The New York herald., 1921-04-03

, for more adequate facilities for the hos
pital and dispensary care and treat
ment OF rural citizens. but 1t is not a
fact that there Is a great public peril
nor that the rural physicians are gen
orally incompetent to care for local
community medical needs. The tele-
dwellers in practically all parts of the
State good roads and automobiles have
put the rural physicians in closer touch
with their patients.
No community need go without a
physician if 1t is willing to support one
decently. Hospitals, dispensaries and
laboratories at State expense will not
aid practitioners financially; that is cer-
tain. The average country practitioner
is now at his wits end to earn decent
living because his field of work has been
SO narrowed by public hospitals. dis
pensartes and clinics, and by the devel-
opment OF medical specialism, which has
taken from his hands many patients for
whose care he alone was formerly re-
sponsible.
The rural physician knows his own
community and its needs far better than
the State Department Of Health. He
knows that much OF the great public
peril" talked about Is pure propaganda
He knows that, given time and money,
the State Department of Health will. in
its effort to help him." create a vast
organization for the control of medical
practice in which he will be merely an
unimportant cog. IL tho State authori-
ties are sincere In their desire to aid
the rural physicians, let the State De-
partment Of Health give the citizens and
the physicians OF the rural communities
an opportunity to work out their own
destiny with such State aid as is actu-
ally necessary. Any community OF the
State can have as much medical service
as it is willing to pay for. and If it is
willing to pay for their services good
physicians. hospitals. nurses and all else
can be had anywhere.
The opposition to this bill among rural
physicians is practically unanimous
They see in it another step toward State
control of medical practice which, If car
ried far enough, will result in a still
greater dearth of rural physicians. The
opportunities for a physician to earn a
decent living in the field of general
medicine are already too few to attract
young men to the rural districts. They
will be still less IL the proposed bill
becomes a law.
The demand for the benefits which the
bill promises Is not heard among the
citizens OF rural communities. who will
be taxed to support 1t. In short, the
only enthusiasm for the bill is In the
State Department OF Health and among
those who advocate the socialization OF
medicine
Here is another illustration of the
loose talk" about matters of great pub
lie Importance on which the Governor
has previously commented. So far there
has not been an authoritative statement
OF exactly where and what State medical
aid for rural communities is needed or
what it will cost to provide 1t, nor is
any statement offered by the advocates
or the bill as to the sentiment against
It In the rural counties of the State. If
any one knows what the actual needs
are the county medical organizations OF
the State know, but their opinion has
apparently not been asked, or IL asked
has been disregarded by the advocates
OF the bill.
CARL Z. McCoMBs, VI. D.
NEW YORK, April 2.