The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-11
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, FRIDAY, APRIL IL 1879

there Ii no good reason why we should not at
least strive to equal, In all good things, any
nation on earth.
medical education, two are now profltlng by
professional attention, viz: the regulation OF
the practice uf medicine, III order To suppress
quackery outside of the profession: aud col
legiate education with final examination, In
order To suppress the same great evil Inside
the profession. Since these topics, however
trtte, must be discussed until disposed Of by
satisfactory action, you will pardon brief
allusion to them.
Although medical literature, including the
transactions Of State medical societies,
abound In discussions. i have searched In vain
for single article on laws to regulate the
practice of medicine in any wise exhaustive,
or worthy Vi the subject: which serves to
illustrate what little attention is yet given to
State medicine. For instance. few of our
impatient TefurmeTs seem aware that, until
about 1910, every State then In the Union,
except Pennsylvania, Virginia and .Nortl,
Carolina, had had the now much desired
medical examining board. appointed In some
cases by the Governor, but In many other
cases by the regular medical profession Itself,
through State or county medical societies
and that these boards did not prove satlstac-
tory to the profession, and 50 unsatisfactory
to the sovereign people that their representa-
tives, In nearly II not quite all the States,
ItH. from HtNflIJ lS4U 10 1899, TeUGAI FE
all the laws establishing such boards. Surely,
II we would profit by the experience OF our
fathers. 1t Ia Indispensable for us TO know all
the causes Of their failure, and yet not one Of
those advocating reform adequately supply
this knowledge. Still farther, North Carolina
since 1850 and q few other States have on this
subject old laws still unrepealed: and since
1878 at least elk States* have enacted new
laws and yet have searched In vain Tor. an
Instructive report az to the comparative
merits of these laws and as to their operation,
whether satisfactory to both profession and
people, and whether likely to be improved by
amendments or TO be repealed. Surely knowl-
edge of this kind is very requisite to guide us
rightly, and To guard lis from retarding. In
stead OF promoting, the very progress which
we seek-an evil which often ensues from tn-
considerable legislation.
Some study Of the legislative history Of this
subject justified the following conclusions and
suggestions: It is worse than idle TO seek leg
isIation which would debar from practice
homeopathic, eclectics or other practitioners
OF any special or exclusive system 81 thera-
peutics. because no such law could be exc
ctlted If enacted Our fathers, as has been
stated. had such laws, which were all re-
repealed, for the chief reason apparently that
1t was attempted to enforce them Regular
physicians enjoy tlnmolested their system OF
practice and their code OF ethics, and expe-
Renee proves that the public intend to main
tain an equal right to test the dement's Of
other systems and codes, and to leave error
free In its combat with truth. This resolve is
implanted so deeply in the hearts, of our
voters that Texas has enthrOned 1t Id her con-
stitutlon, which solemnly declares that "the
Legislature may pass laws prescribing the
qualifications Of practitioners OF medicine In
this State, and to punish persons for malp1ac-
tice; but no preference shall b. given by law
to any school oi medicine" II therapeutic
systems were dlsregarded. we could probably
induce the people to protect themselves from
INSCRIPTIONS medical tramps and ignorant
adventurers by laws prescribing that no per
son, unless found qualified by education shall
practice medicine: but then arise these, as
vet llnsOlved questions. BY what method
shall the qualifications necessary be deter
mined. and by what means shall the penalties
no confidence In the discharge of Iaborious
official duties by voluntary aud unpaid otIi-
GERS. [ find no answer to these questions ex-
cept In adequately paid officials, whom 1t Is
not probable any Legislature will grant for
many a day to come.
The rIpest civilization, from which we with
like language, laws and institutions, can
gather fruitful lessons, is that OF Great
Britain. and believe that our road to pro-
gress in this subject Of State medicine,
as In many others, Is by the path "blazed" by
the British Parliament The. British regis
tration law Of 1858 is reported to have oper-
ated admirably. 1t is executed by General
Council OF Medical Education aud Reglstra-
ton" composed OF twenty-three officers des-
ignated by law, and paid paid, as infer, by
the British Medical Association. II is based
Oh the principle that cit Ia expedlent that
abled to distinguish qualified from unquali-
fled practitioners" Those whom we desig-
nate irregulars are, II found qualified by the
council, registered equally with regulars.
Fraudulent registration IL liable. to severe
penalties. No physicians except those
OF mr. n yeH nv be rte. 70
exempt from jury and militia duty, and en-
JOY the right to practice and collect fees, to
sign legal certificates, to testify in courts as
experts, and to serve as medical officers In
the army, navy, and civil service. Such 10
the pith of the only law ever yet enacted on
this subject by any English-speakipg people,
which, tested by experience, hos proved
worthy Of our imitation.
Louisiana has had, since 1861, a registration
lawt-poorly devised, inetfcientiy executed
but will 1t not furnish an entering wedge to
progress, and ought we not to direct our
efforts to amendments OF this law2 And
ought we not also to seize some one OF the
many opportunities presented to test on
medical impostors the value of that act OF
1879 and 1897 which declares: amy physi..
clan, or pretending physician, who shall
falsely ppaend to have been o professor OF
any medical college, or to hold literary or
professional titles to which he Is not entitled
shall be forever barred from the right to prac-
tIce medicine In this STATE ana on failure TO
supply evidence to substantiate any claim to
such title by proper diploma or other docu-
mentary or satisfactory evidence, shall, on
conviction, be imprisoned in the State Peni-
Tertiary not less than six months or more
than five years" The fact that out OF 27O
practitioners of medicine now in New Or
leans ninety-three Of them are, as is reported,
irregulars or quacks. should stimulate us to
efforts for reform.
AS to the subject of collegiate instruction
with final examination, it Is unnecessary to
detail the numerous cxpedients which have
been adopted or are now under discussion TIC
promote progress in this direction, nor will II
be denied that some of these are calculated to
palliate present evils; but the only effectual
remedy, In my opinion, Is the total divorce OF
medical instruction from the right to confer q
diploma, which of itself confers the legal
right to practice medicine. The professor OF
a medical college should not constitute q
legalized board Of medical examiners; but II
must not be forgotten that to annual this
power In one State might now destroy any
unendowed medical institution Of such State
so that action seems dangerous, until at leas
a majority OF those States which have pros
porous medical colleges can be induced to Co
operate.