Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-06
THE STUDENTS KICK.
THOSE OF THE vIR6IsIA MEDICAL coll
LEGE OPPOSE EXAMINING BOARD.
They State Their Grievances and Ask that
the Present Law be Amended to Exempt
Virginia Institutions.

IHe DtSpNt'N mas lIOuh tihio " ebAS
noted the petitions sent to the General
Assembly by the. Medical Society OF Vir-
ginia and by numerous other practi-
TONERS OF medicine asking that the law
be so amended as to provide that al! ap-
plicants for license to practice medicine
in Virginia be required 70 pass ex-
animation before the State Board. That
Is, in effect, that no applicants hereafter
be examined by "district boards OF
three, but that all who desire to enter
the profession of medicine shall appear
before the State Board, which usually
meets at Richmond. Yesterday Mr.
Lovenstein presented to the Senate the
following petition. which under the rules
was referred 10 a committee:
TO the General assembly of Virginia !:
We. the students of the Medical
College of Virginia, aud. citizens of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, do most re-
spectfully petition the Legislature to ex-
empt the graduates of medical institu-
tions chartered by the State of Virginia
from standing an examination before the
State Board Of Medical Examiners Tor
the following reasons-viz.
|. The medical students OF Virginia
are attending institutions chartered and
partially supported by the State OF Iir-
ginia, and arc paying moro Tor their
tuition at these home institutions than
they would pay elsewhere.
9. The antagonism manifested by GER.
tain members of the State Board OF
Medical Examiners TO ut least one OF our
medical colleges is open and marked, and
therefore the board is not as conserya-
tive as it should be.
3. The laws regulating the practice OF
medicine and surgery in the States OF
New York, New jersey. New Hampshire,
Nevada, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota,
Michigan, Maryland, Louisiana, Ken
tucky, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia, Florida,
Delaware, Connecticut. Colorado, Cali
fornia. Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, and Kansas are rigid and
severe. but these States protect their
medical colleges by recognizing the
diplomas of these colleges as a sufficient
guaranty of the graduates fitness to
practice medicine.
4. The State Board Of Medical Exam
iners having never passed al examlna-
ton before any board, and having been
selected at random from amongst the
practitioners to whom the art OF examl-
ming is something new, have not the ex-
perience that our faculties have obtained
by wears of constant teaching and asso-
citation with the student
;. The sole object of the law regulating
the practice of medicine and surgery Is a
selfish one-i. Go, to prevent competi-
ton. Medicine is studied and practlced
solely for the sake of profit and gain, and
not for "sweet charity's sake" as the
authors of the sentimental "gush" that
has appeared in the columns OF our news
papers from time to time would have you
believe. Competition is the life OF this
as well as Of all other trades.
G. The students of our medical col
leges are mostly young men who are
educating themselves, and can Ill afford
to bear the expenses of travelling, hotel
bills. and examination fees incident tC
appearing before the State Board ol
Medical Examiners.
Z. The money spent by our students IL
railroad fares, hotel bills, examination
fees, &c, in order to appear before tins
board would be spent at their own homes
and amongst their own people If they
were exempted from appearing before
the State Board of Medical Examiners
s. The facilities for teaching medi
cine. clinicaly and didactically have IN
creased ten-fold during the past few
years, and the graduate of the present
day is better qualified to practice his pro
fession than were the members of the
State Board of Medical Examiners wher
they graduated.
9. The graduates Of our college have
invariably stood the severest tests before
the army and navy examining boards
Students who have distinguished them
selves before the faculty and before thei
fellow-students by their proficiency anC
attainments have been rejected 10y the
State Beard of Medical Examiners.
10 The failure to successfully pass Al
examination before the State Board o
Medical Examiners casts upon the young
graduate a stigma from which he neye
RECEIVERS, while to pass 1t successful,
is of no benefit to him.
II. OF the three resolutions adopted
by the Medical Society of Virginia at IT.
last meeting asking for a modification @
the law regulating tx Tias.lce OF medi
c;ne ana surgery, only one has been em
! bodied in the circular addressed TO you
!. e., the resolution asking for the aboli
ton of the district boards. AT the meet
ing of the board in April, 1887, a lttl
over one third OF the members wer
present. This growing Indifference OF
the part of the members of the Boar'
of Medical Examiners will eventual.
throw the destiny of the applicant int
the hands OF few prejudiced examiners
II. The present law regulating tn
practice of medicine and surgery wa
gotten up by few for the benefit OF
few. and is class legislation OF the mos
pronounced form therefore we petition
that it be amended so as to exempt tn
graduates of our home institutions.
JAMES n. ELLIS,
w. B. AsHBUBEE,
WILL. n. KLAsE,
A. b. SMITH,
j. w. HENSON,
JUNIUs +. LYNCH,
Committee for Students OF the Medica
College of Virginia.
Supreme Court OF Appeals Yesterday
Rice against Hartman. From the On
cult Court of the county of Fauqulei
Affirmed, Judge Lewis delivering tn
opinion.
Richardson against Sewers and Others
From the Circuit Court of Clarke county
Reversed, Judge Lacy delivering til
opinion.
Commonwealth against Lucas. Argue
by the Attorney General and submitted
|. Cravin against the Commonwealth
two cases. Argued by General John /
Roller for plaintiff in error.
Hastings Court Yesterday.