Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-04
Controversial Question.


water, Thursday evening.
4 Controversial Question.
The most exciting topic to come before the
association Will be the action IF the New
York State Medical society. in making for it.
self a new code of ethics, differing from that
of the association, which has hitherto been
universally acknowledged as the general guide
of professional cohducG for the whole regular
profession in the country. Hitherto, no state
nor county society has set up local code of
ethics at variance with the national code.
The real point at issue is likely to be lost
sight of in the general range OF debate upon
the causes which led to the adoption of an ad-
verse code. Every state, county or other So
cIety has heretofore adopted the national code
of ethics of the American Medical association
before it could become auxiliary to and entitled
to representation in the association, and the
adoption OF the codepas q rule OF action was
sssine qua non" to the admission of delegates
in the national body. No one ever questioned
The right of any society to adopt It's own
code of ethics, but the adoption of any ad-
verse code of course precluded membership IN
the American Medical association, and no one
disputes the right of any society to Withdraw
from utilization with the association, and it is
self-evident that any society thus debarring
itself, can have no claim to send delegates to,
or remain members of the national body.
The reasons for the action of the New York
state society do not necessarily form any
part of question of the admission of its dele
gates. 1t may be the thing it is, 1t might have
been something else, the sole and only
question is its right to representation in the
national association, after having withdrawn
It's adherence to the constitution and laws OF
that organization. Having seeded from the
national organization, and discarded its or
gsnic law, it has certainly no claim to repre-
sentation inits councils.
As to the reasons for its action, there is
wide room for honest difference Of opinion,
and there are many who ere prepared to ad-
nit the propriety of the change made, who
will vote against the admission of delegates
from the New York society, because they
think that the reform should be made within
the national association itself, and that the
proper method is, for societies auxiliary to the
American Medical association to suggest
amendments to the constitution and send dele
gates to urge their adoption. The
association is representative body,
and every auxiliary society has 3 delegated
voice and vote in its deliberations, and
though, like all venerable Institutions, it is
eminenty conservative as to any change in
members and its auxiliary societies every
facility for the expression OF their opinions in
It's councils, and sooner or later the majority
prevails. No fairer example of this is to be
found than IN the former bitter antagonism to
the admission of women graduates in medi-
cine to membership, and now no one even
suggests their exclusion. Women educated
themselves up 10 very high professional
standard, and are now justly acknowledged to
be the peers of their professional brothers and
entitled to all the honOrs and privileges of the
profession; and all this has been accomplished
without any violence or any secession.
In spite of the prejudices and opposition, the
right thing will be done at last, in body so
intelligent and devoted as the American Medi-
cal association, but reforms are Of slow
growth, and every change is not reform,
however important it may seem in the
opinions of many.
There is no question, but that in the present
case, where the cause of contention originated
in the impotence of individuals, which re-
fused 10 await the operation of reform in the
legitimate method, within the national Or
ganization;there are very many members of the
American Medical ASSOCIATION, prepared TO go
ever so far to abolish the code OF ethics en-
tirely, and take for granted that physicians
should be gentlemen, and as such, q law to
themselves; while Others, and no doubt at
present the majority, are in favor of certain
changes in the organization, to meet changed
conditions.
In the very matter of homeopathic and cleo
trio dogmatism, there have taken place many
changes in the relations in which professed
dogmatlsts stand to the advanced ideas of the
progressive profession, since the adoption of
the code of ethics; and there is vast differ
ence between the more advanced minds still
protesting dogmas because they have been
born to it), but whose better education and
6ald ~ how hrn
their ideas, and the few illiterate aud preten-
tious enthusiasts, who in this country COM
posed tn, first disciples of the Thompsonian
and Hahnemanian dogmas, and there has
been shown disposition on the part of many
IN the progressive profession, to meet these
men kindly, giving them due credit for much
good they have undoubtedly done, and only
asking them to cease covering themselves
with names, having to them no longer their
original significance, and come out under
the panoply of "doctor of incidence" than
which there can be no more honorable des-
ignation; and while every individual is free to
select the therapeutic means best known, and
best approved by him, leaving dogmas to
small minds, and be guided alone by the great
lights which science has shed upon medicine;
learn to base their claims to recognition
upon demonstrated facts and not upon cast
iron theories. There is not, nor has there
been conflict between "schools of medi-
cine" IN this age. For more than 1000 years
the men who practised the healing art were
divided iuto "schools," which took their
rise in local foci, of which some leading sue
cessful practitioner or unblushing theorisers
were the nuclei, and the wars of the
schools were bitter aud unrelenting for
time, but gradually died ont before some
newer claimant to nOtoriety, until only with
in the passing century, have the Earring Sec
taries amalgamated into a republic of
letters, having only demonstrated truth
for the central idea, and out
of this amalgamation, have arisen the modern
science and art constituting the irrational
medicine of the present day, and its profes.
sors and adherents are the lneal descendants
of the discover of truth in ali the past
ages, like "priesthood forever" handing
down their knowledge to their successors.
"Seets" have arisen in modern times, and
will rise in time to come, aud by their at
tacks upon lingering yestiges of superstition