The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-01-11

tlilOAtO, December 15.- brali III
and surgery? Yes, all kinds
OF it Unnecessary operations? a
great many Of them are! But pshaw!
It's not good business to cure a mans
stomachache when you can operate
for appendicitis"
That is the situation in the medical
world of America-and of Chicago too
to bring il csoser nome-today. The
utterance quoted above emanated from
prominent physician and surgeon of
the city who is disgusted with pre-
yailing conditions. In these words
and others equally vigorous and ironic
he upheld recent sensational charges
of abuses because of which, it is alleg-
ed the ancient and honorable profess
sion is deterorating. Tie admitted
the accusations, sweeping as they are,
one and all-fee splitting, secret divi-
sion, joint fees and commissions, and
even obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. He urges a series of articles
exposing the conditions.
Instances of graft in all its ramifca-
tions as it applies to this particular
profession were cited in substantiation
of points made and stories told of pro-
minent persons, which have never seen
the light of day in print And in con-
clusion the well known doctor said:
'In defense of my associates find
just this excuse: If the profession is
now a moneymaking trade, minus its
old ideals, it is the public, in a large
measure, which has made it so. And
while l will not attach my name to
anything I may have said, if at any
time it becomes necessary to defend
these utterances I will substantiate
one and ALL
The surgeons remarkable expose is
an echo of an address delivered by DR..
John P. Lord of Omaha, president of
| the. Western Surgical association, at
the Hotel La Sale earlier this week
! It further deals with accusations
brought against physicians and sur
geons in general by DR.. Norman Bar
nesby, an easterner. in recent book
"a most sensational human docu-
ment.
DR.. Lord, addressing meeting of
the organization of which he is presi-
dent, told of an alleged bond between
medical specialists and the general
practitioner and predicted time when
the profession would be out Of favor
with the public as result of alleged
graft"
"The practitioner" he said, will
call a man of sufficient, standing to en-
able him to name fancy price as the
consultant's fee, which he collects, and
then RENTS the consultant the mini
mum fee. The graft element is also
going into medical politics and some
county societies are controlled by it.
1t is a menace to professional honor,
dignity, common honesty and decency
at has been my experience that fee
I
questionable means. They do not stou
at dividing with doctors. Hotel clerks
hackmen, news agents, barkeepers
ordinary clerks. travelling men, medi'
cal students, priests and preachers
are represented, though few Of the lat
ter class stoop to this practice.
"Many of our surgeons style them
selves specialists after few weeks at
some of our large clinics. They pass
the word along the line that they are
liberal and they are soon doing a good
business. 1t is only question of time
when the profession will be out Of
favor with the public.
ITO begin at the beginning this IL
an age of oommercialism in medicine
and surgery. Graft rules the major
ity There are few old fogies. lik'
myself, who don't graft-but do YOU
know why? Just because were too
W@SHeNzeSSSWS <SeHSS1S