The times., 1898-11-03
MEDICAL SUPERVISORS
First Annual Report Made to
the Commissioners.
MANY RECOMMENDATIONS
Licenses to Physicians Divided Into
Three Series-Want a Fixed place
for MeetinK-Ask for nm Assign
ment of Policeman TO Report
Violations of the Law.


The annual report of the board of medi-
cal supervisors was yesterday submitted
to the District Commissioners, showing
the extent of the work coming under their
jurisdiction during the last fiscal year.
The board was organized in accordance
with the act of Congress approved June
8, 1896. entitled, IAN act TO regulate the
practice of medicine and surgery. to IL
cense physicians and surgeons and TO
punish persons violating the provisions
thereof in the District of Columbia"
The report reads, in part as follows:
Licenses to physicians have been issu-
ed in three series, in order to comply with
the provisions of the act. Licenses of
series A have been granted to those phy-
slcians who were registered In the health
office prior to the passage of the law.
to the number of ten hundred and seven
ty-four. Thirty-four applications were de-
cined, and two are awaiting action. The
board has received seven applications for
licenses under series B, which licenses
are granted only TO physicians who
change their residences to the District of
Columbia from States and Territories
where medical laws and examining boards
exist provided that such medical laws
and examining boards grant equal rights
and recognition to the licentiates of the
board of medical supervisors of the Dis
trict. So far as it has been possible to
ascertain. no State or Territory has. to
the present time, complied with this re-
quirement, though this board, in its cor
respondence with the officers of other ex
amining boards. has generally announced
its willingness to reciprocate with any
boards requiring an equal standard; and
1t has also expressed its regret that the
laws under which a majority of the
boards throughout the States are organ
iZed. have no provision for the exchange
of certificates. We believe that the free
exchange of certificates between the diff
ferent boards would remove the only OBJ
lection to the existence of local examining
boards, and would also elevate the stand
ard Of medical education.
'Eighty-six applications for licenses of
series C, granted only after examination
Of the applicant, were received. OF this
series forty-two licenses have been is
sued, twelve failed to meet the require
ments, and twenty-six were certified TO
the examining boards for examination in
July. Under the authority to grant IL
censes for the practice of midwifery, the
board. in order to meet the requirements
of the law, has issued the licenses in two
series, the first to those who were regis
tered at the health Office prior to the
passage of the act, and the second to
those who were examined by the board.
OF the first series, ninety-five licenses
were issued, most of them under protest,
because of the acknowledged ignorance
of many of the applicants, who could
neither read nor write, and, consequently,
could not comply with the rules found
necessary in the registration OF vital sta
tistics and of the report of contagious
diseases. The board has authorized but
one examination for midwives, and the
report from this has not been received
at the close of the year.
AS the board is without fixed place of
meeting, or proper provisions for hold
ing its examinations, X would ask that
room be assigned for its official meet
ings, with facilities for the preservation
of its records.
TT is further recommended that provi-
sion be made in one or more of the hos
pitals supported in part by the District
of Columbia, for the education of mid
wives. 1t is recognized that in the pres
ent stage of social development their SER
vices are necessary.
"The board also recommends that there
be detailed from the Metropolitan Police
a special officer, whose duty it shall be
to investigate and report to the proper
authorities violations of the law regard
ing physicians and midwives The board
has never held itself responsible for vio-
lations of the law, nor regarded their in
vestigation as one of its duties, therefore
no record of arrests has been kept. That
the law is being violated is certain, but
because OF the difficulty in obtaining
evidence, and the seeming lack of appre-
citation of the value of the rigid enforce
ment of the law, but few arrests have
been made. We believe that the services
of specially detailed officer would add
greatly to the protection afforded the
community 1t is understood from the
presidents of the board of dental ex-
aminers, and of the commissioners of
pharmacy, that they would join in this
recommendation and ask that the same
officer perform like Office with regard to
the laws under which they act"
Following is the result of the exami-
nations held by the board prior to June
80 last:
Applicants failed presenting diplomas
from the Baltimore Medical College, L.
| Columbian University. 3; Hahnemann
| College, Chicago, l. Jefferson Medical
College, 4; National University, ~ Pulte
Medical College, /; Washington Univer-
sity, Baltimore. l.
Applicants passed presenting diplomas
from the College of Physicians, Column
bian University, l: Columbian University,
| II: Howard University, 6: Medical College
| of Ohio, 2; Pulte Medical College, l: Uni
versity of Georgetown. s.: University of
| Leipzig, 1; University of Maryland, 4; Uni
versity of Minnesota 1; University of the
| City of New York, l; University of Penn
| sylvania, 1, University of Rome. Italy, l.;
| University of Virginia. /; University of
| Wurzburg, one applicant withdrawn; the
Columbian University, Detroit Medical
| College and the University OF Geneva one
| applicant each withdrawn.
One applicant from the University of
| Maryland waiting examination.
| One applicant from the National Nor
NAL University refused admittanee to ex-
animation.
FEWER LIQUOR LICENSES.