Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-09-19
lcoMMUEfoArEr.l
MEDICAL LEGISLATION.

The influence Of legislative enac
ments upon the practice Of medicin
Il n matter Of interest to the laity q
well ~ the pioies ion, 10 the subject
No well as the practitioners Of the art Z
heRling,an hence the propfiety Of II
general discussion.
The fret American school for th
education Of medical men was organ
lied In tho city OF Philadelphia ore
1g5 years ago, aud the second In New
YORK City about six years later. Whei
1t Ia remembered that Dr. benjamin
franklin was presidentof tho board .
trustees shaping and controlling tn
Philadelphia college, and that ID
Benjamin Rush was lie brightest au'
most Influential professor fcf more thai
forty years, II will not seem
matter Of surprise when II Is salt
that to that institution Il ohitn,
due the credit Of having made the
practice Of medicine liberal PROBES
sion, free aud progressive calling ia
America, ie., In former years. In
an Introductory lecture to his class,
nearly a century ago, DR.. Rush, VIII ie
enumerating the obstacles TO the prog.
rrsa OF scientific medicine, mentioned
as one OF the chief. "rhe interference
~ governments Ia prohibiting the use
OF certain remedies and enforcing tho
use VI others by law" The effect Of
this mistaken policy he considered
"as huriiul 10 medicine a. n similar
practice with respect 10 opinions had
been 10 the Christian fclig Ons." Anu
and A. smother obstacle, he mentioned:
"Conferfing exclusive privileges upon
bodies Of physicians and forhidding
men Of equal taleat and knowledge,
under severe penalties, from practicing
medicine within Certaiu districts Of
citleh and countries" lie considered
"such Institutions, however sanctioned
by ancient charters aud names, rs the
basties VI medical SCIENCE"
In speaking Of these Obstacles DE-.
Rush had Ia mind the laws made In
older countfles to check the introduce
ton Of new methods anu new remedies
aud 20 10 prevent innovation aud Ia.
hINh NeH
honored and orthodox. He remem.
boted the arbitrary and unjust dis.
examinations made In favor Of certain
schools Of medical men and against
others, whereby excellence was sacri.
feed 10 age, Intrigue and favoritism.
As another obstacle 10 medical progress
the doctor mentioned, "the refusal Ia
universities TO tolerate any opinions IN
IN, private or public exercises u can
didatos for degrees In medicine, which
were not taught or believed by their
professors, thus restraining spirit oi
Inquiry IN that period OF life which II
most distinguiahed Tor order aud In
yentiOn In our science" And he
went on TO say; SIT was from the pre-
valenoe Of this conduct that DR.. Adam
Smith has ~ Justly called univefsities
the dull deposltoflts OF exploded
opinions'"
when we romem Der the barriers that
were placed IN the way OF medical
progress from times imniemOrlal, II u
no wonder that the good DoctOrs
Rush anu franklin labofed iuces-
sanity 10 free themselves from
that ironelad oligarchy which had
rvigned supreme for centufies. Actu-
ated by sense OF love and truth, which
II always Characteristic Of true
American, aud having little venera.
lion for the simply antique OF the
orthodox, they opposed all arbitrary
laws anu favored the greatest Of liberty
Ia sclent lo pursuits.
Such was tho progress Of medical
teaching Inspired by liberal American
sentiments that, not only Pennsylvania
and New York but also Massachusetts
anu Maryland had Ia few years their
medical university, 10 the great dis.
may VI European institutions Of
similar character. Aud such was the
progress In those days Of intellectual
liberty, that Dt. Daniel HosAok In his
Introductory lecture To his class Ia
New York November 8ri, 1913, said!
sin this profession of medicine II
may already be- said that In the
United States o. America we pos.
,ess all the necessary Resources
Tor the most finished system that can
be obtained In any part Of the world,
not except Z the Justly celebrated
schools Of Edlntufgn, London anu
PaTis.n
but, as the fat ers Of American
lieouplh phshol hNaJt anu those Chmu
Into place ami power who knew less OF
The evils OF eniCtced conformity, and
Of the advantages OF "a liberal policy,
and were more susceptible 10 political
lbhuelcr, the spirit Of pride and pOmp
grew apace, anu medical schools aud |
medical sOcletite began 10 claim pre-.
negatives, Gud seek u control such as !
exercise IN the old world. State en-
actnsul we're called for compelling |
every practitioner 10 possess himself ,
oi diploma or license, aud the diplo. |
ma " license could be hal only al the |
pleasure OF the dominant politically |
IegHllzud board or at the request OF tie |
friends Of those political tricllsters.
Such was the dawn OF intellectual !
liberty In the progress OF medical scl.
sncc Ia America. After years u per.
'ecution and litigation TO keep out anu !
'uppttss "itfegulaTs," and 10 protect
orthodoxy, rfter volume upon volume
II proof had teen brought against !
eeehing, bleedi x, purging, depletion
,nd mercurial pOlsonlug,gud salvation, |
he safes began 10 recogn ~ tue |
IRREGULAR" 10y giving them minori. |
y membership on boards of oxHmina
ION, which was simply n matter oil /