Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-29
Pauline Pry's Experience With a
So-called Medical College.
A NEWLY INCORPORATED UNIVERSITY
To Get a Diploma in a Few
Months Time.
DEFECTS IN THE LAWS


have another university, that it's incorpo-
ration has already been effected and that
on October S-inside of ten days-it is to
open its doors to students, cannot but ex-
cite lively interest In those who view
Washington as city of universities.
According to the brief announcement
made, this new university is to be called
the Hahnemann Homeopathic University
1t is to occupy a building at ABB X street
northwest. 1t is to have a faculty of
learned doctors. Students are to be grad
uated after course of four years study
all of which would mark another step in
Washington's educational progress if two
important events had not occurred.
First, a representative of The Evening
Star has arranged with the new university
to secure a diploma and become fully
equipped practicing physician at the end of
one year.
And, second, the Washington Homeo-
pathic Medical Society, through their at
torney, John Ridout, will today apply to
the Equity Court for an injunction against
the alleged university.
The operations of the proposed univer-
sty are best explained in the story of
Pauline Pry," who investigated it for The
Star.
Pauline Pry's Story.
The fool Of the family has a great oppor-
trinity in Washington. If he won't preach
and can't get married for a living, he can
pi actice medicine.
/ know this to be fact, because / have
taken the preliminary steps in the practice
of medicine myself l have matriculate in
the "Hahnemann Homeopathic Universi-
ty," the dean of which has promised to give
me the degree of NJ. ID. and diploma at the
close of the first session next spring. Thus,
though up to date l know nothing Of medi-
cine except what / have casually learned
frcm an encyclopedia, dictionary or al
manac in less than a year l shall be a
full-hedged physician, II nothing happens.
To be sure. something has happened. The
Washington Homeopathic Medical Society
today petitioned the court to issue an in
junction restraining the Hahnemann Ho-
meopathic University from doing business.
But even in the event Of the success of this
move, l am not without resources. shall
simply give up the thought of studying
medicine at all. l shall just hang out a
doctors sign. and trust to luck to escape
a killing or dodge the coroner.
Laxity of District Laws.
You see. by a benefcent provision of the
laws of the District of Columbia, a person
need not know anything to practice medi-
cine here. There Is no medical board to
examine or license him-no possible means
by which anybody can find cut how little
he knows. If, perchance, he loses a patient
but that is another story. In the states
the mere practicing of medicine without a
license is counted misdemeanor. and you
may work the cures of Galen, It's all the
same-sOmething like $3.50 or ninety days, or
both, at the discretion of the court. Here,
Isv,er .oto do
Is to open an office. l went to the health
office yesterday, and said: Il wish to prac
tice medicine in Washington. What must
do to satisfy the requirements OF the law!
WELL you must open an office the first
thing said the gentlemanly clerk. ''Of
course you Can practice medicine forever
in Washington without reference to the
law, so long as you don't Kill anybody.
Then you would need to have diploma
and BE- registered at the health office. 9th
erwise, your certificate of death would not.
be recognized, and We would turn you over
to the coroner. The safest thing is to reg
lister. But before you register, you must
have your office and begin practice. Then
bring down your diploma when you come
to register, and that's all there is to it,"
Being thus officially satisfied that, though
not an essential, diploma is, nevertheless,
a handy thing to fall back on In the prac-
tice of medicine, l cast about for some
thing in this line, and hit upon what l be-
lieve to be a bargain.
A New College.
Thursday mornings papers contained the
announcement that the Washington Hahne-
mann Homeopathic University had been in
corporated by the trustees, Charles A.
Massie, president; Joseph c. Ellis. AM,
MD, dean; w. w. Baker. MD, Thomas
Robinson, LIB, Md, II. Conner Ellis. Nj.
D., William E. Quicksall and Philip Recher,
MD. The papers went on to state that
ha of university IN
medicine in all It's branches and to have
ali the provisions for education possessed
by a university for teaching the minor and
major branches and for instruction in the
preliminary and advanced studies required
to confer the degrees Of AM, C.E, Pho,
Ph.D., LIB, LID, MD. and DDS. The
university will have a dispensary and hos
0ital attached. A suitable building. has
been secured at 423 X street northwest,
which will be opened October g. Joseph
Cannon Ellis. AM, Md, dean, wilA make
the opening address,"
This announcement seemed to me to
promise good thing In the way Of a med
ical education, and l speedily sought the
university building X street. 1 found
there a large, solemn red brick house, con-
venient to an undertakers shop across the
way, but having about 1t no sign of life.
Tfere was a sign beside the front door,
but it read: For Rent-$i0.J 80 a month"
l had expected that an Institution of the
scope of this one would have at least an
odor of iodoform in the air, If it did rot
have ready week before the opening any
other feature of the necessarily elaborate
equipment of a university, dispensary and
hospital combined. In my disappointment
/ turned to the trustee named in the pa
pers. whose place of business was nearest
at hard. This was Wm. +. Quicksall, in
Holtzman's real estate Office. Mr.. Quick
sail, however assured me that he knew
nothing whatever of the Hahnemann Ho-
meopathic University or its incorporators,
and was at loss to understand how his
name had come to be connected with it.
mo one has any authority to so use my
name" he said "and I'll look into the mat
ter"
Some Information Obtained.
When / applied at the Office of the dean
of the university. DR.. Joseph c. Ellis, 145j
1ith street, 1 learned that the VIM. E.
Quicksale associated with the university is
nephew of DIR. Ellis wife, who has not
yet arrived in town. 1 learned further
more. that DIR. Ellis wife, whose sign, hung
above her husbands outside their door,
reads, "Dr. Hannah c. Ellis is the H.
Conner Ellis, NJ. D., of the university board
of trustees and inco-porators. She is also
secretary and treasurer of the university
DIR. Hannah Conner Ellis told me that
she is a graduate of the National Homeo-