Evening star., 1941-12-07
Arch Foe of Medical Frauds
Victor in Every Libel Suit
DR.. Morris Fishbein
Devotes Career to
Truth in Medicine
pr WIdh World News.

Nv Wide World News.
CHICAGO. Dec. GA young CHI
cago physician who had travelled
more than 200 miles to observe the
remarkable patient stared incred-
ulously at the oral thermometer and
gssped:
"One hundred and nineteen de-
erees. Tits amazing-unbelleva-
Bile. You should be dead"
Quickly he took the girls pulse.
nearly normal Then he leaned in
tently over her bed.
Il want the other doctors TO see
this. This is the highest its ever
gone. Now lie quietly and III be
back in a few moments"
He tiptoed from the room. closed
the door gently, then. dropping to MS
knees. he glued his eve to the Key
hole of the girls room.
Suddenly he threw open the door
and with a grin removed from un-
der the bed sheet a tiny hot-Water
bag against which the girl had been
pressing the thermometer.
Thus the Young physician. DR..
Morris Fishbein, punctured the hoax
that had confounded local doctors
for weeks and attracted Nationwide
attention.
Enemy of Frauds.
The incident occurred nearly 20
years ago. but since then the path
TO quick fame or riches has become
Uttered with the wrecks Of quacks
and frauds who ran afoul OF the cru
sading doctor editor.
DR.. FiShbein is editor of the Jour-
nal of the American Medical Asso-
citation. an energetic man OF 81
whose consuming passion is to re
veal the truth about medicine, come
what may. What has come is
praise of his fearlessness from some
quarters and s35,000000 in libel
suits from others.
IF I have the facts" says DR..
Fishbein, Il tell them. II l am sued.
I defend myself. OF all the suits
brought against me or the Journal,
We have never lost nor compromised
q single one"
DR.. Fishbein. in his capacity as
journal editor. is the mouthpiece OF
a medical organization representing
approximately 1l7.000 doctors. He
Is aided by various A. M. A. councils
and a Bureau of Investigation which
probes into medical advertising ano
claims
Insists on Evidence.
If a manuscript submitted TO the
journal is not supported by eXaCtlng
evidence or proof of its claims. he
turns it down. If patent medicine
makes claims that the association
feels are too glowing, he whips UP
an editorial saying it isn't so. II 9
mechanical device is offered to the
public as an important therapeutic
aid. he finds out whether the thing
really works.
AS a physician, DR.. Fishbeln prob
ebly would advise patients to live
slowly and live long" As doctor
editor he ignores that dictum with
a gusto that would lay low a less
durable man.
Besides his editorial duties with
TIE Journal. he is editor OF Hygela,
the health magazine: managing eol-
tor of nine specially journals pub
lished By the A. NJ A: author OF
more than a dozen medical books;
associate clinical professor of medi-
cine at the University Of Chicago;
lecturer on the history OF medicine
at the University of Illinois School
Of Medicine: voluminous contrib
utor to medical and lay literature;
medical editor of Encyclopaedia
Britannica and the Britannica Book
of the Year: consulting medica
editor of a national lay magazine
and an active worker in behalf Of
medical aid to Britain.
Time for Recreation.
He travels extensively to address
medical gatherings. has frequent
conferences with Government repre-
sentatives in Washington on the aic
to Britain program and handles hi;
own correspondence which is heavy
Still he finds time to see an oc-
casional football game. play rounc
of golf. spends an evening at bridge
read literature and attend the
theater.
How does he do it?
His associates say he has developed
important short cuts in getting
things done. He has trained himself
TO read more than twice as fast as
sverage-he reads an average Of &c
technical journals every day. HI
speaks at the rate of from 200 Il
2l0 words a minute. upping this a!
high as 800. If time is pressing With