St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-20
GIVEN A COLD ROAST.
The Deal Establishing the Medical De-
partment at the State Uni
Versity
Is Denounced by DR.. Brown as an In
famous and Outrageous Piece
of Work.
The Medical Profession Said to Be Tn
in Arms in Indignant De-
nunciation.

IL Tie EullOr Oh the GlODe.
During the past few weeks the medi-
cal profession of the state has been
somewhat stirred over questions per-
tanning to the establishment of medi-
cal department of the state university.
1t was learned that certain private
medical colleges had made PROPOSE
ton to the regents of the university
looking to an amalgamation between
such colleges and the university, the
proposition involving in substance, the
lease to the university of certain col
lege property at nominal rental of 81,
and as a quid pro quo, the absorption
into the university faculty of the teach
ing bodies of said schools.
To a large number of the conServa-
tive and respectable members of the
quainted with the history of these
schools and with the VIGOROUSLY unpro-
feSSional character of their leading
professors, the scheme appeared so
monStrOus that
A VIGOROUS PROTEST WAS MADE.
Such was the confidence of the profess
sion in the good sense and good judy
ment. not to say the integrity. of the re-
gents that it was believed that they had
only to be informed of the real facts in
the case to at once reject all such over
lures. Petitions were sent to the re-
gents signed by large number of ply
Sicians, many of them among the most
prominent and honOred in the state
These petitions asserted the belief of
the SignerS that these colleges had not
been conducted in such manner as to
merit the confidence and support of the
profession: that, on the contrary, their
whole history had been characterized by
lawlesS lf-aggrandiZemeDt, as well as
by disregard of the cOmmOnly-accepted
standards of professional morality and
decency, and that their leading phySi-
clans had shown themselves to be the
enemies of higher medical education.
For these and other obvious reasons
the regents were urged to establish their
medical department upon all independ-
ent basis, such as would command the
respect of the entire profession. They
were urged to secure for their teaching
body the best possible men from what
soeVer source, and TO delay action, if
necessary, until the requisite funds
could be secured.
Moreover, positive evidence was
placed before the regents that certain
leading professors in the schools re-
ferred to had been guilty of grossly I'M
professional conduct, and were utterly
unworthy of the honorable positions to
which they aspired.
The petitioners were given the aSSur-
ance that the regents desired informa-
ton, and that it was their desire and
purpose to act in such manner as to
meet the appreciation of the entire pro-
feSSiOn.
And yet, in the face of all these pro-
tests from the profession, and nOtwith-
cn, Nf H.. III
Intentions, the regents have now
CoNSUMMATED THE INFAMOUS TRADE
originally prOposed-a trade which dis
graces the Institution whose interests
they have betrayed into the hands of the
philistines. which diSgraceS noble
profession, every honorable member of
which is insulted by such bargain, and
| will render the regents Kissing and
byewOrd to every man who has suf-
ficient intelligence to appreciate the
| significance of their action.
The regents will not escape the re-
sponsibility for their action by the sub
terfuge of nominating committee,
majority of whose members were known
| to be either in favor of the desired con-
| summation, OR to be so related to the
| interested parties that their acQuieS-
| cence was an assured fact.
Why this unSeemly haste to establish
| a medical department of the university
| at time when there was no funds with
| which the work might be decently and
| regularly accomplished?
The president of the university is re-
| ported to have said that "he hoped by
| establishing medical department to at
| once stamp out of existence the various
| mushroom colleges of the state.' A
| worthy object, doubtless, but did he ex-
| pect to accomplish the real end in view.
| medical department which should
rival that of Harvard, by building on the
| foundation of a medical college which
| had sold its professorhips to the highest
bidder, college which had been no.
| toriouS for the absence of entrance ex-
| aminations, for the shortneSS of its
terms of study, for the lightness OF its
which its diplomas were acquired;
college, moreover, which had depoSed
| an able professor who had sufficient
honesty to refuse to pass some
especially Unqualified candidates for
| graduation? Did he honestly expect to
establish medical department which
should command the respect of the pro-
| fesSion with professors who had been
| guilty of publishing in the newspapers
testimonials from their patients Ia
| the quack doctor, physicians who had
employed
CANvAssERs TO SOLICIT PATRONAGE?
No member of the board of regents
who has an intelligent appreciation of
professional standards can fail to be
| aware of the great blunder which has
been perpetrated There certainly are
some men on the board whose training
has been such as to leave them no eX-
cuse. 1t is charitable to believe that
| they formed virtuous minority who
| were outvoted.
1t is unfortunate that the educational
interests of the state should be made
foot ball for unprincipled politicians; it
is especially unfortunate that the uni
versity, and most of all its scientific de-
| partments, should be thus abused The
hypocritical character of the preten-
tions of the men who have succeeded in
! dipping the regents is evidenced by the
] ahSa,a.n from, tho Lief Of aIa,ani, Of