Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-24
STORY Of CHILD IN
LEG Of MAN FALSE
Not a Word of Truth in 1t, Says
Physician Who Performed
Operation

Reports of highly sensational ma
ture regarding an operation performed
on the leg of the Rev. c. G. White, of
of the partly developed body of child
instead of the fatty tumor that was
expected, are denied absolutely by DIR.
Jos. c. Bloodgood. the physician In
The story was published in number
of newspapers, but received no men
tion in the Telegraph, due to the fact
guard against just such errors. as it
was suspected at the time this would
prove to be.
days he was captain of Gettysburg
football team, catcher on the baseball
nine and an athlete of note.
Dr. Bloodgood's letter of denial fol-
Baltimore, Md, April IS, 1914. - Rev.
G. G. White. Millersburg. Pa.-Dear Mr..
White: l have your letter of April II
American, of Philadelphia. l am send
ing you a clipping from Baltimore Star
published April 16.
This ridiculous and untruthful story
must have been sent either by letter
or wire to both Baltimore and Phila-
delphia papers.
The Evening Star published this per-
me any opportunity to tell them any
thing about it The other two papers
the Baltimore News and Evening
Sun-would not publish it until they
had given me an opportunity to hear
it, and as they could not get me, they
did not publish 1t at all, and when they
did give me an opportunity to explain
to them that the story was absolutely
false, they, of course. did not pay any
further attention to it.
The only news item in the story is
the statement that the body of child
was removed from tumor of the leg,
and this the leg of a man. This, OF
course, is absolutely false, and no paper
with any high sense of it's duty to the
pubic, should publish such statement
without consulting some member OF
the profession.
, Apparently other Philadelphia papers
received 1t. but ignored it. One of these
! telephone the next day.
1t we look the matter squarely in the
face, 1t is not you, the patient or |, the
| surgeon, who is made ridiculous but
story absolutely absurd on its face
and publish it. 1t was distinctly q
| newspaper mistake, and the editors OF
the Baltimore. Star appreciate it now.
J In the article the statement that YOU
We're patient of mine is correct, and
that you We're operated upon is alsc
, thigh, but in the lilac fossa and did moi
contain anything which could be even
remotely construed as child any
more, than the common fatty tumor
! PcOpi0 hHOW ABOUT could
be described as a human child, or as
anything. having any relation to a
monstrosity. The essential part, there
fore, of the article is false. The news
item Is untrue. The whole story IL
ridiculous. am sorry for the papers
who have published it.
! believe it would be a better plar
90 ignore the entire thing, but If you
feel that. you wish public staten ent
denying It, you have a right as patti.
ent OF mine to expect 1t, and I am sure
nial.
Experiences of this kind should have
good effect upon the newspapers and
teach them to scrutinize news of This
character. and before publishing turn
to those who know for confirmation
We absolutely need the newspapers q,
the country to help us in the propa.
ganda of educating the public on mat.
ters of public health and preventive
medicine. But we can not expect much
help from newspapers who will publish
medical stories of this sort.
Very sincerely yours
(Signed JOS. c. BLoODGooD.