The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-08-19
MEDICAL PROFESSION IN CHAOS, HE SAYS
Dr. Lewis Predicts Disaster Unless the Calling is Re-
adjusted-False Idols Hold Sway-Domnant Features
in Profession Now Pessimism and Intolerance and
Money Lust is Menace. -:-> = -

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DR.. Edwin H. Lewis, of New York
City, read a paper at the recent an
nual meeting Of the American Med
ical Editors Association, on "The
Spirit of 1908 in Medical Affairs in
which he declared that the profession
is undergoing an epoch-making revo-
luton. The future, he says, holds
two prospects: disaster in the shape
of the decline of medical prestige, or
a general readjustment of the med
ical situation. Pessimism and intol-
erance, he asserts, have been the
dominant features of medicine in the
last five years.
Dr.. Lewis paper, which appears
in American Medicine, follows In
part:
rs there anything the matter with
the medical profession? Are we drift
Ing away from first principles and in
the multiplicity of new discoveries,
new ideas and changing viewpoints
losing any part of our usefulness as
medical men? There can be no ques-
tion that the medical profession is
undergoing great and epoch-mak-
Ing revolution. Idols are being
thrown down, old and apparently well
established beliefs are being ques-
toned and controverted, and, as al
ways happens when a revolution is
under full headway, chaos seems to
reign.
Quackery a Menace.
"The future holds two prospects.
On the one hand is disaster. the sac
rifice of years of study and investi-
CATION as well as of centuries of
faithful, unflagging devotion to the
needs of humanity. Such disaster
means the decline of medical prestige
and an era of charlantry and quack-
cry such as the world has never seen.
On the other hand is a general read
justment of the medical situation, the
revision and classification of present
day knowledge and truer recogni-
tion of certain fundamental facts on
which the successful practice Of med
icine has always depended and al
ways will depend. If this latter takes
place the medical profession will come
to its own, and with the restoration
of confidence and an appreciation on
the part of the laity of what scien-
tific medicine really has done and can
do there will be no limits to which
our profession can go for the benefit
of mankind.
THE present chaotic situation does
not call for the raucous cry of the
alarmist nor warrant the gloomy
representations of the pessimist.
But with all the earnestness at my
command l want to insist that 1t is
time to take account of stock, to get
our scientific, ethical and commercial
bearings and set out for the future
with confidence, trust and steadfast
purpose.
Money Lust in the Profession.
"For the past five years the DOM
inant features of modern medicine
have been doubt, pessimism and in
tolerance. With tactless zeal the
medical profession has done its laun-
dry work in the full gaze of an ever
critical and not over-friendly public.
Quarrels with our tools and with each
other have been the order of the day.
Criticism, suspicion and accusation
have been rife, and on every hand
have sprung up commercial tenden-
cies that have lowered the dignity
and efficiency of our profession.
"The thirst for money, power and
position has possessed us, and under
the spell of these dangerous intox-
icants too many of us have lost sight
of the true nature and obligations Of