Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-06-14
SOCIALISM Of the Physicians.

A cablegram from Vienna says:
Prof. Robert GerSuny, one OF the /
most eminent surgeons OF Austria, |
has made an important discovery 1t /
consists in the use of a mixture OF /
paraffine and YaSeline in curing phySi-
cal deformitfeS and filling cavities
caused by removal of portions OF the |
bones. This treatment has proved |
successful. The mixture is Injected |
beneath the epidermiS at tempera-
ture of 104 degrees. 1t hardenS quick
~, and remains in position without
the possibility of shifting. 1t does
not irritate the surrounding parts and
is in no way harmful to the blood.
After an operation was performed on
a patient who suffered defect of the
palate, the malformation was correct
ed by the injection described, and
speech was restored. Several surgical
authorities have declared that the
mixture will probably be invaluable
for developing thin persons and con-
cealing deformitieS of the body and
face. Prof. GerSuny declines to allow
the discovery to benefit him imam
cially."
Aside from the Importance of the
discovery, there is point in the fore
going announcement which should
not be overlooked. Why did not the
professor keep within his own labOra-
tory this wonderful discovery, secure
patent upon it, and by this means
levy tribute upon the sick and suffer-
ing throughout the world? He would
have become wealthy IN a short time,
and could have posed as great finan-
cier. 1 say why did not the eminent
gentleman do this? Because there is
law among medical men of all lands
and all chimes which places a ban up
on the man, who in his researches,
discovers something of benefit to the
race, and withholdS it from humanity.
He attaches no royalty for its use by
physicians everywhere. There is no
copyright of the formula, although he
has, by the rules of commerce, as much
right to the fruits growing from the
discovery as has the man who makes
new machine. 1t would be business,
would it not, to sell this to a medical
syndicate that it might be suppressed
and hid away, and thus kept from in
! interfering with the regular order of
business and the stock of drugs al
ready on hand? Such action as this
on the part of scientist would bring
upon him that oStracism which Prof.
Hadley suggested should be meted out
to the Rockefellers, Morgans, ct al.
Some time ago the newspapers re
orted that man had secured a patent
on a device which enabled him to pro-
duce powerful heat and light from
crude petroleum, requiring buta small
per cent of the quantity now necessary
to produce the same results. The
Salt Lake Herald says this invention
was purchased by the Standard Oil
company and pigeonholed, because its
introduction would mean lessening
of the demand for petroleum, and a
consequent decrease in the profits
from the business. And yet light and
heat are of as much Importance, and
vastly more, than is the discovery of
a remedial agent, which is at best but
of vital concern to few people. We
tolerate the Rockefeller system of
preventing the people from utilizing
the benefits of mans ingenuity and
natures goodness, because we have
not arrived at that plane Of cOnScien-
tiousness which makes it a crime in
the eyes of the physician for one of
his companions to do the same thing
which Rockefeller has done.
The Socialist simply wants to intro
duce into all avenues of life, the same
principles recognized by the physicians
with reference to medical discoveries.
The Socialist as well as the physician,
in this particular, recognizes that the
man who finally brings the new ideas
to perfection, has simply used the
knowledge slowly and painful accu-
mulated by the generations of men,
and that tie last man who puts the
finishing touches in place, has no bright
to exclude humanity in general from
sharing in the benefits which have
accrued from the accumulated energy
and knowledge of the past.-Appeal
to Reason.