6o8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



it would bring the medical profession into line with the highest interests 

 of the social group which they serve and would make the physician in 

 relation to the preservation of public health what he now is in relation 

 to the cure of illness, a leader in the fight for the extermination of 

 disease. 



The transition from a fee to a salary system of payment for medical 

 service would not necessarily eliminate private practise. Those wishing 

 the services of a private physician could secure the same at a rate based 

 on value of services actually rendered. The existence of public schools 

 has not eliminated private schools from the educational system. Neither 

 has the public school system resulted in less consecrated service to the 

 public welfare than was rendered by the private school. Neither should 

 a salaried medical profession be less consecrated to its work than one 

 rewarded by fees. 



The transition from a private to a public medical practise is gradu- 

 ally coming. The appearance and persistence of free dispensaries and 

 hospitals is not the least evidence of the change. The establishment of 

 departments of health in city and state, the magnificent work of the 

 medical service of the United States government; the system of engag- 

 ing a company physician adopted by many of the large corporations; 

 the movement toward medical inspection of school children with its 

 accompanying treatment at public charge of children unable to pay for 

 treatment; and the movement toward the public treatment of certain 

 types of disease, such as tuberculosis, all indicate that a new order is 

 coming wherein prevention of disease by trained and paid public ser- 

 vants will be considered as important a matter as the cure of disease 

 already contracted. The economic interests of the medical profession 

 will be brought into line with those of the general public and this is the 

 end which should be sought. 



