Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-18

be enacted. 70 warrant him In entering
a protest against II, as did IN my letter
10 Senator Mushbach.
But there was another motive which
prompted my action that possibly ought
70 be. but in truth am not ashamed OF:
During the past winter the Virginia
Hospital presented n bill to the Legisla-
turo which provided that under certain
restrictions the State should pay~the hos
pital for the care OF its sick poor at the
rate Of 81 per day. provided the maximum
amount paid for ouch services should not
exceed $1,000 n year.
silly College OF Medicine are two dis
unct corporations. they are conducted
under separate charters, are controlled
BIZ different boards OF directors. yet the
faculty Of the Medical College Of Wis
ginia feared the passage OF this bill
might help n rival school; they opposed
the bill. and by successful lobbying
caused its defeat. For men who from
purely selfish motives endeavored to de-
feat n measure which was meritorious
In its objects and Of practical value TO
the State. l felt as strong indignation as
men Of their calibre could be expected 10
excite.
Another reason inducing me to write
my letter was the strange fact that. be
sides the Blind, the Insane. and the Old
Soldiers. the Medical College OF Virginia
Is the only beneficiary Of the State.
II ed'cal college should not only be SELF
supporting but money-making enter
pr.ise IL has no claim on the charity OF
the State.
The University OF Virginia, the Virginia
Military Institute the colleges at Will
Iiamsburg and Blacksburg, who receive
State aid, all give certain free tuition to
students in return for their appropria-
tions. The Medical College Of Virginia, by
its own declaration, gives nothing.
Virginia makes no annual appropria-
lions, except the one In question, TO ald
schools teaching law or medicine. Al
the University Of Virginia natives OF
Virginia are given free tuition In the aca-
demic department.; but in the law and
medical schools full fees are required,
and these departments, instead or being
a loss TO the State, yield an annual reve-
nue. over and above all costs, when Is
turned into the treasury of the Cniver-
sity of Virginia.
TO all intents and purposes, the Medicaa
College of Virginia IL Il private corpora
lion. and run solely in the interests of
the professors, and. Notwithstanding this,
gers sI.iiU IL ltdf liOill iiI 'NNN~'
NV letter to the members OF the Legs
Ioture was not written In love for the
Medical College OF Virginia, but. contain
ing as il did the plainest business propo-
ton, IT was not necessarily offensive.
That IL should have called forth paper
so fiercey insulting In reply needs ex-
planation | hope that my readers VINO
are generally and very properly intole-
rant OF a row among doctors. Will pardon
me IL | try TO discover for them the
trne animus of this assault.
The medical College of Virginia, until
recently, was the only medical school IN
this city The number of its students mas
never been large. but for many years lus
teachers were men Of recognized apility'
and its graduates reflected credit upon the
State.
During the last few years, however, the
| college has slowly and gradually uetef"
rated has failed TO meet the demahus Vi
modern medical education, and has come
10 be regarded as a second-rate school.
last spring a number OF medical gem
tlemen, recognizing the need OF high
grade medical school in this city. or
ganized the University College OF Medi-
cine This institution is member or the
National Association of Medical Colleges.
requires a three-years' graded course Tor
graduation, and is equipped with all the
latest appliances for modern scientinc
teaching.
The new college had 1o5 students in this,
its first session. and the bitterness and
vindictiveness so plainly shown In the
letter from the faculty OF the Medical
College Of Virginia is largely due TO the
success Of their new and more powerful
rival.
a.. ehA
usual amount OF discretion. They hide
themselves behind the Faculty of the
Medical College OF Virginia." and no one
man seems responsible for the assault
upon me, but behind the rampant of a
corporation, they send out mis-statements
such as | an obliged to correct
In their whole mass OF confused YER
bage there is not one paragraph. scarcely
one sentence that tells 1.-The truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth
not one that does not express or leave
TO be implied, something not a fact. Some
of these have already called 10 the read
er's attention, but L will allude to a few
more.
The very caption Of II Is misleading.
"a Reply TO DR.. Hunter Mcclure" Implies
to the public that l had written TO them,
which Is not SO.
College OF Physicians and Surgeons, now
the University College of Medicine was
unwarranted and misleading. l had sim,
ply signed my individual name. They had
as much right 10 add tod my name medi-
cal director of an army corps, or any
other title l may possess. The college had
absolutely nothing to do with my letter
to Senator Mushbach. indeed, very, few,
IL any, of my colleagues knew that had
written IL.
Thes paragraph after my letter to Sena-
tor Mushbach is again disingenuous. 1t
says that i have had ample time to make
some kind of an explanation" &c. 1t inn
plies that / have been asked for an ex-
PLANTATION, which Is not so.
Referring TO the Virginia Hospital as
my private hospital, or the University
College Of Medicine as my private school,
is plainly untrue. ST. lakes Home is
my private hospital, and the Virginia
Hospital is no more my private hospital,
than is the Retreat for the Sick" or
the "Sheltering Arms" 1 have no more
interest, pecuniary or otherwise. In the
University College of Medicine than. any
other one professor and the faculty OF
the Medical College OF Virginia know It..
The language while the bill making the
usual annual appropriation TO the Medi-
cai College Of Virginia" involves a mis-
representation. 1t was not the usual
annual appropriation but very un-
usual one. The appropriation was orig
inalIy $780, which was avowedly given
TO pay the insurance and repairs on the
buildings, which are the property or
the State. This appropriation was In
creased to 5000. and this year 5000 has
been secured.
Before entered the faculty OF the
Medical College of Virginia, DIR. X. g.
Coleman filled the place now occupied
by DIR. c. Tomktns DR.. ID. II. Tucker
that by DR.. NJ. l.. James; Dr. Levin =
Joynes that lay DIR. II. ii. Levy; DR. -.
r.. Wexford that by DIR. John X. Up
shur; DIR. A. Il. Petticolas that by DR..
L. III. Bosher; DR.. Charles Bell Gibson
that by DIR. George Ben Johnson. For
the greater portion OF the time / was
In that school DR.. JONES was the dean
OF the faculty. Under these men, the
1880 year received from the State was
devoted 10 the insurance and repairs OF
the college and hospital buildings. ana