The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-04

As rule TIE first thing in Medical bill
is board" with fat Offices" to be filled
by doctors with judicial execution and dis
cretionsry powers, /. e., to grant and revoke
Licenses. 70 administer osths send for per
sons and papers and tributary leverage on
all the other doctors of the State.
Secondly. To get lid OF competition
in business, especially the mid wife
Tklcly. As professor in q Medical Col.
lege tr;rely said. to put them Through oar
Tuill, meaniT g his college. The above vs.
generally The msin feature OF a medical
bill, based or the assumption that the di
plona makes the doctor, which is fal-
lacy.
AZ the people they do not seem to want
any BART of the State either in the Senate or
Borse, requesting such legislation. They
don't petition for it nor sek for 1t in any
other way.
A leople that bsve intelligence enough to
sc ect Sc majors and Representatives have in
teligence enough 10 select their doctor, and
1t is an insult to that int ligence to presume
people want to employ the old doctor with
out diploma, grown gray and respected
among them, they don't want the Legisla-
tUIe to say they can not do il.
If a woman in her hour of trial and or
deal OF maternity wants the level-headed
and laTge.hesrted old midwife and expert
enced nurse near her, instead of the vesly
young doctor with his sheep skim" she
don't want the Legislature to say she can't
have her. The people wish to be left free to
eat, drink and wear what they choose, and
select whom they please to minister ID their
sick bodies and sick souls.
do not see how any Senator or Represen-
tative, especially Democrat, who BELIEVES
in the sovereignty and private rights of the
MANILA fOr q hill fot fhof
rights or any one of them.
There is q principal involved in medical
legislation that will not bear investigation,
and If thoroughly ventilated aud understood
will bring upon it the condemnation of any
liberal-minded, conscientious man.
Medical legislation is urged bv a class of
physicians not surgeons and specialists, but
regular general practitioners, for their bene-
ut and their interest oaly, and comes under
the head OF "class legislation"
Nlrchow says: No one mind can compre-
bend the immense detail of gene raj practice
of medicine" In this sense, or IN the sense
OF not understanding what he processes 10
practice, every general practitioner is
quack.
Z dip'oma is not sufficient evidences OF
medical ttsinments-especially from small
colleges with title or ne clinical advantages.
Formal lectufs on q specially by q professor
in general practice are of little or no value.
What the Professor Gays is as we'll OF better
said In books that are now within the resch OF
all g students and eau be read with as much
profit and less expense az home. An ample
clinic, with the many Illustrations of the
different diseases and trsatment is the ouly
thing in tie medical college course that real.
~ 6ts The stuoent fJr practice. Five or ten
wears OF this Kind of clinical obser
satons at the bedside OF the
sickn is OF Infinitely more va,ue
thar a MI al II
in small city woIth little or 20 clinical
advantages 81 al.
Then again me dicine is not Fixed science;
1T is IN high degree experimental aud EN-
pyricsl
Homsopath'sts give al infin.!esimal dose
that requires TIE mos; delicate chemical tests
to discover q trace or the remedy, OF the
principle that like cures like" The old
regular Gins to give inside OF poisoning
dose on the principle that ''opp0siles cure"
Between these two dominant schools. that
treat disease on directly opposite principles.
lies truth that teaches an important lesson
that is that there ls very litt e in medicine
Victor Hugo says the physician prescribss
but the nurse saves"
DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes Gays that "it
would be better for the human family il all
the medicine in the world were cast into the
ocean, but il would be worse for the fish"
These bright men know what they state to
be true.
1 hope the General Assembly of Indiana
will not stultify itself by passing any medical
bill without a most careful examination of
all its bearings. 1t is an important matter.
The health, happiness, or eveEhlives of their
constituents are involved.
don't think we need any negative legis.
lation on the subject but an act to elevate
the standard of teaching medicine would
benefit the people, compelling the professor
TO qualify himself on the specially taught
from the chair he proposes to fill.
2. To elevate the standard of literary re-
qUirement in the student.
B. To compel colleges to furnish ample
clinical material with facilities for teach.
ing practical illustrated medicine. No
clinic, no college.
1t would be absurd to legisIate against
one set of quacks while the medical schools
are instructing another set in the science to
kill. "W."