The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-14
WHEN DOCTORS DISAGREE.
New Haven Medical Society Members
 Have a Bout.

New Haven Medical Society Members Have a Bout.
 Dr. Frank F. BeckWith of 139 Church street was tried Wednesday night by
 the New Haven Medical society The
 charges were that on three occasions
 he had consulted with homeopaths or
 other doctors not approved by the so- ciety, in cases of sickness. The ho- meopaths mentioned in the charges are
 Dr. William P. Baldwin, pr. filling and Dr. Benjamin II. Cheney. The charges
 were preferred by Drs. Osborn and L. W. Bacon. ..
 pr. Joseph H. Townsend, president of
 the medical society, presided at the trial. The society numbers l30 mem-
 bers: and of these, fifty were at the trial. The members are allopaths and
 they voted long ago to hold no consul
 tations with homeopaths in medical
 cases.
 Some three weeks ago a list of physi- clans considered ineligible for consulta-
 ton with the members of the New Ha- ven City Medical society was drawn up by a committe of which Dr. Beck
 with was chairman, and presented to
 the society. This list naturally includ-
 ed the names of all the homeopathic physicians of the city, but to 1t was added that of Dr, B. Austin Cheney
 added that of Dr. E. Austin Cheney who is not homeopathic, but an old school physician and professor In the
 Yale medical school.
 His friends in the society, especially those who are with him in the faculty of the Yale medical school, ob-
 jected, saying that to place his name on this list was unjust. To this 1t was replied that he had consulted with homeopathic physicians. His friends argued that he was a specialist; his consultations were generally those of emergency, usually requiring opera tion. But this was Overruled, and Dr. Cheney's name was retained on the list. Dr. Cheney's friends alleged that Dr. Beckwith and other members of the so- ciety had consulted with homeopath- ists just in the same way. Hence the charges against Dr. BeCkwith, which were brought to test the consistency of i the society
 The retaliatory allegations were as stated, that Dr. Beckwith was not con- sistent, and had, to be more specific, violated in practice three times the so- ciety's rules and approved list for con-
 sultat tion. DTS. Osborn and l.. w. Ba- con, who made the charges, are mem bers of the society. They are also friends of Dr. Cheney, and would like to see him a member of the society. They are all Yale Medical school men. These doctors asked for the expulsion from the society of Dr. Beckwith on the ground that the approved consulta- ton list of the society does not contain
 the names of DTS. B. H. Cheney, filling ani Baldwin; that Dr. Beckwith had
 been at the society's meetings a strong advocate of this listand yet had ignored 1t in his practice. They asked there fore, for his expulsion from the socie- ty.
 The anti Beckwith and ro-Beckwith
 men had many a hot and heavy crosss-
 
 to Dr. Beckwith's alleged blackballing
 of Dr. B. H. Cheney when the latter
 sought admission to the society.
 The accused had five able defenders. Against him were three strong antag- onists.
 No denial was made of the allegations
 that on three cases he had consulted with Drs. Cheney, filling and Baldwin.
 The defence by his speaking friends was that the cases were of the emer- gency kind, and that therefore he
 should be eXonerated of any infractiOn
 of the society's rule and approved con- sultation list.
 At 11:15 o'clock the members got down to a motion to vote. The major
 ity report was put first and it received | thirty-three votes to seventeen. a two- thirds vote. That of course killed the minority report. Thus Dr. Beckwith | were exoneFated.