The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-28
40 the Editor Of the Dispatch :


In YOUR paper OF February "a is letter
sruln Drs. McCaw and Cullen, OF the Medical
College of Virginia, in reply to my letter
Ia your issue OF February 90. Please allOw
me To reply, through your columns, very
briefly to the letter OF these gentlemen.
IN the first place, they spoke OF me as
~Dr. Dabney. OF the University" j am
not and have never been connected with
the University Of Virginia except as a
sxadent.
Secondly. There were no structures "
ca the Medical College OF Virginia in my
Setter. The recent severe criticism Of the
college In La France Medicaie and the New
Ya'k Medical Record seem to have made
sts Faculty on the lookout for "stric-
rzIres - when none were intended.
Thirdly. did not oppose the annuity.
Bat merely the condition with which it
wras coupled-namely, free tuition to medi-
cal students. Medical students are not
educated free at the University Of Vir-
xinia. as the letter OF these gentlemen
would lead ore to infer. When the free
tuition feature went into operation at the
University OF Virginia some years ago the
professors in the professional schools eX-
E9essiy requested that 1t should not be
made to apply TO their departments, for
reasons which are stated by DR.. Cabell in
Gse State OF saturday last February 23d).
Fourthly The medical colleges OF this
country are conducted on very different
principles from those OF Europe. There a
sharough preliminary education is re-
suired; In this country only one or two
colleges require this. This thorough pre-
MprinaTy education is in itself great help
towards elevating the standard OF medical
education. But in addition TO this only o
Sew colleges, comparatively speaking, are
allowed by the Government to teach medi-
zinc. A great deal of the instruction is real
" given by priUat-docents who are paid by
che students. Then, as 1 mentioned-in my
previous letter, the proportion of pbysi-
cans TO population is / in $500 there,
while IL Is / in 500 here.
Filthy. The gentlemen speak Of falling
Unto the irresistible current OF free teach
Eng.7 Now, as matter Of fact, there are
U<TH fen, II any. medical colleges in the
United States who furnish free tuition.
There have been two or three so-called
medical colleges which furnished diplomas
without charging for tuition, but the SIM
ole reason was that they didn't furnish any
snition, and only charged for the diplomas.
Lastly. / confess am little surprised
at the manner In which the bill appointing
a State board OF medical examiners is.
spoken OF by the gentlemen. Before this
hsil was passed there was NO law regulating
the practice OF medicine in Virginia, and
4he q country boy" to whom Professors
HeCaw and Cullen refer could "be doc
Tor - not only sswithout ever diSsecting a
subject or seeing patient" but ,Dithout
being dble 10 read or tcrite.
The gentle criticism to which they sub
Ject "my bill " (as they do me the honor to
cali it) does not, however, lessen my sense
Of gratitude to Professor Nc aw for his
efficient and when we were trying TO secure
the passage of this same bill through the
Legislature, and i am glad to have an OPP
porfunity OF expressing my thanks public
~. am sure he will be gratified at the
fatfowing extract from an editorial in the
journal OF the Anne lean Medical Associa-
Zion 1.-THE official organ OF the National
Medical Association) for February 10th.
The compliment Is all the more to beappre-
ezzfed from the fact that 1t comes from a
gentleman who Is himself professor In q
nAsdIcal college, DIR. n. s. Davis. OF Chi
ego: We congratulate our Virginia
kCethcrn In having law for regulating
xAe practice Of medicine that does not nul-
HIy itself by recognizing diploma from
every Institution called medical college as
Sufficient evidence Of fitness on the part OF
rs p0ssessor to practice medicine"
yeryrespcctfully,
WILLIAM G. DABSEY, VI. ID.
Charlottesville, February 20, 1884.