North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-01-27
noctnra and LeGialal0ra.

Doctors ana AeBbSAotoEs.
The introduction of bill into the ILL.,,
legislature, in which it is proposed to
organize q board of examiners before
whom shall appear all men practising, or
desiring to practise medicine, has created
no small amount OF CONSERVATION in some
quarters. of amusement in some others,
and of hostile criticism in still other dir
ections. 1t is not probable that the bill
will ever 20 any further than the room OF
the committee in whose hands it now may
be. Hence, there is no call for any alarm
in any particular direction. There are a
Thousand and one so-called practitioners
upon whom the bill acted as would the
sudden appearance, to pedestrian, OF o
rapid dog in q narrow path from which
there was no escape.
This is emphatically free country
The independent citizen of free country
like this, has the right to get his living ~
he will, even if getting his living involves
the death of good many other people.
Such q bill would take the bread and but
ter from the mouths of scores of men and
women. here in Chicago, who profess to
cure the ills which the flesh 10 heir to, and
vet of whom not one knows the difference
between oscheocele and q monumental
cairn raised by some ancient Celt. The
city is full Of people who profess the
healing art, who know as little of anatomy
and matoria medica as terrier knows OF
thorough-bass. To abridge the freedom
of any of these Industrious people to say
by legal enactment that the man who fall
ed as a coal-heaver On yesterday shall not
grow rich by the practice of medicine on
to-morrow,-would be a tyrannical
Arrangement Of the liberties Of free-born
people.
And then, there are the educated men
of a score Of different pathies. Shall the
board of examiners be allopathic? If so,
what shall become of the disciples OF In
finite dilution, the eclectic, the hydropa-
thist, the liftopathist, the movement
curopathist, the Thomsonian, and the
Lord only knows how many others, who
have gained more or less recognition al
opponents of the ancient army Ut regu'
lars? One may be certain that, if the
board should be of the so-called regular
persuasion, there would not be left hide
hoof, Or hair of anything save Of those
elect souls who are in good standing a.
members of the county medical societies
Were the commission mixed one, there
would be an immediate fight of an inter
nal and an internecine character AM
were the board to be composed Of irregu
lars, the old school would get drenehing
phelebotomizing, purgative, cathar
tic, blister, cauterization, to an exten
that would leave not a grease-spot to mari
where once existed the followers of Galel
and Esculapius. In any case, the compo
sition of the board would result In
slaughter that would necessitate Grape o.
the door'handles of eleven-twelfths of al
the doctors Offices in Chicago.
The bill must not pass. There is to
much depending on it. Life is sort Q
swindle and, the more doctors, the les
likelihood of man committing suicide
lie can die all the same, when he wishe
to, and have the responsibility placed o
the shoulders OF somebody to whom b
has intrusted the care of his health. I
decrease the number of practitioner
would be to decrease the present admirabl
facilities of indirect telo de Sc.