The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-05-08
IGNORANCE IN MEDICAL PRACTICE.

IGNORANCE IN MEDICAL PRACTICE.
When physicians assemble to critcise their
own institutions and score. their own methods
the .layman may be pardoned if he pricks up his
ears and becomes an interested and anxious list
ener. When doctor, high in medical councils
declares that medical colleges graduate every
year 1000 doctors who are incompetent and
should not be permitted to practice medicine, the
faith cure begins to assume imposing proper
lions. Happily it is not for the layman to ar
ralgn the medical professions; the profession is
abundantly able and willing to perform that
function for itself
Yet it may be said for the much berated doc
tor that perhaps he is reproved too harshly
along the lines both OF elementary and higher
education. 1t is truly an excellent thing to be a
good speller, but it is possible that practition-
er may be as deficient in photography as the
good Martha Washington and still be extremely
helpful in matter requiring medical attention.
There may be in the isolated country districts
pract1c1ng physicians who are charged, UNI
able to make satisfactory laboratory test of
typhoid fever and still serve a useful and
benehcent purpose i'll ministering to various sick
and afflicted. The hard working doctor who
may not have enjoyed the full advantage of a
modern collegiate and medical education is not
to be utterly despised because he fails to come
up to modern requirements.
The fact that the fraternity has been so vio-
lently assalled by its associates with the
further fact that in the council of physicians
1.-THE opinion seemed to be unanimous that there
is something wrong,' makes it important for
the honor of the profession and the safety of the
public that something should be done. This is
a matter that lies wholly within the discretion
OF the fraternity and to the doctors the public
must look tor correction of their own evils.
If medical colleges are as faulty and criminally
careless is asserted, and if thousands of
Ignorant practitioners annually turned loose
to prey on an unfortunate community, it is to
the interest OF competent and honorable phys
clans to that the abuses are ended The public
has no alternative; it must judge the profession
from the standpoint of its own criticisms and it's
own confessions. If ignorance is to be checked
and malpractice averted the physicians must
take the initiative; they must begin their own
housekeeping. Chicago Tribune.
We are greatly surprised at the attitude of the
Chicago Tribune. There are but two forces in
this country. One stands for wider protection of
the masses against corporation oppression. The
other, under the guise of conservatism, wishes
to perpetuate the old regime with money as the
king. This not an opportune time for wasting
ones strength on side issues. The capitalists of
the country are against Roosevelt, against Bryan.
against Taft. against any man who proposes to
disturb the old order of things. Those who are
not in the capitalist class and we have no man
In Crawford county for instance who belongs in
that class, must throw aside prejudice and ieal-
ously and be prepared to strengthen the hands
of whatsoever shall be the standard-bearer of
their principles. We do not believe it will be a
battle OF the East against the West in the next
campaign, for while the captains of finance NAV
be able to control daily papers and voting ma
chimes like Tammany, the great bulk of eastern
people are as much out OF sympathy with them
as the farmers and business men of the west !:
More and more do put faith in the conspiracy
plot spoken of by Roosevelt. 1t is now being
shown in the Associated press. which has sud
denly become decidedly anti-Roosevelt in tone.
1t is discoverable in daily papers throughout
the country. There are hardly any of the dailies
even of Iowa that taking the same course to-
ward the President that they did few months
ago. Never-the less the President has developed
no new theories. He stands where he did when
these same papers were lauding him to the
skies. 1t is the papers, not the President who
have changed and one can but wonder why?
Edgar Garrison is back from the Canal Zone
and there is nothing of the yellow journalism
in his account of what the United States has
done to carry on the wonderful work. He lived
in the zone for twenty months and gained flesh
He says it is not an admirable climate but he is
living example that one can get along we'll and
keep in good health. The conditions when he
first land were wretched, SO he tells us. The old
mistake had been made of trying to push the
work OF construction before proper preparation
had been made. There was no sanitation and
the natives seemed to fairly revel in their filth
Now all this is changed and the country is as
habtable as it is possible to make it, From
this time on the work ought to proceed rapidly.
is MIR. Garrison's opinion and he believes that
the greatest engineering feat of the world will
soon be accomplished. We have invited Mr.
Garrison to contribute article for the Review
and he has promised to do We know that it
will be OF great interest to readers all are
interested in this great work.
A negro has been appointed to one of the
| Rhodes scholarships. He halls from Pennsyl-
vania and is said to be we'll qualified. OF