Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-10
DOCTORS KILL COMMISSIONS
State AsEooistion Records vsts Against
System Of CUT ne Up Profits.
.ENtcK on SURGEONS AND DRUGGISTS
AZ Final Session OF Convention DR.. ~.
clifford of Omaha e. Elected Pres
ident and Lincoln Next
Meeting Place.
Presldent-pr. II. eifford. omaha.

President-Dr. II. Clifford. Omaha.
Vice Presidents-Drs. L. NJ. Shaw OF Os-
ceola and lnez c. Philbrick Of Lincoln.
secretary-Dr. Il. Minnett orr OF Lincoln.
II easurer-Dr. A. 8. Won Mansfelde Of
Ashland, holds over for another year.
COuncilors-Dr. A. r. Overgaard, FIRE.
mont, fifth district; DR.. quincy, sixth dis
! trict; Or A. w. Fitzsiinons, Ohiowa, sew
enth district DR.. III. Is. Mcdowell, Nerfi-
man, eighth district.
Delegate to the National Association-Dr.
f. A. Long Of Maids IN; alternate, DIR. c. e.
Gafford, Wymore.
These officers were elected Thursday
morning by the Nebraska State Medical
association. which closed its three-day ses-
sion at Creighton institute later in the day.
, Lincoln was unanimously chosen as the
place OF meeting for the next annual as
ISOLATION.
A lively discussion was preolpitated by
the introduction OF a resolution by Dr..
A. b. Somers Of Omaha deprecating the
practice of paying and receiving commits
sion on the part Of physicians in order to
secure practice from others, particularly
as relating to surgical cases. The reso-
luton strongly condemned the practice as
contrary to professional ethics and recon-
mended the expulsion of members from the
county and state medical association who
INDUCED the practice and that this asso-
citation go on. record as unalterably opposed
to the practice.
Dr. 5omers spoke in favor OF the
resolution as did DR.. Hepperlin of Beatrice,
Or. Inches, DIR. Aiken and others. DIT.
| Hepperlin said he operated a sanitorium
and had been compelled to pay commits
slons for patients and strongly deprecated
the practice as vicious ana inimical to
professional ethics. He had, however.
quit the practice, but was aware that 1t
was still being continued.
1.-THE payment of commission is generally
practiced by specialists" he said land
the practice could not be too strongly
condemned
Wide Publicity Advocated.
DIT. Somers was in favor Of the widest
publicity being given the disapproval Of
the practice of paying commissions and
I that this association should go on record
as strenuously opposing it.
Let us charge a fair and honest fec
for our services as physicians and then If
the case must go to a surgeon or specialist
let him exact his fee wholly independent
of the fees of the regular practitioner, but
enter into no collision with them. Lei.
each stand on his own merits"
Dr. Hepperlin said:
There is another evil we should take
cognisance Of, and that is the commits
sions demanded Of US by druggists"
The discussion became animated and a
motion finally prevailed by unanimous
vote condemning the commission practice
in all its phases and referring the matter
, to the county societies to discipline the
commission takers and givers.
A resolution from the County Medical So
ciety OF Fillmore county asking the state
association TO assist that county in the
prosecution Of professional fakirs and
street corner specialists was also discussed
at length, and the sentiment, while largely
in favor Of granting such assistance. was
finally referred to the committee on public
, policy and legislation.
! A resolution was adopted declaring the
Western Medical Review OF Omaha as the
official organ, OF the state association as
! prevailing under the previous contract ex-
cepting that a fee of 81 per member should
| be paid. that publication, quarterly In ad-
vance. The contract reserves to the asso-
/ citation the right through Ats committee on
/ publicity to censor the publication of OBJ
, jectlonable advertising matter This COM
rnittee OF control is to consist Of the presi-
dents of the society and the two vice presi-
dents.
Nominations Committee Dropped.
On motion Of Dr. Everett of Lincoln, 1t
was decided to abolish the nominating COM
mittee as useless adjunct All nominal
tons for Office shall hereafter be made in
the open house of delegates and elections
be made by secret ballot
Amendments TO the bylaws were passed
providing for raising the assessment Zee
| from 50 to So; setting aside 81 per member
as a medical defense fund and authorizing
! the medical defense committee to employ a
competent attorney, paying him a sufficlent
retainer in cases arising from alleged mall
| practice.
The recommendation Of the board o.
| councillors TO appropriate the sum of $500
as a medical defense fund was adopted
| A motion to the effect that no money Of
this association shall be appropriated by
! this house Of delegates for the payment
| OF any hotel bills or railroad fare, for the
expenses OF the delegate to the American
Medical Educational association meeting,
except for councillors, was lost by a tie
/ vote
! A resolution of sympathy was unanI-
mously voted by standing vote to DR..
Merehead, in respect to his recent bereave-
ment in the death of his wife
The visiting women, members OF the
| families CT the delegates, We're entertained
| Thursday afternoon at a theater party at
the orpheun,.
smoker Ends Session.
The association closed its annual meeting
last night with a smoker at the Creighton