Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-19
SHAM MEDICAL COLLEGES.

A piece of good news comes from Phila-
delphia. 1t is to the effect that a success
flu descent has recently been made upon
the sham medical colleges which have SO
long infested and disgraced that city, and
which have sent broadcast over the world
diplomas furnishing the most dangerous
equipment to the. worst class of quacks liv-
ing. Through one of those peculiar de-
fects in the law which from time to time
are revealed to bewilder and perplex the
lay observer, these Philadelphia rascals had
escaped several previous attempts at pros
ecution, and becoming emboldened by i'm
punity had pursued their nefarious bust
ness in very open and impudent way.
1t was finally through the public spirit OF
newspaper, the Philadelphia Record,
that the arrests were made. That journal
six months ago called the attention OF
the Attorney. General to the frauds, but it
was alleged that that official had no funds
with which to prosecute. Upon this the
Record offered to advance the funds to the
Commonwealth, upon promise of REIN
bursement by the State Legislature, and
the proceedings commenced. The Record
has done nearly all the necessary work,
having through its city editor succeeded
in getting evidence of the sale of forty
three diplomas to various persons. The
city editor himself obtained three medical
diplomas, one in English from the Eclectic
Medical College of Philadelphia, one in
English from the American University of
Philadelphia, and another from the Ma
tional Eclectic Medical Association. So
accommodating was the last named con-
Germ that, though it was only organized in
1879, it dated its diploma to the reporter
as far back as 1878. All these bogus di-
plomas purported to show that the holder
of them had studied medicine for three
years, had attended two full courses of
lectures, and had passed satisfactory
examination in each of the seven branches
of medicine. Having further succeeded
in buying FIVE other diplomas for $3.50, the
Record concluded that enough evidence
had been accumulated, and accordingly
the arrest of John Buchanan, Dean of the
American University of Philadelphia and
the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsyl-
vsnia, and President of the National Eo-
lectic Medical Association, was effected,
together with that of two OF the bogus
Faculty. 1t is expected that five fraudu-
lent medical colleges of the most infamous
character will be broken up by this prose
cution. A thorough ventilation of the
names OF the pretended colleges that sell
diplomas will in any case have a very de-
pressing effect upon the business. 1t is
indeed amazing that the people of Penn
sylvania have so long permitted this viii
famous traffic to be carried on in their
midst, for it has never been secret that
these colleges were fraudulent, and that
they were at all times wiling to supply
any quack with a diploma for few dollars
They have, in fact, been licensing muir
derers for years, and the moral and con-
scientious Philadelphians have looked on
coolly and offered no protest against the
Infamous business. We are, however, glad
that after all a newspaper has come to the
front and fairly shamed and driven the re-
luctant authorities into the performance of
their duties, and we hope that the scoun-
drels who have been carrying on the sale
of diplomas will get heavy sentences, seeing
that the scoundrels who bought these di-
plomas are unfortunately beyond the reach
of the law.