New-York tribune., 1884-12-19
PRICE THREE CENTS
DIR. BARKER INDICATED.
CHARGES AFFECTING HIS DIPLOMA DIS.
PROVED.


into the house shook the snow of their coats and
stamped il Off their feet, and took their seats in
such numbers that many ate-comcrs had to
stand up. The meeting the most i'm
portant held since tie quarrels over tho
new Code of Medical Ethics as it wa, to receive the
report Of the Committee on Ethics upon grave
charges presented at the November meeting against
Dr. Fordyce Barker, the venerable president Of the
Academy. These charges were prepared by Drs.
Edward s. +. Arnold, Nathan Bozeman Austin
Flint, jr., s. $. Purple, {. A. Wood and William
Young In substance they accused DIR. Barker OF
perjury in subscribing in the signature book OF the
Academy to the statement that he was gradu-
ate in medicine of Paris, of the date OF 1914,
while he was not at that time and had
net been at any subsequent time graduate, and
also of violating the laws of the State in practising
medicine without diploma.
The temper of those present was clearly shown
when. little before o'clock. DR.. Barker took tho
presidents chair amid loud hand -clapping. His
handsome ruGdy face, framed in white whiskerS.
displayed little emotion during the evening. After
briefly dlsposng of routine business DR.. Barker
resigned the chair TO tue vlce-2residcnt, DIR.
Robert +. Weir. The report of the Committee
Oh Ethics was called for, I'd DrAndrew ii. smith,
the chairman took the platform with a ponderous
pile of manuscript in his hand. The other members
of the committee who had been examining the case,
Drs. Virgil Z. Gibney, Charles A. Leac, Henry
Champion and C. ID. Varlcy. seated in the hall.
Dr. W. T. White moved that the Academy 90 into
executive session.
Il object" said Or. f. d. Hudson, promptly
rising to his feet "The widest Publicity has been
already given to side of this controversy
and II is only right that the other side should DO
publicly heard. Let us have no star chamber pro-
ccedings"
Dr. II. +. White jumped to his feet and argued
for secrecy. His colleagues cried Question, and
the speaker in VAN protested that "he had a col
legiatc education and knew what II was to DO
laughed at and tried to be put down." and also
that h. didn't two cents for the press" The
attempt to obtain a secret session was overwhelID-
ingly voted down.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE on ETHICS.
Dr. Smiths reading Of the report
of the Committee Ethics was
punctuatcd with applause at every place favor
able to the Academys chief officer and it showed
increased fcrvor each time. The report took up the
charges and specifications in detail and found the
sole evidence against the claim Of DR.. Barker to a
Paris diploma rested on the fact that the proper
Paris records were silent The subject. II declared
that the statement in the signature book Of the
Academy of 1874 was evidently written in, and
called attention to the fact that DR.. Bar6cr applied
for fellowship in the Academy as graduate OF
Bowdom College, The report then presented Dr.
Bar1er's explanation of how he obtained the Paris
diploma In brief, ii showed that he had studied
at the Ec0le de Medicine in lsi5. was called homs
by illness in his family before receiving diploma,
| visited Paris in 1861 and through conversation
| at dinner with Professor lrousseau, of Paris. and
the Minister of Public Instruction. learned that the
school had issued him diploma, which he received
a few days aflerward from VI. lrou'sean.
| ~. Ia N hrs III ipin
ne lost it among others when he removed from hi
| home in Union place to Madison-aye. i'll 1862.
TESTIMONY OF DRs. DAVIS AND DOREMus
In lrrOboIatiCn Ofhls statement, The committees
report continued, DR.. Barker produced letters from
! Dr. Edwin ii. Davis and Professor l.. Ogden Dore-
mus who were present. among others, at agither-
ing of friends who gre ted Dr. Barker upon his re-
turn from Paris in 1861 aud 10 whom H. showed
the diploma of the Ecolc dc Medicine. The reading
of these letters, which were dated last November
and which recalled the occasion by
dozen incidents and features, set all
the physicians 10 cidpPing their hands
vigorously. In conclusion the COMMITTEES
reporied that they could not offset the testimony
of DR.. Barker and these two other witnesses with
the defcctiyencss of public records and they nc.
corlmgly found the charges not sustained. The
applause that followed when DR. smith rolled up
his stack OF manuscripts aud stepped on tie pat
form continued for several minutes, ana Dr. BARKER
his face deepening into ci on was constrained 10
lean over to the presidents table aud dcnk npa
glass az water.
II looked for n faw minutes ~ Il the Fellows Of
the Academy felt 80 happy over ihoir Presidents
vndcution that no further busi ncsS would be
done Dr. Joseph W. Howe recalled his colleagues,
10 order by u motion 10 appoint a special commit
tee Nilh power to hire an expert IN handwriting 10
ascertain by what means the records Oi the Acad-
cmv wcro tuiupercd with, as shown IA the commit
tees report.
I>plGNATioN Ar DR. B,GKrRs ACCrsiRs.
DR. John G. Peters tAcn moved vote OF ceDsure
on the Fellows who had made the charges for not
having followed the usual rules OF he state Mcdi-
cal society and consulted Dr. Barker concerning
tdcm
Or u. B St. John Roo.a-I move IS AN amendments
thif asl or the resignation of these gentlemen:
Arpau~el 1ury have assumed ihai the RE ll'it on
thi- Academy has lsed lie. ud hnyF assumed i with
oat & ; II % IF reSS@ ic rsas ~ % tw@S,y Df
minutes, The insniicicn'y OF the Code Of Elhlc.
Of which We have heard 50 much as not
having been well administered touches more than any.
body else til gentlemen VINO naIr th',' 'har-e* lhey
have made these charges winont any cicums ecion.
without any Kindness OF spirit. without any love for
ones fellow lima word without ans of those kindly cen
tmcn. which should aciair one YeilemAn M s tTal.
ings with another IN thc,o 'rtuuialct- lhe ledst Wo
can do + to ca upon ne~c gcni'mru 10 wsgn-a res0-
the icioution OF Dr pe'rrs. iApplsu-r ,
IN ". q. Wyhe-I don't 'hink i wollt be iar mat Rii
of tru should be called upon 40 ir~ excerpt MN VINO
apr,ais to have been The lcadng spirit Cries ot No.
mo-" and "A voice" 1hey lr an toleuen' Lang hiet
ana applnusr. sone OF hem mas have signed tho
lup,r lnnoc,nilv without knowing tn Significance u
'lelracti lD,isiyc l.uehtrrl
Ir Ahinh1m Jarobi.-E,tilh0lf lp. ihc right tp he
mist ,icn without hrine visited hi tl. 'etere punish
ncni witch expulsion would imulY ana inst IA wiling
tu hell. ye tnt the atuspfs have mule MISTAKES
n bringing these charges rs ani iu a.s me that every
nir uf them know what he wn4 nhrul. Although mii-
tale. hova,r, believe trvt deserve crn.nie hni hVe
t,w.on 49, hple,e IL an, question eiousht ge.
fn, thls Atiipnr ~ N ,iiine that tho lrlr ltatVn
should rum, ~ aapin Ihl ups itsnit"l lasi lrpr '
hnUt tht tt,Is uu uf NrW tnlr 49, tll iuhr VIII n"B
n.lin w. III sissph ~ iha Academy u even 10 lhs state
~ ary Nutr nnh hin snir ia BARKER u ni iia same
IL, ilnsa Il s nut tho question ~ ihn NpN tHln og
n6t' in "a / TIA isUtmiret hf nn having Nisl asAiI
nr naiiif trnl ihe maiipi ah ihNpiNiD w iasui ~