The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-04-16
Clash of Medical Examiners
and College Physicians
Grows Bitter
GRADUATION STRIFE
Articles Published in Medi-
cal Journals Present the
Cause of Complaint

After repeated clashes with the
State Board of Medical Examiners.
and after the publication of articles
in medical journals questioning its
methods. the College of Physicians
and Surgeons of San Francisco has
determined to fight. 1t began suit in
the Superior Court yesterday against
DR.. Dudley TAFT of the examining
board and DR.. Phillip Mills Jones,
editor Of the California State Journal
of Medicine. in which DR.. Winslow
Anderson. the president. and DR.. D.
A. Hodghead, the dean of the college,
demand the sum of $4,000 in expia-
tion of the injury they claim their in
stitution has suffered from the at
tscks. OF this amount, $4,000 is for
alleged libel and $25.o0o for actual
damage suffered by the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons.
The alleged libelous matter is for
the most part the records Of applicants
Who came before the board from the
college Of Physicians and Surgeons
with what are said to have been fraud
ulent credentials The defendants
claim that IN giving these matters the
fullest publicity they were acting for
the best interest OF the people of the
state whom they are appointed to
guard from the deceptions Of deficient
medical practitioners.
CAUSE OF ALLEGED LIBEL
IN an article in the Journal of the
American Medical Association in Sep
tember. 1906. DR.. TAFT called attention
to the improper graduation of a man
by the name Of Painton from the Col
Iege Of Physicians and Surgeons. This
article was reprinted and made the
basis OF extended editorial comment
unfavorable to the institution in the
December number Of the State Jour
nal Of Medicine In this article sew
ersl other irregularities Of the col
lege in granting diplomas were enum-
Grated and the Painton case set forth
at length
It seems that Painton made an afi-
davit that he had been in attendance
st the college for four years. but it
sfterward appeared that during two
Of the years he specified he had been
teaching school in San Mateo County.
He was refused his license by the
board
It is this article which is made the
subject OF the libel suit In the pub
licstion is paragraph headed: 9th
er Instances of irregularity in the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons taken
from the records of the State Board
Of Medical Examiners" One of these
instances is that of student who was
allowed to omit one year for his
knowledge of osteopathy, while an
other was given the same privilege for
her skill as q mssseuse. Others, it is
alleged. Joined the college sophomore
class after failing to pass their fresh
man examinations at other institutions.
PROFEssIoNAL JEALoUsIES
DR.. Hodghead when seen last night
said that he thought the college had a
good cause for the suit which had been
brought.
The trouble is OF long standing, -
he said. and seems to be the result
OF professional jealousies. For many
years a certain number of doctors have
been antagonistic to the college. For
a long time they kept our men out
OF the City and County Hospital, and
when our graduates applied for IL
cense to practice they were subjected
10 unfair conditions. Painton was one
OF the best men we ever graduated,
and I believe that be has good ground
for libel suit himself"
IN the complaint. which is a long
document, is set forth that the In
stftution has more than fifty professors
and instructors, that 1000 cases have
been treated in its clinics and that the
yearly tuition fee is sl25, of which SO
per cent is alleged to be profit.
I like a good tight" DR.. TAFT said
last night, ''and think DR.. Jones will
do some Of the lighting, too. The mat
ter they allege to be libelous is taken
from q public record. which is aocessi-
bic to every one. Unfortunately. the
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