Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-15
WRITESFROM VIENNA
DR.. w. B. LAFoRcE TELLS OF
STUDY OF MEDICINE AND
SURGERY.

United States ExceIs in Some Depart
r1e.1ts of the Profession, But Aus
trials Capital Has Produced Many
Wonders - Has Special Privileges.
The conditions pertaining to the
study of medicine and surgery in vi
emma, Austria, as compared with those
in the United States is the subject of
an interesting letter from Dr. w. B.
LaForce to DR.. A. o. Williams. Dr.
LaForce has been in Vienna for some
time past taking postgraduate course
in the study of medicine, and as he has
gained some few special privileges
there because of his association with
the faculty Of the Keokuk Medical
college, he is excellently equipped to
give an interesting account of the pro.
fession as practiced in the eastern city.
DR.. LaForces wide knowledge of the
profession has been embellished by
actual experience in visiting some of
the foremost universities of the world,
and his stay in Vienna is daily result
ing in more thorough understanding
of the profession. In his letter to Dr.
Williams he tells of the study of medi-
cine and surgery in Vienna in the fol
lowing manner:
DR.. LaForce's Letter.
Vienna, Austria, July 80, 1905.
My Dear DR.. Williams
AS per your request l will write you
letter describing somewhat the con-
ditions pertaining to the study of med
icine and surgery here in Vienna.
most Of the largest cities of Europe,
as London, Paris, Berlin, and at sew
eral of the. smaller, yet often famous
universities as at Heidelberg, Zurich,
Prague, Munich. ETC., but my chief
stay and study has been at Vienna.
Likewise, when 1 was here in Europe
with DR.. Spilman in 1898, we visited
many places, travelling through most
Of the countries of Europe, but did
most Of our study and observation in
medical and surgical lines, in fact,
most all of it. here at Vienna.
The reasons are two-fold. First,
| Vienna is really the Mecca of the med
ical world, being for many decades the
greatest medical school in the world,
possessing the greatest facilities for
study and having in its faculty the
most eminent teachers of the time.
Second, when one has as much as a
year, or nearly so, to devote to post
graduate study, it is generally consid-
cred best to devote the major portion
of the time at some one place study
ing ones particular subject or subjects,
as the case may be, very thoroughly
in visiting several other clinics. thus
noting the different and peculiar
methods of the different operators or
teachers.
Americans Lead Europeans.
However, there are other reasons
why Vienna has so long been the most
popular place for postgraduate work
Of course, in writing to you do not
need to take much time in describing
the Dre-eminence which the German
universities and the European universe
ties in general have always had ovel
our American universities, but the
time is approaching and in some par
ticular lines of research and practice
viz: in stomach and gall bladder sur
gerry, it has already arrived when the
Americans are ahead of the European
and the latter need to go to Americs
| to get and learn the best there is t.
: be known. With the rapid advance
that is occurring throughout the United
States in medical education. and if tn
same ratio of increase is kept up il
the next twenty years, the European
It'll ~ - ~, hnr
t as of the Americans to Europe.
Can Make Examinations.
However, there is one advantag
which the Germans have over tn
Americans in the study of medicine
and which fear they will long pos
f sess; that is in thes tudy of patholog
( value Of the post-mortem exam
nations. there certainly shoul
be law in the United State
. the same as here in German
: the law here that every physician an
surgeon can make post-mortem exam
l. ination in every case of death undo
l. his charge, there being no regular e:
ception, not even the body of the kin
h being exempt. Consequently, muc
e knowledge is obtained thereby an
S which could not be ascertained in an
r other way. But oven the laws in tn;
particular and in providing anatomic
material for the medical colleges
5 America are being made more practic
T. and scientific; and as regarding tt
81 post-mortem examinations, there &C
y tainly should be law in the Unite
II States the same as here in German
10 which would be of so much value
u u, the living and no harm Whatever
- the dead. How often has every co
: scientious and scientific, progressi'
Is physician desired the privilege Of SUI
- law to clear up or explain some my
% terious symptom or combination
D symptoms existing during the life
& the patient, which baffled surgical ski
~ and the solution of which might be t.
II means of important knowledge to h
= mainly as whole and sometimes
=. particular significance for the 9th
o. living members of the family yet w
20 themselves, by their refusal to allt
ID