DR. MACKENZIE’S CASE DISPOSED OF.

Shannon News, 4 August 1925, Page 4

DR. MACKENZIE’S CASE DISPOSED OF.

APPEAL COURT CONFIRMS DEREGISTRATION. WELLINGTON, August 1. The full judgment of the Appeal Court in the case of Dr. MacKenzie v. the Medical Board, which was dismissed with costs on the highest scale, Avas given to.day. The Chief Justice stated that council for the appellant had admitted that if the evidence of certain witnesses Avas accepted the decision of the Court could not be upset. He accepted this evidence, referring only to one case where he told a pregnant woman that she Avas not enceinte but that she was in a frightful state from some infectious disease.

Mr Justice Sim held that Mr Justice Herdman was not justified in holding that MacKenzie could honest, ly and in good faith have relied on the Abrams system for his diagnosis, but he found that although MacKenzie may have believed to some extent in the Abrams system he used it, not for benefiting unfortunate sufferers, but for exploiting for his own precuniary gain. He referred to Mrs Johnston’s and Mrs Hunt’s cases as being against the appellant, and said it was impossible to believe MacKenzie was acting honestly in his diagnosis in these cases.

Mr Justice Alpers said he had examined a number of instances given before the Supreme Court, and stated that after a careful perusal of the evidence, and after elimination from consideration every witness as to whose testimony he entertained the slightest doubt, there remained enough of unimpeachable value to convince him that the Judge in the Court below Avas amply justified in this conclusion. Referring to Mrs D’s case, Mrs D being painted with woad “after the manner of the ancient Saxons,” Mr Justice Alpers stated: “The incidents deposed to at the ‘diagnosis’ are redolent of the humour of Boccacio. If I had tried the case I should haA-e fixed the period for deregistration at ten years instead of two.”