Evening star., 1938-03-27
From The Stars Letter Mail
Views Group Health the DoctorsAnor
Precedents for Hitler.

To the Editor of The Star:
WHY kill the goose that lays the golden
eggs? The medical fraternity through
out the United States has its eyes focused
upon the battle now raging between the
G. H. A. and the District Medical Society.
1t seems as though every one who has ever
had any difference with a doctor is now
taking ''pot-shot" at the profession. Few
people realize that doctors are divided into
tive great groups We have the noblemen
and the charlatans. The nobleman is the
physician who always thinks in terms of
MS patients best interest The charlatan
always thinks in terms of his own interest,
The noblemen are the type found constitute
ing the membership Of the District Medical
Society. Their work is we'll known. The
charlatans are the type ever willing to
accept salaried job so as to make them
selves financially secure and place them
selves In position to evade charity work
and personal responsibility for the type
Of work they do.
Just few days ago, Dr. Robert Oleson
OF the United States Public Health Service
made the authentic statement that free
medical care given here must be worth
more than 100000 a year" This
humanitarian service is given by the noble
men OF the profession solely, and vet. in
spite OF all Of this. these conveyers of
mercy come in for the bitterest and most
unfair criticism. Men who head organiza-
tlons founded to protect workers in a
given field have the temerity to condemn
the doctors because they have exercised
that same right. Congressman threaten
to withdraw the charter of the local
Medical Society and thus destroy its
potency simply because the officers and
members are firm in their stand for a
principle that 80 per cent of the ethical
doctors in America know is right It is
evident that practically all of these critics
who have Joined in this pusillanimous TRADE
have little knowledge or appreciation of
the differentials existing between a business
and profession. This is an ethical uues-
tlon and since a comparative few people
really understand ethics, it would be well
for most critics to tread with caution or.
better still, remain silent
Unfortunately, the District Medical
Society invited this problem by allowing
Its members to set up compensation clinics
supported by workmen who are coerced into
attending them by the insurance COM
panies, This denies the patient the right
to select his or her own physician or
surgeon. 1t is this same principle that is
SO distasteful to the Medical Society in the
present controversy. Fortunately, doctors
can select their patients and should they
decide to shutdown on all work except
their private practice nothing but chaos
could possibly result. No one wants to see
this come about, but the temper of the
vast majority of the medicos here does
not make such a situation a remote
possibility. To avoid this and to terminate
the debate which is becoming more and
more acrimonious, there seems to be one
answer-allow the members of the G. H. A.
to select their own doctor and try to effect
range of fees acceptable to both parties
concerned. Medicine is a time -honored
learned profession and it's members are a
highly intelligent group. They represent
the highest type Of manhood and place
independence and the desire to serve their
fellow-nan above all else
c, HERBERT MARSHALL, M. D.