Evening star., 1940-10-12
A. N. A. Accepts Task
Of Assuring Medical
Service on 7 Fronts
Association to Groove
Supply Of Doctors in
Services and at Home
(Sepenth OF q SerieS.) J
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

By THOMAS r. HENRY.
Ninety per cent of the qualified
physicians of the United States are
members of the worlds largest
professional society-the American
Medical Association.
It is the voluntary guardian of
their qualifications and ethics. The
society is sometimes accused Of an
autocratic control over medical
practice, exercised through the great
network of State and county organi-
cations, which reaches into every
corner of the Nation. Even now
some of its officers are under in
dictment in the District of Colum-
bia for antitrust law violations.
But it was to this gigantic organi-
zation that the Government turned
early last summer when it first be-
came apparent that there was
threat of national emergency. The
society Loyalty accepted the task ac-
corded to it. In any large mobiliza-
ton it was evident that thousands
of physicians, including all sorts of
specialists, must be called to the
colors This was done rather indis-
criminately in the last war, with re-
suits, in some places, that were little
short of disastrous.
Few in Some Areas.
Physicians are far from evenly
distributed over the United States.
Some cities are overstocked with
them. Some country districts have
none at all, or a barely sufficient
number to serve the needs of the
people Whole communities were
left without any qualified practi-
tioners. Everywhere the best men
volunteered.
The big job of the American Med
ical Association now is to prevent
this happening again-to make
sure that no part of the country is
without doctors and at the same
time that there are plenty for the
Army and Navy. A QUESTIONABLE
has been sent to each of the 100000
members in order to bring up to
date the files which are kept at
the associations headquarters in
Chicago and already more than rs
per cent have replied.
The doctor states whether he is
on a reserve status, whether he is
willing to enter the service, his spe-
cialty, etc. In some cases these
questionnaires pass through the
hands of the county medical society
where notations are made as to
whether the man is indispensable
to the community. Equipped with
this information, the Chicago head
quarters will be in a position to put
its hands at once on any sort OF
doctor the Army or Navy may re-
quest in almost any locality. In
some cases physicians may be
transferred. voluntarily, of course,
to other civilian practices where
vitauy needed men have been
modified. The association has no
actual authority over an individual,
but for the most part its advice
would be taken without question.
The trouble it anticipates is not in
getting enough men to meet all the
service needs but in keeping out of
the Army essential practitioners
who are determined to join the
colors.
Placement to Be Watched.
Another thing which may be pre-
vented BY these preparations is the
chaotic distribution of doctors in
the Army such as obtained in the
World War when foremost baby
specialists were set to dressing blis-
tered feet Now the Army will
know where man fits best before
he ever shows up at a training
camp.
The American Medical Associa-
ton feels distinct social obliga-
ton. 1t insists that the practice
of healing be in the hands of the
organized profession without lay
interference, but it also insists that
the organised profession be scientifi-
cally and ethically worthy of the
confidence it asks for it. And it
does not propose that there will be
another occasion like the great in
fuenza epidemic of 1918 when the
few doctors left in civilian practice,
many of them men over the age
limit for Army service, were so
grossly overworked that it was not
humanly possible to render ade-
ouate attention to their patients.
The health of the whole people will
be of more vital significance in case
Of total war"
Among the immediate problems
CT the association is that of securing
physicians to serve on draft boards
It has approved in principle the
decision of the Army that such men
are to be volunteers and that they
will receive no pay. Selective Serv-
ice officials who are sending other
men away from their homes at
creat personal sacrifice, it is felt,
should themselves make some patrl-
otic sacrifice and that a process
based or devotion to the national
interest should not be allowed to
deteriorate into a job-holding Or
ganization.
The physician called into service,
stands chance of losing his prac-
tice which he may have spent years
in building up. Doctors who came
out of the Army and Navy after the
last war returned to empty consult
ing rooms and sometimes their pros
poets were as forlorn as when they
first graduated from medical school.
1t was an era of dog -eat-dog" and
Stay-at- home rivals took patients
Without compunction and tried to
';,eep them.
Protective System Adopted.
In the present emergency it is pro-
Dosed that the medical profession OF
a community act as unit and no
doctor will be allowed to profit from
the absence of another. Various
State medical societies are adopting
variations of New Yorks Bower
plan" A physician going into the
service notifies his county medical
cociety All doctors orc renI1eeted