New-York tribune., 1898-01-02
AID FOR PRIVATE MEDICAL CHARITIES.
VIEWS or DR. y. B. ST JOHN RoosA AS TO THE
ATTITUDE OF THE MEDICAL LEAGUE.

ATTITUDE OF THE MEDICAL LEAGUE
TO ,he Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: A d member OF the medical profession who
is not A member Of the Medical Leagu, am very
much obliged for the statement Of the secretary OF
that society published In your journal on the 2ith
inst I, may not remove all the apprehension and
Insapprchension'' OF a large number OF physicians
IN the cts who have heard and seen something
OF the Medical League. but it at least enables
many o. us 10 understand in part their point or
view
Ny own Information about the Medical League
Is chiefly obtained from a certain public mani
festation at a late meeting Of the Board OF EST
mate and Annortionmcut. and from llttle pook
iurportng % be a copy Of its constitution ano py-
laws At the meeting referred 10 the League op-
posed the donation % public moneys TO all private
Charities. ana especially 10 those connected with
medical schools colleges. With this view
think the general public as well as great ma
jority q the medical profession throughout the
city and country. takes issue. We believe with
Controller Fitch. that II is actually gam to the
city that private medical charities exist Nine
tenths Of the money which they spend is usually
obtained from gifts Of the benevolent. ana IN some
Instances this is supplemented by board PAID 10y
moderately poor inmates, and very small sunni
Individually but sometimes aggregatng large
amounts for medicines and surgical dressings
furnished cost or below IT, III private
charity and proper economical management VIII
90 tWO-tlrQs Of tie WORK, ] DeNeVe lne CitS N L
gamer ty experimenting II. so that that worh may
be properly carried on. Whatever the secretary
Of the Medical League may think, most o. us De-
leye that there IS class Of people. not apso'
lutely paupcrs nor poverty ty-stricken' that oe-
serve medical and surgical care, and that IL iS
better for them " they assist as far as theh
very limited means allow in securing the care
and medicines which they require. IheIc 10 !"
sradation In poverty, in wealth
Those cs Us who believe IN gifts 10 the private
charities by the city and State have also inc au-
thor.ty Of Joseph H. Choate president OF the 'ate
Constitutional Convention Of this State. ia an "u-
dress before that body Mr. Choate distinctly stated
n substance thGt the settled policy or INC So
was 10 DO large part Of its work entirely OF 'Sci
DJt that Il should also assist in the malitehh"0 u
private charities / DO not at all agree with sec
seiary Stewart in thinking TINT IL Is wroHS ~ s'e
public money TO medical colleges. Nei'hei az
ulnk that the public at large shares MS view i
legislature Of the state 0: New YORK mas 0 "e'
efal occasions voted money 10 medcal o0"'e''
me city Of New-YorI has for years ~ i"'
'acuities for public medical teaching az ''S
P'nse on Bellevue Hospital and Charly Ii'''
rounds. For nearly a hundred years ', .
''OFerhment u George III. second mat u - ~ -.
-aa Independent State Of NewYork. g'ai"e
annual subsidy 10 the New-York Hosp''"'' - =
"as always been q private charity as D.
"u"e q surgical instruction. the e''.e u d,ca,
-''sana annually donates money 70 "'