Doctor Dilemma

Last Saturday the Harvard soccer team played host to a squad from Clark University. During the course of the game, a Clark halfback received a head injury which demanded immediate medical attention. No doctor was present at the game; the rub-down room at Dillon was locked; and the player was carted back-and-forth until phone calls finally brought an ambulance from Stillman. Only then did a doctor treat the injury.

It is difficult to imagine a situation which bodes more evil for the future of college athletics. Fortunately, the injury in this case was only a minor concussion. What would have resulted if a more serious accident had taken place under similar circumstances is enough to give University officials a bad case of the jitters. And it's enough to lead to a serious questioning of the wisdom of continuing an athletic program which allows such incidents to occur.

The H.A.A. has promised to keep a trainer capable of administering first-aid in the Field House in the future whenever any sort of athletic event is taking place on Soldiers Field. Though better than nothing, such a move now is like trying to stop a flood with a prayer and a couple of blotters.

The fault is a basic one. The Hygiene Department is limping along with a sadly depleted staff of doctors, three of whom are attempting to do the work in athletics which normally requires six. No relief is in sight, since the supply of doctors threatens to grow even smaller as time goes on.

There is one inescapable conclusion: either contact sports must be completely abandoned, or a drastic revision of schedules to utilize effectively the limited facilities available must take place. Whatever disadvantages may occur are a lot better than having regrets for an accident that could and should be avoided. The choice is clear-cut. It is essential that it be made before it is too late.