To the Editor.—I would like to comment on the rebuttal by Trunkey to the letter written by Sloane1 in the August 1991 issue of the Archives. I almost feel this will be unnecessary because I expect you to receive so many letters regarding this that mine will be redundant. However, I feel that Dr Trunkey's reply demonstrates the problem. It is the old "town and gown" problem, and he being in the gown category, has shown the usual egotism and arrogance. He failed to see Dr Sloane's point.
It may be redundant for me to repeat what Dr Sloane said, since he did it quite well; however, I think Dr Trunkey missed the point, and as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us," and he is part of the problem.
Surgeons in community hospitals can handle trauma very well and I, like Dr Sloane,