Evening star., 1927-05-22
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

+ meetings held during the
" American Medical Association
IN convention in Washington last
4 l. week, comprehensive plans
were formulated for surveying
the whole field of medical practice in
the United States. The purpose is to
investigate the care of the people s
health from top to bottom, primarily
from an economic standpoint. The i'll
tention. broadly stated. is TO find out
whether the prevention and care of
disease are being conducted on lines
that are thoroughly sound, or
whether in any important direction
there is need for fundamental changes
of method. TO tackle the high cost
of health" seems TO describe, in sio
gan form, the program of the eminent
group of medical educators and prac-
titioners who have launched a project
which may lead to revolutionary de-
veloDments. Their object, in other
words. is to determine, by intensive
scrutiny. whether medical practice is
In all respects adequate, effective and
economically carried on. A study"
to last five years is contemplated.
PreIiminaries Considered.
Preliminary steps were taken out
side of regular sessions or section
Association. They were the result of
action initiated a year ago. which
provided for extended discussion.
while the recent Medical Association
convention was in progress. The
conferees, some so or go in number
me- on the premises Of the American
Red Cross Society. Two major Ses
sions were held. DR.. Ray Lyman Will
bur, president and former professor
of medicine of Stanford University,
presided at one Of them, and Dr..
Lewellys F. Barker. emeritus profes-
sor of medicine at Johns Hopkins
University, at the other. The eX
traordinary Importance of the move.
ment subsequently launched is indi-
Gated w the Identities of the men and
women who participated in the con-
ference. With few exceptions they
are the luminaries in the American
medical armament.
Physicians i'm Conference.
Among them were DIR. Frank Bill
Mngs of Chicago, DIR. Winford II.
Smith, director of Johns Hopkins
Hospital, Baltimore; DIR. Charles E.
A. WinsloW, professor Of public
health at the Yale Medical School: DIR.
H. Fl. Moore, educational director,
United States Public Health Service,
Washington; DR.. Louis |. Harris,
health commissioner Of New York
City; John A. kingsbury, secretary of
the Milbank Memorial Fund, New
York; DIR. John Shelton Horsley.
surgeon of Richmond. Va; Walton H.
Hamilton of the Brookings School of
Economics. Washington; DR.. +. l..
Bishop, State health commissioner of
Tennessee; DR.. James B. Bruce,
director of the department Of internal
medicine at the University of Mich
igan; George K. Barnett, professor of
statistics, Johns Hopkins University:
Richard NJ. Broadley of the Thomp.
son Foundation. Boston; Surg. Gen.
Hugh S. Cumming of the United
States Public Health Service; DIR.
Haven Emerson, professor of public
health administration, Columbia Uni
versity: Miss Blanche NJ. Haines of
the Children's Bureau, Department of
Labor, Washington; Dr. Shelby NJ
Harrison, vice general director of the
Russell Sage Foundation; DR.. A. r.
Mccormack, State health commits.
sioner OF Kentucky; w. f. Willoughby, |
director. Institute for Government
Research, Washington: DIR. NJ. c.
WinternitZ, dean of Yale Medical
School; DR.. Eugene r. Whitmore, pro.
fessor of parasitology and pathology.
Georgetown University; DR.. David
Reisman, professor of clinical medi. |
cine. University of Pennsylvania: Dr. |
Homer n. Calver. executive secretary
of American Public Health Associa- /
tion: DR.. Louis /. Dublin. Metropoli- |
tan Life Insurance Co: Miss Hide |
garde kneeland Bureau of Home |
Home Economics, Washington; DIR. S.