Show THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE The subject of medical licensing or the issuance of certificates to qualified practitioners is one of much importance import-ance and therefore The Herald has given it some prominence publishing communications on both sides of the question It is pending before the Legislature and should be thoroughly considered before any change is made hn the existing law or other bills on the subject come to a vote In reply to a recent article on this matter which was itself an answer to this correspondent we have received the annexed communication To the Editor QI The Herald I am glad to acknowledge the liberal spirit you manifest in devoting so much of your valuable time and space to bring the subject of medical legislation before the public in all its phases Thanking you for the courteous manner man-ner in which you have made your comments upon my communication at the same time giving your views upon the demands and rights of the public Allow me to state as briefly as possible possi-ble my views taken front another standpoint There is no one more willing than I to acknowledge that our individual rights and liberties should be encroached en-croached upon as little as possible But it is an incontrovertable fact that there is no law so just that it will not inflict a seeming hardship in individual cases This is undoubtedly the case in the laws governing the educational institutions in-stitutions for the instruction of our children There is probably no country in the world which does more for the instruction instruc-tion of its youths than ours The Individual is taxed for the instruction i struction of the masses The individual with large means and no children may deem it a hardship to be thus taxed for which he receives no direct benefit but the law evidently intends the greatest good for the greatest numbers num-bers The individual with no means and a large number of children Is in this case benefitted by the individual of large means and no children The law evidently intends to make education compulsory in order to make better citizens of our children I Education is in this case made practically compulsory No individual has a right to say I do not believe in education and insist upon keeping his children out of school The law demands an education and he must obey its dictates I Why should not the law demand and insist upon an education of our practicing prac-ticing physicians in order to better qualify them for their calling and thus protect the public against imposition imposi-tion I do not mean this to apply to individuals indi-viduals who prescribe simple remedies in their own household or as a charity char-ity or neighborly kindness but to all and any who announce to the public that they will attend to calls in case of sickness for pay For in this case it will be found that the more limited their education the more farreaching and infallible will be their remedies It is all well enough for one to know Dr Herbalist < I know he has no diploma di-ploma and no general medical education educa-tion but I believe in his remedies and wish to employ him and no other But does not a doctor as soon as he hangs out his shingle announce J himself as a nublie servant And Is every one who employs him supposed to know that he is simply skilled in the employment of simple remedies and that he is utterly ignorant upon the fundamental principles of medicine medi-cine that he has never received a thorough training in a good school of medicine where students are brought in direct contact with disease in all Its phases and where they receive practical prac-tical training udder skilled instructors to qualify them to make a correct diag nosis No A medical education is usually taken for granted and my view is notwithstanding your assertion to the contrarythat the public expects and demands this Your insinuation that the regular physician is by no means infallible I will not even attempt to deny But will claim that the good education will make him far less falli bleThrough Through the universal dissemination of knowledge medicine is making vast strides towards perfection When I say medicine I do not wish to be understood to mean the mere administration ad-ministration of drugs but wish to include in-clude also the means and methods pursued in the prevention and stamp ing out of diseases Now the question in my mind resolves re-solves itself to this Will an education in all cases better qualify a man In the practice of medicine and will it make him less liable to err If it is admitted that it does then it naturally follows that the public has a perfect right to demand this educa tion even at the expense of encroach inc unnn isolated inrlivMuni rirrvtr i say let us apply the doctrine of prevention and thereby diminish the I necessity of prosecution for malprac tice Not One of the Favored Few We print the foregoing on this page because it relates to matters that have appeared here and because the writer approaches the subject in an intelligent and fair manner from his standpoint There is little in very what he says that we are disposed to dispute We agree with him as to all the advantages that education imparts and also as to the right of the public to expect in a professional physician all those qualifications qual-ifications which would be necessary to I obtain a diploma or pass a successful medical examination before a competent compe-tent board So far there is no controversy contro-versy But we maintain the right of the public to make their own choice of a person to wait upon them in sickness or tj do without such help altogether if they so elect We do not believe a legislative body has any legitimate power to deprive them of that right As we have shown that is done indirectly indi-rectly by the law as it now stands The compulsory common education laws which our correspondent uses as an illustration do not cover the ground of the argument Under our law there is a saving clause which supports sup-ports The Herald positon Every parent is i permitted to send his child to a private school or to have it educated edu-cated at home and in that he may if he chooses employ a person who has toro to-ro i tf I I not passed an examination before aboard a-board That is the liberty we claim for the public in the matter of choice of a doctor Let it be understood we do not standup stand-up for the quacks We are for the rights of the people We would not abolish the law which provides that persons who profess to be regular physicians shall have the qualifications of such profession and be duly licensed But we would not have persons who make no such profession punished for waiting upon the sick at their solicitation solici-tation and using that skill in the use of remedial agencies which they are known to possess In every case of a person holding himself nr herself out to the DUblic as a regular physician whether it be by advertisement or printed card ors or-s ingle either of which is advertising advertis-ing whether the faculty choose to call it so or not or by any other means let the examination and certificate be required by law But if persons who do not so announce themselves but have had experience in the community which has gained them a reputation as successful in administering remedies are called in by people who know that they dio1 not profess to be regular physicians we do not endorse a law that would punish them for taking a reasonable fee for their services There ought to be a law against malpractice mal-practice that will cover the whole field of professional and unprofessional service ser-vice There have been doings under the shield of a diploma in this city that ought to land the perpetrators of the infamy in the penitentiary We do not attach their wrong to the regular faculty by any means We regard most of the professional gentlemen herewith here-with great respect and believe they number some of the most skillful surgeons sur-geons and physicans in the country They ought to be known for what they are The uncertificated practitioners also should be known in their sphere The I skilled and unskilled artisans the qualified qual-ified school teacher and the unqualified unquali-fied a certificate being the testhave their respective values in the community commu-nity Fix the law so as to make a difference in the grades of doctors By this means we believe the regular physician and the charlatan may be kept distinct and every pretender and impostor may be brought within the meshes of the law and punished for his presumption and greed whether he claims to be a regular or a specialist special-ist But do not rob the public of the liberty they should enjoy in sickness or in health in life pr on the verge of death |