The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-20
DOCTORS HAMPEREO
BY PUBLIC O|STRUST
Physicians Told Who They
Must Do to Uplift Plane
of Profession.

NEW YORK, Nov 20.-New York
physicians are taking sides strongly
for or against the theories expressed
at a gathering Of physicians and sur
geons by DR.. James Ewing. professor
OF pathology at the Cornell university
medical college, who, in startling
speech, declared the public held the
medical profession in profound dis
trust, and told what physicians them
selves had to do to dispel this distrust.
prevailing public sentiment he
said, lis out of touch with the medical
profession. This is seen in the crude
and hating manner in which medical
topics are handled by distinguished
writer's and by the wide extension Of
Christian Science and the wagering
defense which legislatures afford to
the public health against incompetent
practitioners.
This widespread public distrust
should make us ask soberly whether
the medical profession is doing its full
duty to the public; whether from men
tai deficiency, superstition, the mar
rowing influence OF the church or the
educational systems of the last cen
turtles with their incongruous school
ings in rigid mathematics and specu-
lative philosophy, the modern mind is
united to grasp the delicate and inf.
mite variety of biological processes
This, l believe, is the reason the pub
lie does not understand medicine
would 1t not be good policy for the
more enlightened public OF today to
analyze the grounds Of its disaffection
and make sure that it is not merely
representing the suspicious of the
middle ages? Only few months ago
on the upper east side, thousands of
excited people gathered around the rel
les OF departed saint in the hope
of being healed"
The public. he declared. made the
mistake OF trusting to any but physi-
clans, the early stages of serious
disease. The efforts Of the daily press
to furnish Information on medical sub
jects. the physician declared, consist
ed of sensationism and absurdities.
ed, lis the influence of a score or more
of medical journals, which cater to the
taste for misinformation and absorb
q large portion Of the $50. 100000 paid
annually in this country in the adver-
tisement of quack medicines.
Medical science has pointed the
way to the almost complete suppress
sion OF tuberculosis, but tons of tuber-
culosis beef are marketed in New
thinks his opinion of the tuberculin
test Of cattle is quite as good as that
OF the German government.
There Is general failure in this
country to appreciate the high devel-
opment of sanitary science essential
to a we'll ordered community. The ma
tiOnal guard has at last awakened to
the necessity for Il national bureau of
health, such as has long existed in 9TH
er countries. Yet instead of going
ahead with 1t. we have the astonishing
spectacle of the President of the Unit
ed States holding a public hearing to
debate the question. And with Asiatic
cholera at our very door. we have just
witnessed the distinguished health Of
ficer Of the port of New York subject
ed to a mock investigation"
1.-The Germans" he said. pay Wal
deyer $4,000 a year at Strausburg.
besides student fees. but there are few
positions in America which permit a
scientist to live in city house and
raise family.
1.-The organization Of our medical in
situations could hardly be worse for
the progress of the science. The care
OF the sick. the education of physi-
clans and surgeons and the search for
new facts. which should be carried on
simultaneously and side by side in
each Of our medical institutions, are
isolated and carried on separately
Medical research in America suffers
from this. Everything is being swept
aside In the effort to provide the stu
dent with premature clinical expert
ence."