Spiegel Allen D, Kavaler Florence
Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, College of Medicine, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
J Community Health. 2004 Feb;29(1):75-97. doi: 10.1023/b:johe.0000007446.44902.10.
An improperly healed fracture was the most common reason for the medical malpractice crisis between the 1830s and 1860s in the United States. As a practicing lawyer in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln defended physicians in medical malpractice law suits. One of these was Dr. Powers Ritchey, who was sued for malpractice in 1855. Lincoln agreed to represent Dr. Ritchey in 1858 as the case was appealed to the supreme court of Illinois. In the interim, Lincoln defended two indicted murderers and won acquittals for both. Between the two murder trials, Lincoln debated Stephen A. Douglas while running for U.S. Senator from Illinois. Lincoln believed that Ritchey's case was poorly represented in the lower court. Ritchey's prior attorneys did not file a bill of exceptions to the testimony of the plaintiff's expert medical witnesses. Lincoln attempted to rebut the allegation of a lack of reasonable medical care and diligence by Ritchey, and he sought to secure a new trial for his client. In its decision, the supreme court of Illinois did not find any error and affirmed the lower court's judgment.
在19世纪30年代至60年代的美国，骨折愈合不当是医疗事故危机最常见的原因。作为伊利诺伊州的一名执业律师，亚伯拉罕·林肯在医疗事故诉讼中为医生辩护。其中一起案件涉及鲍尔斯·里奇医生，他在1855年被指控医疗事故。1858年，随着案件上诉至伊利诺伊州最高法院，林肯同意为里奇医生代理。在此期间，林肯为两名被起诉的杀人犯辩护，并使两人均获无罪释放。在这两场谋杀案审判之间，林肯在竞选伊利诺伊州联邦参议员时与斯蒂芬·A·道格拉斯进行了辩论。林肯认为里奇医生的案件在下级法院中没有得到充分的陈述。里奇医生之前的律师没有对原告专家医学证人的证词提交异议书。林肯试图反驳对里奇医生缺乏合理医疗护理和勤勉尽责的指控，并为他的当事人争取重新审判。伊利诺伊州最高法院在其判决中未发现任何错误，并维持了下级法院的判决。
