Page 6 - Diagnosis_Reaver
P. 6
iously questioned is indicated by an arti
cle written by E. Rodman Shippen, Jr.,
M.D., in the February issue of The
H om eopathic R ecorder. Dr. Shippen
throws doubt on real progress in the field of
medical diagnosis:
“ ‘The past 25 years has given us a host of
new diagnostic aids and has perfected some
of the early crude diagnostic efforts. To
mention a few refinements of the early X-
ray, we now have encephalography,
cholecystography, urography, as well as
the diagnosis of pregnancy, multiple
pregnancy, fetal disproportion and lately
three-dimensional pelvic measurements by
X-ray. Cytology has progressed by Schill
ing counts, filament-non-filament counts,
sedim entation rates and reticulocyte
responses, to mention a few. Basal
metabolism and electrocardiograms are
becoming more common. Since the Wasser-
man’s basic discovery, Kahn, Kline, Hin
ton, Noguchi, have added modifications to
this test. All of these procedures — and this
list is not a complete one — have added
tremendously to the cost of diagnosis, yet
we would be glad to add more if the results
were proportionately better. Unfortunately
this is not the case. Let me quote from Dr.
Mallory of the Massachusetts Central
Hospital:
“ A few weeks ago I had occasion to look
over, with the aid of Dr. Gall and Dr.
Derrick, a series of 1,000 successive autop
sies, comparing the clinical diagnosis with
the post mortem diagnosis. That was done
cle written by E. Rodman Shippen, Jr.,
M.D., in the February issue of The
H om eopathic R ecorder. Dr. Shippen
throws doubt on real progress in the field of
medical diagnosis:
“ ‘The past 25 years has given us a host of
new diagnostic aids and has perfected some
of the early crude diagnostic efforts. To
mention a few refinements of the early X-
ray, we now have encephalography,
cholecystography, urography, as well as
the diagnosis of pregnancy, multiple
pregnancy, fetal disproportion and lately
three-dimensional pelvic measurements by
X-ray. Cytology has progressed by Schill
ing counts, filament-non-filament counts,
sedim entation rates and reticulocyte
responses, to mention a few. Basal
metabolism and electrocardiograms are
becoming more common. Since the Wasser-
man’s basic discovery, Kahn, Kline, Hin
ton, Noguchi, have added modifications to
this test. All of these procedures — and this
list is not a complete one — have added
tremendously to the cost of diagnosis, yet
we would be glad to add more if the results
were proportionately better. Unfortunately
this is not the case. Let me quote from Dr.
Mallory of the Massachusetts Central
Hospital:
“ A few weeks ago I had occasion to look
over, with the aid of Dr. Gall and Dr.
Derrick, a series of 1,000 successive autop
sies, comparing the clinical diagnosis with
the post mortem diagnosis. That was done
