New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-10
100000 ASKED FOR
ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
Public Urged to Contribute the
Money at Once Toward New
Building Fund.
FELLOWS OFFER S124,000
Great Library, One of the Most
Valuable in the World, To
Be Made More Use
full by Change.

\ circular pamphlet has just i.een issued
by the New York Academy OF Medicine.
setting forth the need OF a new building
for that body and appealing 10 the gen
crosby Of the public for the $4,000 to
make il possible. The fellows of the
academy have pledged $4,000 toward the
project and the acsdemy's equity in real
estate in West 43d and iith streets is
valued al $4,000. making $4,000 available
for the treasury.
4 definite decision has not yet been
reached as to whether the new quarters
will occupy the same site as the old. al
No. II West 42d street. The general trend
OF preference in the academy seems TO DE
for a location little further uptown.
The great value OF the West $50 street
site and its limited size are given as rea-
sons why a move would be desirable
Dr. Reginald J. Sayre. To whom sub
scriptions are being sent for the new
building said last night that he hoped 10
see II well on the way 10 completion
within two years. Good causes had al
ways met with prompt response in TINS
city heretofore. he said. and he believed
the money would be forthcoming without
delay.
so far as Dr. Sayre could recall last
night. no large contributions had been re-
ceived az yet for the new building from
private persons, but he held this TO be
because the public had not become aware
OF the plans.
The most urgent need OF the academy
is for a larger home for It's library, one
OF .he leading medical libraries In the
world IL Is only exceeded in size by the
library Of the Faculty Of Medicine, Paris;
the library OF the Imperial Academy OF
Medicine. ST. Petersburg, and the library
OF the surgeon general At Washington
The academy owns 81 .636 volumes, besides
a large collection Il dIplicate volumes and
! 1886 pamphlets. Last year there were
more than twenty-five thousand readers.
Means Medical Progress.
on the special subject OF the library
/ the circular says.
The library Of the academy % used for
reference and circulation. and. while
maintained entirely by the medical pro-
/ fession. it Is open TO the public Ave hours
. each day. The magnificent New York
/ Public Library. with It's splendid equip
ment and large endowment. has not
made. nor does it contemplate making
provision for medical literature. This
! important field must be filed by the
Academy or Medicine 10 which the PUB
lie Library extends reference association,
thereby constituting this library an es-
sential part OF the New York Public
/ Library system.
such a library IS indispensable to an
educated medical profession and, indeed
1 70 the intellectual activities OF great
metropolitan city. 1t Is impossible for
the profession TO keep abreast OF medi-
! cal progress without access 10 good
! library Very few can afford 10 pur-
chase more than a small fraction Of the
valuable books and journals which they
must consult in their everyday practice. "
Tho Academy OF Medicine has more rea-
son TO look FOR aid from the public than
any other professional association. in the
opinion Of the doctors. for the reason
that as a body and Individually it's mem
bers offer more service 10 the community
for which they receive no reimbursement.
Some years ago" said Or. sayre last
night. the doctors OF this city took hold
OF an outbreak OF cholera and stamped II
out before il could become scare. The
amount o. money saved to the business
men OF the city by avertng even week
~ uneasiness over such a disease would
more then build us our building
Average incomes Small.
THE average income OF a doctor 10
much below that OF most other profes-
eional men. They do a great deal ~
work for which they are not paid. and
great deal more for which the pay is in
adequate. owing 10 the financial status
OF many OF their patients. Moreover. the
academys building is used by number
OF non-medicsl societies which are con-
cerned about the public health. as, for
instance. the bodies dealing with social
hygiene. physical and moral education
and the like"
Among those on the committee for the
new building are DR. William NJ. Polk.
president OF the academy: DR.. l.. Emmett
Holt. Dr. Abraham jacob DR.. Joseph d.
Bryant DR.. Charles L. Dana. DR.. Her
mann NJ ptsgs and M AlexaDder