Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-16


are no schools in the Union that are
granting diplomas to a better class,
whether judged by social, mental or
educational standard, than the two
medical schools in San Francisco and
the one in Los Angeles. Many of us
the majority of us-graduated at East
ern institutions, but we realize that you
have had many advantages that we knew
not of, and that we must soon yield our
places. Every man here, who has
graduated at a California school, has in
his diploma something which places
him out distinctively above the great
mass of American physicians.
Young men of the Golden State, you
are, in fact, California physicians, we
hail and salute!
/ believe in some forms of protection.
The American orange should be pro-
tected, the American raisin should be
protected, and, in my opinion, the
American physician should be protected.
We, as physicians, do not desire any
protection, except that holders OF for
eign diplomas who come to America
shall not be allowed any greater privi-
leges than are accorded abroad to Amer
lean physicians.
The University of Berlin has recently
refused to recognize any medical di-
plomas from United States medical col
leges, and it has been announced that
any American physician desiring to prac-
tice medicine in Prussia must first take
a regular course in German college.
"The French Minister of Public Instruc-
ton has declared officially that here
after foreign doctors shall submit their
diplomas to the judgment of the French
Faculties, which would then decide
whether they were on a parity with
those granted to French practitioners
Furthermore, foreign medical men
should be required to undergo the final
examinations to which French candi-
dates for qualification to practice have to
submit themselves"
One-sixth of the physicians of Califor-
MIA are from foreign lands and graduates
of foreign schools, and some of them are
excellent physicians, but l would like to
see the next Legislature provide for an
examining board, no member of which
should belong to the faculty of Califor-
MIA college, whose duty it would be to
require each person who applied for
license, with foreign diploma as his
credential, to pass an examination
equivalent to the final examinations of
our California colleges.
The old fight between regulars and
homeopaths has about exhausted itself.
Real physicians have something else to
do. Life is too short. The beam and
the mote idea, and a personal applica-
ton of the golden rule are now influence
ing the minds of intelligent physicians.
No longer will one of our regular sur
geons refuse to perform Cesarian sec
tion on distressed woman, or ira
cheotomy on choking child, because a
homeopath had first been called.
Humanity has some claims on the
skillful oculists, gynecologists and sur
geons, that are higher and stronger
than, the adamantine walls of prejudice
that divide schools. l know of one
regular medical journal that has been
published for four years, and has never
contained bitter word against a homeo-
path, but l regret to say that every
homeopathic journal in America, still,
to some extent, keeps up awindmill war
fare. If the time devoted to mutual
abuse had been spent in introspection
and scientific investigation, the world
would have been much better off.
In discussing medical education, DR.
Lindley quoted the views of DIR. J. P
Widney, made public two years ago, and
continuing, said that he thought ply
sicians were becoming more abstemious
each year. He advised every young
physician to dispense, as far as possible,
his own medicines. He said:
In urging this method upon the young
physicians of today, l am also speaking
in the interests of our patients, whose
welfare, both physical and financial,
should always be uppermost in our
minds. Frequently the medicines,
which would cost the physician but a
few cents, and could be administered
Immediately, were the doctor his own
dispenser, will cost the poor patient,
who takes the prescription to a drug
store, dollar or more, and delay, some
times for hours, the administration of
the needed drug. Those OF us who have
in years Of practice acquired the almost
unconquerable habit of writing pre-
scriptions should see to it that our
patients are sent to druggists who are
both honorable and educated, and who
will not try to substitute their own ad-
vice for that of the physician.
While in many ways the human race
is progressing, and while the world is
more temperate and charitable than in
ages past, yet in many things we are
really retrograding. Particularly is this
the case in regard to the Importance of
raising healthy children.
The Spartan woman's business was to
be the mother of brave and robust chill
dren. This was one of the principal
points observed by Plato in his "Philo-
sophical Republic" He proposed that
the most excellent among the men
should be joined in marriage to the
most excellent among the women; and
the inferior citizens matched with the
inferior females; and that the offspring
of the first should be brought up and
the offspring of the others should not.
Yet today the great majority of mar
riages are made without any thought or
idea of the character or vigor of the off
spring that are to result therefrom.
Recently, the State Board of Health,
perceiving the contagious nature of
tuberculosis, have requested all Superior
Judges, before sentencing a prisoner to
the State penitentiary, to have him ex-
amined by the County Physician in
order that special measures may be
taken to prevent the contraction Of this
disease by other criminals. This move
ment we all applaud. But if the lives
and health of these malefactors are so
important, are not the lives of those
who do not balonO to tba cri M po1 olo ouoo