The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-04
THE MEDICAL BILL.

Regarding the medlcal practice act passed
by the late Legislature, the Indiana Medical
Journal for the current month says:
Gas the law does not define what is a rep
utable medical college, we would suggest that
committee be appointed by the State Med
ical Society, at its coming session, to inter
view the Attorney general of the State and
secure his opinion on this point. While a
definition of reputable medical college by
this official will not be conclusive, yet these
committees can insist that the county clerks
shall accept it as such until the matter is car
ried to the Supreme Court and there finally
decided. While the provisions of this law are
not all that could be wished, yet owing to the
indifference of public sentiment upon the adj
visibility of any law at all to regulate the
practice, and the great differences of opin
ion among physicians as to the provisions of
such an act, it is probably as good law as
could have been secured 1t will probably
make few of the hundreds of quacks who
now infest Indiana seek more congenial
chimes, and, if enforced, will prevent quacks
from other States from settling within our
borders. And as it is always easier to amend
a law than to pass one it will afford a good
foundation for future legislation"
In Illinois the execution Of the medical
practice act passed in 1877 was made the
function of the State Board of Health. The
sixth annual report of this board, just issued,
clearly demonstrates what State Board of
Health, when empowered by law, can do in
elevating the medical profession, and thereby
protecting the public whom they serve. In
Illinois the total number Of persons claiming
to be practitioners has been reduced 20 per
cent, although there has been an average
addition of Ats doctors each year. total of
1926 since July, 1877. OF those engaged in
practice in 1877, only 48 per cent. were grad
yates of medical colleges in good standing,
while in 1884 the per cent. had risen to IS.
During the year 1884; $40 physicians were
licensed to practice in Illinois, of whom 515
were licensed upon diplomas of recognized
medical colleges and twenty-five upon evil
dence of sixteen years practice in the State.
Out of 600 candidates appearing before
this board for examination, 219 were
licensed, and Of these III, by the
advice of the board, subsequently attended
lectures and graduated. The result has been,
that hundreds who were practicing without
sufficient preparation have either qualified
themselves by further study, or have closed
their offices. Many of them moved into In
diana, and the present law will do much to
protect the public against this class Before
the Illinois board took the determined stand
no RI {bo ir1o of
college that did not exact from the student
preliminary examination in the branches of
an English education before allowing him to
matriculate, such examinations were rarely
held by the medical college faculties. Now
they are the rule. There is no evidence to
show that the people of Illinois have been in
convenienced by the workings of the med
ical practice act; on the contrary, they have
been greatly benefited. Physicians are still
abundant; the fees are the same as they were
seven years ago, while superior service has
been rendered. The Illinois law is far more
rigid than that Of Indiana The latter
requires ten years continuous practice as the
equivalent Of a degree instead of sixteen as
in Illinois, or three years of practice and one
course of lectures are put as the equal of de-
gree in Indiana from reputable medical
school. There is, also, a special clause in
Senator Shively's bill exempting midwives
from the provisions of the bill; in brief, they
may practice this branch without either edu-
cation or experience. 1t was for lack Of such
clause that Governor Williams vetoed the
medical bill passed in 1889, holding that the
deprivation of this privilege might work hard
ship and injury in thinly-settled regions, and
as contrary to established usage. The effort
of the Illinois State board has done much to
check the growing abuses in that large class Of
medical colleges established purely to adver-
tise medical men as not only doctors, but also
professors" of medical specialties The
sanitary work of this board also deserves the
highest commentator. In spite of detraction
and contumely from quacks, charlatans, the
various schoNIb and the medical diploma
mills, it has gone OH in the discharge of it's
duty fea~lessly, trusting to an enlightened
public sentiment for its final vindication. It's
work and it's reports are models, and its in
fuence is widely felt throughout the West.
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A SALOoNIST communicates the probable
fact to the Journal that there are in the city