Evening star., 1939-08-03
Medical Society Head
Urges Public Service
As lis Keynote
New President Also Deols
With Criticism of Bockers
Of 'SocioIized Medicine

LII. Jonn n. Lyons, new president
OF the Medical Society of the Dis
trict, today sounded the keynote Of
the medical profession here to be
public service"
In message to the profession
published in the latest issue Of
Medical Annals of the District of
Columbia" DR.. Lyons discussed
criticism which had been made of
organized medicine by advocates of
"socialized medicine" He thought
it advisable" to give this criticism
serious consideration" so the So
ciety could decide whether or not
we could render public service by
any action we might take in these
matters"
The new president Of the society
pointed to the recently organized
Mutual Health Service, the doctors
own prepayment plan for limited
medical care, as "a definite oppor-
tunity for rendering public service"
DR.. Lyons has actively partici-
pated in another public service"
facility of the society. its new COM
mittee on automobile accidents.
which is studying ways and means
OF cutting down traffic deaths.
Year of Opportunity.
The coming year is a year Of
opportunity for our Medical So
ciety," declared DR.. Lyons. In the
past few years many difficult prob
lens have arisen for the society to
solve, and they have been handled
to the best of our ability, at times
with imperfect facilities. This year.
with an increased membership and
better organization, we are in a
more favorable position to attain
the objectives for which we are
chartered, namely, the promotion
OF the science and art Of medicine
and sanitation and the common In
terests Of (the society'S members
and the public. '''
I'VE have a great opportunity to
be of service in the field of public
health. While health conditions in
this country are better than in Eu-
rope, organized medicine has re-
Gently had great deal of unfavor-
able criticism heaped upon 1t. 1t
has been held at fault because a
portion of our population has failed
to receive necessary medical atten-
ton and because illness imposes a
heavy financial burden on many of
our people. 1t has been held re-
sponsible also because the incidence
OF venereal disease, tuberculosis and
mental disease is what it is, and be-
cause Of the maternal and infant
mortality rates. Most Of this criti-
cism has come from proponents of
socialized medicine and was not
given in a constructive spirit.
Study Advised.
Nevertheless, it might be advis-
able for our society to give this
criticism serious consideration, and
decide whether or not we could rem
der public service by any action We
might take in these matters.
Our recently organized Mutual
Health Service affords definite op-
portunity for rendering public serv-
ice. Through this agency people
of low incomes will be able to
spread the cost of illness over a
long period of time and in this way
tighten the financial burden which
otherwise might be very heavy at
times. While this plan is of neces-
sity somewhat experimental in ma
ture, it is the result Of great deal
Of serious thought and hard work
and should be practicable. II it is
as successful as is hoped. it will be
strong practical refutation of a
recent statement by an eminent ad-
vocate of socialized medicine that
voluntary insurance schemes initi-
ated by medical societies are not
health insurance plans but fee in
surance plans"
Further evidence that the society
is urging its members to increase in
terest in Mutual Health Service is
shown by announcement in the
annals" of two excellent publica-
tions" issued by the Bureau of Med
ical Economics of the American
Medical Association. The docu-
ments to which the doctors atten-
ton has been called are organized
Payments for Medical Services
which includes a brief review Of
Mutual Health Service, here, and
"Factual Data on Medical Eco
nomics."