Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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THE CHARLOTTE MEDIOAL JOURNAL
Wavnesville N. C, was unanimously places the doctor entirely beyond the pale I
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adopted-
°^ ^^^ ordinary free, independent profes- <
"Resolved, That this conference recog- sional man. it is placing in the hands of j
nizes the widespread existence of pellagra a layman—and he may be a very honest, \
in the United States and urges upon the upright man, too—the right to say when |
national o-overnment the necessity of bring- and how the professional man shall use !
ino- its powerful resources to bear upon the those means and tools which he alone i
vit^kl question of its cause, prevention and knows how to use. A law which says_ a
control
doctor must not prescribe a drug in tne i
"Resolved That while sound corn is in manner which to him seems best, abrogates
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no way connected with pellagra, evidences those precious rights so long cherished and, i
of the relations between the use of spoiled indeed, at once destroys his place m mod- :
corn and the prevalence of pellagra seem so eni sc-ciety. It were quite as justifiable to (
apparent that we advise continued and sys- say that he must not employ aconite, opium, i
tematic study of the subject, and, in the chloroform and other dangerous drugs as to
meantime we commend to corn growers attempt to deny him the right to prescribe I
the great importance of fullv maturing corn alcohol. The Greensboro and Guilford;
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upon the stalk before cutting the same. countv doctors resented the action of the |
"Resolved That the work of this confer- authorities, and in a meeting held behind ;
ence be brought to the attention of the vari- closed doors the Guilford County Medical |
ous State and Territorial Boards of Health Society adopted the following resolutions j
and thev severallv be urged to specially in- which we herewith print m part:
vestigate the disease, particularly as regards "Resolved, Bythe Medical Society of the
its prevalence, and that they also see that County of Guilford, in regular meeting, i
the proper inspection of corn 'products sold duly assembled, that, in protection and per- ,
in the various States be had." petuation of the dignity, honor and inde-
The climax of the conference, however, pendence of our profession, we solemnly .
was reached when The National Associa- protest against the inauguration of such ;
tion for the Study and Prevention of Pella- methods as unwarranted by law, grossly
era was formally organized. Dr. J. W. unjust to the individual victims, in deroga- :
Babcock, superintendent of the South Caro- tion of the rights of the citizen, discredit-
lina State-Hospital for the Insane, Colum- ing to the medical profession, and calcu- i
bia was elected president; Dr. William A. lated to bring the orderly administration of ;
White, superintendent of the United States justice into public disrepute and contempt. |
Hospital for the Insane, Washington, D. "Resolved second, i hat we hereby pledge 1
C vice-president, and Dr. George A. Zeller, our united effort towards disconntenai.cinK
superintendent of the State Hospital for the such a perversion of justice in the name of
Insane Peoria 111., secretary-treasurer, law, and towards repelling the assault upon
Later, 'a vice-president for each State inter- the efficiency of the medical profession and
ested in the movement, will be named its integrity, involved in such procedure:
An official pellagra congress, to be held ^^^^ to that end
under the auspices of the association, is
"Resolved third. That we hereby forbid
scheduled for June, 1910 in Peoria 111.,
prescriptiomwhich
city was chosen without a contest. ^ny arug^isi vyuo v
[ ^ ,
written bv members of this society from ex-
GUIUFORD GOUNTY PtIYSICIftlNS AND Wriuen uy ii.e ,
PUoniBiTioN. hibiting the same to the inspection of anj^
The medical profession of the whole State one without the written consent of the phy^
have probably awaited with considerable gjcjan writing it and the patient receiving
interest the outcome of the action taken by .^
the physicians of Greensboro, N. C, in re-
'^.n^ ,„ ,
f^,,,*!. That we hereby re
gard to the prosecution of certain doctors
Resolved fourth, That we ^erebyje
in the city courts because of alleged viola- affirm the resolutions of the North CaroliW
tion of the prohibition laws of the State. Medical Society, adopted at their anuvia
One physician was tried on the charge of
meeting in 1908, and pledge to them and*
having written a prescription for whiskey
^^^^.^ establishment and perpetuation Ott
for himself. The city ordinance requires
the chief of police each dav to inspect the ti^arty support.
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prescriptions for whiskey filed in the drug These resolutions upon their publicatioi
stores and at the end of each month publish and presentation by representatives of ta
the number of prescriptions given by each medical society before the board of aldei
physician. The doctors consider, and
g^, aroused considerable factional feeling
we believe justly, that this espionage if
aldermen unti
not unconstitutional, is an invasion of their /^cuon was ueic.ic^ y
professional rights. Indeed, such a law their next meeting.
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