The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-20

i
A controversy similar to that between
local physicians and tho health authorities
ia in progress Ia the City of New York
and the former are disturbed to know
where they are at, much IS some OF
| our Providence physicians appear to be.
The sccuracy OF diagnosis is plainly an
important hug. When a physician has
reason to doubt his own judgment we TO.
iieve IT is customary for him to call In
ano thsr doctor and hold q consultation
and 1t has oftcn seemed to US to be the
fact that no class Of men brs so modest
about asserting themselves as are our oc.
tors. The more able and the more exper.
fenced the pbysicsiu l., as il has seemed
TO Us, the more cheerfully disposed he
usually is TO admit that he may not
"know it ALL" ana to give bis patient the
advantage OF all the advice and assistance
available from his fellows.
Recent events appear to have indicated
that nowadays the health boards in their
official capacity are assuming to be the
final authority on matters OF diagnosis,
not alone when the diagnosis may be in
dispute MS between several unofficial
physicians and not alone when the at
tending physician believes hts prob
lem so simple that there can be no rea-
sousble doubt as to the correctness of the
diagnosis. And this town has been re-
Gently treated TO public dispute as to a
case that an old and experienced physi-
eian had no hesitancy in declaring was
not diphtheria while the health board
was as strongly convinced that it was
oiphtherir. md whether il was or was not
there is no board Of srbiirstion to de-
eide between them. II the health board
10 to be admitted to be the official inter
prefer OF disease and the fiaal court Of
appeal ns to doubtful diagnosis, an
authority is to be set up that is entirely
n oyel and without modern precedent, an
authority that the ordinary physician
may CT may not he pleased to recognize
and to sustain sccor iing to his personal
inciinations.
The espseial case ip New York that has
created discussion was a disagreement on
entirely opposite lines from the recent
local case. That IL, the attending physician
diagnosed for diphtheria while the health
board was not convinced. And after the
family physician had administered anti
toxin, the alarming -cnndi,ion OF the
patient impslled him to co ahead on
his own hook while the health board
were prosecuting This examination of
cultures without being able to reach de- !
cision, and the patient was restored to
feslth. following tho treatment IL not
assuredly because OF 1t, q mem ber OF the !
board told the family that there had been |
no diphtheris and the physician was re.
fused his fee.
Commenting on this controversy our
esteemed contemporary, The Medical |
Record, declares without ALLEGATION that
In lise unfortunate instances "wheu it is
\ question between the clinical and the
bacteriologic showing-espscislly that Of
he beard OF health unsupported by other
rule must 30 that "ths
,Iiuical diagnosis should stand" And
hen 1t adds, more az q professional word
'f warning than involving any great
pat theological principle, "In any case,
oo. 1t would be far better for the
continued existence of harmony between
physicians and the board that the latter
should refrain from expressing diagnoatic
opinions to the layman, but should con-
inc their communications, as Tar AZ pos
ible, to the physician in attendance"
In the Providencs case 1t will be re-
,slled the health authorities declared 1t
% be diphthsris while the sttending
physician was sure that no diphtheria
existed. in this case, too, according to
he Medical Record, the ''clinicsl dag.
iosis should stand as against tho bacter-
ologic showing made by the board OF
'eslth unsupported by other examiua.
ion
Under date Of January 10, the American
Sosri has recfived letter from the Rev.
:. 5. Hume, OF Bombay, in which he
ays that the famine in Inda is an awful
act. asst sunday" he writes, az visited
famihe camp wne7e men. women and