The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1901-08-23
We1rmnrrat- Star
A CHANCE FOR YOUNG DOC
TORS.
New Orleans States.

New Orleans States.
According to the journal Of Mcdi-
cal Science there is an over produc-
tion of doctors in the United States.
1t saws there is doctor 20 every 500
of our population, and while only L.
900 doctors die every year the medical
colleges are turning out nearly 5000
per annum. Allowing for the rapid
increase of population, this IN the
opinion of the Journal sets upln busl-
1000 more doctors per year than are
needed. 1t declares that the multi
piication OF the doctor factories has
gone too far and it is careful to state
that the 5000 doctors per annum does
not include "vast Plumbers Of oil color
ed practitioners" but regulars" only.
What is to be done with our surplus
stock of doctors will soon be a burn.
ing question unless many Of the fac.
!. tories are closed and the production
largely reduced. At the present time
New Orleans has supply of them far
in excess of the demand, and large
numbers OF them have much difficulty
in making living, especially the
younger ones who are fresh from the
shop. When the fact is considered
that a doctor the other night captur'
ed two of a gang OF burglars in the
act of robbing store, it would not be
bad idea to make room for some OF
the practiceless medic0s on the police
force. The burglars were members OF
gang who had been plying their
trade for some time "and cracking
cribs" right under the noses of the
police, but the latter seemed to be
powerless to catch up with them al.
though several stores had been robbed
jim the same neighborhood.
In the capture we have referred to
the doctor was returning from visit
to sick person at a late hour of the
night when he saw two men standing
on opposite corners of the street. He
quickly diagnosed their case as dan
gerous and suspicious and was ready
to apply the proper remedy when they
disappeared, The medical man then
noticed that door of a grocery on the
corner was open and that men with
dim lights were moving about inside
the store. Again his skill as a dag
nostican came into play. He was
satisfied that he was confronted
with an aggravated case of burglary,
so he marched through the open door
of the grocery and covering the thieves
with pistol, commanded them to
hoist their hands Immediately or suf.
fer an injection Of several ounces OF
hot lead. His method of treatment
was eminently successful and in less
than minute he had the case under
perfect control and the two thieves
who had long detied the police now
have their faces set toward the Baton
Rouge penitentiary, where after be-
ing supplied with regulation uniforms
and having their hair properly trim
med for the service Of the State, they
will be sent to the Hope or Angola
plantation and spend number of
years there digging in the ground in.
stead of breaking into houses and
stores.
Young doctors who have no patients
and are much embarrassed by their
inability to pay board bills should ap.
ply for positions on the police force.
We are quite sure that their services
will be promptly accepted and that
they will make creditablc record in
stamping out the epidemic of thievery
raging in this city. One doctor has
accomplished more in one night than
the whole police force has in months.
and there is much reason to believe
that the present inetficiency of the
police department. in dealing with
burglary is due to the fact that it is
short on diagnosticans.