The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-02-14
THE BO.IRD OF HEALTH MUDDLE

We think it a reflection upon the medical fraternity that a con-
State Board of Health. The five members who took their disap-
&, h1 aasd tT i anne puIs.e,. i ;n a t to %.n 6o tht 5n'm IA iS w INDEED w senuj n9
that five sane, sensible men should arrogate to themselves the right
are in a minority. A certain juror is credited with having told the
presiding judge of his eleven companions who disagreed with HIM
that they are the contrariest men ever saw"
As the reading public knows, the State Board OF Health is com.
posed of IS members, eight of whom are named by the Governor and
FIVE of whom are named by the State Medical Association. Shortly
after Governor Bre " was inaugurate d. he .. sent to the senate the
the State Board of Health, at the same time also sending the names
citation. Those recommended by the State Medical Association
were for reappointmen.. When the day of organization came, the
Thev we're Accorded the president, and some other man: not mem mem
b bne 81 he Board' was ell Elected secretary tar "A A few weeks ks ago o the h Sec.
rotary resigned to accept the place of superintendent of the Insane
the FIVE were still dictatorial and when they were not allowed to
game Ganow ynv SeeGDfesooaf'MEMisMsisssGi,p oy n greatest way, as and "a most st beloved ene taG men, n''a aOa
is not only a highly cultured man, but a very successful physician
i bt:w s' up a howl and cried politics and d''''t'" by Governor
1t was all right for them to wire and write all over the state to
secure the election OF a certain man for secretary, but all wrong for
somebody else. In their sore toe story they allege that the men,
istry of a certain young man who was seeking license % practice
medicine: This was true, but as shown in TIE statement of the ma
jorhy of the Board, which appeared in the daily press a few days
ago, other grades had been raised at the request of the hve-in
all, but Of course, from the viewpoint Of the five this was highly
proper but grossly wrong in the others; We are not prepared to
raised, neither are we prepared to say that the five members did
maniesty unjust and an exhibition of a lack of common sense to
have failed to grant a license to a applicant whose papers were
chemistry. We hazard the statement that the five kicking mem
berS, and 1t Will not enbaraSS the eight to include them also, can
not make a grade of 50 prepared by any professor of chemistry
in Tulane or Vanderbilt University or any other reputable college of
the country.
Grenada can not be exceled for the ability and the learning of
her doctors, and we heard a veteran in the profession here remark a
few days ago that he felt sure he could not make IS in chemistry
and that he as absolutely certain that it would be no difficult task
to submit questions to the average practitioner in the state which
would preclude the issuance of license if a strict adherence to a
standard was insisted upon oy a medical board. The fact is, the
average doctor has little practical Use for chemistry in his practice
that part is left to the druggist. 1t is also a well known tact that
the older physicians of the country were not required to stand any
examination at all.
In mentioning these facts we would not have it understood that
w e believe in the lowering OF standards or that we would have men
turned loose upon the public who are to occupy one of the most sa-
cred relations known to civilization in society and who re incom-
petents or quacks, but mention them to show how essential tt to
use common sense and experience about any matter even if it does
apply to science.
Governor Brewer has acted with due propriety in the whole
affair. Those named by him to membership on the State Board Of
Health are clean, good men and ar among the states best physi-
clans. If there is anybody hurt by the action of the incorigible
FIVE members of the State Board of Health, it is the general public
themselves and the medical fraternity of the state of Mississippi;
certainly they have made n o scars upon the escutcheon of Governor
Brewer and the other eight members of the Board. 1t is indeed I'M
fortunate that an exhibition of petty spite should be allowed to Grip
pile the crusade the State Board of Health has been waging for by
giene and sanitation and for better health. Granting that all the
five have said is true-which the eight deny and which the cMcum-
stances and common sense show to be an error-they were not war
ranted in taking their grievance to the public. A sacred devotion
to duty and the interests of those who must trust the doctors, should
have counseled that the grievance should be settled within the State
Board of Health.