Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-08

1t Is inevitable that. soon or later. al
departments Of the body social as well
as economic must be organized for the
objects of the war. a war which. as We
in our turn are realizing. is war OF
nations with everything the phrase i'm
plies Of the resources inherent in the
peoples and the lands they occupy
There is no class OF the population
tina; is more vitality essential TO the
direct prosecution of the war and also
to maintenance OF the efficiency of the
nation at large than the members Of
the medical profession. During the
past year ard more the vital charac-
ter OF their services In the field. to-
gether with the consequences attcn-
dent upon unsystcmatized distur bancc
OF their normal work ut home. has pre-
scented a problem OF constantly increas-
ing gravity.
With continental population num-
berinG we'll over l0o,000.O00. we have
registered Il total Of only $4,000 doc
tors. OF whom $4,000 arc now serving
with the army and the navy. and be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 assumed
10 be in active practice in civil life.
From this latter group must be de.
Quoted considerable proportion who
are wholly or largely engaged in in
struction and laboratory work. and
others who. If not quite supcrannuated.
are at best dislua liiicd physically for
performance OF the fun labors which
tho active practitioners is called upon
TO discharge.
The actually and fully effective ply
sicians may number no more than 49,
600 at this time, as they are TO be
rcck oned for the needs OF our civil
population. From these must be de-
Quoted at least $1,000 in the future
because so. 600 medical men w!ll he re-
~,
against the $1,000 now serving ancld
and At sea. and meanwhile the medical
schools o! the country. try as they
Will. can qualify only small fraction
OF the number to he utilized So we
arc confronted with the problem of but
few more than $1,000 physicians TO
l00.oo0oo0 people. or one for every
1000 OF the population. while nearly
90 per cent Of this population is resi-
dent in rural districts and other areas
sparsely settled.
In effect. then. for the period OF the
var one medical man will be required
TO do the work Of two among the
people OF the United States When we
consider how extensive are the conse-
QucnCcs incident Ia tho dislocation Of
the practice of hut = s.n:;l" active phv-
stefan by reason OF his illness, death
or retirement. II - possible to apu,e
- W some S?steHli-
t!-cd and cXpcrt!y ordered rcadjust-
rncnt in the face OF such an emergency
the enrolment OF all physicians In
the United States IN corps pledged
10 perform what ever service may be
assigned them by the corps governing
body has been begun by the Council o..
Eatonal Defense. IL promises to be a
practical satisfactory alternative for
conscr!puon. apparently the only other
means or obtaining that general com
pliancc with the orders Of a central au-
thority which is imperative for the
well being OF our hgh;in. forces and
.! our civil population.
Under the conditions hitherto pre-
Nail!ns. the medical profession has re-
sponded ,naSn!hccntly TO the national
needs and great numbers OF men, dis
iinEuished In the profession, have been
deferred from Offering their services