The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-27
THE SHIPS DOCTOR.
Suggestions For Reform on Passenger Steamers.


 The ill-paid ships doctor has been discussed time out of mind and the subject of his status has been again brought up. His pay is $50 month, more or less, and generally less. He is given a very comfortable cabin which is generally situated so that he can be consulted by all classes of pas sengers, and if it is placed forward near the crew 1t Is not intended as ae slight, but as a convenience to him. It is his office and no more detracts from his dignity than to compel the chief engineer to visit the tireroom. On war vessels the surgeon lives with the oth- Ter officers because he has an office elsewhere. / His status on merchant vessels is not of the best. but this is no reason for the derogatory remarks so often made as to his capacity,
 Passengers are charity patients by flaw, and this is the defect. Ships are compelled to carry physician to at tend cases of illness or injury, fer otherwise these unfortunates receive no care-a former scandal now rarely heard of. Companies find that they l can secure a physician at low rates land that his income is pieced out by lhonorariums in the style of past gen erations when no fees are charged. | They are looked upon as tips and the doctor is degraded to the position of
 a room steward, If this is really true | and we doubt it--it might be the req son why better men cannot be secur- led, assuming that they are inefficient. lThe remedy is evident. Let there be | a scale of fees as in land practice, for
 why should the law make pauper Of
 a passenger? If he needs a physician he should employ one like every other Iself-respectlng man.
 Passengers often need the best med teal skill and will naturally take those Iships having it. More and more of ten do we hear of invalids sent away flor ocean travel and actually carried on board. Modern life is increasing llv producing these partial wrecks who heed delicate management. They are perfectly willing to pay for medical ladvice and should be expected to pay flor it. It seems that steamship com Ipanies would enhance their own inter-
 ests and that of the passengers by em-
 ploying highgrade physicians Wh6
 will not desert shore practice un' Hess well paid There will be less
 criticism of the doctors ability. Il
 is often unjust, for everyone is led tC Ibelieve that some fatalities among
 passengers are avoidable-a view we
 are 10th to accept although we do be- llieve that the standard of efficiency is
 not as high as it should be.
 Unlicensed ships doctors should b( , prohibited by federal law As far a'
 we know. it is possible for men whC
 repeatedly fail to pass State eXamin Iing boards and are barred from lanC lpractice to obtain a ship position fol
 food and lodging, depending upon oc Icasional voluntary fees for their in lcome. Who examine these men fo J the company? Are they appointed because some doctor asks tt-quack land 8ll others? An examining boar(
 should be convened by law, whose re louirements should be as high in thi lspecialty as those for the deck office in his. In reality, the tests should b l the same as for entrance to the nav l or marine hospital service-then tn l pay would have to be increased or tn 5 positions would be empty. Intluentia passengers. in protection, shoul { demand these reforms-and we com | mend the matter tp the federal gov ernment and the medical profession a . lwell.-American Medicine.