The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-04
cENsoRING MEDICAL HISTORY.
Restrictions Imposed on the Ofiiciai
Medical Historians of the War.

An amusing account of the dun
culties encountered by the board ap-
pointed by the surgeon. general Of the
army to prepare the history Of the
medical department, United States
army. in til World war, is given by
DIR. 10y McAfee, in arecent article In
the Medical Record.
Not the least interesting and GER
tainly the most remarkable page in it
is the officials list of requirements i'm
posed bv the general staff, which I'M
dertakes, it seems, to supervise the
medical department history. There
are very strict requirements as TO
Recommendation, and every basic state
ment is required to be substsntiated
by references to authorities. But
more disturbing to those who are in
terested in the production of an in.
forming and interesting historical
narrative are the prohibitions of
criticism and of names. II is stated
that ct is not for the military histor-
ians to fix blame or bestow praise" In
the name of Clio, why not, and since
when is it not the prerogatiye OF the
historian TO point moral or adorn a
taller The taboo against criticism
may be of use in preventing that
sacred band. the general staff. from be-
ing confronted with their own mis-
takes. but il would singularly diminish
the value of the work If the costly err
rors of this war cannot be pointed
/ out for the guidance of posterity.
Again. it is written that "names
and personal statements are not per-
missablue unless necessary for pur-
poses of accuracy and clarity The
general staff and not the historians
win presumably be the judges of the
necessity. IF the name" 1t continues,
"embellishes the history, il may be
used; II the history embelishes the
name. at must be omitted" Pleasing
diversion may be had by applying the
[ criterion here enunciated with such
finality TO various well known eharae-
tiers OF the past. The Hanoverian
dynasty can scarcely be said TO embel-
( lish history. and so we might erase
from English history the names of the
four Georges. In like manner. the
names of a number of the Roman en-
perors and even some generals might
suffer deletion.
In all seriousness, Il may be ques-
toned whether a medical history Of
the World war. of the methods used in
protecting health of the troops, and the
discoveries made in the course of car
ing for the sick and wounded--will be
worth what il costs. or worth anything,
indeed. if compiled under conditions
like these.
Surely il would seem that the duty
in the matter Of the general staff had
been performed when il issued the nee
essary orders for the preparation OF the
book TO the surgeon general After
that. his should be the responsibility
for selecting competent men 20 do the
work. and they. in turn. could and
should be trusted to do Il honestly
and well II the facts require the rec
ignition Of mistakes made. they must
give Il II anything Is to be learned
from those mistakes, and the names
Of the men chosen for the task are
enough 20 remove all apprehension that
lanvbodv viii be improperly criticized
or unduiv praised. That they include
spch medical lights as Drs William
III welch. Frank Billings George r.
brewer. John N. T. Finnev. Thomas
w. salmon. G. z. de Schweinitz and
wv. :. Thayer shows that the general
staff. IN telling them what thew nav
and nav noe d.. win rot escape the
charge that it, anxiety j. about some
thing else than the progress Of medical
science.
While The var vas on. the military
censorship often vas suspected Of Do
ing more than keep information from
the enemy. and Il doing il for other
than puhlic rrsson. The ceusorinr
IN peaeetime of MEDICAL history VIII
have the sane interrrctati0n and de-
se-rt it.-New YORK Tines.