Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1918 — DOCTORS HEADY ID ENLIST [ARTICLE]

DOCTORS HEADY ID ENLIST

TWO RENSSELAER PHYSICIANS EXPRESS THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ENLIST. Kentland Enterprise. The patriotism of the medical profession was clearly demonstrated when the Jasper-Newton county society met with Dr. T. E. Collier at Brook Tuesday evening. There was present sixteen of the twenty-four physicians of the two counties. Dr. George F. Keiper, of Lafayette, addressed the meeting. May 7 being the anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania; the final blow by the Huns, that caused us to declare war against Germany. Dr. Keiper in presenting the need of the army for physicians, said that there was at present about eighteen thousand medical men in the army and navy, the present call is for seven thousand more for the U. S. and five thousand for the British army, men for the latter will go to the front at once. There are about 125,000 physicians in the United States, thus when this call is supplied will be 30,000 in the army and navy service, or about one man out of every four. . It will interest the public to know how the doctors decide who is to go and who is to stay at home, and it can be said to the everlasting credit of the medical profession that there are no slackers, at least in Jasper and Newton counties, as every man is ready to do his duty when the time comes. There has five physicians already gone from the two counties. Drs. C. C. Bassett, C. E. Johnson, G. D. Larrison, M. B. Fyfe, and H. S. Hewitt. By computing the per cent of the U. S. population in the two counties and the number of physicians there would still be due three or four men. Next considering what communities could best spare the men, it was clear that one man must go fronF Kentland and one from Morocco for Newton county;. Dr. G. H. Van Kirk having already made application will supply Kentland. Dr. €. E. Triplett, while fifty-five years old, exemplified his charitable feeling toward ms fellow practitioners, by expressing himself that he probably could be best and thus would volunteer. In Jasper county it was seen that the men must be supplied by Rensselaer, and Drs. M. D. Gwin and 1 M. Washburn offered their services, thus completing the quota for the present time. It should be a source of much pride for a community to know that their physicians are ready and willing to give up everything they have, if need be, in the service of their country. As the war goes on there will be future calls for physicians and we can rest assured the quota from Jas-« per and Newton counties will be 160 per cent.