The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-03-05

physicians find sufficient occupation
IN their Legitimate calling withou
desire or inclination to depart from Tn
scanctity thereof. Furthermore, l
superior educational requirement
dictated the selection of the member
y of an examining board, consistency
would compel the appointment o
homeopathic, as we have shown our re
uuirements so far in advance OF those
of the old colleges.
Il 3 Herein is seen the weakness OF
examining boards as means OF rais-
ing the standard of qualification lot
such boards possess the power ana
n actually do examine and license men
r who have the most limited general
q education, have never taken course
of lectures in any college, nor have
ever seen a clinic or a hospital. by
: their fruits we shall know them" Some
of the most Objectionable men in the
profe. sion today in our state are the
products of the examining boards
ialready established by past laws. How
can such power, used with such re-
,. suits. raise" the standard of our pro-
fession? Other physicians OF the
broade culture and the most thor.
ough medical training are passed
! through the same mill and ground out
grist no better than the former-are
put on the same level before the peo.
Dle-and the former pronounced Just
AZ safe" and just as 'skiIlful' as the
latter. The stamp of an examining
board is to be all that is necessary to
convince the public that the bearer is
Il safe and skillful physician And yet
who kRuws7 The public may still
continue to pronounce their own yer
diets, and stamp one man good" and
another man bad"
However, if bv your united wisdom
examining boards are deemed better
adapted to protect the public from
unqualified physicians than law de
handing thorough education in legal
colleges and legal registration of di-
plOma, we turnyOur attention finally
TO the only feature which is really OBJ
nOXious to us aud to which we can
never be reconciled, to wit: the plac
ing of the tremendous power of decid.
ing a mans professional standing, thus
affecting also his means of livelihood,
in the hands OF men so Numerically
differing from him in the most vital
points of the practice Of medicine;
difference, sad to say, which amounts
in most cases TO bitter enmity and con.
tempt. With all due regard to the
sense of honor of the members of such
a board, is it in human nature for a
majority to deal fairly by hated and
deSpised minority? We may even
credit them with sincerity, for did not
Paul prosecute the early christians,
verify thinking he was doing God ser
vice? TIE power to persecute and 90.
press should never be placed by law in
tempted hands; weak human nature
cannot be trusted so far.
The allopaths claim the right to
single boards with exclusive or major
ity membership because of their su-
periority i'll numbers. Whoever heard
OF any school or sect, because of its su-
periority in numbers, being made the
standard whereby to Judge those of
other sects? What think you of re-
curing a Roman Catholic priest to be
examined and licensed to preach the
gospel by board of Protestant cler-
gyIuen, because forsooth, the latter
outnumbers the former? The first eff
forts OF the old school have invariably
been to secure boards made up exclu-
sIvely of their own physicians; but
where the pressure from homeopaths
and electics became too great a SOD
was thrown to them by granting ore
representative to each school. But
what are they among 80 many?n
Never have they been prevailed upon
to yield an inch more. The effects
are apparent in Minnesota, where, dur.
ing the past year, out of every 100 old
school applicants 81 were passed,
while out of every 100 homeopathic 20
were passed.
If then, dear sir, you deem board
examination best, why in the name of
all that is fair and true to the spirit
OF our American institutions can we
rot have a board in each school? As
equal citizens before the law, as men
OF Intelligence and keen sense of manly
aud professional independence, as
your faithful constituents We pray for
justice. Surely our esprit du corps
would lead us in the future, as it has
led us in the past, to maintain as high
a standard as that in any other school.
We can only contemplate the posi-
bibility of being placed so completely
at the mercy of those who oftimes
prove our bitterest professional enc
mics, with horror and dismay. So
plain in this principle of justice
that all other states now facing
this question aud deciding for
boards of examination are Civ
lug each school its own board. New
York, Florida, California, and quite
recently, Wisconsin,, have all dealt
fairly by the schools in giving them
separate boards. The public press, as
well, have sounded out the same clear
and ringing note of equal rightsibefore
he law to all schools; the constitution
of the state itself expressly declares
that mo preference shall ever be
given by law to any schools of medi-
cine" Cart. Is, Gen. Provision, Sec. 81.
May the fair fame of Texas liberty
never be furnished by any lesser mead
of justice.
Signed:
NJ. J. BLEIM, NJ. D.,
San Antonio, Texas,
JOS. JONES, NJ. d.,
San Antonio, Texas,
G. 6. CLIFFORD,
San Antonio, Texas.
TtIpS II