The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-08-11
THE DOCTOR
IN AMERICA
Too Many Colleges and Not
Enough Preparation is
the Rule.
United States Has More
Medical Colleges than
all of Europe.
HALF THE AMERICAN COLLEGES
DIScREDITED BY PROFESSION
ITSELF, WHICH Is FRANKLY AID.
MITTING GREAT NECESSITY FOR
MORE ELEVATED STANDARDS
IN TRAINING THE DOCTORS.


Medical Association, comes an ar
raignment of American doctors, con-
demnation of one-half of all the med
FicaI colleges in the land, and an APP
peal to the American public to aid in
remedy of the conditions assailed.
The combination arraignment, con-
domination and appeal is made by the
council of medical education of the
association Dr. Charles H. Frazier,
of the University of Pennsylvania, is
one of the investigators. The follow
ing eminent physicians are members
of the council: Dr. A. D. Bevan, chair
man, Chicago; DR.. w. T. Councilman,
Boston; Dr. ]. A. Witherspoon, Nash
Vile; DIR. Charles H. Frazier, Philadel-
phia; Dr. Victor c. Vaughan, Ann Ar
Dor; DR.. N P Colwell, secretary, Chr
cago.
Tells of Medicines Advance.
The report, which has been sent
to all reputable medical organizations
and to all the important newspapers
and magazines, is the result Of three
years hard work by the council. The
study of conditions included personal
inspection of all the medical schools
in the United States. The report Is
prefaced by this admission:
For centuries, medicine was mass
of empirical facts which acknowledged
no limitations and the acceptance of
which required a robust faith on the
part of both doctor and patient.
Today" continues the report, med
icine is science; it knows its power,
it recognizes its limitations and has
learned to acknowledge without fear
those things which it does not know,
and when it makes such acknowledge
ment it turns the fire and zeal OF we'll
trained minds on these unsolved prob
lens, with the hope and determine
ton of finding their solution.
THE benefits conferred on mankind
by medical discoveries have already
been enormous. The recognition of
the germ cause and resulting control
by quarantine of great plaques like
cholera, yellow fever and pest, the VT
tuaI eradication of smallpox by vac
cination, the cure of dipththeria by
antitoxin, the relief from pain secured
by anesthetics, the prevention of sur
gical infections by Listers great dis
covery, antiseptic surgery, which has
made possible the many life-saving
Operations of modern surgery; the re-
duction of typhoid fever by a pure
water supply-all these have added
greatly to the wealth and health of
communities and to the happiness and
comfort of the individual.
Too Many Medical Schools.
There are too many medical
schools. The preliminary education
demanded is often insufficient. Many
medical schools are conducted pure
ly as business ventures and give an
unsatisfactory course, have poor facil-
tiles and lack trained teachers, and
graduate a large proportion of men
who fail before the comparatively
simple and fair examinations required
by the state boards, and are incom
petent to practice medicine.
In this country there are $50 med
ical schools, about as many as in
Great Britain, Germany, France, Aus
tria, Belgium, Holland, Denmark,
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Swe-
den. Portugal, Roumania. Russia
Spain and Switzerland combined
Great improvements have been
made in medical education in this
country during the last few years. I'm
til recently, within twenty-five years
almost all the schools in America
gave a full medical course in two
years. Now all the schools demand
a fouT-year course.
Following is a list of the medical
schools in Europe: