The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-15
MRS. FREDA JOHNSON ACCUSES
SURGEON OF CONVERTING
HERS TO HIS OWN USE
PHYSICIAN SAYS SHE
is UNDER A DELUsicN
Admits That After Performing Opera
ton for Supposed Appendicitis, He
Counseied Mrs. johnson With a "Pro-
fessionaI Fiction" to Ease Her Mind
She Will Begin Suit for Malpractice

Mrs. Freda Johnson, of Minneapolis,
wife of O. Johnson, railway con-
tractor, now engaged on construction
jim Montana by the Great Northern
& Railway company, is about to begin
suit against Chicago surgeon for mall
practice
Mrs. Johnson is at present visiting
her sister, Mrs. Martha Olson, in Min
neapolis, and has been, since her ar
rival here from Chicago two months
ago, under the care of Minneapolis
physician.
The case against the Chicago doctor
promises to be one of the most ex-
traordinary ever heard in a court. No
papers have been filed yet. The name
of the Chicago man cannot be learned.
y, Mrs. Johnson refuses to discuss the
19atter further than to state that she
intends going to law.
The allegation will be that while per-
forming an operation. which was orig
inally intended to be for appendicitis,
the surgeon discovered another condi-
ton and developed the fact that Mrs.
Johnson was suffering from hbrous
growth inside the abdominal wall.
The operation for appendicitis was
therefore unnecessary though an OPP
Grafton was performed for the removal
of a tumor which had been the source
of the trouble. Mrs. Johnson claims
that, with no good reason, solely be-
cause he wanted it for a specimen, the
doctor removed her appendix and ap-
propriated it to his own uses. The
complaint will cite that the defendant
Enclosed the appendix of Mrs. Johnson
In a bottle Of alcohol and used it In
demonstrating before his lecture
classes.
Says He Fooled Her..
The doctor, in a letter to Mr. john
son, gives a peculiar explanation or MS
procedure in the following language:
an referring to the operation upon
your wife at my hospital, permit me
to say that her appendix was never re-
moved as she believes, and that the
conviction under which she is labor1ng
was doubtless produced by my efforts
to eliminate from her mind the fear
she formerly had of appendicitis:
after the operation told Mrs john
son that her appendix had been re-
moved, for the reason that belief In It's
y having been removed would, IN my
opinion, exert valuable physical in
fluence upon her. The condition for
which I operated was quite different
=
toms were much the same. 1 expected
to find that the pain of which this pa
tienf complained would be totally re-
moved If a mental impression could be
made upon her that the source OF the
pain was gone.
subsequently, I told the lady pre-
ciseIy what her condition had been, ex-
planned the probably cause, and as
sured her that the appendix story had
been merely professional fiction.
It's Still With Mrs. Johnson.
"To my establishment Mrs. Johnson
refused to believe me. She has ap-
parently been told ridiculous stories by
some malicious person concerning my
treatment of her. 1 assure you posi-
lively that I have not Mrs. Johnson's
appendix, that I have great many
4 others of all sorts and conditions, and
that, If necessary, I will myself con-
duct an exploratory operation in the
pre- sence of any three reputable sur
geons to establish the truth of my con-
tention."
Meantime Mrs. Johnson insists that
she has had pain over the region of
the appendix ever since she left the
saritorium, and that she can "feel the
place where her appendix used.to be-"
She scouts the idea of submitting to an
exploratory operation, but insists that
evidence will be forthcoming to sup
port her statements. A nurse in one of
the hospitals of Chicago, whose name
is Martha Benson, is said to be one Of
the witnesses who will appear for Mrs.
johnson.