The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-24
WAR AMONG THE DOCTORS.
ST. JAMES DISPENSARY A CASUS
RELLI IN THE MEDICAL SOCIETY.


The DiSPcnsary Physicians Attacked
For the Prominence which They
Have Obtained in Connection With
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. With the
Crime of "Advertising''-A Warm
Discussion Mt the Meeting OF the
Society Last Night, But No Definite
Action Taken.
The st. James dspensary, which was
recently established on the west SIDE OF
the city by a number of physicians, for
the treatment of poor patients, has proven
a bone of contention in the Georgia Med
ical Society.
The discussions upon the subject at the
recent meetings of the society have be-
come so warm as to threaten its disrup-
ton, or, at least, a serious diminutiOn in
It's ranks. The several articles published
in the Morning News announcing the es-
Establishment of the dispensary and out
lining its work, together with some ac
count of its progress, have been made the
ground of attack upon the physicians who
compose the dispensary staff.
The other members of the society appear
to think that the physicians of the dis
pensary have gained a large amount of
advertising by reason of their connection
with it. and that they have been guilty
of permitting the free use of their names
in publications concerning the institution.
Advertising of any kind is an unspeaka-
BILE crime in the eyes of the members of
Al nh
fession which prohibit physician from
attracting public attention to himself in
any way are nowhere more highly regard
ed or more rigidly enforced than in Sa-
vannah, and the Georgia Medical Society
is rigid exponent of this code of ethics.
Back of the advertising, so-called, which
was gratuitously given the physicians con-
nected with the dispensary, without So
licitation on their part, by the Morning
News, and without any intention Of max
ing them conspicuous in the eyes of the
public to their own advantage, is a good
deal more 1t is well known that the dis
pensary has been regarded with a degree
of suspicion and jealousy from the start.
In some quarters ii was looked upon as a
rival of the hospitals. Physicians not
connected with the enterprise criticised 1T
as likely to interfere with the work of the
younger physicians who must de-
pend largely for the prac-
tice, and 10 some extent for
their income, upon the poorer classes. 1t
was said that many people who were able
10 pay and who would pay otherwise,
would go to the dispensary and by the pay
ment Of a nominal fee secure attention
which they could only have secured other
wise by the payment of the regular fees
to practising physician. 1t was also
pointed out that the dispensary physicians
would gain valuable experience by reason
of the number of cases brought to their
attention, and that for the same reason
their conferes not connected with the
dispensary would be deprived to a large
extent of this experience. To put the
whole matter in nutshell, the physi-
clans who organized the dispensary were
regarded by their brethren not connected
with the institution, as altogether too en-
terprising. The publications i'm the Morn
ing News merely served to furnish an ex-
cuse to bring the issue before the medical
society
The discussion at a recent meeting grew
so warm that a serious collision between
well known members is said to have been
avoided with difficulty
The society met last night in the build
ing of the Georgia Historical Society. 1t
was understood that this question would
be the principal topic of discussion and
the meeting was largely attended. There
was a lengthy debate as to the response
blllty OF the dispensary physicians for GER
tam publications which appeared in the
Morning News. The debate was quite
warm at times, but there was no clash
The physicians charged with seeking self
advertisement denied the charge most en-
phatically and some of them are said to
nave denied having given authority for
certain publication attributed to them
The discussion concluded without any ac-
ton being taken, there being no one pres
ent, 1t was said, who cared to prefer
charges against the dispensary doctors. 1t
Is not likely that this will be the last of
the matter. A great deal of i'll feeling has
been aroused and the usefulness of the
society may be seriously injured.
1t is possible that one of the results of
the agitation may be the es establishment
OF another dispensary on the other side
of the city by physicians not connected
with the ST. James dispensary
The staff of the st. James dispensary
is composed mainly of prominent young
physicians. In justice to them it should
be stated that each time their names were
published in the Morning News il was
without any knowledge or solicitation on
their part, nor were they responsible for
the comments made upon the dispensary
and its work.
INJURED CYCLISTS IMPROVING