Evening star., 1948-09-29
Medicine Needs
Family Doctors,
Society Is Told
Impact Of Psychioty
Seen as Altering
Medical Teaching
By George Beveridee

Present day medical science must
brace itself for "a fresh start" and
return to the old-fashioned philos-
ophy of the family doctor.
This is the advice of DR., William
S. McCann of the University OF
Rochester Medical School. who also
predicted, in an address before the
District Medical Society Scientific
Assembly. that the day is coming
when the medical student will re-
ceive part of his training in the
home, as in the olden days"
Speaking on Trends in Medical
Education" DR.. McCann told doc
tors at the assembly's f1nal-day
meeting that the medical profession
must revise the basis of its service
to include strong corps of family
doctors who are willing Ito go into
the homes of people"
Must Go to Homes.
ut is not enough to have q
specialist in pediatrics in a clinic
to immunize babies against infec-
tion,' Dr. McCann declared. The
doctor must 60 to the home himself,
or else we must train our social
workers to be doctors"
The reason, DR. McCann said, Is
that the practice of medicine and
the impact of psychiatry' can no
longer be separated.
This impact, he said, "unques-
tionably will alter the whole struc-
ture' of teaching in medical schools.
DR.. McCann said in an interview
that great many doctors would
actually prefer to be general prac-
titioners, but that it is becoming
more difficult to make living in
that field because hospitals are
stealing the show. At the same
time. he added. the public has gone
hospital crazy"
Most babies, for example, can be
delivered just as safely in homes as
in hospitals if "the doctor is really
on the job For every first baby,
mothers probably should go to the
hospital, but In many cases there
after disqualification really means
an unnecessary expense. DR.. Nc
Cam said.
Attacks Medical Boards.
In an unusual attack on the pow
erful national medical boards which
certify doctors as specialists, DR..
McCann said the rigid training re-
quirements laid down by these
groups also can be blamed partially
for inadequacies in medical school
teaching.
Some regrouping of these special
ties is essential, if the specialists are
to adapt themselves to changing
trends in medicine, the physician
went on. a.
mo matter how they resist this
change he added, their survival
demands it."
Doctors have been slow to recog-
nize, DR.. McCann declared, that 1t
is good preventive medicine, and
much cheaper, to carry out dag
nostic studies on patients who do
not have to be housed, fed and
nursed in hospitals. A remedy. he
added, is to extend benefits "of
group disqualification insurance to
group diagnostlc studies of the am
bulatory patient
Scheele Speaks.
In another address, DR.. Leonard
A. Scheele, surgeon general of the
United States Public Health Service,
told the doctors that the major
steps in public health during the
next few years will be toward con-
troll of chronic diseases that par
ticulariy affect older people.
While life expectancy at birth
jumped 16 years between 1900 and
l94G, he pointed out, I'VE have done
very little 10 deal with the major
problems of adults. All Of the new
medical knowledge and skills have
added on!y two and a half years
to the life expectancy of the 30
year-o ds."
In luncheon this afternoon,
sponsored by the Georgetown Med
ical Alumni Association, the Rev.
John Tracy Ellis, of Catholic Uni
versity, will address the assembly
on Price of Freedom" This after
Moons final scientific session will
center on discussions of gout, in
fertility and allergies.
Two Honored.
At the society's annual dinner last
night, DR.. Arthur C. Christie, radi-
ologist, and DR.. Joseph S. Wall,
pediatrician. were honored by the
group for their long service to the
community. Author Commentator
Morgan Beatty was the principal
| speaker.
In an address yesterday afternoon,
DR.. Russell L. Cecil, professor OF
medicine at the Cornell University
Medical School, said slight injuries
OF old college football players often
come back to haunt them in the
form of osteo- -arthritis attacks. This
is a disease of bones in joints OF
the body.