The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-10
Doctors Differing.


A number of medical gentlemen of the
''eclectic SCHOOL, as it is called, have
been resisting the requirement of the law
that they shall pass an examination and
take out license before practicing medi-
cine in this territory. They have held
out so long that action has been taken
against them in the courts to compel them
to submit to the law or pay the penalty
for their refusal.
That is proper way to test the ques-
ton. There is law on the statute book,
requiring every person practicing medi-
cine to first obtain a certificate or license
from Board OF Examiners appointed by
the governor and legislative council. ii
there is anything invalid in the law it
ought to be pointed out; if not the law
should be enforced.
We understand that the gentlemen in
jeopardy object to the constitution of the
board and regard it as hostile to the par
ticular school of medicine to which they
belong. We do not know whether they
have tested the board to see If an ''eclec-
tic'' can obtain certificate. If not their
objection is not tenable. If they are dis
eliminated against as a class, they may
have some ground for a contest, but it
would be as against the board rather than
against the law.
The board is to be composed OF ''seven
medical examiners from the various rec
ognized schools OF incidence If the
electics are a recognized school" they
ought to be represented on the board; if
not, not. 1t is to be presumed that the
governor and legislative council have
complied with the law in making the ap-
pointments. Also that the board are
ready to issue certificates to all persons
entitled to them.
The certificates are Of two classes; one
for graduates OF respectable medical col
leges another for persons not graduates
who have practiced medicine for ten
y Odlo CONTINUALLY LII ILLS tSII4eOLH, On
petition of twenty-five legal voters and on
passing an examination; also to persons
practicing obstetrics who have passed an
examination or who can prove that they
have practiced previous to the passage of
the law. The fees range from 81 in the
Last mentioned case to S25 in the first.
Any person who practices medicine or
treats any person for an ailment for fee,
or who holds himself out as physician
or surgeon and has no certificate or
license from the board, is to be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor and may be pun
ished by fine or imprisonment or both.
A great many efforts were made for
years to obtain the passage OF license
law for physicians 1t was not until
the summer of 1892 that the purpose
was fully effected. The purpose OF the
law is to exclude unqualified persons
from the practice of that which involves
the lives and health of the people. Its
intent is good. AS to its workings time
will tell the tale. 1t is not an unusual
law. It is common to most of The states,
and the Utah statute has the virtue of
exempting from its operations persons
who may be called upon to act in case of
an emergency, and in the administration
of fsfamily remedies.
The law should be enforced or declared
invalid or repealed. The board of exam
iners have done right in prosecuting the
.recalcitrant practitioners, whatever their
pleas may De for refusing to comply with
the law. They may have good and suffi-
Gent reasons for their resistance. If SO
they will appear when their cases come
up for trial. If their objections are
against the board only. they have their
remedy at law. If they oppose the law
itself, their resistance was the only
means of testing its validity. The case
will soon be brought to an issue.
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