The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-06
THAT MEDICAL CONTROVERSY.

We have received communication
in reply to the letter of MIR. George
Fennemore. OF Beaver. on the Medical
law Part Of this we publish below
Some of it we exclude because it is
personal controversy rather than argu-
ment on principle. One objection to
some of the articles sent To us on this
question is, they are too lengthy. They
need surgical treatment. Amputation
is absolutely necessary in many in
stances, and if we are to receive more
LOT Them, we would respectfully suggest
that the proper treatment is boiling
down before they are sent to the ed
itor. Come down to solid arguments,
gentlemen, and omit some of the pom
derous doses.
The most pertinent points in the an
nexed communication are given, but
the personal remarks as to MIR. Femme
more's medical knowledge and status
are omitted
Answering to Mr.. Fennemore's arti-
Gle, he is ignorant of the fact that the
most able opponents of medical legis-
lation are among the best educated
physicians and surgeons in the United
States \ proof OF this statement
reference to such reviews as The
Arena, The Medical Review. The Med
ical Brief and the literature Of The
Constitutional Liberty League Of the
United States, is necessary
Many of the most eminent states
rnen Of the world are opposed to med
licai laws, notably Gladstone ct al.
There is no state IN The nnon that
has as honest measures governing the
practice Of medicine as X to be found
in the statutes of Utah-see Folks
Medical Directory Of the Enion Mr.
FennemOre IS also ignorant II the fact
that almost so per cent IF the states
of the Union required little else than
the registration OF diplomas ia their
medical laws. while Maine Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island. Ohio and others
have laws only as far IS naafes 20
While the medical practice act of Viz
ginia, Kansas, MISSOURI and California
have virtually been destroyed by the
courts
Would any honest gentleman consider
the people of this territory set of i'm
beetles? They have petitioned the Leg
lslat urc 10 repeal the law ttat n5y
tS4iitfSiS IAt14s u -, 80 Il i4s--ftst-ti tiUAtk
TO be filched Of their money and then
thrown upon the BaeYcy Of the public
When the people Of this territory pc
ltion the lawmakers fof medical laws.
then Il IS to he hoped that such laws
will be enacted as VIII suit the people
regardless Of incompetent practitioners
who are now asking special privileges.
WILLIAM MCCOY
Salt Lake City
Another communication, from the
south, takes up the professional side
Of the question, and we give place to
it that both sides may be heard.
Dear sir-ReferIing to the correspon
dence in The Herald respecting the
proposed amendments to the present
law regulating the practice of nedi-
cine in this territory it is absurd to
suppose that any medical board would
sanction the prosecution Of any person
who might prescribe or furnish aid to
the sick or afflicted in settlements dis
tant from the residence Of a registered
physician or midwife. For example:
In the Grass Valley cases mentioned
by one of your correspondents But to
remove any scruple and place the mat
ter beyond discussion, why not insert
clause similar or in effect to the one
in the Arizona law, as follows?
Provided, that nothing in this act
shall be so construed as to prevent the
practice Of medicine by parties ana
receiving pay therefor in localities sit
uated fifteen miles or more from resi-
dence or Office of any regular physi-
clan"
Personally 1 have no desire to be
called fifteen miles or more from home
and / should be pleased to see some
such proviso for the very simple reason
that the outlying settlements cannot
support a registered physician unless
he takes up some outside business: a
course to be deprecated, because medi-
cine is a jealous mistress and it is es-
pecially true that physician cannot
serve two masters-as regards yoar
editorial of the 5th, in which you say:
THE public have some rights which
should be respected-one of them is to
call in whom they please in case Of
sickness and to avail themselves of the
help of any man or woman in whom
they have confidence and on whose
skill in using medical remedies they
rely. If they chose to employ d person