The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-16
RISKS LIFE FOR SCIENCE.
Girl Said TO Have Been InOcuIated
With Tuberculosis.

cured before the disease reached an in
durable stage, a young woman is al
legged to have submitted to the innoc-
ulation of the germs of consumption
at the hands of DR.. George D. Barney
of No. 401 Third street, Brooklyn. Her
name is given as Miss Emma H. King.
Except in the cases of convicts to
whom has been promised some sort
of immunity for permitting themselves
to aid in the advancement of medical
science, in such a manner, instances
are rare where human beings have Of
fered themselves for a test in which
death was a possible alternative.
Medical records do not show that
any man or woman, sane, and in full
physical health, ever has permitted
the introduction into his or her organ
ism the seeds of the greatest scourge
known to the human family.
Miss King is said to be a nomal,
healthy woman, in the full possession
of her faculties, and to have offered
herself in the interest of science as
medium through which the experiment
might be made and with complete faith
that the hand which supplied the cause
could destroy the effect DR.. Barney
declined to give her address yesterday,
or permit her to be seen, on the ground
that she has been wrought up by the
visits and inquiries of the many in
vestigators. .
Alleged Cure VapOrOus.
The doctors office is in a brownstone
house about halfway between Fifth
and Sixth avenue. The parlor is used
as a reception room, and the consulta-
ton room in the rear is furnished with
a. large cabinetlike structure which is
used in the administration of vapor
intended to destroy the bacilli of tu-
berculosis, and which will be used on
Miss King if she develops the disease.
DR.. Barney's name has been mention
ed in the newspap ers on several occa-
sions in connection with things a lit
tie outside the present line of investi-
cation. 1t was he who fished out an
indigestible copper penny from lit
tie boys stomach, and it was he who
restored a man believed to be dead
from drowning. Long stories were
published about both feats. The doctor
was graduated from the Long Island
Medical College, and practiced for
short time in Asheville, N. c., where
nine-tenths of the visitors are con-
sumptives, and where the greatest
field in the world for experiments ex-
lists, on patients willing to submit to
anything that is suggested.
He said yesterday that permission
had been granted him by DR.. Robert
A. Black, Health Commissioner OF
Brooklyn, to inoculate Miss King with
consumption germs. DR.. Black de-
MED last night that he had given any
such permission or possessed the power
to do So He said he did not know DR..
Barney. and never had any commu-
nication with him until yesterday.
when he (Barney) called up on the
telephone and asked DR.. Black If any
legal proceedings were contemplated.
DR.. Black submitted the case to the
Corporation Counsel. who will an
nounce in an opinion to-day whether
he believes it legal for physician to
sow~the seeds of disease in the system
of any human being for the purpose
of attempting to devitalize them.
That IS as far as the health COM
missioner of Brooklyn could go. He
had no actual knowledge of what Bar
ney used in the neutrality-suspicious.
it were in reality the virus from a tu-
berculous COW or water or some other
liquid more innocuous.
The operator had obtained from Miss
King an affidavit, the first part of
Which must have been based on hear
say only, for it is not asserted that the
young woman is capable of recognizing
or distinguishing between any forms of
bacilli and harmless liquid. Never
theless, she swore that she had been
1noculated from a consumptive COW.
The form of her affidavit is as follows
i, the undersigned, of my own free
will and accord, submit to be inocu-
lated by DR.. George D. Barney, of No.
4Ol Third street. Brooklyn, with germs
taken from tuberculous COW, doing
so without compensation of any kind.
for the sole purpose of increasing
scientific knowledge of the dread dis
ease.
Il further declare that should 7 he
come infected as the result of the inoc-
ulauon, fully exonerate DR.. Barney
OF all blame in the matter.
Emma H. King.
Sworn and subscribed before me
this 9th day Of November, 1901.
"Gustave Girard.
Commissioner of Deeds for the CITY Of
New York and the Borough Of Brook.
lyn."
Gustave Girard is a real estate deal
er Of No. 307 Fifth avenue. He is an
old friend Of DR.. Barney's. on Satur.
day night he went to the doctors house
ia Third street, a short distance from
his own office, and there met Miss
King, whom he knew personally. She
volunteered 10 do whatever a sworn de-
claration could do in generating DR..
Barney from blame In case he succeed
ed IN developing tuberculosis In her
but failed 10 check IT,. DR.. Barney did
not make the existence OF the affidayit
public until yesterday.
After having talked freely Of his ex-
pertinent early yesterday, and describ-
"a a. and the ultimate results he ex-
pected 10 accomplish, Or. Barney de-
clined last night 20 make any answer
40 The Health Commissioner, on even
10 tell where be got the oonsumptlFe
cov, "a ~ whom n belonged.
nThe press had twisted lhis all
around. A" fald be-. "and ] won't stand
Ton H Iii Say no more ! am smut
on Be- tight pei clam ,..--,