The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-27
PROPER TREATMENT
NOT GIVEN, SAYS
0HAGE
Health Commissioner Claims
Death of Little Girl Was
Due to '.Bigotry and su-
perstition" of Parent and
Osteopathic Treatment of
Contagious Disease.

Health Commissioner Ohage is MAX
ing every effort to have a charge of
manslaHghter preferred against
Thomas S. Poucher, mail carrier re-
siding at 917 Linwood place, and C.
w. Young, a local oSteopath physician.
Helen, the ten-year old daughter of
Poucher, died yesterday morning sup
posedly Of diphtheria, and DR.. Ohage
makes the direct accusation that
death was due to the ignorance and
bigotry of one and the inability to
treat such diseases Of the other. The
emaciated body of the little sufferer
now lies in the family home on Lin
wood place, and until the matter has
been cleared up to the satisfaction Of
the health department burial will be
denied.
A post norton to the extent of TAX
ing cultures was performed last night,
and an inquest will be held by Coroner
Miller this morning.
Thomas S. Poucher, the father Of
the dead girl, is local anti-vaccina-
ton advocate, being secretary Of the
local organization bearing that name,
and his alleged violation of and de-
fiance of the accepted methods of
treating contagious diseases dates
from New Years day, when his daugh-
ter Ethel thirteen years of age, was
taken down with what DR.. G. r. Met
diphtheria. DR.. Metcalf advised the
use of the antitoxin treatment and in
sisted upon 1T, Whereupon Poucher dis
charged him, declaring that all
Emphatic injections were poisonous
and in opposition to his views
G. w. Young, a local osteopath, was
next called in and shortly after he re-
ported to the health department the
illness of Douglass, a seven-year- old
son, and Saturday followed 1t with
report citing the illness of Helen, ten
years old. Yesterday morning Helen'S
death was reported by the VIM. Dam
pier Undertaking company, and DR..
Ohage, after consulting with County
Attorney Kane, ordered an investiga-
ton.
Late yesterday afternoon the death
certificate, signed by DR.. o. H. Hall. a
homeopathic physician, was filed in
the health office, but 1t was not ac-
cepted. Likewise a permit for burial
was denied. Dr.: Hall in his return
stated that death had occurred on the
S2bth, and to his knowledge the child
had been sick five days. DR.. Young,
the osteopath, did not give notice Of
the case until last Saturday.
t Health Commissioner Ohage, who is
pushing the investigation, was vehe-
ment in his denunciation of the out
rage, as he called it, and gave orders
sary in seeing that the other two chill
dren were properly treated.
Ignorance and the blindest of SUI
perstition,"- he declared yesterday aft
ernoon, was the real cause of the
child's death, and he was determined
to evoke every aid in bringing the par
ties responsible to justice.
THE parents have my fullest SYM
pathy in the death of their little child"
Isaid DR.. Ohage last night, but 1 intend
If possible to make an example. Anti
toxin as a cure for diphtheria is recog-
nized and prescribed by every rep
.utable physician in the land and this
is no time for a display Of ignorance
and blind superstition such as this
Poucher has shown. I say 1t is Grim
inal"
Poucher, the father of the dead girl,
is a mail carrier. and is leading fig
ure in the local Anti Vaccination So
ciety, being it's secretary. He is OPP
posed to vaccination and has his chill
dren taught by a private tutor rather
than send them to school where a vac
cination certificate Is demanded. He
is violently. opposed to all Emphatic
injections, cOntending that they are
poisonous. He has read a number of
papers before the association and has
contributed frequently to magazines
devoted to characterization.
the Ernst building, and is we'll known
in osteopathic circles. The profession
is not recognized by the health de-
partment and there is standing or
der that no death certificate shall be
accepted from any of it's members. DR..
Ohage contends that an osteopath has
no business treating a contagious case
and will prosecute On this point, also
that Young violated the health laws
in not making a. timely report of the
case.
Cultures were taken from the dead
child's throat last evening in the pres
ence of Drs. REM, Miller and Fennell,
and are now being examined by DR..
REM at the city laboratory. The inquest
will be held this morning. The Gull
lures taken gave every evidence of
diphtheria, and such was the conclusion
reached by the physicians, but the bac-
THEOLOGICAL tests will settle 1t beyond
the question of doubt.