The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-19


report TO tho General Assembly. Thi.
report in full has just been printed as
Senate Document No Ill, making IT
possible for the first time to cxnmtn.
into It's details. Heretofore. nothing
save It's summary has been presenteS
to the public.
/ The subject is of great Interest In
view OF the bill before the Legisla-
/ ture TO permit the merger of TIA
Medieal College OF Virginia with the
| medical department of the university.
! The proposition in connection with
Memorial Hospital lends additional
color to the proposition.
| With exceeding frankness the re-
! port Bays: There has been for tho
past twenty five years an enormous
/ over production OF uncducated and i'll
trained medical practitioners The de-
mand of the times is for srna Her
/ educated. In Germany they are la
nenting the fact that there IL one
doctor FOR 1000 souis. Virginia has
one doctor for every BIS people"
Report in Detail.
| the entire report OF the commission
| OH this subject Is as follows:
The consideration by the commission
| Of the proposition to admit both the
Medical College Of Virginia and the
University OF Virginia with its medi-
cal department in the list of inatitu-
tons to be included among those re-
commended to share in G. mill tax, thus
establishing permanently two hide
pendent State medical schools, Leads
tho commission to mako tho following
recommendations In regard to medical
education In Virginia, for tho oonAider-
alton OF tho General Assembly.
l. There should be but one medical
l.
are three medical schools In the State
tho Department OF Medicine, University
OF Virginia: attendance, 1901. $50
per cent from Virginia. Medical Col
lego Of Virginia, attendance, $3.50
per cent. from Virginia; University
College of Medicine. attendance. ias-
so per cent. from Virginia
There. arc now about $50 medical
schools In this country, number
which, 1t is universally believed. is
far in excess OF the needs fthe coun-
try. Virginia obviously has moro than
her share.
Tho total enrolment OF medical etu-
dents In the State ea seen above, was,
in 1901. sig. and the number Of
graduates. lo4. 9ixty-four per cont
from Virginia.
The state does not need SO many
new doctors. In fact society would
be better served II the number were
smaller and the training broader and
moro thorough. Dr. Abraham Flexner
estimates that q graduating class of
NIFTY Will easily suffice for Virginins
demand, while tho whole South Will
require for tho next generation but
AZ now doctors annually.
An ovcrproductfon-
There has been for the past twenty
Ave years an enormous oyer-produc-
tion OF uneducated and Unframed
medical practitioners. The demand OF
the times is for q smaller number. bet
ter equipped and better educated.
In Germany they arc lamenting the
fact that there is ono doctor for 1000
souls and in large cities one for every
1000 population. Statistics show that
in the United States there Is on the
average one doctor for every 56s per-
sons. and in large cities one to 400.
Virginia has one doctor for every sls
people.
Besides lack OF real demand for SO
many medical schools economic rea-
sons force the conclusion we announce.
No American State or city now sup
ports more than one university, be-
cause II IS unnecessary, uneconomical
aud impolitic. 1t is still less neces-
sary 10 duplicate medical schools. The
needless expense, tho shrlnkage OF
student body BY division, or increase
by low standards and sharp rivalry
the difficulty OF recruiting more than
one faculty, the competition ami neces-
sary limitation OF hospital service. all
argue against local duplication. The
tendency, both in Englan. and this
country. is toward amalgamation,
which has ALREADY taken place il
number or American cities.
Part OF Universally.
2 This one medical school should DO
L part OF the State University, under
university control. with university
standards. ard properly articulated.
not only with the university. but with
the general system of education
One OF the chief functions OF n State
university is to set up educational
Ideals and TO fix educational standards
1t is not university unless 1t supports
adequately one or more professiona4
schools. Chief among the professional
schools are law and medicine. Nothing
short OF university standards will
make them useful Instruments of the
state for effective service.
The requirements of medical edu.
cation have in the past decade or two
enormously Increased. Progress In
medical education during the past fif-
teen years as exemplifed by the best
schools has exceeded that in any other
line OF education endcavor. 1t has
as a whole do not understand or APP
rrcciate 1t. The fundamental sciences
upon which medicine depends have
been greatly extended. Methods OF
teaching have been completely chang
cd. The lecture room has given way
In large measure to tile laboratory.
Demonstration has supplemented did
actic teaching. Doctrine has yielded
to observed facts OF applied science
The physician and the surgeon alike
ind the laboratory Indispensable in
diagnosing and combating disease The
remarkable advance in biological
science has completely changed cond-
tons so that entirely different demands
are now made, both in respect TO pre-
liminary and professional training. The
modern medical student not only secs
disease, hears and ids about disease
but by chemical analysis and biological
experiment brings scientific methods OF
Investigation to his aid as well. He