Medicine: New Orleans Imbroglio

His face wry with suppressed vituperatives Dr. Edward William Alton Ochsner of New Orleans last week sedulously searched for the scoundrel who stole the carbon copy of a letter he recently wrote to a friend, Dr. Allen Oldfather Whipple, professor of surgery at Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Ochsner, 34, has since 1927 been professor of surgery at old (founded 1834) and ponderously named School of Medicine of the College of Medicine of the Tulane University of Louisiana. He succeeded famed Professor Rudolph Matas. Tulane wanted Dr. Ochsner "to bring the medical school to the highest possible rating." With the professorship went the post of senior visiting surgeon at the venerable (founded 1786) Charity Hospital, state-supported teaching hospital of the medical school. Naturally young Dr. Ochsner superseded older men who had been awaiting promotion the full generation (1895-1927) during which Dr. Matas held those offices.* Their disappointment was natural. Natural too was their cliquing against Dr. Ochsner, their "playing politics."

Last summer Dr. Ochsner learned that the University of Virginia was considering him for professor of surgery. He then wrote the original of the stolen carbon to Dr. Whipple, stating that he was willing to go to the University of Virginia. He added that he was weary of New Orleans, that Charity Hospital particularly was "in politics."

Huey Pearce Long, Governor of Louisiana and its next new Senator, whose inquisitorial tactics have made him many enemies throughout his State, somehow got hold of Dr. Ochsner's confidential letter. Governor Long is ex-officio an administrator of Charity Hospital. As such he last month conducted a secret "trial" of Dr. Ochsner. Medical administrators of the hospital pleaded for the culprit, called his letter indiscreet, declared that "severe action would annihilate him." But hard-bitten little Governor Long said: "I have given Tulane University everything when asked for and have been complimented for what I have done. I should have absolute loyalty. . . ." Dr. Ochsner must get out of Charity Hospital, he decreed.

Like many another able man caught in similar "politics," Dr. Ochsner "got out" of the hospital, but not out of the University. When he conducted his classes last week his students cheered him lustily, as though they were civic-conscious Latin-Americans and he a politico.