17 MAY 1946, Page 14

OBITER DICTA MEDICA

Sta,—The esteemed junior M.P. for Cambridge University was reported as having " reminded the House of Commons of the opposition of the medical profession to the health insurance scheme of Mr. Lloyd George 35 years ago when they declared they would not work it." That is historic- ally true of course. But the big battalions then in Parliament swept aside their objections, and, under duress, the doctors did " work it," conscien- tiously and tirelessly,. night and day, and without the " panel " discrimina- tion unjustly attributed to them by the uninformed prejudiced. Moreover, allusions to the panic opposition of 1911 do not help- forward the dis- cussions on the profession's reasonable and reasoned objections to those parts of the present Bill which introduce wholesale confiscations, menacing penalties and shackling indentured labour for those who will have to work it. A Cabinet Minister in the same debate is reported as having said, " We are not concerned about the medical profession, or the dentists, or the opticians." First, then, we are to have a vast number of new houses without the bricks with which to build them ; and now a vast National Health Service without concern about the trained experts who (I repeat) will have to work it. Some Cabinet, some Ministry! Its slogan would seem to be :—" Without the tools, we will finish the job."

A university professor was last year reported as having addressed a meeting in some such words as these: " It is a public scandal that a mother should have to look into her purse before consulting a doctor about little Mary's throat." Here is a dictum which appears to b. merely tendentious rhetoric. For, obviously, Mary's mother must con- stantly spend money for her child's welfare, on food, clothing, housing, education, toys and amusements, etc., and sometimes on over-indulgences and surfeits (to Mary's disadvantage) on which sore throats may thrive. Therefore, unless and until butchers' and bakers' and candlestick-makers' bills are paid by means of rates or taxes or compulsory insurance levies, it is unjust and unfair for private medical practice to be picked out for such professional anathema as the above.—Yours hippocratically, G. P. TOILER.