Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-27
A Sharply Criticised Bill.


Adopted-Has the State of Connect'
fcut a Right 10 Tell the People
What Doctors They May Hiref
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
About two years ago your Old Sanitarisr
declared that all sanitarians possessed pro
digious and profound scientific attain,
ments and were vastly superior in intellect
to ordinary medical practitioners. From
this premise he argued that all matters
pertaining to the care and treatment of the
sick should be legally placed completely in
the hands of the Board of Health and tina,
all persons who disregsrded any of the
orders Of said board should be punished as
criminals.
Some persons regarded the Old Ssnitari
an as an earnest blockhead, while Others
thought him sstirist. But however that
fact may be. it now appears that he build
ed better than he knew.
Incredible as It may seem, bill is now
actually before this legislature which EN-
bodies the Old Sauitarisn's ideas This
bill provides that any p=rsop, no matter
what his qualifications may be, who shall
treat sick man, after October /, 1898,
without frst obtaining permission from
the state board of health to give such
treatment, and paying 81 for such permis
zion, shall be adjudged a criminal, aud,
unless he pay heavy fine, shall be COZ
fned in Jail
Let Us consider come results which
would flow from the enactment of this bill.
is a scholarly physician who has quietly
praoticed his profession in one place for
twenty five years. His qualifications are
we'll known No one is Obliged to employ
him unless he chooses to do 60. But un
less this we'll behaved. capable physician
do certain prescribed sots, before October
1, 1893, pay 50 for this privilege of this
annoyance and receive permission from the
State board OF health, the law declares
him criminal.
What right has the state to subject him
to this annoyance and to this tax of 50 or
$50 Suppose the board of health should
act as mankind are prone to act when
clothed with despotic power and should re-
fuse him permission to practice medicine
any longer. He has not committed any
crime. Why then should the state send
him to j ill His acqusintances wish to
employ him to attend themselves and their
natural right to do 90 without the permis-
sion of any bodya
We observe 1t is said that this bill is
aimed at the quscks. But 1t SEEMS to us
that 1t is aimed at the people of the state
of Connecticut.
In the fret place, this enactment would
largely increase the expense of maintain
ing the state board of health, and 1t hss
not yet been proven that the people are
any better protected from disease now
than they were before q state board of
health was created
In the next place, such a law would
give the state board of health great oppor
tunities to annoy, to insult and to seriously
ipjure pecuniarily any physician who
should incur their spleen or displeasure.
The majority of physicians are poor and
an attack on their reputation, no matter
how i'll founded 1t should be, might infict
serious pecuniary damage. In fact, II
would be practicable for the state board OF
health to compel competent physician to
move ont of the state, as the easiest way to
avoid prosecution.
But the chief objection to this proposed
law lies in the fact that, In clumsy,
an expensive and tyrannical manner,
1t would bs subyersive of individual
liberty, and place both the property and
the liberty of orderly citizens at the mccoy
of a quorum of the state board of health
Every oIfizsn has a right to protection
from fraud end, as far as practicable, the
state should render such protection. To
this end. 1t is proper for the state to re-
qutre that every person who becomes
q candidate for medical practic;
shall thereupon register In the town clerk:
Office true and ewor9 statement of the
| facilities he has had to acquire a compe
| tent medical education, and also to have
any diploma or certificate of his fitness
for his duties conspicuously placed In hi!
| Office. In other words, the public has I
hight to know what the qualifications Of {
person who seeks medical practice are
| And the law as it now stands, holds ever
one responsible. under severe penalties
for attempting duties which they are no
competent to perform in a reasonably skill
| full manner.
| But, beyond the preventing of fraud anc
| the punishment Of fraud after committed
the state has 10 right to dictate what man
ner of man a sick person shall smplo,
either as his nurse OF "a his physician. L
| A, with full knowledge that O has studleS
medicine under competent instructors 70
| five yesrs, prefers ~ employ d, who it !
| we'll known has not had any medical in
struction for FIVE dsys, no one has q righ
to prevent his doing 60 A Will doubtles
make mistakes and errors. But all humsi
experience shows that such errors are no
80 serious burden as the mistakes an
wrongs which always occur when few ar
clothed with power to dictate to the many
The bill now before the Legislature ssy
in substance to the people of the State Q
Connecticut: AFTER October l, 1898, 20
shall not employ any one as q physicia
unless the state board of health shall FRI
see at to gran. you permission to do so."
The authors of this bill would do well |
Immediately retreat in good order:
| II. D.