Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1886 — A Startling Medical Statement. [ARTICLE]

A Startling Medical Statement.

At a recent gathering of medical men in Philadelphia, Dr. W. S. Janney, late Coroner of that city, made the startling statement that “no healthy man or woman ever dies in this climate from cholera morbns.” He repeated the remark to the editor of the Medical and Surgical Reporter, saying that the records of the Coroner’s office would substantiate his words. ~He explained that by “healthy” Jie meant a person without organic diseases, and of average strength and vitality. “Such a person,” he said, “when dying with -symptoms of cholera morbus, always dies from poisoning (usually arsenic), and the case is one of suicide or homicide. ” Tho ex-Coroner first examined into these cases when a stout, healthy man of bis acquaintance died, after an illness of thirty-six hours, with symptoms of cholera morbus. He had been attended-by four reputable physicians, one of whom had signed the death certificate. Yet he instituted an investigation, and found enough arsenic in the deceased to kill a dozen men. He afterward met with five or six similar cases. Dr. Bartholow, in a conversation with the editor of the Reporter, said that he had not the least doubt of the correctness of Dr. Janney’s assertion. Another prominent physician stated his belief m these views, and referred the causes of such attempts to poison with arsenic to connubial uncongeniality.