Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-07

AOol llo ilIuAcL Ilb-cllliiCuCCs ntlN AAdSo buttc
relatively gone backwards.
Now We hold that there is only one pos
sible way for US TO regain the ground thus
d lost, and to resume our due position in the
, front rank Of the learned and liberal pro-
p feSsiOns, tO-Wit., the enrolment CT all our
e ! number in local societies for this very
end. Let il be distinctly understood that
one great reason, if not the leading reason,
Tor medical organization is to promote the
culture and development Of physicians in
knowledge, specially OfscOurse in profess
siOnal knowledge, and next in that of the
, physical and natural science, which are so
Intimately connected with the former. When
we remember that every physician, as
part Of his elementary studies becomes pro-
ficient in chemistry, anatomy and physiOlO-
gy, as well as botany, it is indeed very
strange, that Of late years as amateur
scientists, the profession has been dis
tanced by both the clergy and the Peda-
gogic tribe. The wonderful progress of the
physical and natural sciences is the great
glory Of the modern era. Now he who is
versed in chemistry, anatomy, physiology
and botany, emphatically possesses the key
TO the whole range Of the Ologies and
ographies Of the day. He has become
versed in the language of, as well as con-
facts in science. 1t is henceforth no great
trouble for him to maintain his
ground. With but little additional labor
he can make handsome progress. Instead
OF doing this, however, it is a notorious
fact that much the larger number Of doctors
In few years after leaving the college halls
become very rusty in the four sciences just
mentioned. Very few indeed keep up this
/ knowledge. Fewer still add 20 it by making
! themselves acquainted with the geology
and natural history Of their neighborhOods.
Yet no knowledge is so graceful a cOmpli-
| ment to mere technical medicine, or
| viii so readily command the respect and
esteem Of any community IS would this.
! The reason why professional knowledge is /
! so rapidly lOst-the reason why cOgnate
| branches are not acquiTed-is one and
| Observation-Disclosures. The remedy is to be
! found alone in organization. We have
| thus briefly stated a thesis which furnishes |
| interesting matter for treatise. We beg |
! each member of this society 10 elaborate /
4 1t for himself.
?. As tending TO increase the influence |
| and usefulness Of the profession in all /
/ measures bearing upon the public health. !
! Within the last decade or two, astounding /
| progress has been made in the application |
/ TO the promotion Of mans material we'll |
| being. In breadth Of reach and fertility Of /
results the long history Of medicine fur
! nishes no parallel unless it be IN the great
discoveries Of Harvey and Jenner. Sun
shine and fresh air without limit to every
| body of man. and all focal matter
to fertilize the field, are axioms
so rich in length Of days and wealth Of food
as 10 be for the race the elixir Of life and
the philOsoph RS stone"
Here follows a lengthy extract from an
address delivered before the Alabama
Medical Association last year by its Presi-
dent, DR.. George \. Hetchum. Continuing,
the report suggests:
%. By the perfect organization of the
profession, the claims Of medical eduCa-
ton and science upon the wealth and be-
neTOlence Of the community, in common
with other branches Of knowledge, could
be enforced, and thus the first practical
step taken towards placing our medical
colleges under the control Of the profess
sion. For more than a quarter Of |
a century the American medical |
association has made reform in
medical education its great leading mis-
sion. By the unanimous verdict Of all
concerned, the long continued, incessant
failed. Had this great assemblage expend-
ed The same talent and effort in arousing
the profession to organize itself, indirectly
a vast deal would have been accomplished
toward the object it has so fruitlessly
aimed at. The first step toward reforming {
medical education is TO place Il upon par
in public esteem and favor with all other I I
branches Of education.
The physician is the one man needed at I
some time or another by every man, woman ,
or child III the entire community. This |
cannot be said with equal emphasis of any
other learned profession whatever. Yet,
while multiplied millions have been Law !
ished upon the endowment Of theological
faculties, classical colleges aud scientific |
schools 10y public aud private liberality, al
most nothing has been done for medical /
schools by either State OF individual wealth.
We certainly 20 not find fault with the
Christian benyietHcg which eGdUWs band
somely four OF five Cuairs in a theoloc-
zeal faculty, thus enabling their I
incumbeuts, freed from carking care
20 devote all the energies Of great and ell
polished minds % Biblical studies and
teachings, which also builds handsome col
lcges, with well furnished rooms for the /
students, and even provides funds to clothe
and feed the latter II needed. From the ;
depths of our hearts we commend this
Christian zeal and libeTality. And 50 do |
we the public spirit which has lavisLed I'M
told millions UpDn The building and main
tcuauce Of cur famous colleges and sCien-
tihC schools, which now from San Francisco /
to Boston constitute so many splendid mon !
Gmenls, more lasting than brass, TO the
nOblest among the public benefactOrS of
America. All this is as il should be. But /
why is medIcine-that science Of sciences
which enables man more nearly to re-
semble Divinity than all others, by giving I
health to the sick-omitted from the favor
ed iist2 Surely for no other reason than ! !
the iethargy and stupidity Of the profession ;
itself, which taxes its own members with S
ali the cost Of dtiusinE aud extending q !
knowledge Of The most reconcile and costly ;
Of the sciences, while all around rs the
Peab0dys and NaudeTbilts are distribu-
ting p-iuCely donations to every branch of !
learning.
Let the profession Of any one State Or 5
ganize as il should. In due time its school
or schools Of medicine could be so endoW-
ed as 10 he reasonably Independent of stu
dent fees and student favor. Then any {
standard Of admission, study and gradua- c
ton, which the profession might desire, I
would be Tigidly enforced. This is the I
way, and the only way 10 reform and ele-
waite medical education. All else is futile
rifing. This also is great theme, and Z
with the rest must be hastily touched. 1t | '
is a grand argument for thorough oTganiza- a
ton. [
1. In view Of the great aud constantly
increasing demands made upon the medi- {
cal profession for gratuitous labor and ex-
posture. organization is demanded for self /
protection. Here We do well to use the S
Ianguageo Of DR.. 5. BHUch, President of / ]
the South Carolina Medical Association, {
April, 1874: 'In order 20 fully sustain the
of a central State organization, ]
IL is If the utmost importance that aUxilia-
ry societies be formed in each county, and q
that these be diligently upheld. In these
local bodies the more immediate interests
of the medical men Of each section will
find representation and protection. The !
OF fees, for instance, is a mat {
ter Of serious consideration among physi- I
clans. There is no profession whose ser {
vices are more freely rendered, whose du- {
ties are more exacting, whose laboTS more
destructive Of health and comfort, than
hat which va have chosen And vet II is |