Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-09-11
MEDICAL CENSORS.
The New York law 10 Regulate the
Practice of Medicine and Surgery
A Model for Tennessee.
Ernm The New York Herald. Tnesdarl

From the New York Herald, Tuesday,
Quacks of high and low degree will
have a hard time Of it this coming fall.
The medical censOrs are after them with
, a sharp stick, as the saying is, and the
head Of many a bogus practitioner, man
and woman, viii disappear by the re-
lentless dissectiDg knife furnished under
- the new law, and handled skillfully by
those inlusted with the operation. Be-
yOnd doubt New York mas suffered long
and severely from regiments OF impOs-
tiers, whose ignorance, fraudulent pre-
tences and rascality have increased the
death roll to an alarming extent. For
years past this state of affairs has eX-
listed. and scores OF sham doctors, revel-
ing in money at the expense of the pub
lie, have deiian1y carried on their prac-
tees. There was not, apparently, any
/ authority 20 prevent their doing so,
and despite the most earnest ap-
peals by eminent physicians, who more
than others appreciated the danger of the
situation, the legislature failed to do
anything toward remedying the evils
complained Of, Everybody remembers
| the tidgety periodical efforts Of the board
] of health and the police to overhaul a
class of practitioners against whom the
I
/ Their feeble attempts in that direction,
! though perhaps, temporarily successful
| in checking the bold and broad daylight
acts OF imposition on the part of un-
licensed and incompetent persons, never
resulted in any permanent benefit. On
the tWenty-secOnd Of June last, how
ever, a new law came into operation,
which must have been hailed with de-
light by the members Of the medical
profession. Should its provisions be en-
forced, as doubtless they will be, there
is reason TO hope for a better state OF
affairs, so far as the safety of the public
is concerned. It was explained at the
meeting of the board of health on Thurs
day last, and so far has worked ad-
mirably. IL is not unlike the movement
successfully adopted iu relation to
the drugg lists some time since.
Under the int section of this act every
practitioner of medicine or surgery in
the State Of New York is required to
have a license to practice in some form.
He may be either q licentiate of some
medical society, or a graduate of some
chartered medical school, or he must OBJ
tain a certificate of the New York med
icsl societies Of the State recognized by
law. This certificate must be recorded
instance, who are appointed by the med
ical society OF the city of New York, are
com posed Uf Dr. Julius Won Meyer,
chairman; DR.. Hadyn, DR.. w. Archer,
DR.. A. Archer, and DR.. KunZe, secrets-
~. The powers and duties OF the CEN
sors consist, in the first place, Of notify
ing all practitioners of medicine and
surgery of the laws and requirements of
this act. In other words, tney must see
that every physician in this city is regis
tered in the proper quarter. The pro-
duction of an authentic diploma or GER
uhcate viii, OF course, be necessary,
and those possessing neither will
be summoned before the board of
censOrs for examination. II, with
in the time prescribed, the per-
sons liable do nOt comply with the law
and present themselves for examina- |
ton, proceedings will at once be taken |
ana the offender will be handed |
over to the mercies OF the district attor- |
ney. The prosecutions will be conduct
ed IN the name of the people uDon the |
complaint of the board of censOTs. And I
now Tor the class Of people against |
whom the law will operate severely. 1t /
will readily be observed that the more |
perfect the registration OF physicians |
and surgeons tue more etfeclually can |
the provisions Of the law be enforced. |
It is plain that those having a diploma,
license or certi6cate-every one Of
which, by the way, will be thoroughly
examined by the censoTs and rejected,
if ecessary-will have no hesitation in
coming forward, while those for whom
the law is specially designed-frsuds,
manipulatOrs, and the owners Of bo-
gus degrees - will naturally shrink
from any contact with a body
that will most thoroughly investigate
their claim to hang out a shingle. To
be sure, genuine speciality men, who
have no degree at all, but who, from
long practice, have won reputation, viii
nave little 10 fear but they will, never
tnelessi have 10 undergo a strict exam
lnalOn IN the particular branches of the |
medical art ia which they may have be-
come proficient and obtain a certificate /
accordingly. The main object, in other 1
words, is to ferret out and punish class
oi persons who pretend to have author
ity 10 practice medicine they never |
earned. The law undoubtedly entails a |
large responsibility ON the medical So
cieties; but where so much general BEN
eht Will ensue from rigid enforcement |
OF its provisions the result can readily
be anticipated.