The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-02-21

broken down constitutions wasting away
with lingering disease. and frightful de-
that might have been restored |
and corrected if detected and properly |
treated by skillful and experienced |
physicion. 1t is absolutely astonishing
how the people will cling to these in |
competent and unprincipal doctors until |
they become old and rich in the practice |
of their ignorance.
Our country is really crowded
with men practicing medicine who have
had no medical education or in fact no
education of any kind. There is law
in Illinois, which went into operation
last July, requiring persons who practice
medicine, to either have diploma from
an orthorized college or submit to an ex-
animation by a competent medical board;
a few weeks since, in town in that
state, thirty-three doctors were examined
by the medical board, and only thirteen
were admitted to practice out of the
whole number examined This is,
doubtless, about fair proportion of COM
petent physicians to the whole number
of doctors in the land.
Is it not time then that some law was
enacted to protect an innocent public
against this army of vlllianous and in
competent medical pretenders.
Our adopted citizens are easily impos-
ed upon for the reason that in the lard
from which they come no person is
allowed to practice medicine or surgery
unless they are thoroughly educated in
the science of medicine, and they believe
the same true in this country. How
fearfully deceived they are, can be seen
every day in the manned, deformed and
broken down constitutions which you
meet throughout the whole country;
persons who might have been restored
to sound health if they had been treated
properly and understandingly in the
early stage of their malady.
When the bill, now before the legis-
lature becomes law and is enforced it
will, at least, afford some protection to
the people.
Now, we hope and expect the time
will come, ere long, when the people
will become so thoroughly educated, that
something more will be demanded of a
physician, than simply to cut off limb,
bind up a fracture or administer dose
of medicine, but that he shall be learned
in his profession, a man Of culture, and
high moral principle, in other words. a
man fully worthy to be entrusted with
the lives and health of our families, and
also, one whom we can fearlessly admit
into the private and sacred precincts of
our homes. also one who will refine and
elevate all those with whom he may
come in contact.
This has always been the case in
European countries; the physician there
ranks with the nobility, he is a man
thoroughly educated in his profession,
of elegant attainment and of high moral
character. This is so, to large extent,
in the older settled portions Of our own
country, especially in the eastern cities.
No physician is ever employed as a
family physician, by the better classes
in the east except he be we'll educated,
a man Of experience and refinement, and
until he acquires these qualifications his
business is entirely confined to the lower
and ignorent classes. In fact says
learned authority, you can generally
judge Of the amount of intelligence and
refinement family has by the charac-
ter of the doctor they employ. 1t is
high time that some measures were ia
ken to elevate the standard of profess
sional attainments of the persons who
have the care of the lives and health of
our communities.
We hope the members of the legisla-
ture from our county aid in the passage
of some law whereby the public may be
protected from incompetent and unprin-
cipaled adventures.