The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-01
Of the most enllghtened public opin-

OF the most enlightened public opin-
ion.
1t was because of that that the Utah
! Legislature yielded to the importuni-
ties Of the regular physicians of this
city, and after failure at several SEES
sions, at last enacted the law that
now stands on our statute book How
ever, it has proved in some respects
unsatisfactory. While graduates of the
orthodox schools have perhaps exper-
fenced no difficulty in obtaining a GER
tifcate, a number of persons who are
skilful in the administration of simple
remedies, but have never obtained a
diploma and could not pass techni-
cal examination by a board of learned
physicians. are shut out from attend
ing those people who would rather have
their services than anybody else's.
We are of the opinion that the pres
ent law, while intended to protect the
public, is a little too stringent in its
provisions and that to some extent
at least it encroaches upon the liber-
ties of the people. That is to say it
prevents their employment of persons
such as those we have described. who
are too honest and careful to do any
harm and who are too regardful Of the
law to violate it even by doing the
good that lies in their power.
The following letter is from one Of
that class and though we do not at
tempt TO endorse all his views on this
matter, we think from his long services
as dispenser of herbal remedies. he
is at least entitled to hearing. We
hope the Legislature viii either adopt
new and mere liberal law or ma
terially modify the present statute as
to the practice of medicine:
To the Editor of The Herald:
AS there is much talk and writing
being INDUCED in at present about the
practice Of medicine as to who should
and who should not be allowed to prac-
tice, l would like to have my little say,
letting it go for what it is worth.
And first, l would like to ask who it
was that wanted and asked for a law
to be placed upon the statute books of
this territory to regulate the practice
of medicine? Was it the masses of
the people, in whose behalf ana for
whose benefit it was claimed to be adj
vocated? No. Who was ii. then?
Why. q. few NJ. DIS, who claimed they
were benefactors of mankind and that,
in order to protect the suffering masses
from the raVages of malpractice at the
hands Of incompetent practitioners and
quacks, it was absolutely necessary
that a law be passed prohibiting all
/ but q certain favored few from prac-
tlcing in this territory.
It was not meant to exclude any par
ticnlar school from practicing. Oh, no.
That was not the object of it at all:
but the fact is that the results are all
tending that way: and if one win but
read between the lines it is easy to see
that the ultimate end reached will be
to exclude all but the so-called ''regu-
lar" practitioners, members of which
school compose d large ajority of the
board of medical examiners Any law
which permits Of such discrimination
in favor of one class to the partial If
not entire exclusion Of another. which,
under our constitution, is entitled to
equal rights. certainly is not conducive
TO the best interests Of the public.
The laymen of this territory, and,
will venture to say, many professional
men, do not desire such a law for their
protection, [ am certain. What the
people want is a law that will severely
punish upon arrest and conviction. any
practitioner, no matter Of what school,
or whether he holds diploma or not,
who is guilty of malpractice in his
treatment Of the afflicted: but they do
not want to be compelled to call in a
doctor of a certain school who is for
tunate enough to be of the favored
few, permitted to hold a certificate
ical examiners appointed under the
the present law, to attend a child with
that there are other good, honest peo-
pie who can do the case full Justice
even though they neither are possess
sors of a diploma or a certificate"
and who, though they may not per-
chance be quite as handy and nimble
in the use of instruments or the knife,
are just as handy in the use of COM
mon sense.
If it is necessary to pass law regu-
lating the practice of medicine. then
let such a one be passed as will make
ut obligatory upon the governor, or
whoever has the making UP OF the
board, to appoint an equal number of
members thereof from each class Or
school of practitioners within the ter
ritory, thus making the law a Just and
impartial one, instead Of a very unjust
and discriminating one.
Respectfully,
w = VOTING