The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-25

of the medical schools in America
would be driven out Of existence If
the lowest terms upon which medical
schools can exist abroad We're applied
IN his country. according to preSi-
dent Henry S. P~ritchett, Of the Car
negie Foundation for, the Advance
ment Of Teaching.
Jhls Is n of the deductions made
by DR.. Pritchett in his introduction
70 the Foundations report on "Medi-
cal Education in Europe" by Or.
Abraham Flexner. which is made pub
lie today.
The Carnegie Foundation published
IN 1910 an elaborate and fearless re
port describing the conditions of
medical education in the United States
and Canada The present, a COM
paniOn volume on Medical Educa-
tiO7 in Europe by the same same
author. Abraham FleXner, with an
Introduction by Henry s.. Pritchett.
president of the Foundation, is based
on a personal study in 1910-1911 Of
representative medical schools in Ger
many. Austria, France. England, and
Scotland.
President Pritchett explains in his
Introduction that the foundations
study Of medical education in America
led to a demand for an extension of
the investigation to the leading Eu-
rOpean nations. The bulletin there
fore describes conditions as they now
exist in these countries. and draws
attention to both their strong and
their weak points. Perfection is
found nowhere. but all European
countries make a definite educational
requirement for entrance upon medi-
cal education, and permit no schools
to each medicine without the essen
tial laboratory facilities and ahund-
ant clinical opportunities. In Presi-
dent Pritchett's words:
Medical Scandals.
scandals in medical education ex-
list in America alone. In no foreign
country is a medical school to be
found whose students do not learn
learn anatomy in the disseCting-rOom
and disease by the study of sick peo-
pie. 1t has remained for the United
States and Canada to confer annually
the degree Of doctor Of medicine
upon, and to admit to practice, hun
dreds who have learned anatomy
ron qiz-compends. and whose &C
u~uaintance with disease is derived not
from the study of the sick. but from
the study of textbooks. These scan
dalOus conditions are less widespread
TO-DAY than they were a decade ago;
yet they are still to be found in al
most all sections of the country, even
III Tx lllofSi - ny 3t' y
Massachusetts tolerates in the city OF
Boston. the State Of New York toll
crates in the city OF New York. the
State Of Illinois tolerates in the city
Of Chicago. the State Of Missouri toll
crates in St. Louis. the State Of Cali
fornia tolerates in San Francisco. SO
called medical schools thai pretend
to train doctors. despite the fact tina
they are without adequate clinical ia
%cilities. In no European Ountr is i
possible to find an educational farce
of this description. There. every
school has adequate clinical resource:
under complete control. If the low
est terms upon which a medical schoo
can exist abroad We're pplied tt
America. tnr~ee-fourthS Of our eXlstin.
medical schools would be closed a
! once. And. let me add. the remain
ing fourth would be easily and Ell
tirely adequate to our need. Man
a"ers of feeble medical enterprises il
our country pretend that they ar
, , making great sacrifices for the pub
| lie good. This hNpocritical p~retens
/ ought not to be permitted longer t
: damage the public interest. No medi
| cal school that lacks proper f%acilitie
:. has any other motive than the SELLS
: : advantage of those that carry it on
and no civilized country except Am
: erica at this DAY allows such enter
prises TO impose upon the public
Enough Physicians.
The report. after tracing briefly tn
n historical DEVELOPMENT Of the mod
ern medical school in Europe, frs
discusses the distribution Of phys
Z clans. showing that in any c%ivilize'
country ii is not necessary to ma \
cheap and poor physicians in orde
S that the COUNTRY ma have physician
0 enough. Every nation that supple
good secondary school facilities he
e more phNsicians than 1t needs. at
high level of professional trainin
b The arguments on this point in In
former bulletin are thu enforced b
EuroDean conditions.
In spite Of serious defects whic
e are frankly pointed out. the authc
finds medical education IN German
d still leading the world. both becaus
the medical sciences are highly Dc
d yelope0 in the laboratories and il
d stitutes of the German nnlNersitle
q and hecanSe the clinical teachers j