Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-25
REPLY TO DR.. MCGUIRE.
The Faculty Of the Medical College or
virginia Answer His Letter Of the 18th.
(Communicated.)

The Faculty Of the Medical College Of
Virginia Answer His Letter Of the 18th.
(Communicated)
RICHMOND, VA. March q. 1894
The Faculty OF the Medical College Of
Virginia considers 1t to be unbecoming
for 1t to engage In newspaper controversy
and its reply to DR.. Hunter McGuire's
article Of the 18th instant Will be as brief
and simple as II can be made. OF the
Mushbach letter, which originated the
controversy. we shall say no more. That
1t was most dlscreditable to Dr. Mcclure.
and that the bold face which he assumed
In attempting to defend Il has not ayailci
him, all must see. To disprove the as
sertion OF DR.. Mcclure that the State
appropriation. or some part OF 1t, Is d.
vided among our faculty. we submit the
following statement: The Medical Col
lege OF Virginia is a State institution. and
holds its chartered existence and all
its property at the pleasure Of the Legis-
lature. The Legislature appoints its visit
ors, with only the limited power to the
Governor to fill vacancies that may occur
by death, resignation, or otherwise. The
Legislature has continuously made an
annual appropriation for its maintenance
The dean Of the faculty is its executive
officer. He receives from the Auditor this
appropriation, and receipts for II. II is
disbursed by him on the approval OF the
faculty. IL Is designed to meet such ex-
penses as Insurance, clerks and janitors,
salaries and wages, water, gas, fuel,
stationery and printing, the purchase OF
apparatus for the illustration OF lectures,
repairs. and permanent improvements.
Annually the dean makes a report to the
Board OF Visitors State officers, who
carefully audit and pass upon his ac-
counts. The board in turn, as Is re-
quired by law, makes It's report 10 the
Superintendent Of Public instruction, and
the same is embraced in his printed re-
port, a State document. and thus becomes
accessible TO every taxpayer in the State
1t is thus within the power OF any in
quirer 10 acquire full knowledge of how
this appropriation Is disposed OF. AS
matter OF fact the appropriation TO the
college Is rarely sufficient to cover the
items Of expense for which it Is designed.
and has nearly always to be supplement-
ell by an assessment on the private
funds Of the faculty. The deficits Of the
past ten years 10 January l. 1881. have
amounted 10 over $1,000. and this sum
has been made up by the faculty. al
though 1t was rightly chargeable 10 the
state. The appropriations for the en-
suing year and the next following have
not yet been expended. but when they
are the public will know what becomes
Of the money. II it cares to peruse the
report OF the Superintendent OF Public
Instruction. We would add that II there
is ever any portion Of this appropriation
left uneXpcnded In any one year, the
same IS not divided among the profess
sors but is held 10 be used along with
subsequent appropriations. as the pub
lishcd report OF the Superintendent OF
Public Instruction will show.
To maintain his charge that our faculty
intended 70 divide the state appropriation
among themselves, DR.. Mcclure has
drawn into the discussion the strictly per
sonal and private affairs of one OF our
colleagues. an Improperly much 10 be re-
GREETED. but by Or. Mcclure rather than
by us. Professor NJ L. James, who IS the
gentleman to whom he refers. authorizes
us to say that whatever infcrences may
have been drawn by the merchant, DR..
James afilrms that he had no wish roi
expectation that any money would be paid
10 his order out OF any funds derived from
the States approx Xiation; nor did he de
sign TO make such an impression on tn
mind Of the merchant. The order only
referred 10 the money collected from thu
students. whenever in the future Their
might be a sufficient amount Of such fund
derived from the students in the hand
Of the dean TO divide among the pro
fcssors When applied to by the mer
chant. the dean without hesitation d.
cline1 either officially or personally L
take cognizance Of the order. there no;
being in his hands money thus derive
g. l. 1..rafu
the professors" The action OF our dear
IS an all-important part Of this trans
action, tn mention OF which Or. Nc
CURE. in justice 20 us. should not hav,
suppressed IN his account - the matter
pr. McGuivc's assertion that our faculty
oncc-some years ago-appealed to tn
LEGISLATURE % exempt its students from
going before the state Medical EXaminne
Board Is .rcOrr-ct. It-was not the faculty.
but the students who appealed FOR the eX-
cwp'iOn from this supplementary eXam-
nation, AMI not for themselves only. brt
for the students Of all the Virginia medi-
eel schools. The charge that the faculty
. melted its students o. insult the oppo-
n-uts Of the measure Is surprising to us
We never heard Of il before. and as far
as the present faculty knows. is alto
r,thcr urfounlcl Two or three OF our
faculty were in favor Of the students
petition for r-asons which At that time
s. mod valid but which no longer exist.
bat az least one Of the faculty addressed
the legislative committee in opposition to
H. AMI the action Of the faculty as a
body was also in opposition to It. as is
shown b. an official letter from the
faculty 20 Or. W. 9. Dabney, presil mt
Of the state Medical Examining Board.
in which this fact is plainly stated. We
shall be pleased 10 show this letter 20
any one interested in it. or 10 publish Il.
If requested. For further proof Of the
correctness Of our staten nt we refer TO
the report OF Or T. ,. Moore. chairman
Of the Committee on LEGISLATION. relating
TO the VI deal Examining Board. made TO