The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-08
Two From St. Louis VIII Address
Keokuk Dlctors Next Week
on ServIoe In the
Army.
FROM BASE HOSPITAL
Captain Leighton Has Beer With the
British and viii Bring Plo-
tures and Give
Lecturer.

- officers will come to Keo-
w. kuk next Wednesday,
August IL to stimulate
recruiting In the medical
reserve branch. The men will be Ma
jor Nj. G.. Seeley, M. r. G., and Capt.
w. q. Leighton. M. r. c.. both of the
st. Louis board. Captain Leighton
has been In base hospital with the
British army, and he will bring with
him pictures which will be shown in
an illustrated lecture to be given
during the time the officers are hSce.
The place Of holding the lecture
will be announced later. Dr.. n. A.
Gray has received notice of the COM
ing Of the medical reserve offcers
and will arrange for meeting during
their stay here. The lecture will DC
open to the doctors and their friends.
The object Of the officers visit mere
will be to stimulate recruiting In this
branch of service.
The following letter in which the
call to service in the medical corps
is given, has been received by doctors
here, and Is given herewith as 1t gives
suggestions for handling the doctors
interests while he is gone, and also
urges upon the physicians their duty
In this time or war:
Confronted by the present national
emergency, our medical profession
faces, at once, It's greatest opportun-
ity for service as we'll as It's most
searching test Shall we live up 10
the noble ideals and traditions OF
American medicine by immediate and
unstinted dedication OF ourselves TO
the cause of country and world dem
~, ,han
and seek appointments that promise
the greatest personal profit? If we
delay, we shall Justly forfeit the splen-
did reputation for professional altru-
ism which characterizes "the doctor
of the old school" and became the
foundation of our modern scientific
medicine.
The army Of these United States
needs twenty-five thousand medical
men enrolled in the medical reserve
corps. Scarcely one-fourth Of that
number has been enrolled. The
general indifference Of the profession
during the preceding decade of peace,
when the surgeon generals office was
trying to build up medical reserve
corps, can be explained perhaps.
There was no great urgency or induce
ment to cause physicians to join at
that time. But times have changed
Ours is truly time to try mems souls.
Not one of us would hesitate to risk
all for the rescue of his child from
burning home The world is on fire,
yet we wait We fail to realize that
1t Is "our" world and that the safety
and welfare Of "our" children demand
sacrifice from us.
No other motive is equally worthy
as a reason for joining the medical re-
serve corps, now. The appointment
does not carry with it sufficient sal
airy, rank, or clinical experience to
induce competent successful Amer1-
can physicians to give up civilian
practice and enter army medical work.
The honor Of our calling always has
been maintained by sacrifice and SER
vice. Why not now?
It may be that the value of the
medical profession to the army has
not been properly recognized. Ger
tainly, we are not going to win the
merited appreciation, If we fail to
heed the country's call, today. Let us
not wait for the cumbersome mechan-
ism Of national CONSUMPTION for medi-
cal men. Let us decide in our local
medical bodies who shall answer the
first call. We know about as we'll al
1t can be known, the circumstances
which make 1t easier for this or that
one to enter the service. Let those
who have enjoyed the largest In
comes go first They have been able
to provide something for a rainy day.
Do not try to hide under hospital or
medical school exemptions. One
third Of our profession should be en-
rolled now. Trained men are needed
therefore let the stats Of hospitals
and medical schools contribute their
one-third and set an example to the
rest.
Then let US select one-third of the
members In each county society as
our representatives at the front. The
selection can be made by older mem
bers-those above the age limit for
the medical reserve corps. If the full
quota Is supplied by volunteers, so
much the better. Let each county So
ciety take pride in that 1t has done Its
duty to the country first.
Then let the two-thirds who remain
at home unite In caring for the prac-
tees Of those who are called and give
them a square deal, both when they
20 out and IL they return
When this has been accomplished,
we may truly boast Of the efficiency
OF organized medicine. Our watch
word for 1917 should be Sacrifice and
Service"