New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-19

But Methods Adopted to Defeat
Such Efforts Are PROVING
More Efficient Daily.

Attempts to blackmail physicians are more
numerous than the general public is aware Of
for the physician occupies a position in society
which makes him especially vulnerable 10 the
attacks of the extortioner. Few reputable dis
eiples Of A1sculapius like the publicity Of the
courtroom. so. often. for the sake of silence a
doctor viii pay something to a patient who
charges hinl with malpractice using the term
in the civil not the criminal, sense That is he
has done so in the past, and would probably
continue TO do in the future, were it not for
the system which has been devised in this state
and adopted by the state medical societies of
ten other states to protect him. Suits for dam
ages are now conducted by the legal repre-
sentative Of the State Medical Society, every
member Of a county medical society securing
the protection of the benefits of men,
bership
The statistics of the legal department Of the
New York State Medical Society show that
seven years ago one doctor out of every go in
this state might expect to become the object Of
legal attack on the ground of improper care
OF a patient Last year the ratio was one in
oJ0' indicating that the work Of the society in
compelling the plaintiffs TO face a jury or with
draw was having an effect Many of the plain
uits' when they discover that they are TO be put.
upon the witness stand and will be compelled
10 commit perjury in order to support their
GAINS crop the cases They become scared.
N1h u l@6Hly-IOur cases against musicians
.lsted on single page Of the records of the New
York State Medical Society ali except two have
been dropped. One has been tried and one re-
mains 10 be adiudicated
When asked by representative of The Trii,-
une regarding the extent of the attempts ar
piackInalElng Of physicians, James TAYLOR
Lewis, the legal representative of the society
said the other day that 81 per cent OF the cases
OF which notice OF suit presented were
Clearly Matchmaking schemes while 3 per cent
We're cases which raised some question which
might properly be presented to a jury
Within the last seven years 26S s,its for
damages on the ground of MALPRACTICE have
peen brought in this state A large majority
nave been based on alleged improper setting Of
fractured bones and subsequent care of them
Mr. Taylor said that in ninety-fline cases ouf of
a hundred of broken limbs there is some shrink
age In the length Of the limb involved in the
Knitting or the ends of bone together again
The use OF the K-ray has facilitated the process
of securing damages on the ground of inproner
care IN cases OF this sort. A photograph of the
section. or tee bone, showing that il is not in
perfect alignment or that IL is enlarged az the
point of fracture. is enough TO make the patient
troubled as 10 the quality of the operation
winch mas been performed upon him IL only
requires the statement os shyster LAWYER look
ing for a case to convince him that he is en-
utied 20 considerable sum of money from the
physician. Not all such cases. of course have
biafknlaH as motive. but the 3 per cent OF
suiks brought In good faith is made up in good
part or SUCH cases These are not ALWAYS won
by the plaintiffs. however, for the fact that tbs
Done mas not the same appearance il once had
does not necessarily mean that the limb is NOT
perfectly sound and serViceable
one case winch the society was called upon TO
oelsna was mat Of lumberman. A small tree
was being drawn through some woods At on.
point the trail made a somewhat sharp t,Irn
as the log was drawn around this il was caught
between Two trees, one at the centre of The in
side OF the curve and the other a little further
back on the opposite side The first tree served
as fulcrum. and the strain on the forwa rd
eno pressed the other end against the farther