Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-20
THE HOSPITAL MEDICAL COLLEGE
QUESTION.

foot to build up e medical college in our
midst, which is intended to be credit to
the profession, and no doubt benefit to
the community. We have as able ply
sicians and surgeons in Memphis as any
city can boast, and q faculty can be or
gAnized here that would compare with
any in the land. A number Of public
spirited gentlemen have subscribed,
it is said, enough to establish
the college on q eeure basis,
and w hope their efforts will be appre-
ciAted and sustained. Let the medical
college be established by all means, and
given all possible encouragement. By
this, however, we do no wish to be un-
derstood as favoring the petition Of the
faculty to the general council asking for
the control Of the city hospital for q pc
Rod Of ninety.nias years. There are
many objections TO such an arrangement.
The medical college, as Jet, only exists
on paper. It has a charter, we learn as
q branch Of q Baptist university to be
established at Jackson. and certain mem
bers Of the profession are named as con-
stituting the faculty. Money has been
subscribed but meme paid in. These two
items constitute the entire assets Of the
institution aside from its good will, which
10 intangible AID Of an unknown guam.
tity. Yet the first step these gentlemen
take is to get possession Of the city hos
pital. The idea expressed of making
the medical college an adjunct to the
hospital is unique, to say the least. In
larger cities the medical faculties usually
have access under certain regulations
but for clinical purposes only. The man.
sgement and control remain vested
IN the city where it belongs. TkeJ
propose, in their petition, to take al
proper care of the sick and wounded
patients free Of charge, and keel
in attendance a competent Redi
cal mar to meet all emergencies
Who is that man to be; who is to pay
him if be is competent and 10 whom vii
he be responsible2 We answer these
three questions in one, as follows: First
no member Of the faculty can afford t
stay there day and night on no pay, anC
no mere boy detailed from his class is e
for the place or should be allowed TO ex
pertinent upon the sick sent to the cit,
hospital; second, we say the collegl
could not afford to pay competent mai
to give the responsible duties Of the DO
Sition his entire attention, and Of coursI
the city would not; aud third, the com
petent man, be he man or boy, would b.
responsible only to the faculty. 81.
would have a dozen bosses; the
would have none. Ia other words "
would be farming out the hospital to
medical faculty whose college is to be q
adjunct to the hospital. This would b
u feat almost if not quite equal to q ma
lifting himself over a fence by the stray
of his boots. In saying hat they wi
take all proper csre Of the sick an
wounded free Of charge, they mean the
will give the patients consigned to Il
hospital medical attention. That is a.
The city will be required to foot all bill
monthly as usual, except the salary NO
paid the physician in charge. This is II
only item to be saved, and we have /
doubt that under u msny'headed ma
sgement the ordinary expenses would
greatly increased. We see no econon
ia the proposed plan Of hiiching on
medical college to the city hospit'
When the college is established, as
hope it will he, we have ne doubt the ci
will give the faculty access to all t
patients for clinical purposes. '
would most assuredly be in favor
granting such a privilege to this and
any future medical college that might
established. II should not be an excl
sive privilege. There are other obi
tons to be urged, and which will be,
the scheme is pushed any further.