The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-21
FORGED DIPLOMAS.
The Latest Scandal in Swiss Medical
Circles.
Special corresponslenee Na.Ional Tribane.

Inc 32mentaDle cll3OS WAlcn reignS IN the
relation of our American State governments to
the educational interests of the State and the
personal safety of the citizen has Just received
here in Zurich another illustration. Ia no re-
latien of life is the individual citizen more at
the mercy Of the State than in his relation to
his family physician. The father whose child
is seized at midnight with membranous Group
or virulent diphtheria is in no position to
investigate the diploma of the nearest physi-
clan and satisfy himself that the man in whose
hands his babys life rests has at least, UNDER
gone medical trimming, and is, to that limited
extent, fitted for such trust. In his terrible
emergency the unhappy man must trust to the
supervision which the State exercises, and must
call in the nearest medical man. Butin America
such trust implies a high degree Of probability
that the nearest medical man is fraudulent
practitioner whose degree no State authority
has ever adequately investigated. This is no
general, ill-consdered accusation. 1t IS SIM
pie, disgraceful truth, as the sequel proves.
The present America European medieal-de-
gree scandal is the more fragrant in eOnse-
quence of the warning which our State govern
ments recently received in the case Of DR..
Buchanan. 1t is not many months since Mr..
Andrew d. White, then American minister at
Berlin, published such complaints on the part
of the German government Of the sale of Amer
lean medical diplomas as forced the prosecu-
tion in Pennsylvania of the principal dealer in
diplomas and secured his conviction and i'm
prisonment. With this single prosecution and
the destruction of this single depot fer the sale
of diplomas much good was undoubtedly done.
A certain number of charlatans were prevented
from destroying lives, which bought diplomas
might have enabled them to take into unskilled
hands il DR.. John Buchanan had continued in
the uninterrupted practice of his destructive
trade Tho suppression of that trade and the
punishment of DR. Buchanan were necessary
immediate consequences of the exposure
brought about by AIr. White But the most
significant feature of the Buchanan scandal
was the warning which it gave to the State
governments of danger in the then existing
methods of investigating diplomas warning
in view of which the suppression of single
depot Of diplomas and the punishment of q
single man must be regarded only as the first
and least important one of series of measures
which the discovery of sold diplomas demanded
at the hands of the State authorities.
DR. BUcHANAN's CASE.
The investigation of the case of DR.. Buchanan
gave rise TO so widespread and vigorous dis
cussion of the question of medical degrees and
the defense of the public and the medical pro-
fession sainst fraudulent practitioners that it
seemed at the time, hardly too much to hope
that the more enlightened State governments
would assume complete responsibility for the
value of degrees under which physicians enter
upon the practice of medicine. UnhapDily, re-
cent events in Switzerland prove that, with
the prosecution of DR.. Buchanan and the sup
preston of his individual trade in degrees, the
interest IN this vital question has been allowed
to die out without giving rise to any adequate
general measures for preventing the occurrence
of kindred outrages upon the public in future.
That such should be the case, that the public
should rest content with erecting DR.. Buchanan
into q scapegoat for the sins of omission of the
State governments. is at once disgraceful
commentary upon the prevailing sense of JUS
tice and a melancholy confession that we have
not yet learned the true duty of the State. Had
there been in Pennsylvania, the scene Of DR..
Buchanan's exploits, any just appreciation of
the duty which the State owes the citizen in
the indirect protection of life, prompt compre-
hensive legislation would have made impes-
sible, for Pennsylvania at least, any share of
blame in the present nedical-degree scandal.
The promptly following secondary eonse-
quence of Dir. Whites exposure OF DR.. Buch-
anan's trade should have been legislation
embOdying provision for-I, Registration of
physicians, with full particulars as 10 the
diploma under which each is admitted to prae-
tiee; 2 Investigation OF Institutions entitled
to bestoH medical diplomas and a refusal TO re-
gard as valid diplomas conferred by institu-
tions which fall short OF specific qualifications
legally prescribed; 8, Inspection and vertical
ton, by State officials OF medical registration,
and prosecution on behalf Of the State and
with State initiative, Of persons practicing
medicine without legally requisite qualifiea-
ton. Such legislation, effectively administer
ed, would save the medical profession of the
Union from infinite suspicion and dlStruSt, as
well as from the competition of q now unknown
number of charlatans 1t would, moreover, be
one of the many forms of protection TO life
which the State governments owe to the people,
but now, to their infinite shame, neglect to
provide.
1t is vain to assert that such legislation is
now generally IN force in America; for the
sequal proves that it is not. It IS, however. to
be hoped that the wrath of the community
which, In the case of DR.. Buchanan, wa5 allayed
by the punishment of the individual offender
may, In the present case, result in such ener-
getic action as will secure complete, effective
State regulation of the conditions Of medical
practice.
THE LATEST SCANDAL.
The scandal which at present mortifes the
| American students at the University of Zu-
rich, and proves the futility OF present Ameri-
can measures for protecting the medical pro-
fession and the people at large from charlatans
is as follows: In August last the University
of Zurich celebrated its fitch anniversary,
and the beadle, Herr Henke, issued compen-
/ dunn of the statistics of the university, con-
/ tanning, naturally, a list of the students who
had received the medical diploma of the uni
/ yersity since its foundation fifty years ago.
| Herr Henke's intention was made public some
| time in advance of the publication of his sta
| tistics and he was Immediately beset by letters
| from America beseeching him TO suppress the
/ proposed list of medical graduates. In one
case an agent of a so-ealIed physician. in prac-
j tice in America, called upon Herr Henke, offer
/ ing arguments and money for the suppression
/ Of the list. or q false insertion Of name. a