New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-06
REGISTRY OF PHYSICIANS.

WHAT OFFICERS IN THE COUNTY CLERK oFFlCh
sAy ARorr THE CASE or Cox-GOoD EFFECIs
OF THE NEW LAW.
The Dcuuty County Clerk denied yesterday thai
any of the clerks in the office had received money
for registering persons claiming 10 DC physcianS
hn. Va no had never received diploma from regu-
lar medical college lie stated that II Abraham IL C0A
had paid anybody 500 for having his name TIE 70
tered he had been sNindled by somebody outside OF
the Office. II isn't necessary 70 show any dpolhh
or license OF anything else" said he. man SIN
sician and then the clerk asks him several questions
such as his name. age and where ne rcceiEtyu
his authority 70 practice nealeine, are
il not asked TO produce anything. The answers al
written in blank form Of an affidavit, when must
be signed and then the man IS required 70 tahS tlo
oath In the regular form. 1t IS not part OF IlI
business 10 inquire whether or not ne II goou pH
gician or where or how he obtained ms diploma. 20
YOU sec that IL IL nonsense 10 say that ahyDOuy III
this Office paid money for registering haine
Somebody outside may have taken has money. ~
q NJ Smyth, the clerk who has charge OF the
registry Of physicians declared that lac had received
no money for registering name. There nave Oee4
cannot recall the circumstances under when eatF
person signed his name. have no recollection what
ever of this man Cox. am positive that he meyer
asked me If Inc could register without diploma.
DIR. Alfred l.. NJ. PItrdy, president OF tho tonnlS
Medical Society was asked yesterday What eueoe
the new law in relation 10 the registry OF
hos had In forcing the retirement Of9uacks. rms
law he said sis really the result OF several years
work and il Is designed To protect the puplc rom
lmp0stfrH. III we nave tHo Hu'N'ne ti''t
the public will know In short time that whenever
a physicians sign IL displayed 1t means that the doc
tor has gone through regular course OF study IN
reputable college of medicine. That certainly ~ not
the case now. We have been trying To hght the
quaeks for years and have had laws passed Tor the
purpose, but obstacles frequently rose TO prevent
ms from furnishing offenders. For instance, ono OF
the obstacles was 10 prove that o certain man actu-
allv practsed medicine We knew that he did, hut
we could not always prove it, unless we put mp q
lob and that we did not care 10 do. Tho present
law, however is a simple one, and makes Tegistra-
ton compulsory. ii q man registers falsely, OF
course he is guilty of perjury
"Have many quacks TcgisteredT
Lots of them; yes, hundreds. As soon az the
time for registration had passed the members OF our
Medical Society began to work on the list. We have
copy of the County Clerks list. and hope to have
it published soon. There are about 400 names IN
the list, and il includes q great number OF per
sons who really have no right TO practise
medicine. As soon as we dispose OF tle
case of Cox. we will make other arrests. We
have a complete chain OF evidence now against lve
or six of the registered persons and there are others
whose cases are receiving proper attention 30 you
see we have good reason to hope for reform OF inns
growing evil. Unless person has studied the mat
ter he can have no idea of the number OF persons
who claim to be physicians without having received
a medical education. Manly of them have been
druggists while others have been nurses IN hos
pitals regret very much that the list IN the
County Clerks Office does not includc the names oi
all the reputable physicians IN the city. They have
neglected 10 perform their duty simply through
caTeeSsness. If We succeed IN getting Td OF the
so-called doctors We viii have performed service
70 the public. and at the same time elevated the
dignity of the profession