Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-10
THE CITY OF
DOCTORS
By Frederic ]. HaSkin
~ ALTIMORE, Md, June 9.-For
= anyone desiring to study the

~ ALTIMORE, Md, June 9.-For
- anyone desiring to study the
modern doctor in all his nu-
merous forms and activities,
field in America. Not only are there
somewhat lore doctors here than
size, but there are more different
kinds Of doctors. The modern ton
dency toward specialization, which is
steadily narrowing the field of the
old-fashioned general practitioner, is
here seen at it's best. And here, too,
ganization of doctors, which sup
plants the old-time doctor with his
little bag Of pills and instruments
by large plant with expensive
equipment and elaborate personnel.
The chief reason for this gathering
ence of Johns Hopkins university,
which is not only one of the largest
medical schools in the country, but
has the reputation of harboring more
of the genuine spirit of scientific in
quiry and less of the mere CONNER
Instead of manufacturing so many
Scattering them over the country,
Johns Hopkins produces chiefly spe-
cialists and research men, and a
great many Of these choose to re-
with the best of medical thought
and facility. The patients come 10
them from all parts of the country.
Hardly a through train stops here
without letting off a few sufferers,
usually some of them on stretchers.
last resort for the afflicted is steadi-
ly growing. They come here even
from New York and Philadelphia.
For. one thing, the services of spe-
cialists here is to be had for less
money than in the greater cities, and
operation between the Baltimore doc
tors, who form a sort of loose Or
ganization about Johns Hopkins.
Advance of Surgery
The city is especially famous for
it's surgery and the science of pre-
pairing the patient for the operation
has been carried to very high devel-
opment. The administering of anaes-
thetics has become a speciality to
which many men devote themselves
exclusively. 1t is more and more re-
allied that the giving of anaesthetics
is a serious matter, and the tenden-
cy is to use as little of the drug as
possible and still keep the patient
out of pain. Local anaesthesia is
used more and more. 1t has been dis
covered by Grille that if local anaes-
thetlc like noVocaine is applied, so
that no pain-shock reaches the brain,
even though the patient is con-
scious, there is no bad after effect,
while if the patient is made wholly
unconscious but no local anaesthetic
applied he will nevertheless show
all the effects of shock upon awaken
ing. In the case of a weak patient,
this effect of shock is an important
factor. Therefore, the best practice
is to use both the local and the gen.
eral anaestheitcs, and as little as
possible of the latter.
A modern operation is a harrow
ing spectacle to a layman, because
often not enough of the general
anaeSthetic is used to keep the pa
tient from struggling and grooming
He really feels nothing, but he looks
and sounds like man in agony. In
the case of a large incision in the
abdomen, for example, just enough
ether will be used to keep the pa
tient from rolling off the table, while
novocaine will be applied to each
successive layer of tissue through
which the knife must go. This is
slow process, but worth all the time
it takes. In many of the internal or
gans there is little or no sensation
as long as none of the adjacent
nerves are touched. This is especial
ly true Of the brain. There is no SEP
sation in brain tissue. When the sur
geon has sawed open the skull in
brain operation, he often works OH
that organ while the patient is under
barely enough anaesthetic to keep
him still. The layman has an exag-
gerated notion of the vulnerability Of
the brain anyway. A wound through
the brain is seldom fatal unless one
of the great blood vessels is cut
The patient then dies Of internal
hemorrhage. Many men shot clean
through the brain during the war are
still living.
Mysterious Ma1adies
To Baltimore come many patients
suffering from mysterious Affections
which have baffled doctors elsewhere.
Such a patient is apt to become a l
pilgrim going from one specialist
to another. 1t is an expensive and
discouraging process, but apt to prove
less expensive and discouraging in
the long run than endless meddling
by doctors who do not know what
s the matter.
The mysterious disappearance of
arse quantities OF alcohol intended
% be used at the torpedo station at
Newport for mechanical purposes led
% the posting Of an order announc-