Connecticut western news., 1922-05-04
INTERESTING PAPER BY
 DIR. JOHN G. ADAM
Read at Annual Meeting of
 County Medical Society at Winsted

Lltcnneld county Medical society held last week in Winsted:
 ''In the last few years we have heard a great deal said, about the passing of the Family Physician, typifed in it's fullest meaning by the good old country doctor, and having tried to serve in that capacity for the last twenty years, I shall offer no apology for championing his cause, and the necessary role he plays in the health of Litchfield County, trusting that his place may continue to be filled by men of the good old type that we all remember with feelings of veneration and awe.
 For the last ten years, and espec- tally since the world war, there have been great changes in almost every profession and industry, until we have almost accepted the term Gre organization, as a household word. Indeed we have been passing through wonderfully swift and radical changes, and the end is not yet in sight.
 With all these changes taking place it would be impossible for the medical profession not to be effected, and as we look over the last ten or twenty years, the progress in medical 1 subjects has been wonderful, it's healing gifts to Humanity, stupen- dous. \
 With all these different methods of progress in medicine, it would be strange indeed, if the standing of the family physician has not changed, and his old time friendliness, and love of humanity, been somewhat ob- scured by tbe swiftly passing scenes, and the present day love of financial gain.
 --1 Country practice and the country doctor must reorganize, and his fu- ture standing and benefit to a com munity rests, not only with the med ical profession, but the residents of the rural districts, must of necessity, bear some of the responsibility.
 All over the country, physicians rare leaving small towns, taking up special work in larger centers, or en- tering the field of sanitation and pre- ventative medicine, until the future welfare of people, living in rural dis tricts, must occupy the serious at tention of the medical profession.
 The advances in specializing, with its advantages to the patient have been remarkable, but it does not seem as if the medical profession, or the people, could afford to let the family physician become an unknown quantity, but he must never get back to the hardships and inconveniences of the saddle bags and one horse shay. ! -.-
 All will admit, that people living in rural districts, are entitled to the best of medical care, and I think 1t is we'll to look into the question closely. discuss it freely, and see if some way cannot be opened up, whereby rural practice can be made more attractive. -.
 To bring this matter more clearly before you, shall, try to give a few reasons, why the younger medical men do not choose a country prac- tice and at the same time give you some suggestions for relieving the situation:
 First. Hard life, long hours of la- Dor, and inability to systematize the work.
 Second. Poor roads, inadequate school facilities.
 Third. Lack of facilities for hos pital work, with the lack of social intercourse.
 Fourth. Length of premedical and medical training, with its nec- essary expense.
 Fifth. Lack of sufficient remun- eration for hours of work, and cost of education. ". These will be divided into three classes: .t
 First. Those for which the resid- ents are largely responsible.
 Second. Those for which the medical profession is largely res ponsible. '@t
 Third. Those causes where the responsibility rests upon both. l
 First. Those for which the resi- dents are largely responsible. [
 There is no doubt about the fact, that the life of country doctor IS hard one, and here in New England, the roads are not all we'll l cared for, and there are many hills to climb, and these are uncomfort- able enough in summer, but when the winter snow, and spring mud | comes, and the good old horse comes into it's own again, then it is, that the doctor often wishes he might | have been bank cashier, for a doc tors hours, have not as yet, been regulated by any labor union.
 The question of getting any sys- tenn about a doctors work is a diff cult matter in the country, for when 1 Mrs. Smith leaves word with Mrs. Jones to have the doctor call when he comes out to see her, and the Continued on page D