New-York tribune., 1880-09-26
THE REGIsTRY or PHYSICIANS.


THE REGISTRY OF PHYSICIANS.
The law passed last May, to regulate the
licensing of physicians and surgeons" impera-
lively requires all persons now practising 10
register their names before the first day OF
October next. Older readers will remember
that there were formerly in lis State laws re-
stricting the right to collect doctors fees TO
persons regularly educated and licensed. Not
only quacks and impOstors, but also honest au-
vOcates of new systems, were under pan. III
1914, owing chiefly to the growing favor win
which homeopathy was viewed, the restrictive
laws were abroeated The various schools re-
ceiyed equal liberty to practice. as they mlght
be able to win confidence by their success. And
their right to collect fees was placed upon the
ground that the patient might employ those
practising the system which he preferred, and
nav for the treatment if the rules OF that system
were faithfully followed. Opera goers OF
former times will remember little controversy
on this point Max Maretzek put stipulation
in his contract with SignOr Corsi that the
vocalist should net be excused for sickness un-
less the doctor whom MaretZek might appoint
should certify that the sic6ness was sufficient.
But when one night Corsi was III, he refused
the treatment of the opera-house appOintce be-
cause that practitioner was homeopathic.
There was lawsuit, in which 1t was argued
for Corsi that homeopatllist was not a doctor.
But the decision was that all systems of practice
were recognized as equal before the law; a
practitioner has the same legal standing III re-
spect to right to practice and the collection or
fees, no matter to which school he belongs.
The chief modification of this system, down to
this summer, has been an authority conferred
by a law of 1872 upon the Regents OF the Uni
versity of the State, to superlntend ex"mlna-
tions of candidates to practice and grant DIP
Tomas. That act did not contain any provisions
adverse to practice by other persons.
The new law Is much more stringent. There
are scme exceptions of little general interest,
as to physicians coming from other States
where they have already been licensed, medical
officers in the United States service, and pract-
TONERS of ten years. standing now improving
their education by attending medical schools.
But these aside, it has been made misde-
meanor punishable by fine and imprisonment
for any person to practice physlc OF surgery,
unless he has received authority to do so In one
of three ways; 1. An authority pursuant to
the laws in force when it was given tins covers
the case of the older physicians who have been,
from time to time, for thirty or forty years past
lawfully admitted. 2. Those hereafter an-
tborized by diplomas under the Regents OF the
University according to the law of 1872. 3.
Persons hereafter receiving the degree of Doc
tor of Med. cine from an incorporated college or
medical university in this State. The last two
classes. the newly admitted members of the
nrofossion under either the Board OF Regents or
tn
successiyely begin their practice. But the first
class of practitioners, including every person
snow lawfully engaged in the practice" are
imperatively required to register their names
OH or before October 1, 1880. 1t does not aD-
pear that any excuse for delay can be accepted
such as sickness or absence from ones county;
or that the County Clerk can for any reason re-
ceive a name after October l, or that any
officer or tribunal can relieve a practitioner,
however mertorious, from the consequences
of neglecting to register. Apparently those
who fail must either take out new diploma, get
au enabling act from the next Legislature, quit
practice, or run the risk OF prosecution. The
register is kept in the Clerks Office OF the
county where the applicant practices. The
person registering must make afhdaylt as to
his name residence, and birthplace, his author
iy for practising, whether it is by diploma
or license and the date of the same and by
whom granted There is fee Of 25 cents.
Nice questions will no doubt arise, in any
prosecution under the law, as to the persons in
cluded. The only expression in the law is the
very general one, "practice physic or SURGERY"
Those who neither employ drugs nor perform
operations, but profess to promote health Oh
relieve disease by such means as personal mag
netism, movement curing, electricity, health
lifting, ETC., may possibly be outside of the re-
uuirements of the law; they can reserve that
question for the courts If they prefer doing so
to placing their names on the register There
is no reason to apprehend that the law in
terferes with free advice, nursing, OF treat
ment from one friend toward another; it is
not administering a medicine or performing
an operation in single case that is forbidden,
but the "practice Of physic or surgery; the
making either ones business for pay. There
is no doubt, although the law does not say so,
that it will always be good answer to a bill
for professional services rendered after
October 1 to show that the practitioner was
not registered.
A (F1TNU A THIEF