The Status of the medical profession in the State of New York / by Henry G. Piffard, M.D.

  • Piffard, Henry G. (Henry Granger), 1842-1910.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Status of the medical profession in the State of New York / by Henry G. Piffard, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    from without the State rests with the colleges. For the assumption of this responsibility they are entitled to exact a fee of twenty dollars in each case. Until recently there were thirteen colleges capable of exercising these powers. Of these, eight professed to teach non-sectarian medicine, located, four in New York city, one in Albany, one in Syracuse, one in Buffalo, and one in Brooklyn. Two taught homoeopathy, both located in New York; two were of the eclectic persuasion, both in New York; and one, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Buffalo, was a nondescript. These col- leges all possess the power of granting the degree of doctor of medicine, and their diploma carries with it the license to practice in the State, after the graduate shall have complied with the registration law of 1880. The legal requirements for graduation are the same in all—namely, three years' pupilage with a legally qualified practitioner (not necessarily of this State), attendance on two full courses of lectures, the last of which in the college granting the degree, and the passage of a satisfactory examination in the seven principal branches of medical science. It is safe to say that the re- quirements in the matter of examination have not been identical in the thirteen institutions. As regards the regular colleges, there have been no public scandals connected with improper graduation of candidates, at least of late years. The same can be said of the homoeopathic colleges, but can not be said of either of the eclectic colleges. The Eclectic Medical Col- lege of New York has been very strongly suspected of issuing diplomas contrary to law. Suspicion was first directed toward the other eclectic in- stitution, known as The United States Medical College, in consequence of the receipt by the officers of the New York County Society of a com- munication from the Illinois authorities asking the status of said college. The communication further stated that a person armed with a diploma of that institution had applied for a license to practice in Illinois, under cir- cumstances that led them to suspect that he had obtained his diploma ille- gally. This led the officers of the society to watch the college, and, on examination, they became satisfied that the college itself was not legally incorporated, and they instituted a suit against it. The Supreme Court of the State has, within the past few weeks, rendered a decision to the effect that the college was not legally incorporated, and hence that none of its diplomas are legal. In Erie County the same may be said. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Buffalo stood on exactly the same footing as the United States College, and a similar suit against them has resulted in a similar decision from the Supreme Court. We have now but eleven medi- cal colleges, against thirteen of a year ago. How much further the shrink- ing process will extend it is impossible to foresee. The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small, and the profession of this county may rest assured that, if they give their officers proper moral and financial support, illegal pr'actice and quackery of all sorts will be an ex- ceedingly haizardous pursuit. ^ It may, we think, be truthfully stated that, at the present time, quack-