The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-03
QUESTION Of WHO
WAS SURGEON IN
OPERATION IS UP
Drs. Bryan. Darlington and
Horseley Reply topr. George
Ben Johnston With Statement
to Administrative Board and
Copy of Record.

Whether DR.. Murat Willis operated
upon Jesse Crawley, assisted by DIR.
George Ben Johnston. or whether DR..
Johnston operated upon Crawley. as
sisted by DIR. Willis. is the point upon
which the controversy between DR..
Bryan, Horsley and Darlington and
DR.. George Ben Johnston. now
hinges.
The record of the City home shows
that DR.. Willis operated on Crawley.
Dr. Johnston has stated. both in Po-
lice court. a year ago. and In his
statement published yesterday. that
he performed the operation.
In the room in which the opera
ton was performed were DIR. H. A.
Bullock, DIR. Edmund Boice, DIR.
Willis, and Or. Johnston.
DIR. Bullock administered the anaes-
the operation was performed by Drs.
Johnston and Willis No precedence
was claimed at the time.
DR. Bullock, who is associated with
DR. Edward Mcclure a, present, but
who was City home inferno at the
time of the operation. and who Is
credited with having administered the
anaesthetic, declared last night that
the foregoing paragraph accurately
describes the operation
Miss Young. superintendent of the
hospital. was unweli at the time of
the operation, and was not in the
room throughout the operation. At
terward, according to a statement
made by her last night, she asked
someone. whom she has forgotten.
who had performed the operation.
The person asked answered that DIR.
Wills had performed the operation.
anu she so put Ii down IN the record.
Statement In Reply.
In answer to the statement pub
iished yesterday by DR.. Johnston. DIR.
Darlington. Horxley and Bryan issued
rejoinder last night, a copy of which
WAS sent to the administrative board,
IN which their frst charges Of iuxftr
In attention of his duties were repeat
ed in general. and attention is called
to the bylaws of the institution. The
one point emphasized in that the
record held DR.. Willis az the surgeon
who operated upon Crawley.
The statement. presented President
Whittet, of the administrative board.
for their consideration today. is &C.
companied by a Photographic repro
!uction of the operation book. The
statement follows.
As thr three undersigned are re-
lsFT@0 tp III tnt tetlSy Va Ut. sfrc- SSEtt
Johnston. which appears in the Rich
mond papers OF this date. We ask You
to consider this Joint reply.
THE personalities In Dr. Johnston's
letter are beside the question and
should not be allowed to obscure he
real issue. The public Is not interest
60 in the personal relations between
any Of us and DIR. Johnston. SO far as
his services to DR.. Horsley are con-
cerned. OF which he boasts. II may be
said that the obligations between DR.
Horsley and DR.. Johnston are at least
mutual. IL might also be an interest
ing question whether Or. Johnston
severed his professional and social re-
lations with Or. Horsley. because of the
latter's unworthiness or whether Or.
Hershey severed all relations because
Of his opinion OF DR.. Johnston's un-
wcrthiness.
so far as the statements In DIR. John
ston's letter having reference to DIR.
Darlington and Or. Bryan are con-
eerned, il suffiees to say that they are
without foundation. II is not our in
teHtieH to deal In personalities. The
issue is DIR. Johnston's conduct while
on duty at the City home.
Pointing Ia Record.
The approaching selection by your