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Bury the dead
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY PAUL B. HOEBER, INC., 76 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y. FORTHEAMERICANJOURNALOFSURGERY,INC.
Editor:
THURSTON
SCOTT WELTON, EDITORIAL
M.D.,P.A.c.s., NEW
YORK
BOARD
Rochester, Minn.; DONALD C. BALFOUR, Rochester, Minn.; CARL BECK, Chicago; ALEXIS CARREL, N.Y.; JAMES T. CASE, Chicago; ROBERT C. COFFEY, Ponland, Ore.; MIDORE COHN, N.O.; W. B. COLEY, N. Y.; FREDERICK A. COLLER,Ann Arbor; GEORGE w. CRILE, Clew.; ELLIOTT C. CUTLER, Bosron: LOYAL DAVIS, Chicago; ROBERT V. DAY, Las Angeles; CHARLES A. ELSBERG, N. Y.; C. R. G. FORRESTER, Chicago; H. DAWSON FURNISS, N. Y.; JOHN H. GIBBON, Phib: EMIL GOETSCH, Brooklyn; DONALD GUTHRIE, Sayre, Pa.: A. E. HERTZLER, Kan.msCity; C. GORDON HEYD, N. Y.; LOUIS J. HIRSCHMAN, Detroit; J. M. HITZROT, N. Y.; EMILE F. HOLMAN, San Francisco; R. H. JACKSON, Madison; JOHN E. JENNINGS, Brooklyn: W. L. KELLER, Washington; HOWARD A. KELLY, B&more; ARTHUR KRIDA, N. Y.; A. V. S. LAMBERT, N. Y.; H. H. M. LYLE, N. Y.: JEROME M. LYNCH, N. Y.: URBAN MAES, N. 0.; ROY D. MCCLURE, Detroit; J. TATE MASON, Sea&; RUDOLPH MATAS, N. 0.: H. C. NAFFZIGER, San Francisco; E. W. ALTON OCHSNER, N. 0.; CLARBNCE R. O’CROWLEY, Newark, N.J.; F. R. PACKARD, Phila:. ROBERT L. PAYNE, Norfolk, Va.; LOUISE. PHANEUF, Boston; E. H. POOL, N. Y.; DOUGLAS QUICK, N. Y.; HUBERT 4. ROYSTER, Raleigh; A. C. SCOTT, Temple, Tex.; M. G. SEELIG, St. Louis; J. BENTLEY SQUIER, N. Y.; GEORGE W. SWIm, Seattle; J. M. WAINWRIGHT, Scmnron: GRANT E. WARD, Belt.: F. C. WARNSHUIS, Gand R&ids; A. 0. WHIPPLE, N. Y.; J. H. WOOLSEY, San Fxmcisco. ForeignCdaborators-GREAT BRITAINJ. H. WATSON, BUT&Y. FRANCE-G. JEANNENEY, Bordeaux. ITALY-R. BASTIANELLI, Rome. WALTER
C. ALVAREZ,
The American Journal of Surgery is truly independent and enters into no ‘*entangling alliances.” It publishes many papers read before the leading surgical societies of the Country, but it is not “the official organ” of any organization. Every manuscript is selected by the editors, as worthy of publication-nothing is published merely because “it was read at the meeting.”
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BURY THE DEAD
S
EVERAL months ago the Committee on the Costs of MedicaI Care rendered their report. It occasioned a heated controversy. The majority of the profession sided with the minority report of this Committee. The Journal of the American Medical Association came out against the majority report in no uncertain terms, thus mirroring the sentiments and opinions of most of the men engaged in the actual practice of medicine. Then came a 1~11. The subject became more or Iess of a dead issue. Many said that inasmuch as pubhc opinion decreed against the majority report, this report wouId be bound up with tape and gather the dust of years in the archives. Others said: Beware! Those back of the report had power, infhrence and money, and aIthough the
mass of physicians consider the issue dead, neverthejess it wiI1 suddenIy reappear in some frank or disguised form and by hook or crook be written into the Iaws. Therefore, to those who fee1 the actuaI practice of the recommendations of the majority report of the Committee wouId be a disastrous bIow to American Medicine, it is refreshing to read two phases, or rather aftermaths, of this subject: Dr. J. Bentley Squire, President of the American CoIIege of Surgeons, at the Chicago meeting said in effect that practicing physicians are better equipped to pIan the destinies of Medicine than a committee or group of non-practicing physicians and Iaymen, whose interest is at best academic. On top of this came the annua1 report
362
American Journal of Surgery
EditoriaI
of the MiIbank MemoriaI Fund, pubhshed October 9. Disappointment over the fina report of the Committee on the Costs of MedicaI Care is expressed, a significant statement inasmuch as the MiIbank Foundation was the chief financia1 supporter of the survey. The Milbank report regretted the faiIure “to propose a comprehensive program which would soIve the basic DrobIem which it uncovered. ” Unfortulately the secretary of the Fund charged that much of the fauIt “Iay with obstructionist tactics on the part of certain groups
NOVEMBER, 1933
of physicians who generaIIy contro1 medica organizations to prevent, rather than promote, the deIivery of adequate medica services
to aI1 of the
peopIe_”
Natu&y,
the majority of active physicians wiI1 disagree with this expression. More power to the “ obstructionists ”! It wouId seem most suitabIe to fiIe away this report for a11 time and make the entire of interest onIy as a part of the enterprise history of these troubIesome times. T. S. W.
1
t Subscribers to THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERYvisiting New York City are invited to make the ojjice of the publishers (Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 76 Fifth Avenue, New York) their hea& quarters. Mail, packages or bundles may be addressed in OUTcare. Hotel reservations will gladly be made for those advising us in advance; kindly notify us in detail as to requirements and prices. List of operations in New York hospitals on file in our ofice daily.
I
I
Editor:
THURSTON
SCOTT WELTON, EDITORIAL
M.D.,P.A.c.s., NEW
YORK
BOARD
Rochester, Minn.; DONALD C. BALFOUR, Rochester, Minn.; CARL BECK, Chicago; ALEXIS CARREL, N.Y.; JAMES T. CASE, Chicago; ROBERT C. COFFEY, Ponland, Ore.; MIDORE COHN, N.O.; W. B. COLEY, N. Y.; FREDERICK A. COLLER,Ann Arbor; GEORGE w. CRILE, Clew.; ELLIOTT C. CUTLER, Bosron: LOYAL DAVIS, Chicago; ROBERT V. DAY, Las Angeles; CHARLES A. ELSBERG, N. Y.; C. R. G. FORRESTER, Chicago; H. DAWSON FURNISS, N. Y.; JOHN H. GIBBON, Phib: EMIL GOETSCH, Brooklyn; DONALD GUTHRIE, Sayre, Pa.: A. E. HERTZLER, Kan.msCity; C. GORDON HEYD, N. Y.; LOUIS J. HIRSCHMAN, Detroit; J. M. HITZROT, N. Y.; EMILE F. HOLMAN, San Francisco; R. H. JACKSON, Madison; JOHN E. JENNINGS, Brooklyn: W. L. KELLER, Washington; HOWARD A. KELLY, B&more; ARTHUR KRIDA, N. Y.; A. V. S. LAMBERT, N. Y.; H. H. M. LYLE, N. Y.: JEROME M. LYNCH, N. Y.: URBAN MAES, N. 0.; ROY D. MCCLURE, Detroit; J. TATE MASON, Sea&; RUDOLPH MATAS, N. 0.: H. C. NAFFZIGER, San Francisco; E. W. ALTON OCHSNER, N. 0.; CLARBNCE R. O’CROWLEY, Newark, N.J.; F. R. PACKARD, Phila:. ROBERT L. PAYNE, Norfolk, Va.; LOUISE. PHANEUF, Boston; E. H. POOL, N. Y.; DOUGLAS QUICK, N. Y.; HUBERT 4. ROYSTER, Raleigh; A. C. SCOTT, Temple, Tex.; M. G. SEELIG, St. Louis; J. BENTLEY SQUIER, N. Y.; GEORGE W. SWIm, Seattle; J. M. WAINWRIGHT, Scmnron: GRANT E. WARD, Belt.: F. C. WARNSHUIS, Gand R&ids; A. 0. WHIPPLE, N. Y.; J. H. WOOLSEY, San Fxmcisco. ForeignCdaborators-GREAT BRITAINJ. H. WATSON, BUT&Y. FRANCE-G. JEANNENEY, Bordeaux. ITALY-R. BASTIANELLI, Rome. WALTER
C. ALVAREZ,
The American Journal of Surgery is truly independent and enters into no ‘*entangling alliances.” It publishes many papers read before the leading surgical societies of the Country, but it is not “the official organ” of any organization. Every manuscript is selected by the editors, as worthy of publication-nothing is published merely because “it was read at the meeting.”
’
E
D
I
T
0
R
I
A
L
’
BURY THE DEAD
S
EVERAL months ago the Committee on the Costs of MedicaI Care rendered their report. It occasioned a heated controversy. The majority of the profession sided with the minority report of this Committee. The Journal of the American Medical Association came out against the majority report in no uncertain terms, thus mirroring the sentiments and opinions of most of the men engaged in the actual practice of medicine. Then came a 1~11. The subject became more or Iess of a dead issue. Many said that inasmuch as pubhc opinion decreed against the majority report, this report wouId be bound up with tape and gather the dust of years in the archives. Others said: Beware! Those back of the report had power, infhrence and money, and aIthough the
mass of physicians consider the issue dead, neverthejess it wiI1 suddenIy reappear in some frank or disguised form and by hook or crook be written into the Iaws. Therefore, to those who fee1 the actuaI practice of the recommendations of the majority report of the Committee wouId be a disastrous bIow to American Medicine, it is refreshing to read two phases, or rather aftermaths, of this subject: Dr. J. Bentley Squire, President of the American CoIIege of Surgeons, at the Chicago meeting said in effect that practicing physicians are better equipped to pIan the destinies of Medicine than a committee or group of non-practicing physicians and Iaymen, whose interest is at best academic. On top of this came the annua1 report
362
American Journal of Surgery
EditoriaI
of the MiIbank MemoriaI Fund, pubhshed October 9. Disappointment over the fina report of the Committee on the Costs of MedicaI Care is expressed, a significant statement inasmuch as the MiIbank Foundation was the chief financia1 supporter of the survey. The Milbank report regretted the faiIure “to propose a comprehensive program which would soIve the basic DrobIem which it uncovered. ” Unfortulately the secretary of the Fund charged that much of the fauIt “Iay with obstructionist tactics on the part of certain groups
NOVEMBER, 1933
of physicians who generaIIy contro1 medica organizations to prevent, rather than promote, the deIivery of adequate medica services
to aI1 of the
peopIe_”
Natu&y,
the majority of active physicians wiI1 disagree with this expression. More power to the “ obstructionists ”! It wouId seem most suitabIe to fiIe away this report for a11 time and make the entire of interest onIy as a part of the enterprise history of these troubIesome times. T. S. W.
1
t Subscribers to THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERYvisiting New York City are invited to make the ojjice of the publishers (Paul B. Hoeber, Inc., 76 Fifth Avenue, New York) their hea& quarters. Mail, packages or bundles may be addressed in OUTcare. Hotel reservations will gladly be made for those advising us in advance; kindly notify us in detail as to requirements and prices. List of operations in New York hospitals on file in our ofice daily.
I
I