 Throat Trouble
Autopsy In C0r0ner's Once DIS
aeh-De soto's Explanation.

Inc mCFkue OF local E6u~gldA3H& Hfm
was the scene Saturday night OF q bitter
clash between half q dozen regularly
licensed physicians and an alleged Chris
sIan scientist over the case OF Mrs Karen
Carlson. who died al her home in the Ar
hngton building late Friday night. after
a lingering Illness.
Fer two weeks prior to her death Mrs.
Carlson had been under the treatment OF
DIR. Alexander DE Soto. the founder and
manager OF the Wayside Mission and free
dispensary on Railway avenue, at the
foot Of Main street. DIR. De Soto Is well
known among the religious and charit-
able people Of the city as a worker for
the besserment OF the condition Of the
poor and criminal classes. and has prac-
ticed his profession among them. al
though he claims that he has never ac-
cepted pay for his services and admits
that he has never passed medical ex-
animation in this state.
When arrangements were being made
for Mrs. Carlson's funeral. which took
place yesterday. DIR. De Soto was asked
10 sign death certificate, which he did,
assigning pharangitis as the cause. This
certificate. however. Health Officer
Mckechnie refused to accept. 1t having
come TO his ears that DIR. DE Soto was not
Q regular practitioner. and that. more
over. the correct cause OF death was not
stated In the paper signed by him.
The case had, before DIR. De Soto was
called In. been under the care of DR..
Willis. and Saturday afternoon number
OF the iatter's friends I'm his own profess
sion prevailed upon DR. Mckechnie TO ask
that an autopsy be held.
A messenger was sent TO DIR. De Soto,
but the latter was not to be found. The
time for the autopsy was then postponed
until 10 o'clock Saturday night. at which
time DIR. De Soto was present The as
sembied physicians demanded that he
perform the autopsy. but DR. De Soto.
(1.ff he hat "a ~ hci -
treated rudely in the matter. refused to
act. Whereupon one of the regular ply
stcians. DIR. Coe. did So
II Is claimed by all the regular physi-
clans. and by Coroner Sparkling. who was
present that II was found that Mrs Carl
sons death had been caused by a cancer
on the cardiac end OF the stomach. and a
death certificate 10 that effect was pre-
pared. signed and approved by Health
Oficer McKeehnie
DR.. De Soto Denounced.
Before the physicians left the operat-
ing room. however. one OF the regulars
acting as spokesman for the others
warmly denounced Dr. De Soto. and
charged him with having taken Mrs
Carison's case from DIR. Willis. and held
out hope to her and her daughter when
some of the leading physicians in the
United States. as well as DR.. Willis. had
announced that the case was hopeless.
and that all that could be done was to
alleviate the patients suffering. DIR. De
Soto made the defense that he had acted
honestly In the matter and had, In truth
believed. and In all cases believed. that
there was hope. and that God could help
where medicine had failed. He also stat
ed that he had been called into the case
by Mrs Carlson herself, had not been
aware that DR.. Willis was treating her,
and had accepted no fee for his services.
After the autopsy the regular physi-
he I<sfa ah ~ af IL
tuting criminal proceedings against DR.
De Soto. but so far as known did no:
decide 10 do SO. strong enort was
made to keep the entire controversy over
Mrs. Carlson's case a secret but yester-
day the matter leaked ont
DIR. De Soto. In an interview yesterday
evening stated that he was entirely sat
tsfied 10 stand upon his own record In the
case, and that, while he regretted for the
sake of the daughter OF the dead woman
To have the matter get into public print
he did not shrink from the fullest pub
lefty as tn his own part I'm II.
II was called In by Mrs. Carlson more
as friend than az physician. II Is
my theory that God IL able TO heal with
means or without means. and In my own
experience ! have witnessed remarkable
recovertes that could not be attributed to
anything less powerful than divine aid
.. Not n Fanatic.
yet am not fanatic on this SUBJ
ject believe In medicines and use them,
but do not believe that they are the all
In all We're a man to come TO me with
a broken leg I would not ask God 10 set
the fracture. and should a man wish re-
lief from a carbuncle l would use the
knife before resorting to prayer.
When | was called i'm To see Mrs Carl
son she had not eaten anything for many
days on account Of the stoppage Of the
escphagns probably by cancerous
growth | devoted M entire efforts TO
opening up the esophagu whether sue
eessfufte or not | am not now even GER
tain However. the treatment was un-
successful in saving her life. and she
died In INV opinion. of starvation.
II dis.iked extremely TO pu: this cause
In the death certificate. and In casting
about for a substitute I remembered that
the disease had first manifested itself I'm
an irritation Of the pharrnx and no,