The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-09-12
DEPARTMENT NEWS.

MEDICAL QUESTION - PATHO-
LOGICAL SEQUENCE.-In the general
law pension case of James Fitzgerald 1t
"a held assistant Secretary Campbell,
July 81, 1901 that the facts shown, sup
ported by medical authority, warrant a
conclusion that alleged total loss of sight
(glaucoma) is due to spinal injury, or to
view Of the Medical Referee of the Pen
sion Bureau. The decision says: When
the papers in this case were returned to
the Bureau for q statement of reasons for
sot accepting blindness as due to the
spinal injury, the Department stated that
there is medical authority to sustain the
claim and the criticism of the Medical
Referee of this conclusion does not cause
q change of views. Because a pathology
cal connection between an injury of the
cord and glaucoma cannot be demon
strated, it is not, in the opinion Of the
Department sufficient cause fer denying
such connection.
at would be just as reasonable to deny
pension on account of loss of vision of
both eyes, when pension has been allowed
on account of loss of vision of one from in
Jury, and the other became blind from
sympathetic ophthalmia. In such case
the pathological connection cannot be
demonstrated, yet no physician would
deny that such is not an everyday clinical
observation. The Bureau is certainly not
guided by the commonly accepted rules
Of pathology alone in cases of such char
scter, but by clinical facts.
Another feature of this case appears
TO deserve consideration, and that is,
whether or not disease of heart, for
which the soldier is also pensioned, might
be q factor in the causation of glaucOma
mo less an authority than Priestly
Smith says: Disease of the vascular sys-
tenn is sometimes cause of glaucoma.
The Medical Referee attributes the pen
sioner's hemiplegia to disease Of the
heart, thrombosis or embolism. 1t would
seem that a disease of the heart causing
such grave vascular changes within the
Uranium would create disturbance of cir
culation which congests the internal yes
sells of the eye and causes glaucoma, as
stated by the author quoted.
1T Is noted that the Medical Referee
states in the latter part of his report that
II the post hoe ergo propter hoe idea were
employed the work would become involved
In inextricable confusion
Such a statement is not warranted.
for 1t is apparent that a large number OF
claims for pensions are, and always have
been, admitted, as proved by the applica,
ton OF such a maxim. Not only is this
true from legal but also from a medical
standpoint When the law has to go into
any science other than mathematics, and
mathematics is the only science by which
truths can be demonstrated without the
possibility of error Il Greenleaf on Evi
dence, Sec. u, 1t has very frequently t.
reach conclusions which are based upo1
propositions arrived at by reasoning from
the effect back to the cause, although, as
q matter Of course, 1t is more satisfac
tory to reason from cause to effect; but
this cannot be done in large number Of
cases.
1.-THE foregoing opinion is based, so fal
as the facts il evidence allow, upon 6
demonstration that, given certain condi
ton as cause, a certain effect has fol
lowed. Not that such an effect would
always result from said given condition
but that the evidence shows that it has
done so in this case"
ATTORNEYS FEE - NEGLECT
ACT OF JUNE q, 1S90.-Ln the pen
sion case under the act of June "a. 1880
Of Mckinney Harshfeld, it is held (As
sistant Secretary Campbell, July 81, 1901
that 1.-THE rule that when claimant does
not comply with an order for medical ex.
animation, and thereupon the failure OF