Omaha daily bee., 1914-11-15

room left for further discussion. after
made my reply. I frankly declined. say
ing that could not affiliate with some
OF those constituting his faculty, and
that / might move to a Western City at
some time in the future, as an attrac-
tive offer had been made me by another
School of Medicine.
But, even II 1 still chung to that de-
cision, feel that l owe a duty to my
colleagues who are in the process Of be-
coming, in the Medical Department of
the Nebraska State University, as we'll
as to the State Of Nebraska. to point out
the weakness and inefficiency in the De.
partment OF Clinical Psychiatry in this
institution. 1 hold in my possession a
Journal. two of them, containing articles
from the Chair OF Psychlatry and Neuro-
logy in this institution which clearly re-
veals It's incompetency. Here is one Of
the many similar statements contained
in his published writings: ct is strange
~ true that purely scientific work
tends to obscure the power of the
will and moral forces in man." (see
Western Medical Review, Aug 1909. page
se4; also April, 1911, page 1917
That statement though absurd nom
sense, condemns the scientific physl-
clans In every other Department OF the
state University. as well as the men OF
science in all other departments in the
entire state. I have in my possession
further statements that clearly indicate
his opposition to scientific medical edu-
cation.
These remarks were made in direct
antagonlsm TO the branch of work to
which the past fifteen years Of my life
has been devoted. correlated as 1t is
with Psychiatry and Neurology, and
based entirely upon scientific monism-
that physiological basis which unifles
the physical and mental, making them
one and the same thing, /. e., an organ
ism in function, depending upon its re-
action to environmental stimuli. and rec
ognizing no such thing as a non-material
entity, whether designated as mental or
physical. This attack came forth, among
others. in the following words:
by making will the medicine In nom
material treatment we liberate from mind
a mysterious element-named psyche
therapy-that has ever been repugnant
to rational medicine .. The primary
cause of mind is will. The secondary
and last cause is it's action on brain
cells. In making mind, the will has no
creative power as regards the cells in
the brain, but must work with the grey
matter nature has supplied and from il
produce mind"
"The will acting on and through the
brain produces mind, uncultured, or Gull
turOd, physiologio or patholosio, limited
only by the structural imperfeotjons Of
the brain, and the duration Of life, for
the power Of the Will Is nmitless."
Such teaching is not in accord with
modern science. 1t is metaphysical nom
sense pure and simple. Before | would
violate my own self respect, and the
trust reposed in me by my colleagues IN
all parts of this country, 1 would prefer
being classed ''unethIcal."
In the Oct. Goth issue of Science, Prof
s. ]. Metzler, of the Rockefellow Insti-
tute for Medical Research, discussing
medical education. makes the following
timely remarks: I'VE have seen that the
two great evils OF the present system
consist in the facts that for our present
heads OF clinical departments instruction
is only q secondary occupation and that
on account of the extensive work which
their primary occupation demands, they
are unable to follow efficiently the con-
tinuous progress OF medicine. Continues
heb have no doubt that the ten elm
icians which make up the strong COM
mittee are great authorities in their
special fields. both in the eyes of the
profession and the public that is they
are great practitioners and consultants.
But for this very reason they are
just the mon who are not fit to be
heads Of departments in medicine. VIII
the members OF this committee and the
members OF the Council on Education be
unbiased enough TO recognize the fact
that being a celebrated, consultant and
being an efficient teacher OF modern
medicine are separate capacities which
frequently exclude one another The fire.
quent repetition In the report OF the coun-
ell Of the requirement that men be
chosen must be great authorities in the
eyes OF tho public and the profession is
TO say the least, disconcerting To he
. great authority In the eyes Of the
public Is surely no evidence even Of
being an efficient consultant. ANY one
who is frequently mentioned in newspa-
pers as having been In consultation to
treat this or that rich or noted man. or
who has charged enormous fees ETC.
stands as n great authority in the pub
lie eye. and am afraid not infrequent-
~ also, in the eyes OF the profession
In the present state OF medical eduea-
tion."