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Show oo MERCHANT RISKS LIFE IHLAWS1IIT LOS ANGELES, Feb 1. Surgeons knives laid bare the vitals of a living man today for the purposo of producing pro-ducing evidenco better than conflicting conflict-ing expert medical testimony In a $50,000 damage suit for alleged malpractice mal-practice which !b now on trial in the superior court. Henry Christie, a shoo merchant, is tho plaintiff' in the case, and It was ho who submitted today to-day to the ordeal, which established n precedent in tho obtaining of evidence evi-dence but which may cost him his life. Christie sued Dr. Rca Smith for $50,000. alleging-, that when the surgeon sur-geon operated upon him to euro a chonic ailmani of 50 years standing, ho had left a permanent opening in his side, which was entirely unnecessary unneces-sary and caused great Inconvenience. Christie brought Into court Doctors E. S. Pillsbury and W. W. Severance to establish bis contention, and decided de-cided upon the second oporation when Dr. Smith produced Dr. Gra-Villc Gra-Villc McGowan to prove that the permanent per-manent opening and the sewing of x severed Intestine to the walls of tho 'abdomen was essential to saving the patients life, because of an Interfering Interfer-ing tumor of-largo size. Judge Hausor at first assented to tho proposition of having tho court, and Jury witness tho oporaUon. Then realizing the grave aspect of the case, he advised Christie not to risk his life, and declined to be present. B'Jt Christie was" determined and today he wont under tho knife at a hospital. Dr. Pillsbury opened his abdomen In tho presence of the other surgical exports and the defendant Dr. Smith He reraovod son scarred tissue and closed the opening whlcln Christie alleged al-leged had damaged him to the ox-tent ox-tent of ?50,000. An enlarged gland also was removed, but the surgeons stated that It was not the size Dr. Smith asserted. Christie was under' tho knife two hours and 15 minutes and is very woak tonight, but the surgeons de-claro de-claro that ho has a good chanco for recovery. |