The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-09
FEDERAL HEALTH
BILL IS FAVORED
Head of American Medical Asso-
citation Advocates Passage
of Measure.
vIvISECTION DEFENDED
Baltimore Physician Also Says
There Are Too Many Cheap
Colleges.

ST. LOUIS, June e.--Creation OF a
federal department OF health with cab
met representation as provided In the
bill pending in congress, was strongly
urged by DR.. William II. WEIGH. of
Baltimore, president OF the American
Medical Association. in his annual adj
dress before the association which 10
In session here.
DR.. WEIGH, handling this subject,
said;
II do not see how any intelligent
and patriotic citizen who has studied
the question can fail to reach the con-
clusion that the Federal Government
should do far more than 1t Is doing in
the promotion of public health. and
that such increased activity, properly
directed. would IL OF incalculable ben
eft in the saving of human life, health
and energy ! agree with the great
ma nrlty- Of the netahers- of this asse-
citation that the best way TO secure this
result Is by the creation OF national
department OF public health.
There are many suggestive analo-
giles between the growing functions
and general plan Of organization of the
Department OF Agriculture and the cor
responding features of the proposed
Department of Health. and the argu-
merit for the establishment OF the lat
ter is stronger than was that for an
agricultural department when IL was
formed
Move ts Nonseetarisn,
THE idea that a Federal Depart
ment of Health could have anything
whatever t. do with the regulation
nf the practice of medicine through
out the country merely betrays abys-
mai ignorance OF the constitutional
principles of our Government. or tho
two great divisions Of medicine, 1t is
only with the curative that sectarian
medicine has concerned itself. while
to the preventive side, where our great
conqucsts lie. it has contributed Moth
ing.
TT is not surprising that the bet
ter representatives of sectarian uledi-
cine, realizing the false position in
which ii has been attempted to place
them. should have fastened to dis
claim any connection with the grotes-
que movement organized to defeat the
creation nf a Federal Department OF
Health on the ground that ii is fav-
ored by the great body of physicians
of this country represented by this
association"
Defends vivissction.
DIR. WEIGH had this to say "a de-
experimentation:
THE antiviyise ctionists are engaged
In an utterly hopeless undertaking in
their attempts to convince the public
that experimentation on animals is of
little or no benefit to mankind"
The agitation for the prohibition of
experiments on animals, conducted un-
/ der the guise Of n humane purpose
is fundamentally inhuman, for II /,
were to succeed. the best hopes of hu-
mantty for further escape from ply
steal suffering and disease would be
destroyed
Too Many Colleges.
DR. Welch argued that there are too
many medical colleges in the country.
On this subject. he said;
THE argument, that the country
needs to-day, IL II ever did. cheap and
Inferior medical colleges il wholly fall
1acious, for we have at present IN this
country practically as many schools as
all the rest of the world combined, and
I four To five times an many doctors In
ratio to the population as Germany
and the older civilized countries, and
moreover. graduates OF low grade
schools manifest no peculiar inclina,
ton or tendency to seek remote ant
lunpromising localities. but prefer com.
petition in fields alread overcrowded.