The Portland daily press., 1901-02-27
Story of Her Visit to DR..
Spa lding.
Statement From Doctor Regard
ing the Case.

The trustees OF the Maine Eye and Ear
Infirmary announced few days ago after
the speech of MIR. Haskell in the House
Of Representatives at Augusta charging
mismAnagement OF the institution was
made public, that they would hold
meeting yesterday afternoon and invited
all persons who had any complaints to
make against the inilrmary to appear at
this meeting and make their complaints.
The meeting was held In the library OF
the infirmary ana Mr.. h. b. Mtnslow
presided and conducted the hearing. Be
sides MIR. WinsIow there were present OF
the trustees, Col f. N. Dow, Mir. James
f. hawkes., Col. IL. 5. 0sgood, Ammi
whitney, Albion Little, W. 5. Eaton, Dr.
f. e. Holt, the executive surgeon, and
DIR. S. q Gordon. There was a stenograph-
er pres n and one or two other people.
Mr.. Winslow in calling the meeting to
order briefly stated its purpose. lie said
in substance that the board of trustees
mad determined to sift these stories about
the Institution to the bottom and were
anxious that any complaints against the
institution should be made at this time
and that they promised that any charges
made would be thoroughly Investigated.
He expressed the wish OF the board OF
trustees to go into the matter thoroughly
ana hoped that II there was any one in
attendance who had any complaint to
make that they would state their case.
At the cOmmen cement of the hearing
there were only two women present. one
OF these a spectator and the other one, as
1t turned out with grievance TO COM
plain of.
This woman told her story very well
and was courteously treated by the board
of trustees. she Eaid in substance that
her name was Margaret Riley, and that
her little girl, aged three years, was
suffering from some disease Of the ear
and had a sore on her neck in conse-
quenoe OF it. She had been treated by
DIR. Messrve for some wesks without be.
ing benefited any, and had gone to the
Eye and Ear Inrrmary in accordance
with DR.. Meserve's advice. DIR. Clough
at the clinic examined the 1ittls girl and
adviss1 that she oome to the clinic the
next day and have Dr. o. p. Smith ex-
anime the child throat, DR.. Smith ex /.
amined the child's throat and said that
an operation would be necessary, and
told the woman to bring her little girl to
the iniirmAry on wedneday, the day fol-
lowing. She saw DIR. Meserve first and
ha advised Mrs. Riley to have the opera
tion on the child's throat performed by
DIR. Smith. The woman said that she got
the little gfrl all ready for the operation
and then DIR. Smith had sent nurse to
her and asked her II she was prepared to
pay 81 for the ether and 81 a day for the
board OF the child at the intirmary for
tive or six days. The woman said that
she was not prepared to pay this amount
and had not understood that she would
be called upon to pay anything. DIR.
Smith assured her that she would have
to pay for the ether and the board OF the
child and this woman said she could not
have the operation performed, Upon this
statement, DIR. Smith was somewhat
angry and had said that the woman had
put him to lot OF unnecessary trouble,
She had thsn taken the little girl home
and she has not yet been operated on or
cured. She said that as she understood II,
1t would have cost her six dollars to have
the ohild's tonsiIs clipped and that she
could get the same thing done by any
doctor at her home for two dollars. She
though that DIR. Smith had not treated
her right and said that he had hurt her
feelings and she had not forgotten 1t.
Afterwards DIR. Smith, who was in the
building, was sent for and made his
statement to the board OF trustees. He
said that the woman had brought to his
clinic little girl whose throat 1t was
necessary to operate upon, and he had ad-
vised the operation. She came the next
day according to appointments and he pre-
pared for ths operation, having come
down to the intirmary on purpose to per-
form It to the neglect OF his own practice.
When he was prepared to go ahead with
the operation he had asked the woman II
shs WAS prepared to pay 81 for the ether
and 81 q day for tbs ohild's board. He