MEDICAL ETIQUETTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1926, Page 7

MEDICAL ETIQUETTE.

SURGEON’S ALLEGED BREACH

SIR A. LANE RESIGNS.

By Telegraph-Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Sept. 2, 7.30 p.m.

London, Sept. 1

Medical etiquette was rudely shocked by the appearance of the photograph of the famous surgeon, Sir Arbuthnot Lane, upon the menu cards of a chain of prominent tea shops.

This was the outcome of an article on athletes’ diet written by Sir A. Lane in his capacity of president of the new Health Society. This was printed on the back of the menu cards with Sir A. Lane’s photograph, which had been supplied unknown to him. Three doctors, on seeing the. photograph, phoned to the British Medical Association and complained of a breach of medical etiquette.

The proprietor was informed that- he must destroy the menu cards. He said he could not destroy the 40,000 printed nor open his shops without menu cards. Eventually the proprietor agreed to ob-' literate the photograph by posting over it strips !of gum . paper. This led to thousands of customers asking the reason for the pasting of the paper, to which the waitresses replied: "That’s Sir Arbuthnot Lane.”

Following a complaint he received upon the subject, Sir A. Lane has resigned his membership of the British Medical Association, expressing regret that he should have been unwittingly involved in an incident which was against the etiquette of the profession. It now appears that the association regarded Sir A. Lane’s communication as not wholly meeting the case and asked for a definite disclaimer through the tea shop firm.

Sir A. Lane has been strenuously advocating that doctors should be free from the disciplinary restraints of the B.M.A. and has also attacked its ruling, that doctors must not write signed articles on medical subjects.