The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-09-13
BRUTALITY OF MEDICAL ETHICS
A Great Surgeon Barred from Mem.
bershp in Medical Association.

DR.. Augustus Charles Bernays, who
died a few days ago in Sc. Louis, was,
probably, the foremost surgeon il tie
United States. His fame was c.
extensive with the civilized world He
was not only an operator OF the high.
est order, but tireIeSS and eXhaas-
tive worker in the field of original
surgery. He performed the first sue.
cessful Caesarian section in 1889 in
st. Louis. and also the first successful
coeliotOmy for gunshOt wound If Tie
abdomen and the first gladstone ope:a-
ton in Missouri. 4 record held ty
DR.. Bernays has never been elua,ed:
Out of eishty-one successive cases
of appendicitis which neCessi;ated
operations, sevcnty-oHa in succession
were with perfectly satisfactory re-
suits, the seventy-SeCOai patient fail
ing of recovery, but the subsequent
nine cases were successfully treated.
And yet, with such q record, match
less as was his skill, varied and ex-
tensive as was his learning, wonder.
full as were his accomplishments, he
was not considered, by the American
Medical Association, as worthy Of
membership in that organization.
No charges were ever brought
against him which, in the remotest
degree, reflected on his qualifications
as a surgeon; his mora. character was
never the subject OF attack; he was
never accused of having done any.
thing unbecoming man or a gentle
man. The head and front of his Of
Tending had this eXtent-no more"
He dared to think. He refused to
mold his opinions and 10 govern his
actions by the arbitrary rules which
those whom he knew to be his infer
Tors had set up for his guidance, In
other words, he could not regard the
Code of Ethics of the American Medi-
cal Association as being inspired, or
having any binding authority on him
where his judgment told him il was
wrong. And so, twenty years ago
or more. on account of some trivial in
fraction of this sacred Code a
movement was started to expel him
from the local association, which was
only defeated by his hastily sending
in his resignation. As membership in
the A. NJ. A. is dependent upon mem
bership in the local and State socie-
ties, his name was dropped by the
national organization.
And so, though he had saved thou
sands of lives; though other physt
clans had profited by his art; this
brilliant surgeon; this great and able
man, has, during all these years, been
an outcast-a medical 'scab;' not
recognized as ethical" or worthy OF
fellowship by that body of physicians
banded together in the American Med
ical Association!
And this is the association which,
under pretense of working for the
public good, is, in reality, only seeking
to control Congress and the State
Legislatures in the interest of their
own selfish schemes; which is trying
to create a Cabinet position and to
place one of its members in that po-
sition; which is endeayOring by law
to exclude from the use of the mails,
all manufacturers of medicines who
do not comply with the absurd re-
quirements that they choose TO set
up; which, in short. is trying 10 put
upon the statute books of State and
nation laws that will, in effect, estab-
lish kind of medical priesthood, to
which only their own members will be
eligible with power and control over
the health and lives of the people!
God help the druggists, the drug
manufacturers, physicians not men,
bers Of their guild and the people
generally, il this association ever sue
ceeds in its undertaking. If il does,
1t will, after the fashion of the labor
unions, dictate a CLOSED shop and
say to doctors who prefer to be indie
pendent, You must Join our union
or, failing to do so. compel them to
get out of the business. 1t will say
what medicines shall be taken, ana
how they shall be made 1t will hedge
the people about with a lot OF petty
regulations under pretense of protect
ing the public health In fine. medi'
cal bureaucracy will be established 10
tyrannize over the people.
Let no man call this false alarm.
II there are those who are inclined
to do so, let them read the journal OF
the A. M. A. Let them scan the
proceedings of the association, held
always behind closed doors, and care
FULLY edited, as they are, before tney
are published in It's official organ. IL
they will do this they will see that We
are not trying to create a bugaboo W
Tighten their timid souls.
This Is true philanthropy that burles
not its gold In ostentatious charity
hut. A,,itda tie human hOanital In Inc