The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-30
JEFFERsoN aIEpIcAL COLLEGE,
OF Philadelphia aud the West Virginia State
BOARD of Health.
N, lhs EsJ,Io. ,F ~. T,t.IE,.Bnav

Board of Health.
10 ne EIilOr 0fls INtsliOtHeer,
sIR;-Ssveral OF the newspapers Of
Wheellng-your much esteemed journal
amongat the numbsr-have lately con-
tanned references to the Jefferson Medical
College, Of Philadelphia, that do injustice
to one Of the foremost medical institutions
Of this country. We are well.assured,
however, that your sense Of iustice will
permit US to be heard in our defense,
That we have not done SO earlier, Is due
to the fact that the publications Of which
we complain have only recently been
brought to our notice,
In your news column, a paragraph ap-
pears under date Of July l4th, from
Charleston, w. Va, In which 1t is said
that "ths State Board OF Health, had sus.
pended the registration OF graduates from
Jefferson Medical College," This totally
misrepresentsd the action Of the Board.
In 3 communication, which he did me
the honor to address to me, the Secretary
OF tho Board communicates the following
resolution;
"RssOlrsd, That the acceptance by any
Medical College Of certificate given after
an examination by this Board, in lieu Of
one course OF lectures, shall be considered
to meet the requirements OF this Board"
As this resolution covers the technical
question between the College and the
Board, 1t is obvious that there can be no
refusal to register the diplomas OF Jetfer-
aOn College, since the decision OF the
Board Ia in accordance with thG action Of
the College In the single instance which
has arisen or, indeed, can ever arise again.
In view OF the erroneous statements, Of
which this question has been the origin,
that have been published to our prejudice
as q school Of medical learning, permit
me to make an explanation OF the position
Of Jefferson College:
Tho case under consideration was that
Of q well.knOwn physIclsn OF Wheeling,
occupying an important public, profess
sionRl position. He had obtained q medi-
cal education, and after passing an exam
nation by the State Board OF Health, was
licensed by that body to practice medl-
cine in the State Of West Virginia, Hc
wished to obtain, also, the diploma Of JET
terson Medical College, Besides the GER
titiCato or license Of the State Board grant
ing him full authority as q practitioner, he
presented testimonials OF character and
competency from some ot tho principal
physicians OF Wheeling, and made appli.
cation for permission TO enter the senior
or graduating glass. lie was permitted to
do 80 for tho following reasons:
Graduates OF other medical colleges in
good standing, liCentiates Of foreign med.
ical Corpt Itions, eud studonts who have
pursued their studies for the required
time and have attended full course OF
lectures, elsewhere, are permitted TO come
forward for examination for tho doCtorate,
after attendance oil one full course oil leC-
lures, aud on the various courses OF laborA.
tory work In Jefferson College. As the
gentleman III question had been success
lul student and practitioner, and had q
license which possessed all the authority
Of tirstClass diploma, he was held to be,
practically, In the same position as q grad.
uate oi an ordinary medical college. In.
deed, such was our confidence In the
thoroughness Of the examination made by
the Stats Board, that we felt their certif-
cate 10 possess the value de Jacto that the
laws otWest Virginia asgign to 1t de lure.
Such was tho extent ol your offending
and Jefferson College whicn guards with
the most jealous caro- the portals Of the
medical profession, was, by the misrepre-
sentations OF intsEestsd partiea, made 10
appear in the odious light oil some Of the
"diploma mills" which, even now, under
the laws OF various states carry on their
miEChieyous traffic. Under no cirCuul-
stances can any ono graduate in this Col
lege, unless after attendance on two
courses OF leCtures and three years OF
study, as the minimum requirement. Such
IN instance as that under discussion, which
can hardly be regarded as an exception,
will probably never occur again. The
friends and Alumni Of the College may be
well assured that the present Faculty will
maintain the College in that foremost po.
sition amongst the medical educational in
stitutious OF the country, won for 1t by the
labors Of their eminent predecessors.
RoBRRTs BAgTHoLow, NJ. D.,
Dean Of the Faculty.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Jliy 28.