The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-04
NEW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Predicted by the President of the
American Association.

st. Paul. June 4.-The general meeting
of the American Medical association was
called to order today by President Chas.
a L Reed of Cincinnati, in the Metro
politan opera house Bishop WhippIe of
the Protestant Episcopal church deliv-
cred the opening prayer. Mayor Robert
A. smith expressed the city's welcome
to the convention. after which prelim-
mary reports of the committee on ar
engagements and of the executive com
mittee were read President Reed read
mis- annual report which was as follows:
The army reorganization law of the
last congress was inexplicable and in
excusab bic. 1t grades the medical de-
paTtment for rank promotion and in
consequence, for pay. below every other
department and special corps of the
army and with the exception OF second
heutenanrs it is graded below the line
In accordance with its provisions a
medical officer, to obtain a colonelcy,
must pass through three times as many
trials as an officer of either the quarter
masters. the subsistence or the pay de-
partments; more than twice as many as
an officer of engineers or Of ordnance
and nearly twice as many as an officer
OF the signal corps The effect OF this
discrimination is not only TO lower the
rank and pay of medical officers, but
must result in lessening the efficiency
Of the corps BY repelling men Of spirit
and worth.
When the congress. by the enactment
of law, degrades. relatively, the status
of an important body of medical men,
the status Of every physician in the
country, 1t becomes therefore the duty
Of every member of the medical profess
sion, Jealous OF his rights, his prerOga-
tives and the fair name he may leave
his children, to resent as personal be-
tween himself and every member of the
congress who voted for this law, the ac-
ton which cast stigma upon our pro
fession-
1t has been the conviction Of many
enlightened members Of the medical pro-
feSsi0n that the means employed by the
government for the protection and pro-
motion of the public health are capable
Of Improvement. The conditions today
are precisely the same as they We're 10
years ago.
The era of legislative control of medi-
cal practice came as the natural reac-
ton from the demonstrated failure 70 ac-
cOmpllSh the same result through Nolul-
tary organization. Mixed boards OF
Icensure are now to be found in the
majOrity OF the states of the union me
results Of the % years Of statutory reg
ulatiOn Of medical practice are in str1k-
ing contrast with the results Of the
quarter of century Of attempted reg
ulations by methods of prescription. The
proscriptive rule which prOpagated the
very evils it was intended to correct Is
rapidly expiring by limitation In the face.
OF new conditions that have been in
duced in spite of it, by benehcenI and
Catholic legislation
proclaim events proclaim. the exist
ence Of new school of medicine 1t is
as distinct from the schools Of fifty years
years ago as is the Christian dispense
ton from its pagan antecedents 1t IS
the product Of cOnvergent influences,
of diverse antecedent origin It acinowl-
edges no distinctive title, 1t heralds no
shibbOleth. It is a school of human toll
erance, of personal independence or
scientific honesty. Tt makes no procla-
nation of completeness no pretensions
to sufficiency. 1t recognizes that truth
is undergoing progressive revelation, not
ending today but continuing through the
ages It greets as a friend, him who
thinks though he think error, for. think
ing he may think truth and thereby
add to the common fund
During the morning session, DR.. PEN
nfngton of Chicago, presented to the
meeting a picture of the father of the
association. DR.. N s. Davis Of Chicago,
who is ST years of age and IS unable TO
attend this convention The picture will
probably be held in the custody of the
Chicago society