Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-20

IT viii be recalled thnt several bill
made their appearance IN congress las
spring. all Of them designed in n wa,
or another TO %nationaiize the medica
system of the country. OF these tht
most important was The one intro
duced by senator owen, which pro
vided for a national department OF
health. In the house there was also
The Mann bill, providing for the en-.
largement OF the public health and
marine hospital service" in addition
TO the clause quoted above, this bill
called for conventions Of government
and state doctors at Washington, such
conventions to he held &C the govern
ment expense. 1t Is considered prob
able that bills of a similar nature viii
be introduced at the next session, and
that the controversy stirred up last
year by their partisans may be re-
neWed.
simultaneously VITA the introduce
ton of the bills. the League for Medi-
cal Freedom sprang into existence. To
a certain extent, to q rather large eX-
tent, indeed, its members We're Drawn
from the branches OF the medical pro-
fession opposed 10 the allopaths-the
h~omoeopaths, eelectics, osteopaths,
and u few Of the s|o-called regulars
WHO ifStilAtN the DoiAAAhHt dAhlNlt3 "
the American Medical association, not
to speak of many lay persons, gener-
ally interested in the controversy. The
American Medical association, Il may
be Wen to remark, consists mainly Of
%nllopaths. ana is dominated by physi-
clans Of that professional faith. at any
rate.
New. concerning the points at issue,
there must Of necessity be many
i NJ rad gfgpfQ Tn FRytnarafAlNL the com
test between the opposing parties has
become so bitter that II Is difficult 10
Get unbiased material from which 10
form an estimate Of The ~rights-un-
dCubtedly many-to be found in the
doctrines of either side. The most in
teresting phase Of the whole dispute,
however. is probably the fact that it
is caused by the tremendous increase
in the number Of practising physi-
clans. Thanks to the scores Of medl-
cal schools and colleges in every state.
large and small, there are SO many
doctors today that they are cutting
into each others fees.
Regulation Demanded.
At least that is the viewpoint of
numbers Of doctors. including many in
favor of and opposed to the bills. And
there seems little reason to doubt the
correctness or tho viewpoint. Abra-
ham F%lexner's recent study Of medical
conditions under the auspices of the
Carnegie foundation, apparently estab-
lished the fact beyond possibility of
contention. The allopaths say they
would not mind so much II the super
fluous physicians We're of their own
belief, but they think something
should be done to regulate those ut
siders they regard as quacks or little
better,
ono also faces tba f,ct tbat tho doo-
tors have become tired Of working for
people who never pay their bills. Time
was when many men though. Moth
ing OF putting off the doctor for
months. The butcher u be paid,
even the p~ic0yune bills of the plumber
required settlement, but the doctor
could wait. Il should De remembered
tlht II was not until 1858 that Il doc
tor had the power 70 bring a LEGAL ac-
ton to collect Il Bill in England. Con-
oltions have been about the shne on
thls side oI the water; and at last the
DOCTOR grew urea 81 being the butt 81
lne community lie decided 1t was
opunt lllhe that ne was pald IKE other
""ihnleh'
- ~ tuuh 4 iell uut o. me BOOK 81
y "lutiei iitthtVs ~ iuWet uesrte.
"Hu "is"nl~eu' re loIhleu county as
"eI"'iVHs "n" VIZ county a~ssucla'lpns
stu "sSuVi|elpis UNI th'
pov"nte "liliiateu
ir ~ ~ s@mln"01n WIN
~ '"'Hs P1mel' n 70 zen
Saniatton ~, "a "eui"l aSo
,narn hars ,yho 49,
Ia ver ~ ~ nroeasstan m. -
tained thair MONTANA 10 hord wor.
nm charity aaftar this ~ r.
Medical asaociation vvos roorn,nisod
tbousands ~ now rambcrs n,ern ,,I,on
in and tbe n~csant ngnrosstva Lii.
adouted Tine element H. crntral
the IMAGINATIVE nuoIitv which
counts for much In crnsadfnp Tbav
the great influence mar
the doctors Of the eountrv could have
IL they worked shoulder In shoulder
Doctors Urged Into Politics.
Doctors i'm every locality were urged
10 get into politics. Many "A doctor
who had a chance of running for
state office wat helped BY the asso-
citation. BY his state and county bod
les. and by other doctors in his home
town Doctors were instructed how
10 approach their coneressmen and
Representatives In the state ~legisla-
lures and secure pledges of favorable
enactments for the medical profess
sion. EVervWhere the policy was
maintained II cost n GOOD deal az
money hut Il has been yindicated Inv
results according 10 au accounts
The doctors are far better Dlaced to-
dav than tbrv zero ioee nm , 10
90 - ~ -.