The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-10
DECLARES THE US.
LEADS IN SURGERY
Milwaukee Physician, Back From
Trip Raps Europe's Disdain

Milwaukee,, Wis. oct. l0.-Medica
men in America have considerable [,
learn from their European, particu.
larly their German brethren accord.
ing To DIR. Maurice l.. Henderson. 10
cal physician. who several days ag,
returned from an extended triI
through the medical centers OF the old
country. The same is true of the 9TH
CT way around, he said, and IL thcra
was "A closer relationship between the
American and European medical fra
ternities and greater interchanging
of ideas "A happy desideratum would
be arrived at. he declared.
This seems remote" he added, not
because the American physician is not
eager To learn from his European
brother, but because the European
practitioners think they can learn
little or nothing from the American.
Few European Visitors.
Hundreds Of American medical
men go to Germany each year 10
watch the noted physicians work, bit
IL is "a rare occasion that finds a l3u-
ropean doctor in our midst .or the
same purpose of acknowledgements
Human life is not as highly re-
garded in Europe as il Is in the
United States. The American doctor
makes greater effort To safe the ne
OF an individual. He Is more con-
cerned with his patient. The German
doctor is after statistics. lie is OK
perimenting and looks more toward
the benefit Of humanity than the cure
Of an individual case"
The fact, according To DR.. Hen der
son, is largely attributed to the con-
trastin6 means on which each has To
depend for self-support. The Amer
lean doctor is more or less a victim Of
said the doctor, lie
must depend upon his practice. and
because OF this. the success he has
with each patient stands as criterion
Of his worth.
Doctors Government Employees.
I'm Germany fully 80 per cent Of
the doctors are employed by the gov
eminent. They receive yearly salary
and only a few have a private prac-
tice. Even the most noted surgeons
N Germany are employed by the gov
eminent. And because of this they
have greater opportunity for the re-
search work This, too, accounts for
he fact that German doctors are far
her advanced i'm ability TO diagnose
asses, in laboratory work ana in path
,logy.
Greater opportunity is afforded in |
hat European nations have more |
charitable institutions. Because the |
treat masses are overtaxed they nave
10 money 10 call in a Doctor wncn
AIKEN sick. and the vast ina lority are |
AIKEN To government hospif4s for
reatment.
The doctors in these hospitals have
'een taught to specialize n partic-
ed nothing but one sor: Of ailment
or more than twenty five yeats. fhe
american doctor has no such oppur-
unity, for If he wants 10 make live
hood he must cover a wide field so
5 to provide himself with patients.
Radium Work Wonderful.
The most striking research work in
Europe is with the X-ray and rad
nm. Wonderful results are being OBJ
aimed, particularly with the Use of
adium in the treatment Of cancer.
While was observing operations i'm
ne of the hospitals one of the Ehy-
icians, professors they are called in
Germany used a capsule Of radium
hitch the day before was purchased
lr 100000. Ii was hardly ds large
$ a pea. No American doctor can
ford TO purchase such an amount Of
ldium, and thus our work with the
INSTANCE amounts to almost nothing
Dmpared to the attainments Of Ger
IAN doctors. Considerable research
ork can be accomplished when The
overnment purchases the material
18th which TO carry on experiments.
But after all that have seen of |
uropean surgery, | can safely say /
lat in the technique Of surgery Amer '
an physicians are much farther add
Inced, and would advise no sur {
ION To go To- Europe expecting TO ac-
lire greater knowledge or finer skill.
American students would be given
c same chance for research work, q
lievc they would excel the Germans. I
he american medical student is /
orc ambitious. lie acquired knowl- a
g. more readily and he Is harder Z
)rkcr. v
Let the American student have r
cess to the hospitals where there
e 1000 patients and let the govern
ant lay them for their work. and
= will soon see the time when med .
II mon in the United States will no
1gcr take ofr their hats 10 the y
irop"an.'