The National tribune., 1884-03-27
MEDICAL IyP0STERS.
Something More About the Forged
Zurich Degrees.
Special Correspondents National Tribune.

SpecaAi
ZURICH, February 25.
Since last wrote to THE TRIBUNE concern
ing the use of alleged or forged Zurich degrees
there have been several new developments in the
matter. The Department of Education, always
quick to see and prompt to act so far as its
limited powers permit has ordered copies OF
Herr Henke's official statistics of Zurich, and
will proceed to place them in the possession of
thelvarious State Boards of Health. Further
than this, the Department of Education can do
nothing; but, in doing this, it expresses the
belief that the Government, both central and
local, ought to act In the matter-Ought TO
take the initiative. Further, the Department
of Education recognizes the State Board of
Health as the State functonary who ought to
act. This points to the sanitary aspect of the
matter, and suggests that State interference
with the degrees in question will probably
take the form of prosecution Of fraudulent
practitioners.
But the prosecution Of score OF duacks
though an immediate precaution which the
people ought to insist upon, is but trihing
part of the measures which ought to be taken,
and taken promptly. The State Boards Of
Health are unquestionably the proper fnnc-
tonaries for the prosecution of quaeks- But
to leave to the State Board of Health the dis
covery of quacks, is to bestow upon the State
Boards of Health one of the proper functions
of the State Boards of Education.
Clearly. some power in the State ought to be
charged with the prevention Of quaeks. The
interest of the whole public demands this; but
especially does the interest of the working
classes demand 1t, for at best the selfrespectiug
workman is in the worst possible position with
reference to medical treatment He cannot pay
the fees of the best physicians; he cannot, con-
sistently with his self-respeet accept treatment
gratuitously, and there is only one middle
course open to him. He has no means of in
yestigating the degree of his family physician,
and he cannot be supposed TO have medical
knowledge enough to judge, except most
roughly, the wisdom of the treatment to which
he subjects himself when be calls in a medical
man at random. Only the very rich and the
very poor can command the highest medical
skiIl-the former by paying high fees and the
latter by subjecting themselves 70 clinical
treatment, when they take the risk of becom-
ing material" and being treated more with
reference to theneeds of the students than with
reference TO their own cure. The best elements
of the working classes naturally avoid this at
! all eo5t-even at cost of employing iguoFantly a
eharlatan with q forged diploma. The best
elements of our population form, then, the
| class which has the strongest interest in sup
pressing auaek5-in making certain that all
| the ordinary physicians in practice, upon
whose care the selfrespeeting woFkmen of the
| country must rely for themselves and their
| training which our medical schools supply.
REQUIREMENTS ABROAD.
| This necessity England, France, Germany,
| Austria, and Switzerland recognize and provide
| for. In England, physicians must pass an ex-
animation before a commission appointed by
| the government, and must be amply registered.
Nevertheless, the English regulations are re-
| garded upon the Continent as wholly INSULT
/ cient. THE American chaos of non-regulation,
/ insufficient regulation, and bad regulation, IS
regarded with the contemp5 which it deserves J
| In France the minimum preparations allowed
/ a physician is three and a half years in a med
| ieal preparatory school, followed by State
/ examination, after which the student may only
| practice in the department in which he has
/ been examined. In Germany, the physician
must have State examination after the uni
versity examination, which in turn he can
only have on condition Of possessing gymDa-
sium degree equivalent to the bachelor of our
| best colleges). On no other condition can ne
call himself physician or register as such. Aus
tria requires five years university study after
completing the gymnasial course: and Switz-
| erIand requires gymnasial examination. uni
| versity examination, State examination, and
/ complete registration.
Now, as matters stand IN America, it is vain
for rs to make such provisions so long as we do
| not enforce the pitiful provisions which we al
ready have. The law of every State makes
perjury punishable offense. Yet evidence j:
| not wanting that there are men practleine
medicine in America who haye-sworn falsely
| to their possession of Zurich degrees. But
until we have some funetionary in every State
charged with the investigation of professional
degrees and the prosecution of holders o
forged degrees and of persons practicing pro-
fessionally without degrees, so long viii fraud
ulent practitioners thrive, az cost Of the life
and health of the best elements Of the Nation
As have said before, the State Boards ol
Health are unqueStionably the proper func
tionaries for the prosecution Of detected quaeks
But they are not the proper functionaries FOL
investigating. guarding and guaranteeing th'
value of professional degrees Ia general Her
Henke's private investigations of such Stat'
registers as are accessible show that the holder
of forged or alleged Zurich degrees are no
confined to the medical profession. bat may b
found among American lawyers and teacher
as we'll With these classes Of offenders th
State Boards Of Health have clearly nothing q
do. Offenders, however, they certainly are
for they trade upon the ignorance Of thei
clients and pupils, and upon the powerlessnss
of the individual 20 do for himself that work o
investigation which the State alone can do 70
him.
Before any radical cure for professional i'm
position can be secured. the legislation of tn
States must be amplified and provision must b
made Tor Its enforcement. fuEtner power
must be given 20 the State Boards of Education
with reference 10 protest. onai registration. pro
fessOnal examinations and the publication o
= statistics with reference to professional educa
tion, aud provision must be made for co-opera
ton between the Boards of Health and th
State Boards of Education.
, But these changes imply other very grea
changes They imply State Boards of Healt
aud Education composed of men who give thei
| whole time to their duties. who are selecte
for their fitness are previously trained, an
r are kept in office that they may acquire ski
{ and experienee-men, in short, whose oficia
life offers them lifelong honorable career
: On no other conditions will it ever be possibl
a to secure for the State Boards of Health an
| Education honorable and learned men to who's
: opinions the professional schools and the prC
fessional men of the country will bow. HaI
PLY, the tendency of the Nation is towards
rational ordering of the civil service IN all il
| branches, and it is, therefore, not too much
hope that the State Boards of Health and {
Education may, in the near future, be const
: tuted upon rational basis
SPECIAL TRAINING.
The other change required for the supprel
sion of professional imposition Of the kin
I under discussion is radical change in on
national estimate of special training. So long
we believe higll-school education sufficient fC
D fitting American citizens for all the duties
r life SO long shall we look aSkance at colleg,
q bred men, and so long shall we have leanin
towards rule-of- thumb methods g. toward
:, quaekery in every occupation. Only when W