Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-07-19
GIVE THESE MEN A CHANCE TO
SERVE

ulOUNllo dSO W dll6t III fhlhSi .
can cooperation in the war, what
did they represent as the most urg
emily needed contribution of this
country to the common cause?
The conferences held in Washing
ton were naturally secret, and from
the first session all details OF Amer
icas participation undoubtedly were
discussed. But we have the highest
authority for our assertion-Dr.
Franklin II. Martin, chairman Of the
medical section OF the Council OF
National Defense Addressing the
American Medical association in New
York the other day he said.
do you know what the first
thing Mr.. Balfour asked for when
he came to this country? Do you
know what was the first request
that was granted? It was for doc
tors.
"Of the $4,000 military medical
men needed now, the government
has in sight only 1000, and Britain
and France are begging for help. In
the army we have only a few hun
dred medical officers; we must have
from $4,000 to $4,000. We must
impress upon the 147,0 physicians
OF the United States that they must
come to the front. Are they com
ing? ! hope so-but they haven
come yet.
additional doctors for the arm
les in France must come from the
United States. Rural England has
been stripped of its medical men
virtually every doctor below the age
of 81 has gone to the front. The
need is desperate"
Ut is needless to say that we do
not quote these severe words in
order to reflect upon the medical
profession, whose humane services
in peace as well as in war make the
physician one of the noblest OF fig
ures The thousands of doctors who
have responded to their country's
call, sacrificing large incomes and
all the comforts of home life in
order to carry their ministrations to
the battlefield, shed new and i'm
perishable glory upon their science.
But the spokesman for their pro- ,
fession and for the government has
disclosed conditions which call for
drastic action. Unless American sol
diers and sailors and their comrades
are to suffer and die without proper !
care, the United States must multi
ply its contribution to the medical ]
service many times. {
IN the face Of a need so urgent, no .
obstacle that can be overcome should {
restrict the number of men avail i
able for the vital work of saving
and retaining the victims Of battle. /
Yet there is a legal provision which {
excludes from the service a whole {
body of men whose equipment for |
special services in this line is I'M |
questioned {
There are nearly 5000 osteopathic |
registered and licensed n
in forty-four states of the Union. t
Many of them are eager to go to the \
front, but under the present law \
they are ineligible. The regulations r
require that applicants for commits {
sions in the medical service of the
army or navy must hold the degree i
of NJ. d., conferred by a reputable
medical college, and osteopathic vol
unteers therefore cannot even take n
the examination /
1t is worth noting that the army s
and navy could not avail themselves
of dental surgery, now considered 1
of vital importance, until special .
legislation had been passed to make !
dentists eligible to enter the service. r
A similar BILL to make duly licensed {
osteopathic physicians eligible for a
examination is now before the house :
committee on military affairs. In
our judgment, it should be passed
at the earliest possible moment.
The first reason, and one which
ought to disarm the opposition that
may be expected from some of the
leaders of the medical profession, is
tHat the osteopaths ask absolutely no
favors, no relaxing OF the rules, no !
modification in their behalf of the
tests to which applicants now must
submit
Surgery is but the beginning of S
the work The warfare which has !
brought into use such frightful de- '
vices as liquid flames, poison gas, 1
asphyxiating shells and high explo- !
sives of unprecedented power has
produced new injuries and disord- /
ers. From the abnormal life Of the
trenches, from the battlefields where {
men are subjected to assaults and
torments OF unimaginahle fury.