The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-02
,THE MEDICAL LExAMINING BOARD.
-. X. s." Makesa Pointed Reply to LAY
man"


man"
Editor Of tie Times
ask your permission to occupy short
space in your valuable columns to answer
a letter written in the State Of January
18th, in the interest Of the Medical Exa
mining Board of Virginia, signed Lay
man. For one am glad to see this mat
ter ventilated, and must congratulate
the TINES for its conservative views, and
its disposition to give both sides fair
hearing. Layman is perfect riddle, and
what he saws is as clear as mud, and with
ii all he tries TO do what no man has
ever done-ride two horses at the same
time while one is going in one direction
and the other in All opposite direction.
Layman speaks with evident pride OF
wor< done by one of the graduates OF the
Medical college of Nirginia-for one has
reached Lucrative post in the United
States Navy"-and then turns around and
ridicules, and, to the writer. seems TO
throw contempt on both schools and the
men conducting them by impressing the
public that these tloO Virginia schools had
given the diplomas TO idiots, to whom he
refers with evident pleasure. If Lay
man has one spark of the candor of
genuine manhood let him tell the time
these men came and the schools which
put upon them the stamp of fitness. DO
this, that the schools of Virginia may
be vindicated from thus imposing upon
the public. And if they did such thing
then let il be known in order that the
people may hold them up to public and
universal scorn. This writer Is slow to
believe that either of our state schools
ever turned out these men, and nothing
| but Layman's affidavit will change his
mind. | hope, Mr.. Editor, that the Legis-
lature will get at the animus of this whole
matter and hold it up for public gaze. !
I'm frank to differ with Layman when he
speaks for the public. The people are
not calling for any amendment to the
law. but the doctors seem greatly exer.
cised for fear they will have little
healthy competition. One of two things
must be at the bottom Of all this agila-
tion. II may be the selfshness of the
doctors who are urging it, and if this is
true il should be rebuked, for our law
| makers are OF the people and ioi
the people, and cannot for moment
lend their aid to scheme which fosters
the selfish interest OF few 10 the exclu.
sion Of others who may aspire TO be the
benefactors of their kind The railroad
companies Of the State could with equal
consistency ask the present Legislature
TO grant no charter for railroad unless
he0 approved It. BE it said to the credit
of the Young men, who are at the two
medical schools in Virginia, that they ID
nat 1.k fer the B0ard 10 be abolished, but
that il should stand as it is; and if 1t Is
to be changed TO satisfy the narrow, sci
fish greed of few, then they do ask, and
every patriotic impulse of the people join
Them in their request, that they be eX
empt from scheme which is the out
growth Of the selfish grovelings OF The
| human heart-the cold, contracted, mar
row views of few who are unwilling tC
submit to a test which they wish imposed
upon others, and if imposed, compel'
every young man in our state inslitu
dons 10 leave his home to the mercy o
these Shylocks, or put himself in tn
hands of a set of men whose highest ain
il creed and gain This is said not o
the doctors at large, whose days have NJ
nights, and whose weeks have no Sab
baths. but of the few who are maxim!
themselves ridiculous by trying to thrus
upon others law which they do not wisl
applied to themselves.
Mr.. Editor, it is time to call halt ant
look calmly at this matter. 1t our tw,
State schools are not doing faithful worl
let the people know it and in the nam
of burden bearing public appropriat
no more of the peoples money to thei
support If those two State schools ar
doing faithful work, let the Legislator
stamp their diplomas with the approya
of the people, and not suffer this, il
some sense selfconstituted State Board
TO tarnish the good name Of some OF on
best young men and, what is still worse
hold up to public contempt and scorn th
two medical schools Of Virginia, which
if they do their work well, are deseryin
of the appreciation of the people a
large. j. X. >.
Manchester Matters.