Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-09-30
For the Journal.
The Medical Board M. e

That the Medical Board Bill one of the most mpor-
tant acts of the last Legislature manifest from the gene
era INTEREST," has already both within and without
the regular profession. Within the ranks it has given
new springs to the energy and ambition of medical stu
dents This is natural from the stimulus of
that before they be legally recognized by State
as practitioners they will be obliged to sustain
trying and searching examination, moral and profession
all than that generally required by the Medical Colleges
1t inducing them be studious disposed
to submit to that just and reasonable office discipline
which every physician should require OF his Students
and less inclined to those habits of Incidence and rrgu
larities of conduct which, unfortunately at the present
day, are too often characteristic of medical students
Even in these important respects then the force and
moral bearing of the law is already operating for good
That some sudents-thOse who do not study, and who
are seeking not much to become prepared practice
as to obtain diploma, and who easily pass the
Medical Colleges-shOuld denOunCe the Board as
unjust and tyrannical, is to be expected. They
underestimate the just requirements and response
bites of the calling in which they seek to engage
They dread the coming examination of our own State
Medical Tribunal and not the pittance of ten dol
lars for license and the expenses to and from Raleigh
and Morganton where the Board will for examna-
tiOn The student, rich poor, who has spent his time
and one two thousand dollars to obtain diploma,
will not shrink from, complain Of the comparatively
insignificant loss of tme expense and trouble to be in
Cured in the proper attempts obtain the still greater
prize of license from this Board. This license will be
of more value than Medical diploma, they are gen.
orally awarded and so it will be estimated by the Medi-
cal profession and the community. And that student
who has not the diligence and ambition to seek proper
legal authority to practice from this State Tribunal
may as well hang his harp upon the willow so far as an
honorable and deserved success is concerned But am
not disposed to admit that the number of this class of
students is large in State, at this time. | feel
assured that all who have becoming love for the pro-
essiOnal who have true conception of the claims OF
society and Of the profession upon tbem and who from
their very calling ready to with the preudices
and intolerance of ignorance and the presumptous pre-
tensions of empiricsm will be willing to come before
| this Board, with trembling anxiety it may be, but
with confident reliance that they will be passed upon
by those who will do equal and impartial Justice to them
and to the commonwealth. Who that has single spark
of professional PRIDE will be willing to walk our streets
Physician, with saddle bags on horseback to ford
the running streams and brave the rugged roads and
heat and cold of country practice and have the brand Of
ineriority placed upon him by the sneerng remarks Of
the community that he would not go before the Board
for fear of being rejected?
! Again: though the great of the intelligent and
high minded of the profession recognize the necessity
and advocate the existence of the Board there are hose
calling themselves regular physicians who oppose it as
unnecessary. You will generally find such men betinc
in their profession though they the last to admit
such CALLING fact Too ndoent to study, or too big
oted to learn they strive to make up Deficiencies by try
ing to induce every company public and private ii
which they may chance to fall to believe that they have
i
they possess transcendant claims to practice Sucl
practitioners are in every town, almost every village
and at nearly every roads. They generally Sc
themselves up specially qualified to advise and legis
late on Medical politics. and many of them dowr
upon the Medical Board. With no fixed principles o
their own, except to humbug and deceive those will
whom they deal, they every body man, and ever,
body's friend minsterng to the prevailing preu
dices and fashions, right wrong of the community il
which they reside They are, at heart, opposed to tina
spirit of enlightened medical progress which seeks th
public welfare and the improvement of the profession
and let occasion pass to make insidous attacl
upon those gallant spirits that lead the in this nobl
work Were they obliged to be examined by the Med
ca Board they object to, they would be the very frs
to fall the deserved victims of that rigid examination
that loyalty to truth to principle to science, and
the State which, doubt not will influence the Boar
= to do their duty.
y From such medical damagogueS turn to our medics
students with sympathy and hope and solicit you not
allow the sophstry of presumptuous opponents to pre-
iudce you against the Board Their opposing sugge
lions are but syren voices to allure you from the path
of study of honor, and of usefulness. A diploma
not to be despised but to be diligently sought for
desirable but what is worth far more is an arden
love for your profession determination to thorough
y ~ understand the delicate offices and complcate
IT machinery Of the human system, we'll grounded cor
dence in your abilities to administer properly to il
various arrangements and diseases and an honest asst
rance, that as gentlemen and physicians you mer
the patronage of the community This sort of feeling