Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-03-10
rms MEDICAL SOCIETY.
letter from Dr. Garnett In Reply 10
Senator Aumner.


senator simmer.
AsIT Is PROBABLE that the bill repeating
the charter OF the Medical Society will come
up 10 the Senate during tho week, the edl.
tors Of the Sunday Hsrdld, In Difference 10
the wishes Of the medical fraternity and eitl
sens generally, have furnished DR.. Garnetts
letter, In reply to Senator Sumner to the
REPUBLICAN, as follows
wnHiraros, b. O, March s, 1875
Mn. EpITuRi By reference TO the report
submitted to the United States Senate a short
time since by Mr.. Sumner relative to the re-
peal OF the charter Of the Medical Society OF
this Dlstrlci, you will fnd that the author
has taken occasion to drag my name before
the Senate for the purpose OF charging me
with professional misconduct.
As the misstatement Of facts and the bit
ter partisan spirit which characterized this
report throughout has already been fully
aud satisfactorily exposed BY other medical
gentlemen In the journals Of this city, | did
mot choose to notice this allusion to myself
by eoudescendiug to make any explanations
OF my professional acts. Since, however,
the editor or medical Journal, doubtless in
political harmony with tue Senator, has seen
d. TO accept as truths these charges against
TO the medical world bis structures upon their
conduct, IL becomes duty which owe 10
myself, as vel as TO the profession 10 which
belong, 10 correct sach Misrepresentation as
thls report IL calculated to create 10 the
minds Of those who may read II, and also 10
expose the true motive which Inspired this
movement on the part II Mr.. Senator Sum-
ner; aud for this purpose beg the use Of q
very small space In the columns OF your
paper. 49,, =,
through, to determine which predomlnates,
q feeling OF indignation that the Senator
should abuse the high office which he fills
for the qualification Of his private resent-
meuts aud mlschlevous vagarles, or Of pity
aud regret that he should so often subordi-
nate the dictates Of biS better Judgment aud
discretion TO tho Hery impulses Of mis-
placed zeal and Of All lncurable prejudice.
The points made ny Mr.. Sumner In this
report against the Medical Society Of the
District OF Columbia are briefly theses
l. That the charter saucIlouing Its or
gapiEltion does not require any test OF
membership on account of color, aud tina,
''Ihe application Of any such test, though
not forbidden, is condemned by reason and
humanity" We replyi True, no such tes
10 required by the ch after, aui for that very
reason Il ls perfectly legitimate for lts mem.
bers 10 exercise their free and uutrammelled
option as 10 who shall b. admitted as mem
bers, even amer the applicant has obtained
the legal prerequisites. THIS privilege OF
ballfsinR for tho election Of members Is
their only safeguard against the lntroduc-
tlon luto tho society Of parties, black or
white, who may be morally and soolallyaAs
lectionAble, a clear and lndl:aEtF5Ie nam
which no honoEap chbcr would be win.
Ing TO relsd61i,h.
That the Msdieal ASsoeiation, which
alone controls al matters Of professional
etiquette, establisbos fees, &C., Is bat another
name for the AEdieai Society, composed Of
the same Officers, and subject to ali restric-
lions, limitations, &c, specified In the char
ter creating the Society. In answer to this
we have only to say that II is impossible to
believe that Mr.. Sumner did not know that
he was stating an untruth. The clearly do
fined and easily understood difference be.
tween these two organizatlons-the Medl'
cal Society established under a charter
granted by Congress, and the Medical Asso.
citation, voluntary social and professional
organization, has too often been explained
both verbally and In writing to Mr.. sumner
for him 10 escape the charge that he has
wilfully mistated the facts, and on this oc.
easlon exhibited that unfortunate ldlosyn'
cracy OF his moral organization, which his
hAeue9 NANh9S hfNL Wv bAStha W - SNAAb
incurable.
will only add upon this point that 1t was
for the very purpose Of creating and putting
into practical operation the machinery OF
medical ethics, IN / may be allowed the ex-
preston which was denied to the Society
BY itA charter, that We organized an indie
pendent and distinct body, holding no rela
uop 10 Congress or directly to any Of it,
creations, called the Medical ASso eidilon; and
10 0kla l.NRaR haAw aWglUatwaIv kaIanaa hs
regulation OF all professional intercourse.
An organization entirely Independent Of
Congress and beyond Its control, 90 that all
objections urged against the Society upon the
ground Of eXelusiVeness or Of having vlo-
lated its charter are utterly false, these mat
ters coming entirely within the province OF
the association. The fact mentioned that In
order TO become a member OF the association
the candidate must be a member or llcen.
ilAte OF the society possesses no Significance
whatever, Sluce Il In no way affects the
distinct and independent functions Of the
two bodies.
The third point made by the Senator IL,
that the negro doctors Of this District, by the
conduct Of the Society, are debarred from
consulting with its members, embracing as
II does nearly every white practitioner In
the District. To this We have only TO repeat
what Nj. sumner Is as fully aware OF as
ourselves. That the medical society has no
control whatever over this matter, the sub.
iect being exclusively under the Jurisdiction
Of the Association. We will, nevertheless,
add that the charge 10 practically false one,
since II 10 well known and acknowledged In
deed, 10 the report ltsclf, that the white mem
bers OF the Society did consult with these
negro doctors as far back as June, 1868, and
that many OF them have habltually done SO
for the last two years without any notice
Of their conduct whatever having been taken
by the Association 60 that In point Of fact,
these mAlcontenta have not even that pre-
text upon which TO rest a complaint.
The fourth point made Is that the negro
doctors are excluded from the advantages Of
taking part In aud listening to the discus
piOns Of medical subjects In the Society, one
Of the objects contemplated by the charter
being the advancement Of medical science,
a..
We thus learn for the 1rst time that the
SOelsty, which l. required " Its charter TO
meet bat IWlee n year fof the election Of
otficsrs, rested under any obligation to con-
stltute itself a school Of medicine for the In
Itructiun Of any one, white or black, Such
discussions rs have usually transpired In
that body are entirely Of voluntary char
acter, an Interchange o. professional oplu-
Ions, reports OF Interesting cnsea, aud go on,
for the mutual benefit aud entertainment OF
It's members, eullrvly independent Of any
chartered requirements, restrictions or pre-.
scrlbed fOrmulR whatever, n practice which
We eau At any moment abolish, When h may
be our pleasure to do go, aud which We most
assureily should do whenever COngTesS sees
III To step iutO The arena.
II these negro doctors have not been prop
erly Instructed 10 the profession to which
they claim TO belong, Certainly Congress has
no right TO Impose upon the Medical Society
the onerous apd distasteful task Of remedy
ing such defects. To sam up the whole
question upon which the valiant Senator has
felt hlS-utSSa llsd, On 10 take issue with the
Medical Society OF this Disaict, H,blmply
resolves Itself Into this Three negro doctors
having settled themselves In this city for
the purpose Of engaging 10 the practice OF
medicine, amer having obtained every legal
right from the Medical Society which II
could confer, aud which entitled them TO
pursue the practice Of medicine and surgery
here, apply TO DO admitted as members OF the
Society, which would confer upon them the
privilege OF mingling with It's members on
terms or social as well as professional equal.
lty, they are regularly nominated and balloted
for. a. In all cases candidates for member
.