The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-22

DR.. Brown. become more rare with
higher standards
In most hospitals and medical
schools the X-ray laboratory occupies
the same relative position to the in
st!tution as the lemonade stand does
20 the big circus" said Dr. Eugene w
Caldwell. in the course of a paper
touching the anomalous conditions that
obtain in this branch Of medical sci
ence. with the title. The Roentgen
Laboratory in Hospital and Medical
School" Admitted by the speaker TO
be rather uncharitable and perhaps
radical arrangement, the abuses touched
upon were nevertheless real ones. and
were handled with short shrif,
Looked Down Upon.
The speaker deplored the tendency
OF the average student TO look down
upon laboratory work with the Roent.
gen rays as mental and degrading
The clnician." he declared, is too
apt TO look upon the student who
spends his time in the laboratory as
n fellow doing 'chore' tasks far beneath
the lofty work of writing prescriptions
and plunging the steel into the quiv-
ering flesh OF human beings. Tho
Roentsenologist is too often regarded
By this class OF men as the fellow who
runs the machine that makes X-ray
photographs
Not more than Ave or six really FIRST
class X-ray laboratories. according TO
DR.. Caldwell. are to be found among
the hospitals and colleges Of this coun-
try Most of them are a travesty on
what they purport to be. Il know
one large hospital" ne said, which
has for a number of years maintained
an anomalous mass OF electrical Junk
In charge OF superannuated protog-
rapher. for the purpose OF making
scientifcal S-ray examinations In
another city an enterprising young
photographer takes care OF the sew
erai X-ray laboratories OF the hospi.
tails. skipping from one TO the other
at So per skip" With such slipshod
methods as these. Il Is no wonder. said
the New York specialist. that the pub
Tic has come to look upon Roentgen-
ologists as industrious and talented
robbers"
Better Equipment.
DR.. Caldwell advocated better X-ray
equipment for the hospitals: more ex-
tensive laboratories, and more thor
ough instruction in RoentgenologS I'm
the medical colleges. He emphasized
the Importance of obtaining better
equipment-the best on the market
oelnG poor enough--and the employ
ment or only the highest grade of
help. Under better conditions this
branch Of medical science will be made
attractive to first-class men, and more
Of them Will make q specially of it
DR.. Henry K. Pancoast. OF Ph!ladsl-
phia, opening the discussion which
followed. gave 1t as his opinion that
The day is not far distant when the
efficiency of a hospital or medical
school will be determined by the kind
OF H-ray equipment 1t possesses. and
the type of men who have It in charge
DR.. Fred II. Baetjer. secretary OF the
society. and number of other dele
gates discussed the subject further.
Morning Addresses.
TWO addresses OF a technical nature
were delivered at the morning session
OF the society. DIR. David r. Bowen.
OF Philadelphia, read paper on
La ooratory Notes" The other paper
OF the morning was by DIR. George e.
Pfahler. OF Philadelphia. and was en-
titled Variability OF the Focus OF
X-Ray Tubes and a Simple Means Of
Selecting Picture Tube" Discussion
OF the first paper was opened by DR..
T. NJ Hickey. of Detroit DR.. Pfah
lers address occasioned a good deal
or comment and discussion, led hv Fl.
Clyde Shook. of Philadelphia An exc
cutive session for the consideration
OF constitutional changes and impor-
tant matters of business was held i'm
mediately following the discussion of
the two papers.
In the afternoon the members of the
society were taken for an automobile
tour OF the city and vicinity, taking
IN several points OF historical interest
me trip was followed with a tea in
their honor at the Country Club of
Virginia.