New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-16
WHOLE NUMBER IS.
tice of medicine the regulators Be.
ing regulars, and the ultimate object
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tice of medicine, " the regulators Be.
ing regulars, and the ultimate object
to crush out freedom of thought and
opposition schools in medicine.
When the American Medical Asso-
citation devised the method, the end
was clearly in view, and this end
was the object of the movement.
1t is not charity for the dear PEG.
pie, who are such lambs that they
require protection, but the desire to
have the feast Of lamb all to them.
selves.
We have been taught to believe
that this was u free country, and
that freedom Of private opinion and
OF action was guaranteed all citizens,
but an experience of twenty-five
years in the practice of medicine
assures me that there would DO
neither freedom Of opinion or action
in medicine, if your opponents could
have their way. Our readers have
had some experience of this, and
they will hardly want to put their
interests in charge of "boards of
health.
You can not make people virtu.
Gus, happy or prosperous, by legis.
alation, and you can not prevent
mans taking patent medicines, 10.
bella emetics, vapor baths, doctor.
ing himself, or employing doctor
that he fancies, any more than you
can force him to be bled and take
calonel and blue pills. Try to force
all men to have regular physici.
ans, and lou will have a result that
will astonish some people.
State boards of health have no use
that can discover. They do not
and can not look after the health of
the people, or provide sanitary
measures to prevent disease. Large
cities, and even towns, have such
boards, and they are all sufficient.
County officers keep the registry Of
births and deaths, as they do of
marriages. There is nothing there.
for for them to do but to look after
the physicians and see that they 20
through certain forms of registry.
All old physicians (ten years),
whether graduates or not, are re.
cognized by law; all who have had
less than this time are forced to at.
tend college and procure diploma,
or pass the examination of the
board. It is said that this protects
the people against unqualified prac.
titloners, but we doubt it. OF the
old practitioners who get in free,
there are some very feeble brethren,
and Of the graduates there is a host
that are worse than patent medicines.
Indeed, if had to take my choice
between the ordinary regular coun-
try doctor and the patent medicine
vender, should take the latter q
hundred to one, and feel very much
safer with my life.
Your medical ass almost invariably
has sheepskin, and very frequently
this is his principal stock in trade,
unless his selfconceit counts. He
has a routine of Rs with which he
Furnishes the unfortunate souls who
fall into his hands, and those who
live through it he datters himself
he cures, and those who die are ere.
dited to Providence.
Do not understand me to say that
a medical education is not q good
thing-the more the better-nor
that diploma testifying to it is not
good thing. But unfortunately
the two do not go together. would
rather trust the common sense Of
the people in employing those whom
they had found successful in treat.
ing disease, for success is the best
evidence of merit.
We want no law to drive students
into college. As people learn more
of themselves and of medicine, they
will demand higher attainments
from ply sicians, and the demand
will be met by better students, and
more thorough instruction in medi.
cal colleges. Let these things right
themselves; they will without the
interference Of law. makers. The
people( dear lambs) are abundantly
able to protect themselves.
Good law. makers, let things alone,
and let people physic themselves, or
choose their physicians as they please.
Look after the morals of land, pro.
vide abundant nets for lawyers to
catch the unwary, talk loudly and
long Of economy and taxes, provide
ways and means for spending the
public money-in fine, do every
thing else but bother your heads q.
bout physic. It would be just as
sensible to look after preachers IS
doctors, and prescribe the kind of
theology and who shall administer it,
as to look after our profession.
If any one doubts the facts stated,
stand ready to prove by statistics,
that your diplomated regular doctor
has mortality in his practice from
two to ten times greater than would
have occurred if no medicine had
been used, and the patients had sim.
ply rest good food, and good nursing.
When, therefore, the lawmakers
wish to protect the lives of the people
they would do well to look after
these persons. E'lectic Medical jour.
nal.
= GRIN story Of life in . Lighthouse
comes from the Burman coast and u
printed in the Rdngoo1 Times. A tele-
gram having announced that the light
Of the Alguads reef was not visible. o
steamer Was dispatched 70 asosrtalA
the cause. The Captain. on laAdinG.
discovered two Of the men In to NR64-
hnsran Ana1 .~~hsl> Ah&~A H~ae- r.