The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-05-10

VINO UlUUU lilo WU1NlVU
Continued from First Page
exhibit u" was the certificate of
death made as attending physician
which he had forwarded as health
officer to the state board of health.
There was no objection to this be-
ing offered as evidence.
On redirect examination by Mr..
Mcdonald DR.. Koch acknowledged
that on the burial permit he had
placed the date of the death March 8.
It was incorrect and should have
been March 9.
Senator Peterson then stated that
the plaintiff rested their side of the
case.
Mr.. Mcdonald made his opening
address to the jury, in which he
said:
I had intended, at this time, to
go at length into this case, but the
time which the case has already
occupied and the time which will be
taken for its completion limits my
address.
The defendant in this action"
said Mr.. Mcdonald, was born in
Minneapolis. His father died when
he was six years old and he was
compelled to partly support himself
and secure his own education. Later
the family moved to Fergus Falls
where he attended the grade school
and graduated from high school. He
then spent four years at the state
university and one year practicing
in St. Luke's hospital, St. Paul
From there he went to Ada for a
short time and then to Biwabick,
on the iron range, where he was con-
nected with a hospital, thence to
Blackjack, where he has had an ex-
tensive pratice.
The defendant has treated a
number of cases of diphtheria and
observed many more, giving him an
extensive knowledge of the disease.
He had formed an acquaintance with
the plaintiff in Fergus Falls which
was greatly increased in Blackjack
and existed up to some time after
Oscars death. The family was we'll
advised as to the ability of DR..
Koch. He had treated other men,
bers of the family and they visited
back and forth.
We will show that DR.. Koch re-
sponded promptly Wednesday even
ing, made careful examinations,
looked at the neck and noticed that
certain glands were not swollen,
found large and swollen tonsils, took
the temperature (103), pulse found
to be from IS to 100. DR.. Koch
was of the opinion that patient had
tonsilitis, and gave prescription to
relieve tonsilitis.
Next morning the doctor told
the members of the family not to
leave the house as the case might be
diphtheria and on the following
morning examined the tonsils and
allowed them to 60 to school, as he
thought it was tonsilitis. No criti-
cism has been offered of the way he
treated tonsilitis. He called several
times Friday and remained there
that night.
Saturday morning he continued
his treatment for tonsilitis, but, not
finding satisfactory Improvement, he
gave, Oscar as matter of precaution
only, dose Of anti toxin. No evil
dence has been introduced to show
that any symptoms of diphtheria
were present up to Saturday morn
ing and there were well-defned ones
of tonsilitis. He administered 5000
units, the dose he had always given
in cases before as an initial dose,
even going beyond the immunizing
dose of 1000 units"
Mr.. Mcdonald told of the subse-
quent treatment of the case made by
DR.. Koch and continuing said in
substance:
Our testimony will show that
after the death of Oscar the family
was very grateful to DR.. Koch for
the care he had given the case. They
read the article in the Blackjack
American and later heard that the