100 years ago
Doctor confirms baronet stark raving mad
EPSOM, UK — Sir Gervas Powell Glyn, sixth baronet, appears to have bats in his belfry. The fine line between aristocratic eccentricity and madness is fuzzy, so a team of medical experts led by Dr George Henry Savage was called in to counsel the King's Master of Lunacy on this delicate matter. After weighing the medical testimony, the Master stated "I find that Sir Gervas Glyn is of unsound mind and incapable either of managing himself or his affairs." The Times (London), January 31, 1906

75 years ago
Mayo founder to med schools: "enough already!"
CHICAGO — Medical school is too long, protests Dr William J Mayo, eminent physician and founder of Minnesota's revered Mayo Clinic. Speaking before the American Medical Association, Dr Mayo argued that the two to four years of study required to get an MD "dulls the mind and leaves the physician at the comparatively advanced age of 30 before he begins practising." Chicago Tribune, February 18 1931

25 years ago
Do US health insurers stand up for the little guy?
WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court is hearing a tricky case where health insurer Blue Cross is charged with antitrust violations for refusing to sign a contract with a Kansas City hospital. Without the contract the hospital is having a hard time attracting patients. The insurer shot back that the hospital itself had refused to seek certification from a non-profit health planner. Blue Cross's lawyer said by working with the health planners, their client was helping Missouri rationalize medical services, giving patients better access to healthcare. Wall Street Journal, January 27, 1981