MEDICAL SPECIALISTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 9, 4 October 1937, Page 7

MEDICAL SPECIALISTS

Urgent Plea for Reform An urgent plea for the reform of th* uodical profession, and in particular ot the speoialiats, many of whom he desci'ibes as "incompetent guinea snatchers,'^ was made to the Daily Sketch (London) recently by Dr. A. J.' Cronin, the famous author, 0 He has attacked specialists in his new novel, "The Citadel." His book is an amazing castigation oi! the profession. "1 felt it had to be.wyitten," he ?aid. "I have geen, the deplorable Tacket ;rom the inside. "The book ia in no'sense uutobiographical, but the racket I have described I have seen. * " I have not tried to be seasational^merely to tell the horrible truth. "Anybody can get up in Harley street and call himself a epecialist. "I am not condemnisg the medical profession. I am trying to auggeat pome means of reconstructing it, My idea is that the general practitioner should be abolished, and a system of units organ* ised throughout the country, ' 'These should eonsist of teajng of aix or seven people established ia cpepiaj districts, Eaeh man should be a genuine specialist in one feranch of medieine. One shpuld be a bacteriologist and know all there is tQ be known about germa, "Ona should be an obste?ician, another a phygician, and so ony "Evep since I left the profession in 1931 I have bpen studying the pubjept. "I left beoause it was a etruggle between what I believed and what I had to do when I was in medicine. 4 was kicking agaiqst the traces foi years, and often spoke at British Medical Association meetings about it. "Becausa I could make no headway and bring about tho reconstruction of the system — for which I tliink there is a terrifio chance to-day — I made up my mind to treat tho subject in a novel. "It has taken me two year3 tQ write the book, which involved a lot of research. "The general public may regard it as a piece of sensationalism, but I assuro you it wap not written as such. The hqrrors and iniquities detailed in the story I have personally witnessed. It is not a book against individuals, but againsfc a system."