The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-02
ROWS AMONG THE FRENCH
Caused by the Recent Publication
Regarding DR.. c. B.
Brigham.
THAT Physician Deprecates the Com
mittee's Action, but Says He
Must Strike Back.

The affairs of La Societe Franchise de
Renaissance Mutuelle, stirred up on
Washington's birthday, when Superinten-
dent Jules Wolff forgot to fly the Ameri-
can flag. are greatly in need of some de-
cisive action to settle them.
When the physicians to assume charge
of the French Hospital were chosen Drs.
De Marville and Meyer won the day by an
almost unanimous vote. At the same
meeting President WE'LL, who was advo-
eating the appointment of Drs. c. B.
Brigham and Boyd, resigned because Of
their defeat. Immediately ten of the
committeeman followed Mr.. Wells exam
pie and resigned also. 1t was their act of
electing De MarviIle which caused Mr..
WE'LL TO resign and as an amende honor
able they deemed it advisable to also re-
sign, claiming that they had cast their
ballot IN haste and without thought of the
consequences.
Since that time six men who resigned
withdrew their designations and are again
on the committee, and, Sunday last, there
was a big verbal battle at the general
meeting of the committee on the PROPOSE
ton of wiping out the candidates placed
in nomination to fill the vacancies and to
postpone the nominations.
But worse than ALL an address signed
by the nine committeeman in power ap-
peared In lie Franco Californian of Sunday
heaping abuse on DR.. c. B. Brigham as
justification for their action in defeating
him. The address, translated, appeared
yesterday morning in THE CALL. 1t re-
cites how DR.. Brigham, as surgeon-in-
chief, was persona non grata not only with
Superintendent Wolff of the French Hos
pital but that he was antagonistic TO every
one about the place-doctors, nurses and
the executive committee itself.
Furthermore, DR.. Brigham is accused of
working against the interests of the hos
pital and of doing many petty things
which are so little in accord with the
standing he has in this community that
they are startling.
Those accusations" said DR.. Brigham
yesterday, when interviewed, ''are posi-
tive falsehoods in the main. Still, l do
not wish to specify in detail where the I'M
truths are, because this is a controversy
into which l do not propose to enter. The
superintendent; yes, his name is Wolff, is
unprincipled, and he is not worth linger
ing upon. In time he will work his pres
ence to the surface, and then the socie-
taires will understand him better.
"As to my addressing my fellows IN the
medical fraternity, telling them that they
must furnish their own instruments in
case they desired to operate at the hos
pital | can only say this: The comm ittee-
men who worded the published address
have made a grave faux pas. Ny advice
to my confreres was dictated by the best
feeling. Twenty-one years ago / first be-
came attached to the French Hospital. At
that time we sent to Europe for $1,000 worth
of instruments. Four years later l quit
the hospital, and excepting occasionally
have not been there at all. Well, through
neglect and theft, the instruments have
gone wrong or have disappeared, and there
are not So worth of the original lot remain
ing. Certainly, additions have been made,
but they are not such as they should be,
and any reputable surgeon would not be
content to operate on a patient in the
French Hospital with the instruments
there. Hence my advice TO all physicians
to bring their own paraphernalia.
'In the address from this committee of
nine l am accused of instigatng the es-
arrangement Of DR.. Meyer because his earn
| ings as compared to mine for the benefit of
the hospital would be painful to me. All
1 have to say is, that the committee pre-
cedng this one removed DR.. Meyer The
committee believed DR.. Meyer had not
done what was the proper thing and he
was notified that his patients would no
| longer be accepted.
! But l do not wish to go more into de-
tail. The trouble is bad enough and l re-
greet that such mistake has been made as
to bruit the dissatisfaction that exists.
hope nothing more serious will come out
of this whole affair"