White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-11-02
USE FELON'S GLANDS
TO CURE MEMS ILLS
Bar, Clergy and Medical
Men Uphold Possibilities.

Bar, clergy anu NieoAS"A
Men Uphold Possibilities.
New York.-Time may not be far
distant when the glands of murderers
sentenced to the death chair In sing
Sing may be transplanted after the
executions to patients In hospitals for
the curing of certain Ills.
Such is the consensus OF representa-
tives of the bench and bar, the clergy
and the medical profession in Brook
lyn, who were asked to comment on
the case of "Buck" Kelly, San Fran
cisco bandit with record of at least
three killings, who was hanged on
Nav II in San Quentin prison.
Kelly's written consent having been
obtained, vital glands were removed
after the execution and transplanted
to a patient in the University of Call
fornia hospital who was suffering
from toxic goiter.
Operation Successful.
The operation, according to DR.. L..
S. Schmitt, dean of the hospital, was
a complete success and justified itself
by having fulfilled its purpose and by
Its contribution to medical science.
Now that such an operation has
been successfully performed and has
caused widespread interest among
physicians and prison authorities,
there are indications that many SINH
lar experiments may be tried to cure
other maladies.
And so far as public opinion is con-
cerned, nothing but commentator has
been heard for Kelly in granting per-
mission for the experiment and praise
for the physicians who carried it out
successfully in the interest Of suffer
ing humanity.
From the medical standpoint, DR..
Frank D. Jennings, chairman of the
press reference committee of the
Kings County Medical society, sound
ed note of caution.
ut is never safe," he said, ito gen
eralize from single case, and even
if the facts of the Kelly case are as
reported it is too early yet for any
one to say definitely just what the
ultimate result will be, even so far as
this operation is concerned, although
now it is proclaimed as success.
"The transplanting of glands itself
is nothing new, although offhand do
not recall at the moment any cases in
which they were transplanted from a
dead person. However, believe it
would be assuming too much to con-
clude from this one operation that
similar experiments may cure other
ills In most cases it has been found
that glands that have been transplant
ed soon shrivel and wither away"
Execution Caused Sensation.
However, this may be, the execution
of Kelly caused sensation after sensa-
| ton. The execution itself was dra-
matte enough, but it was as nothing
compared to the hue and cry that was
raised when it was learned that hur-
ried autopsy had been performed and
/ Kelly's brain and heart had been re.
moved.
The warden of San Quentin and
members of the state board of prison
| directors, demanded to know on what
| authority the autopsy had been per-
formed. The investigation disclosed
that, in addition to. these organs. other
glands had been removed.
This aroused the father, mother
brother and sisters of Kelly. But their
protests ceased when it was disclosed
that Kelly himself had given permits
sion for the operation.
The public reaction had resulted
from a widespread belief that the
glands had been bought by some rict
| person. This public outburst dice
down when it was learned that there
had been no profiteering and tina,
Kelly had permitted the experiment
for the benefit of human derelict ii
direst poverty and too weak to under
90 the surgeons knife for the toxic
goiter with which he was afflicted.
The question which presented itself
to the medical men was whether the
glands could be utilized several hours
after the execution. 1t was necessary
to take them from the pententiary Il
the hospital, good two hours rid.
away. The success of the ingraftin.
answered this question in the affirma
tive.
But after his goiter had been cure,
the patient left the hospital and TIN
physicians have been unable to trace
him for observation purposes. Thei
only hope now lies in the possibiIit,
that he may turn up some day unex
pectn61v of his own volition