Show THE 31EOICAI rKACTICE JAW I I To the Editor of The Herald Dear Sii1 In answer to your editorial of February 1 commenting upon an article from W G Young I desire to I makt 11 few remarks and then direct I my attention to Mr Younfes communication I com-munication j i You start out by admitting that it cannot be denied that there are too many q11scS In the community In this nobody at all observant will disagree dis-agree with you My belief is that for the stamping out of these quacks the law was enacted by our legislators who certainly in this case had the good of the community at heartY heart-Y lL seem to think that in some ic spects the law has been made a little too stringent by debarring those from practice who are skillful in the administration admin-istration of simple remedies but who have never received a diploma and who could not pass a technical examination before a board of learned physicians > Now let me state right here that the law does not deprive anyone of the right to confine himself ex lusively to the prescription of simple remedies If I j he wishes to use in all cases boneset I and catnip as far as the law goes ho i has a perfect right to do so But the law does intend that the person so prescribing should have first received a thorough education in crvno school of medicIne in good standing or failing in this shall be able to pass a satisfactory satis-factory examination in the fundamental fundamen-tal principles of medicine before a competent board This would certainly not be encroaching upon the liberties I or ltvey of the people Mr Young seems to think that the masres of the people are not in favor of any legislation regulating the prac j i i tire of medicine t Our legislators who represent the j I I Pfople must have thought differently or they certainly would not have passed the law J I I He claims that the law was parsed at the instigation of a few M Ds so I I i I that all but a certain favored few might he l prohibited from practicing in j I this territory claiming that the results i re-sults sustain him in till < < > c > rtion If he will examine the records he will find that the bulk of the profession have come cheerfully forward and complied com-plied with the requirements of the law and that a few sustained by all the quacks who are not able to present the proper credentials or who know that I I they are not able to pass a satisfactory I satisfac-tory examination are resisting the law j I do not know upon what grounds I Mr Young bases his statement that unjust discriminations are being practiced i i prac-ticed by the board For myself I will I say that J nm a graduate of an eclectic j I school of medicine T vent before the j board and must say that I received the most courteous treatment and had no i i difficulty in obtaining my certificate I am loth to believe that Mr Young can i cite a single instance where unjust dis1 I crimination has been shown I II Mr Young says what the people want I for their nrotection l < s = law which I will seVerely punish anyone found guilty of malpractice gijatter of what school w ih at without a I oma In othernyords allow anyone i U ractice with or withjout a prepara 1 i torv education Ifa blunder is committed I com-mitted orR life sacrificed make him i store hid Ute No nunish him severely He docs not seem to deem it j i necessary to require a man to be thoroughly thor-oughly educated and thus make him lens liable to commit malpractice I Now to conclude let l me say that I believe persecution Is not Intended They do not ask more of us than j I they do of their own members All schools of good standing an now re nuiring longer terms of study before they will grant a diploma J Very few of the regulars will refuse ito I i-to extend thehand of fellowship to any honorable and well educated physician I no matter of what school I The sooner we recognise the necessity of a high standard the sooner will we I obliterate all distinction in favor of I I any particular school and the public can certainly not help but be thereby I I benefitted Signed NOT ONfi OF THE FAVORED FEW We pub fsh the foregoing so that the side of tiiose In favor of the present law to 4tilate the practice of medicine medi-cine may be heard There are at least I I two sides lj every question and the I 1 communi ions wer published wlj < haVcf on this subject Jiavo bedn ihlofly from those I who oppose the law as it now stands Much of the foregoing Jetter though somewhat jeontroversal does not reach the points which have been put forward I for-ward No 0iu has claimed that the law rlepriVCs anyone of the right to I confine himselC exclusively to the pre seHptiMi of simple remedies That is not tie contention It does deprive j person of the right to practice who hav been tIp ieti to by people that place confiflftnc Jn their skill to apply vinple remedies l unless those persons I siass an cxninlnat u before a board of icpular phiSlciaris which is technical COil reQuires sucli a course of oduca lion as would l If tnkcn in a college flalify the ppllcant to receive a diploma l The argurrjfint that the present law must have besnAlemanded by the majority ma-jority of tj peoplCs because the major tv of theiivrooresentatlvcs enacted it will not sUinflinveEtigatton There are many laws < i nhe statute 1 books which the people rfeveV delnanded The medl tat practicehttw i i jOtio of them We do not cite tha t aaanJ argument against It ATe merely want the facts to appear ap-pear It vreathe wdrlc of medical men not the put ie For several successive sessions th Regular practitioners ap piledin vail ffor such a law which they had prepar < I to present but did not succeed unt I the last session Before I that the m ijority both of the people I and of tht egislature were against it I We be11evy sad that for cood reasons that f it vfaf < taft tothe people It I would I bl < voted iO n today I Although vc Isnow how the measure tmt brqugh nbcnSt we do not wish to 1 Insinuate tint the medical t gentlemen r who promoted it were animated by any desire but for the public benefit They were opposed to allowing quacks and incompetent pers ms to pose as qualified quali-fied practitioners deceiving the public gulling the unsophisticated and bringing bring-ing reproach on the regular profession besides doing a great amount 4 of bodily injury So far their motives were good and they proceeded no further in that direction direc-tion than the faculty have moved Inmost I In-most of the states of the Union We are not finding any fault with their intentions in-tentions We believe that no person should be allowed to appear before the public as a qualified physician or surgeon sur-geon unless he has received the education edu-cation which specially fits him or her for that position But there is another view to take of I this matter The public have some rights which Should be respected One of them is to call In whom they please in case of sickness and to avail themselves them-selves of the help of any man or woman wo-man in whom they have confidence and on whose skill in using medicinal remedies reme-dies they rely If they choose to employ em-ploy a person who is called a quack we claim for them the right to do so We are not standing up for the quacks but for the common rights of the people peo-ple We consider the present law an invasion of those rights The intention of the gentlemen who favor a strict law on medical practice is to protect the public from imposture The law could be so framed that every person who makes pretence of being a regular physician and is not able to pass a fair medical examination shall be subject to fine apd imprisonment and also to punishment in any case of malpractice But this need not exclude from any practice of medicine persons experienced in that line who do not make any claim to be regular physi I I jcians or to the title of M D These might be allowed to respond to the calls of those who choose to employ them I without being subject to legal jeopardy lost of us prefer to obtain the best taent in cases of sickness or accident and desire tlite best skill available We have our choice though even in that But there are other people who would far rather be doctored by a herbdispenser or other person not in the ranks of the regular profession han the most renowned of physicians in the country We think they should not be prevented by law from having i their choice Under the present law this is done by Indirection The person who wants the irregular doctor or nurse call him a quack if you pleaseIs not debarred from calling him but he dares not re jspond without risking arrest That is if he follows the pursuit of administering adminis-tering medicine and takes pay for his services So the law has the effect of denying a common right though its language does not announce the denial As to killing patients that is quite a debateable matter There are many 1 people In this Territory who will i argue The more doctors the more drugs the more drugs the more death And many would rather pay small fee and have a doctor without I a diploma whose skill they confide in than pay a big fee for a physician with ja diploma who has no cinch on death and cannot warrant a cure People do kilo under the most orthodox experienced exper-ienced and eminent professional treatment treat-ment We would make every doctor who poses as a regular physician or surgeon prove his qualifications to the title as now under the law We would not debar persons like some of our i j correspondents who do not profess to I j be either from administering remedies i which they have dispensed for years I successfully when they are called upon even though they would fall to j pass an examination before a collegiate jor territorial board of educated physi j cians That is where we stand on the j medical law question We are for the largest possible liberty which does not I encroach upon human rights |