The Detroit times., 1910-11-17
"Medical Chaos and Crime Blames
Doctors Ignorance, Commercialism
and Criminal Indifference for
Much of Human Suffering,
Author Declares Many Young Grad
yates Obtain Experience at Cost OF
Patients Lives.

7.
medicine. but contribute not httle
10 the physical and moral deteriora-
lion of the American people II
would lie futile to attempt 10 est
,nate the amount OF human suffering
caused by the ignorance. incompeu
ence commercialism, and criminal
indifference OF those who call them
selves disciples OF Escuiapius, out
the evil may be least be pointed our
and denounced"
With these startling sentences, pr
Norman Barnosby opens his new
hook called Medical Chaos and
crime the most scathing dennncla'
lion OF the abuses in the pracuce ol
medicine ever printed.
DIR. Earnestly. who is a praclcinS
physician of much experience, has
come boldly before the public WIN
the facts that have long been ais
cussed among the medical fraternity
in their secret conclayes.
III wonld be idle 10 deny he says
in hrs preface that IN addressing
these disclosures TO the lay readers.
4 there Is the possible danger OF CaUs-
Ing one OF those periodic iconoclash's
which might end in popular STAN
pede into foolish and pernicious iads.
Nevertheless | cannot conceive o!
any hysterical outburst OF trenEiel
legislation that could outweigh tue
good that must result 90 many
lives have been already sacrlhced MP.
on the altar OF pretension ana shau'
DIR. Barnesby's first chapter is Oh
titled GRAFT" In it he cites case AZ
Ter ease OF suffering and even death
40
greed Of the medical profession.
II fearlessly assert" he says. that
the leading surgeons and practiuou-
ers in the cities are no longer tn"
men of INSCRIPTIONS honor that for
merely enobled the profession. II Is
no longer the call OF the suffering
that inspires them, but the call 81
the dollar"
He relates one instance OF Dis
tinguished Chicago surgeon who vas
called to case of appendicitis. After
making inquiry concerning the hnan-
cIaT standing of his patients husband
ard ending that he had q thousand
dollars saved 10 pay on the mortgage
ON his little home, he took the case.
OF course an Immediate operation
was necessary and the husband inn
plored the surgeon to save his wife's
life
.'All right said the doctor, the
operation will cost one thousand dol
4 lars, and | must have the money be
fore | begin
II was well-performed and the
patient made a good recovery, hnf
the doctors advice cost many years
OF bitter economy
The next subject which Or. Barnes
by takes up is the much-discussed
code of professional ethics. He char
acterizes the code as a hodge podge
of ethics etiquette and tradition de-
liyered with a senile sententiousness.
that has caused no end OF merriment
both within and without Our ranks.
The official principles Of ethics
seem so contrlyed that the doctor
who is possessed of any sense ~
honor is forced 10 strife his humane
impulses and at times connIve at the
grossest malpractice. while tho graft
err may take refuge under the code
today and violate both in letter and
spirit tomorrow
The author cites instances 10 show
the cases Of carelessness inCOmper
ence and even criminality that are
covered up by the code OF ethics
Another chapter bears jhe STARTLING
title Education at the Costs of liu-
man life The writer goes on 10
show by concrete examples that d.
expresses nothing more than the
truth that a large proportion of the
young graduates turned loose to prac.
tice medicine are totally unqualified
TO play with human life. and thar
many OF them gain the experience
that they should get i'm hospitals nm
der the eve OF skilful surgeons
among their trustful patients. who
often give mp their lives in the furrh-
ering OF his education
In another chapter he takes up the
unspeakable" quack whose practices
have been made public from time n
time and adds fresh instanceR o
those that have already been pilgd
up against these frauds and charl1-
(. tans He takes a fling at the oppon-
ents Of vivisection, showing the great
advances that have been made i'm
medical knowledge by animal experi.
mcnts. He further points out with
. case after case TO support him. that
the opponents Of viylsection could
far better apply their zeal 10 the
awful outrages OF inexperienced and
incompetent surgeons upon human
beings The details of the cases are
sickening, but their truth seems G.
admit OF no question. Bluuders D.
surgeons. some just out of the schools
some merely careless. some wau,on
~ brutal. all costing totally unneces
sary pain snd suffering and many o
them costing the lives OF the patient.
VINO have been intrusted into these
unskilful hands are related page a.
ter page.
The lives that are los through the
carelessness and Incompetence of tn,
amateur anaesthetist, helrtless oi
thoughtless nurses and others con
nected with the hospitals. add an
other indictmen against modern
medical practise
The grating administration d
many such institutions Is shown az
in It's relation 10 the suffering thai
IL causes
The remedy that DIR. Earnestly sug
eosts -foF the existing evils IN his
profession is publicity lie believes
that the public should be taken into
the confidence of the doctors. He
urges INC casting aside OF the cloak
~ infnllibility and mystery that the
ftRirsf have thrown around the prac
|'fr ~ snediciue and a re-estabIish.
.fnt Of the Old ideals OF the healing
eittt'on. The reform ON the in.