The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-23
OF
 BRITISH DOCTORS Plans Being Made for Even
 Distribution NEEDS OF THE WAR Some Must Go to the Army, While Others at Home Must Do the
 Extra Work Required
NEEDS OF THE WAR

London, July -(Correspondence of the Associated Press. .)-Conscription for doc tors is one of the next steps being dis cussed in connection with England's mo- bilization for war, and in several districts the doctors are anticipating it by volun- tary organization for war serice.
 The scheme for the mobilization of the entire medical service of the kingdom has been proposed by Sir Alfred Keogh, di- rector general of the royal army medical service, in order to overcome the undoubt- ed shortage of doctors both for civil and military work which now exists That there is a shortage cannot be disputed, but it is also the fact that the existing supply of doctors could be made much more useful than it is at present, under sensible system of organization. Like many other public and semi public serv- ices, that of medicine and surgery has been allowed to grow up in England with out control, the only governing factor be- ing the ability of the doctor to make q living. The result is that most of the well to do districts of England are over dootored, while those where the poor live are starved of medical attention.
 Much has been done to remedy this by the national insurance act, which made it possible for a doctor in a working class district to make a decent living and be sure of his money, but the act has not been in force long enough to have any very marked effect on the total supply Thus before the act came into effect it was stated that in Kensington, one of the weathiest districts of London, there was one doctor to every 1000 of the pop ulatfon, while in Poplar, one of the poor est districts, the proportion was one doc tor to every TOGO or SGO0 This has altered somewhat since the act came into opera tion but the discrepancy still exists.
 WOULD ENROLL ALL
 Sir Alfred keogh's scheme, which of course, would require legislation to make it effective, provides for the en- rollment of all the medical men of the country in a state service for the period of the war. Such men as were needed for the army and navy would be taken for these services, and the rest would be distributed for civilian service where they were needed. In the case of men taken for the fighting services they would receive the pay of the rank which was given them in the Royal Army Medical corps, and in the Naval Medical service, but some scheme of pooling fees would have to be worked out for the men doing civilian service.
 In several districts of England the m edical men are making arrangements to meet the situation voluntarily. as 1t is felt that a voluntary scheme run by the doctors themselves could be worked by them with a minimum of hardship and loss. Thus in Birmingham the local branch of the British Medical associa- tion has met and appointed a commit tee to devise a scehme for the war organization of the medical profession in that district. The plan proposed is that the circumstances and Qualiffca- tions of each man shall be examined by a professional committee. The younger men will be told that it is their duty to join the fighting services while the older men will be distributed through out the Birmingham area as their ser vices are required
 HOW SCHEME WORKS
 The committee will say to Dr. Jones, who is only 30 years old, that his place is in the Royal Army Medical service in France and he will be directed to apply for commission. Dr. Smith and pr. Johnson, who are both practicing in we'll to- do suburb, each with com paratively small number of prosperous patients who pay good fees will be told that they must pool their practices for the period of the war. and while Dr. Smith attends to both, Dr. Johnson will go down to the working class dis trict and look after the patients of Dr. Jones' who has gone to the war. Some scheme will be worked out also by which none of the doctors will suffer financially. It Is suggested. for in- stance, that the fees should be pooled and distributed in proportion to the previous earnings of each man engaged under the scheme.
 Similar action is being taken by the medical men in some of the big towns III the north, and in some of the London districts the doctors have already helo meetings to discuss the situation. Most of the members of the profession are agreed that it is to their interest to meet inc situation by voluntary scheme worked by themselves. If they do not and are compulsorly enrolled in state service they will have no choice or worK' nd they will be unable to make adequate Arrangements for saving their practices, and returning to them after the war.
 There has been for some years now strong movement among English doctors in favor of state organization Of the rr,edical service. The insurance act, al though opposed in detail by the great hulk of the medical profession. was ac- cepted by most of the doctors Tn pilh- ciple as a step in the right directlon' and it is generally agreed now that on the whole it has worked we'll The great feature is that it enables the poor man to secure medical advice In the lnltiai stages of an illness whereas, under the old system he waited until he was so Ill that his recovery was longer ano costIier job than it would Nhave been IT the trouble was taken in time. what IS wanted is a public health service wnlch will prevent disease, rather than prl- yate and unorganized service which tries to cure disease after it has deVelopeu:
 Worlds Greatest Spinners
 M. D. c. Crawford. in Harper's Magazine