Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1915-04-08
THE UNFORTUNATE PREDlcA-
MENT OF THE MEDICAL
PROFESSION

who feels sincere pride in its past
achievements and in the high ideals it
has always striven to maintain, cannot,
contemplate the present economic
conditions of the practice of medicine
without experiencing feeling OF
alarm in regard to the future. The
leading economists Of today now
place our profession in the unremuner-
ative class, and state that under pres
ent conditions matters will not i'm
prove but on the contrary win tend to
grow worse. AS time goes on we find
paying patients grow fewer each year.
We go on hoping for better times only
to encounter worse ones. We think
THAT possibly the European war and
depression in commercial business is
affecting the situation but, on looking
over our books, the unfortunate fact is
demonstrated, whether the times be
good or bad commercially, our bust
ness year by year has been progress
lively worse This shows that there
must be something radically wrong in
the conduct of our affairs, that is, that
the prosperity. Of the community at
large does not necessarily mean great.
er financial returns to the profession.
The average physician at present is un-
able to earn more than bare living
and there are many who, cannot even
do that. What will be their position a
few years hence. This situation not
only affects the poor men in the pro-
fession, but 1t also concerns those who
are now financially comfortable; for
with the progressive decline Of income
they will eventually find themselves in
the same distressing situation as those
who are earning but bare living at
the present 1t may be thought that
I exaggerate the poverty Of the profess
sion, but beg to call attention to the
fact that some time ago one Of the rep
|resentative medical societies of one Of
our larger cities with a membership
of about thousand 4hysicians called
for subscription of two dollars from
each member. How many responded?
Less than one-third! An alumni din
ner Of class Of seventy-nine physi-
clans, graduated during recent years,
had dinner at five dollars a plate.
How many were present? Only six!
1t is indisputable that the physician
is the only real altruist in any
community. He alone endeavors by
every means in his power, with all his
knowledge, scientific, economic, and
ethical, to combat disease which is his
only resource of livelihood. He is him.
self or through his representative con-
stantly making researches in the caus-
alton Of diseases and the methods OF
limiting their spread or preventing
their occurrence; and this is done
without any remuneration whatever.
What other profession or trade does
anything epproximating to this work
of the physician? He has always sub
ordinated his personal interests, the
most vital to his existence, to the in
terests of his fellow man. Can it
be possible that the profession we all
love through poverty, will disintegrate
become d'sorganized, lose its high
ideals and decend to baser motives?
Can it be possible that as fine q class
Of nss as there is in the community,
who give more to charity than any
other class, who sacrifice their person
al well-being for others and who have
gwen untold BENEFITS to the world are
going to the wall. There is a general
among medical men that
the position taken by the public to-
ward the physician is unfair, sordid
and selfish 1t assumes that the doctor
Is public altruist. who may disregard
his obligations to his family and to
himself, at all times, in order to serve
The public. This finds expression in the
disregard of obligations to the physi-
clan and in the unjust discrimination
against them by our lawmakers, =
fair example Of which class has Just |
gone into. effect. This singular Atti-
tude Of people toward . cls cf
men who are continually working for
It's benefit is cause Of resentment,
sorrow and regret to the profession.
But, let us not be unjust to the pub
lie. We have not taken II into cur con-
ddence. Ours 10 an exclusive profess
sion and has kept its affairs to itself.
30 how,could the public know our real |
condition? Not knowing J
The real facts, It judges from surface
Many think We are paid |
Ior our services in hospitals and dis
pensaries. How often We hear the Ne