Evening star., 1938-07-20
The Builders of the House,

The Builders of the House.
The United States owes an incalcu-
liable debt to the American Medical As
Sociation.
Whatever criticisms now may be aimed
at 1t by the Realistically minded who
are shocked at obvious imperfections in
the medical services available to the
people as a whole, the fact remains
that the organized profession itself, vol
unfairly and from sense of duty, is
responsible for about everything Social
in the practice of the healing arts to-
day.
1t found American medicine in a cha
otic condition. There were essentially
no minimum Standards of education or
of competence. In most States few
years as helper in a doctors Office or
around hospital and the passing OF
a written examination were sufficient
to launch man on the practice of
medicine The American Medical AS
= sociation has worked ceaSeleSsly for
higher and higher minimum require
ments. 1t has put low-grade medical
schools out of business. 1t has made
the acquiring of an M. D. degree and
State license to practice a major
struggle for any man and hopeless
struggle for an individual of mediocre
intelligence. The public now is abso-
lutely assured that any man who has
graduated from an American medical
college and passed State board ex-
animation is highly competent. 1t is
reasonably assured that he is not lazy
or careless, unless his personality un-
dergoes remarkable change after leav-
ing college. And it is reasonably as
sured that he is not scoundrel for
dishonesty hardly could get through
the filter of present-day medical edu-
cation, for which the American Medical
Association is responsible.
1t has waged strenuous fight to elm
mate quackery. Contemptuously defiant
of slander and libel suits, it has merci-
lessly exposed the nonsense of healing
cults and alcohol-and-water nostrums.
1t probably would have succeeded alto
gether were it not for the obstacles
thrown in it's way by politics.
Through its local units it has vigorously
punished, by censure and by expulsion,
violations of medical ethics.
1t has waged an unceasing campaign,
both nationally and through these same
local units, for the health education of
the public. A good example is the
public address program just announced
by one of these local units, the Medical
Society of the District of Columbia.
BY cold experimentation in it's labora-
tories it has established the values of
new remedies. 1t has constantly en-
couraged medical research, and has kept
the entire profession aware of the latest
advances in medical science.
Now it is criticized for not having
done enough. 1t may be that more
pretentious structure of public medi-
cine will result from the national con-
ference on public health now in session
here or from some of the numerous
movements in that direction now afoot.
This structure may be substantial or it
may be f1imsy thing built of airy ideals.
But the work of the American Medical
Association during the past half CEN
tury has made one thing certain-it
will be built on the solid rocks of
competent, honest profession rather than
on the shifting sands of unregulated
quackery
Whatever grievance any one may feel
against the American Medical Associa-
ton for its present honestly waged bat
tie against socialized medicine it must
be remembered that any sort of So
cialized medicine would be fantastic
dream had it not been for the organ
lied professions own idealistic endeav-
ors.