Evening star., 1930-06-24
DR.MORGAN SCORES
LIMITS IN DRY LAW
Tells Medical Association
Curb on Prescriptions Is
Insulting to Doctors.
Continued From First Page)


Continued From First Page.)
canoe by the distinguished DR.. Harvey
Gushing Is 'Consecratio Medici.' One
Of the articles in the book was gradu-
alton address at the jefferson Medical
College, Philadelphia, in 1926, and had
this title. 1t was noble address and
DR.. Gushing selected that phrase as the
title for the whole volume. There is a
devotional thought in every paragraph
Of that inspiring address. That ad-
dress was directed particularly to the
professional devotion of the doctor to
the patient, but 'Consecratio Medici is
capable of still wider application-a
professional devotion by the physician
to the interests of his profession and to
the community in need of the un-
trammeled ministry Of the physician.
Let me accordingly adopt 'Conse-,
cratic Medici as my credo In dealing
with that part of the Volstead act
which forbids the physician from pre-
scribing more than pint Of Spirituous
liquor in any 10 days, or with the
supplementary act. which forbids the
physician from prescribing in any like
period any -vinous liquor containing
more than "a per cent alcohol-no
matter how desperate be the ailment
of the patient. And wish further to
the requirement of the VolStead act
that upon the stub of the prescription
shall be written the disease of the
patient, with the accompanying right
Of inspection of it by some rowing Fed
eral agent.
Let us remember, too, that when
the eighteenth amendment was pro-
l. N.,, ykAfo
accompanied by a solemn declaration
on the part of Congress that the amend
mer1t would not authorize any interfer-
ence with the use of alcohol in the
practice Of medicine. That undertak-
ing was wholly departed from in the
framing of the Volstead act.
Wants Restraints Ended.
"And now, in the spirit of 'consecra-
ito medici,' we may well entertain the
high resolve to have these humiliating
provisions against our profession wholly
done away with.
There is nothing new in this sug-
gestion for our action, or is it in any
sense an academic question; for we are
honorably committed to it by our own
previous and oft-asserted action.
Let me briefly summarize the sit
uation so that we may all see how i'm
perative is the duty of this association
to do what lies in our power to have
these fetterS stricken from our profess
sion by Congress
Some time ago a queStionnaire was
addressed to the members Of our pro-
fession in the following terms:
@. Do you regard whisky as a neces-
sary, therapeutic agent In the practice
of medicine?
"a. The total vote in all States on
whether or not whisky was necessary
in the treatment of disease was 30,843;
1925, or 81 per cent, answered yes,
and 1928, or 40 per cent, answered no.
1T was not, you will observe, a ques-
tionnaire as to whether the use of al
cohol was desirable, but whether it was
necessary, and in response to this uues-
tionnaire majority voted that it was
necessary. That alone Is enough to
make me, as president, impress upon
you our duty to seek modification of
the restrictions put upon U.S. If there be
prescribed to beverage purposes, then
prescribed to beverage purposes, then
as this association has urged, it can be
provided against by appropriate regula-
tlons aimed at the activities of the boot
logger doctor. 81
Yet even this by no means is the
whole story of our commitment to this
case of justice to our profession.
In 1917 resolution was passed by
the American Medical Association which
read as follows
Whereas we believe that the use of
alcohol as a beverage is detrimental to
human economy, and
Whereas its use in therapeutics as
a tonic or as q stimulant or as a food
has no scientific basis: Therefore be it
Resolved, That the American Medi-
cal Association opposes the use of al
cohol as a beverage. And be it further
Resolved, That the use of alcohol
as a therapeutic agent should be dis
couraged.'
Believes View Was Mistaken.
"To that resolution the court below,
as did the Supreme Court in the noted
Lambert case, attached a significance
never intended by this association, for
in 1921 the House of Delegates repudi-
ated the Interpretation given to this
resolution and declined to accept 1t by
refusing TO reafflrm the judgment of
that resolution.
Again, in 1929, the council on scien-
tific assembly, to which the matter OF
reaffrming the judgment had been re-
posed, reported as follows:
THE council deems it unwise to at
tempt to determine moot, scientific
questions by resolution or by vote and
recommends that the House of Dele
gates shall take no action at this time
on the question Of the therapeutic value
of alcohol
I'm 1924. the following resolution was
passed by the House of Delegates:
Resolved, that the House of Dele
gates of the American Medical Asso-
citation expresses its disapproval of those
portions of the national prohibition acts
which interfere with the proper rela-
ton between the physician and his pa
tient in prescribing alcohol incidentally;
be it further
Resolved, that the House of Dele
gates of the American Medical Associa-
ton instruct the Board of Trustees to
use its best endeavor to have repealed
such sections OF the national prohibition
acts as are in conflict with the above
resolution and also use their best en-
deavor to have the commissioner Of
internal revenue and the prohibition
commissioner issue revised instructions
on the use of the prescribing of alco-
holic liquors fol- medicinal purposes by
physicians"
Again in 1924, the following resolution
was passed by the House Of Delegates:
Resolved, in view of the fact that
such portions of the Volstead act and
the amendatory acts may be declared
unconstitutional, that, as a substitute
therefor, regulations should be forth
with drafted by the Prohibition Depart
ment to the end that the present abuses
may be abated and existing prohibitions
as to the practice of medicine removed,
and that this association use all means
within its power looking to the pre-
liminary approval of such regulations by
the prohibition Department and the
commissioner of internal revenue; and