The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1921-02-09
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
louisville POST


States army, who died at that CAPT
tai several months ago, and whose
remains were more recently re-
ceived in this country for interment
There may be some who will
question the advantage of posthum-
Gus honors of this kind. General
Gorgas is dead. and his great ca
reer is behind him. The French,
English. and Belgians. who propose
to erect a monument in his honor,
can do nothing that he may know
of, and yet it has always been the
custom of the English to pay tri-
butes of this kind to distinguished
public servants after their decease,
and no valid objection may be made
to the same.
The career of General Gorgas
was quite fully reviewed in the
newspapers and magazines at the
time of his death, and that need
not be repeated here. The English
verdict that he was zone Of the
great figures of his generation"
may not be questioned. In Panama
fighting the yellow fever mosquito,
in Cuba doing the same thing, as
Surgeon General Of the United
States army during the war, and
later still risking his life to launch
a scientific campaign to remedy
sanitary conditions in the fever
haunted countries of Northern
South America, General Gorgas
rendered services to his country
and humanity that may with great
difficulty be overestimated. The
idea that suggests itself to the Ev-
ening Post in connection with these
posthumous honors for the deceased
Sudgeon General is more in the way
of contending for a better recogni-
ton of the medical pofession than
Of discussing General Gorgas' ca
reer. General Gorgas was the most
distinguished of the medical men
who rendered services to America
during the war, but there were
hundreds of others who did fine
work, and many Of them made per-
sonal sacrifices Of a character not
demanded of General Gorgas.
Looking back upon the story OF
Americas participation in the great
war, the Evening Post has little
difficulty in reoching the conclusion
that the work done by American
surgeons and physicians during the
war accomplished more and has
been appreciated less than that OF
any other class Of our citizens. Sur
geons with incomes running up into
the tens of thousands Of dollars an
nually left their Offices to serve as
captains and majors in the army.
Others whose incomes were not SO
assured risked losing the work OF
years to answer their country's call.
And the work done was admirable.
The death rate in our armies, both
in this country and in France, was
small, and every soldier home from
Europe has something to say about
The fine work Of the American med
cal men,.
And this brings us quickly to the
conclusion we wish to make. For
years there has been an agitation
n this country for higher salaries
or school teachers, and the agita-
ion was in a worthy cause. Have
lot many Of us, in our zeal for i'm
proved education, neglected the du-
y of bringing the compensation OF
he medical profession up to the
,oint that will enable America, in
he future as in the past, to secure
satisfactory proportion OF the
promising young men OF America
or this, unless it be the ministry,
he noblest of all the profession!
n the great cities a certain pro-
portion of the most successful ply
icians and surgeons earn large re-
Yards, but in the country disticts
he emoluments of doctors are far
90 low in view of the expensive
ducation that is now required, and
wen in the cities, many of the med
cal fees are below what they should {
,e in view of the advance in the !
ost of living. The Evening Post
lesitates to make anything resemb- s
ing an argument for increased liv- I
ng costs. but we are convinced that I
se must pay our physicians and '
urgeons more. Medical men al !
gays do large amount of charity !
york, and this will continue, wheth- I
r other fees rise or remain sta I
ionay. I