Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-15
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE DOCTORS, REPLY.
The Medical Association and the I'm.
terror Department..

Vi Tue committee, appointed to communicate with
the secretary, read the recent correspondence
winch has taken place, including the letter ad-
dressed to Secretary Lamar November q, the Sec
retarys reply, dated December 2, which has been
published in THE STAR and the final reply of the
committee Of December 18th.
THE FIRST LETTER.
The communication OF November 9th was a
long one, detailing the position of the Medical
Association in declining to specify the character
OF the sickness in certificates to clerks Attention
was called TO what are described as two previous
attempts to compel physicians to particulartze in
this way and their utter failure the stand OF the
physicians being supported by the entire medical
could not withdraw from that stand and violate
tne confidential relations existing between the
Rnyslcla n and his patient: They further ques
Such certificates. The committee suggested that
II they state the diseases patients suffer from in
some cases and should not in others, suspicious
would pc involved, so that their only course
must pc 10 refrain altogether from STA
ting the disease but Simply to state
duties. '-''''''O W ''''-
1--WE desire, respectfully" the letter said sebut
cannot recognize the authority OF any government
Omcla1 however high his rank, to demand any
kind OF certificate from us. We give our certif-
cates as a matter OF favor to our patients and of
courtesy 10 their Official superiorS"
cc Inc committee considered the statement of
COMMISSIONER Black, that he has received from
melnpeS OF the association gross fraudulent and
most fagranty false certificates, very harsh and
Insulting accusation against the association and a
siur upon the AFFILIATED fraternity Of 10000 ply
sicians, and they therefore thought they had a
right to ask for the names of such members OF the
ASSOCIATION as have given such false certificates
Inc reply or the Secretary to the above c0mmu-
nication declined to furnish the names Of physi-
clans giving fraudulent certificates.
THE CLOSE OF THE CORRESPONDENCE
The following letter from the committee to Sec
rotary Lamar, sent December 18th, concluded the
correspondence. "In your letter OF the Sd instant.
In answer to our communication of the 27th ult,
you inform u.s. in reference to the subject of that
communication and your letter to the commits
was settled by the assurances in that letter that
20 questions would be addressed to any member of
your association as to the nature OF the sickness
OF any clerk In the department for leave OF alb
sence.' We also, SIR have considered such assllr-
ances as settlement OF the matter IT, in the letter
addressed to DR.. Bayne by the commissioner OF
preted your letter as to authorize him to continue
to demand from US through our patients, state
m l,ta+ OF tne special disease with which each
been borne out by the facts: but unfortunately
since your letter to the commissioner and within
formed, certificates have been rejected and clerks
notified that their pay would be deducted unless
they should furnish physicians certificates speci-
lying the character OF their sickness
In quoting our statement that 1--WE cannot re-
cognize the authority of any government oficial,
however high his rank, to demand any kind of Ger
tlncate from us and that we give such certificates
as matter OF favor to our patients and OF courL
tesy TO their o1ictal superfors, you say that fn
such emphatic language think find sure guar
antee that you Will accord to our department a
like freedom from interference in the management
OF It's own business and especially in the rules it
I %ns for the Of its clerical
You may rest assured, sir, that we never should
have presumed to interfere with your official rules
SO long as you had abstained from adopting and
attempting to enforce rules interfering with our
professional obligations and it is just such an at
tempt that has called forth from US the "em-
phat1c language" In which we addressed YOU The
letter quoted in our first communication, ad-
dressed by your representative and agent, the
ISOLATION, sufficiently illustrates this when he says
that your rules 'reQuire that physicians shall
specify the trouble with which the patient is
man receiving such a letter felt indignant at the
authoritative and dictatorial tone in which his
certificate was rejected and returned for amend
ton TO interfere with the rules you may see ut
to adopt for the government OF your clerical force
we cannot acknowledge that the rules OF any de-
partment of the government In this country may
not be questioned or criticised by citizens either
within or without the jurisdiction OF that depart
ment, and we must still claim as citizens espe-
cially interested In this particular matter the
right to protest against this peculiar kind of in
QUESTION applied uniformly, as the commissioner
seems to have done OF late to all cases in his
bureau, and we do protest the more earnestly
against this innovation because we consider it has
tendency to throw down those barriers which
should guard the moral sentiments and modest
instincts OF the employees OF the government. At
the same time we cannot question the right of
discrimination which heads OF bureaus Should
have in cases in which there may be suspicion OF
frauds, nor their authority to institute such
proper inquiries as will discover the fraud
and secure the government against imposition
AS to the surrender OF the names OF those men,
berS of our association whom the commissioner
accuses OF attempts at fraud with the proofs of
those attempts, we must submit to your decision,
considering the surrender OF them to be optional
with yourself. Reiteratfng our assurance that in
our protests against your rules we have not been
actuated by a desire to have your rules so
amended that We might be able to give to our
patients certificates satisfactory to the depart
ments OF the government, and not conflicting
with what we hold to be a most important pro-
fessional obligation, we have the honor to be- &c !"
After some discussion on the subject upon mo-
ton OF DIR. Busey the whole matter was referred
to the standing committee, with a view of de-
termining what further action is needed, particu-
larry with regard to some uniformity in issuing
certificates to government clerks by physicians OF
the association.