Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-06-05
They DON'T WAN OUR DOCTORS.

THEY DON'T WANT OUR DOClORS.
Six weeks ago, when the begin
ming of long war between Eng
land and Russia seemed near at
hand, two surgeons of Detroit
offered their professional services
to the Russian Empire. The reply
that came to them from the Russian
Legation at Washington will not
encourage other American sur
geOns to follow their example If
hereafter an Anglo-Russian war
shall again seem to be I'M
avoidable. They were told that a
foreign surgeon was not allowed to
practice his profession in Russia
until he had obtained Il diploma in
a Russian academy of medicine,
and that owing to a large supply
of Russian surgeons no help from
other countries was needed. 1t
was not the Russian Governments
intention, so far as the Legation
knew, to A" facilitate to foreign
doctors the exercise of their pro.
fesSion' in the Cars dOminiOns.
1t appears that the French in a
condition OF peace have nogreater
desire for the services of American
physicians and surgeons than the
Russians have while preparing for
war. Not long ago an American
doctor who had been successful in
his profession at home came to the
conclusion that he would like to
practice in Paris, but after he had
made some inquiries about the
steps he must take in making the
proposed change of base he was
led to give up the project. He
learned that another successful
American physician had determin-
ed, a few months earlier, to open
all office in the French capital, and
had failed to obtain the authorize
ton without which he could not
practice there. There were other
indications that the Parisians had
decided that foreign doctor should
not be allowed to take the
money that would in their absence
20 into the pockets of French
physicians. For some years two
or three American doctors have
earned great incomes in Paris, in
and out of the American colony,
and the French seem to think that
their own doctors should hereafter
be protected. Not long ago they
were asking that foreign students
should be excluded from the medi-
cal schools, where there industry
and ability made it impossible for
French students to live gay lives
and at the same time win the prizes.
A few months ago it was our
pork and grain that were compel
ing so successfully with French
products that the provincial far
mers we're on the road to the poor
house. Now it is our doctors who
are not to be allowed to take the
bread out of the mouths of French
doctors, and our young men who
must not be permitted to interfere
with the amusements Of French
medical students and to compel
them to attend lectures and pay |
some attention to their studies.
We are a great nation, and there |
is no department or phrase OF hui
man activity in which we can be |
ignored.
If Russia will have none of our
it is her soldiers, and not !
our surgeons, who should complain.
And Americans are not forced in
these days to go to Paris or to any |
other European city to complete a
education. If the Pari-
slams have determined to exclude |
American doctors from the city |
their determination is tribute to |
the ability OF the American physi-
clans who have competed with |
such marked success with the
Partisan doctors on their own
ground.