Evening journal., 1922-04-25
PUT $40 fine
ON PHYSICIAN
DR.. Thacher Penalized for
Not Reporting dupont
Case Earlier .
FEUD OF MEDICAL
SCHOOLS CHARGED

ifhiAsA Sf-lA iilAt April Z0-For
failure to report promptly to the
Board Of Health a communicable
disease, DR.. George A. Thacher. zoos
Chestnut street, was fined $50 and
costs by Magistrate Renshaw in the
Central Police Court, yesterday DR..
Thacher was arrested following the
death last week OF Alexis dupont.
the 11-year- old son Of Mr. and Mrs.
Francis 1. DUPONT. Of Philadelphia
and Wilmington.
Aftor the fine was imposed. Mr
Weaver served notice that he in
tended to appeal In summing up
the case. Mr.. Weaver told the mag
istrate that this was clash be-
tween the allopaths and homeo-
paths"
Dr. A. A. Cairns. chief medical ex-
amincr. Indignantly denied that a
feud existed between the two schools
and cited the fact that thirteen hom-'
conaths are on the medical staff OF
'hc Board of Health.
some Of them" he added hold
Important positions"
Mr.. Weaver declared that had the
the child been under the care Of an
allopathic physician no prosecution
would have been brought. DR..
Thacher's treatment. he added, was
satisfactory and he retired from the
case when the parents employei ]
Christian Science practitioners.
The act requiring that contagious
diseases be reported was read and
argument caused over the meaning
ulous diseases forthwith" To de-
yoloped that the postal card on
which DR.. Thacher reported the
case was two years old and did not
n1ve the printed injunction to tele-
phone the case to the Board Of
Health before mailing the card.
When Assistant City Solicitor
Covne summoned up tho case he OBJ
served: Under these circumstances.
rr. Thachcr ought 90 stop practic-
ing medicine"
No shouted Weaver. getting 20
his feet. "He shouldn't stop prac-
tcing medicine any more than you
should stop practicing law"
Francis !. dupont. father OF tho
boy. on the witness stand. told OF
ir nging the boy from his country
home. Louv.rs. near Wiimington. 90
Th 'adoipnIa on March go. lie said
tnc boy became ii on that day and
no teiephonod TO Or. John Wesley
Mullen the fam ly physician. at WI
mington.
"The boy had q sore throat on
Thursday" DO said. "but ! did not
know lt was serious on the follow
n- mornn ne ? eaw he had an ulcer
sfe1 rond.t ON ~ the throat and sus-
por.of dlrhthori1. n was then
-...rhorrd to Dr Mullen He said d
30 gHf Doc d'phthora IT, suggested
wo can D- Thaohor who treated tho
.or Friday nrd saturday"
Former Mayor Weaver asked
whether the boy had received Chris
tan Science treatment Thursday
Fr1 day or Saturday
"3fv wife regards that MS a purely
religious question" was duPont's
ronly. I'VE did ask Christian ScieD
lists to do what they regularly dc
IN cases Of illness and they Offered
their prayers"
Weaver asked II the nurse who
attended the boy was a Christian
Science nurse.
The first nhrse." replied the wit
moss. "was a Christian Scientist. bu
did not know she was not a train
cd nurse"
Mr.. dupont told OF giving the med
seine 90 the boy. which was pre-
/ soribed by Dr Thacher The boy
fter taking the medicine. SLEPT
better and in order not 10 disturb
The child they did not give him tn
medicine from Friday afternoon a
% o. m. until the following morning
a' g. At that time he called DR.
Thacher and explained TO hin
/. The physician, he said. eXpresse,
regret that the run amount of medl
cine had not been given.
Mr.. DUPONT said he held no ami
mostly toward DR.. Thacher. bu
said the physician withdrew from
the case on Saturday afternoon a
$50 after Mr.. DUPONT had calle,
Dr Francis Allen in consultation a
4 n friend.
When DR.. Thacher went on IN
stand he said he was a homeopatl
4 whereupon his counsel added: I'm
. 'ortunately."
NO. not unfortunately" repliel
Dr. Thacher Mr.. Weaver continu
! ed: Probably not unfortunately
but unfortunately in this case"
when arrived" said ID
Thacher. Il agreed to the prescrlr
Il uon ordered by DR.. Mullen. We dl
not diagnose the case as diphtheri
on that day. On the following da
4 Saturday when 1 called at II