Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-13

leave INC htNcrshy Of virginia
Intnrt.
| To the Edit OF The Times l,s pate
Several years ago the public
was Informed that tho Rockefeller
board had examined conditions IN
medical ana surgical affairs In NT-
gina ana recommended that on"
strong medical institution be cs,ab-
liShcd In the place OF the several in
Sutu;ions which already existed
This suggestion g. "a the oUtaidc may
not deserve resentment. yet as Mr.
samuel Woods showed in his letter
today. the University of Virginia has
no apologies to make for the stan
hards II has maintained: nor perhaps
had the others. but am rNcaking
| mainly now Of my alma mater. Dr.
David Lyman. for instance. Is ono OF
the foremost lung specialists In
Amcricn. Bishop Morris told m" h.
had failed ovcrywhc"" 10 discover
the cause Of his trouble and ~ Uni
| crsity Of Virginia graduate "n nrst
diaGnosis revealed the cause. pr.
| 'FouSlcr has made the University ia
| NOUS in China and Russia John X.
Mott said he had travelled all over
the world and never found a Cuiv"r-
-ity of Virginia man tina, IA had not
found Il leader. the doctors share In
his praise. TN" questions Of rcor-
SANITATION has however. several
heads for discussion. First. T. ii adj
y!Sahlc TO merge? Second. where VIII
the consolidated Institution be Ana
third. under what auspices. separate.
or united with the UuiycrSity OF Viz
-iuiuy
what has hccn said above would
Apply /" leaving things as thoy arr.
iint the second question is really tho
I is.
| public. The rcomctric;h center OF
Virginia was selected 10y jefferson
not because h" lived there hut on
nccoun; OF accessibility TO ALI parts
of the state aud the rest OF the
country. Richmond ITSELF Is not bet
ter connected by railway facilities
Than Charlottesville Then. the whole
record Of other universities indicates
"a strong reason for the departments
Of great institution TO be located
all in one place.
! hay" In mind the University OF
Texas at Austin. with its medical de-
partmcnt AT Houston, about wh:.,ii
there was discussion for years. and
much dissatisfaction owing to the
TWO being separated likewise. the
law department OF the University of
the South was in Nashville. while tho
other part OF the institution was on
tile mountain AT Scwancc. Finally
The medical department was totally
abandoned. although II was in a city
larger than Richmond, Finally, shai!
the prestige Of the Richmond hosp!-
tails ana eminent surgcors hc taken
as a reason for locating the new in
srltutiou here in Richmond? Ger
;aluly not. for new doctors Will be
educated, ana If they are capable OF
eminent success. there Is no reason
| they shouIi not live in the saluhrious
! climate of the Piedmont. while the
admirable reputation of the present
! group OF Richmond doctors docs not
require any alteration OF the present
conditions for the SAKE OF their name
ana fame.
y point has been made by some
/ that there are too few men settling
in the rural districts. ana that there
! should be more doctors induced to
/ locate IN tee country. Iiut. now un-
der the sun does this result depend
on their being educated in the city?
| IL would seem to be more likely to
| civ" them a taste for city life. unless
| perhaps they get too much OF Rich
mOnd high rents and high board and
| cry. Never again" The truth is the
whole South knows the excellence Of
the former standards Of the Univcr-
| sity Of Virginia. In oxford and all
other places abroad our degrees are
respected. No overlapping is re-
qUircd when our men go to their in
situations directly from the Univer
sly of Virginia. Ambassador Bryce
told me how greatly he valued the
scholarship of this great school
founded by our illustrious jefferson.
| The whole South and the whole world
know the University OF Virginia.
| There is no need OF accessory repu
iation from any otksr source.
| Finally, If removed from Charlottcs-
VILE to Richmond, shall the new hos
pital sun be under the auspices Of
| the authorities OF the state univcr-
s!ty? Assuredly all the arguments.
save that in regard to the health
fuI climate. would he applicable here.
1t might be possible to maintain the
standards and the prestige Of the
university, preserving the name and
the scholastic and surgical associa
tons, the illuStrious names like that
Of Mallct and Christian and the rest.
and yet locate the new buildings here
il Itichmond Yet, the temptation
would be most insidious for some
local institution To attempt TO gobblc
up the capital, gain the ear OF the
iIcgislaturc. influence the politicians,
| appic lhe suffrage. OF Whatever Pt"-
Pies power remains in the old state.
and sweep the increment of the new
hospital into its own Golfers. one
would wager heavy sum that this
effort Will be made just so surely as
| the actual buildings are erected away
from their original alma matters
shielding oversight. To sum up.
while II doubtless would nave been
wise To let things alone had no out
sidc influence meddlcd. il the mcdi-
cal institutions OF Virginia are to he
consolidated, then the new buildings
should no located at Charlottesville
and under the name and authority of
the University OF Virginia
WYTHE LEIGH KINSOLVING.