Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-12
D. K. PLACED ON
MEDICAL BILL BY
DR.. A. c. SHORTLE
Physician Lays Down Type,
writer Barrage in Defense o.
Measures Opposed to Selfish
Interests of Doctors,

To the Journal:-I see by an edi-
torial in todays paper that you grant
that the medical bill, which has pass
ed the house, should pass the senate
providing the salary for the state
bacteIiologist was eliminated. Ger
tainly If a few more things were
eliminated from the bill there would
be no one who would object to its
passage, for there is not very much
of it left as it now stands.
AS for the salary of the state bac-
teriologist, l think it makes no great
difference whether or not there is a
archaeological provided for, but GER
tainly funds for such work must be
provided. DR.. Van Alta can very well
do the work in this city, in fact 1t
has been considered that the bac-
teriologist should be located here
and there is no reason why DR. Van
Alta should not be the one selected
When you expect $3.50 or $500 to
take care of the work, however, you
must have a very restricted view of
the value of a state laboratory. |
have about 1000 invested in my
own personal laboratory and this oc-
torium, and / spend at least $1,000
on maintenance each year, but,
nevertheless | do not have as much
laboratory work done during the year
as / feel l should, nor as much as |
expect to have done during the COM
ing year. If my work requires as
much as this, just how do you expect
a whole state to get along on $3.50
or $500? OF course, the most of the
laboratory work should be paid for
by the individual, but / hope to see
the day when the state laboratory
spends at least $4,000 a year, for it
will mean the saving of many lives
in this state.
The physicians are quite willing to
call on charity cases, many times
giving services extending over
months, but they do not think it fair
to 60 into their pockets for labora-
tory tests. AS an illustrataion: the
physician is called to a poor family
and has reason to suspect diphtheria,
but the proof is not positive. A cuI-
ture which can be made in a few
hours decides the matter. Again
the doctor suspects tuberculosis En-
animation of the sputum would be
the deciding point, but he is not pre-
pared to do this himself. Or, as
case l saw recently, where there was
epilepsy in poor man; there was
good chance for a cure if a certain
blood disease was responsible, but 1t
required SIS to have this test made,
so either the doctor had to treat a
disease that he was not sure existed
and thus lose valuable time or go
into his own pocket and pay for the
test These are a few of the rea-
sons why we should have a good
laboratory service for the benefit of
the poor people of this state.
l think some of the DIRECTORS of
the present medical bill should think
of this very seriously and perhaps
take the trouble to consult with some
Of the physicians who are advocating
the bill before attacking the differ
ent sections. The evening paper,
believe, has attacked the section re-
quiring the installation of silver nj
trate in the eyes of the new-b born
infant. This is directed at the mid
wife and would prevent many cases
of blindness. In some hospitals for
the blind the percentage of blindness
due to ophthalmia neonatorum runs
as high as 60 percent and it has been
proven that the proposed prophy-
ldcllc measure prevents large per-
centage of this. If this section is
eliminated from the bill, the men re-
sponsible for bringing it about will be
held responsible for the blindness
that Is sure to occur in q number of
New Mexico children.
The papers might be fair enough
to state that this entire bill is against
the selfish interests of the physicians
of this state: that it is all in the line
or preventative medicine; that the
one or two positions that will carry
salary are likely to be secured by
out-of-s state men, and that we GER
tainly have no interests other than
that of the personal good of the res
idents of this state before us in advo-
eating the passage of this bill
tSigned) A. G. SHORTLE, M. d.
Editorial Note--The Journal is
quite aware that the public health
bill is purely a philanthropic move
ment on the part of the doctors, but
1t Is also aware that the creation of
new offices and salaries must end
somewhere. The Journal could read
lily bring forward, each with good rea-
son, bills that would call for $25,-
100000 of New Mexico money.
Plan East West Tournament.
New York, March 11.-Officials of
the California Lawn Tennis associa-
ton and the United States National
Lawn Tennis association are consider