MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 397, 5 January 1909, Page 8

MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

■■;; -. ■*— — ■■[-- ]'■■'. CHARGES IN AUCKLAND. ..-DOCTORS'.p'OiNGS.. .■:■.■■.'.;,.■•■':.s{BI MLSOEAPH.»-SPECtAt COEESSPONDSNT.I ; . ■', Auckland, January; 4. ]~ The "Star" commissioner, who has-been publishing a series of. indictments against .the Auckland members of the British' Medical; Association, returns to therattack.to-day. Hβ says, inter "alia: "Apparently, in a number of cases, certain members of the B.JEA. jhare.'so.far forgotten the:traditions of their professioiiiastoannex the patients of boycotted doctors without scruple. :■'.Several • instances havebeeu quoted to me in which Bill.A. doctors hare busted boycotted doctors ;or 'I have ;.taken.: : their patients .when', sent to. private hospitals without a.word of .tion. If rumour speaks truly,-certain memof the Auckland B.ljr.A. hold'very elastio .notions of the amount Jof. consideration, due to any. of. their! fellow. practitioners-in "this respect,, .whether outside, the charmed; circle of'the association or ; within it;.but naturally ■.the.- ostracised-doctors have been-the;worsti ■ ; s "f erers.; fromVthis-;prbfessional 'I ; : need hardly; add -that all. these infringements. |of,;the:.rights'and: privileges'of-.'the'.ostracised, dpctors are; from the: standpoint- of commer- i .oiai-or.industrial -law 'unfair competition' aid" i'restraintof -trade. , ."- .." ; .;, '■ . '."-. :; . :■' ■.'■/■-•• .- :< - 'l.ooine.now. to one of the rhojjt interesting-. phases of•':the whole.,-question—the:.conduct ;of: the B;M.A/toward its own;members. Wβ ,must remember. that'-, the', prpfesseo/.ob'jectvof. ;the;B;M;A. ;is' to .secure.-its members, in;:the full,, possession of their . professional; rights L'and 1 privileges,- an.d in. the .manifesto";in which.; ;it vattempted -.-to ...meet;.the /.charges.' the .'Star. ,, .-.lt; expressly claimed-, .for 'its, .members: the,;right>.to.}refuse;tq assjst;pr,,-tb,i ,'consult.with:ahy.medical,practitioner whom . ihey Cmay/.not ..desire to "'meet. -.' But--ifc v thia: .'freedom, of: choice' is really"the ideal-of: thg :B;M.A.,:'it ; has'tried to.realise. , .it ■curiqu's -way, for ■ liberty ;.is precisely, wjiaf it refuses to- aUow ■ its members in the ■'matter • of consultation.. Ivgladlyldo many.imeiiibera ■.'pf. , o^e..Jlocal-- g branch-',pf'-'.the-..B.'M:A;v:'i-:tha.' justice of admitting that they would-.'be;will-; :irig to;.follow • the.' best traditions: of ~;itheir■ profession-and assist 'all reputable, practi- ; tibners to. the-best-,'of their, -ability,- if r.only /they dared,: but they'- dare: hot, fori"the. .8M.A.., .in spite; of:its edifying of-.respect'for 1 liberty ' and'independericevbf. has deliberately- set itself, : to .coerce.all its members into enforcing: the boycott; that it .has:instituted. ■ ; . •; '■'.: ■'■ :^ r^,: r

"If space permitted I could quote in'defail a number'.of.:instances in' which ! membOTS : 'bf , '' the B.M.A. have been summoned to appear ■<■'■ before that august tribunal to" show caiise why they should not- be punished--for assisting >or consulting with boycotted' doctors ;'i.ij. ; : .other.words,rfor.obeying their own humaiijr % '■ tarian; instincts, the uriivritteri moral.law'"ofV their profession, and the jprinted ethical code t which .the New .Zealand, B.M.A! Has' : itself^'; officially: adopted-for its guide..; Members of/,' thd B.M.A; have beencited 'for. taking part' , '■'; ■in,an operation at which an ostracised doctor.- ' was present as anaesthetist, and for. assisting ■' : with: advice' or. otherwise ;>m. .a case, '.where the life of the pa.tjenf was ;.in. danger." The',' •' 'fact, that"such assistance, has.' been,given is '[ in'itself proof, as I; have' already, stated; that; individual members of the 'B.M'.A : . •.bbject-'.to 1 .] such; restriction'-.upon, their' freedom; of ac- '■-.; tipn, and would .'prefer, .to. assist 1-the outside.',"' doctors when''called' 111)011 to;do\so. , ."But , the" ■ case is:.even: worse than this,. fpK! 'have%r^-,-■'. ■cei7ed;^''dejbafle'd/'jnrbmatioii. , iiE''sevOTal\'-.iri-ri;'.' stances.iri- which" B:M.A: Soctorsi'.who have';... been approached-by. : help or advice, hive; appealed ■ t0.;'8.M. ; A.:.:. officials for' leave'to' assist,■• and 'have u.beeav.. 1 .. sternly .refused. .In fact,, the ,local 8'.M.A..-'. or the smaH coterie of despotic'officials that 'runs' it.ha3,set upVa.tsystem.of-'Coercionrand . tyranny/'.which;;its/own. members/do;not,'ap-.,. ( •pear/'a'bie' , .tov.resi.st.- 1 '-: ■.'■ ■',■.,■-; -.-,i r ■■'*• •'.';'■.-;' '['. 1 "It ,is difficult i.within , ' brief :.to'-,".. giy.e.any-.idea.;iof-.the...length to'ywhich..these. ,- arbitrary, ■ methods:>la(Ve'be^\'carfiett;or?jtp/.'■ a'ny.motioajQf;. t-hejsurvpillance vaiid. that ; 'j ■B.M.A'. doctors in ; line,jandytbVprevent them■ :■<: from breaking -the boycptt;.;;-There l are-'Eeve..v.' ra'l 'doctors;who, though" anxious to maintain; ■. their■ cbrinectidn with the-.:8,M.A M v " : ajid.to '•:••■ remain.loyal to.it,' hold>that-:the ; ;boycott -.is-.-. altogether:.indefensiblej; .and ; they- 'would will-. ingly..'consult-vwithi,the.-. qstracised 'doctors.;. if/they were.allowedli .Yet, -for, reasons, that;.; '■ I.'have.-hitherto-failed,to comprehend,-.these: .; doctors;.-men-of -.■ high '-. standing, 'nnquestibn- ■;■. able.:' independence, and'jforce.-rof;'.character,!v: allow their 1 actions to be prescribed arid die- . tated'lby.-the officials': of..the. 8,M!A.,,.•0f,. cpurse,.'-if the,.doctors ...of •'• Auckland:'like : .to. -.. feel; that ..they ■■. cannot ::call' their, : souls 'and- •'■ -their consciehces.jtheir , own,jthere;is. no more tombs'said,-.so Jar as -..they., .are .concerned, .v But!'know :of: nothing :in the .whole'' range ,- of the' , e'videnceX.have,collected that brings ' outiinbre! clearly :the. reality.'of this.; boycott : '.' arid'.thei tyrannical'determination' of■"• the:.;--B.M;A!' ; officials-': to '.enforce.: it' without,'any .; rfegard. for ; thelrights and/interests. of :, s the •..:■- general:public or.;the ■libef.tiesvand-■lprivilegee,-./.-'. of-the ; profession. %bich.;the.;B;sl.A..-pra J ; fends tp defend." !. '■■.'• -\ .{■,'...':'■ ':';"'';■ .',.- ;.>';.-'' .-.■•■