Evening star., 1946-09-30
Doctors Warned
ToLowerCosts
Of Medical Care
Gen. HowIey Asserts
They Face Regulation
As 6. w. U. Opens

ment II costs or medical care to the
American public are not lowered,
Maj. Gen. Paul r. Hawley, Veter-
ans Administration medical direc-
tor, declared today.
Speaking at ceremonies opening
the 123d academic session of George
Washington University School OF
Medicine, Gen. Hawley proposed
that the medical profession "rede-
fine medical economics that
the scope of medical economics be
enlarged to include the financial
responsibility of doctors to their
patients instead of being restricted
to the financial responsibility of
patients to their doctors"
Grants aggregating s126,210 for
research at George Washington
medical school were announced by
DR.. Walter A. Bloedorn, dean of the
institution, during the ceremonies
and at a luncheon given after the
ceremonies at the Mayfower Hotel
In honor of Gen. Hawley.
New Vistas for Profession.
A prophecy that medical men 10
years from now will look back on
the medical men of today "as we
look back on the alchemists" was
made by DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin,
G. w. U. president, in his address
of welcome to the incoming medical
students.
DR.. Marvin said atomic discov-
cries had opened a new vista to the
medical profession. and he predicted
the development of creative medi-
cine that will go far beyond the
remedial practice of today.
In addition to IS picked members
OF the incoming class Of more than
1000 the medical school auditorium
was filled with distinguished figures
from the District and Federal Gov
ernment medical worlds. DR.. Albert
j. Mccartney, former pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church.
pronounced the invocation.
Can't Afford Good Care.
In his address Gen. Hawley de-
clared:
1T is travesty upon sound social
organization that families in the low
income brackets can afford automo-
biles but cannot afford good med
ical service. I know that there are
some who would say that these
people could afford good medical
service If they did not own auto
mobiles. But this retort is compara-
BILE to that of the Queen of France
who said. If the people have no
bread let them eat cake"
Declaring the products of Ameri-
can labor, the highest paid labor
in the world" are among the cheap
est, as we'll as the best, in the world,
Gen. Hawley declared American in
dustry has accomplished this by
economies in production"
Il am not advocating that Ameri-
can medicine attempt assembly line
procedures, but I do insist that
American medicine must effect
comparable economies If it Is to exist
as a free and unregulated profess
sion," Gen. Hawley said.
EAtTaVa&anceS charged.
He said many "extravagances in
medical practice" unrelated to the
quality of the practice "is evidenced
by the wide spread in the costs of
operation of hospitals. Business
methods must be applied to medi-
cine without being permitted to
degrade medicine. Doctors must be
paid well. The lowering of costs of
medical care should not, and need
not, be made at the expense of the
profession. But lower them we
must, else we are all going to be
working for the Government within
very short period"
The grants announced by DR..
Bloedorn included one of $16,21O
from the w. K. Kellogg Founda-
ton, Battle Creek. Mich, which was
presented to DR.. Marvin during the
luncheon at the Mayf1ower.
The grant is for research to be
conducted at the medical school
Other Grants Announced.
During the opening ceremonies
grants were announced from the
following governmental agencies
and public foundations: Surgeon
General of the United States Army
Surgeon General of the Navy, Ma
tional Cancer Institute, United
States Public Health Service, Ce-
ella Cummings Research Fund,
Cardiology Research Fund, Milbank
Memorial Fund, Bilhuber- Knoll
Fund, American Medical Associa-
ton, Hutchins Fund, Ledderle Lab
oratories, Baxter Laboratories
Johnson and johnson Research
Fund, Winthrop Chemical Co.
Fund and one from George Wash
ington University proper.
A breakdown of the grants was
not Immediately available. but DR.
Bloedorn said that they were nearly
all for research.