Abraham Salaman's lawyer said the evidence did not show his client was responsible for Lyall's death. Photo / NZ Truth, National Library
Abraham Salaman's lawyer said the evidence did not show his client was responsible for Lyall's death. Photo / NZ Truth, National Library
After "charlatan" herbalist Abraham Salaman was sentenced to a year in jail for the manslaughter of a 6-year-old boy, a group of satisfied patients called on the Government to release him.
A doctor had diagnosed Lyall Gordon Christie as having diabetes when he was 2. He was admitted to Wanganui Hospital showing signs of a coma and he began having insulin injections.
He was put on a special diet, the injections continued and he was allowed to go to school.
In mid 1930, Lyall was slipping back and his mother, Mary Christie, of Fordell, southeast of Whanganui town, took him to New Plymouth to see Salaman.
She told a preliminary hearing in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court that Salaman did not order her to stop the insulin injections. He left it to her to stop the treatment if she wanted Salaman to treat her boy.
Salaman was described in some press reports as an "Indian herbalist". A judge said he was a charlatan. The initial charge described him as an unlicensed medical practitioner, but this wording was later withdrawn.
Christie did stop her son's injections, because she wanted Lyall to be treated by Salaman, a Herald correspondent wrote.
Lyall's sister Marion said Salaman had stated her brother could not start his new treatment until insulin was out of his system. The idea was to reduce the doses and then to apply insulin in increasing doses in conjunction with the new treatment.
The boy's mother said that before she saw Salaman, doctors had held no hope of saving Lyall's life. One had not thought he would survive beyond the age of 6 years.
She said Salaman told her he could fix Lyall if he stopped insulin.
Insulin was stopped. The boy grew ill two days later. Salaman recommended beef tea, water and a little milk. His condition grew worse and repeated visits were made to Salaman's premises.
An associate of Salaman's advised giving Lyall a half dose of medicine. His sister then gave him an insulin injection but it had no effect. Another was given but he seemed to get worse.
Lyall's mother now thought he was dying, but Salaman disagreed, advising that hot water bottles be placed with him. He died soon after.
Salaman's lawyer, Mr F. H. O'Leary, said the evidence did not show his client was responsible for Lyall's death. He asked if it was possible that the boy's condition resulted from the insulin losing its power. There was a period of 22 months after he had left the hospital in which he received no insulin.
O'Leary said Salaman never considered he was treating Lyall and he did not accept money.
A Supreme Court jury found Salaman guilty of manslaughter, in that he hastened the death by omitting to perform a legal duty assumed by him. But they called for mercy.
The judge, Chief Justice Sir Michael Myers, had told the jury that the signs on the day before Lyall's death were sufficient to indicate to a competent medical practitioner that coma was coming on. There was a duty to give the boy insulin. Instead, Salaman stated the boy was all right.
'Charlatan' herbalist Abraham Salaman was sentenced to a year's prison for the manslaughter of a 6-year-old boy. Photo / NZ Truth, National Library
When O'Leary pleaded for leniency, the judge said: "I cannot lose sight of the fact that this is not an isolated case of charlatanism, inasmuch as the accused is a charlatan, and of that I have no doubt whatsoever."
Myers cited an English case in which the sentencing judge said it was essential that such quacks should not be allowed to go free.
Within two months of Salaman's sentencing, a 50-strong deputation of Salaman's patients from various North Island towns appealed to the Justice Minister, John Cobbe, for the prisoner's release.
Speakers from the deputation gave testimony of alleged wonderful cures achieved by Salaman, according to a Press Association report from Feilding. In every case, the patient had been treated without success by the medical profession.
Cobbe told the deputation the jury's recommendation for mercy was one of the reason's for Salaman's light sentence.
They had to remember he had been in trouble before. In 1927 he was convicted in Auckland, fined substantially and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon.
Cobbe said Salaman was not a herbalist and the medicines he gave were ordinary medicines.
