The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-04-14
Doctors And The Public
(New York TimeS)

(New York Times)
 In New Mexico a third of the fatally sick die attended by physician; less than quarter of the mothers in six of it's thrtyone counties have medical care in chidbrth three-quarters of the babies that die in of its counties have had medical care there free beds for the 15o0O who die annually of tuberculosis; not in thousand of the States 10000 syphtcs consults physician. In Geor- gia, the Dakotas, Texas Kentucky and many another State the situation is much the same Medical care is nonevisent not resored to when it is available because of ignorance, because it is too far away be- cause it costs too much or because it is not good enough.
 It is an old story Two volumes entitled "Ameri- can Medcine-Expert Testimony Out of Court" and published by the American Foundation one of its studies in government tell it again but in new way tell it effectively that they must be regarded as documents of the highest social and medical impor- tance Some 5000 letters from 220O leaders in medi- cine-38 percent of them general practitionerspre- sent their views the sad state of American medicine and the in which it should be improved to meet insistent demand for scientific care as matter of human right Esther Everett Lape. who analysed classified and correlated this vast pondence dstills the views of these 2200 Here it is enough to say that the Foundation recognizes an urgent social need states the problem and presents the materials required for its solution.
 Not social workers despised by the American Medi cal Association but doctors themselves, a veriable Who's Who in medicine, wrote the Foundations report We have true cross-section of medical opinion on grave social issue It is doubtful the entrenched officers of the association truly speak for organized medicine The 22O0 representative physicians demand. far-reaching, socially conceived reforms in medical education and practice because "the best is not yet good enough But the association through it's jour- nal advocates policy of letting medicine evolve naur- ally (while millions lie i'll without adequate die because it costs too much to have doctor) and regards the practice of medicine vested interest akin to that of plumbers union in the installation of bathtubs kitchen fixtures On many page the Foundations report refutes Bourbonism which holds that als well with the general practitioner that med cal is adequate the whole. In sharp disagree nent with the Association many of the 22OO regard the ceners of medical education and training the eventual guardians of the best standards of medical practice If as the Foundation makes it clear, the practice of medicine needs continual revision in the
 light of community needs it is evident that social and economic change cannot be ignored. Yet the American Medical Association would have us believe that the old laissez faire evolution is good enough today because it supposedly good enough yester day Probably The New York State Journal of Medi- cine accurately reflects the attitude of practi tioners. In forthcoming editorial it will say that organized medicine lis faced with an obligation to the medical profession well duty to the pub lie" and recognizes the necessity of abandoning the old 'passivity."
 The two divisions of the report indicate how the problem must be attacked We have first searching analysis of medicine itself discussion of possible improvements in medical practice, definition of Ncbjectives in medical educaton-in short what be done to achieve better medicine. The second divs-
 ion analyses all the solutions that have been brought forward insurance in its various forms State medi- cine limited State medicine coordinated with private practice. Out of this presentation the clear indication that low-cost care of the sick and the maintenance of the national health at high level are possible only by giving medicine social pur- pose and direction through intelligent planning Med ical care is necessity of life, As such it cannot be monopolized. It concerns not only the physician but the public and the Government