288 Coroner's Inquest in Canada
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Dynamic Chiropractic – August 16, 2002, Vol. 20, Issue 17

Coroner's Inquest in Canada

Proceeding to Continue after Summer Recess

By Editorial Staff
On September 1, 1996, Lana Dale Lewis was admitted to the hospital with the symptoms of a stroke. She was discharged on September 6 with medication. On September 10, she was readmitted after an apparent second stroke. Ms. Lewis died on September 12, 1996.

Ms. Lewis' admittance to the hospital was almost a full month after she was last adjusted by Philip Emanuele,DC. At her chiropractic appointment, Ms. Lewis received a neck adjustment for her migraine headaches. The initial coroner's report did not cite the adjustment as the cause of death, and the coroner's office decided not to hold an inquest.

But in January 2000, the Lewis family decided to file a $12 million civil lawsuit against Dr. Emanuele and a number of chiropractic organizations, citing that they had not been prudent in warning the public about the dangers of neck adjustments. At that time, the Lewis family was represented by long-time chiropractic detractor Murray Katz,MD.

In addition to the lawsuit, the family appealed the coroner's decision asking for an inquest. Dr. Katz had intended to represent the Lewis family at the coroner's inquest, but he was disqualified by coroner Barry McLellan in early 2001. In making his decision not to allow Dr. Katz to represent the family, Dr. McLellan cited a letter written by Dr. Katz to coroner Dr. Murray Naiberg, which Dr. McLellan characterized as a "threatening letter to a public official," and "behavior inconsistent with what the public should expect of an agent of a party with standing."1

This is not the first time Dr. Katz has attempted to discredit the chiropractic profession. He is one of the founders of the defunct "orthopractic" movement, and the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine (NACM).2,3 Katz and NACM were also part of the impetus behind the Consumer Reports exposé in 1994,4 and there is mounting evidence that the NACM is cooperating in Katz's current scare campaign regarding the risk of stroke from chiropractic care.

Throughout the first two and a half months of the inquest, it is becoming increasingly obvious that these proceedings are just part of Katz's overall plan to discredit the chiropractic profession. On June 12, 2002, while the inquest was in process, the Lewis family and their attorney participated in a press conference at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Mr. Tim Danson, Council for the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), expressed concern that the press conference was held to influence the jury to simply "hurt my client," and get media attention.

The inquest has also brought to light a relationship between Dr. Katz and Dr. John Norris, neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and a member of the so called Canadian Stroke Consortium. Dr. Norris arranged for Katz to speak on the topic of chiropractic stroke to the medical staff of Sunnybrook Hospital in April 2000, despite the fact that he had already extended an invitation to Drs. Sil Mior and Howard Vernon of CMCC to present at this venue. Dr. Norris subsequently withdrew the invitation to Drs. Mior and Vernon at Dr. Katz's request.

The Canadian Stroke Consortium is involved in what it calls the "SPONTAD" study (spontaneous vs. traumatic arterial dissection). SPONTAD started collecting information in 1998 "for the purposes of accumulating data to better understand the cause of arterial dissection." This "scientific" project involved gathering data written and telephone surveys from 38 neurologists across Canada. Needless to say, the study is less than scientific, but that hasn't stopped Norris and Katz from disseminating their preliminary findings to the media.

When the inquest continues on September 9, 2002, the court will call to the stand Mr. Jim Sweeney, Ms. Lewis' common-lawhusband. He will be the first in a continuing stream of people who will testify before a jury of five who must decide if Ms. Lewis' death was related to the chiropractic adjustment, not caused by it, or that the evidence is inconclusive.

In the meantime, more anti-chiropractic antics can be expected from Dr. Katz, his cohorts in Canada and the NACM.

References

  1. Toronto coroner disqualifies Murray Katz, MD, from inquest. Dynamic Chiropractic May 21, 2001. http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/19/11/18.html.
  2. Orthopractic declares war on chiropractic pediatrics. Dynamic Chiropractic September 23, 1994 http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/12/20/06.html.
  3. Orthopractic attacks chiropractic pediatrics on Canadian TV. Dynamic Chiropractic October 21, 1994 http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/12/22/08.html.
  4. Consumer Reports tackles chiropractic. Dynamic Chiropractic June 17, 1994. http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/12/13/10.html.

Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email .

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