The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
Where Doctors Disagree.

Paternalism is not a bad thing in
any government; but like all good
things, there may be little too much
Of it. And this is shown rather forcibly
by the result OF the recent examination
of the midshipmen at Annapolis. For
the eve of Mars mas to stand the strain
of a very severe course of mental
training before it is competent to
threaten or command, and the fact that
some nineteen members of the gradual
ing class have been found physically
deficient opens rather grave sug-
gestion as to the wisdom of putting so
much mental work into such a short
period of time.
The development of electricity and its
application to naval administration, with
modern ordnance and an increased
standard of English and modern lam
guages, has made the course of study
an extremely difficult one The am
bilious student, too in the Naval Acad-
envy is at a disadvantage as compared
with his civilian prototype in college.
For it is unquestionably less deleterlous
to study for a longer period with a
good light than it is even for shorter
time with a poor illumination. Now, III
ordinary colleges the study hour is left
to the student, while at the Academy
the lights of a necessity are extin-
guished at certain hour, and the de-
fcient student must work out his sal
vation surreptitiously, which is gener-
ally done prone upon the floor, with
the book and the candle hidden from
observation by soap box.
The lay undergraduate has also this
advantage, for should his eyes. his ears,
or his heart trouble him, he is at lib
erty TO select any specialist he desires,
and having done SO, if he is not pleased
with the result, it is in his power not to
follow the instructions given or TO see
'some one else for a correct curative
opinion. The midshipman. however has
no such choice, and must do as he is
told. even TO the putting on of eye
glasses, when the use of them will iii
all probability cause his ultimate re-
lection, as all tests and examinations
are made without them.
Now, no man can be specialist on
all classes of diseases, and the expert
in any one of them is made by years
of experience. limited to that particular
class. and is not, like the poet. born
to it. And that this is so and must Of
a necessity be so IS shown conclusively
in the case OF Young man who gradu-
ated a few years ago from Annapolis
He was an athlete, had had a clean
record for health during his four years
at the Academy. and passed the board
Of medical examiners without question
But as he wished to be married and
that was impossible under naval regu-
latiOns for two years, he, having OBJ
tanned an appointment in the coast ar
tillery, resigned. Then, upon present.
I'IS i4IllISIi4 DSIslS llIC
board. to his intense astonishment he
was rejected on the ground of heart
disease. So here we have a youngster
who had given four years of his life
IN preparation TO serve the government,
while the government in its turn had
supported him and furnished his edu-
cation. And yet Of two boards, ap-
pointed by that same government stimuli
taneously, one declared that he was in
perfect health, the other that he was
the victim of incurable disease.
AS to which was right, the question
does not enter here-both could not be
and the interests of the government
and the individual are, it strikes us, too
important to be left to a condition of
affairs where doctors disagree"