The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-12-03
WHY NOT LATIN?

the lay members, rule Wnlch says
that all examinations of physicians
must be in the English language. OF
course 1t is very plain that this parti-
cular rule was aimed at a particular
nationality which the doctors felt was
cutting into their practice and into
that of their brother physicians very
seriously In point of fact the Board
of Health was used as a trades union
mallet, to hit practitioners who were
not of the physicians race, though
they might be of their guild. 1t was
very undeserved blow, a very foolish
blow, and one which will seriously re-
coil upon the medical profession, and,
what is worse for us, upon the Board
of Health itself in spite of the lay pro-
test. Anything more narrow, or more
all advised has seldom been put before
our public.
OF course it is natural for any guild
or trade to seek self protection. This
is an essentially American idea. The
physician and surgeon has as much a
right to protect himself in his craft,
or profession, as a plumber has in his,
a lawyer has in his, or a bricklayer has
in his. For this protection, each uses
various methods. The medical legal
and other professions have, up to the
present, protected themselves by exam
ination and a heightened course of
study, extending variously from two,
three to even five and seven years.
Plumbers and bricklayers do not re-
quire such heightened preparation, but
those who belong to their unions now,
or their guilds formerly, have to go
through certain preliminary training
before they can reach the higher rungs
of the ladder. There is as much differ
ence between a bod carrier or a lime
mixer and, a full fiedged bricklayer, as
there is between a medical student and
a learned gentleman in full practice.
Early in the days of the profession,
if it could be called a profession
nearly six hundred years ago, the Bar
ber-Surgeons formed themselves into a
guild in London. 1t stands among the
Oldest though not the Oldest of that
city's charters. The Barber Surgeons
united themselves together for protec-
tive purposes in 1862. From those Bar
ber-Surgeons have sprung by indirect
descent the surgeons of the present
day, however humble the beginning
may have been, While the physician of
the present day is the direct descend
ent of the man who despised the Bar
ber-Surgeon, yet was himself no better,
and who has been completely beaten
by his despised colleague, for surgery
is now an absolute science, while medi-
cal science, so called, is largely en-
piricism, or at best is, in many cases,
series of doubtful experiments for
which the patient pays.
But to return. Though professions
and trades find the necessity of self
protection, and as has been shown the
Barber Surgeons say the necessity
near on to six hundred years ago, still
there is no record that The Star knows
of where the question of language was
brought in to prevent a man from
following his profession or craft. Citi-
zens wandered from work shop to work
shop, now in Germany, now in Italy.
learned from their fellow craftsmen, or
very frequently gave their fellow
craftsmen knowledge from the coun- |
tries whence they came. This is hardly |
necessary now, but. because a German
cannot speak English fiuently and so
as to be able to pass in every detail of
his craft, it does not debar him from
iT1g A1NA,. 90 a.. n
Union, or the Dock Laborers' Union in |
the United States.
With the medical profession it is !
otherwise. In medieval times there was
universal language among the So |
called learned. 1t was Latin. All ex- !
aminations, all controversies were car |
Iied on in that language. But that is a |
thlng OF the past. Doctors are not !
taught in Latin they may learn Latin, |
but most of them forget it before they |
have left College, and the balance of |
them few years after, save the resi-
dunn who are real and true scholars |
The residuum is small save, perhaps
in Germany, which retains more true |
scholarship in her universities than any
country in the world.
AS a fact medical examinations in |
the United States are conducted in |
English. Medical examinations in |
France are conducted in French Much |
of the medical examination in Germany
is conducted in German. OF course one |
might go on recapitulating other coun-
tries, but it is unnecessary. English |
though used by many millions of peo- |
pie, is by no means a universal Ian
guage. Now among the learned Latin |
is. 1t is a convenient method for |
scientific communication. But to say
that all examinations of physicians |
must be in the English langu-
age savors dreadfully of barbarism. |
For instance a japanese gentleman
may have studied at Heidelberg, Bonn, |
Berlin, and half a dozen more EurOpe- |