Evening star., 1933-05-15
Medical Examiners to Decide
on Whether to Act
Against 2 Doctors.
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE
RESULT TO BE AWAITED
Testimony Brought Out at Coron.
er's Inquest Is Sent to State
Medical Group for Probe.

An investigation into the death OF
Mrs. Cora L. Britton will be launched
by the Maryland State Board of Medi-
1t should take action against Dr. H. r
Street, who conducts the Washington
Cancer Sanitarium at 1414 Girard
street northeast. and his assistant, DR.
Sherwood Ferris of Chevy Chase, Md.
it was announced in Baltimore today.
Action toward depriving the two ply
sicians of their right to practice In
Maryland. however, is expected to be
delayed until after the manslaughter
charges pending against them in Mont
gomery County as result OF the New
Jersey woman's death are disposed Of
according to DR.. Henry M. Fitzhugh
of Westminster, secretary to the board
DR.. Street and Dr. Ferris were ar.
rested and released on 81 500 for a
preliminary hearing at Rockville May
"a after coroner'S jury in Baltimore
held them criminally responsible for
the death of Mrs. Britton, whom they
treated with an alleged secret cure
for cancer at Dr. Ferris home. Mrs
Britton died in a Baltimore hospital
May 4.
Sent Board Testimony.
The announcement Of the Board OF
Medical Examiners was made after
States Attorney Herbert r. O'Conor
of Baltimore sent the board a copy OF
the testimony brought out at the cor
oner's inquest together with an offer
to assist the board in any probe II
might undertake looking toward the
revocation of the licenses or registra-
ton of these doctors"
In his announcement that the in
vestigation would be made, DR.. Fitz-
hugh, a former president of the Medi-
cal and Chirurgical Faculty Of Mary
land. said:
The case already is under investi-
CATION by the Board of Commissioners
of the District of Columbia and any
action that may take we shall dupli-
cate Immediately. In the meantime, We
shall make our own investigation.
already have been in communication
with some of the Baltimore physicians
who attended Mrs. Britton after she
was brought from Chevy Chase to Balti-
more.
But it is an extremely difncult mat
ter, this business OF revoking licenses
Revelations. in fact, are quite rare. We
can proceed only on two grounds. We
can revoke a physicians's license II he
had been convicted of a crime involv-
ing moral turpitude. We can revoke
for unprofessional conduct, such as
dope-peddling and performing iAegal
operations.
In the latter cases. the physician
has a right to a hearing before the
board and if it decides against HIM
may appeal within go days to the
Circuit Court.
Revocation to Be Automatic.
IF Drs. Street and Ferris are prose
cuted in Montgomery County, as now
seems likely, and convictions result
revocation of their right to practice II
this State will follow automatically
DR.. Ferris obtained a Maryland license
a year or two ago. He had been licensed
in Washington and he brought to u
his Washington credentials. They ap-
peared in good order and he was
granted a Maryland license"
DR.. Fitzhugh said he believed Or
Street was licensed in Maryland quite
a few years ago" Beth D. street anc
DR.. Ferris, according to standard med'
ical directories, are graduates OF tns
Georgetown University Medical School
DR.. Street. until his retirement last De-
cember, was for more than 80 years 9
record searcher in the War Department