The New York herald., 1849-02-24
The New York Academy Of medicine-Ths
Cholera Debate AEain-Roform In the Pro-


Cholera Debate Asain-Reform In the Pro-
fsssion.
An adjourned meeting Of the Academy of MedI-
cine was held on Wednesday night, at Convention
Hall, Wooster street, to take into consideration Dr.
9. r. Manly 3 resolutions on the teaching and Ii.
censIng powers In the profession-which were of.
fered at the last session of the Academy.
DR.. Valentine Mott, the new President Of the
Society, occupied the chair.
The Secre tary having called the roll, and
quorum OF members beng present, the meeting
was organised. The minutes Of the last meeting
The PREsIDKrr then asked II It was the pleasure Of
the msstirg that the resolutions Of DR. Manly,
count Of which the meeting had bee convened should
be read 1904 I..,.I
Dr. MArLr raid that he should prefer to postpone
their &C nsideraton for an hour hence account Of
the smallnsss Of the number of members present In
the meantime, II was the wrh Of the meeting they
might proceed with the adjourned debate cholera.
A motion svipg be. made to that effect the meet
ing resolved itself into Committee Of the Whole on
the subject Of Cholera Dr. Carter in the chair The
minutes of the meeting held on the 27th Dscsmbsr on
this suh having been read and approved DR. BRAKES
resolutions, which standing since that meet
ing afro read There resolutions traced the dis
f last year. to the vessel called he New York and
tribu'ed all lis ravsges to muncstion with the
this view they pledged tho Academy to the doctrine
Of complete isolation Of the disease where practica-
bic These resolutions were nearly the same Is shose
offered At previous meeting by Dr. Stevens.
Dr MANLY gave 1t az his opinion that cholera
not Q contagious direase They might we'll Quaran-
tine ssaipst en- eoiipse CT against the influenza or
any atmospheric dseate IL quite absurd He
thought, however, that the aoasemy should come to
cson upon the subjeot 60 as to settle the pub.
lie mind He wished for some expression of opinion on
Dr. Wars offered the following, ss substitute
for Dr. brakes resolutions -
Whsr as Of opinion exists as to whesher cholera
he sum snt oSeass ON ,Ss saSsc&
for this .eadsm, to decide e question by formal vote
Dr. MANLY hoped that that resolution would nov
pass. II the disease unioabe, 1t would
.op He challenged sny one in the room to say that
case where It was commu ncated by personal contact
Dr. Wars did not intend to stop discussion on the
subject by Offering his resolution He thought great
deal Of good had re.uted from the discussions which
bad alre ady taken place It, There was no neces
y however in his opinion fGF vote t% o. .as
ma.s Of the had their opinions still unsettled
Dr. PHxIrs thought It dangerous to com. to any
| conclusion. II was open subject and there 1t
ought be left He considered 1t little short of pre-
sumpton in those who scarce two years In exs.
| tence to jump to conclusions msttsrs which the
Oldest academies In Europe had not touched. Saoh
which adopted by older institutions Of similar
| description.
out Of order The proper mode Of proceeding in his
opinion was to take up the report Of their Own
mittee On this subject, and consider is by sections
That committee had drawn up statement Of the
rious facts and circumstances, together with the
causes that produced cholera, without committing
themselves to the doctrines Of ooutsgon non con
tagon and consideration Of their report in detail
would elicit more information for the academy than
the desutory way they were nov proseeding
| report progress, and ask leave to sit again.
This motion having been put, was passed unani.
mous and SO ended the latest debate Of the academy
The next business in order, and the special bust
ne,s for which tho meeting had oeen called was the
wh.Ie. The diplomas issued BY medical schools and colleges
.%s ~ ss SS ~Ss for %
Mhsas The multiplication q schools Of medicine and the
doubtful Sstnroses t6.; il Il osrae..s:
IrEr qualified the sdu0us and responsible duties Of tho
soved sss academy that the nsrssts OF the
.r G the S sSSr;S S % the s
fs.s teaching and lcsn.ng powers. now ...r
to for the practice OF and surgery ought to
AZ. nOtints,e essd d IN teaching
roced to bring subject eatures Of
the several In order % procure the passage Of such enact
On the question that the foregoing preamble be re-
ceivsd and the resolution adopted,
DR. REESE raid he did not anticipate that attempt
would be made to pass these resolutions by coup de
main He supposed that the author Of the resolutions
wSS b. the sS.y ="
the approval OF the academy. For his own part, he
was not actusted BY any bslgsrsnt feeling towards
In him to allow his venerable friend to make such .
statement
DE- MArLr was very much obliged to the last speak
but thought that 1t perfectly unnecessary to
take up the time Of the meeting by making speech,
tn he 1nsv there wss any objection to bis sesolu-
rent system Of granting diplomas and the necessity
reform in the profession At the present time doctors
not for the benefit Of the public the profession
ITSELF but for the benefit of the very who made
tbrous the country, which gave diplomas, and At
may Of them, there were but two and thee profess
Of
been to admit numbers Of ignorant and incompetent
into the profession and to degrade them apro
fesson In the ey Of the community 1T large 1t
subjsct OF regret that the schools who issued the
diplomas were private corporations. There not
than co. out Of the 40 schools, where medicine
could be properly taught The object Of his resolution
to break up the vicious system by which diplomas
were made negotiable commodity an to get instead
Of the pressut licensing powers in medicine indie.
pendent board Of examiners, who would strictly test
the qualifications Of all candidates. He considered
also, that such change would nfuse life into the
Dr R,rsE regarded the presentation Of the rssolu-
untimely, for the subject they treated Of
was now before tie committee Of the National
Medical Association. in which committee their
whose authority he had NO doubt would be Of
some weight with them, VI" Of opinion that their
| progress with regard to medical education was
rapid nesessary or as circumstances called for
He had graver objections however, to Dr. Manly's
solutions The nrst resolution stated that tho dpo-
issued by medical schools and colleges simply
certificates Of acquremsnts Now this statement s
Of in the State was Sy tho Regents
CT the University and authorised by the Legislature
empowering Its holder to esch and practice the art Of
medicine toto mundo The second member Ct the
ence trusm Every OF course knew that
the character of dploms the character Of
those who issusd It. He Of opinion, however that
the expression discourteous and offensive, and
contained inusndo intsgibe enough, but he would
torbear further comment After commenting ON the
faces alluded to In tho second part Of the presm-
blehs said that the conduct Of the suthsr Of these
oroiby reminded him Of the story Of those
who kicked away tho ladder by which they themselves
aseendsd. He looked upsn any attempt to decry or
diepsrsqe the talites by which they them
selves the positions they occupied be unbe-
coming. Any doctor who heard him, II educated In
an American college, must admit that such the
saee and that any countspanoe they gave these
solutions would be unjust imputation against them
selves After further remarks sgsinst the rsso-
lutions he concluded BY hoping that Dr. Manly would
either withdraw, place his resolutions In abeyanos
till after the next meeting of the National Medical
Association In Boston.
DE- BAnrLrr was moro than ever convinced, from