Evening star., 1941-03-27
CHA. NoFactor
In Se|ders Ban,
Doctors Testify
Dr.. Mitchell and
Dr.. Titus Tell of
Report on Surgeon
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.

ny HAhOLD d. hO1EhS'
DR.. Raymond E. Selders, Group
Health Association surgeon, was re-
fused privileges to operate at Emer-
gency and Columbia Hospitals only
because he failed to qualify and
not because he was connected with
G. H. A., two prominent doctors
testified in District Court today.
DR.. James F. Mitchell testified
for Emergency and Dr. Elijah w.
Titus for Columbia Neither is a
defendant in the medical antitrust
case. The testimony was presented
in answer to Government charges
that organized medicine had con-
spired against G. H. A. in violation
of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Two medical groups. the Ameri-
can Medical Association and the
District Medical Society, together
with 18 individual doctors, are
charged among other things with
having put pressure on the hos
pitals to keep out G. H. A. doctors
and patients. The trial now is in
its eighth week and counsel for
both sides, under urging by Justice
James M. Proctor, today was en-
deavoring to speed up the procedure
to finish, If possible, before the
Easter recess of court April 10.
There was no definite indication,
however, whether this could be
done
Leahy Returns to Court.
DR.. Mitchell, chief surgeon at
Emergency and member of its
Board of Directors, as well as the
hospitals Executive Committee and
its surgical staff. was examined by
William E. Leahy, defense counsel,
who returned to court today after a
two-day absence because of illness.
DR.. Mitchell testified that Emer-
gency had found it necessary as
far back as April, 1886, to establish
a rule governing admission of doc
tors to practice at the hospital
because, he said, they had been
having trouble" with doctors coming
| to the institution who were found
to be doing work not considered
competent.
A resolution was adopted by the
directors, DR.. Mitchell explained,
which provided that any applicant
for courtesy privileges must show,
among other things, that he was
licensed to practice in the District,
that he held medical degree, that
he was a member of the District
Medical Society and that he was to
present evidence of ability" in the
speciality for which he applied.
The hospital carried out this rule,
DR.. Mitchell said, in regard not only
to DR.. Selders, but also to every
other doctor who applied for priv
ileges.
Tells Of Investigations.
In the case of doctors who were
not known to any of the courtesy
committee" to which applications
were referred, DR.. Mitchell said an
investigation was made In regard
to surgeon, he said, "if we were
not satisfied as to his abilities we
appealed to the Washington Acad-
emy of Surgery" The academy, he
explained, returns. a report and the
application then is reconsidered.
DO you recall whether DR.. Sell
ders' application was referred to the
Washington Academy of Surgery?"
Mr.. Leahy asked
Yes" replied the witness.
Why did the hospital seek the
facilities of the academy"
Because the academy makes in
veStigations and saves us q great
deal of work
Did you get report from them?"
Yes, it was verbal"
When his application for sur
gerry was being discussed did the
fact he was G. H. A. surgeon
enter against him?"
Not at all"
Did it make any difference
whether he belonged to G. H. A. or
not?"
Not in the least if he fulfilled
our requirements"
Blair Letters Identified.
DR.. Mitchell identified letters
written by the late Gist Blair, for
mer president of Emergency, to
William F. Tenniman, president of
G. H. A. One of these notified
G. H. A. that patients would be
admitted but that DR.. Selders' ap-
plication did not meet the require
mentS and the board had not seen
fit to grant him courtesy privi-
leges.
Cross-queStioned by Grant W..
Kelleher of the prosecution staff,
DR., Mitchell was shown minutes of
a meeting of the executive staff
regarding requirements that doc.
tor to be admitted to the courtesy
staff should be member of his
local medical society. Asked if DR..
Selders was denied privileges be-
cause he was not a member of the
District Medical Society, DR. Mitchell
replied, that was only one reason. !"
DR.. Titus testified that, as a mem
ber of the Washington genealogical
Society and member of its Com
mittee on Applications for Hospital
Privileges, he had received letters
about DR.. Selders from Houston,
Tex, and the Worcester City Hos
pital at Worcester, Mass, which had
been given much weight" in the So
ciety's adverse report on Selders' ap-
plication for gynecology at Columbia
Hospital.
DR.. A. Magruder Macdonald, Dis
trict coroner, took the stand today to
testify that, as a member of the Gre
dentials Committee at Casualty Hos
pital, he had voted against DR.. Sell
ders' application merely because of
DR.. Selders' professional qualifica-
tions and experience.
Justice Proctor late yesterday de-
MED the plea of defense counsel to
admit into the record of the case a
set of documents from the Twentieth
Century Fund and the Good Will
Fund. The jurist upheld the con-
tention of Government counsel that
the matter was immaterial and ir-
relevant to the case. The docu-
upeptS had heep bro,,pht to the cOa,rf