River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1924-03-20
ChirOpractiC Students
Freed In Girls Death
The Truth About The Fawcett Case

The history of the case shows she
had been struck with stone three
years previously and since that time
had suffered from commissions. Sub
sequent investigation revealed that
> the child had suffered from convul-
sions virtually all her life. During
the time she was waiting she had two
commissions, and while beng examin-
. ed she suffered another. The father
Of the child stated she had four -
five commissions a day.
An exam; nation was made by the
: instructor in diagnosis and by the
head of the chiropractic department
of the college Both advised that an
X-ray be made before any adjust
ments of the spine were attempted.
! The girl was then dismissed and re-
turned on the next day for an X-rav
/. of her spine. The photographer had
J not noticed medal which the child
was wearing and which made it
necessary to make another X-r9y
} picture of the spine. This second
. X-ray was made on January 25 and
, the girl returned on January 25.
| No charge was made except the reg
ular registration fee of one dollar and
: one dollar to cover the actual cost OF
) materials used in making the X-ray.
Owing to extreme tenderness in the
neck, no adjustments were attempted
| and only adjustments of the sixth and
. tenth dorsal vertebrae were made.
: The girl came for adjustments on
January %, 20, 80 and 81. On Feb
D ruary / the father called at the col
t lege and advised the supervisor that
e the child was too i'll to come to the
5 clinic. He asked if the student who
: was taking care of the child would go
: to his home with him and see what
t could be done for her. The student,
. being unwilling to go alone, induced
another student to accompany him.
On arriving at the child's bedside,
they found her unconscious but learn
ed that she had been active a short
time previously. They applied cold
applications to her neck and gave
her water to drink. In few mo-
ments she regained consciousness.
! She spoke to them and appeared very
! much improved. The fathey express
sec himself as greatly relieved, and
: The students left the horne.
On February 2, the father again
called at the college but nsither of the
, students was present 4 graduate
OF the college was asked to accom-
pany him to the house. On arriving
there he took the child's temperature
and made careful examination. He
. recommended that the child be taken
: to hospital. Nothing further was
heard regarding the case until Feb
ruary 4, when the child died.
The corners Office was notified, and
the corners inquest was held on Feb
ruary 6, at 10 a. m. The students
who had attended the girl were not
subpoenaed, but went of their own
accord to the inquest. At the in
2 quest the coroner's physician who had
| been assigned to the case testified
) that in his opinion the child had sus-
5 tanned dislocation of the third GER
vical vertebra. The cononer's jury
: was unable, however, after all testi-
2 mony had been given, to return 4
I verdict fixing responsibility for the
: childs death.
On February 8, articles appeared
: III several Chicago newspapers telling
of the death of the girl, and stating
: that it was alleged her death had
t been caused by the dislocation of the
| third cervical vertebra as result OF
chiropractic adjustments made By
| students of the National College Of
Chiropractic. On the same day ths
Gecretary of the college instituted an
J investigation into the case at which
. there were present all students ana
: instructors who had anything to do
! with the case, as well as the chief in
spector OF the Department Of Regis
tration and Education anu a news
paper reporter. The Investigation
was made a joint one on the pa, Vi
lie college and t deoa- Int.
AT this investigation it was defnit-
ely established
(a)-that no adjustments Of the
vertebrate in the neck had ever been
made;
(b)--that the students had made
only one visit at the home at which
time no adjustment of any kind was
| made; and
| (c)--that the child had suffered nc
injury as result Of any adiustmen,
Continued on page three)