, 1877-03-05
THE DOCTORS, .

! than useless; nag, would tend to degrade, b,
showing the world that such was the best ant
most maturcd thought Of the professors ant
public Of this State, In an effort to produce
physicians Of greater knowledge and skill, and
with such a ridiculous Tauz pas as the Joslyr
bill. We should only be the laughing-stock o
I more intelligent communities. Although BIZ
agraduate myself, deny that the possession ol
a. diploma is conclusive evidence Of &
| physicians qualifications. These, unfor
tunately, are too easily obtained in many
quarters, and it is high time some
authority superior to these colleges existed
which shall determine the degree and extent in
which a medical man may be qualified. I would
above all that every physician be in possession
OF certain amount Ut professional knowledge,
and where said knowledge had been obtained
shouldn't care. We know, of conrse, that usu-
ally 1t would be obtaincdi in medical institutions.
The idea obtained by your reporter from ply
siciaA OF your city, that colleges should be au-
thorized to grant diplomas to practitioners OF
good repute who had been practicing seven
years, Is il anything more absurd than the
other. Every one knows that many can be
found who, having been in practice twenty-five
years, are utterly Incompetent to practice medi-
with q diploma, ind having no higher
test than that, is not one whit bet
ter than selling diplomas. Another thing
seems to me :. to be true, and
that is that man who may be qualified to prac-
tice medicine to-day may be utterly. incompe-
tent to do so ten years hence. Why this is SO
is because the yast majority Of them think they
have no more studying or Investigating to do
after their graduation. If you want some In
formation on this point interview some Of the
travelling agents of the large publishing houses
OF medical works. My conception Of the truth,
however unpleasant it may be to utter it, com
pels me to say that do not believe d minority
Of the physicians Of this State. for instance,
the profession much more elevated than it Is.
Wig this is SO can attribute to one reason,
principally, viz: That too manr feel their in
competency to stand just aud yet strict exam
inatiou into their professional knowledge OF
course, the rivalry OF the schools has had some
thing to do with the prevention OF 4
proper law being passed, and yet it seems to me
enough educated men'in the different schools
could he found who. would be willing to drop
their pre1udices against each other so far as to
enable them to secure law which should insure
ALL opponents: and friends, to have greater
knowledge of their profession. Weshould bear
less talk about quacks then, as applied by al1o-
path to homeopath or vice versa. berause all
would know that whoever has passed the exain-
nation must have knowledge enough to make
the use Of quack inapplicable to them. Anoyel
yet Just feature Of the plan will soon dis
close is the grading of physicians into two or
three grades. naming the branches OF medical
science iii which they are qualified in the license
or certificate awarded them BY the State Board.
Can the people discover the qualifications Of
medical men without this examination, in re-
gard to their qualifications to treat certain dis
eases eases, any n"5e + than !. they can those Of
be graded, would it not be for doctorst
Men have been sent to Joliet who have been
found guilty Of gross malpractice, never having
had any medical cducation whatever; but who
will say how much more guilty they are than
those holding diploma and who ye: ACCEPT the
responsibility Of treating disease of which
they know Gext to nothing, and where death or
loss OF IN important member ensucs3 The
plau have already advocated and brought to
the notice Of the profession (though it received
no attention whatever) Is as follows: 4 Board
Of Examiners consisting OF seven members, four
allopaths, two homeopaths, anil one eclectic, to
be appointed by the Governor with the consent
OF the Senate, upon the recommendation of the
State. would urge strongly the gradation
scheme, aud have the standard for frst-class
certificate SO high as to make 1t something
worth striving for By every capable and ambi-
tious physician, aud to comprise tair knowl-
edge Of the following departments: Anatomy,
stetrics, pathology, and diagnosis, certain
knowledge to be agreed upon of nateria medica
and toxicology, medical jurisprudence, histol-
ogy, diseases Of the brain and nervous system,
NloCAo<so u IAG S3V lAAA CA4s AaoGaASS9 VI
1arynx, use OF laryngoscope, etc The
branches for second grade to be anat-
omy, physiology, hygiene, chemistry, sur
gerry, obstetrics, pathology and diagnosis,
materia medica and toxicology, and
medical Jurisprudence The requirements for
the thirlclass certificates to be anatomy, physi-
ology, hygiene, obstetrics, materia metiica, and
pathology, and diagnosis. Then
the people could see what we were qualified to
do. and would not have to ascertain by expert
ment. for would require the certificate to be
open to the public In the Office of the doctor.
I would also require new examination every
ten years, which would make one keep pace
with his profession. I submitted this plan to
the Illinois State Homeopathic Medical Society
last year, and urged the appointments OF CON-
mittee to confer with the Allopathic State So
cictY to see il some such plan could not be
agreed upon, and at least started, and can only
say that tue truth com1e1s me to state that no
notice was taken OF it whatever. also sent
some fifty or sixty copies to the most prominent
physicians of the allopathic school, and not one
fnan ever intimated his approval OF this or any
similar scheme ! am quite sure that am not
one OF the rule or ruin kind my plan or none;
give us any plan that will elevate the profes-
sion, but don't tamper with it unless it be one
producing that result. Whether there Is any
hing unfair or which would not tend to elevate |
The profession In the eyes OF all intelligent peo-
ole In this plan, now submit to the laity for |
heir decision. s. j. BUMsTRAD, NJ. D. |