The Detroit times., 1912-09-28
SAYS HOSPITALS HAVE I.
GREAT DIFFICULTY In.
SECURING IATtRNEs
Lack of Facilities for Practice is
Reason. DR.. Reuben Peter
son Tells Convention
NEW OFFICERS NAMED
DR.. F. A. Washburp is President
and DIR. ]. N. E. Brown, De
troit, Reelected Secretary

There was a time when the supply
of students who desireda year OF
y ork in a hospital to round out their
medical courses was more than tho
hospitals could accommodate; now
adays the hospitals are competing for
internes," said DR.. Reuben Peterson,
medical director of the University
hospital. Ann Arbor, addressing the
American Hospital association, Fri
day morning. In the Hotel Pontchnr-
train on the subject: Hospital In
ternes."
DR.. Peterson said that large cor
porations are employing medical
school graduates to look after their
cases, that laboratory work was draw
ing many from the hospitals, aud
that the increase of asylums for the
insane was also causing dearth OF
.lnteInes. He blamed the lack OF
facilities for practice and observatsSn
in hospitals for the disinclination OF
the graduate to spend q year as an
'interne. He recommended that q
committee on internes In each hos
.pital study ways and means for secur-
ing good men for the work,
"A fifth or clinical year Is inadvis-
able for a medical school to demand
unless the school has canvassed the
hospitals and knows that the student
will get the necessary work." he said
1T is the duty of the school to make
provision for this year. A medical
school demanding such year and
failing to make proper provision for
its students Is guilty of being party
TO fraud.
DR.. Peterson said that report on
hospitals similar to that of the Car
negie Foundation on medical schools
would be advisable In this regard.
President Hurd said that the Ameri-
can Medical association has already
taken steps TO advise itself on the
clinical opportunities of hospitals.
The address caused great deal OF
discussion, and many speakers told
of the difficulty of getting competent
internes on the one hand, and the
danger of giving internes too much
responsibility on the other.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing term: President, DR..
Frederick A. Washburn, Of the Massa.
ohusetts General hospital, Boston;
vice-presidents, DR.. w. p. Morell, OF
the Winnipeg General hospital;
Mabel Morrison, of the Robinwood
hospital, Toledo; secretary, DR.. j. ~.
z. Brown, superintendent or the Do
ttroit General hospital (re-elected) !;
treasurer Asa bacon, superintendent
f.Nf - hut -sawz aI L.
Miss Emma Anderson, superintend-
ent OF the New England Baptist hos
pftal Boston conducted a question
box In which many members answer
ed questions which their associates
had found difficult OF solution. One
OF these was. the ACCESSIBILITY Of TAX
ing tubercular patients In a general
hospital. DR.. w l. Babcock Of Grace
hospital advocated accepting. them
wherever there was no tuberculosis
hospital and this seemed to be the
conceneus OF opinion
A visitor from Asia Minor caused
amusement by relating his exper.
fence in New York hospital width
er he was directed on his first day in
New York by man in brass buttons
whom he believed connected with a
church. since he had read OF strong
connection between the police and
the clergy. He said that the patients
in the ward to which he was assigned
seemed all to be suffering with the
same disease-facial tumor. He had
heard that specialization was carried
far in America, yet he felt that a mis-
take had been made, since he alone
was not afflicted with this disease.
Nurses would come occasionally with
receptacles into which the patients
appeared to discharge exoretions from
the tumors. Later the gentlemen
from Asia Minor became better ,ac-
quainted with the facial appearance
Of those who use plug tobacco. ~.
The convention adopted a resolli-
ton for the appointment OF COM
mittee of five to submit a plan for
the grading and classification of
nurses. In the afternoon the associa-
ton finished its work and adjourned.