The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-06-04

Iu a c,scs by post once money ORDER registered let
tor. W rhc,t On New YORK or this city.
MEDICAL EXCLUSTrENESS.
4 very interesting question concerning the
code VI fmeiical ethics will agiiatc the Ameri
can Medical Association at its meeting IN 81.
Paul this month All intelligent people
know that ihe meiicalp profession are governed
by a se, Of rules which are not in reality CON
servatiye, but rcac,ionary. one Of them
prohibits consultation with practitioners cf
any other than what is known a- thc allc-
pathic school, This feature Of the code was
wholesome one IN its time, having resulted
from an attempt by the physicians oi past
generation 10 protect the profession and the
public against quacks pretending torracticc
the healing art who had never made medicine
study. This has IN later days been sup
planted ly legislation, which gives physi-
clans q legal status and prcscribcs that they
can only be admitted to practice upon con-
dition of being graduates from some char
tered college or school Of medicine. BY such
legislation the state has takcn upon itself 10
Judge nf what qualifications shall I've required
OF practitioner Of medicine, But the law rec
oguizes practitioners Of other schools as fully
a II recognizes allopaths. Hence We have
the anomaly of great number of educated
physicians stamped as regular 10y the law
and widely employed, and yet stigmati1cd as
irregular by selfconstitutel medical associa-
tions. Meanwhile legislation needed fer the
preservation OF the public health receives
only half the support II ought to receive
because the schools Of medicine cannot unite
in urging IL, while hospitals aud other
humane institutions suffer from the same
subdivision Of strength.
Causes like these have resulted in constant
trouble and dissension in recent years. We
have seen in this city two physicians ot
some distinction ostracised by their fell
lows for acting with capable hom"opa-
thst as members of Board of Health. The
London College of Physicians and Surgeons
example of progress by placing themselves
upon record in favor of abandoning the unten-
able position imposed upon regular practition'
ers Ivy the obsolete code of ethics. In 1851 the
latter society appointed a committee of ilye tc
report upon any changes which should bt
made in the code In the meeting of Febru'
airy last the committee reported an amend
ment, which on motion of DIR. Agnew was
passed by vote of SO to 10, and which con-
tains the following clause:
g,t,.. st,tp If Nov
York. aud Of the medical societies in aniation there
WITH may meet In consultation legally qnaline'
practitioners of medicine. Emergencies may occn
in which all restrictions Should in the judgment o
the practitioner, yield to the demands of humanity
This radical action has profoundly agitate'
the profession, and has been decidedly con
demned in some quarters and as decided!
approved in others DR.. Agnew, desirous o
strengthening his position, consulted will
Professor Theodore l.. Dwight, Dean OF tn
Faculty of Law, Columbia College. In hi
reply, published in the Medical Record o
May 13, Professor Dwight says:
Medical ethics are but branch of universal etlIc
or morality. They but the application of gcncr;
rules OF morality TO special cases. All intelgel
men who have cultivated moral sense are capable o
Judging ol lpeln. Hny Sl'ee,n' ,me,,'o', ~,
i,on or rS,tririfa, NJ ,hn graat rules or morality
in itself "unethical, opposed to public policy, an
frauGht with evil and disaster to the hon-ine"ico
Wv, =, ''''',
VIC '.iNC ''''N
York Society shall be approved, disaI
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