THE B.M.A.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2810, 30 June 1916, Page 6

THE B.M.A.

ATTACK UPON MEDICAL ..':■.-.'■■■ M .EN ALLEGED TRADE UNION METHODS THREAT OF COMPULSION "•. .1; A brißk discussion occurred in. tho House "of Representatives after The Dominion went to.press yesterday morning on the subject of the British Medical Association's refusal to meet in con-sultation-other medical men who wero not members of the association. In tho. upshot the Minister-of Internal Affairs promised to give the House an opportunity of discussing the question and voting upon it before the session ends. " On tho estimates for the Department of . Internal Affairs,

: - : Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby referred to the '■■■'• laction of the British. Medical Associa- - Hon in refusing to. enter into consulta- ; 'tion on cases with men who were not •,-• -members of the association. . This, he ' .■■.■ declared, was becoming a serious .menace to the community, and be cited several cases where serious operations had been delayed because of the refusal of association, doctors to meet "tabooed" doc- :• tors. When human life was at stake. : ho said, no such consideration should over have weight. In Australia the an- .-,. thorities had declared that doctors taking up such a line would be struck off .the Tolls, and, he appealed to the Minister and to tho House to say that such a course should no longer be permitted in this country. • Mr. Jennings endorsed Mr. Homsby's remarks, and said he objected strongly to somo doctors, through their commercial instincts, refusing to -meet other respectable men. Mr. Harris characterised the British Medical Association ns ono of tho most dangerous combines in New Zealand. < Mora Power Wanted. ■ -: ■ The Minister said lie had always held . 'that the full strength; of tho State should ' bo available for the benefit of the people to break down monopolies. He said without hesitation that if the Brit- '"■ ish Medical Association was endeavour ing to change a scientific body into a monopolistic body with interests opposed ■ to those of the people then he was out against it, whatever might be the Te- ■ suit. He would use the whole of the ".'.' forces within his power to defeat their . end. As the law stood at present ho was unable to take the 6tand that had been taken in Australia, but if Parliament gave him the power—(Voices: We'll 'do that!)—then ho would not hesitate to say that any man who refused to meet in consultation any legally-qualified man would have to justify his nositlon be- '.-•• fore the Supreme Court. (Hear, hoar.) But, ho said, it was for Parliament to -Indicate to the Government its desire that such power begivon him. Ho did not ; regard the mtkmalisation of the medical ("orvice, as a whole as'possible, but lie did believe ill a State medical service so that the poor people might go to the State medical men and. have their ailments attended to whatever their .financial'position might be. This was his ftwn view, «iPd not that of the Cabinet, hut if ho were ahead of the Government on this point he believed the day would come when tho people would demand a Stat© medical service, as they had demanded other State, services. Lead for the Government. Mr. Hornsby said be would propose an "" -amendment tfl indicate to the Government tho desire of the House that drastic steps should be taken in connection with the British Medical Association. Ho thanked tho Minister most cordially for the lead given them, and would move: "That the Medical Association's grant of .£I4OO be struck out as an indication to the Government that this 6tate of things shall no longer go on,, and that legislation should be introduced at the earliest possible moment and bo made an nrgont matter." . - Mr. Ell: Reduco it by £5. You are going too far. Mr. Hornsby: No,, if you affirm this vote you support the association, and it would be a monstrous thing that their . nefarious Work—for it is nefarious— should.be_carried on with the approval and sanction of Parliament. Ho would ask the Prime Minister to aid him' in this matter. Perhaps ho had better tako the more moderate courso of reducing the vote by £100 as an indication that the House considered that legislation should .', be immediately brought in to protect the lives of the people of tho Dominion. :'„ Mr. Bussell said ho could not accept .'" the proposal now made, for .tho effect ' wonld be to prevent many people in the ,"" back-blocks from getting any medical as. " fiistancß at all. This particular vote represented grants to doctors in tho back- ." blocks. His suggestion to tho hon. member was that when tho Houso was full he should mbvo some amondment and so Koura the' full opinion of the House. : Mr. Hornsby: How can I do that? Mr. Bussell: I will be prepared to discuss tho opportunity with you, and will endeavour to see that you get the opinion of the House before' the session clones. Mr ; Hornsby: I accept that offer.. The amendment was then withdrawn.' Mr. Jennings regretted that Mr Hornsby had not stuck to his guns. He himself would move a further amendment ..that the'vote be reduced by £1, as an '", indication that Government action should bo taken. ■ " Mr. young pointed out that this amendment was being moved' in the '.;"' wrong place, for it would affect the ..settlers and not the doctors. .'..;";: Mr. Jennings did not press for a diviJ sion, and tho amondment'was rejected \/ ; on,thß voices, an assuranco being given ~;• that the matter would be brought up ,':^.again. °;/ A Revival. :-.'.--The discussion-was resumed yesterday !■;-. afternoon, when "questions" wero under •'/discussion. -.-.' Mr. E. Fletcher reviewed tho.position •■'.-of affairs in Wellington, and stated that -; four doctors wbis being imported from '■:'.',■'•'Britain by the Friendly Societies for their -!• special purposes. The Hon. G. W. Bussell also reviewed .;.■'- the matter, and, declared that the British Association was going too far •'■!-,- altogether in refusing to meet reputable *..- and qualified men in consultation, merely ".' because they were not members of tho -■! .', association. That, he said, was taking a • :■. 6tand which tho Government could not ""." allow to continue. Ho would place proposals befoj© Cabinet on. tho matter. (Hear,'hear.) If legislation required to bo . ."passed', he would ask Cabinet to proceed '.''■■'witli.it with speed. . Dr. Thacker rose to the defence of the profession, which he declared was one '~.-' of the most loyal and honourable. A man • : - : who did not belong to the British Medical Association had good reasons for not .''.. belonging to it. Such men- had a wider .•: v range of practice, for in tho eyes of the . Tegular practitioners they were absolute .; quacks. A man had to consider his own i reputation before agreeing to consult with ' another doctor. The men who refused would have good reasons for doing so. '< There were points in this discussion which did not appeal to' the laity, but which had to be closely watched by the '-. medical man. There wero a lot of quacks and charlatans .about, and tho • profession, could not Tw blinkened up hill and down dale as it had been without -.- protest. THE CASE FOR THE B.M.A. -.'MISCONCEPTIONS CLEARED UP. With a view to clearing up one or two points which wore raised by cortain speakers during the debate on the British Medical Association in the House of Representatives yesterday, a member of our staff interviewed an officer of the Wellington branch of tho 8.M.A., and was given a statement of tho caso for tho members of the association. "In tho first place," he said, "it ifi absolutely contrary to the practice and ethics of the British Medical Association to refuse to consult with a reputable qualified practitioner who does not hap?en to be a member of tho association, n order to properly understand our attitude on this matter, however, it berimes necessary to Tomovo what appears vo be a fairly general misconception regarding tho 6tatus and functions of the

association. ' The British Medical Association exists for tho purpose of keeping the atmosphere of the medical profession free of any taint which misconduot on the part of a practitioner might introduce. It is a purely disciplinary lx>dy, and its disciplinary powers are exercised just in the 6»mo way and to tho same extent as tho disciplinary powers of an institution like, let us say, a olub. We Tofuse to admit into tho association any practitioner whose personal or professional conduct' is considered degrading to either his manhood or his profession. Membership in our association stands for a certain standard of personal and professional conduct. If, tor example, a practitioner becomes addicted to drink, and not only lowers himself personally, but becomes a disgrace to the profession, we, as ' doctors desirous of keeping the medical profession clean and above suspicion, will refuse to consult with him, and will most certainly decline to admit him to the association; 'if a practitioner encages in unlawful practices in the conduct of hit profession, again wo will have nothing whatever to do with him. . Bnt we do not insist on a reputable practitioner becoming a member of .the association if he wants to remain out of it, nor is there anything in our rules, precedents, or practice, expressed or implied, which suggests that because a reputable practitioner is not a member ot tho 8.M.A., we will not consult with him. To assert that wo have done so is to state what is contrary to fact.

"We hope that Parliament will not, acting under any misconception of tho case, commit itself to any legislation which will have tho effect of bolstering up the very type of practitioner whom the public has a right to be protected, from. The standard of the medical profession in New Zealand is high—it is nowhere higher—and it is our aim nnd duty to keep it so."