The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-25
DOCTORS DIDN'T LIKE 1T.
They Want to Know Who Told Their
Troubles.

The account in Yesterdays Morning
News of the differences in the Georgia
Medical Society was the sensation of the
day among the doctors.
The matter was so boldly and SO plainly
stated that the physicians could hardly
believe their eyes when they read the re-
port of their doings. Those who had been
so severe in their condemnation of news
paper notoriety on the part of physicians.
were horrified when they saw this appar-
ent breach of the rules coming Immediate
ly upon the heels of the sharp discussion
of the subject at the meeting of the So
ciety. .-
Who could have done it?" was
the question asked by physicians
wherever one met another. The natural
disposition was to attribute it to some of
the st: James dispensary physicians, who
had been under fire the night before. These
gentlemen had no difficulty in clearing
themselves, however. Only one of them
had been seen by a Morning News report
er, and he had emphatically declined to
give any information whatever concerning
the meeting. The physicians will have to
look elsewhere for the source. 1t was
freely said that the matter would be the
subject of a rigid investigation at the
next meeting of the society.
AS a matter of fact the article
was nothing more than a statement
of the situation, including the views
with regard TO the dispensary which the
physicians not connected with the insti-
tuition have been freely expressing ever
since the dispensary was established. The
object of the meeting of the society Tues
day night was not a secret by any means,
and after the meeting there was no diff
Guilty in ascertaining the fact that 1t had
proceeded according to the purpose for
which it had been called, and that 1t had
accomplished nothing. Still it is strictly
contrary to the rules of the society for its
proceedings to be given to The public,
and the members are wondering who could
have given away even that much. The
Morning News is not interested in the diff
ferences of the physicians, except as
matter of news, and so long as they
choose to agitate these differences and TO
discuss them with the public they may
expect to see them in print As a mat
ter of fact, the medical society has no.
been an harmonious body for some time,
and differences in its ranks as to medical
ethics are no new things.
The effect of the discussions which have
taken place in the society remain to be
seen.
The physicians who compose the fac
ulty of the st. James dispensary evidently
have no intention of abandoning the enter
prise. 1t is something of a hobby with
most of them and they do not propose
to be driven from a work which they
have undertaken in good faith. It is
a ~ no no he
tabIisment of other dispensaries, perhaps in
connection with the Savannah and Tel
fair hospitals.
Many of the older physicians are inclin-
ed to condemn dispensaries as tending to
demoralize regular practice and tending
only to the advantage of those physicians
directly connected with these institutions.
For these reasons they regard this work
as unethical and unprofessional.
There are number of these dispensa-
ries in the larger cities and doubtless much
good work is done by them, but their OPP
ponents say that the dispensary system is
now being condemned by the medical So
cieties and leading medical journals of the
larger cities as injurious to the best in
terests of the profession.
If a charge is made for treatment the
physicians who q are opposed to
the dspensary say then
the work is not a charity, and when
ridiculouSly low charge is made the dis
pensary is certain to be awaited of by per-
sons who are able to pay and who should
pay the regular fees
DR. George H Stone is president of the
medical society, and also a member of the
dispensary faculty. When seen yes
terday by Morning News re-
porter he explained that he was
a thorough believer in medical
ethics, which would prevent him from dis
cussing such matters for the newspapers
DR.. Stone said ne regretted that the dis
pensary had been the cause of any differ
ences in the society.