The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-09-05
THE MEDICAL CENSORS,
The New Law 10 Regulate the Practice q,
Medicine and Surgery.
The New Law OF registration
To Be Enforced.
OPINION OF A CENSOR.

Quacks OF high and low degree viii have hard
time oil 1t this coming fall The medical censors
are after them with sharp stick, as the saying is
and the head o. many bogus practitioner, man
and woman, will disappear by the relent less dis.
| sectng knife furnished under the new law and
handled skiliuily by those intrusted with the
operation. Beyond doubt New York has suffered
long and severely from
REGIMENTS OF IMPosroRs
! whose ignorance, fraudulent pretences and ras.
cality have increased the death roll 70 an alarm
ing extent. For years past this state OF af1aire
has existed, and scores Of sham doctors
revealing IN money at the expense OF the
public nave dehantly carried on their practices.
There was not, apparently, any authority to
prevent their doing SO, and despite the most
earnest appeals by eminent physic rs, who more
than others appreciated the dangers OF the stu
alton. tine Legislature failed to do anything
toward remedying the evils complained OF. Every
body remembers the hdgety periodical EFFORTS OF
the Board OF Health and the police to overhaul
q class of practitioners against whom the COM
munlty cried in vain for protection Their feeble
attempts In that direction though, perhaps tenn
porarly successful in checking the bold and broad
daylight acts OF imposition on the part OF
UNLICENSED AND INCOMPETENT PERSONS
never resulted in any permanent benefit On the
| 22d OF June last, however, anew law came into
| operation which must have been hailed with
delight by the members OF the medical profession.
should It's provisions be rigdy and learessly
enforced, as doubtless they will be, there is rea-
son TO hope Tor better state OF affairs 80 far as
the safety OF the pubic Is concerned. 1t was ex-
planned at the meeting OF the Board OF Health on
1t is not unlike the movement successfully adopted
IN relation to the druggists some time since.
THE FIRST SECTION
OF this act every praetitloner OF medicine or sur
license TO practise in some form. He may be
either hcentiate OF some medical society or
ebsn e ne
York medical societies OF the State re-
Sass By y eT ~. T roan tsas s Be *
In this instance, who are appointed by the Medl-
cal Society Of the CITY OF New York. are composed
Of Dr. Julius Won Meyer. Chairman; DR.. Hadyn,
Dr.. W. Archer, DR.. A. Archer and DR.. Kunze, Sec
rotary. The powers and
DUTIES OF THE CKNS0Rs
consist In the first place OF notifying all practi
TONERS OF medicine and surgery OF the laws ana
requirements OF tins act. In other words, they
must see tnat every physician in,ths city Is regis
tered IN the proper quarter: The production Of an
authentic diploma or certificate viii OF course be
necessary, and those possessing neither win be
summoned before the Board OF Censors Tor exam
themselves Tor examination proceedings win az
over to the mercies Of the District Attorney.
THE PROSECUTIONS
win be conducted IN the name o. the people upon
for the class of people against whom the law win
clans and surgeons the more enectuaIly can the
provisions OF the law be enforced It'll plain that
every one Of which. by the way, will be thoroughly
examined by the censors and rejected # neces-
Sary-wtl have no hesitation In coming forward,
while those for whom the law Is specially de-
signed-irauds, manpulators and the owners OF
tact with body thar viii thoroughly investigate
their claims TO hang out shingle. 10 be sure
GENUINE SPECIALLY MEN,
who have degree at all, but who from long
practice have won reputation, will have little to
fear, but they will, nevertheless, have to undergo
strict examination IN the particular branches OF
the medical art IN which they may have become
proficient and obtain certificate accordingly:
The main object, In other words, Is to ferret out
and punish class Of persons who pretend to have
authority to practise med. cne they never earned.
Oh the medical societies. but where mucn gen.
eral benefit VIII ensue from rigid enforcement Of
In Conversation yesterday with a HERALD repre-.
sentative DR.. Won Meyer discussed the whole sub
ject ct length. He said that
THE CENSORS
would leave nothing undone 10 realize the intent
detected in violating its Provisions The offend
ers, he SAID would be attended to AZ the proper
ae owe svsFe o ne evs nGm mao
entertained hopes that the day OF the oogus or lie.
gal practitioner was drawing to close. In de:
scrbing the different classes OF people who worked
most evil on unwary and foolish patients he re-
1erred to the practices Of certain men and wo:
parties were known, and would have to appear
Or. Won Meyer states that such persons though
temporarily restrained from following their
watched, so that they could scarcely escape the
penalties prescribed BY law. One woman, he re.
| Marked mad already offered the sum Of $500 II
she would be allowed to pass the board OF
Censors-
SIGNIFICANT FACT,
| as showing how much the ordeal was dreaded by
those who had good reason to do So Then there
were others such AS those PROCESSING to nave GER
tain specaltes, Dut VINO in reality were entirely
ignorant Of the irst principles OF medicine or sur
gerry. These too would be examined by the
Board, and. il found wanting. w0uld be compelled
to desist by the intervention OF the law. zone
| fellow comes to me-" continued the Doctor, SAY
ing, y don't profess , to pc physcian,l'm only =
4 call yourself
! and II you are not doctor you receive money
! under fraudulent pretences' Another claims to
cure this and that and wnen Intercepted SHOWS
not the remotest knowledge OF the subject. have
known OF BARRIERS and carpenters to nang out
signs intimatng that they were medical prac-
under their handss Then there are others who
purchase diplomas without having ever studied
medicine They are, am sorry to say, very easily
procured. Others have In their possession
FORGED DIPLOMAS,
ana Wna1 40 you thnk'1that forged diplomas on
s New i1 ORR Taey are gotten up well and 70
deceive one not well acquainted with the quality
OF the paper on which they are printed. but the
women are decidedly the worst, and proper steps
nave been taken 20 detect and punish them You
see there Is no escape. Everybody calling him.
sell or herself a doctor must be properly regis
tered. The Board OF Health VIII not receive
certlncate OF death without the sIgner Is a thor
ongnly qualified physician. have known OF cases
where the only authority claimed by some
TO call themselves doctors was the TACT
that the Board OF Health received their
certificates OF death. We have made ample pro-
VISION TOR all these cases. Nobody can DE anected
by the law who does not deserve to be, ana alto
gether the act OF the Legislature viii be attended
with the most desirable results. We shah pay par.
ticuar attention TO those women who call them
selves
CLAIRvOYANTs,
many of whom continue to lure unfortunate Der.
sous TO their dens under various guises. In Iact
every one protesting 70 cure disease viii be COM
pelled to comply with the provisions Of tpe law.n
Such wera DR.. Von Meyers opinions brief on this
important topic There is an evident desire on the
part Oh the medica profession generally, now thai