136 Medical Brotherhood 



First, the Medical Brotherhood does not aim for mere neutrality. 

 A neutral occupies, with reference to war, the same moral level as the 

 belligerents, with the mere difference, that he is not in it, or not 

 yet in it. The Medical Brotherhood wishes to occupy a position 

 above this level. War represents a very backward phase in the 

 development o£ human ethics. The various belligerent nations are 

 simply producta of the same moral phase, the same developmental 

 period. The medical profession is fortunate to be able to occupy an 

 advanced ethical position. Its members should be aware of it, and 

 should adhere to it. 



Second, the Medical Brotherhood is concerned only with the 

 medical part of its members. As private individuals the members are 

 at liberty to sympathize chiefly or exclusively with one side or the 

 other of the warring parties. What we expect of members of the 

 Medical Brotherhood is that they should commit no public act which 

 is not in harmony with the advanced moral standing of the medical 

 profession, One who does not feel that he can bind himself to this 

 simple Obligation, or one who does not believe, or does not zvant to 

 assume, that the medical profession occupies an advanced moral Posi- 

 tion, should, of course, not join the Medical Brotherhood. This. 

 Organization must consist of medical men and women who believe in 

 the advanced ethical position of the medical profession and are 

 willing to live up to this belief. It is as certain as day that only good 

 and no härm can come from such a belief. 



We shall not risk the presentation of a list of the problems which 

 we may be called upon to try to solve now or later ; " each bridge 

 will be crossed when we get to it." One thing we may state defi- 

 nitely : we do not intend to meddle with problems which deal with the 

 termination of the present war. The exertion of our energies will 

 be limited to that which is attainable by us. On the other band, 

 we contemplate dealing definitely with this one problem. After the 

 termination of the war, or even at the mere sight of this termina- 

 tion, an attempt should be made to unite the medical men of all the 

 neutral countries for the purpose of arranging an early international 

 meeting of the medical profession, to which meeting some members 

 of the profession in the belligerent countries, who are, or may then 

 be, in harmony with our ideals, may be invited. We shall thus 



