Evening star., 1949-06-29

building giant hssn schoo4s whIle csnes es--
c&.onal giants are essck ghosfs-
MARY KELSEY COOKE
-Humiiia tian Of DR. FtsAh~ln S<~n
As Prelude to Relies and ~Trastx-
Ts ID. Sss,ss e: -. sssr
The recent Atlantic CITY ecnvrn,loH q
the American Medical Association wAs eexs.
sion DAY for ogSantaed uaetscine Our Ho4S~
OF Delegates made three crucial Decisions
purposed TO stay the threatened socaAi1sAi3aa
Of the healing arts II sternss Feo4ke6
symbol O: alleged reaetaonAfy leadership q
our unpopular past. il gave q nes concept q
strategy and leadership g2eisy vots ot coE-
tdence. II settled fos any home remedy that
could survive Local politics despite solemn
promises o. a truly national solution II eS3g
urgent health insurance needs
Dr.. FlSnbein vaS made the oftlciAl Seap~~
goat for al the SINS q react!onaTy ieadeg~
ship in our unpopular past M4sslea and
Shackled. we delivered him 10 hls many
enemies as hostage for oar good Intentions,
II q seapegoat can STAY the compelling hum
gers Of all mankind for collective seCar!ty
against bankruptiag health hazards Dr.,
Flshoein is presumed 10 Ill the bill. His
severest critics must adml, he ROSE 10 power
and prestige in the void created by spurned
leadership. Practlcing doctors were too busy
or too indifferent 10 its exhaustive demands
TO wear It's mantle Of inevitable power Dr
FShbein took that spurned by lesser mrn
and created professional prestige which envy
changed 10 q deadly occupationai hazard
This vas because nature endoae ed him with
the brilliant mind ard aggressive ego In
separabie from superior performance He Is
one of the few doctors who could retire to
a bare cloistered cell and emeree with every
essential Of medical science reduced TO writ
ten authority He Was guilty Of assuming
his social views were as authoritative as his
learned discussions on any phase Of medical
science. Now he is leyeled TO the low estate
Of compulsory silence and the impotence o.
ofiicial emasculation.
Victory for New Liberalism"
frankly confess was one OF those Who
felt DR.. FishbeIns reactionary views on
social science were harming the medical
profession. But there was something sick
ening about the way we masters OF healing
executed judgment l saw him on several
occasions in Atlantic City. He was a lonely
figure who accepted his unaccustomed ostra-
cism with dignity and any act OF friendship
with touching gratitude. But what sickened
me were the cynical remarks made by
former admirers after he passed. DR.. Fish
ben's public humiliation may have been n
triumph for the new liberalism In medicine.
But II was a far greater victory for anti
semitism Doctors should remember that
pretensions to even-handed justice only are
convincing when purged OF the malice OF
envy and revenge.
was present as q visitor In our House Of
Delegates when our new leadership was
introduced and given a noisy vote Of con-
ndence The top-strategy planners for our
survival as a free profession are not doctors.
H. EAA tn.s. Ak,a1
Nations sickroom now have a husband and
Miss Baxter is going TO stop the socialiEation
of medicine with a holy relic. By keeping
politics out OF Sir Luke Feldes' picture Of
The Doctor she seriously proposes to
satisfy our growing hunger for solvent social
security within the framework OF true de-
mocracy.
Miss Baxters husband. Glen Whitaker.
is the atomic task force of our new public
relations With the feryor Of an evangelist.
he exhorted us about things done and to
be done. II he missed a single sufYocating
cliche, 1t was not for lack of time. An
eloquent and persuasive spokesman for
British doctors grudgingly was given five
minutes to tell his story and he gave social
tied medicine the most effective debunking
I have ever heard by reciting chapter and
verse OF It's greatest failure. Mr.. Whitaker
took much longer to say infinitely less.
When he was through We gathered that
Oscar Ewing would never socialize medicine
as long as Whitaker and Baxter had
So, 900 900 TO spend on tracts. holy relics
and stamps. AS a family doctor I have
never been much for cure by testimonial.
Whitaker and Baxter did not change my
mind.
Local Dissldents Given Power.
ala nhaH tina tt1Ta al
solution Of our health security problems.
The term national" implied equal social
justice and security for all under an i'm
partial rule Of law. Our House OF Delegates
substituted q rule OF men for our professed
ideal Of national" rule OF law. II gave
local dissidents with their preiudces and
hates the power 10 veto any plan they
disapproved. Instead OF courageouAIy pre-
scribing one national remedy eiIicaciouk for
all. our ANA repudiated Our professions
most sacred quest: That Is. a specific remedy
for any disease This has been our ideal
because We know a specific remedy will
heal everybody. any place. Likewise. every
doctor knows that q multiplicity OF alleged
remedies is frank confession that We
have none.
The ANA has lent Its prestige and suthor-
ity to q Run-shot prescription for healing
a serious disease. That prescription changes
its healing standards as II crosses each
State line. The miserable and helpless are
left more hopeless than eYeri Instead Of
courageously assuming leadership in healing
this Nations wounds, our ANA has aban-
doned all pretense Of wanting IL.
As DR.. Fishben was the repudiatec kymbol
Of Our old reactionary leadership. Whitaker
and Baxter are symbols Of the new. We
have turned healing over 10 publicity sx-
perts. In the future If YOU are sick listen
to your radio and don't forget 10 open your
morning mail Doctors" Whitaker ard
Baxter may be sending you q sacred relic
or q magic tract.
THOMAS T. MATTISGLY. NJ d.