The Press. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1902. MEDICAL ETIQUETTE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11279, 21 May 1902, Page 6

The Press. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1902. MEDICAL ETIQUETTE.

In one respect the meeting of' tbe Otago section of the Medical Association has been attended by a satisfactory result. It has been shown that the strange and unnatural view taken by Dr. Davies of his rights amd duties as a medical practitioner are not supported by the code of medical ethics adopted by the Association for the guidance of the profession as a body. Indeed, this expressly states that the article of tbe oode which relates to consnltat-ans cannot be correctly interpreted as interdicting under any <_______tanoes the rendering of professional services whenever there is a pressing or immediate need of them. " On the .contrary,'* continues the code, "to meet emergencies occasioned by '* disease or accident, and to give a helping ''hand to the distressed without unneces"sary delay, is a duty fully enjoined on "emery mep&ber ot the __rof___-_. both by

w-l«~—«>-_J_«£iBS_a_»»»^ '"". t_e letter'^^___^^3._.£__ of'the"eatii-e. ; '•code."*- So*_*_ tl__ 1.1 satis.actory, : a__l ! "one would naturally imagine tliat the Association would __tve gone on to deal with i what appears to be a serious infraction of the code in this respect on -the part of Dr. Davies." Nothing in this, direction, however, is reported to have been done. The As-ocdation appears to have found it a more <so_ge_Jal task to censure the newspapers for drawing attention* to the case than to take any disciplinary action with regard to their erring colleague. As, however, we are told that the matter is again to ba oo__d-_red at an 6r___ary meeting of tbe Association, it is possible that by that time they may realise that it ia not the nerßrspapers, but Dr. Davies, who stands arraigned at .tlie bar of public opinion, and take their measures accordingly. As for the resolution passed by the Association regretting that the Press had ■ thought fit to comment on a matter involving the medical profession before the Medical Association had had an opportunity of considering the question and making their position clear, we think the Dunedin doctors were very ill-advised to commit themselves to anything so foolish. The papers had Ibefore them what appeared to be a case of inhumanity on the part of an individual doctor, and they would have been wanting in their duty if they had not taken prompt notice of the matter. Very properly, they took care to place the doctor's own explanation, before their readers, but there -was cer tainly no reason why they should refrain fiom giving voice to the public sentiment until the Medical Association chose to meet and discuss the matter. The Medical Association ia an excellent body, but it is formed primarily to look after the interests of the doctors, and its members are but human. We do.not wish to do them an injustice, but it is quite on •the cards that but for the vigorous way in whic_. N the newspapers took up the matter, the Medical Association might never have met to discuss the question at . X We ourselves ihave had some little experience of the ways of professional associations in dealing with matters of public concern. More than a year ago we made some enquiries as to the desirableness of instituting a school of dentistry in connection with the New Zealand University. We interviewed some members of the profession, and incidentally the discussion drifted in the direction of the standard,of competence attained Iby the average New Zealand dentist, and tbe reasonableness of the fees charged. At once a spasm of : I uneasiness seemed to pervade the profes- j I eion. We were asked to hold our hand until the Dental Association could meet, I when tihey would supp.y us with an official ' statement __-bodying their views. In j the __e_nthne word was passed round to ' the _____bers not to be interviewed individually on the subject should they be apjproached by a -Tress" representative. In a trustful and confiding moment we accepted the assurances of these gentlemen. We iaeld our hand, asd waited for the official btate- __-_.., which was to give us the sublimated wisdom, of the leaders of the profession in this city. From that day to this" we have seen nothing of the document, nor - do we believe that the _-_e_ing to draw it up has ever been ______ But there is a- very much stronger cose than this to show.-that where newspapers have a.duty to 'the 'pi_blic to discharge they..ought to act, independently of any _ssociation formed to safeguard the interests of particular pro- I fessions. Ditring the last few years a ntatnber' of cases of fraud and breach of trust on, tjhe part of solicitors in England have occurred/and-.at iengbh "the .matter became „ public scandal.- The _ew_}_>_ape_. took up some of the cases, and urged the ! Law Socdety to prosecute, but the, Law Society-showed itself strangely reluctant to ! take any action in the matter. It ultimately 'came put that the chairman of the, very committee .whose duty it was* to in-* statute these prosecutions -was himself one of the grossest offenders. It was only by fearless and ..peiwsta&t exposures on the part of oerteaii'iiow-papers that his mis deeds "were brought to light, and _he man who above _4I ot__a_ was charged with the duty* of keeping the profession pure was himself sent to penal servitude for robbing ' bis clients. -Had any direct charge been made against the Dunedin. Medical Asso. ciatioo, it, vroufld have been only fair for -m> new-papers -to get the Association's | explanation (before passing judgment on the i -tatter. It is iridioul©us, however, to urge that the .newspapers ought not to have 1 ca_u_e_ttied oa the action of Dr. Davies 7 ' until the Medical Association had had an opportaiaity of meeting to consider the I niatter, because indirectly the charge against _ him, if true., seemed to reflect on the mcdiI cal profession as a, body.