Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-10
ANSWERS CRITICS
IN ISAACSON CASE
DR.. Maurice Asher Defends His
Treatment of Poisoned
Man.
SAYS HE WAS NOT TOLD
THAT CALL WAS URGENT.
Declares Patient Was Too
Weak to Permit Use of
Stomach Pump.

Following alleged criticisms of med
ical treatment of Barnett Isaacson,
whose death occurred on Tuesday
night in Seth Israel Hospital from
poisoning by paris green, Dr. Maui
rice Asher. Of 10 Court street. in a
lengthy statement to a reporter for
the Evening Star. today explained the
delay in applying a stomach pump TO
the dying man TO the weak condi-
ton of his heart, there being no
wrist pulse whatever at the time he
first saw the patient
Il know my treatment of Isaacson
has been criticised by members of the
medical profession. said DR.. Asher,
but the circumstances of the case
are these:
"A call came to my office between
IL noon and 1 o'clock for a man
named Isaacson. who resided In
Bergen street. The Isaacson whom I
had treated before lived in Sixteenth
avenue, but there was nothing urgent
about the call and as it was very
busy day, I did not reach the Bergen
street address until about ) o'clock
In the afternoon.
1.-THE man was vomiting violently,
and there was present greenish fluid,
which | thought was bile. I asked
him what was the trouble and he ex-
planned that he arose about o'clock
in the morning and took a cup of
water and, after swallowing its con-
tents, noted the presence of
.brownish powder" which he thought
might have been roach powder
Gould Find No Pulse
when | felt for his pulse none
was to be found in the wrist. so
persuaded the family to allow Isaac
son to be sent to the hospital and
summoned an ambulance. 1 reached
the Beth Israel Hospital about 6
O'clock in the evening, shortly after
the arrival of the patient. -
He was still vomiting, and I or
dered that he be given plenty of
water to drink, as nothing would re-
main in his stomach. I considered
that this treatment would have the
same effect as applying the stomach
pump, which I was afraid would be
fatal, and believing that whatever
poison had been taken had already
been absorbed by the system, and its
effect was very apparent on the
mans heart.
Heart stimulants were applied, but |
at that time I did not consider that |
an antidote would be of any good, |
and as matter of fact the antidote
for arsenic poisoning is only the |
treatment of the SYMPTOMS on the or
gans of the body, and l was then
treating the heart.
; II again visited the patient at mid
night, and IN the meantime the house
surgeon, DIR. Vera Scheehtman, had
analysed the fluid which the man |
was vomiting, and told me that she |
had found crystals of a metallic |
poison which she believed was ar
senic, but at this time the exact ma
ture Of the poison was unknown.
Applies Stomach Pump.
1.-THE next morning 1 received a
call from the hospital and was in |
formed that Isaacson was dying. |
Leaving several patients in my wait |
fng-room, I FASTENED to the hospital |
and applied a stomach pump, but it |
was not until after the mans death |
that / learned positively that paris |
green had been the cause of death.
When the autopsy was held a |
great quantity of paris green was
found in the stomach and intestines.
L don't think my treatment of the
case under the circumstances is open
TO criticism, but in view of some of
the criticisms which 1 have heard
were made by physicians of the city,
I have consulted with three promi
nent practitioners and they have
each agreed with me that under the