Medicine: Surgeons' College

Three thousand surgeons drifted into Manhattan's new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel last week. It was easy to see that they were surgeons, not physicians. The physician is apt to be benign, a trifle careless of his dress, slow in speech. The surgeon, on the other hand, tends to talk swiftly, dress meticulously, gesture boldly. There are always more evening clothes at a surgeons' meet than at a physicians'. This was the American College of Surgeons, at its 21st annual clinical congress.

One & all had subscribed to the protection of the specialist: "Upon my honor as a gentleman, I hereby declare that I will not practice the division of fees, either directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever." When they had composed themselves, when their regents and officers bar ranged themselves on the ballroom stage, Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd of Manhattan gave an address of welcome.

Dr. Charles Jefferson Miller of New Orleans, the College's president, in red-collared academic robe and gold-tasseled mortarboard cap, upbraided lay critics of medical men. He denounced "those articles in magazines whose standards, one used to believe, were rather higher than the publication of half truths and misrepresentations and downright falsehoods. I confess that a rather unworthy suspicion has crossed my mind that it has perhaps been easier for our traducers to gain a hearing than it has been for our defenders Here & there a physician has raised his voice, not always, I am sorry to say, with very profound wisdom, but lay defenders are notably absent, and I find it rather hard to believe that an occasional satisfied layman, an occasional grateful patient, has not tried to say something in our favor."

Not "rathering" was his denunciation by name, as uninformed medically and unjust ethically, of Magazine Critics T. Swann Harding, F. C. Kelly, H. L. Mencken, the late J. A. Mitchell.

When Dr. Miller ended his speech he took off cap and gown, helped them on to Dr. Allen Buckner Kanavel (pronounced Kuh-nave'-ul) of Chicago. By robing, Dr. Kanavel assumed the presidency of the College. He is a smaller man than retiring President Miller. The official sleeves hung over his wrists as he swung into an official flaying of social and industrial medicine not guided by responsible doctors.

Followed an explanation of urinary surgery, by Dr. Arthur Henry Bitrgess of Manchester, England. An important point: catheterization for urinary retention is a dangerous procedure The retention causes a back pressure against the kidneys, which adjust themselves to the abnormal condition. Perspiration removes sufficient water from the body to maintain a satisfactory state of invalidism. Catheterization suddenly relieves the kidneys of back pressure, causes kidney injuries and, usually, a fatal kidney bleeding. In aged persons is this fact especially so.

Later in the week Dr. John Bentley Squier, Manhattan urinary surgeon, gave a dinner in honor of Dr. Burgess, Sir Charles Gordon-Watson of London, Dr. Hans von Haberer of Cologne (all three were made honorary fellows of the College) and the officers of the College. It was a happy evening for Dr. Squier. That afternoon the College had elected him its next president. He is just about as much smaller in height and build than President Kanavel, as President Kanavel is smaller than retired President Miller.