Bisbee daily review., 1911-08-13
ABOLISH PRIVATE DOCTORS,
 A BRITISH IDEA

Dr. Benjamin Moore of the Bio- ehemic department of the University Of Liverpool has a plan to do away with all private physicians. He wants the government to safeguard the health of everybody in Great Britian, the doctors being on the basis of civil service employees. He predicts A great saving of life and sorrow by his plan.
 That this scientist is very much in earnest is evidenced by the fact that he has written . volume Of some 2e4 pages On the subject. His book Is called '~The Dawn of the Health Age" and has proved of sufficient interest and importance to provoke discussion fin the medical publications on both sides Of tho Atlantic.
 Tn this work" says American Medicine the wastefulness and fu- tilitv of the present system of tink- ering with the diseased individual instead of seeking by organized ef- fort to the entire eradication Of disease from the community, are pitllessiy exposed and attacked.
 ECcnOUiS waste.
 "The vast amount of economic waste consequent on Illness. through loss of employment. destitution Of dependents, death of breadwinners, funeral expenses Of those who die before their time, the expenses of illness. including the medical fees ; the maintenance, schooling. cloth ing. feeding of bereaved children at the public cost. in consequence of the loss of those whose labor should have paid for it. is pointed out.
 The effort of competition in cut ting down the remuneration of med ical men, and its necessarily con. comitant degradation of the practice Of medicine by entaining cramped work: the interference of our pres ent hospital systerl-especially az regards the out-patient department with the practitioners livelihood; tho overstraining of the charitable hos ilitals, which cannot possibly atteRt ! to more than 15 CT 20 per cent o : those whose financial position en ] titles them to the relief it oughI ' to afford as well as the marked hos ! pitals and the parsimony Of ths state institutions; the necessary re striction of the hospital training ant ' opportunities to a limited few of tn, entire medical body; the inadequate number of those engaged in thJ most important part of medica | work. viz, the prevention of dis ] ease and the education of the pub ] lis, as well as tLeir totally made quate remuneration: the lack O power and authority vested in tho | health authorities to investigate fol
 ttiienIseii7 5s witiiG;gitt fiG;it having -iiifs e =at on reports which are often no Tnade; conditions relating to th' ! incidence Of infection. and to com i pei removal, isolation, and othe ' measures necessary to strike a ] the root Of the most disabling form. ! Of disease-al these points are dis ! played in trenchant terms, f some ! what discoursive manner.
 The Remedy Proposed. The remedy proposed by Dr. Moore is a complete abandonment ] Of the present methods Of combat | ing disease. the fundamental condi : ton Of reform being, according tC ! him, a radical and complete change | in the whole inspect and outlook oi ] the government, the public, the pri ! yate medical practitioner, and thf public health officer. It contemplate' no extension or amplilicatiOn oI them, but a new system, including the organic coordination of all the [ various forces now engaged ill tho warfare On disease.
 He proposes the formation and equipment of a national health ser wee on a government basis. under a minister of public health with cabinet rank, to be parallel in al Important points with the govern ment medical services of the army and navy. and supported. like them by a general tax, so that medical treatment shall be free, like educa ton, and like education also, com pulsory.
 He is sanguine enough to be feve that ten years of such regime