Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-09-26
WOULD HAVE STATE
HIRE ALL DOCTORS
Brooklyn Physician Says Com
mercial System Works
Patients Harm.
From the ST. Louis Republic

New YOrk.-A rather SellSatlOnal ar.
ticle on the present status of the medi-
cal profession by DIR. James r. War
basse appears i'm the Long Island Med
ical Journal. DR.. Warbasse claims
that the rapid increase OF business
methods has brought the practice OF
medicine into the realms of CONNER
cial competition.
The matter with the medical pro-
fassion." said DIR. Warbasse, lis that
the doctor is q private tradesman en-
gagged in a competitive business for
profit. He should be a public servant.
His Importance to the people and the
value to the nation of their physical
we'll being demand ii. and some day
will receive it,"
DIR. Warbasse further claims that the
average patient, with the average i'll,
who consults the average doctor. does
not get the benefit of the accumulated
wisdom i'm the science OF medlclne. me
reason for this. he claims. is because
the doctor cannot afford the pains to
give it. nor the patient the money to
pay for it,"
The sweeping statements made in
DIR. Warbasse's article apparently rep
resent the views of u large number or
physicians in this and other places.
Articles i'm the same vein have APP
peared rather frequently of late i'm the
various medical journals, and there
seems to be a growing sentiment i'm the
profession that something should be
lone to alleviate the evils wrought by
the spread of the commercial influence
Has Talents to Sell.
THE doctor has his talents TO sell"
writes DR.. Warbasse. III is i'm the
market. The competition is fierce.
Most doctors are capable and able to
deliver the goods. But comparatively
rarely car they afford to give the time
TO do the best thing possible for the
patient. As a business enterprise. the
practice of medicine--an occupation
capable of most unselish n benefi-
cent acknowledgements it's practitioner
to the necessity of frittering away
precious time in placating the whins
of hysterical females, recounting his
own owess animadverting upon his
competitors and stultifving himself
with the mediocrity of conformity. The
interest of business demands it. The
general practitioner who neglects the
methods of the tradeSman. even though
he gives to his patients the benefit Of
surpasslng skill and knowledge. is apt
to %languish for a clientele. An unnec-
essary equipage is often II of he
successful" physicians burdens. 1t is
! difficult. nay, impossible-for him to
| do otherwise. He is surrounded by the
| competitive system. and unless he con-
forms to these methods of the warfare
i ABOUT MN. lie must go GOWN.
DR.. Warbasse wonders that when the
workingman's home is on fire, the
community provides for him the most
effective measures which wealth can
secure to avert disaster; yet. when his
baby is stricken with disease. me is
left to the mercy of commercial eN-
p%loitation. He believes that the only
way to overcome all these evils is to
take the practice OF medicine out OF
the hands of competitive business and
nave 1T controlled by the people; in
other words. to socialiZe 1t. as the mat
tiers of water supply. street cleaning
and sewage disposal have been social
ICED. DR.. Warbasse claims thai quack-
cry is one of the evil results of the
present system. which would be en-
tirely done away with if the socializa-
ton of the care of the public health
We're brought about.
Medicine to Vet Take It's Place.
In conclusion. the article states thai
when humanity throws off the bur.
of life: when the distribution of wealth
is regulated by the deserts and the
needs of the people: when human life
and happiness shall be the object o
solicitude of the state. the profession
of medicine will take the place as tn,
great conserver of the most preciou.
of the nations natural resources"
DR.. Kenneth +. JUNIOR of 453 Eas
Twenty-Ninth street admitted TIN
presence Of business methods in thu
practice OF medicine. and said that h,
quite agreed with DIR. Warbasse'
views on the subject.
But" said DR.. JUNIOR. the medica
profession is not entirely to blame TO
the conditions existing in it today. TIN
ever-growing modern spirit OF com
mercialism is by no means confined t.
medicine. l do not blame the physi
clans. II is the fault cf the public
which is fostering this spirit. The riv
airy existing between physicians toda,
is intense; M l believe that a grea
proportion of the profession makes us
of these business methods But TIL
average physician is not rich. and mus
struggle to exist. 1t is we'll recognize
in medical circles that something mus
be don to combat these commerce.
forces. Quacks. and takers. of variou
kinds thrive under the present sys
tenn. The plan of specialization q
medicine. as proposed by DR.. War
basse. appeals to me as being a prac
teal method of bringing about the de
sired results"
Another Brooklyn physician sal
that. in his min medicine has been $
much commercialized of late that it
no longer a profession, but merely
business" He blames the physician
themselves. and not the public, for tn
existing condition Of affairs.
Cuckoo Song.
We shall grow old and die,
!, But now both you and I
Are young, and the ancient hills al