The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-18
DR.. INQUIRE REPLIES
TO THE LETTER or THE FACULTY OF
THE VIRGINIA MEDICAL COLLEGE
He Refers to His Letter to Senator Mush-
bach and Answers the Charges Made
Against Him In Detail.
lCommunicated.)

communication from the dcui'5
the Medical College of Virginia III 'n9
morning papers Of this city, re" Gay ?
ego. should have had an earlier reply.
have, however doubted whether | ought
to notice it at all, but have coneluueo
that justice 10 myself demands an answer
10 It's various allegations.
With respect TO the larger poruoh VI
the communication, which is mere VIII
peration. my readers will not, know e~-
pect me TO reply in kind"
The text of the Facultys discourse Is
a letter which sent to Senator Mushoaen
and | will add here. TO several otner
prominent members of the Virginia Legs
lature.
The following is a copy Of that letter;
Hunter Mcclure, 5ls east Grace.
Richmond, Va, March !, 1884.
NV Dear Senator,--I see from the pa
pers that the Finance Committee of the
senate and the House have advised the
annropriation Of 5000 TO the Medical
College Of Virginia No sick poor are
| TO be cared for with this money. or poor
| men 10 be educated, but this sum is 70
go 10 a dozen doctors. and added 70 the
fees they now get from their class ms
college has already 500 900 of State prop
erty, and pays no rent or tax. The senate
| Finance Committee declined, a. you
know. 10 help the sick poor Of the State
by a small appropriation, but now can
| give 5000 TO help the salaries Of ten
or twelve Richmond physicians. Cover IT
up by words in any way you please, II
simply amounts 10 this. Can't you stop
II? Very truly yours,
HUNTER MCGUIRE.
Hon. George ~ Mushbach.
p. S.-One per cent. on the value OF the
buildings. or $500, amply covers insurance
and repairs. according 10 all real estate
agents. and this the college should bear
themselves
So far as / can analyZe the Facuitys
comments on this letter, they charge
first. that il does not convey the ruin
second. that IL was a concealed uhdeI-
handed act on my part; and thlrd' lhat
the motive which prompted II was one
Of hostility 70 the Medical college, OF
Virginia.
These are the main charges given IN
the order OF their Importance. ana nave
been crystalized with pains-taking care
from the confused wording in which they
were enveloped.
The first charge that my letter does
not tell the truth, has reference 10 me
statement il contains, that the money
appropriated by the State goes TO
dozen doctors. and is added to the ices
they now get from their class. Inc
Faculty could have at once refuted TINS
assertion by a simple statement Of the
disposition they make Of the money lney
certainly had abundant space In their
communication 10 give this very simple
ana all-important explanation. They alb
solutely fail to do so, and the strong
denials and dogmatic assertions with
which they try 10 cover up the omission,
but display their weakness.
/ was for some wears member or the
Faculty Of the Medical College Of Virginia,
and therefore know that the remunera-
ton of the professors is derived from a
division Of the net profits Of a session.
The receipts Of the institution are the
fees received from students; the disburse-
ments are the necessary running expenses
of the college. and the difference between
the two represents profit or loss
II the State makes an appropriation
which pays the expenses Of the college
does not it make the total receipts OF the
college a net profit 10 be divided among |
the professors? II the State makes an
appropriation which more than pays the !
expenses of the college. is not the ex-
cess added 10 the fees received from the |
class and divided among the individuals |
composing the faculty?
ANY business man knows that de-
duction from the debit side Of an account |
is the same thing as an addition to the
credit side and It does not matter IN
the slightest degree on which side of
the college ledger the entry of the States
money is made. the result is the same;
the income Of its teachers is directly in
creased. Charity demands that we be-
lieve that these persons have never seen
exactly how they got their money. 1t
is amazing that they should have ina
gined their readers equally blind.
If there remains any doubt about this
matter, the following incident will set
tie il:
one Of the Faculty Of the Medical Col
lege of Virginia, a full-fedged professor.
not a sub, or an adjunct, was in debt
TO a prominent merchant OF this city.
Sometime before the last appropriation
was made TO the college, the creditor i'm
portuned him for the money. The pro-
fessor could not then make payment, but
said that his college had a bill before
the Legislature, which ne felt certain
would pass. that If IL did his portion
would be a certain sum, and he not only
pledged his word, but he gave the mer-
chant a written order to turn over so
much Of this money to pay part Of his
debt.
1 think further consideration of the
first charge will hardly be needed.
The second charge is that my letter
was a blow dealt by hidden hand.
They have seen the open hand and felt
It too not only on this occasion, but in
other instances
! wrote the letter, above published. 10
several members OF the Legislature on
paper stamped with the number OF my
and over my own signature.
II my name when called for was re
uctantly revealed" 1t was done so by
he gentleman to whom i had written,
md not by me. l was not present, and
he implication that / was hiding my
lame and lodging responsibility is not
by the facts, nor in any sense
~ the truth. The day after the let
er was read, | received a note from the
senator asking permission to give IL 10
he Faculty. who had demanded il. /
eturned an answer by the boy: "Yes,
~ all means, II they want it,"
1t is a common custom in this State
or gentlemen not members Of the Legis-
allure, but interested in some special
measure before that body, 10 write
o their friends or representatives, Civ
ne suggestions or advice These gen. I
lemen frequently have had more oppor- !
unities of knowing more about the merits j
4 the bill before the Legislature than I
he members themselves. I
The third charge is that the motive OF C
1y letter was one OF hostility 10 the +
Iedcal College Of Virginia. l do not Il
hink this is exactly the way to state S
ny feelings toward that institution. | i
ave often felt ashamed OF il. and AT II
ne time when its Faculty appealed 10 q
he Legislature 10 exempt their students /