The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
DOCTORS TOO NUMEROUS.
Evils of the Ovcrcrouded Medical
Profession.
lFrom Dc PhiladcIphia Neii1aI ronrnal

From the Philadelphia Medical Journai.)
In common with the other professions,
that of medicine is OvercrOwded This
condition is not a new one. but it is worse
than 1t was and 1t is continually growing
worse. we doubt whether it is within the
province Of any man to point out sure
and certain remedy for bal sociOlogic con-
diticns, but it is within the province Of
any of us to note few Of the factors
that contribute TO existing laws and by
avoiding them in the future to lessen 10
some extent the evils OF which we COM
plain.
Medicine invites the allegiance OF many
who imagine that they see in its practice
an easy method of making = respectable
living without going to much expense in
preparation. This class was especially
appealed to by the formerly existing short
courses of study with the absolute GER
tainty of graduation at the end of two
years. Today being shut out OF most
reputable medical colleges, the same class
is taking TIP the various branches CT
quackery. such as osteOEathy hypu1tism.
Christian Science and kindred short cuts
to good incomes. The Institutes" CT Va
rious kinds which now advertise instruc-
ton in the various "he5ling" fads make
n special point of dilating upon the Ger
tainty Of making good living by these
means in a very short time. 1t is evident
that a good living for these frauds is
a smaller annual income nan Is requisite
for the reputable physician. with his nee
essarily large expenditures every year for
books Instruments. and remedies. The
fact that these charlatans have come. and
have come to stay. should I've recognized.
We cannot lessen the evil. no matter how
much we deplore IL. Irregular practition-
ers Of various sorts mo- lrDnopolize more
than half of the medraI practice in re-
gard to minor lime 10 kind that
would eventually get veil without treat
ment CO in spite OF it which formerly
contributed a very respectable annual
sum to the average doctors income. The
genuine medical profession does as rnu h
work as ever in serious diseases but gets
less pay for II.
1t may thus be seen that even without
an annual influx of new men there is
less work today for the average doctor
than there was twenty years ago. Pre-
ventiye medicine is still further lessen
ing the amount of routine work for the
general practitioner. Typhoid fever was
formerly the standby for steady income
in many communities. Four or five cases
Of that disease continually on hand made
n very fair bulk of the general practi-
toners outside work. The prevalence
Of thi sillness is constantly decreasing;
some day it will be practically eradlca ed.
So IT is with diphtheria; so 1t is in some
parts OF the country with malarial dis
eases. Altruistic medicine is lessening its
own work and diminishing its own in
come.
with these and kindred facts in mind
is there not some legitimate way to lessen
the number OF doctors who have to do
the work. Should not every physician
and especially every college professor. do
! his best to keep the incompetent, the
ne err do wells and certain failures from
! entering our ranks? No young man
should be encouraged to take up the study
| ofmedicine unless he possesses natural
| qualifications OF an exceptionally high or
! der Good drug clerks. good BARRIERS. good
! carpenters. and good school teachers
should not be urged to abandon occupa-
/ tions for which they are suited. and in
which they make probably as fair an In
| come as they Will make in medicine for
! at least ten years. Every professor in
some college feels that 1t is his duty to
| secure at least one student each year for
! the class: sometimes he goes into the high
ways and byways and conpels them to
! come in. Only too often the recruits thus
obtained are neither desirable from the
standpoint Of intelligence nor pleasant az
sociates from the standpoint Of personal
| character.
| We plead for more care in the selection
| of medical students; we plead for loss en-
! thusiasm In urging young men to take up
| tho study OF science for whose practice
| their personal qualifications do not At
them: we plead for less crowded pro-
fesslon by raising the standard OF admis-
| sion into that profession.